Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

When Wang Dong rushed to Deputy Director Li's office, Deputy Director Li's anger seemed to have subsided, and he was sitting in his office chair racking his brains to think of a way out of the impasse.

"Leader...you're looking for me?"

Deputy Director Li did not stand up from his chair. He looked up at Wang Dong and continued to think about the problem with a frown, and said casually.

"Something went wrong with the punishment of He Yuzhu."

"Director Yang insisted on seeing the notification document sent by the police to our steel mill before he could discuss the matter at the factory leadership meeting."

"But I just got the news that Xu Damao has written a letter of apology to He Yuzhu."

"The police will detain He Yuzhu for three more days at most and then release him."

"Because He Yuzhu has not been sentenced, the police can't send us a notice, and the issue of punishing He Yuzhu can't be discussed at the factory leadership meeting."

"Can't Xu Damao write a letter of apology to He Yuzhu for causing trouble for me?"

Wang Dong frowned, thought for half a minute, then said with a turn of his eyes: "Leader..."

"If He Yuzhu's beating and murdering of a co-worker had a particularly large impact on the steel mill, and even affected the production of the steel mill, is he qualified to be discussed at the factory leadership meeting and be punished?"

Deputy Director Li was a smart man. He understood what Wang Dong said immediately. His eyes lit up and he said, "Good idea..."

"Use public opinion to force Director Yang to compromise..."

"I'll have someone arrange it in a moment."

Five minutes later, Wang Dong left Deputy Director Li's office with a smile on his face and ten more kilograms of national food coupons in his pocket.

At the same time, we received good news: the shortage of materials in the old city has begun to ease. At the latest after the New Year, the steel mill will no longer need to go to the Northeast to purchase wild vegetables and pork bones.

This means that the 15 kilograms of cheap meat that Wang Dong is allocated every month is almost gone.

But Wang Dong didn't take this matter seriously.

In the past two months, he has cleared out all the bacon, fish, chicken, flour, etc. in his home store, and exchanged them for nearly 400 small yellow croakers.

Including the great unity he received, Wang Dong’s wealth has exceeded 50,000 yuan.

There are also dozens of antiques in a wooden box buried in the cellar.

Although it is not clear whether they are real, Wang Dong believes that even if only one or two of them are real, he will make a fortune.

But he believed that those old people would not dare to fool him with counterfeit goods. Otherwise, after being cheated once, they would never be able to buy a pound of flour or a piece of bacon from him again.

As supplies began to become abundant in Sijiu City, prices in Pigeon Market also began to drop.

When the price of flour returns to the level of three years ago, even if I don't have the more than ten kilograms of affordable pork that Deputy Director Li gives me every month, my salary level and the bills issued by the steel mill every month will be enough for my family to live a better life than others.

So Wang Dong is not worried about his future at all.

As long as Deputy Director Li can remain firmly in the position of the head of the steel rolling mill in the future, based on the relationship between me and Deputy Director Li, I can definitely spend the next ten years or so in peace with my family.

…………

In a workshop of the steel rolling mill, Yi Zhonghai was guiding Qin Huairu in cutting parts at his workstation as usual, in preparation for the upcoming second-level fitter assessment.

As he was teaching, a voice suddenly reached Yi Zhonghai's ears: "Did you hear it?"

"He Yuzhu from the third canteen in the back kitchen, the arrogant and domineering idiot Zhu from the first canteen, beat up Xu Damao from the Propaganda Department the night before yesterday..."

"It was so cruel, it's hard to describe."

Chinese people are born to love watching fun and gossiping... Before the other party could continue speaking, several workers around him asked with expectation: "How cruel is it..."

"Old Wang, please stop keeping us in suspense..."

"I think I remember that idiot Zhu you mentioned. He used to be the acting monitor of a cafeteria..."

"I get angry when I mention it..."

"If I remember correctly, this bastard once shook the spoon when he served me food. I argued with him at that time, but he not only didn't listen, but he relied on his position as a cafeteria monitor and told me to get out."

"Fortunately, Wang Dong has been appointed as the monitor of the cafeteria..."

The middle-aged man who was urged by the crowd continued to speak: "That He Yuzhu ambushed Xu Damao on the road he had to take to go home. He took advantage of him being drunk and hit him from behind with a club, knocking Xu Damao unconscious in one go..."

“This is not the worst.”

"After knocking Xu Damao unconscious, He Yuzhu actually stripped him naked and left him freezing in the yard for a whole night."

"It wasn't until the next morning that the neighbors woke up and discovered it."

"Fortunately, winter has not yet arrived in the city, otherwise Xu Damao might have died if he had been frozen outside for a night."

"But Xu Damao did not fight back and beat He Yuzhu to death."

"I heard that after He Yuzhu was arrested by the police, considering that both parties were neighbors, they only asked He Yuzhu for some compensation and immediately wrote a letter of understanding, asking the police to release He Yuzhu. It was really generous."

"If I were Xu Damao, I would have the police send He Yuzhu to labor camp for a few months to teach him a lesson."

"I really don't understand He Yuzhu."

"Xu Damao is such a generous person, but he not only hit him with a club, but also stripped him naked and left him outside to freeze all night. He is too vicious."

"The one who makes me most angry is Director Yang..."

"He Yuzhu hit a co-worker with a club and nearly killed him. He made such a big mistake, but Director Yang didn't punish him because Xu Damao wrote a letter of apology. How can this convince the public?"

"Hiss..."

A worker who had once offended He Yuzhu immediately showed a frightened expression and shouted.

"How could Director Yang do this?"

"Whether Xu Damao originally forgave He Yuzhu or not, that is their business."

"He Yuzhu violated the mill's discipline and murdered a co-worker. It's so unfair that he didn't get any punishment for such a serious crime."

"I have offended He Yuzhu before. Do you think he will come to take revenge on me in the future? He will ambush me on my way home and knock me out with a club..."

"What if it's winter in the city, and He Yuzhu strips me naked and leaves me outside to freeze all night? Wouldn't that be the end of me?"

"No, the factory must not protect He Yuzhu. He must be severely punished. Otherwise, He Yuzhu will retaliate against his fellow workers in the future if he doesn't learn his lesson..."

"I will go to the director and write a letter of request now."

"If the leaders don't pay attention to our opinions, I will go to Director Yang's office to protest. If that doesn't work, I will go to my superiors. I don't believe that such a large steel mill doesn't even have a place to reason."

"Is there anyone going with me?"

The common people of this era have a strong sense of justice. They also felt that He Yuzhu had made a big mistake in this matter. The factory leaders could not just ignore it, so they immediately stood up to support him. (End of this chapter)