The Life of a Son-in-Law in a Courtyard House

Yang Dalin had just returned that evening when he received the notification early in the morning.

Another meeting tonight. Wow, the courtyard is really lively. They hold meetings and play games all the time.

Around 7:30 p.m., the courtyard of No. 95 was packed with people again.

Some were sitting, and some were standing.

Of course, under the courtyard lamp by the main hall door sat the only two remaining people in charge of the courtyard.

Yan Bugui was also sitting, but his stool was a bit far from the table, as if he were still in the center of power, wanting to get closer but intimidated by Liu Haizhong's unfriendly gaze.

The scene was quite comical, with a stray dog ​​trying to steal food and a leashed domestic dog baring its teeth in a protective manner.

Behind Yan Bugui stood four members of his family: Yang Ruihua, Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiefang, and Yan Jiekuang.

In addition, Yan Bugui, who was sitting, created five height differences from low to high, similar to telephone signals.

Liu Dudu started speaking first, with one hand on her hip and the other making various gestures in front of her chest, just like a leader speaking.

"Comrades in the compound, I apologize for disturbing your rest again today. I have an announcement to make: we need to buy winter-stored Chinese cabbage early tomorrow morning. Everyone in the compound should get up early and line up together to buy it."

As usual, the vegetable market would transport the cabbages to the alley entrance. Apart from Old Qi, who had a handcart, our courtyard was also full of other people.

None of the other households have handcarts, so we'll need to trouble Lao Qi to use a handcart to transport everything back for us tomorrow.

We should thank Comrade Qi, and everyone should lend a hand. Those with more able-bodied members in their families should help out those with fewer.

Don't just watch others help you move cabbages; if you don't lift a finger, no one is obligated to help you.

Go to line up early so you can buy your things sooner.

That's one thing. The second thing is the college-wide meeting that Professor Yan requested.

Does the old man have anything to add? If not, I'll have Teacher Yan speak.

Liu Haizhong asked Yi Zhonghai a question, and Yan Bugui was about to speak when Liu Haizhong's last sentence choked him up.

Yi Zhonghai stood up, looked around at everyone, and said, "Second Uncle is right. When we buy winter vegetables tomorrow, we should help each other out as usual."

"Dongxu, Zhuzi, Jiecheng, Liugen, Jianguo, Guangfu, Dalin, you young and strong guys, you should divide up the tasks according to the front, middle, and back yards and help the elderly people with mobility issues in the yard, and help the neighbors with mobility issues, understand?"

Jia Dongxu, Sha Zhu, and the others nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Yang Dalin realized that these were minor matters, but people like the deaf old lady and the Zhao family in the main room did indeed need help.

It wasn't a big deal, so I just went along with it.

Seeing that the several young and strong men had agreed, Yi Zhonghai then turned to Yan Laokou's direction and said, "Teacher Yan, please."

Yi Zhonghai had no idea what Yan Laokou was going to say before the meeting.

If he had known, he would never have convened this conference.

Old Yan stood up first, cupped his hands in greeting to everyone, and said humbly, "Dear neighbors, I'm really sorry to have disturbed you all."

I hadn't originally planned to hold this meeting, but it was really affecting my family's meals, so I had to swallow my pride and ask my uncles to convene it.

The Qi family didn't understand what happened a few days ago, and I was punished. I should…

Yang Dalin was displeased upon hearing this and was about to speak up when Aunt Qi pulled him back.

Yan Laokou continued, "They don't understand, so be it. I paid them a lot of money in compensation."

I was just trying to avoid any unpleasant rumors reaching my workplace. I have four children to raise, and it's really difficult for me.

The local police station and neighborhood committee knew there was a reason for this, and seeing how pitiful my family was, they didn't notify our workplace.

But today, Jia Jiabanggeng brought this matter to our school. Banggeng is a kid in our college, and I even teach him. I don't know if this kid was influenced by adults or if he just thinks our family isn't struggling enough.

He's just a kid and he can't keep his mouth shut, so I won't hold it against him.

But this resulted in me being fined half a month's salary. My family already had to pay a large sum of money, emptying our savings, and then being fined half a month's salary again, my family really can't go on like this, so we have no choice but to ask for everyone's help.

Yan Bugui is such a sophistry and a master of shifting blame; he's trying to hold everyone hostage because he's in trouble.

If no one is willing to contribute money to help him, wouldn't that just gather everyone's resentment and direct it at the Jia and Qi families?

What a disgusting person Yan Bugui is! He does disgusting things himself, yet he tries to keep others from talking about them.

Yang Dalin glanced at the person in the crowd who was trying to hide his head and knew that Xu Damao must have said it.

Today, when Aunt Qi was eating, Qi Xiaoning already mentioned that Xu Damao had looked for her on her way to school, but she hadn't responded.

This time, Yang Dalin was about to step forward, and Aunt Qi didn't stop him.

Yang Dalin stood in the middle of the crowd and called out loudly, "Yan Bugui!"

Yan Bugui, facing Yang Dalin's direct questioning, said, "What did you call me? Look at this, everyone! You have no respect for elders, no manners at all! It's outrageous!"

Yang Dalin snorted: "Yan Bugui, you really don't need me to be polite, because your position as liaison officer has been dismissed by the street. What you have done makes you unworthy of being a teacher. Calling you Teacher Yan is simply an insult to the great profession of teacher."

Why can't people call you by the name you chose?

Anyone with eyes can see what happened to you that day. You tried to steal the gifts that the family members were offering to plead for. The police station and the neighborhood committee have already classified you as innocent. How could they have wronged you? Why don't I invite Captain Yang from the station and Director Wang from the neighborhood committee to come and overturn your case?

What do you mean by "you paid our family a large sum of money"? Did we ask you to pay it?

It was your wife who begged the eldest and second eldest uncles to come to our house and Brother Zhu's house to plead for you.

My aunt only agreed because she felt sorry for you and agreed to let you go, since you are our neighbor in the courtyard and she couldn't bear to see you being notified by the neighborhood committee.

What, you don't appreciate it? If you don't appreciate it, we can return the money to your family.

You only lost two hundred yuan in total. You earn forty-something yuan a month, plus subsidies, which is almost fifty yuan for everyone. You come from a small business owner family, and we don't know how much wealth you have. You keep bragging about your twenty-seven and fifty-yuan salary. Don't think everyone doesn't know what you're thinking.

"You're someone who's always calculating, saving every penny, even dividing peanuts among the kids. You dare say you've lost everything? Should I call the police to search your house? If you really have lost everything, how about we return double the money?"

When Yan Laokou heard this, he was in trouble. How could Yang Dalin know so much? He had only been in the hospital for less than ten days.

Old Yan's face alternated between black and white, already stunned and numb from Yang Dalin's comment about the "small property owners' class of families".

Yan Bugui stumbled back several steps, and Yang Ruihua and Yan Jiecheng quickly helped him up as he nearly fell.