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

Yi Zhonghai stepped forward, his face full of anxiety, and said, "Director Zhang, you think this isn't a big deal? How about we mediate it ourselves in the courtyard?"

"Old Yi, you're not right about that."

Director Zhang's face hardened, and his voice deepened: "Is this something you can mediate? What's the point of the law then? What's the point of having people like us? Old Yi, are you trying to take our place?"

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant!"

Yi Zhonghai quickly waved his hand, cold sweat pouring down his face: "It's my lack of awareness; I will definitely study harder in the future."

This is no joke.

These days, once that label is put on you, it can be fatal.

I've heard a bit about Yi Zhonghai.

Director Zhang stared coldly at him: "You always say that matters within the compound should be resolved within the compound, and you've been covering it up. Let me ask you, if someone were to die one day, would you still be able to mediate?"

Yi Zhonghai's face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

"Don't you dare take my precious grandson! I'm not finished with you!"

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi rushed out and stood in front of the stick. She stretched out her dark hands, her face bared in a snarling grin, looking like she wanted to devour someone.

"Auntie, if you keep doing this, we won't be so polite."

Xiao Ding said coldly, "You're obstructing official business, so you should be arrested."

"Ah...this...this..."

Upon hearing that she couldn't escape either, Jia Zhangshi immediately cowered and obediently stepped aside.

Banggeng howled even louder, his voice nearly hoarse: "Arrest her! Arrest my grandma! She made me steal it! Most of the meat we brought back last time ended up in her stomach! Arrest her! Arrest her!"

Jia Zhangshi panicked: "Bang Geng, don't talk nonsense! You stole it yourself, what does it have to do with me! It really has nothing to do with me!"

"Is that so?"

Director Zhang sneered, "Take them all away!"

Jia Zhangshi was completely dumbfounded.

She hadn't expected to be arrested too. She plopped down on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing, "Old Jia! Your wife's been bullied! Come quick, come check on her!"

"Dongxu! Someone is bullying your mother, you can't just ignore it! I'll send you to their house tonight..."

Director Zhang's face darkened, and he coldly said, "She's engaging in feudal superstition right in front of us. Handcuff her. Old Yi, go get a flatbed cart and push her back to the station."

Yi Zhonghai's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Watching Bang Geng scream in agony as he was handcuffed by Xiao Wang, he was filled with hatred and wished he could tear Jia Zhangshi apart.

"Officer Zhang, Officer Zhang, please listen to me. Jia Zhangshi can't escape, but the injury on her leg is going to rot in the detention center."

Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped forward to stop him.

Director Zhang thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, we'll come back to arrest her once her injuries have almost healed. With something like this, she'll definitely get a month of detention!"

Jia Zhangshi was trembling like a leaf, never dreaming she could win another big prize. The smaller prize from before—a week of labor reform—was still owed to her.

"Director Zhang, look at Banggeng, he's been a promising child since he was little, but his grandmother has spoiled him."

Yi Zhonghai was sweating profusely with anxiety. "We're willing to pay compensation, but could you please not take them away?"

"This is a very important matter concerning the child's entire life."

Director Zhang glanced at Li Weidong and saw that the other man's face was devoid of any warmth, so he already knew what was going on.

"No, the law isn't something you can negotiate with."

Director Zhang shook his head. "Xiao Ding, let go of that old woman and take the child home first. We'll leave after we finish investigating the scene."

"Old Yi, given Bang Geng's situation, he'll have to spend at least half a month in the juvenile detention center."

Xiao Ding unshackled Jia Zhangshi, grabbed the howling Banggeng, and walked out.

Watching her grandson being dragged away, Jia Zhangshi felt as if her heart was being torn apart, but she was completely helpless. Should she try to stop him? Should she throw a tantrum? She didn't dare utter a single sound.

Director Zhang walked around the yard, noted down the situation, and had Li Weidong sign it before speaking: "Chief Engineer Li, you can open the door now. I reckon he didn't sneak into the house, but you should still check if anything is missing."

"The damage to the kitchen is about ten yuan. Jia Zhangshi, you'll have to pay them ten yuan!"

After signing the document, Li Weidong greeted him with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Director Zhang. Come in and have a cup of cool tea."

"No, no, I have to go now."

Director Zhang waved his hand, "There's a ton of work waiting for us at the station."

Lin Yurou had already pushed open the door and went in with He Yushui to look around. She came out and said, "Brother Dong, no one has been in the room."

"That's good. I need to go get another coal stove."

Li Weidong cursed, "What the hell kind of mess is this?!"

"Don't worry, Dong-ge, I'll go buy it after lunch."

Lin Yurou quickly stopped him, fearing that Li Weidong would go out and spend money recklessly again.

Director Zhang shook his head and left. Once they were out of sight, Yi Zhonghai finally managed a low shout: "Jia Zhangshi, why aren't you handing over the money to compensate Li Weidong?!"

"I won't pay! My grandson has been arrested, and I'm going to jail myself. Why should I pay money?"

Jia Zhangshi's meager savings were so small that they were barely enough to fit in her belt; she wouldn't part with a single penny.

When Director Wang entered the courtyard with two staff members, Li Weidong was standing at the living room window watching the commotion.

He had seen Jia Zhangshi's behavior just now. When the woman heard that she would be jailed for a month if she didn't pay, she immediately cowered. She went home, rummaged through her drawers and found a brand new ten-yuan note. When she handed it to Lin Yurou, it was like she was cutting off a piece of her flesh. Her face was so black it could drip ink. She turned around and left without daring to say a harsh word.

Yi Zhonghai didn't run into Director Wang; he was probably back in the front yard looking for money. After all, he had to pay five hundred yuan, even if it hurt.

"Chief Engineer Li, you wanted to see me?"

Director Wang greeted everyone with a smile as soon as he entered the room.

Li Weidong didn't mince words with her and went straight to the point: "You were all scammed out of that 'Five Guarantees' quota for the deaf old lady. She's not someone without property, income, or descendants at all; you were deceived."

Director Wang's expression changed, and he frowned: "Do you have any evidence? I didn't handle this."

"Just stand here and wait, you'll see soon."

Li Weidong sneered and continued, "And your three mediators, they call themselves 'Grandpa,' 'Grandpa,' and 'Grandpa' in the courtyard. The deaf old lady, relying on her status as a recipient of the Five Guarantees, actually makes everyone in the courtyard call her 'Grand Ancestor.' Yi Zhonghai is even fanning the flames on the side. The title of 'Five Guarantees' has become her shield for bullying others."

"Those three mediators have made a mess of the courtyard. Despite a mountain of problems, it gets recognized as an advanced courtyard every year. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Director Wang was speechless, her face turning pale. Her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a word. She had indeed heard some of these rumors before, but hadn't had time to deal with them.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and said, "Thank you for your criticism, Chief Engineer Li. I'll sit here and watch today."

The group stood in Li Weidong's living room, able to hear everything that was happening in the backyard. Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old woman were heading to the backyard to find Xu Damao, completely unaware that Director Wang had arrived. Even if they had seen him, they probably would have just assumed he was passing by and given a greeting, never imagining that their little affair had been exposed.

Xu Damao was sitting under the veranda, drinking alone. His eyes were frighteningly red. On the table were a plate of braised pig's head, a plate of peanuts, and two cucumbers that hadn't even been washed and were just thrown on the table. When Bang Geng was arrested, he had gone out to buy cooked meat and only heard the whole story when he came back.

He had only taken two sips of wine when Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old woman came groping their way over.

"Xu Damao, write the letter of understanding."

Yi Zhonghai said with a stern face, "I've brought you the money."

Xu Damao raised his head, his eyes lifeless: "It's written. Cash on delivery."

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, pulled out five thick stacks of black ten-yuan notes from his pocket, and his face twitched as he held them in his hand. These five hundred yuan were his savings of more than half a year, and he had just thrown them away.

The deaf old woman was even more ruthless, slamming a stack of bills on the table with a grim face: "I, your ancestor, have contributed five thousand! Xu Damao, you've taken my life savings, do you feel at ease? Can you sleep soundly at night?"

Xu Damao grinned, his face twisted in a sinister smile: "Of course I can sleep. That bastard Sha Zhu beat me up like this, he'll never have any children, and his wife ran away. What do I have to feel guilty about?"

Director Wang turned to look at Li Weidong, his face full of confusion: "Chief Engineer Li, what exactly is going on?"

Li Weidong spoke casually, as if he were talking about something insignificant: "Shazhu is a real troublemaker in the yard. Almost everyone has been punched by him. It's common for Xu Damao to be beaten up; it wouldn't be surprising if he ended up in the hospital."

"The problem is, every time Yi Zhonghai tries to smooth things over with the deaf old lady, all he ends up doing is paying some money and that's it."

"This time it's different. The hospital found out that Xu Damao is infertile, which was caused by Sha Zhu's beating back then. Things won't be so easy to get over now."

Director Wang's face turned ashen. He gritted his teeth and said, "That mediator definitely can't stay, and the deaf old lady's status as a recipient of the Five Guarantees must also be revoked. I'll go back and handle the formalities, and come over tonight."

After saying that, Director Wang walked out. Just then, he saw Xu Damao squatting in the corner counting money, surrounded by a group of people staring at the pile of banknotes with curiosity—five thousand yuan stacked together, which looked like quite a lot.

"Director Wang? When did you arrive?"

When Yi Zhonghai looked up and saw the person, his heart sank, and he felt that something was wrong.

Director Wang gave him a cold glance: "What, do I have to report to your Uncle Yi before I come here?"

"There will be a college-wide meeting at 6 PM tonight. I will be there to preside over it."

Before Yi Zhonghai could reply, the deaf old woman, clutching the letter of understanding, said impatiently, "Let's go, let's go, hurry up and get Zhuzi out."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head with a wry smile: "We can't pick him up right now. I asked Director Zhang, and this matter can't be entirely attributed to Zhu Zi. Even with a letter of leniency, he'll still have to be detained for at least a year and a half. For now, let's lock him up for a few days first."

The deaf old woman stomped her feet in anger: "That pillar must be suffering terribly inside!"

Li Weidong stood to the side, a slight smirk playing on his lips. Making this old man spend some money was just the beginning.

"Dong-ge, dinner's ready."

Lin Yurou walked over, her voice soft.

"Okay, let's eat first. After we eat, I'll go buy some wood and make a few pieces of furniture."

Li Weidong said, "We need to stock up on more boards."

He Yushui's eyes lit up: "Brother Dong, you can do carpentry too?"

Holding a large goose leg in her hand, Xiao Xi stood on tiptoe and eagerly exclaimed, "My brother is amazing! He can do everything, even carpentry!"

"Alright, alright, just eat your fill of goose leg."