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

He Yuzhu arrived at a main street, where there was a public toilet in a corner. Before he even got close, the pungent stench hit him. Public toilets in this era were mostly dry toilets, how clean could they be? But the area around this public toilet was relatively tidy, at least there was no sewage flowing on the road.

A woman came into view, sweeping the ground around the public toilet with a large broom. It was Ran Qiuye, the woman He Yuzhu was looking for.

The person in front of her was completely different from the gentle and intellectual female teacher in her memory. Her hair was messy, her face was sallow, her eyes were lifeless, and her clothes were dirty. She was mechanically and numbly sweeping the floor.

Standing nearby was a fat man with a red armband, his eyes darting around Ran Qiuye. He made no attempt to hide the fact that they were near a public restroom, standing there brazenly. Passersby who wanted to use the restroom, seeing this man from afar and then noticing the red armband, quickly turned away. These days, it's best not to mess with people; getting involved with them is a recipe for disaster.

"Ran Qiuye, I see you're still resisting reform! I'm having you come to my office tonight so you can better study. Your thinking is very problematic; I think the organization's punishment of you is too lenient!"

Ran Qiuye paused for a moment, her whole body trembling, but she continued sweeping the floor blankly without saying a word.

The man's gaze became even more unrestrained, sweeping from top to bottom and then back up. Although Ran Qiuye was almost thirty and had been worn down by the past few years, she was still a young, beautiful woman with a natural beauty. Her youthful charm was undeniable, and no matter how haggard she looked, her original elegance couldn't be hidden. Moreover, the refined, scholarly air about her was completely different from that of ordinary women in this era. The thought of having a returned college graduate and teacher pinned beneath him made the man feel a surge of heat.

Ran Qiuye pursed her lips tightly, lowered her head, and stared at the ground, but her gaze was almost lifeless, filled only with a deathly pallor. She knew what this man meant. In fact, over the years, she had seen far too many such looks; the men in red armbands all looked at her with this strange expression.

She dared not think about it; the thought terrified her.

Her parents had been sent to the countryside, and she didn't know which farm they were on, or if they would ever come back alive. She swept the streets and cleaned toilets every day. She had seen what happened to those who were being criticized and denounced—forced to kneel on the ground, signs hung around their necks, spit on their faces, their hair pulled out… They didn't treat people like human beings at all.

Even more terrifying were the women wearing hats, who were dragged into a small, dark room and emerged disheveled, their eyes vacant, as if they had lost their souls. Those red armband-wearing women were capable of anything.

She didn't know how much longer she could hold out. Every time she was stared at like that, she trembled all over. This person came again today, saying that she needed to go to the office for a study session that evening. She was afraid that if she continued to resist like this, she wouldn't be far from being dragged away for a public denunciation.

But what should she do? Who can save her?

Just when Ran Qiuye was about to despair, a voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Excuse me, are you Ran Qiuye, Teacher Ran?"

A strange man stood not far away, wearing a Zhongshan suit, pushing a bicycle, and looking this way.

Ran Qiuye was taken aback. The title "Teacher Ran" seemed like a distant memory; it had been a very long time since anyone had addressed her that way.

"I am Ran Qiuye. Comrade, who are you?"

He Yuzhu quickly parked his bicycle, walked up to Ran Qiuye, and said cheerfully, "Hello, Teacher Ran, I'm He Yushui's brother. Teacher Ran, you should know Yushui, right? You taught her Chinese. I'm here to talk to you about something today."

He Yushui's brother?

Ran Qiuye was a little confused. How could she possibly know He Yushui? Even if Ran Qiuye had taught He Yushui when she first started teaching at Hongxing Elementary School, that was ten years ago. It would be hard to remember someone unless you had a specific impression of them. This was just a sales tactic He Yuzhu used to make friends.

"Kid, who are you? What's your relationship with this capitalist roader? You'd better tell me the truth, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

The man beside her was furious. Ran Qiuye was almost at her limit; with just a little more effort, he could succeed that night. But then this unexpected obstacle appeared, ruining his plans. How could he not be angry?

"Slap! Slap!"

He Yuzhu didn't bother with any words and went straight for the man, delivering two powerful blows that sent him spinning halfway around. After finally managing to stop and regain his balance, He Yuzhu kicked him again, nearly sending him flying into the nearby latrine.

"You think I'm being disrespectful? What business is it of yours if I go to see Teacher Ran? Losing your breath? Want me to treat you to this shit? Who the hell do you think you are, daring to put on airs in front of me?"

The man covered his face, both shocked and furious, but dared not approach again. He was used to running rampant in this area; when had he ever been beaten like this? But the man before him was too ruthless, and he was clearly no match for him.

"You, you dare wait here! Daring to hit someone from the GWH, you're utterly lawless, are you trying to rebel?! You just wait! I'm going to call for help right now!"

After saying that, he turned and ran, disappearing at the end of the street in a flash, clearly going to find help.

He Yuzhu didn't even lift his eyelids. Only after the person had disappeared from sight did he turn his head and look at Ran Qiuye again.

Ran Qiuye stood there, completely stunned. How long had it been since anyone stood up for her?

From the day her parents were taken away, she became a pariah, hated by everyone. Former colleagues avoided her, neighbors gossiped behind her back, and children in the street threw stones at her. No one helped her, no one spoke up for her. She felt like she had fallen into an abyss, surrounded by darkness, unable to climb out no matter how hard she tried.

But today, this person...

"Teacher Ran? Are you alright?"

Ran Qiuye then came to her senses and hurriedly advised, "I'm fine, comrade, you, you should leave quickly. You can't afford to mess with those people. They outnumber you and are all from GHW. If they catch you, you'll be half dead. You should listen to me and run."

He Yuzhu chuckled, "It's alright, I'm not afraid of them."

After saying that, he glanced at Ran Qiuye again. "Teacher Ran, I have something important to discuss with you. Let's find a place first and talk slowly."

Ran Qiuye was stunned. This was the first time since the winds had picked up that a stranger had taken the initiative to speak to her and ask her for something. Her students, colleagues, neighbors, even relatives and friends—weren't they all avoiding her like the plague?

"Comrade, I'm still undergoing reform and can't leave without permission. I don't want to implicate you, so tell me what's wrong right now. Leave quickly before they arrive, or it will be too late."