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

Chapter 61 Exposing the Lies

Liu Haizhong and Jia Dongxu remained silent the entire way.

Both of them witnessed the whole scene. He Yuzhu jumped off the motorcycle, swung his hand to knock Yang Honglin down, stomped on his right leg and broke it, squatted down and slapped him across the face, then pulled out a photo and forced Deputy Factory Director Yang to say thank you.

Yang Honglin lay on the ground with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his right calf twisted at an impossible angle. Among the onlookers were more than a dozen workers, and someone went to the steel mill to call the security department.

Liu Haizhong pushed open his door and saw Wang Caifeng sitting on the edge of the bed sewing shoe soles. He walked over and sat down next to his wife, took out a small notebook from his breast pocket, and wrote a few words on the last blank page: Don't mess with He Yuzhu.

Wang Caifeng took the notebook, glanced at it, and then looked up at her husband.

Liu Haizhong wrote another line: He broke Deputy Factory Director Yang's leg, just a few hundred meters from the factory gate.

The shoe sole in Wang Caifeng's hand fell to the ground.

Jia Dongxu returned to the west wing, where Jia Zhangshi was shelling peanuts on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). Qin Huairu was cooking at the stove.

Jia Dongxu sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his right hand trembling slightly as he pulled it out of his pocket and placed it on his knee. "He Yuzhu beat up Deputy Factory Director Yang and broke his leg, crushing it. Dozens of people watched, including more than a dozen steel mill workers, but no one dared to do anything."

Jia Zhangshi stopped shelling peanuts. "Has he gone mad?"

"After the beating, they forced Deputy Factory Director Yang to say thank you. Just like they did to Yi Zhonghai back then."

Qin Huairu turned around from the stove, her apron still dripping wet. "Isn't he afraid the police will arrest him?"

Jia Dongxu shook his head. "Deputy Factory Director Yang provoked him first. It seems he has something on Factory Director Yang."

Jia Zhangshi threw the peanut shells on the ground. "From now on, no one should mess with that madman. Just go around him."

A few days later, people in the courtyard were talking about it behind their backs.

Wang Caifeng whispered to Wu Guilan at the backyard gate: He Yuzhu broke the leg of the deputy director of the steel rolling mill, but nothing happened to him afterwards.

Wu Guilan whispered, "I also heard Jia Zhangshi say that He Yuzhu is really ruthless."

Wang Caifeng lowered her voice, "Now, no one in the courtyard dares to call him 'Silly Pillar' behind his back."

Wu Guilan snorted, "He even dared to hit the deputy factory director. If he hears him calling him 'Silly Zhu' behind his back, isn't he just asking for a beating?"

The deaf old man overheard the news that the deputy factory director had been beaten, and when Wu Guilan brought him lunch at noon, he asked her about it. He learned that Xiao Yang's leg had been broken by Sha Zhu and that he was hospitalized at Hongxing Hospital.

She sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) for half a day.

There was still one unopened can of malted milk powder that Xiao Yang had brought last time. She took the malted milk powder down, put it in a mesh bag, and went out of the courtyard gate with her cane.

Hongxing Hospital is located in the east of the city. The old deaf man had to ask a nurse for directions to find his ward.

Yang Honglin lay on the hospital bed by the window, his right leg in a cast and sling, his face still bearing lingering bruises. Hearing the sound of his cane, he turned around and saw the old deaf man carrying a net bag as he entered; his face darkened.

"Xiao Yang..."

"You still dare to come?" Yang Honglin's voice was as cold as ice in winter.

The deaf old man placed the malted milk powder on the bedside table and asked with a smile what was wrong.

Yang Honglin stared into the old deaf man's eyes. "I saw that photo. Your son is a Kuomintang agent. Back in '47, you tore the strips of cloth to try and tie me up. You went to buy medicine? Your real purpose was to find your son to arrest me."

The ward was so quiet that only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves outside the window could be heard.

The old deaf man stood by the bed, his cane trembling so much that it clanged against the iron frame of the bed.

"If your son had caught me that time, you two would have done a great service, wouldn't you?" Yang Honglin's voice began to tremble; he was truly filled with hatred.

"You said you'd wait for me to come back. Luckily, our people arrived first. I've remembered your kindness for nine years, and now I send you fine grains and coal briquettes every month."

"I'll use my own salary to support you in your old age. This is to repay a benefactor." He paused, his eyes reddening. "And what have you become?"

Tears streamed down the old deaf man's face; this time, it wasn't an act.

In her life, she had been beaten by He Yuzhu, reprimanded by the neighborhood committee, splashed with dirty water by Tan Xiulan, and had all her gold bars stolen. But never before had she been so openly exposed, layer by layer. Yang Honglin didn't hit her; he simply laid out all the things she had done, each sentence like a slap in the face.

"You should be glad this is a new society. Otherwise, I really could have shot you dead." Yang Honglin turned his face to the window.

The old deaf man stood there, his cane planted firmly on the ground, all his weight resting on it. She slowly reached out and took back the can of malted milk powder, then turned and quickly walked out of the ward.

The cane thumped loudly in the corridor, each thump faster than the last. She stopped at the hospital entrance, only then realizing that the gold had been stolen by Sha Zhu, and the photos from the hidden compartment in her house were definitely gone too. She couldn't afford to provoke that beast again; one day she might truly disappear without a trace.

In the evening, Old Li came to visit from the other side of the courtyard and sat down laughing. Tian Xinghua saw the old deaf man carrying malted milk powder when he went out this morning, dressed neatly. When he came back at noon, he was still carrying the malted milk powder, and his face was very long.

"She went to the hospital to see Yang Honglin, and got exposed." He Yuzhu leaned back in her armchair. "That fool Yang Honglin was fooled by her for years, thinking he could take care of her in his old age. Now he's woken up from his dream."

He Yuzhu stood up with a smile. "Cook a few more dishes tonight. Invite Da Mao and his sister, as well as you and Aunt Li, and have a good meal."

In the kitchen across the courtyard, He Yuzhu tied on an apron. He started cooking braised pork hock, sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried mutton with scallions, braised prawns, stir-fried pea shoots, and hot and sour soup.

Rainwater helped out by the stove, peeling garlic and scallions.

Tian Xinghua brought in a plate of peanuts, followed by Old Li carrying a jar of rice wine.

Xu Damao led Xu Ling in. Xu Ling had two pigtails and called out in a clear voice, "Brother Zhuzi."

A room full of people sat in the main room, the eight-immortal table was set out in full.

The group enjoyed the meal, and after a few drinks, He Yuzhu was especially happy.

He told everyone that from now on, you'd need coupons to buy big-ticket items—bicycles, sewing machines, radios, you'd all need coupons. He urged them to buy what they needed while they had the money, and not to rush into buying things later when the coupons were issued.

He Yuzhu also said that there are no women's 26-inch cars yet, but he will buy one for Yushui when they are available.

Rainwater was gnawing on ribs when it heard this, so it looked up and its eyes lit up.

"Brother, really?"

"Really. When you're in the second year of junior high, I'll buy you a women's bicycle."

The raindrops laughed out loud, revealing their clean, white teeth.

"Auntie, you have to be my witness. My brother said he'd buy me a bicycle when I'm in the second year of junior high." Yu Shui held onto Tian Xinghua's hand tightly.

Tian Xinghua nodded with a smile. "Your aunt can vouch for you; everyone heard what your brother said."

Old Li chuckled as he held his wine glass.

Xu Damao chimed in from the side, "Brother Zhu, what about me? I'm your younger brother."

He Yuzhu placed a piece of braised pork knuckle into his bowl. "You should bring your report card back first."

Laughter drifted out from the main room, past the pomegranate tree, over the courtyard wall, and dissipated in the early summer evening breeze.