Siheyuan: Starting from Building a Village

Rolling mill

Factory Director's Office

"Director Yang, have they agreed to release the person?"

Yi Zhonghai was a little anxious. It was already afternoon and he still hadn't received any definite news. So, he was so impatient that he went straight to the factory director's office.

"Old Yi, I'm glad you're here. I don't have to look for you again."

"The director of the Hongqi Police Station just called and said that since Xincun is unwilling to negotiate, his only request is that the matter be handled impartially and Jia Dongxu be sent to prison."

"The director also said that it would be best to gain the forgiveness of Hope Village within three days. After three days, it will be useless for anyone to go there."

"Lao Yi, if you still have connections, go find them as soon as possible. I have done my best."

After Director Yang explained the basic situation, he no longer paid attention to Yi Zhonghai.

"Director Yang, that..."

Since the matter was not done, Yi Zhonghai subconsciously wanted to get his thousand yuan back.

"What? Do you have anything else to do?"

Director Yang raised his head and looked at Yi Zhonghai.

"I..."

"Okay, okay, I have something else to do, so I won't keep you here any longer. Go do your thing."

Seeing Yi Zhonghai's embarrassment, Director Yang naturally understood what Yi Zhonghai meant, and his impression of Yi Zhonghai became worse. Yi Zhonghai was a man of deep thoughts, and the premise of everything he did was for himself, which was why Yi Zhonghai was still an ordinary worker despite his ability as a seventh-level fitter.

When you ask someone to do something for you, you should also think about returning the gift you gave. Your vision is always limited to your own little world and your vision is too narrow.

This is also the reason why Yi Zhonghai, a seventh-level worker, has not even held the position of a team leader.

Another reason is that this person still believes in the old social system, teaching apprentices and starving the master to death. In all the years he has worked in the steel mill, he has only accepted one apprentice, Jia Dongxu, and it took him ten years to train a first-class worker. This is unparalleled.

Every time the factory wanted him to take more apprentices, Yi Zhonghai always made excuses to refuse.

If it wasn't for the thousand dollars, whoever would be willing to help Yi Zhonghai with this mess would do it.

"Then...thank you, Director Yang."

In the end, reason prevailed and the money was not mentioned.

After leaving the factory director's office, Yi Zhonghai's face looked terribly gloomy.

I wasted a thousand dollars and got nothing done.

My heart started to hurt again.

For a moment, Yi Zhonghai wanted to give up on Jia Dongxu directly, but after thinking it over again, he decided not to. He couldn't just give up like that. Even if he had to pretend, he had to keep doing it.

Forget it, let’s go to work. We’ll have a meeting in the evening to discuss how to save Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu.

Throughout the afternoon, Yi Zhonghai looked at the wall clock from time to time. He always felt that the clock was running too slowly today. He wished he could hang a clock himself to replace the hands, go around quickly a few times, and let time run until the end of get off work time.

"Ding-ling-ling..."

Finally, the bell rang for the end of get off work. Without even packing up my tools, I hurried back home.

"Old Yi, you're back so early today?"

Yan Bugui didn't expect that Yi Zhonghai would come back so early.

"Old Yan, let's have a meeting later."

When he saw Yan Bugui, Yi Zhonghai stopped.

"What's going on today that's worth a meeting?"

Yan Bugui was also surprised. You came back in such a hurry just for a meeting. As for what kind of meeting, Yan Bugui knew it very well.

"Of course, it's to save Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu."

Yi Zhonghai said as a matter of course.

"Oh, isn't it to discuss how to compensate for the other person's bicycle?"

Yan Bugui pretended to be surprised.

"Um... let's discuss this as well."

Yi Zhonghai was stunned. He was so focused on how to save Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu that he really forgot about the bicycle.

"Just remember it. I heard from people in the hospital that they came several times this afternoon. They said they couldn't handle it by night, so they called the police."

"Call the police? Why call the police? We don't have the tradition of calling the police in our Siheyuan."

"Old Yi, you may have forgotten that they are not in the same courtyard as us."

Yan Bugui said in a deep voice.

Yi Zhonghai’s face turned red. Damn, I’m used to it.

"Old Yi, it's cold, you should go back to the house and warm up first."

"Forget it. It's not that cold today. Let's just wait for someone here. This way we don't have to call everyone one by one later."

Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui were in the front yard, chatting idly. They both had their own thoughts, you said one thing, I said another, and they were not on the same channel anyway.

What's surprising is that the two of them can still talk.

I have to say, they are all good actors.

"He is an uncle, where is our Dongxu?"

A meatball ran over from the middle courtyard in a hurry and asked anxiously.

"Sister-in-law, slow down and don't fall again."

Yi Zhonghai looked at the meatball and felt a sudden sense of disgust for no reason.

"Yi Zhonghai, let me ask you, where is our Dongxu? Stop telling me these useless things."

The saliva sprayed on Yi Zhonghai's face, and Yan Bugui moved to the side without leaving a trace.

"The person is still in the police station."

Looking at Jia Zhang's appearance, Yi Zhonghai felt a little headache.

"What? Still at the police station?"

"Yi Zhonghai, is Dongxu still your apprentice? Are you and Lao Jia still brothers? Can you bear to watch Dongxu starve in the police station?"

"Old Jia, please come over and take a look. Your good brother doesn't care about our family anymore."

"Old Jia, what do you think I should do?"

“…”

Yi Zhonghai frowned, his face turned from red to white, and from white to black. The "black" was so scary, like the prelude to a storm.

While howling, Jia Zhang observed Yi Zhonghai out of the corner of her eye. When she saw Yi Zhonghai's constantly changing expressions, her heart skipped a beat. It seemed that he had gone a little too far in his acting.

"Howl, Jia Zhang, if you have the guts, keep on howling?"

The cold and merciless voice seemed to cause the temperature around them to drop suddenly. Jia Zhang only felt gusts of cold currents swirling around her and she shivered subconsciously.

Jia Zhang suddenly became quiet.

"Humph!"

Yi Zhonghai glared at Jia Zhang and said nothing more. The three of them just stood in the front yard, surprisingly quiet.

"Hey, Lao Yi, Lao Yan, what are you doing? Practicing martial arts in such a cold weather?"

It turned out that Xu Fugui and Xu Damao had returned.

"Lao Xu, Damao, it's time to get off work. Don't go back yet. Wait for someone. Let's have a meeting."

When Yi Zhonghai saw Xu Fugui and his son, his eyes lit up. Perhaps Xu Damao could be of use. After all, Xu Damao was the only person who could have a say with Hope New Village.

"Another meeting, what's the matter this time?"

No one likes having meetings all the time, especially in the cold weather. Xu Fugui knew without thinking that it was about Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu. He heard about it last night, and the Xu father and son were very happy.

Xu Damao, in particular, happily paid twenty yuan to Xu Fugui. Even though he lost the bet, he was happy because the money would be his sooner or later anyway.

"It's about Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu, and also about how to compensate for the other person's bicycle."

Although Xu Fugui pretended not to know, he still had to say what needed to be said.

"This matter has nothing to do with our Xu family, so we won't get involved."

Xu Fugui is such a smart person. There's no benefit in getting involved in this matter. Wouldn't he be unhappy if he took the time to go home and have a drink?

"Lao Xu, since you are part of the Siheyuan, it is naturally related to you."

Yi Zhonghai habitually practiced moral law.

"Old Yi, don't give me that. I told you the day before yesterday that our Xu family will not be involved in this matter. If something goes wrong, you really can't blame me."

"Okay, Lao Xu, we can't find you. We're from the same compound. Can we ask Damao to help?"

"Old Yi, what you said is even more wrong. Damao is still a child. As the old saying goes, a child has no hair and cannot do things well. So forget it, okay?"

"Lao Xu, what you said is true. Damao is a child, and he is also the most promising child in our compound. Besides, Dongxu, Shazhu and the others are good brothers who grew up together. I'm sure Damao won't have the heart to see his good brothers get into trouble."

"Old Yi, you are still saying things that go against your will at this time. I am ashamed for you. I really can't help you this time. The new screening plan has been announced. This time it is in the countryside of East City for a week."

"Can't you take a day off?"

"Old Yi, are you kidding me?"

"Lao Xu, helping others is helping yourself. We have been neighbors for many years. How could you bear this?"

"Old Yi, there's nothing we can do about it. Work is work. You don't have the time to argue with me. You should think about how to talk to the people in the compound."

Xu Fugui forcibly dragged the reluctant Xu Damao to the backyard.

"Lao Xu, you..."

Yi Zhonghai's face turned blue with anger.

Seeing that the Xu family was unwilling to help, Jia Zhang wanted to use her magic to summon spirits again. However, when she saw Yi Zhonghai showing off his face-changing skills next to her, Jia Zhang did not dare to offend Yi Zhonghai again.

A few minutes later, all the people who had gone out to work came back.

The Siheyuan Conference also officially began.

There were two topics on the agenda of the meeting: one was how to gain the understanding of Hope New Village, and the other was to raise funds to compensate for other people's bicycles.

Especially the second one, of course everyone in the courtyard was unwilling.

Out of consideration for the old neighbor, it was already very considerate of them not to ask for a refund of the money for the meat right away. But they didn't expect that they would have to pay for compensation for the other person's bicycle. Everyone in the courtyard was furious on the spot.

At the critical moment, it was an aunt who moved out the deaf old lady to calm the situation.

Faced with the angry crowd, Jia Zhang ran back home and held the door tightly before she breathed a sigh of relief.

The three old men were so scared that they hurriedly said that they would not share the money for the bicycles, and they also promised to return the money for buying meat to everyone as soon as possible.

Finally, the three uncles discussed for a long time at Yi Zhonghai's house and decided to go to the police station to see Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu tomorrow.