Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

"Brother Liu, Guangtian, Guangfu, I know you are all honest kids and won't lie casually. But regarding today's incident, if you didn't cause any trouble, then we have to investigate it together. We can't let misunderstandings stand between our neighbors." He Yudong's voice was authoritative and calm.

Liu Haizhong nodded, "Brother He Yudong is right. Although the children's matter is small, we can't be vague. We still have to find out how Banggeng fell."

Liu Guangtian bit his lip, as if mustering up his courage, "Uncle, I swear, we didn't hit him. Banggeng scolded us, and we had a few words, but then he fell while running. Really!"

Qin Huairu frowned, and her inner anxiety was gradually replaced by doubt. She knew that her child Banggeng sometimes had a bad temper, but she still felt that something was wrong. "Then how did he fall? In broad daylight, you were close at the time, didn't you see it clearly?"

Liu Guangtian's eyes flickered. "He was running fast and suddenly fell. I was startled and wanted to help him, but he got up and ran home."

He Yudong saw that the children didn't look like they were lying, and he slowly calmed down. He turned to Qin Huairu and said, "Huairu, why don't we go find Banggeng and ask him, he should know what's going on."

Qin Huairu hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Okay, let's go back and ask Banggeng." She forced a smile at Liu Haizhong, "Old Liu, I'm not trying to find fault with this matter, I just want to find out. You know, Banggeng is a stubborn kid, he won't say anything unless you ask clearly."

"I understand, I understand. Huairu, don't worry, if our child is wrong, we will definitely not shirk responsibility." Liu Haizhong breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.

He Yudong took Qin Huairu back to the front yard. The lights in the yard were dim, and the breeze blew gently. The courtyard seemed a little quiet. As soon as Qin Huairu entered the door, she saw Banggeng sitting on the kang, with his head down and not saying a word. He Yudong stood at the door, observing Banggeng's expression, wondering what the child was thinking.

"Banggeng, tell mom the truth, what's going on?" Qin Huairu sat next to Banggeng, her voice gentle but with a hint of anxiety.

Banggeng raised his head, a trace of uneasiness flashed in his eyes, but he quickly lowered his head again, "It's nothing, I fell down by myself."

He Yudong's heart skipped a beat. It was obvious that the child had something to say. He asked softly, "Banggeng, uncle knows you are a man and you don't want to be laughed at if you fall. But if you have any grievances, you have to tell the adults so that we can help you."

Bang Geng bit his lips tightly, tears welling up in his eyes. After a long while, he whispered, "I really fell down by myself."

Qin Huairu looked at her son and felt a pain in her heart, but she didn't want to force the child, so she could only touch Bang Geng's hair and said, "Okay, since you said you fell down, I'll believe you. But you have to be more careful next time. It will hurt a lot if you fall down."

Seeing that Banggeng didn't want to say more, He Yudong stopped asking and just patted him on the shoulder. "Banggeng, it's okay. Let's not talk about this anymore. Go to bed early because you have to go to school tomorrow."

Banggeng nodded, lay down, turned around, and faced away from them. He Yudong glanced at Qin Huairu and motioned her to come out before talking. The two walked into the yard together, and Qin Huairu's eyes were full of worry.

"Brother He Yudong, what do you think is going on with this kid? Although he was naughty before, he never hid things from me like this." Qin Huairu's voice was filled with helplessness and anxiety.

He Yudong frowned and thought for a while, "Huai Ru, I think Bang Geng might have encountered some troubles. He doesn't want to say it because he's afraid you'll worry. We can't push him too hard. We have to take it slow. Children's minds are sometimes complicated."

Qin Huairu nodded helplessly, "But I don't feel at ease at all."

He Yudong also knew that Qin Huairu, a woman with three children, had a very hard life. Banggeng was her greatest support. If anything happened to Banggeng, she, as a mother, would definitely not be able to bear it.

"Don't worry, Banggeng is a child with his own opinions and he won't let anyone bully him. I'll find a chance to talk to him in a couple of days and see if we can make things clear." He Yudong tried his best to comfort Qin Huairu in a relaxed tone.

Qin Huairu looked at He Yudong's determined expression and felt a little relieved. "Brother He Yudong, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I don't know what to do."

"We are neighbors, this is nothing. You should go back and rest early, and don't overwork yourself." He Yudong patted her shoulder.

Qin Huairu nodded and turned back to the house. He Yudong stood in the yard, looking at the dim night sky, but felt an inexplicable heaviness in his heart. He knew that life in this yard would never be peaceful, and everyone had their own troubles and problems.

Just as he was thinking, He Yudong heard a noisy sound coming from a distance, it seemed that Liu Guangfu was arguing with Liu Guangtian. He Yudong frowned and walked over to the sound, only to see Liu Guangfu standing at the door of his house, his face full of anger, and a stone in his hand.

"Guangfu, what's wrong with you?" He Yudong walked over with a bit of majesty in his voice.

Liu Guangfu turned his head suddenly and saw He Yudong. The anger in his eyes seemed to subside a little, but he still said unconvincedly: "Uncle He Yudong, my brother just said that I was lying. He didn't believe that I didn't play the stick joke!"

He Yudong was stunned for a moment, feeling somewhat confused, "Guangtian, why can't you two brothers talk it out peacefully? Why do you have to quarrel?"

Liu Guangtian also came over, looking a little uncomfortable, "Uncle, it's not that I don't trust Guangfu, it's just... Banggeng is not easy to mess with, I'm afraid Guangfu will suffer."

"Hmph, I'm not afraid of him!" Liu Guangfu said fiercely, his eyes full of stubbornness.

He Yudong looked at the two brothers and understood that it was common for children to be competitive, but this matter could not be allowed to continue. He sighed, "Guangfu, Guangtian, I believe you are not lying. Let's put Banggeng's matter aside for now. If you have a conflict with him again in the future, tell the adults first, don't do it yourself."

Liu Guangfu threw the stone in his hand to the ground and whispered, "I understand, Uncle He Yudong."

Liu Guangtian also nodded, "Uncle, we will pay attention."

He Yudong patted the two children on the head and said, "Okay, go home and don't let your parents worry."

The two children stopped making noises and went back to their rooms with their heads down. He Yudong looked at their backs and felt relieved, but also a little uneasy. The Banggeng incident didn't seem that simple. Although the children said they fell down, he always felt that there was something unclear.

Early the next morning, He Yudong just opened the gate and was about to go to work in the factory when he saw Yi Zhonghai standing at the door with a serious expression.

"He Yudong, have you heard about what happened in our factory?" Yi Zhonghai asked, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

He Yudong was stunned for a moment, and immediately felt anxious, "Uncle Zhonghai, what's the matter? Please explain it clearly."

易中

He Yudong opened the gate early in the morning and prepared to go to the factory. He saw Yi Zhonghai standing at the door with a serious expression.

"Uncle Zhonghai, you came to me so early, did something happen in the factory?" He Yudong closed the gate, feeling something was wrong.

Yi Zhonghai nodded, his face full of worry. "He Yudong, the factory is going to reduce its staff recently, you know. This time it may be our workshop's turn. I'm afraid I have to retire early."

He Yudong's heart sank when he heard this. The factory was the support of workers like them. If it was really streamlined, it would undoubtedly be a huge blow to many people.

"Uncle Zhonghai, you have worked in the factory for so many years, how could it be your turn? Is there any room for maneuver?" He Yudong asked anxiously. He knew in his heart that Yi Zhonghai had always been a backbone of the factory, and it was really hard for him to accept being laid off so suddenly.

Yi Zhonghai sighed, "He Yudong, you know that the factory has not been doing well in recent years, and the management wants to reduce staff and costs. We, the older generation, have worked for so long, and it's time for us to give way to the younger generation. Besides, my health is not as good as before, so it would be nice to retire early and enjoy a few years of peace and quiet."

He Yudong looked at Yi Zhonghai. He knew that he was a real man and would not show weakness easily, but the situation this time was different. Once Yi Zhonghai retired, who would take over the technical skills in the factory? Moreover, Yi Zhonghai's retirement would have a great impact on the entire workshop.

"Uncle Zhonghai, please think about it again. Maybe we can think of some ways and don't give up so easily." He Yudong advised, thinking in his heart how to help Yi Zhonghai get some opportunities.

Yi Zhonghai shook his head. "He Yudong, I appreciate your kindness, but the factory has basically made a decision. I just wanted to tell you in advance. From now on, this workshop will still rely on you young people. I don't have anything else to say, but I can't bear to part with the days we worked together all these years."

He Yudong felt increasingly heavy-hearted. He knew that what Yi Zhonghai said made sense, but seeing a man who had dedicated most of his life to the factory being retired just like that made him feel really bad.

"Uncle Zhonghai, don't worry. The factory can't do without you. We can go to the leader and try again." He Yudong said firmly, and he had already started thinking about how to get more opportunities for Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai patted He Yudong on the shoulder, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes, "He Yudong, you are a good boy, uncle knows you are doing this for my own good. But some things we have to let nature take its course and can't force it. You, just do your work with peace of mind, don't be distracted by uncle's affairs."

He Yudong looked at Yi Zhonghai's resolute expression, but he felt a little unwilling. He knew that this was not just Yi Zhonghai's personal problem, but also related to the future of the entire workshop. The factory's work rhythm and technology inheritance are inseparable from veteran workers like Yi Zhonghai.