Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Everyone hung their heads, no one daring to speak. It was indeed a small donation, but these days, which family doesn't rely on a single iron pot for everything? If they really followed the Liu family's example and donated the pot, would they starve?

Xu Damao only reported a little over three jin. Actually, he had gone to the countryside a few days ago and casually collected six or seven jin of old iron, but when he saw that no one in the yard except He Yuzhu was willing to go all out, he immediately backed down. He had hidden the iron, and when things calmed down, he would sell it and it would be enough for him to have two roast duck meals at Donglaishun, plus a pot of Erguotou.

"Let me make this clear from the start!" Liu Haizhong tapped his finger on the table, his voice tense. "The iron shortage must be replenished within three days! Otherwise, I'll immediately report this to the local street office!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the courtyard, except for He Yuzhu and Lou Xiao'e, changed their expressions.

What kind of arrogant person acts like this? Instead of protecting their neighbor from the wind and rain, they use a loudspeaker to stab people in the back.

Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out in a trembling voice, "Second Uncle, I really don't have any iron at home. Where am I supposed to dig it up from?"

"Yeah, if the pot is donated, we won't even have a clay pot for boiling water anymore. Will we be drinking cold water from now on?"

"Thirty-odd yuan a month, it would take three months to save up for ten kilograms of iron! You've bankrupted my whole family with just one sentence, you might as well just strangle me with a rope..."

Jia Dongxu quickly chimed in—he had to speak up! If Liu Haizhong really reported it, while others were unclear about their situation, he, with his limited abilities, would definitely be the first to be criticized and probably have to be taken to the street office to write a self-criticism.

Once one person spoke, the rest of the people poured in like a floodgate opening, and in less than half an incense stick's time, almost everyone except the He and Yan families had switched sides, pointing their fingers directly at Liu Haizhong.

Not only does he not help his neighbors make a living, but he also sabotages them every day and can't stand seeing others do well. This is no ordinary uncle; he's clearly a stumbling block and an obstacle!

Surrounded by the crowd in the courtyard, Liu Haizhong's forehead veins throbbed. To make matters worse, Yan Bugui remained engrossed in flipping through account books, feigning deafness and not offering a single word to smooth things over. He had a lot to say, but it was stuck in his throat, and he just couldn't squeeze it out.

Finally, he slammed his hand on the table, jumped up, his eyes reddening, and his voice cracking: "Fine! That's it for today! I'll go to the neighborhood office and get to the bottom of this, okay?!"

The neighbors breathed a quiet sigh of relief when they heard him relent. If they had actually filed a complaint with the local street office, who wouldn't have been afraid of being branded as a "hindrance to the country"?

To gather the ten jin of iron, Yan Jiecheng was forced to plunge into the countryside, running around until his legs were worn out and his shoes were worn out, enduring a whole month of hardship.

After the meeting, Liu Haizhong sent his two sons away, and then called Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang. The four of them piled all the collected ironware into the shed in the backyard, and he would personally take it to the street office the next morning.

When the play ended, He Yuzhu casually took Lou Xiao'e's wrist and turned to go back into the house.

Lou Xiao'e is doing quite well at the subdistrict office now. Everyone there knows she is He Yuzhu's wife and treats her with exceptional kindness. Aunt Zhang, who is in charge of her work, is even more enthusiastic and follows the rules. When she encounters difficulties, she always explains the terms and conditions to her in detail.

In the ten days or so since she arrived, Lou Xiao'e has successfully mediated two disputes.

The second case involved a drunkard beating his wife. Upon hearing this, Lou Xiao'e's anger flared up, and she couldn't help but utter a few harsh words.

The drunkard was leaning against the doorframe, and when he saw that it was a young girl who had just graduated, he immediately spat and swore at her, each word like a spittle thrown in her face.

Lou Xiao'e's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and as she walked out of the courtyard, tears streamed down her face.

She was a girl who had just graduated from high school. Who had ever dared to point their finger at her and scold her like that? That night, when she returned to her room, she leaned on He Yuzhu's shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably.

After hearing this, He Yuzhu went to the drunkard's house early the next morning, grabbed him by the neck, dragged him into the yard like a chick, and punched him twice in the face!

Hearing the commotion, three or four people from the neighboring courtyards rushed over—after all, the drunkard usually got his money for drinking by deducting money from his wife's salary, and he had quite a few cronies.

But none of the men who tried to break up the fight could get close. They were all swung at by He Yuzhu and knocked to the ground, clutching their waists and crying out in pain, rolling around on the ground.

Finally, it was Director Wang from the neighborhood office who arrived with the security team and managed to tidy up the situation.

The outcome was as follows: He Yuzhu physically assaulted someone, which was classified as a one-sided act of violence, and he was fined ten yuan, which was handed over to the street office on the spot; the others, although they did not use excessive force, participated in pushing and shoving, and were all assigned to sweep the streets and clean toilets for a week.

What about the drunkard? After he's been treated at the hospital, if he dares to lay a finger on his wife again, the neighborhood committee will immediately ask the women's association to intervene and initiate divorce proceedings.

Upon hearing the verdict, He Yuzhu immediately pulled out ten yuan and handed it over—this was already a lenient punishment. After all, the drunkard had been beaten so badly that he had black eyes, two broken ribs, and had been lying in bed groaning for three days.

Director Wang completely omitted the words "mutual fighting" from the report, only writing "He Yuzhu alone took action," thus putting the matter to rest.

From then on, all the old residents of Nanluoguxiang knew: Lou Xiao'e, the new young woman from the neighborhood office, had a decisive and efficient husband behind her—He Yuzhu.

"Yuzhu, how about... I donate my salary?"

When they got home, Lou Xiao'e's cheeks were flushed, and she gently rested her head on his chest, her voice soft, "I didn't know until I saw it. After following Aunt Zhang around for the past few days, I've discovered that there are quite a few poor families in our area..."

"Our family isn't short of money. Sixteen yuan divided into three portions is enough for three families in need to have a hot meal. Recently, when I went door-to-door with Aunt Zhang, I saw with my own eyes that some children were still wearing cotton-padded coats with patches upon patches in winter, and the cuffs were even frayed..."

Lou Xiao'e has a soft heart. After becoming a temporary worker at the street office, she went door-to-door and saw things very clearly.

In fact, the Jia family in the courtyard was not a poor family at all—especially after Jia Zhangshi left, their lives immediately became much easier.

The Jia family isn't without options; they should have sent Jia Zhangshi back to the countryside to farm long ago. There's one less mouth to feed in the city, but she can earn work points in the countryside, and Jia Dongxu can send her three yuan a month to ensure she doesn't go hungry.

As for Jia Dongxu himself, he had a senior fitter to guide him, and his skills were among the best in the factory. How could he be associated with the words "impoverished household"?

He was at most a level two fitter, but he lived a very frugal life, all because of Jia Zhangshi's burden—besides his retirement money, he also needed to spend money every now and then, and since he had a rural household registration and no food coupons, everything he bought was much more expensive than for others.

If even a level-two fitter is considered an impoverished household, then Old Wang and Old Lady Li in the courtyard would probably be classified as laborers in the old society.

Yi Zhonghai used to always portray the Jia family as poor, simply to get everyone to lend a hand so he wouldn't have to constantly pay out of his own pocket to help.

"You can make the decision. The family really doesn't need those sixteen dollars."

He Yuzhu smiled and pinched Lou Xiao'e's cheek. The Zhenghe Group, which he and Lou's father jointly owned in Hong Kong, was about to break the 20 million mark in market value, and her monthly salary was not even a fraction of what it was on the books.

The reason we found her this job at the neighborhood office was so that she wouldn't be cooped up at home, and also to avoid the intricacies of the courtyard house—if she were ever tricked or deceived by someone, she would be the one who suffers.

Going to the neighborhood office meant having someone to guide and teach you; you'd see neighborhood disputes and everyday gossip every day, which broadened your horizons and gave you peace of mind. Anyway, he'd handle anything, so Lou Xiao'e could just focus on her work.

"Okay, then I'll donate it quietly in a couple of days?"

After Lou Xiao'e finished speaking, she sighed softly: "Compared to those who are truly suffering from cold and hunger, the Jia family is dressed neatly, has cornbread at every meal, and still complains about being poor... I'm really ashamed."

"It's not surprising that people are a little greedy. I'm relieved that you can see that."

He Yuzhu patted her on the shoulder. He was quite pleased that Lou Xiao'e thought this way—at least she was no longer fooled by the Jia family's tricks, and the trip to the neighborhood committee hadn't been in vain.

"By the way, Xiao'e, if you really want to donate, it's best to only tell Director Wang and not make a fuss about it."

Lou Xiao'e blinked: "Why?"

"We all work at the neighborhood office, serving the community. You donate your salary because your family is well-off and doesn't mind; but others depend on that little bit of money to make a living. What will people think when you donate? Do they think Lou Xiao'e is the only kind-hearted person in the entire neighborhood office?"

"Do it discreetly, and the results will be better: Director Wang knows which family needs the money most urgently. You just hand the money to her, and the good deed is done without you having to run around or worry about anything; she knows you're honest, and she's also aware of the situation..."

Lou Xiao'e thought about it for a moment and immediately nodded in agreement—this method was both safe and thorough.

For families truly destitute, whose children don't even have a decent set of clothes, the five yuan she donated could at least buy a thick cotton-padded coat. Director Wang's intervention was also to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation and then turning around and repaying kindness with enmity.

She had a sense of propriety: having money didn't mean she could squander it; she knew her limits and knew to act within her means, never thinking of asking Ho Yu-chu to donate with her, let alone asking him to help the neighbors.

The next morning, fearing any unforeseen complications, Liu Haizhong hurriedly hauled all the scrap iron he had collected to the street office.

He thought he was going to get a scolding, but to his surprise, Director Wang praised him in front of everyone right after he finished unloading the truck.

In the courtyard, although their railway fare was slow, their total fare was the highest—3.4 jin per household, which was closest to the five-jin standard set by the neighborhood committee.

In other courtyards, the highest average weight per household was only two and a half jin (approximately 1.25 kg), a significant difference.

Not only was the compound praised, but Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and He Yuzhu were also specifically commended, especially He Yuzhu—the iron donated by his family was equivalent to that of two or three other households.

But these praises were like the wind blowing past He Yuzhu's ears. The certificates he had received already filled half a wall: the most were from the factory, and he had three national ones, with "Technical Expert," "Model Worker," and "Advanced Producer" written on the back.

When Liu Haizhong returned with the certificate, everyone immediately understood: the matter of donating iron was completely over.

The people in the courtyard surrounded the second uncle, showering him with compliments one after another.

But the moment he saw Lou Xiao'e, his tone immediately changed, and he showered the He family with praise—"Master He is so generous!" "The He couple are so open-minded!"