The entire courtyard is full of villains

"Yes, Second Brother." Wu Qian responded, taking a file folder out of his bag and handing it over.

Cui Yingying took the paper with trembling hands, opened it, and carefully examined it. After confirming that everything was correct, she struck a match and lit it on the spot. The flames engulfed the paper, and she watched the ashes fall before letting out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Third Brother, Second Master, this time... consider it a favor I owe you. From now on..." She suddenly stopped—from now on, she would consider herself retired from the criminal life.

“Alright,” Zhang Erhe said, “Since you’re going to retire, don’t ever set foot on this path again.”

"it is good."

What are your plans for the future?

"I..." Cui Yingying said with a hint of melancholy, "I don't know either. I might go out and travel around, see what's going on. When I want to settle down, I'll find a place to live. Maybe... I'll find an honest man, and then I can be a good wife and mother."

Zhang Erhe flicked his cigarette ash: "Then... the world is vast and the journey is long, we shall never meet again."

Cui Yingying clasped her hands in a fist salute, then pushed open the door and got out of the car.

"Second Brother, you always act so formal." Wu Qian suddenly leaned out of the car window and called out to her, "Hey! What's your name anyway? Write me a letter when you have time."

"I understand, Third Brother." Cui Yingying stood outside the car and turned back to reply, "From now on... I'll use my mother's surname, and as for my given name," she smiled, "I've said too many things against my conscience before, so I'll say less from now on and choose the name Mo!"

"Got it." Wu Qian pulled his head back into the car and muttered, "Shen Mo... why a man's name? It's really strange for a perfectly normal woman to have such a name."

Zhang Erhe ignored Wu Qian's words and started the jeep, driving towards the city.

After walking for a while, Wu Qian couldn't help but ask again, "Second Brother, we... first we branded Yan Bugui as a thief, and then we set a trap for Yan Jiecheng. Is the Yan family's matter... over?"

"That's it?" Zhang Erhe flicked the cigarette butt, which had been sucked through the filter, out of the car window, leaving a trail of sparks. "This is nothing. Did you find out for sure that the Yan family is renting their house now?"

"Yes, it's rented."

"Then get rid of Yan Bugui's job and make sure his family is kicked out of the No. 95 courtyard house."

"Then...how do we do it?" Wu Qian pressed.

"You don't need to worry about that, I've already arranged the manpower." Zhang Erhe said calmly, turning the steering wheel.

"Third Brother, specifically... how does it involve designing it?"

"Don't ask, just come with me and you'll find out."

The jeep drove all the way to a crowded tenement in the northern part of the city. The environment was messy, the houses were low, and the yard was piled with clutter. The two men didn't get out of the car. Zhang Erhe just tossed a cigarette to a boy at the gate: "Go in and call Liu Sipi out."

The young man took the cigarette and dashed inside. A moment later, a thin, wiry man with timid eyes followed him out.

"Liu Sipi?"

"It's me, it's me... And you are?"

"Old Hei from Dongcheng District sent him over."

"Oh! You're one of Master Hei's men! Then what are you doing here..." Liu Sipi immediately nodded and bowed.

“Find one of your junior employees, named Liu Qian.”

"Liu Qian?" Liu Sipi looked blank. "We all use stage names here. We don't really know what her real name is."

"Seventeen or eighteen years old, the skinny one," Zhang Erhe added.

"Oh—you mean her!" Liu Sipi exclaimed in realization. "Sir, are you two... together? And the price..."

"Get lost. We need to see her, we've got her on the books for today." Zhang Erhe threw out five yuan.

"Alright! Sir, come with me!" Liu Sipi took the money, beaming, and led the two through the maze-like alleyways, finally stopping at a dimly lit alleyway and peering inside to call out.

A short while later, a girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old came out from inside, her face pale and her eyes darting around.

"Sir, I've brought the person to you. I'll be going now. Contact me again if you need anything later!" Liu Sipi wisely slipped away.

Zhang Erhe walked over and looked at her: "Liu Qian."

The woman's eyes brightened slightly, and she said softly, "It's been so long... no one has called me by that name."

"Want to start over? To live a new life and have a stable job?"

"Me?" Liu Qian gave a bitter smile. "Forget it. Everyone knows my reputation now..."

"What if we go somewhere else? A place where nobody knows you."

"Change...change the place?" Liu Qian's eyes flickered.

"I'll give you a new identity and a fresh start. You'll have a formal job, and if you're not picky, you might even find a decent man and settle down."

"I...can I really do it?" Liu Qian's voice trembled slightly, and a faint but real light gradually ignited in her originally dull eyes.

“As long as you agree to do something for me,” Zhang Erhe said calmly, “after it’s done, I’ll give you a new identity, a new job, and a new city.”

Liu Qian lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, remaining silent for a long time. The alley was quiet, with only the faint sounds of voices in the distance and a sliver of clouds drifting across the sky overhead.

Finally, she raised her head, her timidity fading, replaced by a caution beyond her years: "I... I can do it for you. But... how can you guarantee it?" She repeated, her voice soft yet stubborn, "After it's done, will you really give me... what I want?"

Although she was only eighteen, she had been struggling in this quagmire for more than two years. She had seen too many people who spoke sweet words and made extravagant promises, only to disappear without a trace or renege on their word in the end. When hope is ignited and shattered too many times, the heart grows a hard shell and thorns.

Zhang Erhe looked at her, and the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch very slightly, whether in approval or something else, it was hard to tell. "Okay, you do have some brains." He paused for a moment, "Since you used to live near Nanluoguxiang, you should...have heard of my name. I'm a man of my word."

"What...what's your name?" Liu Qian mustered her courage, looked up at him directly, her eyes filled with a mixture of probing and anticipation.

“My name is,” Zhang Erhe said, meeting her gaze, “Zhang, Er, He.”

Chapter 127 A Great Dream

“Zhang Erhe…” Liu Qian repeated the name, her eyes suddenly lighting up. “You’re Zhang Erhe from courtyard number 95?”

"Correct."

“I’ve heard about you from my brother,”

"Your brother?"

“Yes, my brother!” There was something else in Liu Qian’s voice. “My brother… is your classmate.”

"What's your brother's name?" Zhang Erhe asked, somewhat surprised, as he hadn't really looked into that before!

"Liu Shuzeng".

"Liu Shuzeng?" Zhang Erhe frowned slightly, then remembered, "Your brother is... Liu Shuzeng, the one who was stabbed in 53?"

“Yes.” Liu Qian gave a bitter smile. “If my brother were still here… I wouldn’t be in this situation today.”

"Alright," Zhang Erhe sighed.

On the contrary, Liu Qian quickly regained her composure, even appearing somewhat nonchalant: "Zhang Erhe, tell me, what do you need me to do?"

"Okay." Zhang Erhe nodded. "If I remember correctly, in 55... you went to Sesame Alley Elementary School, right?"

"Yes, I was 14 years old in '55 and I was in sixth grade there."

"Your teacher back then... was Yan Bugui, right?"

"Yes." Liu Qian replied, somewhat puzzled.

“Then I need you,” Zhang Erhe said, looking at her calmly. “After a while, go to the entrance of Sesame Alley Elementary School and wait for Yan Bugui to come out. Then accuse him of… molesting you back then.”

Liu Qian's eyes widened: "This...how can this be? Although Teacher Yan used to ask students' families for favors, I didn't give him any, and he...he didn't do anything to me..."

“Liu Qian,” Zhang Erhe interrupted her, “I want you to do it, not to ask.”

"I...can I ask...why?"

“Sure,” Zhang Erhe answered decisively. “Yan Bugui has offended me. I want him to be ruined and kicked out of Beijing.”

Liu Qian fell silent and thought for a long time.

“I can promise you,” she finally said, but then added, “but no one will believe me if I just say it like that. After all, five or six years have passed…”

“It’s alright,” Zhang Erhe said. “As long as you come forward to file a complaint, someone will naturally help you ‘confirm’ the matter. By the way, remember this—Yan Bugui has three moles on the inside of his thigh, arranged in a triangular shape. When someone asks you for details, just insist on this feature. Based on this alone, he will never be able to turn the tables.”

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Don't worry after it's done. For your brother Liu Shuzeng's sake, I'll give you an extra five hundred yuan."

"Okay!" Liu Qian agreed readily this time. "Then... when do we take action?"

"Someone will notify you. Just prepare in the next few days."

"There's nothing to prepare." Liu Qian gave a self-deprecating smile. "Anyway, given my current reputation... taking on one more unjust debt won't make a difference."

After leaving Liu Qian, Wu Qian couldn't help but ask, "Second Brother, where did you find out about this girl? Is this... reliable?"

Zhang Erhe glanced at him and said slowly, "Qian'er, remember this—a person should never put all their eggs in one basket."

“Alright, Second Brother,” Wu Qian replied, but couldn’t help asking again, “But will your trick really work? After all, so much time has passed. As long as Yan Bugui insists he didn’t do it, he’ll probably be fine.”

“Qian’er, remember this: while underhanded tactics are effective, a straightforward strategy is unsolvable. I admit that after so much time, the police may not file a case. But Yan Bugui’s reputation is ruined. Think about it, among so many parents, who would want their child to study under a teacher with such a terrible reputation?”

He paused, then continued, "As long as we make a scene, we can force the school to expel him. Once he's expelled, why should he continue renting the house in courtyard number 95? Let me tell you, as soon as Yan Bugui is expelled, someone will be there to incite people to kick him out for the sake of the courtyard's reputation."

"It has to be you, Second Brother!" Wu Qian gave a heartfelt thumbs up. "Yan Bugui must have been blind to have gotten involved with you."

“There’s nothing I can do,” Zhang Erhe said calmly. “In the past, I would have buried their whole family long ago. But now… the world is different.”

"Come on, Second Brother," Wu Qian laughed. "You're just talking about burying people. Have you ever actually buried anyone before? The worst time we brothers fought since 1950 was when you beat someone so badly that they were hospitalized for half a month."

"Alright," Zhang Erhe smirked, "Scaring him a little is fine, right?"

"That's possible."

Yan Jiecheng wandered aimlessly around the West District for half the afternoon and finally found a temporary job carrying heavy bags near the train station. He could earn 15 cents an hour. The work was tiring and the pay was low, but it was still better than idling around all day.

That evening, after carrying all the bags, Yan Jiecheng dragged his aching body back to the courtyard house. Although his body felt like it was filled with lead, his spirits were surprisingly high, and the little flame in his heart burned brightly.

I'm getting married! And to the deputy director of the workshop! What are that idiot Zhu and Xu Damao in the compound? Two bachelors! So what if Liu Guangqi is a vocational school graduate? Can he really marry a workshop director? As for the older ones in the compound, Zhang Erhe is a cadre, that's true, but what did he marry? A remnant of the previous regime! Let's not even mention him! Jia Dongxu is marrying a country bumpkin. Who can compare to his Cui Yingying? Young, beautiful, and a cadre too!

Thinking about it this way, Yan Jiecheng felt exceptionally happy, and even the cold wind on his way home didn't seem so biting. By the time he dragged his feet home, it was almost nine o'clock.

"Jie Cheng?" Yan Bugui frowned. "Why are you back so late?"

"Dad, I found a job!" Yan Jiecheng's excitement was palpable.

"Oh? You found work?"

"Yeah! It's just a bit far, it's in the West District."

"That doesn't matter. Just leave early and come back late every day." Yan Bugui's brows relaxed a little, and he turned to call into the inner room, "Old Yang! Quick, bring Jiecheng the food up!"

"Yes!" Yang Ruihua responded, and unusually, added two extra slices of pickled vegetables to the food he brought. However, Yan Jiecheng didn't care about that at the moment. He slurped down his food, wiped his mouth casually, and lay down on the bed, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

In his dream, he pushed a gleaming, high-performance bicycle, with Cui Yingying, her face beaming with sweet smiles, sitting on the back. In the corner, Sha Zhu and Xu Damao cast envious glances, and even Zhang Erhe, for once, came over to congratulate him. At the wedding banquet, Yan Bugui, unusually frugal as ever, laid out three hearty meat dishes on the table. Amidst envious stares, he took Cui Yingying's hand and led her into the bridal chamber…