Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 310 Backyard Clash

Yan Jiekuang covered the scale with a canvas, dusted off his hands, and called into the house, "Xiao Dang, stop busy, go buy some cooked food. Jie Di can just stir-fry a couple of dishes, and we'll have some drinks tonight."

Xiao Dang poked his head out from the kitchen: "Brother Jie Kuang, how about we celebrate after the sanitation department's business recovers?"

"Why don't you believe me?" Yan Jiekuang grinned, unable to suppress his laughter. "Go quickly. Once business recovers, we'll go to Fengzeyuan to celebrate."

Xiao Dang reluctantly went out, and Jie Di also put down her work and went to the kitchen to cook. Only Yan Jie Kuang was left outside. He opened the drawer, and the brown paper envelope was still under the old account book. He picked out the photo without any writing on it and put it in his pocket.

The roast chicken and pig's head meat were bought, and Jie Di stir-fried a plate of eggs and a plate of green vegetables. The three of them set up a folding table, laid out the dishes, and poured the wine.

Yan Jiekuang picked up his cup, took a sip, tore off a roasted chicken leg, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed until his cheeks bulged, and his uncontrollable smile began to spread across his face again.

Xiao Dang picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, looking at his smiling face, still unable to believe it. Jie Di buried her head in her food, occasionally glancing up at Yan Jie Kuang's face. She wasn't sure either, that her brother could really solve the problem.

The meal lasted an hour. Yan Jiekuang drank most of a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), his face flushed, and his voice much louder than usual. He finished his drink, turned the glass upside down on the table, and it made a crisp sound.

Yan Jiekuang stood up, feeling a little unsteady on his feet. Xiao Dang tried to help him, but he pushed her away.

"I'm fine. You guys tidy up and close the shop. I'm going home first."

Jie Di tidied up the table and went to wash the dishes. Xiao Dang saw him to the door and said, "You've had too much to drink. Why don't we leave together later?"

"I'm fine, just a little tipsy." Yan Jiekuang pushed his tricycle to the alley entrance, turned around and waved to her.

Xiao Dang watched his figure disappear around the corner of the alley and sighed.

Yan Jiekuang rode quite fast, working up a sweat and sobering up a bit. He pushed the tricycle to the front yard, parked it, and reached into his pocket; the photo was still there.

He walked through the passageway and headed towards the backyard. Liu Guangfu had just taken the clothes out of the washing machine when he heard footsteps. He looked up, saw Yan Jiekuang, and stopped what he was doing.

What are you doing here?

"Find your brother."

Liu Guangfu threw the clothes into the washing machine and blocked the doorway. "What do you want with my brother? Say what you have to say outside."

"Can you make decisions about the Liu family?" Yan Jiekuang looked at him, his voice not loud.

"My brother isn't feeling well, so please let me know beforehand if you need anything."

"You don't get to decide." Yan Jiekuang took a step forward. "Get out of the way."

The two stood facing each other at the door for a few seconds.

Yan Jiekuang shouted into the room, "Liu Guangtian, Deputy Director Wang asked me to pass on a message to you."

Liu Guangtian's shrill voice rang out: "Guangfu, let him in."

Yan Jiekuang pushed Liu Guangfu aside, went into the inner room, and closed the door behind him.

The lights were on in the room. Liu Guangtian sat on the edge of the bed, his face tense. "How much do you know?"

Yan Jiekuang was less than two steps away from Liu Guangtian. He didn't take out the photo directly, but looked at Liu Guangtian, clicking his tongue and sizing him up.

Liu Guangtian's back was slightly hunched, his ankles were crossed, his knees were together, and his hands were trembling as he supported himself on the outside of his knees.

Yan Jiekuang then slowly reached into his pocket, took out the photo, and held it up in front of him.

The photo was clearly visible under the light. Liu Guangtian glanced at it and snatched it away.

"Where did you get these? Where are the negatives?"

"Never mind that. This is for you. Take it to your old flame—Deputy Director Wang—and while you're at it, take care of things at Andingmen. Also, give me business from two sanitation departments."

"That's impossible. Don't you think about it? I only work for the Daokou Sanitation Station. If it were that easy, Guangfu and I would have made a fortune by now if we hired a few more people," Liu Guangtian explained in a soft voice.

Yan Jiekuang stroked his chin thoughtfully, then held up two fingers after a moment. "First, business at Andingmen will resume. Director Sun's business will continue as before. Second, your family's general merchandise business will be suspended. From now on, I'll take over the entire Qianmen area."

Liu Guangtian gritted his teeth: "These loose goods are what my brother and I painstakingly accumulated, and you expect me to spit them all out at once?"

"If you don't spit it out, I'll spit out the photos," Yan Jiekuang said viciously. "You choose."

The room fell silent. After considering for a while, Liu Guangtian finally spoke:

"Okay, I'll stop the wholesale business at Qianmen first. I'll also help you resume the business at Andingmen, but you have to give me time. Once it's done, give me the negatives."

"Take care of these two things first." Yan Jiekuang smiled. "I won't give you the negatives. I guarantee the photos I have won't be released. That Deputy Director Huang has a mole on his left chin, and I have more than just this one. Don't even think about messing with me; I've kept all the photos separately. If something happens to me, the photos will definitely be plastered all over the streets of Dongcheng District."

Liu Guangtian deflated like a punctured balloon. "I understand."

Yan Jiekuang glanced at him. "Liu Guangtian, I never expected you to be a rabbit. And dressed as a woman at that. You've completely disgraced the Liu family."

Liu Guangtian's face flushed red and then turned pale, and he trembled all over. The way he looked at Yan Jiekuang made him very uncomfortable.

Yan Jiekuang turned and walked towards the door, his back to Liu Guangtian, and said, "I'll give you five days for the Andingmen area. If it's not restored within five days, the next photo will appear at the sanitation bureau's entrance."

He pushed open the door and went out.

Liu Guangfu was still standing in the courtyard when he saw Yan Jiekuang come out and stared at him as he passed through the gate in the wall.

Liu Guangfu walked into his brother's room. Liu Guangtian's face was gloomy as he slowly exhaled, "Guangfu, we're not doing the bulk cargo business anymore."

"You don't want the bulk goods anymore? Why? Brother, what leverage does Yan Jiekuang have over you? Who is that Deputy Director Wang?"

"I said no, and that's final." Liu Guangtian's voice was shrill and loud. "Why are you asking so many questions? Yan Jiekuang has something that can kill me. I have no choice."

Liu Guangfu stopped asking. Since his second brother said that, there was really nothing he could do. He also guessed that Deputy Director Wang was definitely on their side, and since he couldn't help, he silently withdrew.

He Yuzhu was sitting in the back room, listening to Grandma Tan tell stories with her son. She sensed Liu Guangtian sitting motionless on the edge of the bed, his right hand gripping a corner of a pillowcase tightly, his face contorted with a sinister expression. In the yard, Liu Guangfu paced back and forth like a dog trapped in a cage, circling around unable to find its way out.

He Yuzhu withdrew his senses, and He Yang fell asleep while listening to the story. He picked up his son, said goodbye to his mother-in-law, and returned to the courtyard to hand He Yang over to Zhu Lin.

He went into the main room, made a cup of tea, and lit a cigarette. Yan Jiekuang's stab was precise; Liu Guangtian was now in a vulnerable position. Once the bulk goods were disposed of, he would have to rely on the sanitation department's meager supplies to survive.

Liu Guangtian's expression showed he was furious. Master Zhu was really looking forward to the next episode, so please don't let me down.

Right, he slapped his forehead. He'd forgotten to show the photos to Xu Damao; he couldn't just disgust himself.