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

The deaf old woman received a resounding slap, and immediately her eyesight cleared, and her hearing returned to normal. She was pinned to the side by the police, trembling all over, head bowed, not daring to utter a sound. The onlookers were utterly shocked. They couldn't believe that the matriarch of the courtyard house, the oldest resident, would one day be slapped by the police. Respect for elders was utter nonsense; no one ever saw any special treatment when someone committed a crime. For a moment, everyone was silent, their fear of the government deepening.

The matter wasn't over yet. "Go in and search!" Now that it was confirmed that this old woman was engaging in feudal restoration in the courtyard, it was necessary to know her motives, and the house definitely needed to be searched.

At the deputy director's command, three police officers entered the house and began a thorough search.

Soon, the sounds of rummaging through drawers and cabinets could be heard intermittently from inside. No one in the courtyard left; they all crowded together, peering out to see what this mysterious old woman was hiding. She was considered mysterious because she was one of the earliest residents of the courtyard house, and there were even rumors that it had always belonged to her family. Therefore, many believed the deaf old woman was wealthy, and today was the perfect opportunity to see for themselves.

The search yielded results in no time. A policeman carried out a large bag containing several fur coats, glossy and smooth, clearly made of genuine leather, though the animal from which they were made was unknown. Next came silk garments, adorned with intricate floral patterns, gleaming under the lamplight. These clothes were casually piled on the ground, quickly forming a small heap.

A little while later, the searchers brought out a small box from the inner room. Inside the box were pieces of jewelry—gold and silver, and several pieces inlaid with jewels and jade, vibrant and beautiful. Gasps of surprise rose from the crowd, and the murmurs grew louder.

But this was just a small appetizer; the real harvest was yet to come. A young policeman came out of the inner room and strode up to the deputy director. "Reporting, Director, we found a small cellar in the house. There were some items inside, as well as several large boxes. These boxes were all locked, and when we lifted them, they were quite heavy."

Upon hearing this discovery, the deputy director's expression became even more serious. He didn't dare to delay and personally went into the house. Soon, with the help of four police officers and several helpful citizens, the four large boxes were moved into the yard. Using a wood-chopping axe, they broke all the locks, and the contents were immediately revealed to everyone present.

The first box contained rolls of silver dollars wrapped in oiled paper, neatly stacked. At a glance, there were probably no fewer than a hundred rolls.

When the second box was opened, the crowd stirred even more. It was filled with gold bars and various jewelry, their glittering brilliance dazzling under the courtyard lights, almost blinding everyone.

When the deputy director saw what was in the third box, his face turned ashen, all his excitement at discovering treasure vanished. Inside were piles of court beads, red-topped hats and peacock feathers, as well as Qing Dynasty official robes and portraits. He Yubing was right; this old codger really was a remnant of feudalism.

What have the neighborhood committees been doing all these years, letting a remnant of the previous regime ride roughshod over the people in the courtyard for so long? This is a serious matter! With the current tense political climate, although the police station isn't primarily responsible, their negligence and inaction are enough to get them into serious trouble.

Yi Zhonghai, who had arrived at this moment, also looked grim, his heart bleeding. This whole place should have been his! Once the old lady died, he could rightfully inherit everything. He also secretly resented the old woman for not handing these things over to him sooner; then he wouldn't have needed to scheme over Sha Zhu's meager earnings. He had been filial to the deaf old lady for so many years, only to end up with nothing. Yi Zhonghai felt an urge to vomit blood.

Sha Zhu was even more shocked. Wasn't this old woman a recipient of the Five Guarantees? Wasn't she destitute and alone? How could she have so much treasure? Moreover, he was the one who personally cared for her until her death, so why did she never mention these things to him? And in the end, who did all this treasure go to?

The search took nearly two hours.

Three police officers, along with reinforcements who arrived later, and street office staff called in to witness the operation, thoroughly searched the two main rooms, turning them upside down. The bed boards were pried open, the kang (heated brick bed) hole was hollowed out, and even several walls were smashed; they searched every possible hiding place.

More and more things were moved. Soon, a small mountain of things had accumulated in the center of the yard. And this was only the valuable items; it was clear how wealthy the deaf old woman was.

It was nearly 10 o'clock before the inventory was finally completed. The deputy director and the deputy director on duty, Ma, each signed the registers and kept copies.

"The items will be temporarily kept by the subdistrict office." The deputy director put away the booklet and looked at Deputy Director Ma, whose face was equally grim. "Old Ma, these valuables should be taken to your subdistrict office's warehouse and sealed up. This is a serious matter. Tomorrow we may report to both the branch office and the district office simultaneously. You should prepare accordingly."

Without further ado, he waved to his men, "Take her away," and then, supporting the deaf old woman who was too weak to move, he drove off.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director Ma instructed the several street office staff members who had come with him to fetch some flatbed trucks to haul the goods. Although he had indeed been somewhat embarrassed earlier and knew that the street office was in considerable trouble this time, he wasn't actually too worried.

You should know that he had objected when the deaf old woman was initially being considered for the "Five Guarantees" program. At that time, he had just been promoted to deputy director of the subdistrict office, in charge of civil affairs. When he first saw the deaf old woman's materials, he felt something was wrong. There were hundreds or even thousands of elderly people living alone in the subdistrict, so why should an elderly person with her own property be selected?

However, Director Wang immediately shut him down during the meeting, making the decision with a single word. As a newcomer, his voice carried little weight. Therefore, if he reported this matter to his superiors tonight, the primary responsibility wouldn't lie with him; at most, he'd just receive criticism for not persisting to the end.

But Director Wang is in big trouble this time! He personally assigned a remnant of the Qing Dynasty to the "Five Guarantees" program and then engaged in oppressive practices against the masses in the courtyard. If this gets reported to the district or city authorities, Director Wang will definitely be out of a job as the head of the street office.

Deputy Director Ma even felt a flicker of secret delight. With Director Wang gone, the position of street office director would definitely become vacant. In terms of seniority, he was the most suitable candidate. Although there was a high probability that a director would be parachuted in from above, things always depended on human effort. He'd use his time at home to build connections tomorrow morning; maybe things would turn around and he'd land the director's job.