Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Factory Director Yang shook his head: "According to convention, it's most appropriate for the worker's direct supervisor and neighbors to go together. These past two years have been peaceful; who needs someone to clean up their messes full-time?"

Jiang Shouqin chimed in, "The factory manager made excellent arrangements. It's easier to hear what the neighbors are saying."

He Yuzhu glanced at Jiang Shouqin, then remained silent.

He couldn't very well say that he had a deep grudge against Jia Dongxu and wished he could stay far away from his home; once he said that, not only would he seem petty, but he would also give others ammunition to criticize him when a life was at stake—these days, people believe that "death settles all debts," and although Jia Dongxu hadn't died yet, lying in the emergency room was practically the same as being dead.

"Okay, it's settled then. We'll discuss the follow-up arrangements for Jia Dongxu and his family once the hospital releases its information."

Director Yang then reiterated several strict safety requirements before adjourning the meeting.

As soon as the crowd dispersed, Director Zhang quickly caught up with He Yuzhu: "Director He, do you think we should go to the hospital now? And then I'd like to trouble you to take me to your compound later?"

"Director Zhang, let me make this clear from the start—I can lead the way, but don't make me say what you're saying. It's one thing if the factory director doesn't know the inside story, but you know that Jia Dongxu and I don't get along."

He Yuzhu spoke calmly, yet with a measured tone: "He's the kind of person who can't tolerate any wrongdoing. If I were to go and 'comfort' him, the first thing he'd do when he wakes up is probably to bring up old grievances with me again..."

"Understood, understood! Don't worry, Director He, I'll handle the conversations the whole time. You just need to lead the way," Director Zhang readily agreed.

He knew in his heart that He Yuzhu was half a rank higher than him and a well-known figure in the factory. He dared not refuse to give him face, let alone show him any respect.

The two quickly finalized their arrangements and headed straight to the Third People's Hospital. To communicate with Jia Dongxu's family in person, they first needed to find out the extent of his injuries.

The journey didn't take much effort, and a fellow worker accompanied him, staying by Jia Dongxu's side the whole time.

As He Yuzhu and Director Zhang stepped into the hospital, the operating room lights went out. Director Zhang immediately grabbed the surgeon and asked about the situation. After listening, his shoulders relaxed and his brows unfurrowed.

He lost both legs and will likely never be able to stand up again; but he survived, his upper body was unharmed, not even a single bone was broken.

Although he can no longer do heavy work, at least he's still alive—much better off than that worker who was caught in a conveyor belt a few years ago and nearly died on the spot.

At least he still has both hands, and he can go home and make some money by pasting cardboard boxes; but for a man in his prime, this result is too heartbreaking and too hard to swallow.

After Director Zhang understood the situation, he turned around and pulled He Yuzhu out, heading straight for the courtyard.

"Director He, thank goodness, Jia Dongxu's life has been saved! According to the factory's standards, it's at most a level two work-related injury, which is much better than expected..."

He lowered his voice as he walked, then turned his head and asked, "By the way, are you familiar with the Jia family?"

"Now only Qin Huairu is left with her two children, the older one is six years old and the younger one is only two; the old lady was sent back to the countryside long ago. Director Zhang, you're really lucky—if her mother-in-law were still here, it would be chaos and utter uncontrollable."

He Yuzhu's words reassured Director Zhang somewhat. He then added, "Just tell Qin Huairu the truth. There are rules in the factory, and she's not the type to make decisions; or you can talk to Jia Dongxu directly after he wakes up, he should be able to open his eyes this afternoon or tomorrow morning..."

He wasn't awake just now because the anesthesia hadn't worn off yet; he'll probably be fine by tonight. But this can't be kept secret for long—if Jia Dongxu doesn't come home tonight, Qin Huairu will definitely be asking around.

As soon as the two entered the courtyard, the people inside, seeing that He Yuzhu had returned in broad daylight, all crowded around to ask why. He only gave a vague reply before leading Director Zhang straight to the gate of the Jia family's courtyard in the middle.

"Director Zhang, we've arrived. This is the Jia family's residence. You're the one who spoke up; I'm just here to show you the way."

Director Zhang immediately understood that this was the last step He Yuzhu could take to help. He stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

A timid voice came from inside, and the door opened a crack. Qin Huairu peeked out, immediately spotting He Yuzhu, then noticing the unfamiliar face beside him, and quickly put on a smile: "Zhuzi? And this is...?"

"I am the workshop director of the Third Steel Rolling Mill, and also Jia Dongxu's direct supervisor."

Qin Huairu's heart sank suddenly, a chill running up her spine—could it be related to Dongxu not coming home last night? She forced a smile and stepped aside, saying, "Director Zhang, Zhuzi, please come in. Let's talk inside."

Director Zhang knew that this kind of thing couldn't be discussed in public, so he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go inside and talk."

He Yuzhu remained silent throughout, acting as if he were a mute guide. He really didn't want to get involved in this mess. If it weren't for Director Yang forcing the responsibility onto him, he would have preferred to take half a day off to spend time with his daughter.

Upon entering the house, two children were squatting on the threshold of the inner room, playing with pebbles. Director Zhang cut to the chase: "Comrade Qin Huairu, Jia Dongxu had an accident at the factory and is currently at the Third People's Hospital..."

He briefly described the injuries. Upon hearing the words "double leg amputation," Qin Huairu swayed instantly; had she not been sitting on the edge of the bed, she would have collapsed to the ground.

"How...how could this happen? Director Zhang, can Dongxu still be cured? Our whole family can't do without him..."

Before she could finish speaking, tears streamed down her face, her eyes red as if about to bleed. This news was like the roof collapsing for her family—she and her child didn't even have urban residency permits, and if their income stopped, they would immediately be unable to make ends meet.

"Pillar……"

In her despair, she instinctively turned to look at He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu took a half step back and said calmly, "Director Zhang is here, representing the factory. If you have any thoughts, just tell him directly."

Director Zhang was taken aback: Just how much of a grudge did Director He have with the Jia family that he wouldn't even offer a word of comfort? But he didn't contradict him. Instead, he turned to Qin Huairu, his tone gentle yet resolute: "Don't worry, the factory won't abandon us. The most important thing right now is to wait for Jia Dongxu to wake up. He's in ward 3021 at the Third Hospital and should wake up tonight. The factory has covered all the hospital and surgery fees. We'll also send someone to visit him tomorrow morning..."

He then outlined several resettlement plans, repeatedly emphasizing that the factory would take full responsibility, before he could finally steady Qin Huairu's trembling hands.

After a moment of silence, Qin Huairu suddenly looked up, her voice soft but urgent: "Zhuzi, could you come with me to the hospital? I want to ask Xiao'e to look after the child, otherwise I really can't manage on my own..."

"I'm busy and can't leave. If the children are difficult to take care of, we can ask someone else in the neighborhood to help. Xiao'e herself has never taken care of children before, how can we expect her to manage two?"

He Yuzhu answered crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation. Just as he entered the room, he caught a glimpse of Jia Geng squatting in the corner, his little face tense, his eyes staring straight at him, the six-year-old's eyes full of hostility—did he really expect Jia Geng to take care of this little wolf cub?

None of the doors!

Seeing his resolute refusal, Qin Huairu felt a tightness in her chest and a sour feeling rush to her nose. She secretly gritted her teeth: Half of her family's sky had collapsed, yet he wouldn't even take a single extra step.

After Director Zhang finished explaining everything, the two got up to say goodbye.

As they stepped out of the Jia family compound, Director Zhang turned to ask, "Director He, things are stable with the Jia family for now. What are the factory's plans for compensation?"

He Yuzhu pondered for a moment: "How do we characterize his situation?"

"I caused the accident due to my own improper operation, but my family is indeed facing financial difficulties—it's highly likely that a family member will cover my shift, and I'll receive three months' salary as compensation. However…"

"However, standards are one thing, but when it comes to actually paying, it's a different story."

Director Zhang waved his hand, saying that each compensation payment far exceeded this amount. Now that workers and peasants are the masters of the country, the whole nation is exceptionally considerate of workers, and policies are tilted in every way.

Ultimately, Jia Dongxu's mistake was due to his own lapse in judgment, but it happened while he was on duty. Coupled with his family's situation—his elderly mother was bedridden and none of his three children were even ten years old—the factory was afraid that the Jia family would cause a big fuss, so they would probably loosen their grip on him.

Besides, with the year-end approaching, who wants to cause trouble? If Qin Huairu were to lead Banggeng and Xiaodang to squat at the factory gate and wail, it would sound bad if word got out, and it would look even worse if investigated. There was a similar incident in the forging workshop two years ago. The person hadn't even died yet, but the family surrounded them, and all the leaders were called in to write self-criticisms. They had no way to defend themselves.

He Yuzhu simply nodded in response. In his previous life, Jia Dongxu's accident happened much later, dragging on until the spring when his body collapsed and he died on the spot, before even an ambulance could take him away.

At that time, he didn't have much contact with the Jia family. He only heard that the compensation was obtained by Yi Zhonghai, who made many trips, pulled strings, talked his way out of trouble, and submitted materials. It took more than half a month of hard work to finally settle the matter.

Now that Yi Zhonghai is gone, who will take over this mess? How will they take over? Nobody knows for sure.

As soon as he and Director Zhang entered the steel rolling mill, they went their separate ways: he rushed to the warehouse to check the winter storage materials, while Director Zhang went straight to the factory director's office to report the news.

Seeing that He Yuzhu wouldn't budge, Qin Huairu turned around and went to Yan Bugui's house. She explained what had happened, then shoved Banggeng and Xiaodang inside. She grabbed a thick cotton-padded coat and hurried off to the Third People's Hospital.

At 5:30 p.m., as soon as He Yuzhu stepped into the courtyard, an older woman came to greet him.

"Zhu Zi, how's Jia Dongxu doing?"

He Yuzhu shook her head: "Auntie, I'm in charge of logistics. That was a production accident, it's the workshop and safety department's responsibility. I just showed Director Zhang the way at noon, and ran errands on the way. Qin Huairu hasn't returned yet?"

"There's no sign of them anywhere, that's why I'm getting anxious..."

Before the middle-aged woman could finish speaking, half her face flushed red. She gritted her teeth and finally said, "Zhu Zi, look at Huai Ru's family's current situation, could you...?"

"No." He Yuzhu interrupted crisply, "Auntie, if you don't have anything else to do, you should go home now. And don't keep coming to my house like this."

His tone was calm and even, without anger, yet more intimidating than any outburst: "I've helped you before, not expecting anything in return, but I also don't want to be dragged into this mess. Understand? If you insist on crossing this line, then this is the end for both of us. Things were the same when Master Yi was here—but now that he's gone, the rules have to be re-established."