Courtyard House: Starting as an engineer, crushing a yard full of poultry

"Xiao Li, I'm sorry, I talked to people a bit too much about work," Li Xiangdong apologized.

"Yes, work is more important," Yu Li said considerately. "Then let's go back."

Li Xiangdong took Yu Li back to the courtyard house; they had arranged it this morning. They would have dinner at Yu Li's house tonight. He had even sent over a large carp and other things this morning.

Li Xiangdong had just pushed the car into the house and locked the door when he heard wailing. Jia Zhangshi came over, dragging a stick along.

Just then, Yi Zhonghai and his men also entered the compound.

Jia Zhangshi pulled the stick over and sat down on the ground with a thud. She slapped her thighs with both hands and wailed.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" Jia Zhangshi cried, "I ate some chicken and was sent to the hospital, where it cost thirteen or fourteen yuan! Pay up, Li Xiangdong, pay up!"

"This won't get away without two hundred yuan today! (cgcb)"

Li Xiangdong chuckled: "Yi Zhonghai, can you get her away? If not, then we'll have to call the police."

Yi Zhonghai hesitated for a moment and then said habitually, "Section Chief Li, you also bear responsibility for this. Jia Zhangshi and Bang Geng became like this because they ate the undercooked chicken you gave them."

"Just pay me twenty yuan, and this matter will be over," Yi Zhonghai said, his eyes darting around.

"Yi Zhonghai, you're talking nonsense! You think I let those two eat a half-cooked chicken? You're just greedy reincarnated! Didn't you know that the chicken you stole wasn't fully cooked?" Li Xiangdong said, "Now you dare to try and extort me? I'll give you three numbers, and get the hell out of here!"

"Otherwise, the police will come. Then you can forget about celebrating the New Year at home."

Yi Zhonghai's face flushed red, and he secretly regretted it in his heart!

"Jia Zhangshi is gone, and some people who have become leaders don't care about the lives of the masses..." Yi Zhonghai can't help but spout such moral blackmail.

But Yi Zhonghai realized he'd said the wrong thing before he could finish his sentence. The person in front of him was Li Xiangdong, not someone he could manipulate with moral blackmail.

Li Xiangdong reached out and slapped Yi Zhonghai across the face, without using much force. But the slap was not very damaging, yet extremely humiliating.

"Yi Zhonghai, this is slander! Apologize now! Otherwise, we'll see you at the police station!" Li Xiangdong shouted angrily. "Do I not care about the lives of the masses? Do you think a leader would willingly let this shrew extort money from him?"

“If you, Yi Zhonghai, just say yes, I’ll pay you right away! Two hundred yuan, not a penny less! Yi Zhonghai, just say it in front of everyone.”

Yi Zhonghai was slapped again by Li Xiangdong, and he was so angry that he was stunned. But even in his daze, he knew that he had taken the slap for nothing. He would have to tell the police that he was in the wrong.

As for that statement, how could Yi Zhonghai dare to say such a thing? He'd be finished. What cadre would want to see him?

Yan Bugui, with his small, beady eyes, pondered for a moment. He felt that for Yan Jiecheng's sake, he should step in and smooth things over, giving Yi Zhonghai a way out.

"Well, that's not what Lao Yi meant. He was just so angry with Jia Zhangshi that he lost his mind." Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses, which were wrapped in tape, and said, "Lao Yi is so sorry..."

"sorry!"

Yi Zhonghai squeezed out these three words through gritted teeth.

"Get out!" Li Xiangdong said coldly.

Yi Zhonghai turned to leave. But Jia Zhangshi wouldn't let it go: "Old Yi, just tell him to pay two hundred yuan!"

Jia Zhangshi's voice was just like an old sow's; her triangular eyes were full of greed and stupidity.

"Get out! This is all your fault." Yi Zhonghai glared fiercely at Jia Zhangshi.

Just then, Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu returned together. When Qin Huairu saw Jia Zhangshi's condition, she quickly came over and pulled Jia Zhangshi towards the central courtyard.

"Mother-in-law, you're really something. Why did you provoke Li Xiangdong again?" Qin Huairu was exhausted.

"Don't ask anyone to pay for the hospital expenses incurred by Banggeng and me!" Jia Zhangshi said fiercely, "That was more than ten yuan!"

"Don't you even think about it? How could you possibly get any money from Li Xiangdong?" Qin Huairu said with a wry smile, "Aren't you just asking for trouble?"

"That little beast, so rich. He doesn't even know how to help our family out," Jia Zhangshi said viciously. "He deserves to be childless!"

"And that old bastard Yi Zhonghai, he didn't even help me get the money!"

Qin Huairu gave a wry smile. What could you do with such a stupid guy?

Qin Huairu went to cook, leaving Sha Zhu's two lunchboxes in her hands. Jia Zhangshi sat by the door, holding something for sewing shoe soles. She asked Qin Huairu, "That Sha Zhu, with his dead parents, what delicious food did he make today?"

Banggeng was doing his homework inside when he heard there was food, so he rushed out immediately.

"Today we only have stir-fried shredded potatoes and braised cabbage with tofu," Qin Huairu said.

"Ah, there's no meat." Bang Geng looked disappointed and withdrew his hand from the lunchbox.

"That stupid Zhu, who died of his parents, didn't even think to get some meat. Doesn't he know our Banggeng needs nutrition to grow?" Jia Zhangshi spewed filth.

Qin Huairu went to cook without saying a word.

After the onlookers dispersed, Li Xiangdong remembered that he still had some peanuts. He thought they would be great fried to go with drinks.

He went inside, grabbed the two pounds of peanuts, and walked to the back with Yu Li.

Yu Li was carrying a cloth bag, while Yu Dajiang, who had returned, took the other two cloth bags and went back first.

"Tsk tsk, these raw peanuts taste pretty good too." Li Xiangdong said, popping two more into his mouth.

When Yu Li saw Li Xiangdong looking at her mouth, she knew he wanted to give her a couple of kernels too. But they were in the yard, so Yu Li shook her head warily.

As soon as Li Xiangdong and Yu Li entered the central courtyard through the hanging flower gate, they smelled the aroma of meat coming from the back courtyard.

Needless to say, Yu Li's mother was at home preparing dinner, waiting for her daughter and son-in-law to come over for a meal.

As soon as he entered the hanging flower gate, Li Xiangdong, who was sharp of hearing and sight, heard Jia Zhangshi muttering at the door of her house.

"Damn it, whoever cooks something delicious doesn't even send some over to me as a token of respect! You childless bastards!" Madam Jia cursed under her breath.

Li Xiangdong frowned upon hearing this, and the peanut he was about to put in his mouth was subtly flicked away.

While cursing, Jia Zhangshi rubbed her head with an awl a couple of times. This was to make sewing shoe soles easier after applying hair oil.

Just as Jia Zhangshi raised the awl to her lips, a sudden force struck her arm, causing the awl to pierce straight through her cheek and into her tongue.

Jia Zhangshi's eyes suddenly widened, and then everything went black as she fainted.

This was undoubtedly thanks to the peanut that Li Xiangdong popped out.

Yi Zhonghai was talking to Sha Zhu, and they could see it clearly from across the way. It was Jia Zhangshi who had taken a needle and pierced her cheek, then fainted.

It was dinnertime, and many people were still getting water from the tap in the courtyard, so they saw this scene clearly. They were all stunned, their mouths agape; you could even see the tiny tongue inside.

Hearing a thud, Qin Huairu rushed over. Seeing Jia Zhangshi lying on the ground like an old sow waiting to be molted, and noticing the needle in his cheek, Qin Huairu felt a strange sense of relief.

But I can't lose my persona as a dutiful daughter-in-law who has been wronged.

"Grandma, Grandma, what's wrong?"

Qin Huairu pretended not to see the gleaming needle on Jia Zhangshi's plump cheeks and reached out to help Jia Zhangshi up, but what was the meaning of her hand being on the handle of the needle?

Qin Huairu, with her hidden hand, pushed the needle further in, almost piercing through Jia Zhangshi's tongue.

If there were no needle or awl blocking it, the needle could probably come out from the other side.

The awl is actually a large needle about the thickness of an incense stick, mounted on a wooden handle.

Yi Zhonghai then realized what was happening and hurriedly ran over with Sha Zhu. If someone were to die, as the eldest elder in the courtyard, he couldn't just stand by and watch.

"Huai Ru, stop moving! Quickly pull the needle out!" Yi Zhonghai shouted. "Check on her mouth injury later. If she needs to go to the hospital... she can walk there."

"I...I can't do it."

Qin Huairu's tears fell in large drops, which made Sha Zhu feel extremely sorry for her.

"How about I do it?" Sha Zhu said casually.

"Forget it, you're so clumsy, don't make the wound worse." Qin Huairu said sweetly, "I...I'll do it, be careful and slow..."

"No, you can't do it slowly. You have to pull the needle out suddenly," Yi Zhonghai said hurriedly.

"Well... alright then." Qin Huairu nodded, her tearful appearance resembling a dew-kissed water lily in Sha Zhu's eyes. Sha Zhu opened his mouth, his foul-smelling saliva dripping onto his clothes.

Li Xiangdong and Yu Li stood on the outside watching the commotion. In that instant, a large crowd had gathered three or four deep around the Jia family's gate.

The things that Yu Li and Li Xiangdong were carrying had already been handed over to Yu Li's younger brothers, Yu Wen and Yu Wu, who came to greet them.

Li Xiangdong's eyes were sharp enough to see Qin Huairu reach out her hand. When she grasped the awl handle, she clearly swayed it from side to side before suddenly pulling the awl out.

"Tsk tsk, Qin Huairu is really ruthless." Li Xiangdong thought to himself, "This one move is enough to give Jia Zhangshi a hard time."

"But this Jia Zhangshi is the most disgusting. In the original drama, she actually died of old age. Heaven has no eyes!"

"Ow..."

Jia Zhangshi suddenly let out a howl, startling the onlookers.

As soon as Jia Zhangshi opened her mouth, fresh blood gushed out.

"Wow, it's devoured four litters!"

Jia Zhangshi covered her cheek and wailed in agony.

"Alright, Huai Ru, get some cool water for your mother-in-law to rinse her mouth. See if that stops the bleeding." Yi Zhonghai said, "I don't think it's a big problem. It's just a needle prick. There's no need to go to the hospital."

"Bu Yong, Bu Yong..." Jia Zhangshi's words were unclear.

"Why did you prick your cheek with a needle?" Sha Zhu suppressed a laugh as he watched Jia Zhangshi rinsing her mouth.

“It’s the stone pagoda, it’s the stone pagoda that’s where it’s made,” Jia Zhangshi said, pointing at Li Xiangdong.

She was referring to him; he's the one who did it.

"Don't fucking cause trouble. If you want to die, I won't stop you," Yi Zhonghai said angrily.