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

Chapter 208 The Stick Runs Away, Qin Huairu's New Form

"Ouch~, that hurts~~"

"Dad, please stop hitting me, I was wrong."

"I was really wrong, I'll never do it again."

"I really won't dare to do it again..."

"Apologize! I apologize!!"

"..."

Under the corporal punishment, the stubborn boy who had just been standing there couldn't withstand more than a few blows. He had never been treated like this before, and he begged for mercy right in front of everyone.

I thought it was a very hard bone, but it softened up in an instant.

At first, he was just putting on an act, but with the commotion and encouragement from the crowd in the courtyard, and remembering how Banggeng had disobeyed him and embarrassed him in front of everyone, Jia Dongxu gradually became really angry.

This inner fire often burns brighter and brighter.

Seeing that Bang Geng had already given in and begged for mercy, Jia Dongxu did not stop.

Qin Huairu, feeling sorry for her son, quickly stepped forward to persuade him, but Jia Dongxu seemed to have lost his temper and was about to continue hitting him.

In a hurry.

Qin Huairu held Jia Dongxu tightly with both hands, stopping him from doing anything further with her actions.

By this point, Jia Dongxu had actually calmed down and was ready to back down. After all, Banggeng was his son, and no matter how impulsive he was, Jia Dongxu couldn't possibly beat him to death.

result.

Fearing that Jia Dongxu would continue to beat Banggeng, Qin Huairu shouted loudly at Banggeng, "Banggeng, run! What are you standing there for? Are you waiting to get beaten again?"

Still immersed in the pain of begging for mercy and being beaten, he suddenly heard Qin Huairu's reminder and realized that Jia Dongxu had been subdued. He immediately reacted, darted into the crowd, and ran out.

This situation surprised everyone for a moment, but no one "enthusiastically" tried to stop them anymore. After all, Bang Geng had already been beaten and learned his lesson, and they felt better about it.

Although no one likes a bratty kid, Bang Geng is still a child after all. Seeing that Jia Dongxu had disciplined him, the others didn't continue to make things difficult for him.

Even He Daqing and Xu Fugui, who had deliberately stirred up trouble before, remained silent at this moment.

At this point, the matter is basically over.

Banggeng had already cried and begged for forgiveness after being beaten, saying he was wrong. Although it wasn't a formal apology, if Li Hongbing continued to press the matter, it would seem rather aggressive.

Jia Dongxu slapped himself twice, and Bang Geng also learned his lesson. Li Hongbing had basically achieved his goal and left the Intermediate People's Court with Chen's mother.

Li Hongbing had nothing to say about the result.

However, Qin Huairu's action of stopping Jia Dongxu and letting Banggeng escape made Li Hongbing shake his head.

As a mother, Qin Huairu felt sorry for her child, which Li Hongbing could understand. Therefore, it was not a problem for him to step in and stop Jia Dongxu.

After all, by then, Bang Geng had already learned his lesson, admitted his mistake, and changed his attitude. He could have stopped fighting, and there was no need to keep going on.

Even if it's not just for show, it's enough.

However, Qin Huairu's subsequent actions were somewhat unnecessary, but they also reveal her attitude and approach to educating her child.

Even before officially becoming Widow Qin, Qin Huairu's behavior was already somewhat similar to that in the original drama.

In the opening episodes of the original drama, after learning the truth about Bang Geng stealing chickens, Qin Huairu did not ask Bang Geng to come forward, apologize, and compensate for the losses. Instead, she covered up and protected him, and even begged Sha Zhu to help convict and compensate for the losses.

It's no wonder that people who do this can't raise their children well.

Although theft is no small matter, especially stealing a chicken in this day and age, Bang Geng is just a child. As long as he takes the initiative to pay compensation and admit his mistake, with Yi Zhonghai to suppress him, even Xu Damao, the victim, will not be able to continue to make a fuss about this matter.

If the matter is settled privately with compensation, as long as Xu Damao doesn't insist on pursuing it, even if the police at the local police station find out, they won't make things too difficult or take it too seriously. At most, they'll give him a few words of criticism and education, treating it as a neighborhood dispute.

In fact, as long as the situation is not serious, especially if it does not cross the red line of the era, many cases will be handled in a more humane way.

But with Qin Huairu, no matter how big a mistake Bang Geng made, he couldn't have any responsibility or stain on his record. She always tried to cover it up and deceive him.

Originally, Jia Zhangshi's repatriation to the countryside might not have been a bad thing for the Jia family, especially regarding the matter of the sticks. However, Li Hongbing now felt that this was not necessarily the case.

There's a saying that goes, "Bad bamboo can hardly produce good bamboo shoots."

It may not be absolute, but it's not without reason.

With Li Hongbing and Chen's mother leaving, and having already seen the excitement, there was clearly nothing more to see, so the crowd gradually dispersed.

Not surprisingly.

Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua, along with Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu, two couples of four, got together again.

"This Li Hongbing is getting worse as he gets older. He's such a grown man, yet he's arguing with a kid like Banggeng..."

Yi Zhonghai clearly felt embarrassed for not being able to control Li Hongbing earlier, so he took the initiative to make amends afterwards.

Jia Dongxu didn't speak, but his face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

Just now, in front of so many people, Li Hongbing repeatedly targeted him, making him lose face and even forcing him to fight back. This was an absolute humiliation for him.

He didn't even have to let Li Hongbing "teach" him how to be Banggeng's father, pointing fingers in public and deliberately trying to make Banggeng and his father at odds.

"Dongxu, Uncle Yi, Banggeng has disappeared somewhere. I'll go out and look for him."

Qin Huairu had no mind to discuss what had just happened; her mind was filled with the joke about being "persuaded" to leave.

It's already dark, and Banggeng is out alone; it's hard for her not to worry.

Seeing this, Wang Guihua quickly offered, "Huai Ru, I'll go with you to look for her."

As for Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu, as the heads of the Yi and Jia families respectively, they did not take any action or express any opinion, which clearly indicated their tacit approval of Wang Guihua and Qin Huairu's actions.

only.

What they received was a panicked and tense message from Qin Huairu and Wang Guihua—Banggeng was missing.

"Are you sure you've searched the entire area?"

Qin Huairu and Wang Guihua searched for a long time, but this was the result. Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but worry, "It's so late, where could Banggeng have gone?"

The time interval between when Banggeng first ran out and when Qin Huairu and Wang Guihua went out to look for Banggeng was actually not very long.

Logically, a pheasant shouldn't have run very far, so this shouldn't have happened.

"We searched, Huai Ru and I searched the whole neighborhood, but we couldn't find Bang Geng."

If Banggeng gets lost, it will be no small matter; Wang Guihua doesn't even dare to think about the consequences.

Especially since today is Jia Zhangshi's first day back in the countryside, if she finds out they've lost the corn stalks, she'll come back and fight them to the death.
Putting everything else aside, Jia Zhangshi truly doted on her eldest grandson, Banggeng, even if her way of showing affection wasn't quite right.

Moreover, Qin Huairu and Jia Dongxu only have one son, Bang Geng, who is the only heir of the Jia family's new generation, so nothing can happen to him.

"Uncle Yi, could you please give us some advice? What should we do?"

At this moment, Qin Huairu panicked, her voice trembling with sobs, tears streaming down her face.

"Huai Ru, don't get agitated. Things might not be as serious as you think."

After offering Qin Huairu a word of comfort, Yi Zhonghai analyzed, "It's so late at night, Bang Geng can't have gone too far. He might be hiding somewhere. You missed him, so let's look again."

And don't forget, there are patrol teams at night. Maybe we'll run into one of them and they'll bring it back.

After hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Qin Huairu was clearly relieved, and her emotions stabilized a little.

Regardless of whether Yi Zhonghai's words were meant to comfort her, Qin Huairu could only hope and take them as true.

"In that case, let's split into two groups."

Yi Zhonghai frowned, his gaze falling on Qin Huairu, Jia Dongxu, and Wang Guihua. He said, "Guihua, you and Dongxu continue to go out and search. I'll take Huairu to find Lao Yan and Du Jianguo and tell them about the situation. Ask them to help mobilize the people in the courtyard to go and look for Banggeng."

One reason for keeping Qin Huairu was that she was a member of the Jia family.

On the other hand.

The reason is that she was the one who discovered the missing stick, and by personally explaining it, she saved Yi Zhonghai from having to explain himself.

Because of Jia Zhangshi, the Jia family and most of the residents in the courtyard had very few good relationships. If they wanted to get help from everyone in the courtyard, it would be best to ask the courtyard managers, such as Du Jianguo and Yan Bugui, to step forward.

No one objected to Yi Zhonghai's decision.

soon.

When Jia Dongxu and Wang Guihua went out, Yi Zhonghai went directly to Du Jianguo and asked Qin Huairu to tell him about the matter.

"Old Yi, it's only been a short while. Bang Geng is probably lurking not far away. There's no need for you to be so nervous, is there?"

After learning about this, Du Jianguo was speechless when he saw Qin Huairu crying her eyes out. It wasn't that he was deliberately trying to trip her up or delay, but Banggeng had only run away a short while ago, and similar things had happened many times in the neighborhood before. Other children would also have tantrums, but they would usually come back on their own in the end.

More importantly.

In this day and age, it's not that child trafficking doesn't exist, but it's not a widespread phenomenon.

More often, adoptions occur between relatives or due to various reasons, either forced or voluntary abandonment.

Especially at night, there are patrol teams on duty all over the city, so there are very few cases of children going missing.

In Du Jianguo's view, this was nothing more than Banggeng getting beaten up, throwing a tantrum, and running off to hide in some corner outside.

Although Bang Geng is still young, he is not ignorant. He can run around and play around, and he even has the ability and courage to break windows.

Moreover, he even smashed Li Hongbing's window. Even if his own father, Jia Dongxu, came, he might not have the guts to do that. Who could do anything to him?

This kid is incredibly clever and a master at getting into trouble. Even when other kids are in trouble, he's usually fine.

As the senior administrator of the college, he could help mobilize the people in the college to help Qin Huairu find a suitable partner, but if it really turned out to be as he suspected, and they made such a fuss over nothing, he would end up being blamed.

"Old Du, this is a matter of life and death. Banggeng is still young. Please help him out. You wouldn't want to see anything happen to him, would you?"

Knowing Du Jianguo's thoughts, Yi Zhonghai disregarded everything else and directly used both soft and hard tactics.

Hearing Yi Zhonghai say this, Du Jianguo felt somewhat helpless, but he couldn't refuse, so he could only nod and say, "I'll tell everyone for you."

Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu both came to him, insisting that he mobilize the entire hospital to help them find their family. As the hospital's head, Du Jianguo dared not refuse or pretend that nothing had happened.

If, as Yi Zhonghai just said, something really happens to Bang Geng outside, he can't bear the responsibility. If Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family sue him at the neighborhood committee, then he'll just have to watch the show.

The result was as expected.

Although Yi Zhonghai is no longer the head of the management department, he still knows how to manage them, especially Du Jianguo and Yan Bugui, who bear the responsibility of being the head of the management department.

The key is that no one would easily joke about something like a lost child, and few people would take it lightly.

Not long after.

Upon learning of this, Yan Bugui also took action.

"Uncle Yan, we will not get involved in this matter."

When Yan Bugui approached Li Hongbing, Li Hongbing, who had already heard the commotion outside, also knew about the matter. He gave the following response and said to Yan Bugui, "Uncle Yan, you should know about my relationship with the Jia family and those past events. Our two families have long since severed ties. Whether it's good or bad, it's none of our business. If there are any similar matters in the future, please don't come looking for me."

"Oh dear, I didn't think this through. I forgot about it. Hongbing, look at my memory..."

Yan Bugui was not surprised at all by Li Hongbing's refusal, nor did he try to persuade him. Instead, he offered a special explanation.

Someone as shrewd and calculating as Yan Bugui would certainly not have a bad memory and forget something like this.

However, Li Hongbing could ignore it, but as the head of the management office, he couldn't fail to notify Li Hongbing.

If the notification wasn't delivered properly, then that's his problem.

The notification arrived, but Li Hongbing refused to help, so he bears no responsibility whatsoever.

Li Hongbing was aware of Yan Bugui's little scheme, but he wasn't dissatisfied. After all, it was his own private feud with the Jia family, and he had no need or obligation to make others take responsibility for him.

Yan Bugui could do it voluntarily, but Li Hongbing could not ask him to.

Of course.

Even if someone as cunning and profit-driven as Yan Bugui wanted to befriend him, they wouldn't easily offend others for his sake without any benefit to themselves.

Unexpectedly.

Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu, who happened to be coming from the Intermediate People's Court, both changed their expressions upon hearing the conversation between Li Hongbing and Yan Bugui.

It was common knowledge anyway, and Li Hongbing had nothing to hide. He hadn't tried to avoid people or lower his voice when he said those things, so Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu heard it all.

At this moment.

Qin Huairu, who usually kept a low profile and never took the initiative to confront him, stepped forward with a cold expression and publicly condemned him: "Li Hongbing, it was wrong of Banggeng to smash your window today, but we have already hit him and admitted our mistake. You can't do this and still hold a grudge against Banggeng, can you?"
I know our two families have had a falling out, and my family has offended you before, but you've always retaliated. Other things are one thing, but now that Banggeng is gone, you can't kick us when we're down like this, showing no conscience at all, can you?"

Qin Huairu's words stunned not only Yan Bugui and Yi Zhonghai, who were standing nearby, but also the people in the courtyard who had just been called out or had come from the middle and back courtyards to help Qin Huairu and the others find the sticks.

Almost no one expected that Qin Huairu would actually go up against Li Hongbing.

After all, when Li Hongbing had conflicts with the Jia family in the past, Qin Huairu always acted as a nobody and had never confronted him so directly.

Li Hongbing was not surprised.

Although he had a good relationship with Qin Huairu, Li Hongbing had a basic understanding of what kind of person she was, especially since she was a loyal member of the Jia Yi Alliance and usually behaved quite well.

It was all just a disguise by Qin Huairu, and a period of dormancy due to her limited family status.

Despite Jia Dongxu's past troubles that led to his family's dire situation and his mother-in-law Jia Zhangshi's harsh treatment of him, Qin Huairu, a member of the Jia family, often managed to gain some sympathy and recognition despite their poor interpersonal relationships.

With Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi already in the family, a pair of brilliant and capable individuals, Qin Huairu never took the initiative to do anything, but she certainly made quite a few "shows".

Qin Huairu is no fool. On the surface, she is being bullied by her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, but in reality, she has already firmly gained the upper hand in public opinion.

While it is true that Qin Huairu is diligent and hardworking, and it is also true that Jia Zhangshi is mean-spirited, it is not all by chance that Qin Huairu always manages to be seen or known by people in the courtyard whenever she does work or suffers grievances, frequently gaining their sympathy and recognition.

With Banggeng missing, Qin Huairu was extremely anxious and obviously couldn't continue pretending, directly revealing her true nature.

"Me, kicking someone when they're down?"

Faced with Qin Huairu's accusation, Li Hongbing found her logic and conclusion quite logical and jokingly retorted, "Qin Huairu, what does it have to do with me that your family's 'banggeng' is missing? Why did I kick them when they were down?"

I have no relation to your family, and we even have a lot of history together. Do I have an obligation to help you find people?

and also……

A dog broke our window for no reason, and all I want is an apology. Is that too much to ask?
Is this what you call picking on a Korean meme?

Qin Huairu is indeed worthy of being related to Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi; their thought processes are remarkably similar, and they don't follow the usual path.

Faced with Li Hongbing's questioning, Qin Huairu, feeling guilty, turned pale, but looked at Li Hongbing and tried to argue, "Do you just want an apology?"

Don't treat everyone like fools. If you hadn't been so aggressive time and time again, would Dongxu have hit the stick?

If Banggeng hadn't been beaten, he wouldn't have run away outside in a huff, and we still can't find him now..."

Unable to find a good opportunity, Qin Huairu was extremely anxious and actually used Li Hongbing as an outlet, venting all her accumulated dissatisfaction, worries, and anxieties on him.

"Bang Geng ran outside in a huff? Does that mean I'm the one who caused this?"

Upon discovering that Qin Huairu had actually blamed him for the disappearance of Banggeng, Li Hongbing asked somewhat comically, "Didn't you let Banggeng run away?"
The matter was almost over, but you insisted on letting Bang Geng run away and hide outside to evade responsibility, and now you're even turning around and blaming others.

Like you said yourself, don't treat everyone like they're blind and deaf. What was the situation at the time? You don't think everyone is so forgetful, do you?
Now I understand why Banggeng has become like this. Like father, like son. If you yourselves are like this, you can't possibly teach your children. It's tragic!

It must be admitted that Qin Huairu has a lot of ways of shirking responsibility and spouting fallacies and heresies. She already has the appearance of Qin the Great Lotus at such a young age.

Although it's wrong to judge people with prejudice, Qin Huairu right now is really not worth his time.

Qin Huairu wanted to pin the blame for Banggeng leaving the courtyard and going missing on him, but Li Hongbing refused to accept it.

Even if he did target them, there were reasons for it. Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu were biased, and if they had shown any attitude in handling things, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.

They brought it all on themselves.

Li Hongbing could understand Qin Huairu's feelings, but he was quite disdainful of her behavior of shirking responsibility and passing the buck.

Seeing Qin Huairu speechless after Li Hongbing's words, and feeling the many gazes around them, Yi Zhonghai frowned and said to Li Hongbing with a dark face, "Li Hongbing, it's true that the Jia family has a grudge against you, but Bang Geng is innocent. You can't hold a grudge against a child just because of a piece of glass."

A child going missing is no small matter. As a member of the community, you should at least put aside past grievances and help search for the child, instead of bullying Qin Huairu at this time.

Now that the pigeon is gone, Qin Huairu, as a mother, must be worried. As a man, can't you be a little more understanding? And you're supposed to be a high school graduate…”

"Are you out of your mind? Qin Huairu isn't my wife, so it's not my place to be understanding. You should go find Jia Dongxu. Or, as her master, you should try to be understanding for your disciple first. I have no interest in that!"

As he said this, Li Hongbing couldn't help but let out a strange look. Then he said, "The stick can't be found. It's only been a short while. He was just beaten. Who knows where he's hiding and crying? Which child hasn't had such an experience?"
You haven't even figured out the situation, yet you've made such a fuss, ordering people in the courtyard to do things for you. Shouldn't you understand that regardless of whether the stick is lost or not, helping you is a favor, not an obligation? Don't push your luck.

"Yi Zhonghai, stop trying to educate me with your hypocritical standards and untenable fallacies. First, figure out who's who, and who you are. Do you think I need you to teach me how to do things?"

In this era and social environment, Li Hongbing did not think that Banggeng would be lost, nor did he believe that any human trafficker would actually come to the capital to do such a thing; he thought that even ten heads wouldn't be enough to lose.

If there really are human traffickers, Li Hongbing won't gloat, because he also hates such scum, but that doesn't mean he'll let Qin Huairu go crazy and Yi Zhonghai morally blackmail him.

Upon hearing Li Hongbing's speech, the people present did not speak up or agree, but they felt quite comfortable and agreeable.

In fact, most people didn't think anything bad would happen to Bang Geng. Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu went to such lengths, forcing everyone to help find him through Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo, the senior students in charge of the college. Although they couldn't refuse, it didn't stop them from feeling unhappy.

The key is.

With so many of them out, Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai didn't even offer a thank you or a polite greeting, acting as if it were their right, as if the other people in the courtyard owed them something.

(End of this chapter)