Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 420 After Returning

News of the Wenchuan earthquake dominated television and newspapers for many days.

The news broadcast 24/7, providing updates on the disaster situation and highlighting the charitable acts of the Zhonghuan Group. The company donated a total of 4 billion yuan, with the final 2 billion yuan specifically earmarked for post-disaster reconstruction. The news explicitly mentioned that the Zhonghuan rescue team and its helicopter fleet were among the first civilian rescue forces to arrive at the epicenter in Yingxiu.

On television, one could see the figures of teenagers like He Tie, He Shi, and He Mu busily working amidst the ruins. However, the camera never captured He Yuzhu. His early experience of venturing into the epicenter left no visual record, only a small amount of written documentation, unknown to the general public.

In Beijing, dusk slowly descended. After dinner, families gathered in front of their televisions, their hearts heavy with worry. The conversations of passersby on the street almost universally revolved around the natural disaster.

Liu Guangfu came home late from get off work, while Yan Jiedi and the children had already eaten dinner. Liu Baokang and Yan Baoshun sat in front of the television, their eyes glued to the screen.

The screen flashed a scene of the He family boys, and Liu Baokang recognized them immediately. "Look, that's He Tie, and He Hai and the others!"

The two children stared in shock at the collapsed houses, the rubble, and the injured and suffering people on the screen, their hearts heavy with sorrow. They had seen the He family members in such a dangerous place on television and felt immense respect for them.

Yan Jiedi sat to the side, watching the television, and sighed.

"Such a huge natural disaster has caused so many families to be torn apart and people to die. Our family is doing alright, so we should do our part."

After changing his clothes, Liu Guangfu sat down. "Don't worry about it. I've already transferred some money to the Red Cross account. It's not a large amount, but it's a small token of our family's appreciation."

In the west wing of the courtyard, Xiao Dang and his son Qin Huai'an were also watching TV. After watching the news, the child's face was full of sadness. He ran back to his room, took out all his New Year's money, and ran to Xiao Dang.

"Mom, those people are so pitiful. Tomorrow, take me to donate money so that we can give it all to the children in the disaster area."

Xiao Dang's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the child's earnest expression.

"Okay, let's go to the bank to transfer the money tomorrow."

During that period, the television station broadcasted charitable donation accounts on a loop every day. Ordinary people who wanted to contribute to the disaster area mostly went through this channel. Various organizations and companies organized donations, with those having money contributing money and those having the ability contributing their time and effort.

He Yuzhu returned to the courtyard.

At the martial arts base to the east, the remaining youths of the He family guards all surrounded the ten captains.

Team leaders He Tie, He Lin, He Shan, and He Hai had just returned from Sichuan, still covered in mountain dust, their clothes stained with dirt. The other dozens of teenagers chattered amongst themselves, pressing for details about the epicenter.

Some people asked how terrifying the aftershocks in the mountains were, and whether they would be woken up by the shaking at night. Some asked what it was like to rescue people from under the rubble, and others were curious about how difficult life was for the disaster victims there.

He Tie had participated in the rescue efforts in Yingxiu Town. He didn't use any fancy words; he simply recounted everything he had witnessed. He talked about the ruins covering the mountains and fields, the aftershocks that kept striking at night, how his grandfather stayed up all night rescuing critically injured patients in the emergency tent, and how three medical helicopters made round and round to transfer critically injured people.

The group of teenagers listened with solemn expressions, many of them their chests heaving, deeply moved.

After listening to their captain recount his experiences, they finally understood the meaning of martial arts training. It meant having the ability to help those in distress when danger strikes. Many of the teenagers secretly clenched their fists, determined to train even harder in the future and not waste their time.

This trip to Sichuan taught all the children a profound and unforgettable lesson.

The weekend arrived in the blink of an eye.

He Yangjing'an rushed home as soon as school was over on Saturday.

He Yuzhu didn't arrange for the two of them to go to the disaster area this time. The two could only sit in front of the computer, watching the footage of their friends on the front lines of the disaster area, feeling a sense of loss. Even He Tie and the other ten rushed to rescue people, while they could only stay on campus, unable to do anything. It was hard not to feel a little bitter.

Not long after, Xu Damao came to visit. He had been staying in Beijing, and Damao Supermarket immediately donated money and supplies, with the store's employees also spontaneously organizing donations.

Ma Hua and Ma Qiang, who are managing their businesses in the south, couldn't return to Beijing, so they called specifically to say that Yu Li and Sun Mei had also donated money to the Red Cross and the Charity Federation.

On the other end of the phone, the two repeatedly inquired about the situation in the disaster area and were happy that their master and his group had returned safely.

Seeing that He Yuzhu had hung up the phone, Xu Damao didn't beat around the bush and asked directly:

"Brother Zhu, I watch the news on TV every day. Jing'an told me you were the first person to rush into Yingxiu Town. With such a great achievement, why isn't there any footage of you on TV, or any report about your deeds?"

He Yuzhu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and remained calm.

"The donations of money and supplies by Zhonghuan Group are a responsibility that a company should bear, and it is only right to report them publicly. My personal involvement in the earthquake relief efforts doesn't need to be publicized. It's enough that the disaster victims remember it in their hearts."

Xu Damao still felt it was a pity after hearing this.

"That's true, but it's such a big thing, and most people outside don't know about it. It's frustrating to think about."

"What's there to feel aggrieved about?" He Yuzhu said slowly. "I don't do things to get on TV and gain fame. Saving more lives is more important than any empty reputation."

My main purpose in going to Sichuan this time was to train the children. These kids are young, and there are so many of them; I was worried that just talking without doing wouldn't be enough to educate them effectively. So I decided to set an example for them first, so that my later teaching would be more convincing.

He Yang and Jing An, who were standing to the side, felt their disappointment slowly dissipate after hearing these words.

They talked about the shocking devastation in the disaster area, the scenes of people across the country donating money and supplies, and the various performances of the Zhonghuan Rescue Team in the mountains.

The television continued to broadcast news, with reports on the aftermath of the Wenchuan disaster and more and more news about the preparations for the Olympics, with Olympic-related advertisements visible everywhere.

The pain left by the natural disaster has not yet faded, but life must go on.

He Yuzhu's gaze fell out the window; the Wenchuan situation had temporarily come to an end. The Olympics were just around the corner, while across the ocean, a massive financial storm was quietly gathering strength.

The crisis at Lehman Brothers was drawing ever closer. The Ho family had already laid the groundwork, with massive sums of money in place, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

Returning to the courtyard house and the familiar everyday life brought me a completely different feeling.

But the peaceful days will not last long; a storm that will sweep the world is about to arrive.