Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

Liu Haizhong visited Yi Zhonghai three days after the incident.

At that time, He Yuzhu was polishing his old leather shoes, preparing to return to his department in a couple of days. The door was open, and Liu Haizhong stood outside the threshold for a while, coughed, and then looked up.

"Uncle Liu?"

Liu Haizhong took two steps inside, stood by the table, and rubbed his hands together.

"Zhu Zi, Uncle Liu wants to discuss something with you."

He Yuzhu put down his shoes and looked at him.

"Look," Liu Haizhong rubbed his hands together again, "you've been out there for so many years, you've seen a lot of the world, and you know a lot of people. Uncle Liu has worked in the steel rolling mill for almost twenty years, he knows all the ins and outs of the place. If the two of us could help each other out—"

"Support what?"

Liu Haizhong paused for a moment, then smiled broadly: "It's just... if you have any connections or information outside, just let Uncle Liu know. Uncle Liu won't forget you if he gets any benefits at the factory. That's called helping each other and making progress together."

He Yuzhu looked at him but didn't reply.

"Uncle Liu," he began, "I spent five years in the army and learned one thing: don't take what you shouldn't take, and don't ask what you shouldn't ask. Your approach is useless to me."

The smile in his bangs froze on his face.

"Zhu Zi, what you're saying... that's not what Uncle Liu meant..."

"Whatever it means." He Yuzhu stood up, moved his shoes aside, and said, "I have something to do, Uncle Liu, you can go back first."

Liu Haizhong stood there, his face twitching. Finally, he managed to squeeze out, "Okay, you go ahead," and turned to leave.

He Yushui poked her head out from the inner room.

"Brother, what does Uncle Liu want with you?"

"fine."

He Yushui glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions.

When He Yushui came home from school in the afternoon, she was holding two pieces of fruit candy in her hand.

He Yuzhu was chopping firewood in the yard when he saw what she was holding and paused.

"Where did it come from?"

He Yushui held up the candy: "My second aunt gave it to me. I ran into her at the alley entrance just now, and she insisted on giving it to me."

He Yuzhu stuck the axe into the wooden block, squatted down, and stared at the two pieces of candy.

The candy wrappers were ordinary cellophane, red and green, reflecting the light in the evening glow.

He held out his hand: "Where's the candy?"

He Yushui handed it to him.

He Yuzhu took it, weighed it in his hand—it was very light. He then handed it back to her.

"have eaten."

He Yushui was stunned: "Brother, didn't you say we shouldn't take things that don't belong to us?"

"This time is an exception." He Yuzhu stood up, his gaze sweeping past her and across the Liu family's tightly closed door. "Eat. Then tell Second Aunt that you don't need to send any more."

He Yushui peeled open a candy and popped it into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out, and she asked indistinctly, "Brother, why did Second Aunt give me candy?"

He Yuzhu did not answer.

Those two candies were so light. So light they seemed to be wrapped around something.

The next morning, He Yuzhu went to the steel rolling mill.

He didn't go to the office building, but went straight to the small room next to the guardhouse. Old Zheng from the security department was drinking water from an enamel mug. When he saw him, he slammed the mug on the table and grinned.

"Zhu Zi? You're still alive, you bastard? I heard you became a high-ranking official?"

He Yuzhu waved his hand and closed the door.

"Help me look up someone."

Old Zheng's smile faded, and he pointed to the stool: "Speak."

He Yuzhu recounted what had happened to Liu Haizhong these past few days. After listening, Old Zheng remained silent for a while, then took out half a pack of cigarettes from his drawer, pulled one out, and offered it to He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu didn't take it; he lit it himself.

"I've been watching this guy for a while now." Old Zheng took a drag of his cigarette and lowered his voice. "He's been dumping things at the scrap yard several times, but I haven't caught him red-handed. Now that you mention it, it matches up. What time was it the night before?"

"Around 9:30. There was a bulging bag tied to the back seat of the car, and the bag was stained with oil, the same color as the oil in the junkyard."

Old Zheng nodded and flicked the ash into the ashtray.

"Okay. You don't need to worry about it."

He Yuzhu stood up, walked to the door, and then stopped.

"Once it's found out, handle it accordingly. Don't mention me."

Old Zheng waved to him, meaning he understood.

Five days later, Liu Haizhong did not return for dinner.

Auntie Er paced back and forth in the yard, sometimes standing at the gate looking out, sometimes coming back, sitting down, standing up, and sitting down again. It was completely dark when Liu Haizhong finally pushed his bicycle into the yard. The bicycle was empty. He kept his head down, not looking at anyone.

The news spread the next day.

Liu Haizhong was caught red-handed by security personnel for stealing and selling scrap materials from the factory. He received a major demerit, had three months' salary deducted, and was publicly criticized at a factory-wide meeting.

When the people in the courtyard saw him again, their eyes had completely changed. Before, they called him "Master Liu" or "Uncle Liu," but now they called him "that person."

Liu Haizhong walked with his head down. Aunt Erda also stopped going out; she would occasionally come out to get water, walking quickly with her head down, as if a ghost was chasing her.

The day He Yuzhu was chopping firewood in the yard, Liu Haizhong passed by. He paused for a moment, then quickened his pace and went around to the side behind He Yuzhu.

When He Yushui came home from school, she stood next to He Yuzhu and watched Liu Haizhong's figure disappear behind the hanging flower gate.

"Brother, Uncle Liu avoids you whenever he sees you now."

He Yuzhu didn't say anything and continued chopping wood.

The axe swung up and fell. The wood split open. Another piece.

He Yushui squatted down and watched for a while, then suddenly asked, "Brother, did you report Uncle Liu?"

He Yuzhu paused for a moment.

"Rain, don't worry about this."

He Yushui didn't ask any more questions. She stood up, brushed the dirt off her knees, and walked into the house. After taking two steps, she turned back.

"Brother, did you know Uncle Liu was in trouble the day Second Aunt gave me candy?"

He Yuzhu planted the axe into the wooden stump and looked at her.

"Rain," he said, "there are some things that, once you know them, you have to do them. If you don't, you'll be letting down those who follow the rules."

He Yushui nodded.

"I see."

She ran inside.

He Yuzhu stood in the courtyard, looking at the door of the Liu family's house.

The door was closed. It looked like the face of Liu Haizhong when he was caught red-handed in the factory.

He remembered what Old Zheng had told him later—"That bag of waste wasn't much, and it wouldn't fetch much money. But once someone starts down that path, it's hard to stop."

The courtyard fell dark. The lights at the Liu family's house across the street remained off.

He Yuzhu turned and walked into the house, the voice in his mind ringing out:

Side Quest 3: Scrap Metal Trade Completed

[Mission Reward Points: +250,000]

[Current total points: 45,090,000]

He didn't look at the number.

Inside, He Yushui had already turned on the lights, and a dim yellow light shone through the window. She was doing her homework, her pencil scratching softly on the paper.

He Yuzhu stood at the door for a while, looking at the ball of light.

Behind them, the Liu family's door remained dark.