The entire courtyard is full of villains

"That's right, that's right!"

The women chatted amongst themselves, seemingly linking "scholars" and "perverts" together.

Chapter 134 Let's give it a try

The matter reached its climax that evening. Many people returning home from get off work heard the rumors, especially parents whose children were in Yan Bugui's class. They became anxious and rushed to the school to demand an explanation from the principal.

Principal Cheng initially patiently explained, "The nature of Yan Bugui's case hasn't been legally determined yet; the police are investigating..."

"They still haven't defined it?!" A hot-tempered parent immediately rolled up his sleeves and shouted, "The girl came to our door crying about her grievances, and you still say you can't handle it? Is the school protecting Yan Bugui? Are you all in cahoots? Are the other teachers also involved?!"

These words immediately stirred up a hornet's nest. Other teachers also came to complain, and for a time, parents and teachers were in an uproar in Principal Cheng's office.

"Alright!" Principal Cheng slammed his hand on the table. "Then let's do this for now—Yan Bugui will be suspended from all his work, and his students will be temporarily taught by other teachers. If... if the police ultimately confirm that he really did this, we will expel him immediately!"

"That won't do!" another parent stood up. "No matter what, someone like Yan Bugui shouldn't stay in the school! Principal Cheng, I used to think you were a good person! Do you think we don't know what's going on? The police said it's been four years, and Yan Bugui is still denying everything, so there's nothing they can do! You're going to such lengths to protect him, are you in cahoots with him? If so, we're going to the Education Bureau!"

Upon hearing this, Principal Cheng's heart skipped a beat—the fire was about to burn his own backside.

"Fine!" He had no choice but to grit his teeth and promise the parents, "No matter how this matter ends, even if the police can't determine the nature of the crime, I will find a way to transfer Yan Bugui to another school. I will never let him stay here with us again!"

The parents gradually quieted down.

Principal Cheng wiped the cold sweat from his brow and sighed inwardly, "Old Yan, you can't blame me for this... Better to die than see me suffer. If I hadn't said this today, I wouldn't have gotten through this."

He had clearly seen the looks in the eyes of several parents, who obviously wanted to lump him in with Yan Bugui. He dared not get involved in that mess, after all… he really couldn't afford to offend his shrewish wife.

Inside the courtyard house, Liu Haizhong stared wide-eyed at his wife: "Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course it's true! Madam Jia even went to inquire about it—that girl is only eighteen this year, and she was only fourteen when Yan Bugui harmed her..."

A hint of envy crept into Liu Haizhong's voice: "Tsk tsk, fourteen years old..."

His wife immediately became alert: "Liu Haizhong! What do you mean by that? Are you actually envious of Yan Bugui?"

"No, no!" Liu Haizhong quickly denied. "How could I! Others may not know, but don't you know what kind of person I am, Liu Haizhong?"

"Hmph." His wife snorted coldly, "You'd better be like that."

Inside the courtroom, Yi Zhonghai wore the same look of shock. He even felt that hearing that Yan Bugui had embezzled school funds would have been more plausible than this news. The three of them used to drink together quite often, and Yan Bugui had never uttered a single word about it.

"Could it be that you can know a person's face but not their heart?" he wondered to himself.

Just then, Tan Saihua finished cooking for the deaf old lady, so he took the food to the backyard.

Once inside, he placed the food on the table and said, "Grandma, dinner's ready."

The deaf old woman glanced at the cornbread on the table, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes: "Zhonghai, why is it cornbread again?"

“Grandma, as you know, the ration was reduced last year, and the standards for coarse and refined grains have been adjusted again this year… I was worried that your teeth weren’t strong enough to chew cornbread, so I specially asked Cuihua to make you some mixed cornbread,” Yi Zhonghai quickly explained. After all, he still had to rely on this old lady.

"Alright, alright," the deaf old woman said listlessly. "When you get old, it's hard to even eat something you like."

Yi Zhonghai hesitated for a moment, but still told her about Yan Bugui. "Grandma, do you think this Yan Bugui... is he really..."

"Hmph, you bunch of shallow-minded fools." The deaf old woman seized the opportunity to make a fuss. "Haven't you figured it out yet? This is an open conspiracy."

"A conspiracy? Old lady, how can this be a conspiracy?"

“Come here, Zhonghai, let me ask you something,” the deaf old woman said slowly, “What does Yan Bugui do?”

"A teacher, huh?"

"What is the most important thing in teaching?"

Yi Zhonghai frowned, deep in thought: "Does he need to be cultured?"

"wrong."

"Then... you need to know how to teach people?"

"That's not right either."

"What is that, old lady?" Yi Zhonghai couldn't figure it out.

The deaf old woman glared at him: "It's about reputation! If a teacher's reputation is ruined, would you still dare to send your child to study with him?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the deaf old woman realized she had misspoke—Yi Zhonghai had no children. But Yi Zhonghai was completely oblivious to this; his mind was elsewhere.

"Grandma, do you mean... Yan Bugui was set up this time?"

"There's definitely something fishy going on. And it's highly likely that someone from the compound did it." The deaf old lady clicked her tongue. "Yan Bugui is in the compound, who has he offended the most?"

"Zhang Erhe!" Yi Zhonghai blurted out.

"By the way, it might just be this kid who did it! If it really is him... then he's really cunning and ruthless. Even if Yan Bugui is eventually found out to be innocent, his reputation is already ruined. The school will most likely not keep him anymore."

The deaf old woman squinted her eyes: "Truly a wolf cub... He doesn't make a move unless it's a killing blow."

After listening to the deaf old lady's analysis, Yi Zhonghai himself began to feel apprehensive. Yan Bugui, who had offended Zhang Erhe the most, had already fallen to such a state, so... wouldn't it be his turn next? He hadn't forgotten exactly what role he had played in the farce of Zhang Erhe being removed as deputy workshop director.

“Grandma,” his voice trembled slightly, “Yan Bugui has been dealt with…is it my turn now?”

The deaf old woman also thought of this, and after a moment of silence, she slowly said, "Zhonghai... I'm afraid it's really your turn."

"What should I do?" Yi Zhonghai was terrified. Yan Bugui at least had children; even if his reputation was ruined, he could endure it for a decade or so and perhaps make a living elsewhere. But what about him? If his reputation was destroyed, where could he go after leaving this courtyard house?

"Grandma, you have to save me! Otherwise, if Zhang Erhe really tries to harm me, I won't know what I can do..."

The deaf old woman squinted her eyes: "Zhonghai, don't panic too much. Zhang Erhe's trick is only good once. If he uses it repeatedly, it will arouse suspicion sooner or later. I'm afraid... he'll use other tricks later."

"So what should I do?"

“Now, all we can do is deal with it as it comes,” the deaf old woman said in a low voice. “When you get off work these days, try to walk with others and go out less at night. I… I’ll also try to find some connections outside to see if I can ask someone to pass on a message to Zhang Erhe. When the time comes, you can contribute some money to set up a table in the yard, and we can bow our heads and apologize to him… maybe this matter can be resolved.”

"Grandma, is this...is this going to work?" Yi Zhonghai felt uneasy about this method.

"Whether it will work or not, we can only try," the deaf old woman sighed, her eyes revealing a hint of uncertainty.

Chapter 135 Some are happy, some are sad

Ma Qianli's house is bustling with activity right now.

Today, Zhang Erhe witnessed Yan Bugui being taken away, and he felt exceptionally pleased. Before leaving get off work, he called his eldest brother, Sun Xiangdong, and asked his third brother, Wu Qian, to pass on a message, inviting everyone to gather at Ma Qianli's house that evening for a mutton feast. The main reason for choosing Ma Qianli's house was that it had a separate courtyard, so they could eat meat behind closed doors without worrying about others being envious or disturbing them—unlike the other three families, who lived in either tenement buildings or large courtyards.

After getting off work, Zhang Erhe threw a whole sheep into the trunk of his car, drove home first to pick up Guan Xue, Zhang Jiao and his mother-in-law, then picked up his father-in-law, and then the group headed to Ma Qianli's house in a grand procession.

The eldest son, Sun Xiangdong, had already arrived with his wife and children. Zhang Erhe jumped out of the car and shouted into the yard, "Fourth brother, come out and carry the sheep!"

Ma Qianli ran out in response: "Second Brother, how much did you get? I thought it was just a few pounds..."

"See for yourself." Zhang Erhe opened the back door of the car.

Ma Qianli's eyes widened immediately: "Wow! A whole one?! Second Brother, this is too much..."

"Tch, are you looking down on your second brother? With so many people tonight, wouldn't a whole sheep be enough to eat?" Zhang Erhe laughed and scolded.

Ma Qianli quickly hoisted the sheep onto his shoulder and ran back as fast as he could—he dared not linger outside, lest someone see him and become envious.

Upon entering the courtyard, Qiqige came up to greet him with a smile: "Second Brother."

Zhang Erhe glanced at her slightly protruding belly and chuckled, "Wow, Fourth Brother's got some good looks!"

Qiqige blushed. Guan Xue quietly reached out and pinched his lower back. Zhang Erhe's eyes twitched, but he didn't dare to say a word.

Zhang Jiao turned around and started playing with Sun Xiangdong's daughter. Wu Qian's two sons were still young, and his wife was looking after them. When she saw Zhang Erhe coming over, she quickly greeted him, "Hello, Second Brother." Wu Qian had told her before that if it weren't for his second brother forcing him to buy a job, the family wouldn't even have enough food to live on, let alone have their children registered.

Ma Qianli put the sheep in the yard, then turned and brought out a slaughtering rack from the storeroom. He called into the house, "Qiqige, where are those copper pots we brought back from the shop? Find them and wash them. Tonight, the men will use one pot and the women will use the other!"

"Yes!" Qiqige responded with her pregnant belly and walked out.

Sun Xiangdong leaned over, nudged Ma Qianli with his elbow, and winked, "Fourth brother, you're something else! Is it yours or not?"

Ma Qianli glared at him: "Boss! If it's not mine, how could it be yours? You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth!"

Sun Xiangdong sighed, "I wish it were mine! Fourth brother, that's not what I meant... I really wanted to have another child. It's a pity, your sister-in-law's belly is like it's sealed shut, she just can't get pregnant again."

"Boss, I'm not trying to be mean," Zhang Erhe pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and tossed the pack to him, "Don't just leave your wife to take care of things alone. Go to the hospital for a checkup too. If they find anything wrong, it's good to get it treated early!"

Sun Xiangdong's eyes widened: "Isn't this all a woman's thing?"

"Bullshit!" Zhang Erhe retorted mercilessly. "Women are like the soil, and you are the seed. If you sow seeds in the soil, will a seedling definitely grow? Maybe the seed itself is bad?"

“That’s not right,” Sun Xiangdong said anxiously. “My eldest daughter is perfectly fine, isn’t she?”

"Maybe it's because of this seed that things went wrong later? Who told you to mess around outside back then—"

"Second Master! Second Master!" Sun Xiangdong rushed over and covered his mouth, lowering his voice, "Keep your voice down! If she hears this, I'll get a good beating when I get home!"

"Look at you, you coward!" Ma Qianli glanced at him as he hung the sheep on the rack to prepare for dividing the meat. "Third brother, bring me those basins!"

After settling his wife and children in, Wu Qian eagerly came over to help.

Inside the house, Sun Xiangdong's wife looked at Guan Xue and Qiqige with envy, occasionally whispering something to them. In the yard, Ma Qianli skillfully butchered the meat, quickly dividing the whole sheep into pieces.

At this moment, Qiqige also came out of the kitchen with her entourage and started cooking soup with Sun Xiangdong's wife. Wu Qian's wife led the children to watch over the place.

When it was completely dark, a steaming pot of mutton hot pot was finally served. Ma Qianli couldn't wait to pick up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, dip it in the pot, and stuff it directly into his mouth without even caring that it was hot.

"Delicious! It's been so long since I've had such a satisfying meat meal. I've been craving this... Second Brother, you're amazing!"

“That’s right, that’s right,” Sun Xiangdong quickly chimed in, “It’s all thanks to our Second Master’s skill! Come on, let’s all toast our Second Master first!”

Old Guan quickly put down his chopsticks and picked up his cup. The group clinked glasses, and Zhang Erhe suddenly slapped his forehead, got up, and carried a case of pre-prepared soda from the car outside, placing it on the table where the women and children were.

"Come on, come on, you and the kids drink this!"

By the time he turned back, half of the meat in the pot had already been submerged. Ma Qianli was enthusiastically scooping it out.

"Fourth brother, are you planning to fill yourself up with nothing but meat tonight?"

"Of course!" Ma Qianli mumbled, his mouth stuffed full. "We finally caught a big shot like you, how can we not eat our fill? I have a family to support now!"

"You, you fourth brother," Zhang Erhe shook his head with a smile, "you ate my food and I don't even get a kind word from you?"

"Who told you to be my second brother!" Ma Qianli ate a bite of meat and a sip of wine, his face glowing. "Second brother, this mutton is really delicious, even better than the mutton from Qiqige's hometown!"

"You don't know anything," Zhang Erhe laughed and scolded. "The sheep where Qiqige lives graze on grass. Mine are Tan sheep from Yongchang, Gansu—there's the Qilian Mountains on one side and the Gobi Desert on the other, with plenty of medicinal herbs. The sheep graze on grass and also nibble on a lot of herbs, which is why the meat is exceptionally tender and not gamey. This is a lamb I got from there through someone; it weighs less than thirty pounds and is at its most tender." (A little self-promotion for his hometown's mutton; winter is the perfect time for mutton and soup!)

Sun Xiangdong was so full he could barely lift his head, but he still managed to squeeze in a thumbs-up for Zhang Erhe.

At the women's table, Guan Xue and the others were also enjoying their meal. Apart from Qiqige's family, who used to run a mutton restaurant, no one else—not even Sun Xiangdong's wife, whose father was a deputy factory director—had ever eaten meat so heartily.

Listening to the men's laughter and chatter, Sun Xiangdong's wife wiped her mouth, leaned close to Guan Xue, and whispered, "If you ask me, Erhe is the one who's really capable."