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

Just after seven o'clock, the courtyard was already packed with people. There were thirty households and ninety-six people in courtyard number ninety-five. Apart from the sick, the very young, and a few people working the night shift, almost everyone who could come was there. At a glance, there were more than seventy people. Even Xu Fugui and his son Xu Damao, who rarely showed up, were there.

Xu Damao is nineteen years old this year. After graduating from junior high school, he followed his father around showing movies. Now he is an apprentice in the steel rolling mill. He is dressed in the steel rolling mill uniform looking very respectable. He often glances at He Yuzhu's house door, his mustache twitching, and he has a sneer on his lips, looking gloating.

The three stewards were already seated. In the past, the eight-immortal table for large meetings was always moved from He Yuzhu's house, but now that the He family's doors were closed, they had to use Yi Zhonghai's. The meeting location had also changed. It used to be set up in front of He Yuzhu's house, but now that the doors were closed, it would feel awkward and wouldn't have the same imposing effect.

The three of them set up a table next to the hanging flower gate. Yi Zhonghai sat upright in the center, looking dignified; Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong sat on his left and right, one looking clueless and the other looking unhappy.

Most strikingly, behind the three, the deaf old woman had also arrived in person, sitting upright in a grand chair, her hands tightly gripping a yellow pine cane, presumably from her family's stock. Her old face was long and her gaze cold, resembling an empress dowager ruling from behind the curtain.

The people in the courtyard, some with their own small stools and others simply standing, formed a fan shape, facing the main entrance of the He family's house, subtly creating a sense of encirclement and attack. Whispers rippled through the crowd, the atmosphere heavy. The only drawback was that the light switch for this damn courtyard was inside the He family's house; the lights were off, and the courtyard was only barely illuminated by the moonlight and the faint glow from the surrounding residents' homes.

He Yuzhu poured himself another glass of wine and took a satisfied sip. Dumplings and wine go perfectly together. They had made over eighty dumplings in total, originally planning for the siblings to eat half and save the other half for breakfast the next day. But once they started eating, they couldn't stop, and the plate was soon empty.

He Yushui ate in small bites, occasionally standing up to glance out the window with fear in her eyes.

"Brother, there are so many people outside, all watching our house."

He Yuzhu picked up a dumpling, dipped it in the vinegar and garlic sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth without a care.

"He Yushui, you must remember this: every single person in this entire courtyard is eyeing our three main rooms! They're all thinking about how to exploit our family's childless descendants!"

He Yuzhu put down his wine glass and looked at his sister seriously: "In this courtyard, the more timid you are, the more they dare to bully you. The more afraid you are, the more they want to take advantage of you. You have to stand up to them, at least let them think you're not so easy to bully. Do you understand? I can't be home protecting you every moment; many times you have to rely on yourself."

He Yushui nodded thoughtfully, continuing to eat the dumplings in her bowl.

He Yuzhu didn't say much. His sister would understand. He was joking. What kind of person could walk out of the courtyard house unscathed? These days, anyone who can get into high school is bound to be smart.

"Are you still hungry, girl?"

He Yushui looked up and gave He Yuzhu a silly smile that was both embarrassed and really wanted to eat.

"Wait, I'll order the rest. Plenty tonight!"

As she spoke, she got up and put the remaining raw dumplings into the pot. Dumplings are strange things; even in later times, a southerner could easily eat twenty, while the same amount of rice or steamed buns would have made him feel stuffed. In the north at that time, it was even more so; it wouldn't be surprising for a young girl like He Yushui to eat thirty.

The dumplings in the pot started bubbling again, their aroma mingling with the steam, wafting out through the cracks in the doors and windows, completely out of place with the somber and heavy atmosphere of the central courtyard.

In the courtroom, the crowd was already starting to stir.

It smells absolutely amazing! The smell of dumplings immediately conjures up images of meat filling, and upon closer inspection, it truly does! And then He Yuzhu, like an animal, added a little bit of spiritual spring water, making the aroma even more irresistible. Who can resist this? Everyone else eats cornbread, pickled vegetables, and cornmeal, but He Yuzhu is different—he has meat with every meal! Isn't that pure bullying? No doubt, today we're definitely on his side and giving him a good dressing down!

Sitting in the front row, Jia Zhangshi craned her neck, took two deep breaths of the fragrant aroma, swallowed hard, and muttered a curse under her breath, "Those shameless, heartless wretches! They deliberately chose this time to eat dumplings, who are they trying to tempt!"

Banggeng squirmed in her arms, its voice trembling with tears, "Grandma, I want dumplings! I want dumplings from Shazhu's family!"

Jia Zhangshi, holding the stick, said in a low voice, "My dear grandson, don't make a fuss. After the meeting, the house, dumplings, and money of Sha Zhu's family will all be ours. Grandma will give you a big chicken leg then." After saying that, she glared fiercely at the He family.

Yi Zhonghai glanced at the tattered watch in Yan Bugui's hand; it was already 7:40. He Yuzhu's door remained tightly shut, showing no sign of coming out. His face flushed with anger. This fool He Yuzhu was truly defying the heavens! The courtyard lights weren't on, and he wouldn't come out, yet he was still so arrogant in front of so many people in the courtyard! He completely disregarded him and everyone else in the courtyard.

Just then, Xu Damao, who was sitting there, started to speak with his loose tongue.

"Hey! This silly Zhu's got some nerve now! He doesn't even respect you, Uncle Yi? What's wrong? Isn't Silly Zhu your godson? He's not up to you anymore? That won't do! A disobedient son needs a beating! Uncle Yi, you absolutely can't be soft-hearted, everyone's watching!"

Yi Zhonghai, already seething with anger, was further enraged by Xu Damao's provocation, slamming his fist on the table: "Xu Damao! What business is it of yours here? No manners whatsoever! Xu Fugui, control your son!"

Xu Fugui, who had been enjoying watching Yi Zhonghai get the short end of the stick, suddenly realized the fire was burning him. His face darkened, and he slapped Xu Damao on the back of the head. "You little brat! You always have so many mouths! Who gave you the right to interrupt?"

After finishing, he glanced sideways at Yi Zhonghai and retorted indifferently, "Old Yi, this is my own son, I will discipline him myself, I don't need an outsider like you to tell me what to do."

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback. Looking at Xu Fugui's eyes, he knew that this old silver coin was not to be trifled with. Seeing Xu Damao shrinking back and not daring to utter another word, he suppressed his anger, snorted heavily, and remained silent.

This stalemate can't continue; it might backfire if it drags on. He looked up and gave Yan Jiecheng, who was sitting next to him, a meaningful look.

Yan Jiecheng understood, walked to He Yuzhu's door, and banged on it loudly, "Silly Zhu! Silly Zhu! Meeting's in session! The whole compound is waiting for you, come out now!"

The stingy little bastard still harbors resentment over being slapped by He Yuzhu yesterday. He openly calls He Yuzhu "Silly Zhu," refusing to believe he'd dare act tough in front of so many people in the entire compound! Today, he's going to publicly trample on his dignity and eat the last drop of blood from his family. So what if you're strong? You're still just a dog, a dog led by his own father and two other old men.