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

Life had to go on, and the cold of the snow couldn't overcome the longing for warmth. After wallowing in self-pity for over ten minutes, Yi Zhonghai finally got up. He valued his life highly; life had to go on, and lying there like this would only make him a laughingstock, serving no purpose whatsoever.

He brushed the snow off his clothes, his face now devoid of any emotion—truly a heartless and ruthless old man. He had adapted to his surroundings so quickly, or perhaps he had simply forgotten the meaning of shame.

Head down, he walked step by step towards his house. He was, after all, the head of the household; the family's income depended on his salary. Even if Zhang Guifen harbored resentment, she couldn't escape this reality. Going back, saying a few kind words, apologizing, and giving her a little more leeway would be enough; life would continue as before. His several backers had all fallen, his elderly parents were crippled, and his reputation was ruined. Now, the only thing he could hold onto was his family. As for He Yuzhu… A gentleman takes revenge, even after ten years.

As Yi Zhonghai entered the house, the snow gradually intensified. Since there was no more excitement to watch, everyone prepared to disperse and go home to attend to their household chores.

Just then, a female staff member dressed in cadre attire walked in; she looked to be in her early twenties. Her entry into the courtyard immediately attracted everyone's attention.

"Excuse me, neighbors!" The female officer saw that so many people had gathered here, and the opportunity was perfect. She immediately raised her voice, "I'm from the neighborhood office. As you all probably know, Comrade Jia Dongxu is seriously injured and hospitalized, and Comrade Qin Huairu has just given birth and needs to recuperate. Right now, there's simply no one in the hospital to take care of them. Especially since they have a five-year-old child at home who has no one to look after him."

Our neighborhood committee leaders discussed this and hope to mobilize the spirit of mutual assistance among neighbors in the courtyard. We'd like to temporarily ask one male resident to help care for Jia Dongxu at the hospital, and one female resident to look after Qin Huairu and the newborn. The neighborhood committee can provide a subsidy of 50 cents per day. Additionally, Jia's child, Banggeng, also needs temporary care for a few days until the adults in his family are free. Does anyone know of any neighbors willing to help with this?

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent.

None of the neighbors responded. Fifty cents a day? It didn't sound like much, but taking care of someone in the hospital with broken legs and a potentially bad temper, plus dealing with their bodily needs, was exhausting and not worth it. Qin Huairu was in a similar situation; just staying up all night to care for the baby was enough to keep her busy. Fifty cents was definitely not a good deal. Even if Yang Ruihua were there, he might not have taken the job.

The female officer waited a while, and seeing no response, she grew a little anxious. "Everyone, let's show some consideration! The hospital is pressing us hard; they said if no one goes to help, they'll report it to their superiors! Besides, this Jia family child is cooped up indoors in this cold weather. What if something happens to him? It would look bad for our neighborhood committee and our entire compound!"

Still no one answered. Some people were even already heading home.

Just as the female staff members were all looking anxious, a voice came.

"Comrade, don't rush."

He Yuzhu brushed the snowflakes off his clothes, walked forward unhurriedly, smiled at the female cadre, and said, "Comrade, my surname is He, and I am the deputy director of the canteen at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. You can leave this matter to me. I can not only solve the problem, but also save the street office money."

The female staff member's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she quickly stepped forward. "Director He, oh dear, this is wonderful! You have no idea how worried our director has been about the Jia family's situation; his hair has almost turned white. Please tell me, do you have any good ideas?"

He Yuzhu gave the female cadre a mysterious smile, "What's so difficult about that?" Then he shouted towards the east wing, "Yi Zhonghai! Come out! The leaders from the street office want to discuss the Jia family matter with you. Do you think you can get away with it by hiding inside?"

Yi Zhonghai had come out to take a look when the female cadre was speaking, and immediately felt a sense of foreboding. He had a premonition that this trouble would most likely fall on his shoulders. He was just about to play dead to avoid it when he was called out by name. He hated He Yuzhu with a vengeance, but he didn't dare not come out. He was now a convict, and his treatment was only slightly better than that of a labor camp inmate. He walked out with his head down, dawdling.

He Yuzhu looked at the young and beautiful female officer and, almost without thinking, asked, "What's your name, officer?"

The female staff member didn't seem to mind and replied directly, "My name is Song Li. Director He, you can call me Xiao Song from now on."

"Oh, Officer Song, it's like this. This person is one of the right-hand men in our courtyard at number 95. As for why he wears the right-hand mantle, I'm sure you know, Officer Song, right?"

Xiao Song nodded, but his expression darkened when he looked at Yi Zhonghai. After all, the good news had thrown their neighborhood office into chaos, and they'd heard that all their New Year's gifts and benefits had been cancelled. His personal interests had been harmed, and the fact that he hadn't gone up and slapped the old man twice was already a testament to his high level of awareness.

"Comrade, what you don't know is that this man is Jia Dongxu's master, the kind of master who kowtows to the old generation, someone who is very particular about the proper master-disciple and father-son relationship. Now that his own disciple is in trouble, crying out for help in the hospital with no one to turn to, how can he, as the master, stand idly by? If he can ignore this, is he even human?"

Yi Zhonghai suddenly raised his head, his face drained of color, and tried to explain himself.

Before he could even speak, He Yuzhu interrupted him, "Yi Zhonghai! You used to be all over the place in the courtyard, spouting all that neighborhood mutual aid and respect for the elderly and children, always saying how miserable the Jia family was and asking everyone to help. You said if we didn't help, we were heartless and against all reason! What, now that your dear apprentice is crippled, you want to just abandon him? What was the point of all that talk? The Jia family is already in so much trouble, what's wrong with you contributing a little?"

"I've made the decision. There's no need for the neighborhood committee to pay for help. Tomorrow I'll go to the steel mill and help you get a month's leave. Today, you and Aunt Yi should celebrate properly; after all, the test results are in, and it's a relief. Starting tomorrow, go directly to the hospital and take care of Jia Dongxu full-time. Come back together when Jia Dongxu is discharged. This way, you can preserve your teacher-student relationship and also solve a big problem for the neighborhood committee—a win-win situation, isn't it?"

Listening to He Yuzhu's endless chatter, Yi Zhonghai was so angry he almost became paralyzed on the spot. He raised his finger, which trembled violently like a Parkinson's patient, and pointed at He Yuzhu. "You, you, you, after stammering for a long time," he finally managed to squeeze out a few words, "He Yuzhu, this kid is really fucking bad."