After all, there weren’t many people riding bicycles in the factory compound. The whole place was like a self-sufficient, closed circle. Aside from the nearby vegetable farmers who came to the market to sell their produce, almost everyone knew each other well. Even the newly hired female workers would establish their own circles of friends within half a year or so.

As for David Carter, his appearance clearly didn’t resemble that of the local farmers’ children, and among the children of factory workers, there didn’t seem to be anyone like him—someone who had left this circle for many years and was now an outsider.

In early summer, the girls fully displayed their graceful figures in the air. Most of the female workers were either unmarried young women or newly married young wives. Whether in T-shirts, short-sleeved shirts, or dresses, in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black, and white—the dazzling colors were fully unleashed at the moment work ended. Their slender, graceful forms made David Carter reminisce about feelings from years ago.

Somewhat old brown wooden doors, with greasy kitchen windows still wafting a few wisps of cooking smoke. The old coal briquettes had been replaced by natural gas two years ago, which made all the housewives in the factory endlessly praise the current leadership. Lost in thought, David Carter only snapped out of it when he rushed up to the door, suddenly squeezing the bicycle handbrake and coming to a hard stop at the threshold.

“Mom! Dad! I’m home.” As soon as he stepped inside, the familiar scent that greeted him filled David Carter with an indescribable warmth. Pork trotters were simmering in the pot on the stove, and the tempting aroma made David Carter swallow involuntarily. In the iron wok, wood ear mushrooms and sliced pork were being stir-fried—another of David Carter’s favorites.

“Guodong, you’re back?” His father’s back was a little stooped now. After working for decades, the family hadn’t saved much, but they had raised five children. David Carter felt a bit sentimental.

“Guodong, how come you’re only back now? I thought you’d be home by noon. Is work very busy?” His mother, Susan Hill, always had such a kind face. David Carter seemed to feel the warmth of coming home for the first time. In the past, he’d always come and go in a hurry, rarely feeling this way. His parents had always been more of a vague presence.

“Yeah, Mom, I’ve been transferred to the Jiangmiao Police Station. It’ll be much easier for me to come home from now on.” David Carter nodded and put down his bag.

“I heard from Changqing. Today’s the weekend, so your dad and I figured you’d be back today.” His mother’s words were always the most considerate. She didn’t ask a single question about why he’d been transferred to Jiangmiao Police Station, which warmed David Carter’s heart.

“Guodong, you were doing well in the Criminal Police Team. Why did you transfer back? Did you make some mistake?” His father’s stern face used to be what David Carter feared most, but now it had lost its former power.

“No, it’s just a work need. Jiangmiao Station is short of people to handle cases, and the bureau needed to send someone from the Criminal Police Team. Since our family is from Jiangmiao, I was the obvious choice.” David Carter didn’t want to continue this topic, but facing his father’s caring gaze, he couldn’t just not answer.

He seemed a bit dissatisfied with his son’s answer, but seeing that his son didn’t want to say more, Old Zhao could only sigh and say no more. His son was grown now, and a police officer. In a way, if the role of father and the role of police officer were in opposition, the police officer role was probably the stronger one.

“Bro, you’re back? When did you get back?” A figure with a strong smell of sweat burst in, spinning a basketball skillfully in his hand. When he saw David Carter, he shouted in delight.

“Yeah, just got home. You went to play basketball again?” David Carter snatched the basketball, bounced it twice on the floor, and tossed it back. “Did you win or lose?”

“Heh, bro, when have we ever lost?” The newcomer was David Carter’s second younger brother, Daniel Carter, six feet tall and over 170 pounds, his bare chest and abs as defined as a bodybuilder’s. His dark blue athletic shorts were a bit faded, and the sneakers on his feet were the ones he’d bought when David Carter went to police college. This kid had really grown a lot in the past two years.

The slight displeasure of being assigned to Jiangmiao was quickly drowned in the warmth of family. When all six family members sat down at the table, Susan Hill casually asked, “Olivia, why didn’t Xiao Liu come? Didn’t I ask you to invite him?”

Olivia Carter glanced at David Carter, her face instantly turning red. “He had something to do, still has to work overtime at the factory.”

David Carter was momentarily stunned. Seeing the somewhat secretive looks on his other three brothers’ faces, he immediately understood. “Oh, so big sis has a boyfriend now?”

“No, no, it’s not settled yet.” Olivia Carter’s face flushed red and she hurried to explain.

“Look at Steven Lee, that useless guy. He doesn’t even dare to meet my brother, and he wants to marry you? I told him long ago, if he wants to join our family, he has to get past my brother first. If my brother doesn’t approve, he should just give up and get lost.” Daniel Carter looked disdainful, clearly not satisfied with his big sister’s boyfriend.

“You!” A flash of anger crossed Olivia Carter’s face. She’d long known her second brother didn’t like Steven Lee, but this was her own relationship, not the family’s. For Daniel Carter to openly speak so contemptuously about her boyfriend, especially when her eldest brother was hearing about it for the first time, naturally made her very angry.