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

Before leaving, Director Liu gave everyone a final warning: "I hope everyone will take this as a warning, study more, and raise their awareness! Neighbors should unite and help each other, but they must not form cliques or bully others! In particular, they must respect women! Anyone who dares to have any crooked thoughts or cause trouble will not be tolerated by either the street office or the women's federation, and will be severely punished!"

After saying that, she snorted coldly, then turned around and prepared to leave with the women's federation staff.

Before the people on the other side had even left the Intermediate People's Court, Yi Zhonghai, who had witnessed the entire process, was filled with rage and could no longer contain it, and finally exploded!

He saw it all clearly: it was that bastard He Yuzhu who brought the Women's Federation to knock on the Jia family's door. That traitor always wanted to stir up trouble! Plus, he'd heard about the good news from other sources today, which only fueled his hatred for He Yuzhu! This bastard had ruined Yi Zhonghai's reputation, built up over many years; he'd destroyed his two powerful backers, Factory Director Yang and Director Wang; he'd ruined the deaf old lady; and now he wasn't even sparing the Jia family. Didn't he know how miserable the Jia family had already been?

New and old grudges made Yi Zhonghai completely forget his identity at this moment. Losing his mind, he naturally put on the airs of an old man again.

"He Yuzhu! You traitorous beast! Are you even a member of our No. 95 compound?! Compound matters are handled according to compound rules! Who gave you the right to go out and stir up trouble, bringing the Women's Federation here?! You're making the whole compound lose face!"

The old beast looked heartbroken. "No matter how wrong Aunt Jia is, she's still your elder! She's an elderly person in the neighborhood who watched you grow up! She's old and confused for a moment, can't you be a little more understanding? Can't you discuss it with everyone in the neighborhood first? Did you have to take it to the authorities and make a fool of our neighborhood for outsiders to see?! Don't you have any respect for this community? Don't you have any sense of neighborly affection?!"

"Zhu Zi! I've wasted all these years teaching you! How did I teach you to be kind and considerate? How did you turn out like this, so heartless and ungrateful? How can you face the neighbors who watched you grow up? You're cutting yourself off from the people, cutting yourself off from this family that gave you birth and raised you!"

The righteous and stern rebuke, coupled with the air of an elder disciplining a younger person, surprisingly garnered a degree of agreement from the surrounding neighbors. Indeed, regardless of the circumstances, Sha Zhu's decision to bring government officials into the courtyard was undeniably embarrassing for everyone; what about the reputation of this courtyard house?

He Yuzhu had been feeling uneasy, as if he'd forgotten something. He racked his brains for a while but couldn't remember, but Yi Zhonghai's outburst reminded him.

Oh, right, I almost forgot about you, you old bastard! You even dared to jump out and bark like that? Perfect, I'll give you some extra spice!

He Yuzhu couldn't be bothered to waste words with these beasts. Did he care about being isolated by them? What a joke! They were already sworn enemies, destined to never speak to each other again. Every single one of them in this courtyard was a bad person; they were just big beasts and little beasts.

A shout immediately stopped Director Liu, who was about to walk out of the Intermediate People's Court.

Pointing to Yi Zhonghai, who was still performing energetically and whose face was flushed, he said, "Director Liu, I have something else to report to you. This person, Yi Zhonghai, is the core leader of the small group that was forming in this courtyard, and he has just been officially identified as a rightist."

"Besides the issues that have already been dealt with, this man's violations of women's rights are also extremely serious. He has been beating, verbally abusing, and humiliating his wife, Comrade Zhang Guifen, every night without cause! The reason is simply that they have been married for many years without having children, and he blames all the blame on Comrade Zhang Guifen, calling her a barren hen, and subjecting her to personal insults and physical abuse! I live next door to him, and I often hear screams and shouts at night."

He Yuzhu looked at Director Liu with a questioning gaze, "Director Liu, I'd like to ask, is it always the woman's fault if she can't have a child?"

"He Yuzhu, you're talking nonsense! You're slandering me!" Yi Zhonghai panicked when he heard He Yuzhu mention him. On one hand, he regretted his impulsive decision to provoke this troublemaker, and on the other hand, he was afraid that the Women's Federation would accuse him of something else, which he simply couldn't handle.

Director Liu's expression was even more unpleasant than when he had faced Jia Zhangshi earlier. Jia Zhangshi was ignorant, but this Yi Zhonghai was a typical remnant of feudal patriarchal system, a backward element who treated women as reproductive tools and private property, and his behavior was even more heinous, cloaked in a veneer of righteousness! Indeed, none of the rightists are good people.

"Comrade He Yuzhu's report is extremely important! Yi Zhonghai! Who told you that infertility is always the woman's fault? Our neighborhood committee and women's federation have repeatedly emphasized that childbirth is a matter for both husband and wife and should be approached scientifically! Your behavior of shifting all the responsibility to your wife and then beating and humiliating her is a serious remnant of feudal ideology and a blatant violation of women's rights! It is illegal."

Director Liu walked directly to Yi Zhonghai and gave the order, "Yi Zhonghai, tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, bring your wife Zhang Guifen to the Women's Federation office at the subdistrict office! We will arrange for both of you to go to the district hospital for a comprehensive physical examination! To see whose problem it is!"

"And I'm warning you! Even if the final test results show that Comrade Zhang Guifen is indeed at fault, you absolutely cannot engage in any more beatings, verbal abuse, or insults! Husbands and wives are supposed to be equal! If our Women's Federation finds out again, or if any members of the public report that you continue to abuse your wife, we will directly drag you away for public criticism, parade you through the streets, or send you to a labor camp—you won't escape any of those punishments! Do you understand?"

Yi Zhonghai was struck dumb. Go to the hospital for a checkup? To have him checked for such an unspeakable problem? This was an absolute humiliation! It was even more shameful and infuriating than being slapped in public or being labeled a rightist!

And what if, just what if it really was his fault...? This thought was immediately suppressed; he didn't even dare to consider it. Wouldn't he become a colossal laughingstock? How could he ever face anyone again?

"I...I'm not going."

"Heh." Director Liu scoffed. "You think I'm negotiating with you? Who gave you the audacity to say no to me here? Who do you think you are? A former rightist, refusing to go is considered resisting reform, an even bigger crime! Yi Zhonghai, you're a convict now, you have no right to bargain! If we don't see you and your spouse by eight o'clock tomorrow, our Women's Federation comrades will personally come to your door to invite you! At that point, the situation will be completely different!"