Chapter 462: Grand Courtyard Meeting

Since Liu Haizhong was stripped of his title as captain of the Yagangchang Elderly Assault Team, a full ten years have passed without the Siheyuan ever holding a Grand Courtyard Meeting.

Then it was suddenly convened.

It really gave the neighbors a feeling that a brief separation is better than a new joy.

Besides being surprising, everyone was also full of anticipation, mainly because the current policy needed a clear announcement to give the neighbors a reassuring pill.

For example, the recent housing privatization introduced by the street office.

Some neighbors saw Shazhu buy a house, and even purchase several houses at once, so they followed suit and bought houses together.

Such people.

They only make up a small part.

Take the Red Star Courtyard as an example: originally there were about twenty-seven or twenty-eight households, now only twenty-one or twenty-two remain; among those twenty-one or twenty-two households, only seven or eight have bought houses exactly like Shazhu did, while the remaining fourteen or fifteen households are still strongly hesitant.

Families like the Jia family, who want to buy a house but have no money.

That's just the Jia family alone.

The vast majority of neighbors hold their breath, worried that if they spend money to buy houses like Shazhu did—and even purchase several at once—they would acquire the reputation of being wealthy households.

They fear getting into trouble.

The wealthy families at the Yagangchang had all been cleaned up by Liu Haizhong in recent years, and they worry they might end up like the Lou family, who were also dealt with.

Purely the mindset of measuring a gentleman's belly with a petty person's heart.

Not as open-minded as Shazhu.

Many people also muttered in private, holding toward Shazhu the mindset of enjoying the spectacle and hoping he would meet misfortune.

Especially the Jia family, whose attitude is most obvious; Jia Zhangshi has repeatedly complained to Qin Huairu, bluntly saying that Shazhu might be arrested any day, and when that happens his house will be confiscated, so the Jia family would no longer worry about being evicted from the Siheyuan.

Upon seeing someone organize a Grand Courtyard Meeting, everyone, each with their own thoughts, hurriedly appeared in the courtyard.

The person chairing the meeting.

It was Yan Fugui.

Don't look at Lao Kou, who is naturally scheming; his usual saying goes, 'If you can't scheme enough to eat or wear, you'll suffer poverty,' yet he has become the sole remaining one among the three steward elders of the Siheyuan.

The First Elder, Yi Zhonghai, because he had an affair with Qin Huairu and was later exposed for killing Jia Dongxu, died and vanished in a crematorium over ten years ago.

The Second Elder, Liu Haizhong, due to a principled mistake, was held accountable for past debts and ended up facing a twenty-year imprisonment.

Only Yan Fugui has had nothing happen to him.

At the Grand Courtyard Meeting, the solid wood table that once displayed the authority of the three steward elders, Yi Zhonghai included, now has only Yan Fugui sitting at it.

At this very moment.

Yan Fugui took the large tea vat full of tea, used it as a sounding board, tapping it lightly a few times on the table; when the neighbors' gazes all gathered on him, he hurriedly coughed lightly, opened the vat's lid, drank three or four sips of tea to moisten his throat, adjusted his glasses, and then took out from his pocket a piece of paper he had carefully folded.

The neighbors' gazes then shifted from Yan Fugui's person to the document in his hand.

They are not blind.

They saw the clear imprint of the word 'street office' on the paper.

They thought to themselves.

Yan Fugui must be about to convey the street office's latest directive.

Jia Zhangshi and her ilk all perked up their spirits, still hoping for a policy change that would let them enjoy the benefits of Shazhu's house, each staring intently at Yan Fugui.

Yan Fugui glanced around at the neighbors, then opened the document in his hand.

"Simply put, since Liu Haizhong was stripped of his captain title, our Siheyuan hasn't held this Grand Courtyard Meeting again—almost ten years have passed, things and people have changed; speaking frankly, seeing this, I truly feel moved."

"Third Elder, don't just sigh—tell us what the matter is." An impatient neighbor urged, saying, "Please convey the street office's latest directive to us—is it about the houses?"

"Sanmihu, you really guessed it." Yan Fugui waved the document in his hand, "It really is about the houses."

"Indeed it's about the houses, Third Elder—let me be frank, these past few nights I haven't dared to sleep; if you say buy a house, I worry I'll end up like the Lou family; if you say don't buy, I worry our house will become someone else's; the worry has made us start losing hair, we lie awake all night."

Jia Zhangshi's voice.

It rang out immediately.

Among the many neighbors present.

Only she hoped to return before.

Saying something she doesn't fear the neighbors laughing at.

When Jia Zhangshi just went out, she had already figured out how to seize Shazhu's house.

Following Sanmihu's lead, she deliberately made sarcastic remarks to provoke Shazhu.

"Some people, with a few measly coins in hand, don't know the immensity of heaven and earth; they immediately buy several families' houses, not fearing being struck by lightning; according to my old woman's opinion, the first to be dealt with is him—always acting like five or six people, claiming to have no money while having money, owning houses yet refusing to lend; such a person still has the nerve to be neighbors with my old woman."

Facing Jia Zhangshi's indirect criticism.

It was useless without Shazhu stepping forward.

Neighbors will naturally speak up for Shazhu.

Under heaven.

There are no walls that don't let wind through.

The fact that Shazhu holds five factory admission quotas has already been known to some interested parties.

Under heavy rewards, brave men will appear.

Just because of Shazhu's factory admission quotas, they want to help him deal with Jia Zhangshi.

They'll pull strings.

"Jia Zhangshi, what did you eat tonight? You're fine but spouting nonsense—can you speak? If you can't speak, just shut up; if you don't speak, nobody will treat you as a mute."

"Li Datou, what does my saying about Shazhu have to do with you?" Jia Zhangshi retorted, "You crack melon seeds and out pops a bug—what kind of scallion are you?"

"You can't stand it, can you? Director He, no matter how many houses you buy, it's with other people's hard-earned money, unlike some who clearly want to buy a house but have no money, constantly scheming shady ways; Jia Zhangshi, did Bangeng send you money by mail? You still expect Bangeng's wife to give you money—what nerve!"

Only then did Shazhu realize.

Jia Zhangshi, left with no other option.

She unexpectedly came up with a scheme against Bangeng.

Seeing Jia Zhangshi's embarrassed expression, one knew her scheme had actually not succeeded.

"All right, say less, especially you, Jia Zhangshi." Yan Fugui's expression was exactly that of a sly fox; he also turned his thoughts to Shazhu's work targets: "Shazhu hasn't provoked you, hasn't angered you—what are you fighting with Shazhu for? This is also Shazhu, the adult, not holding grudges against petty people, too lazy to stoop to your level; if it were someone else, they'd have dealt with you long ago."

Seeing Jia Zhangshi still wanting to explain.

Yan Fugui waved his hand.

He firmly interrupted Jia Zhangshi's speech.

Enough said; we're now holding a big courtyard meeting. The document in my hand is a handwritten notice issued by Director Wang to every household, and it bears the seal of the street office.

Yan Fugui presented the document's contents.

He briefly showed it to the crowd.

Using this to demonstrate the document's authenticity.

To prevent some people from nitpicking and speaking nonsense.

There are two matters in total. The first is the house matter just mentioned by Three Lost Lake.

"His San Daye, is the house's ownership going to revert to the steel mill again?" Jia Zhangshi, who always thinks of good things, impatiently retorted: "Otherwise, the street wouldn't have issued the document; I say the house belongs to the steel mill, we are workers of the steel mill, we have the right to reside; if it becomes private, the steel mill would still be the steel mill of the steel mill workers, right?"

Jia Zhangshi, can you not interrupt my words?

Yan Fugui, who had just complained about Jia Zhangshi.

He saw through Jia Zhangshi's true intentions.

He deliberately picked out the things Jia Zhangshi didn't want to hear to say.

According to the issued document, we must steadily advance the process of converting public housing to private.

Jia Zhangshi's heart gave a jolt.

Steadily advance the conversion of public housing to private.

What does that mean?

His San Daye, say something my old woman can understand.

Steadily advancing the conversion of public housing to private means continuing to implement the current steel mill housing turning into our own homes; take our Siheyuan as an example: previously the ownership belonged to the steel mill, we each paid rent monthly, quarterly, or yearly; now, as long as we pay a lump sum of some amount, the house becomes our own property, and the steel mill can focus its efforts on production and innovation.

Jia Zhangshi felt as if a basin of icy cold water had been poured over her.

Her heart was filled with blazing flames.

Instantly drenched, she became a soaked chicken.

What is there to fear?

Yet somehow, that's exactly what came.

The good thing she had been mulling over turned into a bolt from the blue; not to mention her long-cherished plan to seize Shazhu's house went up in smoke, and even the Jia family's house might not be kept.

The Jia family has no money.

Others have money, yet they also need a house.

It's clear they intend to use the Jia family's house as leverage.

Jia Zhangshi swept away her earlier composure, becoming anxious; even Qin Huairu beside her showed a faint hint of worry on her face.

Where would we live without a house?

Leaving the Siheyuan, where else could we live?

We surely can't really sleep on the streets, can we?

Yan Fugui, who took in the dejected expressions of the Jia family mother and daughter, slowly unleashed his second bombshell.

In order to prevent certain bad people from seizing houses and causing undue damage to street property, the superiors specially issued an additional explanation. For example, take Jia Zhangshi: she has no money, or she might actually have money but pretends not to, not supporting the street's steady advancement of public-to-private housing conversion. To prevent collective property from being harmed and to avoid putting those urgently in need of housing in the predicament of having a house but being unable to live in it, they added this clause: whoever it is, as long as they are a resident of our courtyard, within the stipulated time, if the Jia family fails to pay the housing fees, other residents can chip in to buy the Jia family's house.

The atmosphere on site.

Immediately tightened.

Even breathing became hurried.

This remark seemed to be explaining the additional clause.

Actually, it was specifically directed at the Jia family.

Inside and out, it meant one thing.

Either quickly prepare money to buy back your own house, or the Jia family's house will end up bearing someone else's surname.

The Siheyuan exists because of the Jia family's presence.

Making the neighbors become like rats crossing the street.

If there really were a chance to drive out the Jia family,

Everyone present, each and every one, couldn't wait to send the Jia family packing.

Feeling the unfriendly gazes of the crowd.

Jia Zhangshi flew into a rage.

She jumped up, shouting: "Yan Fugui, what nonsense are you spouting? Our house—on what grounds does it become someone else's? Believe it or not, I'll have no end with you!"

She looked around at everyone.

She continued to utter harsh words.

"My old woman doesn't care what you think; anyway, she has one idea: if you dare buy the Jia family's house, be careful you won't be able to move in—you all know what kind of person my old woman is; barefoot she fears no shod, you'd best think it through."

Quite a few hot-headed neighbors.

Immediately became calm.

If Jia Zhangshi truly threw caution to the wind, they seemingly really had no way to deal with her.

Clearly, they were not a match.

One dirty trick after another.

Either they're smearing you with big dung, or they're holding a urine bucket to clean you up, or at night they secretly smash glass.

Such a shameless Laoqianpo.

Not to be provoked.

Seeing the neighbors deflated like balloons, Jia Zhangshi, like a general who just won a battle, immediately raised her head slightly.

This is a blatant demonstration.

Yan Fugui smiled.

"Neighbors, I still have a supplement I haven't finished reading. If any neighbor causes a disturbance, is unreasonable, unreasonably stirs up trouble, and refuses to move out of a house bought with someone else's money, the Jiēdào will notify the police station and the original owner's unit, and regarding the original owner's refusal to move, will strictly order the original owner's unit to warn, give a major demerit, expel, etc., the original owner; if necessary, will impose a detention of several years."

Jia Zhangshi is simply even more foolish.

Also understood what Yan Fugui meant.

Staring with a pair of gloomy triangular eyes.

Staring straight at Yan Fugui.

Yan Fugui smiled.

"Jia Zhangshi, don't look at me; this isn't my meaning, it's the Jiēdào's and even the Jiēdào superiors' meaning. I actually hope you'll cause a disturbance and not move out, at least so you have a place to eat for free."

"Yan Fugui, you."

"This is the first item of tonight's Dayuan meeting; next we'll discuss the second item, according to…"

Yan Fugui followed the content on the document.

Read it out in detail.

An old, oft-discussed topic.

Settle old scores.

Urge the neighbors to enthusiastically list all the bad deeds done by bad people like Liu Haizhong and his ilk, one by one; if there's evidence, all the better; if not, as long as it's true, it can be submitted as evidence.

Accompanied by Yan Fugui's expounding voice.

The entire Dayuan meeting.

Instantly fell utterly silent.

Many people focused their gazes on the Jia Family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

After all, Qin Huairu was, besides Liu Haizhong, the second person in the Siheyuan to become a leader in those years, although she eventually came back safely.

If Qin Huairu didn't tell the truth.

Or perhaps some things those people don't know.

If the earlier threat by Jia Zhangshi against everyone hadn't happened, the neighbors might not have gone to such extremes; it's because Jia Zhangshi was reckless earlier.

This is truly karmic retribution.

Jia Zhangshi lowered her head.

Qin Huairu drooped her head, waiting like that until the Dayuan meeting ended, before the Jia Family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law slunk back home, dejected.