Siheyuan's Silly Pillar has been replaced by someone else

The Liu family was also discussing news about Li Huaide.

When Liu Haizhong heard that Li Huaide had returned to Beijing, his first reaction was, "He dares to come back?"

According to Liu Haizhong's understanding, Li Huaide did so many despicable things at the steel rolling mill back then, and if he hadn't run away quickly, he would have been shot long ago.

Li Huaide escaped; he's lucky to be alive. Since he's gone, he shouldn't come back.

Deep down, he didn't harbor much hatred towards Li Huaide. Back in the steel mill, Li Huaide hadn't treated him badly.

Liu Guangtian didn't understand Liu Haizhong's meaning and said directly, "Look at what you're saying, why can't Director Li come back?"

Liu Haizhong blurted out, "How many people did he offend back then?"

Liu Guangfu said, "Dad, that was so many years ago. If we're going to go by your logic, you must have offended quite a few people back then."

Liu Haizhong glared at him: "You little brat, say that again."

The tiger dies but its might remains.

Even though Liu Haizhong was old, Liu Guangfu was still very afraid of him.

Liu Guangfu didn't have the guts to confront Liu Haizhong head-on.

Liu Guangtian stepped forward to help Liu Guangfu out of the predicament: "Now that we've entered a period of reform and opening up, you shouldn't use the old methods anymore."

Liu Haizhong realized that what he had just said was indeed wrong. If they were to investigate what Li Huaide had done back then, he wouldn't be able to escape either.

However, he will not admit his mistake.

It's unheard of for an elder to apologize to a younger person.

Liu Haizhong stubbornly said, "Who said all of the previous ones were wrong?"

Liu Guangtian looked helpless: "Dad, can you please stop hanging out with Uncle Yi and Uncle San every day?"

They're just two annoying old men now.

Go and ask around the neighborhood, see if anyone would be willing to talk to them.

"You're the only one who spends every day with them."

Liu Guangfu grew bolder and retorted, "That's right."

What era are we living in? You're still clinging to outdated ideas.

Neither of them has anyone to support them in their old age, so they spend all their time figuring out how to get outsiders to take care of them.

You don't need to worry about retirement.

You're with them every day, making us seem like we're being unfilial.

If you keep doing this and anger your brother, he won't come back.

Aunt Er was terrified when she heard this. She counted on her fingers and realized that Liu Guangqi hadn't returned for a long time.

"Guangfu, is your older brother really angry?"

Liu Guangfu dared not tell the truth; if he did, Liu Guangqi would not forgive him.

Besides, he was also secretly planning to take revenge on Liu Haizhong and his wife, and he was even happier to see Liu Guangqi being unfilial.

"How would I know? I was just saying. Think about it, my older brother just got promoted thanks to Brother Zhu."

What if Brother Zhu finds out that you're hanging out with his enemy and he blames Big Brother?
He could get his elder brother promoted, or he could get him dismissed.

The second aunt wasn't very educated, and knew even less about officialdom.

But she knew Liu Guangfu was right. Liu Haizhong was the best example.

Li Huaide could make Liu Haizhong a leader, but he could also remove Liu Haizhong from his post.

“Old man, I think Guangfu is right. You shouldn’t hang out with Lao Yi and Lao Yan every day.”

What else can those two offer you besides taking advantage of you?

Reason told Liu Haizhong that his second aunt was right.

But in his heart, he warned Liu Haizhong not to listen to his second aunt.

He, Yi Zhonghai, and Yan Bugui have been old buddies for decades. Back then, in the deaf old lady's house, they made a pact to jointly control the courtyard house.

He cannot be a traitor.

"Don't listen to their nonsense. There are only a few people in the courtyard. If I don't talk to Lao Yi and Lao Yan, who else can I talk to?"

Old Yi and Old Yan are so old, and their children are not filial.

I've had a relationship with them for so many years. If I just ignore it, what will people say about me?

Liu Haizhong's association with Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui was a choice born of necessity.

The things he did when he was young were extremely offensive.

Few people in the courtyard were willing to talk to him, and neither were his neighbors.

Once he left courtyard number 95, the elderly people in the neighborhood would at most exchange a polite greeting with him, but wouldn't talk to him much. He had no choice but to hang out with Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui.

Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui did want to take advantage of him, but they also opened up to him.

Auntie Er also felt the same way.

When she goes out now, people just exchange polite greetings; they don't tell her any news.

This feeling is something that Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu cannot understand.

The two of them followed Xu Damao around every day and didn't care about these things at all.

Those people want to find them, but they're not willing to pay them any attention.

Aunt Er felt a pang of pity when she thought about the lives Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui had led.

Looking back more than 20 years ago, the three of them lived a very glamorous life.

In the entire courtyard, apart from He Yuzhu, no one dared to oppose them.

The three of them held absolute power in the courtyard house; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them local tyrants.

Who would have thought that I would turn out like this when I get old?

The more this was the case, the more she understood Yi Zhonghai's words.

There are no elders who are always wrong.

Even if some of the things they did when they were young were wrong, the people in the compound shouldn't hold a grudge against them.

"Don't meddle in the affairs of your elders."

"It's like nobody wants to interfere," Liu Guangfu muttered.

The second aunt ignored his grumbling and asked, "Your eldest brother hasn't been back for a long time."

What exactly is he busy with?

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu exchanged a glance, then immediately separated.

Liu Guangqi had already said that once he became a leader, he would not return to the courtyard house.

If it weren't for following Xu Damao, neither of them would have wanted to come back and live here.

This was an unspoken agreement among the three brothers; they wouldn't tell Liu Haizhong and his wife.

"Maybe it's because my elder brother is busy. The higher the official position, the more things he has to manage, and naturally he'll be busier."

"Dad used to be a leader, he should know these things."

A single word from a leader can make Liu Haizhong fall for it.

Although he only became a group leader, he always boasted about it.

Liu Haizhong, feigning ignorance, said, "Of course I know. Guangqi will be back once he's finished with his work."

"You two, let me ask you, how is Director Li doing these days?"

Liu Guangtian said with a hint of envy, "They're living such a good life."

He was dressed in a suit, and accompanied by a beautiful woman.

Liu Guangfu said, "Director Li claims to be his business partner, but in reality, she is his mistress."

Dad, you didn't see it. You Fengxia's chest is so big, it's almost completely exposed.

I remember Director Li is over sixty, right? He's quite the ladies' man.

Liu Haizhong is not a womanizer and is indifferent to the description of his two sons.

He also realized that Li Huaide was living a very good life now.

If life gets tough, you can't afford to support a lover.

Liu Haizhong is quite clear about this.

"Why waste time with all that nonsense? Just say that Director Li is very rich now."

"Tell me, isn't Director Li richer than He Yuzhu and Xu Damao?"

"It's hard to say how he compares to Brother Zhu. But he's definitely richer than Xu Damao," Liu Guangtian said after thinking for a moment.

Liu Guangfu chimed in, "I think he should be a bit better than Brother Zhu."

Brother Zhu is working with Lou Xiao'e. Lou Xiao'e invested more money, so she definitely takes the lion's share.

Director Li is different.

Their foreign trade business is worth tens of millions a year, and they earn foreign exchange in all of it.

Liu Haizhong nodded: "I think so too. I watched Sha Zhu grow up, how could I not know what he's capable of?"

Without his father-in-law's help, he'd just be a cook. (End of Chapter)