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

He Yuzhu found today's work at the steel mill canteen utterly boring. Since being promoted to deputy canteen manager, he was only responsible for the small kitchens and hospitality dishes; the canteen manager oversaw the overall coordination, and he wasn't involved in the communal cooking. He hadn't done a single thing all day, and seeing there were no tasks to complete in the afternoon, he left early.

As soon as he stepped into the front yard, he sensed something was wrong. Three or five neighbors were gathered in the corridor, discussing something, occasionally glancing towards the middle yard. He Yuzhu's heart sank. Could something have happened at home again? Surely not. These beasts hadn't completely behaved themselves; they were already up to something again after only one day? Thinking this, he quickened his pace.

Upon entering the courtyard, there were even more people. A group of people were gathered near the Jia family's gate, pointing and whispering. He Yuzhu immediately spotted his younger sister, He Yushui, standing guard at the gate, peeking out with her little head, listening to the surrounding chatter with a gossipy expression.

"Rain!" He Yuzhu called out and walked over quickly.

"Brother! You're back!" He Yushui was naturally happy to see her brother return. Her little face beamed with joy. She tugged at He Yuzhu's sleeve and pulled him towards the house. "Brother, come inside and warm up. The stove has been burning for a while."

He Yuzhu let his sister pull him into the house, closing the door behind him. Seeing He Yushui's flushed face from the gossip, he asked irritably, "Tell me, what's going on with all those people blocking the Jia family's door? Looks like something serious. Is Jia Dongxu lying dead in the hospital?"

He Yushui quickly pulled her brother to sit down on a chair, made him a cup of tea, and then told him what she had heard after returning.

"Brother, this is terrible! This afternoon, Jia Zhangshi went crazy and slapped Qin Huairu to the ground! Then Qin Huairu bled a lot, it was terrifying! I heard from the aunties that Qin Huairu might not be able to save her baby, and she's in the hospital being treated right now. The aunties who just came back said the operating room still isn't open. They came back to get money from Jia Zhangshi, but look, the door is blocked tight, and no one inside responds to anyone calling!"

He Yuzhu frowned deeply. He never expected that Qin Huairu would face such a great calamity in his rebirth. He hoped she wouldn't actually die like this! Those two little beasts weren't even born yet; if she died like this, who would he seek revenge against in his past life?

But then, a surge of joy welled up inside him—good news! That old fat woman, Jia Zhangshi, had finally brought this upon herself! Domestic violence leading to her daughter-in-law's miscarriage—if this got to the Women's Federation, it would be a serious crime! It was like a godsend; he'd been hoping for a chance to teach that old hag a lesson!

In his past life, this fat old woman was treated like Empress Dowager Cixi, pampered with the best food and drink, and lived to the ripe old age of eighty-one, enjoying a life of luxury. She was probably still smugly scheming about her entire life before she died. Meanwhile, Sha Zhu froze to death under a bridge the following year!

In this life, he would make this fat, wretched woman taste all the bitterness of life. Now, wasn't that the opportunity?

With that thought in mind, I told my younger sister to watch the house, then hurriedly went out to the Women's Federation office in the neighborhood.

People are in high spirits when they have good news, and in less than twenty minutes, He Yuzhu arrived at the street office compound. He went straight to the Women's Federation office, knocked on the door, and went in. He got straight to the point and reported to Director Liu of the Women's Federation, who was sitting at her office, about the domestic violence that Jia Zhangshi had committed against Qin Huairu, which had resulted in Qin Huairu being in the hospital for emergency treatment.

"Bang!" Director Liu slammed his hand on the table. "What?! Such a thing happened?! In the land of Xinhua, right here in Beijing, under the clear blue sky, how could such a heinous incident of humiliating women occur? It's utterly lawless!" A group of female cadres standing nearby were also filled with righteous indignation.

"Where is that old woman? Where is she now, and what is she doing? Comrade, which compound do you live in?"

"She's still hiding at home. The hospital needs to pay, and the neighbors have been knocking on the door, but she won't open it no matter what," He Yuzhu replied. "Director Liu, I live in courtyard number 95. This Jia Zhangshi is a notorious shrew in our neighborhood. She's always beating and scolding her daughter-in-law. She's over nine months pregnant and still works every day. This fat old woman weighs almost 200 pounds herself, and all she does is eat and sleep. She's completely supported by her son and daughter-in-law."

"Courtyard No. 95? Isn't that the courtyard of that beast? I never imagined that not only did they bully the working people, but just a few days later, there was this heinous incident of them abusing their daughter-in-law, causing her to miscarry! Is this still the land of Xinhua? How can we allow this bunch of beasts to run rampant and lawless in this courtyard!"

He Yuzhu rubbed his nose. "You can criticize all you want, but don't draw such a big circle. There are still good people in this courtyard, like my sister and me."

Without further ado, Director Liu immediately assembled a group of ten people: four women's affairs officers, five women's federation inspectors, and they marched in a grand procession towards courtyard house number 95. Some of them carried ropes, some carried rulers, and one even carried a gun, attracting the attention of passersby. It was clear at a glance that some fool had bullied a woman and crossed the line with the Women's Federation.

Rushing to courtyard number 95, guided by He Yuzhu, they headed straight for the Jia family's house in the central courtyard. The neighbors, who were still watching the commotion, quickly made way. These days, the Women's Federation's influence was no joke. There are three things people fear most: the security department, the police station, and the Women's Federation.

In theory, these women can manage almost anything, not just women's and children's rights. Look at those middle-aged women with red armbands, commonly known as patrol officers. They can question anyone they see suspicious on the street—that's the power granted by the Women's Federation. They possess some public order authority. Otherwise, what do you think the guns, rulers, and ropes the female cadres carry are for? They're for beating and arresting people.

"Mrs. Jia! Open the door! The Women's Federation is here. They want to ask you some questions. Open the door! Open the door!" He Yuzhu, who loved watching the drama unfold, pounded on the Jia family's door.

The house was completely silent, eerily quiet.

"Ms. Jia Zhang! I know you're in there! Hiding won't help! Open the door now and cooperate with the Women's Federation's investigation!" Director Liu also stepped forward and shouted.

There has still been no response.

Deputy Director Cao was furious. "This is the first time I've ever seen anyone who doesn't respect the Women's Federation! What kind of monsters and freaks live in this courtyard at number 95? I've really seen something new today!"

"Smash the door open!" came the order.

Several burly women stepped forward and kicked the Jia family's thin door seven or eight times. The door couldn't withstand the damage and was smashed open with a loud bang!

Everyone rushed in. They saw Jia Zhangshi huddled in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), her head covered by a quilt, trembling like a leaf. Banggeng, on the other hand, was hiding in another corner, his face pale with fear.