The Fitter Master in the Courtyard: Surrounded by Dead Men

"Our compound has always valued unity, friendship, mutual assistance, respect for the elderly and care for the young. These positive values ​​are the foundation for our awards."

"The community has repeatedly praised our spirit and encouraged us to continue and carry it forward..."

He spoke in a calm tone and began a lengthy account of the institute's "fine traditions."

He praised her in detail.

Yi Zhonghai stood in the center of the courtyard, speaking loudly and continuously.

He repeatedly emphasized that neighbors should support each other, and praised everyone in the courtyard, saying that it was because everyone did well that even the street had given them special praise.

He encouraged everyone to continue in this way and maintain the spirit of mutual help.

Yang Ping leaned against the corner of the wall, listening quietly.

He had to admit to himself that Yi Zhonghai was indeed quite capable.

Anyone who hears these words will feel proud and comfortable.

Once everyone's been flattered and pampered, any request this old guy makes will most likely be approved without a hitch.

If you promise some additional benefits, then it will be a natural progression.

This tactic does indeed resemble the methods used to garner votes.

"It's really crowded in our courtyard right now."

Yi Zhonghai changed the subject, his tone becoming serious, "Some houses are crammed with four or five people, making it difficult to even turn around."

But some families have three rooms occupied by just one person, leaving them completely empty; there's simply not enough room for everyone.

"In my opinion, since we're talking about mutual assistance, those with more houses should help those with less, so that those in need have a place to stay."

Although he didn't name names, everyone understood—Yang Ping was the only one who had all three rooms in the courtyard.

"I agree!"

Jia Dongxu immediately shouted.

"I think it's a good idea too!"

Sha Zhu followed suit, shouting.

The two of them spoke in perfect harmony, as if they had rehearsed it beforehand.

"I've already discussed this matter with the old man,"

Liu Haizhong eagerly took over the conversation, as if afraid that someone would interrupt, "Let my family and the Jia family move into Yang Ping's two side rooms first."

We'll move out after a month and find another place to live.

"By taking turns living in the same place, everyone's difficulties can be eased, and the housing situation won't be so tight."

Yi Zhonghai frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly.

His words were cut off by Liu Haizhong, and he was clearly somewhat displeased.

"That's how it is for now, let's arrange it like this."

He composed himself and continued, "As for Yang Ping, he will move to the side room."

That's enough for him, all by himself.

Yi Zhonghai's plan was not to rush things; he intended to take things slowly and gradually acquire the two houses from Yang Ping.

But Yang Ping is no ordinary young man—at only twenty years old, he has already passed the Level 2 fitter exam.

Such talent made Yi Zhonghai secretly nervous.

He worried that in a few years, Yang Ping would rise to the rank of senior technician, and he would no longer be able to control this promising talent.

After much thought, I realized I couldn't delay any longer and had to take action now.

His first move was to have the Liu and Jia families move in.

Firstly, it would keep Liu Haizhong, who always loves to argue about who's first, in check; secondly, Jia Dongxu has recently been frequently promising to take care of him in his old age, which shows his "sincerity."

Naturally, some incentives should also be given.

The two companies used the pretext of "striving for excellence in the compound" to...

They moved in under the guise of being their family, and although they said they would only stay for a month, Yi Zhonghai knew very well that once these two families moved in, they would not easily move out. As time went on, those two rooms naturally became theirs.

This arrangement, seemingly thorough and far-sighted, was meticulously planned.

But he never expected that the hearts of everyone in the compound had already quietly turned to Yang Ping's side.

"I disagree!"

Yang Ping's voice was clear and resonant.

"Yang Ping, what gives you the right to disagree?"

Jia Dongxu immediately jumped in, "This is all for our compound's awards! If you delay everyone's recognition, can you take responsibility?"

Sha Zhu chimed in, "That's right! If you don't get the 'Advanced Worker' award, the compound will lose a hundred catties of grain a year. Are you going to make up that hundred catties for everyone?"

Yang Ping simply smiled and didn't reply.

His objection just now was merely a signal to those secretly on his side—the stage is set, and it's their turn to perform.

Sure enough, Li Tiezhu was the first to stand up:

"I don't need to live in Yang Ping's house."

This statement was like toppling the first domino, and voices of agreement rose up from all around:

"I don't need it, I'm quite comfortable living at home."

"We weren't staying in his house in previous years, and our compound still got recognized as an advanced unit, didn't we? It makes no difference!"

"Taking turns staying together for a month? That sounds nice."

A month from now, I don't even know if it will be our turn...

A murmur of whispers immediately filled the courtyard.

"Neither Second Uncle nor that Jia family man are easy to deal with. Who dares to touch the places they occupy?"

"I think they planned this all along, to drag us all down with them—I don't want that house."

If the neighborhood committee asks, I'll just say it was the idea of ​​the three old men, and it has nothing to do with me!

"Yes, it has nothing to do with me!"

Amidst the cacophony of voices, the crowd managed to guess Yi Zhonghai and his companions' plans with remarkable accuracy.

They were all busy trying to absolve themselves of any responsibility in their words and actions.

Yan Fugui then cleared his throat and spoke up: "Everyone, I also need to make this clear here—this matter was decided by the First Uncle and the Second Uncle from beginning to end, and I didn't say a word."

He had actually seen through Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's scheme long ago, but he was outnumbered and knew that opposing them would be useless, so he simply remained silent.

Now that everyone has expressed their opinions, he naturally hurriedly distanced himself to avoid being implicated if the neighborhood investigates later.

This sudden scene stunned Yi Zhonghai and his companions, leaving them momentarily speechless.

In the past, would anyone in the courtyard have contradicted them like this? Didn't they usually go along with them, and even have many people who echoed and supported them?

What's wrong with us today? Did everyone take the wrong medicine? Or is there something wrong with our ears?

Yi Zhonghai composed himself before speaking again:

"Everyone has misunderstood. It's a one-month agreement, and that means one month. Second Uncle and the Jia family will definitely move out by then."

This is also to alleviate the housing shortage in our compound, so that everyone can have more spacious living spaces.

He paused, then emphasized, "Besides, this concerns neighborhood unity and mutual assistance, which could affect the evaluation for advanced status."

"No need!"

A deep, gruff voice suddenly rang out from the corner.

A burly man stepped forward half a step and said in a deep voice:

"I think it would be better if my family moved into that house first."

I'm a blacksmith, very strong, and with my two sons—if it really comes down to a fight, I doubt anyone in this yard can beat us.

I'm moving in too. I know the security department very well. If anyone dares to come here, I'll have them come and deal with it.

Everyone shook their heads in unison.

But some people insisted on going in first to claim the house, their meaning was crystal clear—once they moved in, they had no intention of moving again.

Yi Zhonghai's face immediately darkened.

Liu Haizhong felt his head throbbing and a headache coming on.

The two families who insisted on moving in first did indeed have some connections and resources.

If they get there first, things will become even more difficult.

Sha Zhu stood to the side with a worried look on his face.

He was good at fighting alone, but his opponent was older and more aggressive, and he also had two adult sons at home to help him. He simply couldn't handle it alone.

"You damned bastards! You want to steal Yang Ping's house? Why don't you just die first!"

Jia Zhangshi shrieked and cursed.

Seeing the house she had in hand about to slip away, she felt both anxious and resentful.

"You old shrew, what did you say? Are you tired of living?"

"Jia Zhangshi, I've been putting up with you for a long time. If you utter another curse, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

"You old bastard, try cursing me again, and I'll kill you!"

Her scolding ignited everyone's anger.

This group of people were already seething with anger because of Yang Ping's matter, and now these words have completely enraged them. They all glared at each other, and it looked like they were about to fight.

Seeing so many people glaring at her fiercely, Jia Zhangshi turned pale with fright and quickly hid behind Jia Dongxu, no longer daring to utter a sound.

Jia Dongxu was also terrified, his face even paler than his mother's—there were so many people, how could he possibly stop them?

Yang Ping stood aside, a smile playing on his lips, watching the farce with great interest, almost as if he wanted to grab a handful of melon seeds to crack open.

"Everyone, Jia's wife was just joking. We're all neighbors in the same compound, so we should get along well and not resort to violence."

Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped forward and pressed his hands together in the air.

The buzzing in the crowd gradually subsided. Everyone looked at each other, and seeing that Yang Ping didn't say anything, they reluctantly returned to their seats.

The long bench creaked, and for a moment no one in the courtyard spoke.

Liu Haizhong lowered his eyelids and stared at the toes of his shoes, while Shazhu turned his face to the side. Even the Xu family, who always liked to interrupt, and Yan Fugui, who was always good at calculations, also kept their mouths shut - everyone knew that if they stood up at this time, they would be in trouble and would be beaten and they would not be able to explain.

It was so quiet that you could hear the rustling of the wind through the leaves of the old locust tree.

Seeing that the meeting was about to break down, Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat and was about to announce its adjournment—

"An old man."

Yang Ping's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

Yi Zhonghai paused, then looked up.

"To truly convince everyone, you must first set an example."

Yang Ping said calmly, "With you taking the lead, things will be easier to handle later."

"Oh?"

A hint of doubt flashed across Yi Zhonghai's face, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Liu Haizhong's gaze suddenly lifted, and the Jia family members all looked over as well, their eyes filled with calculation—what was Yang Ping up to? Could they use this opportunity to push the matter of the house forward a step further?

"You are a level eight fitter, and your monthly salary is ninety-nine yuan."

Yang Ping smiled, his tone as casual as if he were chatting with someone, "How about giving each household in the courtyard ten yuan? With such a tangible benefit, everyone will naturally trust you and follow you."

These words sounded light and casual, but they carried the weight of a stone.

Yi Zhonghai's throat tightened, and he was about to open his mouth to refuse—

"That makes sense!"

"That's right! That's more practical!"

"With five or six mouths to feed at home, my monthly salary isn't enough to cover our expenses. Ten yuan can be a lifesaver!"

"What's the point of fighting for a house when we can't even afford to eat? Sir, if you really want to do this, I'll be the first to support you!"

A cacophony of voices erupted from all directions, instantly enlivening the courtyard once more. But this time, all the voices were directed in the same direction—Yi Zhonghai's face gradually turned pale, and his hands quietly clenched into fists at his sides.

"Today we're talking about houses."

He raised his voice, trying to calm the chaotic scene, "Let's put the money issue aside for now, there's no rush to bring it up."

His original plan was to acquire Yang Ping's house without spending a single penny, so that he could pave a smooth path to retirement.

Who would have thought that Yang Ping's casual remark would completely muddy the waters?

A barely perceptible smile flickered across Yang Ping's face; he knew the fish had taken the bait.

The atmosphere in the courtyard subtly changed.

Everyone chimed in with their own words, all revolving around the two empty rooms.

Some people said that Yi Zhonghai, as the most prestigious elder in the compound, should set an example; others counted on their fingers, muttering that buying a room outside would cost at least two hundred yuan, and now the price was practically free.

The conversation went back and forth, seemingly offering advice, but each person harbored their own hidden agenda.