The entire courtyard is full of villains

As soon as she entered the house, Tan Saihua knelt down with a thud, pleading in a tearful voice, "Old lady, please have mercy and save Zhonghai!"

Grandma Long's eyes sharpened, and she demanded sternly, "Why was Yi Zhonghai arrested? Didn't he tell you?"

“He said…it was because of those neighbors, the ones who were evicted before,” Tan Saihua murmured in reply.

"Hmph." Old Mrs. Long scoffed, her face full of disbelief. "That little thing, and they can arrest him? I don't believe it. Saihua, have you two been doing something else behind my back?"

"No, ma'am!" Tan Saihua hurriedly kowtowed and assured him, "It's because of those things, Zhonghai told me himself, there really is nothing else!"

Grandma Long squinted, her brows furrowed, pondering repeatedly: Where exactly did things go wrong?

"Bang bang—" Two urgent knocks sounded on the door.

Tan Saihua and Grandma Long exchanged a glance, their hearts tightening. She mustered her courage and called out towards the door, "Who is it? Who is it?"

"It's me, open the door!" came an impatient woman's voice from outside the door.

Tan Saihua didn't dare to delay and hurriedly opened the door. Upon seeing who it was, she panicked and exclaimed, "Director Wang, what brings you here?"

"Hmph, is Tong Yuxiang inside?" Director Wang frowned, his tone full of gloom.

"Who?" Tan Saihua didn't react for a moment and asked instinctively.

Director Wang suddenly realized his slip of the tongue, his expression changed slightly, and he quickly corrected himself: "Is Old Madam Long inside?"

"Yes, yes, the old lady is inside."

Before she could finish speaking, Director Wang shoved Tan Saihua aside and barged into the house. Seeing her storm in, Old Mrs. Long suppressed her unease and forced a calm demeanor, asking, "Young Wang, what's going on here...?"

"Tan Saihua, I have something to say to Grandma Long. You can go out now," Director Wang interrupted her, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Oh, oh, oh," Tan Saihua responded meekly, and left without looking back, completely forgetting that this was originally her home.

With no outsiders in the room, Old Mrs. Long asked with a stern face, "Xiao Wang, what's wrong? Why are you so angry?"

"How dare you call me 'Little Wang'?" Director Wang sneered, his tone full of sarcasm.

Old Mrs. Long's face darkened, and her tone turned cold: "Director Wang, since that's the case, why don't you just say it directly? What brings you here?"

"Don't call me Director Wang anymore." Director Wang clenched his fists tightly, his voice trembling. "The district government issued a notice today that I've been demoted to a clerk!"

"What?!" Old Mrs. Long's composure crumbled instantly. "You...you've been demoted? Isn't your third uncle the deputy district head of Dongcheng District? How could he..."

"Thanks to my third uncle," Director Wang—who should now be called Clerk Wang—nodded with a grim expression, "if it weren't for his intervention, I would have had to pack up and go to the Northwest to plant trees today!"

"Is this really that serious?" Old Mrs. Long frowned.

"Serious? You still don't think it's serious?" Clerk Wang raised his voice, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"So what if they just chased away a few peasants?" Old Mrs. Long still didn't take it seriously.

"Ha, Tong Yuxiang, it seems you're truly confused!" Clerk Wang sneered, took two steps forward, and lowered his voice, "Let me tell you, this is a big deal—Yi Zhonghai is a spy!"

"What?!" Old Mrs. Long suddenly stood up, leaning on her cane, her face ashen. "What...what did you say? Yi Zhonghai is a spy?"

"Are you really unaware or just pretending?" Clerk Wang's eyes showed even deeper suspicion.

"I really didn't know!" Old Mrs. Long was so anxious that she almost swore an oath. "When the couple came to rent the house in 46, I thought they were honest enough, so I rented it to them first. Later, Tan Zaihua came to take care of me every day, and after a while, I sold the house to them."

“Alright,” Clerk Wang replied, but a strange light flashed in the corner of her eye, it was hard to tell whether she believed it or not. She paused, then added, “I thought it was your son who sent Yi Zhonghai and his wife to serve you.”

"What do you mean, my son sent him away?" Old Madam Long retorted instinctively, then stared intently at Clerk Wang, saying each word clearly, "Clerk Wang, what exactly do you mean by 'son'? I'll say it again, I have no son. Everyone knows I was brought in by Master Long in a sedan chair, and I've never had any children in my life, so how could I have a son?"

Clerk Wang felt a pang of unease under her gaze, and swallowed the words that were about to come out. The room fell silent instantly, and after a long while, she said in a deep voice, "Tong Yuxiang, you'd better remember what you said today."

Grandma Long closed her eyes, raised her hand and gently tapped the ground with her cane, and asked, "What exactly happened to Yi Zhonghai?"

Clerk Wang cleared his throat and replied, "He was reported to the Dongcheng Branch Bureau by an anonymous tip-off, who said he was a hidden reactionary spy."

"Just a letter of complaint, is it really necessary to make such a fuss?" Old Mrs. Long frowned, her tone full of confusion. "Is there something else inside...?"

“It wasn’t just a letter,” Officer Wang sighed. “I heard the letter also included crucial evidence, practically irrefutable proof. Fortunately, the Public Security Bureau received feedback from Shenyang that Yi Zhonghai was just an ordinary fitter at the machinery factory there, and no trace of espionage was found. Otherwise, do you think he could have been released so easily? And why would I have only received a simple demotion?”

Chapter 26 You Dare to Hit Me

Silence fell over the room. Old Mrs. Long frowned but didn't reply. Clerk Wang looked resentful, his face contorted: "I was supposed to get a promotion at the end of this year, but now you've implicated me, I've been disciplined and demoted, my life is ruined."

As she spoke, she suddenly stood up, as if she had made a great decision, and stared at Old Madam Long: "Tong Yuxiang, I have now repaid the kindness you showed me back then. Don't look for me again, and I will pretend that I never knew you. May you both live in peace."

"Wang Qiuju, this isn't something I did to implicate you," Old Mrs. Long said in a deep voice.

"Not you?" Clerk Wang glared at her hatefully. "Didn't you bring Yi Zhonghai? If you hadn't gotten involved, would I have been able to kick those people out for him? You, Tong Yuxiang, should be grateful!"

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, and her pace quickened: "Over the years, I've helped you get the five guarantees, helped you conceal your social class, and done every single thing for you. If you ask me, I've already repaid you enough for the favors I owe you!"

Grandma Long tightened her grip on her cane, her face expressionless as she quietly watched her, the air in the room seeming to freeze.

"Tong Yuxiang, you'd better watch yourself from now on." After saying this, Clerk Wang got up, opened the door, and was about to leave.

With a "thud," Tan Saihua stumbled in from the doorway. "Director Wang, I didn't..."

Clerk Wang gave Old Lady Long a disdainful smile and walked away without looking back.

Tan Saihua got up from the ground and looked at Old Madam Long: "Old Madam..."

"Help me back!"

Grandma Long's voice remained calm and composed, but Tan Saihua could detect a subtle hint of weariness in it.

Meanwhile, Zhang Erhe was sunbathing in the yard as usual. He watched Tan Saihua help Old Lady Long into the house first, followed by Director Wang, and the argument quickly ended in a quarrel. Judging from this incident, it seemed to have created a rift in their relationship, and the corners of his narrowed eyes curved slightly. "Isn't that Wang guy known for covering things up? Why couldn't he cover it up this time?"

"Dad." Seeing the smile on his face, the little girl Zhang Jiao carefully moved closer.

"What?" Zhang Erhe asked slowly and deliberately.

"Um... could I have another candy from yesterday?"

Zhang Erhe opened his eyes, and Zhang Jiao was startled by his gaze, taking a step back: "I...I don't want it anymore."

What do you need candy for?

"I...I want to give it to Xiaoyu at the door."

Zhang Erhe turned his head and asked Guan Xue, who was washing clothes, "Who is Xiaoyu?"

“She’s Grandpa Li’s granddaughter by the door, a year older than Jiaojiao. The two kids often play together,” Guan Xue replied.

"Oh." Zhang Erhe leaned back in his recliner, took two candies out of his pocket, and tossed them to Zhang Jiao. "Take them and get lost."

Zhang Jiao carefully picked up the candy and ran off happily to find Xiao Yu.

Guan Xue noticed this and said softly, "Erhe, your attitude towards Jiaojiao is much better now."

"Enough with all that nonsense," Zhang Erhe retorted, but inwardly he felt a slight chill—it seemed his change had been a bit too rapid.

“No matter what, he’s still a member of the Zhang family. Even if we raise a cat or dog, we know to treat it well sometimes,” Zhang Erhe said in a muffled voice.

"Erhe, you have a sharp tongue but a soft heart," Guan Xue said softly.

Zhang Erhe, unusually, didn't refute. Bathed in the warm sun, he lay on the chair and unknowingly fell asleep.

"Wah—" The cries of two little girls suddenly rang out. Zhang Erhe opened his eyes abruptly, and Guan Xue had already rushed over.

"Jiaojiao, what's wrong?" Guan Xue helped Zhang Jiao, who was crying and covering her forehead.

"Mom, the stick hit me," Zhang Jiao sobbed.

Zhang Erhe stretched and stood up. At this moment, Qin Huairu led Banggeng in. Banggeng was holding candy in his hand and making a face at Zhang Jiao.

Guan Xue frowned: "Qin Huairu, what exactly happened?"

Qin Huairu glanced at the door and, seeing that Zhang Erhe didn't move, explained, "Guan Xue, it's just that Bang Geng wanted to play with the girls and accidentally bumped into Zhang Jiao. You can go back and get a towel to soothe her." She knew that Zhang Erhe looked down on his good-for-nothing daughter and had always been jealous of Guan Xue's beauty. Seeing that Zhang Erhe didn't react, her tone became cold.

"Mommy, Banggeng snatched my candy. When I refused, he hit me with stones! I don't want to play with him. I want to play with Sister Xiaoyu." Zhang Jiao cried even more aggrievedly.

Guan Xue looked at the red mark on her daughter's forehead and felt heartbroken: "Qin Huairu, how old is your Banggeng? Why does he still bully people like this every day?"

“Guan Xue,” Qin Huairu glanced at Zhang Erhe again, and seeing that he still didn’t move, she became more confident, “Bang Geng is a boy after all, and he will be the head of the family in the future. Isn’t it normal for him to be a little naughty when he is young? Unlike your Jiao Jiao, who will eventually get married.

Before she could finish speaking, Jia Zhangshi came running out: "Qin Huairu, why do I hear the child crying? Is Banggeng being wronged?"

Banggeng, holding up the candy, shouted, "Grandma, I stole the little rascal's candy!"

"Bang Geng is such a good boy!" Jia Zhangshi beamed, then turned to Guan Xue and said sarcastically, "Sister-in-law, what's the big deal about a child fighting over candy? Bang Geng is a boy, unlike your good-for-nothing..."

"So what if she's a money-loser?" Zhang Erhe walked over lazily. "No matter how much of a money-loser she is, she's still a member of the Zhang family."

“Jia Zhangshi, you have to consider the owner before you beat a dog.” Zhang Erhe’s eyes darkened. “Even if I look down on this good-for-nothing, it’s not your place to bully her in front of me.”

"Erhe, it was our fault..." Qin Huairu said awkwardly, quickly pushing the stick, "Quickly give the candy back to Zhang Jiao!"

"I won't give it to you!" Bang retorted, his neck stiff. "Didn't Grandma say that whoever grabs it first keeps it?"

Seeing Zhang Erhe's face growing increasingly grim, Qin Huairu quickly snatched the candy from Banggeng's hand and gave it to Guan Xue, saying, "Giving the candy back to you was our fault."

Banggeng, whose candy was stolen, immediately lay down on the ground and started throwing a tantrum, yelling, "Old Jia, come quick! They stole my candy! Come and chase them away!" He looked exactly like a miniature version of Jia Zhangshi.

Zhang Erhe looked at her with great interest: "Jia Zhangshi, your family's ability to throw tantrums seems to be inherited."

He turned to Zhang Jiao: "You little money-loser, come here."

Zhang Jiao subconsciously stepped back, glanced at Guan Xue, and only slowly walked over after seeing her mother nod encouragingly.

Zhang Erhe bent down and asked, "Does it hurt?"

"pain……"

What would you do if he hit you?

Zhang Jiao clenched her little fists: "I...I want to fight back!"

“Okay.” Zhang Erhe walked to the woodpile, picked up a dry wooden stick about fifty or sixty centimeters long, handed it to Zhang Jiao, and pointed to the stick stick lying on the ground, “Go, beat him up.”

"I'll give you two candies after you're done," he added.

"Hmm!" Zhang Jiao nodded, as if encouraging herself, and raised the wooden stick to strike the stem.

Qin Huairu was about to stop him when Zhang Erhe grabbed her by the back of the neck and threw her aside. Jia Zhangshi tried to step forward, but met Zhang Erhe's cold gaze and immediately shrank back like a quail.

Bang Geng thought Zhang Jiao wouldn't dare to really hit him, so he didn't dodge at all. "Crack!" The wooden stick slammed down on his head and broke in two.

"You dare hit me?!" Banggeng was both shocked and furious.

In response, Zhang Jiao raised the remaining half of the wooden stick and lashed out at him again.