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

Chapter 218 Jia Zhangshi's Battle Against Yi Zhonghai (7k views, requesting monthly votes)

"Jia Zhangshi is back."

night.

When Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru returned home from get off work together, they immediately heard the news from Chen's mother.

Since Chen's mother moved into the courtyard house, Li Hongbing no longer needed to get information about the courtyard house from Yan Bugui.

However, Li Hongbing didn't bring Chen's mother over for that reason.

Although this was done to take care of Chen Xueru, who was pregnant at the time, Chen's mother naturally stayed to take care of her during her postpartum period and look after her grandson, and has continued to do so ever since.

Even though Chen's mother's arrival saved Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru a lot of trouble and helped them a great deal, Li Hongbing never treated her as a nanny, but rather as family and an elder.

Li Hongbing's parents are both deceased, and Chen Xueru only has her mother as a relative. In any case, it's only a matter of time before she brings the other party over to take care of her.

Although Chen's mother currently takes care of their daily lives and helps with childcare, that step will still happen in the future.

"Did Jia Zhangshi not know about Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua's adoption of Banggeng as godparents before the Lunar New Year?"

Li Hongbing was somewhat surprised to learn of this situation.

On the eve of last year's Lunar New Year, Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua became godparents to Banggeng, that is, they recognized Banggeng as their god-grandson. Everyone in the courtyard knew about this.

did not expect.

Almost half a year has passed, and Jia Zhangshi is still unaware of it.

This is definitely not normal.

Even though Jia Zhangshi no longer lives in the courtyard and has returned to the countryside, it's not like they're worlds apart. Moreover, Jia Zhangshi, the biological grandmother, is still alive. The matter of a paternal grandfather and paternal grandmother being recognized by a paternal grandfather should be done with Jia Zhangshi's consent.

“I have a general understanding of the situation. It seems that Jia Dongxu acted on his own initiative without telling Jia Zhangshi or discussing it with her, keeping it a secret from her the whole time.”

Chen's mother paused, and seeing that Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru were looking at her, she continued, "It seems that Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua were also kept in the dark about this matter. They always thought that Jia Zhangshi knew about it and agreed to it. If it weren't for Jia Zhangshi suddenly returning to the courtyard today..."

Hearing this, Li Hongbing basically understood what was going on and guessed Jia Dongxu's purpose in doing so.

the reason is simple.

It's likely that Jia Dongxu felt it was unlikely that Jia Zhangshi would agree to this matter, but he also wanted to get closer to his master, Yi Zhonghai, and strengthen their relationship. Or perhaps Yi Zhonghai hinted at or promised some benefits to Jia Dongxu, which tempted him. So, he secretly facilitated this matter without Jia Zhangshi's knowledge.

Jia Zhangshi was sent back to the countryside. I heard that her behavior has not been very good. It is not easy for her to go to the city, let alone return to the courtyard house.

This is also one of the main reasons why Jia Dongxu dared to do this.

After all, Jia Zhangshi couldn't come back, and information wasn't readily available back then. Telephones weren't widespread, and even if there were telephones in the commune or town, not just anyone could use them, let alone Jia Zhangshi.

It wouldn't be difficult to keep this a secret from Jia Zhangshi.

No one expected that Jia Zhangshi would suddenly return today, and without informing Jia Dongxu in advance.

"Around noon, Jia Zhangshi returned. First, she made a fool of herself over the chicken leg incident, and then she discovered the matter of Bang Geng recognizing a godfather. She then had a scene with Wang Guihua at the Intermediate People's Court. Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu quickly returned from the steel mill and managed to calm Jia Zhangshi down. However, He Daqing was off duty today and happened to find out about the incident. He secretly said something to Jia Zhangshi, and she started making a scene again, insisting on holding a court-wide meeting to ask the two senior officials, Yan Bugui and Du Jianguo, to intervene and uphold justice for her..."

Chen's mother spoke at length, but her words were clear and logical, without a single superfluous word. She quickly and thoroughly explained the entire sequence of events.

Li Hongbing never expected that such an "interesting" thing would happen in just one day while he was away from the yard.

Li Hongbing didn't feel any regret at not witnessing Jia Zhangshi's outburst, since there was still a hospital-wide meeting to come.

Li Hongbing had no intention of getting involved in the mess between the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai, but he found it quite amusing to watch it for a bit of fun in his spare time.

He's just an ordinary person; he doesn't have such a high level of thought.

Not long after.

As some noises came from outside, Li Hongbing knew that the hospital-wide meeting was about to begin. So he took out a bag of sunflower seeds from a cupboard at home, cracked them open, and walked out happily.

This is going to be a big show today, don't miss it.

at the same time.

Chen Xueru, who was teaching her eldest son Li Jianwu to read, shook her head with a helpless smile when she saw Li Hongbing's somewhat nonchalant attitude.

Li Hongbing is usually quite reliable. No matter what the matter is, Chen Xueru can feel at ease as long as it is in his hands, because he can always solve it perfectly.

Only occasionally does Li Hongbing act quite unseriously; this is another side of him.

Although Chen Xueru wasn't interested in these things in the courtyard, she didn't stop him.

soon.

When Li Hongbing arrived at the Intermediate People's Court, a large crowd had already gathered there.

Not surprisingly.

As soon as Li Hongbing arrived, Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, Liu Guangqi, and Yan Jiecheng, who had noticed the situation, all gathered around him.

"Hongbing, just got back from get off work?"

"You must have heard about what happened to the Jia family today, right?"

"Tsk, Jia Dongxu really embarrasses us. To curry favor with his master Yi Zhonghai, he's selling his son. Heh heh!"

"Shazhu, what does Jia Dongxu's embarrassment have to do with us? Don't confuse the two. It's Jia Dongxu who's embarrassed, not me. What do you mean by embarrassing us? Can't you speak properly? If you can't, then go away and stop meddling in this mess!"

"Hey, Xu Damao, you looking for a beating, huh?"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. What's there for you two to argue about? You do this every day. Aren't you tired of it? I'm tired of it too."

"..."

Among the younger generation, they were the only few of similar age. Whether they were bickering or playing around, these few idiots often got together.

Of these people, only Jia Dongxu and Li Hongbing got married, formed families, and had children.

Gradually.

They split into two groups.

One is Jia Dongxu, and the other is them and Li Hongbing.

Of course, this is their own idea.

Although Jia Dongxu seems to be doing quite well now, even his arch-rivals Sha Zhu and Xu Damao are surprisingly united on this matter, both looking down on Jia Dongxu.

It wasn't just because they all had grudges against Jia Dongxu, but also because they looked down on Jia Dongxu's cowardly behavior of taking advantage of his mentor, Yi Zhonghai.

Moreover, Jia Dongxu had been defeated time and time again in his several confrontations with Li Hongbing, and he couldn't even protect his own mother, Jia Zhangshi, and was even sent back to the countryside. Naturally, he couldn't be respected by others.

Li Hongbing is different.

Not to mention them, even all of their fathers would not dare to disrespect Li Hongbing and would treat him with utmost respect, including Liu Haizhong, who once thought that Li Hongbing had ruined his position as the head of the school.

Whenever they had the chance, Sha Zhu and his gang, who deliberately excluded Jia Dongxu, would gravitate towards Li Hongbing.

It seems like whoever has a good relationship with Li Hongbing is more powerful.

Unbeknownst to many, Li Hongbing has become a "leader" among the younger generation in the courtyard.

then.

Everyone saw Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, Yan Jiecheng, and Liu Guangqi surrounding Li Hongbing, happily eating sunflower seeds and chirping crickets at Jia Dongxu.

These sunflower seeds weren't something they asked Li Hongbing for; they brought them with them.

Previously, when I wasn't prepared or was short of money, I would ask Li Hongbing for it.

Now all of them have long since started working and have their own wages and income, so they can afford to buy sunflower seeds. They can't live like they used to.

If they hadn't seen that Li Hongbing had also brought sunflower seeds, they would have even offered to share some of their own with him.

They're all young people, and they all care about their image.

Even Yan Jiecheng, who was closely controlled by Yan Bugui and constantly schemed against, had specially prepared some and waited for this moment to take them out.

As for why I do this, it's mainly because I learned it from Li Hongbing. When watching a play or joining in the fun, I like to eat some melon seeds.

It would be even better if there were watermelons.

Li Hongbing felt that this way he wouldn't be bored and would have something to do for fun, while Sha Zhu and Xu Damao thought it was cool.

"I think you all already know why I've gathered everyone here today, but I'll still briefly explain the whole story so you can all judge for yourselves..."

While Li Hongbing and Sha Zhu were eating sunflower seeds down there, Yan Bugui, seeing that almost everyone had arrived, took the initiative to stand up, preside over the entire academy meeting, and give a speech.

After Yan Bugui finished his opening remarks, Jia Zhangshi also stepped forward first. She was even quite polite, bowing to everyone before she began to speak.

"Everyone, please be the judge..."

“Old Jia passed away early, and it wasn’t easy for me to raise Dongxu on my own. I even helped him get married and have a son to carry on the Jia family line.”

"As a result... Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua, those two wolves in sheep's clothing, took advantage of my time back in the countryside and somehow bewitched my Dongxu, making my Banggeng act like their grandson behind my back!"

"Bang Geng is the future and hope of our Jia family!"

"I was wondering why Bang Geng hadn't come to visit me in the countryside lately. Turns out Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua were the ones causing trouble. They're really something!"

“Actually, I’ve always known that Yi Zhonghai had ulterior motives for taking Dongxu as his apprentice. He wanted Dongxu to take care of him and his wife in their old age. I didn’t object to that, after all…”

"..."

Thinking back on her time in the countryside, Jia Zhangshi became increasingly sad and aggrieved as she spoke, and even burst into tears on the spot.

When she was sent back to the countryside, Jia Zhangshi was naturally unwilling, but unfortunately, she had no say in the matter.

The decision was made jointly by the neighborhood committee and the women's federation. It wasn't something she could simply decide not to go, nor could it be overridden by throwing a tantrum.

Fortunately, in order to stop Jia Zhangshi from causing trouble and to get her to cooperate, Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai agreed to many conditions, which finally calmed her down.

After returning to the countryside, Jia Zhangshi had money and grain, and could eat meat once or twice a month. At first, she lived a pretty comfortable life.

In addition, Jia Dongxu would bring her a dog every month to visit her, so the villagers had no way to laugh at her, and the rumors that she had been abandoned by her own son and sent back to the countryside were disproven.

Simultaneously.

This is also the source of her confidence, having a son.

Moreover, Jia Dongxu was a worker in the city, far better off than the farmers in the village who toiled in the fields, which made Jia Zhangshi feel extremely superior and look down on everyone.

The only thing that bothered her was having to participate in labor and receive education, but Jia Zhangshi would dawdle and procrastinate.

Later, when the village was reorganized into a commune, Jia Zhangshi lost her land. However, the commune set up a public canteen with excellent food every day, which delighted Jia Zhangshi. She even went back to the courtyard house to bring Banggeng back to eat and drink for a few days. However, although Banggeng was Jia Zhangshi's grandson, his household registration was not in the commune but in the city. He was not officially a member of the commune and was not entitled to eat in the public canteen. In the end, he had to be sent back.

At first, the public canteen was very well run, with both vegetables and meat, but as time went on, the food standards gradually declined.

During this process, the commune implemented a work point system. Although everyone still participated in labor together as before, points were awarded based on their usual performance.

Unfortunately, Jia Zhangshi was prone to cheating and procrastination. In addition, she was an elderly woman and could only be considered a semi-laborer. Compared with the adult women in the countryside, she was stronger than some underage boys.

As a result, Jia Zhangshi's food standard in the canteen naturally decreased. During this period, each meal basically consisted of only a cornbread and a spoonful of corn porridge.

The key is.

Since the commune established a public canteen, everyone works together and eats together, but there is no way to cook for themselves privately. Naturally, Jia Zhangshi can no longer live the life before the commune was established.

Even though Jia Dongxu would secretly bring her some food every time he came to visit her in the commune, it was only a drop in the ocean and could not change Jia Zhangshi's current situation at all.

From the moment she married into the city, Jia Zhangshi had never lived such a life before, and naturally she couldn't bear it, so she begged Jia Dongxu to take her back to the city.

Shortly after the New Year, Jia Zhangshi asked Jia Dongxu to find a way to take her away, but it has been dragging on until now. Every time, Jia Dongxu says that he is looking for a way and that it will be done soon, but there has been no progress.

With almost half a year already gone, Madam Jia was getting impatient and increasingly anxious. She began to suspect that Jia Dongxu hadn't taken the matter to heart, which was why she returned to the courtyard house today.

When she returned, she discovered that Jia Dongxu had found a new grandmother for Banggeng and had also found a new mother for himself, completely forgetting about her. How could Jia Zhangshi not be furious?
“Sister-in-law, didn’t we already explain the misunderstanding to you this afternoon? Please don’t listen to others’ attempts to sow discord. We are family after all. Whatever your thoughts are, let’s sit down and talk it over properly. There’s no need to involve everyone and make things so ugly, giving those with ulterior motives a chance to laugh at us…”

Faced with Jia Zhangshi's weeping and accusations, Yi Zhonghai remained silent with a dark expression. However, Wang Guihua spoke up, earnestly trying to persuade him.

Wang Guihua's meaning was clear: she wanted Jia Zhangshi to stop making a scene now and to discuss things at home behind closed doors, otherwise the matter would not be resolved and everyone would lose face.

Her statement about "sitting down again and having a proper talk" clearly meant more than just that; it meant that she could bring up any demands or conditions Jia Zhangshi might have.

However, Madam Jia was in a fit of anger and didn't care about anything else. In front of so many people in the courtyard, she directly berated Wang Guihua, saying, "Wang Guihua, how dare you say that?"

Who the hell is related to you?

Don't let outsiders laugh at me; I am the biggest joke right now!

Everything else is negotiable, but this matter has completely crossed Jia Zhangshi's bottom line and pushed her to her limit.

Zhang Cuihua only has one son, Jia Dongxu, and one grandson, Banggeng.

As for Qin Huairu's unborn child, it hasn't been born yet, and we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, so it's not included in this count.

Madam Jia is now counting on Jia Dongxu and Banggeng to take care of her in her old age. What will she do if Jia Dongxu and Banggeng disown her?
It’s different in the past.

Previously, Jia Dongxu had become Yi Zhonghai's apprentice. He knew that Yi Zhonghai planned for Jia Dongxu to take care of the couple in their old age, and Jia Zhangshi tacitly approved of this outcome.

When Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua get old, it wouldn't be a problem to give them food or even help take care of them. After all, we're after their money and the house they'll leave behind after we've taken care of them.

But here's the thing.

Now that Jia Zhangshi is not with Jia Dongxu and Banggeng, and it is unknown whether she will have the opportunity to return from the countryside, Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua have become godparents to Banggeng, and the two families are now completely like one family. Jia Zhangshi is in danger of being replaced by Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua at any time.

After all, Yi Zhonghai is rich, and Wang Guihua is capable; both of them are much more useful than her.

In particular, they have the advantage of being close by, seeing and spending time together every day, unlike her now in the countryside, where she can only look forward to Jia Dongxu bringing her a dog every month.

Look at Banggeng's attitude and demeanor today. In just two months, he's already become quite distant from his grandmother.

If Jia Dongxu stops caring about her, Jia Zhangshi will be helpless.

“Jia Zhangshi, you’ve gone a bit too far.”

"Even if you didn't know about the godparenting arrangement, it was still your son's own decision. Grandpa Yi and Grandma Yi didn't force you with a knife."

“We have all seen how Mr. and Mrs. Yi have treated your family all along.”

"Putting aside everything else, just take your time back in the countryside. You needed Jia Dongxu to send you money and grain every month. Wasn't that all thanks to Uncle Yi, your mentor?"

"Without them, do you really think your Dongxu could have made your life so comfortable in the countryside?"

"Besides, since they became godparents, Grandpa Yi and Grandma Yi have treated Qin Huairu and Banggeng like their own daughter-in-law and grandson. They haven't treated them badly at all."

"Especially since Qin Huairu got pregnant, Aunt Yi has been very worried and took good care of her. She even spent her own money to buy a lot of good things. Today, she even bought an old hen to make chicken soup for Qin Huairu and Banggeng. As the mother-in-law, how can you not stand others being good to your daughter-in-law and grandson?"

"Don't forget, Yi Zhonghai is your Dongxu's master. All of Jia Dongxu's skills were taught by him. If it were before, even if Banggeng hadn't recognized this sworn brotherhood, it would have been perfectly natural for Jia Dongxu to support his master, Yi Zhonghai, in his old age..."

"..."

Amid Jia Zhangshi's clamor and accusations, some people actually stood up and spoke "fairly" for Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua.

After the man who stepped forward spoke, many people felt sorry for Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua, and some even sympathized with them.

Although Yi Zhonghai's reputation is now ruined, and his status and public image are far from what they used to be, the way he and his wife treated the Jia family, both in their attitude and in everything they did in the past, is impeccable.

It wasn't just Jia Dongxu, Qin Huairu, and Banggeng's family of three; it also included Jia Zhangshi, who had benefited greatly from Yi Zhonghai's influence in the past.

Even though everyone knew in their hearts that Yi Zhonghai did all this with the intention of having Jia Dongxu support them in their old age.

But given that Yi Zhonghai is childless, it's understandable that he would have such a plan.

Since the Jia family has accepted the help and benefits from Yi Zhonghai, it is only right and proper for them to take care of the couple in their old age and see them off in their final days. No one thinks that is wrong.

Today, Jia Zhangshi's actions after returning to the courtyard house, including calling Yan Bugui to convene the current courtyard-wide meeting and publicly challenging Yi Zhonghai and his wife, clearly demonstrate her ingratitude and even repaying kindness with enmity.

however.

Seeing the situation take a sharp turn for the worse, many people chose to take sides, and public opinion suddenly sided with Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua. Li Hongbing, however, just chuckled.

The person who suddenly stood up and confronted Jia Zhangshi, and who spoke up for Yi Zhonghai and Wang Guihua, was definitely a plant or accomplice arranged by Yi Zhonghai in advance.

Jia Zhangshi insisted on holding this hospital-wide meeting. Someone as thoughtful as Yi Zhonghai would not have done nothing.

Perhaps his current prestige is not enough to make people go to such lengths for him.

But offering some benefits to bribe someone is not difficult for Yi Zhonghai, nor is it something he couldn't think of.

"You... you..."

Faced with the situation before her, especially the condemnation from everyone, Jia Zhangshi was so angry that she clutched her chest and almost couldn't breathe.

"mom!"

Jia Dongxu, who had been standing there in a dilemma, immediately disregarded everything else and rushed forward when he saw Jia Zhangshi's state, fearing that something might have happened to her.

Even her daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu, came over to help Jia Zhangshi, looking very concerned.

Although Jia Dongxu hoped that Jia Zhangshi would not make a scene, to save him some face, and not to put himself in a difficult position between Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai.

No matter what, Jia Zhangshi is still his own mother, and Jia Dongxu couldn't possibly have seen anything happen to her here.

As Jia Zhangshi's daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu couldn't remain indifferent and show no concern. Even if it was just to avoid gossip, she had to put on a show.

This unexpected situation caused He Daqing, who was watching the show in the crowd, to reveal a smug smile. He whispered to the person next to him, "See? Jia Zhangshi is Jia Dongxu's biological mother after all. Blood ties cannot be severed."

No matter what happens normally, when it comes to a critical moment, people will still stand with their parents, no matter how hard others try.

"A child is best when it's your own; no matter how much you scheme, it'll all come to nothing if it's someone else's son..."

He Daqing's words were clearly pointed and deliberately implied something about Yi Zhonghai.

After all, Yi Zhonghai had once set his sights on Sha Zhu and had used many underhanded tactics and schemes, which almost caused the father and son to become enemies and continue to misunderstand each other.

He Daqing will remember this incident for the rest of his life; it will never be over.

He Daqing deserves the most credit for making tonight's hospital-wide meeting possible.

Originally, Jia Zhangshi had already been appeased, or perhaps Yi Zhonghai had promised her some benefits, so she stopped making trouble.

He Daqing naturally did not want to see this matter pass by so easily, so he took the initiative to speak out and privately found an opportunity to talk to Jia Zhangshi.

It might not work for others, but the examples of He Daqing and Sha Zhu were right in front of her, and Yi Zhonghai's criminal record was immediately imprinted in Jia Zhangshi's mind.

Even Jia Zhangshi was afraid!

I'm afraid I'll become the next He Daqing!

When He Daqing returned, he made a big fuss. Although she didn't see him in public, Jia Zhangshi knew she didn't have his ability or courage to fight to the death, and she didn't want to see things develop to that point.

Even though she knew that He Daqing's words to her were ill-intentioned, how could Jia Zhangshi dare to be careless when it concerned her future? The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became.

Moreover, the scene that Qin Huairu and Banggeng were both siding with Wang Guihua that morning once again stung Jia Zhangshi's heart and served as a wake-up call for her.

finally.

Despite Jia Zhangshi's efforts, He Daqing still succeeded.

He Daqing was very satisfied and pleased with the result, but he did not jump out and kick someone when they were down. Instead, he chose to continue to keep his achievements hidden.

Even if someone knew what he had done, Yi Zhonghai could guess it was him, but without evidence, he could only silently suffer in silence.

however.

Faced with this scene, Yi Zhonghai's expression kept changing.

Feeling the gazes of many onlookers directed at him, Yi Zhonghai sighed in disappointment.

His next reaction, however, surprised everyone. He asked Jia Zhangshi in a dejected tone, "Sister-in-law, tell me! What do you want me to do?"

"I……"

Yi Zhonghai's calm reaction not only stunned many people on the field, but even Jia Zhangshi, who had just recovered, was somewhat taken aback.

“Sister-in-law, I was the one who brought up the idea of ​​recognizing relatives. It's my fault for not thinking things through. I didn't expect Dongxu to not tell you about this and instead act on his own initiative, even deceiving me…”

Yi Zhonghai's one-sentence summary and "reflection" seem to take responsibility upon himself, but in reality, he completely shirks his duties.

Followed by.

Seeing that everyone's eyes were once again focused on him, Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath and then slowly said, "If you haven't figured out what to do yet, then while everyone is here, I'll suggest something, and I'd also like the neighbors present to bear witness."

Sister-in-law, let's just forget about Banggeng and us becoming godparents. Let's pretend it never happened, okay?
From this day forward, Jia Dongxu and I are no longer master and apprentice. From now on, our families will go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other anymore…

"The boss?"

"Master!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)