The entire courtyard is full of villains

Chapter 48 Eight Hundred Yuan

In the west wing of the courtyard, Jia Zhangshi had been sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) in a daze ever since she had scolded Yan Bugui away that afternoon. She hadn't moved an inch until Qin Huairu came home from get off work that evening. Qin Huairu had no choice but to feed Xiaodang first, then busy herself with preparing dinner. Just as the family of three sat down, there was a loud knocking on the door.

Qin Huairu was taken aback, then turned to look at Jia Zhangshi, who also shook her head, looking bewildered. "Who is it?" Qin Huairu stood up and replied.

"Is that Huai Ru? I'm your uncle." Liu Haizhong's voice came from outside the door. Qin Huai Ru hesitated for a moment, but still went to open the door. Liu Haizhong and Liu Guangtian were standing at the door. She was about to speak when she heard Liu Haizhong say, "Guangtian, wait at the door. I'm going in to say a few words to your Aunt Jia." With that, he pushed open the door and walked in. Qin Huai Ru had no choice but to step aside to let him in.

"Hey, Sister Zhang, haven't you eaten yet? Did I disturb you?" Liu Haizhong said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the cornbread and pickled vegetables on the table. Jia Zhangshi rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Whether I disturb you or not, don't you, Fatty Liu, know your place?"

"Uncle, what brings you here so late at night?" Qin Huairu quickly tried to smooth things over, afraid that Jia Zhangshi might say something else unpleasant.

"Hey, I heard about Dongxu's situation, so as the only old man in the courtyard, I came to visit your family. If you have any difficulties, just let me know."

These were just polite words, but to everyone's surprise, Jia Zhangshi's eyes lit up instantly, and she leaned forward: "Oh, Uncle, you're so thoughtful! You know, since Dongxu went in, Huairu has had to go to work and take care of the children, and I'm not feeling well either. We're really struggling to make ends meet. Why don't you hold a general meeting of the whole hospital and have everyone donate some money to our family?"

Liu Haizhong was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Jia Zhangshi, who looked like a pig, would actually do things like a monkey. Give her a pole and she would climb it. He froze and quickly waved his hand, "That won't do! Sister Zhang, Dongxu is in labor camp now. If we do donations, the people in the courtyard will definitely not be happy. If it gets reported to the street office, not only will your family be affected, but I will also be punished."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and finally managed to smooth things over, "If you really need money, why don't you go talk to Director Wang? If she agrees to hold a meeting to donate, I'll definitely take the lead in donating."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi instantly lost interest and said with a sullen face, "Alright, alright, stop with the nonsense. What do you want by coming to our house so late at night? It's just the two of us, mother and daughter-in-law. If word gets out that you, a grown man, have come in, what will become of our family's reputation?"

"It's important business, it's about Huai Ru taking over the shift." Liu Haizhong quickly got to the point. "I heard at the factory today that someone knows about Dong Xu's arrest and thinks that Huai Ru taking over the shift is against the rules, and they're afraid they'll report it to the factory."

Upon hearing this, both Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu's expressions changed. Jia Zhangshi suddenly stood up: "Who is so wicked as to dare to mess with our family!" Qin Huairu also clenched her clothes, her heart pounding with panic—if they lost this job, how would the family survive?

Seeing the two women panic, Liu Haizhong secretly gloated, but pretended to be troubled: "Sister Zhang, Huai Ru, I'm only doing this for your own good. If the factory really investigates, they'll definitely take back your workstations. Then you'll have no income, and life will be even harder."

"Then, what should we do?" Qin Huairu's voice trembled with anxiety as she grabbed Jia Zhangshi's arm. "Mom, what should we do?"

Jia Zhangshi was at a loss, so she turned to Liu Haizhong and said, "Old Liu, you're the oldest man in the courtyard, you've seen a lot, and you're a senior worker in the factory. You have to help us think of a solution!"

Liu Haizhong pretended to ponder, then frowned and sighed, "I do have a solution, but I'm afraid you'll blame me if I tell you."

"What time is it, Fatty Liu? Stop keeping me in suspense! Hurry up and tell me!" Madam Jia urged.

Liu Haizhong cleared his throat, leaned forward, and lowered his voice: "Huai Ru's position is filled by Dong Xu. Everyone knows they are a couple, and the factory can easily find out if they investigate. How about this, you sell this workstation to me, and I'll let Guang Tian take over."

With Dongxu and Huairu no longer at the factory, there's no longer any apparent connection. The workers assume the factory reclaimed their workstations long ago and won't pursue the matter further; you've taken your money, so things will be easier for the next year or two. Once Dongxu gets out, with his abilities, he won't have trouble finding work, will he?"

"What?" Jia Zhangshi suddenly stood up, pointing at Liu Haizhong's nose. "So, after all this talk, you've been eyeing our workstation! Fatty Liu, did you report us at the factory?"

"Absolutely not!" Liu Haizhong quickly waved his hand, looking "wronged." "Sister Zhang, we've lived in the same courtyard for so many years, don't you know me? Would I do such a despicable thing?"

Madam Jia stared at him with suspicion: "If you didn't have bad intentions, why would you be so 'kind' in helping us?"

"I'm only thinking about Guangtian. He's my son, and I can't let him stay idle forever," Liu Haizhong sighed, his words full of helplessness.

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu exchanged a glance, both feeling uneasy—this sounded unreliable, but if the factory really investigated, they would definitely lose their jobs.

Qin Huairu bit her lip and spoke first: "Uncle, you are an old man in the factory and the only old man in the courtyard. You are highly respected and would never lie to us. But this job is our family's only way to make a living. If you really want it, you have to leave us a way out."

"Of course!" Liu Haizhong quickly agreed, then quoted the price, "A normal apprentice's workstation would only cost five hundred outside, and the steel rolling mill is a big factory, so they can offer six hundred. I'm not ripping you off, I'll give you eight hundred! Go and ask around outside, no one can offer this price!"

He said this, but he was actually calculating in his heart. He had originally discussed five hundred with Yan Bugui, but after drinking some wine back home, he thought that he was now a "big shot". If word got out that he was taking advantage of an orphan and a widow, his reputation would be ruined. So he simply raised it to eight hundred, which would not only make him seem generous, but also shut others up.

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu exchanged another glance, their eyes flashing with hesitation—eight hundred yuan was no small sum; it could support a family for a while. Jia Zhangshi softened her tone, "Old Liu, is it really not something you fabricated that the factory is investigating?"

"Sister Zhang, I, Liu Haizhong, swear to you and your daughter today!" Liu Haizhong suddenly raised his right hand, his voice firm and resolute, "If I'm the one who reported the factory's workstations, may I never become a cadre again in my life!"

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu exchanged a glance, and most of their doubts vanished immediately—they both knew that Liu Haizhong's biggest dream in life was to become a cadre, and his swearing on this matter proved that he was not lying.

Madam Jia breathed a sigh of relief and softened her tone: "Old Liu, you've already sworn this oath, how could I not believe you? But this matter concerns our family's survival, so I need to think it over carefully with Huai Ru. I'll give you an answer in a day or two, okay?"

"Alright, of course, it's a big deal after all." Liu Haizhong stood up, but his tone tightened. "But you two have to hurry. If the factory really wants to investigate, they'll be quick. Don't let it happen that you agree, but the factory takes back your workstations first, leaving you with nothing but money and jobs. That would be a huge loss." Before leaving, he didn't forget to give them a warning, afraid that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would change their minds.

"Understood, sir. Don't worry, we'll discuss it tonight and give you an answer as soon as possible," Qin Huairu quickly replied, seeing him to the door.

Liu Haizhong nodded and turned to call Liu Guangtian at the door: "Come on, back to the backyard." As soon as the father and son left, a figure darted out from the shadows of the hanging flower gate—it was Yan Jiecheng, who was shivering from the cold, his lips were purple, and he exhaled a puff of white breath as he spoke. Without daring to delay, he turned and ran to the front yard, wanting to quickly report the news to Yan Bugui.

Chapter 49 Sending Away the Beggars

Inside the room, Jia Zhangshi slumped onto the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her brows furrowed, and asked twice, "Huai Ru, do you think this is reliable?"

“Mom, I secretly inquired during the day, and according to the rules, if someone commits a crime, their workstation should indeed be taken back. We only managed to get this done thanks to the old lady's connections. If the factory really investigates, we might lose our workstations.” Qin Huairu patted Xiaodang in her arms and sighed. “Even if Factory Director Yang is giving the old lady face, there are so many eyes in the factory watching. To quell everyone's resentment, he might really take the workstations back.”

"What should we do? We can't just sell our workstations to Liu Haizhong like he said!" Jia Zhangshi was so anxious that she kept rubbing her hands, and her eyes were red.

"Maybe I should go to the workshop tomorrow and ask if the price they're offering is reasonable. If we can really get 800 yuan, at least we can hold out until Dongxu comes out. It's better than losing our jobs, our money, and even our houses." Qin Huairu bit her lip, her voice full of helplessness.

Just as Jia Zhangshi was about to respond, there was another knock on the door. She gestured for Qin Huairu to open it, and standing outside was Yan Bugui, who had a big smile on his face. "Sister-in-law Zhang, are you calm now?" He waved the things in his hand. "I was rude at noon, so I brought some things to apologize."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law took a closer look and found two small, dried fish in the cloth bag. They had probably been drying for too long and hadn't been stored properly, still carrying a faint fishy smell—clearly, he had caught them himself and they weren't worth much. But since he had brought a "gift," Jia Zhangshi couldn't just turn him away directly, so she had Qin Huairu let him in.

"Old Yan, if you're going to bring up the workstation again, don't even bother. We're not selling." Jia Zhangshi got straight to the point, giving him no chance to beat around the bush.

Yan Bugui, however, was in no hurry. He slowly pulled up a stool and sat down. "Sister Zhang, I'm not here to force you. Liu Haizhong just passed by and said that the factory is going to strictly investigate the workstations. Can you two handle it? If you sell now, you can still make some money; if you drag it out any longer, not only will you lose your workstations, but you might even have your house confiscated as compensation."

These words struck the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law like a stone, their faces turning pale instantly—Yan Bugui, that old fox, was far more difficult to deal with than the straightforward Liu Haizhong. Qin Huairu forced herself to remain calm, "Third Uncle…"

"No, no, no, Huai Ru, I've long since dropped the title of 'Third Uncle,' you can just call me Uncle Yan."

"Uncle Yan, this job is our family's livelihood. You can't just say it without proof..."

“I understand, I understand.” Yan Bugui waved his hand and slowly quoted the price. “We’re all neighbors, I can’t let you lose out. Five hundred yuan, I’ll take this workstation and use it to fix my roof.”

"What? Five hundred?" Jia Zhangshi suddenly stood up, pointing her finger at his nose, about to yell at him, but Qin Huairu stopped her with a look. Qin Huairu knew perfectly well that getting angry now would be useless; she had to calm him down first—Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong were both vying for the work position, and perhaps she could take the opportunity to raise the price again.

Seeing that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law remained silent, Yan Bugui assumed they were moved by his "sincerity" and smugly leaned forward: "Sister Zhang, you know my personality. I don't do things that kick someone when they're down. 500 yuan isn't much, but it's all from the bottom of my heart. As long as you agree, I'll take care of Banggeng's schooling from now on. I'll tutor him and make sure he doesn't fall behind."

As he spoke, he pulled out a wad of crumpled money from his pocket and spread it out on the table: "I brought all the money with me, it's ready! And I've even prepared paper and pen for the transfer agreement. Once it's written, this matter will be settled, and I won't charge you any writing fees." He was calculating in his mind—Liu Haizhong said the money was in the bank, so this was called taking the initiative. In addition, with the condition of tutoring Banggeng, the Jia family would definitely choose him.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Jia Zhangshi couldn't hold back any longer. She slapped the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and stood up, pointing her finger at his nose and cursing, "Old stingy Yan! You've eaten too much manure and gone blind! You think you can buy a steel mill job for 500 yuan? Do you know how much Liu Haizhong just paid?"

Yan Bugui's heart skipped a beat, a bad feeling creeping over him. He tentatively asked, "He... he's going to offer 600? Then I'll offer 600 too!" He gritted his teeth and pulled out ten more "big black ten" bills from his pocket, placing them on the table. "Look, 600 yuan, is that enough?"

"You son of a bitch!" Jia Zhangshi was so angry that her eyes turned red. She raised her claws and was about to pounce. "Liu Haizhong gave 800 yuan! You only gave 500 yuan, like you're giving money to a beggar? Who do you think you are! Let me tell you, Yan Bugui, the factory would rather take this job than sell it to you, you stingy piece of trash!"

Qin Huairu stood by without stopping them, only watching coldly—this old bastard had schemed against them, he deserved to be taught a lesson.

Yan Bugui sensed something was wrong and had just grabbed the money when Jia Zhangshi chased him out, beating and cursing him. He was about to retort when two pungent salted fish flew out of the house with a "whoosh," hitting him squarely in the face, one even sliding into his mouth. "Ugh—" He was instantly choked by the stench and gagged, hurriedly pulling the salted fish off, his face sticky and fishy, ​​a truly wretched sight.

From inside came Jia Zhangshi's roar: "Old Man Yan! If you dare to step into my doorstep again, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

The commotion was quite loud, alerting the neighbors in the middle and front yards, who all craned their necks to look towards the Jia family's house. Sha Zhu, standing not far away, couldn't help but chuckle at Yan Bugui's disheveled appearance. Yan Bugui, both angry and ashamed, covered his mouth and dared not linger, running miserably towards the front yard!

Standing at the door with her hands on her hips, Jia Zhangshi spat at his back and said, "Trying to take advantage of me? No way!" Turning around, she saw the neighbors watching in the yard and shouted angrily, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a fight before?"

Seeing that Madam Jia was making a scene, everyone in the courtyard knew that the Jia family had been plagued by a host of troubles these past few days, and no one wanted to get involved with this crazy woman. They all scurried back to their own houses. The courtyard fell silent instantly, except for the two rotten salted fish lying on the ground in front of the Jia family's door. They had cracked from falling and the stench of fish wafted through the courtyard on the night breeze.

As soon as Sha Zhu sat down back in the house, He Yushui, who was eating, looked up and asked, "Brother, who was Jia Zhangshi cursing just now?"

"Who else could it be?" Sha Zhu sat down in a chair, picked up the wine pot, poured himself a glass of wine, and said, "Old Man Yan, of course."

"Old Man Yan, he lives in the front yard, while Jia Zhangshi lives in the middle yard. The two families don't usually have any relationship. Why is Jia Zhangshi scolding him?"

"What else could it be? It's about that work position at the Jia family's place. I heard from Xu Damao today that Qin Huairu has taken over Jia Dongxu's job in the workshop. Look at her, she doesn't look like she's doing heavy work at all. Liu Haizhong took Liu Guangtian there first, and I guess Yan Laokou also tried to grab it, but they couldn't agree on a price and were kicked out by Jia Zhangshi."

"Workstations?" He Yushui frowned. "Jia Dongxu has been arrested, but the factory hasn't taken the workstations back?"

"Who knows? Maybe they felt sorry for them and couldn't bring themselves to do it," Sha Zhu sighed, taking a sip of his drink. "Speaking of which, it's Zhang Erhe's fault. They're neighbors in the same courtyard, how could he be so cruel?"

"You should worry about yourself." He Yushui rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "Your leg has only been healed for a couple of days, and you want to meddle in other people's business again? If you cause any more trouble, see who will help you."

A hint of unease flashed across Sha Zhu's face, but he stubbornly retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Last time I wasn't careful enough. If it were a one-on-one fight, Zhang Erhe wouldn't be a match for me."

"Come on, Zhang Erhe dared to stab people with a weapon back in '48, while you were being chased like a dog on the street back then." He Yushui mercilessly exposed him.

"He Yushui! Whose sister are you anyway?" Sha Zhu was somewhat embarrassed and angry.

“My silly brother, if I were siding with outsiders, would I be advising you?” He Yushui softened her tone. “Listen to me, don’t get involved in the Jia family’s affairs. None of them are easy to deal with, and Qin Huairu is no pushover either.”

"I know, I know. Didn't I experience that in previous years?" Sha Zhu replied verbally, but he couldn't help but mutter to himself—the thought of Qin Huairu gritting her teeth and working hard in the workshop made his heart soften.

He secretly licked his lips, and a thought popped into his mind: If He Daqing hadn't run away back then, he might have been able to marry Qin Huairu, and Jia Dongxu wouldn't have had a chance.

Thinking this, he took another swig of wine, feeling both angry and frustrated—angry that Jia Dongxu had gotten there first, and even angrier that He Daqing had abandoned him and his sister and run away back then.

Chapter 50 is all about generosity.

The factory's loudspeaker had been playing for quite some time before Qin Huairu hurriedly arrived at the workshop. Master Li led her straight to the workbench, picked up a tool, and asked, "Qin Huairu, I taught you this yesterday. What's it called? What's it used for?"

Qin Huairu blinked hard, her mind a complete blank—her master had clearly explained this yesterday, but why couldn't she remember it? Master Li looked at her bewildered expression and sighed helplessly, secretly comforting himself: Give her three more days, just three more days, hang in there.

While Qin Huairu was indeed slow to learn, her ability to read people was exceptional. Seeing the disappointment on her master's face, her eyes reddened, tears welled up instantly, and she whispered in a sob, "Master, I'm sorry... I... I forgot, I didn't remember..."

“Sigh,” Master Li sighed again, “the book I asked you to take back yesterday, did you even open it? If you had just glanced at it, you wouldn’t be so bad as to not even remember what this tool is for.”

"Master, I..." Qin Huairu sobbed, her voice growing softer and softer, "My daughter cried nonstop when I got home yesterday. After feeding her, I had to cook for the family. By the time I finished eating, it was already dark. I completely forgot... I promise I'll watch it carefully today!"

Master Li waved his hand: "Alright, I'll teach you one more time today, this is the last time. Qin Huairu, you have to pay attention. If you still can't recognize the tools today, I really have nothing more to say."

"Please, Master, teach me again! I promise I'll learn it carefully!" Qin Huairu quickly stepped forward and pleaded earnestly.

During the morning's lesson, Qin Huairu clearly put in a lot of effort and finally memorized the names and uses of all the tools. Master Li breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand, saying, "It's done. Now that you've memorized them, take a break. I reckon it'll be lunchtime soon."

"Thank you, Master." Qin Huairu thanked him, but instead of leaving, she moved closer, her face full of hesitation. "What's wrong? Is there anything you don't understand?" Master Li asked.

"No, Master, I just wanted to ask you something, I don't know if you..."

"Just ask if you want to," Master Li gestured for her to speak.

Qin Huairu bit her lip and asked softly, "Master, how much would an apprentice position in our factory usually cost if... if it were to be transferred?"

“The apprentice position in the factory usually pays 500 yuan, while the workshop position might be more expensive, but I don’t know the exact amount.” Master Li changed the subject, looked around, and lowered his voice, “Qin Huairu, if you really don’t want to work here anymore and want to change positions, don’t do it privately, it’s easy to cause problems. It’s best to go and talk to Director Guo.”

"Thank you so much for reminding me, Master! Thank you so much!" Qin Huairu thanked him repeatedly.

Panting, Qin Huairu ran back to the factory from home at noon and went straight to Guo Da Piezi's office. "Director Guo, hello."

"Oh, it's Qin Huairu. Come in." Guo Da Piezi looked up. "What's wrong? Having trouble at work?"

"No, no, Master Li is very kind to me. It's just... Director Guo, I wanted to ask you, if an apprentice's position in the workshop is transferred to someone else, how much compensation do they usually offer? I mean... how much is appropriate?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Da Piezi gave her a deep look, got up, closed the door, and said in a deep voice, "Qin Huairu, are you... trying to transfer your workstation?"

"I...I just wanted to ask..." Qin Huairu's palms clenched nervously, and she subconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling slightly.

Seeing this, Guo Da Piezi stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "Since you asked, I'll tell you the truth. Our steel rolling mill workshop is heavy physical labor, which is not very suitable for female workers. You've taken over Jia Dongxu's position, and if you don't pass the assessment in a month, the factory will most likely transfer you to the logistics department."

"Huh?" Qin Huairu's eyes widened suddenly, her face full of astonishment.

“If you transfer to the logistics department, the female worker’s salary after the internship is generally 27.5 yuan. But if you stay in the workshop, as long as you can pass the first-level worker exam, you can get 32.5 yuan.” Guo Da Piezi patiently explained, “So in the factory, the apprentice positions in logistics can generally be transferred for 500 yuan, and those in the workshop can get 600 yuan. But now there is a good opportunity – someone in logistics wants to transfer to the workshop. If you are willing to switch, I will arrange for the other party to give you an extra 200 yuan.”