Siheyuan: Starting from the Old Society

The people around also followed suit:

"That's right, Silly Zhu, don't be polite to Damao!"

"Da Mao is a buyer now, ten dollars is nothing to him!"

"Silly Zhu, stop being so serious and go!"

......

Sha Zhu gritted his teeth, anger burning in his heart.

At this moment, a slender hand suddenly reached out and took the ten-dollar bill away.

Everyone was stunned and turned to look.

Qin Huairu stood beside Sha Zhu without knowing when. She held the banknote in her hand and looked at Xu Damao with a smile on her face:

"Xu Damao, what are you doing? Sha Zhu is the chef in our hospital, how can you let him run errands for you?"

Xu Damao was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Qin Huairu, are you heartbroken? Why, do you want to go in his place?"

Qin Huairu blushed, but did not back down: "I'll go, isn't it just to buy a pack of cigarettes? What's the big deal!"

After saying that, she took the money and turned away.

Sha Zhu grabbed her and said anxiously, "Huai Ru, where are you going? Ignore him!"

Qin Huairu smiled at him and said, "It's okay. I'll be back soon."

After saying that, she broke free from Sha Zhu's hand and walked quickly out of the factory.

Sha Zhu stood there in a daze, looking at Qin Huairu's departing back, feeling mixed emotions.

He never expected that the person who stood up to defend him at this time was Qin Huairu!

Xu Damao looked at Qin Huairu's back, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, and his eyes became gloomy.

He came back this time not to reminisce with Sha Zhu!

Silly Zhu, just wait for me!

......

Qin Huairu went to the store outside the factory, bought a pack of the cheapest cigarettes, and then bought a few pieces of fruit candy before turning back to the courtyard.

As soon as she entered the yard, she saw Sha Zhu waiting for her anxiously.

"Huai Ru, are you okay?" Sha Zhu stepped forward and looked her up and down, fearing that she had suffered any injustice.

Qin Huairu shook her head and handed him the cigarette and candy in her hand: "I'm fine, here you go."

Sha Zhu looked at the things in her hand and was stunned: "You...how did you buy these?"

Qin Huairu smiled and said nothing. She just stuffed the thing into his hand and turned back to the backyard.

Sha Zhu looked at her departing back and suddenly felt a strange feeling in his heart, as if... something was quietly changing.

Sha Zhu stared blankly at the things in his hands, cheap cigarettes and a few pieces of fruit candy, with simple packaging and the smell of inferior flavors. Of course, he knew that Qin Huairu was deliberately picking the cheapest ones to vent his anger, but he felt like a pot of mixed feelings in his heart, and he couldn't tell what it felt like.

"Huai Ru, you..." He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

Qin Huairu seemed to see through his thoughts, smiled faintly, and turned back to her home. She was wearing a washed-out blue shirt today. Because of work, there were a few oil stains on the clothes, which made her look even more haggard and thin. But such a woman defended his dignity in front of everyone.

Sha Zhu looked at her back and suddenly felt an inexplicable urge in his heart. He wanted to chase her and say something to her, but his feet felt like they were filled with lead and he couldn't take a step.

"Silly Zhu, you're thinking about women?" Xu Damao came over at some point, with a sarcastic look on his face, "Why, do you regret it? If you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"

Sha Zhu glared at him fiercely and said unhappily: "What's it got to do with you?"

"How come it's none of my business?" Xu Damao proudly shook the food coupons in his hand, "Don't you see what your current status is? You still want to marry Qin Huairu? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself!"

Sha Zhu was touched in the sore spot by him, and his face suddenly became ugly. Yes, he is just a cook now, with a small salary every month, and he has to support himself and his sister, how can he make Qin Huairu happy?

Seeing his ugly face, Xu Damao felt even more proud and continued to add fuel to the fire: "I heard that Qin Huairu's mother-in-law is a powerful figure. She always wants her son to marry a city girl. If you really want to marry her, you should show your ability quickly, otherwise someone else will get there first!"

After saying that, he laughed and walked away.

Sha Zhu stood there, his face terribly gloomy. He clenched his fists and swore in his heart: Xu Damao, just wait, one day, I will make you regret it!

It was late at night and the courtyard was silent.

Sha Zhu lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep. Xu Damao's words echoed in his ears like a spell. He tossed and turned, his mind full of Qin Huairu's figure.

Suddenly, he heard a slight noise coming from outside the door. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly got up and walked to the door, gently pushing it open a crack.

In the faint moonlight, he saw Qin Huairu tiptoeing in from outside the door.

"Huai Ru, why are you..." Sha Zhu lowered his voice and looked at her in surprise.

Qin Huairu was startled by him, and the thing in her hand fell to the ground with a light "click" sound.

Sha Zhu took a closer look and was stunned.

It was a piece of soap, a piece of scented soap... exactly the same faint fragrance that Qin Huairu exuded today...

"I..." Qin Huairu's face flushed and she tried to pick up things on the ground in a panic.

But Sha Zhu was one step faster than her. He bent down and picked up the soap. It was warm to the touch and still had her remaining body temperature.

"Huai Ru, you..." Sha Zhu's voice trembled a little. He looked at the woman in front of him, and suddenly a strange feeling surged in his heart.

Qin Huairu lowered her head, not daring to look at him. Under the moonlight, her fair neck was faintly pink, like peach blossoms blooming in spring, so beautiful and tempting.

Sha Zhu's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he felt his breathing become rapid. An unprecedented impulse spread in his heart...

Sha Zhu stared blankly at Qin Huairu's back, the pack of cheap cigarettes and a few pieces of fruit candy in his hand looked particularly out of place. People around him began to whisper, some laughed at Sha Zhu, some felt sorry for Qin Huairu, and most of them just wanted to watch the fun.

"Hey, Silly Zhu, this is the Qin Huairu you've been thinking about? She doesn't even have you in her heart!"

"That's right, when is it your turn to take care of the Jia family's affairs?"

"Qin Huairu is the same. She had a good life but had to get involved with Sha Zhu. Now she's being laughed at by others!"

......

These words pierced Sha Zhu's heart like needles. He raised his head suddenly and glared at those who made sarcastic remarks: "Shut up! You don't need to care about what happens between Huai Ru and me!"

Everyone was frightened by his fierce look and immediately quieted down. Sha Zhu took a deep breath, holding the pieces of candy, and walked quickly towards the backyard.

He knocked on the door of the Jia family. Qin Huairu opened the door and saw that it was him. An unnatural look flashed across her face: "Silly Zhu, why are you here?"

"I..." Sha Zhu looked at her, wanting to ask her why she helped him and why she bought things for him, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't say them.

"I'll close the door if there's nothing else. Banggeng hasn't eaten yet." Qin Huairu said as she was about to close the door.

Sha Zhu quickly stretched out his hand to block it and handed the candy in his hand to her: "Huai Ru, this is for Bang Geng."

Qin Huairu hesitated for a moment, but still took it: "Thank you, Shazhu."

"Huai Ru, you..." Sha Zhu wanted to say something, but Qin Huai Ru had already closed the door.

Sha Zhu stood at the door, looking at the closed door, feeling a sense of loss.

Back in the house, Sha Zhu's mind was full of Qin Huairu. He thought of how Qin Huairu stood up for him and her gentle smile, and his heart was beating like a little rabbit.

"No! I can't go on like this!" Sha Zhu slammed the table and made up his mind, "I want to marry Huai Ru! I want her and the children to live a good life!"

The next morning, Sha Zhu got up early, went to the market to buy meat, eggs, milk and a bunch of delicious food, and then ran excitedly to the door of Jia's house.

He wanted to knock on the door, but when his hand was halfway in the air, he stopped.

"No, I can't just go in like this." Sha Zhu thought, "I have to find an opportunity to talk to Huai Ru about my ideas."

As he was thinking, he suddenly heard a noise coming from the yard.

"Qin Huairu! You are such a shameless person! You actually stole my money!"

It was Jia Zhang's sharp and piercing voice.

Sha Zhu was shocked and ran out quickly, only to see Jia Zhang pointing at Qin Huairu's nose and cursing at her, while Qin Huairu lowered her head and said nothing.

"What's going on?" Sha Zhu asked hurriedly.

"How dare you ask! If it weren't for you, how could Huairu steal my money!" Jia Zhang pointed at Shazhu's nose and cursed, "You jinx! You cause trouble as soon as you come to our house!"

Sha Zhu was confused: "What's wrong with me? I didn't do anything!"

"How dare you say that! If you hadn't bought things for Huairu every day, how could Huairu develop the habit of spending lavishly? How could she steal my money!" Jia Zhang became more and more excited as she spoke, with saliva flying everywhere.

Sha Zhu then realized that Jia Zhang suspected Qin Huairu of stealing her money, and he became the scapegoat.

"Ms. Jia Zhang, stop slandering me! Huairu is not that kind of person!" Sha Zhu retorted.

"Not that kind of person? Then tell me, where did my money go!" Jia Zhang pointed at the bundle on the ground, "This contained all my savings, and now it's all gone!"

Qin Huairu suddenly raised her head with tears in her eyes: "Mom, I'm sorry, I took your money..."

"You..." Sha Zhu looked at Qin Huairu in disbelief.

Qin Huairu took a deep breath and continued, "Bang Geng is sick and needs money to buy medicine. I..."

Before she could finish her words, Jia Zhang screamed, "I knew it! I knew it was you who stole it! You ungrateful bastard! I have raised you in vain!"

As Jia Zhang was about to hit Qin Huairu, Sha Zhu quickly stopped her: "Jia Zhang, don't do it!"

"Get out of here! This is our family business, you have no business interfering!" Jia Zhang roared.

"Huai Ru did this for the sake of the joke..."