Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

Several seconds later, she seemed to finally come to her senses and let out a heart-wrenching, inhuman howl.

"My son—!!! Dongxu—!!! How could you leave your mother like this—!!! You heartless, short-lived devil—!!"

The cries were incredibly piercing, filled with despair and collapse.

She could no longer stand and collapsed to the ground, pounding her fists on the floor. She began her signature, yet more heartbreaking, wailing, her face streaked with snot and tears.

In the courtyard, Jia Zhangshi's cries, Qin Huairu's suppressed sobs, and the neighbors' advice and discussions mingled together, casting a pall of gloom over the courtyard.

Soon, led by Sha Zhu, Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu arrived at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, crying and stumbling all the way.

The atmosphere in the factory area was heavy, and security personnel had already set up a cordon outside the steel forging workshop.

When the stretcher, covered with a dirty canvas that vaguely revealed the outline of a human, was carried out, and a corner of the canvas was lifted to reveal Jia Dongxu's bloody and mangled body, almost unrecognizable, Jia Zhangshi let out a heart-wrenching scream, collapsed to the ground, and then rushed over like a madwoman, hugging the corpse and wailing.

Qin Huairu suddenly went black and fainted. She was only slowly woken up when someone pinched her philtrum. After waking up, she couldn't suppress her heartbreaking sobs.

In the chaos, Jia Zhangshi's bloodshot eyes swept over Yi Zhonghai, who was slumped not far away, looking as if he had aged ten years overnight.

The pent-up grief, fear, and despair for the future found an outlet in an instant. Like a maddened mother beast, she sprang up from the ground and rushed toward Yi Zhonghai, her withered fingers grabbing directly at his face!

"Yi Zhonghai! You old bastard! You heartless scoundrel! It's all your fault! You killed my son! Give him back to me! Give him back to me!"

While crying and cursing, Jia Zhangshi punched and hit Yi Zhonghai, leaving several bloody scratches on his face and neck with her fingernails.

Yi Zhonghai seemed to have lost his soul, neither dodging nor flinching, but simply closing his eyes and letting her beat and scold him, while turbid old tears kept sliding down from the corners of his eyes.

Seeing this, the people around rushed forward to pull her away. It took them a lot of effort to finally pull the seemingly crazy Jia Zhangshi away from Yi Zhonghai. The scene was chaotic, with cries, shouts, and rebukes filling the air.

After a while, Jia Zhangshi was exhausted and was supported by Qin Huairu and several female workers, but she kept crying.

At this moment, Li Huaide, accompanied by several logistics department cadres, walked over with somber expressions.

"Sister-in-law Jia, Comrade Huai Ru, please accept my condolences."

Li Huaide's voice was low and deep, carrying a formulaic sympathy.

"This is not the place to talk. Please come to the office with me. The factory has a preliminary plan for Comrade Dongxu's funeral arrangements and compensation. Let's discuss it in detail and we will definitely give the family a satisfactory explanation."

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu were completely bewildered at this point. Upon hearing this, they could only numbly follow Li Huaide to the office of the head of the logistics department.

Once the office door is closed, the noise from outside is shut out.

Li Huaide invited the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to sit down, personally poured two cups of hot water, and then sat behind his desk, placing his hands on the table in a negotiating stance.

"Sister-in-law Jia, Huai Ru."

Li Huaide got straight to the point, his tone regaining its usual calmness.

"The entire factory is deeply saddened by the accident that occurred to Comrade Jia Dongxu while he was on duty. After an emergency meeting of the factory committee, the following decision has been made: First, Comrade Jia Dongxu is posthumously recognized as having died on duty, and a death benefit of 500 yuan will be paid according to the highest standard."

Upon hearing the figure of five hundred yuan, Qin Huairu trembled; in those days, this was undoubtedly a huge sum of money.

Jia Zhangshi's crying subsided a bit, and she perked up her ears.

"second."

Li Huaide continued.

"Dongxu's workstation will be reserved by the factory. Once your son Banggeng turns sixteen and meets the requirements for entering the factory, he can take over his father's position and start working in the factory."

This condition can be considered as leaving the Jia family a long-term way to survive.

If it were an ordinary family, they might have resigned themselves to their fate upon hearing such "generous" conditions from the factory.

But who is Jia Zhangshi?

Having just experienced the pain of losing her son, she has now recovered and her calculating and unreasonable nature has resurfaced.

Five hundred dollars? A living, breathing son is only worth five hundred dollars?

Will we have to wait for the pheasant to grow up before we can keep our workstations?

What did they eat and drink for the past ten years or so?

Suddenly, Jia Zhangshi raised her head, her triangular eyes wide open, and she stood up, slamming her hand on the table, interrupting Li Huaide with a shrill voice.

"Five hundred yuan? No way! Absolutely not! Director Li, are you trying to fob me off? My old Jia died for the factory back then! Now, Dongxu, my only son, has also died in the factory! Two generations of our Jia family have given their lives to the steel rolling mill! Is it worth only five hundred yuan? And that work position, is it just a pie in the sky? How big is the stalk? When are we supposed to get there? How are we supposed to live on air for the next ten years? I don't care! The factory must compensate us! One thousand! No, two thousand yuan! Also, I'm old and can't work anymore, the factory must take care of me until the end!"

Although Qin Huairu didn't throw a tantrum like her mother-in-law, she tearfully echoed her mother-in-law's words, thinking about the hardships ahead.

"Director Li, please, I beg you, have mercy! My three children are still young, we can't be without income... With Dongxu gone, our world has collapsed..."

Looking at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in front of him, one throwing a tantrum and the other crying, Li Huaide frowned deeply. The feigned sympathy on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an impatient and cold expression.

He slammed his hand on the table, making a loud "bang," which startled both Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu.

"Jia Zhang! Qin Huairu!"

Li Huaide's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable air of authority and pressure.

"You need to understand the situation! The factory has already done its utmost by offering this solution, considering the contributions the Jia family has made over two generations. It's more than enough!"

He leaned forward, his sharp gaze fixed on Jia Zhangshi.

"According to the regulations on work safety and labor protection, the preliminary investigation into Jia Dongxu's accident revealed that it was caused by his serious violation of operating procedures! The factory could have easily classified it as a personal liability accident, in which case there would have been no compensation whatsoever! Not to mention his work position! Now, the factory is under pressure to treat it as a work-related death, giving you the highest standard of compensation and promising to retain your work positions. What more could you possibly want?"

"Another two thousand? And you want to support your retirement?"

Li Huaide sneered, his tone carrying a blatant threat.

"Mrs. Jia, go out and ask around, which factory has such a good policy? If you're not satisfied, fine! Then we'll handle this officially! We'll ask the higher-level labor and safety departments to re-evaluate the nature of the accident! Then, forget about the five hundred yuan, you won't get a single penny! You'll also have the bad reputation of being blamed for causing the accident by violating operating procedures! Comrade Dongxu won't even have peace in death! Do you want Dongxu to be pointed at and gossiped about even after he's dead?"

This series of attacks and counterattacks, especially the final threat regarding "reputation," directly struck at the most vulnerable spot for Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu.

Madam Jia's arrogance was instantly suppressed, and her expression changed several times. Qin Huairu was even more frightened, her face turning deathly pale, and she shook her head repeatedly.

"No...no...Dongxu is a good person..."

Seeing that he had subdued them, Li Huaide softened his tone slightly, but it remained icy.

"The factory's solution is here: 500 yuan in compensation, and your workstation will be reserved for Bang Geng. This is the final decision, there's no room for negotiation! If you agree, you can sign and receive the money now, and the factory will assist you with your funeral arrangements. If you don't agree..."

He paused deliberately and gave the two of them a cold look.

"Then please do as you please! You'll bear the consequences!"

A deathly silence fell over the office.

Jia Zhangshi's chest heaved violently as she struggled intensely within herself.

Five hundred yuan is a lot, but it's far from what she expected.

But Li Huaide's threat was like a knife hanging over his head...

Ultimately, the fear of losing everything and the lure of the five hundred dollars in cash overwhelmed her desire to bargain.

She slumped in the chair like a mangy dog ​​whose bones had been removed, muttering listlessly.

"...Sign...we'll sign..."

Qin Huairu also lowered her head, silently shedding tears, acquiescing to the outcome.

A barely perceptible sneer appeared on Li Huaide's lips as he took out a document he had prepared beforehand...

As dusk settled, a somber mood descended upon the courtyard.

A simple mourning tent was set up in front of the Jia family's house. The pale lanterns swayed in the evening breeze, illuminating the character "奠" (meaning "offering" or "memorial"), adding to the desolation.

Jia Dongxu's portrait was placed in the center, his smile somewhat restrained, creating a stark contrast with the scene before him.

Qin Huairu, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt on the prayer mat in front of the coffin, holding the bewildered Banggeng in her arms, mechanically throwing paper money into the earthenware basin one by one.

The flickering flames illuminated her pale face, where tears still clung to her skin. Her white mourning clothes accentuated her slender waist, making her appear utterly pitiful.

As the saying goes, "To look beautiful, wear mourning clothes," Qin Huairu at this moment does indeed have a delicate beauty that makes people feel sorry for her, which is different from her usual gentle and calculating appearance.

Sha Zhu was so busy he barely had time to breathe, moving tables, setting up ever-burning lamps, and greeting neighbors who came to pay their respects, acting like the person in charge.

He would occasionally sidle up to Qin Huairu and whisper words like "condolences" or "I'm here for you," his eyes revealing undisguised concern and a hidden expectation.

Yi Zhonghai sat nearby, looking haggard. He occasionally offered a helping hand, but whenever his eyes met Qin Huairu's, he would quickly look away, his expression filled with an indescribable complexity.

Li Zhenhua pushed his bicycle into the backyard, and this was the scene he saw.

His expression was calm. His gaze lingered on the mourning hall for a moment, sweeping over Qin Huairu's figure, and also noticing Sha Zhu's eagerness and Jia Zhangshi's prying eyes from behind.

He said nothing, neither burning incense nor offering words of comfort, but simply pushed the cart straight toward his own house.

This indifferent attitude immediately stung some people.

Crouching in the shadows of the corner, Jia Zhangshi was secretly observing each person who came in, calculating how much money she could collect as a gift.

Seeing that Li Zhenhua, the newly appointed deputy director of the logistics department and a well-known "generous" person in the institute, was about to go back to his room without saying a word, without even the most basic gesture, a surge of anger suddenly rose up.

She didn't dare to openly provoke Li Zhenhua, so she lowered her voice and, facing the wall beside her, used that unique, cursing tone to curse him indirectly.

"Oh... Dongxu... my poor son... open your eyes and see... this world is so cold-hearted... some people forget their roots once they become officials... we're neighbors, and they won't even offer you incense... they've eaten your conscience... may they die a horrible death..."

Her voice wasn't loud, but in the relatively quiet courtyard, it was loud enough for people nearby to hear clearly.

Qin Huairu raised her tearful eyes and quickly glanced at Li Zhenhua's tightly closed door, her expression unreadable.

After a while, as the sun began to set, the gloomy atmosphere in the courtyard was broken by the clear sound of a bicycle bell.

Xu Damao returned from showing movies in the countryside, looking travel-worn. Hanging precariously from the handlebars of his bicycle was a plump old hen, its feet bound with straw rope and occasionally flapping its wings. It was a gift from the villagers to thank him for showing movies.

As soon as Xu Damao pushed the cart into the front yard, he sensed that something was wrong. As he walked further in, he immediately spotted the glaring white lanterns and makeshift mourning tent at the entrance of the Jia family's house in the middle courtyard.

He was startled, his footing faltered, and he almost dropped his bicycle. His face instantly filled with surprise and uncertainty, and he subconsciously gasped in a low voice.

"Oh my goodness! This...this commotion...could it be that the old lady in the backyard...has passed away?"

He muttered to himself that the deaf old lady had passed away, and anxiously pushed the cart closer, craning his neck to peer into the mourning hall.

When Xu Damao saw the familiar yet young face in the portrait, his eyes widened instantly, his mouth gaped open as if he could fit an egg in it, and the surprise on his face turned into disbelief and shock!

"Jia... Jia Dongxu? He... he's dead?"

Xu Damao cried out in shock, his voice trembling.

Although his relationship with Jia Dongxu was just so-so, and they had fought and bickered a lot when they were young, they had grown up together in the same courtyard. The shock of seeing a lively and energetic person who was alive and kicking yesterday suddenly gone today still made him feel a bit stunned.

He stood there stunned for a while before he came to his senses and propped up his bicycle.

Looking at Qin Huairu, dressed in mourning clothes and crying her eyes out in front of the mourning tent, as well as Sha Zhu, who was busy running around, and Yi Zhonghai, who looked haggard, Xu Damao smacked his lips, his expression complicated.

He patted his pocket, took out a few small bills, and reluctantly handed over the money to Uncle Yan Bugui, who was collecting wedding gifts, while muttering under his breath.

"What kind of mess is this... Dongxu, how could he just disappear like that..."

After paying, Xu Damao instinctively wanted to push the cart back to the backyard, but out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Jia Zhangshi's triangular eyes, which were staring intently at the old hen that was still flapping on his handlebars. Her eyes were like those of a hungry wolf seeing meat, gleaming with a green light.

Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

That old hag, she must have her eye on his chicken!