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

When He Daqing was brought to the deaf old woman's house, the three of them just sat there doing nothing.

The old deaf woman's light bulb was low wattage, casting a dim, yellowish light that made people's faces look like they were covered in lard. The window was a cracked open, and a chicken outside was clucking intermittently, which was quite annoying.

Yi Zhonghai spoke first.

"Daqing, you're finally back." He poured He Daqing a cup of tea and handed him the enamel mug. "It's been so long since we sat down and had a chat."

He Daqing did not accept the tea.

"I never expected this." His voice was low, as if he were gritting his teeth. "So many things have happened while I was away. They're all taking advantage of my absence."

That breath could light a cigarette.

Yi Zhonghai sighed and leaned forward slightly: "Brother He, I'm watching Shazhu. We can't let anyone bully him. You know the Jia family, they don't have that kind of power. This whole thing was orchestrated by Li Jianguo."

He paused, then glanced at the deaf old woman.

The deaf old woman nodded, tapping her cane twice on the ground.

"You have no idea," Yi Zhonghai's tone turned bitter and resentful, "Ever since Li Jianguo came to our compound, he hasn't had a single day of peace. Relying on his position as director and the fact that he developed the engine, Director Yang and the police station are protecting him. As for us—sigh, we're not getting away with this."

As he spoke, he tapped his fingers on his knees, like tapping abacus beads.

In the back-and-forth narration between the deaf old woman and him, Li Jianguo was portrayed as an utterly wicked troublemaker. He was said to have done all sorts of bad things and been involved in all sorts of immoral acts. He Daqing listened without saying a word, only clenching and unclenching his fist repeatedly.

"Take this incident for example," Yi Zhonghai slapped his thigh. "I have no suspicion whatsoever that document is; it's just a pretext he made up to slander us. What document? Who has ever seen it? It's still nowhere to be found!"

"So we're just going to let him do this?" He Daqing finally spoke, his voice suddenly rising, "I'm just going to let him torment my son like this? Now he's almost dead?"

"That's impossible!"

The deaf old woman's voice was so high-pitched and sharp that it scared the chickens outside the window into silencing them.

She leaned forward, her neck stretched out like an old tortoise: "Yi Zhonghai and I have come up with a plan. As long as that kid admits to the slander, Sha Zhu will be fine. Then—the one who'll be in trouble is Li Jianguo!"

He Daqing listened to their plan and nodded.

Throw a banquet, invite the whole courtyard, get him drunk, and try to get information out of him.

"Let's do it that way."

The next morning, Yi Zhonghai went out.

The supply and marketing cooperative bought eggs, meat, and sugar, but that wasn't enough, so they rode their bicycles to the countryside for a while. When they came back, there were two chickens tied to the back of their bicycles, a bag of dried mushrooms, and several bottles of good wine.

He did the math and it came to about two hundred yuan.

In the past, this would have been two months' salary for him. Heartbroken, he stood in the yard for a long time, the sun beating down on his forehead, sweat dripping down his face.

But the thought of making Li Jianguo suffer soon made the money worthwhile.

After most of the residents in the compound had returned from get off work, Yi Zhonghai went door-to-door to invite them. He said he would treat them to a meal as an apology. There were chickens, ducks, and fish left in the yard; everyone saw them and had no reason to refuse. Why wouldn't they eat when there was food available?

As a final step, Yi Zhonghai went to knock on Li Jianguo's door.

"Director Li," he stood at the door, a smile plastered on his face, "I'm treating you to dinner as a formal apology. I've offended you quite a bit recently, so—could you do me the honor of coming?"

That laugh, how should I put it, was like that of a weasel that had stolen a chicken.

The glint in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Li Jianguo leaned against the door frame, looking at him, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

"OK."

Yi Zhonghai breathed a sigh of relief.

He hurried to inform the deaf old woman and the others. Upon hearing the news, the deaf old woman was so excited that she almost tripped and fell, her cane slipping from her grasp.

"It all comes down to tonight!" she said in a low voice, as if she had phlegm in her throat. "We have to use good wine to make him say it himself."

"Of course," Yi Zhonghai nodded. "I spent a lot of money to buy the best wine. We'll toast him together then, and I don't believe we can't get him drunk."

The group looked at each other, their faces bearing similar expressions.

As dusk fell, the courtyard became unusually quiet.

Each household brought out their tables and benches, arranging them in a long row. The tables were laden with food, and the aroma filled the air. The children were the happiest, running around the tables, oblivious to the adults' concerns.

Li Jianguo has arrived.

He found a chair, stretched out his legs, and leaned back against the chair.

Yi Zhonghai picked up his glass and respectfully poured him a drink. Once the glass was full, he raised it and said, "Director Li, we offended you a lot recently; it was our fault. This first drink is to apologize."

An older woman was standing next to him.

The middle-aged woman was usually quiet, but she harbored deep resentment towards Li Jianguo. She was seething with anger when Yi Zhonghai asked her to help with the toasts. Now, holding her wine glass, she spoke in a sarcastic and ambiguous tone.

"Director Li, please forgive our petty offenses. We ordinary folks don't know anything, so if we say something wrong, please just listen and let it go, don't take it to heart."

Li Jianguo glanced at her, then at the glass of wine.

He poured the wine glass onto the ground, and the wine seeped into the soil, creating a few bubbles.

"Is this the sincerity of your apology?"

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

He glared at the middle-aged woman, gritted his teeth, and said in a low voice, "Speak properly!"

Just as the older woman was about to speak, Li Jianguo spoke again.

"Offering a toast as an apology isn't sincere," he said, his voice not loud, but loud enough for the whole hospital to hear. "You should kowtow and apologize."

Yi Zhonghai's face froze.

He had kowtowed to Li Jianguo before, but that was out of necessity. But now, in front of so many people in the entire hospital, he had to take the initiative to treat everyone to a meal and apologize—he couldn't swallow the insult of having to kowtow to such a young man.

"What?" Li Jianguo looked at him. "Didn't you want to apologize? What kind of apology is just offering a toast? Didn't your parents teach you that?"

Yi Zhonghai was put in a difficult position and couldn't back down.

At this moment, the deaf old woman stepped forward.

"Director Li is right," she said slowly, leaning on her cane. "If you're going to apologize, then apologize honestly. It's not too late to offer a toast after you've apologized."

Yi Zhonghai glanced at her.

He gritted his teeth, bent his knees, and knelt down.

Li Jianguo watched them go back and forth and smiled.

"Since the deaf old lady has stepped forward, you should also be included in this apology." He pointed to the deaf old lady, then to the Jia family and He Daqing standing behind her, "and them as well."

He Daqing's anger flared up instantly.

"You little rascal—"

The deaf old woman grabbed him.

"Think of your son!"

He Daqing's words got stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back.

The deaf old woman was the first to put down her cane and kneel down. She knelt slowly, and her whole body swayed when her knees hit the ground.

"Yes, Director Li is right. This old lady will kowtow to you and admit my mistake."

He Daqing gritted his teeth and knelt down as well. The Jia family members looked at each other and then all knelt down.

"sorry."

They knelt there, their heads bowed to the ground.

No one around spoke.

Some people couldn't stand it and turned their heads away. Some people's eyes gleamed with an indescribable light. Others, like Xu Damao, were so excited that their hands were trembling.

He had been bullied in this courtyard for so many years, and now seeing these people kneeling in front of Li Jianguo, he felt incredibly happy.

"Old man," he couldn't help but say, "weren't you just yelling that you'd go against Director Li? How come you're kneeling down now?"

His smug look made everyone around him frown.

"Xu Damao," Yi Zhonghai looked up, "our business with Director Li is none of your concern."

He knelt on the ground, but his gaze towards Xu Damao remained condescending. This guy who used to be too cowardly to utter a sound in front of him now dared to jump out?

"Hey, old man," Xu Damao said unhappily, "do you think you're still the old man of the compound? Don't think too highly of yourself."

Lou Xiao'e tugged at him from behind.

"Alright, what are you doing?"

Xu Damao turned to look at his wife, and snorted, "Fine, I'll listen to you. I'll let him go."

But his gaze clearly showed he wasn't letting it go.

Li Jianguo sat there, legs crossed. He watched these people kneeling, without saying anything about making them get up, just watching them.

After a long while, he finally nodded.

"Get up. I accept this apology."

Yi Zhonghai quickly stood up; his knees were numb from kneeling. Without rubbing them, he picked up the wine pot and poured Li Jianguo another cup.

"Director Li, you should drink this glass of wine."

Li Jianguo picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Yi Zhonghai breathed a sigh of relief and drank the wine in his glass. Only after the wine went down his throat did he realize—he had forgotten to turn on the switch when he poured the wine, and had poured himself wine as well.