Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

In the cold winter, the air in the courtyard was filled with tension and anger.

Yi Zhonghai stood in front of everyone, anxious like an ant on a hot pan. Beads of sweat the size of beans kept emerging from his forehead, each one full and full, like beads that had broken off the string, rolling down his wrinkled temples.

At this moment, his face turned red, and the blue veins on his forehead jumped like angry earthworms as he spoke rapidly.

"Old Liu, calm down and listen to me. Things are really not what you think!"

There was obvious anxiety and panic in Yi Zhonghai's voice.

"Liu Guangqi came to me on his own initiative. He was so excited that he told me he wanted to go to Heilongjiang Province and make a big career. He begged me to write an application for him. At that time, I was completely focused on his enthusiasm. I only knew that he wanted to go to Heilongjiang Province. I didn't think that he was hiding it from you at all!"

"I thought it was a good thing for a child to have ambitions, so I didn't ask too many questions and just signed for him. If I had known that he hadn't told you, I would never have done it even if I had a hundred guts. No matter how foolish I am, I would never do such a wicked thing as breaking up you and your son!"

As Liu Haizhong listened to Yi Zhonghai's seemingly sincere defense, the long-suppressed anger in his heart was suddenly ignited, as if a bomb exploded in his heart.

He was so angry that his whole body was shaking violently uncontrollably, and his strong body was like an old tree in a strong wind, which could fall down at any time.

At this moment, the face in the bangs became extremely distorted because of the surging anger, as if it was being kneaded by an invisible force, and the originally neat and regular facial features seemed to be misplaced.

Everyone looked at his hideous face in horror, and a chill rose in their hearts.

I saw Liu Haizhong suddenly raised up his hand which was covered with thick calluses and looked like a dry branch. Due to excessive force, the hand was shaking slightly uncontrollably, as if it would lose strength and fall down at any time.

At the same time, the finger he stretched out almost poked directly into the tip of Yi Zhonghai's nose, with only a millimeter's distance between the two.

Then, a deafening roar burst out from the depths of Liu Hai's throat: "Yi Zhonghai, stop giving me flowery excuses here! Guangqi is still young and ignorant, but what about you? You are an elder who has lived in this courtyard for many years! You are so old, don't you even understand this little bit? Don't you need to discuss this matter with me, your father, first?"

His eyes were wide open, and his eyeballs seemed to be about to pop out of their sockets. His face was as red as a ripe tomato, and the veins on his forehead were bulging, each one clearly visible. He looked very scary.

"You clearly knew that it was wrong not to tell me about this, but you still helped him hide it. What on earth were you thinking? Could it be that you were jealous of me being the boss of this courtyard, so you deliberately came here to cause trouble and sabotage?"

At this point, the voice in Liu Hai became increasingly high-pitched and sharp, like a sharp sword piercing people's hearts.

Yan Bugui, who had been standing silently beside him, kept frowning, with his eyebrows tightly twisted together to form a deep knot.

His neither-big-nor-small eyes were now filled with suspicion and scrutiny. He looked at Liu Haizhong for a while, then at Yi Zhonghai, as if trying to find some clues from the expressions and words of the two men.

At this moment, his eyes were like a sharp knife, shooting straight at Yi Zhonghai, and he slowly said:

"Yi Zhonghai, what you said is really hard to believe. We can all understand that children are young and impulsive and do things without considering the consequences. But what about you? You are highly respected in this courtyard. Everyone respects you and thinks you are sensible in doing things."

"But this time, how could you be so foolish? You didn't even inform Lao Liu about such a big thing? Your behavior is really unbecoming of an elder."

The second aunt had been so angry that she put her hands on her hips, like an old hen protecting her chicks, and said angrily:

"That's right, Yi Zhonghai, stop making excuses! You are always petty and calculating this and that. This time, you must have done it on purpose, so stop denying it! You must give our family an explanation today and give everyone an explanation!"

Yi Zhonghai was at a loss what to do after being accused by everyone, and his eyes frantically swept across everyone's faces.

He became more and more anxious, his voice became hoarse and trembling: "I... I swear to God, I didn't lie! I really didn't think much at the time, I just felt that Guangqi had ambitions and wanted to help him. I swear to God, if I deliberately hid it from Lao Liu, I would die a miserable death, I would be hit by a car when I go out, and I would be struck by lightning!"

Xu Damao watched the farce from the side, with an annoying and sarcastic expression on his face, and said slowly:

"Oh, uncle, you made this oath so easily, just like playing. Who knows what you really think in your heart? Maybe you are jealous of uncle No. 2 becoming uncle No. 1, and you are unbalanced and deliberately do bad things! You usually like to compete with each other, and this time you might be the one who did it."

When Yi Zhonghai heard what Xu Damao said, he became furious like a cat whose tail was stepped on.

He turned his head suddenly, his eyes widened, as if his eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets, and stared at Xu Damao viciously, roaring:

"Xu Damao, don't make trouble here! It's not your turn to point fingers at me and Lao Liu! You just know how to sow discord all day long and can't stand others getting along well. This matter today has nothing to do with you, so don't meddle in it!"

Just when everyone was arguing, Director Wang stood up.

He looked serious and solemn, with an unquestionable majesty in his eyes, like a steady mountain, which made people calm down unconsciously.

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet, then looked at Yi Zhonghai and said in a calm but stern tone:

"Master Yi, no matter what the cause of this incident is, you signed in the name of Master Liu, which led to Liu Guangqi going to Heilongjiang Province. This is an ironclad fact. Now Master Liu can't eat or sleep all day, and he only wants to find his son. If you really think there is nothing wrong with you, you should think of a way to find Liu Guangqi instead of just quibbling here. Now is not the time to shirk responsibility, you have to find a way to solve the problem."

After hearing what Director Wang said, Yi Zhonghai's body trembled slightly. He spoke with a trembling voice, and it felt like he had used all his strength.

"At that time, in addition to Liu Guangqi, there was also his former girlfriend Qi Sihui and Qi Sihui's father. I remember that day, Guangqi brought the two of them to see me, saying that Qi Sihui and her family were going back to their hometown, which is Harbin, Heilongjiang Province."

"Looking at Guangqi's resolute look and the relationship between him and Qi Sihui, I figured Liu Guangqi must have gone with them. If we want to find Liu Guangqi, we have to find these two people first. But that's all I know. I don't know anything else."

As soon as these words were spoken, the courtyard exploded. Everyone looked at each other with expressions of astonishment and disbelief.

"What? Liu Guangqi actually ran off with his girlfriend?"

The three aunts couldn't help but cover their mouths, their eyes widened with surprise, as if they had heard a fairy tale.

"How can this child be so confused?"

As Jia Zhang spoke, she shook her head repeatedly, her face full of regret and her eyes revealed her deep incomprehension of Liu Guangqi's behavior.

"How could he be so impulsive and just leave without caring about his parents? This child is so ignorant."

When Liu Haizhong heard this, his body swayed and he almost lost his balance. It was as if he had been hit hard by someone and he seemed to have fallen into an ice hole.

His eyes were filled with pain and disappointment, his lips trembled, and after a long while he managed to squeeze out a sentence:

"Guangqi, Guangqi, how could you do such a thing and abandon your parents... Do you know how worried we are about you? How will we survive if you leave..."

Xu Damao smacked his lips in gloating. "Tsk tsk, I didn't expect that Liu Guangqi, who usually looks quite honest, could actually do such a thing. It seems that you can't judge a person by his appearance. This kid is hiding something very well."

For a moment, everyone couldn't help but sigh.

The atmosphere in the yard was so depressing that it made people feel breathless, as if there was an invisible huge stone pressing on everyone's heart.

The third uncle couldn't help but criticize: "Liu Guangqi is too ignorant. Even if his father's behavior was a little wrong, he couldn't just run off with his girlfriend without saying a word and leave his parents at home. Isn't this unfilial? Filial piety comes first among all virtues. If he doesn't even understand this, what future can he have?"

Jia Zhang also agreed: "That's right, young people nowadays are too impetuous, and they should think more about their families when doing things. He just left like that, how sad his parents must be. Old Liu and his wife treated him so well on weekdays, and raised him with great difficulty, but he repays his parents like this, it's really heartbreaking."

Another middle-aged woman also shook her head and said, "Liu Guangqi looks quite stable, how could he do such a stupid thing? No matter what, he shouldn't have kept it a secret from his family. If he had discussed it with his family, maybe his parents would have understood his idea, but he left in such a sneaky way, it's really heartbreaking."

Liu Haizhong felt a pang of pain when he heard everyone blaming Liu Guangqi.

In fact, he knew in his heart that he was indeed in the wrong when he forcibly separated Liu Guangqi and Qi Sihui.

But he couldn't bring himself to admit his mistake in front of so many people. So he stiffened his neck and said stubbornly:

"I don't care. Everything I do is for Guangqi's own good. Yi Zhonghai, don't try to muddy the waters. The main responsibility for this matter is still on you. If you hadn't signed in my name, would Guangqi have been able to leave so easily? You must give me an explanation today. If I can't find my son, I will never forgive you!"

Yi Zhonghai saw that everyone was criticizing Liu Guangqi, and thought that this was a good opportunity to exonerate himself.

He took a deep breath, pretended to be calm, raised his voice and said:

"Actually, this matter can't be blamed entirely on me. Old Liu also bears a lot of responsibility."

When everyone heard this, they all looked at Yi Zhonghai with confusion on their faces.

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai became even more excited and continued:

"If Old Liu hadn't insisted on breaking up the young couple and hadn't beaten Liu Guangqi, would Guangqi be so dissatisfied with his father? Would he have become alienated from his father and finally run away from home? Old Liu is also responsible for this! If he had been more open-minded and agreed to let Guangqi and Qi Sihui be together, this would never have happened!"

When Liu Haizhong heard this, he immediately became furious. The veins on his forehead bulged out like twisting little snakes.

He took a step forward, almost poking Yi Zhonghai in the face with his finger, and shouted angrily:

"Yi Zhonghai, stop slandering me here! I did that for Guangqi's own good. He is so young, his mind shouldn't be focused on love affairs. He should first think about working hard and planning for the future. I beat him because I am disappointed in him!"

"I'm his father, how can I harm him? I want him to walk the right path and have a good future, unlike you, who always gives bad advice!"

Yan Bugui frowned and analyzed solemnly:

"Old Liu, although your starting point is for the sake of the children, it is indeed inappropriate to forcibly separate them. The feelings of young people sometimes need to be properly guided and cannot be suppressed blindly. Yi Zhonghai, don't put all the responsibility on Old Liu. You forged the signature, which was wrong no matter how you look at it. This mistake of yours has caused suffering to both families."

The third aunt couldn't help but interrupt: "Yes, both of you are wrong. The most urgent thing now is to find Liu Guangqi back. Stop blaming each other. If you continue to quarrel like this, the problem will not be solved. The most important thing is to work together to find the child back."

Xu Damao fanned the flames with a gloating smile on his face: "It's really lively now. It's hard to say who is right and who is wrong. In my opinion, Second Master and Yi Zhonghai should reflect on this. What you two did has disturbed the whole courtyard. How are you going to get along in the future?"

The second aunt looked at Liu Haizhong distressedly and advised softly:

"Old Liu, don't be too anxious. Let's all work together to find Guangqi and sit down as a family to have a good talk to clear up the misunderstanding. That's better than anything else. Guangqi must have acted on impulse. When he comes back, we can talk calmly and maybe he will become sensible."

Yi Zhonghai felt a little guilty when he saw Liu Haizhong like that, but he still wanted to defend himself: "Lao Liu, I really didn't mean to hide it from you. I only found out later that they left together. I thought young people have their own ideas. They might think that going out together can have a better future, so I didn't dare to tell you rashly. I was also afraid that you would be angry. I didn't expect things to turn out like this. I... I regret it too."

Yan Bugui snorted coldly: "Yi Zhonghai, you said that lightly. No matter what, you shouldn't have kept it a secret from Liu Haizhong. This is his son. It's too irresponsible of you to do so. It's useless to say these words of regret now. The key is to find a way to get Liu Guangqi back."

After saying that, Yan Bugui frowned, thought for a while, and then said: "Now that we know these clues, let's find a way to find it. Lao Yi, think carefully again, Qi Sihui's hometown is in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, where exactly is it in Harbin?"

"Are there any clues that can lead to their contact? For example, did Qi Sihui mention her home address or contact information? Or do they have any other acquaintances in Harbin?"

Yi Zhonghai lowered his head and tried to recall. A thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He said as he recalled:

"I remember Qi Sihui said that their hometown was in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, but I don't know the exact address. When they came to see me, they spoke in a hurry, and I didn't ask much. I really don't have any contact information or anything like that."

Liu Haizhong was so anxious that he shouted at Yi Zhonghai, "How can you know nothing? I'm counting on you to give me clues about my son's whereabouts, but you don't know anything! Aren't you deliberately making things difficult for me? If you don't give me any useful clues today, I'll never forgive you!"

Yi Zhonghai looked embarrassed, rubbing his hands constantly, and the wrinkles on his forehead deepened:

"Lao Liu, I really tried my best. I just wanted to help Guangqi at that time, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this. If I knew more, I would definitely tell you everything. Now I am also anxious, and I also want to help you find Guangqi back."

At this time, the third uncle stood up and said, "Old Liu, there's no point in worrying now. Since we know they might be in Harbin, let's find out where they are."

The third aunt also hurriedly said, "Yes, Lao Liu, let's all help together."

Although Xu Damao usually likes to stir up trouble, he also said at this moment: "Second Uncle, I will also keep an eye on it for you. If there is any news, I will definitely tell you as soon as possible. I know a lot of people outside, and maybe I can get some useful information from them."

Director Wang also expressed his opinion: "The factory will also mobilize employees to help find clues. Master Liu, don't worry too much. We will definitely try our best to help you find your son. Our factory also has some business contacts in the Northeast. Maybe we can find Liu Guangqi's whereabouts through those relationships."

Liu Haizhong looked at the enthusiastic neighbors, and a warm feeling surged in his heart, but he was still shrouded in worry. He said gratefully: "Thank you, everyone! Thank you! If we can find Guangqi, I, Liu Haizhong, will work hard to repay you. In my heart, I just hope that Guangqi can come back soon. As long as he can come back safely, I am willing to do anything."

Yi Zhonghai looked at everyone with mixed feelings. He lowered his head and whispered: "Lao Liu, I... I'm sorry for you. If I had thought more about it at the beginning, this wouldn't have happened. I know it's too late to say anything now, but I really hope to help you find Guangqi and make up for my mistake."

Liu Haizhong glared at Yi Zhonghai fiercely and said, "What's the point of saying this now? If anything happens to my son, I will never forgive you! Just wait, if Guangqi doesn't come back, I will fight you to the death!"

..................

..................