The police have arrived.

  Destination, Yang Kun's hardware store.

  The road along the way was still desolate and dilapidated, the whole street was filled with a poor and vulgar atmosphere, under the curious glances of passersby, Ye Changhu sat in his majestic and solemn police car, swaying gently on the cement road that had been crushed by time.

  At first, he was still a bit impatient, but since diving into the city's village archway and driving on this terrible road surface, it was bumpy all the way, shaking him so much that his original fierce speed became weak and listless, also shaking his thoughts into chaos, making him feel very uncomfortable in his heart, gradually becoming heavy.

  He thought that if his own daughter Xiao Cai, with her good conditions, had almost collapsed mentally because of becoming a girl, then Luo Li (Leng Xiaoyao), who lived in such a humble and cold environment, must be even more bitter and entangled in her heart. This made him feel somewhat constrained and ashamed, as he had intended to ask the other party to clear his daughter's suspicion, but now he didn't know how to start the conversation when he met that girl.

  At the corner, several luxuriant weeping willows were reluctantly slapping against the car window, he looked around and slowly stopped the police car in a corner.

  This is...!!!!!!!

  There is an extremely ear-piercing and dry iron friction sound nearby, completely occupying this area, making people around feel annoyed and unable to be at peace.

  With a loud bang, he got off the car with a frown, turned his head and looked at the hardware store across the street with an old sign. At the entrance on the left side, there was a young woman with short hair sitting on a small stool, wearing a gray overall, her slender waist still visible under her clothes. She held a small grinder equipped with a sanding disc in her hand, and with her head bowed and goggles on, she was intently grinding an unknown machine part amidst flying sparks.

  Around, sparse visible residents from their own door to stick out their heads, far away complaining a few words, and then throw down an annoyed white eye. As the central figure of all dissatisfaction, the young woman never raised her eyes to look around, focused on being a bit strange, even somewhat indifferent.

  He took a few glances at the young woman from afar, and with a strong intuition in his heart, Ye Changhu hesitated for a moment before walking over, bending down to try and get a glimpse of her face.

  He suddenly raised his eyes, and that young man turned off the grinder. When he found out that the comer was Ye Changhu, he was stunned.

  Ye Changhu was also taken aback, sizing up his opponent's face, which was partially obscured by goggles, and felt a few points of familiarity.

  "Officer Ye, what brings you here?"

  The young man hastily put down the grinding tool in his hand, slightly straightened his waist, and wiped his slender hands stained with black metal stains on the side of his overalls, looking a bit awkward.

  Embarrassed and slightly ajar, Ye Changhu couldn't help but notice the chest area of the earth-gray overalls on the opposite side, where there was a more plump mountain range, naturally confirming the identity of this young woman. No mistake, it was Luo Li who had gone missing back then, now known as Leng Xiaoyu.

  "Uh, hehe... come and take a look."

  He smiled and nodded, straightened his waist, calmly and self-sufficiently put his hands behind his back, and his eyes wandered aimlessly in the store filled with hardware decorations, restoring his usual dignified and serious demeanor.

  At this time, Leng Xiaoyao quickly stood up, smiled timidly and nodded, hastily said: "I'll pour you a cup of tea." Then, under Ye Changhu's helpless and embarrassed gaze, she ran quickly into the inner room with her hands clasped together.

  The inner house, which has a larger turning angle to block the view of Ye Changhu's snooping, is a spacious processing house filled with metal materials everywhere. In one corner of the wall, there are modern processing tools and farm cleaning tools coexisting, looking cluttered and disorderly, with a tense and busy but lack of order and sequence atmosphere of a wild factory.

  In the area slightly lower right, four or five young men are gathered in a circle, fiddling with metal windows placed on a large wooden table.

  "Older male cousin!"

  Leng Xiao ran hastily over there, her heart racing as if she had let out a soft cry.

  The men looked at each other in confusion and snickered, while Yang Kun, with a pencil behind his ear, a piece of chalk in one hand and a large wooden ruler in the other, stared blankly at Xiao Xia, blinking his eyes, and muttered: "What's going on?"

  Leng Xiao Ya pursed her lips, panting softly, hesitating with her head lowered, her eyes wandering anxiously, unable to speak for a long time. She only fidgeted with the hem of her overalls, her slender hands revealing the turmoil in her heart without reserve.

  Yang Kun limped over to her side and forced a smile as he comforted her: "What's wrong? Can't say it out loud?"

  "Haha, Yangzi, you silly fool, your cousin has a secret crush on you."

  "Right, I found that after becoming a girl, even small gestures are different and more pleasing to the eye, huh? Isn't that right?"

  Everyone was chatting and laughing, someone deliberately twisted their body to the right angle, looked out the door, suddenly changed color slightly, held their breath and stepped back carefully, looking around at everyone in a panic, whispering: "Police... the police are coming..."

  "Police?"

  "What brings you here?"

  "Hey, it seems like we haven't done anything illegal, have we? I remember..."

  "Alright, I know..."

  Complex gazes converged on Leng Xiaoyu's body, who was lowering her head to fiddle with her hem, and the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive and awkward.

  At this time, Leng Xiaoyao raised her eyes and released a firm light, saying to Yang Kun who had a complex expression on his face. "You come out with me for a bit."

  Yang Kun was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly, under the gaze of his friends who were full of worry and concern, and followed Leng Xiaoyao to the front hall.

  Leng Xiao Ya whispered: "That policeman knows me, I reckon he's probably here to resolve the ID card issue."

  Yang Kun hesitated for a moment, smiled and nodded: "That's good news."

  "What's the big deal? I already have a girlfriend... " She slightly lowered her face, flipped her eyelids coquettishly, and pouted, making Yang Kun stunned by her sulky yet adorable expression.

  "You, you still don't give up? Xiao Li, take a look at yourself in the mirror, when you get angry, you're completely like a little girl."

  "Oh dear, never mind, you go first, he's just at the door."

  Yang Kun looked at Leng Xiaoyao, who was huffing and puffing as she squeezed into the narrow kitchen around the corner. He let out a helpless sigh, naturally understanding that she wanted him to deal with the police officer. Didn't want to switch ID cards, still wanting to be a boy.

  As he walked to the corner, he could see from afar the tall and majestic figure with his hands behind his back facing away from the store entrance. He immediately put on a humble demeanor, slightly quickening his pace to show his eagerness.

  "Oh no, it's too late!"

  But Ye Changhu, who was facing the back of the store, raised an eyebrow in surprise, slightly pouted his mouth and showed a thoughtful expression. He took three steps back, nodded slightly, and said: "Hello, are you... a member of Luo Li's family? How should I address you?"

  "Oh, don't be polite, don't be polite."

  Yang Kun hurried over with a limp, his face slightly tilted upwards. As he approached, he quickly extended both hands to shake hands with Ye Changhu and smiled: "Just call me Little Yang, that... go inside and find a seat to chat?"

  （……）