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

Today, He Yuzhu came home a little later than usual. He made a special detour to several markets and supply and marketing cooperatives to buy some supplies that his family was lacking, as well as some vegetables, non-staple foods and meat. In the end, he also bought half a roast duck, because Yushui has her final exams soon, and he wanted to treat his younger sister to something nice.

At this stage, Sha Zhu wasn't as completely brainwashed as he would later become, so he still had some savings. Plus, his salary had risen to over fifty, allowing him to afford decent food every day. The problem was that ration coupons were only just beginning to be widely implemented. Although not as stringent as later, the situation would be unpredictable in six months to a year. He Yuzhu was considering taking advantage of the current leniency to stockpile supplies.

He planned to make a special trip to state-run department stores and grain shops during the New Year. He had tested the space multiple times and found that the effective movement was less than two meters, and that only applied to things he could see with his own eyes. These were the most suitable places to steal loose goods. As for small supply and marketing cooperatives and banks, he'd forget about them. Accounting in those places was even stricter than in later generations; if anything was missing, the employees were held responsible. Losing something valuable could ruin someone's life, which would be incredibly unethical.

(In the 1960s, there was a factory where a guy stole gold. The factory arrested everyone who had contact with the gold, firing or imprisoning more than a dozen people. This guy escaped and wasn't caught until the 1980s. Where could the others go to seek justice...?)

As soon as He Yuzhu stepped into the courtyard, he sensed that the atmosphere inside was off again. Yan Bugui still stood there like a gatekeeper, but today his old face was full of schadenfreude and a smug satisfaction at seeing a good show. When he saw He Yuzhu approaching, Yan Bugui instinctively shrank back. He was still somewhat intimidated by He Yuzhu's beating and didn't dare to show it openly. But after He Yuzhu passed by, he stared at his back and the things he was carrying with a vicious glint in his eyes.

"This, this tastes like roast duck! What's the meaning of Sha Zhu buying so much stuff today? Is he trying to apologize to us old folks? Yes, definitely! He's scared after being punished and wants to back down and make amends!"

He quickly turned and ran home. As soon as he entered, he yelled at Aunt Yang Ruihua, "Old woman! I'm not eating my share of cornbread tonight. You can save it for tomorrow morning!"

The three women, busy at the stove, were taken aback by the question. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to eat?"

Yan Bugui said with no small amount of pride, "Old Yi came back earlier and said that Sha Zhu got punished at the factory and was transferred to the foundry workshop! Guess what? I just saw him carrying back a roast duck and a whole bunch of meat and vegetables! Isn't that obviously an apology to us old folks? I'm going to his house later; I'm definitely having that roast duck tonight!"

Hearing this, Yan Jiecheng quickly came over and said, "Dad, take me with you! I want to eat roast duck too!"

Yan Jiecheng, who just turned eighteen, failed his high school entrance exam last year and has been staying at home ever since. He does odd jobs to earn money to pay for his family's living expenses. The Yan family should be doing better off, but how could the stingy old man's personality be any different? Nothing has changed. The whole family hasn't had any meat for half a month, and the thought of roast duck has made the younger children incredibly hungry.

"Get out of here!" Why are you meddling in when adults are handling things? Don't you know any manners?

However, seeing his sons' greedy expressions, Old Man Yan added, "Don't worry, after I finish eating, I'll find a way to bring the leftovers back to you. There was such a big roast duck and so many dishes; we definitely won't be able to finish it!"

"Damn it, you old dog Yan! What kind of look did you give me just now? You must have found out about what happened this morning from Yi Zhonghai, right? Hmph, let you be happy for a few days. Things change, and your whole family is no good. Every girl who marries into your family is like jumping into a fire pit. I, He Yuzhu, have been reborn and will also act on behalf of Heaven. Your Yan family is destined to be extinct like Yi Zhonghai's. You can't go around harming innocent women like you did in my previous life!"

As He Yuzhu walked towards the central courtyard, the neighbors he encountered reacted in much the same way. They gathered in twos and threes, pointing and whispering about He Yuzhu, all seemingly enjoying the spectacle, and displaying a palpable sense of "you've finally met your match." Clearly, news of the factory's disciplinary action had spread throughout the entire courtyard, and the shrewish neighbors were convinced that He Yuzhu was truly finished this time and would never be able to act so arrogantly again.

Only the few households that had been summoned by the security department remained with their doors tightly shut, and their families were strictly forbidden from coming out to watch the commotion. They knew perfectly well that this matter was in serious trouble, and having been given a gag order by the security department, they had offended both sides. How could they dare to go out and cause any more trouble? They all hid at home.

As soon as he arrived at the Intermediate People's Court, he saw Qin Huairu, heavily pregnant, washing her family's clothes in cold water, her fingers red with cold. He had no idea where she got so many clothes to wash; she hadn't been seen washing clothes for days, but today, after he was punished, she was out washing clothes. Damn it, she was waiting for him! He was such an idiot in his past life, always thinking how good Qin Huairu was when he came home from get off work and saw her washing clothes. Damn it! You idiot, you bootlicker, die!

Upon seeing the large and small bags He Yuzhu was carrying, especially the roast duck emanating from the oil paper wrapping, Qin Huairu's eyes lit up instantly. Sha Zhu had brought it back a few times before, and she could tell just by smelling it.

She quickly wiped her wet hands on her apron, put on the kind of smile that He Yuzhu had seen for decades in his previous life, and now found incredibly hypocritical and disgusting, and walked towards him with slightly unsteady steps.

"Zhu Zi's back?" The voice carried a hint of grievance, yet also a touch of affection. "Oh my, you bought so much stuff! Look at Bang Geng, he's been nagging about not having roast duck for ages. He's growing so much, he's been craving it so much..."

As she spoke, she naturally reached out to take the things from He Yuzhu's hands, especially the roast duck.

"Look how tired you must be carrying all this by yourself. Give these things to me, and I'll cook you a nice meal tonight. You and your brother Dongxu can have a drink and have a good chat. We're neighbors, why hold grudges? It'll all be fine after talking it out."

When Jia Dongxu came back, he said that Sha Zhu was definitely doomed this time and would have to keep his tail between his legs and obey as before. Qin Huairu also believed that He Yuzhu was already a grasshopper in autumn, so she put on her old Qin Jie attitude again, trying to take advantage of him and prepare to control him again.

Looking at Qin Huairu's smiling face and her spiel, He Yuzhu felt a surge of anger rush to his head. He forcibly suppressed the urge to immediately slap that face to pieces, repeatedly chanting in his mind, "Don't get angry, don't get angry... This bitch will give birth in a month or so, be patient, be patient! As long as she gives birth, as long as she gives birth, I can slap that bitch's face to pieces without any restraint! My big pussy is already ravenously thirsty!"