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

The pent-up frustration from the whole day instantly found an outlet.

"What kind of beast is this?!"

When she swung her cane, every wrinkle on the old woman's face twisted into a fierce knot.

The puppy got hit.

The screams were deafening.

It took two steps back, bared its teeth, and let out a low growl from its throat—a sound only an enraged beast would make, even if it was only a tiny bit loud.

The next second, that dirty shadow darted up.

Before the deaf old woman could swing her sword a second time, a piercing pain shot through her calf.

The dog's teeth pierced through the cotton pants and bit into the flesh.

"ah--!"

She leaned back.

It fell to the ground.

The cane slipped from his hand and struck the blue bricks with a crisp sound.

The puppy released its grip, dodged her wildly waving arms, and leaped onto her.

Four claws were pressing down on her chest.

That dirty dog ​​face came close to her eyes.

The sobbing in his throat turned into a roar.

Then, he bit her arm.

The bone made a creaking sound as it struggled to keep up with the weight in the dog's mouth.

The deaf old woman's screams shattered the tranquility of the entire courtyard.

"What's going on?!"

Yi Zhonghai was the first to rush out.

He lived close to the deaf old woman and had long regarded her as his future security—if he took good care of her, the old woman's house and savings for her funeral would be his sooner or later.

Then he saw the image on the ground.

The pug was riding on the deaf old woman and tearing at her.

The old lady's cotton-padded jacket cuffs were stained dark with blood.

"Where did this stray dog ​​come from!"

Yi Zhonghai grabbed a wooden stick from the door and rushed over.

Just as he raised the stick, three dark figures darted in from outside the courtyard gate.

He didn't have time to react.

He was knocked to the ground.

Three dogs, six eyes, all gleaming with the light of hungry wolves.

They bit him.

Bite his leg.

Bite his arm.

Bit his shoulder.

Cotton fibers fluttered in the air.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Yi Zhonghai's screams and the deaf old woman's screams mingled together, exploding in the air above the courtyard.

"Help! Someone, come here!"

The beams of flashlights shone from each room.

The sound of hurried footsteps grew louder as they approached.

The four dogs, seeing the figures emerging, almost simultaneously released their grip.

They tucked their tails between their legs and disappeared into the night.

Only two people remained in the courtyard, lying on the ground, panting.

Yi Zhonghai's cotton-padded jacket was torn to shreds, his arms were covered in bloody welts, and the legs of his cotton-padded trousers were bitten open, revealing his bloody and mangled calves underneath.

The deaf old woman was in an even worse situation than him.

He was curled up on the ground, trembling all over, blood dripping from his arms onto the blue bricks.

"Oh my goodness, what happened?"

The second uncle shone his flashlight over.

The beam of light swept over the injuries on the two men, causing them to gasp in shock.

"Quick, carry it inside!"

Several strong laborers stepped forward and lifted the two men up with their bare hands.

The deaf old woman's screams never stopped.

With each movement, the sound rises one degree.

"Gently! Gently! You're going to break these old bones of mine!"

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth, his face turning red, and didn't utter a sound.

The room was dimly lit.

When they pulled back the cotton-padded coat to check the injury, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The winter coat was thick, so although the dog's teeth bit into it, the injury wasn't too deep.

The blood looks scary, but it's all just superficial wounds.

"It needs to be taken to the vet; who knows if this stray dog ​​has rabies?"

Someone made a suggestion, and it was immediately responded to.

Uncle Er hitched up the cart and lifted the two men onto it.

Several strong young men pulled him along and ran to the hospital.

The courtyard fell silent again.

But the people didn't disperse.

They gathered in twos and threes, their voices low, but they couldn't hide their schadenfreude.

"How did these two end up attracting dogs?"

"I saw it."

The third uncle's daughter-in-law lowered her voice, but her eyes shone brightly.

"The little dog came in and didn't do anything, it just ran towards the old lady. Without saying a word, the old lady swung her cane at it. How could the dog not bite her?"

"He deserved it!"

"That old man was really unlucky. He didn't do anything, rushed up to help, and ended up being surrounded and bitten by three dogs."

"Bad luck?"

Some people sneered.

"I don't think so. I used to think that old man was a good person, but look at what he's done now. He helped Sha Zhu frame Director Li. Does he dare to say he didn't know about this? Even God couldn't stand it."

"Yeah, serves them right."

"Tsk, those two, they used to be the boss in the yard, but now? They're hated by everyone."

The murmurs drifted through the night.

No one felt sorry for the two injured people.

As soon as the morning light climbed over the wall, smoke began to billow from the chimney in the yard.

The cook is cooking.

Washing up.

Those who needed to go to work were getting ready to leave.

Then two uniformed police officers stepped into the courtyard.

"Hey, officer, what brings you here again?"

Xu Damao just came out of the house.

His eyes lit up, and he eagerly went to greet him.

The police recognized his face.

The two of them were the ones who took Sha Zhu away last night.

"He Yuzhu revealed some new information."

One of the police officers said.

"We're here to arrest someone today."

Xu Damao's eyes widened instantly.

"You actually have accomplices?! Who are you arresting? Who are you two arresting?"

"Qin Huairu, are you home?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! She was fighting with her mother-in-law this morning!"

Xu Damao was so excited his voice cracked.

He turned and ran towards the backyard, shouting as he ran:

"Qin Huairu! The police are here to see you!"

That shout brought everyone out of the courtyard.

Wow, this is going to be lively today.

Someone stood at the door with a rice bowl in hand, chopsticks still holding pickled vegetables, but their eyes were fixed on the direction of the backyard.

"Yesterday a dog bit someone, today the police arrested someone; our compound has become a stage for a farce."

When Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi rushed out of the house, their faces still bore red marks from the fight.

Upon seeing the police, Qin Huairu's face turned deathly pale.

Jia Zhangshi paused for a second.

Then he rushed up and stood in front of his daughter-in-law.

"Officer, what did my daughter-in-law do wrong? What right do you have to arrest her?"

"Madam, let's handle this officially. Someone has reported that Qin Huairu was involved in framing someone, and we need to take her back for investigation."

"What? Framed?"

Jia Zhangshi's voice could lift the roof off.

"Her? You must be mistaken. She's a widow with three children to support. How could she possibly have that kind of ability?"

"We have witnesses and testimonies. Please cooperate."

The policeman's face was as stiff as frozen iron.

"If you obstruct me, that's obstructing official business, and you'll be taken away with you."

Jia Zhangshi opened her mouth, then closed it again.

My mind raced: Stop them? If I stop them, they'll all go in together? Who's going to take care of Banggeng? Who's going to take care of Xiaodang? Who's going to take care of Huaihua? Who's going to take care of my paralyzed son in the hospital?

She took a step back.

Qin Huairu was trembling all over.

"I didn't... I'm innocent... Mom, Mom, please save me..."

Tears streamed down my face.

"You weren't involved? Then how did your underwear end up in Sha Zhu's hands?"

Someone in the crowd spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"Exactly! Could that dimwitted Zhu have come up with the idea of ​​framing Director Li? I think someone's pulling the strings behind the scenes!"

"Tsk tsk, she always pretends to be so pitiful, but she's actually the most vicious one."

"That's right, she completely fooled Sha Zhu. Give him some underwear and she'll make him commit murder and arson. This woman is truly terrifying."

Qin Huairu lowered her head, wishing she could bury her face in her chest.

When the handcuffs were put on, she went limp.

He was dragged away by the police.

"Mother--!"

Xiao Dang rushed out of the house.

Her small body chased after Qin Huairu, her voice so shrill it could pierce eardrums.

"Mommy, don't go! Mommy!"

Someone stopped her and pulled her into their arms.

The little girl was sobbing uncontrollably, but her eyes were fixed on the receding figure.

Jia Zhangshi plopped down on the ground, slapped her thigh, and started wailing:

"Why is my life so miserable?! God, please take me away! My son is paralyzed, my wife has been arrested, leaving me, an old woman, and three children. How am I supposed to live?!"

The howling was deafening.

But there were only a few tears.

Someone couldn't bear to watch and stepped forward to take the two children away.

Wipe the baby's face, feed the adult.

"Aunt Zhang, stop crying! Your two children are counting on you. What will they do if you collapse?"

Jia Zhangshi's wailing subsided a little.

He was helped into the house.

Most of the people in the courtyard had left.

Those who are supposed to go to work should go to work, and those who are supposed to do their jobs should do their jobs.

Li Jianguo happened to witness this scene when he pushed his bicycle out the door.

He glanced in the direction of the Jia family's house but said nothing.

He got on the car and drove off.

Steel rolling mill.

The machines hummed in the workshop, and the workers were all at their posts.

Sha Zhu's seat was empty.

Yi Zhonghai was engrossed in his work, his face expressionless.

"Hey, why isn't Sha Zhu here today?"

Someone came over and asked.

No one answered.

Xu Damao didn't care about any of that.

Whenever someone asks, he will tell the story vividly, continuing until his throat is parched.

"He was arrested last night! Framed! He was accused of having an affair with someone using women's underwear! And now it's out!"

"Huh? Sha Zhu would do something like that?"

"Of course it's true! I saw the police take him away with my own eyes!"

"Tsk tsk, I never would have guessed. She seems so silly usually, but she's got a wicked streak inside her?"

"That's great, our factory is going to have a convict."

The murmurs swarmed through the workshop like locusts.

Director Yang arrived at the office early in the morning.

He called Li Jianguo over and asked him in detail about what happened last night.

After listening, he leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply.

"What on earth is He Yuzhu thinking? Why not live a normal life instead of resorting to crooked means? Now he's reaping what he sowed."

Li Jianguo remained silent.

At noon, the news arrived.

The police came to the factory and informed them of the outcome in person.

After hearing this, Director Yang gasped.

"ten years?"

"Yes. He Yuzhu intended to spread rumors about a national-level engineer, which is extremely egregious. Although no serious consequences resulted, the leadership instructed that he must be severely punished to prevent capable people from being discouraged."

Factory Director Yang remained silent for a few seconds.

nod.

"Of course. If it were me, I'd want to kill that kind of person too."

After the police left, the news spread like wildfire, reaching the entire factory in just ten minutes.

The cafeteria was in an uproar.

"Have you heard? Sha Zhu got ten years in prison!"

"Ten years?! What did he do to deserve such a heavy sentence?"

"I heard they're going to target Director Li, framing him with women's underwear to accuse him of having an affair with a widow."

"Director Li? With that Qin Huairu? Are you kidding me? Director Li would be interested in her?"

"Who can argue with that? But that woman has completely fooled Sha Zhu."

"Serves them right! Director Li has done so many good things for our factory, and they want to ruin him? They're so heartless!"

Surrounded by the crowd, Xu Damao, his voice hoarse, was still speaking:

"You didn't see it, what a scene it was last night. The police came straight to our door, and Sha Zhu turned pale..."

He spoke with great enthusiasm.

When he got excited, he gestured wildly.

During the meal, he asked for more rice three times, eating twice the usual amount.

During the lunch break, a factory-wide meeting was held in the square.

The dense crowd huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

"Why are we having a meeting in the middle of the day?"

"It's all because of that idiot Zhu thing."

"Oh, I heard he was sentenced to ten years?"

"Yes, ten years. This guy's finished."

Factory Director Yang stepped onto the stage and raised his hand to press down.

The crowd quieted down.

"Today, the police came to the factory to inform us of the outcome of the investigation into Comrade He Yuzhu."

His voice was deep, and his gaze swept over every face in the audience.

"I think everyone has heard about it."

He paused, then continued:

"This is an extremely bad thing. The lesson it teaches us is extremely profound."

"We all work in the same factory. No matter what conflicts or grudges we have, we can't do anything illegal! We can't frame others!"

"Gossip is a fearsome thing, comrades. A single word can ruin a person. He Yuzhu wants to use such despicable means to destroy an engineer who has made great contributions to the country. What kind of behavior is this?"

He slammed his hand on the table.

There was a loud cracking sound.

The audience was silent.

"He's destroying the foundation of the nation! He's a sinner against the country! I'm so glad this didn't happen, so glad Comrade Li Jianguo wasn't ruined by him. Otherwise, we would have lost a great inventor, a great scientist, a talent who would have provided invaluable assets for the nation's development!"

Factory Director Yang's eyes reddened.

The workers below the stage stared at him in a daze.

They knew Li Jianguo was working on an important project, but it was far removed from their lives, and they didn't know how important it was.

Now, they seem to understand a little.