Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

Zhao Tiezhu is the new gatekeeper at Hongxing Machinery Factory.

Although he was called a gatekeeper, he didn't really have any respectability.

An old cotton-padded coat, a flashlight, a heavy bunch of keys, and a broken wooden stool for night duty—that's all he has to do now.

But Zhao Tiezhu valued this job more than anything else.

Because this was a task personally assigned to him by Zhao Shanhe.

Zhao Tiezhu was never considered particularly bright from a young age.

That's what his mother said.

His brother said the same thing.

The boys in the village who grew up with him, some got married, some went to the city, and some went into business. Whenever they saw him, they would always laugh and say, "Tiezhu, with a brain like yours, you'll never make a fortune in your life."

Zhao Tiezhu never refuted.

He himself knew he was stupid.

He can understand three layers of meaning in a single sentence that others can understand, but he can't.

Others can tell when to advance or retreat just by seeing a change in someone's expression, but he can't understand it.

He gets even more confused when others speak in circles.

He only knows who feeds him, who treats him like a human being, and who makes him do certain tasks.

Zhao Shanhe was the one who treated him like a human being.

Back in Kaoshantun, Tiezhu had lived like an old animal in the family for most of his life.

When it's time to eat, the first steaming hot cornbread served on the table is always handed to the second and third sons.

After his younger brothers finished eating, wiped their mouths, and left the table, Tie Zhu dared to pick up the rough porcelain bowl and scrape the remaining dry gruel from the bottom of the pot.

The same applies to getting a wife.

The family has very little money, but my mother said that we must do whatever it takes to make sure my second son gets married.

Once the second son's bed was warm, the family borrowed money from all over the place to build a new house for the third son.

After all her brothers had settled down, started families, and had children, the old woman's cloudy eyes finally turned to her eldest son.

But by then, Tiezhu was already over forty years old.

He's too honest; he can't keep a quirky mind, nor can he save money.

Most of the hard-earned money he made by working hard outside was taken by his mother to pay off his younger brothers' debts.

The remaining crumpled and rotten bills were all exchanged for the life-saving medicine for my mother on her kang (heated brick bed).

Even so, every day when my mother lies on the kang (heated brick bed) coughing and unable to breathe, she still points her finger at him and scolds him.

They called him a stupid ox that only had a skeleton and no brains.

He was cursed for being stubborn and inflexible his whole life, deserving to remain a bachelor and childless.

Zhao Tiezhu understood.

So he never blamed his mother or his brother.

He just kept his head down and worked.

Later, Zhao Shanhe kicked open the drafty, broken wooden door of his house and pulled him out of the mud.

Zhao Shanhe had him work with Da Niu and Er Ga Zi, and also arranged for him to work as a gatekeeper at the Hongxing Machinery Factory.

Zhao Tiezhu's life changed suddenly.

My mother can finally take her medicine on time.

Those younger brothers who used to look down on him and think he was poor and stupid are now incredibly affectionate towards him, following him around every day calling him "good older brother" and "dear older brother."

He went to the cafeteria to get his own food, and finally he was able to eat meat with fatty slices at every meal.

Matchmakers who used to cover their noses and avoid him whenever they saw him are now starting to flock to his doorstep, each one more enthusiastic than the last.

As for why such a dramatic change occurred, Zhao Tiezhu didn't quite understand.

His brain, stuffed with sorghum, simply couldn't fathom the sophistication of this worldly snobbery behind it.

All he knew was that Shanhe's arrival gave him hope to live.

It was Brother Shanhe who made this 40-something-year-old bachelor feel for the first time that he might still have a future to look forward to.

Therefore, his thoughts were very simple.

Brother Shanhe values ​​him, so he has to repay him with his life and never let Brother Shanhe down.

Brother Shanhe told him to guard the goal, so he guarded the goal tenaciously.

Brother Shanhe said those machines were very important, and he knew that those machines were more important than his reputation, his job, and even his life.

As for why the machine was important, Zhao Tiezhu couldn't explain it.

German machinery.

Workshop No. 1.

Will Hongxing Factory survive in the future?

He had heard these words before.

But he's slow-witted and can't make sense of things.

Da Niu said to him, "Tie Zhu, we don't understand machines, but we understand Brother Shanhe."

Erga patted him on the shoulder and said, "Brother Shanhe must have his reasons for asking us to guard this place. If others ask you questions, don't argue with them; the more you argue, the more complicated it will become. Just remember one thing: don't lose the key, and don't open the door."

Zhao Tiezhu remembered it well.

The key must not be lost.

The door cannot be opened.

That night, Zhao Tiezhu was on the second half of the night shift.

He had heard about the disturbance that had occurred in the cafeteria during the day.

I heard that many people in the factory were very dissatisfied with the fact that these gatekeepers were getting full pay, and they were banging on the table and cursing that the first batch of names was unfair.

Some people secretly spat and cursed them, calling them Zhao Shanhe's watchdogs.

Zhao Tiezhu heard this, but he just lowered his head and didn't say a word.

He's not good at arguing.

When others insult him, he can't utter a coherent sentence for a long time.

On one occasion, Sun Weidong stopped him in front of everyone in a sarcastic tone.

Sun Weidong exhaled a smoke ring, a mocking smile on his face: "Zhao Tiezhu, everyone in the factory says you're Zhao Shanhe's watchdog. You blockhead, think about it yourself, what do you and those stray dogs running around in the street have in common?"

Zhao Tiezhu was stunned.

He didn't catch the filth hidden in her words.

His usually slow-thinking mind actually started to seriously consider what Sun Weidong said.

What do dogs do?

What do I do?

After thinking for a long time, Zhao Tiezhu raised his head, his weathered face revealing an honest and simple air.

He looked at Sun Weidong and replied in a low voice, "We're both gatekeepers."

These words were spoken.

Sun Weidong, who originally just wanted to have some fun, was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh and burst into laughter.

"Did you hear that? Everyone, did you hear that?! This idiot admitted it himself!"

Sun Weidong laughed until tears almost streamed down his face, pointing at Zhao Tiezhu's nose, "He really thinks he's a dog!"

The onlookers burst into extremely loud and jarring laughter.

Zhao Tiezhu's face instantly turned bright red.

He gripped the keys on his waist, wondering why everyone was laughing so happily.

He didn't think being a doorman was shameful.

Brother Shanhe gave him food, so he has to keep a close watch on this door.

He knew he was bad at talking and couldn't win an argument.

If you can't win an argument, then don't argue.

Just guard the gate.

When handing over his shift, Zhao Tiezhu glanced down at the keys on his waist.

The key is still there.

The locks in Workshop No. 1 are still in good condition.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

He then touched the tightly sewn small cloth bag in the pocket of his inner garment.

That contains part of this month's salary.

There isn't much money.

But for him, that was already a lot.

He had made up his mind. When he had his day off, he would go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy two jin of flour and get some cough medicine for his mother.

If I have a few cents left, I'll buy a bag of brown sugar.

My mother has been saying her mouth tastes bitter lately.

Thinking about this, Zhao Tiezhu felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He had never felt so secure in his pocket before.

A few days ago, his younger brother secretly told him that there was a widow in the neighboring village. She was a bit old, but hardworking and he was willing to meet her.

After hearing this, Zhao Tiezhu remained silent for a long time.

He wasn't unhappy.

I was so happy I didn't know how to respond.

He was over forty years old, and for the first time, he felt that even a fool like himself could have a decent life.

Zhao Tiezhu carried his lunchbox and walked along the back wall of the factory towards the single dormitory.

The Red Star Machinery Factory was very quiet at night.

The noisy sounds of the daytime had all subsided, with only the occasional rustling of sheet metal being blown by the wind coming from the boiler room in the distance.

To get from Workshop No. 1 to the dormitory, you have to go through the path behind the waste pile.

The road is narrow.

The light bulb was also half broken.

Zhao Tiezhu was used to walking like this, so he didn't think anything of it.

But tonight, as soon as he reached the pile of waste, he suddenly stopped.

It's too dark ahead.

It's not black enough.

Zhao Tiezhu wasn't very bright, but he had worked in Kaoshantun for half his life and had walked around the fields a lot, so he knew that if a place was too quiet, it wasn't right.

He gripped the lunchbox tightly, and was about to walk around it when a low laugh suddenly sounded in the darkness.

"Yo."

"Is Zhao Shanhe's dog off duty?"

Zhao Tiezhu looked up. Three or four people were standing in the darkness.

I can't see the face clearly.

One of them was holding half a wooden stick, the tip of which was tapping lightly on the ground.

Zhao Tiezhu paused for a moment, then asked, "What are you doing?"

The leader took a step forward.

The coal cinders underfoot crunched and groaned underfoot.

"What are you doing?"

The man chuckled, raised the broken wooden stick in his hand, and pointed it squarely at Zhao Tiezhu's waist: "I'll borrow that string of iron lumps from your waist. I'll return it to you tomorrow morning when I'm done."

Zhao Tiezhu didn't understand the sarcasm in his words.

But he understood the words "lump of iron".

His large, rough hand, as rough as old tree bark, instinctively clutched the bunch of brass keys at his waist.

"No."

Several undisguised laughs came from the darkness.

"Zhao Tiezhu, you really think you're something special?"

The leader spat out a mouthful of saliva, his voice instantly turning cold: "That bastard Zhao Shanhe has long since packed his bags and run off somewhere, leaving you bunch of brainless idiots to stand guard here. Wait until the factory staff realize what's going on, they'll tear you apart! Hand over the keys to Workshop Number One right now, and tonight we'll make sure you all go home safe and sound, hugging your wives."

Zhao Tiezhu's originally wooden face instantly turned purplish-red.

When others call him stupid, he just grins and smiles sheepishly.

But if anyone were to smear Zhao Shanhe, it would be like digging up his ancestral grave.

He suddenly took half a step forward, veins bulging on his thick neck, his teeth grinding together.

He was slow-witted and couldn't think of any sharp words to retort. All he knew was to stiffen his neck and let out a fierce, protective roar in his hoarse voice: "You're talking nonsense! Brother Shanhe didn't run away! He treats me like a human being. He told me to guard the gate, so he'll definitely come back! This key... none of you are allowed to touch it!"

"Stubborn idiot."

The leader lost all patience. He suddenly raised the broken wooden stick in his hand, pointing it directly at Zhao Tiezhu's waist. "Enough nonsense, give me that thing! Otherwise, you'll be dead here tonight!"

Zhao Tiezhu's rough, large hand gripped the brass key on his waist tightly.

"No!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Tiezhu turned around abruptly, not even bothering with the lunchbox in his hand. He slammed it to the ground with a thud, swung his two thick legs, and ran wildly towards the main road in the factory area.

Although he was slow-witted, when faced with a life-threatening situation, his instinct to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, typical of mountain people, was extremely clear.

There were four people on the other side, and they were armed.

A direct confrontation would absolutely not save the key.

We have to run, run to a place with light, run to the duty room and call for help.

"Damn it! Stop him!"

A burst of furious cursing erupted from the darkness behind him.

The chaotic sound of footsteps instantly erupted on the narrow path behind the pile of waste.

Zhao Tiezhu, panting heavily, ran forward as fast as he could.

But he was a clumsy man in his forties who usually did slow work, so he couldn't outrun the few young and strong men who were prepared.

The road to the waste dump is too dark and too chaotic.

Before I had run twenty steps, a sharp, menacing gust of wind was already pressing close to my back.

Fuck you!

With a loud shout, a piece of cast iron pipe, carrying extremely vicious force, was suddenly thrown from behind as a hidden weapon.

"Bang!"

The cast iron pipe struck Zhao Tiezhu precisely on the calf of his right leg.

The excruciating pain instantly tore the muscles apart.

Zhao Tiezhu's right leg suddenly buckled, and his massive body instantly lost its balance, collapsing heavily forward like half an iron tower.

His cheek slammed against the frozen ground, which was covered in cinders and broken glass, instantly leaving bloody gashes.

Before he could struggle to get up...

Two or three dark figures pounced on them like wolves.

A gleaming leather shoe slammed down on his lower back with a sharp downward force, shoving his half-up body back into the muddy puddle.

"Run! Keep running, you fucking running!"

The leader, panting heavily, caught up and grabbed Zhao Tiezhu by the back of his tattered cotton-padded coat, mercilessly smashing the wooden stick in his hand against his shoulder and head.

Fists and shoe tips rained down on him.

Zhao Tiezhu's eyes turned completely red.

He knew he couldn't escape.

He simply gave up all struggle and rolled over in the mud, curling his massive body into an impenetrable ball of flesh.

Two thick, strong arms, like iron hoops, tightly hugged his waist.

He pressed the bunch of brass keys from Workshop No. 1 completely under his belly.

"Bang! Bang!"

Dull, resounding impacts echoed one after another behind the deathly silent pile of waste.

The leader snapped the wooden stick in his hand.

Enraged, he threw away the half-rotten piece of wood, raised his thick suede shoes, and unleashed a vicious series of kicks at Zhao Tiezhu's ribs.

"I'll let you protect me! Let's see how tough your bones are, you idiot!"

With each kick, Zhao Tiezhu's massive body trembled violently in the muddy puddle.

More and more blood and froth rose in his throat, overflowing from his tightly clenched teeth, staining the coal dust under his chin a dark reddish-black color, steaming slightly.

But he was like a lump of raw iron frozen to death in the black soil.

Despite the tattered cotton-padded coat on his back being completely torn apart, blackened cotton wadding mixed with blood flying everywhere, and his skin and flesh being kicked until they were bruised and turned inside out.

Those two thick arms, tightly wrapped around her waist, didn't even leave a single gap.

Ten fingers, rough as tree bark, were locked so tightly that the nails dug deep into the flesh of his stomach, and the exposed nail crevices were filled with blood mixed with coal dust.

pain.

The pain was excruciating, like having your bones ripped out.

Zhao Tiezhu felt as if his internal organs were about to be kicked to pieces, and it felt like a huge bronze bell was pounding wildly inside his head.

But he was surprisingly clear-headed.

Inside the inner pocket close to his chest, the tightly sewn small cloth bag was burning hot from his own body heat.

Inside were his mother's cough medicine, two jin of refined white flour from the supply and marketing cooperative, and a little bit of warmth brought by the widow he didn't know.

This was the first time in over forty years that he had lived with the dignity of a human being.

All this dignity is tied to the string of cold brass keys beneath his belly.

The task given to me by Brother Shanhe must not be ruined by him.

"The door...can't be opened..."

He buried his face in the oily puddle, his throat churning out a muffled, yet protective, hiss like an old ox protecting its calf.

"Damn it, this idiot's a turtle!"

A man next to him was panting heavily, and he bent down to pry at Zhao Tiezhu's arm with both hands.

But the muscles in those two arms had completely spasmed and locked up from the extreme exertion, as hard as two welded steel bars. The man used all his strength, but couldn't budge them an inch.

The leader became completely enraged.

Long nights bring many dreams.

Tonight, they took advantage of the shift change in the front yard and deliberately had someone make some noise near the boiler room to lure away the patrol team led by Da Niu and Er Gai Zi.

Da Niu and his gang were all wolves and tigers trained by Zhao Shanhe. If they found out that they had fallen for the diversionary tactic and returned to the waste pile, or if the commotion here attracted the workers in the single dormitory in front, none of them would be able to leave Hongxing Factory standing up today.

A glint of extreme malice flashed in his eyes as he turned and snatched the half-meter-long iron pipe from the person next to him.

"You're not letting go, are you?"

He gritted his teeth and lifted the heavy iron pipe, the cold moonlight casting a chilling glint on the rusty pipe walls.

"I'll smash your claws to pieces today! Let's see what you'll use to protect yourself then!"

The cold night wind suddenly tore through the air.

The cast iron pipe, accompanied by a chilling gust of wind, slammed down mercilessly onto Zhao Tiezhu's right wrist, which was tightly clasped to his waist.

The cast iron pipe tore through the night wind, threatening to shatter Zhao Tiezhu's wrist bones.

At this critical moment.

"What are you doing! Who's over there!"

A thunderous shout suddenly rang out from the main road outside the waste pile.

Immediately afterwards, two or three blinding beams of flashlight light, like sharp swords, swept straight from the darkness, hitting the leader squarely in the face.

"Damn! Someone's here!"

The man holding the iron pipe was blinded by the bright light and instinctively swerved to the side.

"Bang!"

The heavy cast iron pipe grazed the edge of Zhao Tiezhu's hand and slammed down onto the frozen cinder ground, sending up a trail of sparks.

A large chunk of skin was scraped off the back of Zhao Tiezhu's hand, and blood gushed out instantly, but his two thick arms remained tightly wrapped around his waist, without letting go even slightly.

"Thief! Someone's robbing the factory!"

The beam of the flashlight swayed violently, and extremely hurried footsteps came from behind the beam.

More than one person.

The aluminum lunchbox that Zhao Tiezhu threw out made too much noise, and his roar also alerted the young workers in the single dormitory who were still awake.

The man leading the group twitched his chubby face, a flicker of panic crossing his sinister eyes.

"Damn it, this idiot's lucky to be alive!"

He angrily threw down the broken iron pipe in his hand and spat at Zhao Tiezhu, who was curled up on the ground, yelling, "Get lost!"

The thugs, no longer caring about grabbing the keys, ran like madmen, pulling up their collars to cover their faces, stumbling and staggering along the dark opening behind the wasteland, heading wildly towards the wasteland outside the factory.

The chaotic footsteps quickly faded into the distance, soon swallowed up by the night wind.

"Tiezhu! It's Tiezhu, the gatekeeper!"

The beams of several flashlights finally illuminated the bloody, filthy puddle.

Four or five workers, wearing cotton-padded coats, ran panting, carrying shovels and stove hooks they had grabbed at random.

When they finally saw the huge, bloody, mangled ball of flesh in the mud, they all involuntarily gasped.

"Quick! Help him up! This is fucking deadly!"

A young worker who had met Zhao Tiezhu before quickly threw down his shovel and lunged at him to pry off Zhao Tiezhu's arm.

"Don't touch it..."

A faint, yet deathly, panting sound suddenly came from the muddy water.

Zhao Tiezhu did not get up with the help of others.

He remained curled up, clutching his waist tightly, his massive body trembling violently and uncontrollably in the cold, muddy pit, like a rusty, broken machine.

He slowly raised his face, which was covered in coal dust, blood, and engine oil.

Those bloodshot bull eyes were fixed on the blinding beam of the flashlight in front of them.

The surroundings were noisy; some people were cursing, and others were shouting to go to the infirmary to call a doctor.

But Zhao Tiezhu wouldn't listen to anything.

His rough fingers slowly pulled out of his belly and trembled as he reached for his waist.

The cold brass keychain pressed against his palm.

The teeth marks are still there.

Not one is missing.

Zhao Tiezhu's taut, iron-like back finally slumped down very slowly at this moment.

He grinned, his mouth full of blood and foam, revealing his large, fiery teeth, and gave a hideous, even somewhat foolish, smile in the blinding beam of the flashlight.

"It's not lost..."

He mumbled incoherently.

"The door...is not open..."