Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

The attention of everyone in the room was immediately drawn to this.

Liu Yuheng paused for a moment, then continued, "Yi Zhonghai failed the political review. He was rejected. I rejected him myself."

A moment of silence fell over the room. Liu Erhe was the first to react, his mouth agape, his voice filled with disbelief and surprise: "He failed the political background check? Yi Zhonghai hasn't done anything wrong, has he? He's worked at the factory for so many years and hasn't even received a disciplinary action. How come he failed the political background check?"

Wang Xiuhe spoke first: "What? You haven't done anything wrong? Have you forgotten what happened during the Spring Festival last year? Yi Zhonghai caused trouble for the Jia family, preventing them from buying workstations. Jia Zhangshi scolded him half the night in front of the whole courtyard. Have you all forgotten?"

Liu Erhe paused, his gaze shifting from Wang Xiuhe's face back to Liu Yuheng, his tone tinged with doubt: "Brother, this can't be true, can it? Jia Zhangshi did make a scene back then, but I always thought she was just accusing people in a fit of anger, without any real evidence. Yi Zhonghai may be stingy and calculating, but if he really did something like this, it's just too much..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already quite clear.

Liu Yuheng gave a wry smile. He leaned back on the sofa, thought for a moment, and decided that telling his family about it wouldn't be a big deal: "It's true. The Ministry of Internal Affairs found out during their background check. They talked to several workers who had expressed interest in selling their workstations, and also interviewed several people with inside information to corroborate their stories, getting to the bottom of everything."

"Yi Zhonghai did indeed use some underhanded tactics. He found a street hustler to deliver messages to several people selling workstations, saying they could sell to anyone except the Jia family, otherwise someone would report them. Those people were scared and dared not sell. The investigation report is still locked in my office cabinet, with everything written clearly in black and white."

After hearing this, Liu Shuanzhu put the enamel mug on the table and sighed deeply. "I've lived in the same courtyard as Yi Zhonghai for several years. He usually seems very proper, always acting like a big shot. Who would have thought he'd do something like this behind the scenes? To control the Jia family and to secure his retirement, he's resorted to such despicable tactics. Jia Dongxu is pitiful; he's been suppressed by this master for so many years."

Liu Erhe nodded beside him, his expression slowly shifting from surprise to a complex mix of emotions. He had also had his doubts when he heard about Jia Zhangshi's outburst before, and had discussed it privately with Liu Shuanzhu. At the time, he thought that Jia Zhangshi might have wronged Yi Zhonghai.

Hearing Liu Yuheng's honest statement now, the mixed feelings of "I knew it" and "It really is like that" left him speechless for a moment.

After Liu Yuheng and the other man digested the information for a while, Liu Yuheng waved his hand and said, "Alright, don't tell anyone about this. You both know Yi Zhonghai; his reputation is the most important thing to him. If you expose this, he'll lose face, and who knows what he might do. Although with me here, nothing serious is likely to happen, if he's determined to be malicious, it'll be enough to annoy you for a while. There's no need for that."

Liu Shuanzhu and Liu Erhe nodded at the same time, and Wang Xiuhe also picked up the rag again and said, "I know, I won't tell anyone."

Liu Yuheng then turned his gaze to Liu Erhe and Liang Fangfang, his tone becoming more serious than before: "Erhe, Fangfang, there's one more thing. Please take good care of Aunt Liang during this time. She's home alone, and Uncle Liang isn't here, so she must be feeling uneasy. Also, you could try to find out if you can move Aunt Liang to one of the larger courtyards near No. 95. That way, it'll be closer, and you can get there in just a few steps if anything happens, which is much better than being separated by half a city. If you encounter anything you can't handle, come and tell me immediately."

Mrs. Liang had been listening quietly the whole time. When she heard this, she quickly waved her hand and said, "No need, no need. The two places aren't that far apart. Old Liang left his bicycle behind before he left. I've been learning to ride a bike these past few days, and I'm almost there. I can get there in no time. You two go about your business, don't worry about me."

Liu Yuheng glanced at her, and seeing her resolute attitude, he didn't press the matter further. He nodded and said, "Alright, take good care of yourself. Come over if anything happens, don't try to handle it all alone."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Liu Tingting, who was leaning against the armrest of the sofa, his tone carrying a mixture of older brotherly concern and helplessness: "Tingting, what brings you here? Isn't the college entrance exam just a month away? Why aren't you at school studying properly? What are you doing back here?"

Liu Tingting, who had been quietly listening to the adults talk from the sofa, was suddenly called on. She immediately pouted, her tone carrying a sense of injustice: "It's the weekend! Can't I go home and visit? I study every day at school, my head is spinning, what's wrong with coming home to rest for a day?"

Looking at her self-righteous demeanor, Liu Yuheng shook his head and didn't offer any further explanation. He simply softened his tone and said, "Study hard. Even last-minute cramming can be effective. What if you pass? A college graduate will be a cadre, sitting in an office, sheltered from the wind and rain—much better than working in a factory."

Liu Tingting pursed her lips and didn't reply, but she didn't roll her eyes like she used to. She just lowered her head, reopened her textbook, and mumbled, "I'll try my best."

Liu Yuheng glanced at her but said nothing more. Wang Xiuhe and Liang's mother had already rolled up their sleeves and gone into the kitchen. The pot on the stove was boiling water, the sound of chopping vegetables echoed, and the aroma of food began to waft out of the kitchen.

Liang Fangfang handed Liu Qingyan to Liu Erhe beside her and got up to go inside to help. Yao Qingwan carried Liu Zhiyuan, who had just woken up, down from upstairs, put him on the carpet, and then turned and went into the kitchen.

The living room suddenly felt much emptier.

Liu Yuheng picked up his water glass and took a sip. Liu Shuanzhu leaned over from the chair next to him, lowered his voice, and asked, "Yuheng, tell me the truth, is it going to be a long time before Lao Liang comes back?"

Liu Yuheng paused, his hand holding the cup still. He glanced at Liu Shuanzhu, thought for a few seconds, then nodded, his voice low: "Yes. At the shortest, three to five years; at the longest, it's hard to say. The exact timeframe isn't something any one person can determine; it depends on the project's progress."

Liu Shuanzhu nodded, his lips moved as if he wanted to ask something more, but Liu Yuheng raised his hand and waved it at him: "Dad, don't ask any more questions. I won't tell you even if you do. Some things are better left unsaid.

Liu Shuanzhu opened his mouth, then swallowed the words that were about to come out. In the end, he just nodded heavily, picked up his enamel mug, took a sip, and didn't say anything more.