Siheyuan: A journey of mountains and rivers

"I'm not sure either, but I'll go see him." Yu Zhu hung up the phone in a hurry, already having a bad feeling in his heart.

After get off work, Yu Zhu hurried back to the courtyard and walked straight to the door of Xu Damao's house. He knocked on the door, but there was no movement inside. No one was at Xu Damao's house. Yu Zhu stood at the door, feeling extremely anxious. Although Xu Damao was a little cunning, he was not someone who would be absent from work casually.

"Yuzhui, are you looking for Damao?" Uncle Li's voice came from the side, he just happened to pass by here.

"Yes, uncle, do you know where Damao went? He didn't come to work today, and I'm a little worried." Yuzhu turned and looked at Uncle Li.

Uncle Li shook his head, a trace of doubt on his face: "I don't know either. I haven't seen him hanging around in the yard these days. Could something have happened to him?"

Yuzhu felt even more depressed. He decided to go to the factory to ask around and see if he could find any clues about Xu Damao. So he turned and ran to the factory office and found Lao Zhang, who was in charge of attendance.

"Lao Zhang, Damao didn't come today. Do you know where he went?" Yu Zhu asked impatiently.

Old Zhang raised his head and frowned slightly, "Yuzhu, I don't know about this either. Didn't he just come back to work a few days ago? Why is he gone today again?"

Yu Zhu frowned, feeling increasingly uneasy. He decided to calm down first and think carefully about his next move. He knew that Xu Damao was an impulsive person, and if something really happened this time, it would be troublesome.

Back home, Yu Zhu sat at the table, thinking quietly. Although Xu Damao's personality was a headache, he was a member of the Siheyuan after all. They had lived together for many years and had formed a deep neighborhood friendship. Yu Zhu was determined to find Xu Damao and find out the truth of the matter.

The next morning, Yu Zhu began to ask around for Xu Damao's whereabouts. He went to the small shops and teahouses that Xu Damao often visited, and even went to the nearby park, but to no avail. Whenever someone asked him why he was looking for Xu Damao, he could only shake his head helplessly and say, "Da Mao has something going on recently, and I'm worried about him."

Finally, on an inconspicuous street corner, Yu Zhu met an old friend of Xu Damao, Lao Liu.

"Yuzhu, are you looking for Xu Damao? I saw him two days ago. He seemed to say he was going somewhere to find a job." Lao Liu recalled.

"Looking for a job? He resigned?" Yu Zhu was shocked and his mood suddenly became complicated.

Old Liu nodded. "Yes, he said he was not happy working in the factory and wanted to change his environment."

Yu Zhu was immediately shocked. Xu Damao had resigned without telling anyone. This made Yu Zhu feel disappointed, but also sympathetic. Xu Damao was not doing well in the factory, but resigning was too impulsive. Yu Zhu decided to go to Xu Damao's house again, hoping to see him this time.

In the evening, Yu Zhu knocked on Xu Damao's door again. This time, the door opened and Xu Damao appeared at the door, looking haggard and confused.

"Da Mao, where have you been? Everyone is looking for you." Yu Zhu's heart tightened when he saw Xu Damao's look, and his tone was full of concern.

Xu Damao gave a bitter smile and said, "Yuzhu, I...I quit. I can't stand the environment in the factory anymore."

Yu Zhu's heart sank. He knew how difficult Xu Damao's decision was, and he also understood the pain behind it. But at this moment, he knew that what he needed to do was not to blame, but to support and understand.

"I understand how you feel. Things at the factory are indeed frustrating. But resigning is not the only solution. What are you going to do now?" Yu Zhu asked in a calm tone.

Xu Damao sighed, "I don't know either. I want to find a new job, but the competition is so fierce now. I can't find a suitable one for a while."

Yu Zhu patted Xu Damao on the shoulder and said firmly: "Don't worry, Damao. You still have us. We will all help you through this difficult time. Don't rush to find a job. Adjust your mindset, take your time, and solve it step by step."

Xu Damao's eyes welled up with tears and he nodded, "Thank you, Yuzhu."

The next morning, after waking up, He Yuzhu decided to go to the market. On the one hand, he wanted to buy some fresh vegetables and daily necessities for his family, and on the other hand, he also wanted to relax at the market and find out if there were any suitable job opportunities so that he could help Xu Damao find a job.

He Yuzhu dressed neatly and walked out of the courtyard, feeling the morning breeze. The market had already become lively, with vendors shouting one after another, and the air was filled with the aroma of various foods and the fresh smell of soil.

He walked to a vegetable stall, and the familiar Lao Wang was busy greeting customers. Yu Zhu smiled and walked over to say hello, "Lao Wang, how are the dishes today?"

Old Wang looked up and saw Yu Zhu, and said with a smile: "Yu Zhu, today's vegetables are just picked from the fields, they are very fresh. What would you like?"

Yu Zhu picked out some fresh vegetables and asked, "Lao Wang, have you heard of any job openings recently? I have a friend who wants to find a job."

While Lao Wang was busy packing, he thought: "Business in the market has not been very good recently, and there are not many places hiring. But I heard that a small restaurant has just opened next to the market and is hiring. You can go and have a look."

Yuzhu nodded, a glimmer of hope in his heart. He paid the money and walked towards the market with the vegetables.

There was indeed a newly opened small restaurant not far away, with a recruitment notice posted on the door. Yu Zhu walked in and saw a middle-aged man busy. He walked up and asked, "Boss, are you hiring?"

The boss looked up at Yu Zhu and replied with a smile: "Yes, we just opened our business and need a few hardworking people. Are you interested?"

Yu Zhu smiled and said, "I'm not here to look for a job. I'm asking for a friend of mine. He recently quit his job and wants to find a new one. He's very hardworking and has some experience."

The boss nodded and motioned Yuzhu to sit down. "Well, when your friend is convenient, you can bring him over to meet me. I'm short of staff here. If you're suitable, you can start work right away."

Yu Zhu heaved a sigh of relief and quickly agreed, "Okay, I'll go back and tell him and bring him here tomorrow."

After leaving the restaurant, Yu Zhu felt relieved. He knew that finding a suitable job was the first step to a fresh start for Xu Damao. When he returned to the courtyard, he immediately knocked on Xu Damao's door.