Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The night of the 26th of the twelfth lunar month was bitterly cold. Yet, in the courtyard of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, almost the entire household, young and old, had gathered—a sight unlike any other. Four large kerosene lanterns hung from the branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard, swaying in the cold wind and casting flickering, uneasy shadows. The white breath exhaled by the people rose under the lantern lights, weaving into a hazy mist.

The entire courtyard assembly, a traditional way for this traditional courtyard house to resolve neighborhood disputes and convey policies, hadn't been held for quite some time. The last time it was this grand was when Director Wang from the neighborhood committee announced the status of Yi Aijia and Yi Aiguo as the families of martyrs. But today, the atmosphere was completely different—solemn, tense, and tinged with a kind of impending anger.

In the center of the courtyard stood a large eight-immortal table, moved from Yi Zhonghai's house, serving as a platform. Yi Zhonghai sat behind the table, his face ashen, his back ramrod straight, his large, calloused hands resting on his knees, the veins on the back of his hands throbbing faintly. Beside him, an older woman, Wang Cuifang, tightly embraced Yi Aijia and Yi Aiguo. The two children were clearly frightened; Yi Aiguo's face was buried in his sister's arms, only his large, terrified eyes showing. Yi Aijia tried to remain calm, but her hand, tightly gripping the older woman's clothes, betrayed her fear. Several men living in the backyard, dressed in ordinary work clothes but with remarkably upright postures (Wang Huanbo's bodyguards), stood intentionally or unintentionally around the Yi family of three, forming an invisible human wall. Their faces were grim, their sharp gazes sweeping across the crowd, especially fixed on Jia Zhangshi, who stood on the other side of the courtyard, hands on hips, with an arrogant expression.

Jia Dongxu stood beside his mother, his face ashen, his lips tightly pressed together. He tried to pull his mother back, but Jia Zhangshi shoved him away forcefully. Qin Huairu, her slightly protruding belly, hugged her bewildered son, hiding by her doorframe, head bowed, shoulders trembling slightly, unable to bear the scene in the courtyard.

The others in the courtyard had varying expressions. Yan Bugui, hands tucked into his pockets, huddled in the front row, his small eyes darting around behind his glasses, clearly calculating the "value" and potential impact of tonight's spectacle. Liu Haizhong, his belly protruding, stood with his hands behind his back, striking a pose of "Second Uncle," but his eyes held more of amusement at the spectacle. Xu Damao leaned against a pillar, a cold smile playing on his lips, plotting how to use this as gossip tomorrow, and also pondering what spice he could add to his article about Engineer Wang and "Little Cannon." Sha Zhu, meanwhile, sat casually on a bench; it was the person he had been calling out to door earlier, now waiting for the "show" to begin.

"Is everyone here?" Yi Zhonghai's voice rang out, somewhat hoarse but exceptionally clear, drowning out the whispers in the courtyard. "The reason I've called this meeting today is because Sister-in-law Jia, Comrade Jia Zhangshi, has made several accusations and demands against me, Yi Zhonghai. This matter is of great importance and concerns the peace and tranquility of our courtyard. Therefore, I ask all the elders and juniors of the courtyard to bear witness and to lay this matter out in the open, to make it clear and transparent!"

His gaze, sharp as lightning, pierced Jia Zhangshi: "Sister-in-law Jia, speak in front of the entire courtyard. What accusations do you have? What demands do you have? Tell me everything, in detail!"

All eyes immediately turned to Jia Zhangshi.

This display of power only fueled Jia Zhangshi's agitation, or rather, it overwhelmed her by the fear of running out of food and the envy of seeing the Yi family receive so many rewards. She took a step forward, pointing at Yi Zhonghai's nose, her voice shrill and piercing, particularly harsh in the cold night: "Yi Zhonghai! Don't pretend here! What am I accusing you of? I'm accusing you of being heartless and rotten, causing my son Dongxu's work-related injury and disability! If you hadn't failed to raise him properly, if your broken machine tool hadn't malfunctioned, would my son be like this? Now he has one hand useless, can only work as a level two worker, earning a meager monthly ration, and has to support our family of four! It's all your fault!"

A low murmur rippled through the courtyard. Although many knew that Jia Zhangshi was just being unreasonable, such a blatant and public accusation was still shocking.

Yi Zhonghai turned pale with anger, but before he could speak, Jia Dongxu panicked and grabbed his mother, saying, "Mom! What nonsense are you talking about! My work injury was an accident! It has nothing to do with my master! My master was the first to cut off the power, saving my life!"

"Shut up!" Madam Jia glared fiercely at her son, then turned to Yi Zhonghai, spitting as she spoke. "What do I demand? I demand compensation! Compensation for my son's hand! Compensation for our family's losses! It was agreed before that since you, Yi Zhonghai, had no son, your assets and your job would belong to Dongxu! Now you've brought in two bastards from who-knows-where, and you think you can kick Dongxu out? No way!"

Her finger suddenly pointed at Yi Aijia and Yi Aiguo, who were being protected by an older woman, her voice laced with malice: "Who knows where they picked up these bastards from! Orphans of martyrs? What a load of rubbish! They're probably your illegitimate children, Yi Zhonghai's children from outside, brought back under some pretext to try and seize what belongs to Dongxu! Let me tell you, Yi Zhonghai, you have to agree today to send the Jia family twenty catties of grain coupons every month, plus twenty yuan! Not a penny less! Otherwise, I'll report you to the factory, I'll report you to the neighborhood committee, and I'll make sure you lose your eighth-grade worker position! I'll make sure these two little bastards can't stay in the yard either!"

"Jia Zhangshi! How dare you!" Yi Zhonghai finally erupted in fury, slamming his fist on the table and standing up abruptly, causing the lantern on the table to jump. He trembled all over, not from fear, but from extreme anger and the heartache of being insulted. "Aijia and Aiguo are the flesh and blood of my own younger brother, martyr Yi Zhonghe! Their father was a hero who sacrificed his life on the Korean battlefield to defend his country! How dare you slander a martyr and insult his orphans?! Are you even human?!"

The older woman was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged the two children even tighter and glared at Jia Zhangshi.

The expressions on everyone's faces in the courtyard changed. To slander the orphan of a martyr was utterly heinous. Many families had relatives who participated in the Korean War, and even those who didn't, held the deepest respect for the fallen soldiers in their bones. Jia Zhangshi's words had enraged everyone.

Wang Huanbo, who had been standing quietly in the shadows under the eaves of the west courtyard entrance, frowned slightly. He had brought Lou Xiao'e here today to see how far Jia Zhangshi could go and to bear witness to her actions. He hadn't expected the old hag to be so foolish and vicious. He felt Lou Xiao'e gently grasp his arm; her fingers were slightly cool.

However, Jia Zhangshi had gone completely insane, or rather, her stupidity and greed had caused her to lose her last shred of reason. Seeing Yi Zhonghai's fury, she became even more smug, thinking she had struck a nerve, and escalated her shouts: "Hero? Who knows if he's real or not! Even if he is, he's dead! Once he's dead, he's nothing! The living need to eat! You, Yi Zhonghai, are raising two good-for-nothing bastards, why don't you care about Dongxu? Dongxu is your rightful disciple! You have to take care of him! If you don't agree to give him food and money today, I'm not finished with you! These two little brats won't have a good life either! They're born of a mother but have no mother to raise them..."

"Snapped!"

A crisp, loud slap interrupted Jia Zhangshi's vicious curses!

A figure darted out from the crowd on the Yi family's side with lightning speed. Before everyone could see anything, Madam Jia Zhang had been spun halfway around by a powerful slap. She staggered back several steps and fell to the cold ground with a "thud." Her left cheek swelled up at a visible speed, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

The one who did the beating was Zheng Weiguo, who lived in the backyard, was usually taciturn, and was nominally a security guard at the Red Star Factory. He was one of Wang Huanbo's bodyguards, a genuine veteran from the Korean War, with a faint shrapnel scar on his face. At this moment, his face was ashen, his eyes were like knives as he stared at Jia Zhangshi on the ground, and his chest heaved violently.

The courtyard was deathly silent. Everyone was stunned by the sudden slap.

Jia Zhangshi was stunned by the beating. She sat on the ground, covering her face, unable to react for a long time. Only when the burning pain and the salty, metallic taste of blood in her mouth filled her mouth did she let out a loud wail: "They're hitting me! They're killing me! People in the yard are beating me! Is there no law anymore?!"

"The law?" Zheng Weiguo's voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as ice. "Where were you, you old hag, when I was fighting the American devils with bayonets in Korea? Where were you, you old hag, when my comrades were carrying explosives and charging forward to cover the wounded's retreat? Where were you, you old hag, when Comrade Yi Zhonghe, the hero of the motor transport regiment, was blown to pieces while drawing enemy fire to deliver ammunition to the front lines?!"

He took a step forward, looking down at them, his eyes blazing with fury: "The peace that martyrs fought and died for, you, a parasite, a scoundrel, are here to insult their children?! Born of a mother but raised by one? Let me tell you, their mother was a military doctor who died saving wounded soldiers from bacterial infection! Their father was a towering hero of the Volunteer Army! They are a thousand times, ten thousand times more noble than you, you bloodsucking, filthy old hag!"

"Old Zheng, calm down." Another guard, Zhou Tiejun, stepped forward. He had a gruesome scar on his face running from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, a result of shrapnel wounds inflicted at Shangganling. He coldly stared at the terrified Jia Zhangshi. "Fighting with this kind of scum will only dirty our hands. But let's get this straight—"

He turned to everyone in the courtyard, his voice booming: "We who live in the back courtyard are all wounded, we've all come from the battlefield. Why are we living here? It's the organization's arrangement, we have no complaints. But we won't tolerate any injustice! Aijia and Aiguo are the descendants of martyrs, the children of all of us who carried guns and fought! Anyone who bullies them is bullying all of us who served in the military! Jia Zhangshi, if you dare to insult the martyrs or the children again, just try it! I've been given a second chance at life, I don't mind risking it all again!"

"Yes! Let's give it a try!"

"Damn it, my hands are itching!"

"I can take on three Americans by myself on the battlefield, how could I not handle an old shrew like you?"

The other three or four guards also stood up, their eyes wide with rage and murderous intent. They were usually unassuming, but the fierce, bloodthirsty aura they exuded at that moment, seemingly forged in a sea of ​​corpses, caused the temperature in the courtyard to drop several degrees. The neighbors suddenly realized that these usually amiable "security colleagues" were actually ruthless men who had seen real battles and bloodshed!

Terrified, Jia Zhangshi collapsed to the ground, her face covered in snot and tears, unable to utter another curse, only trembling like a leaf.

Jia Dongxu's face turned deathly pale. Watching his mother being beaten and seeing the menacing guards, he felt as if his heart had been struck by a heavy hammer. Of course, he knew his mother had gone too far, but she was his own mother… He instinctively wanted to step forward, but Zheng Weiguo's gaze froze him in place. The warning and contempt in that look made him feel utterly ashamed.

The others in the courtyard had mixed feelings. Some felt relieved, like Sha Zhu, who almost shouted "Well done!"; some were shocked, like Yan Bugui, who hadn't expected there to be so many ruthless figures hiding in the courtyard; some felt lingering fear, like Liu Haizhong, who secretly rejoiced that he hadn't offended the Yi family; and many more felt a sense of awe—the orphans of martyrs were not to be trifled with!

"Alright, Weiguo, Tiejun, and a few other comrades, calm down first." A calm voice rang out, breaking the suffocating silence.

Wang Huanbo emerged from the shadows, Lou Xiao'e beside him. The dim light illuminated his face, his expression calm and undisturbed. He first nodded to Zheng Weiguo and the others, signaling them to control their emotions, then looked at Jia Zhangshi, who was sitting on the ground trembling. There was no anger in his eyes, only a deep, all-knowing indifference.

"Jia Zhangshi," Wang Huanbo's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, "You said Master Yi caused Comrade Jia Dongxu's work-related injury, you need evidence. The safety department of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill has a complete accident report, and I personally participated in the technical appraisal. The cause of the accident was the old machine tool; a critical bearing suddenly broke, causing the transmission components to malfunction. At that time, it was Master Yi, your 'enemy,' who noticed the abnormality immediately and rushed over at top speed to pull down the main power switch, cutting off the power. Otherwise, given the tonnage and speed of that machine tool, Comrade Jia Dongxu wouldn't have just suffered a hand injury; he would have been completely caught in it and died on the spot."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Jia Dongxu's face: "Comrade Jia Dongxu, tell me, isn't that right? Besides Master Yi, there were also Zhang Jianguo and Li Shengli, both senior workers from the same workshop, who were present at the time. They can all testify. Should I invite them over now?"

Jia Dongxu was so ashamed that he couldn't lift his head. He could only nod heavily, his voice choked with sobs: "Yes... Engineer Wang is right. It was Master who saved me... I... I know."

Wang Huanbo continued, "You say Master Yi should take care of the Jia family, providing them with grain and money. Why? Because he's Jia Dongxu's master? Master Yi has already fulfilled his duty as a master by paying for Jia Dongxu's medical expenses, helping him apply for workers' compensation, and contacting the hospital after his injury. Jia Dongxu is now an adult worker with wages and a fixed quota. The root of your family's difficulties lies in your household registration, in how you, Jia Zhangshi, stubbornly refused to let your daughter-in-law and grandson transfer their household registration to the city just to gain some advantage over rural land!"

He hit the nail on the head, exposing the most fundamental reason for the Jia family's predicament.

"Now that the countryside has become a commune, the land belongs to the collective, and you can't benefit anymore. The urban rations only cover non-agricultural households. In your family, only Jia Dongxu has a ration. Who caused this?" Wang Huanbo's gaze was sharp as a knife, staring intently at Jia Zhangshi. "It was your own greed and shortsightedness that caused this! Instead of reflecting on your mistakes, you act like a mad dog, tearing at Master Yi, who once helped you and now has relatives to take care of, and insulting the descendants of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country! Jia Zhangshi, has your conscience been eaten by dogs?!"

These words, logically clear, supported by irrefutable evidence, and delivered with righteous indignation, drew nods of agreement from everyone in the courtroom. Yes, the root of the problem lies with Jia Zhangshi herself! She used to boast about having grain from the countryside, but now she's dumbfounded, isn't she? Still trying to extort money?

Jia Zhangshi was rendered speechless by the scolding, only able to sob softly, whether from pain, fear, or because her sore spot had been hit.

Wang Huanbo stopped looking at her and turned to Jia Dongxu, his tone softening slightly but still carrying an undeniable weight: "Comrade Jia Dongxu, you are a sensible person, and you've gone to vocational school and learned something. This family will depend on you to support it from now on. When things happen, you must be responsible and decisive. Your mother is confused, and you can't continue to be confused along with her."

Jia Dongxu raised his head, his face a mixture of tears and shame. He bowed deeply, deeply to Wang Huanbo and to everyone in the hospital.

"Mr. Wang, neighbors, I...I'm sorry to everyone, and even more sorry to my master, and to Aijia and Aiguo." His voice was hoarse, but he tried to stand up straight. "My mother...she's confused, she was wrong. On her behalf, I apologize to everyone, to my master, and to Aijia and Aiguo!" He bowed again.

Then, he turned and walked to Jia Zhangshi, who was slumped on the ground. He knelt down, looked at his mother's terrified, swollen face, and said, word by word, "Mom, listen carefully. All of this is our own doing. Engineer Wang is right; we suffered a great loss because we were greedy for small gains. From now on, I'll be in charge of our family's affairs. If you dare to cause trouble for the master again, or dare to spout nonsense and insult people again…" He gritted his teeth, hardening his heart, "I will really send you back to our old home in Jiajia Village! I mean what I say!"

Seeing the unprecedented resolve and coldness in her son's eyes, Madam Jia finally felt fear. She had no doubt that her son was serious this time. She shrank back, not daring to utter another sound.

Jia Dongxu forcefully pulled her up from the ground, supporting her, and then bowed to Yi Zhonghai: "Master, I'm sorry. From now on... our family will not trouble you again." He then looked at Wang Huanbo, his eyes filled with complex emotions, gratitude and shame, "Thank you, Engineer Wang... for enlightening me."

After saying that, he helped the completely dejected Jia Zhangshi towards his own door. Qin Huairu quickly followed, and the whole family fled back into the house, closing the door behind them.

The courtyard was completely silent. Only the mournful sound of the cold wind whistling through the eaves could be heard.

A farce ended hastily in this way.

Wang Huanbo looked at Yi Zhonghai: "Master Yi, what do you think..."

Yi Zhonghai let out a long sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He stood up, nodded to Wang Huanbo, and then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zheng Weiguo, Zhou Tiejun, and the others: "Thank you, Engineer Wang, for upholding justice. And thank you to the comrades... for speaking out for justice." He knew that without Wang Huanbo's intervention, and without the beating and words from those guards who were former soldiers, Jia Zhangshi would never have given up so easily.

Zheng Weiguo waved his hand without saying a word, and together with the other guards, silently retreated to the edge of the crowd, resuming his usual silent demeanor, but his eyes remained vigilant.

"Alright, things are clear now." Yi Zhonghai raised his voice and addressed the entire courtyard. "Thank you all for your help today. I also ask you to bear witness that from this day forward, I, Yi Zhonghai, have nothing to do with the Jia family. My house, property, and future retirement will all be related to my nephews and nieces, Yi Aijia and Yi Aiguo, and have nothing to do with anyone else! Meeting adjourned!"

The crowd sighed and murmured as they slowly dispersed. Tonight's events would provide them with plenty to ponder for a long time.

Wang Huanbo, holding Lou Xiao'e's hand, prepared to return to the west courtyard. Passing Yi Zhonghai, he stopped and whispered, "Master Yi, the child is frightened. Go back and comfort her. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to me directly."

Yi Zhonghai nodded gratefully.

Back in the west courtyard, I closed the door, shutting out the chill and disturbances of the yard. Inside, the fire in the stove burned brightly, making it warm as spring.

Lou Xiao'e poured Wang Huanbo a cup of hot tea, still shaken: "That Jia Zhangshi, how could she be so...so wicked? Aijia and Aiguo were such good children..."

"It's not that they're bad, it's that they're stupid, greedy, and forced by their current predicament to reveal their ugliest nature." Wang Huanbo took a sip of tea, his tone calm. "Fortunately, Jia Dongxu is still quite sensible and knows to pull back from the brink. However, their family's food problem is still a real difficulty."

"Then... is there any way?" Lou Xiao'e was kind-hearted. Although she disliked Jia Zhangshi, she also sympathized with Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu, especially the unborn child.

Wang Huanbo pondered for a moment: "There are solutions, but it depends on Jia Dongxu's own choice. Household registration transfers are strictly controlled now, but it's not entirely impossible, or... we could think of other alternatives. However," he shook his head, "we help those in urgent need, not the poor; we relieve emergencies, not the lazy. I've shown him the way; whether he takes it, and how he takes it, is his own business. I'm not his father; I have no obligation to take care of everything."

He put down his teacup, took Lou Xiao'e's hand, and looked at the lingering fear and worry in her eyes. His tone softened: "Let's not talk about them anymore. Xiao'e, let's go to the Lou family tomorrow. Let's formally tell Dad and Mom about our situation. This place is so chaotic; let's settle things sooner so we can have some peace and quiet."

Lou Xiao'e's face flushed instantly. She lowered her head shyly and softly murmured an "Mmm," but her heart felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey. Outside, the wind was biting cold, and the world was in turmoil, but in this small, warm house, she and her beloved were about to have a certain, shared future. That was enough.

Outside the window, the night was deep. But a faint glimmer of light was already visible on the eastern horizon.

A long and chaotic night is about to end, and a new day will always come. With new hope, and with it, the mundane yet real realities of life that must be faced.