Siheyuan: Starting from a Truck Driver

"You are in charge of this matter. Let's solve it right here. Besides, let's not worry about whether Sha Zhu stole the chicken or not. Why don't we all go and look for it separately? If the chicken shows up from any corner, wouldn't it be Sha Zhu who was wrongly accused?"

Lou Xiao'e felt dissatisfied when she heard Qin Huairu say this.

Do you dare to deny the stewing chicken?

The surnames of our courtyard house are He and Jia!

Seeing Qin Huairu so nervous, she immediately thought of Bang Geng’s little trick.

Lou Xiao'e questioned: "Qin Huairu, what do you mean? Everyone has looked for it, but no one has found it. If it wasn't him who stole the chicken, who else could it be? Could it be Bang Geng who did it?

Qin Huairu's thoughts were exposed, and she instantly became anxious, "What are you talking about! Forget it, forget it, I don't care about your nonsense."

When she left, she did not forget to look deeply at Sha Zhu.

At this moment, Sha Zhu was full of grievances and had no place to vent, so he could only sit in a chair and drink silently.

Seeing Qin Huairu leave, Lou Xiaoe pointed at Sha Zhu, as if warning: "Just wait and see!"

"Alright, alright, ignore her. We have a meeting tonight."

The second uncle angrily followed Lou Xiao'e away, and the others gradually dispersed when they saw that there was no excitement.

Yan Bugui found an opportunity at this time, picked up the chicken on the ground and stuffed it into his pocket, walked to Sha Zhu with a smug look on his face, pointed at the wine bottle, licked his lips and said with a smile: "Sha Zhu, today your uncle spoke for you, do you want to let your uncle have a bite too?"

Sha Zhu felt aggrieved and glared at Yan Bugui, "Third Uncle, you've taken advantage of me, so get out of here."

Yan Bugui shook his head: "This child doesn't understand anything. You will know the trouble at night."

Before going out, he saw Li Xiaodong standing under the big camphor tree outside the door. Thinking of Yu Li, he immediately became angry.

He rolled his eyes, put his hands behind his back and walked away, saying, "Some people's good friends are going to be in big trouble!"

Hey, is Yan Bugui still holding a grudge?

Isn't it just that I married his daughter-in-law? Is it necessary to remember it for so long?

You are a teacher, can't you be more open-minded?

Li Xiaodong muttered to himself and walked into Sha Zhu's room.

Although he understood the plot and that Sha Zhu had to take the blame for the Jia family, as a brother, he still wanted to dissuade him.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the door, Sha Zhu took a sip of wine and said, "No need to say anything today, brother, I am willing to drink with me!"

Shazhu has decided to take the blame for Banggeng.

Xu Damao’s chickens are gone, someone has to be responsible.

If the compound cannot solve the problem, Xu Damao will go to the police station to report the case.

Banggeng carried two hens out of the yard. It was so conspicuous that someone must have seen it.

Sister Qin had to raise three children alone and also take care of Jia Zhang, so her life was very difficult.

If Bang Geng is caught, how will the Jia family live?

The old man usually teaches Sha Zhu that people should not be too selfish and should learn to help others.

Sha Zhu has always agreed with this.

Of course, Zhuzi has his own plans in mind and there is no need for others to speculate.

...

Preaching is futile.

Li Xiaodong didn't want to say more and went back to his room.

He still has dinner to prepare!

-------------------

Sha Zhu's incident did not affect Li Xiaodong's mood.

You are not a fish, how do you know the happiness of a fish?

Shazhu is happy to be a bootlicker, so why would you evildoers have the right to worry about him?

I was a little tired after a busy day and had no mood to cook, so I just cooked a hotpot.

There is half a pound of butter in the storage space, as well as various seasonings such as cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel, and grass fruit.

As usual, I closed the doors and windows and placed the iron pot on the coal stove.

After some skilled operation, the hot pot base is cooked with aroma.

After adding clean water, he squatted by the stove, fanning the air inlet with a book. When sweat began to seep out of his forehead, the hot pot began to boil.

Then add the chopped lamb slices, Chinese cabbage, coriander...

The simple hot pot is ready.

After taking a bite of the mutton, Li Xiaodong almost swallowed his tongue.

The only drawback is the lack of sesame paste, pickled garlic and chives.

Well, if you have the chance to dine at Donglaishun, ask the waiter whether the seasonings are sold in retail.

It is really pleasant to eat hotpot in the cold winter. Li Xiaodong was enjoying it when the sound of gongs "clang clang clang" was heard outside the door.

"Everyone, please note that we will have a meeting in the courtyard after dinner!"

Meetings are out of the question and are a sheer waste of time for those who know the outcome.

There are 36,000 days and nights in a person's life. Excluding the ignorant childhood and the stumbling old age, there are less than 21,600 days left. Minus the time for rest, eating, socializing, love and procreation, the total is less than 200,000 hours. Two hours per meeting is indeed too luxurious.

It’s better to finish reading the book I borrowed from the library last time at home.

There is no way, Li Xiaodong is such a person with high aspirations!

After eating hot pot, the smell in the house gradually dissipated. He opened the doors and windows for ventilation and took the iron pot to the sink to wash it.

Washing a pot is much more laborious than cooking. Without detergent, Li Xiaodong took a lot of effort to clean it.

Well, it’s better to marry Yu Li as soon as possible and let her take over the housework.

Catching a glimpse of a figure swaying in the courtyard, he turned back to the house to continue studying.

Suddenly, there was a hurried knock on the door.

"Who is it?" After shouting and getting no response, Li Xiaodong had to get up and open the door.

I saw a thin girl standing in the afterglow of the evening.

"What rain?"

The person who came was He Yushui.

In the past, Li Xiaodong had a good relationship with Zhuzi. When he was naked, He Yushui would always follow him and play.

As she grew up, she learned to avoid suspicion, and their relationship gradually became distant.

Not long ago, He Yushui got engaged to a young policeman.

When they got engaged, Li Xiaodong and an old lady visited the young policeman's home as the girl's parents.

That family is honest and well-off.

On the way home, an old lady kept saying that He Yushui had married into a good family.

"It's cold outside, come in quickly. Yu Shui, congratulations, when are you planning to get married?" Li Xiaodong welcomed He Yu Shui into the house and poured her a cup of hot tea.

He Yushui held the porcelain cup for a while, then his expression eased a little, and he said, "Brother Xiaodong, I'm afraid this marriage won't be possible."

"What's going on? Did Xiao Zhou give you a problem? Let me find some time to talk to him. How dare a small policeman like him mess around with my driver?" In Li Xiaodong's eyes, He Yushui was like a little sister. Hearing this news, he was filled with righteous indignation.

"No, Xiao Zhou treats me very well, and his family is also very polite to me. But his family is from the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems, and they only have one requirement for girls, and that is good conduct."

"Good character, what is wrong with our family..."

Halfway through the conversation, Li Xiaodong realized that He Yushui was referring to the incident of Sha Zhu stealing a chicken.

In today's society, reputation is of vital importance and a single word of gossip can ruin a person's reputation.

Yi Zhonghai’s position in the compound is secure thanks to his good reputation.

Once a thief breaks out in a family, the whole family will be implicated, and their marriages, children's education and employment will be affected.

In the original novel, Sha Zhu "took" an old hen. Although he was suppressed by Yi Zhonghai and not reported to the police station, he was also branded as a chicken thief. The man was a member of the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, so such a thing could not be concealed.

I don’t know how He Yushui got through the difficult times, but I guess it wasn’t easy, otherwise she would have returned to the Siheyuan more often after getting married.

"My brother is not a thief, but no matter how I ask, he just drowns his sorrows in alcohol. What can I do?" In an instant, tears rolled down He Yushui's eyes.

"You have the best relationship with my brother, can you help me persuade him?"

At this moment, Li Xiaodong also realized that Sha Zhu was in a desperate situation.

Sha Zhu admitted to stealing the chicken not only to please Qin Huairu, but also largely because he could not explain the source of the chicken in the pot.

Think about it, who would buy a chicken without a head or wings when they have nothing else to do?

This was obviously brought out from the kitchen.

Stealing public property is a more serious crime than stealing a chicken.

If Sha Zhu is not a fool, he will go down the stairs and admit to stealing the chicken, and he can also win Qin Huairu's favor.

Xu Damao received compensation, the Jia family escaped a disaster, Sha Zhu was spared from being sent to the police station, and the courtyard returned to peace. It was truly a happy occasion for everyone.

In addition to He Yushui, she also had to endure the strange looks from the man's family.

In the end, the innocent girl took it all silently.

Isn't this a case of the wicked prevailing and the good suffering?

As a time traveler, if Li Xiaodong cannot help his neighbor's little sister, then his life will be lived in vain.

"Yushui, do you believe me?"

"Yeah." Seeing that Li Xiaodong was willing to help, He Yushui quickly wiped away her tears and nodded vigorously.

Li Xiaodong beckoned He Yushui to come closer and whispered to her softly: "You will do this later..."

After hearing this, He Yushui's eyes suddenly widened: "How is this possible? Sister Qin Huairu is such a kind person, how could she do such a thing?"

Li Xiaodong asked, "Which do you think Qin Huairu values ​​more, Sha Zhu's reputation or the reputation of the Jia family?"

He Yushui tried to refute, but after a moment of silence, she smiled bitterly and shook her head: "I was wrong, I thought she was really helping us."

Li Xiaodong took out a bag of candy from his pocket and handed it to He Yushui: "Remember, you have to rely on yourself to save yourself!"

He Yushui nodded vigorously, turned around and left quickly.

Because it was late, Li Xiaodong put on a thick cotton coat, closed the door, and went to the rally.

As night falls, the lights of thousands of homes in the capital light up one by one, each illuminating a different scene of life.

It is the middle of winter now, and the road surface has thawed, making a crisp sound when you step on it.

Arriving at the atrium, many figures gathered under the old camphor tree.

In the center, there is an octagonal table with enamel cups inscribed with "Serve the People". Three old men sit majestically on armchairs, like patriarchs of ancient families.

"Oh, what's this? Which young wife is having an affair? Why is there such a big fuss?" Li Xiaodong's words caused a burst of laughter. The residents of the courtyard had long been tired of the meeting and preferred to take a relaxed attitude.

...

---

Liu Guangfu quickly stood up from the bench and explained: "Brother Xiaodong, please take a seat. He Yuzhu stole the hens from Xu Damao's house, and we are now in a meeting to deal with this matter!"

His dream is to make a lot of money and then leave this courtyard.

When Liu Guangfu learned that Li Xiaodong received 50 kilograms of food coupons on his first day of work, he felt that he had found a role model in life.

Liu Haishang was just about to give an opening speech when he saw Li Xiaodong come in. He immediately stood up and brought him to the center of the crowd.

"Before the conference officially begins, I want to tell you a good news. Comrade Li Xiaodong from our institute made a contribution to the factory on his first day at work and was rewarded with 50 kilograms of national food coupons.

This is an honor for Comrade Li Xiaodong and also an honor for our entire Siheyuan."

Some in the crowd had heard about it before, while others were unaware and were discussing the matter.

Considering that He Yushui might not be reliable, Li Xiaodong took this opportunity to delay time and took over the conversation and said, "That was purely a stroke of luck. I think it was the great skills of the eldest and second uncles that repaired the car's radiator in such a short time. You two are the real heroes."

"Thank you, thank you. I am only a seventh-level blacksmith. I still have room for improvement."

"Xiaodong, you are a good person in every aspect, but you are too modest."

Then, everyone started to compliment him, and the meeting gradually turned into a commendation meeting. Seeing this, Xu Damao jumped up anxiously and shouted, "Three uncles, the weather is so cold, let's get back to the topic of chicken."

Li Xiaodong said, "Yes, the weather is really cold. Some people stole chickens but dared not admit it, causing everyone to get cold. If someone gets frostbite, tomorrow's work will be affected. This is not just stealing chickens, but interfering with production, which is almost a hostile act."

Qin Huairu was surprised by Li Xiaodong's appearance.

Could it be that Li Xiaodong noticed something?

Jia Zhang frowned, confused, "It's impossible. I stole the chicken quickly and hid the chicken's head under its wings. I didn't leave any traces at the scene. Bang Geng was still on guard nearby, so no one saw it."

At this moment, Xu Damao was sure that Sha Zhu had been convicted, and he was dissatisfied: "Li Xiaodong, do you mean that we wronged Sha Zhu?"

Xu Damao's words cleverly implicated everyone.

If Li Xiaodong denies that it was Sha Zhu who did it, he would be going against everyone.