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

Zhang Dabiao looked at Sha Zhu as if he were an idiot, and even picked his ear.

"I didn't hear you clearly, Sha Zhu. You're advising me to be kind and generous?"

Are you sure?

Many neighbors in the courtyard looked at Sha Zhu with puzzled expressions.

This is a feud between Zhang Dabiao and Yan Bugui, what does it have to do with you, Sha Zhu?

He Yushui was too lazy to care about Sha Zhu anymore. After packing her things, she went to school. She had borrowed some food from Zhang Dabiao yesterday, and Qin Jingru would occasionally bring back some snacks to share with her, so she wouldn't go hungry for a while.

As for Sha Zhu...

Forget it, I really can't control it.

With Qin Jingru at home, there was no need to worry about cleaning or guarding the house, so He Yushui went straight out. She was hoping to graduate high school and start working as soon as possible; she had given up on going to university and just wanted to leave this troublesome place in the courtyard house. (He Yushui was 16-17 years old, a sophomore in high school.)

Zhang Dabiao, feeling increasingly uneasy under Sha Zhu's gaze, said, "You, Sha Zhu, are advising me to be kind? To be magnanimous?"

"You're so aloof, so impressive."

"Where were you when the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai were plotting against my house and workplace?"

"Where were you when Yi Zhonghai paid Yan Bugui to frame me?"

"Now you're trying to act all high and mighty?"

"Did you even consider that after I lose my house and job, another kid who didn't even finish elementary school will come along—"

"How am I supposed to live?"

These words made Sha Zhu's face turn red and then black, but he didn't know how to refute them.

In his mind, Yan Bugui beat you up, so you beat him up too?

What you are doing now is ruining the livelihood of a family of six!

Your revenge is a bit too much.

At this moment, Zhang Dabiao moved the recliner and small table away from Sha Zhu, and then sat down again.

"What are you doing?"

"Can't you tell?"

"Stay away from you! You don't even understand anything, yet you jump out and tell me to be kind and generous? I need to stay away from you so that when lightning strikes you, I don't get caught in the crossfire. That would be so unfair to me."

"Hahahahaha—"

The neighbors burst into laughter again. Sha Zhu, unable to stand it any longer, retorted, "My good intentions have been wasted! I'm done!"

So he took the basin of water back into the house.

As he walked, Zhang Dabiao kept reminding him, "Shazhu, remember to reflect on your actions. If you still can't remember the dirty things you and Yi Zhonghai did, I'll have to take action."

"Don't cry then!"

—Bang—

Sha Zhu simply closed the door, out of sight, out of mind.

Even now, he and Yi Zhonghai still feel that nothing is wrong with them, and that Zhang Dabiao is just bluffing.

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

After dinner, another meeting was to be held in the courtyard.

Yan Jiecheng came over and called Zhang Dabiao, but didn't say much.

Zhang Dabiao, as was his habit, offered him a cigarette.

Yan Jiecheng hesitated for a moment, but still accepted it.

If they can accept the request, it means they're not mortal enemies.

Zhang Dabiao, Qin Jingru, He Yushui, Xu Damao, Liu Guangqi, and other young people gathered together as usual, with the three Yan brothers sitting nearby.

After asking around for a long time, no one knew what was going on, but Director Wang arrived with a grim face, along with Principal Feng from the school and Section Chief Xie from the steel mill's security department...

Uncle Liu (formerly Uncle Er) started the show in a pretentious manner.

"Today, this college-wide meeting is about the conflict between Teacher Yan and Zhang Dabiao. Director Wang, the school principal, and Section Chief Xie from the steel rolling mill's security department are all here to witness it."

"Teacher Yan and Zhang Dabiao, right? Everyone knows them, so today, we'll..."

"Cough cough—" Director Wang couldn't help but cough a few times.

"..." [You won't even let me speak? What's the point of me being this old man then?]

"Now let's invite Director Wang to say a few words to us."

Director Wang didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"Our subdistrict office is aware of the matter between Yan Bugui and Zhang Dabiao. First, we announce the subdistrict office's disciplinary decision—to revoke Yan Bugui's position as liaison officer for No. 95 courtyard."

"In addition, let me mention that the liaison officer system was actually established in 54 as a street and neighborhood system. After street offices and residents' committees were generally established in various places in 55, liaison officers have been cooperating with the street offices. In 58, it was replaced by the urban people's commune, but the situation in Beijing was special, so the liaison officers have continued to exist."

"But I want to emphasize again, liaison officers are not officials! They are a bridge for communication and information exchange between the public and the neighborhood office! If anyone again abuses their position as a liaison officer to bully their neighbors and act tyrannically, I will personally send them to jail!"

"Starting next week, Comrade Yan Bugui will spend time every day going to the subdistrict office for study and education, plus cleaning the toilets at the entrance of the alley for a month."

"Furthermore, the tuition fee is unreasonable; it's a product of the feudal era. Besides, Zhang Dabiao paid the school's tuition but didn't formally become your apprentice, Yan Bugui. So this isn't the kind of apprenticeship system common in factories and industries."

"When Comrade Zhang Qianshan (Zhang Bansian'er) was willing to give, that was his personal choice. Now that he's gone, you're forcing a kid who doesn't even have a job to give. The kid doesn't understand and refuses, and you even find a reason to beat him, almost crippling his hands. This is a serious moral issue."

"Is there a problem with ordering you to pay Zhang Dabiao 300 yuan for medical expenses and nutritional supplements?"

Yan Bugui, head bowed, muttered reluctantly, "Where can I possibly get so much money..."

Director Wang slammed his hand on the table: "The hospital's injury assessment report says it's suspected to be a severed nerve in the hand! A severed nerve!"

"Our country doesn't have the technology to repair this! Do you understand what that means?"

"That means he can't paint, can't learn a musical instrument, can't learn to cook, can't learn to be a fitter or electrician, can't become a doctor—"

"He can't do anything even slightly delicate! This is a lifelong matter!"

"You're cutting off his future livelihood! You're ruining his life!"

Director Wang slammed his fist on the table with a loud bang!

It was only then that the carefree and irresponsible Sha Zhu realized the severity of Zhang Dabiao's injuries. For example, Zhang Dabiao had broken his hand, but he could accept a dislocation and a fracture; he could recover with rest. But if a tendon was severed, or if it was a comminuted fracture, or if a nerve was damaged—that would be tantamount to cutting off his path as a chef, and that would be an irreconcilable feud.

He now understood what Zhang Dabiao meant by "so that I won't get caught in the crossfire when lightning strikes."

Sha Zhu really had no reason to interfere in this matter.

So he silently took a step back.

He was becoming increasingly confused in this courtyard. What he thought was right, Director Wang and the police station said was wrong; what he thought was wrong and shouldn't be done, Director Wang and the police station said was perfectly reasonable.

Ugh, my head is so itchy, I need to grow a brain!

Yan Bugui had no choice but to agree; he couldn't refuse.

In addition, the school's punishment also came.

It's a little bit ruthless.

Yan Bugui was suspended from his post, which should have resulted in his immediate dismissal. However, considering the livelihood of his family of six, he was reassigned to the position of gardener at the school-run factory. In simple terms, this meant growing vegetables in the school's small vegetable garden, with annual KPIs.

Yan Bugui had no choice but to accept it, because expulsion was a minor matter. The key issue was that after expulsion, the school would reclaim the house and reassign it. His entire family would be without work and a house, and in this year of famine, they would be left to die.

He likes growing flowers, right? Well, then you can grow as many as you want. And that way, there won't be any early departures to go fishing. You'll work 866 all year round, and while other teachers and students are on vacation during summer and winter breaks, you'll still be growing vegetables.

Didn't he used to boast and play the victim, saying that his monthly salary was only 27.5 yuan?

In reality, he earns 52 yuan a month, considering his many years of service and the homeroom teacher subsidy, etc.

but now……

My salary is only 22 yuan a month, and there's no going back...

I used to call myself a gardener, and now it's come true. Plus, I don't have time to skip work to go fishing anymore.