Love in the Courtyard: Starting with Engineers

At the Jia family home, Madam Jia Zhang watched Li Yu carrying large and small bags of things home, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

"That damned little beast's parents left behind so much money and the factory's compensation, and he didn't even use it to support me. He deserves to die young and be childless."

Qin Huairu, standing beside Banggeng, said, "Mom, don't say these things in front of Banggeng. What if he sets a bad example?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi immediately jumped up, turned around, and started cursing at Qin Huairu.

"You little whore, you'd better behave yourself. Don't think that just because my Dongxu is dead you can set your sights on someone else. You were born a member of the Jia family, and you will die a member of the Jia family. You'd better keep your little schemes to yourself and don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and she said in a tearful voice:

"Mom, I don't mean it. I'm completely devoted to Dongxu." Seeing Jia Zhangshi like this, Qin Huairu felt wronged, feeling that she had been bullied outside all day for the sake of this family.

"Hmph! It's better if you don't have any, otherwise I'll scratch your face to pieces. My dear grandson, remember that little bastard from the Li family bought so much delicious food. Find a chance to take it all for him."

Bang Geng excitedly waved his hand in response: "Just watch, I'll definitely empty this little bastard's pockets."

Qin Huairu looked at Bang Geng and Jia Zhangshi helplessly and said, "Mom, you'll teach Bang Geng bad habits. How can you let him take other people's things?" Jia Zhangshi saw that Qin Huairu dared to talk back, so she slapped her across the face.

Qin Huairu's face visibly flushed red.

"Qin Huairu, let me tell you, whatever the Jia family has set its sights on belongs to the Jia family."

When Banggeng saw his grandmother hitting his mother, he not only remained indifferent but also chimed in, "Yes, she's from my Jia family."

While Li Yu was away, Yi Zhonghai came to Sha Zhu's house.

"You saw what happened today, Zhu Zi. That brat Li Yu has managed to extort money from the Jia family. You know what the Jia family's situation is now."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu immediately replied, "Don't worry, with me, He Yuzhu, here, that kid Li Yu can't cause any trouble. If he dares to disobey, I'll beat him to death."

Seeing He Yuzhu's indignant and foolish expression, Yi Zhonghai was secretly delighted.

"I don't believe I can't control you. I can control your parents, let alone your dead ones."

As he got up, he said to He Yuzhu, "Help the Jia family more in everything you do, after all, they are the most in need in the whole courtyard."

"Alright, grandpa," He Yuzhu said, patting his chest.

As the old man left, He Yuzhu glanced casually at the Jia family's house. Thinking of Qin Huairu's tearful appearance earlier that day, he felt a pang of heartache. "You, Li Yu, dare to bully Sister Qin? See how I deal with you!"

Li Yu was having dinner at home when Yan Jiecheng came over to inform him that after dinner he should go to the Intermediate People's Court for a general meeting.

Li Yu quickly finished his rice and went to Grandma Zhang's house in the backyard. He gave Grandma Zhang's granddaughter two candies and told her to go to the neighborhood office to call Director Wang.

He carried a small stool and walked towards the central courtyard.

Upon arriving at the central courtyard, Li Yu casually found a place to sit down. Just then, Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong, each carrying a large teacup, walked from the front and back courtyards to the stools in front of the square table in the center of the courtyard and sat down steadily.

Just as the two sat down, Yi Zhonghai and an older woman helped an elderly woman out of their house. Yi Zhonghai sat down at the square table, and the older woman helped the elderly woman sit down at the lower end of the table.

In his previous life, Li Yu had only watched the fan fiction TV series "Full House of Love" and hadn't really watched much of it. Now it seems this production is quite large.

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai had sat down, Liu Haizhong turned to the people in the courtyard and said:

"Is everyone here? Check each other to make sure everyone's here, then we'll start the meeting. Today's topic is..."

So today, Banggeng went to Li Yu's house in the front yard to steal something and pushed Li Yu down. Then Li Yu demanded compensation from the Jia family. That's the gist of the story. Now, let's invite a highly respected elder to speak."

Yi Zhonghai, feigning seriousness, picked up the large teacup inscribed with "Advanced Worker" and took a sip, then looked at Li Yu and said:

"As Lao Liu just said, come on, Li Yu, come to the middle and state your terms."

Li Yu stood up, walked to the center of the courtyard, glanced at the Jia family, then at Yi Zhonghai and the others, and said:

"First, I need compensation. I went to the hospital today and the doctor said I have a concussion, so I'm demanding 200 yuan in compensation."

"The second Jia family must return all the money and grain they borrowed from me before."

Li Yu had just finished speaking

[Ding! Received 100 points of malicious emotion from Jia Zhangshi]

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi jumped up and said, "My family has no money to pay you back. You dead child still want money? I'm afraid you'll live to take it but not live to spend it."

Li Yu watched as Jia Zhangshi flashed in front of her and slapped her across the face.

Jia Zhangshi was beaten until she rolled on the ground.

[Ding! Received 66 malicious emotion points from Jia Zhangshi, 20 malicious emotion points from Qin Huairu, and 66 malicious emotion points from Yi Zhonghai]

Looking at the emotion values, Li Yu thought, "It seems Qin Huairu didn't feel much when she saw Jia Zhangshi being beaten, but Yi Zhonghai is quite agitated."

Bang! Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table, stood up, pointed at Li Yu, and roared:

"How could you hit an old person? You have no respect for the elderly and care for the young. You are simply lawless."

Li Yu turned around and looked at Yi Zhonghai: "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear Jia Zhangshi cursing at me just now?"

Yi Zhonghai said indignantly, "She's an old woman, so what if she scolded you a few times? How could you hit an old woman?"

Li Yu looked at Yi Zhonghai as if he were mentally challenged.

"So, according to you, I can point at and scold any child in the future? Because I'm older than them, I can scold your child too. Oh, I forgot you don't have any children."

Everyone in the hospital turned red with embarrassment upon hearing this, wanting to laugh but daring not to.

[Ding! Received 99 points of malicious emotion from Yi Zhonghai.]

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi also recovered and sat on the ground, beginning to wail:

"Oh dear, they're all bullying us orphans and widows! Old Jia, Dongxu, come quickly and take this little bastard from the Li family away! He's going to beat me to death! Old Jia, this whole courtyard of bastards is bullying our family!"

Although Li Yu was very curious about the scene of Jia Zhangshi summoning the soul in the courtyard, he was also very angry when the object was himself.

He grabbed Jia Zhangshi by the collar and lifted her up: "If you keep howling, I'll take you to the joint defense office. You're openly engaging in feudal superstition. See if you die or not."

[Ding! Received Jia Zhangshi's Fear Value: 88]

When Jia Zhangshi heard that she needed to contact the joint defense office, she thought of Old Lady Zhang from the next alley, who had been sent to a farm for reform through feudal superstition.

She panicked immediately: "No, you're talking nonsense. I'm not into feudal superstition. I just miss my Dongxu and Lao Jia."

Everyone laughed when they saw her like that, and at the same time they were shocked by how strong the Li family boy was. He lifted Jia Zhangshi, who weighed nearly 200 pounds, with one hand.

Seeing her mother-in-law being lifted up like that, Qin Huairu, wanting to maintain her image as a good daughter-in-law in the courtyard, quickly came over and pulled Li Yu up, saying with tears in her eyes:

"Brother Li Yu, please put my mother-in-law down quickly, let's talk things out."

Second Uncle Liu Haizhong and Third Uncle Yan Bugui quickly tried to smooth things over, telling him to talk things out. Upon hearing this, Li Yu loosened his grip, and Jia Zhangshi fell to the ground with a thud, not daring to utter a sound.

After putting down Jia Zhangshi, Li Yu looked at Qin Huairu and said:

"Come on, tell me what my conditions are, and whether you can do it. If you can't, I'll report it to the police and have them send the juvenile delinquent to the detention center."

Before Qin Huairu could speak, Uncle Yi Zhonghai couldn't wait any longer.

"No, we can't report it to the police. It's our courtyard's tradition to handle matters within the courtyard. Besides, if we report it to the police, we'll lose our title as an advanced courtyard this year."

Upon hearing that the "Advanced Courtyard House" was no longer available, everyone began to offer their condolences. This was because the "Advanced Courtyard House" received some supplies from the neighborhood committee every year during the Spring Festival, and it was also a prestigious name to be associated with when someone was getting married.

Yan Bugui immediately became anxious upon hearing that it would affect the advanced courtyard houses.

"That's right, Xiao Li, we should handle things within our compound. Don't bother the police so often."

Liu Haizhong said calmly, "With the three of us old men here, what problem can't be solved in the courtyard? The affairs of the courtyard must be decided by the three of us old men."

Li Yu observed the various reactions of the people in the courtyard and finally understood. They were all a group of selfish people who didn't care as long as their own interests weren't affected, but once they were, they would start acting like good people.

"Since all three gentlemen insist on resolving this in the courtyard, fine, then let's go with my terms, not a little less is acceptable," Li Yu said, looking at Qin Huairu.

[Ding! Received 99 points of malicious emotion from Qin Huairu]

At this moment, Qin Huairu, with tears in her eyes, dared not look at Li Yu and turned to look at He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu stepped forward and stood in front of Qin Huairu.

He glared at Li Yu: "Hey, Li Yu, how can you talk like that? Sister Qin has had a hard life. What's wrong with her asking to borrow something? And Bang Geng is just a child. What's wrong with her pushing you? You're perfectly fine. What are you doing, a grown man arguing with an orphan and a widow? Don't you have any compassion?"

[Ding! Received 99 points of malicious emotion from He Yuzhu]

Li Yu raised his eyelids and glanced at Sha Zhu, who was looking at him as if he were an idiot:

"Comrade He Yuzhu, did I speak to you? Are you some kind of big shot in charge of the compound or from the street office? Do you have any right to be here upholding justice? Oh, by the way, I heard you always bring your lunchbox from the steel mill. Look at He Yuzhu, you've become as thin as a stick. Did you feed your lunchbox to dogs? Or to ungrateful wolves?"

"You! What nonsense are you talking about? I was just seeing how difficult things were for the Jia family!" Sha Zhu's face flushed red as he was hit where it hurt. His lunchbox was often taken by Qin Huairu or stolen by Bang Geng, but he was happy about it.

However, what he didn't notice was that He Yushui was looking at him with eyes full of disappointment.

"Li Yu, watch your tone!" Uncle Liu Haizhong said, putting on airs and speaking in a very official manner.

An old man standing nearby chimed in, "We're all neighbors in the same courtyard, we should stick together! The Jia family is indeed facing difficulties, you should be understanding! As for the money, let the Jia family pay it back slowly later. If you pressure them now, isn't that kicking them when they're down?"