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

Chapter 153 Yi Zhonghai Loses a Finger, His Career in Crisis! (1 words, please vote!)
Yi Zhonghai's scream pierced the night sky.

At this time, most people are already preparing to rest or have gone to bed.

The sudden commotion outside clearly startled them.

And at this time.

Wang Baoguo also realized this and immediately made a decisive decision, showing no intention of lingering in battle.

"withdraw!"

At Wang Baoguo's command, the fellow disciples immediately stopped and ran away together.

The objective has been achieved. If we don't leave now, the commotion here will immediately attract the attention of people in the surrounding area, even the night patrol personnel, and then they will be in trouble.

They wanted to get revenge on Yi Zhonghai, but didn't want to get themselves involved; otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen this time and place to strike.

Yi Zhonghai schemed against their master and fellow disciples, and they secretly taught him a lesson, collecting some interest in return, which could be considered a tit-for-tat exchange.

After they left, only Yi Zhonghai remained, rolling on the ground, clutching his hand and screaming in agony.

"Ah~, my hand!"

"Damn it, if I find out who you are, I'll skin you alive."

"Help! Someone help me!"

"Ouch~, it hurts so much!"

"Help! Someone's been attacked here..."

"..."

With Wang Baoguo and the others gone, Yi Zhonghai was finally able to shout out without any restraint.

While constantly calling for help, it also tried to alleviate its pain by screaming and howling.

What made Yi Zhonghai feel most desperate was that not only was his wrist injured, but two of his fingers were also broken by someone stepping on them.

Although it was still attached to the skin, it collapsed completely, clearly indicating that the bones inside were broken.

Those people who attacked him earlier, I don't know who was so ruthless, when they were kicking him so hard, they even stepped on his hands, as if they wanted to cripple him.

I'm a fitter; if I lose this hand, I'll be finished.

For a while.

Upon discovering his condition, Yi Zhonghai felt his heart sink to the bottom.

If Yi Zhonghai found out who those people were, or who ordered them to do it, he would make sure they suffered a terrible fate.

"What's going on here?"

"Hey, isn't this Yi Zhonghai from the next courtyard?"

"Yi Zhonghai, what's wrong with you?"

"I was attacked in a dirty trick..."

"quick!"

"Take me to the hospital quickly, my hand is going to be ruined."

"Wait, I'll go get someone for you right away..."

"..."

Although it was already quite late, fortunately, this was a residential area with many people living there, and soon someone passed by and discovered Yi Zhonghai's miserable state.

If this were any remote corner, Yi Zhonghai wouldn't have been so lucky.

soon.

Upon discovering Yi Zhonghai, the person rushed into courtyard number 95, shouting, "Something terrible has happened! Yi Zhonghai from your courtyard has been beaten up and is lying outside in a terrible state! Come quickly, some people, come with me to see what's going on..."

Yi Zhonghai was attacked?

Hearing the commotion outside, Li Hongbing, who was practicing calligraphy and gaining experience points inside the house, was stunned for a moment.

When Li Hongbing learned of this situation, he had already guessed who had done it.

If nothing unexpected happens.

It's highly likely that they are Dong Congyou's apprentices, that is, Sha Zhu's senior brothers.

Li Hongbing hadn't expected them to act so quickly.

But thinking about it, it's actually quite normal.

Once you have a suspicion and a direction, it's not difficult to verify, and it doesn't take much time.

Knowing that Yi Zhonghai was behind this, how could Dong Congyou or his apprentices let him off easily?

Yi Zhonghai's actions were a scheme to cause a rift between the master and his disciple!

If Li Hongbing hadn't come today, Dong Congyou would have been kept in the dark, unaware of the truth. Even if he hadn't expelled Sha Zhu from the sect out of consideration for He Daqing, cutting off his escape route, he would have been completely heartbroken towards him.

Even if the master and disciple don't become complete strangers in the future, with this rift between them, their relationship can never go back to what it was before.

If Dong Congyou had been a little more ruthless, he would have expelled Sha Zhu from the sect, refused to acknowledge him as a disciple, and exposed his shady dealings to the public.

Even if Sha Zhu can stay in the steel mill, he will not only fail to gain recognition in the cook's circle, but he will also be a rat that everyone hates and no one will respect him.

That means.

Sha Zhu would be ostracized by the entire chef community; they wouldn't tolerate someone like him who betrays his master and ancestors.

As for Yi Zhonghai, he is the public enemy of the entire circle.

He didn't just harm one Dong Congyou, but countless others like him.

As a craft industry that highly values ​​apprenticeship and tradition, the culinary community is remarkably united when it comes to external relations.

Normally, few people would dare to mess with a chef, since he might have a master and a whole bunch of fellow apprentices behind him.

And their master also has his own fellow disciples.

These fellow disciples also had their own apprentices.

It may seem like you only offended one person, but in reality, you stirred up a whole mess.

Yi Zhonghai's actions yesterday were no different from walking a tightrope.

However, this was clearly not the first time he had schemed against Sha Zhu.

It's unclear whether Yi Zhonghai is addicted, enjoys thrills, or is simply arrogant and likes to engage in high-risk, inhumane maneuvers.

"What happened? What's wrong with Yi Zhonghai?"

When Li Hongbing opened the door, Yan Bugui and the others also came out of the house and hurriedly asked.

"He was beaten up. I don't know who did it. It happened outside. He looks like he's in a really bad state."

"That's what the messenger said."

"Quickly, find someone to inform Lao Yi's wife, as well as Jia Dongxu and the others. Also, tell Lao Du and Lao Liu to come over quickly. I'll go out and take a look first."

After understanding the situation, Yan Bugui, the senior member of the management department, immediately had someone notify Yi Zhonghai's wife and apprentice, and also had someone call Du Jianguo and Liu Haizhong, who were also senior members of the management department, to come along.

As someone ran quickly toward the middle and back courtyards, Yan Bugui asked the man who had just come to ask for help for Yi Zhonghai to lead him over to check on Yi Zhonghai's condition.

Seeing this, many people in the front yard followed suit.

Li Hongbing was no exception.

He went over there not out of concern for Yi Zhonghai, but simply to see how badly Yi Zhonghai had been beaten.

Not long after.

As soon as Li Hongbing came out of the courtyard, he heard Yi Zhonghai's wailing from not far away.

That's miserable!
Even without seeing him, just hearing Yi Zhonghai's voice made Li Hongbing feel pain.

Especially when Li Hongbing heard Yi Zhonghai shout that his hand was broken, he couldn't help but gasp.

That was ruthless.

As a senior fitter at the steel rolling mill, Yi Zhonghai's hand is his greatest asset and advantage. If his hand is crippled, his life will be basically over.

It's not to the point where they can't survive.

Even if his hands are crippled and he loses his original skills, the steel mill cannot fire him for that reason. At most, they can give him a job with lower technical requirements.

However, the salary then will definitely not be as high as it is now.

same.

With his career ruined, Yi Zhonghai no longer had the capital to be arrogant.

It's definitely impossible for someone like the eighth-grade worker from the original series to ever appear in his life again.

Every era has its share of ruthless individuals, especially now that the country has only been established for a few years.

In the old society, people had to be ruthless to survive.

Having messed with someone like that, Yi Zhonghai can only blame himself for courting disaster.

"Old Yi, what's wrong with you?"

When Yan Bugui and the others arrived, Yi Zhonghai's cries had subsided considerably. However, he was sitting on the ground, supporting his injured right hand with his left, sweating profusely, clearly enduring the pain.

"Old Yan, don't worry about that. Send someone to take me to the hospital first. If you delay any longer, my hand might be ruined."

The person who made the move has already disappeared. No matter how much Yi Zhonghai hates them, he knows that pursuing it now is useless.

The most important thing right now is to get him to the hospital for treatment, especially his injured right hand.

"Ouch, what happened to your hand?"

Shining a flashlight on his face, Yan Bugui saw the horrific state of Yi Zhonghai and could hardly bear to look. He immediately spoke up for Yi Zhonghai, saying, "Who on earth could have done such a terrible thing? Old Yi, do you know who it was?"

"It was too dark to see anyone, so they ran away a long time ago."

Yi Zhonghai said with a face full of resentment.

"Hey, what kind of grudge could this be to beat you up like this... Old Yi, have you messed with someone you shouldn't have lately?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui couldn't help but ask further questions.

Seeing that Yan Bugui was still rambling on and on, asking all sorts of questions, Yi Zhonghai, who was eager to get to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible, became impatient and said irritably, "Yan Bugui, can't you see that my hand is injured? The situation is serious. Instead of arranging for someone to take me to the hospital, are you interrogating a prisoner here?"

In his desperation, Yi Zhonghai didn't give Yan Bugui a friendly look.

Yi Zhonghai was inexplicably beaten up while going to the toilet at night, and his right hand was also severely injured. He was full of resentment and took it out on Yan Bugui.

"Yi Zhonghai, what do you mean by this?"

"Wasn't I just being kind and concerned about you, wanting to help you catch the murderer?"

"Your attitude makes it seem like I'm the one who caused you to end up like this."

"I've already called the person for you, what more do you want from me?"

"..."

Yan Bugui was angry because he had meant well but was rebuked by Yi Zhonghai.

Upon learning of Yi Zhonghai's accident, he immediately sent someone to inform Wang Guihua and Jia Dongxu.

Does he expect him to carry Yi Zhonghai to the hospital?

Not only was Yan Bugui unwilling, but everyone else felt the same way.

Even if he is the head of the compound, he has no right to force others to do such a thing.

If you speak up and no one listens, you'll lose face.

It's not just about the effort and the wear and tear on your shoes; once you get to the hospital, you have to run around doing all sorts of things, with a whole host of tasks to handle.

As outsiders, who has the time, or who is willing to get involved in this kind of thing?

If Yi Zhonghai had no one to rely on and no relatives in the compound, then that would be a different story.

But now that his wife and apprentice are in the yard, even if Yi Zhonghai needs to be taken to the hospital, it has to be his own people who come.

"Old Yan, I'm sorry, but I'm in so much pain right now, please have them come over quickly!"

After being rebuked by Yan Bugui, Yi Zhonghai realized that he had lost his composure, but he couldn't care less about that now and just wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Wang Guihua and Jia Dongxu, who had received the news, also arrived at this time.

Not only them, but also Sha Zhu, Du Jianguo and Liu Haizhong, all rushed over in the second hour.

There were other people in the yard who were rushing over.

Such a big incident alarmed almost everyone in the compound.

"Old Yi, what's wrong with you?"

"Damn it, who did this?"

"What grudge do you hold against me?"

"What exactly did our family do to offend someone?"

"Oh dear..."

"..."

When Wang Guihua arrived and saw Yi Zhonghai's miserable state, she broke down in heart-wrenching sobs, tears streaming down her face.

Yi Zhonghai was completely numb.

Yan Bugui's behavior was bad enough, but even his own wife was so reckless. Was she trying to kill him?
In a fit of anger, Yi Zhonghai shouted, "Wang Guihua, stop howling and get me to the hospital right now!"

"Ah, right, right, right! Sha Zhu, hurry up and carry your Uncle Yi to the hospital, or it will be too late."

As if waking from a dream, Wang Guihua subconsciously chose Sha Zhu as her target for manual labor.

Hearing his wife's unlucky words, Yi Zhonghai, feeling it was bad luck, almost wanted to curse.

What does it mean that it will be too late if it gets any later?
He's only injured, his hand is in serious condition, but he's not going to die.

only.

After being ordered around by Wang Guihua, Sha Zhu stepped forward without saying a word. However, Li Hongbing, who had been watching the commotion from the sidelines, said speechlessly in front of everyone, "Sha Zhu, why are you getting involved in this? Her own apprentice is right here! Even if it's about taking Yi Zhonghai to the hospital, it should be Jia Dongxu, not you."

Originally, Li Hongbing thought that Sha Zhu was alright at this stage and had not been brainwashed too much by Yi Zhonghai, but after learning the whole story of yesterday's events, he obviously changed his mind.

Even with Yi Zhonghai's persuasion, Sha Zhu himself is still a clueless person.

They have no idea what they should and shouldn't do.

He had studied under Master Dong Congyou for three years, yet he still didn't understand any of the rules.

It's not that he doesn't understand the rules, it's just that Sha Zhu is too big-minded, often can't distinguish right from wrong, and is too self-righteous.

The key issue is that Yi Zhonghai wasn't exactly kind to Sha Zhu either.

When you need his help, you'll naturally have nothing to say to him.

When it comes to things that are beneficial, Yi Zhonghai doesn't think of him; he mostly thinks of his apprentice Jia Dongxu, who is his first choice for retirement.

When someone is needed to do the work, Sha Zhu is often the first person that comes to mind.

That's exactly what happened.

Not only Yi Zhonghai, but even Wang Guihua, his daughter-in-law, had gotten used to ordering Sha Zhu around.

Li Hongbing wasn't indignant on behalf of Sha Zhu, but rather felt that such behavior was humiliating and looked down upon.

No matter what, Dong Congyou and his master were friends, even if their relationship wasn't deep; he had even gone to visit him that morning.

Even now, Sha Zhu probably still doesn't know that he angered his master to the point of collapse yesterday.

It's one thing to not care about one's own master, but to actually come to Yi Zhonghai to "show filial piety" is another.

Shame!

If it weren't for Dong Congyou's specific instructions earlier that morning to keep it a secret for the time being,

Li Hongbing knew that Yi Zhonghai and He Daqing would definitely take action against him, and he didn't want to disrupt their revenge plan, otherwise he would have already scolded Sha Zhu.

The beating Yi Zhonghai received today is just the beginning, not the end.

He Daqing hasn't even shown up yet!
The other party is currently in Baocheng and is unaware of the situation here yet, but it's only a matter of time before it happens.

At this time.

Jia Dongxu, who was singled out by Li Hongbing, immediately turned pale and said, "Li Hongbing, my master is already like this, and you still have the mind to make sarcastic remarks. What are you up to?"

It's quite a distance to the hospital from here, but with a simpleton like Sha Zhu around, Jia Dongxu naturally wouldn't want to suffer for himself.

"Jia Dongxu, you know this is your master too?"

Seeing Jia Dongxu's attitude, Li Hongbing clearly saw through his true thoughts and immediately mocked, "Your master has been beaten up like this, and you, as his disciple, don't even care at all. You're not even as good as a fool like Zhu. I wonder whose master this is."

Li Hongbing has a very low opinion of Jia Dongxu, Yi Zhonghai's carefully selected disciple who was intended for his retirement.

He couldn't understand how someone as shrewd and cunning as Yi Zhonghai could choose such a person as his future retirement security.

In fact, Li Hongbing overlooked the fact that Yi Zhonghai wanted to support him and his wife in their old age. Besides being filial and obedient, he also wanted someone who knew them well, lived close by, and could always be there to fulfill his filial duties.

In such a situation, the people inside the hospital should naturally take priority.

Jia Dongxu was afraid of his mother, Jia Zhangshi, and was completely controlled by her, making him a typical mama's boy. In Yi Zhonghai's eyes, this was a sign of filial piety.

Like a turtle eyeing a mung bean, they just fell in love.

It's actually quite difficult for outsiders to understand.

"Li Hongbing, are you looking for trouble?"

Already harboring deep resentment towards Li Hongbing, Jia Dongxu, who usually avoided provoking Li Hongbing, became furious at being humiliated in public.

Just then.

Sha Zhu, standing to the side, tried to smooth things over, saying, "Hongbing, say less. Uncle Yi is already like this, so don't cause them any trouble."

"Idiot Zhu, have you lost your mind?"

"I was just saying a few fair words, and now I'm being accused of causing trouble?"

"Do you have any brain?"

"If you can't speak properly, then shut your mouth!"

"You idiot who can't tell right from wrong, you deserve to be called Sha Zhu!"

"Indeed, there are only wrong names, not wrong nicknames!"

"..."

Li Hongbing didn't tolerate Sha Zhu at all and immediately launched into a tirade.

Li Hongbing usually knew his place and never acted recklessly in front of him, so Li Hongbing gave him some face. But Li Hongbing really thought he was something special.

Although his intention in speaking up earlier wasn't to stand up for Sha Zhu, the things he said were in his favor.

As a result, not only did Sha Zhu not appreciate it, but he also sided with Yi Zhonghai and spoke ill of himself.

Li Hongbing is not like Dong Congyou, so there's no need for him to be polite to Sha Zhu.

"Li Hongbing, that's enough. Don't think that just because your family gave me a bowl of rice back then, you can take advantage of me. I've already given you a lot of face."

After being rebuked by Li Hongbing, especially with his nickname being emphasized, Sha Zhu, who always cared about his reputation, felt he was losing face. His reckless nature kicked in, and he immediately turned hostile.

"Hey!"

When Sha Zhu brought up the bowl of rice from back then, Li Hongbing laughed and immediately questioned, "Sha Zhu, our family did give you a bowl of rice back then, but neither I nor my sister ever mentioned it to you or anyone else, right?"

You've been bringing this up yourself. Whether you really remember it or not, I don't know, but you keep saying it. We've never asked you to do anything for us, let alone expect anything in return. My sister is such a kind-hearted person; she wouldn't have ignored even a starving cat or dog, let alone you and Yushui. Don't take it too seriously..."

This is quite interesting.

Sha Zhu always touted himself as a man of loyalty and gratitude, and he often talked about it. His attitude towards Li Hongbing and Li Hongmei was indeed different from that of the other people in the compound.

But from beginning to end, Li Hongbing and his sister Li Hongmei never took this matter to heart, and never intended to get any gratitude or reward from Shazhu or Yushui.

Sha Zhu and Yu Shui had previously delivered meat to their family, but Li Hongmei reciprocated by giving them a gift in return, and did not take advantage of them.

Before Li Hongmei got married, whenever he brought back some employee benefits from the food factory, he would often share some with her when he saw rainwater.

In short...

They didn't owe Shazhu and Yushui anything, and they never remembered these small favors from the past.

Li Hongbing and Li Hongmei are not like Yi Zhonghai; they would exaggerate even the smallest contribution, making sure people always remember their kindness.

The way Sha Zhu said it just now made it sound like he had taken advantage of him because of that bowl of rice, or that he was trying to repay a debt of gratitude.

Anyone who didn't know better would think that Sha Zhu had helped Li Hongbing in the past, and that Li Hongbing was ungrateful.

"I……"

Faced with Li Hongbing's rebuttal, Sha Zhu was so embarrassed that he couldn't say a word.

"Shazhu, it's been so long since that meal. We didn't ask you for anything, and we never asked you for anything. Don't bring it up again. Just pretend it never happened. We can't accept that."

Faced with the ungrateful fool Zhu, Li Hongbing was too lazy to waste any more words on him and directly drew a line, saying, "We don't live in the same courtyard, so we're not that close. Don't try to get close to me in the future."

From now on, you go your own way, and I'll go mine. Just don't get in my way.

After learning about what happened yesterday, Li Hongbing no longer thought highly of Sha Zhu.

Knowing that Yi Zhonghai was behind it all, Li Hongbing thought that Sha Zhu had been brainwashed, which was somewhat understandable.

Seeing that Sha Zhu still can't distinguish right from wrong, Li Hongbing has a hard time getting involved with him.

We've all been apprentices, and we've never seen anyone like Sha Zhu.

If I were Sha Zhu's senior brother, and I knew that he had done such an unruly thing and even made his master sick, I would definitely break his legs.

Even if Master Dong Congyou doesn't expel Sha Zhu from the sect, he'll still have to sever ties with him.

They have no manners, and they're also brainless.

This silly Zhu sometimes seems wise beyond his years, but when something really happens, he completely loses his mind.

Is Sha Zhu stupid or not?

I really overestimated him before.

"Hongbing, I..."

The fool was dumbfounded.

Originally, he was just concerned because Yi Zhonghai was in trouble, but Li Hongbing was still targeting him in this way. He felt it was inappropriate and said a few words, but he didn't expect Li Hongbing to react so strongly.

In front of so many people, Li Hongbing distanced himself from him. Doesn't that mean he's ungrateful?
"Silly Zhu, stop wasting your breath on him, get me to the hospital quickly."

Yi Zhonghai, who was sitting on the ground waiting to be taken to the hospital, was extremely anxious when he saw that Sha Zhu was arguing with Li Hongbing and had completely forgotten about him, the injured man.

He strongly suspected that Li Hongbing was deliberately causing trouble to delay his hospital treatment so that he could cripple his hand.

If Li Hongbing knew that Yi Zhonghai had pinned such dirty thoughts on him, he would definitely spit in his face.

He did not get along with Yi Zhonghai, but he wasn't that malicious. He was just bored and had nothing better to do than resort to such despicable tricks.

As for whether Yi Zhonghai can keep his hands, that's up to fate.

"Master, let me do it!"

Just as Sha Zhu was about to listen to Yi Zhonghai and send him to the hospital, his apprentice Jia Dongxu volunteered.

Actually, Jia Dongxu didn't want to take the initiative, but Li Hongbing's words just now put him, as the apprentice, in a difficult position. If he didn't show more initiative, he would be looked down upon by the people in the courtyard.

Just right.

Jia Dongxu also wanted to take this opportunity to thoroughly humiliate Li Hongbing.

Who said his apprentice couldn't amount to anything?
Yi Zhonghai felt very gratified by Jia Dongxu's actions.

This apprentice was worth taking on!

It was worth all the sacrifices he made for the Jia family and Jia Dongxu in the past.

The more reliable Jia Dongxu is, the greater his chances of relying on Jia Dongxu for his old age.

however.

Just as Jia Dongxu was about to carry Yi Zhonghai on his back, Jia Zhangshi, who felt sorry for her son, spoke up: "Dongxu, Li Hongbing has a bicycle. Let's borrow a bicycle from Li Hongbing. That way we can get to the hospital faster."

Although Jia Zhangshi wanted to say that this would save Jia Dongxu effort and make him less tired, the fact that it was fast was also true.

only.

Everyone was stunned when Jia Zhangshi said that.

For a moment, everyone involuntarily looked at Li Hongbing.

Everyone in the courtyard knew about Li Hongbing's feud with Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family.

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi suddenly made this suggestion in person, which was completely unexpected by everyone, and even Li Hongbing himself was stunned.

At once……

It’s hard to comment!
However, everyone knows that Li Hongbing is not the kind of person who repays evil with kindness. Even if Jia Zhangshi brings it up, he will be too embarrassed to lend the bicycle to Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai.
Madam Jia Zhang was naturally aware of this, so in front of everyone, she directly said to Li Hongbing, "Li Hongbing, Lao Yi did have a grudge against you in the past, but so much time has passed."

For so long, no one has caused any more trouble. Now that he's in this state, it's a matter of life and death. You wouldn't still be petty and hold a grudge about what happened before, refusing to even lend him a bicycle, would you?

The tactic of provocation, combined with Yi Zhonghai's unique moral blackmail.

This Jia Zhangshi has learned something.

Seeing everyone looking at Li Hongbing, waiting for him to make a decision, Jia Zhangshi felt very pleased.

If Li Hongbing lends it, then they'll have made a profit.

But if you don't lend it, then there will be a problem.

In that case, it will be seen that Li Hongbing refused to help someone in distress, and that he has questionable character.

No matter what the outcome, they won't lose out.

Li Hongbing clearly saw through Jia Zhangshi's thoughts. Seeing her smug look, he chuckled inwardly and said, "Jia Zhangshi, I'm sorry to disappoint you. My bicycle is broken, so I can't lend it to you."

Li Hongbing never falls for moral blackmail.

As for using reverse psychology?

Jia Zhangshi was clearly overthinking things.

Would Li Hongbing be afraid of this?
They didn't say they wouldn't lend the money; they just made up some excuse and refused them outright.

Even though everyone knew that there was nothing wrong with Li Hongbing's bicycle, there was nothing they could do about it, and they couldn't say anything to gossip about it.

"This this……"

"Li Hongbing, you're lying!"

"Your bicycle is definitely not broken. You're clearly lying because you saw Lao Yi like this, and you don't want to lend it to him!"

"You want to just watch someone die?"

"Old Yi is in such a state, and you won't even lend him a bicycle. Don't you have any conscience?"

"..."

The bewildered Jia Zhangshi was so angry that she jumped up and down and started blaming him on the spot.

She never expected that Li Hongbing could be so shameless!

"Say what you want, but my bicycle is broken."

Li Hongbing blatantly lied without any attempt to hide it.

If it were anyone else in the compound, they would have lent the bicycle without any problem, and Li Hongbing wouldn't have had any reason to refuse.

But as for Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family, that's out of the question.

Seeing this, Jia Dongxu was also furious and said, "Li Hongbing, your bicycle is definitely not broken. You rode it out in the morning and you must have ridden it back in the evening. People in the yard must have seen it. It's no use for you to lie like this. We'll find out if we ask around."

As he continued, Jia Dongxu became increasingly confident, believing he had something on Li Hongbing.

If his lie is exposed, let's see what face he'll have left.

Li Hongbing smiled and said, "It wasn't broken when I came back, but it broke just as I got home."

Even if Li Hongbing hadn't said that, the people in the courtyard wouldn't have risked offending him by standing up to testify for Jia Dongxu.

It was just a matter of a few words, and Li Hongbing didn't want to make things difficult for everyone.

"Then do you dare let me come to your house to take a look? I don't believe that your bicycle is just so coincidental that it broke down as soon as you got home."

Jia Dongxu was furious and immediately wanted to go to their home to investigate.

"Jia Dongxu, have I been too kind to you?"

"What right do you have to search my house?"

"Who the hell gave you the courage?"

"If I say it's broken, then it's broken."

“I haven’t broken any laws. Even if you go to the police station now and bring the police here, I can just say that my bicycle is broken. There’s no reason for them to search my house.”

"This is a new society now. Do you still think it's the old days and want to play those bandit tricks on me?"

"..."

Jia Dongxu's overreaching behavior clearly made Li Hongbing despise him. Then, looking at Yi Zhonghai who was still sitting on the ground, he couldn't help but complain, "Jia Dongxu, look at your master, he's already like this, how miserable he is!"

Instead of rushing him to the hospital, you're arguing with me about whether the bicycle is broken or not. You're quite the 'filial' apprentice.

Whether my bicycle is broken or not is none of your business.

But if you had taken Yi Zhonghai to the hospital any later, I'm afraid he might have lost his hand, and that would have been your fault!

Li Hongbing's words caused both Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua to change color.

They clearly realized that instead of wasting time with Li Hongbing, it would be better to have Jia Dongxu simply carry Yi Zhonghai away.

Jia Dongxu and Li Hongbing had just been dawdling around for a while, wasting some time.

Now, with Li Hongbing's "reminder," Yi Zhonghai, who was already pressed for time, became even more anxious.

In this situation.

Yi Zhonghai quickly looked at Xu Fugui, who was watching the commotion in the crowd, and said anxiously, "Old Xu, lend us your bicycle."

A lot of time has already been wasted. If I could ride a bicycle to the hospital, it would obviously be much faster, and I could make up for the time I just lost.

As soon as Yi Zhonghai uttered those words, everyone realized that Li Hongbing's family wasn't the only one with a bicycle in the courtyard; Xu Fugui was also among them.

"I'm sorry, our bicycle is also broken."

Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family are in cahoots, yet he still has the nerve to ask to borrow a bicycle from me. How could Xu Fugui possibly comply with his request?

Xu Fugui originally wanted to use the excuse that their bicycle was public property of the steel mill and it was inconvenient to lend it out, but given Yi Zhonghai's current situation, it would be somewhat unreasonable not to lend it. So he simply used Li Hongbing's excuse again.

Upon hearing Xu Fugui's refusal, the expressions on everyone's faces suddenly became quite interesting.

At this point, many people realized that not only Li Hongbing, but also Xu Fugui had a grudge against the Jia family.

Although Yi Zhonghai's surname is not Jia, given the current relationship between their two families, there is essentially no difference between them.

The only two people in the courtyard who owned bicycles, Li Hongbing and Xu Fugui, both had grudges against the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai. It was hard to tell whether it was a coincidence or Yi Zhonghai deserved his bad luck.

"Li Hongbing, Xu Fugui, you've killed enough to make your heads fall to the ground! That's enough!"

Faced with Li Hongbing and Xu Fugui's repeated refusal to lend him the bicycle, and while Yi Zhonghai looked embarrassed, Wang Guihua, as his wife, exploded.

"Wang Guihua, aren't you asking for a beating?"

Glancing at Wang Guihua, who had suddenly gone mad, Li Hongbing said coldly, "It's not like I caused Yi Zhonghai to act like this, so why are you blaming me?"
The bicycle broke down, and it became my fault?

Are you legless or something? You can't go to the hospital without a bicycle?
"If you're so delicate, you should just stay here. Why bother going to the hospital? You deserve to suffer!"

"well said!"

As soon as Li Hongbing finished speaking, Xu Fugui immediately clapped his hands in agreement.

They had already broken off relations long ago, and Xu Fugui, like Li Hongbing, had no scruples whatsoever.

"Guihua, stop wasting your breath on them."

Even Xu Fugui wouldn't lend him a bicycle, so Yi Zhonghai had no other choice but to give up on asking for help and risk further humiliation.

Yi Zhonghai made a mental note of what happened today.

Li Hongbing and Xu Fugui had better pray that they won't need his help again, otherwise he'll make them pay a hundredfold or a thousandfold.

As Jia Dongxu carried Yi Zhonghai away, Wang Guihua and Sha Zhu followed to help, and the others gradually dispersed.

Looking at Sha Zhu, who was still following along happily, Li Hongbing couldn't help but shake his head.

Hopeless.

Fortunately, Sha Zhu wasn't anyone to him, otherwise he would have been furious.

……

the other side.

Jia Dongxu, who was carrying Yi Zhonghai to the hospital, was still brooding over what had just happened. He kept muttering curses as he carried Yi Zhonghai to the hospital.

"Dongxu, save your energy and talk less."

As Yi Zhonghai was being bounced around on Jia Dongxu's back, the pain from his injuries intensified. While Jia Dongxu was still cursing, Yi Zhonghai's mind was buzzing, feeling like it was about to explode.

Unfortunately, Jia Dongxu was his apprentice, and he needed Jia Dongxu to carry him to the hospital for treatment, so Yi Zhonghai could only offer gentle reminders.

But Jia Dongxu had only been quiet for a short while when he started sweating profusely, his breathing quickened, and his pace slowed down.

Although Jia Dongxu wasn't exactly weak, Yi Zhonghai had a large frame, a lot of muscle, and was naturally much heavier than the average person, so it was still a considerable burden for Jia Dongxu.

"Dongxu, why don't you take a break and let Shazhu take your place?"

Having gradually noticed this situation, Yi Zhonghai spoke directly to Jia Dongxu.

"Need not!"

Carrying Yi Zhonghai on his back, Jia Dongxu forced a smile and said, "Master, I'm not tired yet!"

He was still a long way from the hospital, and it was embarrassing that he was already in critical condition.

Especially after being humiliated by Li Hongbing, Jia Dongxu was even more eager to stand up for himself and prove himself.

He himself was Yi Zhonghai's apprentice, so what was Sha Zhu?
To tell the truth.

Jia Dongxu was a little jealous of Sha Zhu.

Every time Jia Dongxu saw Yi Zhonghai being nice to Sha Zhu, he felt a little jealous as Yi Zhonghai's apprentice.

It was one thing before, but now Yi Zhonghai has directly introduced Sha Zhu to work as a cook in the steel rolling mill canteen, and they go to and from get off work together.

Seeing how clingy Sha Zhu was to Yi Zhonghai, Jia Dongxu felt uncomfortable.

Yi Zhonghai only had one apprentice, and Jia Dongxu had long planned to support Yi Zhonghai in his old age. At the same time, he also assumed that Yi Zhonghai's house and savings were meant to be left to him in the future.

Now that Sha Zhu has gotten involved, Jia Dongxu is starting to feel threatened.

"Dongxu, you should take a rest!"

"No need, I'm not tired!"

"Dongxu..."

"Master, I'm really not tired."

"Dongxu, let Shazhu take your place for a while, then you can take his place later..."

"..."

Initially, seeing Jia Dongxu's insistence, Yi Zhonghai didn't say anything, but as Jia Dongxu's speed slowed down, Yi Zhonghai became anxious.

But Jia Dongxu stubbornly refused to let Sha Zhu accept it.

Yi Zhonghai became anxious.

Jia Dongxu can walk slowly, but if he continues to walk slowly like this, his hands won't be able to wait!
At last.

It was Wang Guihua who noticed the situation and quickly tried to persuade him. In addition, Jia Dongxu was indeed a little too tired to carry him, so in the end, Sha Zhu took Yi Zhonghai away.

Sha Zhu carried Yi Zhonghai all the way to the hospital.

Jia Dongxu, who was originally supposed to be substituted back, didn't make a single move afterward.

At the beginning, Jia Dongxu did have this idea.

But he was really tired just now, and seeing how energetic Sha Zhu was, as strong as an ox, Jia Dongxu gave up his plan to make things difficult for himself and was happy to relax instead.

"Nurse, nurse..."

"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"

"I was beaten up."

"What? How could this be? This is outrageous! Have you called the police yet?"

"No! Nurse, please help me with this first."

"I can't handle this, I'll go get a doctor for you..."

"..."

At this time, most of the nurses and doctors have already gone off duty, leaving only a few on duty.

Yi Zhonghai is fine in other parts of his body, mostly just bruises and soft tissue injuries, but his hand is the most serious.

After the doctor arrived and completed the examination, he began to treat and bandage Yi Zhonghai's injuries.

During this process, Yi Zhonghai, who had been nervously watching his right hand, asked with trepidation, "Doctor, will my hand... have any problems in the future?"

"It depends on the situation. If the recovery goes well, it won't affect your future life."

Upon hearing Yi Zhonghai's question, the doctor replied.

"What about work?"

When the doctor said that he was fine in his daily life but didn't mention anything about his work, Yi Zhonghai felt a pang of anxiety.

Upon hearing this, the doctor did not answer immediately, but instead asked, "What do you do for a living?"

"fitter!"

Yi Zhonghai quickly replied, emphasizing, "Doctor, I am a senior fitter, a senior fitter at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. If my hand heals in the future, will I be able to work normally like before?"

"A fitter?"

Upon hearing Yi Zhonghai mention his profession, the doctor frowned slightly, but didn't dare to make a guarantee, saying ambiguously, "It depends on the recovery. If the recovery goes well, there's generally no problem."

But you're a fitter. If it involves heavy or delicate work, then it's hard to say, especially considering the area where you're injured..."

"what?"

Before the doctor could finish speaking, Yi Zhonghai was completely stunned, as if struck by lightning.

(End of this chapter)