Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

"Let's see who dares to call the police!"

An old, shrill voice suddenly rang out from outside the crowd.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

An elderly deaf woman, leaning on a cane, walked in shakily. She wore a black cotton-padded jacket, her hair was gray, and her face was etched with deep wrinkles, but her eyes were very sharp. Beside her stood Qin Huairu, leading several children.

Li Jianguo's eyes narrowed. While everyone was in a standoff, this woman had slipped away unnoticed and brought this old man here. She was definitely not someone to be trifled with. Qin Huairu stood meekly beside the old woman, like a weak, innocent victim. But Li Jianguo could clearly see the calculating glint in her eyes.

But Li Jianguo had no time to pay attention to her right now. His gaze was fixed on the deaf old woman, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

If it weren't for this old man, how could his parents have gone to the far Northwest? How could they have died there? It could be said that this old man was the instigator of his family's suffering over the past ten years. He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.

"What are you?"

The deaf old lady started putting on airs as soon as she arrived.

"Even if your father came, he would still have to treat this old lady with utmost respect!"

The cane thumped loudly on the ground.

"And what do you do? You arrive and don't even greet everyone, but instead start bullying people!"

Her cloudy old eyes swept around, carrying a warning.

"Our courtyard house was rated as an outstanding courtyard house by the neighborhood committee! Everyone here is always very friendly and harmonious!"

"Let's see who dares to call the police!"

"How dare he ruin our reputation! I, an old woman, will never forgive him!"

Those who wanted to earn money by running errands silently withdrew their feet.

"The old lady is still the most sensible one!"

As if she had seen a savior, Jia Zhangshi immediately rushed over.

"I've lived in this house for so many years! And now other people come and try to take it away! Why should they?!"

The deaf old lady patted her hand.

"I'm here."

She stared at Li Jianguo.

"Let's see who dares to lay a hand on you."

"You're that kid from the Li family?"

She looked Li Jianguo up and down, her gaze sinister.

"So young, yet so arrogant."

"Not as good as you."

Li Jianguo twitched the corner of his mouth.

"So old, yet still so shameless."

"you--!"

The deaf old lady couldn't catch her breath, and her face turned a deep purplish-red.

"Can't you hear me?"

Li Jianguo leaned closer and deliberately raised his voice.

"I'm telling you—at your age—you're still the same as before—shameless!"

"Little beast!"

The deaf old woman was so angry that she trembled all over and raised her cane to hit him.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson today, old lady!"

"Li Jianguo!"

Sha Zhu immediately rushed forward and stood in front of the old lady.

"This is the oldest lady in our compound! How can you say something so indecent? Apologize to her right now! Or I might get angry!"

He's bullied people a lot since he was a child because he was tall and strong, and now he's thinking of showing his fists.

"You idiot, you're kidding me!"

Xu Damao spoke up with schadenfreude.

"Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already? If I were you, I'd have crawled into a hole in the ground by now, instead of staying here arguing?"

He hated Sha Zhu, and he didn't like the deaf old lady who always sided with Sha Zhu either. Hearing Li Jianguo scold her made him feel incredibly happy.

"Xu Damao! You want a beating, don't you?"

Sha Zhu glared at him menacingly.

Xu Damao shrank back, speechless, and pulled Lou Xiao'e back two steps.

Li Jianguo didn't even glance at Sha Zhu. His gaze remained fixed on the deaf old woman's face.

"Old man."

His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like it had been chilled to the bone.

"I was only thinking about resolving the housing issue today. Now that you've walked right into this mess, shouldn't we settle our scores too?"

"you--!"

The deaf old woman trembled with anger, but she wasn't in the dark. She always felt that the Li family had only themselves to blame for what happened back then. Who told them to be so talkative? What did it have to do with them? The Li family was just deliberately making things difficult for her!

A surge of anger rushed to my head.

The deaf old woman raised her cane and smashed it down on Li Jianguo's head.

"Today, I, this old lady, will teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents!"

The cane fell with a whoosh.

Li Jianguo didn't even try to dodge. He reached out and grabbed the cane precisely, then yanked it sharply.

The cane slipped from the deaf old woman's hand.

Li Jianguo gripped his crutch, turned around, and smashed it hard against the brick wall next to him.

"Snap!"

With a crisp crack, the old locust wood cane snapped in two. One half fell to the ground, bounced once, and rolled to the corner of the wall.

This wasn't the end of it. Li Jianguo, clutching the remaining half, turned and walked towards the deaf old woman.

With quick reflexes, Sha Zhu pulled the deaf old lady behind him.

The broken stick whistled through the air and slammed solidly into Sha Zhu's arm.

"Awooo—!"

Sha Zhu screamed in pain, wincing and hopping around while clutching his arm.

"This is absolutely absurd!"

Yi Zhonghai roared angrily, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

He stared coldly at Li Jianguo.

"How dare you! You actually hit an old man!"

How did your parents raise you?

"Look at yourself! Are you even human? You're nothing but an animal!"

He was seething with anger. The humiliation he had just suffered was now being unleashed.

Before he could finish speaking, Li Jianguo had already rushed in front of him.

Grabbing by the collar. Raising his hand. Slapping.

"Snapped!"

Slightly to the left.

"Snapped!"

Go to the right.

"Snapped!"

Let's do it again on the left.

"Snapped!"

Make it symmetrical on the right.

Yi Zhonghai's head swayed from side to side as he was slapped, and he saw stars. He opened his mouth, trying to shout but couldn't, and saliva flew everywhere with each slap.

"ah--!"

He screamed and struggled desperately, but Li Jianguo's hands gripped him like iron clamps, and he couldn't break free. His work clothes collar was twisted out of shape, and his face was swollen like a steamed bun.

The people around then realized what was happening and rushed over to pull the two apart.

Yi Zhonghai was helped to the side; his face was swollen like a pig's head. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, his eyes were squinted into slits, and he could barely speak.

Xu Damao covered his mouth in the corner, laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking.

"Oh no!"

The deaf old woman sat down on the ground, slapped her thigh, and started howling.

"The world is so unfair! A young child dares to beat an old person! How can someone like that be allowed to live in our courtyard!"

"Get him out of here!"

"We absolutely cannot have such morally corrupt people in our institute!"

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu rolled up his sleeves and was ready to go.

"Alright! You wait, old lady! I'll throw him out right now!"

"People like that don't deserve to stay in our compound!"

He rubbed his still-aching arm and strode menacingly toward Li Jianguo.

Just then, footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

"Oh my! Mr. Li! You arrived so quickly?"

A neatly dressed middle-aged woman strode in, followed by two young men.

Director Huang from the subdistrict office.

With a broad smile, she quickly walked up to Li Jianguo and extended her hand.

"I even sent someone to pick you up at the train station, but they didn't catch you! It was my mistake! I'm so sorry!"

After shaking hands, she seemed to realize something was wrong with her surroundings, her gaze sweeping over the deaf old woman lying on the ground, over Yi Zhonghai whose face was swollen like a pig's head, and over the astonished crowd.

"What happened?"

Her smile faded, and her brows furrowed.

"What kind of welcoming ceremony are you holding? It doesn't look like one to me."

She looked at Yi Zhonghai.

"Sir, what happened to your face?"

Then he looked at the deaf old lady.

"Old lady, why are you throwing a tantrum on the ground again?"

"Your compound was recently recognized as an outstanding compound by the neighborhood committee. Is this how you treat Mr. Li when he comes?"

Her words weren't harsh, but her tone carried an undeniable authority.

The crowd looked at each other, and no one dared to utter a sound.

Xu Damao emerged from the crowd.

"Director Huang, you have no idea, we just missed a great show!"

He recounted what had just happened with great enthusiasm, embellishing the story.

"The Jia family has taken over Mr. Li's house..."

"You bastard!"

Director Huang's face darkened upon hearing this.

"The Li family came to support the development of Northwest China! Is this how you treat them?"

Her stern gaze swept over the crowd.

"Not only did they occupy the house while the person was away, but now they're not letting them go home!"

"You lot are undermining socialism!"