The entire courtyard is full of villains

As soon as Yi Zhonghai returned home, his wife Tan Saihua brought him warm water to wash his feet. After washing and drying his feet, he sat down at the table, and Tan Saihua brought out a simple meal.

These days, everyone is struggling financially. Yi Zhonghai and his wife had long planned for their retirement, and they lived frugally. Dinner consisted of steamed buns made from two kinds of flour, accompanied by homemade pickled vegetables. The only dish that could be considered a "significant addition" was a plate of scrambled eggs. After all, Yi Zhonghai did manual labor at the steel rolling mill, and without some extra nourishment, he really couldn't keep going.

Yi Zhonghai picked up his chopsticks and had just taken a bite of an egg when, with a "bang," the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

His brows furrowed instantly, and he was about to lash out when he saw his apprentice, Jia Dongxu, kneel down in front of him with a thud.

"Dongxu, what are you doing?" Yi Zhonghai quickly put down his chopsticks and reached out to help him up. "Get up, let's talk this out!"

"Master, I have a favor to ask of you!" Jia Dongxu knelt on the ground and refused to get up.

"Get up and talk! Get up and talk!" Yi Zhonghai said anxiously, "I can't accept you kneeling like this. If I can help, I will definitely help you!"

Jia Dongxu understood perfectly well that his master's unspoken meaning was, "If you can't help, don't ask." He quickly said, "Master, as you know, we only have one room. Huai Ru just gave birth, and it's really too cramped for the five of us to squeeze into such a small space."

"Dongxu," Yi Zhonghai quickly interrupted him, his heart skipping a beat, thinking that Jia Dongxu had his eye on the room next door, "These days, who isn't short of housing? Try to make do a little longer."

"Master, no!" Jia Dongxu hurriedly explained, "Zhang Erhe from the front yard, didn't he pass away? Could you please lend me a room in his house?"

"What? Zhang Erhe is gone?" Yi Zhonghai feigned surprise. "When did this happen? How come I didn't know?"

"How could you forget, Master?" Jia Dongxu asked anxiously. "The person who came to the courtyard that day said he had a huge dent on the back of his head, and blood was everywhere! Guan Xue hasn't come back these past few days, and even the child hasn't shown up. Maybe she really is gone!"

He paused, then steeled himself and revealed his true purpose: "Master, if he's really gone, could you help me get his house? If you help me with this, I, Jia Dongxu, swear I'll take care of you two in your old age and see you off when you die!"

After saying that, he kowtowed heavily to the ground with a thud, and swore, "If I go back on my word and don't support you in your old age, may my workpiece crush me to death!"

"Hey! You child, what nonsense are you spouting!" Yi Zhonghai quickly covered his mouth and pulled him up. "You can't say things like that!"

Chapter 7 Guangqi persuades his father

Jia Dongxu looked at Yi Zhonghai with a sincere expression: "Master, this is what I truly believe. Even if we can't get the house, I will definitely take care of you and your wife when you get old. After all, you've been so good to me."

Yi Zhonghai was very pleased to hear this. But then he thought for a moment and his face showed difficulty: "There are so many people in the courtyard. If I give the house directly to your family, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain."

"Master," Jia Dongxu immediately interjected, "my mother said that Zhang Erhe is her cousin, within five degrees of kinship, isn't he?"

"Slap!" Yi Zhonghai slapped his thigh, suddenly realizing, "Oh dear, how could I forget that! Thank goodness for reminding me, sister-in-law. Okay, let's do it that way." He immediately decided, "Dongxu, you go find Second Uncle and Third Uncle first, and hold a general meeting for the whole courtyard tonight. Zhang Erhe is gone, leaving only Guan Xue and her daughter as orphans and widows. We can't let people say we're taking advantage of a widow's family. I'll suggest that Sister-in-law and Banggeng move into one of the rooms first to help look after Guan Xue and her daughter, which would also be a way to maintain this family bond."

Jia Dongxu nodded, but his gaze inadvertently drifted to the eggs on the table. Yi Zhonghai knew perfectly well that the boy was craving them. He immediately called to the kitchen, "Saihua! Get a pair of chopsticks, and bring out that pot of wine; Dongxu and I want to have a drink."

"Master, this isn't quite right..." Jia Dongxu feigned reluctance.

"It's alright, eat and drink, don't be shy." Yi Zhonghai waved his hand. "After you finish eating, go and call Lao Liu and Lao Yan."

In the kitchen, Tan Saihua expressionlessly took out chopsticks and wine. Jia Dongxu stopped pretending and immediately began wolfing down the eggs. He devoured most of the scrambled eggs before Tan Saihua had even had a couple of bites. After finishing, he wiped his mouth and said, "Master, Mistress, there's a big meeting tonight. As a junior, I won't drink. I'll go find Second Uncle and Third Uncle first."

After Jia Dongxu left, Tan Saihua slammed her chopsticks on the table and couldn't help but say to Yi Zhonghai, "Old Yi, do you really think someone like Jia Dongxu can take care of us in our old age?"

"Of course it can!" Yi Zhonghai said confidently. "Didn't you hear what he said just now?"

"But look at him!" Tan Saihua retorted, "He always comes to freeload, never once offering to treat us to a meal."

"That's because Dongxu's family is poor and struggling financially," Yi Zhonghai said, somewhat displeased, defending Jia Dongxu. "This kid is filial; he always thinks of his mother when there's something good to eat. We'll be relying on him to support us in our old age, so what's wrong with being nice to him now?" He paused, then added, "Besides, if Zhang Erhe hadn't always been against me and hindered my arrangements in the courtyard, I really wouldn't have wanted to help Dongxu with this. That bastard, thank God he's dead; if I don't give him a good beating now, all the pent-up resentment I've accumulated will have been for nothing!"

Seeing that Tan Saihua was about to say something more, Yi Zhonghai waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, alright, stop talking. I've already thought it through, so you don't need to worry about it."

Tan Saihua didn't argue further, but silently began clearing the table. Yi Zhonghai, holding his teacup, started planning the evening's meeting: Liu Haizhong was a good-for-nothing, easily appeased with a few kind words. But Yan Bugui, that old fox, was no pushover; he never acted without a clear benefit. How would he persuade him later?

At the door of the east wing in the backyard, Jia Dongxu nodded to Liu Haizhong, who had just seen him off, and said, "Second Uncle, I'll go and inform Third Uncle now."

Liu Haizhong gave a perfunctory "hmm," turned around, and went inside to sit down. Touching his freshly shaved stubble, he muttered unhappily, "That old Yi, he's getting more and more outrageous. He doesn't even tell me about meetings beforehand, only sending his apprentice to inform me at the last minute. Does he think I'm just a figurehead? No, I'll have to talk to Lao Yan later; we can't let that old bastard Yi Zhonghai be so domineering anymore."

"Dad," the eldest son, Liu Guangqi, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "I reckon this isn't going to be good tonight. Maybe the Jia family has their eye on someone else's house."

"The house? Whose?" Liu Haizhong asked in surprise.

"Who else could it be? Zhang Erhe's family from the front yard."

"Zhang Erhe?" A hint of fear flashed across Liu Haizhong's face. This kid was not someone to be trifled with. Back when Liu Guangqi was in school, he had been beaten up by him, and when Liu Haizhong went to confront him, his parents, out of politeness, gave him a beating. But this kid, before his injuries had even healed, cornered Liu Guangqi and beat him for three days straight. Even Liu Haizhong was scared away by him wielding a knife. Only in the last two years, after he started working at the factory and got married, did Liu Haizhong dare to even greet him.

Thinking of this, Liu Haizhong looked at Liu Guangqi and asked in confusion, "Do Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family have the guts to touch his house?"

"It probably wouldn't have happened before, but it's hard to say now. Didn't the person who came to inform Guan Xue say the other day that Zhang Erhe had a huge hole in his head, and blood was everywhere? Guan Xue hasn't been home these past two days, so I guess he's gone. Otherwise, even if Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to do this."

Hearing this, Liu Haizhong's eyes lit up, and he immediately came up with an idea: "Zhang Erhe's family occupies three rooms in the east wing. Guangqi, why don't we talk to Lao Yi tonight and ask him to give you one too?"

"Dad, please don't!" Liu Guangqi quickly stood up, his tone serious. "You mustn't get involved in this. It might be difficult to secure this house."

"Why? Zhang Erhe was indeed ruthless, but isn't he dead?"

"Dad," Liu Guangqi said quietly, "Zhang Erhe is dead, and on the surface, only Guan Xue and her son are left at home. But don't forget, Zhang Erhe's older brother, Zhang Dajiang, was a martyr! There's still a martyr's plaque nailed to the door."

"Wow!" Liu Haizhong slumped into his chair as if doused with cold water. How could he have forgotten about that! He looked approvingly at his eldest son: "Guangqi, you've thought of everything. So, what do you mean?"

"Dad, no matter what Yi Zhonghai says tonight, don't say a word. If he asks you for your opinion, just say you're in charge of the backyard and only manage things there. Let him discuss the frontyard matters with Yan Bugui. You absolutely must remember, this is a matter you can't get involved in. Once you get involved, no matter what happens, your future, my future, and my two younger brothers' futures will all be ruined."

"Okay, Guangqi, I'll listen to you!" Liu Haizhong nodded hurriedly, his earlier greed instantly suppressed by his fear of the future. He turned to look at his two sons, the second and third sons, who were stuffing cornbread into their mouths, and his anger flared up.

He abruptly pulled out his belt, snapped it, and shouted sternly, "Did you two hear that just now? Guangtian! Guangfu! Did you hear what your elder brother said?"

The two men, who were engrossed in eating cornbread, were startled and looked up at their father in bewilderment.

This completely ignited Liu Haizhong's anger: "Your brother and I are here discussing something extremely important, and you two just sit there eating your cornbread without listening to a word!"

Summoning his courage after being scolded, Liu Guangtian dodged his father's raised belt while muttering, "Dad, it's just about the house, right? Don't worry, at the meeting tonight, just give me a look, and I'll be the first to support you!"

He paused, then added in a low voice, "Once my older brother moves to the front yard, could you take down our bunk beds? My back hurts from sleeping on them."

"You dare say that!" Before he could finish speaking, the belt in Liu Haizhong's hair lashed out. "Your older brother went on and on for ages, and all you heard was house robbery! Robbery! Robbery! Sooner or later you'll be robbed into jail! And then I won't even give you a peanut's worth of money, you're such a waste!"

Liu Guangtian curled up after being beaten, muttering to himself, "You were the ones who started talking about fighting over the house..."

Liu Guangqi, standing to the side, helplessly rubbed his forehead, but his resolve only grew clearer and firmer.

Chapter 8 Each with their own calculations

In the front yard, Yan Bugui stood smiling at the door. "Dongxu, go to the Central Court first to inform them. I'll have Jiecheng inform the people in the front yard after I finish eating."

"Alright, Uncle, thank you for your help!" Jia Dongxu said before turning and entering the central courtyard.

Yan Bugui remained standing at the door, a smile plastered on his face. Just then, his wife, Yang Ruihua, walked over from behind and glared at him, annoyed. "What are you laughing at? It was Jia Dongxu who went in, not Qin Huairu. Look how happy you are!"

Yan Bugui's smile froze instantly, and he glared back at her unhappily: "What nonsense are you spouting? Why would I be looking at Qin Huairu?"

"Tch!" Yang Ruihua rolled her eyes. "Who doesn't know what you're thinking? Back in the summer, when Qin Huairu was washing clothes in the courtyard, who was sitting at the door constantly glancing in that direction?"

"Bullshit!" Yan Bugui's face flushed red. "I was playing chess with Old Liu!"

"Bullshit!" Yang Ruihua exposed him mercilessly. "Neither of you are any good. You're obviously playing chess, and your moves are a complete mess. Do you think I can't understand it?"

"Alright, alright, I'm done arguing with you." Yan Bugui waved his hand impatiently. "I have a big meeting to attend after I finish eating."

"Meetings! Meetings! All you do all day is hold meetings!" Yang Ruihua complained. "Our food rations have been reduced, so we might as well eat and go to bed early to avoid getting hungry again in the middle of the night."

"What do you know?" Yan Bugui lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Something good is going to happen tonight."

"What good news?" Yang Ruihua immediately became interested.

"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed..." Yan Bugui deliberately kept everyone in suspense, but before he could finish speaking, Yang Ruihua grabbed his vital spot.

"Yan Bugui, are you going to talk or not?"

"Tell me, tell me!" Yan Bugui, having his weakness exposed, immediately begged for mercy, "If this works out tonight, our family might get another house."

"What?" Yang Ruihua quickly let go of her hand. "Where do you get it from?"

Yan Bugui gestured towards Zhang Erhe's house across the street. Yang Ruihua looked in that direction; the three rooms in the east wing were dark. She immediately realized, "You mean Zhang Erhe's house? You dare to covet his house? Aren't you afraid he'll beat you up?"

"I used to be afraid, but now... I'm not afraid at all," Yan Bugui said smugly, tilting his head back. "If Old Yi and the others dare to make a move, I might get a share of the profits too."

"What? Yi Zhonghai has the guts? Isn't he afraid Zhang Erhe will smash up his door?"

"Zhang Erhe?" Yan Bugui chuckled. "He's probably already in the underworld. All that's left is Guan Xue with her little girl, a widow and orphan—a real piece of meat, everyone wanted a piece of that pie. Too bad, that old bastard Yi Zhonghai beat her to it. Typical big shot."

"Slap!" Yang Ruihua slapped his thigh, suddenly realizing, "I should have thought of that sooner! The messenger made the situation sound so dire that day, and Guan Xue hasn't come back these past few days. How could my idiot brain not have thought of that? If I had gotten on good terms with Guan Xue earlier, maybe I could have rented a place!"

"Rent? You're dreaming." Yan Bugui scoffed. "The Jia family is trying to seize a room outright! But Zhang Erhe's family lives in the front yard, and as the head of the front yard, helping orphans and widows, it's only right that our family makes the first move. You and your two children can stay in one room. After all, it's inconvenient for a lone man and woman to move in. Once we've secured the place, we can move in after you get married."

"Can it be done, sir?" Yang Ruihua immediately became interested.

Yan Bugui pondered for a moment: "At the very least, we have to get some benefits from Lao Yi. It would be best if we could get the house; if not, we'd still have to squeeze some money out of him." He turned his head and saw Yang Ruihua still standing there in a daze, so he waved his hand, "Alright, that's enough for now. Let's go inside and eat; we have a big meeting later."

When Yan Bugui entered the house, he discovered that only two of the five pickled vegetables he had been allotted were left. His face darkened, and he shouted angrily, "Jie Cheng! Jie Fang! Jie Kuang! Jie Di! Who ate my pickled vegetables?"

The two younger children looked at each other. The youngest, Yan Jiedi, raised her hand and said in a childish voice, "Dad, I ate one, there are still two left."

Yan Jiecheng's eyes darted around, and he immediately chimed in, "Dad, that's right, the rats carried those two away!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Yan Jiefang nodded in agreement.

"Rat? I think it's you two big rats!" Yan Bugui roared in anger. "You ate them, and now you've learned to lie! Who taught you to lie?"

The two brothers exchanged a glance, their faces contorted with misery, and admitted, "Dad, we ate it."

"Hey, it really is you guys!" Yan Bugui laughed angrily. "Fine, old woman, remember not to make them breakfast tomorrow morning. Make up for the pickled vegetables you ate of mine tonight!"

"Dad! No school tomorrow?" Yan Jiefang asked anxiously.

"Yes, Dad! I still have to go to work!" Yan Jiecheng chimed in.

"Then don't blame me," Yan Bugui said, changing the subject. "However, I have something to ask of you. If you handle it well, I might be able to make up for the breakfast tomorrow."

"What is it? Dad, I'll go!" the two brothers immediately said, vying with each other.

"Alright, stop arguing," Yan Bugui instructed. "You two go to the front yard and inform them that there will be a hospital-wide meeting tonight."

"Okay, okay, okay!" As soon as the two brothers heard there was a chance, they immediately put down their bowls and chopsticks and ran out in a flash.

Yan Bugui watched their retreating figures, a smug smile spreading across his face: "You little punks, we can't handle you!"

After notifying the various families in the Intermediate Court, Jia Dongxu looked up at the main house. A flicker of jealousy flashed in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. He walked forward and pushed open the door: "Shazhu, are you home?"

Inside, Sha Zhu was having dinner with his younger sister, He Yushui. Seeing Jia Dongxu arrive uninvited, a flicker of displeasure crossed Sha Zhu's face, but he quickly suppressed it and asked irritably, "Jia Dongxu, what brings you to my house?"

Jia Dongxu sat down casually, picked up Sha Zhu's cigarette from the table, lit one for himself, and said, "Uncle said there's going to be a hospital-wide meeting later."

"I understand." Sha Zhu nodded. "Anything else?"

"Also, wipe the table quickly after you finish eating, we need to move it out for later use. Oh, and move those two or three official hat chairs out too." After saying that, he stood up, wiped the table with his sleeve, and the pack of cigarettes that had been there earlier had vanished.

After he left, Sha Zhu slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "That bastard!"

He Yushui, standing nearby, quickly tugged at his sleeve and advised, "Brother, you can't stoop to his level. You've managed to feign madness and thwart their malicious intentions these past two years; you can't afford to offend their family again. After all, his master is a powerful figure, and his mother, Jia Zhangshi, is known throughout the neighborhood as a ruthless and unforgiving woman. If we want a good life and to keep this house, we have to put up with it."