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

"All factory workers, we are now announcing a disciplinary notice... Due to the rumors and slander spread against our employee He Yuzhu by Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong... In order to uphold factory discipline and regulations and purify the workforce, the factory Party Committee has decided as follows."

"First, Yi Zhonghai's Level 6 fitter qualification is revoked, and he is demoted to Level 3 fitter. Liu Haizhong's Level 5 forging qualification is revoked, and he is demoted to Level 2 forging."

"Second, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong will each receive a major demerit."

"Third, it was determined that the mistakes made by Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were serious in nature and their thinking was backward, so they were labeled as rightists."

"Fourth, the other twelve employees who participated in spreading rumors, including Wang Dachui and Li Fugui, will each have their wages reduced by one grade, receive a warning, and be transferred from their original positions effective immediately. They will be reassigned by the factory office."

"We urge all employees to take this as a warning, strengthen their learning, raise their awareness, resolutely resist all kinds of unhealthy tendencies, and jointly safeguard the excellent situation of stability and unity in the steel rolling mill..."

Loudspeakers blared over the steel rolling mill, clearly reaching every corner.

The workshop erupted in chaos. "I never expected Master Yi to be this kind of person! He's not usually like this; he always seemed so upright. I never imagined he'd conspire to slander a cook, someone from the same neighborhood! To treat your neighbors like this... it's terrifying!"

"Pah! You still call him Master Yi? That's because your workstation is far from his, so you have no idea what kind of person he is. That old geezer, I've disliked him for a long time! He's always so high and mighty, with a bunch of people fawning over him, and I don't know what he's always whispering about. Now I finally know, he's always plotting to do bad things."

"Then those who punished He Yuzhu earlier should also bear some responsibility, right?"

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't! You're just a level-two worker, is this something you should be worrying about?"

Inside the canteen, upon hearing the punishment decision, He Yuzhu burst into laughter three times. "Damn it! Both of those old bastards are in trouble! It's clearly written in the Party Constitution that peasants and poor peasants have absolute supervisory power, even leadership power, over these problem elements! When we get back to the courtyard house, I'll show you who the real boss is! You old bastards, I'll let you taste what it's like to be disciplined!"

After thinking for a while, he became unhappy again. "Is this just going to be left like this? I suffered this injustice for nothing? And there's not even a little compensation! No way, this can't just end like this! I still have to go find Tan Jin!"

Just then, Tan Jin's secretary arrived. Upon seeing He Yuzhu, he quickly came over and said, "Young Master He, Secretary Tan requests your presence."

In the security cell, Liu Haizhong fainted without uttering a sound upon hearing the punishment. "Master! Master..." His apprentices scrambled to their feet. The others, their eyes red, stared intently at Yi Zhonghai, who was huddled in the corner. They dared not confront Liu Haizhong, as he still had several apprentices protecting him. So, they could only settle scores with this old, widowed man!

When Yi Zhonghai heard the words "rightist hat," he felt as if his spine had been ripped out, and he collapsed completely. "It's over, all over! My lifelong reputation is ruined today! In just two days, my own apprentice is crippled, the old lady has been arrested, and I've been labeled... My grand project of supporting the elderly has been completely wasted! How could it have come to this? How could it have come to this?"

"It's all because of that old bastard! Beat him! Beat this scoundrel to death!" The one who led the charge was Yi Zhonghai's lackey in the courtyard. He had finally passed the exam to become a second-level worker, but now he was back to square one. Thinking about losing seven or eight yuan a month, he was furious.

"Yes! Kill him!"

"If it weren't for him, would we be in this situation?"

Just then, the security personnel walked in with documents, ready to announce the punishment decision, and saw this chaotic scene.

"You've gone too far!" Seeing this, the security guards immediately pulled out short wooden sticks they carried and began beating the people at the front. "You dare to fight in the security office? I bet you want to be implicated and get your hats on the same page as them!"

He beat them wildly until they cried out for mercy, begging for their lives. In the end, they squatted on the ground with their heads in their hands, no longer daring to move.

"All of you, behave yourselves! The disciplinary decision has been made. Anyone who causes trouble again will be treated as resisting the organization, and the punishment will be doubled! Now, you're coming with me to the factory office to complete the formalities, and then report to your new posts! Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, you two can go straight back to your original workshops."

Everyone emerged from the security office, looking dejected, and followed to the factory office for their job assignments. Only Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai stood there, their faces ashen, completely bewildered. Did they really want to go to the workshop now to face everyone's scorn and ridicule? That would be worse than death.

Yan Bugui didn't care about any of that. He walked towards the factory exit, faster and faster, until he was almost running. His name wasn't mentioned in the steel mill's disciplinary notice, but he knew that as the third uncle of the courtyard house, how could he possibly escape? The steel mill would definitely report the situation to the school!

Now he only hopes the school will give him a lighter punishment. As a sixth-level elementary school teacher, Yan Bugui's monthly salary is 47.5 yuan, far more than the 32.5 yuan he always talked about in the courtyard house. Doing this is also a way for him to make others think his family is struggling when he blocks the door demanding things, garnering more sympathy and making it easier to take advantage of them.

I jogged all the way until my lungs felt like they were about to burst, and finally I saw the gate of Hongxing Elementary School. I slowed down, leaned against the wall to catch my breath for a while, and managed to straighten my clothes and hair before stepping into the school.

It was afternoon class time, and the campus was relatively quiet. Yan Bugui went straight to the teachers' office. Pushing open the door, he saw only two or three teachers who didn't have classes preparing for lessons. Seeing him enter, one of the teachers immediately spoke.

"Teacher Yan, the principal instructed that if you come, you should go directly to his office."

"Oh? The principal wants to see me?" Yan Bugui's heart skipped a beat. What was bound to happen had finally happened. Now he could only hope that the school wouldn't punish him too severely, preferably with a pay cut of one grade. Even so, the thought of losing a few yuan each month made Yan Bugui's heart bleed. It seemed his family would have to tighten their belts from now on.

Knowing there was no way to avoid it, I went straight to the principal's office door, took several deep breaths, and gently knocked.

"Come in," came the principal's voice from inside.

Yan Bugui pushed open the door and entered, a fawning smile plastered on his face. "Principal, you wanted to see me?"

The principal was a veteran educator in his fifties who usually treated Yan Bugui fairly politely, given that Yan Bugui was a decent teacher and they had worked together for many years. But at this moment, the principal's face showed little smile, but rather a deep sense of helplessness.

"Old Yan, you've arrived." The principal didn't offer him a seat, but instead picked up a document. "The school has received the joint notice from the steel mill's Party Committee and relevant district departments. Your actions are clearly stated in the notice."

Yan Bugui's smile froze instantly. He was about to say something in his defense when the principal interrupted him.

"After an emergency meeting of the school's Party branch and with the approval of the higher education authorities, given that your actions seriously violated professional ethics, damaged the image of teachers, and caused extremely negative social impact, you are no longer suitable to remain in the teaching profession. It has been decided that, effective immediately, your teaching qualification will be revoked and you will be dismissed from your public office. Go to the finance department now to settle your salary for this month. I hope you will... behave yourself in the future."