Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

He Yudong understood his concerns and said, "Yes, we have to do what we can, but we can't just stand by and watch. We are a people of Siheyuan who are always loyal, and we must help Dongxu overcome the difficulties this time."

Everyone nodded in agreement. After some discussion, everyone decided to contribute some money.

He Yudong had just walked into the courtyard and hadn't had time to catch his breath when he saw the brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu coming out of the house opposite, with a look of uneasiness and anxiety on their faces. When they saw He Yudong, they quickly walked towards him.

Liu Guangtian spoke first: "Brother He Yudong, I heard that Dongxu was hospitalized. We two brothers discussed it and wanted to do something to help his family."

He Yudong felt warm in his heart, knowing that although the two brothers were not very capable, they were righteous. He nodded and said, "Guangtian, Guangfu, I would like to thank you on behalf of Dongxu's family for your kindness. However, don't make it too hard on yourselves, as you still have elderly people and children to take care of at home."

Liu Guangfu waved his hands and said firmly: "Brother He Yudong, we are all neighbors. We can't just stand by and watch someone die. Although our family is not well off, we can at least get some money together. We can't let the Dongxu family be isolated and helpless at this time."

He Yudong looked at their expressions and was so moved that he could not speak. He took a deep breath and said seriously: "Guangtian, Guangfu, I appreciate your kindness. The people in our courtyard are all kind and righteous. Let's help the Dongxu family get through this difficult time together."

Liu Guangtian nodded, "Brother He Yudong, don't worry, we will not stand idly by. Tell us how we can help, and we will all work together."

He Yudong thought for a moment and said, "I was thinking about this question just now. The most important thing now is Dongxu's hospitalization fee, and the second is the daily expenses of Huairu's family. As you know, Dongxu is sick, and Huairu has to take care of the children. The family's life has become a problem."

Liu Guangfu pondered for a moment and suggested: "How about this, my two brothers go find more work these days and earn some money to help them. Although it's not much, it's still a contribution."

He Yudong nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea. You guys should pay more attention these days and find some odd jobs. Don't worry about the money. I'll go find other neighbors and see if we can work out a solution together."

At this time, Qin Huairu came out of the house and heard their conversation. Tears welled up in her eyes. She walked to He Yudong and said in a choked voice: "He Yudong, Guangtian, Guangfu, you have helped my family so much, I really don't know how to repay you. If it weren't for you, I really don't know what I would do."

He Yudong waved his hands quickly and said in a gentle tone: "Sister Huairu, don't say that. We are all neighbors, and we should help each other. The most important thing now is that you take good care of Dongxu and don't let him have any worries."

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu also echoed, and Liu Guangtian patted his chest to assure: "Sister Huairu, don't worry, the people in our courtyard will not let your family bear it alone. We two brothers will find a way to make more money in the next few days to supplement your family expenses."

Qin Huairu was so moved that she was speechless and just kept nodding. She knew that the friendship of her neighbors was more precious than money.

As he was talking, Yan Jiecheng hurried in from outside. Seeing several people standing together, he quickly greeted them: "Hey, you are all here? I just heard that Dongxu was hospitalized, so I hurried over to see if there is anything I can do to help."

He Yudong smiled and said, "Uncle Yan, you are so old, it is not easy for you to make this trip. We are discussing how to help Dongxu's family get through this difficult time."

Yan Jiecheng sighed, his face full of worry, "Alas, Dongxu has a miserable life. He is so young but he is so sick. We can't just stand by and do nothing. He Yudong, tell me, how can we help?"

He Yudong briefly explained the current situation and mentioned the suggestions of Liu Guangtian and his brother. Yan Jiecheng listened and nodded, expressing his agreement: "This is a good idea. However, relying on odd jobs alone may not be enough. We need to think of other ways."

Liu Guangtian interrupted, "Uncle Yan, you are right. We can't just rely on odd jobs. How about you take a look and see if there is anything in our courtyard that can be sold to support us first?"

Yan Jiecheng stroked his beard and said thoughtfully, "This is also a solution, but there are not many valuable things in the courtyard, and everyone lives a tight life. If we can collect some money, it can also solve the urgent problem."

He Yudong pondered in his heart, and suddenly thought of something, and asked: "Uncle Yan, is there anyone around here who can lend me some money? I'm not saying it's free, even if it's an IOU, we are honest people in our courtyard, and we will definitely pay it back in the future."

Yan Jiecheng thought for a moment, frowned and said, "Borrowing money is difficult. Who has enough money these days? However, I do know a shop whose owner is a warm-hearted person and likes to help others. Why don't you go and try to see if you can borrow some money?"

He Yudong nodded, indicating that he was willing to give it a try. "Uncle Yan, please show me the way. I'll go over and take a look."

Yan Jiecheng pointed in the direction of the street corner and said, "Just walk south along this street. After three intersections, you will see a small shop selling groceries. That's it. The owner's surname is Li. He's a pretty honest guy. You can give it a try."

He Yudong felt a glimmer of hope and quickly thanked him: "Thank you, Uncle Yan. I'll go try it right away."

After saying that, He Yudong hurriedly left the courtyard and walked quickly in the direction Yan Jiecheng pointed. The streets gradually became lively, with people coming and going, and the hawkers' cries one after another. He Yudong walked a few streets and finally saw the small shop that Yan Jiecheng mentioned. The shop was not big, but the door was full of various groceries, and it seemed that the business was pretty good.

He Yudong took a deep breath, walked forward, and gently pushed the door open. There were no customers in the store. A middle-aged man was sorting goods behind the counter. Seeing someone coming in, he raised his head and smiled.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" The man's voice was gentle and a little enthusiastic.

He Yudong took a step forward, his voice a little hesitant: "Boss, I want to ask you something, can I spare you a few minutes?"

The boss put down what he was holding, walked up to He Yudong, and said with a smile, "You're welcome. Just tell me what you want to say."

He Yudong swallowed and tried to appear calm. "It's like this. I have a neighbor who suddenly fell seriously ill last night and is now in the hospital. His family is not well off and he's in urgent need of money. I heard that you're a kind-hearted person, so I wanted to ask if you could lend me some money for the emergency."

After hearing this, the boss' smile faded a little and his eyes became serious. He was silent for a moment, as if he was weighing something, and finally nodded: "I understand what you are talking about. Nowadays, everyone has difficulties. Although I am not rich, since you asked, I will do my best to help you."

He Yudong was delighted and quickly thanked him: "Boss, you are so kind. We will definitely find a way to pay you back in the future. Thank you very much for this."

The boss waved his hand, walked behind the counter, took out a stack of money from the drawer, counted it carefully, and handed it to He Yudong: "Here is fifty yuan, take it first. It's not much, but I hope it can help a little."

He Yudong took the money and expressed his gratitude: "Boss, you are such a kind person. This money is life-saving for us. I thank you on behalf of my neighbor."

The boss smiled and said, "You're welcome. Everyone needs help sometimes. Just spend the money wisely and take good care of the patient."

He Yudong nodded, thanked them again, and left the store in a hurry, feeling more confident. Although fifty yuan was not much, it could solve many problems when combined with what he had collected before. He decided to go back and discuss with everyone to see how to use the money wisely.

Back at the courtyard, everyone was still waiting for news about He Yudong. Seeing him coming back, Yan Jiecheng was the first to come forward and asked anxiously, "He Yudong, how is it going? Did you borrow money?"

He Yudong smiled and raised his hand

When He Yudong returned to the courtyard, it was already dark. The lights in the courtyard were sparse, and a few families had weak kerosene lamps on, casting shadows in the courtyard. Liu Guangfu was squatting in the middle of the courtyard, fiddling with a wooden stick in his hand, as if thinking about something. When he saw He Yudong coming back, he immediately stood up and went forward to greet him.

"Brother He Yudong, how is it going? Did you borrow the money?"

He Yudong patted his pocket and smiled: "I borrowed it. Boss Li gave me fifty yuan. Although it's not much, it's better than nothing. At least there is some hope."

Liu Guangfu was delighted after hearing this, but then he hesitated: "Fifty yuan is a good start, but how long can this amount of money last? I'm afraid it's far from enough to cover Dongxu's hospitalization fees and the family expenses."

He Yudong nodded. He knew in his heart that this amount of money was just a drop in the bucket, but he didn't want to make his brothers worry too much, so he comforted them: "Guangfu, let's take it one step at a time. Dongxu is in the hospital now, and it's not easy for Sister Huairu to take care of the child alone. Let's help as much as we can, and find a way to deal with other things later."

Liu Guangfu was silent for a while, and finally said with determination: "Brother He Yudong, I will find some work to do in the next few days, even if it is just hard labor. As long as I can make more money and help the Dongxu family, it will be worth it to risk my life."

He Yudong was touched and patted Liu Guangfu on the shoulder. He said firmly, "We are all brothers. We should shoulder the difficulties together. Don't exhaust yourself. We have to make long-term plans and can't just rely on hard-earned money."

At this moment, Qin Huairu came out of the room with a tired look on her face. She looked at He Yudong and Liu Guangfu and asked softly, "He Yudong, is there any progress on the money issue?"

He Yudong nodded and handed her the fifty yuan in his hand, "Sister Huairu, I just borrowed some money from Boss Li. I'll give you this fifty yuan for emergency use. Take it, Dongxu will still need your help."