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

Chapter 199 Entrapment: All Birds Take the Bait

"Hongbing, these two are..."

“Aunt Yan, this is my wife’s relative. They’ve come to visit my wife.”

"Oh, that's how it is!"

"..."

When Li Hongbing returned from outside, there were two more people with him.

These two people were none other than Comrade Fudan, whom Li Hongbing had invited back. However, they were publicly identified as relatives of Chen Xueru who had come to visit.

No one seemed to suspect anything about this.

Fu Zi naturally chose to stand on Li Hongbing's side regarding his previous accusations and requests.

The honors and awards certificates that Li Hongbing presented were already a significant asset.

only.

Even if we believe it in our hearts, we can't just listen to Li Hongbing's side of the story. We must conduct an investigation and verify the facts before taking any further action.

At this time, most of the people who went out to work in the institute had already returned home. Li Hongbing went directly to Yan Bugui, wanting to initiate an institute-wide meeting through him.

"Red Soldier, are you sure you want to do this?"

Having understood Li Hongbing's purpose, Yan Bugui did not refuse, but couldn't help but confirm it again.

"Uncle Yan, my wife just gave birth and is in the crucial postpartum period. This Jia Zhangshi came to our house and said those things, and almost attacked my mother-in-law. Don't you think I should demand an explanation and justice from her, and make her apologize in public?"

Li Hongbing asked a question in return, and then said, "It's only now. If it were before, if Jia Zhangshi dared to cause trouble, I wouldn't care about anything else. I would just go to her door and beat her up, and let her have nothing better to do."

We're doing this to avoid putting you, Uncle Yan, in a difficult position. After all, as the heads of the school, it would be hard for you to handle such a situation if something like this happened.

However, regarding the dispute between my family and Jia Zhangshi today, I hope that you, Uncle Yan, and the other stewards can step in and help me uphold justice and demand an explanation from Jia Zhangshi.”

“There’s definitely no problem with that. Jia Zhangshi really went too far. I’ll go talk to Lao Du and Lao Liu right now and they’ll give you an explanation.”

Yan Bugui had actually heard about what happened today when he got home from get off work.

Yan Bugui didn't think Li Hongbing's actions were making a fuss over nothing; in fact, he felt that Li Hongbing had become much more restrained and composed.

Once this person got married, especially after having children, his temperament indeed became more stable.

In the past, Li Hongbing wouldn't have bothered to discuss it with them; he would have attacked the Jia family directly.

Li Hongbing has now approached him, wanting the senior members of the management team to come forward and hold a general meeting to mediate and resolve the dispute with Jia Zhangshi. This move is clearly giving the senior members of the management team a lot of face.

Even if it wasn't to curry favor with Li Hongbing or do him a favor, Yan Bugui, as the head of the management, should still have made the effort.

soon.

Yan Bugui then spoke to Liu Haizhong and Du Jianguo about this matter, and the result was as expected.

Even though Liu Haizhong had some disagreements with Li Hongbing before, he didn't cause any trouble in this matter.

On the contrary, Liu Haizhong seemed rather happy.

Li Hongbing's initiative to convene a general meeting of the entire courtyard to resolve the dispute between him and Jia Zhangshi demonstrates that he acknowledges the abilities and status of their courtyard's head, and doesn't completely disregard them.

That alone is enough.

Not long after.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui had Yan Jiecheng and Liu Guangqi inform others about the upcoming college-wide meeting.

……

The Intermediate People's Court, the Yi family.

Yi Zhonghai, who had just returned from the backyard, looked rather unwell.

When Du Jianguo sent his son to announce the start of a hospital-wide meeting, Yi Zhonghai sensed something was amiss. He asked a couple of questions but couldn't get any answers, so he went to Liu Haizhong in the backyard to find out what was going on.

Of the three old men in charge of the courtyard, Du Jianguo and Yi Zhonghai didn't get along, while Yan Bugui was on good terms with Li Hongbing and could be considered his lackey. Only Liu Haizhong had any "backbone," so Yi Zhonghai could only ask him for information.

As it turned out, Yi Zhonghai discovered that this matter was indeed related to him, or rather, to the Jia family.

Yi Zhonghai, whose premonition had been correct and whose prediction had been successful, was not particularly happy at this moment.

"This Li Hongbing really doesn't intend to let Jia Zhangshi off the hook!"

Wang Guihua, who learned about the situation from Yi Zhonghai, also sighed helplessly.

"This kid is no pushover; he's not going to let this go easily."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head, his face dark, and said, "Jia Zhangshi, why did she have to provoke them for no reason? She could have just watched the show from behind, but instead she went and bragged in front of them. Wasn't she just asking for trouble?"

Speaking of this, Yi Zhonghai has a bit of a headache.

It wasn't that they were afraid of Li Hongbing; after all, the past was the past.

It is clearly impossible to resolve and let go of grudges. Even if Yi Zhonghai could agree, Li Hongbing might not be willing.

But Jia Zhangshi's actions clearly gave Li Hongbing an opportunity to make trouble.

Upon hearing this, Wang Guihua couldn't help but worry, saying, "If Li Hongbing takes this seriously, Jia Zhangshi and the Jia family might be in for a rough time."

“If we’re being reasonable, Jia Zhangshi might not necessarily suffer a loss, but if Li Hongbing is unreasonable, then it’s hard to say.”

At this point, Yi Zhonghai felt a bit of a headache.

Although Yi Zhonghai learned from Liu Haizhong that Li Hongbing only wanted an explanation and an apology from Jia Zhangshi, it seemed that he was not making any excessive demands.

But Yi Zhonghai always felt that Li Hongbing's mobilization of such a large force was probably not for such a simple purpose.

While pondering this, Yi Zhonghai asked Wang Guihua to fetch Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu.

In order to deal with Li Hongbing and the upcoming college-wide conference, they naturally needed to make some preparations in advance and discuss countermeasures together.

"Dongxu's master, I did nothing wrong, so I definitely won't apologize. Li Hongbing's mother-in-law even slapped me twice, and I haven't even settled accounts with them yet. Instead, Li Hongbing is causing me trouble. Does he have any sense of reason?"

After understanding the situation, Jia Zhangshi directly stated her position and reaffirmed her stance.

“Sister-in-law, you’ve misunderstood. No one asked you to apologize to Li Hongbing.”

Upon seeing this, Yi Zhonghai burst out laughing.

At this point, he had clearly come to his senses and figured out why Li Hongbing had made such a big fuss and wanted to hold a hospital-wide meeting with Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong—it was all just to get Jia Zhangshi to apologize.

"What does Dongxu's master mean by this?"

Jia Zhangshi was a little confused, thinking that Yi Zhonghai had called them over to persuade her to compromise.

“Sister-in-law, although what you did before was inappropriate, it is an indisputable fact that Li Hongbing’s mother-in-law slapped you twice in public. Many people saw it at the time. If we really want to talk about who is right and who is wrong, it’s hard to say.”

Yi Zhonghai looked at Jia Zhangshi and slowly said, "I can roughly guess that Li Hongbing is making such a big fuss because he wants to establish his authority through you!"

"Establish your authority?"

Jia Zhangshi was taken aback. Seeing that both Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu were looking at him, Yi Zhonghai stopped being mysterious and immediately explained, "Sister-in-law, Dongxu, think about it, this time Li Hongbing made his son take his wife's surname, which is a different surname. In everyone's eyes, this is definitely a shameful thing."

Although no one wanted to offend Li Hongbing, and no one said anything openly, they were probably thinking and complaining in their hearts. Li Hongbing himself must have known this, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Just then, you stepped in and exposed the truth, humiliating Li Hongbing. Li Hongbing was definitely angry, and as a man, he couldn't tolerate it; he had to regain his dignity.

To avoid being publicly ridiculed for having his son take a different surname, he had no choice but to convene a hospital-wide meeting with Yan Bugui and his associates, and then…

As a cunning old fox, Yi Zhonghai managed to guess Li Hongbing's intention.

But a pity.

He underestimated Li Hongbing.

Is it really necessary for Li Hongbing to go to such great lengths just to get an apology from Jia Zhangshi?
"Hehe, then I'll just do the opposite of what Li Hongbing wants. Doesn't he care about his reputation? I'll make sure he can't lose face this time."

After listening to Yi Zhonghai's analysis, Jia Zhangshi couldn't help but feel smug.

Originally, no one wanted to offend Li Hongbing, so few people discussed this matter. But now that Li Hongbing is going to hold a hospital-wide meeting and bring it up publicly, this is a good opportunity to deflate his arrogance.

Such an opportunity was rare, and Jia Zhangshi was not about to give it up.

Having guessed Jia Zhangshi's plan, Jia Dongxu hesitated for a moment, but seeing that Yi Zhonghai didn't seem to object, he was also taken aback.

Originally, Yi Zhonghai did not want to offend Li Hongbing, but after discovering Li Hongbing's "intention" in convening the hospital-wide meeting and seeing Jia Zhangshi's attitude, he changed his mind.

Li Hongbing isn't that scary; he's just a human being.

The reason I suffered losses at Li Hongbing's hands in the past was simply because he had something on me, or because I was in the wrong to begin with, so there was nothing I could do about it.

But now he's no longer the dean of the college, and Li Hongbing has no other leverage over him. On the contrary, Li Hongbing is now in trouble.

Anyway, Li Hongbing's relationship with them is already like this, it can't get any better no matter what, so there's no need to be timid.

Although Jia Zhangshi started it this time, she was slapped twice and suffered a loss in public. The two sides continued to interact.

They don't need to do anything else, just "argue with reason" to make Jia Zhangshi insist on not admitting her mistake and make a big fuss about this matter.

By then, not only people in their compound, but also people outside, will know that Li Hongbing made his son take Chen Xueru's surname.

This is not something they actively promoted or "ruined" Li Hongbing's reputation.

After thorough communication and with Yi Zhonghai's support, Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu were eager to launch a counterattack against Li Hongbing. After suffering so many losses before, they finally had a chance to get revenge.

……

As soon as the news of the hospital-wide meeting came out, the dispute between Li Hongbing and Jia Zhangshi began to surface.

Although there was no deliberate publicity, the entire courtyard house was so small that most people knew about it at the slightest sign of trouble.

The conflict between Jia Zhangshi and Li Hongbing's mother-in-law is obviously the biggest news right now. Moreover, Li Hongbing, who was supposed to be at work today, made a special trip back in the afternoon. Although he went out again soon afterward, he returned much earlier than usual.

Later, Li Hongbing went to Yan Bugui, and then Yan Bugui immediately went to Du Jianguo and Liu Haizhong, the other two senior administrators of the college. Soon after, news spread that a college-wide meeting would be held, making it easy for people to connect the dots.

After everyone in the courtyard finished eating dinner, and the three senior administrators, Yan Bugui, Liu Haizhong, and Du Jianguo, took their places, everyone began to gather in the central courtyard, where they usually held meetings.

Because everyone wanted to watch the drama unfold, quite a few people came; it wasn't just one person from each family attending.

As for the two comrades from the Women's Federation, they were also mixed in here, but everyone just assumed they were Chen Xueru's relatives and didn't think too much about it, let alone raise any protests to prohibit them from participating in and observing the college-wide meeting.

Even though they are outsiders, they are still related to Li Hongbing, so there's no need for them to cause trouble.

"Alright, everyone's here. The reason I've called this general meeting today is because something happened during the day... about Madam Jia Zhang in the central courtyard..."

Without any unnecessary words or introductions, Liu Haizhong got straight to the point and explained the situation.

After Chen's mother recounted what had happened, Yan Bugui, one of the stewards, turned to Jia Zhangshi and asked, "Jia Zhangshi, what do you want to say?"

"I have!"

Madam Jia stepped forward, glared fiercely at Chen's mother, and pointed at her, saying, "She just let something slip. I was slapped twice by her at noon, and many people in the yard saw it. I'm going to hold her accountable and make her apologize to me!"

What Jia Zhangshi really wanted to say was that she should slap him back, but obviously that was impossible.

Let alone Li Hongbing, even Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong would definitely not agree.

"And I don't think I'm wrong!"

Seeing that everyone in the courtyard was looking at her, Jia Zhangshi glanced at Li Hongbing intentionally or unintentionally, and immediately felt emboldened, saying loudly, "I'm just stating a few facts, what's wrong with that?"
Why can't I speak out about such a shameful thing as a grown man letting his son take his wife's surname instead of his own?
Men are heaven and women are earth; these three obediences and four virtues are rules passed down from our ancestors.

She herself is surnamed Li, but her son is surnamed Chen. I, Zhang Cuihua, have never seen anything like this in all my years of life.

Have they even forgotten their own ancestors?

This isn't just a disgrace to the Li family, it's a disgrace to our entire courtyard. What's wrong with me saying a few words?"

Seeing Jia Zhangshi say such things in public, especially in front of Li Hongbing, everyone present was dumbfounded and speechless.

Is this Jia Zhangshi out of her mind?
Although Jia Zhangshi did not mention Li Hongbing's name, it was no different from directly naming him and making a direct attack on him.

As if it had been pre-arranged, as soon as Jia Zhangshi finished speaking, Yi Zhonghai stepped forward and lectured Li Hongbing: "Li Hongbing, although Jia Zhangshi's words were a bit unpleasant to hear, honest advice is hard to swallow, and there's some truth to it."

If your father were still alive, he might kick you out of the house and disown you as his son if he did what you did.

How can you let your own child take a woman's surname?
If your Li family's ancestors knew this in the afterlife, they would surely be ashamed and unable to hold their heads up because of your behavior.

Your father passed away early, and you were young at the time, so it's understandable that you didn't have any elders to teach you these things. However, it's unacceptable that you let a woman ride roughshod over you..."

Yi Zhonghai's words, seemingly meant to persuade, were in reality a form of belittling and humiliation.

Although he had lived in the new society for almost ten years, Yi Zhonghai's thinking was still deeply rooted in traditional old ideas, which was clearly revealed at this moment.

For China Overseas, this was a golden opportunity to kick Li Hongbing when he was down and ruin his reputation.

Yi Zhonghai's previous reluctance to offend and his forbearance were simply due to the lack of a suitable pretext. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, he naturally no longer hesitates.

By ruining Li Hongbing's reputation, the fact that he had forgotten his ancestors and sold his son for personal gain was confirmed, and he would no longer be able to act superior in this courtyard.

So what if you're a first-class cook? So what if you have the highest salary in the whole hospital? In the end, you still can't hold your head up high.

Li Hongbing deserves at least half the credit for ruining his reputation. If Yi Zhonghai also ruins his reputation, then everyone will be tainted, and no one can say anything about anyone else in the future.

however.

Upon discovering that not only Jia Zhangshi, but also Yi Zhonghai, the Jia family's backer, had jumped out, Li Hongbing appeared indignant, but was secretly overjoyed.

Yi Zhonghai brought this upon himself, so he has no one to blame but himself.

This entrapment operation was originally intended to catch Jia Zhangshi, a big fish, but unexpectedly, it brought a bonus: a buy-one-get-one-free deal, including Yi Zhonghai, a self-righteous fool.

at the same time.

Comrade Fu, who was secretly investigating among the crowd, heard Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai's outrageous remarks, which were constantly belittling and denying the status of women. Their ugly faces of discriminating against women were disgusting, and their expressions turned ugly. They could no longer hold back.

"How dare you! This is already a new society, yet there are still parasites like you who discriminate against and oppress women. I think your thinking and class stance have very serious problems..."

(End of this chapter)