Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 361 The day of the staff meeting has arrived

"You...you didn't lie to me?" Sha Zhu's voice trembled a little.

"Why would I lie to you?" Ma Hua shrugged. "I saw it with my own eyes. Xu Damao was trying to blackmail you, but ended up falling down."

Sha Zhu suddenly felt a surge of blood rushing to his head. He grabbed Ma Hua by the collar and yelled, "Why didn't you say so earlier!"

Ma Hua was startled by Sha Zhu's sudden action and said quickly: "I... I'm not afraid of Deputy Director Li. He is on Xu Damao's side."

Sha Zhu finally let go of Ma Hua. He sat down on the ground dejectedly, covering his face with his hands, groaning in pain. He felt like a fool who was being played around by others.

"Shazhu, don't be discouraged, there is still hope for this situation." Ma Hua suddenly said.

Sha Zhu raised his head and looked at Ma Hua in confusion.

"I heard that the factory is going to organize a staff meeting soon. Then you can tell the truth of the matter in front of everyone," said Ma Hua.

Sha Zhu's eyes lit up. This was indeed a good opportunity. He could expose Xu Damao's conspiracy in front of all the factory workers and clear himself of the wrongs.

In the following days, Sha Zhu was preparing for the staff meeting. He recalled the scene of that night over and over again, trying to explain the whole process clearly and distinctly.

Finally, the day of the staff meeting arrived.

At the meeting, Deputy Director Li spoke first. He criticized Sha Zhu for beating people and causing trouble, which destroyed the unity of the factory, and announced the decision to punish Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu stood up and said loudly: "Deputy Director Li, I have something to say!"

Deputy Director Li frowned and said impatiently: "What do you want to say?"

"That night, I didn't hit Xu Damao, he fell down by himself!" Sha Zhu said loudly.

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

Deputy Director Li's face turned pale and he shouted angrily, "Silly Zhu, you are talking nonsense!"

"I'm not talking nonsense!" Sha Zhu pointed at Ma Hua and said, "Ma Hua can testify that he saw Xu Damao fall down on his own that night."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Ma Hua.

Ma Hua's face turned pale. He didn't expect that Sha Zhu would actually expose him at the conference.

"Ma Hua, tell me, is what Sha Zhu said true?" Deputy Director Li pressed.

Ma Hua hesitated for a moment, then...

Ma Hua's face was pale, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. Under the burning gazes of the crowd, he felt like he had been stripped naked, with nowhere to hide. He subconsciously looked at Deputy Director Li for help, but found that Deputy Director Li had a gloomy face and his eyes were full of warnings.

He knew that if he admitted what Sha Zhu said, he would offend Deputy Director Li and Xu Damao, and his life in the factory would be difficult. But if he did not admit it, Sha Zhu would definitely hate him for the rest of his life, and he would also feel guilty.

"I..." Ma Hua opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

The whole audience was silent, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Ma Hua's answer.

Sha Zhu stared at Ma Hua closely, his eyes full of anticipation and anxiety.

Just then, a sharp voice broke the silence.

"Ma Hua, please tell me! What happened that night?"

The person who spoke was Qin Huairu. She stood in the crowd and looked at Ma Hua anxiously.

Ma Hua hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, "I...I did see Xu Damao fall down by himself that night."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar again.

Deputy Director Li stood up suddenly, pointed at Ma Hua and shouted angrily: "Ma Hua, you... you dare to betray me!"

Ma Hua lowered his head and did not dare to look at Deputy Director Li.

Sha Zhu excitedly walked up to Ma Hua, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Ma Hua, thank you! You are such a good person!"

Ma Hua smiled bitterly and said nothing.

Qin Huairu also walked up to Ma Hua and said gratefully: "Ma Hua, thank you for testifying for Sha Zhu, you are such a good comrade!"

Ma Hua raised his head and looked at Qin Huairu, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Deputy Director Li's face turned pale. He didn't expect things to develop to this point. He glared at Sha Zhu fiercely, then walked away in anger.

After the workers' meeting, Sha Zhu was declared innocent and released. He walked out of the factory gate, took a deep breath of fresh air, and felt like he was reborn.

"Shazhu, congratulations!" Ma Hua walked up to Shazhu and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Ma Hua!" Sha Zhu said sincerely, "If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be locked up in there."

"You're welcome. This is what I should do." Ma Hua said, "In fact, I have wanted to tell the truth for a long time, but... I am afraid of Deputy Director Li."

"I know." Sha Zhu patted Ma Hua's shoulder, "Don't worry, I will protect you from now on."

"Haha, thank you then." Ma Hua said with a smile.

"By the way, where is Qin Huairu?" Sha Zhu suddenly asked.

"She...she went home." Ma Hua said, "She...she seemed a little unwell."

"Oh." Sha Zhu nodded and said nothing more.

Ma Hua looked at Sha Zhu's back, and a trace of loneliness flashed in his eyes.

Sha Zhu returned to the courtyard, but found that Qin Huairu was not at home. He asked the neighbors and found out that Qin Huairu had gone to the hospital.

Sha Zhu felt nervous and rushed to the hospital.

In the hospital, Sha Zhu found Qin Huairu.

"Huai Ru, what's wrong with you?" Sha Zhu asked anxiously.

Qin Huairu looked pale and said weakly: "I...I'm pregnant."

Sha Zhu was stunned. He didn't expect Qin Huairu to be pregnant.

"Child...whose child is it?" Sha Zhu asked tremblingly.

Qin Huairu lowered her head and said nothing.

Sha Zhu's heart sank to the bottom, he knew that this child was not his.

"Yes...it's Xu Damao's." Qin Huairu finally spoke.

Sha Zhu felt like his world had collapsed. He had always thought that Qin Huairu liked him, but he didn't expect that she was pregnant with Xu Damao's child.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Sha Zhu asked painfully.

"I... I was also forced." Qin Huairu cried and said, "Xu Damao threatened me that if I didn't follow him... he would... would expose me..."

Sha Zhu was silent. He knew that Qin Huairu was also a pitiful woman.

"Shazhu, I...I'm sorry." Qin Huairu said crying.

Sha Zhu shook his head and said, "It's not your fault. If you want to blame someone, blame that bastard Xu Damao!"

Sha Zhu held Qin Huairu's hand tightly and said, "Huairu, don't worry, I will take care of you and the child."

Qin Huairu raised her head and looked at Sha Zhu with gratitude, tears flowing down her face again.

At this moment, the door of the ward was suddenly pushed open and Xu Damao walked in.

"Qin Huairu, you..." Xu Damao was stunned when he saw Sha Zhu was also in the ward.

"Xu Damao, you beast! How dare you come here!" Sha Zhu roared and grabbed Xu Damao by the collar.

"Shazhu, you...you let me go!" Xu Damao said while struggling.

"I'm going to beat you to death today!" Sha Zhu roared, raising his fist to hit him.

"Silly Zhu, don't do that!" Qin Huairu hurriedly stopped him.