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

Chapter 238 Good words are worth more than a thousand pieces of gold; the vengeful Xu Damao

"Shazhu, do you really think that Yushui can successfully attend a vocational school, or even finish high school and go to university?"

After a moment of silence, Li Hongbing finally decided to ask.

The reason Li Hongbing brought this up was not to explain or prove that he was not such a petty person, or that Sha Zhu had misunderstood him.

at this time.

Seemingly sensing a change in the atmosphere, Sha Zhu said with a serious expression, "Hong Bing, although Yu Shui may not be as smart as you, her grades have always been good, and she works very hard. I think there is a great chance for this."

Sha Zhu knew that Li Hongbing was smarter than everyone else in the courtyard, and that getting into a vocational school or university wouldn't be easy. However, he still had great confidence and expectations for his younger sister, He Yushui.

Even Li Hongbing probably didn't know that He Yushui had always taken him as her role model and studied very hard, especially after He Daqing returned completely, Yushui put in even more effort in this regard.

In He Yushui's view, as long as she is obedient at home and studies hard at school, He Daqing will not abandon her and her siblings without saying goodbye like he did before.

Especially after He Daqing's accident, He Yushui wanted to work even harder in this direction, not to disappoint He Daqing, and also to have enough ability to support He Daqing in his old age in the future.

As the saying goes, children from poor families learn to be independent early.

same.

Because of what she had lost before, He Yushui cherished the familial love and fatherly affection that she had finally regained. Now, their separation only strengthened her resolve.

Sha Zhu, who understood all this, also firmly believed that He Yushui would pass the exam in the future, and that she would pass.

“Shazhu, I don’t doubt Yushui’s intelligence, nor do I deny her ability to pass the exam in the future. I’m just talking about whether she can pass.”

At this point, Li Hongbing sighed slightly.

The practice of political vetting actually existed as early as the period before the founding of the People's Republic of China.

In the early 1950s after the founding of the People's Republic of China, along with the classification of social class, political vetting began to become institutionalized. Whether it was college entrance examination or vocational school admission, mandatory political vetting was required.

Just like taking civil service exams or joining the army in later generations.

However, the political vetting in this era was obviously more stringent and covered a wider range of areas, including not only the items mentioned above, but also recruitment.

If it were before, He Yushui would have had no problem getting into a vocational school or university as long as her abilities and grades met the requirements.

But now that He Daqing, a direct relative, is in prison, it will obviously be difficult to deal with this tainted political background of a relative.

"Red Soldier, what do you mean by that?"

Perhaps because he had never encountered this kind of problem before, nor had he been troubled by it, Sha Zhu obviously had not realized the seriousness of the matter and looked at Li Hongbing with great confusion.

If it weren't for Li Hongbing's special status and importance in Sha Zhu's heart, he would have already turned on anyone else after hearing just those few words.

same.

That's why Li Hongbing chose to speak up, and after Sha Zhu asked him, he told him all about the situation.

"This……"

Sha Zhu has gone mad.

Even though he realized the seriousness of the problem, he still looked at Li Hongbing with a glimmer of hope and asked somewhat reluctantly, "Hongbing, is what you said true?"

Why didn't anyone cause me any trouble when I went into the kitchen of the steel rolling mill's canteen?

"Back then, your father hadn't returned from Baocheng yet, and none of the subsequent events had happened. Where did all this trouble come from?"

Li Hongbing didn't intend to mock Sha Zhu for asking such a time-space distortion question; instead, he asked a question in return.

Moreover, at that time, Sha Zhu was a technical talent urgently needed by the leaders of the steel rolling mill. Even if there was a real problem, as long as it did not involve principles and red lines, they would probably be lenient and not be so strict.

Sha Zhu, who was in a good mood at first, became depressed after learning all this, and clearly lost his original interest in drinking.

However, Sha Zhu still picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp.

It's still drinking, but the mindset is completely different now.

After drinking two more cups, Sha Zhu still looked up at Li Hongbing with some reluctance and asked, "Hongbing, is there really no hope for Yu Shui to go to vocational school or university?"

"It's not absolute, but it definitely has an impact."

Knowing that Sha Zhu had not given up, Li Hongbing did not rule out the possibility of a definitive answer, but said, "Going to university or vocational school is certainly good, but it is not the only way out. Given the current situation, I suggest that we try to let Yu Shui finish junior high school and then help her find a reliable job."

If He Yushui's academic performance and conduct are truly outstanding, it's not entirely impossible for her to have a chance, but even if she does, it's destined to be full of hardships and difficulties.

Li Hongbing took the initiative to tell Sha Zhu these things, partly because He Yushui had always been well-behaved and sensible, and he had watched her grow up.

on the other hand.

He Daqing's return was largely due to Li Hongbing.

The current situation of the He family is, to some extent, related to him.

In the original drama, He Yushui's life, while not necessarily happy and fulfilling, was generally smooth sailing, and she certainly didn't have any problems in this regard.

However, Li Hongbing will not blame himself.

After all, Li Hongbing hadn't expected He Daqing to take such retaliatory action against Yi Zhonghai, nor was it something Li Hongbing had planned or controlled; it was entirely He Daqing's personal behavior.

But that doesn't stop Li Hongbing from doing something for them.

At the very least, Li Hongbing doesn't want He Yushui to be implicated too much because of this in the future.

I'll take this opportunity tonight to give Sha Zhu a few pointers and help him prepare in advance.

"Shazhu, I'm just offering a suggestion about this."

Li Hongbing didn't intend to interfere forcefully; he was just offering a friendly reminder and direction. How Shazhu should consider and choose was up to him.

Even if they didn't say it, Sha Zhu and He Yushui would still encounter these problems and gradually bear the negative impact of He Daqing's imprisonment.

But by then, they would be in a more passive position.

The only good news.

Even though Yi Zhonghai's plan failed, the mentor-disciple relationship between Sha Zhu and Dong Congyou was not severed.

In this regard, Sha Zhu's master and his fellow disciples can provide some help and protection.

There's truth to the saying "many hands make light work."

He Daqing's imprisonment had a significant impact on Sha Zhu and He Yushui, but it wasn't a capital offense. However, it inevitably led to some changes in their future life paths.

When He Daqing comes out, things will probably get tough.

“Hongbing, thank you for saying all this to me today, and thank you for not looking down on me and Yushui because of my father’s situation. Originally, I was going to…”

Pulling his thoughts away from these events, Sha Zhu looked at Li Hongbing in front of him, and besides gratitude and appreciation, he didn't know what to say.

He had carefully prepared this meal and snacks to express his gratitude to Li Hongbing, but Li Hongbing's advice made him realize the crisis and hidden dangers that he and his sister would face.

Inadvertently.

He hadn't even repaid the debt of gratitude, and now he owed another one, which made Sha Zhu feel extremely embarrassed.

Sha Zhu always wanted to repay Li Hongbing and do something for him.

But all he could do to help was say a few words of thanks and promises of repayment.

That's good.

But the debt keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Sha Zhu knew very well that Li Hongbing's words were not something he would easily say to others, since the truth is often hard to accept and could easily offend people.

If Sha Zhu is an ungrateful and incapable person, Li Hongbing's actions will not end well.

It wouldn't benefit him in the slightest, yet Li Hongbing was willing to take such a risk to remind him of these things; that was already a great kindness.

"Shazhu, there are some things I won't say more about. You just need to know what's going on in your mind."

Li Hongbing downed the remaining wine in his glass and said to Sha Zhu, "I've had enough for today, so I'll stop here. Thank you for your hospitality. Let's get together again next time." After saying this polite remark, Li Hongbing put down his glass and stood up.

"Hey, Hongbing, this is nothing! Let's keep drinking. I still have some good wine in my cabinet!"

Seeing that Li Hongbing was about to take his leave, Sha Zhu panicked and quickly got up to try and persuade him to stay.

Even though what Li Hongbing said earlier had put Sha Zhu in a bad mood, as the host, he still had to make sure Li Hongbing had a good time.

"That's enough, I've already had quite a bit to drink. If I keep drinking like this, it'll just be forcing myself to drink, which won't be good!"

Li Hongbing waved his hand, refusing Sha Zhu's attempt to save him, and pointed to his watch on his wrist, saying, "At this hour, my wife will probably be off work soon, so I have to go pick her up!"

"Well then... let's get together next time."

Seeing that Li Hongbing had given this reason, Sha Zhu could no longer try to persuade him to stay, and could only say...

"Row!"

Li Hongbing nodded and went out the door.

soon.

When Li Hongbing returned home, he first looked at his two sons, then gave Chen's mother a few more instructions before pushing his bicycle out the door.

He told Sha Zhu that he was going to pick up Chen Xueru from get off work, but this wasn't an excuse he made up; it was part of his schedule from the beginning.

Despite accepting Sha Zhu's invitation, Li Hongbing had no intention of drinking with him until the wee hours of the morning. In fact, the two of them had already drunk quite a bit and tasted the roe deer meat that Sha Zhu had carefully prepared and cooked, so they had a good time.

The two bottles that Sha Zhu had set out were both opened eventually. Li Hongbing drank more than half a bottle by himself, but he still didn't feel drunk.

Perhaps because of my good physical condition and fast metabolism, most of the alcohol was quickly broken down in my body. Although I smelled alcohol, it wasn't strong.

Fortunately, drunk driving wasn't checked in those days, and Li Hongbing was riding a bicycle, so he had even less to worry about.

Of course.

If he were truly drunk, Li Hongbing wouldn't risk his and Chen Xueru's safety. Putting aside everything else, even if they fell on the road, it wouldn't be worth it.

……

the other side.

Not long after Li Hongbing left on his bicycle, Jia Dongxu from the Intermediate People's Court came outside to use the restroom. Just as he was about to go back, Xu Damao, who had been waiting nearby, suddenly appeared.

"Fuck..."

"Xu Damao, what are you doing?"

"Walking around in the middle of the night without making a sound, who are you trying to scare to death?"

"Hey?! Isn't this Jia Dongxu?"

"Why are you so angry today? What happened?"

"Xu Damao, what do you mean by this?"

"..."

Although there are streetlights outside, so it's not completely dark at this time, they are all quite far apart. In addition, the brightness and illumination range of the lights are limited, so it's easy to bump into people at night if you're not careful.

This "accident" just now almost gave Jia Dongxu a fright.

After the initial shock, Jia Dongxu only made a few subconscious complaints and grumbles. However, as Xu Damao made a few seemingly pointed remarks, Jia Dongxu, who was already in a bad mood, looked even more unpleasant.

"What do you mean?"

By the dim light of the street lamp, Xu Damao's gaze fell on Jia Dongxu. He suddenly chuckled and said in a playful tone, "Jia Dongxu, are you really ignorant, or are you pretending not to understand?"

You were at work today, and your wife was alone in the yard, along with Sha Zhu. This afternoon, in front of everyone in the yard, Sha Zhu bullied and humiliated your wife, and you acted like nothing happened.

Upon hearing Xu Damao's almost humiliating words, Jia Dongxu was furious and said, "Xu Damao, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Hehe, judging from this, your wife Qin Huairu didn't tell you what happened this afternoon."

Noticing Jia Dongxu's reaction, Xu Damao seemed to have thought of something and said with a wicked smile, "That's right! It concerns your reputation and honor. How could your wife, as a woman, tell you these things? But in this way... Jia Dongxu, you're still in the dark, which is quite pitiful."

After making some sarcastic remarks, Xu Damao seized the opportunity to embellish and alter the events of the afternoon, presenting a completely new version of events.

only.

To Xu Damao's surprise, after hearing what he said, Jia Dongxu, who had been furious just moments before, remained angry, but instead warned him:

"Xu Damao, don't think I don't know the truth. If you dare to fabricate and spread rumors again, believe me, I'll go directly to Uncle Yan and the others and expose your behavior."

"you know?"

Xu Damao, who had been making careful preparations, was completely dumbfounded.

"Humph!"

Seeing Xu Damao's dumbfounded expression, Jia Dongxu, who had been furious, suddenly became smug and threatened Xu Damao:

"Xu Damao, if Shazhu finds out that you deliberately sowed discord, what do you think your fate will be?"

Give me five dollars, or I'll tell everyone what you just did!

"Pah! Jia Dongxu, you green-haired turtle, you dare to extort your Grandpa Da Mao? Have you got a death wish?"

Xu Damao never expected that Jia Dongxu would use this incident to blackmail him. He was so angry that he jumped up and down and started cursing. He said fearlessly, "Go ahead and say it if you dare. Let's see who believes you. Anyway, it was just the two of us just now."

however.

Faced with Xu Damao's attitude and actions, Jia Dongxu laughed instead and said in a sinister tone, "Xu Damao, I think you know better than I do what kind of person Sha Zhu is. Do you think he's the kind of person who talks to you about evidence?"

Moreover.

Who would use their wife's reputation to extort money? You'll see who believes me or you then.

Xu Damao, don't forget you have a criminal record.

And I heard you've started going on blind dates again recently?

Once this gets out, you'll lose your reputation. Then…

"Jia Dongxu, you..."

This was the first time in Xu Damao's life that he had been blackmailed, especially by that coward Jia Dongxu.

The key issue is that Jia Dongxu not only used Sha Zhu to pressure him, but also threatened him with his blind date and partner search, which made Xu Damao hesitant to act rashly.

Jia Dongxu not only has a wife, but he even has children, yet he doesn't even have a girlfriend. He doesn't want to end up like Sha Zhu.

However, the price of five yuan is simply too high.

"Five yuan won't do, that's too much."

Three pieces!

"At most one piece."

"Three pieces, I've already conceded, otherwise you can expect to get beaten up by Sha Zhu and have your reputation damaged!"

"Just one yuan, or else you can cause trouble if you dare!"

"Anyway, I won't admit it. I'm not afraid of Sha Zhu. What can you do to me? You think you can mess up my blind date? Do you really think the Xu family is so easy to bully?"

"It was you who was heartless and sowed discord first; I am in the right..."

"..."

After some haggling, Jia Dongxu happily took the 1.5 yuan and left, while Xu Damao became furious behind him.

"Fuck your mother, Jia Dongxu!"

(End of this chapter)