The Courtyard House: He Yuzhu Returns with Boundless Hatred for Revenge

Gou Xianhui didn't even dare to refuse. Her face was flushed red, clearly intimidated by He Yuzhu's words. Thinking of her old man being cheated on, looking like a stray dog, and now being forced to serve Qin Huairu, her whole family being bullied like this by this little beast He Yuzhu! Suddenly, a wave of sorrow washed over her.

Tears welled up uncontrollably. She wasn't a calculating person; at that moment, she felt an immense injustice with nowhere to turn. Covering her face, she cried and screamed as she walked home, "He Yuzhu! How could you bully us like this! Did our Liu family desecrate your ancestral graves or something? Why are you pushing us to our deaths like this! Waaah..."

The wailing sounded particularly mournful on the snowy day, making the surrounding neighbors feel a sense of shared sorrow. Looking again at He Yuzhu, who was fawning over Song Li as she was being ushered inside to avoid the snow, they felt a pang of apprehension.

This He Yuzhu is too ruthless and cruel. All Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and the others did was scheme against your family a little, right? Was it necessary to be so ruthless? They have no sense of human relationships whatsoever. How can they expect to get along with you properly in the future? How can they possibly try to gain any advantage from you, the only official in this courtyard?

At this moment, the way everyone looked at He Yuzhu was completely different: fear, alienation, disdain, wariness, and resentment. There was no closeness whatsoever. From this day forward, He Yuzhu became utterly isolated in the courtyard, a completely alien outcast, and the negative opinions about him far exceeded those about Xu Damao, who was previously universally acknowledged as a bad seed in the courtyard.

He Yuzhu wished he could cut off all ties with these beasts in the yard, so he wouldn't have to see them all scurrying around in front of him every day, getting dirty eyes and constantly plotting against him.

His first thought was to have Zhang Guifen serve Qin Huairu. Unfortunately, Zhang Guifen had now become the victim, and temporarily had the Women's Federation backing her, so he couldn't push her too far. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he could only reluctantly let Gou Xianhui have her way.

As for that little bastard Banggeng, that's even easier to handle. Just throw him into Yi Zhonghai's house; as long as he doesn't starve, that's fine. After all, master and disciple, father and son, even a disciple's grandson is still a grandson. How could Yi Zhonghai, as the grandfather, watch his grandson starve to death?

Yi Zhonghai was unwilling, but he didn't dare utter a single word of objection. Didn't he see the gleam in the eyes of Xiao Song, the clerk beside him? If he dared to spoil the mood, he would immediately face a thunderous repercussions from the street office. Gritting his teeth, he nodded, accepting his fate.

Watching He Yuzhu resolve the most troublesome matter with just a few words, Song Li's smile widened, and her gaze towards He Yuzhu held even more admiration. This Director He, so young, truly possesses extraordinary abilities.

"Director He, thank you so much! You've solved a huge problem for our neighborhood! I'll go back and report to my director right away, and I'll definitely visit you again to express my gratitude another day."

"Officer Song, you're too kind. We're all just serving the people," He Yuzhu smiled, his gaze unconsciously falling on Song Li's pretty face again. This girl is indeed beautiful, and her temperament is far superior to that of a country bumpkin like Qin Huairu. He was momentarily lost in thought, recalling how his predecessor had been so captivated by a mother of three.

Song Li felt a little embarrassed by his gaze, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly said, "Then, Director He, I won't bother you any longer. I need to go back quickly. If there's anything in the courtyard in the future, you can come to the street office to find me."

"Alright, Officer Song, take care. The roads are slippery in the snow, be careful."

Song Li nodded, said "Thank you all for your help" to the neighbors in the courtyard, and then turned and left. Her slender waist disappeared into the swirling snow. He Yuzhu's gaze remained fixed on that graceful figure until she vanished into the corridor, still somewhat lost in thought.

"Hey, brother, stop looking! They're all gone!" He Yushui suddenly appeared, her face full of mischief, and waved her little hand in front of his eyes. "Is it okay to stare at a young lady like that? Be careful, people around will say you're being a pervert!"

He Yuzhu snapped out of his daze, his face flushed, and he patted his sister on the head. "Little brat, what do you know! Hurry up and cook! I'm hungry."

The snow fell heavily, and the sky grew increasingly gloomy. The crowd that had come to watch the spectacle had long since dispersed, and the courtyard returned to silence. Each family began preparing for their evening meal, and the aroma of food slowly wafted from their homes, eliciting another round of howling and wailing from Bang Geng, the little beast imprisoned in the Jia family.

Yi Zhonghai naturally wouldn't dare bring the stick into his house at this time; he still had Zhang Guifen to get past today.

At this moment, Zhang Guifen was at home, eating meat heartily and drinking large cups of wine. Yi Zhonghai looked at the table full of dishes and was quite tempted, but there were no chopsticks or bowls for him, so he didn't dare to get any himself. His stomach was already growling with hunger, and the aroma emanating from the pot of chicken soup made him swallow several times. After all, the old widow was just as stingy as Yan Bugui, and his frugality was no less than Yan Bugui's. He was lucky to eat meat three or four times a month, and that was after accounting for the money he saved when giving it to the deaf old lady.

He forced a very ingratiating smile. "Guifen... are you eating?"

His tone was so humble that it lacked any semblance of the dignity of a head of the household.

Zhang Guifen slowly turned her head, glancing at him sideways with blurry, drunken eyes. "What, you want to eat?"

Yi Zhonghai chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his hands together. "I've been starving all day too. I haven't eaten anything since this morning."

"Heh..." Zhang Guifen laughed, then gritted her teeth and said, "Yi Zhonghai, listen to this. From now on, you still want to eat my cooking? Dream on!"

"Today, the leaders of the Women's Federation made everything clear! I've made up my mind!"

She stood up unsteadily, pointed at Yi Zhonghai's nose, and said, word by word, "I, Zhang Guifen, want a divorce from you. We'll get the paperwork done together tomorrow morning!"

"I know exactly how much money is in the house and where it's hidden! I'll get a room and a large portion of the money!" Zhang Guifen became more and more agitated as she spoke, the grievances that had been building up for half a lifetime pouring out like a flood. "You can go live with your good apprentices and grand-apprentices! You master and apprentices, father and son, have such a deep bond, you can all live together! I, this barren hen, will no longer be in your way!"

"Guifen! What nonsense are you talking about? We've been married since childhood, even a day as husband and wife is a hundred days of kindness!" Yi Zhonghai panicked completely. Divorce? How could that be! If he divorced, he would truly be all alone, half the house would have to be given away, and he would lose all his money... How would he support himself in his old age?

"Pah! What kindness? Kindness of beatings and scoldings, kindness of abuse?" Zhang Guifen spat, tears streaming down her face. "Yi Zhonghai, I've served you for most of my life, been your slave, and all I get in return is the title of 'barren hen'! Now the truth is out, it's your own fault! You've made me take the blame for so many years! You still want me to stay with you? Let me tell you, only if I'm dead!"

As she spoke, she grabbed the wine glass and smashed it hard on the ground!