I was the leader of the righteous path in high school.

who is it?

Chen Jianguo shuddered in surprise, and Aunt Chang also frowned, looking warily toward the door.

Chen Zhizhi didn't move, but her empty gaze shifted from her father's ashen face to the door that was about to be knocked on.

She was heartbroken.

Who is it?

Chen Jianguo composed himself, his voice still a little unsteady. As he asked the question, he subconsciously straightened his wrinkled clothes, as if trying to grasp at a shred of dignity.

There was no answer from outside the door.

Then came several more heavy and urgent "thump-thump" sounds, carrying an undeniable air of urgency.

Aunt Chang and Chen Jianguo exchanged a glance, a look that contained both doubt and a tacit understanding.

Aunt Chang pursed her lips, raised her chin slightly, and gestured for Chen Jianguo to open the door.

At this moment, the deliberate softening of her posture disappeared, replaced by the demeanor of a mistress of the house.

Chen Jianguo moved his somewhat stiff legs, walked to the door, took a deep breath, and turned the lock.

The door had barely opened a crack when it was pushed open even wider by a rather unfriendly external force.

The first thing that rushed in was a smell mixed with tobacco and sweat, followed by several tall figures that almost blocked out all the light in the porch.

Three men in old work clothes, their arms bulging with muscles, stood in front, while behind them, shadowy figures and piles of things could be seen.

"Boss Chen, Sister Chang."

The square-faced man at the head of the group grinned, which was considered a greeting, but his gaze swept across the dimly lit living room quickly. He paused briefly on the stiff Chen Zhizhi before looking away.

He stepped aside, revealing the things piled up in the corridor behind him.

A square object, tightly wrapped in hemp rope and an old blanket, looks like a refrigerator, along with a rolled-up sponge pad and several pieces of board covered with plastic sheeting.

"The goods have arrived. As Sister Chang instructed, they are the latest styles and have just been delivered."

The square-faced man's loud voice sounded particularly jarring in the quiet house.

With a slightly ingratiating smile, he looked at Aunt Chang and said cautiously, "The sofa, dining table, refrigerator... oh, and a color TV, are all in the car downstairs."

"Sister Chang, would you like to move in now, or...?"

His question was so natural, as if it were just an ordinary delivery, completely ignoring the eerie atmosphere in the room and the girl standing in the darkness.

Chen Jianguo was stunned, his mouth slightly open, looking at the uninvited guests at the door, and then looking at Aunt Chang in bewilderment.

Aunt Chang, however, had regained her composure, and even a victorious smile appeared on her lips.

She took a few steps forward, nodded to the square-faced man, and spoke in a tone as casual as if she were ordering groceries at the market:

"Move it in, put it in the living room. The old one..."

Her gaze swept lightly over the old furniture that had been with the family for over a decade, as if she were glancing over a pile of unsightly garbage.

"Move the old one to the balcony first, and we'll find someone to deal with it later."

"Alright! Guys, get moving, but be careful not to break Sister Chang's new furniture."

The man gave a call, and almost everyone filed into the small room.

The words "new household items" were like a cold needle, suddenly piercing Chen Zhizhi's eardrums.

She watched as the men filed in, bringing with them the smell of dust from outside. They expertly began measuring the living room and discussing how to arrange the furniture.

Their strong arms easily lifted the old coffee table under which she used to crawl around as a child, and dragged it toward the balcony without any pity.

The old sofa that Mother had leaned against, which had been knitted, was also lifted up by the two of them, revealing the stitched pattern underneath.

Chen Jianguo stood helplessly to one side, wanting to help but not knowing where to start, wanting to stop but unable to speak, and could only watch as everything familiar was quickly moved.

His face flushed red and then turned pale, eventually settling into a listless numbness.

Aunt Chang crossed her arms, turned slightly to the side, and calmly directed, "The refrigerator is against that wall, and the socket is over there."

"The sofa...the sofa is placed here, directly opposite the TV wall."

After doing all that, her gaze finally fell back on Chen Zhizhi.

Chen Zhizhi remained standing there, like a silent statue.

Aunt Chang glanced at her for a few seconds, gave the square-faced man a wink, and slightly raised her chin in Chen Zhizhi's direction.

The square-faced man understood, put down a cardboard box he was carrying, rubbed his hands together, and walked up to Chen Zhizhi.

He was a burly man who stood in front of me, almost completely blocking the last bit of light coming in from the doorway.

"Little girl."

His voice lowered, but still carried the roughness of someone who does manual labor: "It's a mess here, it wouldn't be good if I ran into you."

"Sister Chang is only doing this for your own good, she's letting you go out first."

As he spoke, he extended a rough, large hand, but instead of grasping it directly, he opened his palm and made a "please" gesture.

They're not some kind of shady operation, so naturally they couldn't possibly coerce anyone.

This girl is really unethical; she actually tried to find someone to beat up Sister Chang.

If Sister Chang hadn't said that this was the girl she had her eye on, this group of brothers would definitely have confronted her about this.

Chen Jianguo opened his mouth as if to say something, but only made a soft "ho" sound in his throat. Finally, he turned his head away and stared blankly at an old carpet being dragged away on the ground.

Chen Zhizhi's gaze moved from the hand to her father's evasive profile, and then to Aunt Chang's calm and expressionless face.

The surroundings were bustling noise, the dull thuds of new furniture being moved and collapsing, and the mournful cries of old objects being discarded.

Her past is being cleared away piece by piece; other people's futures are being filled in piece by piece.

She suddenly felt that the heavy weight of the water-soaked cotton wadding that had been pressing on her chest, the weight that was called "only her left," had been emptied at this moment.

It wasn't liberation, but a deeper emptiness that rushed in with a howling sound.

dead.

Would it be better if I died?

She didn't look at anyone again, nor did she say another word.

He just slowly, very slowly, turned his stiff neck and then took a step.

But then, as if lightning had broken through the clouds, someone kicked open the door that had been closed.

Just like that saying.

In everyone's life, there are always a few times when they feel like they've seen the gates of heaven open. Chen Zhizhi waited for eighteen years, and it was almost at her lowest point that the gates opened.

The boy who entered was confident and flamboyant, with a youthful naiveté that belonged to his peers.

This school uniform made him look much younger, but he still shone brightly.

He raised his hand and said to the stunned crowd, "Hello, my name is... well, it doesn't seem appropriate to introduce myself at this time."

"Anyway, could you please let me take this girl away for my sake? Otherwise, I'll be in a lot of trouble."

"Never mind, your opinions don't seem to matter much anyway."

"Chen Zhizhi, let's leave this place. It's a pity I can't prepare a helicopter for you, and of course, you don't need to ride a bicycle either."