The entire courtyard is full of villains

“Dad,” Xu Damao said with a headache, “How did Zhang Erhe get involved in this? What do we do now? Yi Zhonghai isn’t stupid. Once he finds out the child doesn’t look like him, his suspicious eyes will definitely fall on me. What am I going to do?” He was extremely agitated—he had never taken the blame for anyone in his life before, and this was the first time he had to take the blame for his own father.

The father and son discussed it all morning but couldn't come up with a solution, so Xu Damao had no choice but to go home first.

In the days that followed, the father and son asked around about moving to a different house. Although their two side rooms in the courtyard at No. 95 were quite nice, the courtyard was notorious for its troubles, and when they inquired, everyone shook their heads and refused to move.

Xu Damao had no choice but to leave early and return late, trying his best not to show his face in the yard. Fortunately, during this time, Yi Zhonghai was so engrossed in the joy of having a son that he didn't notice anything unusual, which allowed Xu Damao to breathe a sigh of relief.

That morning, Zhang Erhe was slacking off in his office when Li Huaide knocked on the door and came in.

"Erhe".

"Hey, Lao Li." Zhang Erhe quickly pulled the documents on the table closer to him, pretending to be busy.

Li Huaide glared at him: "Stop pretending, you're holding that document upside down."

Zhang Erhe then realized that the document was indeed reversed. He simply stopped pretending, pushed the document aside, and said matter-of-factly, "What are you doing? I'm the head of the purchasing department. I'm exhausted from working on the factory's purchasing every day. What's wrong with taking a break?"

"Alright, alright," Li Huaide waved his hand, "I know you're busy, Section Chief Zhang, I won't bother you. Here." He placed a bunch of keys on Zhang Erhe's desk.

"What is this thing?" Zhang Erhe raised an eyebrow.

"You asked for it yourself, have you forgotten?" Li Huaide said. "The key to that small courtyard next to yours. I had it cleaned up a couple of days ago." As he spoke, he took out a document from his bag. "Sign it, go to the finance department to pay some extra money, and that courtyard is yours."

"That's great!" Zhang Erhe took the keys, glanced at the documents, and readily signed them. "How much more do I need to pay?"

"240 yuan."

"Okay, thanks, Lao Li." Zhang Erhe took the documents and went to the finance department excitedly. The finance department had already received Li Huaide's invitation, and the department head personally accompanied him to complete the formalities.

Having secured the yard, Zhang Erhe left the factory immediately, intending to find Wu Qian—he still needed Wu Qian to find someone to do the yard construction. However, when he arrived at Wu Qian's workplace, he learned that Wu Qian had taken the day off. Zhang Erhe turned his bicycle around and rode towards Wu Qian's house.

Wu Qian's hometown wasn't in Beijing, but in Hongxing Commune on the outskirts, right next to Qin Huairu's family home. In 1946, his father went hunting in the mountains to make a living and never returned. His mother remarried, taking him with her, to a pot mender who frequented the village, and that's how he ended up in Beijing. However, the pot mender already had children, so Wu Qian's life wasn't easy.

After reaching adulthood, Wu Qian ventured out on his own and rented two side rooms in Yuhua Hutong. In 1951, Zhang Erhe advised him to convert the public house to private property, which he did. Later, he listened to Zhang Erhe again and bought jobs for himself and his wife, finally settling down in Beijing.

Zhang Erhe arrived at Wu Qian's door, familiar with the place. After knocking, a somewhat taciturn middle-aged woman opened the door. He took a half step back, looked her over, and asked, "Hello, I'm looking for Wu Qian."

"Wu Qian?" The woman called out nervously, "Qian'er, someone's looking for you!"

"Hey!" came Wu Qian's voice from inside. He rubbed his eyes and came out groggily. When he saw it was Zhang Erhe, he quickly greeted him, "Second Brother!"

"Why didn't you come to work today?" Zhang Erhe asked.

"I went to the black market to buy things last night. It was a lot of trouble, and I was exhausted, so I took the day off," Wu Qian explained.

Seeing that there were people inside, Zhang Erhe called out, "Come outside with me, I have something to say."

"Okay, second brother, I'll put on a coat."

When they reached the alley entrance, Zhang Erhe handed him a cigarette and asked, "Why did you go to the black market again last night?"

"What else could it be for? To buy grain, of course." Wu Qian took the cigarette.

"Grain?" Zhang Erhe frowned. "Didn't I give you grain? Is it not enough? Or did you sell it again?"

"How could that be, Second Brother?" Wu Qian quickly waved his hand. "My sister came to stay with me from our hometown. The grain you gave us, mixed with cornmeal, is enough for our family, but she has two children with her. We can't let them go hungry, can we?"

"Your sister?" Zhang Erhe thought of the woman who had opened the door earlier.

“Yes, my mother left her in the village when she remarried. Later, she got married in the village, but this year the harvest was bad and there wasn’t enough food in the village. My brother-in-law took his child to the Northeast to stay with relatives, and she had no choice but to come to me. We are siblings from the same mother, and I can’t watch her starve to death.” Wu Qian sighed.

Zhang Erhe patted him on the shoulder: "Did you buy it?"

"It's not that easy. Food is so precious right now. I went to several black markets and only managed to buy twelve catties of cornmeal."

"Then why didn't you come to find me?" Zhang Erhe asked with a hint of reproach.

Wu Qian gave a wry smile: "Second brother, the two bags of grain you gave me before were already quite a lot, and besides, you also have to support fourth brother's wife. I can't ask you for everything, can I? These days, you've had it tough too."

"Alright." Zhang Erhe patted him on the shoulder. "Even though I'm having a hard time, I'm still better off than you. Make do with this for now, and I'll get you some more in a couple of days."

"Thank you so much, Second Brother!" Wu Qian wiped his eyes.

"Put your watery things away, you're a grown man," Zhang Erhe scolded.

"Okay, Second Brother," Wu Qian replied, knowing in his heart that his Second Brother was just being affectionate towards him.

"By the way, second brother, what did you want to see me about today?"

Who's a reliable house builder in this area?

"That must be the Lei family, they're famous for their excellent craftsmanship."

"How could I not know?" Zhang Erhe glared at him. "But the Lei family does big projects. I'm just building a little bit. Why would I need to bother them?"

"That's true." Wu Qian nodded, then recommended someone to Zhang Erhe.

Zhang Erhe handed the key to Wu Qian, then took out a drawing he had made himself from his pocket: "Give him the drawing later and ask if it can be built. If it can be built, you can help me with the arrangements."

"Don't worry, I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly for you!" Wu Qian patted his chest and assured him.

Before leaving, Zhang Erhe stopped and turned around: "Qian'er, now that Lao Si is gone, only the three of us brothers are left from our sworn brotherhood. If you have any difficulties, come to your second brother first. Don't be shy, understand?"

"I heard you, Second Brother."

Zhang Erhe came out of Wu Qian's house and pushed his bicycle into the courtyard. When he was almost at the door, he saw a little girl, about the same age as Xiao Yu, wearing a tattered cotton-padded jacket, her feet swollen, wobbling as she moved towards the courtyard. When she was almost at the alley entrance, she finally couldn't hold on and fell down.

Zhang Erhe sighed, went over and helped her up, taking out two steamed buns from his pocket: "Eat up, you'll have more energy after you're full."

Without waiting for the girl to thank him, he got on his bicycle and left—he could save her temporarily, but not forever.

The little girl, clutching the cornbread, stared blankly at his retreating figure. Then, with difficulty, she shuffled into the alley and approached a woman with lifeless eyes. "Mom," she said, "a kind person gave me some cornbread earlier. Have some..."

P.S.: Before I knew it, this book had reached 50 words... Thank you all for your support this past year! Please keep updating and leave five-star reviews!

Chapter 221 Trouble Comes Knocking

"Kind person..." The woman paused for a moment, then finally came to her senses, took her daughter's hand and asked, "Zhao Di, did you thank them?"

“No, I didn’t have a chance to say anything before that uncle rode away on his bicycle.” Zhao Di shook her head.

"Do you remember what that uncle looked like?" the woman quickly asked.

Zhao Di nodded: "It was a tall, big uncle pushing a bicycle."

"That's good..." the woman murmured, but she knew in her heart that even if she knew the person was nearby, she would not be able to repay them in her current state. She ate only half of the two cornbreads herself and gave the remaining one and a half to Zhao Di. She was an adult and could endure hunger, but Zhao Di was a child. If she ate more now, she might be able to hold on for a while longer when they were really desperate.

Watching Zhao Di stuff the last bite of cornbread into her mouth, the woman leaned against the wall and slowly stood up: "Zhao Di, let's go."

Zhao Di grabbed her arm in fear and whispered, "Mom, Dad said Uncle is a heartless man... If you go to see Uncle, don't run away. Give Zhao Di to Uncle to eat. If he eats me, he won't eat you."

Hearing her daughter's sensible yet heartbreaking words, the woman couldn't help but shed tears. The image of her younger brother flashed through her mind—a bully and troublemaker since childhood, a street urchin, uncontrollable by their parents, and only heeded her words. She would never have come to him if she hadn't been desperate.

She made up her mind: she only hoped that her younger brother could adopt Zhaodi; she didn't care what happened to herself, as long as the child could live a good life.

The short journey was extremely difficult for her, not only due to physical exhaustion but also to mental anguish. Over the years, she has returned to this place countless times in her dreams, only to wake up to find tear stains on her pillow.

After finally managing to move to the front door, she looked at the familiar yet more dilapidated gate than she remembered and felt a pang of emotion. The gate was wide open, and she struggled to move inside, but Zhao Di suddenly shrank back, clutching her clothes tightly and refusing to move.

The woman patted Zhao Di's little face, knowing the child was frightened. Zhao Di's father often spoke ill of her uncle in front of her, saying that his leg had been broken by Zhang Erhe, and that if her family dared to show their faces in front of Zhang Erhe, he would break everyone's legs and throw them out of town. His daughter had heard these things since she was little, so naturally she was terrified.

Upon entering the front yard, it was quiet. She looked straight at the east wing; the house was much newer than when she left, presumably renovated by her parents when Erhe got married. Now, she had no choice but to steel herself and lead Zhaodi slowly to the door.

After a long pause, her hand slowly reached out and tapped.

Zhang Erhe had just returned home and was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) playing with Gou Dan after washing his face, while Guan Xue was busy in the kitchen. Hearing a knock at the door, Guan Xue called out, "Jiaojiao!"

Zhang Jiao, who was playing with her younger brother with her father, jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed): "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Go open the door and see who it is."

Zhang Jiao skipped and hopped to the door. As soon as she opened it, she saw a mother and daughter with worn-out clothes and dusty faces. She was so frightened that she shrank back and ran away, shouting, "Daddy, Daddy, there are two strangers at the door!"

Zhang Erhe quickly put Gou Dan on the bed, put on his shoes, and got out of bed. Guan Xue was already at the door. Seeing the mother and daughter, Guan Xue frowned: "You are…"

Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Erhe came out. Zhao Di immediately recognized the uncle who had given her the steamed bun and timidly called out, "Uncle."

Zhang Erhe was somewhat surprised: "How did you find my house?" Then, looking past Zhao Di at the woman, he recognized her at a glance. Instantly, anger surged in his heart, and he asked sharply, "What are you doing here?"

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes, and she choked out, "Erhe, I..."

Zhang Erhe, his eyes red-rimmed, interrupted her: "When my parents passed away, I said that I, Zhang Erhe, have no relatives left! Now, get out immediately, you are not welcome here!"

The woman could no longer hold back and burst into tears. Zhao Di mustered her courage and went to protect her mother, saying timidly, "Uncle, if you want to eat, then eat me. If you eat me, then spare Mom."

"What?" Zhang Erhe was both angry and amused. "Why would I eat a little brat like you?"

Zhang Jiao, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed and tugged at Guan Xue's sleeve: "Mommy, does Daddy want to eat children? Why didn't he eat me before?"

Guan Xue looked at the woman who was crying so hard she could barely breathe, then at Zhang Erhe who was trembling with anger, and then at the heads of people peeking out from the houses outside the courtyard to watch the commotion. She glared at Zhang Erhe, pushed him into the house, and then pulled the woman and Zhao Di inside—she vaguely guessed that this was probably the eldest sister-in-law who had run away from home.

Once inside, Guan Xue sighed as she looked at the mother and daughter, then made two cups of malted milk powder. Zhao Di had never seen this before and stared blankly at the cup. Zhang Jiao also insisted on having a cup and brought it to Zhao Di: "Here, drink it like this, it's very sweet."

Zhao Di dared not move, but kept her eyes fixed on Zhang Erhe.

Zhang Erhe's anger subsided slightly. He looked at the woman and sneered, "What's wrong? You only remembered you have a family now that you've been kicked out?"

"Erhe, I..."

"Alright, stop talking." Zhang Erhe interrupted her. "And don't shed tears in front of me. The tears you're shedding now are all the result of the foolishness you had back then."

The woman's tears stopped abruptly, and she took a deep breath. "Erhe, for the sake of our shared motherhood, I beg you for one thing..."

Zhang Erhe sat there with an air of authority, not uttering a sound.

The woman gritted her teeth and continued, "I only beg you to let Zhao Di stay. She really can't survive with me. If you hadn't given Zhao Di two steamed buns earlier, I'm afraid I wouldn't have even been able to get through this door; I would have starved to death long ago..."

"Fine, fine," Zhang Erhe sneered. "No wonder you never come to my door for ages. You've condescended to come all this way today, so you're here to beg me? But is this the attitude you use when begging?"

With a thud, Zhang Erhe was caught off guard when the woman suddenly kowtowed. He jumped up from his chair, grabbed her, and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?!"

"Erhe, I really have no other choice..." The woman had a miserable smile on her face, "Now I can only kowtow to you..."

Zhang Erhe looked at her, his heart filled with mixed emotions. This older sister used to be so strong-willed, always striving to be the best, excelling in everything, whether it was housework or anything else. He had thought she would marry well, but after meeting the literacy teacher sent by the military control office in 1951, she completely changed. Ignoring her parents' advice, she insisted on marrying him, even accusing them of feudalistic arranged marriages. Later, she ran away under the pretext of going to the toilet, determined to marry that man, and then moved to the western district.

Look at her now, she's completely different from before, even her personality has been worn away.

Seeing that Zhang Erhe didn't speak, the woman thought he wouldn't agree and struggled to kneel before Guan Xue again. Guan Xue quickly helped her up: "What are you doing?"

"You're Erhe's wife, aren't you?" the woman asked, her eyes red. "I know I'm ashamed to ask you for what I did back then, but Zhaodi is innocent, sister-in-law, please, please save Zhaodi..."

Guan Xue was somewhat embarrassed. She knew that her sister-in-law's matter was a knot in Zhang Erhe's heart, so she turned her gaze to him.

Before Zhang Erhe could speak, the woman's body went limp and she fainted—she had been starving for several days and had traveled a long way; she was too emotionally overwhelmed to hold on any longer.

"Damn it!" Zhang Erhe cursed, picked up the woman, and started to walk out.