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

8

Today, even the cleaning lady passing by didn't bother to glance at him.

An older woman slammed a rag into the basin of water, her eyes swollen shut: "Divorce! We absolutely have to divorce!"

He opened his mouth, but his throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire, and he couldn't utter a single word.

The area under the trees outside was full of people, eating sunflower seeds and gossiping.

"Hey, isn't this our 'Chairman Yi'?"

"Sit in the center position during meetings, and always bring a handkerchief to wipe away sweat when speaking."

"Big and small matters are all decided by the three old men, and he is number one."

"Pah! They're putting on quite a show!"

Some people counted on their fingers: "He's very enthusiastic about donating money, emptying his pockets—but he doesn't even have a child, is he just burning money for fun?"

"Second Uncle loves being an official? Heh, Yi Zhonghai is addicted to it by nature!"

"That hypocrite was really good at hiding his true colors. If he hadn't been exposed today, who would have believed him?"

"I heard Qin Huairu's child can be saved? He immediately stopped donating!"

"Donate? They're so diligent with their donations! They're stuffing everything into Qin Huairu's hands, giving her rice and medicine, grinning from ear to ear!"

"Shh—keep your voice down! The old man might come rushing over with a carrying pole if he hears you!"

"Come on! Let them both come at me at once, I'll take the hits in a horse stance!"

"Get out! Get away from me! Just looking at you makes me want to vomit!"

"Yes! Get out! From now on, the yard will be under Wang Aiguo's control!"

"Patriotic and young, but decisive in getting things done! Who didn't benefit from the fish distribution?"

"Call him ruthless? Ask yourself honestly—who has he ever deliberately provoked?"

"Speak politely, and he'll give you treats; take advantage of his kindness, and he'll flip the table!"

"Bang Geng steals chickens and dogs, Jia Zhangshi throws dirty water, Liu Haizhong writes whistleblower letters at the drop of a hat, and Yan Bugui even steals dried fish from a three-year-old!"

"What kind of behavior is this? Is it really Wang Aiguo's fault for fighting back?"

"If they didn't fight back, they would have been devoured to the bone!"

"A thousand yuan a year? He's sick, not dead!"

Grandpa Yi called a meeting, but didn't mention treating Wang Aiguo's illness, or even discuss his funeral arrangements.

They were only focused on arranging a remarriage for Yi Hongmei!

Bah! What a scoundrel!

Uncle Er and Uncle San joined in the commotion, ransacking the house and taking everything away, including pots, pans, and utensils!

Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit!

Why did I lose my mind and join in the chaos?

There's no question of having a son. Yi Zhonghai is shameless enough to ask, but we can't agree to it!

He should have spat in his face long ago!

hum-

All I could hear were curses, like knives stabbing into my ears!

Yi Zhonghai felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't breathe properly.

"puff"

With a thud, blood spurted out, splattering onto the gray work clothes.

This mess can't be covered up no matter what!

The news spread quickly throughout the courtyard and then rushed to the steel rolling mill.

No one was working in peace in the workshop; even when a wrench fell to the ground, no one picked it up.

"Fire him!"

"Keeping someone like that in the factory is a disgrace to all the workers!"

"Factory manager, what are you waiting for?"

The next morning, the office entrance was crowded with people.

When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down—that's absolutely true.

Yi Zhonghai is a level eight worker, the only one of his kind in the entire factory.

But Lao Li and Lao Zhao from the next workshop, who have worked for thirty years, earn more than twenty yuan less than him.

Who isn't angry?

They didn't dare to say a word before, but now that they've got the chance, they've all come out!

Not long after the widow Qin Huairu's husband left, he rented a place outside to meet her.

As a result, the neighbor caught them red-handed, and they didn't even have time to close the door properly.

Does this kind of person deserve to wear this work uniform?

There's no place for this kind of scum in the workforce!

The factory manager gripped the teacup, his fingers stiff.

Expelled?

The apprentices trained by Yi Zhonghai are now all key technical personnel...

Without Yi Zhonghai, the steel rolling mill is like a pot without salt; nothing tastes right.

The title of "Level 8 Technician" is a golden brand that has single-handedly supported half the sky.

But this time, they really messed up.

The embarrassment spread throughout the entire factory, and even the gatekeeper shook his head in dismay.

What else can he do?

On my way to work, I get pointed at and talked about; no one talks to me in the break room; I can't even hold a screwdriver properly.

Given my age, my hands tremble when my blood pressure is high, and if I get angry a couple more times, I'll probably end up in the emergency room.

I'd heard he'd been looking downcast lately.

I initially thought it was just old age, but who would have thought—

All his energy was put into the young widow!

No wonder he's yawning all the time; he's even reading the blueprints upside down.

The truth has been revealed.

The workers can vent their anger freely, but the leaders have to weigh the consequences.

Three rounds of meetings were held, and the ashtrays were overflowing.

The final decision was made: retire and receive the full pension.

They gave him face, and they also preserved his substance.

Yi Zhonghai had no choice, nor did he dare to.

My pension has been cut in half, and I'm struggling to even afford medicine.

But would he still dare to go to the factory?

The unavoidable glares alone were enough to make his heart ache all day.

Qin Huairu squatted at the alley entrance, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers: "What are you planning to do?"

"Just quit."

Yi Zhonghai's voice was hoarse, and his back was hunched over like a dried shrimp.

He doesn't want to leave!

It's not about the salary; it's about how I've lost all face, and there's no way to pick it up again.

Fortunately, the boss left him a loophole and didn't kick him out.

"What about the fifty yuan? Will you still give it to me in the future?"

Qin Huairu lifted her eyelids.

"I only got forty-three!"

He wrung his hands anxiously, "How about I give you twenty?"

"Twenty? Enough to feed a beggar?"

She sneered, "I'll go to the hospital tomorrow."

"What are you hitting?!"

He looked up sharply.

"child."

She uttered two words, her nails digging into her palms.

Yi Zhonghai's hand trembled, and he almost crushed the enamel mug.

He lunged forward and grabbed Qin Huairu's arm, his knuckles white: "What did you just say? The child?"

"How should I know!"

Qin Huairu shrank back and shrugged: "I've been feeling nauseous and lethargic these past few days, exactly like when I was pregnant with Huaihua... I'm about to go to the hospital for a checkup."

She sighed, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes: "If you're really in such a hurry, and it turns out you're really pregnant, get an abortion as soon as possible—it's easier to recover from a miscarriage."

"No!"

Yi Zhonghai's voice cracked, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The day his wife packed her bags and left, he even tore up his cigarette pack.

The factory's notice of unpaid leave is still under my pillow.

Is she really pregnant now?

Even if it's a daughter, she has to be his child!

"Add another fifty!"

He roared through gritted teeth, spittle splattering onto his collar.

"Oh."

Qin Huairu scoffed, scratching her chin with her nails: "Your pockets are emptier than your face, what are you pretending to be rich for? Sell your house, is that enough to last three months?"

She suddenly leaned closer, her breath tickling his ear: "Have you already planned this out—once the baby's born, you'll just wash your hands of the money?"

Yi Zhonghai's Adam's apple bobbed, but he remained silent.

The thought in my mind was laid bare.

But we can't lose our child!

A retirement pension to feed four people? Banggeng, Xiaodang, Huaihua, plus the woman in front of me...

He wiped his face; his palms were sweaty.

"I have an idea."

Qin Huairu's voice was as cold as iced soda.

"explain!"

Yi Zhonghai took half a step forward, his shoes scraping against the ground with a screeching sound.

"You're applying for retirement."

She stared into his eyes. "I'll take over your staffing quota."

"Go to the steel rolling mill tomorrow and submit your application to the factory manager."

Yi Zhonghai froze on the spot, as if he had been struck by a pressure point.

Is a steel rolling mill like a vegetable market? You can just walk in and out as you please?

"No way!"

He shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum, "I'm not a factory leader, our relationship..."

"If the relationship isn't strong enough, make it strong enough!"

Qin Huairu slapped her stomach hard, her palm trembling. "You think you'll live to seventy? Eighty? By the time you're bedridden, will I be left to starve with four kids?"

Yi Zhonghai's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Qin Huairu squinted and tapped her fingers on the table.

Yi Zhonghai coughed twice, his palms sweating profusely.

I'm sixty now, and my health is deteriorating day by day.

My back aches, my legs feel weak, and I have to lean against the wall to catch my breath every morning when I get out of bed.

She had done the math—his pension and subsidies totaled just over fifty.

He can barely support himself, let alone her whole family?

"Old Yi, thirty yuan a month, isn't that a lot?"

She slammed her teacup down on the table.

Water splashed out, wetting a corner of the tablecloth.

He opened his mouth, but his throat felt dry.

Those polite words were stuck in his throat, and he just couldn't get them out.

Not just anyone can wear a work badge at a steel rolling mill.

But her belly was as flat as a chopping board, yet she touched it every day and said the baby was moving.

Yi Zhonghai rubbed the seams of his pants, his fingernails still stained with black engine oil.

He recalled that last night, in the middle of the night, she groaned as she turned over, her voice hoarse like a broken gong.

"If you really can't do it..."

She crossed her legs, her toes dangling slightly, and said, "I'm going to go talk to the factory manager."

The heels clicked on the floor, tap, tap, tap.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, but he didn't say a word.

The sycamore leaves rustle outside the window, like someone secretly counting money.

Qin Huairu gripped the hem of her clothes, her nails digging into her palms.

Old Yi's hopes are likely to be dashed.

Not having children isn't a big deal, but once my paycheck stops, I'm immediately at my wit's end!

Even if she does get pregnant, who can guarantee it's a boy?

While we still have the chance to make things work, we must hold onto our worker status tightly.

What will happen in the future? Who knows!

The two were at odds, but Qin Huairu didn't even lift an eyelid.

"Not going to do it? Fine, I'll go to the hospital myself."

Yi Zhonghai's throat was dry and his hands were trembling.

"Check it first! Then decide!"

She sneered: "Believe it or not, it's up to you."

I'll go shave it clean right away.

"Either you go to the factory to handle the paperwork, or we'll cut ties completely."

The veins on his forehead were throbbing.

The son that their ancestors had longed for for eight generations is now all on this woman's belly.

He leaned closer and stared at her lower abdomen, trying to discern something.

It's only been a few days? There's not even a trace of it.

X-ray vision? He doesn't deserve to have that.

"Okay! I'll take care of it!"

He clenched his teeth, his voice trembling, "But we need to get the certificate first—without it, the factory won't recognize it!"

"It should have been done a long time ago!"

She had already planned it all out in her mind.

Banggeng and his children all depend on this secure job to survive!

"I...I'll get the letter of introduction right away..."

Before he could finish speaking, everything went black, and he almost fell to the ground.

The factory manager had just finished brewing tea when he looked up and saw him standing at the door.

I thought I was there to submit my retirement application, but instead they asked for a divorce referral letter?

One was opened just three days ago!

So hasty? Are you in a rush?

The factory manager curled his lip and didn't even bother to offer tea.

That old man, his bones are all melted by the hem of a widow's skirt.

Sooner or later, we'll fall into this trap!

The factory manager sighed, "Old Yi, you're one of the factory's veterans! It's really not intentional to make you step down now that things have escalated to this point."

"But why do you insist on getting it done in these few days? Once the paperwork is complete, you can do whatever you want; it's not the factory's business."

"Urgent! Really urgent!"

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and decided to go all out. "After we get married, I want Qin Huairu to take my place and start working in the factory."

"Snapped!"

The table shook so much that the teacups jumped up.