Pursued by the Heavenly Dao, first level up in the courtyard.

Knowing that Liu Guangqi and his wife had run away, Yi Zhonghai, in front of many neighbors in the Intermediate People's Court, asked Liu Guangfu about Liu Guangqi and his wife's whereabouts in Wanzhou. He then legitimately convened a meeting of all the neighbors in the court.

One by one, the neighbors brought stools and chairs to the open space in the middle courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai said, "The reason I called this meeting today is because of one thing: Guangqi from my second uncle's family. He's only been married for three days, but he's already run off to Wanzhou with his wife's family."

"Everyone in the compound knows how good Old Liu was to Guangqi. To prepare for Guangqi's wedding, he bought three round watches and a radio, and even held a banquet with more than thirty tables in the compound. But Guangqi left without saying goodbye."

"What else could Guangqi's behavior be but that of an ingrate? If all the young men in the courtyard were like Guangqi, running off with their wives, how would we ever get a chance to advance to the next courtyard house?"

Upon learning that Liu Guangqi had run away, the courtyard erupted in chaos.

"My God, he ran away right after the wedding? That's outrageous! What benefits did the Du family give him?"

"Liu Guangqi is a terrible person. His second uncle and aunt treated him so well, but he didn't say a word and just ran off to Wanzhou with the Du family."

"I think I heard footsteps last night. Were Guangqi and his wife the ones who ran away last night?"

"Even if I'm going to Wanzhou with my father-in-law's family, I have to tell my second uncle first."

Liu Haizhong's face was extremely pale. He glared fiercely at Yi Zhonghai, unable to utter a single word. Chen Rong, sitting not far away, felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

Yi Zhonghai angrily condemned, "Old Liu raised Guangqi with great difficulty, supported his education, bought him a radio, a sewing machine, and a watch, and helped him with his wedding banquet. And what happened? He ran away with his wife's family right after the wedding!"

Zhang Cuihua said sarcastically, "I think it's because Second Uncle is too strict that he scared Guangqi away! Otherwise, who would get a reputation for being an ingrate right after getting married?"

"Everyone, please be quiet." Liu Hai and others stopped talking before he said, "I already knew about Guangqi's trip to Wanzhou. Guangqi's father-in-law was transferred to Wanzhou and promoted from section chief to deputy director."

"Guangqi went to Wanzhou with his father-in-law to support Xia Kingdom's Third Front construction. Guangqi and Lanyue will both be promoted one level after going to Wanzhou. With my in-law Du Zhiteng by my side, it will be even easier for them to be promoted in the future."

Yi Zhonghai persisted, saying, "Old Liu, even if Guangqi and the others are going to another city, why can't they move during the day? Do they have to move at night?"

Liu Haizhong explained, "Old Yi, you don't know this, but the car was busy during the day and no one needed it at night, so we had to move at night."

Things related to being an official will lower Liu Haizhong's IQ, while things unrelated to being an official will keep his IQ normal.

Last year, during the steel rolling mill's grading examination, Yi Zhonghai became a level 7 fitter, and Liu Haizhong became a level 6 forging worker.

Fitters and blacksmiths range from level one to level eight.

Levels one to three, including fitter or forger, are all entry-level jobs with low educational requirements.

Liu Haizhong, who can become a level six blacksmith, not only has no problem with intelligence, but his knowledge of blacksmithing far surpasses that of a level five blacksmith.

Liu Haizhong remained silent for two reasons: first, he was unaware that Yi Zhonghai had convened the entire hospital for a meeting regarding his son Liu Guangqi's escape; second, he hadn't anticipated Yi Zhonghai's relentless and ruthless pursuit.

He Yuzhu, puffing on his cigarette, seized the opportunity to stab him in the back: "That kid Guangqi, he usually seems pretty honest, I never expected him to run off with the Du family. Does Guangqi want to become a live-in son-in-law of the Du family?"

Chen Rong snapped, "Silly Zhu, what are you saying?"

He Yuzhu sneered: "If Guang Qi dares to do it, why can't I say anything?"

Chen Rong sneered, "Silly Zhu, even your father doesn't want you anymore, what right do you have to talk about our Guangqi?"

Liu Guangtian chimed in, "That's right, Sha Zhu, your father ran off with the widow a long time ago."

"Liu Guangtian, you're asking for death!" He Yuzhu roared in fury and immediately charged at Liu Guangtian.

"Shazhu, how dare you hit my son?" Before Liu Haizhong could finish speaking, he got up and rushed over, slapping him across the face.

A powerful slap from Liu Haizhong knocked Sha Zhu to the ground.

Seeing Sha Zhu vomit blood and collapse, Liu Haizhong was about to make a move when Yi Zhonghai quickly intervened to break up the fight.

Excluding the Qi soldiers who had killed countless enemies, Liu Haizhong ranked first on the courtyard's combat power ranking.

Liu Haizhong, 40 years old this year, is a forger at a steel rolling mill. He wields a large and small hammer every day, and his strength far exceeds that of ordinary people.

Twenty-two-year-old He Yuzhu's strength had not yet reached its peak, and he was far inferior to Liu Haizhong, the blacksmith.

Xu Damao chuckled slyly, "Silly Zhu, you got the short end of the stick, didn't you?"

Yi Zhonghai, with a sanctimonious air, accused, "Old Liu, how can you, as an elder, lay a hand on a junior?"

Liu Haizhong retorted, "That idiot Zhu is bullying the weak and wants to hit my Guangtian, so I can't fight back?"

Chen Rong glared angrily at Yi Zhonghai, and rebuked him righteously: "Uncle, my Guangtian is still a child, while Shazhu is over twenty years old. How dare he lay a hand on my Guangtian?"

Qi Bing, sitting in his chair, took out a cigarette, lit it, and puffed away contentedly. He hadn't expected to see such a good show at today's college-wide meeting.

Yan Bugui tried to mediate, and then the deaf old lady appeared. A few minutes later, the meeting adjourned.

As dusk fell, Yan Jiecheng returned home, saying weakly, "Dad, I carried bags all afternoon, my back is about to break, and I only earned fifty cents. I can't live like this anymore."

Yan Bugui glanced at him: "If you think it's too tiring, then don't go. Who forced you to carry the loads? You're a grown man, and you're complaining about every little bit of work."

Yan Jiecheng frowned and said aggrievedly, "Dad, I don't want to carry bags either, but I don't have a job. What else can I do? Since graduating from junior high school last year, I've been doing odd jobs, working in the wind and sun, and it's not stable."

Yan Bugui said, "If you don't have a job, just go look for one. There are so many companies hiring."

Yan Jiecheng was furious: "I went to several factories, but they all rejected me, saying that my family is a small business owner. I also went to the neighborhood committee office to inquire, but their work quotas prioritize workers' families."

Thinking about his experience of looking for a job after selling his bookstore, Yan Bugui sighed, feeling utterly helpless.

Yan Jiecheng said, "Dad, I heard that nowadays, as long as you have connections, you can buy a job with money. Give me five hundred yuan, and I'll buy a job."

Yan Bugui said irritably, "There are so many people in our family, and our monthly expenses are so high. Giving you five hundred yuan to buy a job sounds simple, but where would we get that much money?"

Yan Jiecheng was unwilling to give up and said again, "Dad, you can't make me do odd jobs forever, can you? If I don't have a job, how will I get married in the future, and how will you have grandchildren?"

Yang Ruihua said, "Honey, do you have any ideas?"

Yan Bugui laughed and said, "Old Yi and Old Liu both work at the steel rolling mill. In a while, Jiecheng will be sixteen years old. I'll go ask Old Yi and Old Liu. It's possible that Jiecheng can get into Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill without spending any money."

Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai were constantly engaged in open and covert struggles. Yan Bugui, who was shrewd and calculating, thought that he could use the matter of his eldest son getting a job at the factory to get help from either Liu Haizhong or Yi Zhonghai, since he was the third oldest man in the compound.

In Yan Bugui's view, all he had to do was promise to follow someone's example in the courtyard, and Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai would have no reason not to help him.

Qi Bing, who was in the east courtyard, was lying on a bed made of small-leaf sandalwood.

Some time ago, he used his decomposition and synthesis skills to renovate all the houses in the east courtyard.

The houses became taller and bigger, and the furniture inside was replaced with small-leaf sandalwood.

That night, he raised the height of the house in the east wing by thirty centimeters, and the neighbors in the next courtyard were unable to notice.

If the house is enlarged and separated by a wall, the neighbors in the next yard won't notice.

The wooden frames of the windows were replaced with rosewood, and the glass in the windows was replaced with high-strength metallic glass.