Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

The more He Daqing thought about it, the more he felt that it was a good idea for him to follow the White Widow. When the time came, he could just spread the word that he was obsessed with the widow and would rather raise other people's children than his own children. Then others would think that his relationship with the two children was severed. As time passed, everyone would forget about him, and the two children would be able to live a peaceful life. Even if someone accidentally reported him later, he would not be implicated because people said that he had severed ties with the two children long ago.

After He Daqing decided to follow the White Widow to Baoding, he kept thinking about how to perfect his escape plan so that others would think he was a heartless man who really abandoned his child.

Just when He Daqing was thinking about how to perfect his plan, it was the day for Shang Zhirong's family to leave Sijiu City. He Yuzhu took a day off and went to Shang Gong Yunxiang's grave first. After burning paper and incense, He Yuzhu knelt on the ground with Shang Zhirong and kowtowed three times. Then Shang Zhirong spoke.

"Father, please forgive me for being unfilial and disturbing your eternal rest. When you passed away, I should have taken you back to your hometown, but the country was in ruins and the situation was turbulent. It wasn't until the Workers' and Peasants' Party established a new government that peace came to the world. Today, I will follow your wishes and escort your coffin back to your hometown. I hope you won't blame me."

After a series of rituals, the invited people started digging with shovels, and soon dug out the coffin. Because it had been buried underground for more than ten years, the coffin had begun to decay. This problem had been considered before the tomb was moved, and a new coffin was prepared in advance. After the coffin was dug out, the people who specialized in funeral affairs were invited to immediately move the pre-prepared awning over the coffin, and then carefully opened Shang Gong Yunxiang's coffin, carefully took out the remains inside, and put them in the new coffin.

Seeing this, Shang Zhirong and her mother couldn't help crying. After all of Shang Gong Yunxiang's remains were placed in the new coffin, the invited people filled the pit with the excavated soil. After Shang Zhirong and others lifted the coffin onto the carriage, they personally checked it. After confirming that there was no problem, they helped her mother onto another carriage. He Yuzhu took out the packages and jars of dry food that he had prepared in advance.

"Master, Grandma, this is the dry food I prepared for you to eat on the road. Inside the package is the air-dried roast chicken that I personally braised, and inside the jar are the salted duck eggs and chicken eggs that I pickled. You can keep them for the road. Please be careful on the road. I wanted to personally send you and Grandmaster back home, but the restaurant does not allow you to take such a long leave. Please forgive my unfilial behavior. I wish you a safe journey."

Mother Shang said, "Zhu Zi, you are a good child. It is a blessing for your master to have a disciple like you. You have always taken good care of your master. Besides, now is the era of the new government, the world is peaceful, you don't have to worry about me and your master. Just go to work with peace of mind."

"Zhuzi, as the saying goes, after sending someone a thousand miles away, we must eventually say goodbye. You don't have to see me and your master off. With your master's skills, any few small thieves who dare to cause trouble along the way will be nothing but eating vegetables. Besides, your master and I are just going back to our hometown, not parting forever. We will see each other again if we have the chance in the future." Shang Zhirong looked at He Yuzhu's red eyes and comforted him.

"Master, this is my home address. When you return to your hometown and settle down, remember to write to me and let me know." He Yuzhu handed the address paper with his address written on it to Master Shang Zhirong.

"Okay, Zhuzi, it's getting late. We have to leave. We'll see you again in the future. You're welcome to visit Lu Province then."

Shang Zhirong took the address handed to her by He Yuzhu, and then told the coachman that they could set off.

As the coachman swung his whip in the air, the horse pulled the carriage and began to move slowly with a "snap". He Yuzhu stood there, waving his hands and watching his master go away until the carriage was completely out of sight. He Yuzhu left, not knowing that after today's separation, it would be almost 30 years before he and Shang Zhirong would meet again.

Shang Zhirong and his party were out of the capital, and it was almost noon. The team stopped by the roadside to rest and prepare to eat lunch during the break. Shang Zhirong was going to take out the roast chicken prepared by He Yuzhu for her and share it with the drivers. As soon as she opened the package, she found something wrapped in paper. Shang Zhirong was curious about what was inside. When she opened it, she found a letter and a stack of money. Shang Zhirong asked her mother to hand the money to her mother and winked at her to keep it. Shang's mother took the money and put it in her bag silently.

Shang Zhirong opened the envelope, took out the letter and opened it.

"Master, I think you have already left the city when you read this letter. I am going back to my hometown this time, and I don't know when we will meet again. I will not be able to be with you to show my filial piety in the future. This little money can be regarded as my filial piety to you." After reading the letter, Shang Zhirong's eyes were red. Shang Zhirong secretly told her mother the contents of the letter. Her mother said with emotion: "Zhirong, you have accepted a good disciple who is affectionate and righteous."

After Shang Zhirong left, He Yuzhu continued to practice martial arts in Shang Zhirong's yard every afternoon. Sitting on the stone bench where Master Shang Zhirong once sat, looking at the familiar yard, He Yuzhu felt as if his master had not left. He Yuzhu shook his head and looked at the yard in front of him. He Yuzhu felt that it would be inappropriate not to do something, so He Yuzhu decided to find Yangshi Lei and ask him to simply repair the yard.

He Yuzhu came to Labaying Hutong. Last time, Yangshi Lei renovated the yard in Qudeng Hutong. When Yangshi Lei left, he said that he lived in Qudeng Hutong. He Yuzhu found an old lady sewing shoe soles in the sun at the door.

"Auntie, does Yangshi Lei live in this alley?"

"I can't hear you clearly. Speak louder. I'm a little hard of hearing."

"I said, does Yangshi Lei live in this alley?" He Yuzhu had no choice but to say it again loudly.

"Do you think there are mines in our alley? There are no mines in our alley. The Japanese were driven away long ago. Why bury mines?"

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu waved his hands at the old lady in a helpless manner. What was going on? He Yuzhu had no choice but to continue walking forward. After walking about 200 meters forward, He Yuzhu saw a group of old ladies chatting at the gate and walked over.

"Aunties, if you have time, I want to ask you about someone. Is Yangshi Lei living in our alley? I want to find him to renovate my house."

"You mean Yangshi Lei? Yes, if you go forward, the third door is his house. How come you are so tall?"

After thanking several ladies, He Yuzhu came to Yangshilei's door and found it open. He Yuzhu walked straight in, talking as he walked.

"Master Yangshi Leilei, are you home?"

As soon as He Yuzhu turned into the yard, Yangshilei came up to him.

"I am Yangshi Lei. Forgive my ignorance, but may I ask who you are?"

"Master Lei, I asked you to repair my house in Qudeng Hutong during the Republic of China. My last name is He. Do you remember it?"

"Oh, I remember now. You weren't this tall then. How come you've grown so tall in just three years? I was wondering why I had no impression of you. No one would recognize you." Yangshi Lei suddenly realized and immediately welcomed He Yuzhu into the yard enthusiastically.

"Master Lei, I'm here to see you this time and I'm sorry to bother you again." He Yuzhu said as he walked.

"No rush, let's go in and sit down and talk slowly." Yangshi Lei greeted He Yuzhu into the main room.

After He Yuzhu sat down, he looked around at everything in the room.

"Master Lei, you built this house yourself, right? I can tell it's special at first glance."

Although Yangshi Lei was modest, he could not hide the pride on his face.

"No, no, you are flattering me, or you have good taste. Why did you come to see me this time?"

"This time I asked you to come here not because of my house, but because of my master's house. My master went back to her hometown in Shandong Province a few days ago. Before she left, she asked me to find someone to repair the house while she was back home. That's why I thought of you, so I came straight to your house after get off work."

"Oh, that's fine, but I don't know where your master's home is. I happen to be free today, so if it's convenient for you, please take me there now."

"That's great. I'll take you to see it now."

He Yuzhu brought Yangshilei to Shang Zhirong's house in Chunshu Hutong. After He Yuzhu opened the door, he called Yangshilei to follow him in and said.

"For this house, just check if there are any damaged or leaking places on the roof. Summer is coming soon, so fix the peeling places on the walls, and fix the doors and windows. But there is one thing that will require some hard work from Master Lei. My master didn't clean up the things in the house when he left, so I'll have to trouble you to move them yourself when you repair them. I'll give you an extra day's wages then. What do you think?"

"No problem. You're still as generous as ever. Just rest assured, we'll be very careful when we move the furniture so it won't get bumped or hit."

"Then I'll take you to see the house first. You can take a general look at it first so that you can have a better idea of ​​it."

He Yuzhu took Yangshi Lei to look at every room. After that, they returned to the front yard and sat on the stone bench in the yard.

"Master Lei, how long do you think it will take to repair these houses?"

"You have to go upstairs to check the tiles on the roof, but after taking a look at the condition of the roof, I feel it will take about three days to fix. The house is usually well maintained, so there aren't many places that need repair." Yangshi Lei calculated and spoke.

"Okay, then I'll trouble you to take care of it. Please pay attention to safety when repairing the roof. How much do you think it will cost?"

"This is not the first time we've dealt with each other. Let's settle the bill after the work is done. I trust you." Yangshi Lei said readily.

"Since you're so angry about me, then let's do as you say. We'll settle the bill together after the house is built. But you have to keep the 50,000 yuan first. No one will be home while the house is being built, and I won't have time to cook for you. This 50,000 yuan will be your and the workers' meal money for the next few days. Please keep it first."

He Yuzhu took out a 5 RMB note from his pocket and handed it to Yangshi Lei. Yangshi Lei took the money and said.

"You are still so open-minded. I still say the same thing. Leave the work to me and just wait and see."

"This is the key to the house. Please keep it. When the time comes, just come over to fix it. I won't open the door for you. I have something else to do later. How about we stop here today?"

After He Yuzhu handed the key to Yangshi Lei, he stood up.

"Okay, then I'll go home and arrange some manpower, and come to work early tomorrow morning."

After He Yuzhu saw Yangshi Lei off, he returned to the yard, checked that all the doors were locked, locked the front door, and returned to his master Wu Baotian's house.

When they returned to Wu Baotian's home, Zhang Xiaoqiao was holding Wu Jiarui and playing in the yard. He Yuzhu played with Wu Jiarui for a while and then went back to his room.

He Yuzhu returned to the house and lay on the kang, thinking about what to do with the house he bought from his master Shang Zhirong. If such a large yard is left idle, it will be hard to say what will happen, especially when the first five-year plan begins. There will definitely be many new factories built in the city, and many workers will move into the city and need to solve housing problems. Instead of passively waiting for the government to find him, it would be better for him to take the initiative to rent out the house in advance and find some people he knows well, which is worse than renting it to some strangers.

He Yuzhu thought about it and decided to rent the house to his six subordinates after the house was repaired. Each of them would have a room, and the six would draw lots to decide who would live in which room, so as to avoid unfairness. The six of them would live together, and it would be convenient for him to find them if he had any problems, instead of looking for them one by one.

Three days later, He Yuzhu came to the house in Chunshu Hutong after get off work at noon. Yangshi Lei was sitting in the yard waiting for him. He stood up immediately when he saw him coming.

"You've come just in time. I was just wondering when you'd come. Speak of the devil and he'll show up. I'll show you the repairs on the house first. If you feel there's anything unsatisfactory, I can arrange for workers to fix it."

He Yuzhu followed Yangshi Lei and looked around every house. After checking that there were no problems, He Yuzhu and Yangshi Lei returned to the stone table in the front yard.

"Master Lei's work is really beautiful, there is really no flaw at all. Please calculate the total wages and I will give it to you directly. The work is done, and you can't let your workers worry."

"You must be joking. I calculated the cost of repairing the yard, including the labor and materials. You only need to give me 65 yuan."

After listening to this, He Yuzhu took out some money from his pocket, counted out 13 bills and handed them to Yangshi Lei.

"Master Lei, this is your wages, please click on it."

Yangshi Lei took the money and nodded.

"Yes, it's exactly 65 yuan, so I'll take it. If you don't have anything else to do, I'll leave first. You don't have to see me off."

After He Yuzhu sent Yangshilei out of the yard, he returned to the yard and sat for a while, locked the door and went to find Zhang Hu. He Yuzhu came to the yard that he asked Zhang Hu to rent, pushed the door and saw that the six of them were all there, which saved He Yuzhu from looking for them one by one. When the six people saw He Yuzhu coming, they immediately stood up to greet him and said hello to him.

"Hello, Brother He."

"I have something to talk to you guys about. It just so happens that you are all here. Please clean up the room and come with me."

After He Yuzhu finished speaking, he stood in the yard waiting for a few people. A few people hurriedly cleaned up the house and came to the yard. He Yuzhu saw that a few people had finished cleaning up, and waved his hand, signaling a few people to follow him.

He Yuzhu led his six men directly to the house in Chunshu Hutong. He Yuzhu opened the gate and led a few people into the yard. After entering the yard, they looked at everything in the yard with curiosity.

He Yuzhu led a few people directly into the main room. He Yuzhu sat in the main seat of the main room and motioned for them to find a stool and sit down. After He Yuzhu and others were seated,

"I called you guys here today for nothing else. The courtyard we are in now belongs to my martial arts master. She went back to her hometown some time ago and gave me this house. I thought you guys are all grown up and housing is a bit tight at home, so I thought the house is just sitting there anyway, so why not rent it to you guys and let you live there? This way you guys can look after the house for me and I don't have to worry about it anymore."

When several people heard this, their faces were full of excitement. They were all young men in their teens and wanted to have a space of their own.

"Listen to me first. I'm not letting you guys live in this house for free. You have to pay rent. And I have a rule. This house is given to you guys to live in, but you have to take good care of the furniture in the house. Don't mess with it. It's rough."

Several people quickly agreed and promised to take good care of everything in the house. There are more and more people in the city now, and housing is really tight. Now they have the opportunity to live in a large courtyard with their own door, what else can they want.

"There are six rooms in this courtyard, not counting the side rooms and the back rooms. There are exactly six of you, one room each. I won't divide them among you. To make things fair and easy, I have prepared six slips of paper. You can draw lots to decide who will live in which room."

He Yuzhu asked six people to come up one by one and draw papers. After drawing, he asked them to confirm the house they drew, and then handed them the key to the corresponding house.

"Don't be in a hurry to look at houses. I have something else to say. Each person pays 3 yuan in rent every month. Zhang Hu, remember to collect it when the time comes. This house is for you to live in temporarily. When you find a job in the future, if the company can help you solve the housing problem, remember to ask for it. Only when you get it, it will be your own house."