Siheyuan: Xu Damao's New Life

Xu Damao was driving Lou Xiao'e home when he passed by Red Star Hospital. He remembered his apprentice Li Dazhuang who was sent to the hospital. He felt that he was not a good master and had forgotten about his injured apprentice, so he decided to go and see his apprentice.

Xu Damao told his wife about the matter, and Lou Xiao'e also agreed. In this era, even if the master-disciple relationship was not the kind of formal kowtow, it was still quite close, not to mention the child-disciple who was raised at home since childhood. The child-disciple had to take care of the master in his old age, wear mourning clothes, and inherit the master's network of people and inheritance.

Xu Damao drove Lou Xiao'e to a remote and deserted alley near the hospital, took out a can of malted milk and two pounds of apples from the space and hung them on the handlebars.

After parking the car, they carried their things to the hospital front desk and asked which ward Li Dazhuang was staying in.

The nurse on duty saw that they were carrying things and came to visit the patient. She asked about his work unit and registered briefly, then took out a small notebook and started looking through it. "Li Dazhuang lives in Room 307 on the third floor. You can visit him, but don't delay too long and disturb the patient's rest."

"Okay, thank you, nurse."

Lou Xiao'e took Xu Damao's arm and went up to the third floor. The door of ward 307 was open, so Xu Damao and the others walked in directly and saw Li Dazhuang lying on the bed. He was wrapped in bandages and had one arm in a sling. He was leaning on the quilt and talking to someone.

"Da Zhuang, I'm here to see you." Xu Damao put the things he was carrying on the table beside him.

"Master, why are you here?"

Xu Damao glared, "My apprentice is in the hospital, why can't I come? Are you looking for a fight?"

Li Dazhuang shrank his neck in fear, scratched his head with his intact right hand, and said awkwardly: "Master, I said the wrong thing, please don't be angry, please sit down, this is my mother."

Xu Damao walked up to Li Dazhuang's mother and exchanged a few words. Then he pointed at Lou Xiao'e and said, "What are you looking at? Don't you see your master's wife? Hurry up and call someone!"

Li Dazhuang called out in a somewhat naive manner: "Master's Wife."

Lou Xiao'e felt very awkward being called "master's wife" by someone who was only a few years younger than her. She simply greeted him, "Hello Da Zhuang, I am Damao's wife Lou Xiao'e. We came together to see you."

"Da Zhuang, how is your injury? What did the doctor say? Does the factory consider it an industrial injury? I've been on vacation these few days and not working in the factory." Xu Damao asked with some concern. He really liked this honest apprentice.

"I broke an arm and a leg, and had multiple soft tissue contusions and bone fractures. The doctor said I would need to rest for a long time. Someone from the factory came and told me to rest assured, that my salary would continue to be paid during the period, and that the factory would reimburse all medical expenses," said Li Dazhuang.

Xu Damao nodded. Li Huaide was quite good to his nephew. Perhaps he kept him by his side because he was too honest. In order to arrange his job, he replaced the son of the director of the meat processing factory, and then spent a lot of money to send the son of the director to work in the Public Security Bureau.

Xu Damao and his wife stayed in the ward for more than ten minutes before saying goodbye and leaving the hospital. "Da Mao, I'm a little tired, please take me back to the space first."

"Okay, wife, go in and rest for a while." Xu Damao rode his bike to the remote alley they had been to before, took Lou Xiao'e's hand, entered the space, and returned alone.

All the things that needed to be done for today have been completed, and Lou Xiao'e has also entered the space. For a moment, Xu Damao didn't know what to do. Oh, let's go and deliver the cloth to his parents!

Steel rolling mill.

Today, the steel mill is filled with a joyful atmosphere. In the morning, the whole factory was cleaned up. After lunch, the big square and the outside of the finance department were crowded with workers waiting in line to receive their wages and New Year benefits. After receiving their things, they can go home first. From tomorrow, the steel mill will officially be closed for the holiday.

Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai also lined up to receive their wages. After Yi Zhonghai's constant persuasion, explanation and brainwashing, Sha Zhu finally forgave him and their relationship was restored. Jia Dongxu lined up in the square to take a seat and wait for the benefits. He entrusted his master Yi Zhonghai to collect the wages on his behalf.

"Zhu Zi, I have introduced a girl to you. I will bring her over the day after tomorrow morning. You don't have any relatives to visit anyway. Just take care of yourself and clean up the house. Then you can prepare a few delicious dishes for the girl to have a meal at noon and the matter will be almost settled." Yi Zhonghai said, patting Sha Zhu's shoulder.

"Come on, Uncle Yi, don't worry. My salary as a chef is 37 yuan..." Sha Zhu couldn't continue speaking and just held back his words. He is no longer a chef in the steel mill, and his salary is not 37.5 yuan. He is still in the sand foundry workshop for labor reform! Thinking of this, Sha Zhu's happy mood disappeared instantly.

"Don't be discouraged, Zhuzi. If you perform well, I believe you will be transferred back to the canteen soon." Yi Zhonghai saw that Sha Zhu was in a bad mood and comforted him. Now Yi Zhonghai has also been demoted, and his reputation of embezzling other people's living expenses is even more notorious in the steel rolling mill. Several of his apprentices have severed ties with him, and he can only cling to Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu for his retirement.

Soon it was time for the two men to collect their wages. Sha Zhu received more than 20 yuan, Yi Zhonghai received more than 50 yuan, and they also collected more than 20 yuan for Jia Dongxu, as Jia Dongxu had not yet paid off the money he owed to the factory.

After receiving the money, the two went to the square to meet Jia Dongxu who was queuing, and cut in line behind Jia Dongxu. Yi Zhonghai also gave Jia Dongxu's salary.

But the workers behind Jia Dongxu refused to do it.

"Hey, what are you two doing? How can you cut in line?"

"Silly Zhu, get in line behind me."

"You shameless bastards, who gave you the courage to cut in line here?"

"Get in the back!"

"Get in the back!"

For a moment, uniform shouts rang out in the square.

"Hey, you bunch of bastards are rebelling. If you don't accept it, come and fight your grandpa." Sha Zhu's face suddenly became angry, and he rolled up his sleeves and wanted to take action.

Jia Dongxu was a little timid, and was so frightened by the scene that he dared not speak.

Yi Zhonghai also had a headache looking at this brainless idiot. He was really capable of causing trouble and he couldn't see the situation clearly. There were so many people here, and the two of them had obviously offended everyone. Why didn't they run away and wait to be beaten?

Yi Zhonghai reached out and grabbed Sha Zhu, then walked dejectedly to the end of the line to queue up.

Finally, Jia Dongxu took five kilograms of flour, one kilogram of eggs and half a kilogram of pork and went back.

Finally it was Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu's turn. Yi Zhonghai was left alone. The workshop director thought he had brought shame to the workshop and cancelled all his benefits. Sha Zhu was also in the penalty period, but the director of the foundry workshop saw that he worked hard and gave him five kilograms of flour and half a kilogram of eggs.

The two had no choice but to walk away while cursing Xu Damao, and finally had to return to the courtyard. However, their cursing was heard by another disciple of Xu Damao, Sun Guoan, who was behind them.

Sun Guoan had used his uncle's relationship to get the things back a long time ago. Now he came here to collect the benefits on behalf of his master Xu Damao and his fellow brother Li Dazhuang. He planned to visit Li Dazhuang tomorrow, wish his master a happy new year, and also deliver the things by the way.