Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

Yan Bugui's eyes darted around, and he immediately began to distance himself: "Second Uncle, you're wrong. Back then, it was mainly you and First Uncle who spearheaded this matter; I was at most an observer. This fire has nothing to do with me."

"Old Yan! You're talking nonsense! Back when the Lin family's furniture was being divided up, you took a pair of armchairs with you!" Jia Zhangshi cursed, her mouth swollen and her words muffled.

"Alright! Stop arguing!"

The deaf old woman slammed her hand on the table, stopping the argument.

Her cloudy eyes gleamed with malice and calculation as she said in a deep voice, "What's the panic? The sky hasn't fallen yet! No matter how powerful Lin Yang is, he's now back in civilian life. As long as he's in civilian life, he has to abide by local rules."

As if grasping at a straw, Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped forward: "Grandma, what do you mean?"

The deaf old woman snorted coldly: "Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. There are so many people in our courtyard; the law doesn't punish the masses."

Lin Yang has just returned, and his power base is unstable. We can't confront him head-on; we have to be humble and curry favor with him!

"Fawn over?" Liu Haizhong was taken aback. "How do I fawn over them?"

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub!" The deaf old woman looked at Yi Zhonghai. "Zhonghai, tomorrow morning, you'll lead the way to kowtow and apologize to the Lin brothers! Make them spit out everything they swallowed back then, with interest! Not only spit it out, but give them even more!"

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, heartbroken but knowing this was the only way out: "Fine! I'll listen to the old lady!"

The deaf old lady looked at Jia Zhangshi again, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes: "Jia family, you better keep your mouth shut tomorrow."

Starting tomorrow, you will go and do the laundry and cook for the Lin family. You must serve them like a slave until they calm down!

Jia Zhangshi wanted to refuse, but when she thought of that dark gun barrel, she could only nod in humiliation.

"And most importantly," the deaf old woman lowered her voice, a shrewd glint in her eyes.

"I heard that the higher-ups are about to send a new factory leader to our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill."

If someone of Lin Yang's rank were to leave the military, he might very well become a high-ranking official in a steel rolling mill.

Zhonghai and Haizhong, you two are grade eight and grade seven workers in the factory.

And as long as you can help him in the factory and become his right-hand men,

Not only will he not retaliate against you, but we might even rise to prominence along with him!

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's eyes lit up instantly.

That's right! If Lin Yang really goes to the steel rolling mill, then these veteran technical backbones will be the people Lin Yang must rely on!

········

As night deepened, the wind in the courtyard seemed to carry a biting chill.

Yi Zhonghai pushed open his heavy wooden door, stepped unsteadily across the threshold, and slammed the bolt shut behind him.

The secret meeting he'd just had in the deaf old lady's room in the backyard had left him drenched in a cold sweat. Now, with the cold wind blowing, his close-fitting shirt clung uncomfortably to his back.

"Old Yi, what's wrong with you? You look terrible."

An elderly woman was sitting under a kerosene lamp sewing shoe soles. Seeing her husband's distraught appearance, she quickly put down her work, poured him a cup of hot water, and handed it to him.

Yi Zhonghai took the enamel mug, his hands still trembling slightly. He didn't drink the water immediately, but instead let out a heavy sigh and slumped down on the bench.

"The sky has fallen." Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice, his tone revealing deep exhaustion and fear.

The older woman was startled: "What nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean the sky has fallen? Isn't it just that the second son of the Lin family, who ran away, is back? I saw he brought a few soldiers with him; he certainly has a big entourage. But we're just ordinary people. Can his soldiers just arrest people arbitrarily?"

"You know nothing!" Yi Zhonghai growled irritably.

He put down his water glass, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the flickering flame of the kerosene lamp on the table.

"That kid is now a nineteen-year-old deputy division commander! Do you know what that means? He could crush the entire division with a flick of his little finger!"

The old woman gasped, and the thimble in her hand fell to the table with a "clatter".

"Then... what should we do? You and Lao Liu were the ones who spearheaded the deal with Lin Fan's house back then. If this gets investigated..." The old woman was so anxious that tears were about to fall.

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, and the muscles on his gaunt cheeks twitched a few times.

"The old lady just spoke up. Lin Yang has now transferred to a local position, and there's a high chance he'll become a factory-level leader at our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill."

Yi Zhonghai's eyes gradually turned sinister, while also revealing a hint of calculation.

"Once he gets to the steel rolling mill, things will be much easier! What does a soldier like him know about steelmaking? What does he know about machine repair? I, Yi Zhonghai, am an eighth-grade fitter in the factory! You can count the number of people in the entire factory who can do advanced precision work on one hand."

As Yi Zhonghai spoke, he felt more and more confident, and his back gradually straightened.

"That's right! He's new to the factory and knows absolutely nothing. If he wants to get production going and make a name for himself, he has to rely on us veteran technical staff! If I just take the initiative to soften my stance, give him some gifts, and express my loyalty, he won't just leave me alone; he might even consider me a confidant!"

The older woman listened in a daze, and after a long while, she asked, "Then... then what should we send?"

Yi Zhonghai stood up, walked to the camphor wood chest in the inner room, took out a bunch of keys, and unlocked the brass lock on the chest.

He reached into the bottom of the box and pulled out a small cloth bag wrapped in red cloth.

Unwrapping the red cloth revealed an unopened tin box of Daqianmen cigarettes and two cans of Soviet-made malted milk powder.

This was the hard currency that Yi Zhonghai planned to save for the New Year to give to the factory leaders, hoping to win an award for outstanding individual next year.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub!" Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, hugging the things to his chest. "As long as I can keep my status as an eighth-grade worker and my prestige in the institute, what are these little things!"

……

Meanwhile, in Liu Haizhong's house in the backyard, a completely different scene unfolded, with chickens and dogs running rampant.

As soon as Liu Haizhong entered the door, he saw his second son, Liu Guangtian, lying on the table, secretly eating a small piece of fried pork fat left on the plate.

Having already been frightened by Lin Yang, Liu Haizhong, who was harboring a burning anger, suddenly found an outlet for his frustration.

"You little bastard! I'm not even dead yet, and you dare to steal food!"

Liu Haizhong roared, grabbed the broom handle from behind his back, and slammed it down hard on Liu Guangtian's back.

"Ouch! Dad! I won't do it again!" Liu Guangtian was beaten so badly that he ran around on the ground, letting out a pig-like scream.

Auntie Er rushed out from the inner room and grabbed Liu Haizhong: "Old Liu, what's wrong with you! You had a bad day outside, why are you taking it out on the child!"