Courtyard House: Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) Traded for an Aircraft Carrier, the Whole Count

"Who?" Jiang Chen asked knowingly, but his gaze remained calm as still water. He even slowly took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket and tossed one to Xu Damao.

Xu Damao hurriedly took the cigarette, not even bothering to light it, and lowered his voice, his face showing the excitement of catching someone in the act: "Who else could it be? Second Uncle Liu Haizhong! Ever since that old bastard became the acting First Uncle, he's really thought he's something special. Last night, I got up in the middle of the night and saw him sneaking off to that abandoned cellar in the backyard, clutching a cloth bag. After he left, I slipped in and rummaged through... Hey! Guess what?"

Xu Damao kept Jiang Chen in suspense for a moment, but when Jiang Chen didn't respond, he quickly revealed the answer himself, taking out a crumpled little ledger and several colorful receipts from his pocket and slapping them on the stone table in front of Jiang Chen.

"That old man intercepted all the match coupons and soap coupons that the neighborhood committee gave to several extremely poor households in our compound! Although it wasn't much from each household, this is still embezzling public welfare funds! It's all recorded in the ledger, clearly showing which household had half a bar of soap taken from them on which day, and which household had a box of matches taken from them on which day."

Jiang Chen picked up the small ledger and flipped through it. The handwriting was crooked and messy, revealing a petty and stingy attitude. For a few cents, they would do such a despicable thing. This really fit Liu Haizhong's character of "ambitious but incompetent, greedy for small gains".

"If the security department gets involved, they'll have to file a case, and he'll have to go to jail." Jiang Chen closed the ledger, his fingers tapping lightly on the cover, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound.

Xu Damao listened with a mixture of anticipation and fear in his eyes.

"However," Jiang Chen changed the subject, a playful smile playing on his lips, "why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Making a fuss about this little thing with the factory makes our yard look unruly. Da Mao, I'll leave this to you."

"Me?" Xu Damao pointed to his nose, then paused for a moment.

"Yes, deal with him right here in the courtyard." Jiang Chen tossed the account book back to Xu Damao and lit his cigarette for him. "There's a courtyard-wide meeting tonight, and you'll preside over it. This old bastard has been putting on airs and putting you down a lot, hasn't he? Today, I'll let you turn the tables and be the master again."

Xu Damao took a deep drag of his cigarette. The acrid smoke made him cough, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter, eventually turning as red as two flames.

For so many years, he had been a doormat in this courtyard. Sha Zhu beat him, the First Uncle bullied him, and the Second Uncle scolded him. Today, it was finally Xu Damao's turn to hold his head high and trample that arrogant Second Uncle underfoot!

"Brother! Hold on tight!" Xu Damao gritted his teeth, a ferocious glint in his eyes. "If I don't skin this old bastard alive, I'm not Xu!"

……

After dinner, the central courtyard of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) once again became bustling with activity.

Unlike the somber and oppressive atmosphere of previous meetings hosted by Yi Zhonghai, today's conference exuded a chilling aura. The old, worn-out gong, which was only struck on major holidays, was being pounded with deafening force by Xu Damao.

"Meeting time! Meeting time! Everyone in the hospital, young and old, come out! It's important!"

Liu Haizhong, with his hands behind his back and a potbelly sticking out, strode out of the backyard. He still wore his usual reserved smile, mimicking that of a leader, and pondered whether he should give another lecture on "respecting the elderly and caring for the young" today, while also consolidating his authority as the acting old man.

However, when he saw Xu Damao standing in the center of the octagonal table with a murderous look on his face, and Jiang Chen sitting in the armchair next to him, drinking tea and watching the show, his heart skipped a beat and an ominous premonition surged up.

"Xu Damao! What are you banging on the gong for? Who told you to sit in that spot? That's where I sit!" Liu Haizhong spoke first, trying to use his official authority to suppress the crowd.

"Grandpa?" Xu Damao sneered, then suddenly kicked over the stool next to him with a loud crash, startling everyone in the courtyard.

"Liu Haizhong! You still have the nerve to call yourself 'Grandpa'? I think you're like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—you're up to no good!"

Xu Damao's shout completely stunned Liu Haizhong.

Before Liu Haizhong could react, Xu Damao slammed the small ledger and a stack of receipts on the table, pointed at Liu Haizhong's nose, and spat as he spoke:

"Everyone, open your eyes wide and look! This is our highly respected Second Uncle! The match coupons and soap coupons that the neighborhood committee gave to Zhang Dama, Li the Cripple, and a few other poor families were all embezzled by this old bastard! He even dared to confiscate the life-saving supplies for orphans and widows! Liu Haizhong, are you even human? Have you lost your conscience?"

This bombshell instantly ignited the entire venue.

The families named in the news were initially taken aback, but then they realized what was happening, and their eyes reddened. In those days of scarcity, a soap coupon was a valuable commodity, enough to buy half a pound of cornmeal!

"Liu Haizhong! How could you do such a despicable thing?!"

"So that's why we've been issuing fewer and fewer invoices these past few months! Turns out it was you, you old geezer, who was behind it all!"

"Down with the corrupt officials! Down with Liu Haizhong!"

The anger of the masses is most easily ignited, especially when their own interests are involved. In an instant, spittle and rotten vegetable leaves flew towards Liu Hai like raindrops.

Liu Haizhong panicked completely. He tried to defend himself and put on airs, but faced with irrefutable evidence and an angry crowd, his ridiculous official prestige crumbled instantly.

"I...I was just keeping it safe for you! I didn't..." Liu Haizhong's face turned pale as he stammered, trying to explain.

"Store it? Store it in your own cellar?" Xu Damao pressed on relentlessly, closing in step by step. His long, horse-like face was filled with the smug satisfaction of a petty person who had gotten away with something. "Liu Haizhong, aren't you usually the one who loves to spout official jargon? Aren't you the one who loves to lecture us on being good people? How come you become like this when it comes to yourself?"

"You...you..." Liu Haizhong trembled with anger, his finger shaking as he pointed at Xu Damao, unable to catch his breath.

His biggest dream in life was to become an official, and he valued his reputation above all else. Now, in front of the entire compound, Xu Damao, whom he usually looked down upon, had ripped off his face and trampled it on the ground. This humiliation was worse than death for him.

"What do you mean, 'you'?! Get down here!"

Xu Damao gave a sudden shove.

Liu Haizhong was already furious and his legs gave way. He collapsed to the ground with a thud, like a tattered sack full of straw. His eyes rolled back, his mouth twisted, and he began to convulse on the spot.

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in gasps of surprise.

"I'm dizzy! Second Uncle is so angry he's fainted!"

Jiang Chen then put down his teacup, slowly stood up, and walked over to Liu Haizhong, who was lying on the ground, to take a look.

"Take him to the hospital, it looks like a stroke." His tone was as calm as if he were commenting on the nice weather. "Deduct the medical expenses from the money he embezzled."

Several strong young men hurriedly carried Liu Haizhong out, while his second aunt followed behind, wailing and lamenting.

The courtyard returned to calm, leaving only a mess and the lingering smell of gunpowder.

Jiang Chen turned around and looked at Xu Damao, who was standing by the octagonal table, looking spirited but somewhat at a loss.

The once imposing Second Uncle was now carried away like a dead dog; while Xu Damao, the former doormat, now stood at the center of power, enjoying the attention of everyone.

This is a reshuffling of power.

"From now on, Da Mao, please take good care of things in the courtyard." Jiang Chen patted Xu Da Mao on the shoulder, his voice not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the room.

Xu Damao shuddered, his back instantly bending at a ninety-degree angle, his face plastered with a fawning and fanatical smile: "I'll do whatever you say, brother! If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west!"

Jiang Chen nodded and turned to walk towards the backyard.

The world in the courtyard has changed. Yi Zhonghai has fallen, Liu Haizhong is crippled, and all that remains are nothing more than puppets on strings.