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

Yi Zhonghai stood dejectedly before Director Liu, unable to meet his gaze. His current state reminded He Yuzhu of the scenes in TV dramas from her past life where convicts faced their guards—it was practically identical. In truth, it was almost the same. Given Yi Zhonghai's current status, he was no different from a convict in Director Liu's eyes; neither had any human rights whatsoever.

Director Liu stopped looking at the old man, who was frantic and looked like a lost dog. He scanned the room and raised his voice, "Who is Yi Zhonghai's wife? Is Comrade Zhang Guifen here?"

All eyes turned to the entrance of the east wing. Zhang Guifen, an older woman, trembled at being called by name. She instinctively tried to shrink back, but the gazes of those around her and Director Liu's stare left her nowhere to hide. Twisting the hem of her clothes tightly, she lowered her head and slowly moved to face Director Liu, burying her face even lower, her voice barely audible, "I...I am Zhang Guifen."

Director Liu, seeing her cowering appearance, grew even angrier. What suffering had she endured to become like this? This old man was utterly wicked! She softened her tone as much as possible, "Comrade Zhang Guifen, don't be afraid. Our Women's Federation is here to stand up for women. Regarding the situation this young comrade just reported—that your husband, Yi Zhonghai, has been abusing and insulting you for a long time because of fertility issues—is that true?"

Zhang Guifen glanced up sharply at Yi Zhonghai, whose face was ashen, then quickly lowered her head again, not daring to utter a sound. Years of submissiveness, inferiority, and guilt had completely imprisoned her.

"Comrade Zhang Guifen!" Director Liu shouted, "Raise your head! What are you afraid of? Having children is a matter for both husband and wife. Why should all the blame be placed on the woman when problems arise? This is feudal dross! It's a cancer of the old society! The new China advocates gender equality, and women hold up half the sky! Our Women's Federation is your home, we're here to support you! If Yi Zhonghai dares to lay a finger on you again because of this, come directly to the Women's Federation! We will never tolerate this kind of oppression of women!"

Director Liu glared at Yi Zhonghai, whose face was ashen, and continued, "The reason we're going to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow is to find out the truth. Even if the final results show the problem is with you, it's not your fault! Nor is it a reason for Yi Zhonghai to beat, scold, or insult you at will! If he can't do it, then our Women's Federation supports you separating from him! What's rightfully yours will be yours in every way! Half of the house, the money, and all the belongings will be yours! The organization will uphold justice for you!"

These words exploded in Zhang Guifen's ears like thunder, echoing throughout the entire Intermediate People's Court. "Dividing the family property? Support from the Women's Federation?" These were words she had never dared to imagine in the past few decades. Even now, a light appeared in her eyes.

"Conversely, if the investigation proves the problem lies with Yi Zhonghai... Hmph!" Director Liu's gaze sharpened like a knife as she glared at Yi Zhonghai. "Then what certain people have done to you over the years is nothing but utter slander, humiliation, and abuse! We'll settle all accounts, old and new! Our Women's Federation will definitely pursue this to the end! We'll make him pay the price he deserves!"

Yi Zhonghai trembled at these words, instinctively taking a half-step back, his face instantly turning pale. He dared not imagine the outcome, much less the scene after the result was announced.

Zhang Guifen's breathing became noticeably rapid. "Director Liu, is what you're saying true? The inability to have children isn't entirely the woman's problem? Can the man also have a problem and be unable to conceive?" This question had tormented her for most of her life and had become an indelible original sin on her body.

"Of course it's true!" Director Liu answered decisively. Then, her gaze swept over the surrounding neighbors, especially the women. "What? Don't you all know? Our Women's Federation distributes so many promotional materials every year, emphasizing that childbirth is a shared responsibility of both husband and wife! Has your hospital never organized any training sessions? Don't you even know these basic facts?"

The people in the courtyard looked at each other, most of them blank. Indeed, knowledge about childbirth and scientific examinations were both unfamiliar and difficult to talk about for these residents, most of whom were not highly educated and accustomed to old ideas. "Having a child is just a matter of whether a woman's womb is fertile or not. What does it have to do with the man?" This was their deeply ingrained idea.

Upon seeing this, Director Liu's anger flared. "Fine! It seems all the work our Women's Federation has done in your No. 95 compound over the years has been for nothing! Have all the propaganda materials been given away to the dogs? Or have we simply not organized any study sessions or propaganda at all? What have the liaison officers in this compound been doing all this time?"

Just then, He Yuzhu added insult to injury, "Director Liu, to be honest, when these three old rightists were liaison officers in our compound, they never talked about studying documents from higher authorities or promoting national policies at general meetings. Their meetings were either about respecting the elderly and caring for the young, or about setting rules for the whole compound, saying that matters within the compound should be resolved within the compound itself, and that we shouldn't go out and talk to the authorities, and that we should maintain the unity and honor of the compound. As for the various study materials and propaganda posters issued by the street office... I'm afraid they've long since treated them as waste paper, using them to start fires or wipe their own behinds?"

Director Liu flew into a rage. "This is utterly lawless! They treat national policies and directives like scraps of paper, and ignore the propaganda work of the street committee and the Women's Federation. This is clearly setting up an independent kingdom! A mere liaison officer, acting so recklessly, has no respect for the organization? No respect for the law?! I think simply labeling them as rightists is far from enough! This kind of person should be paraded through the streets! They should be sent to a labor camp! They should be exiled to the Northwest to eat sand! To thoroughly reform their reactionary thinking!"

These words nearly caused Yi Zhonghai to suffer a stroke on the spot. He felt dizzy and even hallucinated that he was being paraded through the streets and criticized. The old man, now covered in sweat, was somewhat sobered by the cold wind and struggled to stay upright so as not to collapse to the ground.

In the distance, Liu Haizhong looked even worse. His already bloated body could no longer support him, and he slid softly down the wall to the ground, a wet patch quickly spreading across his crotch—he had been so frightened that he had urinated incontinent!

Seeing how despicable these people were, Director Liu's eyes filled with even more disdain. "Hmph, if only they had known this would happen! It's all because that Wang fellow deceived his superiors and did nothing. If I had known earlier that there was such a bunch of troublemakers in this courtyard, I would have stormed in and changed the world long ago! But it's not too late now. We can start by making a breakthrough with Yi Zhonghai's reproductive health and begin to clean things up!"