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

He treated them so that when they saw him again, their legs would tremble and their spines would go cold.

"It was my oversight."

Factory Director Yang immediately realized what was happening, a hint of shame flashing across his face, and nodded to Li Jianguo.

He turned to the Jia family, his expression turning serious.

"This matter must be dealt with seriously! Director Li, whatever you think should be done, I will do it according to your wishes."

"Just now, Jia Dongxu slandered me, saying that I caused him to fall into the latrine and that he wants to pay me compensation."

Li Jianguo's lips curled into a half-smile, a smile as cold as ice.

"I think this is a good idea."

"Do it this way."

"The Jia family has caused damage to my reputation; they should compensate me with one thousand yuan."

"What?!"

"impossible!"

Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu screamed almost simultaneously, like two wild cats whose tails had been stepped on.

"Li Jianguo! Are you robbing me?!"

Jia Dongxu shook his head frantically, like a rattle drum.

A thousand dollars? How many years would it take them to save that much? Ten? Twenty?

Jia Zhangshi felt as if her heart had been ripped out. For someone like her who valued money more than life itself, losing a thousand yuan was no different from taking her life.

"I think this compensation is perfectly reasonable!"

Factory Director Yang immediately responded, his voice resolute.

"I'll only pay you 1,000 yuan!"

"It's fine if you don't want to pay."

He gave the Jia family a cold glance, his gaze like two knives.

"Then we'll call the police. Violation of property, defamation... these charges will be enough to get you and your son into serious trouble. You should know which way the police station door faces."

Before they could finish speaking, the Jia family members had already chickened out.

"No! Don't call the police!"

Bang Geng has already been taken inside; no one else can go into the house.

But this money...

With a thud, Jia Zhangshi knelt straight down on the ground, her knees hitting the frozen ground with a dull thud.

"I've begged you! Please stop forcing us! We really have no money! You're trying to drive our whole family to their deaths!"

"Stop acting like a scoundrel!"

Factory Director Yang frowned in disgust, looking at him like he was looking at a pile of rotten mud.

Just then, Li Jianguo slowly spoke.

"You're not the only ones slandering me."

He looked at Yi Zhonghai.

"Wasn't that old man also fanning the flames? He must have contributed a lot to the instigation, right?"

"What I'm saying is, everyone who slandered me should pay this thousand dollars."

"It's not like your family is the only one paying."

The Jia family's eyes lit up instantly, like hungry wolves eyeing meat.

"Yes! Sir, you have to share the compensation with us!"

Jia Zhangshi immediately turned her gun around and lunged at Yi Zhonghai, her movements so fast that she didn't seem like an old woman with mobility issues at all.

"What does this have to do with me?!"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned green, as green as the stalks of a vegetable in late autumn.

A thousand dollars is no small sum! How easy was it for him to save up this money for his funeral?

"How can it not be a problem? Wasn't my son with you at the time? Director Yang already said, 'You're just a big shot in this compound, don't you have any sense of responsibility?!'"

When Jia Zhangshi started throwing a tantrum, Yi Zhonghai was no match for her. He was so bothered that his head ached and his temples throbbed. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and stomped his foot so hard that the ground trembled.

"Fine, fine, fine! I'll pay! I'll pay, okay?!"

He was panting heavily, his chest heaving, and turned to look at Sha Zhu.

"It takes three people to move the ore! And there's Sha Zhu too! You haven't forgotten about him, have you?"

How could the Jia family forget?

Jia Zhangshi slapped Qin Huairu on the back, making her stagger.

Qin Huairu steadied herself and looked at Sha Zhu with teary eyes. Her eyes were brimming with moisture, and her eyelashes were wet and stuck together, making her look extremely pitiful.

"Shazhu...you went to move ore with Dongxu, and now look what happened...we really have no money...could you...?"

It's about money again.

Sha Zhu forced a bitter smile, a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"I already paid 400 yuan in compensation for your family, where would I get the money now?"

He was indeed the head chef of the canteen, but he only earned a few dozen yuan a month. After spending money on food and drink, how much could he possibly have left? Moreover, that little bit of savings had long since filled the bottomless pit of the Jia family's finances.

Qin Huairu's mind raced, her eyes darting around in their sockets.

What Sha Zhu said is probably true.

But the Jia family was determined not to pay this money.

Her eyes reddened, and tears welled up, threatening to fall.

"Silly Zhu... I can only rely on you now... Please... I know you're a good person..."

The voice was as soft as a ball of cotton, yet it contained an invisible needle.

"oops!"

Sha Zhu scratched his hair in frustration, making it a mess.

"I really have no money!"

"Master He has no money?"

Li Jianguo suddenly laughed.

That smile was full of meaning.

"Your father, He Daqing, has sent you a considerable amount of money over the years. If you save it all up, it's probably more than my salary."

The words had barely left his lips.

Before Sha Zhu could react, Yi Zhonghai's expression had already changed.

He suddenly looked up, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints, staring at Li Jianguo in disbelief. In his eyes, there was fear, panic, and a deeply hidden ferocity.

The money He Daqing sent over the years, in installments...

He snatched them all away.

He did this so that Sha Zhu would completely forget his father and obediently take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days.

He and his wife had no children, and Sha Zhu, who was easy to fool and kind-hearted, was practically a son sent to them by God.

"My dad...sent me money?"

Sha Zhu was stunned, standing there like a log.

He wanted to ask more questions, but before he could speak, the deaf old woman who had been hiding inside the house came out, leaning on her cane. The cane tapped on the bluestone slab, making a dull "tap, tap, tap" sound.

"Director Yang! Don't let that little bastard Li Jianguo fool you!"

Her withered fingers, like chicken claws, pointed straight at Li Jianguo, her voice sharp as shards of glass scraping against sheet metal.

"I watched him grow up! That kid has been wicked and full of bad intentions since he was a child!"

Factory Director Yang was taken aback.

"Madam, you can't say things like that. Director Li is a great engineer who has made great contributions to the country. You are old, but you can't say things like that—this is slander."

"Hmph! I don't care if he's capable or not, but this guy is no good!"

The deaf old woman slammed her cane hard on the ground, making a loud "thump-thump" sound.

"Selfish! Vicious! He's only been in the compound for a few days and he's already sent a child to a juvenile detention center, causing chaos throughout the entire compound..."

She rattled off a string of insults, hurling accusations at Li Jianguo as if he were some kind of murderous and arsonist demon.

Factory Director Yang frowned as he listened.

Arguing with an old lady is a waste of time.

He didn't reply, but turned to Li Jianguo.

"Director Li, I trust you. I'm definitely on your side in this matter, don't worry."

Li Jianguo nodded.

He did have a certain degree of goodwill towards this Factory Director Yang.

Then, he gave a cold laugh and looked at the deaf old woman. His smile was as cold as ice shards in the dead of winter.

"Old lady, the timing of your visit is truly perfect."

"You only show up when your precious grandson gets into trouble?"

He raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

"Are you here to help him, or are you worried that something might be exposed?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

A flicker of panic crossed the deaf old woman's eyes, like a mouse whose tail had been stepped on. But she quickly suppressed it and resumed her arrogant, condescending attitude.

But that hint of panic had already caught the attention of many people.

She's better off not saying anything.

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples to spread instantly, one after another.

This opportune moment...

What a coincidence!

The way people looked at the deaf old woman gradually became complicated. Like they were looking at a stranger.

"Grandma, you're not right."

Liu Haizhong was the first to stand up, his belly protruding, his voice loud and clear.

"Bang Geng's arrest is his own fault. How many years has it been since there's been a thief in our compound? Director Li is well-off, but that doesn't give him the right to steal and then arrogantly demand compensation! This logic is simply untenable!"

"that is!"

Xu Damao immediately followed, like a dog that had smelled blood.

"If you ask me, this is entirely your doing targeting Director Li! From the very first day he arrived, the Jia family hasn't had a moment's peace! What, just because you have elders and children, does that give you the right to do whatever you want? I think you're just stirring up trouble even when you're not!"

He had long disliked the Jia family, and he was even more annoyed by the deaf old lady who always sided with Sha Zhu and constantly lectured him.

"Deaf old lady, Sha Zhu isn't your biological grandson, why are you so nervous! Anyone who didn't know better would think you were his grandmother!"

"Xu Damao! Shut up!"

The deaf old woman slammed her cane into the ground, making the ground tremble.

"You're the worst-hearted person in this compound! Pointy-faced and full of wicked schemes!"

"Come on, okay?"

Xu Damao sneered, a mocking smile curving his lips.

"I think you're the most cunning old lady! You're two-faced, saying one thing to someone's face and another behind their back. Who can compare to you?"

The people around couldn't help but whisper among themselves, their voices buzzing like flies.

"Why is this old lady out at this time?"

"Director Li didn't do anything when he came, so why are the Jia family and the deaf old lady so fixated on this?"

"Have you forgotten about the house incident? The deaf old lady let the Jia family occupy the Li family's house. She felt guilty and of course wanted to kick them out."

"It's not just the house... Director Li just said the deaf old lady is hiding something. Could there really be some incriminating evidence?"

These words pierced the deaf old woman's ears like needles pricking her and knives cutting her.

Factory Director Yang was unaware of these intricacies and didn't dare to speak. He simply frowned and watched the farce unfold.

Li Jianguo looked at her with a half-smile, his gaze seemingly able to see through her skin and penetrate to her very bones.

"Grandma, your status as a recipient of the Five Guarantees is fake. Saying these things won't convince anyone. If you make a lie seem true, even the truth will become a lie."

"What?!"

The third uncle was the first to exclaim in surprise, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"The 'Five Guarantees' household registration is fake?!"

Those elderly people receiving the "Five Guarantees" (a government-provided social welfare program for the elderly without family support) receive grain and money from the government every year, and are also cared for. He had been envious for so long but never dared to make a move. The deaf old woman's identity was actually fake? How could that be?

"That can't be, can it?"

Uncle Er also stared at the deaf old lady in disbelief, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

If what Li Jianguo said is true, then this old lady is really capable—she didn't even notice it when they were in the compound! Her acting skills are even better than those on the stage.

"Whether it's true or false, we'll find out by checking."

Li Jianguo spoke with great confidence and his voice was steady and clear.

He knew it was true.

"You foul-mouthed brat! Stop spouting nonsense and slandering people!"

The deaf old woman was furious; her face turned a deep purplish-red, and the veins on her forehead bulged out.

"Director Yang! Is this the kind of person your steel rolling mill director is?! Treating an old woman like this to me, who's almost in her grave, and even slandering me! Tell me, how should we punish him?!"

"this……"

Factory Director Yang looked troubled, his brows furrowed.

Whether the "Five Guarantees" recipient is genuine or not is a very serious matter. He dared not speak rashly before he was certain.

"If you don't punish him today, I'm not done with you!"

The deaf old woman pressed closer, her cane thumping loudly as if striking someone's heart.

"Director Yang, you have to give me an explanation today! Otherwise, I'll go to the neighborhood committee, the district government, and the city government to file a complaint against you!"

Factory Director Yang naturally wouldn't punish Li Jianguo.

"Madam, I don't know whether what Director Li said is true or false. This is not within my scope of work. If you feel that he is slandering you, you can report it to the neighborhood committee and let them investigate."

He kicked the ball away lightly, as if kicking away a stone in his way.

Then, she decisively changed the subject and looked at Yi Zhonghai and the other two.

"I'm here today to resolve your slander against Director Li. I've already explained the solution. As for compensation, you can discuss it yourselves. If you don't pay, we'll call the police immediately! I can call the police car anytime!"

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat, as if a stone had been thrown into a well.

He was terrified that Li Jianguo would expose the fact that he had intercepted He Daqing's money transfer. If that were to come to light, his reputation would be ruined for life.

He gritted his teeth and spoke first.