Siheyuan: Sap is the last word

Chapter 1096 Recruiting

He Yudong raised his head and looked at the man, his eyes full of hope.

The man continued, "I know a boss who is hiring. Go and give it a try! As long as you're willing to work hard, you can make a lot of money in a month!"

He Yudong looked at the man gratefully and said, "Thank you, brother."

The man waved his hand and said, "Why thank me? We are all men, and we should help each other."

He Yudong followed the man out of the bar and came to a factory. The man took him to find the boss, who looked at He Yudong and asked, "What can you do?"

He Yudong thought for a moment and said, "I can cook."

The boss was immediately interested when he heard this and said, "You can cook? That's great! Our factory is in need of a chef! Come to work tomorrow!"

He Yudong didn't expect things to go so smoothly. He nodded excitedly and said, "Thank you, boss!"

In this way, He Yudong began his new life. He worked hard in the factory and soon won the appreciation of his boss. His salary was getting higher and higher, and his life was getting better and better.

He began to forget Qin Huairu, forget Sha Zhu, and forget everything in the past.

He thought he had started a new life, but he didn't know that the gears of fate had already started turning and a bigger storm was about to come...

In the factory canteen kitchen, He Yudong was sweating profusely as he stir-fried a large pot of food. The sound of the spatula hitting the iron pot was like the fire of hope that was gradually burning in him. He worked hard, hoping to wash away the shame of the past with his hard work and start his life anew.

One day, he was busy in the kitchen when he heard a commotion outside. He curiously poked his head out and saw a well-dressed woman walking in, followed by two burly men.

The woman had a graceful figure and delicate makeup, and it was obvious that she was not an ordinary worker. She looked around the cafeteria and her eyes finally fell on He Yudong.

"Are you He Yudong?" The woman asked in a haughty tone with a hint of disdain.

He Yudong was stunned for a moment and nodded.

The woman walked up to him, looked him up and down, and sneered: "Are you the fool who was fooled by Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu?"

He Yudong's face changed and he clenched the spatula in his hand.

The woman continued, "My name is Lou Xiao'e, Sha Zhu's ex-wife. I came here to tell you that Sha Zhu is having a hard time now. Qin Huairu cheated him out of all his money, and now he has nothing and is living on the streets like a stray dog."

He Yudong felt mixed emotions; he didn't expect Sha Zhu to end up in such a situation.

Lou Xiao'e looked at He Yudong's expression, a hint of pride flashed in her eyes, and continued: "I know you still hate Sha Zhu in your heart, but now, he has received the punishment he deserves. You should be happy."

He Yudong was silent. He didn't know what to say.

Lou Xiao'e suddenly moved closer to him and whispered, "He Yudong, do you want to take revenge on Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu?"

He Yudong suddenly raised his head and looked at Lou Xiaoe, his eyes full of confusion and... a hint of expectation.

He Yudong walked mechanically and left the courtyard. The night was dark and the street lights were dim, stretching his figure long, like a wandering ghost. He walked aimlessly, his mind was blank, and the words of the deaf old lady echoed in his ears like a spell: "Leave here and start your life again."

Starting over? Easier said than done. He had given all his savings to Qin Huairu's family. Now he was penniless and alone, like a plucked chicken, pitiful and ridiculous. He smiled bitterly, and the laughter sounded particularly desolate in the silent night.

He walked to a bridge hole, where a few homeless people gathered. They were ragged and dirty, with numbness and despair in their eyes. He Yudong hesitated for a moment, but still walked over.

"Hey, buddy, are you new here?" asked a bearded homeless man with a hint of caution in his tone.

He Yudong nodded and said nothing.

"Where are you from? What did you do before?" asked another homeless man.

"The cook at the steel rolling mill." He Yudong said in a low voice.

"Cook? How did you end up like this?"

He Yudong was silent. He didn't want to mention Qin Huairu, nor did he want to mention the past events that broke his heart.

"Forget it, let's not talk about it." The bearded man said, "Under this bridge, everyone is the same, all abandoned by life."

He Yudong found a corner under the bridge and curled up to lie down. The cold wind blew through the bridge and he shivered. He thought of the days in the courtyard house. Although life was tight, at least there was a place to shelter from the wind and rain and a hot meal to eat. Now, he has nothing.

He thought of Qin Huairu, her charming smile, her gentle words. He once thought that she loved him and was grateful for him. But now he realized that she only loved his money and his efforts. He was like a fool, being played around by her, and ended up with nothing.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, the more wronged he felt, and tears could not stop flowing. He hated Qin Huairu, hated her ruthlessness and greed. He also hated Sha Zhu, hated his insidiousness and cunningness, and hated his calculations everywhere.

He hated himself even more, hated his stupidity, hated his cowardice. Why didn't he see Qin Huairu's true face earlier? Why didn't he leave this place of trouble earlier?

He lay on the cold ground, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. He didn't know where his future lay, nor did he know what to do.

The next morning, He Yudong was awakened by a loud noise. He opened his eyes and saw several homeless people fighting for a moldy steamed bun. He sighed and got up from the ground.

"Dude, what are your plans for today?" he asked.

"What else can we do? Beg for food." The bearded man said, "If you're lucky, you can get a few steamed buns. If you're unlucky, you'll have to starve."

He Yudong followed them out to beg for food. He walked on the street, watching the people coming and going, and his heart was filled with bitterness. He used to be a decent man, a respected cook, but now he has fallen to the point of begging on the street.

He walked to the door of a restaurant and saw people coming and going inside. He hesitated for a moment, but still walked in.

"Sir, what would you like to order?" the waiter asked enthusiastically.

He Yudong looked at the dazzling array of dishes and his stomach growled. He swallowed and said, "Give me a bowl of noodles."

"Okay, sir, please wait a moment."

He Yudong sat in a corner, watching other guests eating and drinking, and his heart was full of envy. He recalled the days when he worked in the steel mill, he could eat delicious meals every day, but now even a bowl of noodles has become a luxury.

The noodles were served, and He Yudong devoured them voraciously. He ate them quickly and anxiously, like a starving ghost reincarnated.

"Eat slowly, don't choke." A voice sounded in his ear.

He Yudong looked up and saw a man in a suit standing in front of him.

"Who are you?" He Yudong asked puzzledly.

"I'm Director Li, from the Personnel Department of the Steel Mill," the man said. "I heard that you were here, so I came to look for you."

He Yudong was stunned. He didn't expect that even after he fell to this point, there were still people who remembered him.

"Director Li, what do you want to talk to me about?" He Yudong asked.

"The factory is short of a cook now, and I would like to invite you back," said Director Li.

He Yudong's eyes widened, he couldn't believe his ears.

"Really?" he asked.

"Of course it's true." Director Li smiled, "Everyone in the factory still remembers the dishes you cooked, and they all want you to come back."

He Yudong's tears flowed down and he was so excited that he couldn't speak.

"But..." Director Li paused and said, "The factory has a condition."

He Yudong's heart skipped a beat, and he had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.

"What conditions?" he asked.

"You have to marry the factory director's youngest daughter," Director Li said.

He Yudong walked aimlessly on the street, the cold wind cutting his face like a knife, but he didn't feel any pain. His heart was colder than the cold wind on this winter night.

As he walked, he came to a tavern. He went in, ordered a bottle of wine, and drank it alone in silence.

The pub was noisy, with people talking and laughing loudly, playing drinking games, but he seemed to be in another world, and everything around him had nothing to do with him.

He drank one glass after another, and the wine burned his throat and his heart like fire.

He thought of his past dreams and his past pride, but now they were all shattered.

He hated Qin Huairu, hated her ruthlessness, and hated her deception.

He also hated Sha Zhu, hated his complacency, and hated his arrogance.

I hate himself even more, hate his stupidity, and hate his cowardice.

He was drunk, slumped over the table, and kept muttering, "Why? Why?"

At this moment, a voice sounded in his ear: "Brother, what's wrong with you?"

He Yudong raised his head and vaguely saw a man standing in front of him.

The man was tall, dressed simply, and had a look of concern on his face.

He Yudong looked at the man and suddenly felt very wronged, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

“Brother,” the man patted his shoulder, “if you have anything to say, just say it. Don’t keep it in your heart.”

He Yudong choked up and told the man what had happened to him.

After listening to this, the man was silent for a moment, and then said, "Brother, you are so stupid."

He Yudong raised his head and looked at the man, his eyes full of confusion.

The man smiled and said, "Do you think that if you drive away Sha Zhu, you can get Qin Huairu's love? You are wrong. Qin Huairu has never loved you or Sha Zhu, but herself."

He Yudong was stunned. He had never thought about this question before.

The man continued, "Do you think that if you beat Sha Zhu, you can become the master of this house? You are wrong. This house has never belonged to you or Sha Zhu, but to Qin Huairu."

He Yudong's face turned pale. He finally realized that he had been living a lie.

He thought he won, but in fact he won nothing.

He lost, completely.

He lost everything, including himself.

The man looked at He Yudong with eyes full of pity.

"Brother," he said, "go away. Leave this courtyard, leave this sad place."

He Yudong looked at the man, his eyes full of struggle.

"But where else can I go?" he asked.

The man smiled and said, "The world is big, and anywhere is your home. You have strength, and you can survive anywhere."

He Yudong was silent. He didn't know whether he should believe the man's words.

The man stood up and said, "Brother, remember my words, leave here and start your life again. Don't waste your time and emotions on people who are not worth it."

After saying that, the man turned and left, disappearing into the crowd.

He Yudong sat there, looking at the direction the man left, his heart full of confusion.