Chapter 25: Shazhu Gets Into Trouble

This time, it wasn't just Shazhu who was dumbfounded; even Qin Huairu was dumbfounded. It was just cutting in line, what a big deal, yet they actually wanted to deduct two yuan from her wages.

And there was no room for negotiation on this matter.

The workers queuing behind them saw this pair of scoundrels get their comeuppance, and one by one, they clapped and cheered, applauding Factory Director Yang Feng for his righteous act.

"Factory Director Yang is truly a good factory director who seeks welfare for the people! People like this should be heavily punished!"

"Who's to say otherwise? I've long found this kid He Yuzhu an eyesore. If it weren't for the fact that our factory doesn't have many cooks, he should have been fired!"

"Factory Director Yang is the role model we should learn from!"

"………"

Yang Feng was clearly very pleased with this barrage of flattery, and he immediately stated that he would not be soft on this matter and must severely punish such abominable behavior from Shazhu.

Soon, Shazhu was caught and dealt with seriously.

After the Security Department Director learned the sequence of events and consulted with the leadership, he immediately decided to punish Shazhu.

Not only did he want to make an example of him for the other workers, but he also had to impose a fine.

He even had his secretary write a broadcast script and send it to the Rolling Mill broadcast room for a factory-wide announcement.

"My god, I didn't expect He Yuzhu to get into trouble so quickly?"

Sitting in the broadcast room, Yu Haitang looked at the notice in her hand and revealed a bitter smile. As someone with a clear eye, she naturally knew what Shazhu's behavior meant.

What's more, this time he had run straight into the line of fire.

Skimming food for others was one thing, but this time he actually skimmed it on the Factory Director; it would be hard not to be heavily punished...

"Attention all factory employees, attention all factory employees!"

"Our factory employee, Comrade He Yuzhu, during his tenure at the Canteen, repeatedly skimmed food while serving meals, causing great losses to all workers..."

"We must strongly despise this behavior..."

"First, in terms of spirit, we must..."

"Second, in terms of behavior, we must..."

"Finally, I hope all worker comrades will take this as a warning and not break the law, otherwise, you will face severe punishment!"

"……………"

Yi Zhonghai, who was working diligently in the Workshop, did not yet know what had happened outside, and only understood when he heard the loudspeaker broadcast in the Workshop.

He was so angry that his whole body was trembling. This Shazhu was truly a Liu Adou who couldn't be propped up. Yi Zhonghai had put in no small amount of effort to arrange for Shazhu to serve food in the Canteen.

He had even given many gifts to the leaders above to get Shazhu into that lucrative position. Who could have imagined that such a thing would happen after only a few days?

"The people from the Security Department are bringing He Yuzhu over, everyone come and take a look!"

Someone shouted out.

Yi Zhonghai was suppressing a fire in his heart and followed the crowd outside. Outside, Shazhu's state was already too painful to look at.

"Why am I so unlucky!"

At this moment, Shazhu also had a look of despair. In the twenty-plus years since he was born from his mother's womb, he had never been this embarrassed, not even when he was tied up in an outhouse.

Yi Zhonghai even pretended not to know Shazhu. When Shazhu came over, he covered his old face, terrified that others would recognize him as Shazhu's godfather.

"Hey, hey!"

"Master Yi, what's wrong with you? Someone come! Master Yi has fainted!"

Suddenly, someone shouted in a panic.

Yi Zhonghai couldn't hold on; overcome with rage, he fainted straight away on the spot.

………

Moreover, in order to make it clear that the factory's rules could not be violated, Yang Feng announced on the spot that he would deduct Comrade He Yuzhu's entire month's wages and that he must pay a fine of 20 yuan as funds for the Canteen.

And he stipulated that the fine must be paid in full within two months, otherwise, he would not need to come to work anymore.

At this moment, in the Siheyuan.

Taking advantage of the fact that most people were taking a nap and many were out working, Jia Zhangshi immediately led the four-year-old Bang Geng out to forage for food.

In her younger years, Jia Zhangshi had often borrowed things from other people's homes, and it was only after marrying Lao Jia that this behavior had slightly subsided.

Even so, she still couldn't help but engage in petty theft from time to time.

Now that Lao Jia was gone and Xiao Jia was crippled and unable to move—still in the Hospital and not yet out—even the two-yuan subsidy that should have been received had been deducted.

But the traditional craft could not be lost. After all, in this era, there were no such things as surveillance cameras, and coupled with the fact that people in the Siheyuan hadn't been locking their doors for the past few years, it gave Jia Zhangshi even more opportunities.

"Grandma, which uncle's house are we going to borrow things from today?"

Bang Geng, with a small piece of stove candy in his mouth, hopped on his small legs and asked Jia Zhangshi with slurred speech.

In these past few days, Bang Geng's talent as a Daoist Saint had gradually begun to reveal itself.

He was naturally quite small.

Stealing chickens and dogs was what he was best at.

"Good grandson, the neighbors in this Siheyuan are all a bunch of poor wretches; you can't borrow anything from them."

"Come, Grandma will take you to your Uncle Sha's house to borrow some things today."

Jia Zhangshi held Bang Geng's small hand, looking around to see if anyone noticed the two of them.

After looking around and finding no one, Jia Zhangshi felt relieved and quietly snuck toward the house opposite her own.

Their Jia Family lived in the Middle Courtyard, and there were only two households in the Middle Courtyard: the Jia Family and the He Family Residence.

Shazhu lived in the main room, which was the most luxurious mansion in the Siheyuan, so there was naturally no shortage of good things inside.

Therefore, the target for the mother and son was Shazhu's house.

Usually, He Yushui was at home studying, and even if Jia Zhangshi had the heart, she lacked the strength. But now that Shazhu's younger sister was staying at school, it was the best time to go and "borrow" things.

Last time, when everyone went to Shazhu's house to look for evidence of the plot against Liu Haizhong, Shazhu had said himself that they had several hundred yuan stored in their house. What was originally just a moment of bravado was taken seriously by Jia Zhangshi.

Soon, they snuck into Shazhu's house...

On the other side, it was not until evening that Shazhu's humiliating day finally came to an end.

The Security Department Director looked at Shazhu before him and said bluntly, "Have the fine paid in full by this time tomorrow, do you hear me?"

"Otherwise, if you dare to step one foot through the Rolling Mill gate, I'll break your dog legs! Get out of here!"

The light of youth had already vanished from Shazhu's eyes.

He looked at the Security Department Director and nodded woodenly.

After all, he could still barely manage to come up with these 20 yuan.

Although his household expenses were not small, He Yushui needed money for school, he had to pay for her living expenses, and he also saved a little each month.

He reckoned that, all told, he might have eighty or ninety yuan.

Although 20 yuan was painful to part with, it was still better than being fired from the factory.

"Sigh, why am I so unlucky? Zhao Gangzi is truly my nemesis," Shazhu said, walking out of the Rolling Mill gate and letting out a long howl toward the sky as he watched it grow dark.

"Twenty yuan, how long will I have to scrimp and save to earn that back..."