Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Director Wang, that's too harsh!" The deaf old lady suddenly spoke up, her voice clear and bright, showing no signs of hearing loss. "You know what kind of person Zhonghai is."

He works diligently at the factory and is always at the forefront of everything, big or small, in the yard.

This was just a slip of the tongue; I wasn't thinking straight. I had absolutely no ulterior motives!

She spoke sincerely, standing there with her white hair. Director Wang, considering her age of over seventy and status as a recipient of the Five Guarantees, did not immediately refute her. He listened with a stern face until the end before slowly saying, "I know he wouldn't dare to actually do it, but once this kind of idea emerges, it must be nipped in the bud! A slippery mind is more dangerous than making a mistake."

"Yes, yes, yes!" The deaf old lady nodded hurriedly. "He was wrong, terribly wrong! Director Wang, please punish him however you deem appropriate, so he'll remember it and never dare to do it again!"

Yi Zhonghai quickly knelt down and said, "I'm sorry! Director Wang! Fellow neighbors! I said things I shouldn't have, and I've caused trouble for the organization! Please give me a chance to correct my mistakes!"

He admitted his mistake readily and decisively, his head banging louder than a drumbeat—all thanks to the deaf old lady's prior instruction: when facing Director Wang, one must not argue with a single word, nor resist with a single glance.

Seeing his upright attitude, Director Wang's expression softened slightly. He looked around at everyone and said loudly, "To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue."

I'm here today to sound this alarm! You can raise your difficulties, you can report your problems, the neighborhood committee won't ignore them! We're already coordinating with several factories in the city to arrange temporary jobs for you!

He paused, his piercing gaze sweeping across the room: "But there is one ironclad rule—no crooked paths, and absolutely no backdoors! The new society values ​​fairness and justice; anyone who dares to entertain such thoughts is going against the people!"

After saying that, he patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder, his tone suddenly warming: "Comrade He Yuzhu, well done! If you had also gotten involved in networking and pulling strings, you would have been the one punished! Want to get into the steel rolling mill? Sure! Go to the street office and register! We have recommendation slots, and we'll issue letters of introduction for those who meet the requirements, but the prerequisite is—you yourself have to be competent! If you don't have the ability, connections won't help!"

After he finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent.

Yi Zhonghai didn't dare to lift his head, while Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were so embarrassed that their faces turned bright red, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

Yan Bugui, in particular, escaped death last time, but this time he finally couldn't avoid it.

"Alright," Director Wang said, flicking his sleeve. "That's enough for today."

It's getting dark, let's call it a day.

As for you—" His gaze fell on Yi Zhonghai, "You're relieved of your position as an old man."

"A three-thousand-word in-depth self-reflection must be submitted to the subdistrict office by the evening of the day after tomorrow; not a single word can be missing."

These words struck like a bolt from the blue. Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled as he tried to argue, "Director Wang, I... I will reflect on my actions, but this position... I've held it for so many years..."

"No need to say anything more." Director Wang waved his hand decisively. "First, figure out where you went wrong, then we can talk about other things."

The deaf old lady wanted to say a few more kind words: "Little Wang, although Zhonghai misspoke this time, he is usually reliable and was just thinking of helping the poor families in the courtyard..."

"Madam," Director Wang's tone softened slightly, but it still left no room for argument, "It's precisely because he has always performed well that I've left him room to maneuver."

Anyone else would have to spend three days writing a self-criticism at the neighborhood committee office right now!

He turned to look at the other two, his eyes turning cold again: "You two—Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong—don't think you're safe."

Submit a 1000-word self-reflection the day after tomorrow! Remember your place! You are responsible leaders serving everyone, not cunning old foxes engaging in underhanded tactics! If I hear any more rumors, you're fired immediately!

"Yes, yes, yes! Director Wang, we will definitely change!" The two nodded repeatedly, nodding like they were pounding garlic.

As the sun set, the courtyard returned to tranquility, but a somber atmosphere still lingered in the air.

The wind blew through the locust trees, and the leaves rustled, as if they too were whispering about the aftermath of the storm.

Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong hurriedly nodded and bowed, their faces burning as if they had been slapped twice in public.

In front of everyone in the courtyard, they were scolded by Director Wang like two grandsons; they had lost all face.

But they were helpless.

Not to mention that Director Wang is a powerful figure in the subdistrict office, just her age alone is enough for her to sit comfortably on the "big sister" throne of a room full of people.

To provoke her? That's just asking for trouble.

"Alright, that's all for today. The rest is up to you!"

Director Wang waved her hand, and seeing that no one dared to say a word, she nodded to He Yuzhu, jumped onto her bicycle, pedaled away quickly, and rushed back to the subdistrict office—there was still a bunch of messy things waiting for her to deal with there.

The tense atmosphere in the courtyard gradually eased after she left.

The people in Zhongyuan looked at each other and scattered like birds and beasts, still savoring the scene they had just witnessed: the three old men had all been humiliated, and the eldest old man had even had his "manager" title stripped off. It was more exciting than watching a play!

Yi Zhonghai stood there, his face so dark it could drip water.

He stared intently at He Yuzhu, as if he wanted to bore two holes through him.

If it weren't for this kid causing trouble, how could a grown man like him have suffered such a huge setback? The hunter of the geese got pecked blind by the geese himself; he's truly lost face today!

"Zhonghai, help me back to my room."

The deaf old lady spoke softly.

Despite his burning anger, Yi Zhonghai could only suppress it, grit his teeth, and help the old man up, moving step by step toward the backyard.

The others also wisely went home, and no one dared to stay any longer.

Tonight's commotion is enough to keep the whole courtyard gossiping for half a month.

The three old men were scolded in public. Jia Zhangshi, a woman whose mouth was sharper than a knife, didn't even dare to leave the house. She was used to being domineering in the courtyard, but when she encountered a tough character like Director Wang, she immediately shrank into a quail.

If you really piss someone off, a single sentence can send her to a study session for ten days or half a month, without even a chance to defend herself.

He Yuzhu glanced at Yi Zhonghai's gloomy gaze before he left, but a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Fear? That's the last thing he's afraid of right now.

Having lived a second life, he was well aware of Yi Zhonghai's tricks of "moral blackmail + public pressure".

He incites his neighbors with his words, pretends to be kind and virtuous, and appears to be a respectable person, but in reality, he is a scheming cunning man hiding among the crowd.

But so what?

He Yuzhu now possesses genuine skills and extensive connections; even the factory leaders are willing to treat him like a brother.

And what about Yi Zhonghai? At most, he can only band together with minor figures like Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui for warmth and play petty tricks.

As for whether he will be isolated by the three old men?

Ha, He Yuzhu couldn't be happier that they isolated him.

He's so busy right now that he's constantly on the go. If these people really avoid him, it would save him a lot of trouble and effort, and he couldn't be happier.

Besides, Yushui was getting older and stopped hanging out with that group after starting middle school, so he wasn't affected at all.

As soon as Director Wang left, the courtyard quickly returned to silence.

But He Yuzhu didn't sit idle. He turned around and went into the kitchen, lit a fire, rinsed the pot, and cooked a pot of cornmeal porridge.

I don't have time to knead the dough and steam the buns today, so I'll just have to make do with this.

Served with homemade pickled vegetables, the father and daughter ate the hot and delicious meal without feeling wronged at all.

But other companies don't have it so easy.

Liu Haizhong was furious when he got home, and he smashed bowls and chopsticks.

He wanted to hit the children to vent his anger, but his eldest son, Liu Guangqi, was the apple of his eye and he couldn't bear to touch him, while his second son, Liu Guangtian, was too young. In the end, he could only raise his hand and slap his own thigh hard—the sound of which was terrifyingly loud.

The Yan family was shrouded in gloom.

The whole family huddled together in the room, sitting silently, no one saying a word.

The air felt heavy, like it was filled with lead.

Yan Jiecheng and the three women kept their heads down, their eyes darting around, avoiding eye contact.

Yan Bugui looked regretful, cursing himself for being blinded by greed.

Instead of getting a job, he lost face in front of the entire hospital, and his relationship with He Yuzhu completely collapsed. He won't even be able to get a hot meal from now on.

After all the calculations, I've ended up getting myself into a trap.

"you……"

Yan Bugui finally couldn't hold back his anger, but he swallowed the words back down his throat.

After all, it was his decision that was made, so who's to blame?

He sighed deeply, his resentment finding no outlet.

Seeing this, Yan Jiecheng quickly advised, "Dad, what's there to be afraid of? You're still my third uncle, no matter what. Just stop associating with Sha Zhu, it won't hurt you."

He was genuinely afraid that his father would hold him responsible for this.

It's getting harder and harder to find odd jobs these days, so where can I find any extra income for my dad to skim off?

"How could I have given birth to such a blind son like you!" Yan Bugui was even angrier upon hearing this, slamming his fist on the table. "You didn't inherit a single bit of my shrewdness, and you keep calling me 'Silly Zhu, Silly Zhu' all day long! He's now a second-level cook and deputy director of the canteen, with skills and connections! And you? What good is a high school diploma? You don't even have a decent job!"

These words pierced Yan Jiecheng's heart like a needle.

Of course he was not convinced.

A few years ago, He Yuzhu was a good-for-nothing who was called "Silly Zhu" by everyone, even his father led the way in calling him that.

How come in the blink of an eye, this guy is doing so well, leaving him far behind?

Jealousy clung to his heart like a poisonous vine.

So over the years, he has been gossiping behind Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao's backs, belittling He Yuzhu.

But later, Xu Damao tasted the benefits, saw the situation clearly, and with his father Xu Fugui being quick-witted, he told his son early on not to cause trouble, and gradually he distanced himself from them.

Only he and Jia Dongxu remained, spinning in circles, watching helplessly as He Yuzhu climbed higher and higher, their hearts burning with anxiety yet utterly powerless.

"You're saying I'm wrong?" Yan Jiecheng retorted, his neck stiff. "But you were the one who made the final decision! If you hadn't kept nodding in agreement, would I have gotten involved? Don't you realize that?"

"If you hadn't kept urging me, would I have agreed?" Yan Bugui retorted.

"So you finally agreed!" Yan Jiecheng roared back, his face flushed red.

He was determined not to back down—the damage had already been done, and trying to squeeze it back from him? No way! Earning money was harder than climbing to heaven for him these days, and he absolutely couldn't let his shrewd father take another bite out of him!