Siheyuan: I just want to live

When Chen Feng came out of the space, the drama starring the Jia family was about to end. When Chen Feng heard the noise and rushed to the central courtyard, the crowd had already started to go back.

Chen Feng learned from discussions among people in the courtyard that the protagonists of today's drama are the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai.

He immediately felt very sorry that he could not join in the fun. After all, it was rare to see Jia Zhang cry for real. In the past, she just pretended to cry, but she didn't expect that she would really cry today.

It’s a pity, but it’s over, so let it be!

But Chen Feng was a little curious. How would Yi Zhonghai help the Jia family? Would he buy food with his own money? Or would he let Hou Shazhu bring food to the Jia family? Or would he hold a meeting of the whole hospital to donate money to the Jia family?

Chen Feng guessed that the most unlikely scenario was that Yi Zhonghai would pay for the money and food by himself. Given Yi Zhonghai's personality, asking him to pay for the money and food would be more painful than killing him.

Without thinking about these questions, Chen Feng returned to his home, locked the door, went up to the second floor, started to take off his clothes, and leaned against the head of the bed to read. When he got tired of reading, he slid down, turned off the lights and went to sleep.

There was no conversation that night, and Chen Feng got up on time the next day. After washing up, he went to the scrap yard early to open the door as usual, and then stayed in the message room without going out.

Chen Feng's side was the same as usual, but today a rare visitor came to the steel mill kitchen.

When it was almost time for lunch, Yi Zhonghai went to the kitchen and found Sha Zhu.

Although Sha Zhu is now receiving an apprentice's salary, there is no chef in the kitchen who is better than Sha Zhu in cooking skills. So Sha Zhu is still doing the work of a chef every day, and no one in the kitchen treats him as an apprentice.

Moreover, Sha Zhu lived much better than the Jia family. Although Sha Zhu had to recuperate for several months due to his broken leg, he had basically spent all the family's savings.

However, after Sha Zhu recovered from his injury, he took on three or four private cooking jobs in just a few days. Each time, the boss gave him three or four yuan and asked him to take some meat and vegetables back home.

Every day, Sha Zhu from the kitchen would bring home a portion of meat dish without fail. Especially in the past two months, Chen Feng sold many rabbits to the steel mill, and the steel mill would have a rabbit meat dish every week.

Sha Zhu always brings home a full lunch box, which allows Sha Zhu to finally have some meat after a few months of hardship.

Also, Sha Zhu doesn't have a large family like Jia Dongxu. Sha Zhu only has him and Yu Shui, and they both have a fixed amount of food, so they live a very carefree life.

Today, Sha Zhu was surprised to see Yi Zhonghai coming to the kitchen to find him.

He asked Yi Zhonghai in confusion, "Uncle, is there something urgent that you came to the kitchen to see me today? Why did you come to the kitchen during working hours?"

"If it's not urgent, let's go back to the courtyard after get off work tonight to talk. The kitchen is about to start serving dinner, and I'm a little busy!"

Yi Zhonghai glanced at the busy kitchen, and he didn't feel embarrassed to disturb Sha Zhu's work.

However, looking at the crowded kitchen, Yi Zhonghai still said to Sha Zhu, "Sha Zhu, I have something to talk to you about! It's urgent. Let's go out and talk!"

Sha Zhu looked at the kitchen, then shouted to a nearly 60-year-old chef, "Captain Wang! I'm going to be out for a while. I'll just say a few words outside the kitchen and will be back soon!"

Squad leader Wang looked at Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu. It was obvious that Yi Zhonghai wanted to talk to Sha Zhu about something, so Squad leader Wang said to Sha Zhu, "Then go quickly and come back soon! We're about to start cooking, don't delay the workers' meal time!"

When Sha Zhu saw that Squad Leader Wang agreed, he said to Squad Leader Wang cheerfully, "I know, Squad Leader Wang! I'll be back soon!"

Then Sha Zhu took off his apron and sleeves, and followed Yi Zhonghai out of the kitchen.

Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai came to the door of the kitchen, and then Sha Zhu said, "Uncle, let's talk here! I have to go in and cook later, it's not convenient for me to go far!"

Yi Zhonghai saw that the distance here was enough, so he spoke in a low voice so that the people in the kitchen could not hear him.

So Yi Zhonghai said, "Shazhu, do you know that your Aunt Jia cried yesterday?"

It was already very late when Sha Zhu returned to the courtyard yesterday. It was Yu Shui who told him the general story of Jia Zhang's crying.

Although Sha Zhu didn't understand why Yi Zhonghai asked this, he still answered honestly, "Yu Shui told me roughly what happened when I went back yesterday. What's the matter, uncle?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded after hearing what Sha Zhu said, and then said, "Sha Zhu! Look, your brother Dongxu's family is almost unable to make ends meet. How about you help your brother Dongxu?"

When Sha Zhu heard that Yi Zhonghai actually asked him to help the Jia family, he was confused for a moment and asked in confusion, "Uncle, I can hardly take care of myself, how can I help their family!"

Yi Zhonghai heard Sha Zhu say this, so he said, "Sha Zhu, you see, you usually eat in the cafeteria, and you can't use up your own ration. Rainwater has its own ration. As for money, you can't spend much of your monthly salary, and you also have extra money to earn."

"In my opinion, from now on, you should give your ration to your brother Dongxu's family every month, and I will also lend you brother Dongxu ten dollars every month."

"After we get through this difficult time, I'll let Dongxu pay you back! How about that?" Yi Zhonghai said, and then looked straight at Sha Zhu, hoping that Sha Zhu would agree.

When Sha Zhu heard what Yi Zhonghai said, he was completely dumbfounded. He really didn't know what Yi Zhonghai was thinking! If the Jia family was in trouble, wouldn't his family be in trouble too?

In the past few months, Jia Dongxu has at least been working, although he only earns an apprentice's salary, but Sha Zhu himself is really living off his savings! In a few months, all his savings have been used up.

Now if the salary is not paid this month, Shazhu and Yushui will have nothing to do but starve.

Yi Zhonghai saw Sha Zhu who was in a daze. He gently pushed Sha Zhu and said, "Sha Zhu, don't just stand there! Can you please say something?"

After being pushed by Yi Zhonghai, Sha Zhu finally came to his senses, and then Sha Zhu excitedly shouted, "Uncle! That's definitely not possible!"

After Sha Zhu shouted, everyone working in the kitchen turned their eyes towards the door. They all wanted to know why Sha Zhu was so excited.

Seeing that everyone was looking over here, Yi Zhonghai quickly grabbed Sha Zhu and said hastily, "Sha Zhu, keep your voice down. Why are you so loud?"

Sha Zhu then slowed down his voice and said to Yi Zhonghai with a bitter face, "Uncle! I am also receiving an apprentice's salary now. And as you know, I have been recovering from my injuries these past few months. My family's savings have long been gone. How can I have any money?"

"Yushui will be going to middle school next month, and I need money too! And I'm almost at the age to find a partner! But I don't even have ten dollars on me right now, how can I find a partner?"

"Yushui must pay for the canteen food when he goes to school, and my family can't possibly have any surplus food. How can you let me help Brother Dongxu?"

Sha Zhu said a lot of things in a babble, but in a nutshell, there was no money and no food.

Yi Zhonghai looked at Sha Zhu and felt a headache. But he said, "Then, you should bring more leftovers back to the courtyard after get off work every day! I will give you my lunch box and your brother Dongxu's lunch box, and you can fill them up after get off work. This way, it will be enough for your brother Dongxu to have a meal."

When Sha Zhu heard Yi Zhonghai's proposal, he shook his head and said, "That's even worse. Squad Leader Wang is responsible for distributing the leftovers. How can I buy three boxes of food by myself? That's simply impossible!"

Yi Zhonghai still didn't give up, and said again, "Then can't you serve it out in advance and hide it?"

Sha Zhu still shook his head and said, "It's okay to serve it in advance, but where to hide it? The kitchen is so small and there are people watching, how to hide it?"

Yi Zhonghai was also speechless. He couldn't understand why it was so difficult to ask Sha Zhu to do something today.

Yi Zhonghai said again, "How about this, you give your lunch box to your brother Dongxu every day? That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Sha Zhu is now preparing to save money. If he gives the lunch box to the Jia family, won't he have to buy food with his own money?

Of course Sha Zhu would not agree. He still shook his head and said, "Uncle, this won't work! Yu Shui has brought almost all the food to school. If I give the lunch box to the Jia family, won't I starve to death?"

Yi Zhonghai was a little angry when he saw that Sha Zhu did not agree with his idea. He pointed at Sha Zhu and said angrily.

"I asked you to help your brother Dongxu, but you can't do this or that! Do you still remember what I taught you? Do you still remember how your brother Dongxu helped you when you were in trouble?"

Yi Zhonghai's words made Sha Zhu a little at a loss for words. Yi Zhonghai often taught himself to respect the elderly and love the young, but Jia Dongxu was not elderly or young, so why should Sha Zhu respect and love him?

Only Jia Dongxu helped him? Sha Zhu couldn't remember it for a moment. He just didn't laugh at him with others after He Daqing left. He didn't help him in any way?

Just when Sha Zhu didn't know how to answer, the squad leader Wang in the kitchen started shouting at Sha Zhu, "Sha Zhu! Are you okay? You should come back to cook! Otherwise, you will delay the workers' meal!"

When Sha Zhu heard the voice of squad leader Wang, it was like hearing a savior. He immediately shouted inside, "Squad leader Wang, don't worry! I'll be right there!"

Then Sha Zhu turned around and said to Yi Zhonghai, "Uncle, I have to go and get busy first. We can talk about this later!"

Afterwards, Sha Zhu went into the kitchen, got dressed, and started cooking.

Yi Zhonghai saw Sha Zhu running away, but he didn't want to chase him in. After all, delaying the workers' meals was a big deal, and he might be punished!

Yi Zhonghai didn't want to ruin his six months of hard work because of this matter.

He could only take a look at the kitchen and then left in disappointment.