Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Comrade Li, you don't have any objections to what I said, do you? If you really feel that the child has been mistreated, you are welcome to come to our subdistrict office to report it at any time."

Li Degan snorted twice but didn't say anything—he knew perfectly well that there was no way to refute this.

He Yuzhu continued, "Since you acknowledge this, then I'll make a statement on behalf of Aunt Zhang: You can take the child; but the outstanding child support payments must not be reduced by a single penny."

"Child support?"

"That's right. Children don't grow up on air—rice, flour, oil, salt, clothes, shoes, socks, meat, eggs, milk, fruit, and school fees, which cost more than ten yuan in total. Someone has to cover these expenses."

After saying that, he turned to Deputy Director Zhang and said, "Director Zhang, don't you think so? We used to raise him like our own son, and we were happy to spend whatever it took; now that our uncle has suddenly appeared and wants to take him away, we should make up for the money—we can't let him work for nothing, putting in effort and spending money, can we?"

"Putting everything else aside, just think about it. Raising a child for four whole years—how much worry, how many sleepless nights? Besides one's own parents, who else would be willing to be so open and honest with them?"

Deputy Director Zhang nodded repeatedly, "That's right, Comrade Li Degan, you have to accept this. The orphanage is run by the state, and it doesn't cost anyone a penny; but Comrade Zhang raised the children with real money, using grain coupons, cloth coupons, and real cash. This kindness is heavier than the sky..."

Li Degan's face twitched. Although he was extremely unwilling, he knew in his heart that even if this matter was brought back to the commune, the brigade secretary would slam his fist on the table and scold him—"They raised your child for four years, and you want to take him away empty-handed? You'd be lucky to avoid getting a beating."

"Then... what do you think is appropriate, sir?"

"How will it be calculated? Pay the difference based on the actual cost!"

He Yuzhu was decisive and efficient, quickly picking up a pen and listing it on a piece of paper: "Once the child is registered, they will have an urban grain and oil supply quota—18 catties of coarse grain per month. In three months, they will reach the four-year mark, and the grain alone will amount to..."

"I won't go into the details about the meat; the kids eat a lot of snacks, so it's hard to say exactly what will happen. Besides, Aunt Zhang often saves the meat from her ration for the kids, you might not believe that, so let's leave that aside for now. As for clothes, we get a new set every year, and we even make extra when we have extra. The cloth ration coupons are equivalent to 24 feet of fabric. If you doubt it, just come to my house later and check the cupboards to get your measurements!"

"Let's not even mention the snacks and fruits. Now let's talk about the food—at one cent per pound for coarse grains, that's eighty-nine dollars and one cent; and then there's the tuition, which has already been paid and is non-refundable, so you'll have to cover that too..."

After all that calculation, not only was Li Degan sweating, but even Deputy Director Zhang secretly wiped his brow as he listened.

The grain alone weighed over 800 jin (approximately 400 kg), and although it was coarse grain, coarse grain was very precious these days. In addition, there were over 20 feet of cloth ration coupons and over 100 yuan—even if he, the deputy director of the street office, emptied his pockets, he couldn't scrape together that much!

"Nonsense! How could there be that many?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Degan's face turned pale instantly, his voice suddenly rose, and the veins on his forehead throbbed as he jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on.

He Yuzhu remained calm: "You don't believe me? Bring your commune's accountant here, along with the police officers from the local police station and the comrades from the street office. Let's keep a clear account—we won't embezzle a single penny, nor will we cheat you out of a single cent. You can rest assured about that. If you're still not at ease, bring a few more people you trust, and we'll break it down right here and now..."

Deputy Director Zhang chimed in, "Comrade Li Degan, if you have any doubts about what Comrade He Yuzhu said, you can ask your brigade accountant and the police to verify it together. You won't have to pay a penny more."

Li Degan immediately turned hostile and said, "Why should I pay? I didn't ask her to look after my nephew! I won't pay a single penny!"

How could you say such a thing!

A bystander couldn't help but interject, "They've spent real money raising their child for four years, and you just want to take him away like that? All that money spent on rice, flour, oil, salt, clothes, shoes, medicine, and tuition—it's all gone down the drain! Isn't that just defaulting on a debt?!"

Deputy Director Zhang, now truly enraged, slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, making the teacup jump: "That's the logic! It would be the same in your village, your commune! Why are you taking them away without compensation? Are they just eating, living, and growing for free? Why don't you call your brigade secretary here, and I'll explain it to him face to face!"

This shout was like a bucket of cold water being poured over his head. Li Degan immediately wilted, his lips moved a few times, but he stubbornly remained silent.

Seeing that things were not going well, Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped forward and said, "Director Zhang, we don't want this money..."

"Who do you think you are, and who are you standing up for?!"

An older woman suddenly stood up, her voice clear yet sharp, "Zhiliang was raised by me, fed with my own milk and rice. Did you ever contribute a single penny? Yi Zhonghai, I'm divorcing you!"

"Are you crazy?!"

Yi Zhonghai froze, stunned for half a second, then suddenly flew into a rage, "Zhang Shufen! Dare you say that again?!"

He never expected that this old woman, who had served him for over thirty years and was even afraid of disturbing his sleep by coughing, would actually dare to throw the word "divorce" in his face.

She had grumbled about it before, but he just took it as an angry outburst—in her fifties, without a job or a household registration, how could she survive without him, a level-five fitter?

But right now, he didn't care about appearances anymore. He jumped up, his finger almost poking the old woman's nose: "Zhang Shufen! Try saying that again!"

"Say it ten times, I'll take it!" The middle-aged woman straightened her back, her eyes blazing. "Zhiliang is my son, he didn't benefit from you in the slightest! It's not your place to make decisions for me or give me a free meal!"

This time, she was really going all out. In the past, she wouldn't have dared to talk back, let alone say a harsh word; she had served him faithfully for decades, and even after moving into the courtyard house, she stayed by the side of the deaf old lady day and night without a single complaint. But for Yi Zhiliang, she gritted her teeth and brought out all the grievances she had endured for half her life.

Although this matter disrupted He Yuzhu's original plan, why did Yi Zhonghai insist on playing the bad cop?

"Aunt Zhang, let's talk about the divorce later. Let's focus on the present—we need to sort out the children's issues one by one."

He Yuzhu gently helped her sit down, then turned to Deputy Director Zhang: "Director Zhang, you saw what happened just now. Now, Aunt Zhang and Yi Zhonghai have completely opposite positions. If it can be proven that Yi Zhonghai hasn't paid a single penny to Zhiliang all these years, shouldn't Aunt Zhang have the final say on whether or not to compensate, and how much to compensate?"

"Of course!" Deputy Director Zhang nodded. "It's only natural that whoever pays the money should make the decisions."

He Yuzhu replied decisively: "That's simple—Master Yi's monthly salary is fixed every month, and his family has always had the habit of saving money. Just check his bank account and transaction history from the month the child came into the family to see if his salary has been less than a penny!"

Yi Zhonghai's chest heaved violently, blood rushing to his head. Pointing at He Yuzhu, he cursed, "You little brat, it's you who ruined my family..."

"You old codger, you need a beating, don't you?!"

He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold. Before he could finish speaking, he raised his leg and kicked Yi Zhonghai squarely in the stomach. The old man groaned, rolled backward twice, and crashed heavily into the wall, unable to get up for a long time.

Deputy Director Zhang hurriedly stood up and, along with another staff member, firmly held back He Yuzhu, who was still trying to step forward: "Director He! Calm down! Calm down!"

"Director Zhang, did you hear that? I tried to reason with him politely, and he just spewed nonsense—if we don't teach this kind of person a lesson, will they think we're made of clay?"

"Yes, yes, Director He has been wronged. I will definitely give him a serious reprimand later!"

Deputy Director Zhang persuaded and pulled him back to his seat with great difficulty. Then he had someone help Yi Zhonghai up and handed him a glass of warm water.

He knew perfectly well that he couldn't really do anything to He Yuzhu. Yi Zhonghai had struck first, with his foul language; he knew better than anyone why the previous director and deputy director had been dismissed—He Yuzhu of Nanluoguxiang was not someone anyone could mess with. He held a higher position and had an unfathomable background; even if he didn't give him, the deputy director, face, what could he do? Besides, it was Yi Zhonghai who was in the wrong.

After He Yuzhu sat down, Deputy Director Zhang's face darkened, and he turned to Yi Zhonghai: "Master Yi, if this continues, you should go back. We're here to discuss matters, not to listen to cursing."

Yi Zhonghai lowered his head and eyes, his lips twitched, and a layer of livid hatred rose on his face. He clenched his fists and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "...Yes, Director, I understand."

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic." Deputy Director Zhang's gaze returned to Li Degan. "Comrade Li Degan, do you have any objections to the compensation we just discussed—grain, cloth coupons, and cash? If you want to take your nephew away, you must make up for the real expenses incurred over the past few years. But the subdistrict office also needs to oversee things: non-essential expenses like candy and snacks cannot be claimed; only basic living expenses will be recognized."

Li Degan's face was tense, his cheeks puffing out, but he didn't speak. Of course, he wanted to take Yi Zhiliang away—if he could take him back, he'd get 100 yuan a year in child support for three years, 300 yuan in total, enough to save for six years in the countryside! Not to mention that when the child grew up, he could earn work points and be considered a laborer…

But the compensation was far too high. Even if he only considered the fixed expenses for four years, he simply couldn't afford those hundreds of kilograms of food.

Right now, even if he has money, he can't buy rice or flour. Not to mention, he just counted on his fingers and realized that the amount he's already lost is almost three hundred dollars.

What's the point of adopting at all? Not only is it a waste of money, but you're also taking a city kid back to earn work points? It's a complete waste of time and a recipe for trouble.

"Comrade Li Degan, why don't you go back and think about it first?" Deputy Director Zhang's tone softened. "Comrade Zhang Shufen has relented. As long as you settle the compensation, you can take your nephew away. Later, invite your commune's clerk and accountant over, and we'll go over the accounts in person and try to get both of you to agree."

Seeing that Li Degan remained silent, Deputy Director Zhang added, "Comrade Li Degan, if you have any difficulties, please feel free to speak up."

"...No, really no."

Li Degan's mind was buzzing, as if it were stuffed into a tangled mess. Call the clerk and accountant? If they found out he'd spent so much money just to bring back a city-raised nephew—who was originally living a comfortable life with no worries about food or clothing—they'd probably grab a shovel and smash it over his head on the spot!