Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 520: Stupid Thing

After sweeping the floor, he would fetch water and fill up the water tanks in the yard, as if he wanted to use these physical labors to numb his nerves and relieve his inner pain. When it was time for dinner, Sha Zhu would still go into the kitchen as usual to cook for the old and young in the courtyard. But the difference was that he no longer hummed a little tune while cooking like before, but silently cut vegetables and cooked, and every movement seemed particularly heavy. After the meal was ready, he no longer shouted for everyone to come to eat like before, but quietly laid out the food and waited for everyone to take it. The children in the yard seemed to have felt the change in Sha Zhu. In the past, they always surrounded Sha Zhu and clamored to eat the delicious food he made. But now, when the children saw Sha Zhu, there was a hint of fear and strangeness in their eyes. Sha Zhu felt even more uncomfortable when he saw the children like this. He knew that his behavior not only hurt the deaf old lady, but also left a bad impression on the children. Yi Zhonghai watched Sha Zhu become more depressed day by day, and he was angry and a little reluctant. One day, he called Sha Zhu to his room and said earnestly: "Sha Zhu, the incident with the deaf old lady has already happened. No matter how much you blame yourself, it will be of no use. People can't always live in the past, you have to look forward. You are still young, and you have a long way to go in the future." Sha Zhu lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice: "Uncle Yi, I know I was wrong, but I can't get over it. Every time I see the house where the deaf old lady lived, I think of the bad things I did. I'm sorry for her..." Yi Zhonghai patted Sha Zhu on the shoulder and said, "I know you feel bad, but you have to cheer up. Think about it, if the deaf old lady were still alive, would she be happy to see you like this? She has always hoped that you would be well and have a bright future." Sha Zhu raised his head with tears in his eyes. He looked at Yi Zhonghai and said firmly: "Uncle Yi, don't worry, I will work hard to change. I will be a good person in the future and never do those stupid things again." After coming out of Yi Zhonghai's room, Sha Zhu seemed to have really changed. He began to actively communicate with the people in the courtyard, and occasionally a smile appeared on his face. Although there was still a bit of bitterness in that smile, at least he was trying to get over it. However, the attitudes of other people in the courtyard towards Sha Zhu were not so easy to change. Especially Jia Zhang, every time she saw Sha Zhu, she couldn't help but sneered: "Huh, some people look very honest at ordinary times, but I didn't expect that they did such wicked things, and even killed the deaf old lady." After hearing these words, Sha Zhu no longer talked back like before, but lowered his head silently and continued to do his own thing. He knew that it was reasonable for others to say a few words about the mistakes he made. Qin Huairu felt a little bit reluctant to see Sha Zhu like this. She privately advised Jia Zhang: "Mom, Sha Zhu already knows he was wrong, so don't say anything about him. He's already feeling bad enough now." Jia Zhang disagreed and said, "Huh, he feels bad? He will feel bad in a few days, but what about the deaf old lady? She's gone. He should be punished." Qin Huairu sighed helplessly. She knew that it would take some time for Jia Zhang to change her opinion of Sha Zhu. Days passed one by one, and Sha Zhu still silently did various things for the Siheyuan. He hoped that through his own efforts, he could slowly make up for his mistakes and regain everyone's trust and respect. After experiencing this storm, life in the Siheyuan gradually returned to its former tranquility, but the pain of losing the deaf old lady remained in everyone's hearts forever, becoming an indelible memory, reminding people at all times to cherish the people around them and not to do things that would make them regret for the rest of their lives because of a momentary impulse.

As time went by, Sha Zhu's guilt towards the deaf old lady did not diminish at all, but became more profound. He often inadvertently recalled the warm moments of getting along with the deaf old lady. Those words that he once regarded as nagging have now become the most precious voice in his heart. In order to comfort himself a little, Sha Zhu decided to set up a small memorial for the deaf old lady in the yard. He found a piece of wood, polished it with sandpaper, and then picked up a carving knife and carved the words "Miss the deaf old lady" stroke by stroke. With every cut, he seemed to be telling the deaf old lady his regret. When he set up the memorial in the corner of the yard, people in the yard gathered around. Some people saw this scene and couldn't help but feel a little moved. They saw Sha Zhu's sincere repentance. But some people, like Xu Damao, couldn't help but say something cold: "Shazhu, you can make up for your mistakes by putting up a sign? Stop pretending." Shazhu ignored Xu Damao's ridicule, he just looked at the memorial plaque quietly, his eyes full of piety. Yi Zhonghai came over, patted Shazhu on the shoulder and said: "Shazhu, no matter what others say, you just need to know what to do in your heart. Putting up this sign is also a thought."

Since then, Sha Zhu would stop in front of the memorial for a while every day, sometimes saying a few words silently, and sometimes just staring quietly. He would also plant some flowers that the deaf old lady liked around the memorial, and take good care of them, as if these flowers could replace the deaf old lady to accompany him. At work, Sha Zhu also became more desperate. He was always the first to arrive and the last to leave in the cafeteria, and he was meticulous about every dish. His colleagues noticed his changes, and some asked curiously, but Sha Zhu just smiled and never mentioned the reason. He knew in his heart that only by making himself better could he live up to the expectations that the deaf old lady had of him. Gradually, people in the courtyard began to re-examine Sha Zhu.

They saw the change in Sha Zhu, his efforts and sincerity. Qin Huairu's attitude towards Sha Zhu became more and more gentle. She would often say good things for Sha Zhu and persuade everyone not to dwell on the past. Bang Geng's view of Sha Zhu also changed. Once, Sha Zhu accidentally sprained his foot while working in the yard. When Bang Geng saw it, he took the initiative to run over to help, and even helped Sha Zhu back to the house to rest. This touched Sha Zhu's heart very much. He knew that his efforts were not in vain, and everyone was still willing to give him a chance. However, just when Sha Zhu thought everything was slowly getting better, a new storm quietly set off in the courtyard. The street was going to select a "civilized courtyard", which was originally a good thing, but among the selection criteria, the degree of harmony of neighborhood relations was an important one.