The entire courtyard is full of villains

Someone nearby questioned, "Yang Ruihua, don't lie to us. You fooled us once before!"

"Last time, it wasn't a lie!" Yang Ruihua retorted, hands on her hips. "It was clearly Zhang Erhe who beat up his father-in-law! If you ask me, someone must have reported this to the factory, otherwise why would the factory fire him for no reason?"

"Exactly, exactly!" someone immediately chimed in. "I guessed it was the same. Zhang Erhe is still too young."

"Hey, has he been in that workshop foreman position for half a year?"

"No, it's not enough for half a year, it's only a few months."

"Seriously...sigh, arrogance brings both rain and disaster. Zhang Erhe is just too arrogant."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai's wife, Tan Saihua, quietly stood up, not even bothering to grab a stool, and ran straight to the backyard.

"Grandma! Grandma!"

"What's wrong, Saihua?" Grandma Long asked.

"Grandma, Zhang Erhe has been fired from the steel rolling mill!"

Grandma Long sat up abruptly on the kang: "Saihua, are you telling the truth?"

"It's true! Yang Ruihua overheard Zhang Erhe talking to his daughter!"

Grandma Long blinked, pondering to herself: It seems Xiao Yang still gives me face, actually firing Zhang Erhe directly? Not bad, not bad! You bastard, let's see if you dare bully this old lady again!

Seeing Tan Saihua's anxious eyes, a smug look appeared on her face. She ordered, "Saihua, put on your coat, wrap your headscarf, and go outside to spread the news that Zhang Erhe has been fired. We have to make that bastard lose face in our compound before Zhonghai and the others get off work!"

"Understood, ma'am!"

Meanwhile, Liu Haizhong's wife also went outside to "help" Zhang Erhe "carry forward" his legacy.

When Zhang Erhe led Guan Xue and Zhang Jiao back from their afternoon stroll around Qianmen, they saw many neighbors casting strange glances at them as soon as they entered the alley—gazes that were a mixture of pity, regret, and even undisguised contempt.

Guan Xue was a little scared. She took two quick steps and grabbed Zhang Erhe's sleeve, whispering, "Erhe, do they all know? I feel like the way they look at me is weird."

Zhang Erhe nodded and smiled nonchalantly: "Who knows which gossipy woman is talking behind my back and saying bad things about me?"

Hearing him say that, Guan Xue became worried again: "This time... is everything really alright?"

"Don't worry," Zhang Erhe patted her hand, his tone reassuring, "I guarantee everything will be fine."

Meanwhile, in the steel rolling mill's broadcasting room, the announcer looked at the two notices that had just been delivered to him and asked the section chief with some difficulty, "Section Chief, these two notices... how should we broadcast them?"

The section chief leaned over for a look, then sighed, "Never mind that, just broadcast it in order."

"Shall we broadcast the disciplinary notice first?"

"Yes, broadcast the disciplinary action first."

The announcer cleared his throat and turned on the microphone:

Notice! This is to inform you that Zhang Erhe, deputy director of the manufacturing workshop in our factory, has violently assaulted an elderly person at home. The circumstances are serious, and this has caused significant damage to the reputation of the steel rolling mill. Therefore, Comrade Zhang Erhe is hereby given a severe disciplinary action and removed from his position as deputy director of the manufacturing workshop. We urge all employees to take this as a warning and remember this lesson!

The announcement was read aloud three times in a row, and the sound spread to every corner of the factory through the loudspeakers.

Yi Zhonghai had been sent back during the earlier voting and was sitting at his workstation sulking. When he heard the announcement, his eyes lit up instantly, and he excitedly waved his fist: "That damn Zhang Erhe! You think you're so arrogant! Now the deputy director has been dismissed, right? I'll get together with everyone in the institute and kick you out of the courtyard. Let's see how arrogant you are then! The old lady is really clever; she hit the nail on the head and cut off the kid's lifeline!"

On the other side, Liu Haizhong, who had also been sent back to the forging workshop, heard the notice. His first reaction was not happiness, but regret: "Zhang Erhe, the deputy director of the workshop, was so young and he got the position. It's such a pity that he was dismissed so inexplicably..." He gritted his teeth and started to make plans in his mind. He decided to ask the workshop director later if the deputy director of the manufacturing workshop would be selected from other workshops. If there was an opportunity, he planned to give it a try.

Xu Damao from the propaganda department heard the broadcast early on, but he was always cautious and didn't dare to make a fuss. He just secretly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Meanwhile, Sha Zhu, a simpleton in the cafeteria, boasted to the person next to him: "That damn Zhang Erhe, he finally can't act so arrogantly this time! But to be honest, that kid is quite wronged. Anyone would be furious if they had a father-in-law like that. I, Sha Zhu, am much more comfortable. I only have to eat my fill and no one is bothering me!"

Chapter 109 Everyone has a backer

Notice! Notice!

Just as Sha Zhu was about to continue his scathing critique of Zhang Erhe, the factory loudspeaker blared again. He was taken aback—the factory broadcasts were usually only made three times; was Zhang Erhe some important figure who needed to be broadcast again separately?

"Notice: Our factory employee Zhang Erhe has been appointed as the deputy head of the purchasing department due to his outstanding business skills and successful completion of the tasks assigned by the factory leaders before the end of the year. After deliberation, it has been decided to promote Comrade Zhang Erhe to the position of deputy head of the purchasing department."

The broadcast continued, but Sha Zhu couldn't believe his ears. He grabbed Liu Lan beside him and asked, "Liu Lan, didn't the broadcast just say... Zhang Erhe has been appointed as the deputy head of the procurement department?"

Liu Lan was dizzy from being shaken and wasn't quite sure: "I think I heard about the appointment, but I didn't quite catch if it was Zhang Erhe..."

As the two were wondering, the broadcast came on again. This time, they both heard it clearly—Zhang Erhe had indeed been appointed as the deputy head of the procurement department.

In Workshop Three, Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen. He was as furious as he had been moments before. Zhang Erhe had just been dismissed as deputy workshop director, so how could he suddenly become deputy head of the purchasing department? What were the factory leaders thinking? How could they appoint cadres so carelessly!

At the same time, Liu Haizhong in the forging workshop was also cursing: "Good heavens, Zhang Erhe can't get rid of his cadre status? He just dismissed a deputy workshop director, and now he's being compensated with a deputy head of the purchasing department? Are they trying to stick to his cadre status? I've worked hard in the factory for so many years, and I haven't even become a group leader! The factory leaders are really blind!"—He remembered this idiom very clearly.

Regardless of what the factory workers were saying, Yan Bugui was already waiting outside the gate when he got off work that evening. Today, he was determined to confirm Zhang Erhe's dismissal from Yi Zhonghai as soon as possible.

Seeing Yi Zhonghai leading Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu towards them from afar, Yan Bugui quickly went to greet them: "Old Yi—"

Upon reaching them, he noticed Yi Zhonghai's grim expression, and Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu behind him also wore long faces. Could it be... that Yang Ruihua's information was false?

"Old Yi, Zhang Erhe, that deputy workshop director... was he dismissed?"

Yi Zhonghai glanced at him but didn't say anything. Sha Zhu, however, chimed in, "Third Uncle, your information network is quite impressive!" A hint of mockery played on his lips.

Yan Bugui, however, didn't notice and was only focused on his joy: "Looks like my wife was right! You son of a bitch Zhang Erhe, you've finally met your match!"

"Old Man Yan!" Sha Zhu couldn't help but slap him when he saw his excited expression. "What are you doing, Sha Zhu?" Yan Bugui's face immediately turned unhappy after being hit.

"Old Yan, let me finish what I have to say! Zhang Erhe was dismissed as deputy workshop director and then immediately became deputy head of the purchasing department! Aren't you being too happy for a moment?"

"What?" Yan Bugui was dumbfounded. "Shazhu, you're saying Zhang Erhe has become the deputy head of the procurement department again?"

"Yeah! I just found out today that this guy bought some of the meat and flour we ate before the New Year. No wonder the meat didn't taste good!" Sha Zhu said with a look of disdain.

Yi Zhonghai glared at him and Yan Bugui, then turned and entered the central courtyard without looking back. Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu exchanged a glance, then bypassed Yan Bugui and followed.

Yan Bugui stood there, stunned, not yet able to recover, when a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit led a young man to the gate of the courtyard.

"Hello, sir," the middle-aged man said politely, "Does Comrade Zhang Erhe live in this courtyard?"

"Zhang Erhe?" Yan Bugui sized him up. "And you are?"

"I am Li Huaide, the deputy director of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. I'm here to talk to Comrade Zhang Erhe about something."

"It's...it's right across the street," Yan Bugui said weakly, pointing. There was absolutely no hope now—the deputy factory director had come to see Zhang Erhe personally, and with such a polite attitude. He'd spent half the day in the yard for nothing, making a complete fool of himself.

Li Huaide glanced at Yan Bugui with some surprise, thinking: Why does Erhe seem like such a difficult neighbor to get along with? No wonder he's not comfortable living in this yard. I'll have to ask Erhe later if he wants me to help him move to another yard.

At this moment, Zhang Erhe was playing cards at home with his daughter Zhang Jiao and Xiaoyu from the front yard, his face covered with paper strips.

"Dad, you lost again!" Zhang Jiao clapped her hands. "Sister Xiaoyu, quickly give Dad two more stickers!"

Zhang Erhe looked utterly dejected: "How come I can't even beat a kid at a card game..."

Guan Xue couldn't help but laugh at his expression—this man, sometimes he's like a child! Just as she was about to go over and help him stick the note on properly, there was a knock on the door.

Zhang Erhe felt like he had been granted a pardon and quickly put down his cards: "Jiaojiao, we have guests at home, let's play later."

"Dad, you're cheating! You're clearly going to lose again!"

"Wait, wait!" Zhang Erhe quickly walked to the door and opened it.

Li Huaide immediately spotted a face covered in notes, and upon closer inspection, recognized it as Zhang Erhe.

"Erhe, what are you doing...?"

"Factory manager, why did you have to go to all this trouble?" Zhang Erhe said hurriedly, tearing the note off his face as he stepped aside. "Please come in, please come in!"

Li Huaide stepped into the house with a smile: "What, aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?"

"Guan Xue, quickly make us two cups of tea!" Zhang Erhe called out to the inner room, then turned to Li Huaide and smiled, "Brother Li, please don't laugh at me. I had nothing to do after coming back from the factory today, so I'm just staying home and playing with the kids for a while."

"What, you think I'm here to comfort you?" Li Huaide glared at him, then took out a document from his briefcase. "Here, your appointment letter as deputy section chief. I've brought it to you."

"Deputy section chief? Hey, Brother Li, you actually got it done!" Zhang Erhe took it and gave a thumbs up.

"Of course! I, Old Li, always keep my word, a promise is a promise." Li Huaide laughed heartily, "Come to the factory early tomorrow morning, I'll take you on a tour of the logistics department and introduce you to some people."

"That would be too much trouble for you, Brother Li!"

At this moment, Guan Xue came over with tea. "Director Li, please have some tea!" Li Huaide took the teacup and said gently, "You must be my sister-in-law. From now on, just call me Brother Li, like Erhe does."

Guan Xue answered shyly, "Brother Li, did our Erhe really become a deputy section chief?"

"Of course it's true!" Li Huaide pointed to the appointment letter on the table. "I'm here specifically to deliver the notice! Who told this kid to slip away before the meeting was over today?" He turned to Zhang Erhe and teased, "Goodness, you want me, the factory director, to personally deliver your appointment letter? You've got some nerve! So, how are you going to thank me tonight?"

"Brother Li, leave tonight to me! We can't get dragon meat from the sky, but we can get donkey meat from the ground. And bring a pot of yellow wine, let's have a good drink!"

"Alright, I was just kidding." Li Huaide waved his hand. "I still have to go to my father-in-law's house tonight. I clashed with Yang Liming at the meeting today. Although we're not afraid of him, we still have to complain when necessary—the squeaky wheel gets the grease, right?" He winked at Zhang Erhe as he spoke.

Zhang Erhe immediately understood. It seemed that Li Huaide had also been angered by Yang Liming today; after all, everyone in the ministry has a powerful backer!

Chapter 110 Brother Wu

In the backyard, in Old Lady Long's room, Old Lady Long and Yi Zhonghai sat facing each other. After a long silence, Old Lady Long still seemed somewhat incredulous:

"Zhonghai, you mean... Zhang Erhe was first dismissed as deputy workshop director today, and then became deputy head of the purchasing department?"

"Yes, madam."

Grandma Long slowly stroked her cane: "This shouldn't be... In official matters, there should always be some face-saving between people. This is clearly a complete breakdown in relations—which deputy factory director is in charge of the purchasing department?"

"It's Li Huaide, he was transferred here before the Lunar New Year last year. I reckon... those scarce supplies before the Lunar New Year were probably obtained by Zhang Erhe."

"That kid, he really knows how to flatter!" Yi Zhonghai said indignantly.

"No wonder..." Old Mrs. Long muttered to herself, "That makes sense now. With supplies so scarce, if Zhang Erhe can get his hands on things, he's the boss. Li Huaide is a new official; if he can't make things work out, he'll lose face big time. Can he really get rid of Zhang Erhe, this big shot?" She paused, then whispered, "It seems Xiao Yang isn't having a good day either... He's probably going to blame me again this time."

"Grandma, you said..."

“Zhonghai,” Old Madam Long stood up, “we made a move this time, but we didn’t gain any advantage. We can’t make any more moves in the short term. Not only that, we also have to be wary of Zhang Erhe turning around and doing something ruthless. Be extra vigilant at night these days. I’m afraid that kid… is ruthless.”

"No way?" Yi Zhonghai was starting to panic.

"It's hard to say," Old Mrs. Long shook her head. "There aren't many people in this courtyard I can't see through, but he's one of them. How could those two honest guys in the Zhang family have raised such a smiling tiger?"

Yi Zhonghai remained silent. Perhaps someone else would have an answer to this question, but he didn't even have a son or daughter; what could he possibly say?

The next morning, Zhang Erhe got up early, full of energy—he had gone to bed early the night before. Guan Xue specially dressed him in new clothes, after all, it was his first day in office. She carefully adjusted his scarf and escorted him to the door.

Across the street, Yang Ruihua was gathering firewood at his doorway. Seeing this, Guan Xue deliberately raised her voice:

"Erhe, go to work today and focus on your job. Don't rush back, or some gossipy women will start talking behind your back again! I heard people talking about you yesterday, and now you've become the clown yourself!"

Yang Ruihua paused, a flash of embarrassment and anger crossing her face, but she couldn't even utter a word of rebuttal—didn't she see her man still cowering in the house, too ashamed to show his face? She could only curse inwardly: Guan Xue, you little bitch, what are you so smug about!

Zhang Erhe rarely saw Guan Xue speak so sarcastically, so he immediately chimed in, "Don't worry, this kind of gossipy woman won't be any good! She might get robbed during the New Year and have all her savings stolen. Then she'll probably have to count every last bit of pickled vegetable she eats!"