Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

In the courtyard house.

A gust of autumn wind swept by.

Yi Zhonghai stood there blankly, staring at the tightly closed gate of the He family's house.

He knew that the era belonging to their group of beasts had come to a complete end.

The sky over this city of Beijing, the land of courtyard number 95...

It has been completely reshaped by Lin Yang's powerful and unpredictable hands.

·······

The morning mist had not yet dissipated in Nanluoguxiang, but a strange and restless atmosphere had already permeated the courtyard at No. 95.

He Yuzhu's act of drawing his gun to establish his authority last night was like a heavy hammer, completely shattering the last dignity and illusions of the "managing elders" in this courtyard. But the complexity of human nature lies in the fact that when fear reaches its peak, it often breeds a kind of shameless flattery and sycophancy.

The Intermediate Court, outside the He family's gate.

Yi Zhonghai was carrying two bottles of fine wine that he had asked someone to buy from the supply and marketing cooperative, as well as a net bag of high-quality white flour. He had painstakingly scraped together this money from his retirement savings, enduring the complaints of an older woman.

He took a deep breath and tried to force a kind smile onto his wrinkled old face, a smile so stiff it looked like he was wearing a cheap mask.

Not far behind Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong held a still-lively old hen in his hand, his large, pregnant body trembling slightly with tension. He glared at Yi Zhonghai every now and then, inwardly cursing the old fox for his quick actions.

Yan Bugui, in the front yard, was holding a calligraphy scroll he had written himself, which read "Serve the country with utmost loyalty." He was peeking out from behind the moon gate, planning to wait for the two in front to finish testing the waters before going out.

"Squeak—"

The wooden door of the He family's house was pushed open from the inside.

He Yuzhu was wearing a crisp police uniform, the rank insignia on his shoulders gleaming coldly in the morning light. He stepped out the door while fastening his belt.

"Hey! Zhu Zi... no, Captain He, good morning!"

Yi Zhonghai immediately rushed forward as if he were on springs, bending over so low that his waist almost touched his knees, and holding the net bag of flour and two bottles of wine high in the air with both hands.

"Captain, you look so majestic in that police uniform! It's a blessing for our entire No. 95 compound to have such a great hero like you, protecting our country!"

Yi Zhonghai's tone was nauseatingly obsequious; he was trying to regain some of the familiarity he once felt when talking to his juniors.

"Yes, yes!" Liu Haizhong quickly joined in, handing the old hen forward. "Captain He, you've worked hard catching spies out there. This is my second uncle's... no, this is an old hen that I, Old Liu, specially went to the countryside to find for you, to help you recover!"

Seeing this, Yan Bugui, who was hiding in the distance, quickly ran over with the calligraphy and painting in hand: "Captain He, I don't have any other skills, but I wrote this calligraphy overnight. It's worthy of your reputation for loyalty and integrity!"

He Yuzhu stopped, put his hands on his belt, and looked coldly at the three old men in front of him who looked like clowns jumping around.

There was not a trace of emotion in his eyes, only deep disgust.

In the icy wilderness of North Korea, he witnessed comrades pushing each other around for half a frozen potato; in the alleys of Jiaodaokou, he saw ordinary people risking their lives to protect state property and spies.

Looking at the three snobbish, calculating, and opportunistic people in front of him, He Yuzhu felt a wave of nausea wash over him.

"Grandpa One, Grandpa Two, Grandpa Three."

He Yuzhu's voice was low and cold, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

"What kind of show are you putting on by coming here so early in the morning?"

Yi Zhonghai swallowed hard and forced a smile, saying, "Captain He, look at what you're saying. We're all old neighbors living in the same courtyard. You've made such a great contribution and been promoted. As your elders, we should come and congratulate you."

"elder?"

He Yuzhu suddenly let out a cold laugh, a laugh that was as sharp and grating as a blade scraping against glass.

"Yi Zhonghai, now you remember you're an elder?"

He Yuzhu suddenly stepped forward, and the powerful pressure forced Yi Zhonghai to retreat repeatedly, almost dropping the wine bottle in his hand.

"Where were you, my elder, when Brother Lin was bullied by you all and couldn't even get food? Where were you, my elder, when my father, Yushui, and I were being looked down upon in this courtyard?"

He Yuzhu stretched out his finger and stabbed Yi Zhonghai in the chest without any mercy.

"Don't try to get on my good side! I, He Yuzhu, find the flour and wine in your net bag too dirty! Take them back to your good-for-nothing apprentice, Jia Dongxu, so that if he starves to death one day, you won't even have anyone to smash the pot for!"

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he nearly fainted from holding his breath. He Yuzhu's words were like daggers, striking directly at his deepest fears.

Seeing that things were not going well, Liu Haizhong was about to pull the old hen in his hand back when He Yuzhu's wolf-like gaze swept over him.

"And you, Liu Haizhong."

He Yuzhu glanced coldly at the chicken.

"Don't try to disgust me with your bureaucratic sycophancy. You're just a blacksmith who can't even discipline your own son, beating him like a pig every day, and you think you can climb the social ladder by coming here?"

He Yuzhu patted the pistol at his waist, his eyes conveying a strong sense of warning.

"Let me tell you! I, He Yuzhu, am a state cadre and a police officer! I won't fall for your sweet talk! If anyone dares to come to my doorstep with anything again, I'll handcuff you all and throw you in jail on charges of 'bribing a state official'!"

"roll!"

A thunderous roar erupted.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui were so frightened that they didn't dare to utter a single word. They grabbed what they were carrying and scrambled back to their respective houses.

Behind the window of the Jia family's house, Jia Zhangshi was peeking through a crack. When she heard He Yuzhu shout "Get out!", she trembled with fear, immediately burrowed into the quilt, covered her ears tightly, and dared not even breathe.

He Yuzhu snorted coldly, straightened his police cap, and strode out of the courtyard.

……

night.

After finishing his work at Jiaodaokou Police Station, He Yuzhu rode his sidecar motorcycle back to the courtyard house.

As soon as he entered the house, he sensed that something was off.

Several main dishes were laid out on the table, and a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) was half-empty. He Daqing sat at the table, his face slightly flushed, his eyes darting around, silently puffing on his cigarette.

He Yushui hid back in her room early and didn't even come out for dinner.

"Dad, what's wrong? What's bothering you?" He Yuzhu took off his coat, pulled out a chair, sat down, and poured himself a cup of hot water.

He Daqing took a deep drag on his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray. He looked up at his son, who was now completely capable of handling things on his own and even inspired awe in him, his father.

"Zhu Zi, your father wants to talk to you about something private today."