Siheyuan: Being a fisherman in 1962

The next morning, Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu got up early and prepared to go to Qin Jingru's house to implement the plan.

I hope I can successfully get the medical expenses from Xu Damao so that it can provide some help for Banggeng’s treatment.

On the way to Qin Jingru's house, Qin Huairu suddenly remembered her wedding.

She told Sha Zhu that some unpleasant things happened at her wedding with Qin Jingru, which led to some estrangement between her and Qin Jingru's parents.

After hearing this, Sha Zhu comforted Qin Huairu and said that no matter what happened in the past, he would always be with her.

Arriving at Qin Jingru's door, Qin Huairu couldn't help but take a deep breath and try to calm her heart as she thought of the turmoil at the wedding.

There was a gentle knock on the door, and the sound was particularly clear in the alley in the early morning.

There was a rustling sound from inside the door, and then a middle-aged woman appeared behind the door.

"Who is it?" The middle-aged woman stuck her head out and looked at the two people in front of her in confusion.

Qin Huairu stepped forward and said with a smile, "Excuse me, are you Qin Jingru's mother? I am Qin Huairu, and I have something to ask Qin Jingru."

When the middle-aged woman heard that it was Qin Huairu, a complicated expression suddenly appeared on her face.

She hesitated for a moment and said, "Qin Jingru has already married and moved to the city. What do you want to see her for?"

Wouldn't this plan be ruined?

But she was unwilling to give up, so she continued, "We have something private to discuss with her. Can you tell us where she lives now?"

"Well, come with me."

Having said that, she turned and walked into the house, followed closely by Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu.

Along the way, Qin Huairu's mood became increasingly heavy.

I don’t know if I can find Qin Jingru this time, and I don’t know if I can get the medical expenses from Xu Damao.

No matter what, she must work hard for the future of Bangteng.

The middle-aged woman led them to a simple house, pointed inside and said, "Qin Jingru is here, you can go in by yourselves."

Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu looked at each other and walked into the house silently.

The furnishings are simple but well organized.

Qin Huairu looked around but didn't see Qin Jingru.

Although the house was tidy, it felt cold and lonely, as if no one had lived there for a long time.

"Are we too late? Could it be that Qin Jingru has already..."

"Don't worry, let's ask her parents first."

The two walked out of the house and saw Qin Jingru's parents sitting on a stone bench in the yard with sad faces.

"Uncle and aunt, where is Qin Jingru? Isn't she at home?" Qin Huairu walked forward and asked softly.

Qin Jingru's mother sighed and shook her head: "Since she married Xu Damao, she has rarely come back. We don't know where she is, let alone how she and Xu Damao are doing."

Things may be worse than you think.

"Uncle and aunt, we are here to find Qin Jingru because we learned that Xu Damao cheated on her. Not only did he hide the fact that he had a wife, he was also suspected of some illegal activities. We are worried about Qin Jingru's safety, so we want to come to her."

Qin Jingru's parents were stunned after hearing this.

"How...how is this possible?" Qin Jingru's father asked in a trembling voice, "Xu Damao looks like an honest man, how could he do such a thing?"

"You can't judge a person by his appearance, but you can never know his heart. Xu Damao looks honest on the outside, but he is actually a complete liar. Qin Jingru was deceived by him, which is why she ended up like this."

Qin Jingru's parents were extremely sad after hearing this.

I never dreamed that the daughter I raised with so much effort would suffer such a misfortune.

As a neighbor, she couldn't stay out of it, especially since it involved Banggeng's medical expenses.

"Uncle and aunt, don't worry. I will do my best to help find Qin Jingru. I know some details about Xu Damao. I will go to the city to inquire about his whereabouts. Once I have any news, I will inform you immediately."

Qin Jingru's mother's eyes suddenly turned red when she heard this. She took Qin Huairu's hand and said in a choked voice, "You are such a kind person. We are an old couple and have no one to rely on. We can only put our hopes on you. This chicken is the only poultry in our family. You can take it to nourish your body."

As she spoke, she took out a fat hen from behind her and handed it to Qin Huairu.

This hen is such an important property to Qin Jingru's parents.

But she did not refuse, because she understood that this was their sincere love and their trust and expectations for her.

At this moment, Sha Zhu suddenly interrupted and said, "Uncle and aunt, do you have any potatoes at home? I think our Bang Geng has a poor appetite recently, so I want to make him some mashed potatoes."

When Qin Jingru's parents heard this, they immediately looked embarrassed.

There are only a few potatoes left at home.

But looking at Sha Zhu's expectant eyes, they couldn't bear to refuse.

Finally, Qin Jingru's father sighed, turned and walked into the house.

After a while, he came out with a bag of potatoes and handed it to Sha Zhu: "Here, these are the last potatoes we have."

After taking the potatoes, Sha Zhu showed a satisfied smile on his face.

He thanked Qin Jingru's parents and left Qin Jingru's house with Qin Huairu.

The two were walking on the way home, and Qin Huairu was still in a heavy mood.

Finding Qin Jingru and recovering the medical expenses were not easy, but she couldn't give up.

Banggeng's future and the livelihood of this family all rest on her shoulders.

After returning home, Qin Huairu handed the hen to Sha Zhu and asked him to deal with it.

This chicken meant a lot to Qin Jingru's parents, but they took it out without hesitation.

As the New Year approaches, a special atmosphere permeates the courtyard.

Every household is preparing for the New Year, but Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu are not interested in it.

Their lives were still difficult, and even a decent meal became a luxury.

Sha Zhu slaughtered the hen and stewed a pot of delicious chicken soup.

This is a rare meat dish for them during the Chinese New Year, and everyone eats it with great care.

After the meal, Qin Huairu looked at the empty pot and thought that she would have to start budgeting carefully and survive on limited vegetarian food in the days ahead.

As night fell, Qin Huairu sat in front of the window, with a myriad of thoughts in her mind.

I thought of Qin Jingru, the once innocent girl who is now missing and whose life or death is uncertain.

As the New Year approaches, laughter and busy footsteps can be heard one after another in the courtyard.

Tempting aroma wafts from the windows of every household, that is the lively atmosphere of preparing for the New Year.

However, in Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu's cabin, the scene was quite different.

Sha Zhu looked at the empty pot and sighed, "This year, our family can only eat vegetarian food during the Chinese New Year."

Qin Huairu didn't say anything, but just quietly cleaned up the dishes.

She knew in her heart that this family had not lived a decent life for a long time.

Banggeng's medical expenses and daily expenses were overwhelming her.