Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

By the time Xu Lin got home, it was already completely dark.

I parked the jeep, opened the gate, and found the yard quiet.

As I walked toward my own rooms, I could see from afar that the houses were brightly lit and people were moving about.

As I pushed open the door, a warm breeze carrying the sounds of laughter and conversation hit me.

Tan Liya sat on the living room sofa, holding a half-finished cotton-padded jacket in her hand, gesturing to indicate the size. He Yushui squatted on the floor, rummaging through a pile of old fabric scraps, picking out patterns. Lou Xiao'e held a bowl of jujube water, feeding Qin Huairu small sips.

Qin Huairu leaned back in her chair, her face flushed, and her eyes narrowed as she smiled.

The four women were huddled together, chattering away, and none of them noticed him enter the room.

Xu Lin stood at the door for a while, then coughed.

The group then turned around.

"You're back?" Tan Liya glanced at him, her hands still busy with her needlework.

Xu Lin glanced into the house: "Didn't you cook today?"

He Yushui stood up from the ground and patted the dust off her knees: "My sister-in-law said we're not making it today."

"Then what should I eat?"

Xu Lin walked to the table and sat down, only to find that there wasn't even a water glass on the table.

"Not even a sip of water?"

Tan Liya stopped what she was doing, turned around and looked at him with a hint of reproach in her eyes.

"Xu Lin, why didn't you tell me sooner that Huai Ru was pregnant?"

Xu Lin was taken aback.

"Didn't she just find out herself?"

"You'll know after you take my pulse, right? You'll know that very night, right?"

Tan Liya's tone became more forceful.

"The very next morning you drove her back to her parents' home, and the whole village knew about it. But you didn't even tell any of your own family members."

Qin Huairu lowered her head shyly beside her, saying, "Sister, it's my fault. I was so busy after I got back..."

"Don't speak up for him," Tan Liya said, pointing at Xu Lin. "He's being punished by not getting any food today."

Xu Lin protested, "I've been working at the factory all day, and I haven't even had a sip of hot water. What kind of logic is this?"

He Yushui covered her mouth and chuckled.

Lou Xiao'e laughed along, "Brother Xu, just admit it. Mom's got the final say today."

Xu Lin looked at this person, then at that person, and noticed that even Qin Huairu was suppressing a laugh, realizing that these people had planned this all along.

He shrugged and said, "Fine, fine, I accept the punishment. But there has to be some explanation tonight, right? You can't really let me go hungry, can you?"

Tan Liya could no longer be tied up, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

"We've discussed it and decided that we won't be eating at home today, since it's such a joyous occasion."

"Where to?"

"It's your treat." Tan Liya stood up and put her needlework into the basket.

"Huai Ru is pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. This is the first time in our compound that this has happened. As the father, you should at least show your support, right?"

Xu Lin noticed several pairs of eyes staring at him, but he kept talking.

"You should have said so earlier."

He waved his hand.

"Let's go, it's my treat today. Quanjude, let's have Peking duck."

"Quanjude?!" He Yushui exclaimed first, "Really?"

"When has your Brother Xu ever lied?"

"Haven't you told enough lies already?" Tan Liya rolled her eyes at him.

Laughter erupted again from inside the room.

Qin Huairu got off the sofa, and Tan Liya quickly went over to help her.

"Slow down, watch your step."

Qin Huairu said softly, "I'm newly pregnant, I'm not that delicate."

"No way." Tan Liya said seriously, "Twins, double the caution."

After tidying themselves up, putting on their cotton-padded coats, and locking the door, the group headed towards the courtyard gate.

They happened to run into Yan Bugui, who was returning from the front yard.

When Yan Bugui saw the family walking out in an orderly fashion, with Xu Lin still holding the car keys, he couldn't help but ask a question.

"Hey, Xu Lin, what are you all doing out so late at night?"

"Let's eat." Xu Lin said without turning his head.

"Where should we eat?" Yan Bugui asked, his eyes darting around.

Quanjude.

Yan Bugui stopped in his tracks.

Quanjude.

That's a place where a single roast duck costs several yuan. For a whole table of people to eat there, it would easily cost twenty or thirty yuan.

Yan Bugui's lips twitched.

He stood there, watching Xu Lin's family walk out of the courtyard in a grand procession. He heard the engine of a jeep outside start up with a "putt-putt-putt" sound, and the headlights flashed, illuminating half of the alley.

Then the car drove away.

Yan Bugui took a deep breath, turned around, and went back to his house.

Upon entering, one sees Yang Cuilan serving cornmeal porridge to several children, with a dish of pickled vegetable dumplings on the table.

Yan Bugui sat down at the table, picked up his bowl, took a sip of porridge, and said nothing.

But no matter how I drank that bowl of porridge, it just didn't taste right.

……

When the roast duck from Quanjude was served, Qin Huairu and He Yushui's eyes lit up.

The duck chef slices the meat right in front of you, so thin it's translucent.

The moment He Yushui tasted the duck skin coated in white sugar, her eyes crinkled with happiness. Lou Xiao'e used to eat it often, wrapping duck meat and scallions in a thin pancake, dipping it in sauce, and feeding it to Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu happily took a bite and praised Xiao'e for being well-behaved.

Xu Lin ordered a few more dishes: mustard duck feet, roasted duck heart, and salted duck liver—all excellent accompaniments to alcohol. He poured himself a glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and raised it.

"Today's meal celebrates three things."

Several people were looking at him.

"First, Huai Ru's pregnancy is a great joy for our family. Second, twins, a boy and a girl, double happiness. Third—"

He glanced at Qin Huairu and smiled.

"Thirdly, you all need to look after each other from now on. Once Huai Ru is further along in her pregnancy, Sister Tan will have to take care of things at home more."

Tan Liya nodded: "You don't need to worry about this."

Qin Huairu lowered her head, her eyes slightly red.

"Alright, alright, don't cry on such a joyous day." Tan Liya handed her chopsticks. "Eat more. You're eating alone now, so three people should eat to make up for it."

"Two," Qin Huairu corrected.

"Including yourself, isn't that three?"

Qin Huairu burst out laughing.

The meal took almost an hour.

When paying the bill, Xu Lin glanced at the receipt—27.8 yuan.

Qin Huairu clicked her tongue in distress: "Xu Lin, this is enough for our family's expenses for almost two months."

"That's because you don't eat enough."

Xu Lin handed the money to the counter. "Let's go home."

Several people, wrapped in cotton-padded coats, went out the door and got into the jeep.

In the dead of winter in Beijing, there were few pedestrians on the streets. The sound of the jeep's engine was particularly loud on the empty streets.

Xu Lin was driving, the heater was on, and the people in the back seat were huddled together, chatting and laughing.

He glanced at it in the rearview mirror.

Tan Liya dozed off with Lou Xiao'e in her arms, He Yushui leaned against the car window with her head tilted, and Qin Huairu sat in the middle with her hand on her lower abdomen and a satisfied smile on her face.

Xu Lin turned his head and looked at the road ahead.

The streetlights were sparse, and the city of Beijing was pitch black at night in this era.

He stepped on the gas.

At the same time, in the backyard.

The door to Xu Damao's house was tightly closed, and the curtains were drawn.

A single incandescent bulb was lit in the room, its low wattage casting flickering light on the three people's faces.

Yi Zhonghai sat in the chair, his cigarette already half-smoked.

Liu Haizhong sat on the opposite bench, leaning forward and rubbing his hands together.

Xu Damao leaned against his wardrobe, arms crossed, one leg crossed over the other.

None of the three spoke.

No one wanted to speak first.

In the end, I couldn't hold my bangs up anymore.

"Old Yi, if you have an idea, tell me quickly," he lowered his voice. "What should we do?"

Yi Zhonghai didn't answer immediately. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and took out a new one.

"Don't rush. Let's clarify things first."

"What else is there to sort out?"

Liu Haizhong got anxious

"I understood everything you said on the way. There's been a rift between Director Li and Xu Lin. Whoever can help Director Li now will have a chance to get promoted. Old Yi, I already knew what I was going to do when you said that—I'm definitely going to help."

Xu Damao scoffed softly from the side.

Liu Haizhong turned his head: "What are you laughing at?"

"Master Liu, I can help, but have you thought this through? What kind of help do you want? How can you help?"

Xu Damao's tone was unhurried.

"Even Factory Director Li himself hasn't publicly fallen out with Xu Lin. If you go up to him, pat your chest, and say, 'Factory Director Li, I'll help you,' do you think he'll listen to you?"

He choked a little on his bangs.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Xu Damao didn't reply, but looked at Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai lit a cigarette, took a drag, and slowly exhaled.

There are many ways to help others. There are overt help and covert help.

"What do you mean?"

"Openly speaking, it means publicly supporting Director Li in the factory, speaking up for him, and standing up for him. But this path is not easy. Xu Lin has too much prestige in the factory, and the workers all respect him. If you jump out in the factory and go against Xu Lin, not to mention the outcome, you'll be drowned in the spittle of your colleagues."

Liu Haizhong nodded.

He understands this principle.

"What about the dark one?"

Yi Zhonghai glanced at the two men's faces, then lowered his voice even further.

"Write an anonymous letter to report Xu Lin."

The room was silent for two seconds.

Liu Haizhong and Xu Damao both looked at Yi Zhonghai.

"Report something?" Liu Haizhong blinked. "Report what?"

"Report his misconduct." Yi Zhonghai flicked his cigarette ash.

"Don't you all know better than anyone what Xu Lin has been up to in the courtyard? His illicit affair with Tan, his abuse of power, his beatings of the elderly in the courtyard, his unauthorized medical practices and charging fees—tell me, if all this were reported to the higher authorities, would Xu Lin still be able to sit back and do nothing?"

His eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again.

He straightened up and lowered his crossed arms.

"But we have no evidence for any of this. Take his affair with the Tan family, for example. We've been watching him for so long and haven't found any evidence. There was only one footprint at the time, and it was washed away by the rain later..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao's eyes darted around, and he said in a low voice...

"Second Uncle, are you stupid? First Uncle already said it was an anonymous report. If we had evidence, we would have petitioned directly. We'll handle the report; the investigation can be left to the higher-ups. This matter is in Li Huaide's hands; how could he not handle it?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong suddenly understood and looked at Yi Zhonghai: "Old Yi, this idea... is brilliant!"

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand and changed the subject: "However... the anonymous letter must be a mix of truth and falsehood, and it cannot be sent to the steel rolling mill."

"Why?" Liu Haizhong asked.

"Everyone in the steel rolling mill is under Xu Lin's control. If you hand it in, it'll be intercepted before it even reaches Director Li. Then, without even investigating, they'll know who wrote it. How are we supposed to survive then?"

Yi Zhonghai spoke calmly, but his words carried considerable weight.

Xu Damao thought for a moment and then slowly nodded.

"Where should we pass it?"

Ministry of Industry

Yi Zhonghai spoke slowly and deliberately.

His mouth was slightly open in his bangs.

The Ministry of Industry. That's the factory's superior authority. It's the place under Minister Gao Liang's jurisdiction.

"Old Yi, you've got guts." Liu Haizhong's voice trembled slightly.

"It's not a matter of how bold you are." Yi Zhonghai stubbed out his second cigarette. "Think about it, Xu Lin is all-powerful in the steel rolling mill; he's completely sidelined the factory director. What good would it do to report him within the factory? Only by going up to the ministry and making the higher-ups suspicious of him will he truly panic."

"But in the department... isn't Minister Gao on good terms with Xu Lin? He even came to the factory before and arranged a car for him." Xu Damao raised his concerns.

"Having a good relationship is one thing, but matters of principle are another."

Yi Zhonghai stood up and took a few steps around the room.

"Who do you think Minister Gao is? He's a high-ranking official in charge of the entire industrial sector in Beijing. If his subordinates have misconduct issues, can he just ignore it? Can he not take responsibility? Even if Minister Gao wants to protect Xu Lin, once this letter reaches the ministry, it won't just be handled by Minister Gao alone. The Secretariat, the Discipline Inspection Commission, the General Office—if any link leaks out, Xu Lin will be in deep trouble."

Xu Damao gritted his teeth.

His mind raced with calculations.

Whether Xu Lin and Tan Liya are involved or not, no one can be sure without any evidence.

But when Tan first entered the courtyard, she stayed at Xu Lin's house for two days. Who in the courtyard didn't know that? As long as it's written down clearly and submitted to the ministry in black and white, even if Xu Lin has great abilities, he will have to accept the investigation.

"I think it'll work." Xu Damao slapped his thigh. "Let's do it."

Liu Haizhong also got excited, clenching his fists.

"That's right! If the three of us really succeed in bringing down Xu Lin, wouldn't Director Li remember us? Getting promoted or a lower-level position would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?"

"Don't get too excited yet," Yi Zhonghai poured cold water on the idea. "This matter needs to be handled cleanly."

"How do you mean clean?"

"First, the letter cannot be written at home. It must be written somewhere else, using someone else's paper and pen. The handwriting must also be different; it's best to use your left hand."

Xu Damao nodded. Having spent so long in the propaganda department, he had this much common sense.

"Second, the letter cannot only mention things related to the three of us. It cannot be written by someone from the institute at a glance. If you are going to write, write about how Xu Lin was arrogant, domineering, and disrespectful to his superiors in the factory."

"You can bring up his conduct issues, and it's okay to involve a few more people, like his secretary and the nurse from the infirmary, but be subtle and stop there."

"Why is that?" Liu Haizhong didn't quite understand.

"If you write in too much detail, people will easily trace it back to the courtyard house. If you write it more vaguely, people will think it was written by an ordinary worker in the factory who couldn't stand his behavior, and then they won't be able to trace it back to us."

Xu Damao smacked his lips.

It has to be said that Yi Zhonghai, that old man, is indeed quite capable.

"Third," Yi Zhonghai held up three fingers, "After the letter is sent, no one is allowed to mention this matter outside. Go back and live your lives as usual. If you see Xu Lin, it's fine whether you talk to him or not, but you absolutely cannot let him notice anything unusual."

"I understand," Xu Damao patted his chest.

Liu Haizhong nodded vigorously: "No problem."

Yi Zhonghai observed the expressions of the two men, remaining outwardly calm, lit his third cigarette, and took a deep drag.

He had already drafted the letter in his mind.

The wording should not be too strong; it should sound like the heartfelt concerns of an ordinary worker. It should depict Xu Lin's absolute power, his disregard for the factory director, and his nepotism. It should also show how he used technological monopolies to undermine organizational leadership.

As for issues of conduct, involving more people is enough. Going too far would make it unbelievable.

"Then who will write this letter?" Liu Haizhong asked.

Yi Zhonghai and Xu Damao both looked at him at the same time.

Liu Haizhong was taken aback: "Why are you looking at me?"

"Your handwriting is the worst," Xu Damao said.

"What do you mean?"

"The uglier the handwriting, the less likely it is to be recognized. And it's not just one letter, we have to write more than a dozen, from tomorrow until after the New Year," Yi Zhonghai explained.

Liu Haizhong's expression changed, unsure whether to be angry or happy.

After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll write the first one. You tell me the content, and I'll write it."

The three of them discussed some more details.

Everything was decided: when to meet, what kind of paper to use, who would send the mail first, how to send it, and to which address.

More than half an hour later, Yi Zhonghai stood up.

"Alright, Lao Liu, let's go back. Don't stay too long, or people will get suspicious."

Liu Haizhong nodded and followed behind Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai walked to the door, then suddenly stopped, turned around and glanced at Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong.

"Old Liu, Da Mao."

The two of them looked at him.

"This matter must remain a secret. No one can be told. From now on, the three of us are in this together."

Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong's expressions turned serious.

"Okay, sure."

"I know what's important."

Yi Zhonghai stared at the two of them for two seconds, then nodded and walked out.

A cold wind howled in the courtyard, and the moon overhead was mostly obscured by clouds.

Yi Zhonghai wrapped his cotton-padded coat tightly and walked back to the Intermediate People's Court step by step.

Just as he was about to step into his house, he stopped and looked in the direction of Xu Lin's house in the front yard.

The room was dark.

The family hasn't returned yet.

Yi Zhonghai stood in the darkness for a few seconds, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved up.

Then he turned around, pushed open his own door, and walked into the cold house.

Zhou Jinzhi was already asleep.

He didn't turn on the light, took off his shoes in the dark, got onto the kang (a heated brick bed), lay in bed, and stared at the dark ceiling.

Xu Lin.

Do you think that just because you've caused trouble in the factory, no one can control you?

Fighting and killing is the worst strategy.

The truly deadly knife never draws blood.

Yi Zhonghai closed his eyes and listened to the wind outside the window.

Soon, his breathing became even.

He slept exceptionally well that night.