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

5

After Lu Zhenxing finished speaking, he glanced at Yi Zhonghai with a contemptuous smile on his lips.

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai froze on the spot.

His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

"What did you say?"

"You want another forty dollars? Didn't I just give you ten dollars?"

"I......"

Yi Zhonghai originally wanted to add that his statement about giving a 50-yuan red envelope was just for show.

It's just for show.

He uses empty words to show off his concern for Lu Zhenxing.

This is a common tactic used by Yi Zhonghai.

Without spending a single penny, the image was established.

He's used this trick for so many years and it's always helped him win.

But this time, they were completely defeated.

Lu Zhenxing wasn't buying it at all.

He climbed straight up the pole and reached out to Yi Zhonghai for the forty yuan he hadn't been given.

You always said you were generous, saying you'd give fifty?

Then give me the forty yuan you owe me.

You won't give it to me?

Then why are you firing those blanks?

Oh.

So, Yi Zhonghai, you're just a person who talks big but doesn't care.

The guests who came to the wedding banquet also started talking amongst themselves.

"Lu Zhenxing is right. How can Yi Zhonghai go back on his word?"

"Could this be a deliberate attempt to put on a show? This is so embarrassing."

"Yi Zhonghai has a loose tongue; it turns out he's really like this. I really misjudged him."

These words pierced Yi Zhonghai's ears like nails, and his face turned deathly pale.

If this continues, we'll lose all face.

Yi Zhonghai's carefully cultivated image as a "good guy" over the years has been completely ruined.

More importantly, with so many people watching, he wouldn't have gotten through this ordeal without paying that forty yuan.

The gossip and pointing fingers around him could bury him alive.

So even if he was extremely unwilling, he had to grit his teeth and pay the money.

Yi Zhonghai was so angry that he almost ground his teeth to powder, his chest felt tight and his whole body was on fire.

With a heavy heart, he stomped his foot, took out forty yuan from his pocket, made it into a fifty-yuan red envelope, and stuffed it into Lu Zhenxing's hand.

Lu Zhenxing took it and grinned.

"Oh my, Uncle Yi is so generous!"

"I knew it; your love and care for me was genuine."

"Uncle Yi, you're so kind to me."

Lu Zhenxing chuckled as he looked at Yi Zhonghai.

He's not short of money at all; he's more well-off than anyone else.

This was clearly a prank on Yi Zhonghai, meant to make him unhappy.

Yi Zhonghai was unhappy, and that made him happy.

Lu Zhenxing expressed his gratitude, saying how kind and caring Uncle Yi had been to him, but every word he uttered was aimed at Yi Zhonghai's heart.

Yi Zhonghai understood, and he was so angry that he was panting heavily, on the verge of fainting.

Lu Zhenxing stuffed the red envelope into his pocket and looked at Yi Zhonghai with a smile, who looked like he was about to die of anger.

Then he raised his hand and shouted to everyone.

"Alright, alright, now we've given red envelopes to Uncle Yi, Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, and the others."

"Let's put this matter behind us. Everyone, eat and drink well."

"Don't waste this table full of good food and wine!"

"Come on, let's dig in! Drink up!"

After saying that, Lu Zhenxing poured himself a glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.

The wedding banquet officially begins only after the bride is escorted into the bridal chamber.

However, because Yi Zhonghai and his group had stirred things up earlier, no one had even touched their chopsticks yet.

The table was laden with large pieces of fish and meat, their aroma filling the air, but no one had a chance to taste them.

Now that Lu Zhenxing has spoken, saying that the matter is over, everyone has stopped focusing on Yi Zhonghai and his group.

It's more important to fill our stomachs first.

Those plates of hearty dishes, glistening with oil, exuded an aroma that wafted straight into our noses, already making our stomachs rumble with hunger.

My mouth is practically watering.

Now I can finally eat my fill.

happy!

"Come on, come on, let's eat! Everyone, let's eat together!"

Northerners are known for their forthright and generous nature, and the scene immediately became lively.

Everyone had a big smile on their face, clearly very satisfied with the food and drinks at Lu Zhenxing's wedding banquet.

These dishes were all prepared under Lu Zhenxing's personal guidance, and their taste was no worse than that of chefs in big hotels.

Everyone was naturally very satisfied with their meal.

On the day of the wedding ceremony, the entire family, young and old, sat at several tables, enjoying the celebratory feast in a lively atmosphere.

Only three people sat in the corner, their faces extremely grim—Yi Zhonghai, Sha Zhu, and Xu Damao.

The three men, their faces flushed with embarrassment, held their wine glasses and tried to squeeze into the crowd. They were hoping no one would mention that embarrassing incident earlier and that they could force their way into the festive atmosphere.

The three men gritted their teeth, thickened their skin, and went from table to table offering toasts.

But among the dozens of people present, not a single one accepted their drink.

As soon as the man saw them approaching with their cups, he immediately turned his head away, started chatting animatedly with the person next to him, and pretended not to see them.

If Yi Zhonghai and his group tried to force their way in, the other person would immediately put on a cold shoulder, purse their lips, and not even bother to pretend anymore. Their disdain was clearly written all over their face.

Everyone refrained from cursing because it was Lu Zhenxing's big day. Otherwise, they would have kicked those three out long ago.

Even so, they still shamelessly linger here.

That's shameless.

Yi Zhonghai and his two companions, each holding a wine glass, walked around the courtyard for a long time.

He didn't drink a drop of wine, nor did he utter a single word.

I was trying to save face, but instead of finding a way out, I ended up falling flat on my face.

The three men stood there, their faces flushed, their eyes wide, stunned.

Sitting was awkward, standing was awkward. They didn't know what to do with their hands, looking like three wooden stakes blown silly by the wind.

Those who ignored them were actually watching them out of the corner of their eyes, waiting to see what would happen.

Seeing the three men's behavior, the old women covered their mouths and laughed so hard they bent over, while also whispering among themselves.

"Look at the pathetic state they are in, it's truly shameful."

"Who says otherwise? That's hilarious."

"Showing up at someone's wedding and making a fool of yourself, ending up in a completely embarrassing situation—is there anything more ridiculous than that?"

"Haha, that's right."

These people were clearly whispering to each other, but their voices were just the right volume to reach the ears of Yi Zhonghai and his two companions.

The sarcastic remarks pierced their ears, and the three men's faces flushed red and then turned pale, as if a dye shop had been opened.

They've never suffered such humiliation in their lives.

In the past, these were all very important figures.

Sha Zhu was the head chef at the canteen of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. With a flick of his spatula, everyone in the kitchen had to watch their step.

Xu Damao was the projectionist at the factory. When showing movies, everyone would offer him a cigarette.

Yi Zhonghai is another story altogether. He's an eighth-grade fitter, and wherever he goes, people bow and scrape before him.

Every one of them is someone of importance and status; everyone who sees them will give them face.

Who would have thought that one day I would be ridiculed and humiliated by a whole courtyard of people?

Feeling helpless and hopeless.

This time, they truly experienced what it means to be utterly ashamed.

579

Only then did the three of them realize that they were the most ridiculous people at this wedding.

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao are alright.

But Yi Zhonghai was a man who valued his reputation above all else.

How could I stand being humiliated in public like that?

He clenched his teeth and slapped his thigh in anger.

"Snapped!"

He turned to Sha Zhu and Xu Damao and yelled, "We three got made fools of! This is infuriating!"

"I, Yi Zhonghai, have been around this area for so many years, everyone treats me with utmost respect. But these people, they show me absolutely no courtesy!"

"The more I think about it, the angrier I get!"

After saying that, he forcefully suppressed his anger.

Clenching his fist, he continued, "Forget it, there will be plenty of opportunities to deal with them later, to show them what I'm capable of!"

"Let's bear with it for now; we need to get down to business."

"Shazhu, Xu Damao, come with me!"

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao also sneered after hearing this.

"These people dare to treat us like this only because they have Lu Zhenxing backing them up!"

"We can't let that kid off easily later!"

"We have to make him kneel down and kowtow to us to admit his mistake!"

The three of them were going all out.

Ignoring what others thought, he strode towards Lu Zhenxing.

"Revitalize it..."

Yi Zhonghai, leading Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, stopped in front of Lu Zhenxing.

Adopting the demeanor of an elder, he said with a kind face, "Zhenxing, today is a joyous occasion for you, and I am truly happy for you!"

"I've watched you grow up, so I'm practically your elder."

Even at a time like this, he still has the nerve to act like an elder.

That's incredibly shameless.

Those around him rolled their eyes at him.

Yi Zhonghai pretended not to see it and continued to smile at Lu Zhenxing: "Zhenxing, come on, let me toast you."

"Come on, let's drink this glass."

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao chimed in, "Lu Zhenxing, we brothers also toast you."

You have to drink this!

"Drink more! You should drink more on such a joyous occasion!"

The smiles on the three faces grew increasingly exaggerated.

Lu Zhenxing looked at them, feeling uneasy.

What tricks are these guys up to now?

Did they really come to toast him?

He'd be a fool to believe that.

Judging from the character of these three people, they definitely have ill intentions.

He wanted to see what these people were up to.

Thinking about it, Lu Zhenxing sneered.

He took the three glasses and drank one after another.

He tilted his head back and drank it all down.

After drinking it, my face didn't even turn red.

It's like drinking plain water.

Yi Zhonghai, Sha Zhu, and Xu Damao all stared wide-eyed.

Lu Zhenxing downed three glasses of wine in one go.

The three of them were overjoyed and slapped their thighs, shouting "Great!"

That's fucking amazing!

The drinks at the wedding weren't very strong—if they were really strong liquor, everyone would be passed out before the food was even touched, which would be so boring.

But it's definitely not low either.

After just three drinks, most people with a low alcohol tolerance would feel dizzy and lightheaded.

That was the idea behind all three of them.

Get Lu Zhenxing drunk and make him look bad in front of everyone.

Seeing that he had downed three glasses in a row, the three of them smiled and raised their bottles again.

"Come on, keep drinking!"

"Zhenxing, we brothers are genuinely happy for you."

"They've given us such a big red envelope; if you don't accept this drink, you're disrespecting us!"

The three men chuckled and pushed one cup after another toward Lu Zhenxing.

Lu Zhenxing knew exactly what was going on.

He can't possibly fall for such a simple trick?

They just wanted to see him get drunk and make a fool of himself.

Coincidentally, he just drew a skill—"Never Get Drunk."