Courtyard House: New Life, New Silly Zhu

As Xu Damao's father, Xu Fugui knew very well where his son usually went to play, so he first went to the places his son liked to go in his workplace, while He Yuzhu rode his bicycle back to the compound.

"Zhu Zi, have you found Xu Damao?" It was Yi Zhonghai, with his sharp eyes, who spotted He Yuzhu first.

He Yuzhu shook his head: "Uncle, I went to the factory to look for him but couldn't find him, then I went to look for his father, but couldn't find him either. I don't know where he ran off to. It's already dark, and I was afraid something might have happened to him, so I came back to the compound and asked everyone to look for him together."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, then stood up and said seriously to everyone in the courtyard, "Alright everyone, let's stop playing chess for now. Let's all go out and look for Xu Damao. Form groups of three, and once you find Xu Damao, come back immediately to let everyone know."

After he finished speaking, everyone got up and left the courtyard.

He Yuzhu also wanted to go out with the others, but at that moment, Yi Zhonghai stopped him.

"Zhu Zi, you have a bicycle. Don't go with everyone to look for it. Go to the neighborhood office and ask if it might be there," Yi Zhonghai said with a serious expression.

Hearing Yi Zhonghai say this, He Yuzhu frowned.

"Uncle, whether he's there or not, I'll go there and ask first." After saying that, He Yuzhu rode his bicycle directly to the street office.

Strangely enough, He Yuzhu didn't see anyone from the Joint Defense Office along the way.

After riding for more than twenty minutes, He Yuzhu finally arrived at the street office.

However, at this time, the neighborhood office had already closed for the day, but the night watchmen were still on duty.

"Hello sir, I am He Yuzhu, a cook at the No. 3 canteen of the steel rolling mill. I have something I would like to ask the neighborhood office."

He Yuzhu arrived at the subdistrict office, stopped his bicycle, and asked the old man guarding the gate.

"Oh? Young man, what's the matter?" the old man asked, puzzled.

"It's like this, sir. My friend went out this afternoon and hasn't come back yet. We've searched everywhere but haven't found him, so I came to ask if he's here?"

"Okay, young man, after you go in, turn right at the main gate, then walk to the end. The last door is the joint defense office. You can go there and ask." The old man opened the door and let He Yuzhu in, while also pointing in a direction.

After bowing his head in thanks, He Yuzhu parked his bicycle at the old man's spot and hurried inside.

We arrived at the last office, which was brightly lit, and a few members of the joint defense office were sitting there resting.

Bang bang bang, He Yuzhu knocked on the door.

"Comrade, who are you looking for?" asked He Yuzhu, a member of the joint defense office who was closest to the door.

He Yuzhu quickly stepped forward, took out a cigarette, and offered one to the customer.

"Comrade, it's like this, my colleague went out to play this afternoon and hasn't returned yet. I went out to look for him just now but couldn't find him, so I wanted to ask if he's here."

Upon hearing that someone was being called, the man turned to face the middle-aged man behind the only desk in the office.

"Captain, someone came over and asked if anyone came to our subdistrict office this afternoon?"

The middle-aged man looked up at He Yuzhu and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"My colleague is named Xu Damao, and he is a projectionist at the steel rolling mill."

Upon hearing He Yuzhu mention Xu Damao's name, the middle-aged man immediately thought of the young man who had been taken to the joint defense office by those old ladies that afternoon.

"Xu Damao, he really is here with us."

Upon hearing that Xu Damao was there, He Yuzhu immediately stepped forward, instinctively took out another cigarette, and offered him one.

"Um, I'd like to ask why Xu Damao hasn't gone back yet?"

Hearing that Xu Damao was really here, He Yuzhu was a little puzzled, after all, no one would come to the street office if there was nothing wrong.

The middle-aged man took the cigarette and, without hiding anything, recounted what had happened that afternoon.

"After your colleague came to the subdistrict office, we found his information. He is indeed Xu Damao, the projectionist from the steel rolling mill in courtyard No. 95."

"In that case, can Xu Damao leave now?" He Yuzhu didn't directly explain why he had found the information or release him immediately; instead, he was kept in custody.

"Your colleague was loitering around the women's restroom all afternoon. Actually, those old ladies didn't arrest him for no reason. He stayed there for at least an hour, and his behavior was really suspicious, so they arrested him." The middle-aged man lit a cigarette, took a puff, and exhaled a smoke ring before continuing.

"Although we didn't find him doing anything outrageous, it was really inappropriate for him to stay there like that, especially in such a sensitive place. That's why he was arrested and is being 'educated' here. But since you're here, your colleague can go back with you."

Although somewhat puzzled as to why Xu Damao was there, He Yuzhu quickly expressed his gratitude upon hearing that Xu Damao had been released.

"Hey, Xiao Li, take this comrade and get Xu Damao released."

The middle-aged man called over a young man, wrote a note, stamped it, handed it to him, and told him to take He Yuzhu out.

After making several turns, we arrived at a completely enclosed small room. There was a guard at the door. A man named Xiao Li handed him a note, and the guard glanced at it before opening the door.

Xu Damao was half-squatting here, his hands tied to a frame with a rope, unable to move, and his whole body ached.

He began to regret it from the afternoon onwards, wondering how he could have been so blinded by greed and gotten caught.

Now he watched as the door was opened, light streamed in through the doorway, and a familiar figure came into view.

"Silly Zhu?" Xu Damao asked, somewhat incredulously.

He Yuzhu followed the person into the room and saw Xu Damao, whose face was covered in tears and snot, through the light.

Looking at Xu Damao with some disdain, he said, "Xu Damao, what's wrong with you?"

Upon seeing that it really was Sha Zhu, Xu Damao was immediately moved to tears. However, when Sha Zhu asked him questions, Xu Damao suddenly realized that he seemed to have no excuse to explain.

However, He Yuzhu didn't really want any explanation. It was already this late, and he just wanted to go back and get some rest, since he had to go to work tomorrow.

By this time, the guards had already gone up and untied Xu Damao's rope. Xu Damao lost his balance and fell to the ground.

He Yuzhu stepped forward and helped Xu Damao up, but Xu Damao had been squatting for too long and his legs were already weak, so he had to rely on He Yuzhu for support.

"Comrades, thank you so much. I'll take him with me now," He Yuzhu said politely to the two men.