Chapter 75

"Uncle Xie, it’s me, Qin Feng."

Finding a public phone booth, the exhausted Qin Feng called Xie Dazhi’s pager. Not long after, the call came back.

"Xiao Qin? You’re back?"

Xie Dazhi’s voice was filled with surprise. Without waiting for Qin Feng to respond, he hurriedly said, "Something has happened recently, it’s hard to explain over the phone. Go to the house in Wenhua Alley right away. I’ll head over too. We’ll talk when you get there."

"Something happened? Alright, Uncle Xie, I’ll be there in about half an hour."

Qin Feng’s heart sank, but he didn’t say much more. After hanging up and paying, he directly hailed a yellow taxi on the roadside. Influenced by the capital, these taxis were now common in Tianjin.

The driver was an old Tianjin resident, very familiar with the roads. He took several small streets and arrived at the entrance of Wenhua Alley in less than half an hour.

---

"Hmm? Uncle Xie works fast."

Walking to the gate of No. 386, Qin Feng noticed that the old, dilapidated gate had been replaced, and even the threshold had been repainted. However, the gate was now tightly closed.

"Brother Feng, you’re back?"

When Qin Feng knocked on the door, the chubby Xie Xuan opened it from inside. After Qin Feng entered, he looked around outside suspiciously before closing the gate from the inside.

"Damn, such a big dog? Brother Feng, where did you get it?" Xie Xuan, turning around, noticed the large yellow dog following Qin Feng and took a few steps back in fright.

"Don’t be afraid, his name is Da Huang, he won’t bite you..." Qin Feng lightly tapped Xie Xuan’s head, saying, "What were you doing just now? It’s not like we’re in a movie, are you afraid I’m being followed?"

Xie Xuan rubbed his head, his face twisted in a bitter expression, "Brother Feng, I really was afraid you were being followed."

"Did Uncle Xie say something happened? Did Li Tianyuan get into a fight again?" Qin Feng’s face turned serious, "What did I tell you before I left?"

Qin Feng knew Li Tianyuan’s temperament. Before leaving, he had taught him many things, hoping he would practice diligently and not cause trouble. From the looks of it, the boy’s hormones were even more active than Qin Feng had imagined.

"Brother Feng, this time it wasn’t our fault, it’s not Brother Yuan’s fault..."

Just as Xie Xuan was about to explain, there was another knock on the door. Opening it, he found Xie Dazhi had arrived. Judging by the safety helmet in his hand, he had come straight from the construction site.

"Qin Feng, it’s not even been a month, how did you become so haggard?"

Xie Dazhi looked at Qin Feng after entering, his face showing surprise. He knew Qin Feng was a year younger than his own son, but the sun-tanned, dark-faced Qin Feng looked like he was in his mid-twenties.

"Uncle Xie, I haven’t washed my face for a few days, that’s why I look like this."

"What? Didn’t you find your sister? Cough, Qin Feng, Uncle Xie is just blunt, don’t take it to heart..."

Xie Dazhi almost slapped himself after saying that. From the expression on Qin Feng’s face, even a fool could tell he hadn’t found his sister.

"Uncle Xie, it’s fine, I know you’re concerned about me."

Qin Feng shook his head. He was a very broad-minded person. Since he was seven or eight, he had experienced the hardships of life. When things were beyond his control, he would bury his worries and thoughts deep in his heart, not letting them affect his daily judgment.

Although he didn’t find his sister this time, Qin Feng wasn’t entirely without gains. At least he knew she was still alive, which was enough for him.

"Let’s not talk about me. Uncle Xie, thank you for your help, the courtyard looks great."

Seeing the expressions of Xie Xuan and Xie Dazhi, Qin Feng knew Li Tianyuan wasn’t in serious trouble. Otherwise, Xie Dazhi wouldn’t have asked about his sister first.

"What help? It was just a small effort by our own workers."

Xie Dazhi waved his hand with a smile. He was in the real estate development business, so he had the workers and materials ready. After the previous tenants moved out, Xie Dazhi brought a truckload of materials and workers.

Xie Dazhi knew Qin Feng, though young, had many secrets. So he not only had the workers repaint all the rooms and walls but also converted the storage room into a bathroom, installing a toilet and shower.

This way, Qin Feng and the others wouldn’t have to use the public toilet anymore. As long as they closed the gate, no one would know what was happening inside the courtyard.

"By the way, Qin Feng, let me tell you about the expenses..."

"Let’s not talk about that now, Uncle Xie. Let’s go inside and talk about what happened to Yuanzi."

Just as Xie Dazhi was about to talk about the expenses, Qin Feng interrupted him. He had heard a groan from inside the house, a sound he recognized well from when Li Tianyuan was beaten in the reformatory.

"Da Huang, stay at the door."

Qin Feng pointed at the gate and stepped into the house. The layout of the courtyard was similar to those in the capital. The main room was in the middle, with living quarters on both sides, usually separated by curtains.

Since the incident happened right after the renovation, there were no curtains yet. As soon as Qin Feng entered, he saw Li Tianyuan lying on the bed in the right room.

"Damn, who hit him so hard?"

Seeing Li Tianyuan, Qin Feng couldn’t help but curse. The person lying on the bed was barely recognizable. His upper body was wrapped in white bandages, with only his swollen face visible, and there was no other good spot.

Seeing this, a fierce look appeared on Qin Feng’s face. Li Tianyuan had followed him to Tianjin because he considered him a big brother, but in just a few days, he had been beaten to this state?

"Is this kid really in prison for murder?"

Seeing Qin Feng’s dark expression, even Xie Dazhi, a seasoned veteran in society, felt a chill run down his spine, recalling what his son had told him.

"Bro... Brother Feng, is... is it you?"

Hearing Qin Feng’s voice, Li Tianyuan struggled to open his swollen eyes. However, he couldn’t see clearly.

Li Tianyuan, who always prided himself on not crying, tears streamed down his face. He tried to sit up, but he couldn’t even move his fingers, only managing to make a hoarse "huh" sound in his throat.

"Yuanzi, it’s me, I’m back. Don’t talk, we’ll talk about it after you recover..."

Qin Feng walked to the bed and held Li Tianyuan’s right hand, which he had struggled to lift. He softly said, "Yuanzi, just sleep. Whoever hit you, we’ll get them back tenfold!"

As he spoke, Qin Feng gently pressed his right hand on the back of Li Tianyuan’s head, pressing and releasing three times. The emotionally agitated Li Tianyuan immediately fell into a deep sleep.

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