As they followed the road, the terrain gradually opened up.
Great stretches of drab earthen houses came into view.
The Jeep kept going until a flash of fluttering red appeared ahead.
It was the red flag flying above the primary school playground.
They drove all the way to the school entrance.
The school had gateposts, but no gate.
A wooden sign hung on one of the posts, bearing the words "Dongtuanbao Central Primary School," written in either red paint or red pigment.
The lettering was vivid. It must have been touched up in the last couple of days.
They could tell it had been traced over many times.
The handwriting was slightly different each time.
The sedan Tian Mingfeng had ridden in was parked on the playground inside the school.
A teacher was already coming out to greet them, smiling broadly.
His clothes were old and his face deeply lined, but his smile was sincere.
He waved his arms and called out, "Comrades! Drive on in! There's plenty of room on the playground!"
Following the teacher's directions, Chen Liang parked beside Tian Mingfeng's car.
Tian Mingfeng, however, was no longer inside.
Not far away stood a platform built from mud bricks, with a brand-new red banner hanging above it.
It read, "Warmly celebrating the seventh anniversary of Dongtuanbao Central Primary School!"
Several tables stood on the platform, covered with red cloth.
Clearly, this was the venue prepared for the celebration.
Tian Mingfeng had probably already been invited into one of the school buildings.
It was noon, and the teacher warmly invited them inside for lunch as well.
Han Xiao took out his identification. "Thank you! But we're not here for the anniversary celebration. We'd like to ask the students from Qingbei about a few things."
Only then did the teacher