Courtyard House: The Fisherman Never Goes Sick

If people don't respect me, it's because I lack talent; if I don't respect others, it's because I lack virtue. To earn respect, you must first learn to respect others. Only with sufficient virtue can you earn the respect of others. If you only think about being flattered but lack talent and virtue, you'll be a fool wherever you go. Even if you gain some benefits for a while, in the long run, your virtue will be exposed, and you'll be like a piece of stinking dog excrement, avoided by everyone, and no one will associate with you anymore.

"Oh, I'll listen to you. I'll call him Zhuzi from now on!" That's the good thing about Lou Xiao'e. She listens to whatever Yang Wei says, especially when Yang Wei is right. She knows how to be sensible and knows when to back down.

"Let's eat first, I reckon we won't be able to calm down even after we finish eating!" Yang Wei shoveled rice into his bowl.

"What's wrong?" Lou Xiao'e looked up.

"Xu Damao got beaten up by Zhuzi, he'll definitely need to get back from Uncle Yi and his gang, and they might even call the police. I have to go check on him, I can't let Zhuzi get the short end of the stick!" Yang Wei put down his chopsticks.

"We should go," Lou Xiao'e nodded. "You don't know, while you and Shazhu are at work, Xiuqin comes to keep me company and chat with Grandma. I find Xiuqin to be very kind, sensible, and thrifty. I should learn from her in the future."

"She knows how to manage a household well," Lou Xiao'e praised, "Women who grew up poor are more mature. I, who come from a capitalist family, can't compare."

Lou Xiao'e was born into a privileged life, with a private car and servants at home, and her parents would buy her whatever she wanted. Wu Xiuqin, on the other hand, had to work her way up from the countryside, cooking, herding cattle, and feeding pigs for her family from the age of ten. Poor children mature early; in those days, if you had the strength, you had to work, or your family would starve.

"It's good for him to learn, but we don't need to be so frugal with our finances." Yang Wei picked up a piece of food. "Your husband may not have any other skills, but supporting you and Grandma shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"My husband is the best!" Lou Xiao'e smiled, her eyes crinkling. "When it's time to eat, I'll serve the dishes, and you go call Grandma!"

Yang Wei went into the kitchen to serve the dishes and set out the bowls and chopsticks, and the family of three sat down around the table to eat. The meal was simple, but warm and comforting.

Just as they finished eating and tidied up, they heard Uncle Liu Haizhong's loud voice: "Yang Wei, Xiao'e, come out! There's a meeting in the compound today, both of you come!"

"We have important matters to discuss today, concerning safety and the integrity of the courtyard. No one is allowed to be late!" Liu Haizhong, who hadn't managed to become a leader at the steel mill, acted like the "second uncle" in the courtyard.

Yang Wei was too lazy to argue with him. He took a sip of tea, told the old lady, and then took Lou Xiao'e's hand and walked towards the central courtyard. This was the first time he had attended a general meeting of the entire courtyard. Although he had a guess as to why, he was also a little curious about how the old men would handle the situation.

Holding Lou Xiao'e's hand, they walked sweetly to the courtyard like newlyweds. Sha Zhu and Wu Xiuqin were already there, calling out to them, "Brother Yang, your wife is over here!"

Yang Wei led the group over, and upon inspection, they found that almost everyone in the courtyard had arrived. There were nearly a hundred people, with more than twenty households living in the three-courtyard houses. Every family had at least three members. Qin Huairu's family alone had five members, so the total number of people in the courtyards was more than sixty.

There was a lot of chatter in the courtyard; someone muttered, "What's all this commotion so late at night?"

"Keep your voice down! Sha Zhu and Yang Wei are here, it must be about that '690' thing after get off work!"

"I heard Xu Damao scared Sha Zhu so much he peed his pants?"

"It's true! I was close by and heard it clearly. That coward Xu Damao wets his pants the moment he's scared!"

Yang Wei glanced around and saw that Xu Damao, sitting on the bench closest to the three old men, had his head drooping, covering his face and ears, as if he were avoiding being talked about.

Once everyone had arrived, Liu Haizhong glanced at Uncle Yi Zhonghai and Uncle San before tapping his teacup and standing up. Seeing him rise, everyone slowly fell silent, and the courtyard instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Liu Haizhong cleared his throat and adopted a haughty demeanor: "Today, we are holding a hospital-wide meeting!"

The conversation was convoluted and full of twists and turns, and the speaker really put on the airs of a deputy leader. Don't be fooled by their status as mere deputies in the courtyard; these three old men, relying on their seniority, always act aloof in meetings. The eldest, Yi Zhonghai, is mild-mannered and the least troublesome of the three; the third, Yan Bugui, is purely there to fill a spot—he's the right age and a primary school teacher, which is why he was included on the deputies' list. But who in the entire courtyard doesn't know his ulterior motives?

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Haizhong glanced at the crowd. Nearly a hundred people were listening intently to him, and his craving for officialdom made him squint with satisfaction.

"There's only one thing to talk about today, about Xu Damao and Shazhu."

"Second Uncle, this is a formal meeting in the compound. Shouldn't you show some respect for He Yuzhu? He has a name and a family, he's married and has a family of his own. What's the meaning of you calling him 'Silly Zhu'?"

Before Liu Haizhong could continue, Yang Wei retorted.

"Yang Wei, what are you doing?" Liu Haizhong's face darkened. "I'm speaking. Can't you wait until I finish?"

"Do you still have any rules?" Yang Wei retorted.

This was like stirring up a hornet's nest; Liu Haizhong launched into a tirade. But when it comes to sharp tongues, Yang Wei was never afraid of anyone.

"Alright, you say we should follow the rules, but whose rules? Your rules, the rules of the courtyard house, or perhaps the rules of the steel mill?"

"So, your rules are to beat people if they don't listen and verbally abuse them if they disagree? Aren't you afraid that when you're old and can't move, your sons won't support you and will turn around and beat you up? If the head of the household is crooked, the children will be crooked too. I advise you to treat your sons better, otherwise you'll be all alone and helpless in your old age—that would be truly miserable!"

Yang Wei glanced at his pale face and continued, "According to the rules of the courtyard, you were elected as the person in charge because of your age. If we didn't want to, we could have removed you through a democratic vote. As the person in charge, you have to be fair and just, and respect everyone. Why should Xu Damao be called by his full name, but He Yuzhu has to be called 'Silly Zhu'? Is that fair?"

The people below began to whisper among themselves, but Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui pretended not to hear and kept their eyes downcast.

Yang Wei continued, "According to the rules of the steel rolling mill, the head chef in the canteen has a higher rank than a level seven worker, so my status is higher than yours, and you have to listen to me!"

The entire audience was stunned. No one expected Yang Wei to be so eloquent, hitting the nail on the head with every word. Liu Haizhong pointed at Yang Wei, his finger trembling so much that he couldn't speak.

Yang Wei then turned his attention to Yi Zhonghai: "Uncle, am I right? In formal settings, you have to call Zhu Zi by his full name, not his nickname." If Yi Zhonghai didn't say anything at this point, his relationship with He Yuzhu would definitely be strained. Did he still think he could rely on the silly Zhu for retirement? No way.

Yi Zhonghai stared at Yang Wei for a moment, maintaining his impartial expression: "Yang Wei is right. Whatever you call them in private doesn't matter, but no nicknames are allowed in the meeting. That's settled." Then he changed the subject: "Next, let's talk about He Yuzhu and Xu Damao's fight after get off work. Who wants to go first?"

Shifting the blame and diverting attention—that was a brilliant move. Yang Wei nodded inwardly, but he had no intention of stopping there. Having gone to such lengths to create this momentum, how could he let it go so easily?

"Before resolving their issue, I need to address something first!"

The main character at this conference that night was destined to be Yang Wei; everyone in the room knew it perfectly well.

The courtyard fell silent, and Yang Wei stepped forward again.

Everyone's eyes lit up immediately. These days, entertainment options are scarce, and who doesn't love to join in the fun? Their eyes gleamed with gossip, and some were even already imagining the scenario of "Yang Wei outsmarting the three old men," practically ready to applaud and cheer on the spot.

"Yang Wei!!"

Yi Zhonghai usually has a good temper, but Yang Wei stood up time and time again, clearly challenging the authority of the older generation. He finally couldn't hold back and shouted in a deep voice, meaning: Shut up first, we'll talk about you after this matter is settled.

Why would Yang Wei back down now? He stared unblinkingly at Yi Zhonghai, his tone still calm: "My matter is the same as what I just mentioned. If it weren't for my matter, there wouldn't have been that incident of He Yuzhu hitting Xu Damao after get off work. Are you sure you don't want to hear me finish before drawing your conclusion?"

His calm demeanor made onlookers think that he wasn't lying.

The third uncle, Yan Bugui, who had been silent until now, glanced at Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong and slowly spoke up: "Old Yi, Old Liu, let's listen to Yang Wei. Anyway, it's all a matter of the courtyard. We need to sort it out sooner or later. If we talk about it together, we can solve it in a coordinated way. Yang Wei, you go ahead."

Yan Bugui was a primary school teacher, but he was incredibly calculating, always looking out for himself. Even his own son, after the family split up, had to pay to stay overnight when he wanted to return – a truly bizarre situation. If Yang Wei hadn't read the original novel, he would have doubted that such people actually existed. These kinds of people always had "calculation" hidden behind their words and actions; as they put it, "You won't go poor from eating or spending, but you'll go poor if you don't calculate." Yet, Yan Bugui never became wealthy in his entire life. On the contrary, his son, who ran a small restaurant, didn't care about them and even found ways to squeeze money out of them. In the entire courtyard, he and Liu Haizhong were the most repulsive, committing countless evil deeds without even realizing it.

However, no matter how much Yan Bugui schemes, Yang Wei won't give him the chance right now.

"This morning I went to the factory and heard that someone had filed a formal complaint against me for abandoning my post, and the factory office even called me in for questioning. Most of you have probably heard about this, but do you know who the complainant is?"

Xu Damao, who was sitting close to the three old men, trembled when he heard this. Others might not know, but he knew perfectly well that he was the one who had reported him! He never expected that Yang Wei would not only be unharmed, but would also be punished by the film studio for reporting him without evidence and wasting the factory's manpower and resources: his salary would be reduced by one level, and if he committed another offense, he would receive a major demerit and be demoted to a probationary worker.

When Yang Wei brought up the matter, Xu Damao's first reaction was to get up and leave, but when he thought that if he left now, he would not be able to get revenge on Sha Zhu, he forcibly held back, and even raised his head to pretend to be calm, looking at Yang Wei.

Seeing that he not only didn't leave, but also unusually met Yang Wei's gaze, Yang Wei put on his signature gentle smile again: "I'm sure everyone has guessed it, the informant is in our courtyard, it's Xu Damao who was beaten by He Yuzhu."

"Yesterday afternoon, I carried out the task assigned by the factory manager. After finishing, I had half an hour off to go back to the courtyard house. Somehow, this 'selfless' Xu Damao saw me and immediately called the factory office to report me. Luckily, I had the factory manager's orders, otherwise my future would have been ruined. Cutting off my family's income is an attempt to force my family of three to a dead end."

Yang Wei looked around, his smile unwavering: "However, I also know that Xu Damao has a 'public-spirited' nature, so I don't blame him. But I'm close to He Yuzhu, and after being called to the factory office, I told him the truth when I got back. After listening, he said, 'One should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others.' That evening after get off work, He Yuzhu ran into Xu Damao on his way back and asked about the report. Who knew that Xu Damao not only refused to admit his mistake, but also kicked He Yuzhu hard, which angered him and caused him to fight."

"That's all for now. What happens next is up to you three gentlemen."

After Yang Wei finished speaking, he turned around and sat back down, taking Lou Xiao'e's hand and playing with it, as if what was about to happen had nothing to do with him.

"That's all for now. What happens next is up to you three gentlemen."

After Yang Wei finished speaking, he turned around and sat back down, taking Lou Xiao'e's hand and playing with it, as if what was about to happen had nothing to do with him.

But as soon as he said that, everyone in the room looked at Xu Damao with a completely different expression. Before, they had been joking around with a bit of amusement, or feeling sorry for him being overshadowed by Sha Zhu; now, all that remained was disgust, disgust to the core.

If he were to return to the hospital for personal reasons and Xu Damao happened to see him, and Xu Damao made a phone call to the steel mill's office, what would happen then? That's exactly what Yang Wei wanted: to use shared interests to bind the disorganized people in the hospital together, to unite them against a common enemy, so that even if Xu Damao, this black sheep, was "pitiful," he deserved to be dealt with.

After listening to this, Yi Zhonghai, who was sitting in the main seat, sighed softly, glanced at Xu Damao who was cowering, and a hint of pity appeared in his eyes: Such a small character, yet he insisted on provoking Yang Wei. No one can save you.

"Ahem!" Yi Zhonghai tapped the table. "Everyone knows what happened. I'm asking you, Xu Damao, did you report Yang Wei? Did you kick He Yuzhu first?"

Xu Damao kept his head down and remained silent, while Yang Wei secretly smiled. The deal was done! Those who cause trouble should be universally condemned!

Liu Haizhong never imagined that the large meeting he had organized would turn out like this. Yang Wei had the entire show under his thumb, and he, as the second uncle, didn't even have the chance to interject. His authority was shattered to pieces. Xu Damao fared even worse; he was completely ignored and ended up not only failing to accomplish his goal but also becoming an idiot, utterly disgraced.

After the meeting ended, the people in the courtyard looked at him as if he were a plague carrier. Liu Hai felt a chill in his heart: from now on, there would be no place for him to speak in this courtyard, and no one would want to talk to him anymore. He had tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead; this perfectly described his situation.

He returned to his room dejectedly. His gaze fell on the teacup on the table, and as if seeing Yang Wei's gentle smile only fueled his irritation. He grabbed the cup and smashed it on the floor with a loud "Bang!" The sound of shattering glass released a bit of the suffocating anger that had been building up inside him. He gritted his teeth and cursed, "Yang Wei! You idiot Zhu! You just wait! One day I'll make you pay, or I'll change my name!"

But he couldn't figure out exactly when "sooner or later" meant. Right now, he sadly realized that he had no way to deal with Yang Wei and Sha Zhu, and that he wouldn't be able to say a single harsh word in this courtyard house in the future.

Not only him, Liu Haizhong also got angrier and angrier when he went home to drink tea. The anger that Yang Wei had caused was burning inside him and was about to explode. Just then, his youngest son came over and said, "Dad, Mingwei's school needs to pay one yuan for tuition and miscellaneous fees. Give it to me." The child hadn't gone to the meeting and knew nothing about it. His sudden remark made Liu Haizhong's temper flare up.

"You little brats! All you know is money!" he roared. "Get out here and line up!"

The two sons scrambled out, the younger one not even properly dressed. Liu Hai lashed out, venting his anger on the children with a feather duster. He had always believed in the saying "spare the rod and spoil the child," but ten years later he understood how his two sons had been "filial" to him after they got married.

He didn't take Yang Wei's words to heart at all; he only remembered that he had lost face in front of the entire hospital, which was a fatal insult to Liu Haizhong, who was single-mindedly focused on becoming an official!

"Dad, I was wrong! Please stop hitting me!" "Dad, please!" The two sons pleaded, not daring to move. Liu Haizhong's duster was really hitting them hard, like hitting dolls, leaving red marks on their bodies immediately. He was so busy getting angry that he didn't see the cold hatred hidden in his sons' eyes. Sons hate their fathers not because of normal discipline, but because the father is unworthy of being a father and the sons don't recognize him as sons, which leads to tragedy.

Yang Wei didn't take the matter to heart when he got home; he just wanted to change the old rules of the courtyard house. Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure, but it depends on what kind of "treasure": he would definitely be filial to the old lady and Grandpa Guan; but he wouldn't indulge the three old folks in this courtyard.

"Did you say something too harsh today?"