Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

He spoke in official jargon, going on and on about everything from the construction of the new nation to the unity of the courtyard houses, from neighborly assistance to fire prevention and theft prevention, rambling on and on with a lot of high-sounding nonsense, all he wanted was to indulge his fantasy of being a leader and show his presence.

Most of the neighbors were drowsy, but their eyes kept glancing at Li Zhenhua... and the meat in his bowl.

After waiting for Liu Haizhong to finish speaking with great enthusiasm, he turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai.

"Next, let's welcome our esteemed elder, Comrade Yi Zhonghai, to speak!"

As he spoke, he took the lead and clapped a few times, but the applause was sparse.

Yi Zhonghai slowly stood up, forcing a smile that appeared gentle but was actually stiff.

He first looked around, then his gaze finally settled on Li Zhenhua, who was picking up some meat, and he spoke in a heavy tone.

"First of all, on behalf of all the neighbors in No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, I welcome Comrade Li Zhenhua to our big family. Comrade Li Zhenhua is young and promising; he is the newly appointed head of the security department at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, and his future is bright!"

He started by offering a compliment, but then his tone shifted to one of deep sorrow and indignation.

"However, the reason we've gathered everyone here today, besides welcoming our new neighbors, is more importantly to deal with something that has made all of us in our compound lose face! Our compound has always been known in the neighborhood for its unity, friendship, and mutual assistance, but this afternoon, a heartbreaking and appalling incident occurred!"

He pointed to Jia Zhangshi sitting on the bamboo chair.

"Comrade Jia Zhangshi, a long-time resident who has worked hard for our compound for half her life, was beaten without cause at her own doorstep by her new neighbor, Comrade Li Zhenhua. She is still seriously injured and bedridden! This is outrageous!"

Yi Zhonghai's voice suddenly rose, filled with the implication of moral judgment.

"We are the masters of the new society, not the hooligans and bullies of the old society! What conflicts can't be resolved by sitting down and talking things out? Why resort to violence, especially against an elderly person? Comrade Li Zhenhua, as a cadre, you should set a better example! You must give the Jia family and all the neighbors a satisfactory explanation for what happened today!"

The true intentions were revealed at this moment; all the groundwork had been laid for this very moment of attack.

All eyes in the hospital, whether of sympathy, scrutiny, or schadenfreude, were focused on Li Zhenhua.

Jia Dongxu rubbed his hands together, eager to get started, while Jia Zhangshi's groans grew even more intense.

However, Li Zhenhua, who was at the center of the storm, seemed to have just finished eating a delicious braised pork, and slowly wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

This action made Yan Bugui frown. Such good oil, just wiped away like that.

Li Zhenhua raised his head to meet Yi Zhonghai's righteous and stern gaze. Instead of showing any panic, he revealed a faint, mocking smile.

He placed the large bowl, which still contained a little less than half a bowl of meat, on the ground beside him, crossed his arms, and began to speak leisurely.

"Oh? An explanation? Comrade Yi Zhonghai, what kind of explanation do you want? Do you want me to admit that I shouldn't have stopped Comrade Jia Zhangshi from illegally occupying the housing allocated to me by the government for so long? Or do you want me to admit that I shouldn't have acted in self-defense when she tried to extort money from me and violently attacked me?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family mother and son, whose expressions had changed slightly. His tone suddenly turned cold, each word as sharp as ice.

"Or do you think that I, a legal resident who was allocated a house according to the rules, deserve to be bullied by a shrew who occupies public housing and causes trouble, and I can't even fight back? Yi Zhonghai, is this how you uphold justice? Is this how you take sides and try to smooth things over?"

"You...you're talking nonsense! What do you mean by occupying public housing! That side room was originally..."

Jia Dongxu couldn't help but jump up and refute.

"What was it originally?"

Li Zhenhua abruptly interrupted him, his gaze fixed on Jia Dongxu.

"Is the property certificate in your Jia family's name? Or did the factory's logistics department issue a document allocating that side room to your family? Show it to us!"

Jia Dongxu was speechless when Li Zhenhua asked him a question. His face turned red, and he stammered, unable to give a coherent answer.

He doesn't have any property certificate or allocation documents; he's just taking advantage of his long-standing habit of occupying the property and Yi Zhonghai's favoritism to act arrogantly.

Seeing her son get the short end of the stick, Jia Zhangshi, who was lying on the bamboo chair, immediately became angry.

She sat up abruptly, no longer caring about pretending to be seriously injured, and pointed at Li Zhenhua's nose, starting her signature act of shrewish cursing.

"You heartless little beast! You black-hearted bastard! How dare you speak to my son like that? Bah!"

Jia Zhangshi spat and swore, her foul language pouring out like a flood bursting its banks.

"You little bastard! You're a worthless piece of trash, born of a mother but uneducated by a father! You dare hit my mother and even dare to steal my house? Who do you think you are! Just because you wear a dog skin doesn't make you someone important! Let me tell you, you're a jinx! You're destined to be childless! Your Li family's ancestral graves must have been smoking black smoke to have given birth to such a despicable bastard like you! Your parents weren't any better either..."

"shut up!"

Li Zhenhua suddenly roared, his voice booming like thunder, instantly drowning out Jia Zhangshi's foul language.

His previously calm expression was now icy cold, his eyes sharp as two knives, fixed on Jia Zhangshi's fat face, twisted by curses.

The entire courtyard fell silent instantly, everyone stunned by Li Zhenhua's sudden outburst of rage and terrifying aura.

Even Yi Zhonghai subconsciously shut his mouth, looking at him with surprise and uncertainty.

Li Zhenhua walked step by step to Jia Zhangshi, looking down at her with a gaze that seemed to be drawn out of an ice cellar.

"Jia Zhangshi! What did you just curse at me? Try saying it again!"

Jia Zhangshi trembled at Li Zhenhua's gaze, but her shrewish instincts made her stubbornly maintain her composure, though her voice was much softer, revealing a fierce but inwardly weak demeanor.

"What's wrong with me... I insulted you? You little..."

"Snapped!"

Li Zhenhua slapped Jia Zhangshi hard across the face, silencing the profanity he was about to utter.

Jia Zhangshi was completely dumbfounded. She never expected that this kid would dare to hit her in front of so many people.

Seeing that Jia Zhangshi was being beaten, Jia Dongxu was about to take action himself.

But at this moment...

Li Zhenhua spoke up.

"Good! Very good! Jia Zhangshi, how dare you openly insult state cadres and maliciously slander the families of revolutionary soldiers! You have a lot of nerve!"

He turned to all the neighbors present and said loudly.

"Neighbors, you all heard that! I, Li Zhenhua, am the officially appointed head of the security department at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, an administrative level 17 cadre! My parents also hold important positions! Jia Zhangshi's foul language just now was not only an insult to me personally, but also a contempt for the status of a state cadre and a vicious attack on military families! What kind of behavior is this? At best, it's undermining unity; at worst, it's showing contempt for the new society and hostility towards cadres!"

"Military dependents", "cadres", "hostility"...

These words struck like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart hard.