Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

If Sha Zhu dares to disregard even the eldest uncle, then what about his second uncle? Wouldn't he be able to step on him at any time?

What infuriated him even more was that recently, Sha Zhu had been frequently treating Yan Bugui to meals. The Third Uncle was enjoying himself, while he, the Second Uncle, was left out and didn't even get a bowl of soup!

The rage in his heart burned ever brighter.

He stopped and lowered his voice, asking, "Old Yi, what are you planning to do to him?"

The three of us old men took this opportunity to convene a general meeting of the entire compound, inviting all the residents to join together and help Old Lady Li.

It can not only bring neighbors closer together and create a harmonious courtyard where everyone helps each other, but also highlight the responsibility and prestige of our three uncles - Lao Liu, what do you think?

Yi Zhonghai spoke slowly and calmly, but he knew perfectly well what he was doing: there are different ways to do good deeds.

Helping her secretly might earn you a few words of gratitude from Old Lady Li, but she's a widow in her fifties with two children, so poor she can't even afford to eat. What good is her "gratitude"?

The key is to do good deeds openly!

Let everyone know that it was Yi Zhonghai who spearheaded and contributed to this effort; that's what it means to build a reputation and establish authority.

From now on, people will listen to him when he speaks in the yard, unlike last time when he argued with Sha Zhu and everyone just stood by and watched, without anyone even chiming in.

If he really became a respected elder, would Sha Zhu still dare to jump? He wouldn't even need to lift a finger; kind-hearted neighbors would naturally step in and give him a warning.

Besides, Old Lady Li is unemployed and barely makes ends meet by mending clothes. If we lend her ten yuan, when will she ever pay it back? Frankly, this money is like throwing good money after bad.

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong's eyes lit up.

He didn't think much about the intricacies of the previous sentences, but he heard one sentence very clearly—it highlighted the helpfulness of the three of us old men.

That's enough!

He immediately nodded: "Okay! We'll do it your way."

"We'll inform Lao Yan when we get back to the yard... But Lao Yi, will this really cure Sha Zhu?"

"Borrowing money is one thing, but the real issue is the lunchboxes." Yi Zhonghai narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "These days, who doesn't need oil and fat? In the whole compound, only Sha Zhu's family eats meat at every meal. They bring back braised pork and fried meatballs every day, their mouths dripping with oil. Even the neighbor's kids can cry from the smell! Is this acceptable?"

"We have to bring it up—make him divide the lunchboxes and share them with the poorer families in the compound; it would be a good deed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jia Dongxu's eyes lit up.

A family in need? Their family is a perfect example!

Banggeng eats cornbread and pickled vegetables every day and is as thin as a bean sprout. He and his wife are planning to have a second child, which will increase their expenses. Isn't this a typical case of "urgently needing assistance"?

How many times had they craved Sha Zhu's delicious-smelling lunchbox? Now, they finally got their chance to mooch some.

Jia Dongxu immediately chimed in, his face full of sincerity: "Second Uncle, my master is right! Besides, this kind of thing must be brought up by you—you're the second-in-command of our institute, your words carry the most weight!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and his smile almost stretched to his ears.

Even Yi Zhonghai's apprentices acknowledge him as their second uncle; that's a lot of face he deserves!

He straightened his back and nodded emphatically: "Okay! I'll bring this up at the meeting tonight."

"That idiot Zhu is outrageous! He only cares about his own luxurious life; does he even care about his neighbors?"

Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu exchanged a glance, their lips curving into smiles.

This two-pronged approach will be a test of Sha Zhu's skills!

-

"Master, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

The gift for visiting Master Zhang is ready. I'll go to your place on Sunday, is that alright?

He Yuzhu asked while wiping his sweat with a towel.

Li Yuanguo put down his teacup, his eyes crinkling with laughter: "Okay, it's settled then."

You've had a hard day, go home and get some rest.

This apprentice has risen rapidly recently and has almost become a pillar of Fengzeyuan Sichuan Cuisine.

He personally prepared all the restaurant's signature dishes, and every customer gave them a thumbs up after eating them; even the most discerning gourmets fell silent.

"Junior brother, your lunchbox is packed."

Senior student Zhang Deliang came over carrying two heavy aluminum lunch boxes and handed them over.

The last few dishes were all cooked by He Yuzhu, who had already taken a break.

"Thanks, senior brother." He Yuzhu smiled and took the cigarettes, then casually stuffed half a pack into the other man's pocket. "Smoking? My throat hasn't been feeling too good lately, I'm planning to quit."

He is now thinking about practicing kung fu and preparing to gradually give up smoking and drinking.

He picked up his lunchbox, pushed his cart out the door, headed straight for Hongxing Elementary School, picked up He Yushui who was waiting at the school gate, and pedaled all the way back to the courtyard house.

Fengzeyuan has good benefits, but you have to get off work late and it's far from Nanluoguxiang.

Everyone else had finished their dinner, washed their pots and pans, and were sitting in the yard chatting and enjoying the cool air, but he had just entered the house.

If it weren't for the fact that they could bring lunchboxes, the He family would probably be rushing to cook every day before the last train arrives.

But today is strange.

When He Yuzhu rode into the front yard, the street was quiet and there wasn't a soul in sight.

As he turned into the central garden, he suddenly froze—

people!

The yard was packed with people.

Almost all the residents of the front, middle, and rear courtyards had arrived, forming a huge crowd, as if waiting for some grand show to begin.

Yi Zhonghai stood in the center of the crowd. Upon seeing him push the cart in, a barely perceptible twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth, but he quickly straightened his face and said coldly:

"Silly Zhu, you're finally back—the whole college meeting is just missing you."

He Yuzhu frowned.

He was also called "Silly Pillar".

He glanced at the group, too lazy to start a fight on the spot, and replied indifferently, "You guys go ahead, I'll go back and park the car."

"Idiot Zhu! I just said we'd be holding a hospital-wide meeting. Are you deaf? Don't you have any sense of organization or discipline? Are you making everyone wait for you?"

Yi Zhonghai roared, his voice so loud it made the leaves on the leaves in the yard tremble.

He Yuzhu was pushing his bicycle with a lunchbox hanging on the handlebars and Xiaoyushui in his arms. Hearing this, he stopped in his tracks and his brows furrowed into a knot.

He abruptly looked up, his eyes widening, and anger surged to his head: "Did I tell you to wait for me? Didn't I just say you go first? I'm just going back to my room to put something down, it'll only take two minutes! Can you really make a big fuss over something in two minutes? Don't fucking cause trouble!"

The words landed like a slap in the face, silencing the entire courtyard for a moment.

After saying that, he gave Yi Zhonghai a cold look, turned around and left: "Yushui, come home with me."

The sound of the cart clattering on the bluestone pavement echoed, and the figure's back was as stiff as an iron rod, without turning around at all.

"You stupid Zhu! Lawless! Disrespectful to elders! You have no manners at all!" Yi Zhonghai was so angry that his face turned purple, and his finger almost poked He Yuzhu's back.

Yan Bugui quickly stopped him, saying, "Old Yi, calm down, calm down. Zhu Zi just got back, pushing a stroller with a child in tow. What's wrong with putting something down? It'll only take a minute. Why are you so anxious? Besides, how could he possibly know? He was only notified this afternoon, and he wasn't even here then."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai held his breath, flared his nostrils, but ultimately didn't lash out again.

But he was secretly plotting something: if word got out that he was sticking to his guns over such a trivial matter, it would make him look petty and narrow-minded.

But Yan Bugui is really something else. He pretends to be honest and simple all the time, but when it really matters, he turns his back on his own side and teams up with that idiot Zhu? All for a meal of meat dishes? Shameful!

But then he thought again—the fault wasn't his, it was Sha Zhu's! That kid was too impulsive, he didn't respect him, his elder, at all!

What's even more infuriating is that he didn't even start a meeting right away, but instead dragged it out until He Yuzhu came back. It was obvious that he was using everyone's time as a stepping stone to direct everyone's resentment toward Sha Zhu!

That was a sneaky move!

Fortunately, He Yuzhu was quick and efficient. He put down the car and lunchbox and came out in a few quick steps.

Before leaving, he squatted down and rubbed Yushui's head, saying, "Stay home obediently. The adults are in a meeting; don't get involved."

As soon as he came out, Yi Zhonghai slowly raised his enamel cup and tapped it twice with a crisp sound. Everyone immediately fell silent and stared at his face.

Liu Haizhong coughed twice and spoke first, his tone as serious as if he were reading an official document: "Ahem... The reason we've convened this general meeting of the entire courtyard today is because it's a very, very important matter! You must listen carefully! This is a decision made by the three of us—me, the First Uncle, and the Third Uncle—after joint discussion! It concerns the atmosphere and unity of the entire courtyard, and it's of great significance! Now, please let our highly respected First Uncle announce this matter."

This opening speech was so long and rambling that it made my eyelids droop.

Even Yan Bugui, who was standing next to him, was stunned—when was this discussed? He was called to a meeting as soon as he got back, supposedly to "reach a consensus." Is this what you call discussion?

Yi Zhonghai took over the conversation, his expression turning serious: "It's like this—a couple of days ago, the grandchildren of Old Lady Li in the front yard fell ill, and the family's rice jar was empty, leaving them with nothing to eat."

Old Mrs. Li was already struggling financially, and now things have gotten even worse.

Therefore, I propose that our entire hospital launch a fundraising campaign to help her family through this difficult time!

He paused, then raised his voice: "Many hands make light work! If I help others today, they'll help me tomorrow! As long as we're united, there's no obstacle we can't overcome! Don't you all agree?"

His words sounded very respectable, and many people nodded in agreement.

Grandma Li's family is indeed in dire straits, and they are usually law-abiding citizens, so it's reasonable to lend a hand.

More importantly—everyone has their difficulties. If you help her today, it will be your turn tomorrow, and others can lend a hand too. This is a good rule!

"Since no one objects," Yi Zhonghai looked around, a slight smile playing on his lips, "then let's begin the donations now! Donations are primarily voluntary, within your means, but the sentiment is what matters!"

Everyone echoed their agreement, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.