The entire courtyard is full of villains

The courtyard fell silent instantly.

He then asked, "Anyone who objects, raise your hand."

Everyone instinctively pulled their hands behind their backs, and no one dared to speak up.

"Old Liu, Old Yan, since everyone agrees, it's settled then." Zhang Erhe sheathed his knife. "Anyone willing to make an offer, speak up now."

“Our Yan family will contribute 500!” Yan Jiecheng was the first to jump out.

"I...I'll offer 550!" Liu Gen followed, his face flushed.

Even Li the blacksmith from the backyard, who was usually quiet, stepped forward: "Our family will contribute 600!"

"650!" Another shop in the front yard followed suit and raised its price.

Zhang Erhe clicked his tongue in amazement—the people in this courtyard always complained about being poor, but when it really mattered, they all had hidden wealth.

"I'll bid 800," Liu Haizhong suddenly said, raising the price to the top with a hint of smugness in his voice. "After all, I'm a big shot, I can't let people look down on me."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at him with a hint of resentment. Liu Guangqi, standing in the crowd, slapped his forehead hard—it's over! He had instructed Liu Haizhong to wait until everyone had made their bids before wrapping things up, so as not to arouse jealousy and to secure his position. But this old man insisted on jumping out early and stealing the limelight.

Liu Haizhong, oblivious to the oddities, cheerfully pulled out a wad of cash when no one else was bidding: "Sister Zhang, Huai Ru, here's 800 yuan. Old Yan, could you please write a workstation transfer agreement? We'll exchange the money for the agreement."

"I disagree!" Jia Zhangshi's voice was filled with unprecedented fear. "We won't transfer this workstation; we want to keep it for Banggeng!"

Qin Huairu's face was filled with despair—just now, Sha Zhu had tried to help her, but Zhang Erhe had chased him away like a dog. Now, who in the courtyard could speak up for the Jia family? Her gaze swept across the crowd, and she caught sight of Tan Saihua helping Old Madam Long walk towards the backyard. She immediately rushed after her, kneeling down with a thud: "Old Madam, please help me! You were the one who helped me get this job!"

"Qin Huairu, it was Saihua who begged me to help you back then." Old Mrs. Long interrupted her before she could finish, her tone urgent and trying to avoid suspicion. "Since everyone in the courtyard agrees and Xiao Liu is willing to pay 800 yuan, your family can make a living with that money. Stop causing trouble."

Having said that, she urged Tan Saihua to hurry towards the backyard—she didn't dare stay any longer. Didn't she see Zhang Erhe still standing there with a knife? Qin Huairu was clearly trying to use her as a shield; she was truly treacherous.

Seeing that even Old Lady Long wouldn't step forward, Jia Zhangshi panicked. She sat down on the ground, slapped her thigh, and wailed, "Heavens above! Old Jia, come up here quickly! These people in the courtyard are trying to force us widows and orphans to our deaths, and they're trying to steal our jobs! Especially Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui, they used to call you brothers, and now they want to eat our family's bloodline! Take them all away quickly!"

"Who's engaging in feudal superstition in the courtyard in the middle of the night?" A cold, hard voice suddenly came from the gate.

Everyone turned to look and saw Officer Wang walk in with a livid face, followed by a stretcher. When the stretcher was carried into the central courtyard, everyone was stunned—it was Yi Zhonghai climbing on the stretcher!

Tan Saihua, who had just returned from dropping off Grandma Long, rushed over upon seeing this and cried, "Old Yi! What's wrong with you?" Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, and he pursed his lips, refusing to speak.

Officer Wang's gaze swept over Jia Zhangshi, who was still sitting on the ground, and he said in a deep voice, "Jia Zhangshi, what kind of behavior is this, openly engaging in feudal superstition in the courtyard!"

Jia Zhangshi hurriedly scrambled to her feet, grabbed Wang's arm, and cried out, "Director Wang, this isn't my fault! They're trying to wipe out our family line!"

"In broad daylight, how dare anyone take advantage of someone who has no descendants?" Officer Wang frowned, his tone becoming increasingly stern.

"Hahaha." Zhang Erhe suddenly burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Officer Wang demanded sharply.

Zhang Erhe stopped laughing and looked at him coldly: "Officer Wang, you have a good 'bright and clear world' to say. Didn't those three managers you personally appointed last time still try to swallow up my things? It's a good thing I'm not dead, otherwise they would have eaten me clean. What are you pretending to be, an honest official?"

Zhang Erhe's sharp retort left Wang, the clerk, speechless, her face turning ashen. She gasped for breath. Finally managing to calm herself, she turned to Liu Haizhong: "Liu Haizhong, you're the liaison officer for the institute. Tell me the details!"

Liu Haizhong hurriedly stepped forward and explained quickly, "Officer Wang, here's what happened! Jia Dongxu was sent to a labor camp, and Qin Huairu took his place, but the work in the steel mill workshop is too strenuous for her. We thought we were neighbors, so we discussed having her transfer her workstation to an unemployed young man in the compound. They were just negotiating a price, and I offered 800 yuan!" As he spoke, he quickly pulled out the money and waved it, "Look, I brought the money with me. We're not taking advantage of someone who's already lost their job; we're giving you the money properly!"

"Even money won't do!" Officer Wang glared at him fiercely, his tone stern. "Liu Haizhong, don't you know that it's strictly forbidden to buy and sell worker positions privately? What kind of liaison officer are you? Have you forgotten all the legal knowledge the street office taught you?"

Liu Haizhong's face turned deathly pale instantly. He stammered as he tried to explain, but was interrupted by Officer Wang: "If you can't be a good liaison officer, then don't be one!"

"Ah? Officer Wang, I..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Officer Wang waved his hand, then swept his gaze over everyone in the compound, and said in a deep voice, "From now on, all matters in the compound must be reported to the street office first. If you dare to do anything underhanded again, don't blame me for handling it according to the regulations!"

Then she turned her head and asked, "Tan Saihua, come here?"

"Yes, Director Wang!" Tan Saihua responded quickly.

“Yi Zhonghai had a minor accident in the detention center. The center has agreed to let him go home early to recover, but you cannot leave Jiaodaokou Subdistrict. In case of any special circumstances, you must report to the subdistrict immediately.”

"Officer Wang, what kind of injury did my husband suffer?" Tan Saihua asked anxiously.

"Saihua, shut up!" Before Wang, the cadre, could speak, Yi Zhonghai on the stretcher scolded him, then struggled to sit up and slowly got off the stretcher.

Seeing this, Officer Wang nodded and said, "Since you can walk, we'll head back now." With that, he led the two men carrying the stretcher and hurriedly left the compound.

Zhang Erhe stared at Yi Zhonghai and looked him over—his limbs looked fine, he didn't look injured at all. He immediately teased, "Old Yi, what kind of injury did you get? Tell us so we can all have a laugh."

Yi Zhonghai glared at him fiercely, said nothing, but simply squeezed his legs together and swayed as he walked home.

"Legs clamped together?" Zhang Erhe stroked his chin and pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Old Yi, did someone break your legs in the detention center?"

Chapter 54 Great Kindness and Virtue

"crunch-"

As soon as Yi Zhonghai pushed open the door, Zhang Erhe's words pierced his ears. He turned around abruptly, his eyes flashing with a venomous coldness. If looks could kill, Zhang Erhe would have been riddled with holes long ago.

But Zhang Erhe wouldn't give up, his smile becoming even more amused: "Old Yi, judging from your reaction, I was right, wasn't I? I don't know which one in the detention center has such unique tastes, not even sparing your old-fashioned food."

He paused deliberately, feigning disgust: "Remember to bring a plug next time you go out, so you don't miss your toilet and end up soiling your pants, how embarrassing." As he spoke, he raised his hand and waved it in front of his nose, as if he really smelled something strange.

Yi Zhonghai's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his knuckles turning white. Seeing this, Tan Saihua quickly pulled and dragged him into the house, afraid that he would cause any more trouble.

A moment later, after washing up, Yi Zhonghai lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, but his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to a few days ago—

That day, he was escorted into the detention center by two policemen, and the heavy iron door slammed shut. "This is the cell. Go in and behave yourself!" The policeman opened a door, his tone stern. Yi Zhonghai nodded quickly: "Understood, comrade."

Once inside, he breathed a slight sigh of relief—most of the people there were teenagers who didn't look as fierce as the adult offenders. He later learned that it was a special arrangement by Director Song, who was worried that he would be bullied if he went to the adult prison area.

A group of skinny young prisoners surrounded him, pointing and whispering. Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat and was about to step inside when a young man with a scarred face suddenly looked up from the communal sleeping platform and called out, "Yi Zhonghai? Grandpa?"

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback—this young man looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd seen him before. "Looks like you're a forgetful old man," the scarred youth said, leaping off the bed and walking up to him. "What brings you here?"

"I...I was..."

"Alright, that's enough." The scarred youth waved his hand. "Now that you're here, stay put. How long are you going to be detained?"

"Three months."

“Three months? No problem, it’ll be over in the blink of an eye.” The scarred young man patted him on the shoulder. Yi Zhonghai felt a little offended, but in his current situation, if he could be protected by this young man who looked like a “leader,” he could suffer less. He nodded quickly, “Thank you, thank you so much.”

The scarred young man was clearly not expected to thank him. He paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "You're welcome, sir."

When buying food, thanks to the scarred youth's protection, no one withheld Yi Zhonghai's food, and no one dared to steal his food, which made him secretly relieved—when he was temporarily detained at the police station, his food was often stolen by other prisoners, and now he could finally have a full meal in peace.

But after he finished eating, he saw the scarred youth pulling a few people aside and whispering, occasionally pointing in his direction with an ambiguous look in his eyes. Yi Zhonghai felt uneasy, and waited for the other man to approach before cautiously speaking, "Young comrade, if I may ask, have we met before?"

"Uncle Yi, you're really forgetful." The scarred young man smiled. "I'm Zhou Changli."

"Zhou Changli?" Yi Zhonghai still didn't recognize the name.

"My father is Zhou Binggui!"

"Zhou, Zhou Binggui? Your father is Zhou Binggui who sells vegetables in the front yard?" Yi Zhonghai sat up abruptly, his voice filled with panic.

“That’s right.” Zhou Changli nodded. “Thanks to you, in 1954, the neighborhood committee moved our family to Bingmasi Hutong.”

Yi Zhonghai was instantly struck dumb, frozen in place—this Zhou Binggui was once the closest family to He Daqing in the front yard. After He Daqing left, although he had won over Sha Zhu and his sister, Zhou Binggui was always finding fault with him. Only because the Zhou family had three young boys, Yi Zhonghai had tolerated it. Later, using Zhou Changli's arrest for fighting as a pretext, he forced everyone in the courtyard to sign a joint letter, asking Director Wang to expel the Zhou family from the courtyard. He never expected to encounter the son of his old enemy in the detention center!

"You...you're the kid who got into a fight and was taken away by the police back then?"

“It was me.” Zhou Changli raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly playful. “But back then, you called our kids ‘little rascal’ and ‘little bastard,’ right?”

"No, no, that's not true!" Yi Zhonghai hurriedly waved his hands. "Changli, Grandpa was just worried you'd go astray, that's why he was a little strict..."

"Come on, whether it was strict or not, it's all in the past." Zhou Changli shrugged, but his eyes were devoid of warmth. "Isn't it pretty good now? I 'went bad' and ended up here, and you're here now, aren't you?"

"I was wronged!"

"Whether you're innocent or not, you know best in your heart." Zhou Changli didn't argue with him anymore, turned around and lay back on the bed. There was a big project tonight.

Yi Zhonghai lay on his bunk, his heart sinking. He recalled that after Zhou Binggui's family moved away, he heard that the house they were allocated was always in the dark, and that Zhou Binggui's wife later got into a fight with a neighbor and died within a year—this Zhou Changli probably still held a grudge from back then! But now he was under Zhou's roof, and he could only secretly pray that the other party wouldn't hold a grudge, but as soon as this thought popped into his head, he extinguished it himself—was that even possible?

At 10:30 p.m., the police patrol ended, and the lights in all the cells of the detention center were turned off one after another.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the bed, not truly asleep, but merely dozing with his eyes half-closed. Suddenly, a pillow was slammed onto him. Just as he was about to struggle, he was struck hard on the back of the head, and everything went black instantly. Before he passed out, he vaguely glimpsed the two men swiftly covering the small window in the door with a blanket, then pulling a candle from under the bed and lighting it, the dim light flickering in the cramped detention cell.

When Yi Zhonghai woke up again, he froze—he was tightly bound to the bed frame, his limbs spread wide, as if he had been torn apart by five horses. He broke out in a cold sweat and looked at the person in front of him in a trembling voice: "Changli... what are you doing?"

“Uncle,” Zhou Changli said, standing by the candlelight, his voice as cold as ice, “I was thinking that after I served my sentence in a few years, I would find a chance to ‘repay’ your great kindness back then. I never expected that God would be so merciful and send you in early.”

"Changli, you've misunderstood!" Yi Zhonghai hurriedly explained, his voice trembling. "That incident back then wasn't my fault at all. It was Liu Haizhong who instigated it! He said you and Liu Guangqi were classmates, and he was afraid you would lead Liu Guangqi astray, so..."

“Liu Guangqi?” Zhou Changli raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of doubt. “Who is he? I don’t know him at all.”

"He... isn't he your classmate?" Yi Zhonghai was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly added, "Changli, I won't lie to you now, it really was Liu Haizhong who started it!"

Zhou Changli sneered, interrupting him: "Uncle, at a time like this, stop trying to shift the blame onto others. Back then, you and Director Wang teamed up to move our family to Bingmasi Hutong—we were forced to exchange our two perfectly good main rooms for three drafty rear rooms. The people in that hutong bullied the weak and feared the strong. Seeing that my mother had been transferred there, they always tried to take advantage of her. My mother couldn't stand it and became seriously ill from the anger, passing away before a year had passed."

He leaned closer, the candlelight reflecting the coldness in his eyes, but his tone carried a hint of mockery: "Uncle, how should I repay this great kindness?"

"Changli, no! This old man knows he was wrong!" Yi Zhonghai was terrified and hurriedly begged for forgiveness, "Once I get out, I will definitely go to your house in person to apologize and make amends. You can have whatever you want..."

"Don't wait until later." Zhou Changli straightened up, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Our family can't afford your apology."

"Changli, listen to me!" Yi Zhonghai's voice cracked with anxiety as he tried to persuade him, "You're still young, don't go astray! Hitting someone is illegal, and if... if someone dies, you'll get a much longer sentence!"

Zhou Changli merely scoffed, his eyes full of mockery: "Old man, who said I was going to hit you?"

He turned around and shouted to the people behind him, "Hey guys, let's teach our old man a lesson and let him have a taste of his own medicine."

"Alright, Brother Changli! Just you wait and see!" A fat man stepped forward, holding up a smooth wooden stick and waving it around, saying, "Grandpa, take a look at this stick, isn't it nice?"

Yi Zhonghai felt a chill run down his spine, but forced himself to remain calm and nodded: "It's...it looks good..."

"Don't worry, this isn't for hitting you," the fat man grinned slyly. "It's for 'treating' you."

As soon as he finished speaking, two tall, thin boys stepped forward. They were the same two who had been blocking the window and lighting the lamp earlier. One of them said, "Skinny monkey, bedbug, help this old man 'change his clothes'."

"Understood." The two men replied, pressing down on Yi Zhonghai from both sides and roughly pulling down his pants.

A cold wind instantly enveloped his lower body, and Yi Zhonghai trembled with fear, his voice cracking: "W-what are you going to do?! Let me go!"

The skinny monkey chuckled, his hands still moving: "What's the rush? You'll find out soon enough."

Chapter 55 There's a ghost!

"what!"

Yi Zhonghai's piercing scream shattered the silence of the night, instantly waking Tan Saihua, who hurriedly reached out to push him: "Zhonghai! Zhonghai, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Yi Zhonghai suddenly opened his eyes, and it took him a while to come to his senses. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Saihua, am I... at home?"

“Of course you’re at home!” Tan Saihua patted the back of his hand, her voice full of heartache. “Last night, Director Wang came over and said you were injured in the detention center, so he specially sent someone to bring you back. What exactly did you suffer in there?”