The Courtyard House: He Yuzhu, Who Defied Fate

Jia Zhangshi said:

"That's for sure! The people on the black market said they wouldn't sell our compound!"

The three aunties said:

"We didn't know that, but when we went there, we were kicked out."

They won't let you in even if you pay them!

Jia Zhangshi nodded:

"That's right. Last night, Qin Huairu went to several black markets and wouldn't let anyone from our compound in."

From now on, if we want to eat something, we'll have to rely on rations!

"If Yi Zhonghai hadn't gone and reported them for no reason, would this have happened?"

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai came out leaning on his cane and said to Jia Zhangshi:

"I already addressed this issue when I got back. It has nothing to do with me, and I don't know what happened."

Furthermore, I have absolutely no recollection of reporting it!

The second aunt stepped forward and said:

"You say you didn't, so you don't. The police have no grudge against you, why would they frame you!"

Hearing what the second aunt said, the third aunt also said:

"That's right, and you personally led the police there. You didn't catch a single person, but you ended up in jail yourself."

I really don't know what to say, but they didn't even hold you responsible for buying those things!

Hearing what the older women said, Yi Zhonghai became very angry:

"Didn't you go too?"

Auntie said:

"These days, who doesn't go to the market? We did go, but if we thought it was too expensive, we could choose not to buy anything."

We won't report you for buying it just because it's expensive!

The three aunties nodded:

"That's right!"

Jia Zhangshi said:

"That's right, it's made it impossible for us to improve our lives. Besides, the national quota is almost gone now."

"If they don't let us get some food from the black market, we'll starve to death!"

The three aunties nodded:

"That's right, with so many people in our family, if we can't get some food from the black market, we'll all starve to death!"

Auntie said:

"If Yi Zhonghai hadn't done this, we wouldn't be being targeted like this!"

Several other women nodded:

"Yes!"

Seeing that the entire compound hated him, Yi Zhonghai felt extremely helpless; so many years had passed.

The owner, who had worked so hard to build his business, never imagined that the reputation he valued most would vanish overnight.

Yi Zhonghai felt that his life had lost its meaning, but he knew he couldn't talk to these people about it now.

Let them say what they want; we'll talk about it again later.

Yi Zhonghai, leaning on his cane, wanted to go back, but how could someone like Jia Zhangshi let him leave like that?

"Uncle, you're one of the oldest men in our compound. It's not fair for you to just leave like this, is it?"

Yi Zhonghai looked at Jia Zhangshi with great helplessness, and then asked her:

"What do you want?"

Jia Zhangshi said:

"We don't want to do anything to you, but you have to take care of everyone's food supply, right?"

Yi Zhonghai said:

"Now that everyone's eating together, what's the point? Do you still want to go back and cook for yourself?"

Hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Jia Zhangshi was stunned. She did not expect that Yi Zhonghai would still try to trick her at this time.

Jia Zhangshi said to Yi Zhonghai:

"What do you mean by that? I didn't say that. Now everyone's rations are so small, and there's still refined grain. In the past, everyone would exchange the refined grain they received for coarse grain."

But now, because of you, we can't change it. You can't just keep this matter hidden, can you?

Yi Zhonghai looked at Jia Zhangshi, and then said to her:

“Jia Zhangshi, my family used to have extra quotas, so we gave them to you. Don’t you know who you are?”

When Dongxu was around, you, Qin Huairu, and the two children didn't have a quota.

Only after Dongxu disappeared did Qin Huairu obtain urban residency and receive a quota.

But what about you? What do you have?

What right do you have to say that all the food you're going to eat tomorrow belongs to everyone, and yet you're here trying to sow discord?

Upon hearing Jia Zhangshi's words, everyone looked at her. Yes, although the food was unpalatable, at least the cornbread was edible.

This Jia Zhangshi eats the most every day, every time!

Jia Zhangshi argued illogically:

"Hmph, my Qin Huairu, as well as Banggeng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua all have rations. Is it wrong for me to eat their rations?"

A sinister glint flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes, and then he said coldly:

"Hmph, you? Ask the people in the compound, whether they are adults or children, as long as there is a ration, how many of them can eat their fill?"

The rations provided by the government are just to ensure that people don't starve; how could they possibly ensure that everyone has enough to eat?

You always take food with you and then steal some, and now you're saying this? What? Do you think everyone's a fool?

Jia Zhangshi thought to herself, "If you don't say that, wouldn't these people be fools?"

You think you're so clever? If you're so clever, why did you even say it?

The three aunties said:

“Yes, I didn’t even notice if Yi Zhonghai hadn’t said anything. Jia Zhangshi, you’re not on a ration, so why are you eating so much?”

You should go back to the countryside. You should know that the countryside is now a commune, and the system of collective eating is still in place!

"If you eat one more bite here, everyone else will have one less bite to eat!"

The old woman was furious at Jia Zhangshi's ungrateful behavior, and she continued:

"Hmph, not only that, she always eats the most, and after she finishes eating, she will pack up a few more, saying that she will eat them at night. When people have objections, she makes a fuss, but no one wants to argue with her."

But now she's gone even further! Everyone's starving because of her!

After hearing what the older woman said, the second older woman said:

"That's right, that's the reason!"

After overhearing what the group was saying, Jia Zhangshi said:

"Are you all idiots? This is Yi Zhonghai trying to sow discord!"

Yi Zhonghaidao:

"Wasn't what I said true? I caused everyone to be unable to go to the black market, that's my fault, I admit my mistake. But I was also punished, my leg was broken."

Moreover, this is a matter between us. We all eat together in our compound, and we all have a set amount of food.

You have nothing, yet you take more than you deserve, you're lazy and don't do any work.

Why do you have to eat so much?

Upon hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, the three aunties said:

"That's right, this is our business, what does it have to do with you? You eat so much, and there's no rationing. Everyone is going hungry because of you. You should go back to the countryside!"

Auntie said:

"That's right, go back to the countryside!"

An older woman also said fiercely:

"Yes, we'll take it back to you, otherwise everyone will go hungry because of you!"

Madam Jia Zhang was taken aback by this turn of events. She addressed the group of people, saying:

"You, you, you..."

An older woman said: