Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Everyone came out and gathered in the front yard. Aunt Er was wailing and crying, but there was nothing she could do. She just watched as the things Yan Bugui had taken from the school were identified one by one and spread out on the open ground in the front yard.

Not only that, the Yan brothers, Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang, were also brought back to the site to identify and correct any deficiencies.

This is practically forcing a child to betray their own family for the greater good!

That's like killing someone by breaking their spirit!

Would the two children dare to fool Yan Bugui in front of the school leaders?

No way!

So he actually took the initiative to tell Yan Bugui some things that Yan Bugui hadn't said, which almost made Yan Bugui so angry that he passed out.

What a good child!

A successor!

There are a lot of items, but they are not actually very valuable. They probably only cost about ten yuan in total.

The largest things there were just a small three-legged stool, a dilapidated desk, and a broken little blackboard.

but--

This is undermining socialism!

That's a huge mistake! But it depends on the school's attitude.

After the cleanup was completed, the school leaders and security guards took Yan Bugui away and brought him back for questioning.

Furthermore, because Yi Zhonghai gave Yan Bugui fifty yuan, the steel mill's security guards also took Yi Zhonghai away for investigation. He hasn't been able to go to work lately, so he's staying at home, making him easy prey. The deaf old lady hasn't even left the backyard yet, and Liu Cuilan is too lazy to deal with these things, so naturally she won't go to call her.

She'd love to be widowed!

Yi Zhonghai is probably taking him to the school for joint trial. It's unclear whether this counts as hiring someone to commit assault.

The investigation and testimony of Zhang Dabiao have been completed. Now it all depends on what the school's final statement will be. In addition, Zhang Dabiao also has a medical certificate from the hospital showing suspected nerve rupture in his hand.

Actually, Zhang Dabiao was faking it. His hand was perfectly fine, just a little numb and bleeding from a cut.

Furthermore, the school leaders instructed Zhang Dabiao to always trust the school.

The subtext is: We'll stand up for you, but don't act rashly and take it to the education bureau!

Zhang Dabiao said he understood, and only then did the school leaders leave the courtyard.

Second Aunt (formerly Third Aunt Yang Ruihua) sat on the ground and cried loudly. The two Yan brothers were at a loss, and Yan Jiedi also cried along with her mother.

Zhang Dabiao shook his head—

Do not live by committing sins.

I have a grudge against Yi Zhonghai and his group, so why are you, Yan Bugui, meddling in my business?

Isn't this courting death?

As for the Yan brothers being implicated, there's nothing we can do about it.

I had already written a complaint letter, intending to go see Principal Feng alone and let the matter be handled internally by the school. But I still need to ask the school to help me skip a grade, so I have to give the principal some face, right?

If the school doesn't take action, then you can file a formal complaint with the education bureau. However, if you take this step, the school leaders will also be implicated, and things could get complicated.

But I didn't expect Yan Bugui to be so ruthless today, so I'm sorry.

Publicly executed in front of all school leaders, teachers, and students!

The school has no choice but to deal with this seriously.

Zhang Dabiao shook his head and turned back to the Intermediate People's Court.

Qin Jingru stayed by his side, bringing him a recliner, lighting his cigarettes, and cooking for him.

She was busy running around, just like a professional nanny.

You know what, with Qin Jingru watching over and cleaning the house every day, it's actually quite clean, and it has a lot of a warm, homey feel to it.

Speaking of everyday life—"Jingru, give me a pound of cured pork, I need to nourish myself!"

------------

That evening, Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui were both released and went straight back to their rooms, closing the door tightly. No one knew what the outcome of their case was.

Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, Liu Guangqi, Yan Jiecheng, and the others only found out about this when they returned.

Sha Zhu wanted to accuse Zhang Dabiao of being too ruthless, but he ended up reporting Yan Bugui. What will his family of six eat and drink?

But when he saw that Zhang Dabiao's hands were all bandaged, he also felt that Yan Bugui had gone too far.

So in the end, he didn't say it aloud and went to Yi Zhonghai's house to inquire about the news.

However, Qin Huairu took the lunchbox when she entered the courtyard. Yu Shui pouted and had no choice but to borrow some food from Zhang Dabiao. Zhang Dabiao simply invited her to eat with him and said she could pay him back later when she had the money. He also lent her some food when she left.

Rainwater—[Will I have money later? How could I possibly have money? How would I pay it back? Or should I take it back with me?]

After dinner, Xu Damao, Liu Guangqi, and others came over and asked all sorts of questions. Zhang Dabiao dismissed them with a few words, saying he was still waiting for news. He didn't know how the school would handle it, so he decided to wait and see.

Xu Damao also brought news that her mother had inquired about: Lou Xiao'e would be free next Sunday and could come over for a meal and get-together, but Zhang Dabiao couldn't let things go wrong.

Zhang Dabiao said he understood!

There are also some really good stuff in the freezer, like chicken, pork, beef, and grilled fish, but I won't go into detail—

Have you ever seen a giant deep-sea squid from Inner Mongolia in 2000?

This is a super rare item that's been frozen for 24 years!

He's older than you, Lou Xiao'e!

Guaranteed to be just the right taste!

In the words of Zhang Dabiao's grandmother from later generations, once you're inside the refrigerator, you're as old as the heavens.

If there is a power outage, half of the ancient artifacts will be lost or destroyed!

No, next Sunday is Valentine's Day, February 14th!

What does it mean to come for dinner at this time?

Also, Yan Jiecheng didn't come over for a cigarette...

If he were to arrive at this moment, Zhang Dabiao wouldn't know what to say.

You know what a mess this is. I had just gotten on better terms with the three Yan brothers when his father started causing this trouble again over 50 yuan.

Isn't this just asking for trouble?

------------

February 6, 1960, the tenth day of the first lunar month, Saturday;

Suitable activities: getting married, visiting relatives and friends, traveling, signing contracts, making transactions, receiving money, opening a business, breaking ground, praying for blessings, offering sacrifices, digging a well, consecrating a site, and praying for a child;

Taboos: Moving into a new house, taking in livestock, burial, building a livestock shed, building a stove, felling trees, and building beams.

People went to work or went to school as usual. Zhang Dabiao set up a recliner in the yard and looked at his third-grade Chinese textbook, muttering to himself and reading it aloud so he could memorize it.

As for whether it's awkward or not, it doesn't matter.

There was a small stove for heating, with hot water on it. In front of it was a small table with brewed tea, a box of Daqianmen tea, and some dried fruit and other snacks.

Zhang Dabiao sat there, smoking a cigarette, sipping tea, and reading a book.

As for his hand—it was basically fine as soon as he woke up this morning, Zhang Dabiao himself thought it was an exaggeration.

He kept wondering if it was even his own body, since at least half of it had been used as "supplements" in his little den.

Does it refresh health status daily?

Otherwise, how could it have healed so quickly?

Early in the morning, Qin Jingru was busy running around, and then went out to buy him breakfast. This morning he wanted to eat fried dough sticks, fried dough rings, and soy milk.

To be honest, Zhang Dabiao is now no different from a landlord or rich man.

When other neighbors passed by and saw him like this, they were very embarrassed. His hands were wrapped up like a rice dumpling, yet he was still pretending to be refined by reading a book, taking a puff of cigarette and a sip of tea. What else could he be doing but pretending to be refined?

But you could at least change the book!

What's the meaning of you holding a third-grade elementary school Chinese textbook?

(Zhang Dabiao—I'd like to switch, but I don't have one. How about you get me a copy of "Little Imperial Uncle"?)

"Zhang Dabiao".

"what?"

Zhang Dabiao looked up and saw that it was Sha Zhu.

He was carrying a basin out to wash up when, for some reason, he walked right up to me.

"I mean, did you really have to make things so bad for Uncle San?"

"They live in the same courtyard. One person supports a family of six. If you report them, how will they survive?"

"If you have something to say, come to the yard. Is it really necessary to be so reckless?"

"How do you plan to resolve this now?"

"Zhang Dabiao, I advise you to be kind and more magnanimous."