Xiong Nan is the tall and strong one.

The old man is Xiong Nan’s father, who rented a pork stall at Yumen Town’s vegetable market to sell pork.

The only one who surprised Chen Xiao and Lin Xi was the middle-aged man older than Xiong Nan, yet shabby and carrying a pink backpack.

Xiong Nan’s mother turned sour the moment she saw the man with the backpack.

"Why did you two bring him home again? He’s such a mess!"

The old man didn’t speak, just sighed and shook his head, while Xiong Nan led his mother aside:

"Don’t turn him away, he seems pitiful. It’s just a meal, it won’t cost much."

Saying this, Xiong Nan looked curiously at Chen Xiao and Lin Xi: "And you are?"

"They are the leaders from the detention center, here to see if you’re living well,"

said Xiong Nan’s mother, but Xiong Nan looked skeptical.

Lin Xi seized the moment when his parents weren’t looking to flash a police badge.

Seeing this, Xiong Nan looked surprised and dubious, but still said, "So the leaders have come, please have a seat."

He quickly ushered his parents away, then seriously asked:

"Police officers, what can I do for you? I’ve been behaving well since I got out and haven’t made any more mistakes!"

Chen Xiao said nothing, standing up and moving towards the man with the backpack.

Lin Xi glanced over and reassured: "You don’t need to be nervous, we’re not here for your issues but to ask you about Qiao Zhiyuan."

Xiong Nan breathed a sigh of relief: "I got out around the same time as Old Qiao, but we only met once after, has he done something again?"

Lin Xi and Xiong Nan began discussing Qiao Zhiyuan.

Chen Xiao rummaged through his pocket and found some candies he had bought for Jiao Yue earlier.

After handing them to the man with the backpack, he asked hesitantly, "Is your surname Zhang?"

Whether it’s Lin Xi’s house or Wang Dahe’s house, although in different villages, they all fall under the jurisdiction of Yumen Town.

It’s not surprising to run into Madman Zhang from Wang Dahe’s village in town with Xiong Nan.

However, the backpack man remained cautious of Chen Xiao and kept avoiding him.

Until Xiong Nan’s father came over and said, "Officer Chen, you’ve heard of him too?"

"Heard about Madman Zhang?"

"Yes, you young folks wouldn’t know his name, but everyone calls him Madman Zhang. His name is Zhang Cheng, back then he was quite famous in Yumen Town, the first one to get into a top university!"

Chen Xiao nodded silently, and Xiong Nan’s father offered a cigarette, which Chen Xiao politely declined, and he continued:

"It’s a pity that after his child was hit by a sand truck, his life changed completely. His wife blamed him for not looking after and left, never to return. Later, his sickly parents couldn’t endure the loss and passed away consecutively."

"Maybe the successive loss of relatives broke his spirit, and he became what he is now. Earlier at the market, many were teasing him, and my son couldn’t stand it, so he brought him in, saying he’d make him some dinner."

Hearing this, Chen Xiao looked towards Xiong Nan, who was honestly answering Lin Xi’s questions.

"According to the lady’s words earlier, he’s come by many times, hasn’t he?"

"Not that many, just three or four times in the few months since he got out. Each time, people bullied Madman Zhang, one time he even ran into old classmates. They treat him like a fool, some even find amusement in his discomfort."

"Xiong Nan has a temper, can’t stand this kind of thing, so he takes him in."

Chen Xiao nodded slightly: "What was Xiong Nan’s previous crime?"

"His life’s been spent on such matters, previously standing up for others. Who’d have expected a casual pat on the back, and the person fell to the ground and was gone."

Speaking of past matters, Father Xiong sighed heavily.

As a family of police officers, Chen Xiao naturally harbors a sense of justice.

But not everyone who’s served time is bad; some go in due to unforeseen circumstances.

Like Xiong Nan.

From the events alone, can he be considered a bad person?

Chen Xiao doesn’t think it’s fair to conclude so.

Xiong Nan simply couldn’t tolerate people bullying others, but was he wrong?

He was indeed wrong.

Before any action, one should consider their own and their family’s circumstances to some degree.

Striking someone dead in a moment of impulse incurs not only prison time but also years of bitterness and heartache for his parents.

Chen Xiao attempted to communicate with Madman Zhang.

But Madman Zhang kept avoiding him, seemingly afraid of strangers.

Seeing this, Chen Xiao didn’t continue trying to talk and returned to Lin Xi’s side, where her questioning had concluded.

As they were about to leave, Xiong Nan’s mother came rushing from the kitchen and grabbed Chen Xiao and Lin Xi’s hands:

"Leaders, why not stay for a simple meal? Look, it’s already evening!"

Lin Xi immediately declined: "No need, ma’am, we have things to handle."

"Come on, leaders, I was worried before that you might not agree, so I’ve already washed the veggies and prepped the meat! Please stay for a meal, Xiong Nan will surely work hard and be a good person now!"

Chen Xiao understood the mother’s sentiment.

The main reason she wished to host Chen Xiao and Lin Xi wasn’t just to have them dine at their home.

It was simply to let the leaders she deemed important see that her son was truly repentant. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

This intention, though mixed with desires, was not excessive in Chen Xiao’s view.

Thinking it over, Chen Xiao said, "Why not stay for a simple meal? After all, the food’s already on the stove, wasting it isn’t good."

As Chen Xiao spoke this, Lin Xi thought it over and nodded: "Alright, we’ll impose a bit longer then."

Xiong Nan quickly waved his hands and earnestly set about tidying the table, pouring water and tea.

Taking advantage of the interval, Lin Xi said to Chen Xiao, "His life inside the prison was like that of most inmates, I didn’t find anything unusual during the conversation, but I recorded it and will send it to you later for you to listen alone."

Chen Xiao nodded, his gaze once again fell on Madman Zhang.

Lin Xi curiously asked, "Why do you keep staring at him?"

"This is the second time I learned about him, first I heard of him, and the second I actually met him in person." Chen Xiao replied.

Lin Xi was even more puzzled: "Where did you hear about him?"

"Today, I ran into Teacher Wang at Kang Xin Hospital, he was going for a psychological consultation and mentioned he didn’t want to end up like Madman Zhang."

Lin Xi pondered briefly: "That doesn’t seem particularly curious, does it?"

Chen Xiao nodded: "It’s not, but for some reason, I keep wanting to open his backpack and look inside. Also, have you noticed his profile?"