Scholars in the courtyard.

Chapter 2991 Affection is Worth More Than a Thousand Pounds of Gold
After leaving the meeting room, Yang Xiaotao went into his office.

At this moment, only Lou Xiao'e was in the room. As for Liu Lixue, she was probably at the research institute learning about the progress of various projects.

There were only two people in the room. After Yang Xiaotao sat down, he glanced at Lou Xiao'e and saw that she looked normal, so he lost interest in saying anything.

After all, Sha Zhu and Sha Mao had left their sight a long time ago, and over the years, their feelings had faded.

Just as Yang Xiaotao turned his gaze away and flipped through the documents, Lou Xiao'e lowered her head, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Xu Damao is gone.

This might be a trivial matter to her.

Or perhaps it's a speck of dust settling in your heart, insignificant yet undeniably there.

Or perhaps this speck of dust will only appear when one recalls the past, transforming into a scene, and then, like a film reel, flashing by in an instant.

That's it.

Lou Xiao'e looked up at Yang Xiaotao, who was still engrossed in his work, and then glanced at the cot in the office next to her. She pouted and then lowered her head.

Perhaps, compared to him, Xu Damao is not even worth a grain of sand.

But this person…

In her heart, it was as heavy as a mountain, yet unattainable!

East of the city, a large courtyard.

Qin Jingru got up early, stretched and tidied up the house, then put her hands in the sleeves of her cotton coat and walked towards Qin Huairu's house.

This is nothing out of the ordinary. The two of them come here to help each other out, and they usually eat at the cousin's house.

Qin Jingru was also aware of Qin Huairu's plans.

Isn't it just about partnering up and trying to take advantage?
Isn't it just that the mother and her two children in that family eat a lot and take a lot of food?
It doesn't matter anyway, the two sisters have no other choice, and everyone in the compound knows what's going on.

If you rely on others, they'll probably eat your bones.

Moreover, the two of them didn't even dare to go back to their parents' homes; without any support, they could only huddle together for warmth.

With her hands tucked in her sleeves, Qin Jingru pushed open the door to find Qin Huairu busy cooking.

Looking at the three multigrain pancakes in the pot, I was speechless.

After contributing so much, all I get in the morning is a whole grain pancake. How can anyone be full from that?

However, seeing her cousin's expression, Qin Jingru obediently shut her mouth.

It's freezing cold, and she doesn't want to get up early, much less cook.

It's not a big deal to suffer a little loss like this.

However, we'll discuss everything once Xu Damao comes out.

Having a man in the house always makes me feel more at ease.

That way, we can get out of the current situation.

Of course, Sha Zhu will also appear then.

If it's for the future, then it's not that you can't have a child.

Qin Jingru was making her own plans, and Qin Huairu, who was standing next to her, had almost the same idea.

Not long after she returned last time, she received a message from Sha Zhu through a messenger: he was going to the Northwest to support revolutionary construction, saying he would be cooking for people.

As for when he will return, we don't know yet.

But it will definitely reduce the time.

Maybe he'll be released after the New Year; let him wait.

Qin Huairu had mixed feelings about this.

They both hope that Sha Zhu will be released soon and help her out, because life now is not much better than working in the countryside.

At least in the countryside, you can rest for a while during the off-season.

The children at home are also looked after by the elderly, so I don't have to live such a complicated life.

But she was also worried about Sha Zhu coming out, since she knew what Sha Zhu was thinking.

Especially since she's been with me for so long and there's still no sign of pregnancy, she might already have other ideas.

Moreover, Sha Zhu has left, and we don't know where he went, so the monthly aid will be cut off.

Therefore, Qin Huairu made up her mind that she would marry Sha Zhu when he came back and tie him down firmly.

For now, all we can do is grit our teeth and endure it little by little.

"Sister, they've been gone for a month now, why haven't they sent a single letter?"

Qin Jingru came to the bedside to help Huaihua get dressed, while Xiaodang packed his schoolbag, ready to go to school.

Qin Huairu didn't look up when she heard this. "You think we're going to do chores? We're going to do manual labor."

"They even write letters? It's good enough if they can just pass on a message."

He then opened the pot lid, tasted the pancakes inside, and then closed it again.

Qin Jingru pursed her lips upon hearing this, "Tell me, what if we're gone for several years? What will we do then?"

"Without their help each month, we'd be really struggling to make ends meet."

Qin Huairu listened in silence, but in reality, she had no idea what to do.

"Sis, do you think they'll get paid for the work they do over there?"

Qin Jingru came up and said, "In this village, people who do voluntary labor can earn work points, which can be exchanged for money later."

"They're undertaking such a huge project, surely they have the money!"

"By the way, I also heard from the neighborhood office that the people who went there ate meat and drank mutton soup every day and could eat their fill."

"Sis, do you think they might make money and not want to come back?"

The more Qin Jingru talked, the more worried she became.

Qin Huairu glanced at her irritably, "What are you thinking!"

"Who do they think they are, trying to earn work points?"

"What kind of work points do they earn?"

"At most, we'll have enough to eat and drink, but forget about money!"

Qin Huairu started to criticize, and Qin Jingru, disappointed, went to the side to braid Huaihua's hair.

"Sigh, if only Da Mao had brought some money back, we could have a better budget for the New Year!"

"No need for much, ten or twenty yuan will do!"

Qin Jingru continued talking to herself, while Qin Huairu shook her head, saying, "We're hoping for a good New Year. Whether we can even make it to the New Year is another matter."

"Alright, alright, hurry up and eat. You still have work to do after you finish eating."

"The neighborhood committee complained last time that there were too many fallen leaves on the ground. If we don't clean it up properly, we'll get fined!"

Qin Jingru curled her lip, "Doing such a lousy job, all day long!"

"The wind is so strong now, the leaves are falling from the trees like crazy, what can I do?"

Qin Jingru was just saying it; if her pay were actually deducted, she would be heartbroken.

The two adults and two children sat together. Qin Huairu handed a pancake to Qin Jingru, picked one up for herself, broke it in half, ate half herself, and gave the rest to Huaihua.

Xiao Dang breaks the pancake in half, eating one half in the morning and taking the other half to school.

The group had nothing but flatbread and a bowl of salted cabbage.

"Mom will go buy some meat tonight, and we'll make dumplings!"

Seeing that Xiao Danghua couldn't eat the locust flowers, Qin Huairu comforted her from the side.

The two immediately smiled, while Qin Jingru, standing to the side, pouted again.

The money for the meat will definitely be split in half, but when it comes to dumplings, you can only eat a quarter of them.

loss!

But you can only say it in your heart; you still have to show a happy expression on your face.

The group quickly finished their pancakes, drank some water, and then prepared to leave.

Before I even stepped out of the house, I saw a group of people walking into the courtyard, led by Director Xu from the neighborhood office.

Three young men followed behind her, but Qin Huairu could tell from their clothes that they were from the Ninth Division.

Nothing else, except that the people of the Ninth Division wear shirts with their names embroidered on them, and their pants are basically all imported jeans.

Nowadays, these trousers are not yet common in Beijing; only the staff of the Ninth Department can be issued one pair, and their family members can also wear them.

Qin Huairu led the child out, because Director Xu had already arrived at the door with a solemn expression.

This scene made Qin Huairu subconsciously clutch her sleeve.

Qin Jingru came out from behind and, upon seeing that it was Director Xu from the street office, shrank back cautiously, a look of awe on her face.

"Qin Jingru, they're looking for you!"

Unexpectedly, Director Xu approached her directly.

"Director, I'm here!"

Qin Jingru hurried forward, while Qin Huairu automatically moved aside, wondering what could possibly be on Qin Jingru's mind.

Could it be that you're not doing well at work?
Qin Jingru was also flustered, not daring to even look at Director Xu's expression, and could only lower her head, staring at her toes. The next moment, Director Xu turned around and looked at the two people behind him.

"Officer Wu, this is Xu Damao's wife, Qin Jingru."

After saying that, he looked at Qin Jingru and said, "Qin Jingru, this is Officer Wu from the Ninth Department. He came here specifically to see you!"

After saying that he would step aside, Officer Wu stepped forward, looked him over, and then said, "I need your marriage certificate with Xu Damao!"

Qin Jingru was taken aback, not knowing what the other party meant.

But Director Xu reacted quickly, saying directly, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and find the marriage certificate!"

Qin Jingru realized what was happening and hurriedly ran into the house.

A moment later, Qin Jingru took out a slightly crumpled yellow paper and handed it to Officer Wu.

If it weren't for needing this piece of paper during the divorce proceedings, she would have thrown it into the stove to start a fire long ago.

Now that it's out, Qin Jingru is actually somewhat relieved.

After confirming the marriage certificate, Officer Wu nodded to a security guard behind him.

The latter opened the notebook, found Xu Damao's entry, and then wrote down the name of his wife, Qin Jingru.

"Sign and leave your fingerprint!"

Officer Wu didn't say much, but simply asked Qin Jingru to sign and put her fingerprint on the document.

This is not the first one.

The people who came before were devastated upon hearing the news; they were too heartbroken to sign anything or put their fingerprints on anything else.

As a result, I didn't visit many stores throughout the day.

Therefore, Officer Wu decided to change the procedure today: first sign and put your fingerprints, then explain the specific situation.

"Hurry up, don't just stand there!"

Seeing that Qin Jingru was still in a daze, Director Xu hurriedly urged her to hurry up.

Qin Jingru was a little uneasy, but she couldn't stand the gazes of several pairs of eyes around her.

She subconsciously looked at Qin Huairu, only to find that Qin Huairu didn't dare to look at her at all, and looked away.

"Comrade, may we ask you something?"

Qin Jingru still mustered up her courage and asked.

But it was really hard for Officer Wu to say that.

Is this a bad thing? Will he still sign the contract?
So he could only shake his head and urge again, "Sign it first!"

"Talk later!"

Qin Jingru hesitated for a moment, but finally decided that she wasn't afraid of anything. Since things had already come to this, at worst she could just go back to the countryside.

So he stepped forward, trembling, signed his name, and pressed his fingerprint on the paper.

After glancing at it and confirming that there were no problems, Officer Wu spoke.
"Comrade Qin Jingru, I have some bad news to tell you."

Qin Jingru trembled upon hearing this, and her legs almost gave way to her knees.

Then I heard, "Comrade Xu Damao, while participating in labor in the Northwest, encountered a sandstorm and tragically died in a vehicle accident..."

Before Officer Wu could finish speaking, Qin Jingru felt dizzy and lightheaded.

His body fell uncontrollably to the ground.

At the same time, he was filled with grief, tears streamed down his face, and he let out a sobbing wail.

"Da Mao, Da Mao, how could you do this..."

"Da Mao!"

Qin Huairu, who was standing to the side, felt a jolt in her heart upon hearing this.

Xu Damao, gone?

died?

How did this scourge die?
Isn't it said that evil deeds live on for a thousand years?

Why did he die?
Qin Huairu felt a lump in her throat. Although she wasn't as heartbroken as Qin Jingru, they were still acquaintances.

The two had a past relationship.

Moreover, for a period of time, their family was able to get by thanks to Xu Damao's help.

I even saw a living person when I visited last time.

What? It's gone?

Thinking of this, tears welled up in Qin Huairu's eyes, and she quickly stepped forward to help Qin Jingru up.

Seeing Qin Huairu approach, Qin Jingru cried even more bitterly.

She'll be a widow from now on!
She's just like her cousin now!
No, my cousin has two daughters. What will she do in the future?
Thinking of the painful memories, the crying became even more sorrowful.

Officer Wu sighed to the side. He had seen this kind of scene many times, but he still felt uncomfortable.

After a while, seeing that Qin Jingru's complexion had improved and she was able to listen to what he was saying, he continued, "We deeply apologize for the unfortunate passing of Comrade Xu Damao!"

"Although Comrade Xu Damao made mistakes during his lifetime, he was able to devote himself to revolutionary construction without hesitation in the end, and this behavior deserves commendation..."

Officer Wu spoke at length, and more and more people gathered in the surrounding courtyard. Many of those who knew the situation showed expressions of sympathy.

A woman who has lost her husband and has no children...

If I don't find a home soon, what will I do when I get old?

Qin Jingru is not young anymore, and it's still uncertain whether she will be able to get married.

"Comrade Qin Jingru!"

Officer Wu spoke again, and then took two envelopes from another person.

“We know this compensation cannot heal the pain in your heart, but we hope it can make your life a little easier.”

He then handed one of the envelopes to Qin Jingru, saying, "This is Xu Damao's compensation, five hundred yuan. Please confirm!"

Qin Jingru hadn't heard what Officer Wu said at all, but the moment the words "five hundred yuan" came out, she was jolted awake.

Five hundred yuan.

so much?
Even Qin Huairu felt her throat go dry, and everyone around her brightened up when they heard this.

Five hundred yuan.

Nowadays, an average worker earns only twenty or thirty yuan a month, which, along with the grain ration, is enough to support his or her family.

Five hundred yuan, if you're tight on money, it should last two years without any problem.

And this is a one-time use item!
With this 500 yuan, Qin Jingru will not have to worry about making a living for the next two years.

But that wasn't all. Officer Wu picked up another envelope and solemnly said, "This is compensation from the Ninth Department to the families of the victims, five hundred yuan!"

"Please keep this safe!"

He handed two envelopes to Qin Jingru and then solemnly placed them in her hand.

One thousand dollars!

Qin Jingru still had tear stains on her face, but her eyes were full of excitement.

He was calculating a set of numbers in his mind.

She could collect ten yuan a month from Xu Damao when he was alive.

That's 120 yuan a year.

Ten years is 1,200 yuan.

In other words, the death of Xu Damao was equivalent to giving him ten years' worth of money...

Moreover, now that Xu Damao is dead, she no longer has to live as a widow.

In other words, she can still get married!
The Xu family can no longer control her.

well…

Qin Jingru instinctively wanted to shout, but she was still somewhat clear-headed. She hurriedly cried out Xu Damao's name, while tightly clutching the envelope in her hand, afraid that someone would snatch it away.

"Our mission is complete, Director Xu. Comrade Qin Jingru will need your street office to take good care of her in the future."

"Yes, yes, don't worry, everyone in this courtyard is an honest person, there won't be any problems!"

As Director Xu spoke, the way he looked at Qin Jingru changed.

Putting aside Xu Damao's death, the huge sum of money in the other party's hands also changed her status.

A widow, a widow with a huge sum of money in her hands.

At that moment, many people in the courtyard looked at Qin Jingru with fervent eyes.

A widow and a wealthy widow receive completely different treatment.

Especially since this widow is rich and has no children, that's a huge plus!
People around him avoided his gaze, and many were already thinking about finding a matchmaker to arrange a marriage.

Of course, we'll have to wait until Xu Damao's matter is resolved before discussing this further.
Officer Wu could see through everyone's thoughts but kept quiet about it.

Regardless of what others think, the money was given to Qin Jingru so that her life would be easier in the future.

As for what she will choose in the future, that's her own business.