The Courtyard House: He Yuzhu Returns with Boundless Hatred for Revenge

The cafeteria was quiet today, with no major events to attend to. Ever since He Yuzhu was promoted to deputy director of the cafeteria, Li Dajun has avoided coming to the cafeteria whenever possible, treating it entirely as his sphere of influence. He Yuzhu is happy to have some free time, giving orders every day and occasionally showing off his skills; he's living a comfortable life.

He naturally knew nothing about the Liu family's affairs, but even if he did, it wouldn't be surprising. He was the one who reported them, and he could guess the outcome pretty accurately. Liu Haizhong was merely a minor accomplice, doing it incidentally; the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai were the real culprits, and they would suffer even more later. It was a pity Banggeng was only six years old; if he were a few years older, things would be better. He also wanted to find an opportunity to cripple this ungrateful wretch; simply starving him wasn't enough.

I was leaving get off work on time, and had just stepped out of the steel rolling mill gate when someone called out to me. Turning around, I was surprised to see it was Xu Fugui. It was clear he had been waiting for me at the factory gate.

That old fox, he's never coming here for anything good. What kind of tricks is he up to? The mess with the Xu family in my past life wasn't exactly deep-seated hatred, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either. Xu Fugui had schemed against me, but he was the unluckiest of all the cunning, ultimately betrayed and killed by his own son, driven to suicide with Xu Damao's mother by gas poisoning. In the end, I died, but Xu's mother survived. In her later years, she was cared for by me, an outsider and Xu Damao's mortal enemy—a truly tragic end.

(So ​​those who are trying to whitewash Xu Damao's kindness should take a good look. This is the first time I've ever heard of someone who drove their own parents to their deaths being whitewashed. On the contrary, Sha Zhu was just a pushover in the original series. I don't know where so many people get such malice, treating Sha Zhu like a mortal enemy, as if he were an unforgivable villain.)

I've seen all sorts of comments on this book so far. Some people argue with me about the original text—seriously, in the original, I asked, "Who did Sha Zhu wrong?" The person he wronged most was his son, He Xiao. He was still his son, so he had to suffer. And some people tell me Sha Zhu doesn't deserve to face Lou Xiao'e. I'm laughing my head off! When the Lou family was locked up like dogs, who saved their lives? Someone like Lou Xiao'e would have been forced into prostitution by everyone. What right or wrong? You don't even deserve to be a bitch. (This reminds me of a blogger on Douyin who wants to travel back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, where she'd be a prostitute with hundreds of servants, living a life of unparalleled luxury...)

As for his sister He Yushui, it's even more ridiculous. He's He Yushui's brother, not her father, and their father is still alive and well. Don't apply your understanding from decades later to that era. Let me tell you, back then, it was perfectly normal for a son to inherit a job and house; even the Women's Federation couldn't change that, and besides, the Women's Federation wouldn't be stupid enough to get involved in such matters. ... How did Sha Zhu ever mistreat He Yushui? He took her to vocational school, bought her a bicycle, and when Yu Haitang visited He Yushui's small house, there were still dishes that Sha Zhu had specially prepared for his sister in her cupboard.

Back then, there were plenty of sleazy people. Even when He Daqing ran away, the administration wasn't so good in 1951 and 1952. If Sha Zhu had any ulterior motives, he could have just abandoned his sister in the middle of nowhere on his way to Baoding to find his father, and then come back saying she was lost, and nobody would have cared. Damn, this kind of thing happened all the time in 1961. What's the use of that meager child support after raising her for so many years? Believe me, he'd be much more comfortable without raising a sister. Seeing so many people cursing Sha Zhu, I'm speechless. They only think about taking, not giving... I was going to tolerate it since it was just readers' opinions, but now I can't stand it anymore. Reading the comments makes me feel like my values ​​are distorted; I have to vent.

However, recalling how, when her soul wandered in her past life, she vaguely saw Xu Damao collecting her corpse, her initial annoyance lessened somewhat. At least, he at least gave her a complete corpse in the end, far better than those beasts.

"Uncle Xu, is there something you need at the steel mill?" Well, considering the old man's good relationship with his adoptive father in the past, he still greeted him politely.

Xu Fugui rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and forced a smile. "Zhuzi, I've been waiting for you here."

"Wait for me?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow.

"I have something I'd like to talk to you about." Xu Fugui looked around. "This isn't the place to talk, it's freezing cold. How about it, do me the honor of finding a restaurant, having a couple of drinks, and then we can talk it out? It's on me."

What's that old rascal up to? But He Yuzhu wasn't really afraid now. When it came to cunning, he was confident no one in this courtyard could outwit him. Besides, he had plenty of food stored at home, so his sister wouldn't go hungry when she returned. He had nothing to worry about, and going to listen wouldn't hurt.

"Alright, Uncle Xu has asked, so how can I, as a junior, refuse? But how can I let you spend the money? You and my father are of the same generation and have been friends for many years, so this meal should definitely be on me."

"No way, I said I'd treat, so I'll treat," Xu Fugui insisted.

After a few polite exchanges, He Yuzhu finally said, "Let's find a small restaurant and grab something to eat," and that was the end of it.

Xu Fugui, familiar with the place, led He Yuzhu through the streets and alleys, into a small but clean tavern. He Yuzhu felt disgusted by Xu Fugui's lewd manner as he talked to the young female owner at the door; he was just like his cheap old man, both lecherous old men who couldn't resist women.

I took a few steps back and looked at the sign above the shop: Huizhen Tavern. The name sounded so familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I'd seen it before.

After finding a quiet corner to sit down, Xu Fugui ordered a few dishes and personally poured wine for He Yuzhu. He then raised his glass first, saying, "Zhuzi, come on, let me toast you first. Da Mao used to clash with you, but please don't hold a grudge. I'll drink this first as an apology."

"Uncle Xu, what are you saying? Da Mao and I were just kids fooling around. I can't take the blame for this." He Yuzhu raised his glass and clinked it with his, then downed his drink in one gulp, as a gesture of respect.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere at the table became a little more lively. Xu Fugui sighed, put down his chopsticks, and his expression turned serious.

"Zhu Zi, I've come to you today because I really have something to ask of you."

"I've already given up my job at the steel rolling mill to Da Mao. I've also used my connections to get a transfer to a movie theater in western Beijing, where they've provided me with an apartment. This morning, I moved there with your aunt and your sister Zhao Di, leaving Da Mao to live alone here."

He Yuzhu said "Oh," and thought to himself, "Xu Fugui's timeline hasn't changed at all; he even moved away at this time. It seems that as long as I don't interfere, the timeline repair ability is still quite powerful."

"This is wonderful news! Now your Xu family has both father and son working, and both as projectionists, a highly sought-after profession. The Xu family's prosperity is just around the corner. No wonder Uncle Xu wanted to invite me for drinks; this is definitely worth celebrating..."

"What's so good about it?" Xu Fugui gave a wry smile. "It's far from home, it takes several hours to walk back and forth, so it won't be convenient for me to come over anymore. Da Mao will be all alone here. Zhu Zi, you know Da Mao's personality, he's always talking without thinking, loves to cause trouble, and is all talk and no action. Before, when I was around, I could keep an eye on him. But now that I'm gone..."

He raised his eyes to look at He Yuzhu, his eyes surprisingly sincere. "Yuzhu, Uncle Xu is going to great lengths to ask you for a favor. Could you keep an eye on Da Mao in this yard and at the factory? Don't let him cause any serious trouble. You don't need to do anything special, just give him a heads-up when it matters, or, for my sake, if he really misbehaves, you can discipline him; I won't hesitate. I just ask that he not get taken advantage of..."

He Yuzhu slowly twirled the wine glass in his hand, not immediately agreeing.

Take care of Xu Damao? Does Xu Fugui look down on his son too much? After the reform, Xu Damao was the deputy director of the GWH, who commanded tens of thousands of employees in the steel mill. He was a powerful figure who could shake the entire district. If it weren't for his divisive tactics, it's hard to say how far Xu Damao could have risen.

But then I thought about it again, and realized that my actions had actually saved his life by allowing him to cut ties with GWH early on. Otherwise, given his behavior, he would have been in serious trouble after the storm passed.

No one knows a son better than his father. Xu Fugui didn't even know what kind of person his son was; no wonder he was ultimately ruined by his son, driven to bankruptcy, and driven to suicide. His death was not unjust.