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

Chapter 168 Li Hongbing Unleashes His Ultimate Move, the Deaf Old Woman is Gone (1.1 words)

The deaf elderly woman was arrested, and the people in the courtyard were talking about it.

While they were inside, Director Wang and the others didn't say much, but from their few words, some people naturally guessed the reason.

Aside from the deaf old woman impersonating a national hero and a martyr's family member, they couldn't think of anything else.

When this speculation came out, everyone was outraged, especially those who had been trying to curry favor with the deaf old woman.

Among the crowd.

Having witnessed what had just happened, Wang Guihua silently withdrew, quickly left the courtyard, and headed to the steel rolling mill.

"Comrade, I have an important and urgent matter to attend to. I need to find Yi Zhonghai, the senior fitter in the second fitter workshop. Could you please call him for me?"

Upon arriving outside the steel rolling mill, Wang Guihua quickly asked someone to inform them to find Yi Zhonghai.

"Guihua, what's the matter?"

When Yi Zhonghai came out of the steel rolling mill and saw his wife waiting anxiously outside, his expression darkened.

As his wife, Yi Zhonghai knew her quite well. She wouldn't have gone to the steel mill to find him unless it was an extremely urgent matter.

Moreover, the person who helped pass on the message just now said that it was an important and urgent matter.

"Something happened to the old lady."

As soon as Yi Zhonghai came out, Wang Guihua immediately said, "Before I came here, Director Wang and Director Yang from the street office, along with Officer Qian from the police station, came to the old lady's house and took her away."

"What's going on? Where did they take the old lady?"

Yi Zhonghai was startled and quickly pressed for an answer.

When Wang Guihua first told Yi Zhonghai that the deaf old lady had an accident, he thought it was a health problem or something.

After all, the deaf old lady will be seventy soon after the New Year, and she is already very old. There is always the possibility of something unexpected happening to her.

Hearing that people from the neighborhood committee and the police station came to her door and took her away, especially with Director Wang and Director Yang appearing at the same time, made Yi Zhonghai vaguely feel that something was wrong.

“I wasn’t in the old lady’s house at the time, so I don’t know the details. But I heard from others that the old lady’s status as a national hero and family member of a martyr was fake, and that she was handcuffed when she left. I saw that things were urgent, so I rushed over to tell you the news as soon as possible…”

Wang Guihua recounted everything she knew in one go.

"Impersonating national heroes and families of martyrs..."

Upon learning this, Yi Zhonghai was completely stunned.

to be frank.

Yi Zhonghai also doubted whether the deaf old woman's identity and these things were fake.

He's not stupid; rather, he and his wife have cared for the deaf old lady together for so many years that they understand her better than anyone else in the nursing home.

Although Wang Guihua is the main caregiver for the deaf old lady, and he only talks about her, he can keep track of everything the old lady does and does.

But as for the identity of the deaf old woman, it remains an unsolved mystery in the entire courtyard, and she has always been an enigmatic figure.

The true situation of the deaf old woman's husband and son is probably unknown not only to Yi Zhonghai, but also to everyone in the entire courtyard.

Because the deaf old lady was the first resident of the entire courtyard, the people in the courtyard now, including the couple, all moved in later.

All information about the deaf old woman and her supposed husband and son comes primarily from her own account.

If the deaf old woman's husband and son really did go south to join the army and become part of our army, then regardless of whether she was a selfish person or what she did later, her actions of saving the local comrades and sending shoes to our army were not entirely without reason.

But here's the thing.

The deaf old woman couldn't even sew shoe soles, let alone make straw sandals.

If the deaf old woman said the shoes she sent to my army were bought, there would be no problem at all. But she insisted that she made them herself, and that's where the problem lies.

Previously, when Liu Haizhong organized that study conference, he suddenly asked a deaf old lady to teach everyone how to make straw sandals on the spot. He had actually seen through the old lady's act of pretending to be dizzy, but he did not expose her. Instead, he helped cover for her.

For Yi Zhonghai, whether these things are true or not is not important.

But if the deaf old woman manages to get hold of the national hero and martyr's family status, even if it ultimately fails to materialize and is only suspected, as long as it isn't exposed, it would be a great thing.

After all, the deaf old lady is now on his side. Once she has these halos, she will be a true treasure of the courtyard, even more useful than the so-called ancestor before.

By then, not only would Liu Haizhong, Du Jianguo, and Yan Bugui, those senior administrators, be able to do whatever they wanted, but even Li Hongbing would have to give them a wide berth.

In this way, they can finally hold their heads high and no longer have to live with their tails between their legs like before.

Unexpectedly, the deaf old woman's impersonation of a national hero and family member of a martyr was exposed by the neighborhood committee and police station so quickly.

"Husband, please say something! This old lady has no idea what's going on, I'm so worried!"

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was frowning and not speaking, even though she knew he was thinking, Wang Guihua, who was anxious and worried about the deaf old woman, couldn't help but interrupt him.

"The old lady is in serious trouble this time..."

Yi Zhonghai sighed, as if he had made up his mind, and said to Wang Guihua, "Go home first, call Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu, and then wait for me and Dongxu outside the street office. I'll go in first to ask for leave, and then I'll take Dongxu with me."

"Yes, yes, let's go together to plead for the old lady and hope that Director Wang and the others can show leniency towards her."

Hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Wang Guihua seemed reassured and nodded repeatedly, saying, "The old lady is getting on in years and was just confused for a moment. She accidentally said some boastful things and didn't mean to impersonate a national hero or a martyr's family member..."

"Come back! Who said we were going to plead for the old lady?"

As Wang Guihua was about to leave, Yi Zhonghai's face darkened, and he shouted in a low voice, calling her back. He solemnly reminded her, "We're going there this time to collectively expose the old lady, not to plead for her."

"Ah?! Exposing..."

Wang Guihua was stunned for a moment, staring at Yi Zhonghai in disbelief as if she were seeing him for the first time.

"Impersonating a national hero or a martyr's family member is no small matter. Moreover, the old lady has been too high-profile lately. She's probably going to get into trouble this time. Pleading for her will not only be useless, but will also implicate us."

Pulling Wang Guihua a little further away, Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice and continued, "During this period, the closer you are to the old lady, the more likely you are to have bad luck. If we don't do this, we'll also be in trouble when the neighborhood committee investigates."

If it were any other situation, it wouldn't be so bad. The key issue is that this time, people from the neighborhood committee and the police station came to her door together, and both Director Wang and Director Yang, the director and deputy director of the neighborhood committee, were dispatched at the same time. In addition, the deaf old lady was handcuffed when she was taken away.

This means that this matter cannot be resolved simply by criticism and education.

Even if the deaf old woman doesn't die, she'll be severely injured.

Among all the families in the courtyard, their family had the closest relationship with the deaf old woman, and was therefore the most vulnerable to being affected.

If Li Hongbing or Xu Fugui were to secretly report them, they would be put on the defensive and might even be identified as accomplices.

In order to clear himself of any connection and avoid trouble, he had no choice but to step forward first, distance himself from the deaf old woman, and strive to perform a "meritorious" act.

"But...this..."

Although she knew that Yi Zhonghai's plan was for everyone's benefit, she still felt uneasy about the thought of exposing and reporting the deaf old woman.

Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect.

Over the years, Wang Guihua has developed some affection for the deaf elderly woman.

"What? We're not related to her at all. You've been serving that old woman for years, and now you really consider yourself her junior?"

Seeing that Wang Guihua was still hesitating, Yi Zhonghai, who knew exactly what she was thinking, immediately said with a stern face, "If we don't do this, we'll all suffer."

Before liberation, they and the deaf old lady were just neighbors in the same compound, and they would greet each other when they met.

The politeness shown to the deaf old woman clearly outweighed the respect, indicating that the two families were not close.

Not long after liberation, the fate of the deaf old woman, who had no children or descendants to support her and no source of income, became a problem in the courtyard house.

The deaf old woman actually had two choices at the time.

One option is to enter a state-run retirement home, where the state provides care and support for the elderly.

The other option is to continue living in the courtyard house, but someone needs to be willing to take care of the deaf old woman's daily life.

Because the government provides deaf elderly women with monthly relief subsidies to ensure their basic living needs, all they need to do is contribute some labor. Moreover, the deaf elderly woman has no children or descendants, and she occupies such a nice house in the backyard and main house all by herself. Many people plan to take care of the old woman until she passes away and then inherit the house, so there are quite a few willing to do so.

only.

The deaf old woman, however, took a liking to Yi Zhonghai and his wife.

At that time, Yi Zhonghai had just discovered that he was infertile and planned to take Jia Dongxu as his apprentice so that he could take care of the couple in their old age. He had no intention of having any designs on the deaf old woman.

They have two rooms in the east wing, which is more than enough for them. They don't covet the deaf old woman's house, since they have no descendants and having more houses would be useless.

The problem is that they are still worried about their own retirement, so they have no intention of taking care of the deaf old lady.

Unfortunately, the deaf old woman somehow found out that Yi Zhonghai was infertile and exposed his plan to rely on Jia Dongxu for his old age. She hinted that she would leave her house and inheritance to him and the person who would support him in his old age, thus increasing their chances of a comfortable retirement.

After being persuaded by both gentle persuasion and firm pressure, Yi Zhonghai weighed the pros and cons and finally agreed to let the deaf old woman join the meal.

As for why the deaf old woman specifically chose Yi Zhonghai and his wife to take care of her, the reason is actually quite simple.

On the one hand, the deaf old woman knew Yi Zhonghai's secret and could manipulate him.

on the other hand.

Both of them are childless, so they can be said to be in the same boat. Yi Zhonghai will definitely have to take good care of her in the future and provide for her in her old age.

Otherwise, if they set a bad precedent, when Yi Zhonghai needs someone to take care of him in his old age, he might face retribution, or be easily imitated, ending up like the deaf old woman.

The deaf old woman was really not at ease with other people.

Another point is that Wang Guihua, as Yi Zhonghai's wife, is diligent and knows how to serve others.

Over the years, Yi Zhonghai seemed to respect and honor the deaf old woman, but that was only because she was useful to him; in reality, he didn't have much affection for her.

Even though the old deaf woman's status as an ancestor had become invalid and her influence greatly diminished, Yi Zhonghai could no longer shake her off. At the same time, Yi Zhonghai had long since lost his position as the eldest uncle, so the two were evenly matched.

Moreover.

The deaf old woman was no longer respected as before; apart from Li Hongbing, very few people dared to provoke her.

If you really anger a deaf old lady, you can just stand at her doorstep and yell at her for half an hour, and she won't dare to talk back easily.

If you say something back and anger the deaf old lady so much that she falls to the ground, you'll be in big trouble.

They didn't even dare to talk back, let alone lay a hand on each other.

That's why the ancients said, "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure."

"I... my husband, whatever you say, I'll do. I'll listen to you."

Wang Guihua understood what Yi Zhonghai meant, and he was the pillar of the family. Even if the deaf old lady held some weight in her heart, she couldn't compare to Yi Zhonghai. The scales in her heart quickly tipped completely to one side.

"Don't tell Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu about this yet. I'll explain it to them when Dongxu and I arrive."

Fearing that Jia Zhangshi might ruin things halfway through, Yi Zhonghai quickly reminded Wang Guihua again.

soon.

Upon returning to the workshop, Yi Zhonghai found Jia Dongxu and immediately asked him to go with him to ask the workshop director for leave.

"Master, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Something happened to the old lady?"

"What...what's wrong with Madam?"

"In the afternoon, people from the neighborhood committee and the police station came and arrested the old lady."

"Oh?! What did Madam do wrong?"

"..."

Jia Dongxu was completely bewildered upon learning about the deaf elderly woman's situation.

Speaking of which, his relationship with the deaf old lady only began to grow closer after Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai had a falling out, which led to a breakdown in his relationship with the deaf old lady.

Their relationship wasn't bad before, but with Sha Zhu standing between them, the two weren't close.

Just for now.

He had just set his sights on the deaf old woman's house, but before he could even get her to move out, she was already on her deathbed.

If the deaf old woman falls like this, will the house in the backyard still be able to be saved?

Upon learning that the deaf old woman had been arrested for impersonating a national hero and a martyr's family member and was likely to be in serious trouble, Jia Dongxu's primary concern was not the deaf old woman, whom he had recently affectionately called "Madam," but rather the main house under her name.

But what's more important now is whether the deaf old woman's situation will implicate him and Yi Zhonghai, since he's been quite close to her lately.

Rush all the way.

When Yi Zhonghai and his apprentice Jia Dongxu arrived near the street office, Wang Guihua, Jia Zhangshi, and Qin Huairu had not yet come over.

Wang Guihua had to go back to the courtyard from the steel mill first to inform Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu, and then they would come over together. The journey was much longer than theirs, so the speed was naturally not as fast.

When they arrived, Yi Zhonghai noticed that Qin Huairu had brought Bang Geng along as well. After all, Bang Geng was still young and needed someone to look after him, so they couldn't leave him at home alone.

Next.

Yi Zhonghai then told Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu about his plans and arrangements. Although they were very surprised and incredulous by Yi Zhonghai's decision, with Yi Zhonghai's explanation and Jia Dongxu's presence, they quickly reached an agreement.

Even Jia Zhangshi obediently listened to Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai in such matters.

Having successfully persuaded Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu, Yi Zhonghai, as the key figure, led them into the street office.

"Comrade, is Director Wang here? I have something important to discuss with Director Wang."

"Director Wang, if you leave, what do you want...?"

"Where is Director Yang? Is Director Yang here?"

"Not here either."

"Um... where did Director Wang and Director Yang go?"

“Sir, if there’s anything you need, just tell me. If I can’t handle it, I’ll pass it on to Director Wang and Director Yang.”

"Alright! Comrade, I want to report and expose that we were scammed by an old lady in our compound..."

"Me too, and all of us, we were also fooled by that old woman..."

"..."

……

The time came at night.

Li Hongbing, who worked at Fengzeyuan all day, was unaware that the deaf old woman had been arrested that afternoon, nor did he know that Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu had betrayed her to protect themselves.

However, when Li Hongbing returned from get off work at Fengzeyuan, he was almost startled to see Liu Haizhong, who was waiting for him at the alley entrance, suddenly appear.

"Uncle Liu, what are you doing? Are you out of your mind? I almost bumped into you, you know?"

Li Hongbing was speechless.

If he hadn't reacted quickly, given the dim lighting of the streetlights late at night, he and Liu Haizhong would have been involved in the first car accident in the courtyard.

"I'm sorry, Hongbing, I was just in a hurry."

Liu Haizhong quickly apologized, then looked at Li Hongbing with some resentment and complaint, saying, "But Hongbing, do you think I'd willingly stand here freezing in the middle of the night just to wait for you to come back? You've really put your Uncle Liu in a terrible position!"

"Uncle Liu, I didn't bump into you, did I?"

In response to Liu Haizhong's complaints, Li Hongbing retorted irritably, "Besides, you suddenly jumped out and almost made me lose control of the car. It wasn't me who caused your trouble, so you can't try to scam me here!"

Realizing that Li Hongbing had misunderstood him, Liu Haizhong quickly explained, "It's not about that! Hongbing, you don't know, the old lady in the backyard was arrested by the neighborhood committee and the police station this afternoon!"

"The deaf old woman was arrested?"

Upon hearing this news, Li Hongbing was somewhat surprised, but not particularly shocked. He casually looked at Liu Haizhong and asked, "Uncle Liu, what's going on?"

He had been preparing for this for a while, but he didn't know exactly when.

I have to admit that Director Wang and Director Yang were quite efficient.

"That afternoon, Director Wang and Director Yang from the neighborhood committee came over with several police officers from the local police station and arrested the old lady. Do you know why? The old lady's status as a national hero and a family member of a martyr is fake. Her stories about saving underground comrades, giving shoes to our army, and even her husband and son going south to join the army are all fake!"

Liu Haizhong said angrily.

"So what if they arrested you? It has nothing to do with you. Why are you so nervous?"

Seeing this, Li Hongbing felt somewhat helpless.

"How can it be that it's not a problem?"

Seeing Li Hongbing's indifferent attitude, Liu Haizhong was furious and said irritably, "Li Hongbing, it's all your fault!"

If it weren't for your crooked idea that I should encourage everyone to learn from the deaf old lady and hold some kind of learning conference, I wouldn't be in this mess now.

Now that the old lady's status as a national hero and family member of a martyr is fake, how am I supposed to explain what I did before?

If people didn't know better, they would think I was in cahoots with the deaf old lady. How wronged I am!

Even if you jump into the Yellow River, you still can't clear your name..."

By the end of his story, Liu Haizhong was on the verge of tears.

Hearing Liu Haizhong shift all the blame onto himself, Li Hongbing was displeased and retorted directly, "Uncle Liu, how can you blame me for this?"
You were the one who went out of your way to curry favor with the deaf old lady, and you kept saying that she was a national hero and a martyr's family member. I only gave you this advice because I listened to you.

If anyone's to blame, it's me. It had nothing to do with me; you're the one who dragged me into this mess.

"Well, that's great. Now that the deaf old lady's incident has come to light, I haven't even had a chance to do anything to you, and you're already causing trouble for me."

"Hey! Hongbing, things have already come to this, so what do you suggest we do now? We're all in this together now, nobody can escape. Don't think this has nothing to do with you."

Liu Haizhong was clearly just trying to drag someone down with him because he was down on his luck. Li Hongbing almost burst out laughing at him.

This guy with bangs really doesn't have any brains.

This little thing almost scared him out of his wits.

The deaf old woman impersonated a national hero and a martyr's family member, and he was not involved in it. Even if he was trying to curry favor and get close to her, it would at most be criticized and ridiculed, but it wouldn't be a big problem.

During this period, he wasn't the only one in the neighborhood trying to curry favor with the deaf old lady.

Strictly speaking, they were all victims who were deceived and misled by the deaf old woman.

Even the study conference that Liu Haizhong specially organized before was not a big deal.

Liu Haizhong could easily portray himself as a victim, and at most he would just get a scolding. After all, as the senior administrator of the school, it was obviously problematic for him to make such a public statement before the deaf old lady's identity was confirmed.

Anyway, as the senior member of the School of Management, this wasn't the first time Liu Haizhong had been criticized, so he was experienced in this matter.

"Uncle Liu, are you threatening me?"

Li Hongbing was in a good mood after the deaf old woman was arrested, but he disliked Liu Haizhong's attitude. So he said, "What does this 'study conference' have to do with me? Uncle Liu, you clearly started this yourself. If you insist on blaming me, at least someone will believe you!"

"you you……"

Li Hongbing actually cheated on him right in front of him, which made Liu Haizhong furious.

Can be biased.

When Liu Haizhong calmed down and thought about it, he realized that he really couldn't do anything about Li Hongbing.

Even if the idea for the study conference was suggested by Li Hongbing, only the two of them know about it now. As long as Li Hongbing insists on denying it, he can only accept his bad luck.

Trying to drag Li Hongbing into this mess might only result in him kicking him in the process. It was only then that Liu Haizhong remembered that Li Hongbing was not someone to be trifled with.

Immediately.

Liu Haizhong quickly admitted defeat, apologized to Li Hongbing, and pleaded, "Hongbing, this was a mistake on my part. Please don't hold it against me. I sincerely apologize to you here."

"I need your help with this deaf old lady's matter. You're smart, well-read, and resourceful. Please help Grandpa Liu figure out a way to get through this difficult time. Grandpa Liu will be grateful to you for the rest of his life..."

Originally, Liu Haizhong didn't come to Li Hongbing to cause trouble; he just wanted Li Hongbing to help him come up with ideas and suggestions. But just now, he had a moment of impulsiveness and got agitated.

"Uncle Liu, you're confused about this. What wrong have you done? What difficulties have you faced? Isn't this just nonsense?"

Seeing that Liu Haizhong had given in, Li Hongbing didn't bother to argue with him. After all, he had used him, so he didn't intend to make things difficult for him and simply gave him some pointers.

However, Liu Haizhong completely missed the implied meaning in Li Hongbing's words. He thought Li Hongbing was just angry and deliberately saying that to mock him, so he immediately pleaded even more humbly, "Hongbing, Uncle Liu was wrong, Uncle Liu shouldn't have..."

"Uncle Liu, you didn't understand what I meant!"

Seeing that Liu Haizhong's comprehension was so poor, Li Hongbing shook his head helplessly and had no choice but to speak frankly: "This time, you not only did not do anything wrong in the matter of the deaf old lady impersonating a national hero and a martyr's family member, but you also deserve credit!"
Now, calm down and think carefully about why you held a hospital-wide meeting in the first place, calling on everyone to learn from the deaf old lady, and even specially prepared materials for making straw sandals, wanting the deaf old lady to make straw sandals for everyone to see on the spot?

By doing this, aren't you implying that you've discovered something wrong with what the deaf old woman said, that you suspect there's something wrong with her status as a national hero and family member of a martyr, and that you're deliberately looking for an opportunity to test her?

Did the old lady faint when you were just about to ask her to teach everyone how to make straw sandals?
Don't you think this is a bit of a coincidence? This deaf old lady was clearly faking it!
Have you figured out why the deaf old lady pretended to faint?

This deaf old woman didn't know how to make straw sandals at all, so how did she manage to give the straw sandals she made to the Red Army during the Long March?
"The deaf old lady pretended to faint to avoid being exposed by you on the spot. Do you understand what happened?"

"Yes! I understand!"

"Hongbing, what you said makes so much sense! How come I didn't think of that?"

"No, no, I've got it! I'm sure I've got it!"

"I initially thought there was something wrong with the deaf old woman's identity, so I deliberately approached and flattered her in order to find her weaknesses."

"The so-called study conference was a test that I carefully devised and specially prepared for the deaf old lady!"

"But she actually dodged it back then, sigh!"

"..."

Liu Haizhong slapped his thigh and became excited.

Li Hongbing explained it so clearly. If Liu Haizhong still couldn't understand what Li Hongbing meant, then he would have lived in vain for so many years.

And at this time.

Seeing any benefit, Liu Haizhong couldn't wait to claim all the credit for himself, and Li Hongbing didn't even bother to complain.

This dog's bangs!
Just now, when I was in charge, I was thinking of shifting the blame.

Now that the responsibility is gone, he has to take all the credit for himself.

Unfortunately.

Even if there were any merits, they would have been taken away long ago by Li Hongbing's letter of denunciation.

The deaf old woman has already been arrested, and Liu Haizhong can no longer eat meat, or even drink soup, which is no longer warm.

"Hongbing, Uncle Liu, thank you so much for saving me."

Suddenly remembering that Li Hongbing was still there, Liu Haizhong felt a little embarrassed and quickly thanked him. Then he said impatiently, "Hongbing, you go back first. I have to go and report to Director Wang as soon as possible and explain the situation to her."

"Okay, Uncle Liu, please take care. It's dark at night, so don't fall."

Li Hongbing had no intention of "stealing credit" from Liu Haizhong. He simply nodded, pushed his bicycle, and left.

Seeing Li Hongbing leave, Liu Haizhong breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, the idea for this study conference was Li Hongbing's, so if we're really counting the credit, Li Hongbing definitely deserves some credit, and might even be the biggest contributor.

Under these circumstances, Liu Haizhong naturally didn't want Li Hongbing to go with him to Director Wang to share the credit, because Li Hongbing might end up taking all the credit.

Liu Haizhong just didn't think that if he really had merit, or if Li Hongbing really wanted to share his credit, he wouldn't have thought of these things.

Ignoring Liu Haizhong, Li Hongbing pushed his bicycle and went straight back to the courtyard house.

As soon as they entered the front yard, Yan Bugui, who had been waiting inside, hurriedly came out.

“Hongbing, you know…”

“Uncle Yan, I know. I ran into Uncle Liu outside just now, and he told me everything.”

"Old Liu? It's so late at night, and it's so cold. Why isn't Old Liu resting inside? What are you wandering around for?"

“Hongbing, tell me, what did Old Liu say to you?”

"Isn't it just that a deaf old woman impersonated a national hero and a family member of a martyr, and was discovered by the neighborhood committee and the police station, and then arrested in the afternoon?"

"anything else?"

"What else? That's all!"

"..."

Upon hearing Li Hongbing's words, Yan Bugui, who was initially annoyed that his "job" had been taken by Liu Haizhong, realized that Liu Haizhong hadn't told the whole story. So, he said smugly, "I have something else to tell you about the deaf old lady that you definitely don't know. Do you want to hear it?"

"Uncle Yan, if you want to say it, just say it quickly. It's cold outside, and I don't have time to play coy with you."

Li Hongbing glanced at Yan Bugui and urged him on.

"Okay, then I won't keep you in suspense any longer."

Feeling the temperature outside, Yan Bugui shrank back and said directly, "This afternoon, after the deaf old lady was arrested, people from the neighborhood committee and the police station came again and ransacked her house. Guess what they found?"

"Uncle Yan..."

Li Hongbing was speechless.

"Alright, alright, I won't keep you in suspense any longer."

Yan Bugui was a little embarrassed. He held up his fingers and gestured a few times, saying, "Three big yellow croakers, five small yellow croakers, my goodness! This deaf old lady really hid it well..."

Hearing Yan Bugui say this, Li Hongbing finally understood why he had been so eager to keep things mysterious.

Three large yellow croakers plus five small yellow croakers—this deaf old lady's wealth is extraordinary!

Think about it too.

It seems that ever since the people in the community got to know the deaf old lady, she has never worked, yet she has been able to live comfortably for so many years, and her standard of living is not low.

So many years have passed; if the family's wealth wasn't substantial, they really wouldn't be able to cover it all.

Simultaneously.

This also indirectly proves that the deaf old woman's past identity was not simple.

Because of this, many people in the nursing home have different opinions and speculations about the deaf old woman's past identity.

Some people believe that the deaf old woman was a wealthy merchant's concubine, the wife of a traitor, the wife of an early military officer, or even a spy.

However, none of this mattered to Li Hongbing, and he was too lazy to gossip. All he needed to know was that the deaf old lady was doomed this time.

……

the next day.

Previously, the residents who had fawned over the deaf old woman in the courtyard were afraid that her affairs would implicate them, so they all changed their tune and rushed to the neighborhood office to report and expose the deaf old woman, revealing all the things she had done to bully others in the courtyard.

After arriving at Fengzeyuan, Li Hongbing took advantage of a break in the day to sneak out and went to Chen Xueru's silk shop.

"Why are you here?"

Chen Xueru was somewhat surprised to see Li Hongbing come over during working hours.

I need your help!

Looking at Chen Xueru, Li Hongbing said with a smile, "Make me a banner, urgently! I need it in the next couple of days, and I'll come pick it up after get off work tonight!"

"A banner? For whom?"

Chen Xueru asked with some curiosity.

"These were prepared for our local neighborhood office; I'll need them very much!"

Li Hongbing gave a brief explanation and emphasized one point, then said to Chen Xueru, "I'll tell you the specifics later. First, help me make the banner. I'll tell you the specific requirements now."

"The material for this banner shouldn't be silk. Just find a piece of cloth, nothing too fancy, just the kind ordinary people use to make clothes..."

The matter concerning the deaf old woman is clearly not something that can be explained in a few words. If Chen Xueru is interested, Li Hongbing plans to tell her about it later.

I'm here on leave from work. Although someone is covering for me and nothing will happen even if I'm discovered, I can't just ignore my work and stay here for most of the day.

"Your request is a bit strange. Since it's a banner specifically for the neighborhood committee, the better the material, the better. Why are you doing the opposite?"

Before Li Hongbing could finish speaking, Chen Xueru, who felt very confused, interrupted him.

"Don't worry about this for now, just do as I say, and I'll explain it to you after I get off work tonight."

Seeing Li Hongbing say the same thing again, Chen Xueru felt helpless.

However, Li Hongbing is a person with his own opinions, so there must be his reasons for saying so.

Seeing this, Chen Xueru didn't say anything more.

Next.

Chen Xueru then carefully wrote down all of Li Hongbing's other requirements.

In fact, Chen Xueru didn't understand that some things don't necessarily have higher value just because they are more expensive.

What's suitable is the best.

Nowadays, cotton cloth has been included in the unified sales and purchase system, and every household is supplied with ration coupons. Although it is not as valuable as silk, it is a limited item that every household can only obtain in limited quantities.

They didn't even have enough to make clothes, but they specially used it to make a banner. What kind of value does that have for the neighborhood committee?

For them, this is undoubtedly an affirmation and praise from ordinary people and the masses for their work and achievements.

While silk is fine, using overly high-quality materials can actually diminish its appeal.

Everything should be done in moderation.

It’s too late.

night.

When Li Hongbing arrived, Chen Xueru had already prepared the banner according to his request.

Li Hongbing also satisfied Chen Xueru's curiosity by telling her about the deaf old woman and his purpose in wanting the banner.

Now that the deaf old woman has been imprisoned, the things she did in the courtyard house will surely be brought up again.

But Li Hongbing felt it wasn't enough. Before the outcome of the case against the deaf old woman was announced, Li Hongbing planned to add fuel to the fire and give her a final send-off.

A small banner can have tremendous power!

The deaf old woman brought this upon herself, handing over such a huge piece of leverage. If Li Hongbing doesn't take this opportunity to get rid of her and solve the problem once and for all, he would be doing a disservice to the opportunity she provided.

Moreover, this time the deaf old woman actually dared to impersonate a national hero and a martyr's family member. If Li Hongbing doesn't suppress her, wouldn't the deaf old woman and Yi Zhonghai and their ilk cause chaos in the courtyard?

After receiving the banner, Li Hongbing did not rush to send it to the subdistrict office, but waited for an opportunity.

Two days later.

When Li Hongbing learned that the district was going to convene a year-end meeting for the directors of the sub-district offices the next day, he knew that his opportunity had come.

That night.

The moment Li Hongbing returned, he immediately had Yan Bugui bring Liu Haizhong and Du Jianguo over. He then showed them the banner and explained his plan to have them accompany him to deliver it to the neighborhood office the next day.

Although Li Hongbing could deliver the banner by himself, it wouldn't be enough; it would be far less meaningful.

Three people make a crowd!

The power of the masses is the greatest!
Only by including Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and Du Jianguo can one represent everyone in the courtyard.

Moreover, the inscription on the banner by Li Hongbing was not just his own, but that of the entire No. 95 courtyard.

Knowing Li Hongbing's plan, and that even the banner had been prepared, the three senior administrators, Liu Haizhong, Du Jianguo, and Yan Bugui, were all incredibly excited.

The key point is that they didn't have to pay a penny for this banner, and they even got a free opportunity to appear on screen.

This is a great opportunity to show my face at the neighborhood office!

only.

Unable to contain his greed, Liu Haizhong stared at the banner in Li Hongbing's hand and couldn't help but say, "Hongbing, let me keep this banner for now, and we'll take it over together tomorrow."

“Uncle Liu, I see you’re busy tomorrow, and you’ll have to ask for leave to deliver the banner, so you don’t need to go. Uncle Yan, Uncle Liu, and I will go together.”

After glancing at Liu Haizhong, Li Hongbing spoke directly.

Li Hongbing had already given him a free opportunity to show his face, but that old rascal Liu Haizhong was still not satisfied and wanted to snatch the chance to present the banner. Li Hongbing wasn't going to tolerate him.

It wasn't that Li Hongbing was afraid of being overshadowed by Liu Haizhong; it was just that Liu Haizhong didn't know the real purpose of Li Hongbing's gift of the banner, and he wasn't very capable either. If he messed things up again, Li Hongbing would have wasted such a great opportunity.

“That’s right! Lao Liu, I’ll go with Hongbing and Lao Du to deliver the banner. The three of us are enough.”

As soon as Li Hongbing finished speaking, Yan Bugui, who was standing to the side, immediately expressed his opinion and took sides on the spot.

As for Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui hadn't forgotten that during the previous study conference, he and Du Jianguo, the two senior members of the management department, were excluded, with Yan trying to claim all the credit for himself.

Although Liu Haizhong failed to organize the study conference well, and even turned a "good" thing into a bad thing because of the deaf old lady incident, and ended up with nothing good, Yan Bugui still had a lot of opinions about him.

"That's right, it's just sending a banner, there's no need for so many people."

As soon as Yan Bugui spoke up, Du Jianguo quickly followed suit.

Like Yan Bugui, he also remembered what happened last time.

This isn't the first time Liu Haizhong has liked to steal credit and hog everything; we can't let him get away with it this time.

Moreover, it was Li Hongbing who suggested sending the banner, and he even made the banner himself.

Under these circumstances, Li Hongbing didn't send any of the gifts to any one person. Instead, he included all the residents of the courtyard and even specially invited the three old men who managed the courtyard to come along, which was already quite a show of respect.

Who among those present couldn't see what Liu Haizhong was planning?
Such behavior is not only unethical, but also despicable.

"I……"

Seeing that his wishful thinking had failed and he had incurred the wrath of the crowd, Liu Haizhong was immediately embarrassed and quickly tried to defend himself, saying, "Hongbing, I didn't mean anything by it. I just thought the banner was beautiful and wanted to take it back to admire it. When I deliver the banner tomorrow, you will definitely be the one to go, and the three of us old men will accompany you."

But then I thought about it again, and I realized that since you made this banner, it's more appropriate for you to keep it. Besides, I have three mischievous kids in my family, and I'm afraid they might not know their own strength and damage it.

At this moment, Liu Haizhong felt extremely regretful and wished he could slap himself.

He didn't want to miss such a great opportunity to shine.

At the same time, I hate myself.

Why couldn't he have thought of sending the banner before Li Hongbing did, and then had his wife make one and send it over in his own name?

It's just a banner; even if it uses a lot of fabric, he wouldn't hesitate to spend it.

just now.

Even if he had this plan, he wouldn't have had time to prepare the banner.

"So that's it?"

Seeing that Liu Haizhong had calmed down, Li Hongbing went straight for the jugular and complained to his face, "I thought you were planning to secretly take this banner and go to the neighborhood office to show off tomorrow, Uncle Liu."

"No way, am I that kind of person?"

With a bitter feeling in his heart, Liu Haizhong was afraid that Li Hongbing really wouldn't take him tomorrow, so he could only force a smile and deny it.

But seriously.

He really didn't dare to go that far.

At most, all I want is to occupy the center position and be the one to personally present the banner tomorrow.

the next day.

Liu Haizhong, Du Jianguo, and Yan Bugui each sent someone to ask for leave from the steel mill and the school, and after everyone else had left for work, they waited a while before leaving with Li Hongbing.

The group went directly to the neighborhood office.

After inquiring with the staff of the subdistrict office and learning that Director Wang was not at the subdistrict office but had gone to a meeting in the district, Li Hongbing expressed his gratitude but did not present a banner; instead, he simply turned and left.

Faced with Li Hongbing's actions, Liu Haizhong, Du Jianguo, and Yan Bugui became anxious.

Once they left the neighborhood office, the three of them started asking questions.

"Gentlemen, this banner is for the entire subdistrict office, so it should be handed to Director Wang personally to show respect. Don't you agree?"

"Hey, it really is!"

“Oh dear, Hongbing, if you hadn’t told me, I would have almost ruined things.”

"Luckily, we were inside just now, so we didn't mention the banner."

"From now on, everyone should listen to Hongbing and not mess things up."

"..."

Coming to the subdistrict office is just a formality; the real focus is what follows.

soon.

Led by Li Hongbing, the group of four went to the district government and explained that they had something to discuss with Director Wang of their subdistrict office.

However, at this time, Director Wang was having a meeting with district leaders and other street office directors, so Li Hongbing and Liu Haizhong naturally couldn't see each other. Fortunately, Li Hongbing wasn't in a hurry and just waited.

at last.

When they finished their meeting and came out one after another, Li Hongbing, along with Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and Du Jianguo, quickly walked up to Director Wang the moment they saw him.

"Director Wang, we went to the subdistrict office this morning. We heard that you were having a meeting in the district, so we came here specifically to thank you for helping our office catch the bad guys who were hiding among the people and expose the malicious people who were impersonating national heroes and family members of martyrs. All of us in our office made a banner to express our gratitude to you and all the staff of the subdistrict office!"

In front of district leaders and other street office directors, Li Hongbing went directly to Director Wang and, while saying these words, also showed off the banner embroidered with the eight characters "Distinguish between loyalty and treachery, eliminate harm for the people" to everyone.

at the same time.

Everyone present, including Director Wang, was completely stunned by Li Hongbing's actions.

After a while.

When everyone realized what was happening, the other street office directors looked at Director Wang with endless envy.

At that moment, looking at Li Hongbing in front of him and the banner in his hand, as well as the envious gazes of the other street office directors and the appreciative looks of the district leaders, Director Wang felt like he was floating on air.

This feeling...

Wonderful!

(End of this chapter)