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

Chapter 191 A foul mouth gets its comeuppance; Foolish Pillar loses his leg (7k)

Not long after.

Yan Bugui borrowed a bicycle from Li Hongbing, handed it to Yan Jiecheng outside, and then secretly slipped back inside.

Li Hongbing naturally noticed this situation, but he didn't care.

It doesn't matter who goes; what matters is getting things done.

He Yushui did not go back, but stayed with Li Hongbing, chatting with Chen Xueru while waiting for news from He Daqing and Shazhu.

Li Hongbing didn't care about this situation.

It's not too late now, and it's not bad to have someone to keep Chen Xueru company and chat about small topics between women.

In the courtyard, the only person who could get along well with Chen Xueru was He Yushui, who was educated and still in school.

As for Aunt Yan and Aunt Yang, they usually exchange greetings and pleasantries, but they don't really have anything in common to talk about.

Not long after Yan Jiecheng left, he was chatting with Chen Xueru in the house, occasionally glancing at He Yushui in the direction of the door, when he saw He Daqing returning alone.

When He Yushui saw He Daqing return, she was initially very worried, but then a huge weight was lifted from her heart. She rushed out and asked impatiently, "Dad, why are you so late today? I was so worried!"

"I had some things to do tonight, so I got back a little late."

Seeing how anxious and worried He Yushui was about him, He Daqing felt a little gratified and couldn't help but reach out and pat her head.

"Oh right, Dad, my brother hasn't come back yet!"

Just as He Yushui had breathed a sigh of relief, she couldn't help but worry again when she remembered that Sha Zhu hadn't returned. She looked up at He Daqing and said, "Brother went out this morning and said he would be back tonight, but we still haven't seen him..."

"This one……"

Hearing He Yushui express concern for Sha Zhu, He Daqing said helplessly, "Your brother has run into some trouble and won't be coming back today."

No sooner had He Daqing finished speaking than Yan Bugui, who had come out of the house to check the situation after hearing the commotion outside, asked directly, "Old He, what happened to Shazhu?"

"It's nothing, just a little accident. I accidentally broke my leg and am currently receiving treatment at the hospital. I just got back from the hospital."

He Daqing didn't want to talk about it, but Yan Bugui asked him about it, and considering that such a serious injury would take several months to heal, he couldn't hide it any longer, so he simply told him.

He didn't say why.

"what?"

"My brother broke his leg, how could this happen?"

"She was perfectly fine when I left home this morning..."

"Dad, is it serious?"

"What the hell is going on?"

"..."

Upon hearing that Sha Zhu's leg was broken, He Yushui was so anxious that tears streamed down her face, her expression filled with sadness, distress, and worry.

Although Sha Zhu is somewhat careless and thoughtless, in the years when He Daqing was not in Beijing, he and his sister depended on each other for survival, and Sha Zhu basically fulfilled his duties as an older brother. Therefore, He Yushui still relied on him and had deep feelings for him.

Even in the original series, no matter how irresponsible Sha Zhu was, he was still decent to his sister He Yushui in the early stages.

Don't say anything else.

In this day and age, not every family can afford to send a girl to high school or vocational school.

only.

It's true that it's unreliable.

Like in the opening scene of the original drama, knowing that Bang Geng had stolen chickens, he still took the blame on himself because of Qin Huairu.

Although he only lost five yuan in the end and the matter was considered closed, he was left with a bad reputation as a chicken thief.

Sha Zhu didn't consider himself or his sister He Yushui at all in this matter.

In today's world, reputation is of paramount importance.

Having a reputation as a chicken thief, and having a brother who is also a chicken thief, both have a very bad influence on them.

Especially since He Yushui was dating someone who was a local police officer at the time.

Just this.

After He Yushui married into the family, she found it difficult to hold her head high in her husband's family, and her own family could not provide her with much support.

However, these things haven't happened yet, and they probably won't happen in the future. Besides, with He Daqing, their biological father, back, and him keeping things in check, Sha Zhu will probably do fewer crazy things.

"It's nothing, it's just that your brother is clumsy and didn't pay attention. He tripped and broke his leg."

Seeing that many people in the front yard had come out of the house, He Daqing remained calm. After explaining to He Yushui in front of everyone, he comforted her, "Your brother is tough and it's nothing serious. The doctor has already performed surgery on him. With proper care, he will recover."

Although He Daqing spoke lightly, He Yushui was still worried and couldn't help but say, "Dad, I want to go to the hospital to see my brother."

"Tomorrow, it's too late today. I'll ask you for a day off tomorrow and take you there myself."

Knowing that He Daqing would not feel at ease if He Yushui was not taken to the hospital, He Daqing agreed and then said to Yan Bugui, who was standing next to him, "Old Yan, I'll have to trouble you again tomorrow. When you go to school, please ask for leave for Yushui."

"No problem, I'll take care of it, don't worry!"

Faced with such a small matter, Yan Bugui naturally wouldn't refuse, but he quickly asked gossipily, "Old He, is Shazhu really alright?"

"Something's wrong! How can nothing be wrong? Your leg is broken!"

He Daqing knew that Yan Bugui obviously suspected something and wanted to find out about Shazhu's situation, so he looked at He Yushui and changed the subject, saying, "Yushui, what were you doing at Brother Hongbing's house just now?"

“Dad, I was worried because you and my brother hadn’t come home so late, so I couldn’t help but ask Brother Hongbing for help…”

He Yushui was a little embarrassed when she talked about this.

However, when He Daqing asked about this, it obviously reminded her of something else. He Yushui quickly said, "Oh right, just now Brother Hongbing asked Uncle Yan to help him inquire about you and my brother from Uncle Dong. We still need to give Uncle Yan three cents for the trip!"

"Oh dear! Daqing, this travel fee wasn't something I asked for, but I already sent Jiecheng to do it for me. He's on his way now. If you had come back a little earlier, my Jiecheng wouldn't have had to make this trip..."

Many people came out of the courtyard. Feeling everyone's gaze on him, Yan Bugui felt a little embarrassed and quickly explained and clarified.

He never expected that He Yushui would bring this up in front of so many people.

Although Yan Bugui knew that He Yushui was still a child and probably didn't have any bad intentions, but just didn't understand so many social customs, doing this still somewhat damaged his image.

Moreover, he didn't ask for the escape fee voluntarily.

As for the three cents running fee, he would definitely still want it, since it had been agreed upon in advance and he was reluctant to give it up. However, this matter had to be made clear, otherwise it would easily affect his reputation, especially since he was the head of the management department.

Simultaneously.

Yan Bugui emphasized again that Yan Jiecheng was already on his way to find Sha Zhu's master at this time. Even if He Daqing came back at this time, everyone would know about Sha Zhu's situation, but they had already gone to work.

Even if Yan Jiecheng made a wasted trip, he has already done his job. As long as He Daqing knows how to behave, he must pay them the errand fee.

"It's not easy for Jie Cheng to make this special trip so late at night."

As expected, upon hearing Yan Bugui's words, He Daqing immediately took out three mao (0.3 yuan) from his pocket, handed it to Yan Bugui, and said again, "Old Yan, please help me settle things with these three mao. I thank you for settling things with me."

He Daqing wasn't short of three cents. Even including rest days, his monthly salary averaged about three yuan per day.

He Daqing understood the situation from He Yushui's few words. It was probably because Li Hongbing had stepped in on He Yushui's behalf and promised them a three-cent errand fee that Yan Bugui and the others were asked to inquire about Dong Congyou and Shazhu's situation.

He Daqing felt no sense of overstepping his bounds or inappropriateness regarding Li Hongbing's actions. Instead, he expressed his gratitude in public, saying, "Hongbing, thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, Yushui probably wouldn't know what to do in this situation."

With neither he nor Shazhu around, Yushui, a little kid, would have been incredibly worried and helpless if Li Hongbing hadn't intervened.

Even though Li Hongbing didn't do much, He Daqing thought it was enough.

"Uncle He, you're too kind. We're all neighbors, and I didn't do anything. If you want to thank someone, thank Uncle Yan!"

Seeing this, Li Hongbing had no intention of taking credit.

In his view, he really hadn't done much.

Hearing this, He Daqing didn't say anything more. He had already thanked Yan Bugui when he gave him the money.

In He Daqing's mind, Li Hongbing was the only person he could rely on in critical moments, and even if Yan Bugui was willing to help, it was probably because he was after some benefit.

Having been neighbors for so many years, He Daqing knew Yan Bugui all too well what kind of person he was.

That's why He Daqing always wanted to be on good terms with Li Hongbing, even if it was just to help him out on small matters.

Even something as simple as lending a helping hand is far better than just standing by and doing nothing, rather than kicking someone when they're down.

The key is that they don't want anything from them.

soon.

He Daqing took He Yushui back, and the people who had gathered in the front yard dispersed and went home.

However, the fact that Sha Zhu broke his leg has aroused a lot of curiosity and discussion.

It's quite rare for someone to fall and break their leg.

Some people don't believe He Daqing's explanation and feel that there are other hidden stories.

Li Hongbing thought the same thing, but since He Daqing was unwilling to talk about it, he was too lazy to investigate.

Some more time passed.

When Yan Jiecheng returned from his trip to Dong Congyou's place, Yan Bugui returned the bicycle.

Yan Jiecheng didn't learn anything from Dong Congyou, only that He Daqing was already on his way back and had been told to come back directly.

"Dad, have you forgotten something?"

"what?"

"Where's my delivery fee? You're not going to refuse to pay it, are you? It's so late at night, and it's not easy for me to make this trip."

"Look at you, all you care about is money. When have I ever gone back on my word? Here you go!"

"Really just one cent?"

"You don't want it back? A penny isn't money, is it?"

"..."

Earlier in the courtyard, although He Daqing said that the errand fee was for Yan Jiecheng, since the money was in Yan Bugui's hands, how it was distributed was up to him.

Moreover, he and Yan Jiecheng had already reached an agreement beforehand, so they would proceed as originally agreed.

……

the next day.

When Li Hongbing started working at Fengzeyuan, he learned from his master, Guo Youzhong, the real reason why Shazhu broke his leg.

"You were beaten up by your blind date?"

"She wasn't my blind date, she was her brother."

"Uh……"

"I must say, that kid from Master He's family has a really sharp tongue. 'Pigsy's second aunt' gave a girl such a nickname, no wonder her own brother wanted to hit her..."

"..."

Not only Guo Youzhong, but even Li Hongbing was speechless.

Pigsy's second aunt, I never expected that this line would still appear, and it still came from the mouth of Sha Zhu.

That idiot Zhu, sometimes his words can be so sharp they could kill someone, his mouth is exceptionally venomous, and this time he's finally getting his comeuppance.

No wonder when He Daqing came back last night, he didn't mention a word about why Sha Zhu's leg was broken.

Shame!

If this gets out, it will inevitably have some impact on his reputation.

Even if the blind date's conditions are not satisfactory, and Sha Zhu himself doesn't like her, there's no need to belittle and damage the woman like this. It's not only lacking in manners, but also a disgrace to one's character.

This is nothing short of an insult to a girl who is about to get married.

As the woman's family, it's understandable that they would act out of anger.

But that's just the kind of person Sha Zhu is. Of course.

Even if Sha Zhu is a scoundrel, he wouldn't say such things in front of his blind date and her family. It was only when he was secretly complaining to Dong Congyou that he was accidentally caught by Dong Congyou's brother, which led to the fight.

"Master, has this person trained? He can break a person's leg with one kick?"

Li Hongbing was somewhat curious.

Although Li Hongbing can now easily do this, relying solely on his physical strength and explosive power, it is because his physical qualities far surpass those of ordinary people.

Although Li Hongbing doesn't take Sha Zhu seriously now, he is still someone who once had the title of "Courtyard War God," which is not something an ordinary person can easily do, even when Sha Zhu is completely unprepared.

It could be brute force, skillful technique, or simply bad luck on Sha Zhu's part.

"I don't know that."

Guo Youzhong shook his head and said, "You still don't know what they do. The woman who went on a blind date with Sha Zhu yesterday is the daughter of Zhang the butcher from the west of the city. You don't know her."

Her brothers followed in their father's footsteps, working in the business of slaughtering pigs and sheep. They never lacked meat from a young age, and their physical fitness far surpassed that of others. They all possessed great strength, no less than those of us who spend our days flipping woks.

However, that idiot Zhu from your courtyard isn't someone to be trifled with. Zhang Er didn't get away with it in the end; I heard he suffered internal injuries, and both of them are in the hospital now!

Guo Youzhong clearly knew the Zhang butcher's family, who had gone on a blind date with Sha Zhu yesterday, and they might even have some connection, otherwise he wouldn't have said these things.

As for the incident yesterday where Sha Zhu's leg was broken during his blind date, although neither family deliberately publicized it, there were other residents in the courtyard at the time, and secrets don't stay hidden forever.

Guo Youzhong is clearly not the only outsider who knows about this.

"So it was a mutual fight?"

Li Hongbing thought that Sha Zhu had met a "master" this time, but it turned out to be just an opponent.

But yes.

A broken leg is no small matter.

Even if Sha Zhu was the one who spoke rudely first, given He Daqing's personality, he would not let the matter go easily.

That makes sense now.

Talk about it.

Yesterday's blind date for Sha Zhu was arranged by his mentor, Dong Congyou.

The butcher's family and Dong Congyou's wife, who was also Sha Zhu's teacher's wife, were somewhat related and knew each other well.

What was supposed to be a nice blind date turned into this awkward situation.

……

the other side.

Just as Li Hongbing arrived at Fengzeyuan and chatted with his master Guo Youzhong, learning the inside story of Sha Zhu's broken leg, He Daqing also brought He Yushui to the hospital ward to deliver breakfast to Sha Zhu.

The current predicament of Sha Zhu is giving He Daqing a real headache.

Sha Zhu's leg is broken, and he probably won't be able to walk for a long time.

He Yushui is still young, and he has to go to work, so taking care of him is obviously a problem.

It's really inconvenient not having a woman in the house.

Thinking about this, He Daqing wanted even more to help Sha Zhu settle his marriage and find a daughter-in-law.

As for himself, he has no plans to look for another job for the time being.

Given He Daqing's current circumstances, finding a spouse shouldn't be too difficult.

He's looking for someone younger, but he's not quite up to the task; ultimately, it's hard for him to make a living together.

Those who sought partners of similar age were mostly widows, or even women with families to support.

To be honest, after being exploited by the White Widow, he wasn't exactly afraid, but he felt some resistance. Moreover, having witnessed the true nature of the ungrateful child, he clearly didn't want to raise someone else's son anymore.

"Brother, is this porridge good?"

"Delicious."

"Hehe, I got up early this morning to make it."

"She's so thoughtful; now she even knows to get up early to help with cooking."

"I made this especially for you... Bro, does your leg hurt now?"

"It doesn't hurt! What's a little pain to a real man like me?"

"..."

Listening to He Yushui and Shazhu's conversation, especially seeing Shazhu's pretentious act, He Daqing, who was in a good mood, became furious and sarcastically said, "Shazhu, a real man shouldn't be like a gossipy old woman, talking behind other women's backs and saying bad things about them. You really have the nerve to do that!"

If it weren't for the fact that Sha Zhu's leg was broken, He Daqing would have wanted to hang Sha Zhu from the roof beam and beat him.

They've utterly disgraced the He family!
Yesterday's uproar has put Dong Congyou, the middleman, in a very awkward position, and even He Daqing is too ashamed to face anyone.

Sha Zhu went to the woman's house for a blind date, and not only did he speak ill of her, but he also got into a fight with her family. If this gets out, who will want to go on a blind date with him in the future?

"Dad, I didn't start it yesterday..."

Sha Zhu felt a little wronged after being scolded by He Daqing.

His leg is broken now, and He Daqing is still so mean to him.

"Are you still reasonable?"

Seeing that Sha Zhu seemed somewhat unconvinced, He Daqing glared at him and questioned, "What are you thinking? Even if you don't like someone, you can just find someone else. Is it necessary to offend them so much?"

Calling him Pigsy's second aunt? How could you even think of such a despicable thing? Could your mouth be any more foul?

Before you went, did you know that the other party was a distant cousin of your master's wife? Did your master tell you all that?

"Silly Zhu, have you ever thought about where your actions place your master? How is he supposed to face his master's wife?"

"I...I didn't mean to..."

Faced with He Daqing's reprimand, Sha Zhu offered a somewhat guilty excuse.

“If it wasn’t intentional, then what you did is even worse. You have no respect for that girl at all. When you’re discharged from the hospital, come with me to apologize to her.”

Knowing that this was Sha Zhu's true nature, He Daqing didn't give him any face at all.

If Sha Zhu continues like this and doesn't correct his ways, sooner or later he'll get into trouble because of his mouth.

"Apologize? Dad, I've been beaten up like this, and you want me to apologize to them?"

Upon hearing He Daqing's words, Sha Zhu immediately looked over in disbelief, seriously doubting whether He Daqing, who was standing in the ward, was really his biological father.

"Let's keep things separate. If you hadn't been so rude, would your older brother have resorted to violence against you?"

"If it were me, I would beat you up no matter what."

"Besides, the girl didn't do anything to you, yet you started giving her nicknames. Shouldn't you apologize to her?"

"Besides, you're not the only one hospitalized."

"Your leg is broken, and the other person has internal injuries too. What more do you want?"

“Shazhu, if you’re a man, you should behave yourself, admit your mistakes, and not embarrass the He family.”

"..."

It's not just a matter of right or wrong; even if it's just to avoid putting Dong Congyou in a difficult position, Sha Zhu has to apologize to the girl in person.

Moreover, the nickname "Silly Pillar" is really disgusting.

If word gets out, a young woman with such a nickname might have a hard time finding a partner in the future.

Not good.

Sha Zhu still has to take responsibility for that girl.

Yesterday, He Daqing actually met Sha Zhu's blind date. She was just a bit round-faced and a bit muscular, not as ugly and unbearable as Sha Zhu described.

Sha Zhu, feeling guilty, said somewhat awkwardly, "Dad, look at me now, how can I go to apologize to them?"

"Your leg is broken, but you're not mute. Don't you have a mouth?"

The shrewd and experienced He Daqing was not blind to Sha Zhu's little scheme. He immediately sneered and said, "I'll have to find someone to carry you there!"

As his last shred of hope vanished, Sha Zhu's face fell.

"Brother, your leg... was it broken?"

At this moment, He Yushui, who was stunned by what she heard, asked in surprise.

For a moment, Sha Zhu felt so ashamed that he wanted to hide in the ground.

……

at the same time.

While Sha Zhu was being scolded, in another ward of the hospital, Zhang Xiaofeng, watching her second brother wolfing down his food, muttered in an annoyed tone, "Second brother, eat slower. You're an injured patient right now, with internal injuries. Have you forgotten? You can't eat like this..."

"Little sister, I haven't eaten anything all night. If you had come any later, I would have starved to death."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Erhu lowered his voice and began to complain.

"Second brother, just bear with it. It will be fine when we go home in a couple of days."

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaofeng couldn't help but laugh.

The siblings in the ward at this moment were Zhang Xiaofeng, the blind date whom Sha Zhu called Zhu Bajie's second aunt, and her second brother Zhang Erhu, who was the one who broke Sha Zhu's leg.

Zhang Erhu's internal injuries were actually faked.

Yesterday, although Sha Zhu fought back, he didn't hold back at all.

But this time, Sha Zhu has finally met his nemesis.

Zhang Erhu was much stronger than Sha Zhu. At the time, both of them were a bit hot-headed. It seemed like they were fighting each other, but in reality, Sha Zhu was being completely crushed.

In the end, Sha Zhu broke his leg, while Zhang Erhu only suffered minor injuries.

Even if there was a reason for taking action, Sha Zhu had broken his leg after all, and Zhang Erhu was afraid that this would cause trouble for him, so Zhang the butcher deliberately made him pretend that his injury was more serious.

"Second brother, don't fight with people so easily next time. You never know your own strength and you get carried away. If something like this happens again, you might not be so lucky."

Looking at her second brother, Zhang Xiaofeng warned him with a stern face.

"That kid was so loose-lipped, daring to talk bad about you behind your back. I couldn't stand it!"

Mentioning this made Zhang Erhu a little angry, but feeling his little sister's gaze, he could only chuckle sheepishly and complain, "It's all that kid surnamed He's fault. He's like a weak little chick, too easily beaten. He was done for after just a few blows."

"Brother, with your physique and strength, how many people in the entire city of Beijing could withstand your beating?"

Feeling touched by her second brother's care and concern, Zhang Xiaofeng was also somewhat speechless.

Seeing that Zhang Erhu was enjoying his meal, Zhang Xiaofeng said, "Second Brother, you can eat here by yourself. I'll come over later. Mom specially prepared an extra portion of this pig's trotter soup for me to take to that guy surnamed He."

"Little sister, what were you thinking? That guy said those things about you, and you still brought him pig's trotter soup?"

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaofeng's words, Zhang Erhu immediately became displeased and said directly, "Keep your portion of pig's trotter soup for me, don't let that kid have it."

This pig's trotter soup is so delicious, we can't let it go to waste.

"Mom told me to send this, it's not like I wanted to bring it. And it's all because you hit too hard and broke someone's leg!"

Zhang Xiaofeng rolled her eyes, her gaze falling on Zhang Erhu, and said with a hint of helplessness.

Sha Zhu's leg was broken by Zhang Erhu, but Zhang Erhu's injury wasn't actually that serious.

Even though only their family knows about this right now, it would still feel a bit wrong not to visit and offer some thanks.

Although they didn't want to take on any trouble, they weren't completely unreasonable people.

Moreover.

Making this a big deal out of nothing will benefit either of them.

(End of this chapter)