Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"No way! That old bastard needs a good beating! It's fine if he doesn't go to the steel mill—he'll have to go home sooner or later. He can't escape this beating forever!"

He Yuzhu refused decisively, but in the end he still sat back down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

It would be too conspicuous to actually storm the factory and take action. The leaders have just defined Yi Zhonghai's character and fined him; if you were to add insult to injury, wouldn't that be slapping the organization in the face? Besides, it's a large state-owned factory; who cares whether you're in the right or not? If something goes wrong, the blame will definitely fall on He Yuzhu.

He knew in his heart: there was no need to rush. Once Yi Zhonghai stepped into the courtyard house, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with him.

"You just said... what's wrong with the old lady?"

Lou Xiao'e sighed softly, "Yi Zhonghai is simply inhuman! To drive her away, he even cut off the odd jobs she got at the neighborhood office, like pasting cardboard boxes and sewing shoe soles. I'm thinking, maybe we should just divorce her and let her live with her head held high from now on..."

"Why get a divorce? It's not worth it! Wouldn't that be letting him off easy? They've had no feelings for each other for a long time, but they can still make do and at least maintain appearances. If she brings it up herself, the neighbors will gossip and spread all sorts of rumors about her—a woman in her thirties without children, who would believe it's Yi Zhonghai's problem? At her age, it's hard to even find out the truth; make him get a medical checkup? Humph, would he dare?"

He Yuzhu shook his head, his tone turning somber. He had initially helped the older woman adopt a child precisely so that Yi Zhonghai would suffer a miserable old age and be abandoned by everyone. Now, he still had skills and savings. If they divorced, how much would the older woman get? Instead, she might be smeared with dirty water, branded as "infertile," and forever haunted.

"Why not find a real way for this old lady to make a living? As long as she and Yi Zhiliang are still registered in the Yi family's household register, not a single penny of the money that Yi Zhonghai has saved up over the years will end up in the Jia family's hands—it will all belong to Zhiliang in the future."

He paused, then turned to Lou Xiao'e: "You help the old lady keep things stable at the neighborhood office for now, and leave the rest to me."

"Okay, whatever you say!" Lou Xiao'e nodded, her brows relaxing considerably. With He Yuzhu back, the family had a pillar of support, and she no longer had to worry about things, feeling much more at ease.

Then, he took out the gifts he had brought back from Northeast China from his bundle. Lou Xiao'e's eyes lit up when she saw the shiny, undamaged tiger skin. She held it in her hands and examined it over and over. Finally, she decided to cut off the thick, fluffy fur from the tiger's head and sew a real tiger-head hat for He Xiao.

Nowadays, children wear tiger-head hats for good luck, symbolizing a strong and healthy child. However, most of the ones worn by others are imitations made of cloth with embroidery. Lou Xiao'e insisted on making him a genuine tiger-head hat—with upright tiger ears, upturned tiger whiskers, and even the whiskers were made by inserting each fine and soft tiger whisker.

She also liked the other items: the mink coat she gave to He Yushui, she carefully folded and put away at the bottom of the camphor wood chest, intending to turn it into a simple scarf—unassuming, something to wear warmly and comfortably at home.

As darkness fell, factory workers gradually entered the alley after finishing their shifts.

Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu also returned together, walking slowly. He would occasionally cough in a mock manner and lean on Qin Huairu's arm for support, looking just like an old man and a young woman.

But as soon as he approached the courtyard, his fatigue immediately subsided.

Just as he stepped into the courtyard, he bumped into Yan Bugui. The latter lowered his voice and leaned closer: "Old Yi, Sha Zhu's back! I bet if you'd known you were going back to the city today, you'd better be careful..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yi Zhonghai froze abruptly—a tall figure stood beneath the archway leading from the front yard to the middle yard, his gaze sharp as a knife, fixed directly on Yi Zhonghai's face.

"Old dog Yi, we've finally waited for you!"

Yi Zhonghai's heart tightened, and cold sweat instantly covered the back of his neck.

He Yuzhu approached step by step, each step feeling like a blow to his heart. He forced himself to stand straight and roared, "He Yuzhu! What do you want?!"

Before the words were even finished, He Yuzhu had already darted forward, his five fingers like pincers, gripping the back of Yi Zhonghai's neck tightly, lifting him off the ground, and dragging him like a dead dog, straight to the front of his own house in the central courtyard, where he kicked him in the chest with a "bang"—Yi Zhonghai was sent flying into the air and crashed into the door panel, then slammed heavily to the ground.

"Ouch--!!!"

He curled up and screamed in agony, blood gushing from his throat.

"You old beast! Taking advantage of my absence to attack my family? How many lives do you have that can withstand such abuse? If I don't tear your bones to pieces today, I, He Yuzhu, will have lived these past thirty years in vain!"

Before he could finish speaking, He Yuzhu grabbed the jujube wood cane that was leaning against the wall and slapped it down hard.

"Crack! Crack!" The blows from the cane were fiercer than the last: "You old mad dog, you only bite when your master turns around! Do you know what this fighting style is called? The Dog-Beating Stick Technique! It's specially designed to deal with old dogs like you who don't know their own mortality!"

With that kick, He Yuzhu put all his strength into it, aiming straight for Yi Zhonghai's kidney acupoint. Yi Zhonghai's kidney energy was instantly shattered, and for the next ten or eight years, he suffered from lower back and knee pain, frequent urination at night, and a gradual decline in his vitality—he could have lived to seventy or eighty years old before, but this time, he would be lucky to survive past sixty.

Once his health deteriorates, He Yuzhu will secretly help the old lady recover, ensuring she remains healthy and strong, living longer, more energetic, and more dignified than Yi Zhonghai—while never having to serve him.

Don't you love being the head of the household? Don't you love bossing people around and controlling their old age? Fine, He Yuzhu will make sure you spend your later years alone, with no one to care for you, no one to bring you water when you're sick, and no one to collect your body when you die.

The commotion in the Yi family's courtyard instantly alerted the entire alley. Qin Huairu, who had returned with Yi Zhonghai, was the first to be stunned. After regaining her senses, she ran to the backyard and headed straight for Liu Haizhong's house.

Although Liu Haizhong is no longer the second uncle, the Liu family has many members and high seniority, so they can always stop him.

Sure enough, within two minutes, Liu Haizhong was dragged over, followed by an older woman and Lou Xiao'e. The three of them stood at the door of the Yi family's house. Upon seeing the situation inside, Lou Xiao'e's expression changed drastically. She rushed forward and tightly gripped He Yuzhu's raised wrist.

Before she left, he patted his chest and promised that he would never act impulsively or cause trouble. But when she went out and bought a few packs of braised pork hock and half a smoked chicken, she turned around and found the door frame of the Yi family's house crooked, the window paper torn, and Yi Zhonghai lying on the ground groaning like a mangy dog ​​that had been skinned.

Lou Xiao'e rushed forward, grabbed He Yuzhu's arm and pulled him back sharply, pinning him to the spot and stopping the brutal beating.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai was lying on the ground, his body covered in bruises, his clothes torn, his mouth split open, three front teeth rolled into the cracks of the blue bricks, and his eyes were so swollen that they were only slits, like two swollen walnuts. He didn't even have the strength to support himself.

The room was a complete mess—the eight-immortal table had a broken leg, the grand master chair was in disarray, shards of porcelain bowls were embedded in the wooden floor, and even the window frame had a slanted cut.

As Lou Xiao'e half-dragged and half-pulled He Yuzhu away, he still turned his head and spat, "You old fox, if you dare to touch a single hair on my family's head again, I'll send you to the morgue!"

"He Yuzhu! Are you crazy?! Even if you're the logistics director, you can't just beat someone to death in broad daylight!"

Liu Haizhong rushed into the courtyard and saw Yi Zhonghai's miserable state. His voice suddenly rose, causing dust to fall from the eaves.

"Guangtian! Guangfu! Quickly go and call the security department!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu turned and ran, their legs moving faster than rabbits—who didn't know that going up at this moment would be like throwing eggs against a rock? He Yuzhu was in a fit of rage, and they didn't have that kind of backbone.

"Stop...exhaustion...must go...Baoweike..."

Yi Zhonghai covered his bloodied mouth and managed to squeeze out a few words indistinctly. His gums were swollen and bulging, and he couldn't even control his tongue, so his words were all a jumbled mess.

Liu Haizhong understood immediately and grabbed his shoulder, saying, "Old Yi, stop talking! This matter can't be covered up by our compound anymore; it has to be handed over to the security department! Look at your face; you're almost unrecognizable!"

idiot!

Yi Zhonghai cursed inwardly through gritted teeth—he wasn't trying to suppress it at all! He clearly knew He Yuzhu was the logistics director of the steel rolling mill, so what use was going to the factory's security department? He should have reported it to the police immediately! But the Liu brothers had long since disappeared, and his mouth was in excruciating pain whenever he opened it, so he simply closed his eyes and pretended to be mute.

An older woman stood a few steps away, staring at her husband's distorted face. Decades of affection between them had not stirred up a trace of anger in her; her heart felt empty and as still as a dry well.

She had just lifted her foot to help him up when Qin Huairu stepped forward, supporting his shoulder with one hand and his waist with the other, steadily helping Yi Zhonghai to the only intact rattan chair.

"snort!"

He Yuzhu snorted coldly, not taking the Liu brothers' call for help seriously at all. He turned to Lou Xiao'e and whispered, "Take the child back first. I'll eat later. It's fine."

He was doing confidential work outside, which was unknown to outsiders, but several senior leaders in the Ministry of Industry knew it very well.

Even if Liu Haizhong were to bring in the police, it would only take one phone call—they could just walk out.

The courtyard fell silent instantly. Only He Yuzhu whispered instructions to Lou Xiao'e at his own door. The others looked at the mess in the Yi family's house and couldn't help but gasp.

Previously, everyone was just guessing why Yi Zhonghai was suddenly dismissed from his post. But now that they heard He Yuzhu say, "The director and deputy director of the Nanluoguxiang Subdistrict Office colluded to frame my wife," everyone suddenly understood: the root cause of his dismissal and punishment a few days ago was right here!

Before long, Liu Guangtian led the security personnel into the courtyard.

He Yuzhu looked up and saw that it was an acquaintance—Captain Wang. Last time, when his cousin held a birthday banquet, it was He Yuzhu who made the connection, allowing his senior apprentice to bring his apprentice to cook.

Captain Wang glanced around at the mess and walked straight up to He Yuzhu: "Director He, you just got back? I heard this matter is related to you?"

"Captain Wang, I'm so sorry to have caused you trouble." He Yuzhu nodded frankly. "I started it. I just got home this afternoon and heard my family tell me what's been going on these past few days—that old dog Yi Zhonghai, he's been colluding with two bosses from the Nanluoguxiang Subdistrict Office to plot against my wife..."

He spoke at a measured pace, explaining the cause and effect clearly without omitting a single detail.