She dressed up hurriedly and made her bed properly. She then realized that she was the only one left in the room and she immediately rushed outside. As soon as she left the room, a guard came and closed then locked the door from outside and she released a sigh of relief. She was nearly punished for lateness on the first day.
Yesterday evening when she went to bed, she failed to get sleep as kept tossing and turning. It was until three in the morning when she managed to catch some sleep and that's why she failed to wake up early.
She reached outside and caught sight of the others who had gathered and assembled at the pitch then she immediately joined in. She rubbed her hands together so as to generate some warmth since it was so cold. She saw the same woman who had brought her in yesterday approach them. She had a serious face just like yesterday and Li Fei wondered if she ever smiles.
From the murmurs on the line, she learnt that the woman was the head guard and that she was very rude and strict. The head guard together with the other guards made a roll call and after, they marked the codes for the absent ones who had been locked in the cell rooms for waking up late. They were going to be punished with plenty of chores.
With the help of the coach, they performed morning exercises that involved jogging, stretching, knee rolls, trunk rotation and many others. By the end of the exercises, Li Fei was sweating profusely and they all headed towards the bathrooms to bathe. After bathing, they went to the dinning room to have their breakfast as the latecomers remained scrubbing the vast bathrooms and toilets.
....
Very early in the morning, Hu Feng had reached the prison to see how Li Fei had slept. He very well knew how hard it was to cope up in a maximum security prison and this being a prison for deranged women, he was scared for her. He had left Li Bao in the hospital still tending to Li Mei and he decided to come himself. Getting out of the car, he picked the bags with the food he had brought for her and he headed inside. On reaching, he was asked to first wait and later, he was called.
"Good morning. I'm here to see Li Fei. She was brought here just yesterday," he explained. "Wait a moment," said the woman before searching for her details in the computer. Before she could approve of his visit, she saw her name with a certain mark which forced her to call the warden. "Yes, I know her and she's not allowed to receive any visitors without my consent. Tell him that he won't be seeing her," he said before cutting the call.
The woman turned to Hu Feng and said," I'm sorry but you won't be seeing her." "Why's that?" he asked frowning. "I don't know. It may be because she's new or being punished," she replied. Hu Feng didn't think it was punishment because it was only yesterday she was brought. "I'm not leaving without seeing her. It's my right as well as hers," he said and the woman replied," Good luck in waiting." With that, she continued doing her things completely ignoring him.
At noon, Li Fei looked for the phone call section and found a very long line but she decided to join because she was curious to know how her parents were doing. After a long while later, it was finally her turn but before she could get the phone, the guard snatched it away from her and said," Next."
Li Fei was dumbfounded. Did she do something wrong? Is it because she was new? She decided to speak," But sir, I also want to call."
"You're not going to call anyone. Leave this place immediately," he told her and she first hesitated then eventually left when she remembered the woman they had hit yesterday in the dining room. She didn't want to cause any trouble for herself.
She walked away with various questions in her head and then she saw another line of people waiting to make a call. She decided to join this one thinking that maybe the other guard was just mean.
When it was her turn, she got the phone but before she could make the call, the guard who was a woman stopped her and asked," Are you code G157H?"
She nodded and she said," You're not allowed to make any phone calls. Pass it to the one at your back."
"Why?" she asked in a whisper. "Just do as told. I don't owe you any explanation," she said before snatching the phone from her and passed it to her neighbor at the back. Li Fei left there completely confused. She wasn't allowed to make phone calls? Why? But it was mentioned in her rights!
When it clocked one, Hu Feng realized that he wasn't going to be helped. He had spent seven hours and some minutes sitting at the bench while the other visitors were tended to. Sighing, he stood up and went to the woman then asked," Are you really not letting me see her?" "Did it sound as a joke to you?" she asked back. "Okay then could you please give her these things?" he asked and she nodded then he handed her the bags of food. She told him to taste everything and when he did, she took them away.
He left with a heavy heart and when he stood outside, he glanced at the huge facility well knowing that she was in there behind those walls. He wondered if she had eaten anything, if she had slept well, if she wasn't bullied. Hesitantly, he sat in his car and drove off as his mind were thinking of ideas to sneak in and see her. He had a feeling that she wasn't alright.