“Brother Li, what are you carrying the bamboo back for?”
Qin Huai Ru was still sewing shoes, never taking a moment’s rest.
“Making fishing rods. Our family won’t be short of fish and meat anymore.”
Li Wuwei thought that even if he ended up with nothing, he could still get two fish from the market. He had to save face and definitely couldn’t return empty-handed.
He immediately took a tung oil lamp from the room, lit it, and heated the bent bamboo sections until they softened. Then, he pressed them on the ground and stepped on them with his foot. Once they cooled, the fishing rod would be straight.
He also burned all the bamboo sections with tung oil to prevent them from getting worms, making them last for years.
In the middle of it all, he had to go out for a moment because he needed to use the bathroom, but he was also keeping an eye on He Da Qing.
He ran into He Da Qing at the courtyard entrance. However, upon seeing Li Wuwei, He Da Qing immediately turned and hurried down the alley, disappearing without a trace.
“Third Uncle, come quick!”
“What’s wrong?”
Yan Bu Gui, thinking something major had happened, ignored Li Wuwei's character and quickly ran out, but found nothing.
“Li Wuwei, are you pulling Third Uncle’s leg?”
“No way. I was thinking that something big is about to happen in our courtyard. I saw He Da Qing sneak into the courtyard when I brought the fishing rods back.
I just came out to use the bathroom and saw him standing at the entrance. He ran away as soon as he saw me.
Third Uncle, do you think He Da Qing is plotting something behind our backs?”
Li Wuwei’s analysis was a wild guess, but it had some logic to it.
“Oh, I said I felt like someone had sneaked into the courtyard.
It’s a work day. You’re off sick, but what’s He Da Qing up to?”
Yan Bu Gui pushed his glasses up his nose, pondered for a moment, and then said, “No, I have to go to the steel mill and ask Old Yi and the others. We can’t let anything happen in the courtyard.”
“I’ll wait for your news. I have to go back and finish making the fishing rods.”
Li Wuwei didn’t want to be involved in the commotion. He thought He Da Qing was probably waiting for the White Widow, but he had already dissuaded her.
Hearing about the fishing rods, Yan Bu Gui felt a pang of jealousy but still had to go to the steel mill.
Yan Bu Gui asked the gatekeeper to call Yi Zhong Hai to the entrance. He wasn’t a factory worker and couldn’t enter the workshop.
“Old Yan, what do you need at this time? We’re about to get off work.”
Yi Zhong Hai had a handkerchief draped over his shoulder. Even in winter, it was easy to sweat while working in the workshop.
“Old Yi, something’s wrong.”
Yan Bu Gui told him what Li Wuwei had mentioned and added, “Go to the canteen and ask around about He Da Qing. Don’t tell me he’s a spy or something.”
“A spy? That’s a bit much!”
Although Yi Zhong Hai didn’t believe it, as the First Elder of the courtyard, he couldn’t ignore such a situation.
Yi Zhong Hai went to the canteen, lifted the curtain, and entered the kitchen. He saw Sha Zhu dejectedly sharpening a knife.
“Sha Zhu, where’s your father?”
“First Elder, why are you looking for my dad? He left after lunch and hasn’t been seen since.”
Sha Zhu kept sharpening his knife. The kitchen had dozens of knives. He wondered why his father was so silly to assign him this laborious task.
“Then I’ll look for him.”
Yi Zhong Hai also thought something was wrong. He quickly found the canteen director to ask about it, and then he was stunned.
“What? You said He Da Qing resigned and isn’t working at the steel mill anymore?”
The canteen director, Zhou Yi Hai, nodded. “He Da Qing insisted on resigning this afternoon. I tried to persuade him for a while, but he wouldn’t listen, so I had to process it. Now the canteen will be short-handed.
Oh, He Da Qing has already received his wages for the past few days. He has no connection to the steel mill anymore.”
“Hiss!”
Yi Zhong Hai gasped and immediately asked, “Did he say why he resigned? Why would he quit a good job?”
“He didn’t say anything specific. He just said he had to leave, and mentioned something about a train. It seemed like he was going out of town and was in a hurry.”
Zhou Yi Hai shook his head. He was just contacting the head chef, otherwise, the canteen wouldn’t be able to manage on Monday.
“This is serious.”
Yi Zhong Hai rushed back to the factory entrance and told Yan Bu Gui what had happened.
“Goodness, He Da Qing must be up to something. I don’t think he’s going out of town, but fleeing the country.
Sha Zhu didn’t leave, which is even more suspicious. He didn’t even care about his son. This isn’t a spy, what else could it be?”
Yan Bu Gui gave a perfectly accurate analysis.
“Old Yi, let’s call the police. We can also contact the neighborhood committee. This needs to be reported.”
Yi Zhong Hai thought for a moment and said, “Old Yan, you go to the neighborhood committee first. I’ll ask for a leave of absence and join you.”
“Good, you have to be quick. Also, call Old Liu. The three of us elders can’t be missing.”
Yan Bu Gui quickly ran to the neighborhood committee, explained the situation to Director Wang, and immediately caught his attention.
By the time Yi Zhong Hai and Liu Hai Zhong arrived, Director Wang had already called the police.
“Old Yi, the three of you elders should stay silent. Let’s all go to the courtyard. If we find him, that’s great. If not, you need to mobilize everyone to find him.”
Director Wang gave them instructions and quickly set off to the courtyard, heading straight to He’s house. However, the door was locked.
“Old Yi, I remember He Da Qing had a daughter. Where is she? The next room is also locked.”
Director Wang asked, and Liu Hai Zhong suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, I saw He Yu Shui leaving this morning. I even asked her where she was going. She said she was going to the Youth Palace and would be back later.
He Da Qing had Sha Zhu sharpen knives in the canteen kitchen and sent He Yu Shui away. He also resigned. He’s definitely up to something.”
Liu Hai Zhong never imagined that the courtyard might be hiding a spy. People really can’t be judged by appearances.
At this time, the residents of the courtyard, hearing the commotion, ran out to see what was happening.
Li Wuwei and Qin Huai Ru also came to the middle courtyard, only to see Jia Zhang Shi with a gloomy expression. Oh well, let her be envious.