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

Li Zhenhua's gaze was like a cold knife, as if it could pierce through Yi Zhonghai's internal organs.

"I heard that you, Master Yi, have no children and have been looking for someone to take care of you in your old age? You were eyeing Jia Dongxu before, but now that Dongxu is gone, you're... now setting your sights on Qin Huairu and these kids? Hoping to control their lives so they can take care of you in your old age?"

"boom!"

These words were like a depth charge dropped on a calm lake, causing a huge shock throughout the entire courtyard!

Although the neighbors had their own speculations, who would dare to expose it as directly as Li Zhenhua?

In an instant, murmurs and exclamations arose, and the way everyone looked at Yi Zhonghai changed, filled with shock, disdain, and a hint of understanding.

Yi Zhonghai's deepest, most secret thoughts had been exposed, as if he had been stripped naked and laid bare in broad daylight. His old face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, a mixture of shame, anger, panic, and despair swirling within him. He pointed at Li Zhenhua...

"You...you..."

After struggling for a long time, he couldn't utter a single complete sentence. His chest heaved violently, and he almost choked and passed out.

An older woman standing nearby quickly helped him up; her face was pale and tears were streaming down her face.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were terrified!

Li Zhenhua's words were too venomous; they not only hit Yi Zhonghai's weak spot but also dragged them into the mess!

They don't want to be buried with Yi Zhonghai!

Liu Haizhong was the first to jump out and distance himself from the matter. He shouted at Yi Zhonghai, and then at the entire hospital, his face flushed red.

"Old Yi! Look at you! I told you this couldn't be done this way! We have to respect Huai Ru's own wishes! How could you... Sigh! Director Li, please understand! This was mainly Old Yi's idea. Old Yan and I just thought we were neighbors and came over to listen. We never thought of interfering with the Jia family's money and house!" He wished he could absolve himself of all responsibility.

Yan Bugui quickly adjusted his glasses and explained in rapid succession.

"Yes, yes, yes! Director Li and Team Leader Liu are right! I just think we should attend the meeting. As for the specific plan, it was all proposed by Lao Yi. Lao Liu and I haven't even had a chance to express our opinions yet! As for the word 'supervision,' where does it come from? Absolutely not! Comrade Huai Ru is a sensible person. How she spends her money and how she lives in her house is naturally her own decision. We, the neighbors in the courtyard, will at most help her out in daily life. We would never dare to overstep our bounds!" He distanced himself even more cleanly than Liu Haizhong, directly reducing himself to an "attendee."

Looking at the two "allies" who had instantly turned against him, Yi Zhonghai felt a metallic taste rise in his throat, his vision went black, and he almost fainted.

Betrayed by everyone and abandoned by all, this is the worst that can happen!

Li Zhenhua watched this farce, sneered, and didn't bother to waste any more words with Yi Zhonghai.

He took out his wallet from his pocket, flicked his fingers, pulled out a 50-cent bill, and then his gaze swept across the crowd, landing on Yan Jiecheng, who was watching the commotion with his neck hunched over.

"Yan Jiecheng!"

Li Zhenhua shouted.

Yan Jiecheng was startled and subconsciously responded.

"Hey! Director Li... Director Li, you called me?"

"Um."

Li Zhenhua handed over the 50 cents.

"Run an errand to the neighborhood office and invite Director Wang over. Then go to the Women's Federation and invite the director in charge as well. Tell them that the three old men in our compound have teamed up to 'supervise' the compensation and housing of the family of a worker who died on the job, bullying orphans and widows—they're lawless! Please ask them to come and uphold justice immediately!"

Five cents!

In this day and age, that's enough for a young man to enjoy several bowls of shredded pork noodles!

Yan Jiecheng's eyes lit up instantly. Without thinking, he took the money and answered loudly.

"Alright! Don't worry, Director Li! I'm fast, I'll make sure I get the message!"

After saying that, he darted out of the yard like a rabbit.

This is a complete disaster!

Yi Zhonghai's face turned ashen, and he slumped completely into his chair. He knew it was all over, completely over!

This has blown up completely!

Once Director Wang and the Women's Federation arrive and hear what Li Zhenhua just said, coupled with Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui's betrayal, all the reputation and prestige that Yi Zhonghai has accumulated in his life will be completely wiped out!

The courtyard was completely silent; everyone was stunned by Li Zhenhua's thunderous and meticulously planned methods.

Those who previously sympathized with Yi Zhonghai or thought his words made some sense now completely understood the shift in public opinion.

Li Zhenhua is not planning to leave Yi Zhonghai any way out!

Qin Huairu hugged her three children tightly, looking at the figure standing in the courtyard, as upright as a pine tree, and finally couldn't hold back her tears as they fell down her cheeks.

But this time, the tears were not tears of grievance and despair, but tears of gratitude for surviving a disaster.

She knew that at this moment, the fate of herself and her children had been completely reversed by this man!

Sha Zhu stared at Li Zhenhua with his mouth agape, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

On the one hand, he was relieved that Sister Qin had been saved; on the other hand, he felt deeply frustrated by his own powerlessness.

They're both men, so why is there such a big difference?

Time passed slowly in the oppressive silence, each second an agony for Yi Zhonghai.

Finally, hurried footsteps and Director Wang's familiar yet angry voice came from outside the courtyard:

"This is outrageous! I'd like to see who's so bold as to covet the compensation money!"

Before he finished speaking, Director Wang, accompanied by two street officials and a deputy director of the Women's Federation, strode into the Intermediate People's Court with a frosty expression.

Yan Jiecheng followed behind, sweating profusely, but his face showed the excitement of having completed an important task.

As soon as Director Wang entered the courtyard, his gaze swept across the entire room like lightning, finally settling on Yi Zhonghai, whose face was ashen, and the obvious "judgment" arrangement on the octagonal table. His expression turned even more unpleasant.

The deputy director of the Women's Federation also frowned, her eyes filled with sympathy as she looked at Qin Huairu and the children.

"What happened?"

Director Wang's voice was icy, carrying an unquestionable air of authority.

"Yi Zhonghai! Liu Haizhong! Yan Bugui! You three, explain yourselves! What's the deal with this hospital-wide meeting? What do you mean by 'supervising' the compensation? Who gave you that authority?!"

Yi Zhonghai's lips trembled as he tried to explain, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Liu Haizhong jumped up and spoke quickly.

"Director Wang! Women's Federation leaders! It's a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! It's all Yi Zhonghai's fault! He insisted on holding this meeting, saying he wanted to help Huai Ru manage money and housing. Lao Yan and I couldn't persuade him otherwise! We absolutely didn't mean that!"

Yan Bugui quickly stood up and swore an oath.

"Yes, yes! Director Wang, we can testify! Yi Zhonghai is despicable! He wants to control the Jia family to ensure his own retirement! We strongly oppose it! Director Li can testify!"

He couldn't wait to bring Li Zhenhua out as his endorser.

Li Zhenhua then slowly stepped forward, nodded to Director Wang and the deputy director of the Women's Federation, and calmly recounted the events that had just occurred, emphasizing how Yi Zhonghai used "concern" as a pretext to seize power, as well as the initial attitudes of Liu and Yan and their subsequent betrayal.

He didn't embellish it, but the facts themselves were shocking enough.

Director Wang and the deputy director of the Women's Federation grew increasingly pale as they listened.

He was especially furious when he heard that Yi Zhonghai actually had the idea of ​​having Qin Huairu support him in his old age.

"Yi! Zhong! Hai!"

Director Wang pointed at Yi Zhonghai's nose, his voice trembling with extreme anger.

"Are you even human?! Jia Dongxu's body is barely cold, and you're already scheming against his wife and children! Do you think you're some kind of 'big shot' in the neighborhood? Bah! You're a hypocrite, a leech sucking the blood of orphans and widows!"

The deputy director of the Women's Federation also spoke sternly.

"Yi Zhonghai, your behavior is a serious manifestation of feudal patriarchal thinking! It's bullying the vulnerable! It's a blatant trampling on the rights of women and children! Our Women's Federation will resolutely not tolerate it!"

Director Wang took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and looked around the entire hospital, his voice resolute.

"I now announce the street's decision! First, Comrade Jia Dongxu's pension and housing rental rights are to be entirely controlled and used by Comrade Qin Huairu, and no individual or organization may interfere for any reason! Second, Yi Zhonghai is ideologically corrupt and morally depraved, using his position as a 'housekeeper' to seek personal gain; he is immediately removed from his position! Third, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui, as housekeepers, are unable to distinguish right from wrong and have colluded with treacherous intentions; they are given a major demerit as a warning! The housekeeper system will temporarily be directly guided by the street; new housekeepers will be appointed by the street after further investigation!"

After the verdict was announced, the courtyard was deathly silent.

Yi Zhonghai slumped into the chair as if his spine had been removed, his eyes glazed over, as if he had aged twenty years in an instant.

His reputation and status, painstakingly built up over a lifetime, collapsed in that instant.

Yan Bugui, who was in Liu Haizhong, also looked ashen-faced. Although he managed to keep his position (temporarily), he was given a major demerit and lost face.

Director Wang walked up to Qin Huairu, his tone softening somewhat.

"Comrade Huairu, you've been wronged. From now on, focus on taking care of your children. The neighborhood committee will stand up for you. Let's see who dares to bully you and your kids again!"

She then looked at Li Zhenhua, her eyes filled with admiration.

"Comrade Zhenhua, it's all thanks to your timely intervention and adherence to principles that we were able to stop them this time; otherwise, some people would have really succeeded!"

Li Zhenhua said modestly.

"Director Wang, you flatter me. This is what I should do."

The matter has been settled.

Director Wang and the deputy director of the Women's Federation reassured Qin Huairu for a few more minutes, gave Yi Zhonghai and the others a stern warning, and then left.

The neighbors who had come to watch the spectacle also dispersed one after another, whispering among themselves, with mixed feelings.

In the courtyard, only the distraught Yi Zhonghai and his wife, the embarrassed Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui, and the relieved Qin Huairu and her son remained.

Li Zhenhua pushed his bicycle, didn't even glance at Yi Zhonghai, nodded to Qin Huairu, and walked straight to the backyard.

His figure appeared exceptionally tall and imposing in the twilight.

After this incident, Li Zhenhua's prestige in this courtyard house reached an unprecedented level.

It was evening.

In the Yi family's courtyard, the dim, flickering light of a kerosene lamp shone through the paper windows, casting two hunched figures that appeared sometimes long, sometimes short, distorted and deformed.

Yi Zhonghai slumped in the worn-out old rattan chair, as if all the bones in his body had been removed, his once straight back now completely collapsed.

On the small square table in front of him, dinner was laid out exactly as it was—a bowl of thin porridge, a dish of pickled vegetables, and two steamed buns, all long since cooled.

He held a self-rolled cigarette between his fingers, the flickering flame reflecting off his deeply lined, aged face, now etched with decay and despair.

Thick, choking smoke swirled in the cramped room, but it couldn't dispel the bone-chilling cold.

An elderly woman sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), clutching a faded handkerchief in her hand, wiping away tears. Her suppressed sobs and incessant complaints broke the suffocating silence.

"Waaah... How am I supposed to live like this... It's so embarrassing... The whole hospital was watching, Director Wang was pointing his finger at me and yelling... I've lost my position... How am I ever going to be able to hold my head up in this hospital again... Waaah..."

"It's all that damned Li Zhenhua's fault! He deserves to be struck by lightning! Why won't he leave our family alone?! Old Yi, you too, you had to go and invite that bad luck... Now look what happened, we've lost everything, we've lost all our savings... What are we going to do now..."

Yi Zhonghai took a deep drag on his pipe, the acrid smoke choking him and causing him to cough violently until tears streamed down his face.

He stubbed out his cigarette on the table with a squeak, then abruptly looked up, his bloodshot eyes gleaming, and growled hoarsely:

"Shut up! Stop crying! All you do is wail! What are you wailing about?! I'm not dead yet!"

The woman was so frightened that she trembled, her crying stopped abruptly, and only her shoulders continued to tremble.

Yi Zhonghai's chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, his voice hoarse and filled with a desperate madness.

"You think I'm after that little bit of compensation? That little bit of the Jia family's wealth? Bullshit! That money, that dilapidated house, what are they worth!"

He suddenly slammed his fist into his thigh, making a dull thud.

"I'm doing this for our future! For our retirement! Don't you understand?!"

"Dongxu is gone, that old hag Jia Zhangshi is gone too, and that slut Qin Huairu has climbed up the social ladder. Does she even respect me, her old man? And that idiot Shazhu is completely infatuated with Qin Huairu. Can we still count on him?"

"In this compound, Liu Haizhong is a good-for-nothing, and Yan Bugui is a slippery fellow. Before, I could use my position as the head of the compound to keep them in check and make them think twice! But now? That little bastard Li Zhenhua ripped off my face in front of the whole compound! Director Wang dismissed me! From now on, who will take me, Yi Zhonghai, seriously?"

"Without power or influence, we're just toothless tigers in this courtyard, anyone can come and kick us! When we're old and can't move, paralyzed on the kang (heated brick bed), we might not even have anyone to bring us a sip of hot water! Do you understand?! Huh?!"

As Yi Zhonghai spoke, he became more and more agitated, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes filled with immense fear of the future and a desperate, resentful rage.

The middle-aged woman turned pale at his words, opened her mouth but couldn't utter a sound.

Only silent tears flowed even more fiercely.