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

2

The strokes suddenly twisted, as if they came to life.

In the blink of an eye, she transformed into "Wei Shuhua".

Three words.

He felt a sweet taste in his throat, and blood splattered onto the baby's face.

His entire face was covered in smears, making his features unrecognizable; only blood was flowing down.

"Old Liu!"

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he shuddered.

Yi Zhonghai and his men rushed forward and restrained the swaying Second Uncle.

The rag doll was just lying naked on the table.

His body was covered in needles, and blood splattered everywhere; it was a horrifying sight.

Two names were crookedly written on the back of the doll—

Uncle Er! With bangs in the middle!

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, and the hairs on their necks stood on end.

"What does this thing mean?!"

Yan Bugui's fingers trembled.

His jaw was chattering, and he couldn't utter a single word.

"Old Liu, oh Old Liu!"

Yi Zhonghai's face flushed red. "A couple arguing to the point of killing each other? Is it really worth resorting to this?!"

"You've committed a terrible sin!"

"Even if the police don't arrest you, God won't let you off the hook!"

Guangtian and Guangfu exchanged a glance and immediately jumped out to point their fingers and berate him.

"So that's what you've been doing all day hiding in your room!"

"You cursed Mom to death!"

"Are you even human?!"

"My mom has been sweeping and cooking for thirty years; her back is bent like a shrimp!"

"If we hadn't split up the family, I'd probably be next!!"

"You still have the nerve to breathe?!"

"I didn't..."

"Really not..."

Liu Haizhong's vision went black and his ears were ringing.

Spit was flying all around me, raining down on me.

He wanted to shout, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

The baby was right there, and Wei Shuhua's three words were clear as day.

How could I possibly curse my own wife?!

No matter how outrageous my son is, I've never even considered it...

"I wanted to..."

Before he could finish speaking, his legs gave way and he collapsed.

It felt like a string in my head snapped.

Everything went black, and I knew nothing more.

Liu Haizhong's chubby body tilted to the side, and he fell backward and crashed to the ground.

"Thump" on the back of my head

A muffled thud.

The cursing stopped abruptly, and a group of people hurriedly lifted him onto a stretcher.

They were delivered quickly, and their lives were saved.

But the blood was blocked in his brain, and the right side of his body was completely stiff, leaving him paralyzed in bed and unable to move.

Even if I can use crutches in the future, I'll only be able to take a few steps and pant heavily.

The most heartbreaking thing is yet to come—who will take care of him?

Aunt Er is still here? That makes things easier.

Now the person is gone, leaving only two sons.

Yi Zhonghai talked himself hoarse, while Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu just rolled their eyes.

"take care of?"

"No way!"

"We separated a long time ago!"

"You speak so casually, like a piece of paper being blown by the wind."

Yi Zhonghai slammed his fist on the table in anger and invoked the power of the neighborhood committee to intimidate people.

"You won't support your parents in old age? See you in court!"

After saying this, the two exchanged a glance and nodded through gritted teeth.

I agreed, but that's all.

But who will keep watch? Who will change the diapers? Who will feed them water in the middle of the night?

Even a fool would know that this is pushing someone into a fire pit.

Old Liu is even weaker than Yi Zhonghai; he probably won't make it through the winter.

She was so angry with her own son that she died!

The people in the courtyard shook their heads behind his back.

"That's inhuman!"

"Raising two puppies is not as good as raising a dog!"

"Hey, I heard he secretly burned a rag doll to curse his wife the other day?"

"Who knows... that doll might have been stuffed in by the two sons!"

"What? You're really doing this?"

"Sigh, the Liu family has fallen apart."

"As soon as the old man breathes his last, the two brothers will definitely grab their weapons!"

"This is complete chaos!"

"He even tried to take the old man's seat last month!"

"It's only been a few days?"

"You can never really predict people."

Retribution comes swiftly, never choosing its own time.

Wang Aiguo didn't hear the noise outside at all.

He squatted under the eaves, supporting his son under his armpits with both hands.

Seven-month-old Wang Chenxi pushed off the ground with her little feet, dragging and shuffling, and actually took two wobbly steps.

"patriotic!"

Yi Hongmei's eyes lit up: "Our Chenxi is amazing! She can tiptoe at seven months old? Yueyue was only a year old when she was just wobbling around!"

Wang Aiguo grinned: "Boys have strong bones and grow fast."

That's not the case at all.

While the baby was in my belly, the milk the little one drank and the air it inhaled were all secretly changed by the system!

They provide plenty of nutrition, like feeding a gold nugget.

How could Yueyue, who grew up eating cornbread, compare to her?

"Patriotism..."

Yi Hongmei gripped the hem of her apron, her voice softening, "Do we really have to move to Hong Kong? That 123... can't we postpone it for a couple of years?"

"We have to go."

He nodded, his voice deep and heavy, like a brick pressing down on it, "I'll be back sooner or later."

The wind direction is wrong here; it doesn't feel safe to live here.

She paused, her heart tightening.

I can't bear to leave this courtyard, the warm teacup in the workshop, or the half-piece of candy my coworker handed me.

But the man's jaw was clenched so tightly that she swallowed all her words.

Being together as a family is the warmest thing ever.

Wang Aiguo had already paved the way.

It is permitted to leave this year.

Next year? The streets will be in chaos, and you might not even be able to get a boat ticket.

Around that time, a few cunning old men in the courtyard were flapping their wings and rising to power—especially the shameless ones, who made a fortune.

The recent troubles at the factory are just the beginning.

When the wind picks up, those people will definitely bare their teeth at him!

He's not afraid of being bitten; what he's afraid of is being accused of something serious after he bites him.

Therefore, fleeing is the best course of action.

They started making arrangements secretly a year ago.

He pulled strings, went through the formalities, and bribed officials—he did everything he could.

Unexpectedly, instead of the favorable winds, Yi Zhonghai acted erratically again...

Yi Hongmei hurried to the factory in the morning light.

She muttered to herself, "This man spoils me rotten!"

The corners of her mouth turned up on their own, she couldn't stop it.

Of the hundreds of female workers in the factory, which husband lets his wife stay in confinement for a full year?

She's not made of glass, you can't touch her!

If she hadn't insisted by banging on the table, Wang Aiguo would have wanted to treat her like a goddess at home.

Chenxi is almost one year old!

"Good morning, Sister Liu! Good morning, Sister Song! Sister Zhang looks radiant today! Master, have you had breakfast yet?"

At the workshop entrance, she greeted everyone in a clear, cheerful voice.

It's been over 300 days since I last touched a lathe.

Wang Aiguo delivers vegetables every day, and the girls in the workshop get along very well with Yi Hongmei.

As soon as the baby was born, everyone took turns visiting, and there weren't enough people to hold him all at once.

But as soon as she entered the door today, she sensed that something was wrong.

They greeted and looked after each other, and even had smiles on their faces, but that familiar warmth was gone.

It's like looking through a veil; you can see it but can't touch it.

It's only been a year? How come it's already turned into this?

She didn't think much of it, assuming it was just because she had been resting for too long and had become rusty.

When it was time for lunch, the truth was completely revealed.

Wang Aiguo brought over the eldest son's food box, which was wrapped tightly in oil paper, and the aroma wafted straight into his nose.

In previous years, the sisters would have already crowded around to grab the chopsticks by this time.

This was their "dinner diplomacy."

It works very well.

Today, however, seven or eight people waved their hands in refusal, their eyes darting around, and their lips curled into apologies.

Only her master, Chen Lihua, sighed and sat down next to her. Before the stool was even firmly in place, she said, "Hongmei, I've been transferred to the First Steel Rolling Mill."

What? !

Yi Hongmei's hand trembled, and the enamel mug almost fell to the ground.

Even the master is leaving? When Wang Aiguo was selecting people, he gave Chen Lihua to her like a treasure—she was the best lathe operator among all the female workers in the factory!

Is the factory really going to let such a key person work there?

"Damn it! I can't take it anymore!"

With a loud roar, the woman at the cafeteria entrance turned and rushed back, "thump."

He sat down hard.

"Sister Song?!"

Yi Hongmei was stunned.

Without saying a word, Sister Song grabbed a steamed bun and took a big bite. With a chicken leg in her left hand and sauce in her right, she chewed until her cheeks were bulging and shiny with oil.

Hey! This energy actually dispelled the pent-up frustration in her heart.

"You and Yi Zhonghai live in the same courtyard house?"

Sister Song wiped her mouth, her eyes reddening.

"Hmm...we're somewhat related, like distant elders."

"Elders? Bah!"

Sister Song spat, "If you're so capable, tear it apart to my face. Trying to trip me up behind my back, what kind of man are you?"

Yi Hongmei's brow twitched, and her fingernails dug into her palm.

So... it was that person who did it.

Sister Song slammed down her chopsticks, the slices of meat still glistening with oil: "He's the only level eight fitter in the factory!"

He was the only one at grade eight in the entire steel rolling mill.

Even the factory manager has to call him "Master Yi" when he sees him.

.

For the toughest tasks, he would slam the blueprints on his desk—if no one else could do it, he had to.

The payslip shows a hundred yuan, written in black and white, yet it feels like a burning hot potato.

Yi Hongmei remained silent.

The whole factory knows about this.

Any apprentice trained by Yi Zhonghai, you could point to any one of the eight workshops and you'd be sure he taught them.

The factory is full of successful students; it's no exaggeration.

He'd been the head of the household in the courtyard for over a decade, and no one dared to challenge his decisions in meetings.

But with a series of recent incidents, that old chair has long since become just a shadow.

But at the steel rolling mill? He was still that eighth-grade fitter whom everyone bowed down to!

What kind of conflict does your family have with him?

Sister Song chewed on the meat, her lips glistening with oil, "But Wang Aiguo is still working at the factory."

"Go argue, make a scene, and fight with your man!"

"Men's issues should be resolved face-to-face by men!"

She wiped her mouth: "You've met my husband before. He's all muscle and fights like a bull."

"If I weren't constantly getting disciplined, I would have been promoted to deputy section chief long ago."

"I won't stop you, nor will I try to persuade you."

"He felt good after the fight, and he can make his kids laugh when he gets home, which is better than anything else."

"Suppressing it? Suppressing it for too long will make you feel suffocated and eventually cause health problems!"

As Yi Hongmei listened, her brows furrowed even more deeply.

"Nine out of ten women work in our factory, and the men also work there."

Sister Song leaned forward. "You know that, right?"

"Um."

She nodded.

Having both spouses working was considered a respectable position back then.

Not just anyone can get on board.

When a girl chooses a partner, she wants someone stable and reliable.

A working-class girl marrying a street hustler? Who would believe that?

"Yi Zhonghai struck right here!"

Sister Song slammed her hand on the table. "Spreading rumors behind your back—anyone who gets close to you is considered to be working against you!"

Hongmei's heart skipped a beat.

Yi Zhonghai, that old fox, has excellent skills, and his workshop is full of apprentices.

No official rank? But who wouldn't bow and scrape before them?

If they really try to trip you up behind your back, you'll have a hard time swallowing your food!

She nodded vigorously, her eyes welling up with tears.

Sister Song's words are a dig at her own man's future!

Sister Song's husband worked for Yi Zhonghai.

This noon, my master stormed off, leaving her sitting here eating a steamed bun.

Not afraid?

What's there to be afraid of!

"We don't freeload!"

Sister Song slammed her hand on the table, oil splattering onto her sleeve. "You feed me for three months, I'll protect you for three days—no, three years!"

Her husband yelled this morning, "Let her eat as much as she wants! What kind of wife is she, starving Hongmei?"

Rough words are not rough.

Sister Song grinned, with a bit of scallion stuck between her front teeth.

Is Yi Zhonghai trying to step on someone?

First, assess your own capabilities.