Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1038 Qin Huairu is angry and no one is there to help her.

Gu Nan threw the used diaper into the basin and said in a flat tone, "It's none of our business, so we don't need to worry about it. Bang Geng is used to being a bully in the yard, and the neighbors have suffered a lot because of him. It's good for him to go to the countryside to gain some experience. He can't stay in the yard and be a menace forever."

Ran Qiuye was amused by his words and lowered her head to pinch her daughter's rosy cheeks: "You, you still speak so bluntly. But then again, the Jia family, their minds are never on the right track. They used to love scheming about this family and that family, and now that they're in trouble, instead of thinking of their own solutions, they just know how to ask others for help. Who can stand that?"

As she spoke, she placed the baby in the cradle and gently rocked him. The little one yawned, closed his eyes, and fell soundly asleep. Only the soft rocking of the cradle remained in the room; Qin Huairu's cries outside the courtyard were long gone, as if the whole farce had never happened. For Gu Nan and Ran Qiuye, living their own little life was more important than anything else.

Qin Huairu was still crying outside, her sobs intermittent, like a leaky bellows, carrying a stubbornness that wouldn't give up until she hit a wall. She squatted on the stone steps in front of Gu Nan's house, covering her face with her hands, tears streaming through her fingers, calculating in her mind: if she cried a little longer, maybe Gu Nan would get annoyed, or Ran Qiuye would take pity on her and be willing to help Bang Geng.

She cried for a long time, her voice becoming so hoarse she could barely speak, but Gu Nan's door remained tightly shut, without a sound, not even a single light was turned on. A few neighbors from the courtyard were drawn out by the crying, peeking out from their doorframes to watch the commotion, but they only whispered a few words to each other before retreating back inside—everyone knew that the Jia family's affairs were troublesome, and once you got involved, you couldn't get rid of them.

"Sigh, what's the Jia family up to now? Crying in the middle of the night, aren't they afraid of disturbing the child?" Aunt Wang, who lives across the street, shook her head and pulled her grandson into the house. "Don't look, what's there to see? It's their own business, always thinking of relying on others, it's not that easy."

Grandpa Liu, squatting on the doorstep, was smoking his pipe. He tapped the pipe against the sole of his shoe, took a couple of puffs, and blew smoke rings. "That's right," he said. "Back then, when Banggeng stole He Yuzhu's chicken, Gu Nan didn't pursue it too much, which was already quite kind of him. Now, going to the countryside is a policy, who can go against it? We can't let Deputy Factory Director Gu break the rules and ruin his own job, can we?"

"Besides," Aunt Wang added, peeking out from the crack in the door, her voice low but clear, "he used to rely on Sha Zhu for help. He'd take a piece of meat today, vegetables tomorrow. Now that Sha Zhu's married and pregnant, he's busy making ends meet. He doesn't have time to deal with his family's mess. He doesn't even think about his own affairs, all he does is cry. What good is that?"

A few comments drifted into Qin Huairu's ears, pricking her heart like needles. Even those who were there to laugh at her couldn't be bothered to stay any longer, since everyone knew the Jia family's character—they loved to take advantage of others and always tried to shift blame onto others when things went wrong. Now that they were crying, no one felt sorry for them; instead, they thought they had brought it on themselves.

She was wiping away her tears with her sleeve, intending to cry a little longer and try her luck, when Yi Zhonghai walked over from the yard with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed like a tangled rope, clearly also annoyed by the crying.

"Qin Huairu, that's enough, stop crying." Yi Zhonghai's voice was tinged with impatience. "Even if you cry until dawn and your voice becomes hoarse, Gu Nan won't help you. I know him; he's very principled and won't easily compromise on policy matters."

Qin Huairu raised her red, swollen eyes, which looked like walnuts, and looked at Yi Zhonghai. Her voice was so choked that it was almost inaudible: "Uncle Yi, what are we going to do if Gu Nan doesn't help our family? Banggeng is still a child. He grew up in the city and can't lift a finger. If he goes to the countryside and has to dig in the ground and feed the pigs every day, won't he be tortured to death? We can't really let him suffer like that, can we?"

Yi Zhonghai sighed, squatted down to look at her, and said in a softer tone, "Gu Nan is out of the question, but it's not entirely hopeless. There's another person in the courtyard who might be able to help."

Qin Huairu's eyes suddenly lit up, like a drowning person grasping at the last straw, and she hurriedly asked, "Who? Who else can help us? Please tell us!"

"He Yuzhu." Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice and glanced in the direction of Gu Nan's house. "Have you forgotten? Sha Zhu is getting close to Deputy Factory Director Li now. He even helped Deputy Factory Director Li organize several banquets a while ago and drank a lot with the leaders. The two of them are on good terms. Go talk to him and ask him to put in a good word for you with Deputy Factory Director Li. Maybe Deputy Factory Director Li can find a way to arrange a temporary job for Bang Geng in the factory. As long as he takes up a spot in the factory, he might be able to avoid being sent to the countryside."

Qin Huairu immediately deflated, shaking her head and wiping away tears: "Uncle Yi, you know perfectly well. Gu Nan won't help us, and He Yuzhu only has Lu Jia in his heart now. How could he care about our family's affairs? A while ago, when I asked him to borrow some grain coupons, he made excuses, saying that he needed to give Lu Jia some tonics. Now Lu Jia is pregnant, and he treats his wife like a treasure. How could he possibly interfere in our family's affairs? Tell me, why is our family so miserable..."

"You don't understand," Yi Zhonghai waved his hand dismissively. "Compared to Gu Nan's stubborn nature, He Yuzhu is much softer-hearted. He's easily swayed and sentimental. You should talk to him properly, mention how much your family helped him in the past, and how Jia Zhangshi even sewed cotton clothes for him. Also, cry about being poor and talk about the hardships of going to the countryside. Maybe he'll soften his heart and agree."

Qin Huairu thought about it and felt that Yi Zhonghai made sense. She suddenly stood up and said, "Then I'll go talk to Sha Zhu right now! We can't delay any longer!"

But she had only taken two steps when Yi Zhonghai grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?" Qin Huairu looked at him in confusion, her eyes filled with urgency. "Didn't you tell me to go find He Yuzhu? Why are you stopping me now?"

Yi Zhonghai glared at her: "Are you out of your mind? It's almost midnight, Lu Jia is definitely at home. She's very shrewd, and she's pregnant. She's protecting Sha Zhu like he's her own child. If you go and talk to her now, do you think she'll let He Yuzhu help you? She might even kick you out and say you're cursing her unborn child, which would only make things worse."

Qin Huairu then realized what had happened and slapped her thigh in frustration: "Oh dear, look at my brain! I was so anxious that I forgot about this!"

“Go back.” Yi Zhonghai waved his hand. “Go to the steel mill first thing tomorrow morning and find He Yuzhu when he’s busy in the canteen. Lu Jia won’t be around then, and he’ll be working alone at the stove with canteen staff all around. Lower your stance and plead with him properly. He’s a grown man, so maybe he’ll be easier to talk to. Think carefully about what to say. Don’t cry and whine, it’ll annoy him and make him lose face.”