Siheyuan: Being a fisherman in 1962

Yi Zhonghai knew very well that it would not be easy to plead for mercy, but for Sha Zhu, the rare sincere person in this factory, he was willing to give it a try.

Although his identity as an eighth-level fitter does not allow him to directly influence the factory director's decisions, it does give him more say in front of the factory director.

Qin Huairu stood at the door of the cafeteria, watching Yi Zhonghai go away, her eyes full of worry and expectation.

She bit her lower lip lightly, secretly thinking about her next plan.

Yi Zhonghai's strength alone may not be enough, she must find more people who can help Sha Zhu.

The atmosphere in the cafeteria was still depressing.

Although the food was served again, the depressing atmosphere still hung over everyone's heart like a dark cloud.

The employees gathered in twos and threes, talking in low voices. Occasionally someone looked up at the empty chef's table, with a hint of complicated emotions in their eyes.

The absence of Sha Zhu and Ma Hua has made this place lose its former liveliness and vitality.

“Do you think this food is edible? When I think about the scene of them fighting…” a young worker muttered in a low voice, frowning.

"Yeah, I always feel uncomfortable." The person next to him echoed, fiddling with the bowl with the chopsticks in his hand but he was reluctant to put it into his mouth.

Qin Huairu saw it and was worried.

If we want to change the current situation, we must first solve the problem at the source.

So, she decided to cook herself and use a delicious meal to comfort everyone, and at the same time gain more understanding and sympathy for Sha Zhu and Ma Hua.

As night falls, Qin Huairu's busy figure in the kitchen looks particularly lonely and determined.

She selects the freshest ingredients and cooks every dish with great care.

The aroma gradually spread, attracting many employees to come closer and look around curiously.

"This is... Qin Huairu cooking?" someone shouted in surprise.

"It seems that she wants to help Shazhu in her own way." Another worker sighed, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

Soon, Qin Huairu came out of the kitchen carrying plates of delicious dishes and placed them on the dining table one by one.

She didn't say much, just smiled and invited everyone to taste it.

The employees looked at each other, but finally couldn't resist the temptation of the delicious food. They sat around and picked up their chopsticks to taste it.

"Wow, this taste... is amazing!" The first person who tried it couldn't help but exclaimed.

“Yeah, it tastes better than usual!” Others echoed, the gloom on their faces gradually dissipated, replaced by long-lost smiles.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai was standing in front of Director Yang's office. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Director Yang was sitting at the table with a frown on his face and a stack of documents in his hands. He seemed to be worried about how to deal with Sha Zhu's matter.

He had just returned from the security room and was preparing to organize the information and report it to the police station. This was his responsibility as the factory director and also the maintenance of factory discipline.

"Director Yang, I have something to say about Sha Zhu." Yi Zhonghai's voice broke the silence in the office.

Director Yang raised his head and looked at Yi Zhonghai sharply: "Go ahead."

"I request you not to report Sha Zhu's matter to the public security organs." Director Yang was stunned by Yi Zhonghai's words, but he did not interrupt and motioned Yi Zhonghai to continue.

"I know Shazhu's behavior this time is serious, but he may have been used by Ma Hua, or he was confused for a moment." Yi Zhonghai's tone was pleading, "I have witnessed Shazhu's growth, he is like my own son. I am willing to vouch for him and give him a chance to reform."

Director Yang was silent for a while, then slowly said: "Master Yi, I understand your feelings. But you also know that Sha Zhu's behavior this time violated the law. I can't bend the law for personal gain just because he is your 'son'."

Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale. He knew that Director Yang was telling the truth, but he was still unwilling to give up: "Director Yang, please reconsider. I believe Sha Zhu can still be saved. He is still young and cannot let his life be ruined because of one mistake."

Director Yang looked at Yi Zhonghai, and a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

He knew that Yi Zhonghai was an upright man and that his feelings for Sha Zhu were genuine. He sighed, "Okay, I'll give you one day to find Sha Zhu and ask him to turn himself in. If he can recognize his mistakes and is willing to correct them, I will consider giving him a lighter sentence."

A trace of gratitude flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes: "Thank you, Director Yang. I will find Sha Zhu." After that, he turned around and quickly left the office.

Next, Yi Zhonghai ran around looking for Sha Zhu's whereabouts.

He knew that time was running out and every minute could affect Shazhu's future.

Finally, before dark, he found Sha Zhu in a remote alley.

Sha Zhu looked haggard, and it was obvious that he had not had a good time in the past few days. When he saw Yi Zhonghai, a trace of panic and guilt flashed in his eyes.

"Come back with me." Yi Zhonghai's voice was firm and gentle.

Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and followed Yi Zhonghai back to the courtyard.

In front of Director Yang, Sha Zhu admitted his mistake and expressed his willingness to accept punishment.

Director Yang looked at the young man in front of him and felt relieved.

Although the law is ruthless, people are compassionate.

He decided to give Sha Zhu a chance to redeem his mistakes through community service.

Qin Huairu saw Yi Zhonghai coming back and hurried to greet him: "How is it? What did Director Yang say?"

Yi Zhonghai looked at Qin Huairu's face full of expectation and anxiety, and sighed in his heart.

He knew very well how much Qin Huairu's family relied on Sha Zhu. They placed almost all their hopes on Sha Zhu.

"Director Yang will do his best to help, but we still have to wait for the final decision." Yi Zhonghai tried to keep his voice calm.

Qin Huairu's eyes flashed with disappointment, but soon filled with gratitude: "Thank you, Uncle Yi. I know this is not easy."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head: "Everything is still uncertain, we can't take it lightly. At the same time, you must not reveal anything about what happened today."

Qin Huairu nodded rapidly: "I understand. I will never say anything nonsense. It's just..."

Her voice lowered, and she seemed to have difficulty speaking.

"Just what?" Yi Zhonghai asked.

"I'm worried that if something really happens to Sha Zhu, what will happen to our family?" Qin Huairu's voice trembled a little, and her eyes flashed with worry. "We are used to Sha Zhu's support. If he is gone, we..."

Yi Zhonghai sighed, he knew that Qin Huairu was telling the truth.

Sha Zhu plays the role of the pillar in this family, and their lives depend to a large extent on Sha Zhu's financial support.

"I will do my best to help you." Yi Zhonghai comforted, "But the most important thing now is to wait for news from Director Yang, and hope that Sha Zhu is safe."

Qin Huairu nodded, tears in her eyes: "Thank you, Uncle Yi. I will pray that Sha Zhu can survive this."

As the days passed, the atmosphere in the courtyard became increasingly tense.

Sha Zhu's affair weighed on everyone's heart like a huge rock, and Qin Huairu's family's plight also became the focus of everyone's secret attention.

Finally, on a sunny afternoon, Director Yang's verdict came down.

Sha Zhu was allowed to atone for his faults through community service instead of being immediately handed over to the judicial authorities.

This news blew away the haze over the courtyard like a spring breeze.

Qin Huairu was so excited that she burst into tears after hearing the news. She held Yi Zhonghai's hand tightly: "Uncle Yi, without you, we don't know what to do."