Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"You decide, but tonight—you'd better watch out."

Lou Xiao'e's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth in surprise: "You...you're coming again?"

"This is nothing! It's been a year since we last met, Xiao'e. Why don't we make the most of our time together before I leave?"

"No! We have to leave right after we finish eating! Let's go!"

She waved her hands repeatedly, her legs still slightly weak—if it happened again during the day and then the fire was ignited at night, she'd probably be bedridden for two days.

Besides, He Yuzhu had to go out to visit an old friend today, so Lou Xiao'e quickly found an excuse to kick him out, afraid that he would stick to her and try to touch her during the day. She really couldn't handle this intensity.

Qin family.

Qin Huairu placed breakfast on the table and turned to Jia Zhangshi, saying, "Mom, go to the Yi family later and see if Auntie made breakfast for Uncle. If she did, please take the trouble to do it and deliver it to him yourself."

"Why should I go? I won't do it!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's face fell—the hospital was so far away, and she had to make the whole trip herself! "Let that barren old hen deliver it herself!"

"Mom, now is the perfect time to get closer to Uncle. Even though his salary was cut, he still makes fifty or sixty yuan a month at the factory, which is more than he can spend. If we get along well with him, we can celebrate the New Year together. He can easily slip us ten or twenty yuan, and we can have a comfortable holiday..."

Before Qin Huairu could finish speaking, Jia Dongxu nodded in agreement: "Huairu is right. Mom, you really have to make the trip. Even if my master is down on his luck, he's still better off than us. In this courtyard, besides our family, he has no one else he can rely on..."

"We have to get there before that old lady."

Qin Huairu added a sentence. With the two of them speaking in unison, the matter was settled. Even though Jia Zhangshi was unwilling, she dared not directly oppose the young couple—if she really angered them, her life would be even more difficult.

Nowadays, the Jia family is like a group of people eating together, with everyone taking turns scheming against each other: sometimes Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu team up to manipulate Qin Huairu, and sometimes Qin Huairu and Jia Dongxu team up to scheme against Jia Zhangshi. There has never been a day of peace.

After making the arrangements, Qin Huairu urged Banggeng to go to school as soon as possible so as not to fall behind in his studies.

Back then, children from several nearby courtyards often walked to school together, looking out for each other on the way and not afraid of being kidnapped.

After seeing her child off, Qin Huairu hurriedly went to work at the factory.

After a long while, under Jia Dongxu's repeated urging, Jia Zhangshi slowly got out of bed, dawdled out the door, and headed towards the Yi family.

"Yi Zhonghai! Yi Zhonghai!"

Hearing the shouts, Yi Zhonghai, lying in his hospital bed, struggled to open his eyes and saw a young man from the security department standing by his bedside. He felt as if his bones were falling apart, and his body ached unbearably.

He then remembered that he had been severely beaten by He Yuzhu last night, and after being carried here and bandaged up, he was so exhausted that he fell into a deep sleep.

"Are you awake, Yi Zhonghai?"

"He's awake... Comrade, what time is it?"

The man glanced at the clock on the wall as he left, then turned back and said irritably, "It's past ten! Don't play dumb. I have to leave after I've finished explaining what happened last night—I was supposed to leave at eight for this!"

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai had finally come to his senses, he continued decisively, "The factory has decided that you and Director He will each receive a 50/50 disciplinary action. Give him a warning, and reimburse all his medical expenses."

"Once you're healed, get discharged as soon as possible. Don't linger in the hospital and hog up a bed. I just asked the doctor, and most injuries are minor, plus dental work, so I'll give you a total of forty yuan. That's all."

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai felt a tightness in his chest and almost fainted—he was beaten up like this, and all he got was forty yuan in compensation?

And a warning? Not even a single record of it in the file, just a verbal mention from the leader, what kind of punishment is that?

His face turned ashen, and he forced out the words through gritted teeth: "Comrade, I've been beaten like this, and He Yuzhu only gave me a warning? Only paid me forty? That's so unfair! I'm not having it!"

The young man from the security department frowned, his tone irritated: "Still not satisfied? The medical bills, the dental filling details, it's all in black and white, you still think it's not enough? A warning isn't a disciplinary action? This was personally approved by the leader, what more do you want?"

"I—I'm calling the police! I need the police! This matter must be handled by the local police station. He Yuzhu beat me up like this, and he thinks he can just pay for some medicine and call it a day? No way!!"

Yi Zhonghai's chest heaved violently, like a bellows being pulled at full capacity, his face turning purple from the effort. He had expected the security department to be biased, but he never imagined it would be so blatant and uncompromising; that idiot Liu Haizhong shouldn't have led the person to the security department at all, he should have gone straight to the police station!

He was covered in bruises and his ribs ached, but what was the result? The compensation was exactly what he owed, just enough to cover the medical bills, without even an apology or a word of comfort.

What is this if not bullying others?!

"Call the police? You think you can bypass the security department and escalate this to a higher level?"

The security officer's face darkened, and his tone turned icy. He was already exhausted and furious, having worked several hours late, and now he had run into Yi Zhonghai causing trouble.

This old man provoked Director He himself—the other man's wife and children stayed behind and behaved themselves, but he insisted on finding fault; after being blocked at the door and beaten up, he still had the nerve to complain and cry foul.

"Yi Zhonghai, let me give you one last piece of advice: this case is under our jurisdiction. Even if you call 110, it will still end up back in our hands. Be sensible and don't make a fool of yourself—otherwise, you'll be the first one investigated!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man turned and left, leaving Yi Zhonghai trembling with anger but unable to move. His internal organs were burning, but twisting his spine caused excruciating pain, making even turning over difficult.

That's true—the security department of the steel rolling mill isn't just for show these days; it has nearly a hundred people, and its staff is more powerful than several surrounding police stations combined. If something happens at the factory, the police generally don't get involved; unless it really enters the judicial process, then they'll transfer the case to the factory on the day the person is taken into custody.

But just as the clerk stepped out the door, he bumped into the night shift nurse in the corridor. She had overheard most of what was happening outside the door, and when she saw Yi Zhonghai being carried in in the middle of the night, his face covered in blood scabs and his clothes stained with blood, her heart tightened, and she blurted out:

"You've gone too far! An old worker, injured like this, and you won't even give him an explanation?"

Upon hearing this, the security officer immediately retorted, "What do you know? Have you even asked the person lying inside why he was beaten? Do you dare call the police? This is the decision made by the factory leaders. You're just a nurse; don't get involved!"

"You bastard! You worthless scoundrel!"

Inside the room, Yi Zhonghai's words resonated deeply, each one like a dull thud as if a hammer were striking his chest. But the phrase "cannot withstand scrutiny" pierced his mind like a thorn—if his actions were truly examined closely, He Yuzhu had powerful backers, but what about him? Who would cover for him? Furthermore, defying the factory's decision would surely leave a mark on his record.

But he couldn't swallow this insult!

After a while, my stomach started growling and I felt weak from hunger—I barely ate a few bites of lunch yesterday before being dragged out and beaten up, and I haven't eaten a single grain of rice in almost seventeen or eighteen hours.

The nurse who had just left was also chased away by the security guards with a few words; he himself could hardly even sit up to pour himself a glass of water, and could only lie on the hospital bed, gritting his teeth and staring blankly.

Knock, knock, knock—the sound of knocking on the door rang out.

Yi Zhonghai turned his head to the side, the door was pushed open, and Jia Zhangshi, carrying an old cloth bag, rushed in.

"Old Yi, you're finally awake! I've cooked you some stew and steamed some buns!"

Her voice was still rough and hoarse, like sandpaper grinding against sheet metal. Normally, Yi Zhonghai would have frowned and covered his ears, but at this moment, it sounded exceptionally soothing.

It turned out that he was lying here, and the first person to step through the door with a lunchbox was her.

"Where's Zhang Shufen? Why didn't she come?"

Yi Zhonghai's voice was weak, but he still couldn't help asking. Even if they had a grudge against each other in the past, surely he wouldn't avoid him like this now?

"Oh, it's an old lady. She said she had a mountain of work to do and couldn't find the time; but Dongxu was worried about you and was afraid you'd go hungry, so he insisted on giving me this lunchbox and told me to bring it over right away."

With a quick dart of her eyes and a rapid-fire tongue, Jia Zhangshi vividly described the old woman's original intention to come, while subtly shifting Qin Huairu's feelings onto Jia Dongxu.

Yi Zhonghai was already seething with anger, so how could he distinguish between truth and falsehood? He only felt a surge of warmth in his heart—this disciple had not been taught in vain, for he still remembered his master in times of crisis.

His throat was dry, and he hurriedly said, "Quick, hand me the lunchbox, I'm starving."

Jia Zhangshi deftly placed the lunchbox on the table and opened the lid: two plates of glistening vegetarian dishes and three fluffy white steamed buns, all exuding the aroma of a wok.

"Old Yi, I didn't even have time to eat this morning, let's grab something to eat together!"

Before she could finish speaking, she had already grabbed a steamed bun and started chewing it. Actually, she had eaten half a cornbread at home before, but those crumbs were no match for the burning sensation in her stomach.

Seeing the steaming hot buns placed before her, she acted faster than her hand could move, taking a bite first...

Yi Zhonghai caught a glimpse of her hand with black mud embedded in her fingernails, and his stomach churned. But remembering that she had come specifically to bring him food, he forced himself to suppress his nausea.

To everyone's surprise, Jia Zhangshi ate with increasing urgency. Yi Zhonghai, with his arm in a sling, couldn't possibly keep up with her. She devoured one of the three steamed buns in a few bites and then reached for the second one—

Yi Zhonghai's eyes widened suddenly: "Jia Zhangshi! I haven't eaten for two whole meals!!"

"Hey, it's just a steamed bun, why are you making such a fuss about it?"

As she spoke, she rubbed the steamed bun with her dark hands, then took a big bite, mumbling, "Here, I saved it for you, okay?"

Yi Zhonghai stared at the steamed bun with fingerprints on it, his throat tightened, and he slammed his chopsticks down on the edge of the bed: "I'm not eating! Go back and tell Qin Huairu to come here right now, I have important business to discuss with her!"

"Qin Huairu? Old Yi, that's my daughter-in-law. Let me make this clear..."

"Explain my ass! I asked her to find out what's going on at the factory. Can you go? Can you ask? If you're so capable, you go yourself!"

Yi Zhonghai suddenly raised his voice, hoarse but powerful. Although he was unsure of himself, this time, he was definitely not just making a fuss.

"Zhang Shufen can go? You can get into the factory office? Besides Qin Huairu, who else can get in touch with them?"