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

He Yuzhu stood outside for ten minutes, the cold wind blowing straight down his neck. He cursed himself for being an idiot! Standing outside in this freezing weather, wasting time with these old bastards—what else could it be but insanity? It was almost lunchtime; even if he wasn't hungry, his sister must be starving. Hadn't she seen the little girl staring at him the whole time? Today he was promoted to deputy director of the cafeteria, and he was supposed to celebrate properly, and also soothe his sister's wounded heart.

"Rain, let's eat first!" He Yuzhu shouted into the house, then roared at the yard, "Listen up, all of you! You three must clean up by yourselves. Anyone who dares to ask for help is resisting reform, and that's an even bigger crime! Don't blame me for punishing you twice over!"

After saying that, he turned and went back inside to cook. It was much warmer inside. He Yuzhu rubbed his hands together and smiled at He Yushui, "Little sister, are you starving? I'll cook right away, let's have a good meal tonight!"

The worry on He Yushui's face hadn't completely faded when she asked softly, "Brother, they won't cause any more trouble, will they?"

"Make trouble?" He Yuzhu scoffed. "They're just three spineless old dogs now. If they dare to cause trouble, I'll beat them up."

He bought a lot of good food today and started heating the oil in the wok. Soon, several dishes were ready: sweet and sour carp, braised pork, and cabbage and tofu. The usual three dishes. This meal was considered quite good by today's standards, and He Yushui was very satisfied. Add to that He Yuzhu's top-notch culinary skills—a connoisseur's touch is immediately apparent. The aroma radiated from the courtyard, making the little beast Banggeng, who had been locked in the room for a day and a night, howl like a wolf with hunger.

One has to admire Zhang Guifen, the hen who doesn't lay eggs. After returning yesterday, she ignored her grand-apprentice's crying and fussing in the Jia family's house for a whole day and night, stubbornly refusing to do anything. She's truly heartless. The old saying is right: "Birds of a feather flock together."

During this time, He Yuzhu went out a few more times to inspect the progress of the old beasts' work. Anyway, he could just be bossy and show off his official power. He could find fault with them, make trouble for no reason, and scold them like he was disciplining his grandsons, making the old beasts furious but daring not to say anything.

Especially in her bangs, her eyes were red with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

"Is this the authority of a leader? Even the lowest-ranking official can make you feel an irresistible aura. No, I've lost all hope in this life, but I still have Liu Guangqi. He'll definitely become a high-ranking official, and when he brings glory to the family, he'll come back and deal with Sha Zhu. I'll make Sha Zhu kneel down and lick my shoes!"

The old man is still dreaming of the future, unaware that his eldest son is about to be finished because of his hat.

By almost eight o'clock, the siblings had long since finished their meal, and He Yushui had gone back to her little house to sleep. The three old beasts had finally finished their work and were now exhausted and hungry. Yan Bugui, in particular, was usually stingy and had never eaten his fill; he was completely drained and nearly fainted.

The three of them swayed and knocked on He Yuzhu's door.

"Zhu Zi, we've swept it all clean, look..." Yi Zhonghai said.

He Yuzhu frowned, his tone displeased, "You have to address people by their job titles at work! Don't you even know this basic rule? Have you all gone to such lengths?"

"Yes, yes, please inspect the work, Director He." Yi Zhonghai didn't care anymore. He had already lost enough face today. Now he just wanted to go home quickly, fill his stomach, and then find that barren hen to vent his anger and relieve the humiliation in his heart.

With their hands behind their backs, they strolled leisurely around the yard. And I must say, these old guys are really good at their work; they swept very thoroughly, leaving no nook or cranny untouched.

"Hmm, so-so. You've passed today. Remember, from now on, the three of you will be responsible for cleaning the yard every day in shifts. I'll be checking from time to time, and if I find anything dirty or messy, hmph..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the threat was palpable.

The three men nodded and bowed hurriedly, "Yes, yes, we will definitely do our best."

"Alright, get lost." He Yuzhu waved his hand, as if shooing away a fly.

The three of them felt as if they had been granted a pardon and turned to run home.

"Wait a minute," He Yuzhu suddenly called out to them again.

The three of them froze and slowly turned around.

He Yuzhu stared at Yan Bugui, "Old man, what about my twenty yuan compensation? I don't want it, so you won't give it to me?"

Yan Bugui shuddered, tempted to renege on the debt, but looking into He Yuzhu's eyes, he knew he couldn't get away without paying today. He pulled out an old handkerchief pouch from his pocket, unfolding it layer by layer, revealing scattered small bills and large denominations. After counting for a long time, he finally managed to scrape together twenty yuan, his hand trembling like a withered leaf in the wind as he handed it over.

He Yuzhu grabbed the money, stuffed it into his pocket without even looking at it, and said, "Get lost."

Yan Bugui felt as if his heart was being torn apart, and he almost cried. He staggered towards the front yard. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong didn't dare to linger either, and each dragged their weary bodies home.

He Yuzhu watched their retreating figures, a cold smile playing on his lips. This was just the beginning. It was a pity, though, that the winds of change were still at least eight or nine years away, and those old beasts were far from those hellish days. You see, after the winds of change arrived, life on the right side was truly worse than death; jet-like maneuvers, being put on airplanes, being branded, being beaten, and getting punched were all commonplace.

However, one thing is certain: that old bastard Yi Zhonghai probably won't live to see that day. Around the New Year, he'll have to go to Baocheng to find his cheap old man, He Daqing, and then he'll send the old bastard to pay compensation, a house, and a prison sentence.

In the middle of the night, a chorus of wails and screams echoed from the front, middle, and rear courtyards.

In the front yard, Yan Bugui was wailing. Old Pick-Nose had not only lost a pair of glasses and twenty yuan that day, but after cleaning, he rushed to the hospital only to learn that his eldest son's right leg had suffered complete nerve death due to delayed medical attention, leaving him with no choice but to have it amputated to save his life. By the time Yan Bugui arrived, Yan Jiecheng was already lying on the hospital bed with only one leg, facing exorbitant medical bills of over fifty yuan. Yan Bugui nearly died on the spot. Returning to collect his money, seeing his meager savings dwindling, his heart bled, and he let out a series of mournful cries.

In the Intermediate Court, after eating and drinking his fill, Yi Zhonghai, now full of energy and in a good mood, began to abuse the barren hen. He started with verbal insults, then physical violence. Finally, the more He Yuzhu listened to the screams in the house, the more indecent they became, resembling the sounds Jia Dongxu used to make of Qin Huairu in the middle of the night. Truly, they were of the same lineage as master and disciple.

As for the Liu family's backyard, things were even more lively. After Liu Haizhong returned home, probably feeling that his two sons hadn't come out to help him clean, he didn't care about anything else and pulled out Seven Wolves swords to attack Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu. Cries, screams, and pleas for mercy rose one after another.