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

Who dares to utter a single word of nonsense? The Type 54 pistol on He Yuzhu's waist is no joke!

"Lin Fan, eat slowly." Ding Qiunan put a piece of egg on her husband's plate. "This rice was just delivered by Sister Tian Yu yesterday. She said it was specially approved by the old commander of the Southern Military Region. Jian Guo is at the age where he is growing and cannot lack nutrition."

Lin Fan swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth, his eyes slightly red.

"I know. Yangzi suffered in the Northwest, while we enjoy comforts in Beijing. Every single bite of food we have was earned with Yangzi's life."

Lin Fan turned to look out the window. Even through the thick curtains, he could still feel the greedy, wolf-like gazes from the people in the yard.

"These past few days, the way people in the courtyard are looking at us has become increasingly strange," Lin Fan said in a deep voice, his brows furrowed tightly.

Ding Qiunan put down her bowl and sighed, "When people are starving, they lose their minds. Yesterday, when I went to the front yard to fetch water, the old lady looked at me like she wanted to eat me alive. It gave me the creeps."

"Ignore them." A cold glint flashed in Lin Fan's eyes. "When we were starving and freezing, how did they take advantage of our misfortune? Now they want to beg for food from us? No way!"

Lin Fan had just finished speaking.

A gentle breeze wafted through the vents, carrying the rich aroma of braised pork and scrambled eggs from inside the house into the cold courtyard.

This fragrance might not seem like anything special under normal circumstances.

But in this day and age, when even tree bark is being gnawed away, the pure aroma of meat and oil is like a deadly poison, instantly shattering the rational defenses of everyone in the courtyard!

The Jia family of the Intermediate People's Court.

Upon smelling the aroma, Jia Zhangshi's swollen body suddenly sprang up from the kang (a heated brick bed), and her bloodshot, triangular eyes widened instantly.

"Meat! It's meat! The Lin family is eating meat!"

Jia Zhangshi's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and saliva dripped wildly from the corners of her mouth. Extreme hunger completely overwhelmed her fear of He Yuzhu and Lin Yang; only one thought remained in her mind: eat!

"Dongxu! Huairu! What are you all standing there for?!" Jia Zhangshi pounded the kang table frantically, like a wild boar driven to the brink of despair. "Our family is starving to death, and the Lin family is hiding inside eating meat! Is there no justice in this world?! Come on! Let's go ask for it! The whole courtyard will go ask for it! There's strength in numbers, I don't believe Lin Fan would dare to beat us all to death!"

Jia Dongxu swallowed hard, his stomach churning with hunger, and his reason completely collapsed. He looked at Bang Geng, who was crying from hunger, and closed his eyes.

"Yes! Why should they eat meat while we starve! Let's go!"

The three members of the Jia family rushed out of the house with red eyes.

At the same time, the aroma of meat wafted into the front and back yards.

Yan Bugui threw down the half-piece of bitter bark in his hand and stumbled out, his nose twitching wildly in the air.

Liu Haizhong, along with Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, even carrying a fire poker, rushed into the central courtyard.

The last one to emerge was Yi Zhonghai.

He looked at the group of neighbors who had lost their minds and gathered in front of the Lin family's main house like zombies, and a sinister calculation flashed in his turbid eyes.

He knew that no one would dare to provoke Lin Fan alone. But now, everyone in the hospital was driven to a corner; this was a terrifying force. The law doesn't punish the masses; if everyone pitched in, Lin Fan would definitely have to provide food to quell their anger!

"Everyone, please be quiet!"

Yi Zhonghai stepped forward, still maintaining his sanctimonious demeanor, but his gaunt face made him look like a comical clown.

"Lin Fan is now a state cadre. How can a state cadre just stand by and watch us old neighbors starve to death? That's against organizational discipline! We're not here to cause trouble today; we're here to beg Director Lin to show some magnanimity and help the neighbors!"

Yi Zhonghai's words placed him on a moral high ground, giving this mob driven by hunger a veneer of righteousness.

"That's right! The old man is right! Lin Fan must open the gates and release the grain!" Liu Haizhong waved his fire poker and loudly echoed.

"Open the door! Lin Fan, you heartless bastard! Bring out the meat right now!" Jia Zhangshi was lying on the door of the Lin family's house, pounding on it frantically.

"Bang bang bang!"

The violent pounding on the door echoed like drums in the silent courtyard. The distorted faces looked grotesque in the cold wind.

inside the house.

Lin Fan put down his chopsticks and shielded Ding Qiunan and Lin Jianguo behind him.

His face was extremely grim, and his eyes gleamed with intense murderous intent. These ungrateful wretches had finally lost their temper.

He strode to the door and yanked it open.

"call--"

As soon as the door opened, the rich aroma of food wafted out as if it were real, and the group outside immediately let out a series of greedy, animal-like sounds of swallowing. Some people even pushed forward uncontrollably.

Lin Fan stood on the steps, looking down at the group of emaciated, sallow-faced beasts with gleaming green eyes.

"What do you want?" Lin Fan's voice was icy cold, devoid of any warmth.

Yi Zhonghai swallowed hard, forced himself to step forward, and forced an awkward smile: "Lin Fan, we're all old neighbors from the same courtyard. In this year of great disaster, none of us have had a proper meal for days. Auntie San is so hungry she can barely get out of bed."

Yi Zhonghai pointed to the dining table in the Lin family's house, his tone carrying a hint of questioning and moral blackmail.

"You have such a plentiful supply of fine grains and meat at home, how can you enjoy it all by yourself? You should show generosity and share the food equally with everyone to get through this difficult time together! Your brother is a central government cadre, he should set an example!"

"That's right! You have to take it out! Otherwise, we're not leaving today!" Jia Zhangshi screamed from behind, her eyes fixed on the braised pork on the table.

Liu Haizhong chimed in, "Lin Fan, don't make any mistakes! Trying to get special treatment at a time like this is something we can report you to the city authorities!"

Looking at the shameless faces of this group of people, Lin Fan suddenly laughed.

His laughter was both incredibly desolate and incredibly sarcastic.

"Should we uphold our principles? Or split it equally?"

Lin Fan suddenly stopped smiling, like an enraged lion, and pointed at Yi Zhonghai's nose, cursing loudly.

"Yi Zhonghai! Do you even have any shame left?!"

"Back when I was living in a drafty, dilapidated house in the dead of winter, unable to even afford a bowl of cornmeal porridge, where were you old neighbors?!"

"Where were you old neighbors when Jia Zhangshi stole my last quilt and I almost froze to death?!"

Lin Fan's voice was like a thunderclap, causing the people in the front row to instinctively take a step back.

"Now that you're hungry, you remember I'm an old neighbor? You remember I should stand up for you?"