The entire courtyard is full of villains

"Good for stealing!" Guan Xue blurted out first, then lowered her voice, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips. "Who told his Yang Ruihua to spread bad things about you everywhere?"

Her relieved expression made Zhang Erhe laugh uncontrollably.

"Jiaojiao, did you hear that? Your mom is happy too!" He turned to his daughter and said, "Dad will buy you extra fireworks and firecrackers tonight, and we'll have a great time!"

"Okay, Daddy!" Zhang Jiao clapped her hands excitedly. "I want one of those little firecrackers that explode when you drop it on the ground. I'll take it to play with Niu Niu!"

"Sure, I'll buy it for you!"

As Zhang Erhe spoke, he pulled Guan Xue into his arms.

"It stinks!" Guan Xue complained, but didn't pull away. She just pinched her nose and asked, "How much did you drink last night? Couldn't you have drunk less?"

"Of course we had to drink!" Zhang Erhe said, beaming. "You have no idea how much the fourth brother and his wife can drink. They drank the third and eldest brothers under the table! Only I, with my high alcohol tolerance and skill at drinking games, managed to hold on. The fourth brother even had his wife wash my feet, which scared me so much that I quickly lay down."

"Fourth brother's wife..." Guan Xue blinked, "Isn't she very beautiful?"

"Beautiful," Zhang Erhe said deliberately, then, seeing Guan Xue pout, quickly added, "But no matter how beautiful she is, she's not as beautiful as my wife! My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Guan Xue's slightly pouting lips immediately relaxed, and her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Let me wash you now," she said softly. "You're going to Director Li's house tonight, so you need to change into clean clothes and tidy yourself up. Don't let them think that no one at home is taking good care of you."

"Got it!"

Chapter 103 Attending the Banquet

After tidying up, Zhang Erhe pushed his bicycle out the door and called into the house, "Jiaojiao, the firecrackers Dad bought for you are on the table. Come home early after you're done setting them off, and don't run around at night, understand?"

"Okay, Dad," his daughter Jiaojiao replied as she ran out of the house.

Guan Xue also came out of the house, went up to Zhang Erhe, straightened his collar, tied his scarf carefully, and gently instructed him, "Erhe, you drank so much last night, you should drink less today."

"Okay, I got it." Zhang Erhe nodded. "I'll definitely be back late tonight, so make sure the door is closed. If Jiaojiao wants meat, make it for her. We're out of meat... I'll figure something out."

"Okay, be careful on the road." Guan Xue waved to Zhang Erhe, leading her daughter Jiao Jiao.

"I'm leaving." Zhang Erhe waved behind him as he pushed his bicycle, then hopped on and left the compound.

In the courtyard, a group of women were sitting and chatting, watching the family of three say goodbye.

A woman lowered her voice and asked mysteriously, "Hey, do you think Zhang Erhe was behind what happened at the Yan family's house last night?"

Another woman quickly chimed in, "Don't talk nonsense! Zhang Erhe went back to Guan Xue's parents' home yesterday; he wasn't even in the yard."

"I'm not making this up!" the first woman exclaimed anxiously. "You came in late and don't know Zhang Erhe's old temper. That guy is notoriously vengeful! On New Year's Eve, when Yan's wife spoke ill of him, he didn't react on the spot, and I thought he had reformed and started a vegetarian diet. Look at this, the New Year isn't even over yet, and this has happened to the Yan family. Why would they steal from their house when everyone else is fine?"

"You're talking nonsense!" A woman from the front yard stepped forward. "I heard from the police that the thief was a complete idiot! He hid in our yard and tried to pick locks with a knife, but he couldn't get them open. It was just that the Yan father and son were unlucky enough to run into him. How could a thief not seize the opportunity? If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself. There are still scratches on our lock!"

Another neighbor from the front yard chimed in, "Exactly! We have one too. I glanced at it, and there are scratches on Zhang Erhe's lock as well. You wouldn't think Zhang Erhe would even steal from his own house, would he?"

"That's right, that's right..." The people in the front yard chimed in, and the woman who had just suspected Zhang Erhe immediately blushed and muttered indignantly, "If you ask me, this thief is a fool. Why did he have to steal from Yan Bugui's house? A bunch of poor bastards! Look at Zhang Erhe's house, what do they lack for food and drink? Didn't you see how many good things he brought when he went to his father-in-law's house yesterday? Guan Xue really picked the right person."

"Find the right one my foot!" someone scoffed. "What was Zhang Erhe's personality like before? It's only recently, after he became the workshop foreman, that he's toned it down a bit. I bet it's mostly because Guan Xue is pregnant with his son. Otherwise, why would he become so considerate?"

"Exactly. No matter how badly he treats his wife, Guan Xue is carrying his family's heir. How could he not treat her well?"

"But didn't you hear what that little girl Zhang Jiao said? Her family has a lot of meat. Didn't they say that the steel mill gave each person a pound of meat?"

“At the steel rolling mill, ordinary workers get one jin (500g) of meat, but Zhang Erhe is a cadre! Besides, what did he do before? Let me tell you, if anyone in this compound is short of meat, his family will never be short of it!”

Liu Haizhong's wife pursed her lips, secretly planning to tell Liu Haizhong about it when she got home. Zhang Erhe's family eats meat every day; she wondered if she could report him. If the report succeeded, Zhang Erhe's position as workshop director might be in jeopardy.

In the past, when people chatted in the courtyard, the wives of the three old men were the most respected. Yi Zhonghai's wife couldn't have children, so she participated less in courtyard activities; Yang Ruihua was also unpopular because Yan Bugui was too stingy and had offended many people; on the contrary, everyone was willing to chat with her, the wife of the second old man.

Ever since Zhang Erhe became the workshop director, these women haven't been as respectful to her as before. It's only because Guan Xue doesn't try to get close to them that these women are rushing to fawn over her. So when the story of Zhang Erhe beating his father-in-law spread before the New Year, she also chimed in with her own words.

Zhang Erhe rode his bicycle towards Li Huaide's house, following the address. He naturally didn't hear the gossiping women in the courtyard. However, even if he had, he wouldn't have cared. "My workshop foreman isn't someone who sucks up to others; why would I be afraid of getting fired?"

As he approached Li Huaide's house, he found a secluded alleyway and slipped inside. When he came out, the bag on the back of his bicycle was bulging.

Following the address to Li Huaide's residence, Zhang Erhe thought to himself that Li Huaide was quite a remarkable person. He hadn't lived in the factory's allocated dormitory building, but instead gave it to the previous union chairman, finding this small courtyard house for himself. This immediately earned him a good reputation among the steel mill's cadres for being "good at getting along with people."

Zhang Erhe walked to the door and knocked.

Li Huaide's voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"Director Li, it's me!"

"Oh! Erhe!" Li Huaide responded from inside, then whispered to his wife, "Quick, go open the door."

The door opened, and Zhang Erhe looked up. The person who opened the door was a woman of medium height. Although she had an ordinary appearance, she had fair skin and a plump figure, and looked very fortunate.

"You must be the factory director's wife?" Zhang Erhe asked politely.

Li Huaide's voice immediately came from inside: "Erhe! Brother, let me tell you, today is a family dinner. If you call the factory director again, you'd better get out!"

"Okay, okay, Brother Li, I was wrong, alright?" Zhang Erhe replied with a smile.

At this moment, Li Huaide came out from inside, taking off his apron, and introduced, "This is your sister-in-law, Qian Guimei. Guimei, this is Zhang Erhe, whom I often mention to you. All those scarce New Year's goods were obtained by Erhe through connections; he really helped me a lot!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Guimei's smile immediately brightened considerably: "Oh, so you're Erhe! Old Li always praises you for being capable, I thought you were quite old, I didn't expect you to be so young. Come in, please come in, have a seat!"

After the group entered the house and sat down, Qian Guimei took out a pack of cigarettes from the box and handed it to Li Huaide, saying with a hint of reproach, "You should be careful with your cigarettes. I almost used up all of my dad's stock this time I came back. The old man even called and scolded me last night."

"Haha, let him scold me," Li Huaide laughed nonchalantly. "I'll apologize to Dad in a couple of days. Besides, the doctor said Dad needs to reduce his smoking. As his son-in-law, shouldn't I share his 'pain'?"

"You're so glib, you're getting the better deal and still acting innocent!" Qian Guimei said with a laugh, then turned to Zhang Erhe and said, "Erhe, sit down for a while, I have to go outside. Make yourself at home here, don't be shy."

"Okay, I understand, sister-in-law. You go ahead with your work."

As soon as Qian Guimei left, Li Huaide immediately relaxed, lay down on the sofa, and let out a long sigh: "Oh, that woman is finally gone. She has so many rules at home. She won't let me lie on the sofa, she won't let me leave my clothes lying around. Really... Why didn't I notice how troublesome she was before we got married? Now that we're married, it's all exposed. She won't allow this or that."

After he finished complaining, he looked at Zhang Erhe curiously and asked, "Erhe, how are you doing at home?"

Zhang Erhe blinked. "I'm at home? I'm waited on hand and foot."

"You're something else! It has to be you, Erhe!" Li Huaide laughed heartily upon hearing this.

Zhang Erhe knew perfectly well that, judging from these few complaints and the previous information, Li Huaide had some of the characteristics of a "phoenix man" (a man from a poor background who achieves success through his father-in-law's influence), and was probably not as comfortable at home as he appeared.

He stopped talking, opened the bag he had brought, took out two packs of "whiteboard cigarettes" and handed them over: "Brother Li, this is for you."

Then he took out two more bottles of wine: "These are just ordinary wines available on the market, nothing special."

Finally, he lowered his voice and said, "However, I used my connections to get you a few trendy wool scarves. You can take them and give them to your sister-in-law later."

Chapter 104 Applying Eye Drops

Li Huaide took the scarf and rubbed it between his fingers—it was cashmere. He couldn't help but laugh: "Not bad, Erhe, you've got some connections! If you ask me, why are you still working as a director in the workshop? Transfer to logistics, and I'll arrange for you to start as the deputy head of the purchasing department. In a year or two, I'll remove the 'deputy' from your title."

"That's great!" Zhang Erhe leaned forward, but sighed. "However, I guess I won't be able to hold this deputy director position for long. I might be dismissed as soon as I get back to work after the New Year."

"Oh, what's going on?" Li Huaide sat up straight, his expression turning serious.

"Sigh, I caused a bit of trouble... and the people in the compound seized the opportunity to spread some rumors."

"What's wrong? It's not illegal or disorderly conduct, is it? If it is, you need to tell me right away, and I'll try to use my connections to see if I can get it sorted out."

"No, no, it's not illegal, it's just... a little embarrassing," Zhang Erhe stammered.

"Erhe, hurry up and tell me!" Li Huaide seemed very anxious, and Zhang Erhe, seeing this, felt somewhat moved. Regardless of whether it was a vanity project or not, at least the man was willing to do it, and this person was worth befriending.

"Actually, it's nothing, it's just... I gave my father-in-law a beating."

"You...you beat up your father-in-law?" Li Huaide looked incredulous. He could understand the individual words, but when put together, he couldn't understand them at all.

Zhang Erhe shrugged: "My father-in-law is a 'weirdo.' A few years ago, he got into gambling and squandered the whole family fortune. Before I got married, I gave him a good beating and warned him that if he gambled again, I would whip him every time I saw him. As a result, a while ago, he was dragged to gamble again, and in a fit of anger, I dragged him to the stable and whipped him with a horsewhip."

"Wow!" Li Huaide's expression changed several times, but he finally gave a thumbs up: "Erhe, you're something else." He paused, "You even dared to slap your father-in-law..."

"I was so angry at the time that I lost my mind. But now that someone with ulterior motives has spread this story, it's causing quite a stir in our area. I reckon someone will use this to sabotage me after the New Year."

"Hey, I thought it was something serious!" Li Huaide waved his hand. "This is just a family dispute at most, it's not that serious..."

“Brother Li,” Zhang Erhe lowered his voice, “but I heard that old lady Long in our compound has a good relationship with Yang Liming from our factory. I bet she’ll definitely go to Yang Liming. You know, Yang Liming is easily influenced and loves a good reputation. He might actually interfere.”

Upon hearing this, Li Huaide's expression also turned serious: "You know what, Yang Liming... he really is capable of doing something like this."

While the two were discussing in hushed tones, at Yang Liming's home, Yi Zhonghai was accompanying Old Madam Long on a visit.

Yang Liming's wife was at his son's house, leaving him alone. If he didn't have to go to work tomorrow, he would be in the west of the city right now—his eldest son had just given birth to a grandson this year, and his wife was there taking care of him.

"Grandma, I only got back this afternoon. There's no hot water at home. Please wait a moment, I'll boil some water and make some tea right away."

"No, no, no, Xiao Yang." Grandma Long lowered her voice. "It's just that it's the New Year, and I wanted to come and visit your home."

Yang Liming glanced at the canned goods and pastries that Yi Zhonghai had brought, but didn't point it out. He just smiled and asked, "How is the old lady's health this year?"

"Everything's fine, Xiao Yang. We're living in good times now; the government provides food and lodging, and medical care is guaranteed."

"That's good." The two chatted about everyday things for a while.

Seeing that the time was right, Old Madam Long said, "Young Yang, the reason I came here today is actually to ask you for a favor."

"Grandma, you're right. Just tell me what you need."

"Well, one of your factory's cadres lives in our compound..."

"Who?"

"Zhang Erhe".

"Oh, the deputy director of the manufacturing workshop, right? I remember now. That guy is quick-witted and capable. The well-drilling equipment the factory got the other day was his idea." Yang Liming casually praised him.

Grandma Long and Yi Zhonghai exchanged a glance, then she forced herself to continue, "Little Yang, Zhang Erhe used to be a street thug, dealing in black market goods..."

“I’ve heard about this. But he’s already changed his ways, so we should allow a prodigal son to turn over a new leaf.”

"That's true, but he bullies men and women in the courtyard and acts like a tyrant..."

"Is that so?" Yang Liming frowned.

"Really!" Old Mrs. Long quickly chimed in, "He not only bullied the people in the courtyard, but he also sent Jia Dongxu to prison!"

"Oh... was it him who sent Jia Dongxu in?" Yang Liming thought for a moment!

"That's right! Actually, they grew up in the same courtyard. Zhang Erhe is even Jia Dongxu's distant uncle!"

"Uncle? To show no mercy even to someone with such a relationship is indeed a bit heartless."

Seeing that Yang Liming's expression had already turned sour, Old Madam Long pressed her advantage: "That's nothing... Zhang Erhe doesn't even respect the elderly! Before the New Year, he actually dragged his father-in-law into the stable and whipped him until he was covered in bruises and couldn't even get out of bed during the New Year!"

"Is that true?!" Yang Liming exclaimed in shock. "Is that his father-in-law?"