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

As for how much money Yi Zhonghai took from He Daqing before... that's a story for another time. We can't worry about such trivial matters right now.

"He Daqing won't be back for a few more days, but I can't swallow this anger of seeing Li Jianguo loitering around in the yard."

Jia Dongxu gritted his teeth, his face contorted in pain.

His house was right next to Li Jianguo's, and they saw each other every day. The hatred he felt was burning inside him, and it was driving him crazy.

"We can't just wait around."

The deaf old woman raised her eyelids, and a glint of ruthlessness flashed in her cloudy eyes.

"We need to teach He Daqing a lesson before he comes back."

The group perked up and moved closer.

"How do I do it?"

The deaf old woman didn't speak, but shakily took out a wine pot from the bedside table.

It's ordinary, nothing special.

"This is……?"

Yi Zhonghai took the wine pot and examined it from all angles.

"Mandarin Duck Teapot".

The deaf old woman's voice was low and deep.

"It came from wealthy families in the early days. They would share a pot with two kinds of wine; you would drink water, and he would drink wine. Once he drank, there was no way they couldn't get him drunk."

Yi Zhonghai's eyes widened as he carefully examined the wine pot in his hand, and he couldn't help but swallow.

This is good stuff.

The deaf old lady really hid it well.

"But...but he hates us so much, how could he drink with us?"

Yi Zhonghai frowned again.

Given Li Jianguo's attitude towards them, he wouldn't even bother to drink with them, let alone acknowledge them when they met.

"fool!"

The deaf old woman slapped his arm and glared at him with exasperation.

"Where's your brain? What does someone like Li Jianguo most want to see? He most wants to see us bow down and admit our mistakes in front of him!"

She paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Then we'll admit it."

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

"What? You want me to... apologize to him? Beg him to come drink with me?"

"right."

The deaf old woman nodded.

"You should host a banquet to apologize to him in front of everyone in the ward. I don't believe he'll have the nerve not to come then."

Yi Zhonghai's eyes gradually brightened.

"You're so resourceful! That's a great idea!"

He nodded repeatedly, a smile of excitement spreading across his face.

The group exchanged glances, each seeing expectation in the other's eyes.

They couldn't wait to see Li Jianguo drunk and at their mercy.

Help me up.

The deaf old woman used the edge of the bed to stand up.

"I'll go and invite them myself."

She squinted, a cold smile curving her lips.

"A lady my age like me, coming all the way to invite him for drinks, he can't just turn me away, can he?"

evening.

The setting sun dyed the blue bricks and eaves of the courtyard house a vibrant orange-red.

Li Jianguo pushed his bicycle along the alley, encountering several neighbors along the way. They greeted him with smiles, but their eyes held a hint of caution.

Having gone through so much, the people in the courtyard all looked at him with a certain amount of awe.

As he approached the gate of the courtyard and was about to push the cart inside, two figures suddenly emerged from the doorway and blocked his way.

The deaf old woman, Yi Zhonghai.

People passing by immediately slowed down and peered over.

Li Jianguo stopped and glanced at the two men expressionlessly.

"What's up?"

The deaf old woman smiled broadly, her wrinkles crinkling together.

"Director Li, are you off work? We've been waiting for you here for ages."

She took half a step forward, her tone almost excessively warm.

"We've had some misunderstandings lately, and things haven't been very pleasant. Lao Yi and I were thinking of inviting you for a drink to clear things up. How about tonight?"

Seeing that Li Jianguo's expression was indifferent and he didn't seem inclined to reply, the deaf old woman quickly waved to the crowd of onlookers.

"Everyone is here, so please bear witness. We really want to apologize to Director Li."

People back then had a common problem—they loved to play peacemaker.

Upon seeing an elderly woman with a full head of white hair so humbly offering drinks to someone, someone immediately spoke up.

"Director Li, since the old lady has said so, why don't we go and make a trip?"

"Exactly, have a drink, clear up the misunderstanding, and you can still be good neighbors."

"We all live in the same courtyard, what's there to be upset about? Give us some face."

A cacophony of voices erupted.

Some offered genuine advice, while others were simply there to watch the drama unfold.

A few others, still clear-headed, noticed Li Jianguo's expression and wisely kept quiet.

Li Jianguo stood still, waiting for the voices to gradually fade away before speaking softly.

One word.

"roll."

The deaf old woman's smile froze for a moment, then she showed a hurt expression, her eyes reddening.

"Director Li... how could you do this? We sincerely want to apologize to you..."

Someone nearby couldn't stand it anymore and started whispering.

"This Director Li is really being disrespectful! The old lady is already this old..."

"Yeah, that's a bit much. Even if you're capable, you can't be that arrogant."

"I used to think he was quite amiable, but I never expected..."

The deaf old woman lowered her head and quickly twitched the corner of her mouth.

She knew it.

Li Jianguo is the kind of person who cares most about his reputation.

In front of so many people, she wanted to see how he would save face.

"Director Li."

She looked up, her voice pleading.

"What happened before was indeed our fault. Can you just give us a chance to apologize properly? Even... even just letting us say sorry is enough?"

"Yeah, Director Li, let's go grab a bite to eat. It won't cost you anything."

"Who wouldn't go for a free meal?"

"Go ahead and do it if you dare!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, a half-joking, half-serious jeering.

Li Jianguo stood still, his gaze calmly sweeping across the deaf old woman's face, landing on Yi Zhonghai, and then moving away.

Those noisy sounds seemed to be separated from him by an invisible barrier.

"Don't try any tricks on me."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"A fake 'Five Guarantees' recipient, trying to spend a few more days in jail?"

The deaf old woman's expression changed instantly.

The smile froze on his face, and a hint of panic showed through his wrinkles.

The people around were stunned.

"Fake 'Five Guarantees' recipient? What does that mean?"

"Are there fake 'Five Guarantees' households?"

"Director Li's words...are they just something he made up?"

All eyes fell on the deaf old woman, filled with suspicion and inquiry.

Yi Zhonghai panicked and quickly reached out to shoo away the people next to him.

"Get out of here! What are you doing standing around in front of someone's door? Disperse!"

Li Jianguo didn't look at them again, pushed the cart into the yard, and went straight back to his house.

At the entrance of the courtyard, the deaf old woman stood there, her face ashen, her chest heaving violently.

A breath of stale air stuck in her throat, unable to come up or down, making her vision blur.

"What should we do now about the deaf old lady?"

Yi Zhonghai leaned closer, his face full of tension.

The deaf old woman glared at him fiercely.

"How would I know?"

She gritted her teeth, squeezing out the words through her clenched teeth.

"Go back! Think of another way! I refuse to believe we can't handle a mere brat!"

The two entered the house one after the other.

As soon as the door closed, the deaf old woman couldn't hold back any longer and slammed her hand on the table.

"What the hell! They've got some nerve!"

Yi Zhonghai also sighed and plopped down on the stool.