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

Jia Zhangshi's outburst immediately attracted many passersby. In no time, a crowd had gathered at the factory gate, pointing and whispering about Jia Zhangshi, who was throwing a tantrum on the ground.

"What's wrong with this old lady? She looks so pitiful."

"They said their son had an accident at the factory, and the factory wouldn't pay compensation and even demoted him."

"How could a steel rolling mill do this? Isn't this bullying? No way, I'm staying right here. I'll see how this factory is dealt with!"

Those unaware of the truth listened to Jia Zhangshi's wailing and accusations, and all showed expressions of sympathy. The security guard on duty at the factory gate, seeing the situation was turning bad, quickly instructed his colleague to maintain order while he himself rushed into the factory to report to his superiors.

Not long after, Section Chief Zhao arrived with several people. He walked up to Jia Zhangshi and asked in a deep voice, "Madam, what do you want? This is the factory gate. Please don't cause trouble here and disrupt the factory's normal order!"

When Jia Zhangshi saw that an official had arrived, she wailed even more vehemently, "Leader! Righteous official! You must do justice for us, a widow and orphan! My son, Jia Dongxu, was a worker at your steel mill. He was murdered outside, and he lost both his legs! Not only will the factory not compensate us, but they're also demoting him to an apprentice, paying him only eighteen yuan and fifty cents a month! This is trying to drive our whole family to our deaths! If your factory doesn't give us an explanation and compensate us today, I'll hang myself right here at the factory gate! Old Jia, please open your eyes and see..."

Upon hearing the name Jia Dongxu, Section Chief Zhao immediately frowned. He knew that name all too well! Was he involved in a group spreading rumors, or had his leg broken while gambling? He'd personally handled the police report. The factory had already done more than enough by giving him an apprenticeship position, considering his serious injury and family's financial difficulties. Instead of being grateful, his family had come to cause trouble?

Section Chief Zhao understood the situation, and his face darkened. Just as he was about to reprimand her, Qin Huairu, heavily pregnant, squeezed in, panting heavily.

"Mom! Mom, get up! Stop making a scene here, let's go back!" Qin Huairu walked over and reached out to pull Jia Zhangshi's arm.

As Jia Zhangshi was wailing loudly, she saw Qin Huairu trying to pull her away. She swung her arm, almost knocking Qin Huairu over, and pointed at her nose, cursing, "You jinx! You little slut! Your man is being bullied to death, and instead of standing up for him, you come to pull me away? Do you wish Dongxu would die soon so you can go and seduce other men? Huh? How could our Jia family have married such a heartless thing like you!"

Qin Huairu was both ashamed and angry to be scolded in front of so many people, but she was powerless to do anything about Jia Zhangshi. She could only plead in a low voice, "Mom, please stop talking. Let's go home first, and we'll talk about it when we get home..."

"Go home? I'm not leaving until the factory loses money and reinstates my Dongxu worker status!"

Seeing this, Section Chief Zhao turned to Qin Huairu, his tone relatively calm, "This lady, are you a relative of Jia Dongxu? What exactly is going on?"

Qin Huai glanced timidly at Section Chief Zhao and whispered, "Sir, I'm Jia Dongxu's wife. My husband had an accident outside and lost his leg. The factory gave him an apprenticeship, but it only pays 18.5 yuan a month. There are five of us in the family, including elderly people and children to support. We just can't make ends meet..." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again, making her look weak, helpless, and pitiful.

Seeing Qin Huairu's pitiful state, with her large pregnant belly, Section Chief Zhao felt a pang of sympathy, but he couldn't compromise on matters of principle. Besides, the steel mill had already shown enough leniency.

He said seriously, "Ladies, we at the factory are aware of the situation. Comrade Jia Dongxu was injured because he was gambling outside, won money, and was robbed and attacked while returning home alone late at night. This is a consequence of his personal illegal behavior and cannot be considered a work-related injury. It is precisely because of your family's circumstances that the factory, despite the pressure, has reserved a job for him, starting as an apprentice. This is already the maximum consideration we can offer. We hope you can understand the factory's decision and not cause trouble here, disrupting the factory's production order."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd's expressions immediately changed. Public opinion instantly reversed. Their gazes towards Jia Zhangshi were filled with disdain.

Just then, Li Huaide, the logistics director, walked over. He had happened to be nearby and heard the commotion at the door, so he came to check on the situation.

"What's going on here? Why are so many people gathered here?"

Section Chief Zhao stepped forward and explained the situation to Li Huaide. After listening, Li Huaide nodded, his eyes sweeping over Jia Zhangshi sitting on the ground and Qin Huairu beside her. When his gaze landed on Qin Huairu, his eyes lit up slightly.

This woman, though heavily pregnant, possessed a captivating charm in her eyes and a coy, alluring demeanor. Hearing that Jia Dongxu was crippled, he wondered if his replacement would be... Several thoughts raced through Li Huaide's mind.

Clearing his throat, he walked to the center of the crowd and said loudly, "Fellow workers, fellow passersby! Please listen to me! This old lady's son is Jia Dongxu, a worker at our factory. We have already investigated the circumstances of his injury. He was robbed on his way home late at night after winning money gambling outside, and both his legs were broken!"

"What kind of behavior is gambling? It's illegal! It damages social morals and the image of the working class! Comrade Jia Dongxu bears a great deal of responsibility for the serious injury he caused through his illegal activities! But our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill values ​​human relationships and care!"

"Considering his severe injuries and disability, and the genuine hardship his family faces, the factory leadership, after careful consideration, made an exception and reserved a job for him, allowing his family to take his place as apprentices, thus providing them with a means of survival! This is the maximum care our factory can offer! Yet some people, instead of being grateful for the organization's concern, are insatiably greedy, coming to the factory gate to cause trouble, attempting to extort state property! Can we tolerate such behavior?"

"No!" a worker in the crowd shouted.

"You gamble yourself and still have the nerve to cause trouble?"

"The factory is really kind of you!"

"Get her out of here, don't let her embarrass herself!"

Li Huaide nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Jia Zhangshi, his tone turning stern, "Old lady! Did you hear that? The eyes of the masses are discerning! The factory has already been more than kind to your family! If you continue to cause trouble here and disrupt the normal order of the factory, that is openly defying the organization and sabotaging production! Comrades from the security department!"

"exist!"

"If this old lady continues to cause trouble and ignores our warnings, we will take her back to the security department on charges of disrupting production order and attempting to extort public property, and deal with her seriously!"

Upon hearing the words "Security Department," Jia Zhangshi trembled, the terrifying experience of being beaten by those security guards at the hospital the night before instantly flooding her mind. Her arrogance vanished without a trace, and she scrambled to her feet, hiding behind Qin Huairu, no longer daring to utter a sound.

Qin Huairu was also frightened by Li Huaide's words and the accusations from those around her. She quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply to Li Huaide. "Leader! Leader, please don't be angry! My mother-in-law is old and doesn't understand things. She was just worried about her son and got confused! She didn't mean to cause trouble! I apologize to the factory on her behalf! I apologize to you, leader! We'll leave right now! We'll never cause the factory any more trouble!"

Looking at Qin Huairu's pitiful, tear-streaked face, especially the way she bowed, her posture, her tone, and her manner, Li Huaide felt a surge of lust. How exhilarating it would be if she were to submit to him like that! Forcing himself to remain composed, he said to Qin Huairu, "This lady is quite sensible. Seeing that you're not having an easy time, especially with your child, let's just let this go for your sake. In the future, try to persuade your mother-in-law to trust the organization and not do such foolish things again."

Qin Huai nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, thank you, leader! Thank you for your magnanimity! We will definitely remember this and never do it again!"

Li Huaide took two steps closer, adopting the kind and caring demeanor of an older comrade looking after a young female subordinate. "You're Jia Dongxu's wife, right? Now that you're taking over the factory job, do your best. If you have any difficulties in life, feel free to come to me. I'm Li Huaide, the logistics director. I'll definitely consider any help I can."