Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

Upon seeing this staff member, Wang Feng remembered what had happened last time, and without further ado, pointed at He Yushui and got straight to the point:

"Comrade, her name is He Yushui. Those letters and money were sent to her, but so many years have passed and she has not received a single letter or a single penny."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, the staff were instantly horrified.

Upon hearing Wang Feng's words, He Yushui froze on the spot, her face filled with disbelief.

"Comrade, this is a very serious matter. I'll go find our director right away. Please wait here for me."

The staff member quickly greeted Wang Feng and his companion, then went to the office to find the director.

Just after the staff left, He Yushui tugged at Wang Feng's sleeve and asked anxiously:

"Brother Wang Feng, what's going on? Did my dad really send us money?"

Wang Feng patted He Yushui's thin shoulder and gently comforted her, "Yushui, don't worry, the truth will come out soon. The post office staff will check and you'll know the whole story."

"Um."

He Yushui gave a soft "hmm," but her heart was far from calm. So many years had passed, and she had almost forgotten her father. Now, she was suddenly told that her father had not abandoned them. How could she accept this?

Soon, the staff member, accompanied by a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit, quickly approached Wang Feng and He Yushui.

"Comrades, hello, I am the director of this post office. Which of you is the person involved?"

Wang Feng pointed to He Yushui and said, "It's her. Her name is He Yushui. Her father, He Daqing, left Beijing for Baoding in 51. To this day, she hasn't received a single letter or a single penny."

The post office manager nodded and quickly said to He Yushui, "Comrade He Yushui, our post office has indeed been receiving letters from Baoding for a long time, and we also send money over regularly every month. Are you sure you've never received any letters or money?"

He Yushui shook her head: "I've never received one."

Upon hearing this, the post office director realized the gravity of the situation and quickly gave instructions to the staff member next to him.

"Xiao Li, go and check He Daqing's letter records right now, and find out exactly how much money he has sent over the years."

"Yes, Director, I'll go right away."

The staff member named Xiao Li agreed and hurriedly went to check the records. He had checked them once before, but the check was not very detailed. Now that such a big thing had happened, he definitely needed to check them carefully.

The post office manager then looked at the middle-aged man beside him and instructed, "Old Wang, go outside and find Xiao Zhang, who is in charge of Nanluoguxiang. He has always been in charge of Nanluoguxiang. I want to see what's wrong with Xiao Zhang and how such a serious oversight could have occurred."

"Yes, Director."

After the two left, the post office manager sincerely said to Wang Feng and He Yushui:

"Comrades, please come with me to the office for a cup of tea and wait a moment. Don't worry, if this matter is the responsibility of our post office, we guarantee we will not shirk our responsibility."

He Yushui looked at Wang Feng, who nodded in agreement.

"Okay, then let's go to the office and wait for a while."

The three arrived at the director's office, where the post office director poured Wang Feng and his companion a cup of tea, his attitude quite courteous.

The three of them drank tea while the post office director asked He Yushui about some details. More than ten minutes passed in this way, and the post office director basically understood all of He Yushui's situation.

But since Xiao Zhang hasn't returned yet, he can't make a definitive conclusion.

Just as the three were waiting anxiously, Xiao Li, the staff member who had worked there before, hurriedly walked in.

"Director, we've investigated. Starting in June 1951, He Daqing began sending money and letters to a man named He Yuzhu. For the first two years, he sent ten yuan every month. From December 1953, the amount became five yuan per month. However, he would send more money during holidays and on September 15th each year. From June 1951 to now, the total amount is 780 yuan."

Hearing that her father would send her money every month, and even more on her birthday, He Yushui burst into tears and squatted on the ground crying.

"September 15th is my birthday, and my dad didn't abandon me, sob sob!"

Wang Feng patted He Yushui on the shoulder and comforted her, "Yushui, don't cry. Your dad didn't abandon you. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Waaaaah, waaaaah."

Wang Feng's attempt to comfort He Yushui only made her cry louder. Who knows how much suffering and hardship she has endured over the years?

When her father passed away, she was not even 6 years old. He didn't leave them much money, and there wasn't much food left in the house. After they ran out of food, she and her brother had to scavenge for food in the worst of times, and their stomachs were growling with hunger every day.

Upon seeing this, the post office manager and the employee named Xiao Li both sighed. The post office manager's face was ashen. If Xiao Zhang came over later and he didn't give him a reasonable explanation, he would make Xiao Zhang pay.

"Director, there's one more thing. The recipient of these letters and money is He Yuzhu, but after all these years, the person who signed for them is a man named Yi Zhonghai," said staff member Xiao Li.

Upon hearing this, He Yushui's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with disbelief.

However, Wang Feng sat on the stool, looking as if he had known it all along.

The post office manager looked at Xiao Li, his face grim, and said, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Director, I was just about to say it, but Comrade He Yushui suddenly started crying, so I didn't have time to say it," Xiao Li said, looking aggrieved.

The post office manager looked at He Yushui and asked in a gentle voice, "Comrade He Yushui, who is this Yi Zhonghai? Do you know him?"

He Yushui wiped away her tears and nodded: "He's an old man in our compound, and also..."

Before He Yushui could finish speaking, Wang Feng interrupted, "To be precise, Yi Zhonghai will only become the head of our compound 55 years later. This man is a hypocrite. He had a fairly good relationship with Yushui's father before, and he seems to be treating Yushui's brother quite well these past few years, but he's actually a black man at heart."

The post office director nodded; he finally understood the cause and effect of the matter.

He Yushui never expected that the person who intercepted the letters and their living expenses would be Yi Zhonghai.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

"Knock knock knock".

"Please come in."

As Xiao Zhang walked into the office, the post office director immediately stood up and angrily demanded:

"Xiao Zhang, what exactly happened with the money and letter that Baoding sent to He Yuzhu? Why haven't He Yuzhu and his sister He Yushui received a single letter or a single penny after all these years? Did you and Yi Zhonghai collude to embezzle the money? If you can't give me a clear answer today, not only will you lose your job, but I'll also personally take you to the police station."