Siheyuan: Being a fisherman in 1962

Since the death of the aunt, the uncle seemed to have become a different person. He was absent-minded every day and wandered around the courtyard all day long. However, people who saw him avoided him for fear of being contaminated by bad luck.

Qin Huairu felt very sorry to see this situation. She went to his house many times to offer comfort, hoping that he would cheer up, but was coldly turned away every time.

One day, Qin Huairu was drying clothes in the yard when she suddenly saw an old man staggering towards her with a wine jug in his hand and reeking of alcohol.

She hurried forward and tried to help him, but was violently pushed away by the old man, "Get out of here! I don't need your sympathy!"

Qin Huairu staggered and nearly fell to the ground. She gritted her teeth and suppressed her dissatisfaction, "Master, if you abandon yourself like this, my aunt's spirit in heaven will not be at peace."

The uncle sneered, "Is she at ease? If she was at ease, why would she leave me?"

Qin Huairu was speechless and could only stand aside silently, watching an old man stagger into the room and slam the door shut.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside the courtyard. It turned out that Xiao Zhang from the factory ran over in a hurry, "Oh no! Oh no! Something happened to the old man!"

Qin Huairu's heart tightened and she quickly followed Xiao Zhang to the factory.

I saw an old man being carried out by several workers, his face pale and covered in blood.

It turned out that an old man made an operating error due to distraction at work, and a machine went out of control, sucking Xiao Zhang into it and killing him on the spot.

All this was caused by the death of the aunt, which made the uncle uneasy and led to this tragedy.

Soon after, the police arrived at the scene and took the old man away for investigation.

While the heavy sorrow of the courtyard had not yet dissipated, the new factory director Chen Fei stepped into the ancient courtyard with a solemn and murderous atmosphere.

His eyes were cold and sharp, as if he wanted to analyze all the injustices thoroughly.

An old man was roughly carried out by several workers. His once straight back now looked so hunched, and his clothes were stained with blood, which was a shocking sight.

He lowered his head, and there was no longer the former brilliance in his eyes, only deep despair and regret.

"Your negligence not only harmed Xiao Zhang, but also yourself. The factory has its own rules, and the law has its own bottom line. You must pay the price for this."

The uncle raised his head and looked at Chen Fei with empty eyes. His voice was hoarse and trembling. "I... I know I was wrong. I am willing to accept any punishment."

"Punishment? Do you think this is just a punishment? Your behavior has violated the law. What awaits you is a long prison sentence."

The old man's body trembled violently, but he felt more of a calmness as if he was relieved.

He knew that he would have to pay for the crimes he committed.

Xiao Zhang's family received the proper financial compensation and employment security under the factory's arrangement, but their hearts are still filled with grief and anger.

They could neither forgive nor forget what the uncle had done.

In the police interrogation room, the old man confessed his crimes.

He admitted his negligence and his operational errors.

His confession shocked and saddened the public security personnel.

In the end, the old man was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

This sentence was much more severe than he expected.

But he did not complain or appeal, he just accepted it all silently.

"From today on, I, Fade Chen, will be in charge of all matters concerning the Siheyuan." His words were brief and powerful, making everyone present feel his majesty.

Sha Zhu, Xu Damao and others stood aside, looking at each other.

Normally, they were considered to be prestigious figures in the courtyard, but at this moment, they all seemed a little uneasy in front of Chen Fei.

"Everyone already knows about the matter of the uncle." Chen Fei continued, "He has always been a respected figure in the factory and the community, but this incident is really heartbreaking."

The imprisonment of the uncle was a heavy blow to everyone in the courtyard.

At this moment, Fade Chen suddenly turned to Qin Huairu and said, "Qin Huairu, come with me."

Qin Huairu was stunned, but still followed Chen Fei to his office.

"I heard that you have a good relationship with me." Fade Chen said straight to the point.

Qin Huairu nodded and said nothing.

"Before he went to prison, he made a request to me," Chen Fei continued, "He hoped that someone would burn incense for his wife on certain festivals every year."

Qin Huairu's eyes suddenly became moist.

This shows the uncle's trust in her and his deep longing for the aunt.

"I promised him." Chen Fei's voice was a little low, "But I need a reliable person to complete this task."

Qin Huairu raised her head and looked at Chen Fei firmly, "I am willing to do it."

Chen Fei's intervention made the atmosphere in the courtyard even more heavy.

Qin Huairu took on the heavy responsibility and would burn incense for the old lady on time during every festival, expressing her old man's longing and guilt for her.

However, other people in the courtyard were still talking about the old man's imprisonment, especially Sha Zhu and Xu Damao. They were curious and confused. The old man was usually kind and amiable, so how could he make such a big mistake?

Sha Zhu once asked Qin Huairu tentatively: "Qin Huairu, I am such a nice person, how could I end up like this?"

Qin Huairu just shook her head and sighed, unwilling to say more.

Xu Damao sneered at the side: "Humph, you can't judge a person by his appearance. Maybe I am just pretending all the time."

As the days passed, life in the courtyard seemed to have returned to its former tranquility, but the absence of the old man was like a huge rock weighing on everyone's heart.

Although Sha Zhu and Xu Damao quarreled all the time, they were surprisingly unanimous on this matter: they both wanted to know the truth about their uncle's imprisonment.

Finally one day, Sha Zhu plucked up the courage and went to the trading floor to visit the old man.

When the old man saw Sha Zhu, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but then he regained his composure.

Sha Zhu asked tentatively: "Why did you come in here?"

The old man was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Silly Zhu, there are some things you can't know just because you want to know them."

Sha Zhu was unwilling to give up and continued to ask: "Uncle, you are so good to us, how could we not care about you? Just tell us the matter, and we can help you think of a solution."

The old man sighed and shook his head: "Silly child, what good will it do if you know some things? It will only make you more sad."

Just then, Xu Damao also walked in.

Seeing that the uncle was unwilling to talk more, he changed his approach: "Uncle, if you trust us, just tell us the matter. Although we don't have any great abilities, everyone in this courtyard is still willing to help you."

The old man looked at the two people in front of him, with a touch of emotion in his eyes.