Chapter 372 Begging for mercy
The summer in Beijing this year has been unbearably hot. It has been autumn for a long time, but everyone is still sweating profusely.

Anyone who has lived in the capital city knows that among the four seasons, the winter is too cold, the spring is windy, the summer is unbearably hot, and only autumn is the golden season of the capital city.

Get up in the morning, make a bowl of strong tea, and sit in the yard. You can see the very high and very green sky, and hear the sound of trained pigeons flying under the blue world.

From under the leaves of the locust tree, counting the rays of sunlight that leak out to the east, or in the broken wall, quietly facing the blue trumpet-like morning glory flowers, you can naturally feel the autumn atmosphere.

There has been a lot of rain this year, from the hottest summer to the beginning of autumn.

It rained continuously last week. This week, the only good days were from Friday to Monday. Next week, it will be cloudy and rainy again.

Today is Sunday. The sky was still bright and blue in the early morning and morning hours. However, it was suddenly covered with dark clouds in the afternoon. Then, a heavy rain poured down, as if the floodgates of the sky were suddenly opened.

By the time this sudden rain gradually stopped, the sky had quietly turned to evening, and the afterglow of the setting sun cast mottled light and shadows on the wet ground.

After the cool night of the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, children begin to happily prepare for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Yan Zhaodi brought several children from the yard, holding graceful lotus lanterns, and danced lightly in the front yard, singing: "Lotus lantern, lotus lantern, light it today and throw it away tomorrow..."

Taking advantage of this rare moment of coolness, the entire court held a meeting in the Central Courtyard to discuss the matter of Banggeng stealing the chicken.

"If you don't learn well at such a young age, what will happen to you when you grow up?" The three uncles in charge of the courtyard sat together again, each holding a palm-leaf fan and gently waving it. Below them were the neighbors who came to attend the meeting.

The neighbors were talking about it. "That's right. As the saying goes, if a child steals a needle when he is young, he will steal gold when he grows up. If this child is not disciplined strictly, I'm afraid he will follow in his mother's footsteps and end up in prison or shot."

"Hey! Who says it's not true? This is a matter of upbringing. What good can this child do if he is raised by Jia Zhang?"

"Alas! A child without a father or a mother is actually quite pitiful. I think we should just forget about it!"

"How can you think like that? If we don't take care of him anymore, none of us will have peace in the future!"

Banggeng was completely panicked. In the past, his mother always protected him when he made mistakes, but now he can only bear the consequences alone.

As for his grandmother, she didn't even dare to breathe at this moment, for fear of getting burned.

"Wuwuwu... Dear uncles and aunts, I...I will never dare to steal anything again..."

"Please spare Banggeng this time! Woo woo..." He was also scared now.

Seeing this, Jia Zhang hugged the stick tightly, lowered her head, stood in front of everyone, and sincerely admitted her mistake. Her posture was humble and her attitude was relatively positive.

She had to be proactive, because the Jia family was now notorious and had a bad reputation that could be heard ten miles away.

Jia Zhang was filled with worries, fearing that the neighbors would kick her and her widow out of the house. She would rather be beaten to death than go back to her hometown to eat coarse food.

Yan Bugui frowned and said to Xu Damao bluntly: "Xu Damao, as the victim, tell me, how should this matter be handled?"

Xu Damao glared at Bang Geng fiercely and was about to say, "I think..." But when the words came to his lips, Lou Xiaoe gently tugged at his sleeve, interrupting him.

"What are you pulling me for?"

Lou Xiao'e whispered, "Da Mao, I think we should just forget about it. Our family doesn't need this much."

"Their family is already in such a miserable state, let's just cut them some slack for a while..."

Xu Damao opened his mouth and finally said, "Forget it, let's just consider it bad luck."

"Uncle, I think we should just forget about this matter. After all, the chicken was eaten by the third kid, and there's no point in pursuing the matter further. Considering his family's situation, I feel bad about it and can't bear it. Why not let Banggeng apologize to Zhuzi and admit his mistake, and then the matter will be over, okay?" As he said this, he glanced at Sha Zhu provocatively.

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui narrowed his eyes slightly, raised a smile at the corner of his mouth, and praised: "Xu Damao, it seems that you have really made some progress. Well, you still have some conscience."

"Silly, what do you say?"

Sha Zhu is not a person who gives in easily, especially when facing the provocation of Xu Damao. He smiled calmly and said to Yan Bugui: "Uncle, don't worry, I don't feel any resentment in my heart. It's just a bite from Banggeng, it's a small matter and not worth worrying about. Banggeng is still young, let's be magnanimous and let him go!" After that, he put on an open-minded look, showing how broad-minded he is.

"Well, Zhuzi, let's forget about this matter!" Yan Bugui said.

Then, he whispered a few words to Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong.

"Ahem..." Liu Haizhong coughed twice, attracting everyone's attention, and then pretended to be serious and said, "Bang Geng, although your uncle Xu and uncle He were generous and didn't bother with you this time, your act of stealing is really bad and cannot be tolerated. You must be punished accordingly, so that you can reflect deeply and remember the lesson."

"You will be punished to help your uncle Xu feed the chickens. You need to search for the food for the chickens yourself. Your mission will only be completed when these two hens stop laying eggs. Do you understand?"

Banggeng is no longer a child now. He is already a twelve-year-old boy and has entered the ranks of a grown man. There are some things that cannot be treated as a child.

He thought he had gotten into big trouble this time. Not only had he stolen the chicken from Xu Damao's house, but he had also bitten Sha Zhu. Everyone would definitely not let him off easily.

However, the development of the situation was unexpected, and Banggeng only received such a light punishment in the end. It was fortunately the best outcome.

"Uncle Liu, I have no objection, woo woo... I will never dare to steal anything again..."

"Well, you admit your mistakes and correct them. You will be a good kid in the future!" Liu Haizhong nodded.

"However, this is still due to the current financial difficulties of the Jia family. The old and young in their family have lost their source of income..."

Yi Zhonghai nodded slightly, turned his gaze to Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong, and said concisely: "Shouldn't we think about how to give them a hand and give them a helping hand?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui frowned and asked, "How can we help? Should we suggest that everyone donate money to her family?"

When Liu Haizhong heard about the donation, he said unhappily: "Donation? I think we should forget about it. As the saying goes, we can only help in emergencies but not in poverty. How long can we help them? In the long run, this is not a wise move. I have reservations."

Yan Bugui echoed, "That's right. We don't know how Qin Huairu is doing now. What if she committed a serious crime and can't get out for a while? We can't take care of the Jia family forever, right?"

Yi Zhonghai sighed softly, his tone revealing helplessness: "It's really tricky. How about we try to contact the street office or the leaders of our factory? After all, given her family's situation, the government should lend a helping hand and not just sit back and do nothing, right?"

"Indeed, what you said makes sense. The mistakes made by adults should not affect innocent children. How can we sit idly by and watch their family fall into despair?"

"How about this, we will split up tomorrow. You two go to the Red Star Factory and find the leadership to explain the Jia family's problems in detail, and strive to gain understanding and support; I will go to the street office to report the Jia family's situation and make sure to find a way out for the old and young in the Jia family as soon as possible." Yan Bugui made a decisive decision.

"I agree!" "Agree!"

…………

The next day, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong worked side by side for a rare occasion. As soon as they arrived at their posts in the morning, they went straight to the factory committee office and jointly requested to meet with the factory director.

Director Yang had recently defeated his biggest competitor and was in a very good mood. When he heard that a worker wanted to report the situation, he agreed without hesitation and immediately asked his secretary to lead Yi and Liu to his office for a face-to-face in-depth exchange.

"Director, let me introduce two technical elites. This is Master Yi Zhonghai, an eighth-level fitter master in our factory with superb skills; next to him is Master Liu Haizhong, a seventh-level forging master, who is also an indispensable technical expert in our factory." Secretary Xiao Luo introduced to Yang Shulin in a concise manner.

Upon hearing this, Director Yang quickly stood up from the sofa, walked forward with full enthusiasm, and shook hands tightly with Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, showing his usual demeanor and sincerity.

"Hello, Factory Director!" Yi and Liu could not hide their excitement and blurted out the words almost at the same time. This was the first time in their lives that they had received a private meeting with such a high-level leader, and their hearts were filled with indescribable excitement and anticipation.

"Hello, welcome to the two workers who came to report the situation."

"Please sit down, let's talk while we chat, don't be restrained. How about some tea?" Director Yang said in a warm tone, motioning for the two to sit down, and then personally poured tea for them. His every move revealed his easy-going and approachable nature, which instantly made the atmosphere much more relaxed.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were shocked and stood up quickly, looking somewhat at a loss. They said quickly, "Director, this... I really don't deserve it. We can do it ourselves, we can do it ourselves!"

Director Yang waved his hand to them, signaling them to take their seats. "Hey, don't mind these little things. After all, I am also a public servant of the people. What's wrong with serving tea and water to comrades fighting on the front line?"

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong looked at each other, and the anxiety in their hearts instantly disappeared. They thought to themselves: "This Director Yang is really as good as his reputation says. He is very approachable and a rare good leader."

Looking up again, they noticed a large calligraphy hanging in Director Yang's office: "Serve the People!" This line of words was vigorous and powerful, which instantly calmed their hearts and made them more convinced that they would most likely get what they wanted if they came to seek the leadership's response today.

Director Yang noticed that the two of them were obviously much more relaxed, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He asked directly and concisely: "According to Secretary Luo, are the two masters here to report something to me?"

Seeing that the two were hesitant, he comforted them and said, "It's okay, both masters, just speak boldly. It doesn't matter if you are wrong. After all, our party does not punish people for their speech!"

Yi Zhonghai cast a look at Liu Haizhong, signaling him to speak, but Liu Haizhong lowered his voice and asked back: "Why don't you say it first, and why do you have to push it to me?"

Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice and said sarcastically, "Aren't you quite eloquent? You usually love to be in the spotlight, but why do you become cowardly at the critical moment?"

Liu Haizhong was provoked, and he blurted out: "Okay, I'll tell you what I want to say!" Then he turned to Director Yang and said with a cautious tone: "Director, this is what happened. Our neighbor in the yard, Qin Huairu, was also involved in Li Huaide's case, and now..."

Yi Zhonghai echoed from the side, "Indeed, Director, their family is in a miserable situation now. The elderly are old, the children are still young, and there is no adult male support in the family. The only economic supporter is Qin Huairu, and she was arrested for making a mistake."

"As for what Qin Huairu did wrong, we still don't know. If her fault is not unforgivable, can our factory take her family's situation into consideration and give her a break..."

When Director Yang heard that these two people came to plead for the people involved in the case, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. The case of Li Huaide was complicated and a single move would affect the entire body. How could he dare not agree easily?

If he agreed to let Qin Huairu go today, how could he let more people involved in the case off tomorrow? He had to be extremely careful about the interests involved.

Director Yang frowned, thought for a moment, and then gave his secretary Xiao Luo a concise instruction: "Please ask Director Sun, the security director, to come over and tell him that I need to discuss the case with him in detail."

Secretary Xiao Luo nodded immediately and said, "Okay, Director! I'll contact Director Sun right away!"

Director Yang turned to Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong and said succinctly: "Masters, please be patient and let me learn about Qin Huairu's detailed condition first."

After a short delay, Security Director Sun Li came to report on his work.

"Director, I'm here!" Sun Li walked into the office and glanced around the room. He was surprised to find that there were other people present, and those two people looked quite familiar to him.

Sun Li looked carefully. Aren't these the two stewards from the same courtyard as Liu Zhiye? He was puzzled as to why these two people were here.

Director Yang waved gently to Sun Li, indicating that he should sit down with him.

"Director Sun, I invited you here because I want to learn some details about Li Huaide's case. Have you heard anything about Qin Huairu? What role did she play in the whole incident?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Li quickly glanced at Liu Yi and the other man, then turned his gaze to Director Yang.

Director Yang nodded slightly and encouraged him, "It's okay. Just tell us what you can say briefly."

Sun Li had no choice but to say, "The case is currently under trial. I hope that the two comrades will keep the secret strictly after returning." After saying that, he cast a solemn and firm look at Yi and Liu.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong hurriedly replied: "Please rest assured, leader, we will keep the secret strictly when we return and will not disclose any information."

Sun Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly opened the briefcase he was carrying, accurately found Qin Huairu's information, and said calmly, "Director, the situation regarding Qin Huairu is not big, but it is not small either."

"According to in-depth investigation, she became Li Huaide's lover voluntarily and was not forced like other women involved in the case. What's more complicated is that she was also involved in a series of illegal activities of Li Huaide..."

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's faces suddenly changed when they heard this. They had never expected Qin Huairu to be so courageous and act so well. They asked in unison, "Is it possible to get a lighter sentence for her behavior?"

Sun Li sneered in his heart and thought to himself, "What good things are you thinking? Even if Qin Huairu's crime is relatively minor, she can't get away with it easily. If she dares to frame our Liu, she should be prepared to bear the consequences. Humph, I will never let her have a good ending."

Sun Li sighed and said bluntly: "Escape? That's simply wishful thinking. It's a blessing to be able to hope for a light sentence. As a key figure in the Li Huaide case, she has been taken away by the relevant departments. It's hard to predict what will happen in the future!"

"Ah?" Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong looked at each other in astonishment. "Leader, this... what should we do now? The Jia family cannot do without Qin Huairu. She is the only labor force of the Jia family. The children of the Jia family cannot be without their mother at such a young age..."

Director Yang saw how anxious the two men were and calmly said, "Don't worry, Masters. There are always more solutions than problems. Let me think about it first."

Director Yang hesitated for a moment and said bluntly, "The Jia family is in a very difficult situation. They can't survive without income. How about this? We can temporarily transfer Qin Huairu's job to her relative. At least we can add some income. What do you think?"

Yi Zhonghai said bluntly: "This is a good idea, but Jia Zhang is over fifty years old, her youngest granddaughter is not even three years old, and her eldest grandson is only twelve years old. I do have some doubts about whether she can take over the job."

Director Yang gently consoled her, "You might as well go back and counsel her. She is in her fifties and still in her prime. How can she be considered old? Helping out in the logistics department is easy and comfortable, and she doesn't need to work hard on the front line."

"Although the children are a concern, the older one is already 12 years old and has teachers at school to take good care of him. The younger one can also be sent to a nursery, so there is no need to worry too much."

"Well... well, let's go back and discuss it with Jia Zhang." Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong knew Jia Zhang's temper very well. This person has always been greedy for comfort and lazy by nature.

Not to mention that she had already started to retire when she was over 50 years old, even when she was young, she was not willing to work.

Because of this, after Lao Jia passed away, she naturally chose the most comfortable lifestyle.

Director Yang said earnestly: "According to common sense, Qin Huairu's position should not be taken over by her family because she violated laws and disciplines. However, in view of her family's actual difficulties, this arrangement is a special consideration. I hope you can tell her family to think carefully and make a prudent decision."

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong responded quickly and sincerely: "Thank you, Director! On behalf of the entire Jia family, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to you!" After that, the two stood up and bowed deeply to Director Yang to show their respect.

Director Yang quickly stood up, supported himself with both hands, and said repeatedly: "Two masters, this is not allowed. There is really no need to do this. This is my job and I should do it."

(End of this chapter)