The train driver in the courtyard

"Jia Dongxu, you bastard! You dare to do it but not admit it? Get your ass out here right now!" Xu Damao jumped up and down cursing at the Jia family's gate. "If you don't come out, I'll set it on fire!"

The people in the courtyard initially thought he was just saying it out of anger, but when they saw the boy actually turn around and grab the firewood that the Nan Yi family had piled up in the corner, they realized he was serious.

"Da Mao, you mustn't! You absolutely mustn't!" Liu Haizhong and several neighbors rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

Just kidding, these are all really old houses in this compound. If they actually caught fire, it would be a real problem.

Inside the house, Qin Huairu already felt that Jia Dongxu had gone a bit too far, and seeing this situation, she began to complain: "We're all neighbors in the same courtyard. Even if we have a grudge, there's no need to ruin someone's future."

"I was just stating the facts. If Xu Damao can do it, why can't I report the situation?" Jia Dongxu rolled his eyes at Qin Huairu and snorted coldly, "I'm going out right now to see what he can do to me!"

Jia Dongxu was initially intimidated by Xu Damao, but now he understands that the responsibility doesn't lie with him.

When Jia Dongxu walked out of the house, Xu Damao was still being held tightly by Liu Haizhong around the waist.

To be honest, Liu Haizhong's second uncle was quite enthusiastic. I was really worried that Xu Damao would cause trouble. When Xu Damao saw Jia Dongxu come out, his eyes turned red, and he struggled a few times but couldn't break free.

Xu Damao, like a mad dog, got so angry that he opened his mouth and bit Liu Haizhong's arm.

"Oh my, are you a dog?"

Liu Haizhong was caught in the crossfire; he shook off Xu Damao, rolled up his sleeves, and ran to Li Aiguo.

He looked aggrieved: "Patriot, I heard there's this rabies disease now? It can kill people. Do you think I need to get vaccinated?"

Xu Damao really went all out, leaving a row of teeth marks on Liu Haizhong's rough arm through the thick work clothes, with beads of blood seeping from the deeper ones.

Li Aiguo stroked his chin: "Xu Damao probably doesn't have this disease."

"What if he gets it?" Liu Haizhong was worried. He had finally become a leader and was ready to make great strides, but he didn't want to die.

"Here's what we'll do: go to the epidemic prevention station for a shot first, then observe for ten days. If Xu Damao is fine during these ten days, you can rest assured."

Li Aiguo recalled the ten-day observation method from later generations and casually explained it.

There have been misconceptions in the promotion of the ten-day observation method, leading people to believe that if you are scratched by a cat or dog, you don't need to get vaccinated; you just need to observe for ten days to make sure the cat or dog does not have rabies.

In fact, if the cat or dog develops rabies ten days later, and the patient who was bitten by the cat or dog also develops rabies, then the opportunity to receive the rabies vaccine will be lost.

The best approach is to give the dog one shot first, and then determine whether further vaccinations are needed based on the cat's or dog's condition.

The third uncle chimed in, "Old Liu, hurry up and go! Da Mao's acting crazy, he might really have been bitten by a dog in the countryside, don't delay!"

"You're the one who got bitten by a dog! Your whole family got bitten by dogs!" Xu Damao exploded upon hearing this.

But then he noticed Jia Dongxu instinctively shrink back. His eyes darted around, and suddenly he burst out laughing, a maniacal laugh.

"Oh dear, I forgot!" he exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "Yesterday, while I was in the countryside, I was bitten by a big black dog from Wuma Commune! No wonder I feel so unwell today..."

Then he started acting, his lips twitching, drool dripping down his face, his expression contorted, "Thirsty...I'm so thirsty..."

"Jia Dongxu, you dare to frame me! I'm not going to live anyway, so I'll take you down with me today!" Xu Damao brandished his claws and staggered as he lunged at Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu wasn't afraid of Xu Damao before; at worst, he'd get a beating, and it wasn't like he hadn't been beaten before.

But it's different now.

This thing is a complete mad dog!

He shrank back in fright and instinctively hid behind Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu was also taken aback by Xu Damao's crazy appearance. In her haste, she pushed Jia Dongxu, who was caught off guard and ended up right in front of Xu Damao.

"Jia Dongxu, I'll eat your flesh, drink your blood, pull out your tendons, and skin you alive!" Xu Damao roared, baring his teeth.

Jia Dongxu was so frightened that his trouser legs were soaked with sweat, and the sweat dripped down his legs. His voice trembled as he said, "Xu Damao, you're not joking..."

"Who's joking with you?" Xu Damao shouted in a high-pitched voice, "Speak up! You were framing me! Those charges were all made up!"

Li Aiguo watched from the side and nodded secretly, thinking to himself that Xu Damao had really improved, and his skill in scaring people had reached a high level.

Round 1: Xu Damao vs. Jia Dongxu: Mad Dog Xu Damao wins!
But when Li Aiguo caught a glimpse of Yi Zhonghai walking out of the backyard, he knew that Xu Damao's act was probably over.

Sure enough, Jia Dongxu was so frightened that his face turned pale and his mouth was open, about to give in.

Yi Zhonghai's voice suddenly rang out: "Xu Damao, what are you pretending to be crazy about? Rabies? There haven't been any cases of rabies around Beijing in the past two years!"

Yi Zhonghai strode over with his hands behind his back, his eyes darkening: "If you really have this disease, I'll have someone take you to the epidemic prevention station right now and put you in quarantine!"

Old ginger is spicier. Everyone knows what the epidemic prevention station was like in the early days after liberation. Even if you were just passing by, you would have to go around it.

Xu Damao's rabies was cured, and he immediately wilted, looking miserable: "Uncle, I was at my wit's end! You've come at the perfect time. Jia Dongxu is your apprentice, and he framed me in front of the personnel officer. You have to judge this matter!"

Yi Zhonghai, that old bastard, has always been a hypocrite and can't stand seeing others more successful than him.

Liu Haizhong became the group leader, and now Xu Damao is going to become a full-fledged cadre. How could he be willing to accept that?
He immediately said with a stern face, "The steel rolling mill is conducting a survey of the masses. Isn't Jia Dongxu one of the masses? Doesn't he have the right to speak his mind?"

Seeing his master come out to support him, Jia Dongxu immediately straightened up: "Yes, yes! I'm just one of the masses!"

"Where's the evidence?"

"I only heard about it, where did I get the evidence?" Jia Dongxu retorted stubbornly.

Yi Zhonghai nodded in agreement: "Yes, not everything needs evidence. The absence of evidence does not mean that Xu Damao did nothing wrong."

Xu Damao was furious at the shamelessness of the master and apprentice, trembling with rage, but there was nothing he could do.

Yi Zhonghai knew that he would have a hard time dealing with Xu Damao on his own, so he looked at the Third Uncle.

"Old Yan, tell me, does a public survey necessarily require evidence?"

As a retired teacher, the third uncle usually adhered to all the rules and regulations.

Even though he knew that Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu were just making trouble, he could only nod reluctantly: "It's just a discussion, no evidence is needed."

Seeing that the Third Uncle had sided with Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu, the other residents in the compound nodded in agreement.

"Xu Damao does seem to have done those kinds of things before."

“Jia Dongxu wasn’t wrong either.”

"Let's talk things out. There's no need to act like a mad dog."

Xu Damao originally thought he had the victory in the bag, but now he was cornered by Yi Zhonghai's few words.

Round 2: Xu Damao vs. Yi Zhonghai: The hypocritical Yi Zhonghai wins.

Yi Zhonghai felt that the victory had come too easily and couldn't help but look at Li Aiguo.

If there was anyone in the compound he truly feared, it would be Li Aiguo.

However, contrary to his usual behavior, Li Aiguo showed no intention of showing up. Instead, he stood to the side with Zhang Gangzhu and Yan Jiecheng, enjoying the show.

"This kid must be afraid of me, hmm. That must be it."

Yi Zhonghai became increasingly pleased with himself. He coughed twice and adopted the air of an elder in the courtyard, saying, "Our compound is a united compound, a friendly compound, a compound where everyone helps each other. Jia Dongxu's behavior was indeed somewhat inappropriate, but it was also to help his neighbor correct his mistakes."

Some people, instead of being grateful, even came to cause trouble. This is enough to show that they haven't realized the root of their flawed thinking. They need to study harder in the future.

This is what it means to kill someone by destroying their spirit.

Once labeled as having a negative mindset, Xu Damao's future was essentially over.

Xu Damao was already furious. Seeing this, he gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and shouted out a sentence that left all the residents dumbfounded.

"Jia Dongxu didn't write the anonymous letter a while ago; it was Yi Zhonghai who wrote it!"

With a "boom," it was like a pot had exploded!

The residents in the compound all knew about Jia Dongxu writing anonymous letters and being punished by having to clean the toilets.

They felt a buzzing in their ears, and their mouths were so wide open they could fit an egg in them, unable to close them for a long time.

Li Aiguo almost couldn't help but applaud, thinking to himself that Xu Damao's counterattack was brilliant!

Yi Zhonghai, who had been thinking about how to deal with Xu Damao, suddenly felt guilty and dared not utter a word.

Jia Dongxu hadn't reacted yet; he opened his mouth but didn't say anything.

The residents of the compound were stunned by the news and were speechless.

The courtyard fell silent instantly.

A leaf fell from the tree and drifted gently to the ground.

"You're talking nonsense!" Yi Zhonghai finally reacted, jumping up and down and pointing at Xu Damao's nose, yelling, "Xu Damao, stop trying to sow discord here! Dongxu and I have a deep master-disciple relationship, show me the proof!"

Xu Damao looked at him coldly, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Evidence? Didn't the old man just say that not everything needs evidence? The absence of evidence doesn't mean that you, Yi Zhonghai, haven't done anything despicable."

Yi Zhonghai was caught off guard and was speechless, his face turning red and his neck bulging, but he was unable to defend himself.

Jia Dongxu already knew that he hadn't written the anonymous letter and had always suspected that someone was framing him. Now, upon hearing Xu Damao's accusations, he immediately became suspicious.

The newspaper belonged to Yi Zhonghai's family, and Yi Zhonghai knew what kind of dirty deeds he had done, so he had every opportunity to switch the newspaper.

Why would Yi Zhonghai do this?
Why should we punish him?
Could it be true, as Jia Zhangshi said, that Yi Zhonghai has never been well-intentioned?
"I never expected that Yi Zhonghai would do such a heinous thing."

"Isn't that simple? The more miserable Jia Dongxu is, the less he can escape Yi Zhonghai's grasp. Yi Zhonghai is still counting on Jia Dongxu to support him in his old age."

"Tsk tsk, that's ruthless. He can even do that to his own disciple."

The elderly folks in the courtyard have lived most of their lives; what haven't they seen? They figured out the details in just a few words.

Liu Haizhong had been thinking about getting vaccinated, but he couldn't care less about that now. He just stared wide-eyed, waiting to see what would happen.

The old man wanted to step forward and offer some advice, but the matter was so unbelievable that he could only stand aside and watch more intently than anyone else. All eyes were on Jia Dongxu.

All eyes turned to Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu stared at Yi Zhonghai, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and the agonizing pain of being betrayed by the person he trusted most.

Lately, he's really started treating Yi Zhonghai like his own father.

But in the end, the one who made her clean toilets was actually her "biological father"!
"Master... Master..." Jia Dongxu's voice trembled, filled with disbelief and pain, "That letter... did you really write it?"

"Don't listen to that brat Xu Damao's nonsense! Dongxu, how could Master do such a filthy thing?" Yi Zhonghai, as expected of a veteran actor, had a pained expression on his face, his voice trembled, and his eyes were red, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

If Li Aiguo hadn't already known the truth, he probably would have been fooled by Li's "highly respected" demeanor.

But Jia Dongxu had already been deeply hurt, so how could he still believe it?

He wiped his face hard, whether it was tears or sweat, and muttered, "Master, you've really disappointed me." He then turned and rushed into the house, slamming the door shut with a "bang."

The sound was crisp and clear, like a slap across Yi Zhonghai's face.

He knew that further explanation would be futile at this point, so he took a deep breath and turned to Qin Huairu: "Huairu, Dongxu is stuck in a rut. You are a reasonable person, so try to persuade him and don't really ruin the relationship between master and disciple."

"Really..." Qin Huairu was also apprehensive. No wonder Jia Dongxu was still only a first-class fitter after so many years. It turned out there was such a dark hand behind him.

But she didn't show it at all.

Falling out with Yi Zhonghai will do the Jia family no good whatsoever.

She nodded, which was her way of agreeing.

"Hey, Lao Liu, Lao Yan, I really didn't frame Jia Dongxu." Yi Zhonghai looked at Liu Haizhong and the Third Uncle, hoping they would step forward and say something. "This is a matter between you and your master, we don't know the details either."

"Yes, yes, I had no idea."

Now this matter has become a Rashomon-like situation with a stinking latrine, and neither Liu Haizhong nor Uncle San wants to get involved.

Yi Zhonghai then looked at the other residents.

The residents all believed that Yi Zhonghai was responsible, but they lacked evidence and couldn't definitively accuse him.

They can't bring themselves to say things they don't believe.

The residents all looked away.

Yi Zhonghai's gaze swept over Li Aiguo, and he immediately understood.

It turns out that the reason this guy didn't stand up for Xu Damao earlier was so that Xu Damao would expose this matter.

Li Aiguo, you have such a vicious mind.

The crux of the problem is that Yi Zhonghai found himself completely unable to accuse Li Aiguo.

It’s frustrating, it’s really frustrating.

Amidst disdainful glances, Yi Zhonghai sighed, turned around, and staggered away. His back looked much more hunched than before, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

Round 3: Xu Damao vs. Yi Zhonghai vs. Jia Dongxu, Xu Damao wins!

"Ouch! I haven't had my rabies vaccine yet!" Liu Haizhong suddenly remembered his business, clutched his arm, and ran out of the yard.

After the old man and the other residents had had their fill of gossip, seeing that there was nothing new to say, they dispersed in twos and threes.

Soon, only Xu Damao and the two personnel officers remained in the intermediate court.

"What about me? Are we just going to let this go like this, framing me?" Xu Damao was anxious and went up to the officer with a fawning smile. "Brother Liu, Brother Zhang, Jia Dongxu is talking nonsense. Please don't write it in the report!"

"Da Mao, this is the organizational procedure. It's already been written down, and we can't change it." The two officers looked troubled and shrugged, indicating that they had no choice.

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao almost burst into tears.

Li Aiguo stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "Da Mao, the mass survey looks at the majority. We have to ask the residents in the compound, the factory workers, and the leaders. Just Jia Dongxu's words may not make much of a splash."

Xu Damao was also anxious; otherwise, he would have understood this principle long ago. Now, after hearing Li Aiguo's words, he finally perked up.

"Yi Zhonghai, Jia Dongxu, I'd like to see how your two families will get along now!"

Xu Damao seemed to already see Jia Dongxu smashing Yi Zhonghai's forehead with a brick.

After seeing the clerk off, Xu Damao handed Li Aiguo a cigarette, smacked his lips, and said, "It's a pity you're going on a business trip soon and won't be able to see this good show."

Li Aiguo took the cigarette and smiled, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."

"What? You think they won't fight? Impossible! Jia Dongxu hates Yi Zhonghai to the core!" Xu Damao didn't believe it.

True hatred lies buried deep in the heart, waiting to slowly sprout.

Li Aiguo was preoccupied with his business trip the next day, so he left after saying just one sentence.

Xu Damao scratched his head, somewhat confused: "Does Jia Dongxu intend to kill Yi Zhonghai?"

He thought it was impossible; Jia Dongxu was a coward who wouldn't dare to make a move.

"Kill him! I'm going to chop this old bastard to pieces!" Inside the Jia family's house, Jia Dongxu, his eyes red, gripped a kitchen knife and sharpened it furiously on the whetstone. Sparks flew up with the blade, making his face look ashen.

The blade was so shiny you could see your reflection in it, but he kept rubbing it vigorously until the back of the blade was hot.

"If it weren't for him, I would be a master fitter at level seven by now."

Thinking back on all the years of suppression he had endured at the hands of Yi Zhonghai, Jia Dongxu was filled with anger and hatred. The hatred grew wildly in his heart like weeds, and the more he thought about it, the more he hated it. Bloodshot veins appeared in the whites of his eyes.

Qin Huairu never expected that Yi Zhonghai would do something so vicious, but she was far calmer than Jia Dongxu.

"Dongxu, I know you're angry, but I advise you not to be angry."

"Mind your own business! I think you're still hung up on Li Aiguo! He's a big leader now, why would he want a secondhand like you?" Jia Dongxu retorted, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Qin Huairu meant well, but was scolded harshly, leaving her feeling wronged and wishing she could leave immediately.

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened with choking, feeling deeply wronged, but looking at Banggeng and Xiaodang playing nearby, she could only hold back: "I did this for the sake of this family! You killed Yi Zhonghai, and you think you can quit your job with the cleaning team? Do you think the leaders of the steel mill will let you off the hook? Do you think Xu Damao will let you go?"

These words struck Jia Dongxu like a hammer blow to the heart, and the anger brought on by hatred was dispelled by the oppression of reality.

He went limp and slumped to the ground, the kitchen knife clattering to the floor beside him: "Is... this how it ends?"

"The reason Xu Damao is telling you all this is to make you fall out with Yi Zhonghai," Qin Huairu analyzed. "He's never been a kind person."

"But I can't swallow this insult," Jia Dongxu said through gritted teeth.

“You’re still young, you have a long life ahead of you. As for what the neighbors in the compound think, Xu Damao has no evidence. You can simply claim that Xu Damao is lying, after all, you’ve already been punished by cleaning the toilets, and that can’t be changed.”

"That's true. I'm still young, I'll wait until I find an opportunity."

Qin Huairu was only trying to protect Jia Dongxu's status as a steel mill worker and his backing in the courtyard house, and she didn't even notice the sinister smile that appeared on Jia Dongxu's face.

"Now go find Yi Zhonghai, clear up the misunderstanding, and ask him to help you find a leader to transfer you out of the cleaning team."

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu suppressed his anger and nodded: "That is indeed a good idea."

He wasn't stupid. There was no benefit in falling out with Yi Zhonghai now. It wouldn't be too late to look for opportunities after he left the sanitation team.

You should know that there are many large rolling mills in the workshop, and the rollers on those machines are extremely powerful. Once you get caught in them, there is no hope of survival.

Every year some accidents happen, and it's quite normal for Yi Zhonghai to have an accident at work.

After thinking it through, Jia Dongxu pushed open the door and went out.

It was already dinnertime, and the residents of the compound were eating their meals by the sink. They were all puzzled to see Jia Dongxu smiling.

"Dongxu, if you're not feeling well, how about I take you to the Fifth Hospital?" The Third Uncle was worried that Jia Dongxu wouldn't be able to handle the shock and might have mental problems.

"You're the one who's crazy! I'm going to my master's house now."

After saying that, Jia Dongxu walked towards Yi Zhonghai's house with his hands behind his back, humming a little tune.

Everyone was stunned: "They've made up already? Weren't they just sharpening their knives?"

"It's evil!"

"What is Jia Dongxu up to?"

Xu Damao was squatting at his doorstep, eating his meal, when he saw this scene and his heart skipped a beat: "Aiguo was right after all..."

****
No one knows what Jia Dongxu said after entering Yi Zhonghai's house.

In just a short while, the two arrived at the Intermediate People's Court. Yi Zhonghai announced loudly, "It's all a misunderstanding! Dongxu has already investigated and found out that Xu Damao was spreading rumors!"

Jia Dongxu immediately nodded in agreement, patting his chest and saying, "My master is a model citizen in the compound. How could he do something that would bring about the extinction of his lineage? It's all Xu Damao's nonsense!"

The residents in the compound were even more confused.

Even outsiders like them can see it clearly, how could Jia Dongxu be so stupid?

Now that the victim, Jia Dongxu, has decided not to pursue the matter, it is not convenient for these people to express their opinions.

The third uncle, in particular, was genuinely afraid of a bloodbath in the compound. He quickly stood up and said, "It's good that it was a misunderstanding. Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu, you two are considered model master and apprentice in our compound. You should set a good example in the future."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the crowd dispersed.

"Master, it's getting late, you should go back and rest early."

"Good apprentice, your aunt is making dumplings tomorrow. Invite Huairu and the children over for a dumpling meal."

The two parted ways under the streetlights, their figures disappearing into the darkness.

As soon as he closed the door, Jia Dongxu's smile vanished, and he snorted coldly, "That old bastard, he really knows how to act."

Qin Huairu was putting Xiaodang to sleep when she came over, carrying the child: "How is it?"

"Yi Zhonghai promised to use his connections to transfer me from the cleaning team to the workshop, and also promised to give us 20 jin of cornmeal every month."

Qin Huairu immediately felt relieved: "This is already the best outcome. Go and get some rest."

Meanwhile, Yi Zhonghai also returned home.

"Thanks to Qin Huairu's timely persuasion, Jia Dongxu didn't believe Xu Damao's words, otherwise it would have caused a real mess." The old lady originally thought things would get out of hand, but now she was very satisfied with the result.

Yi Zhonghai picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "Jia Dongxu is too old to be kept around... we can't keep him."

"What?!" The middle-aged woman was startled. "Didn't he make up with you?"

Just now, Jia Dongxu came to an old man's house and said that he had been tricked by Xu Damao and mistakenly thought that Yi Zhonghai was framing him. After a sincere conversation, the misunderstanding was cleared up and they were able to clarify things together.

“When I was little, I was very afraid of the dogs in the village. Every time I passed by, they would bark at me. My mother told me that these barking dogs were not scary, because they wouldn’t bite people. The real scary ones were the ones that didn’t bark.”

Yi Zhonghai said a bunch of nonsensical things, then turned and went into the inner room.

Although the older woman couldn't understand what she was hearing, she realized that a storm was about to break.

"My God, can't we just live peacefully?"

The middle-aged woman's legs went weak, and she sat down in a chair while holding onto the table.

When Li Aiguo returned home, Chen Xueru had already washed up and was lying in bed.

After the two spent some time being affectionate, Chen Xueru started talking about how Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu had reconciled.

"I didn't expect that Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai had such a deep relationship. Even after such a big fight, they managed to make up."

"A pressure cooker can suppress boiling water, but it might explode if not handled properly," Li Aiguo laughed.

"You mean something big is about to happen?" Chen Xueru sat up and looked at Li Aiguo with a surprised expression.

"It's hard to say." Li Aiguo pinched her chin. "Never mind, I'm going on a business trip tomorrow. How about you practice that move I taught you this afternoon?"

"You just like to bully people~" Chen Xueru blushed and burrowed into the quilt.

Two hours later, accompanied by a sense of emptiness, Li Aiguo found himself in a state of enlightenment.

He glanced at the calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, it was already 62. This year, Jia Dongxu was going to kick the bucket.

Or perhaps it was Jia Dongxu who made the move, and Yi Zhonghai who kicked the bucket?

The butterfly effect is becoming increasingly severe, and many storylines have been altered.

Forget it, I'm going to the Northwest tomorrow. Let them do whatever they want with all this nonsense in the courtyard.

"Honey, do you still have energy?"

"Ah, my cheeks are numb, you still want more!"

(End of this chapter)