Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 131 Taking action instead of talking is a real slap in the face!! (5k)

"How do you beat people?"

Seeing Yi Zhonghai transformed into a national treasure, Wang Guihua couldn't stand it and questioned him on the spot.

Zheng Liguo, who had just made the move, retorted angrily, "Giving you one punch is too lenient. Don't think I don't know about what happened before. If you dare to bully our junior brother again, I'll tear your house down."

"Let's go! Osmanthus, let's go back!"

Looking at the group of fellow disciples behind Zheng Liguo, Yi Zhonghai's eyes revealed deep apprehension, and he directly stopped Wang Guihua.

If you can't win, what's the point of all this?

Li Hongbing's fellow apprentices were clearly there to avenge him.

If we argue with them, we'll only end up hurting ourselves, and besides, they have more important things to do right now.

"I've already prepared some food. Everyone, please have a quick bite first. Once we've found Hongbing and finished things here, we can go back to my place for a proper meal."

Back inside, Guo Youzhong addressed his apprentices directly, then said to Li Hongbing, "Hongbing, none of us know Jia Dongxu. Find some people from the courtyard to come with us to identify him. We all have bicycles, so we can find him faster."

"it is good."

Li Hongbing nodded.

As long as Jia Dongxu hasn't shown his face yet, this matter isn't over. Since Guo Youzhong took the initiative to speak up, Li Hongbing didn't refuse their kindness.

only.

Li Hongbing looked at his fellow disciples Guo Youzhong and Zheng Liguo with a serious expression and reminded them, "Master, fellow disciples, our goal is simply to find the person. Just find the person, and that's all. We absolutely must not take any action."

We're all cooks, so we're all strong.

Li Hongbing was afraid that if they got into a fight and lost control, they might seriously injure Jia Dongxu, which would change the nature of the situation.

We are currently under military control. Grudges aside, we are all law-abiding citizens.

They were all helping out of brotherhood, and Li Hongbing didn't want his fellow students to get into any trouble because of him.

He would feel guilty if that were the case.

Anyway, once this happened, Jia Dongxu was bound to suffer.

Moreover.

If anyone wants to cause trouble for Jia Dongxu, it's Xu Fugui and his group. There's no need to take all the risks on yourself.

"Did you hear everything?"

Hearing Li Hongbing's reminder, Guo Youzhong also looked at his apprentices and said, "I asked you to find people, not to fight. Don't act rashly. Even if you have to, be careful. Don't be afraid of trouble, but don't provoke it!"

As Guo Youzhong spoke, he made a point of glancing at Zheng Liguo, who had just made the move.

He wasn't criticized, but he was given a warning.

to be frank.

He felt a bit relieved watching that punch he just received.

……

Middle Court.

Wang Guihua, who had just returned from the front yard, looked at Yi Zhonghai's two black eyes and couldn't help but say angrily and with heartache, "What kind of person is this? He doesn't listen to reason at all and just started hitting me."

First it was Xu Fugui, then it was Li Hongbing's senior apprentice; Wang Guihua was furious.

"Now is not the time to talk about this."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head, sighed, and said directly to Jia Zhangshi, whose face was now covered in swollen lumps, "Sister-in-law, do you know where Dongxu is now?"

"Where am I supposed to go... ugh... do you know how to get there?"

Now, speaking easily aggravates the injuries on her face, and Jia Zhangshi couldn't help but gasp.

See this.

Yi Zhonghai then quickly looked at Qin Huairu and asked, "Huairu, do you know?"

"I don't know either. Dongxu disappeared without telling me anything."

On the auspicious first day of the Lunar New Year, so many things happened. Even her mother-in-law and Jia Dongxu's master were beaten, and her husband was nowhere to be found. Qin Huairu felt deeply distressed.

The key is.

All of this was caused by Jia Dongxu.

"This Dongxu... why did he have to do something like this? Isn't he just wasting his time and making trouble for no reason?"

Thinking about being beaten and all the twists and turns, Jia Zhangshi's mood today was like a rollercoaster ride, and she couldn't help but want to curse.

What really angered her wasn't that Jia Dongxu had done something immoral, but that he hadn't been thorough enough in his actions and had given others a clue.

If he had acted like Xu Damao before, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.

This is just great.

Instead of getting Li Hongbing and Xu Damao into trouble, he ended up getting himself involved, dragging his mother and Yi Zhonghai, his mentor, into this mess, making them suffer for him.

No matter what, Jia Dongxu was still her son, the apple of her eye. So, Jia Zhangshi said to Yi Zhonghai, "Dong... Dongxu's master, given the current situation, I think... it's better for Dongxu to stay outside and not come back. Fortunately, he... um... isn't here right now..."

"Sister-in-law, it's precisely because of this situation that we need to find Dongxu as soon as possible!"

Yi Zhonghai strongly disagreed with Jia Zhangshi's idea, and said anxiously, "Dongxu doesn't know anything about what's happening in the courtyard right now. He doesn't know that what he did has been exposed, that Xu Fugui has already sent people to settle scores with him, and that group of senior brothers led by Li Hongbing are no pushovers either. It's very dangerous for him to be out there alone right now..."

"Then...what should we do?"

Realizing this situation, Jia Zhangshi also panicked.

He only has one son, so he can't afford to have anything happen to him!

"Go to the police station and report the case!"

Yi Zhonghai hesitated for a moment, but still voiced his thoughts.

It's almost impossible to find someone to stop Xu Damao and Li Hongbing right now. Only by getting the police from the local police station involved and finding Jia Dongxu's whereabouts first can his safety be protected.

"Go to the police station?"

Madam Jia was stunned for a moment, then seemed to think of something and shook her head repeatedly, saying, "No, no, if we do that, we won't be able to keep today's events a secret. What will happen to Dongxu's reputation in the future?"
"What if Officer Yang from the police station finds out and tells the factory about it? Wouldn't that ruin Dongxu's business?"

"Sister-in-law, with today's incident causing such a big commotion, do you think we can still keep it a secret?"

"Right now, is reputation more important, or Dongxu's life?"

"What if Xu Fugui and Li Hongbing go too far and seriously injure Dongxu? What do you suggest we do then?"

"If that really happens, we'll have nowhere to regret it."

"We have no other choice now but to get through this difficult time first, and we can deal with the future later."

"..."

In the past, Yi Zhonghai would never have resorted to official channels if he could have suppressed something on his own.

but now.

He was no longer the dean of the college, and things were completely out of his control. Yi Zhonghai had no other options left.

Now is not the time to consider Jia Dongxu's reputation.

Clearly, Jia Dongxu's safety is more important than his reputation.

If Jia Dongxu gets hurt, what will happen to his retirement?
All my investments over the past few years have gone down the drain.

It doesn't matter if Jia Dongxu loses his reputation, because all Yi Zhonghai wants is for him to take care of him in his old age.

"Surely not? Do Xu Fugui and his men really dare to kill us?"

Jia Zhangshi was startled.

"What if?"

Yi Zhonghai was utterly helpless and dared not gamble. He could only say worriedly, "Xu Fugui is in a fit of rage. What if he acts recklessly? And with Li Hongbing and his fellow disciples around, if Dongxu really gets caught by them, what good do you think he'll do? Even if he doesn't die, he'll be severely injured..."

"Oh my god! I... I'm going to the police station right now."

After hearing what Yi Zhonghai said, Jia Zhangshi was completely frightened.

"Guihua, you go to the police station with your sister-in-law."

Fearing that Jia Zhangshi might not be reliable, Yi Zhonghai didn't trust her to handle things alone, so he had his wife accompany her, reminding her, "Remember, say what you should say, and try not to say what you shouldn't. The important thing is to get the police station's attention and let them know that Dongxu is in danger..."

"Uncle Yi, what about me?"

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai had made arrangements for his mother-in-law and Wang Guihua, but not for himself, Qin Huairu became a little anxious.

With Jia Dongxu in danger, how could she, as his daughter-in-law, not be worried and anxious?

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai turned his gaze to Qin Huairu and said in a serious tone, "Huairu, you are pregnant now, safety comes first, it's best not to run around."

"You stay home and keep watch. If Dongxu comes back, tell him what's going on in the yard so he can be prepared!"

Hearing Yi Zhonghai say this, Madam Jia Zhang also agreed, saying, "Yes, yes, yes, Huai Ru is now pregnant with our Jia family's child. The child is important, and she can't run around everywhere!"

After Yi Zhonghai finished explaining everything, Wang Guihua looked at his dark circles and said with some concern, "You have an injury on your face. Why don't you go to the hospital to get it checked out? Just in case it causes any problems later."

Yi Zhonghai's injury was in a sensitive location, so it was hard for Wang Guihua not to worry.

"It should be fine. I can't just sit idle at a time like this."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head and insisted, "While Xu Fugui and the others haven't found Dongxu yet, I'll try my luck and see if I can find Dongxu before they do."

Having devised a plan, the group quickly split up and began to act under Yi Zhonghai's arrangement.

……

at the same time.

While several groups of people were mobilized because of Jia Dongxu, Jia Dongxu, the person involved, was enjoying a good time with Sha Zhu and Xu Damao at a small private tavern quite far from the courtyard house.

"Xu Damao, I didn't realize you were so good at drinking for the first time." "Shazhu, don't look down on me. It's just drinking, what's a little bit? I can drink more."

"Da Mao, this is your first time drinking, so you should drink less."

"Brother Dongxu, give me the wine, I'll toast you again!"

"Xu Damao, look at yourself now, what are you trying to prove!"

"Silly Zhu, if you say that again, believe me, I'll slap you."

"Hey! You've got some nerve, trying to hit me? Go ahead and try!"

"..."

Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu still maintained some clarity and rationality, while Xu Damao was already somewhat drunk.

After a drinking session, Xu Damao had already taken the initiative to call Jia Dongxu his brother, while Sha Zhu remained Sha Zhu, an unchanging "gene" etched into his bones.

"Dongxu, I think we've had enough to drink. Shall we head back?"

Seeing that Xu Damao was already drunk and had completely collapsed on the table, and that his own drunkenness was also rising, Sha Zhu couldn't help but say to Jia Dongxu.

Sha Zhu had some unpleasant experiences with the Jia family before, but after drinking with Jia Dongxu today, he was clearly much more at ease.

Although he didn't call Jia Dongxu "brother" like Xu Damao, Sha Zhu's original resentment began to slowly dissipate.

Men's emotions are strange, and alcohol is a magical thing.

Sometimes, a single drink can easily resolve conflicts that would otherwise be impossible to resolve.

"do not!"

Upon hearing Sha Zhu's suggestion to return to the courtyard house, Jia Dongxu became anxious and quickly said, "Xu Damao is drunk, let's drink by ourselves!"

Going back now, Jia Dongxu is still a little worried, wondering if Li Hongbing's girlfriend has left yet.

If we accidentally run into them and they recognize us, especially if they're with Xu Damao, then we're doomed.

To be on the safe side, Jia Dongxu preferred to stay here.

"I can't take it anymore. If I drink any more, I'll get drunk."

Seeing Jia Dongxu pick up his wine glass, Sha Zhu, who felt like he was about to vomit, waved his hands repeatedly.

Although this wasn't his first time drinking, he hadn't drunk much before, and the current Sha Zhu wasn't much better than Xu Damao.

Both he and Xu Damao are newcomers to the wine industry, unlike Jia Dongxu, who usually enjoys drinking at home and occasionally has a drinking session with Yi Zhonghai.

"It's okay if you don't drink, how about we just have a chat?"

Drinking wasn't Jia Dongxu's purpose; he just didn't want to go back now, nor did he want Sha Zhu to go back.

If Sha Zhu goes back and reveals that he and Xu Damao are here, that wouldn't be a good thing.

"What can we talk about?"

Sha Zhu glanced at Jia Dongxu and said bluntly.

Although Sha Zhu's prejudice against Jia Dongxu lessened somewhat after the drinking session, he still felt that they didn't have much in common.

If it weren't for Yi Zhonghai being his mentor, and given Jia Dongxu's mother, Sha Zhu wouldn't bother having anything to do with their family.

"Silly Zhu, there's no point in you saying that."

Upon hearing Sha Zhu's words, Jia Dongxu's face hardened, and he directly "educated" him: "You treat my master as an elder, and you are so close to my master. Logically, our relationship should be good. Why have we become estranged?"

"Isn't this all your mother's fault?"

Sha Zhu ate a peanut and, right in front of Jia Dongxu, launched a powerful attack right up to his face.

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu was speechless and said, "No, what did my mom do to offend you?"

Sha Zhu couldn't help but curl his lip and retorted again, "Is that even a question? Don't tell me you don't know the answer yourself."

“I… okay, I admit my mom can be a bit unreasonable sometimes. I apologize to you here. Let’s not dwell on the past. Let’s have a drink together.”

Realizing he was in the wrong, Jia Dongxu raised his glass again and toasted Sha Zhu.

"Come on, drink some more!"

At this moment, Xu Damao, who was already slumped over the table, seemed to notice Jia Dongxu's toasting gesture and responded "from a distance".

Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu couldn't help but laugh when they saw this.

For a moment, the atmosphere was somewhat harmonious.

Just not for long.

Seeing that they were almost drunk, the tavern owner ran over and said to Jia Dongxu, who looked the oldest, "Young man, I think you've had enough to drink. Shouldn't you settle the bill?"

"What's the rush? We haven't even had our fill of drinks yet! It's the New Year, do you think we'd be short a few bucks for your drinks?"

His mood was ruined, especially when the boss immediately asked for payment for the drinks, which made Jia Dongxu feel embarrassed. Combined with the effects of alcohol, he started arguing on the spot.

"Young man, I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just worried that if you keep drinking, you won't be able to get home later, especially during the New Year..."

The tavern owner had seen plenty of customers like Jia Dongxu before. Although his tone softened, his attitude toward demanding payment for the drinks remained largely unchanged.

If we let them get drunk here, not only will we have to pay for the drinks, but it will also cause a lot of trouble for the restaurant.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, there aren't many shops open to begin with, so it's not easy to find someone to send them back.

"You wanted money for drinks? Here you go! I'm a steel mill worker, making hundreds of thousands a month. Can't I afford a drink with you?"

Seeing the other party's reaction, Jia Dongxu got excited and started showing off on the spot.

only.

He searched his pockets for a long time, but couldn't find a single penny.

When Jia Dongxu realized he had no money on him, he was immediately embarrassed.

Only then did he realize that today was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and he had worn his new clothes that morning. The pockets of his clothes were not only new, but also very clean.

The boss immediately understood when he saw his posture, and his smiling face turned serious.

Under normal circumstances, it might be a little better.

However, if you open your doors to guests on the first day of the Lunar New Year and encounter people who come to drink but don't pay, that's not a good omen.

Fortunately, Sha Zhu had some money in his pocket, and after rummaging through Xu Damao's pocket, the boss finally waived some of it, and he was able to barely scrape together the money for the drinks.

However, as a result, the three of them were kicked out by the tavern owner.

"Jia Dongxu, how can you be so deceitful?"

"You promised to treat us to drinks, that's why Xu Damao and I came out with you, but you don't even have a single dollar on you."

"Hey! Silly Zhu, I didn't do it on purpose. I just changed into new clothes and forgot about it."

"You still have the nerve to say it?"

"Luckily, I had some on me, and Xu Damao had some too, otherwise, wouldn't it be embarrassing to drink without paying during the New Year?"

"Silly Zhu, what are you saying? It's just a little bit of money for drinks. You're so stingy. You can just pay for it first, and I'll make it up to you when we get back."

"Is this about money? Huh? Jia Dongxu, I've noticed something about you..."

"..."

Feeling extremely embarrassed after being kicked out of the tavern, Sha Zhu couldn't help but argue with Jia Dongxu.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have come to drink with Jia Dongxu, and he would have avoided losing face during the New Year.

As Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu were helping the drunk Xu Damao walk back, they didn't know how far they had gone when they suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Shazhu, Xu Damao, so you're here!"

"Little Tiger, what are you doing here? Is this your relative?"

"Yes, it's a relative of mine!"

"What are you doing here?"

"I...my relative took me for a drive..."

"..."

They encountered a kid from the neighborhood being taken for a drive by a "relative." Sha Zhu chatted with the kid for a bit, but didn't pay much attention to the whole thing.

It won't take long.

To their astonishment, they found that several people on bicycles had surrounded them.

"What do you want to do?"

Faced with this sudden situation, Sha Zhu was sobered up a bit and quickly released Xu Damao, assuming a defensive stance.

"Silly Zhu, don't be nervous, it's me!"

As the familiar voice faded, Sha Zhu looked up and saw that it was Li Hongbing on one of the bicycles. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

however.

When Jia Dongxu saw Li Hongbing appear, he panicked.

Feeling guilty, he had to feign composure and questioned Li Hongbing, "Li Hongbing, what are you doing here?"

"What do you say?"

After getting off his bicycle, Li Hongbing looked at Jia Dongxu, who was now reeking of alcohol, with a cold smile.

well.

He's been stabbed in the back, yet he still has the mind to drink; he must be in a pretty good mood!
Without a word, Li Hongbing stepped forward and slapped him across the face several times in succession.

The sounds were all incredibly crisp!

(End of this chapter)