Courtyard House: A Leisurely and Contented Life

"Stop right there! Trying to run? No way!"

"I recognize you from the steel rolling mill. If you dare to sneak away today, I'll immediately go and tell your boss!"

"I...I am..."

Deputy Factory Director Li swallowed the word "leader" back into his throat.

Should we mention the leader at this time?

What good is it if it only makes you feel even more embarrassed?

He had only one thought on his mind: how to get himself out of trouble before the police arrived.

But before he could even get halfway through his sentence, the lobby manager snapped him back at him.

"I'll pay? What are you going to use to pay?" The lobby manager spat. "At your age, you've done something so outrageous, and you still think you can fool people with money? Today, I'm asking on behalf of the common people: Is there no place in this world where justice is served?"

His voice was loud and clear, each word striking the crowd. The onlookers unconsciously moved their feet back, preferring to stay away to avoid getting splashed with dirty water and then having the blame placed on Deputy Factory Director Li.

"What's going on? Everyone, disperse!"

The sound of police whistles mingled with the sound of footsteps as several policemen pushed through the crowd.

The lobby manager looked like he'd seen a savior, his finger almost poking the tip of Deputy Factory Director Li's nose: "Comrade, it's him! Acting like a hooligan in public, look at his behavior, arrest him!" He spoke with trembling anger, his eyes burning with fury.

This old bachelor never married in his life. A couple of years ago, he begged his brother to adopt his daughter, hoping to find a son-in-law to live with him and continue the family line.

Unfortunately, my niece was pretty, from a good family background, and had some savings, so she was considered to be from a decent family in Beijing.

Unexpectedly, the son-in-law who was supposed to live with the family was nowhere to be found, but instead a hooligan was brought in. To make matters worse, the old man actually showed off his "tools" in public.

Finding a husband in the new society is already difficult enough, and now the girl's innocence is ruined, leaving him with nowhere to hide his old face.

The policeman stared at Deputy Factory Director Li, who was huddled up in a ball, and frowned: "Hey, I'm talking to you! Stand up straight!"

"Comrade, I..." Deputy Factory Director Li was so anxious that he kept wiping away sweat. It wasn't that he didn't want to cooperate, but he really couldn't stand up straight at the moment, and his legs were trembling.

"Stand up straight, did you hear me?" The policeman took two steps forward, grabbed his arm, pulled him back, and then twisted him forward. Deputy Factory Director Li cried out "Ouch!" as his back was forcibly straightened.

Well, the weapon is on, this time we're completely doomed.

"Which organization are you from? What is your position?"

At that moment, Yang Jianye squeezed through and pulled the policeman a couple of steps to the side: "Comrade, this is our steel rolling mill's deputy director. Today I'm celebrating a happy occasion, so, well..." Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of Deputy Director Li's expression and was about to stop when another policeman gave him a look, forcing him to swallow his words.

Well, his identity as the deputy director of the steel rolling mill can no longer be concealed.

Deputy Factory Director Li cursed inwardly: "If only I had known Yang Jianye was such a hothead!"

Such a big matter, can revealing your identity solve it?

At least let someone take them away first, and then try to smooth things over privately!

He insisted on shouting it out to my face, and now everything's ruined!

He even suspected that Yang Jianye was deliberately setting him up, but then he thought that he was the one who drank the wine and picked the food himself, so if he had to blame someone, he could only blame himself for getting drunk and having evil thoughts.

He slipped out under the pretense of relieving himself and happened to see the girl's back. She had a slender waist, round hips, and neat lines. The alcohol hit him hard, and he inexplicably had a wicked thought.

It's not the first time he's acted foolishly, but I don't know what got into him today, he actually decided to "stir things up."

He became increasingly angry, cursing his wife, who was like a "water bucket," for being surrounded by a dull, yellow-faced woman all day long. How could he not be tempted by a pretty girl?

If you can't marry a celestial being, then even ordinary beauties seem fresh and exciting.

Even on the verge of death, he was still trying to find a way out for himself.

"Comrade, please have mercy..." Yang Jianye was still chiming in, which calmed down Deputy Factory Director Li a little. The young man was inexperienced, so his downfall was not unjust.

He suddenly felt a little guilty for ruining someone else's happy occasion.

"Jianye, stop talking." He took a deep breath. "I'll go with you."

No one noticed that Yang Jianye glanced down and saw that Deputy Factory Director Li's bluster had dissipated, so he immediately stepped aside to make way.

The police escorted Deputy Factory Director Li out, and the lobby manager also went to the police station to give a statement.

Over there, the young man who had run to call the police earlier was escorting the girl to the backyard; the person involved had to show up.

The young man went to get his bicycle, saying he would give her a ride.

Yang Jianye watched the two figures walk away and stroked his chin: This young man's intentions are probably not pure.

But upon further reflection on what he had done, Yang Jianye twitched the corners of his mouth and laughed self-deprecatingly.

Compared to Deputy Factory Director Li? He's not exactly clean himself.

Did Yang Jianye have a grudge against him? Absolutely not.

This person has many faults; he's greedy, demanding bribes, and guilty of every single one of them.

However, Yang Jianye must acknowledge one thing: he should cherish talent.

Everyone has strengths, even the most petty people.

That's why the old saying goes, "Old Lady Jia is just a human in disguise."

Deputy Factory Director Li is quite tolerant of capable people; he can tolerate minor flaws and temper tantrums, unless you get in his way.

Yang Jianye is a capable person. So even if there are some minor conflicts, as long as Deputy Director Li is in charge and Yang Jianye is willing to back down, he can still be used.

But this situation isn't just blocking his way, it's completely blocking his path, leaving him nowhere to go.

How did Deputy Factory Director Li get promoted?

It was blown up by the wind.

What is Yang Jianye planning to do?

He wanted to turn the steel mill into a hard, smelly rock in the wind, unmoved by the wind and unbreakable by the rain.

To put it bluntly, the two are competing, and fundamentally they are at odds.

Once Deputy Factory Director Li had regained his footing and saw what Yang Jianye was about to do, he immediately wanted to strangle him without saying a word.

How to compromise? With whom to compromise?

Having no other choice, Yang Jianye had to take the initiative.

"Jianye".

Yingzi's father leaned closer, his brow furrowed with worry. "I hope this doesn't cause you any trouble today?"

He had worked at the supply and marketing cooperative for half his life and knew it inside and out.

He understood the concept of "choosing sides" very well.

Today, Deputy Factory Director Li came, but the actual Factory Director didn't show up. In his eyes, this meant that his son-in-law had chosen sides.

Now that the leader is acting like a scoundrel, will my son-in-law be implicated and ostracized in the factory?

"Dad, I've already invited the factory manager, but he's busy with something urgent and couldn't get away. He specifically asked me and Yingzi to pass on his best wishes to us." Yang Jianye spoke frankly, without mentioning any military or political affiliations; it was simply a meal, and he made sure to invite all the leaders.

"That's good, that's good." Yingzi's father breathed a sigh of relief, puffed on his cigarette, and went back to his seat to greet the guests.

The meal was enjoyable, but not a drop of wine was touched.

At that moment, nobody was in the mood for drinking, so it was best to call it a night.

The banquet may be over, but the proper etiquette must remain.

The guests were served food to each table of guests; Yingzi's parents took care of everything, from packing up the leftovers to who would take them away, with her two younger brothers, Li Aiye and Li Aimin, helping out as well.

"Jianye, your Aunt Liu is leaving!"

Hearing Yingzi's mother call, Yang Jianye quickly went to the door to greet her.

Besides the newlyweds, Aunt Liu is the most important person today, the matchmaker. Without her matchmaking, how could this marriage have happened?

Yang Jianye and Li Ying should remember this kindness, and Yingzi's parents should also thank them properly.

If the Yang family hadn't been so poor, they would have definitely brought gifts and gone to their door to express their gratitude.

However, Yingzi's mother did not treat her badly. Look at the heavy bags in her hands, all of them were leftovers that she had picked out. She even gave Liu Dama a bottle of Xinghua Fen liquor that had been opened and was still half full.

At the restaurant entrance, Aunt Liu smiled, her face crinkling with wrinkles: "Go back, go back, it's just a short walk from here, no need to see me off!"

After watching Aunt Liu walk away, Yang Jianye turned around and looked for his coworkers.

"Hey, Jianye, do you think Deputy Factory Director Li is going to be in trouble this time?" Li Yaoye's face lit up with joy, purely enjoying the spectacle and not afraid of things getting out of hand.

Yang Jianye smirked: "Don't talk about things like that. Doing your job well is more important than anything else."

Regardless of whether the leader is unlucky or not, stop gossiping behind their back.

Unless you're working for another leader who's working against you, and you're trying to please your own leader by saying a few words to please them, which would be beneficial to you, then that's a different story.

Otherwise, if any leader falls from grace, they should all keep their mouths shut.

No matter how bad a person is, they're still part of the cadre group. "Words can cause trouble"—this saying may be crude, but it's true.

"Understood, understood." Li Yaoye chuckled awkwardly, then suddenly slapped an envelope into Yang Jianye's hand. "Alright, we'll head out now."

Yang Jianye raised an eyebrow: "Huh?"

"It's a gift of money! Is it proper to attend a banquet without giving a gift?"

"No, no, take it back," Yang Jianye refused.

Li Yaoye shrank back, hiding behind the table to take the takeout box Yingzi's mother handed him: "Here's the stuff, my mission is complete. What you do with it is your business. I'm leaving, see you tomorrow!"

Watching them walk away chatting and laughing, Yang Jianye squeezed the envelope in his hand. In this day and age, people's hearts are still warm after all.

The guests had been mostly given gifts, leaving only family members.

Back in the private room to tidy up, Yingzi's mother suddenly spoke up: "Jianye, all the other guests brought gifts, but the leader sitting in the private room didn't bring anything. We shouldn't upset him, should we?"

Yang Jianye shook the bottle of liquor in his hand and laughed, "Mom, the leaders don't do this."

Yingzi's mother was relieved: "That's good, that's good." As she spoke, she carefully packed and tied up the mostly untouched lamb leg, feeling happy: This is great, these are all good things! But then she thought that her son-in-law had paid for it, and her pride immediately dissipated.

Once everything was tidied up, Yang Jianye shouted outside, "Hey, check, please!"

An ordinary courtyard in Beijing.

The police station called, and Shuitong grabbed his bag and was about to rush out. Before he could even step down the stairs, his father stopped him.

"You're not allowed to go. Not only are you not allowed to go, you also have to divorce him."

The bucket suddenly panicked: "Dad! Are you trying to make me a widow? That's my husband, Deputy Factory Director Li!"

Deputy Factory Director Li has a terrible temper, is easily jealous, and spoils his daughter rotten. But Shuitong has developed feelings for him. After such a big incident, her first thought was anger, so much so that her head ached, and she couldn't think of anything else.

But upon hearing that he might face imprisonment and possibly be punished, her mind went blank for a moment, and she immediately snapped to attention: "No way, I have to get him out!"

For such a mere thought, Deputy Factory Director Li, you truly lack the fortune.

"What do you mean 'your man'? He's a scoundrel, a criminal!" The father said sternly. "Go get a divorce tomorrow. I'll arrange it. You go yourself; he doesn't need to show up. From today onwards, you're grounded."

Acting like a hooligan in public is suicidal and unstoppable.

The boy exploded, throwing a tantrum and refusing to listen. His father, equally enraged, yelled, "Nonsense! Do you think I can get him out with just a word? Believe me, I'll make a phone call right now and let those old comrades hear us! Who knows, someone might even write a letter to the great man!"

In those days, writing letters to great leaders was not a novelty; people actually read them and replied. This was also a way to understand the situation and hear the voices of the people.

"If you think our family is living too comfortably, or that I've been wearing a hat for too long, then go ahead and cause trouble!"

These words hit a nerve, and only then did the bucket realize the gravity of the situation.

If a man becomes a rogue, not only will she lose her husband, but she will also have to bear a bad reputation. She was both sad and angry, and ran back into the house with her face covered.

As the father watched her retreating figure, he felt a tightness in his chest: How could I have raised such a fool?

And that guy surnamed Li, he's really good at causing trouble! We originally put him in the position of deputy factory director to keep him for future use.

He's the one who messed up, lost his position, and put me, the one who recommended him, in a difficult position.

The other side will definitely use this as an excuse to retaliate; there's no escaping a beating. It'll be difficult to get another chance later.

At Zhenghe Juli, the waiter settled the bill: five tables were set up today, four in the main hall and one in the private room.

The dishes, water, and drinks totaled 112.68 yuan. "Round it down to 112.68 yuan."

Meat coupons weighed nine jin and four liang, and grain coupons weighed eight jin and one liang.

Yingzi's family was stunned. This meal was almost equivalent to a year's worth of food for the whole family, and it still wasn't enough!

Yang Jianye was also taken aback for a moment before taking out his money and paying for the ticket. It wasn't that he thought it was too much, but rather that he felt it was too little.

Nine catties of meat and eight catties of grain are enough for more than sixty people.

The factory workers ate as much as they wanted; they needed four or five palm-sized steamed buns to fill their stomachs, not to mention whether there was enough meat.

It seems they've saved him money.

Five tables cost a little over 112 yuan, averaging 22 yuan per table. Even if each table has at least 14 people, that's 1.5 yuan per person, which isn't much at all.

After settling the bill, Yang Jianye rode his old-fashioned bicycle, said goodbye to his wife's family, and took Yingzi home. The handlebars were covered with things, mostly untouched leftovers and half a roasted lamb leg.

Yingzi's mother cut off a few pieces of meat for her to try, and then had them take the rest back.

Even close relatives can have boundaries. Once people lose their sense of boundaries and stop treating each other like family, even the best relationships will fall apart.

The two happily entered the compound. Yingzi got out of the car, and Yang Jianye pushed the car inside.

As soon as they entered the cave, they saw that the courtyard was full of men, women, and children, and they also saw the things that the children had brought back.

The roasted lamb leg on the handlebars was particularly eye-catching, and the aroma wafted straight into the nose. Whether you've eaten it before or not, young and old alike were tempted.

The boys from the second and third uncles' families, along with Xiao Dang who was playing with a stick, all swallowed hard. "Gulp," they thought, "How thick must the banquet be with so many leftovers?"

The third uncle also swallowed hard, thinking to himself: If I had gotten closer to Jianye earlier, I would have been able to enjoy this delicious meal tonight.

"Jianye, you're back!" Aunt Liu greeted him with a smile. "There's going to be a big meeting in the courtyard. Let me help you carry your things inside."

"Yes, Jianye, we've been waiting for you to start the meeting!" the third uncle said loudly, his eyes darting around. "Jiefang, lend a hand, hurry up!"

"No, I can carry it!" Yang Jianye refused immediately. Last time he was dealing with the old furniture, he was exhausted by himself. There was nowhere to put the old furniture; the two small rooms couldn't hold it all, and he had to find someone to give it away himself, which was a hassle. But this vegetable, this meat... Aunt Liu is genuinely trying to help. You rest, I'll do it myself.

"If it's a meeting, then it's a meeting. Why did you call me?"

Yang Jianye had no intention of getting involved. He didn't care whether the event was held or not; he could just pretend he didn't exist.

The old man was stunned by what he said, smacking his lips and feeling choked up. He felt like he was being pricked by needles, he had really lost out!

"Stop talking nonsense and start the meeting!" Uncle Er said sternly, his voice carrying an unyielding tone.

He was always obsessed with officialdom, and meetings with the entire institute were his moment of glory. It was during these times that he felt like he was living like a human being. Of course, beating his son also counts.

So nobody can disturb his gathering, not even if the aroma of meat wafts through the air. But... the smell is truly irresistible!

Once Uncle Er spoke, everyone finally suppressed their cravings and looked at him seriously.

An elderly man spoke first: "Yang Jianye, are you even considered a resident of this compound? Do you even live here?" He paused, his words laced with sarcasm, "Meetings to resolve neighborhood disputes are a rule set by the neighborhood committee, but it doesn't apply to you?"

"Hey, that's a pretty solid label." Yang Jianye chuckled, parked his bicycle by the door, took out his keys, opened the door, and called to Yingzi inside, "Wait at home, I can manage." He turned to look at the old man's wide-eyed stare, leaned back on the seat, and said, "Go ahead and ride, I'm listening."

He didn't move forward, but leaned against the outside of his own window, waiting to see what tricks the old man could come up with. It was nothing more than the old man hanging an iron gate on his door. What else could be so interesting in this little courtyard?

Who would have thought he'd agree so readily, leaving the old man speechless.

He had prepared a whole host of arguments, just waiting for Yang Jianye to refuse to hold the meeting so he could refute them, label him, and make everyone believe him, thus gaining the upper hand to criticize him.

To his surprise, the other person simply said "Go ahead and open it," catching him completely off guard.

Seeing the first old man hanging his head and remaining silent, the second old man chuckled: "Now that the first old man has started, it's my turn to speak. The main reason for today's meeting is that Yang Jianye's house is locked. Jianye, tell everyone, why is it locked?"

Yang Jianye almost burst out laughing when he heard this: "With your level of competence, you want to be an official? You're probably just eager to go in and behead someone!"

"What are you laughing at?" the second uncle snapped, his face darkening. "This is a hospital-wide meeting; show some respect!"

He has no talent, but he puts on airs. Yang Jianye stopped laughing, crossed his arms, and leaned back: "Second Uncle, could you ask me the question again?"

"I'm asking you to explain to everyone why you're using padlocks!" The second uncle said, emphasizing each word, then realized something was off.

Yang Jianye nodded: "Let me ask where I left the lock."

"Both doors on your house have fallen down."

"Then who owns my door?"

The second uncle glared at him: "So you think I'm making fun of you? Your house doesn't belong to you, does it belong to me?"

Yang Jianye wasn't annoyed; instead, he chuckled: "Since it's my house, I can put my own lock on it. Why should I explain it to you?"

Uncle Er stood there stunned. Oh, that's why he felt something was wrong earlier! He fell into the pit.

The old man sighed inwardly: "This teammate is hopeless! You should have asked 'Why lock him down? What's the point? Who are you defending against?' from the start, then used a combo to shut him down and take control of the game. How could he possibly have a say? Now, he's ruined my whole plan. Could it be... you're on Yang Jianye's side?"

Looking at the scene before her, Qin Huairu's eyes shone brightly as Yang Jianye turned the situation around with just a few words. Even her son's clamor for "meat" sounded pleasant to her now.

She dared not provoke Yang Jianye now, fearing that he would fire her in a fit of anger. She relied on this job to support her three children and herself. Jia Zhangshi was just an afterthought, able to play the role of a "wronged and virtuous daughter-in-law" to gain sympathy and reap benefits, and also able to intimidate people with her words.

Besides Yang Jianye, who in this courtyard would dare to touch her?

Thinking of this, her initial excitement faded: with Yang Jianye around, things couldn't be perfect, and her joy was always somewhat lacking.

The second uncle was speechless from being choked, the first uncle lowered his head to ponder new words, and the third uncle was secretly pleased: it's finally my turn, this matter still needs us intellectuals to take charge.

"Jianye," he began, drawing out his words, but Yang Jianye interrupted, "Are you buying furniture again next time?"

The old man stopped abruptly, unable to utter a single word.

What's the point of this lousy meeting? Let's disperse quickly and let Jianye go back inside to rest; look how tired he is…