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

Chapter 48 The Liaison Officer Scandal

At the end of November, people from the neighborhood committee came to hold a meeting.

That afternoon, neighborhood official Lao Sun went into the front yard and had someone call everyone in the yard. Yan Bugui cooperated readily, asking Yang Ruihua to notify the back yard so he could go to the middle yard to call people.

Old Li and Tian Xinghua came out of the courtyard. Tian Xinghua, heavily pregnant, sat on a stool. Jia Zhangshi held melon seeds in her hand, cracking them as she walked. Jia Dongxu followed behind, and Qin Huairu carried a stick at the very back.

Yi Zhonghai tilted his head and walked slowly. Liu Haizhong came out from the backyard, with Wang Caifeng following behind.

Xu Fugui and Zhao Shufen also arrived, with Xu Damao following behind his mother, peeking around curiously.

The old deaf man, leaning on a jujube wood cane, was the last to emerge from the backyard, standing on the edge of the crowd without moving forward.

He Yuzhu leaned against the doorway of the passageway, his arms crossed over his chest.

Old Sun cleared his throat. "The subdistrict office has been established, and our compound needs to elect a liaison officer. From now on, the liaison officer will issue orders to the subdistrict office. The liaison officer will also report any issues within the compound to the subdistrict office. Everyone can recommend candidates, and the election of the liaison officer must be approved by the public."

Liu Haizhong threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out, then took two steps forward. "Officer Sun, I'd like to sign up. I work as a forger at the steel rolling mill; I know the place well."

Madam Jia Zhang, munching on sunflower seeds behind them, scoffed. "Liu Haizhong, you can't even keep an eye on your own son, yet you want to meddle in the affairs of the courtyard? What, you've found Liu Guangqi?"

Wang Caifeng suddenly raised her head, her eyes reddening, and rushed forward to scratch Jia Zhangshi's face. Jia Zhangshi recoiled, scattering melon seeds all over the ground. Zhao Shufen grabbed her arm, and other women in the courtyard hugged her waist.

Wang Caifeng struggled, her fingernails scratching wildly in the air, "You piece of trash, keep your Jia family in check... they're all only sons... what if they die one day... then the family line will end."

Madam Jia hid behind Jia Dongxu, still grumbling. "Pah! What rotten bullshit! Am I not telling the truth? Three years have passed, and you two haven't seen a trace of him, whether he's alive or dead. You two seem to be able to eat and sleep soundly."

Wang Caifeng was being dragged along, tears streaming down her face, her whole body trembling.

Liu Haizhong stood to one side, his fists clenched tightly, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

Old Sun quickly came over to stop them. "Don't make a fuss! Talk it out!" He looked at Liu Haizhong, then at Jia Zhangshi, "Comrade, watch your words. They're heartbroken to have lost their child."

Jia Zhangshi peeked out from behind Jia Dongxu, wanting to say something, but Jia Dongxu pulled her back, and she shut up.

Yang Ruihua helped Wang Caifeng sit on the front steps, her head bowed, her shoulders trembling. Liu Haizhong stood there, his lips quivering for a long time, then turned and squatted down against the wall to smoke.

Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses. "Officer Sun, I've been a teacher for many years, I'm educated, and I can write and do math. I understand policies and regulations, and I guarantee that the tasks will be conveyed without delay. I think I'm capable of being a liaison officer. What do you all think?"

Yang Ruihua whispered from behind, "Old Yan is capable. He reads the newspaper every day and understands all the policies."

He Yuzhu leaned against the doorway of the passageway, watching the group of people. He knew what kind of people they were; if he let them manage this courtyard, sooner or later it would be just like in his previous life—they would turn it into their own independent kingdom.

He spoke slowly. "Yan Bugui, tell everyone about the letter you wrote in 1952 to frame me."

Yan Bugui's face flushed red. "That...that was instigated by Yi Zhonghai."

He Yuzhu ignored him and turned to look at Yi Zhonghai at the back of the crowd. "Yi Zhonghai, you tell us too. You instigated Yan Bugui to report me and falsely accused me of colluding with enemy agents. How was your year in the labor camp?"

Yi Zhonghai stood at the edge of the crowd, his face turned to the ground, without uttering a sound.

He Yuzhu then looked at Lao Sun. "Officer Sun, the street office has just been established. You don't know the situation in this compound yet, so let me tell you. There's an old feudalist in the backyard who used to call himself the ancestor in the compound. He was called in by the military control committee for a re-education. Later, he was exposed for adultery, and his reputation was ruined throughout Nanluoguxiang."

The intermediate court and the front court each had one person framed, one detained and the other sentencing to a labor camp. As for Comrade Liu Haizhong, as everyone just saw, the people in the court will not accept him.”

He stubbed out his cigarette. "In our compound, only Comrade Xu Fugui lives in the back. He's a projectionist at the steel mill, a full-time employee, and politically reliable. His wife, Zhao Shufen, is a saleswoman at the supply and marketing cooperative, also a full-time employee. Both of them work for state-owned enterprises. It's a pity that Uncle Xu often goes to the countryside to show movies and doesn't have time to manage things in the compound."

Xu Fugui stood in the crowd, paused for a moment, and quickly waved his hand. "I really don't have time. The factory has a lot of screening duties, and I'm often going to the countryside."

He Yuzhu continued, "So I suggest that the subdistrict office directly arrange for someone to move in. There are two empty rooms in the back building, and the main hall can also be converted into living quarters. There's also an empty old-fashioned room that can be rented out, which will generate some income. If your subdistrict office sends staff to live in this courtyard, they can serve as liaison officers. It's better to have people from the subdistrict manage this courtyard than to have people from the courtyard act as liaison officers. Whether you listen or not is up to you."

The entire front yard fell silent. Jia Zhangshi clutched the melon seeds in her hand, forgetting to crack them, while Jia Dongxu stared down at the ground. Qin Huairu held the child's back gently, patting it lightly, and glanced at He Yuzhu.

Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai lowered their heads, not daring to speak again. The old deaf man stood there, leaning on his cane, his face deathly pale. Liu Haizhong squatted there, silent.

Everyone in the hospital was rendered speechless by He Yuzhu's scathing remarks. Only Xu Fugui walked up to He Yuzhu and said in a low voice, "Zhuzi, with that mouth of yours... you've offended everyone in the hospital."

He Yuzhu took out a cigarette and lit it for him. "Uncle Xu, I've already offended them all. One more time won't make a difference."

Xu Fugui didn't say anything more, took a puff of his cigarette, and patted him on the shoulder. Xu Damao chuckled and gave He Yuzhu a thumbs up.

Old Sun closed his notebook and looked at He Yuzhu. "Comrade, I've noted your opinion. Let's call it a day. I'll go back and report to Director Zhang. But while you may have felt good about what you said today, it might not be good for your relationships within the hospital in the future."

He Yuzhu nodded. "Okay. I never intended to date them."

Old Sun left with his notebook. Everyone in the courtyard dispersed and went home.

Old Li helped his wife back to the Intermediate People's Court and said to He Yu, "Zhu Zi, dig up their past again today. Be careful they don't spread rumors about you outside."

He Yuzhu looked nonchalant. "Don't worry, Uncle Li. I know all their tricks. I want to see who dares to throw dirty water on me."

He pushed open the moon gate and went inside; the holly bushes were a deep, dark green. He returned to the main room, sat down, and lit a cigarette. Those people in the courtyard, whom he had publicly humiliated today, wouldn't let it go so easily. Neither Yi Zhonghai nor the old deaf man would.

They would also try to find Wang Xia behind her back, use their connections in the district to complain, and try other tricks. But he would never let those beasts take the position of liaison officer.

In their past life, they turned the courtyard into an independent kingdom using this method; they can forget about it in this life.