The entire courtyard is full of villains

“Daqing, Zhonghai is right. You should run away.” The deaf old woman spoke slowly and deliberately. “If you run away, I will find someone to mediate, and I don’t think Grandpa Lin will make things difficult for the two children. If you don’t run away, maybe… they might really drag the children into it in order to deal with you.”

She paused, lowering her voice even further: "Let me tell you, Old Master Lin is ruthless. I heard that his third concubine was forced into a pig cage and left there for a whole day and night before she finally died. He didn't even leave her body behind; he just dragged her out and fed her to the dogs. He treats all the women who are with him like that—you cheated on him, do you think you'll have a good ending?"

He Daqing shuddered after hearing this.

“You really are something,” the deaf old woman continued, “How can you not control your lower body? Who is Master Lin? He’s a well-known capitalist in Beijing. You’ve cuckolded him, do you think you’ll have a good life? Besides, his son has now been transferred to a government position, he’s rich and powerful.”

These words completely crushed the last shred of hope in He Daqing's heart.

Run, you have to run.

Where can we run to?

“Da Qing,” Yi Zhonghai spoke again, “didn’t you say that widow Bai from the cafeteria has been harassing you? I remember she’s from Baoding. Baoding isn’t far from Beijing, so if anything happens, I can get a message to you right away. Why don’t you… go back to Baoding with widow Bai? Just tell everyone you ran off with her. I think someone like Master Lin, out of pity for Yushui and Zhuzi, probably won’t pursue the matter any further.”

He Daqing was stunned for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Alright. Grandma, Brother Yi, Zhuzi and Yushui... I'll have to trouble you all."

Chapter 169 Clean ass?

Having spent the entire night in fear, He Daqing arrived at the canteen early the next morning. Ignoring the astonished looks of the crowd, he pulled Widow Bai outside and whispered:

"Bai Jie, I won't waste any more words... If you're willing to marry me, I'll go back to Baoding with you."

Widow Bai was stunned by these words—was He Daqing a dog? She'd practically stripped down to him and offered herself to him, but he'd always been aloof. She never expected him to take the initiative now. It seemed Yi Zhonghai had really worked; all her hard work spending those days with him hadn't been in vain…

Thinking this to herself, she deliberately put on airs and said, "Brother He, I know you're a good person... I've thought it through these past few days, and I realized that I was just being wishful before. I was even thinking of telling you that I would quit my job and go back to Baoding in a few days to take good care of my two children."

He Daqing panicked as soon as he heard this—if she really left, how would he get away?

"Bai Jie, I was rude before because I had a problem with me... I've finally figured it out these past two days." He Daqing's face turned red, and he finally managed to squeeze out, "I... I really like you."

Widow Bai knew when to stop. After discussing it, the two decided to leave the following evening. He Daqing was afraid that word would leak out at the factory, so he didn't even dare to mention resigning. He only asked the canteen manager for a few days off, saying that he was going out on business. The manager didn't ask any further questions.

After taking leave, He Daqing rushed home and hurriedly left a letter for Sha Zhu. He first gave 100 million yuan, then thought it wasn't enough and added another 100 million yuan. He then entrusted He Yushui to Yi Zhonghai's wife and that very night boarded the train to Baoding with the widow Bai.

As for Sha Zhu's later visit to Baoding to find him, He Daqing was already on guard—he was afraid that Master Lin's men were following Sha Zhu, so he simply hid in the house and pretended not to hear. Fortunately, life in Baoding had been relatively peaceful over the years. A few years ago, when Widow Bai's two sons were still young, He Daqing lived quite comfortably. Only occasionally, when he dreamt of his deceased wife's face in the middle of the night, would he feel guilty and send some money back to Beijing—naturally, all of which was transferred through Yi Zhonghai.

On the surface, he had completely severed ties with Sha Zhu and Yu Shui. As for how Sha Zhu was doing in Beijing, he didn't care anymore. After all, he himself had been a pillar of the family since his teens, and he had survived the Japanese invasion of Beijing back then.

Hearing Ma Qianli's question, a hint of panic flashed in He Daqing's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "Run? I didn't run back. My wife insisted on living in Baoding, so I came with her."

Ma Qianli looked at him, chuckled lightly twice, and then asked, "He Daqing, do you want to know what kind of life Sha Zhu and He Yushui have been living after you left?"

These words immediately put He Daqing on guard—could this person surnamed Ma be someone sent by Master Lin? With this thought, he became even more wary and replied stiffly, "Shazhu and Yushui...that has nothing to do with me anymore. I've been doing quite well here all these years, and my wife's two sons have always been respectful to me."

Ma Qianli hadn't expected He Daqing to say that. According to his second brother, He Daqing had been coerced into leaving Beijing back then, but now he was saying it as if he had come to find true love. Ma Qianli still tentatively asked, "Then haven't you thought about going back to Beijing to take a look?"

“No,” He Daqing refused flatly. “I’m doing quite well in Baoding. What would I do back there?”

He knew perfectly well: Did they think he could fool him? Once he returned to Beijing, he'd be a fish on a chopping board, completely at their mercy. As long as he stayed obediently in Baoding, even if you were a high-ranking official, you couldn't just reach out from Beijing and grab him, could you?

This time, He Daqing was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to budge no matter what Ma Qianli said. In the end, Ma Qianli could only glare at him angrily after all his attempts to persuade him failed, which only made He Daqing more convinced that this man intended to take him back for "dealing".

Left with no other choice, Ma Qianli returned to Beijing in a huff. The next morning, after handing in his task, he went straight to Zhang Erhe's office.

Seeing his red and swollen eyes, Zhang Erhe said, "You've been up like this, aren't you going home to rest?"

"Second Brother, I've messed up the task you entrusted to me." Ma Qianli casually took a cigarette from the cigarette case on the table, struck a match, and lit it.

"Did you mess it up?" Zhang Erhe raised an eyebrow.

“That’s right,” Ma Qianli exhaled a smoke ring. “When I asked He Daqing, he said he went to Baoding voluntarily with that woman, not because he was coerced. When I asked him if he knew how Shazhu and Yushui were doing, he shook his head and said he was doing quite well now, and the two children there were treating him well. When I asked him if he was going back to Beijing, he shook his head like a rattle-drum—absolutely not. I don’t think he was suffering at all there; on the contrary, he seemed to be living quite comfortably. I also inquired and found out that although he wasn’t a cadre in the textile factory’s canteen, everyone in the factory valued him highly.”

"I see..." Zhang Erhe also took out a cigarette from the cigarette box, lit it, and squinted his eyes.

He had assumed, based on his impressions from novels in his previous life, that He Daqing must have been forced to go to Baoding, and that his temperament shouldn't be like this. He had even thought of bringing him back to cause some trouble for Yi Zhonghai, but unexpectedly, He Daqing himself was unwilling to return.

"Alright, Fourth Brother, you should go back and rest," Zhang Erhe waved his hand. "Let's leave it at that."

“Okay!” Ma Qianli stood up, but his eyes swept around Zhang Erhe’s office.

"You son of a bitch, are you really a bandit?" Zhang Erhe laughed and cursed.

"Hehe, Second Brother, you know me well." Ma Qianli grinned shamelessly, his eyes still fixed on something.

Zhang Erhe couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he reached under the desk, pulled out two packs of cigarettes, and tossed them over: "Take these, go back to sleep."

"Who told you to be my second brother!" Ma Qianli took the cigarette without the slightest embarrassment, instead looking smug.

"Get out! Get out! Get out!" Zhang Erhe waved his hand angrily.

"Second brother, which hospital is your wife in? I'll go back and bring Qiqige with me so we can share in the joy."

"Come on, your sister-in-law will be home in a couple of days. Just bring Qiqige over then. Pregnant women should try to avoid going to the hospital as much as possible."

"Alright! But when our nephew has his one-month celebration, you can't be stingy!"

"Get out! Get out!" Zhang Erhe stood up and pushed the man out. "You used to have the thickest skin, but after getting married, it hasn't gotten any thinner; in fact, it's gotten even thicker. You always have to squeeze some benefit out of me... If you don't get out, I'll have the head of security come and get you personally!"

"Alright, I'd better hurry home. Qiqi is still worried. If our section chief really comes, he'll definitely kick me a couple of times."

Having seen off the traveling horse, Zhang Erhe was also preparing to slip away—after all, the head of the purchasing department who sat in the office all day wasn't a good purchasing department head. He had just put on his coat when the phone rang.

He had no choice but to go back and answer the call: "Purchasing Department, Steel Rolling Mill."

"Erhe, it's me." Li Huaide's voice came from the other end.

"What's wrong, Director Li?"

"Alright, stop joking around," Li Huaide said seriously. "Old Yang just called and said he has a meeting. I'm afraid that bastard will pull some kind of trick again."

Zhang Erhe understood immediately: "Brother Li, don't worry. That Yang fellow hasn't even cleaned up his own mess yet, how could he have time to trip us up?"

"Old Yang... his ass is completely clean, isn't it?" Li Huaide asked, still somewhat doubtful.

"His ass is clean, but some people just have to smear shit on it."

"Who?"

"Who else could it be—Silly Zhu?"

P.S.: It's almost the end of the year! I've written several books on Tomato this year, and many familiar faces have appeared in the comments section. Since it's the end of the year, I'm giving away some Lanzhou local specialties, Sanpaotai (a type of tea), to a few familiar faces. Limited funds, only five spots available. This is no joke! This is no joke! This is no joke!

Chapter 170 Determined to Protect

At 10:30, Zhang Erhe, carrying a teacup and a notebook, walked into the conference room with practiced ease. He immediately saw his mentor, Wu Liqun. Wu Liqun waved to him, and Zhang Erhe went over.

"master."

Wu Liqun looked pleased – his apprentice had become a section chief, yet he remained just as respectful.

"Erhe, I heard Guan Xuesheng is pregnant? Such a big thing and you didn't even tell me. Is she still in the hospital? I'll have your master's wife go and see her."

"No rush, Master. Guan Xue will be home in a couple of days. Then, let your wife come to our house."

“That’s fine too.” Wu Liqun nodded, then sighed, “Your junior brother’s wedding will have to be postponed again… His fiancée’s grandmother suddenly passed away, and this delay will take at least another six months.”

Zhang Erhe comforted him, saying, "It's alright, good food is worth the wait."

Wu Liqun could only shake his head and smile bitterly.

As the two were talking, Secretary Su, Yang Limin, and Li Huaide entered the meeting room one after another. Zhang Erhe returned to his seat and sat down.

"Ahem," Secretary Su spoke first, "Today's meeting was convened at the request of Director Yang. Let Director Yang tell us the specifics of the meeting."

After saying that, he immediately turned the conversation to Yang Limin.

Zhang Erhe, who was listening nearby, understood perfectly—this guy surnamed Yang had forcefully pushed the Party Secretary to Li Huaide's side. It must be said, Li Huaide certainly knew how to handle people.

Yang Limin glanced at Secretary Su, feeling utterly miserable. If it weren't for repaying the favor to the deaf old lady… he guessed Secretary Su would have remained neutral, but now that he had blatantly pushed her towards Li Huaide, it would be a lie to say he didn't regret it. But now, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and see it through.

He cleared his throat: "The reason I've gathered the factory's middle-level managers here today is because of an incident that happened a couple of days ago—He Yuzhu, a cook at the third canteen, accidentally injured the canteen director who came to mediate a conflict with the first canteen. I was on a business trip when this happened, and I only received the report from the security department after I returned. I've gathered everyone here today to hear your opinions."

Zhang Erhe, standing below, raised an eyebrow at Li Huaide. Li Huaide nodded slightly, but wondered to himself: Just how much of a favor did Yang Limin owe him that he kept standing up for Sha Zhu?

As soon as Yang Limin finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to the canteen manager sitting in the corner. His face flushed red—being knocked unconscious in public by one of his own workers was humiliating enough. He had originally intended to let it slide, locking Sha Zhu up for a few days and then transferring him out of the canteen, but he hadn't expected Director Yang to hold a special meeting about it, which made him even more ashamed and indignant.

Yang Limin had initially hoped the canteen director would speak first, but then he thought that if the person involved demanded severe punishment, he wouldn't be able to speak up. So he looked at his trusted subordinate—the head of the production department.

The production director, receiving a glance, spoke up: "Let me say a few words first. I know He Yuzhu quite well. Since he joined the factory under the public-private partnership, he has always been diligent and hardworking, and he was even in charge of the factory's canteen before. I think this incident must be a misunderstanding. Since he has already been detained for several days, he should realize his mistake. Why not have him apologize to the canteen director, pay for his medical expenses, and then we can give him a lighter punishment? After all, the organization's consistent principle is 'to punish past mistakes to prevent future ones, and to cure the disease to save the patient.'"

After he finished speaking, Yang Limin immediately nodded in agreement.

The others looked on and thought: Isn't this obviously to protect Sha Zhu?

"I disagree!" Li Huaide immediately stood up.

"I disagree with what Director Fang just said. As you all know, I was transferred to the factory before the Lunar New Year to be in charge of logistics. Since I took office, many people have complained about He Yuzhu's problems—taking advantage of his skills to boss people around in the canteen. Is this the behavior of a worker in the new era?"

He paused, then raised his voice: "I think many of you here have heard He Yuzhu's twisted logic, saying things like 'If the leaders drink the workers' blood, what's wrong with him drinking some too?' This is extremely wrong and extremely reactionary! It's blatantly trying to sow discord between leaders and workers. Although we are factory leaders, we are also members of the working class. Remarks like He Yuzhu's have seriously hurt the feelings of the workers!"

Li Huaide surveyed the room, his tone resolute: "I believe this behavior should be handed over to the public security authorities for a thorough investigation. Once the facts are clear, he must be dismissed from the factory—we absolutely cannot tolerate such a black sheep in our workforce!"

As soon as Li Huaide finished speaking, Zhang Erhe was the first to applaud. Immediately afterward, everyone, regardless of whether they were from Yang Limin's faction or the centrists, joined in the applause.

Li Huaide pressed his hands down and waited for the applause to stop before sitting down to drink some water. He then turned his gaze to Yang Limin across from him—"I'll put this big label on Sha Zhu first and see how you, Yang Limin, respond."

Yang Limin's molars were almost ground to powder, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and stand up:

“What Deputy Factory Director Li just said… was indeed thought-provoking. I personally agree with Deputy Factory Director Li’s attitude of hating bad apples. But this matter has not yet reached that serious stage.”

He paused, then continued, "Comrade He Yuzhu, as everyone knows, has long been in charge of the factory's canteen, receiving many colleagues from other places and within the industry. He's certainly put in a lot of hard work, if not merit. Besides, everyone knows his nickname is 'Silly Zhu'—which shows he's not very bright and can't quite grasp things. It's possible for someone like him to grumble a bit, but to say he's deliberately trying to sow discord among the working class… I doubt he has that kind of intention. If he really had that ability, would he still be called 'Silly Zhu'?"

"Director Yang," Zhang Erhe stood up abruptly, "I have a few words to say about this matter."

Yang Limin had no choice but to raise his hand and say, "Section Chief Zhang, please speak."

“Many leaders here know that He Yuzhu and I are neighbors in the same courtyard and grew up together. The nickname ‘Silly Zhu’ was indeed given to him by his father, but it doesn’t mean he’s stupid. It means he’s stubborn and inflexible. He Yuzhu’s words and actions are no different from those of a normal person. I think Director Yang may be too trusting of the ‘silly’ image he created for himself.”

After Zhang Erhe finished speaking, he sat down. Li Huaide, sitting opposite him, quietly gave him a thumbs-up, and Zhang Erhe raised an eyebrow in response.

Yang Limin took a deep breath—it was Zhang Erhe again.

He suppressed his anger and turned to Chief Zhou of the Security Section: "Chief Zhou, has He Yuzhu seriously reflected on his actions during his detention?"

Section Chief Zhou stood up, inwardly rolling his eyes. If it weren't for his old comrade's phone call that morning, he really wouldn't want to get involved in this mess.

“After our education, He Yuzhu has deeply realized his mistakes and even wrote a letter of self-criticism. I brought it with me.”

He took out a self-criticism from his pocket, and Yang Limin gestured for his secretary to take it. He quickly scanned it and then handed it to Secretary Su.

"Secretary Su, you see, He Yuzhu's attitude in acknowledging his mistakes is quite sincere."