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

Old Jia, being a man of pride, didn't want the matter to become public knowledge. In the end, he made Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai write confessions and put their fingerprints on them. He also forced Yi Zhonghai to pay fifty silver dollars in compensation. Keep in mind that back then, when people were still relatively well-off, fifty silver dollars was an astronomical sum for ordinary people. Although Yi Zhonghai's family had some wealth, he had suffered a great loss this time, and given his vengeful nature, he was far from willing to let it go easily.

From that day on, Lao Jia's attitude towards Zhang Xiaohua and Jia Dongxu changed drastically. He would beat and scold them at home, and often threatened to divorce Zhang Xiaohua and send her and her son back to the countryside.

Zhang Xiaohua's days were getting harder and harder. Not only did Lao Jia frequently beat and verbally abuse her and her son, but the food they ate also became a mess. He only provided enough for them to stay alive, and when they craved something good, they would eat out before coming home. It was clear that he didn't treat them like family. Zhang Xiaohua couldn't bear the torment any longer, so she secretly went to Yi Zhonghai to cry and complain.

Yi Zhonghai outwardly offered comfort, but inwardly he harbored deep resentment towards Jia Wangcai, who had not only ruined his finances but also held leverage over him. If Jia were to expose the affair one day, Yi Zhonghai's reputation would be completely destroyed, and he would have no place in the Lou's Steel Rolling Mill. After all, his father-in-law was still a senior master craftsman at the mill, and if he discovered Yi Zhonghai's infidelity, he would undoubtedly use any means necessary to expel him from the mill and his home.

Anger welled up in his heart, and evil thoughts took hold of him. He decided to go all out and kill Jia Wangcai.

So one day, he arrived at the workshop early and tampered with the machine tool that Lao Jia was operating when no one was around. It has to be said that Lao Yinbi really had a talent for doing bad things. His calculations were always accurate. He was only able to do nothing against He Yuzhu, who had traveled from the future.

Not long after the workshop started operating, a scream came from not far away. Yi Zhonghai rushed over immediately. He wanted to witness Lao Jia's death with his own eyes, but he didn't expect to see a scene that he could never erase from his memory. Lao Jia hadn't forgotten to ask him until his death whether Jia Dongxu was really his and Zhang Xiaohua's illegitimate child.

This scene became a lifelong nightmare for Yi Zhonghai, deeply etched into his very bones. Now, on the cold, snowy ground of the courtyard, watching Jia Dongxu, also dragging half his body and looking like a ghost, crawl towards him, the memory and reality overlapped, shattering Yi Zhonghai's already taut nerves. In his turmoil, thoughtless words slipped from his lips.

The words had barely left his mouth when Yi Zhonghai snapped back to reality. But it was too late; the first thought that popped into his head was—this is trouble!

Before him stood Jia Dongxu's hateful gaze and the gossipy expressions of his neighbors.

He Yuzhu stood not far away, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Jia Dongxu and He Yuzhu, full of amusement. Oh? So there's more to this story?

Yi Zhonghai's heart pounded wildly. He forced himself to calm down and quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Dongxu! What nonsense are you spouting! Climbing out in the middle of the night to scare people? I'm your master! Your father, Lao Jia, passed away early, and I only took extra care of your family because I felt sorry for you. How can you pressure your master like this? Go back now! Stop embarrassing yourself here!"

An attempt to mislead. Unfortunately, no one present was a fool; they knew perfectly well what the words meant. The more they explained, the more they seemed to be covering up; it would be a miracle if there wasn't something fishy going on.

Jia Dongxu lay on the ground, head tilted back, and suddenly let out a strange laugh, "Gagaga, Master, look at me now, do I still care about making a fool of myself?"

Yi Zhonghai was speechless for a moment. Tonight, he was facing only his nemesis. He couldn't handle the deaf old woman throwing a tantrum on the ground, and now he was even more helpless against his apprentice with the broken leg. Just then, the annoying He Yuzhu stepped forward a few paces at the opportune moment.

"Old Yi, if you ask me, your apprentice's family is really having a tough time right now. The Jia family is on the verge of collapse. Everyone in the family is either disabled or has just had a baby; without a pillar of support, it's unbearable. As their master, you can't just stand by and watch them suffer."

He paused, as if recalling the past, "Back then, your earnest teachings in the courtyard—like 'a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative,' 'neighbors help each other,' 'we're all one big family,' those words still ring in my ears! Now, isn't this the time to embody the spirit you advocated?"

If looks could kill, Yi Zhonghai would have torn He Yuzhu to pieces by now. Why is this He Yuzhu, whom he'd rather die in a thousand cuts, always there to hurl his old words at him, leaving him utterly speechless?

"Especially you, Lao Yi, you know your own situation. That's why you need to be even more proactive, to prove through your actions that you're reforming, starting anew, and striving to reintegrate into society as soon as possible, becoming a useful member of society, right? This is a great opportunity for you to atone for your crimes and try to get your criminal record removed soon!"

These words were utterly malicious. They left Yi Zhonghai no room to refuse. To refuse would be to disobey the moral code he himself had set years ago; to refuse would be to resist reform and show no progress in his thinking.

"Alright then, neither the deaf old woman nor Jia Dongxu are outsiders; they're either godmothers or his own apprentices. Their lives are so difficult, you can't just stand by and do nothing. Today, I'll make the decision and connect you! From now on, the three of you will be one family! Let's live together!"

"Let's put this spirit of 'a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative' into practice! Let's set an example! When the neighborhood committee comes to visit, they'll say, 'Wow, although there were some problems with courtyard number 95, they admitted their mistakes and corrected them, and they're doing a great job of unity and mutual assistance!' Maybe our courtyard can even be re-evaluated as an excellent and civilized courtyard in the future. This would not only enhance your reputation, Yi Zhonghai, but also bring real benefits to our courtyard. It's a win-win situation, isn't it wonderful..."

Upon hearing this, both the deaf old woman who had just walked a short distance away and Jia Dongxu, who was crawling on the ground, had their eyes light up. Although they both hated He Yuzhu to death, they couldn't help but feel that he was now the only official in the courtyard and could act as a half-ruler of the government. With his statement, they felt even more emboldened to rely on Yi Zhonghai.

In contrast, Yi Zhonghai felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. Three families merging into one? He was supposed to support the disabled Jia Dongxu's family, and also take care of that deaf old woman who had become a rebel and was now a source of endless trouble? This wasn't a pleasant situation; it was clearly pushing him to his death! Jia Dongxu was now a cripple, and the deaf old woman was a bottomless pit. These two families were like leeches, sucking every last drop of blood from Yi Zhonghai!

All these years of scheming and plotting, all I did was fear being exploited and left without descendants in my old age. But all my scheming has come to nothing; someone is openly taking advantage of my family's poverty. Wouldn't I become the biggest laughingstock in this courtyard?