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

Chapter 7 Hospitalization for Childlessness

He Yuzhu returned home, lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), and tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, his mind filled with what had just happened. Yi Zhonghai was howling, begging for mercy, crying in the virtual space, like a dead dog. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, his heart pounding.

He estimated that almost an hour had passed when he suddenly sat up. Why hadn't Yi Juehu woken up yet? Had he frozen to death?

Lying on the ground in the dead of winter, freezing for an hour, could really kill you. A childless man can't die like that; that would be too easy for him.

With a thought, He Yuzhu put the chamber pot back under Yi Zhonghai's bed. He then thought for a moment, used his space to collect a pebble in the yard, and released it onto Tan Xiulan's head, just enough to wake her up.

The lights came on at the Yi family home. Tan Xiulan's voice came through, tinged with panic.

"Zhonghai? Zhonghai!"

He Yuzhu was at home, listening to the commotion over there. Tan Xiulan's voice grew increasingly shrill, tinged with tears.

"Zhonghai, where are you? Where have you been in the middle of the night?"

She fumbled for her clothes by the bed, put them on, and came out carrying a lantern. The courtyard was pitch black, and the lantern flickered. She stood in the middle of the courtyard and called out a few times, but no one answered. Frustrated, she stamped her feet.

She ran to the west wing and knocked on the Jia family's door.

"Dongxu! Dongxu, get up! Your master is gone!"

Jia Dongxu responded from inside and began to rustle as he dressed. Jia Zhangshi's voice also came out, cursing and swearing. The door opened, and Jia Dongxu, wearing a cotton-padded coat, came out, took the lantern, and helped Tan Xiulan walk outside.

The two left the courtyard. A while later, a scream came from Tan Xiulan in the alley; it was very frightening in the middle of the night.

"Zhonghai! Zhonghai, what's wrong with you! Someone help! Someone help!"

Jia Dongxu's voice came through, sounding very anxious. "Master's wife, don't shake Master! I'll go get someone!"

The footsteps returned. Jia Dongxu pushed open the courtyard gate and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Uncle Yan! Uncle Yan, come quick! My master is in trouble!"

Yan Bugui ran out wearing his clothes, and Liu Haizhong also ran out from the backyard. Several households in the yard poked their heads out.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"My master is lying in the alley, covered in blood, and he can't be woken up!"

A group of people ran outside. He Yuzhu, who had been listening inside, pushed open the door and went out. He put on a coat, rubbed his eyes, pretended to have just been woken up, and walked out yawning.

A crowd had already gathered in the alley. Under the light of a few kerosene lamps, Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, his face swollen like a pig's head, his nose and mouth crooked, his clothes covered in blood. Tan Xiulan squatted beside him, crying so hard she could hardly breathe.

Jia Dongxu squatted down and carried Yi Zhonghai on his back. Yan Bugui held up a lamp to light the way, and Liu Haizhong followed. The group ran towards the hospital.

He Yuzhu leaned against the courtyard gate, watching the backs of the group of people, and slowly said something.

"Serves him right. He got what he deserved. It's truly gratifying."

Nobody paid him any attention. He stood alone at the door, the cold wind blowing down his neck. He shrank back and went back inside.

The next day was Sunday.

In the morning, people from the local police station and the military control commission arrived.

Two uniformed officials stood in the central courtyard, calling everyone together for questioning. Yan Bugui stood at the front, rubbing his hands, looking troubled.

"Comrade, I really didn't know anything about this. I went to bed early last night and only got up when I heard shouting. When I came out, Lao Yi was already lying in the alley."

Liu Haizhong stood to the side, his eyes darting around, and suddenly spoke.

"Comrade, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

The cadre glanced at him. "Speak."

"He Yuzhu beat Yi Zhonghai the day before yesterday, quite badly. The whole hospital saw it. Could it be...?"

All eyes turned to He Yuzhu. He Yuzhu stood by his door, leaning against the doorframe, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

"Master Liu, what are you saying?" He chuckled. "I did hit him the day before yesterday, and the whole courtyard saw it. But what happened afterward? He paid me eight hundred yuan, which I accepted. I vented my anger and got the money. Why would a sixteen-year-old like me bother to retaliate? That's illegal, and I'm not stupid."

He paused, then said another sentence.

"Besides, if I really wanted to deal with him, I could just take that certificate to the military control commission and file a complaint. He'd be in jail for at least two years. Why would I need to do it myself?"

The two cadres exchanged a glance. One of them made a few notes in his notebook.

"What happened the day before yesterday?"

Another person asked, "What grudge do you have against him?"

He Yuzhu recounted how Yi Zhonghai had embezzled two hundred yuan from He Daqing and the substitute work certificate, and then showed them the certificate from the Baoding Military Control Commission. The two cadres looked displeased after reading it.

"This Yi Zhonghai, he embezzled people's money and even sold their jobs. Didn't anyone in your compound report this to the Military Control Commission? Didn't anyone go to the police station?"

No one spoke. Yan Bugui looked down at the tips of his shoes, and Liu Haizhong also turned his face to the side.

The official asked a few more questions, took notes, and said, "You can settle this matter yourselves for now. But next time, you need to report it, understand? We will investigate the case of Yi Zhonghai being attacked. You may all leave now."

As soon as the military control committee members left the central court, He Yuzhu approached Yan Bugui.

"Teacher Yan, is Yi Juehu dead yet?"

Yan Bugui glanced at him. "He's not dead. He was taken to the hospital. The doctor said it was a severe concussion, his nasal bridge was broken, his brow bone was broken, he only has a few teeth left, and his jawbone was broken. Anyway, he's recovered, but his appearance has changed. Also, his right hand fingers are broken, and it looks like a piece of bone is missing."

He Yuzhu clicked his tongue, looking regretful.

"What a deep grudge! He's much more ruthless than I was. Why didn't you just kill Yi Juehu? How can he face anyone after being beaten like this?"

Yan Bugui didn't reply, glanced at him, and turned back to the front yard.

He Yuzhu stood in the central courtyard, looking at Yan Bugui's back, then at Liu Haizhong.

Liu Haizhong was about to go back to his room when He Yuzhu called him back.

"Master Liu, what you said to the comrades from the Military Control Commission today was quite interesting."

Liu Haizhong paused for a moment, but didn't turn around.

"I'm just telling the truth. You hit someone, and now I can't even say it?"

"Let people talk, let people talk." He Yuzhu smiled. "Master Liu is telling the truth, I hit him. I admit it. But Master Liu, you said I wanted revenge, where did you get that idea? Did you see the word 'revenge' written all over my face?"

Liu Haizhong turned around, his expression not looking good.

"I just said it offhand."

"Just something you said offhand?" He Yuzhu took a step forward. "Your casual remark almost landed me in jail. Do you know that's perjury?"

"How did I commit perjury?" Liu Haizhong's voice rose. "You did hit him!"

"I beat him in the courtyard; the whole courtyard saw it. He was beaten in the alley last night. What does that have to do with me? What makes you think I did it?"

Liu Haizhong opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

He Yuzhu looked at him, smiled, and lowered his voice.

"Fatty Liu, watch your mouth. Don't end up like Yi Juehu, lying in the hospital unable to show your face to anyone."

Liu Haizhong's face turned pale, his lips trembled a few times, and he turned and went back to the backyard.

He Yuzhu also went back into the room and closed the door. He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his mind starting to race.

Liu Haizhong was a good-for-nothing in his past life, following whoever had power. He hasn't even become a powerful figure in this life yet, and he's already talking big.

Tonight, first collect all the money from Liu Haizhong and the old deaf man's house in the backyard.