Courtyard House: In this life, I have a new home!

Kim Il's gaze fell on Li Weidong's bicycle, which was equipped with an engine.

"Okay, no problem."

Li Weidong nodded, "But I'll add one condition—if I win, you have to slap that troublemaker a few times for me. I don't want dirty hands."

"Sure, sure, that's easy."

Jin Dalian readily agreed, "Even if you lose, we'll still beat that bastard."

Sha Zhu stood to one side, completely dumbfounded. What the hell was going on? No matter the outcome, he was definitely going to get a beating.

"bring it on."

Kim Dae-soothed his starting stance.

Before Li Weidong could finish speaking, a figure darted in front of him, only about 1.5 meters away, which was the perfect distance to make a move.

Without a second thought, Boss Jin delivered a powerful punch followed immediately by a thrusting kick. His kick was incredibly subtle; his heel barely left the ground, as if he were gliding along it, relying entirely on the ball of his foot for power.

Jin Laoda could kick a red brick in half; if he kicked someone's shinbone, it would cause a fracture or even a broken bone.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Li Weidong also threw a punch, and the two fists collided head-on. Boss Jin was forced back four or five steps by the impact, and the kick he was about to deliver was also forced back.

Before he could regain his footing, Li Weidong strode forward and unleashed a fierce attack, slapping Boss Jin across the face six or seven times before leaping back a great distance.

Blood gushed from the corners of Jin's mouth and nose, and his face swelled up instantly, turning bluish-purple.

Li Weidong knew perfectly well that he had given Sha Zhu a severe beating, and these guys wouldn't dare to fool him when they dealt with Sha Zhu later. At that point, nothing Yu Mei and Yi Zhonghai could say would make a difference.

"Boss, are you alright?"

Kim Il quickly helped Kim Il-sung up.

"It's alright, it's alright. Youth has an advantage in fighting. We're old."

Jin tried to justify himself verbally, but he knew in his heart that he was still in peak physical condition, and it wasn't a matter of stamina; he simply couldn't beat his opponent.

"Give the fan back to them."

Boss Jin gave a brief instruction.

After saying that, he glared fiercely at Sha Zhu. This fan was his family heirloom, which he had brought to the banquet today to show off. Now, it had been given to someone else.

Sha Zhu gave a bitter smile; he knew he couldn't escape getting slapped across the face today.

Li Weidong took the folding fan and handed it to Lin Yurou beside him. He Yushui, Yu Haitang, and Yu Li were all standing in the corridor watching the commotion.

Yu Li was extremely nervous when Li Weidong made his move. Only after seeing Li Weidong easily deal with Boss Jin did her worried face relax.

"You can push the car away; we're running low on gas."

Li Weidong said, "Getting oil is not easy."

"It's alright, it's alright, our apprentice can get his hands on these things."

Kim I quickly responded and went to push the cart.

"Come to the steel rolling mill to see me tomorrow at noon. This truck can't be left unregistered."

Li Weidong added.

"Okay, okay, I'll come find you tomorrow at noon."

Kim Il nodded repeatedly.

The Jin brothers weren't really disappointed. Knowing their personalities, they'd do anything to exchange the fan for the car, let alone lose the bet!

They'd wanted a car with an engine for a long time, but they had no way of getting one, and asking Yi Zhonghai was useless. Yi Zhonghai didn't have the skills, and getting one from the factory was out of the question.

All the small engines coming out of the engine workshop were taken away by the higher-ups. There were even people specifically watching over the area, taking away as many as came out.

They must have discovered a use for it elsewhere. Now, bicycles with engines are all called mini-motorcycles.

Jin Da's head was swollen like a pig's head. He and Jin Er clasped their hands in a fist salute to Li Weidong. Then they pushed the cart towards the Central Court. Yi Zhonghai and his gang followed them to the Central Court.

There were still noodles on the table that hadn't been served yet.

Sha Zhu looked worried as he cooked noodles, trying to figure out how to avoid a beating. Running away was definitely out of the question; he could hide today, but not tomorrow.

The noodles are made with a mixture of cornmeal and wheat flour, with cornmeal making up the majority. A little wheat flour was added to help the noodles hold their shape. You simply couldn't make them with just cornmeal.

Kim Il and Kim Dae didn't look for Sha-ju when they came back; they ate quite a bit, soup and noodles alike. Martial arts practitioners really have huge appetites.

After everyone had almost finished eating, Yi Zhonghai gave Yan Bugui a wink. The implication was clear: you can't just eat and drink for free without doing anything.

Yan Bugui then wiped his mouth, stood up, burped, and said, "Everyone, please be quiet for a moment. There's something I've been holding back for a long time, and since everyone's here today, I'll say it."

"Ever since the street officials took us three old men..."

Xu Fugui suddenly stood up and interrupted, "Stop! Yan Bugui, you're wrong. The neighborhood committee canceled three community mediators, not some kind of 'old man'! You, Yan Bugui, want to act like I'm your old man?"

"I'll fucking whip you until you're covered in stars!"

Xu Fugui wasn't invited at all; he came on his own. Yi Zhonghai was seething with anger, but he couldn't just kick him out. Now, seeing that the old man had indeed jumped out to cause trouble, he was furious.

"Okay, okay, there are three mediators!"

Yan Bugui gritted his teeth and said.

Yan Bugui noticed it too; after Xu Fugui pointed out his grammatical error, everyone's gaze towards him changed. Indeed, who wants to have three powerful figures constantly on their side?

"Heh heh, you're just a mediator, aren't you? You think you can ride roughshod over the people and act like a big shot? No way! If you try anything like that again, we'll expose you!"

Xu Fugui said.

Yi Zhonghai's face was as black as the bottom of a pot; he knew the deal was probably going to fall through. All his money had been wasted.

"Everyone must be feeling uneasy these past few days. After all, they're used to having the three of us leading the way."

Yan Bugui ignored Xu Fugui and continued:

"I have a suggestion: everyone should voluntarily accept the leadership of the three of us. That way, the compound can be as orderly as before, and everyone can get along peacefully..."

Old Hu stood up: "Yan Bugui, you're wrong about that. After the neighborhood committee dismissed your mediators, those three mountains weighing on our heads were finally removed, and life couldn't be more comfortable!"

"You, Yan Bugui, are the one who's uneasy! You can't keep standing at the gate sucking everyone's money! Now you want us to invite you back? We're just bored!"

Old Hu's words sparked a lively discussion among the crowd.

"Exactly, Lao Yan, what do you mean?"

"Ha, how much benefit have you reaped by taking advantage of your status as the Third Master? It's time to spit it out, isn't it?"

"Old Yan, don't you know how many vegetables you've stolen from me over the years?"

Yan Bugui's face paled, and he plopped back down on the stool, head bowed low. Return the stuff? What a joke! All the possessions he'd accumulated over the years—he couldn't just return them like that.

Yi Zhonghai gave a wry smile and stood up to smooth things over: "Oh, Lao Yan meant well. If everyone disagrees, then let's just let it go and move on."

He said that, but in his heart he was cursing: "This meal tonight was a complete waste of money."

Xu Fugui jumped to his feet: "Apologize! Yan Bugui, bow to everyone and admit your mistake. Otherwise, I'll go directly to the neighborhood committee and then to your school to have a word with you!"

Yan Bugui's mind went blank. He never expected that Xu Fugui would hold such a grudge after he had just said a few extra words.

Liu Haizhong sat to the side, secretly pleased. Luckily, he hadn't joined in the commotion, otherwise, where would he put his face as the team leader?

"Okay, I apologize!"

Yan Bugui stood up, bowed to everyone, and said, "It's my lack of awareness; I will definitely study harder in the future."

"That's it?"

A man in his thirties stood up and said, "You borrowed almost fifty yuan from me, and you have to pay it back today. Otherwise, I'll go to the neighborhood committee, and if that doesn't work, I'll call the police."

The speaker was Xiao Yang, the most inconspicuous person in the courtyard. Every time he got paid, Yan Bugui would come over and borrow five cents or a dollar at a time, and over the past ten years he had actually saved up so much.

When can I lend you fifty yuan?

Yan Bugui became anxious.

"I remember every single one of them."

Xiao Yang pulled out a small notebook. "You come to borrow money every time you get paid. Over the years, it's been at least fifty yuan. Pay me back, or I'll go to the police station right now."

Xu Fugui grinned sinisterly: "Hey, Lao Yan, this is extortion."

"I……"

Yan Bugui felt a lump in his throat, his face turning red.

Li Weidong happened to be dropping Yu Li and Yu Haitang off here and stopped: "And all those vegetables you stole over the years. If you add it all up from each household, it's quite a lot."

"Making Lao Yan's family pay two yuan is already letting him off easy. If they don't pay, we'll all go to the neighborhood committee to reason with them. We can also go to his school when school starts."

Yan Bugui's vision went black, and he saw stars. He quickly grabbed the table to avoid falling.

"Okay...okay, I'll get my money back after the show."

Yan Bugui's voice was barely audible. He knew in his heart that he had no choice but to repay the money.

Xu Fugui sneered, "You're smart to know what's good for you. What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go home and get the money to compensate us. Do you expect everyone to come to your house to beg?"

Yan Bugui's face was ashen, and his lips trembled for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single word. Xu Fugui's words made sense, and he had no face to refute them.

Every time Xu Damao returned from showing movies in the countryside, the dried goods, mushrooms, and cured meat he brought back were always snatched away by Yan Bugui. When that guy was with Lou Xiao'e, he was very generous and never hesitated to give her anything.

"Hurry up and pay up, or we'll just go to your doorstep and block you."

Old Hu and Old Zhao joined forces to speak up for them.

Xiao Yang didn't mince words, stretching out his hand: "My fifty yuan, not a penny less. I'm waiting for this money to get married."

Yan Bugui hung his head and staggered home to get his money.

Li Weidong escorted Yu Li to the front gate.

"Chief Engineer Li, who lives in this compound?"

Yu Li patted her chest, her face still showing lingering fear.

"Who is it?"

Li Weidong scoffed, "A pack of hungry wolves. They'll fight tooth and nail for the smallest benefit, they can't stand seeing others have a good life. You'll understand once you marry Yan Jiecheng and enter this world—"

"Pah, pah, pah! What nonsense are you talking about!"

Yu Li blushed. "There's absolutely no way we could be together. I was planning to break up with him right away, but he insisted that he had a lot of books hidden at home, some of which were about doing business..."

"Okay, I understand."

Li Weidong nodded.

He knew it perfectly well. In her past life, Yu Li married Yan Jiecheng, most likely because that guy played dirty tricks on her—he coaxed her back and then used some underhanded methods, leaving Yu Li with no choice but to bite the bullet and marry him.

So, it turns out I unintentionally ruined Yan Jiecheng's plans last time. That kid really has some nerve.