Siheyuan: Traveling through three years to gain the power of a palm

"Our subdistrict office originally selected you to be the managers so that you would be on guard against enemy agents and prevent sabotage by those with ill intentions. You were also to mediate neighborhood conflicts and serve the people. We didn't intend for you to act tyrannically in the yard or act like the head of a household, having the final say. That's feudal dregs!"

"But you, Liu Haizhong, are so courageous and arrogant. You have such a little power in your hands, but instead of serving everyone, you use it to embarrass everyone. Liu Haizhong, you are really great. This is just a small manager. To put it bluntly, he is not even an official."

"You dare to do this as a manager? If you really become an official, won't you continue to oppress the people and exploit them like that black-hearted county magistrate?"

Liu Haizhong was sweating profusely and shouted, "I dare not." Even though he was not well educated, he knew that if these things were really confirmed, he would probably have to stay in jail for a few years.

"I really don't dare, Director Wang. I've never thought of engaging in feudal dregs. I haven't made things difficult for you, and I certainly don't dare to oppress you."

"I just feel that as the head of the hospital, I need to care about the affairs of the hospital. Yes, I care too much about the affairs of the hospital and want to ask about everything."

"You're still quibbling!" Director Wang slammed the table beside him, pointed his finger at Liu Haizhong, and scolded, "I heard it clearly. Why should Sha Zhu inform you when he's getting married? Are you their elder?"

"He Yuzhu's marriage is his private matter. He has the final say on who to notify, who to invite, and whether to hold a banquet. No one else has the right to interfere, not even you or me. He's getting married, and you're jumping around like that. What's the big deal?"

"Director Wang, well said!" Sha Zhu shouted, the sound of his hands clapping. Today, he had finally gotten his revenge. Liu Haizhong had been giving him trouble at his wedding this afternoon, and now he wanted to beat him up. What kind of person was this?

Do you know the yearning of a single young man in his twenties for marriage? Do you know the helplessness he feels every night, alone in his empty room? Do you know how much regret he feels after the traditional craftsmanship ends?

Sha Zhu took the lead in speaking out, and other neighbors also responded, talking about what Liu Haizhong did in the courtyard, such as holding random meetings, which seriously affected their lives. They must call him "uncle" and lecture him if they made mistakes.

Everyone was talking one after another, and some of their words might be slightly different from the facts, but most of them were true.

No one from the Jiang or Xu families spoke; with so many people speaking out, they were more than needed. Jiang Fan just watched, his eyes glancing at the two Liu brothers who were secretly delighted at the side.

The brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu did not show any sadness about their father's misfortune on their faces. Instead, they were filled with deep joy. If they were not young and unable to live independently, they would have stood up and accused Liu Haizhong of bullying his own sons.

"Everyone, please be quiet. Please be quiet." Director Wang raised his hand and pressed twice, and the noise in the yard disappeared immediately.

"In bangs."

"Here." Liu Haizhong agreed nervously.

"Look at the image you project in this courtyard. How much resentment do people have towards you? Is this how you act as the steward? You're not even as good as Yi Zhonghai!"

Yi Zhonghai was excited when he was named. Is he going to make a comeback?

Liu Haizhong quickly bowed his head and admitted his mistake, saying, "Director Wang, I apologize. I was wrong. I will never make such a mistake again and will serve my neighbors wholeheartedly. Please give me a chance and I will make amends."

"Reform? How can someone like you reform? How can I believe you will? Besides, you have no future. You can no longer be the manager. You are also responsible for cleaning the yard. From now on, after work, you will go to the street office for ideological education. The education will end when you pass the assessment."

Director Wang decided on a punishment for Liu Haizhong. It wasn’t too severe, but it was indeed very uncomfortable for Liu Haizhong.

First of all, he lost his only official position, and secondly, cleaning the yard was a slap in his face. Whenever Liu Haizhong was punished to clean the yard, he was the one who made others clean the yard.

Finally, ideological education is nothing, but the assessment is very troublesome, because Liu Haizhong has a low level of education and can't recognize many words. Letting him take the exam is basically like asking him to compete with Yi Zhonghai in IQ.

Chapter 151 Follow-up

Director Wang fixed Liu Haizhong's face and asked him to sit back down. Then, while Yan Bugui was still chuckling, he looked at him and said seriously, "Yan Bugui, are you happy?"

Yan Bugui was stunned. How could this have anything to do with me? However, he reacted quickly and immediately admitted his mistake: "Director Wang, I'm not happy. I'm also wrong about this matter."

Director Wang raised his voice slightly and said, "Oh? You're wrong too. Then tell me where you went wrong?"

"Ah, this?" Yan Bugui was completely dumbfounded, and kept thinking about where he had gone wrong.

"Humph!" Director Wang snorted coldly. "Yan Bugui, let me ask you, are you aware of Liu Haizhong's behavior in the yard?"

"I know."

"I know you didn't report it to our neighborhood office. You're an elementary school teacher, don't you know you're condoning Liu Haizhong?"

Director Wang angrily rebuked Yan Bugui. While people like Liu Haizhong were certainly detestable, Yan Bugui was equally disgusting. The residents of the courtyard might have been fine, but Yan Bugui was also the one in charge. He was completely derelict in his duty by not reporting such a thing to his superiors.

"Hey, Director Wang, you can't blame me for this." Yan Bugui explained with a bitter face, "Director Wang, I, the manager, am completely useless in our hospital. Liu Haizhong thinks he is the boss and his official position is higher than mine. On weekdays, I have no right to speak. I also advised him about his frequent meetings, but he just doesn't listen."

"You don't need to tell me so much. In short, you have not fulfilled your responsibilities as a manager, and you don't need to be a manager anymore." Director Wang didn't want to hear Yan Bugui's explanation, and this was not the reason why Yan Bugui didn't report to his superiors.

To be honest, Director Wang has also encountered cases in his past where the "manager" (a lowly position) used his limited power to harass neighbors. Most people tolerated this, as the "manager" (a middle-aged or elderly person) was elected by their neighborhood office. He held some respect within the neighborhood.

Besides, nothing big will happen in the yard, and most people won't make a big deal about it. After all, they are all neighbors and they see each other every day. It would not look good if the matter becomes too awkward.

Only a few young people with few ties would report these incidents to the neighborhood committee office. They were educated, driven, and unburdened by any major concerns, not afraid of some frivolous "man in charge." They would take on anyone they disliked; these people were known as "street slickers."

Jiang Fan could relate to this. When he was locked up in his previous life, security guards in many places were in the same boat. With just a little power in their hands, they could do whatever they wanted to make things difficult for the residents. How despicable was that?

Security guards are not scary. After all, they are just human beings. They can't have extra heads. What is scary is that the higher-ups have given them this power.

Perhaps because Jiang Daniu is now the workshop director and the chief blacksmith in the factory, Liu Haizhong did not cause trouble for them in the yard.

Director Wang turned her gaze to where the Jiang family was. Jiang Fan instantly understood that she wanted one of her own family members to be the manager.

As expected, Director Wang looked at Jiang Daniu and said directly, "Comrade Jiang Daniu, I would like to nominate you to be the manager of the courtyard. What do you think?"

Everyone's eyes immediately focused on Jiang Daniu. A few years ago, when the election for the steward position had just begun, Jiang Daniu was also a candidate for the front yard. However, Yi Zhonghai said that the steward position must be held by at least an educated person, and Yan Bugui was the most suitable candidate in the yard.

Everyone thought it was right; having an educated person in charge would be better able to convey the spirit of the higher-ups. Furthermore, Jiang Daniu had no such intentions, so they decided on Yan Bugui.

"Me?" Jiang Daniu pointed at himself. "Director Wang, I don't have any intention of being a boss."

"Yes, Director Wang. My dad's a workshop director at the factory, and his workload isn't easy." Jiang Fan stood up. He didn't want to mess with this lousy steward's position. It was fine during normal times, but it was about to get worse. Most families in the compound wouldn't have enough food to eat. There was no doubt Yi Zhonghai would take the lead and have the steward solve this mess.

It’s troublesome, too troublesome.

"Director Wang, I don't think anyone who has to go to work is suitable to be the manager." Jiang Fan continued.

Director Wang looked at Jiang Fan and asked, "Oh? What do you mean?"

The neighbors also looked at Jiang Fan, wanting to hear what he had to say.

Jiang Fan didn't keep the topic a secret and said, "Everyone knows that the main task of the steward is to mediate neighborhood conflicts and family disputes. So it's best to stay at home all day. That way, if anything happens in the yard, you can respond in time."

"If the steward is at work during the day, he won't be the first to know what happened in the yard. He'll have to wait until he comes home at night and hear about what happened from other people, which is inevitably biased. So when choosing a steward, it's best to choose someone who's not working and is at home."

After Jiang Fan finished speaking, everyone was thinking, especially Director Wang. She thought about Jiang Fan's words carefully, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

"What you said does make sense. How about this: you don't have to appoint a manager in your yard for now. Neighbors can resolve conflicts on their own. If they can't, just come directly to the neighborhood office and we'll handle it for you."

Jiang Fan gave Xu Damao a look, and Xu Damao immediately understood. He immediately raised his hands and clapped his hands, shouting, "Director Wang is brilliant."

Xu Damao took the lead, and the neighbors in the yard followed closely, clapping their hands. The five words "Director Wang is wise" were deafening.

Director Wang raised her hand again to suppress the crowd's voices, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly. This was the recognition of her work by the masses.

"Comrade Jiang Fan, come here."

Jiang Fan stood up and took two steps to Director Wang's side.

"Comrades, what I am going to say next is related to Comrade Jiang Fan."

Director Wang then recounted Jiang Fan's entire story of bravely fighting the gangsters, praising him highly for his bravery. At Jiang Fan's request, she didn't mention that he'd also busted an underground casino. Jiang Fan didn't want to worry his family too much; he could already imagine Shen Yue nagging him about just one gangster.

The neighbors praised Jiang Fan profusely, showering him with compliments. This was an era that valued honor, and Jiang Fan's honor was a source of glory for their community.

Many people even think that if they encounter a gangster and knock him down with a few punches and kicks, then wouldn’t the honor and reward be theirs?

Chapter 152 Shen Yue's Education

The entrance of the courtyard.

Xu Damao and Jiang Fan squatted there, "Hey brother, why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Tell you? How can I tell you? The knife was only a finger's distance away from me at that time. I almost got hurt, you know? I could have called a timeout for him, and then ran to your house to tell you that the opportunity to make a contribution has come, let's go over and kill him. Are you crazy?" Jiang Fan rolled his eyes. Although the situation was not so critical at that time, there was no chance to notify Xu Damao.

"Brother, I'm sorry. I, I really want to make progress." Xu Damao also realized that something was wrong. How could he have informed the gangsters in advance when he encountered them on the road? Not to mention that he was with Lou Xiao'e at the time.

He became very anxious when he thought about the fact that their plan had not been able to move forward.

Jiang Fan reminded him, "Da Mao, I know you're anxious, but don't worry. We might not be able to meet, but don't we still have your father-in-law?"

"Yes, and there's also my father-in-law." Xu Damao was delighted, but a look of worry instantly filled his heart. He said, "Brother, if you ask my father-in-law to help as you said, then won't he handle this matter himself?"

This question has been in his mind for a long time, and he has always wanted to ask Jiang Fan.

"Lou Zhenhua? He wouldn't dare."

Xu Damao pressed on: "How do you say that?"

Jiang Fan stood up without saying anything, patted Xu Damao on the shoulder, and walked into the yard. Xu Damao scratched his head, he couldn't figure it out, but Jiang Fan didn't say anything, so he didn't ask any more questions. He went home with him to play with Lou Xiaoe. His most important thing now was to have a child with Lou Xiaoe.

Jiang Fan wasn't worried that Lou Zhenhua would abandon Xu Damao and go it alone. Who was Lou Zhenhua? A big capitalist. How many merits would he have to accomplish to make his entire family a "red man"? This wasn't something that could be accomplished by simply nabbing one or two robbers or enemy spies. It would take at least several dens to barely give him a pass.

But then the question arises: if Lou Zhenhua really did report so many people, how did he know? Could it be that those people had contact with him? Was he being recruited? There's a lot of room for speculation here.

Ultimately, as long as the Lou family didn't run away with the money, someone would keep an eye on this piece of fat meat. Or Lou Zhenhua could find someone to donate all the money publicly, leaving a little for living expenses, and perhaps he could save it.

However, the most opportune time for this was a few years ago, during the public-private partnership. Setting an example then would have definitely made headlines, and perhaps even met those people. With a few compliments and a note from them, it would have most likely been possible to secure the project. Now it's a bit too late.

Back in the house, Jiang Fan sensed the oppressive atmosphere. He looked at his father and eldest brother, but neither responded. Jiang Yu was scribbling on the table, writing or drawing, while his eldest sister-in-law was holding Pengpeng, neither of them looking at him. His second uncle and his family had already run home.

Jiang Fan thought to himself, "Oh no! I haven't told Mom about this yet."

"The second brother is back, come in." Shen Yue's voice came from the house, making Jiang Fan shudder.

There are twelve people in the Jiang family, and everyone knows that Shen Yue is the head of the family. Even Jiang Erniu's family is obedient in front of her.

"Father, brother."

"It's really cold today."

"Yeah, Dad, I'm sweating."

The two men's reactions made Jiang Fan give up. He looked at them with a look of disappointment and said, "You two! We are three grown men with the same surname, and you are being bullied by someone from a different surname!"

Jiang Daniu walked up to Jiang Fan and said solemnly: "Second brother, you are right. We all have the surname Jiang, how can we be afraid of your mother? Wait, I will go to your second uncle to discuss countermeasures." After that, he walked out of the house in two steps.

"Second brother, you know me. I won't hesitate to help you on other matters, even if you are wrong. But you should handle this matter yourself. Wife, let's go home."

Chen Qian hugged Pengpeng, looked at Jiang Fan with a slightly apologetic look on her face, and followed Jiang Pingan out.

"Xiaoyu."

Jiang Yu heard Jiang Fan calling, turned his head and said with a smile: "Second brother, I don't know two questions. Go ask my sister-in-law. Take care."

In this situation, Jiang Fan cursed inwardly: "Beast!"

But what is coming will come. Jiang Fan thought about the wording in his mind and thought about how to say it later.

Within two minutes, he pushed the door open with a fearless attitude, and saw Shen Yue sitting upright on the chair, looking at him quietly, with no expression on her face, and her eyes were calm, without a trace of emotion.

After weakly calling out "Mom", Jiang Fan saw crystal tears flashing in Shen Yue's eyes.

"Jiang Lao Er! Get down on your knees!"

Jiang Fan's legs softened reflexively and he fell to the ground.

"You're capable, aren't you? You even dared to fight with the gangsters? He was holding a knife, and you still rushed forward foolishly. Can't you just run away? Why did you have to fight him instead of meddling in other people's business? Do you think this is just a child's game? What if he stabbed you a few times? What do you want me to do?"

"Mom, I'm fine, aren't I?" Jiang Fan regretted saying this the moment he said it. How could he say this at this moment?

"Are you still being stubborn?" Shen Yue picked up a feather duster and hit Jiang Fan on the back.

The feather duster made a whooshing sound as it broke through the air, but it didn't land on Jiang Fan at all. It stopped half an inch away from his back.

"You're fine this time, but what about next time? You can't always be so lucky. This time it was a knife, next time it might be a gun. Will the bullets even get around you? Can your body withstand the bullets?"

Shen Yue threw down the feather duster and continued to scold Jiang Fan, "Our family doesn't care about that piece of paper or that little money. Mom just wants you to live a good life, in peace and safety. That's enough. What does it have to do with us if others get into trouble? You're just an ordinary person."

Shen Yue talked for more than ten minutes straight, and Jiang Fan didn't refute her, just listened quietly. When Shen Yue said she was tired, he handed her a cup of tea, "Mom, drink some water to moisten your throat, and then continue scolding."

Shen Yue drank the tea and took a break before speaking: "Mom doesn't want to scold you, I just want you to know how dangerous your behavior is this time. Next time you encounter something like this, don't get involved. Run, run away. It's not your turn to do this. You are still a child."

"Mom, I get it. This won't happen again. This time, I was just in the heat of the moment. The guy didn't run away and just came towards me. I thought he was taking advantage of me. In the heat of the moment, I threw things at him and started fighting with him."

Jiang Fan didn't say anything and threw coal from a distance, knocking the man down. No matter what he said at this time, Shen Yue had only one thing in her mind, that is, he had a fight with a knife-wielding gangster, and he hadn't told her yet.

Shen Yue looked at her second son with mixed emotions.

"Second brother, Mom knows you're capable. The fact that you've never had any accidents in the mountains over the years proves it. But humans and animals are different. No matter how cunning an animal is, it can't compare to a human..."

Chapter 153: Lao Li’s Commendation

The setting sun is like blood.

But the cold wind could not dampen the workers' enthusiasm.