There are no people around. She is caught in the middle. Is she trapped?

Her palms become sweaty. She tells herself to calm down in the heart.

She isn’t scared of the short man walking in front. Bu the man behind her is tall and strong. He doesn’t seem like an easy-going man.

Fu Zhengzheng slows down with a pretending stagger and walks abreast with the tall man.

“Are you OK?” The man pauses and asks quietly.

Fu Zhengzheng waves, “I’m all right. Thanks for your help.”

The man smiles, “It’s my pleasure.”

The man looks kind with a smile. A hint of hope rises in Fu Zhengzheng’s heart. She hopes that man doesn’t have other motives as she imagines.

“Recently, the public security in the city is terrible. If everyone can give a hand in time just like you, the situation may not be so terrible.” She says it deliberately to test the man’s response.

“I’m flattered. Those people who helped you just now are warm-hearted, aren’t they? Sometimes, people don’t give a hand because they don’t want to make sacrifices in vain. If the situation permits, I believe everyone will do boldly what is righteous.”

The man says seriously. Fu Zhengzheng smiles, “You’re right. Take me as an example. I’m short and a woman. Generally, I don’t dare to step forward rashly.”

The man bursts into laughter, “Then I have to step forward rashly in any case, because I’m so tall and strong, right?”

Fu Zhengzheng is amused by his humor, but she doesn’t dare to let her guard down at all.

The thief is still leading the way panickily ahead. Sure enough there is an Industrial and Commercial Bank at the corner. A woman is standing by the ATM and looking right and left. Two pieces of luggage are placed in front of her.

There are more people on the road. Fu Zhengzheng sighs with relief internally and realizes she just worried too much.

The thief stops his steps, points to the woman and then twists his head to beg, “That’s my wife. I’m not lying. We come to B City for work. At the train station, the wallet and cellphone were both stolen. The piece of paper with my relative’s address and telephone number was missing too. My wife is waiting here for me. I told her I was going to look for a job. I lost my head and stole your money. Please forgive me and let me off. I will be a good man.”

Fu Zhengzheng and the man glance at each other and keep silent. They seem to be pondering on the credibility of the man’s words.

At this time, the woman sees the man. She lumbers to him with a bag in each hand.

The thief becomes anxious and holds the man’s arm. He nearly kneels again.

“My wife is coming here. Please don’t tell her. She has a short temper and is staunch with moral integrity. She hates thieves most. If she knows what I have done, she is likely to commit suicide.”

Then the woman approaches them. The thief is so desperate that his legs become feeble and he collapses onto the ground.

Seeing that, the woman throws the bags, rushes over, lifts him and cries, “Ping, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”

Fu Zhengzheng doesn’t think the woman’s cry is a show. She doesn’t have the heart to punish the thief. While she is considering how to patch up the lie for the man called Ping, the other man has stooped and held Ping. He says smilingly.

“You just found a job. Do you need to be so excited?”

Ping raises his head and stares at the man unbelievably. He opens his trembling lips but can’t speak anything.

The man smiles at Ping’s wife and says, “Our company needs a guard and a cleaner. Accommodation is provided. You can work there together.”

“Really? Great. Thank you. Thank you. You are the savior of us two.” Ping’s wife shows her gratitude repeatedly. Then she turns around, holds Ping and sobs, “We don’t have to spend the night on the street anymore.”

Ping looks at the man and asks in a low voice, “Can we go to work without ID cards?”

Because they have no ID cards, no employers would like to accept them these two days.

Ping’s wife sticks her neck to stare at the man. She is afraid that he will say no.

The man smiles, “It doesn’t matter. You can apply for temporary ID cards. I’ll ask someone to help you apply for a new one then.”

“Good! There are many kind people in the world indeed.”

The couple embrace each other and cheer. Then they cry like kids.

Fu Zhengzheng carries the luggage for the woman and puts it in front of them. Looking at their excitement, she feels happy for the couple who was in trouble. Luckily, she listens to the man and comes to check if the thief is lying. Otherwise, the couple’s fate will be changed.

The man takes out a piece of note paper from his pocket, writes down an address and his phone number and then gives it to Ping.

“Go to this place. Tell them I introduce you there. Someone will take you to work. I’ll call them before you go.”

“Thank you. Thank you.” Ping takes the note immediately and holds it carefully.

His wife warns him, “Put it into the inside pocket in case it will be lost!”

Ping puts the paper into his inside pocket at once.

The man takes out a pile of money from his wallet and gives it to Ping, “Go to buy some food.”

“Um…” Ping licks his tongue and then glances at the man and Fu Zhengzheng. He doesn’t take the money at last.

Fu Zhengzheng understands Ping: I’m already very grateful to you for concealing what I have done from my wife. You also give me a job. Now you even give me money. The favor is too great.

The man slips the money to his hand smilingly, “We will work in the same company. This is not much money. I lend it to you. You can repay it after you get your salary.”

Ping takes the money obediently and keeps saying thanks. Then he takes the luggage and leaves with his wife.

“I think you are not against my solution, right?”

Fu Zhengzheng is watching Ping and his wife off and sighing the hardship of out-comers in the heart. Hearing the man’s words, she withdraws her thought and nods.

“Who has never encountered difficulties? But Ping and his wife are so lucky, because they run across you and you offer them timely help.”

“Our company is hiring a guard indeed. The little money is lent to them, and they need to repay it, so I just offer a little help.” The man hands a business card to Fu Zhengzheng smilingly, “Though I just give them a little help, I feel great, so I will help others as often as possible.”

“That’s true. No one can foretell what will happen next. We help someone today, and perhaps he or she will help us in return one day.” Fu Zhengzheng says while taking the business card smilingly. A name Pu Xiangchen is printed in a large size on the business card. Below it there is a line of words: Technical Director of X IT Company.

“An IT elite? Sorry I wasn’t respectful enough just now”

Pu Xiangchen laughs, “You flatter me. I just know something about it.”

“How modest you are! My name is Fu Zhengzheng.”

“Fu Zhengzheng? It’s an interesting name.”

“Really?” Fu Zhengzheng laughs. At this moment, her cellphone rings. She takes it out and sees Li Yin’s call. She answers it immediately. After saying she will be there soon, she hangs up the phone.

She puts Pu Xiangchen’s business card into her bag, raises her bag and smiles, “Thanks for regaining my bag. You help me today too.”

Pu Xiangchen laughs, “You are welcome. Maybe one day you will also help me.”

“Then return the thanks to me that day.”

“OK. I will return it double.” Then Pu Xiangchen laughs loudly.

Fu Zhengzheng waves at him smilingly and walks back quickly. It’s already 1:30 p.m. She trots to Li Yin’s fruit shop. When she just turns a corner, she sees Li Yin looking in her direction on tiptoe at the shop door. Liu Lin’s aunt is watching Li Yin beside her. Fu Zhengzheng runs over fast.

“Zhengzheng, how is it going? Did you take the thief to the police station?”

“Did you have lunch?”

Li Yin shakes her head. Fu Zhengzheng takes her inside, “Let’s talk while eating.”

Seeing Fu Zhengzheng, Liu Lin’s aunt goes to the back house to prepare dishes instantly.

At the table, Fu Zhengzheng tells Li Yin what just happened while eating lunch.

Li Yin is suspicious, “Did they collude?”

“If so, they could have beaten me and robbed me of money in the lane.”

Li Yin ponders and thinks it’s reasonable.

Fu Zhengzheng smiles, “Recently, the public security is terrible. If everyone can step forward boldly like that, the evil gangs will not be so unbridled.”

“You’re right. Zhengzheng, let me tell you the truth. It’s chaotic recently. This is the other reason why aunt will take me to the countryside to wait for delivery. You know someone came to extort protection fee last time. You asked your friend to solve it for me. After that, the shop was robbed by some hooligans one night. Aunt says the life in the countryside is much more comfortable than here.”

Hearing that, Fu Zhengzheng sighs.

Li Yin asks, “By the way, have you logged in the website I sent you last time?”

“Yes. I downloaded one that’s good for sleep and found it’s not so effective as you said. It’s not comfortable at all and even gave me a headache.”

“Really? Each of my friends says it’s comfortable to listen to.”

Liu Lin’s aunt comes to eat lunch with a bowl of rice. Hearing what Li Yin says, she can’t help glancing at Li Yin. Fu Zhengzheng feels the eyes of Liu Lin’s aunt are strange, but she doesn’t know why.

After Liu Lin’s aunt walks away, Fu Zhengzheng explains smilingly, “It’s written on the website that the effect varies with each individual. Maybe it’s not suitable for me.”

“It’s impossible. Did you listen on the computer?”

“No, I listened through the MP4.”

“Is it because the sound was too close and noisy when you used earphones that you felt uncomfortable?”

“I have no idea. I’ll try to listen on the computer when I can’t fall asleep next time.”

“If it still doesn’t work, I will find an original disk for you.”

“OK.” Fu Zhengzheng smiles. Then she looks at her watch. It’s almost the attendance time. She rushes the lunch, stands up and says goodbye.

Li Yin rises too, “Take the two boxes of fruit.”

Finding she insists on giving her the fruit, Fu Zhengzheng doesn’t decline anymore.

Li Yin goes out to ask her friend in the next-door shop to carry the fruit. Fu Zhengzheng slips the money she withdrew into Li Yin’s bag. Liu Lin’s aunt comes out to collect bowls and chopsticks and just sees that. Fu Zhengzheng explains with a smile, “It can be seen as the money for milk powder for the baby.”

Liu Lin’s aunt glances outward. Then she walks to Fu Zhengzheng fast and says under her breath, “Miss Fu, I feel Li Yin is strange recently. She looks normal now, but she talks to herself in the room sometimes. She talks to Liu Lin sometimes, but sometimes she talks to another one. The scariest thing is that I heard her call cousin one day.”

“Ah? Really?” Fu Zhengzheng feels scared.

“Really! I heard it myself!”

Fu Zhengzheng wants to ask more when she hears a fierce quarrel outside the shop.