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

It was Xiao Dang who came out.

"Grandpa Yi, is something the matter?"

Xiao Dang had disheveled hair and was covered in stains.

There are patches on my clothes here and there, and I don't know what they are.

Seeing him approach, her eyes showed a hint of surprise.

The look in his eyes was as if he had seen a savior.

"Where's your grandma?"

Yi Zhonghai didn't notice Xiao Dang's pleading look.

As soon as he entered, he started looking for Jia Zhangshi.

The room was a mess.

Clothes were piled up haphazardly on the kang (a heated brick bed).

There were still unwashed dishes and chopsticks on the ground.

An indescribable smell wafted over.

"Grandma went to the hospital to take care of Dad. It's just my sister and me at home. Does Grandpa need to see Grandma? I can tell her when she gets back."

Little Dang is very well-behaved.

While speaking, his eyes kept glancing into the room.

Just then, the sound of my younger sister crying came from inside the house.

Waaaaah, heartbreaking.

She rushed inside to take care of her younger sister.

One child is taking care of an even younger child.

The two people depended on each other for survival, and there wasn't a single adult in the house.

Yi Zhonghai stood at the door, watching this scene unfold.

I felt a little uneasy.

He sighed.

"This Jia Zhangshi... she doesn't even care about her two granddaughters anymore? She's really heartless."

He shouted into the house.

"I'm fine now. Take good care of your sister. If anything happens, just call out in the yard and we'll ask for help."

A muffled reply came from inside.

Yi Zhonghai turned and left.

Back in the deaf old woman's house.

"Mrs. Jia said she went to the hospital to take care of Jia Dongxu."

"Pooh!"

The deaf old woman spat.

He let out a cold laugh.

"Coward. Running away now is quite clever."

She immediately guessed what Jia Zhangshi was thinking.

Jia Zhangshi must be afraid that she broke her leg.

Whether it's losing money or putting in effort, Jia Zhangshi certainly wouldn't be willing.

Afraid of her making a scene, he simply ran to the hospital to hide.

They left the two children at home.

The deaf old woman wanted the two children to help her.

But if she actually did that, everyone in the compound would despise her.

Besides, what can those two little brats, who aren't even as tall as a table leg, do to help her?

Cleaning up excrement and urine?

Don't even think about it.

The deaf old woman suppressed her anger.

He turned his head and glanced at Li Jianguo's room.

Through the window, I could see shadowy figures over there.

"Since Jia Zhangshi isn't here, let's go find Li Jianguo. This matter of my injury is something we can't get back at him. If he doesn't help now, who will?"

Yi Zhonghai wanted to offer some words of advice.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.

On second thought, there aren't many people in this compound who can take care of a deaf old lady.

If he gets dragged into this in the end, then things will get really troublesome.

Taking care of an elderly woman who is paralyzed from the waist down and unable to move in bed can be incredibly difficult.

They cleaned up after the feces and urine, wiped the body, and fed the child.

You have to keep watch over it all day long.

What's more, this is an easy-going person.

"Then you wait here. I'll go find him."

He preferred to visit Li Jianguo rather than face the deaf old woman.

At least, I don't have to smell that odor.

-

Li Jianguo ate breakfast and cleaned up the dishes.

I'm getting ready to leave for work.

Just as I stepped out the door, I bumped into Yi Zhonghai, who was walking towards me.

"Director Li, please wait a moment!"

Yi Zhonghai called out to him.

But when he actually met Li Jianguo's eyes, he suddenly felt a little uneasy.

Those eyes were so bright.

It was so bright it seemed you could see right through his thoughts.

"What's up?"

Li Jianguo looked at him expressionlessly.

His gaze was calm, yet it carried an invisible sense of oppression.

This person suddenly appearing can't be anything good.

"Indeed... there is something I would like to ask Director Li for a favor."

Yi Zhonghai originally planned that after arriving, he would feel confident enough to have Li Jianguo go to the deaf old woman's house to take care of her.

But when we were face to face, I just couldn't bring myself to say it.

He had a premonition that if he said those words today, nothing good would come of it.

Who knows, he might get a good beating.

He felt a chill run down his spine when he thought of Li Jianguo's fighting prowess.

This person doesn't hold back at all when he hits someone.

It's very solid from the start.

Moreover, they specifically target areas that are not easily injured but are extremely painful.

He had already experienced it before.

I don't want to experience that again.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Yi Zhonghai abruptly changed his wording.

"It's like this, Director Li. The deaf old lady is sick and is recuperating at home. I was thinking that everyone should contribute money or help her if they have the means. The old lady lives alone, without any children or relatives, and apart from us neighbors, there's no one else who can help her."

"so what?"

Li Jianguo looked down at him.

A hint of mockery played at the corners of his mouth.

"Are you trying to get me to pay?"

No...that's not what I meant.

Yi Zhonghai felt a sudden panic.

He was so nervous that he kept rubbing his hands together.

This feeling is like going back to my youth, when I was embarrassed in front of my master.

At a loss, I forgot how to even begin to explain myself.

"It's just...we wanted Director Li to do his part. After all, we're all from the same compound. We can't just watch the deaf old lady die in her house without anyone caring, can we?"

After he finished speaking, he looked at Li Jianguo nervously.

Waiting for him to speak.

At this time, people who were preparing to leave for work gradually came out.

Pushing a bicycle.

Carrying a lunchbox.

They walked towards the gate of the courtyard in twos and threes.

Yi Zhonghai rolled his eyes and simply called everyone to a halt.

"The deaf old lady is sick! We're all from the same compound, shouldn't we all think about it? Whether it's contributing money or effort, let's all help out. We're all neighbors, we can't be so heartless and cold-blooded!"

His voice was quite loud; it could be heard throughout half the courtyard.

The group stopped and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Didn't we already donate money yesterday? Isn't that enough?"

Someone spoke up impatiently.

Everyone is incredibly busy these days.

If you don't work, you won't have food to eat.

Who has the time or inclination to take care of an old lady who has absolutely no connection to them?

If the deaf old lady is usually well-liked, always helping others and living a peaceful life, then it's only right that the neighbors lend a hand.

But after this period of time, who can't see what kind of person the deaf old woman is at heart?

Insidious, mean, and calculating.

Who would want to associate with someone like that?

In this situation, there are fewer people willing to take action.

The crowd looked at each other.

No one said a word.

Yi Zhonghai's face gradually froze.

Li Jianguo stood quietly at the very edge of the crowd.

The slight curve at the corner of her mouth was so faint it was almost invisible.

But if you look closely, there's something hidden in that smile, something chilling.

His gaze swept past each head and landed on the tightly closed door.

So many years have passed.

That old woman acts like she's the Empress Dowager, living like a big shot in this courtyard.

When it really comes to this, it's just a pile of rotten mud, stinking to high heaven.

Deserve it.

They stretched their arms out so far back then, their hearts were stained with darkness, they should have known this day would come.

In the center of the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai stood there.

For the first time in his life, he faced this silence.

It wasn't just ordinary silence.

It's the kind of thing that can bury people alive.

No one spoke.

Nobody was looking at him.

Those gazes swept over him as if they were sweeping over a wisp of air.

Or, to put it another way, it's like sweeping through a pile of stinking garbage.

In the past, when these people saw him, they would all bow and scrape, respectfully calling him "Grandpa".

What now?

He saw clearly what was in those eyes.

estranged.

cold.

There's also something that can't be hidden, that kind of "I'm laughing at you" attitude.

Those gazes fell upon him like rusty, dull knives, cutting him bit by bit.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

Yi Zhonghai swallowed a mouthful of something fishy and sweet.

He turned his head and looked towards the room where the deaf old woman lived.

The door was closed tightly.

But the smell had already seeped out.

The stench of excrement and urine, mixed with the decaying smell of the old man, was like countless invisible worms crawling out through the cracks in the door, burrowing into his nose, and coiling around his internal organs.

His eyes darkened.

This time, we have to drag these people down with us no matter what.

He absolutely cannot take care of that old man who is paralyzed in bed and cannot even take care of his own bodily functions.

That's not a job for a human being.

Besides, that old woman is very difficult to please.

They scolded him when the water was too hot, and they scolded him when the water was too cold.

From morning till night, there's never a moment's peace.

A thought flashed through my mind—if only Sha Zhu were here.

That dimwit will definitely do all the work by himself.

Who gave him the right to worry about this?

No sooner had this thought arisen than another, even darker one emerged.

Why not just leave the old lady there?

Anyway, I won't live for more than a few days.

But as soon as the thought popped into his head, he ruthlessly suppressed it.

No.

He still needs this old man to deal with Li Jianguo.

The old lady was dying, and he couldn't possibly defeat that little beast by himself.

How many setbacks has he suffered lately?

Every time, they ended up getting bruised and battered by Li Jianguo.

I've never won.

Not even once.

This time, it has to succeed no matter what.

It's not too late for this old lady to die after Li Jianguo dies.

By then, won't he be in complete control of everything in this courtyard?

Take a deep breath.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he forced a flattering smile onto his face.

The smile on his face looked like it was covered with a layer of cheap paste.

"I didn't intend for anyone to pay."

His voice was hoarse, revealing an unprecedented humility.

"Let me finish what I have to say, okay?"

Even he himself felt unfamiliar with those words.

In the past, he wouldn't have needed to do this.

He was always the one giving orders from his superior position, while others listened with their heads bowed.

It's all because of that bastard Li Jianguo.

Because of him, none of these people listen to him anymore.

These days, you have to be humble and consult with everyone to get anything done.

Especially those two old geezers, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui.

Not only do they not speak up for us, they also hold us back at every turn.

Incompetent bungler.

Do they really think that once Yi Zhonghai steps down, it will be their turn to manage this compound?

joke.

As long as Li Jianguo is still alive, these old folks have no right to speak in this courtyard.

As long as Li Jianguo lives, no one can expect to live a peaceful life.

A bunch of idiots.

They can't even tell the real enemy from the real one.

"Speak your mind, or shut up."

Yan Bugui's voice boomed from the crowd, carrying undisguised disdain.

"Everyone's busy, no one has time to waste with you."

Who isn't busy every day?

Everyone has to go to work to earn money and support their families.

Who has the time to hold large meetings every day?

Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath.

He forcefully suppressed the anger that was rising in his throat.

"There are quite a few people in our compound."

He spoke in a very low voice, as if he were discussing something with someone.

"The deaf old lady has no children, so I was thinking that everyone should lend a hand. We could take turns caring for her, one family at a time. What do you think?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the expressionless faces.

Afraid that others might disagree, he quickly added another sentence.

"Don't worry about the money. The old lady has some savings, plus the monthly subsidy from the neighborhood committee, it's enough. We just want everyone to lend a hand."

The words fell.