Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Xu Damao absolutely refused to go to the hospital with me for a checkup, only boasting that 'an old Chinese medicine doctor prescribed a formula'... Elders, can you guess why he'd rather believe a charlatan than step into the hospital?"

"You're talking nonsense!"

Xu Damao's mother was trembling with anger, her voice cracking: "You barren hen, the Xu family line is about to end, all because of you..."

"Shut up! Say another word and you're back here right now!"

Xu Fugui roared, slamming his fist on the ground like an iron plate, silencing his mother on the spot and easing the tension on Yu's father's face—no matter what, Yu Li was his own daughter, and he couldn't swallow this insult in front of his parents.

Xu Fugui turned to look at Yu Li, his tone softening slightly: "Yu Li, I'll stand up for Da Mao and accompany you to the hospital again to get the checkups done thoroughly; but you really need to reconsider the divorce. It's only been two years..."

"No discussion! If you don't leave today, I'm leaving right now!"

Yu Li's expression was resolute, her eyes showing no sign of softening. She wasn't someone who couldn't bend over backwards, but her heart had been broken by Xu Damao: cold faces, apathy, and even physical violence over work matters; most importantly, she hadn't conceived in three years, how was she going to live? Was she going to spend the rest of her life with an empty shell? She would rather stay single than become a bitter, resentful woman.

"Lou Xiao'e! Was it you who fanned the flames behind my back, instigating Yu Li to sabotage my Da Mao? I knew you were a troublemaker long ago..."

Xu's mother exploded again, poking Lou Xiao'e's nose with her finger, spittle flying everywhere—she had worked for the Lou family in her younger days and knew Lou Xiao'e; a few days ago, she had heard Xu Damao grit his teeth and curse Lou Xiao'e for "sowing discord," and the fire in her heart had been burning ever since. She had held back her outburst earlier out of consideration for the Lou family's former power; but upon hearing Yu Li's harsh words, and thinking that Lou Xiao'e was now all alone in the Lou family, her courage suddenly grew, and she began to curse.

boom!

Before he could finish speaking, Ma Hua kicked Xu's mother, sending her flying two meters sideways.

Ma Hua rushed forward, pointed at her nose, and yelled, "You old hag, how dare you spit on my teacher's wife? Believe me or not, I'll slap your stinking mouth to pieces!"

Xu Fugui's face turned pale with rage: "You dare to lay a hand on me? I'll call the police and have you arrested right now!"

"Go ahead and report it! Even if the police come, I'll beat them up—whoever insults my teacher's wife will get what's coming to them!"

Ma Hua is stubborn, but he is as loyal to He Yuzhu as a rock. In his past life, He Yuzhu only taught him a few basic cooking skills, and he followed him to the workshop wholeheartedly. In this life, He Yuzhu directly took him as an apprentice, arranged his food and lodging properly, and paved his future in front of him. Let alone spending a few days in the security department, he wouldn't even blink if He Yuzhu were to go to jail.

Lou Xiao'e's face darkened, and she stepped forward: "You worked for my family before, and I've been saving face for you by not speaking up. Since you don't know your place... fine, please tell Xu Damao: if he wants to take advantage of Yuzhu's absence to target the He family, he should first ask himself if he's up to the task!"

"Don't wait until you can't even show movies in the countryside anymore, and then you come crying to us for help!"

Xu Fugui's face stiffened. Last time, Xu Damao almost collapsed under the screen because he had to take on the projection task. If He Yuzhu hadn't relented, his son would probably have ended up in the hospital with the title of "model worker," or he might have been forced to retire early due to physical exhaustion!

He cursed his mother inwardly for being foolish—if you're going to advise someone, just advise them properly, why drag Lou Xiao'e into it? Have you forgotten that old saying? Even a starved camel is still stronger than a horse!

But he couldn't ignore his own son. Xu Fugui forced a smile and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Lou Xiao'e: "Lou Xiao'e, Da Mao's mother misspoke just now; but your apprentice also kicked me, so we're even. Let's just let this matter drop..."

The meaning behind the words is clear: no one owes anyone anything, and everyone should compromise.

Before Lou Xiao'e could even speak, Ma Hua blurted out, "Teacher's wife, I'm not afraid! At worst, I'll just have to stay in the security office for a couple of days!"

These days, the security department's word carries a lot. In the steel mill, minor mistakes by workers fall under the security department's jurisdiction; only major incidents are sent to the police station. The police are short-staffed, so many cases are pushed down, and the neighborhood security teams often cover for them. As for Ma Hua's little matter, it's nothing at all—the canteen and the security department are close, and every time they come to eat, he always scoops an extra spoonful of glistening meat chunks into his serving; he can walk in and out before the door is even fully closed, swaying back with his enamel mug, not to mention he's He Yuzhu's apprentice.

"snort!"

Lou Xiao'e glanced at her coldly, too lazy to bother with her. If it weren't illegal to swear, she would have loved to give Xu's mother a taste of the iron chair in the security department.

Yu Li stepped forward, her voice clear and crisp: "Stop with the nonsense! Get Xu Damao out here right now to process our divorce—otherwise, I'll immediately go to the Women's Federation and ask them to come and uphold justice!"

Lou Xiao'e added from the side, "With the Women's Federation here, Xu Damao's beating of women will be a done deal; and the matter of 'who can't have children' will also need to be thoroughly investigated..."

Rumors are just rumors, but once the Women's Federation officially acknowledges them, their nature changes.

In fact, Xu Damao had been feeling uneasy ever since Yu Li produced that medical report, but he was both ashamed and scared, so he kept putting off the follow-up examination and dared not face the truth.

Yu Li and Lou Xiao'e's words weighed heavily on Xu Fugui's heart. He never expected that even Yu's parents couldn't persuade this girl.

Just as Yu's father opened his mouth, he said, "Yu Li..."

"Dad, Mom, stop talking." Yu Li gritted her teeth, her words sharp and cutting. "If it really comes to this—just pretend I don't have a daughter! Anyway, today, I'm getting a divorce!"

Upon hearing this, both of Yu's parents were stunned, their faces filled with shock: "She's even abandoning her family for the sake of divorce?"

Xu Fugui sighed deeply, knowing that things had come to this point, and continuing to argue would only further damage the Xu family's reputation and spread the word more widely.

He waved his hand: "Fine, I'll make Da Mao divorce you. The Women's Federation... we don't need to get involved, right?"

Seeing Yu Li nod, he turned to Xu's mother and said, "Go and call Da Mao out."

It turned out that Xu Damao had been crouching behind the locust tree at the alley entrance, waiting for the outcome. A few minutes later, when he was called over, his gaze towards Yu Li was like a knife chilled to the bone, but Yu Li didn't even lift an eyelid—she had long since stopped taking him seriously!

Once the marriage is over, all ties are severed. If Xu Damao dares to make another move, Yu Li will either call the police station or head straight for the Women's Federation.

Once everyone had arrived, the two groups headed straight for the neighborhood office, each carrying their household registration booklet. Mr. and Mrs. Xu clutched their cloth bags and sighed repeatedly. They saw Yu Li's chin was taut, her eyes as hard as iron, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly, but ultimately she didn't utter a single word, silently following behind.

After receiving the divorce certificate, the two came down the steps of the neighborhood office. Yu Li took a deep breath, and her shoulders slumped.

It was as if the heavy iron collar around my neck, which had been weighing me down for three years, had snapped with a "crack," and I felt so light that I could float away.

"Xiao'e, you've really done me a favor! When I get my salary next month, I'll definitely treat you to a nice meal!"

As soon as she stepped out of the street office, Yu Li grabbed Lou Xiao'e's wrist, her voice trembling, and she didn't even bother to greet her parents who were standing next to her.

"Okay, Yu Li, but you go first..."

Lou Xiao'e gently raised her chin towards her parents, then turned her head and said softly, "I'll wait for you under the locust tree up ahead."

Before she finished speaking, she took Ma Hua's arm and walked a few steps away. Xu Damao and his family of three had long since disappeared—none of them paid any attention to each other, whether they were in a hurry to go back inside to discuss their next move or to rush to the hospital to check their injuries, no one knew.

Yu Li walked up to her parents, her tone calm but firm: "Mom and Dad, you should go back now. I won't be staying at home for a while."

"Not going home? Where are you going? Are you going to stay in the courtyard house? You've already broken up with Xu Damao, what are you doing just standing there?"

Mother Yu's face darkened, and her voice suddenly rose: "You've practically ripped my old face off! Only a few days into the wedding? And you're already breaking up! And now you're still hanging around in their yard? Aren't you ashamed? I'd dig my toes into the ground for you!"

Mr. Yu frowned and advised, "Your mother is right, Li, go home and rest for a couple of days before we talk about it."

"Go back to where? I work in a washing machine factory now, and it takes two hours each way, four hours round trip. I don't have a bicycle, and I have to squeeze into the bus stop and wait in long lines. What's the point?"

Yu Li spoke crisply, her gaze sweeping over the familiar biased look on her parents' faces. She paused before continuing, "The work paperwork is all done, the position is secure, and no one can fill my vacancy. Xiao'e got this job through connections; I didn't pay a penny. If I gave it to someone else, I'd be out of a job immediately..."

"Why can't you allow it? When you get married, won't you have to bring your work to your husband's family? That won't do!"

Upon hearing this, Yu's mother became anxious—Yu Li's divorce still left her with a secure job, which was like a windfall for the Yu family!

Before the divorce, they were both employed, which was considered very respectable in the entire city of Beijing; although they have lost face now, at least they still have a job.

In the hearts of Yu's parents, this secure job was already engraved with the name "Yu Family," and it would naturally be left to their youngest daughter, Haitang.

"Sister, you're young, and you'll need to find a husband someday, but this job has to stay with our family." Mr. Yu lowered his voice. "Haitang will graduate from high school next year; we can't let her rely on luck..."

Yu Li suddenly looked up, her eyes reddening: "Mom, is Haitang the only person you care about? I'll say it one last time—this is my employee number, my name, my lifeline! Nobody can touch it!"

"Alright, I'll come see you guys when I have time. No problem, I'm leaving now."

After saying that, she turned and left, her steps swift and decisive, without ever looking back.

Only after Yu Li's figure disappeared around the street corner did Yu's mother stomp her feet and yell at Yu's father, "Old Yu! Why didn't you stop her?! What kind of talk is this? Does her married daughter want to take away her livelihood? Does she even care about this family?!"

Mr. Yu sighed deeply: "Stop spoiling Haitang. Our eldest daughter just got divorced, she's still heartbroken, and you immediately start talking about work... If I were her, I'd flip the table too!"

"Today is not the time to talk about this. Let her catch her breath, and we can reason with her later."

Fortunately, Yu Li didn't hear those words—otherwise, that little bit of relief that had just begun to emerge would probably have sunk back into the mud.