Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

"Who says otherwise... Before, everyone in the courtyard would call me 'Grandpa'! But now, even those young people dare to give me the cold shoulder."

He shook his head, his face full of resentment.

"This time, we'll teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

"Yes, we can't let him get away with this!"

The two of them argued back and forth for a while, then gradually quieted down.

A huge problem has resurfaced.

What should we do about Sha Zhu?

After all that trouble, isn't the point to get them out of there?

But now Li Jianguo is not taking the bait at all, and he can't even get through the door.

The deaf old woman glanced at Yi Zhonghai and sighed inwardly.

I had been hoping this old man could help, but now it seems he's unreliable.

If Sha Zhu really passes away, who will take care of this old woman?

Who will care for her in her old age and see her off in her final days? Who will break the pot for her?

In this courtyard, she searched around and found that the only person she could count on was Sha Zhu.

"No, we have to think of something else."

She squinted, her cloudy eyes darting around.

After thinking it over, the only one that works is the "sticky" joke.

If they can get Bang-geon to admit that he stole the things, then Sa-ju will still have a sliver of hope.

Even the smallest hope is still hope.

"Grandma Deaf, shall we... still go and invite her tonight?"

Yi Zhonghai asked cautiously.

"Let's go back first, I'll think about it some more. That little bastard won't agree just by going to ask him like that."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, got up, and left.

The deaf old woman leaned against the bed, watching the sky gradually darken outside the window, unable to sleep all night.

the next day.

Steel rolling mill.

As soon as Yi Zhonghai entered the room, he sensed that something was wrong.

Countless gazes were cast upon them, feeling like needles pricking them.

He walked in with his head down, and whispers drifted to his ears.

"Him, Master Yi..."

"Master, my foot! Bah!"

"They just steal the technology we worked so hard to develop? My relative at the police station said that these people are at odds with Director Li and are trying to find ways to get back at him!"

"Why don't they just arrest him and execute him too!"

"Wasn't Sha Zhu already arrested?"

Yi Zhonghai paused, his face turning pale.

He wanted to find someone to ask what was going on, but everyone avoided him as if he were a plague carrier.

"Yi Zhonghai!"

A shout came from behind.

He turned around and saw Xu Damao striding over, his smile glaringly offensive.

"Hey, grandpa, here to work?"

Xu Damao walked up to him, looked him up and down, and suddenly spat on the ground.

"If it weren't for you guys and Sha Zhu, would our compound be subject to such gossip and pointing fingers?"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned bright red, and he trembled all over.

"Xu Damao! Don't go too far!"

"Too much?"

Xu Damao laughed and crossed his arms.

"What's wrong? You did it yourself, and now you won't let people talk about it? A few bad apples spoil the whole bunch."

He paused, tilted his head, and gave a half-smile.

"Why can't you just take a bullet like Sha Zhu?"

Someone nearby overheard this and immediately came over.

"Xu Damao, what happened with the execution?"

"Yeah, Sha Zhu got arrested, why is he going to be executed?"

Xu Damao raised an eyebrow, his spirits lifting.

"Oh, you guys didn't know?"

He cleared his throat and raised his voice.

"Sha Zhu stole Director Li's confidential documents and got arrested! It's decided he'll be executed in a month!"

"What?!"

"Really?!"

The crowd surged forward with a roar.

"How could this be fake?"

Xu Damao was surrounded in the middle, a smug look on his face.

"When I came here this morning, I ran into the police station. They told me themselves. Sha Zhu has already signed and fingerprinted the document; the execution is just a matter of days. A month is considered too late!"

"Oh My God……"

"I can't believe it... Why would he steal Director Li's things for no reason?"

"Who knows? Maybe they were trying to get back at Director Li? They ended up getting themselves into trouble!"

Xu Damao shook his head and chatted enthusiastically with the people around him.

Outside the crowd, Yi Zhonghai's face was deathly pale, as if all his strength had been drained away.

Last night they were discussing how to save Sha Zhu, and today... today he's going to be executed?

This won't do!

Sha Zhu was the person he trusted to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days. If he were gone, what would he and his wife do?

His mind went blank, and he turned and walked away, his steps quickening until he was almost running out of the factory gate.

"Yi Zhonghai! It's almost time for work, where are you going?"

Xu Damao's shout came from behind.

Yi Zhonghai ignored him and charged forward with his head down.

I ran all the way, panting as I rushed into the courtyard.

Everyone who went to work has left, and everyone who went to school has left; the courtyard is completely empty.

Only the deaf old woman and Jia Dongxu, along with a few other idle people, stayed in their rooms.

Yi Zhonghai went straight to the backyard and pushed open the door of the deaf old woman.

"Something's happened!"

He leaned against the door frame, panting heavily, his face deathly pale.

"I...I just heard at the factory...Sha Zhu got sentenced! He'll be executed in a month!"

The deaf old woman was stunned.

"How could it be so fast?"

"I don't know... Anyway, we have to figure something out quickly!"

Yi Zhonghai was extremely anxious.

"He Daqing! Go and call He Daqing back right now! He has to help with his son's matter!"

"The letter has been written..."

"Writing letters is too slow!"

The deaf old woman suddenly stood up.

"Go find He Yushui! Have her make a phone call! Tell He Daqing to come back tonight!"

"Okay! I'll go right now!"

Yi Zhonghai turned and ran.

Jia Zhangshi had been listening intently to what was happening, and when she heard the words "execution," she was startled.

She huddled inside the room, muttering curses under her breath.

"That idiot Zhu, what a fool! Of all things to steal, he had to steal some inedible and worthless document, and he's got himself killed!"

As she continued to scold, she suddenly felt sorry for him.

"A few dozen yuan a month... Even if I lost my job and stayed home, I could at least earn some money to help support our family... Now it's all gone!"

She pounded her chest, her heart aching with pain.

In her eyes, Sha Zhu was just a long-term meal ticket.

As long as someone is alive, even helping with household chores or taking care of the elderly and children is fine.

Now that the person is inside, the entire family's burden rests on her shoulders.

"The deaf old lady and her family are more anxious than we are; they might be able to come up with a solution."

Jia Dongxu lay beside him and responded weakly.

They had tried every means to pin the blame on Sha Zhu, but now they realized that if Sha Zhu were really gone, it wouldn't work either.

For a moment, none of them could quite describe the feeling in their hearts.

in the afternoon.

He Yushui was completely stunned when she received the news.

She stood there blankly, her eyes slowly reddening.

"An old man...my brother..."

"Stop asking, just call your dad right now!"

Yi Zhonghai was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

"Have him come back as soon as possible!"

He Yushui wiped away her tears, nodded vigorously, and turned to run away.

evening.

Xu Damao carried a chicken and hummed a little tune as he entered the courtyard.

He bought that chicken at a high price from the supply and marketing cooperative; he might not even get to eat it once a month normally.

But this chicken isn't for me.

"Xu Damao, bought chickens? Got paid your salary?"

A neighbor saw him and greeted him with a smile.

Xu Damao shook the chicken in his hand, unable to stop smiling.

"Celebrate! Didn't you all already know? Stupid Zhu's going to get shot!"

He paused, a hint of pleasure flashing in his eyes.