The entire courtyard is full of villains

He added menacingly, "Oh, and my Jie Cheng too! He didn't vomit blood, but he still got kicked by you and was seriously injured as well! You have to pay for that too!"

Ever since his family's wealth was stolen, Yan Bugui has become almost obsessed, with his only thought being to make money.

"Did you hear that?" Zhang Erhe turned to look at Zhang Guowei. "Old Zhang, he's blatantly trying to extort money from you right in front of you! I'm not going to accept it."

"How about this, Officer Zhang, you take that mother and child to the hospital right now for a medical examination! If the doctor determines it's indeed serious injury, I, Zhang Erhe, will not hesitate to pay whatever compensation is due! But if it turns out it was a staged injury to extort money from me..."

His gaze swept over the three members of the Yan family: "Then I'll have to report this to the police! Send this mother and son, along with this old swindler, all in jail!"

Zhang Erhe's eyes were so terrifying that they terrified Yan Jiecheng.

"I didn't! I... I didn't vomit blood! I'm fine!" he shouted in a panic, only realizing afterward that he had embarrassed his father.

Sure enough, Yan Bugui immediately glared at his good-for-nothing son with eyes that looked like he wanted to devour him.

Yang Ruihua, who was lying on the ground "on the verge of death," was also completely frightened by Zhang Erhe's words that he wanted to "examine his injuries and report the case." He immediately stopped spitting out blood.

Chapter 114 Retribution is inevitable

Since joining the city as a police officer in 49, Zhang Guowei has handled numerous cases, large and small, over the past decade. Looking at the Yan family's behavior, he knew perfectly well that this was no joke; it was definitely a case of faking injury to extort money.

He took two steps forward and said seriously, "Yan Bugui, you'd better think this through. If you really want Zhang Erhe to pay compensation, you must first go to the hospital for a forensic medical examination. Only when the hospital issues a serious injury assessment can we arrest him and make him pay. But if..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui's heart tightened, and he quickly interrupted, "Chief Zhang, I... I'll ask my Ruihua again." He bent down, leaned close to Yang Ruihua's ear, and whispered, "Old Yang, is your body still... aching?"

“Um… Lao Yan,” Yang Ruihua panicked, her voice weak, “I… I don’t hurt as much now…” She quietly tugged at Yan Bugui’s sleeve, “How about… we let it go? What if they can’t find anything and he ends up like Jia Dongxu… then our family is finished!”

Yan Bugui gritted his teeth and turned to Zhang Guowei with a forced smile: "Chief Zhang, we're neighbors in the same courtyard... My wife is so old, and Zhang Erhe is bullying her like this! You don't know, he kicked her all the way from outside the gate to the screen wall! At least... he should pay her a few dollars as a token of his sympathy, right?"

Not a single cent.

Zhang Erhe walked over with his arms crossed, a mocking look on his face: "Old Yan, as a good neighbor in the courtyard, I have to advise you. Hurry up and take your wife and son with Officer Zhang to get your injuries checked. Maybe they'll find some internal injuries? Then... I can compensate you a bit more. Just think, how much money would that be?"

Yan Bugui blinked a few times, but reason prevailed in the end—he wanted the money, but he was even more afraid of going to a labor camp.

"Zhang Erhe," he said sullenly, "this time...this time our family will be magnanimous and forgive you!"

"No, Lao Yan!" Zhang Erhe grabbed him. "How can you be so magnanimous? You can't be like those old widows! I've made the decision, you must take Yang Ruihua to the hospital for a checkup!"

"Hmph!" Yan Bugui flung Zhang Erhe's hand away and shouted at his son, "Yan Jiecheng! Help your mother back home!"

Seeing that the person who reported the case had left, Zhang Guowei also shouted, "Alright, it's over, everyone disperse!" Then he pulled Zhang Erhe aside and said, "Erhe, come here, I have something to tell you."

The two arrived at the corner outside the door, and Zhang Erhe gestured for Guan Xue to go back inside first.

"Zhang Erhe, what kind of people live in this courtyard?"

"How would I know?" Zhang Erhe shrugged. "Maybe it's just bad feng shui. Look, it's either widows or childless women. It's not surprising that a few more disgusting women like this would appear."

"Alright, you're full of twisted logic." Zhang Guowei waved his hand and said seriously, "Erhe, let's get serious. You're a leading cadre now, so you need to be mindful of your reputation. The last incident was a lesson—if your reputation is bad, others can find a reason to attack you at any time."

"Old Zhang, this really isn't my fault," Zhang Erhe argued. "If this were before, I would have definitely..."

"No! Please don't!" Zhang Guowei quickly interrupted, "Erhe, please spare your uncle! I'm retiring in a few more years, and I don't want a major case to occur in my jurisdiction before I retire!"

"Hey, I was just saying it offhand."

"You'd better just be saying that," Zhang Guowei said, wiping away a bead of cold sweat. "If it really doesn't work out... you might as well find somewhere else to move. Aren't you afraid of how your children will be affected if you live in the same courtyard as this kind of scum?"

"Why should I be the one moving out? Why shouldn't they be?"

"Alright, alright, forget I wasted my breath." Zhang Guowei shook his hand, turned around and left.

After seeing Zhang Guowei off, Zhang Erhe pushed his bicycle into the courtyard. Guan Xue had already boiled hot water: "Erhe, wash your face first."

"Row."

After washing up, the couple went to bed to rest. Guan Xue, still shaken, fell asleep quickly, while Zhang Erhe tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Yan Bugui's family is like a toad on your foot—it doesn't bite, but it's still annoying. You have to teach these kinds of people a lesson they won't forget, otherwise they'll never learn what restraint is.

Zhang Guowei's words made sense. Although he wasn't afraid of these beasts, his daughter would ultimately have to grow up in the courtyard. Just as Mencius' mother moved three times to find the right environment for her son, it wasn't impossible for him to move for his child's sake.

Moreover, a year of famine is fast approaching. While they themselves have no shortage of food, who can say what these beasts might do when they're starving? They can control the adults' appetites, but with children coming and going every day, Zhang Jiao's healthy complexion is impossible to hide…

At Yan Bugui's home, he repeatedly reminded the children that they must walk to and from school with the other children in the neighborhood.

“Dad,” Yan Jiecheng said casually, “no matter how vengeful Zhang Erhe is, he still follows the rules and doesn’t harm his family. Besides, Jiefang and Jie Kuang are still so young…”

Yan Bugui glared at his eldest son, thinking the boy was completely brainless. But since he was his own son, he could only advise him, "Jiecheng, don't go out these next few days. Just stay home and watch over things. I reckon if Zhang Erhe makes a move, it'll most likely be aimed at you. If you stay home, just say you're taking care of your mother. That way, we can get some sympathy from others."

"Okay...okay then." Yan Jiecheng thought for a moment, feeling a little apprehensive. "Dad, I understand. What about you?"

Yan Bugui, on the other hand, seemed quite confident: "No matter what, I'm still a teacher. No matter what Zhang Erhe does, he wouldn't dare to openly hit a teacher, would he?"

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and there was still no news from Zhang Erhe. The Yan family members finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Yan Jiecheng, adopting his confident demeanor, analyzed to Yan Bugui, "Dad, Zhang Erhe isn't what he used to be. Before, when he was dealing in the black market, he had nothing to lose; now he's a cadre, he's got his shoes on. If you let him act recklessly like before, I doubt he could pull it off."

Yan Bugui nodded, deeply agreeing.

It was Saturday, and Yan Bugui, as usual, got up early, grabbed his bucket and fishing rod, and went out. When he was almost at his usual fishing spot in Houhai, he saw a man in work clothes grabbing a man in tattered clothes, and the two were arguing heatedly.

Driven by a desire to see what was going on, he propped up his bicycle, intending to go and investigate. However, the two men's argument escalated, and they began to pull at each other, heading straight for him. Just as they reached him, the man in tattered clothes suddenly gave him a signal, and the man in overalls threw a punch! The man in tattered clothes dodged to the side—

"Ouch!"

The punch landed squarely on Yan Bugui's face.

"I'll beat you to death, you thief! That's my family's life-saving money! You dare to steal even our life-saving money? If I don't beat the shit out of you today, you'll be lucky you emptied your bowels this morning!"

A flurry of punches and kicks followed. The ragged man dodged while circling Yan Bugui, sneaking something into his pocket. Yan Bugui, wincing in pain, didn't notice at all. His glasses fell to the ground from the punch, rendering him unable to see anything.

"The police are here! The police are here!"

A shout rang out, and the man in tattered clothes turned and ran. The man in work clothes also tried to run, but Yan Bugui grabbed his leg: "You're not allowed to run! Who told you to hit me?!"

The man in overalls stopped fighting as well. A short while later, the police arrived: "Why are you fighting?!"

"Officer, I'm catching a thief!" the man in overalls blurted out. "This morning I brought my ration book and money to buy grain, and I ran into this thief and his accomplice! They worked together so well that they picked my wallet before I knew it! Luckily, I reacted quickly and caught him right away!"

"No! I'm not a thief!" Yan Bugui quickly protested loudly. "I'm a teacher at Hongxing Elementary School! How could I possibly conspire with someone to steal money?!"

Upon hearing this, the man in overalls cursed even more fiercely: "You think you can impersonate a teacher with your looks? Officer, I saw it with my own eyes, his accomplice handed him the wallet! Look for it on him! My wallet is made of leather, and it has 21.6 yuan in it, as well as my food ration book! My name is Lü Zhengpan, and my family's names are on the food ration book!"

The two policemen exchanged a glance. One pulled Lü Zhengpan away, while the other walked over to Yan Bugui and said, "Comrade, since he says the item is on you, you don't mind if I search you, do you?"

"Search!" Yan Bugui gritted his teeth in anger. "If you don't find anything today, I'll make you pay!"

He raised his hands, and the policeman carefully searched his body. When he touched his pants pocket, his expression suddenly changed.

Yan Bugui continued his vehement protest: "Officer, hurry up! This man is a real scoundrel; he dares to frame me!"

To everyone's surprise, the police pulled a wallet and a food ration book directly from his pocket.

"That's mine!" Lü Zhengpan, who was standing nearby, immediately shouted, "Officer, look!"

Yan Bugui was dumbfounded.

The policeman opened the wallet and found 21.6 yuan inside. He then opened the grain ration book, and the first line clearly stated—Head of Household: Lü Zhengpan.

It’s over.

Yan Bugui's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

Chapter 115 Using Others' Methods

"Hey! I told you you're a thief, and you still dare to call yourself a teacher!"

Lü Zhengpan jumped three feet high, gesturing wildly at the onlookers and shouting, "Everyone, open your eyes and take a look! This is it, this is it, this scoundrel! Wearing glasses, pretending to be respectable, this kind of person is the worst! He and his accomplice worked together to steal all the money my family had for buying grain!"

After saying that, he suddenly broke free from the police, rushed over, grabbed the limp Yan Bugui from the ground, pulled him up by the collar, and shouted to the crowd: "Everyone remember this face! Stay away from him in the future! Damn it, he's a real scoundrel!"

"I...I didn't!" Yan Bugui finally realized what was happening—he absolutely couldn't take the blame for being a "thief," or his whole family would be finished! "I...I really am a teacher at Sesame Alley Elementary School! I...I have my work ID..."

He frantically rummaged through his pockets, and after a while it suddenly dawned on him—he hadn't worn the brown wool coat with his work ID on it when he went fishing today!

"Police officers!" His voice trembled with urgency. "You can go to courtyard house number 95! I have someone at home; have them bring their work IDs!"

"Having a work ID doesn't mean you're not a thief!" Lü Zhengpan immediately retorted. "Maybe you pretend to be a teacher during the week and then come out on weekends to steal wallets with your accomplices! If you really are a teacher, I'll definitely go to your principal! Does someone like you deserve to be a teacher? Do you expect our children to learn to be pickpockets from you?"

"No! I really didn't!" Yan Bugui was at a loss for words. Suddenly remembering something, he quickly pointed outside, "I came fishing on a bicycle! My bicycle, fishing rod, and bucket are all over there..."

The crowd looked in the direction he pointed—it was empty.

"Where's my...where's my bicycle? Oh no! Where's my bicycle?!"

"Hey, you're really putting on an act!" Lü Zhengpan sneered, arms crossed. "If you ask me, you should have had your accomplices ride the car away long ago, right? Still putting on an act? Officer, this kind of person should be sent to a labor camp!"

"I...I'm not a thief...it's my bicycle...I..."

Yan Bugui's eyes gradually became unfocused, his lips trembled, and he could barely speak. He felt a metallic taste rise in his throat, and with a "pfft," he spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing straight to the ground unconscious.

"Hey! This old guy's acting is pretty convincing!"

At first, the two policemen also thought that Yan Bugui was faking fainting, but the older policeman squatted down and pinched his nose hard with his fingernail—but he didn't react at all.

"Oh no!" The veteran policeman's face changed, and he said to his younger colleague, "Quick! Get Xiao Wang to bring the car over and take her to the hospital! She's really passed out!"

Seeing Yan Bugui vomit blood and faint, Lü Zhengpan rolled his eyes and quietly shrank back, trying to slip away.

"Hey you! Come here!" The old policeman spotted him and called out, "You're coming with us to the hospital, and then you need to register at the police station later."

"Officer, I... I still need to go buy some food..."

"It won't make a difference if we wait a little longer!"

Lu Zhengpan had no choice but to shut his mouth and follow the two policemen to the hospital.

At the Qianmen Police Station, Director Wang from the Subdistrict Office and Principal Cheng from Sesame Alley Elementary School arrived one after the other. Director Wang looked gloomy—it was about No. 95 Courtyard again! Principal Cheng was completely bewildered; he had been summoned from home by the teacher on duty, who only said that Yan Bugui had been taken away by the police station.

After the two went inside, the police officers from the local station quickly brought Yan Bugui out. Upon seeing them, Yan Bugui almost burst into tears: "Director Wang, Principal Cheng, you have to testify for me! I'm really not a thief... I really didn't steal anything!"

At this moment, Zhang Guowei also rushed over. Chief Qian of the Qianmen Police Station recognized him and waved in greeting. Yan Bugui was even more excited to see Zhang Guowei: "Chief Zhang! Please tell the chief that I, Yan Bugui, am an honest man and have never stolen anything!"

"What's going on?" Zhang Guowei pulled Director Qian aside, and Director Wang and Principal Cheng also came over.

After listening to Director Qian recount what had happened, Zhang Guowei pondered and said, "So, the wallet and ration book were found on Yan Bugui, but he insists that he was framed while watching the commotion, and that he also lost a bicycle?"

"That's the situation," Director Qian nodded.

Principal Cheng confirmed Yan Bugui's status as a teacher and also confirmed that he did indeed have a habit of fishing, and that his home had been burgled before the Lunar New Year, so he had been fishing frequently to supplement his family's income. However, when asked whether Yan Bugui was of questionable character, he hesitated and could not give a guarantee.

Director Wang stated clearly: "Yan Bugui has many flaws, but I have never heard of him stealing chickens or dogs."