When Xu Damao arrived at the courtyard with his wife on his bicycle, they heard Jia Zhangshi's mournful cries from the middle courtyard. Having lost her husband young and her son in middle age, regardless of her character, she clearly had genuine affection for her son.

Upon hearing that voice, Wang Minzhi, who was sitting behind Xu Damao and supporting his waist, involuntarily tightened her grip, and Xu Damao also sighed.

In the front yard, apart from a few children, there wasn't a single adult; they'd probably all gone to help out in the middle yard. In Beijing at that time, customs were actually quite similar to those in the countryside: when there were weddings or funerals, neighbors would all come to help.

Xu Damao parked his bicycle directly in front of Yan Fugui's house in the front yard and led Wang Minzhi towards the middle courtyard. Upon entering, they found themselves surrounded by neighbors. The once spacious area had been transformed into a mourning hall; Qin Huairu and her two children were kneeling on the ground, while Jia Zhangshi sat cross-legged.

"Da Mao, Min Zhi, you're back." Familiar neighbors greeted Xu Da Mao in hushed tones.

Xu Damao and his companion walked directly toward Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi.

"Aunt Jia, sister-in-law, please accept my condolences." At this moment, this was all Xu Damao could say.

Previously, Xu Damao had watched that TV series and felt utterly disgusted by characters like Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu. But now, experiencing it firsthand, Xu Damao didn't believe anyone else could have done better in their situation.

Qin Huairu's eyes were vacant. When she saw the person who came, she only bowed to him with her child as usual. Jia Zhangshi, on the other hand, was more emotional, and her crying, which had been weakening, became much louder.

"Da Mao, why did you rush back? We were thinking of sending someone to inform you." At this moment, Liu Haizhong led Xu Da Mao and Wang Minzhi to a place where people could rest.

Today, Yi Zhonghai was completely devastated and is still in bed. The situation now falls to Liu Haizhong. At least he understands the priorities, and Liu Haizhong hasn't caused any trouble.

“Minzhi notified me, so I rushed back immediately. We took leave together to come here. Is there anything else we can help with?” Xu Damao asked.

"Nothing for now. Here, you can rest there for a bit, and I'll arrange things for you later if anything comes up. Oh, and go register with Lao Yan first." Liu Haizhong pointed to Yan Fugui, who was sitting to the side.

Xu Damao registered the gifts with Yan Fugui and then sat down to chat. Old Yan told him that the compound had already sent people to inform Jia Zhangshi's family and Qin Huairu's family. They would discuss the Jia family's future together after they arrived.

That's true. The family in the compound can help with Jia Dongxu's funeral arrangements, but since it involves two widows and several children, the decision still needs to be made by the uncle.

And so, Xu Damao didn't return to the branch factory for the next few days, instead helping out here. With the help of everyone in the compound, Jia Dongxu's matter was considered resolved, and Jia Dongxu was effectively removed from the workforce.

But the real problems begin after it's over.

The two families, Qin Huairu's maternal family and Jia Zhangshi's maternal family, got into a fight in the courtyard.

It turned out that after everyone in the compound left, Qin Huairu's brother learned that Jia Dongxu's various pensions and compensations totaled 700 yuan, but they were all controlled by Jia Zhangshi, and his sister hadn't received a single penny.

“Grandma Banggeng, now that Dongxu is gone, this family depends on Huairu. Huairu will have to work to support the whole family in the future. But what kind of behavior is it to hoard all of Dongxu's money like this? How are Huairu and the children supposed to live?”

Qin Huairu's brother was a prominent figure in the village, and he couldn't stand by and watch his sister be bullied like this. Previously, the Jia family looked down on the Qin family, considering them to be just country bumpkins, and Qin Huairu didn't know much about her family either, but blood is thicker than water after all.

"Xiao Qin, what you're saying isn't right. Now that Dongxu isn't here, my sister is the one in charge of the family, so how could it be your sister's turn? Besides, are you trying to get a share of the money? Dongxu just left, and you're already having these wicked thoughts. What exactly are you planning?"

Jia Zhangshi's younger brother was no pushover either. His Zhang family had always been unwilling to be subservient to others and acted unpredictably. Sure enough, he directly accused the other party of wanting a share of the family property.

"What nonsense are you talking about? My sister is raising two children on her own, and she's pregnant with another one. How can she survive without a penny to her name? What's the point of the factory's compensation? It's just for the children to live on."

“That was earned with my nephew’s life. You think I don’t know that once you get the money, it goes straight to the Qin family? Let me tell you, with me around, you won’t get away with this.”

The two families exchanged insults, each with their own points. Later, not satisfied with just verbal sparring, they resorted to physical violence. Fortunately, everyone in the compound was home and came over upon hearing the commotion, pulling the two apart together.

In the end, it was Yan Fugui who had someone pull Yi Zhonghai off the bed. It wasn't that others couldn't handle the matter, but rather that Yi Zhonghai had always been close to the Jia family, and if he didn't step in, no one else would want to get involved.

Later, Yi Zhonghai arrived at the Jia family's house and discussed the matter with both sides until late into the night. No one else knew the outcome, but the Jia family was no longer arguing or crying.

-------------------------------------

Life must go on, just like the Jia family and Xu Damao.

Not long after returning to the No. 1 factory, Xu Damao sensed that others treated him differently. It was a contradictory look in their eyes—a look that was both intimate and distant, yet also filled with a desire to get closer.

Until one day, Gao Yan stopped Xu Damao.

"Section Chief Xu, when you get to the main factory, don't forget the brothers and sisters you fought alongside." Gao Yan smiled, her maturity tinged with shyness.

Xu Damao wondered who had spread this false information. The fact that the branch factory knew meant that even more people at the head office knew.

These kinds of rumors are the most interesting in the workplace. You might think they're false, but they usually come from HR, possibly just a verbal message from a manager, so they have a certain degree of truth to them.

You say it's true, but often the final result is quite different from, or even completely opposite to, the version that was previously circulated.

But one thing is certain: whoever gets the most gossip will inevitably become a target for others. During a job reshuffle, many people watch with bated breath, wondering why you're the one who gets the boss's favor. So, before the final results are announced, there will always be unexpected twists and turns.

Perhaps, Xu Damao has now become the target in other people's eyes.

"Sister Gao, you believe these lies too? I also heard that you're going to the main factory, is that true or false?" Xu Damao said with a smile.

"You still won't admit it. I guess my sister will stay in Tongzhou for the rest of her life. My family is all here, and I'm not going anywhere else." To Xu Damao's surprise, Gao Yan gave him the answer directly.

"What are you looking at? You didn't expect this, did you? Even I didn't expect it. I've done a lot of bad things in my life, and I've wronged my family and my children."

"But as long as I'm here, I have room to make amends. If I leave, I'll never have another chance in this lifetime." With that, Gao Yan left gracefully.

Gao Yan left, but Xu Damao was thinking to himself, "This is damn trapping me!"