Chapter 17

Jia Zhangshi's wailing also attracted many neighbors from the Siheyuan to come watch the commotion.

"Stupid Zhu, how could you hit an old person?" Yi Zhonghai pushed through the crowd and walked in.

"Yi Zhonghai, are your ears plugged with donkey hair? I said whoever calls me Stupid Zhu again, I'll turn against them—do you also want a beating?" He Yuzhu glared at Yi Zhonghai and said.

"You've grown quite capable, still want to hit me?" Yi Zhonghai pointed at He Yuzhu's nose and said.

"What's it to you if I hit you, you old bastard?" After saying that, He Yuzhu kicked Yi Zhonghai in the belly.

"He Yuzhu, you're trying to rebel!" Yi Zhonghai pointed at He Yuzhu and shouted angrily.

"I've said it before—whoever calls me Stupid Zhu, I'll turn against them!" He Yuzhu shouted angrily.

"No matter what, that's no reason for you to hit an old person." Yi Zhonghai said.

"Jia Zhangshi called you an extinct line, and you feel nothing?" He Yuzhu countered Yi Zhonghai.

"Leaving the facts aside, that's still no reason for you to hit an old person," Yi Zhonghai stubbornly retorted.

"Leaving the facts aside, let me talk to you about six, neighbors—today I invited Brother Bin and Brother Qiang to eat; the food was just ready, and Jia Zhangshi came with this huge bowl asking for food. When I didn't give her any, she called me an extinct line. Everyone, tell me if she deserves a beating." He Yuzhu pointed at the big bowl beside Jia Zhangshi and said.

The neighbors stared at the huge bowl beside Jia Zhangshi, not knowing what to say—who takes such a big bowl to someone else's house to ask for things?

"Alright, little Yi, get up quickly, don't lose face here," an old lady helped the deaf old lady over.

"No way, Stupid Zhu hit me—he must compensate me," Jia Zhangshi refused to let it go.

"What compensation do you want then?" the deaf old lady asked coldly.

"At least compensate me with the meat dishes he cooked—no less than two meat dishes," Jia Zhangshi said, holding up two fingers.

"I'll compensate you with two meat dishes—I'll let you have your compensation," the deaf old lady swung her cane and struck at Jia Zhangshi.

"No, no!" Jia Zhangshi shouted while scrambling and crawling home—really, only the deaf old lady could keep Jia Zhangshi in check in the whole Siheyuan.

"Alright, everyone disperse," the deaf old lady told the crowd.

"Little Yi, what's wrong with you? Why do you keep going to cause trouble for Zhu?" the deaf old lady looked at Yi Zhonghai with some dissatisfaction.

"Old lady, don't just blame me—Stupid Zhu hit Jia Zhangshi, I can't ignore it; if the young people in the courtyard all learn from him, this Siheyuan will surely fall into chaos."

"Little Yi, stop pretending those little thoughts of yours in front of me—you know what kind of person Zhu is; he wouldn't hit Jia Zhangshi for no reason. To put it bluntly, Jia Zhangshi is the troublemaker of this Siheyuan; with her around, you can't expect peace." The deaf old lady had seen all sorts of people, and she knew Jia Zhangshi very well.

"Old lady, but Zhu also hit me," Yi Zhonghai said, not understanding why the deaf old lady favored He Yuzhu so much.

"Hitting you is your own fault—if someone called you Stupid Zhonghai, wouldn't you be angry? Little Yi, you always tell others not to be selfish, but have you ever considered whether you yourself are selfish?" the old lady said helplessly.

Yi Zhonghai heard the deaf old lady say that and couldn't refute it; what she said wasn't without reason—who would want others to call them an idiot?

"Think about it yourself."

"Brother Bin, Brother Qiang, you've made me look like a joke," He Yuzhu said, holding his wine cup to the Li brothers.

"Zhu, we saw what happened tonight; we don't blame you, you did nothing wrong. Remember, when others don't respect you, they despise you—no need to be polite with such people," Li Qiang said domineeringly.

"Thanks, Brother Qiang," He Yuzhu said, not expecting Li Qiang to support him so much.

Liu Haizhong, holding the report written by Liu Guangqi, sneaked to the gate of the Military Control Committee, tied the report to a small stone, and threw it at the on-duty soldier.

The soldier picked up the report, glanced around, saw nothing unusual, and handed it to Director Li.

"Little Wang, take a look at this report," Director Li said after reading it, then summoned a female comrade about thirty years old to the office.

"Director Li, when we elected the household managers, we let the neighbors vote; we never really got to know the various household managers—this is our dereliction of duty," Wang the clerk said after reading the report, openly criticizing his own work mistake.

"Little Wang, you don't need to blame yourself—our country has just been founded, and we don't know many people yet. Tomorrow go to No. 95 Siheyuan to look into the details. If Yi Zhonghai really is as the report says, oppressing neighbors for his disciple's sake, we must deal with it strictly, show no leniency. If he has other problems, we should take them even more seriously. Many enemy agents hide among the populace, constantly creating incidents to undermine our newborn regime and stir up ordinary people's relations. For such people we must strike hard, show no mercy," Director Li said solemnly.

"Rest assured, Director Li, I will surely investigate Yi Zhonghai's situation clearly," Wang the clerk said with firm attitude.

Neither Yi Zhonghai nor Liu Haizhong would have imagined that a simple report would make the Military Control Committee take it so seriously—indeed, it's not surprising that its staff would treat the matter so gravely, mainly due to the broader environment: after the KMT retreated to Taiwan in the 1950s–60s, they left behind many agents on the mainland, and counter-espionage was a primary task of the Military Control Committee and police stations then.

The next day, Wang the clerk changed into civilian clothes and went to the vicinity of No. 95 Siheyuan on Nanluoguxiang to inquire about the situation.

"Auntie, I heard there was an argument in your Siheyuan last night?" Wang the clerk stopped an auntie and asked—this auntie was none other than the Third Aunt.

"Comrade, which courtyard are you from? The news spread so quickly," the Third Aunt said mysteriously. The Third Aunt was the Siheyuan's well-known little gossip, loving to chat about household trifles; in rural terms, she liked to wag her tongue.

"I live in No. 98 courtyard," Wang the clerk said with a smile.

"No wonder you know—it's not far off. Last night our courtyard didn't just argue; the Elder Yi Zhonghai even got beaten," the Third Aunt glanced around and whispered.

"Anyone still dare to hit a household manager?" Director Wang feigned surprise.

"It's no wonder they hit him—he often bullies neighbors for his disciple's sake. Last night his disciple's mother took a huge bowl to someone's house to ask for vegetables; when they refused, she scolded them. Do you think anyone would tolerate that? When Yi Zhonghai found out, without a word he backed his disciple's mother in berating others—who could stand that? So they beat him up," the Third Aunt said, gloating.

"Is the elder in your courtyard so oblivious to right and wrong?" Wang the clerk asked, astonished.

"You don't know—our courtyard's elder has no children, just hopes his disciple will support him in old age. Whenever neighbors have a dispute with his disciple's household, no matter who's at fault, he always favors the disciple's family. Over time, they become fearless, because the elder backs them up—who would dare to oppose them?"

"So do your neighbors complain every day?"

"We had complaints then, but what could we do about them? Just petty trifles, and besides, the elder was appointed by the Military Control Committee—who would dare to oppose the Committee?" The Third Aunt didn't realize that this remark would make Wang the clerk utterly despise Yi Zhonghai—wasn't that like putting eye drops in her own eye? Leaders in the 1950s were very responsible; wasn't this a slap in the face of the Military Control Committee?

The People's Republic had just been founded, the common people were just beginning to be masters of their own house, yet in a little Siheyuan a household manager could throw his weight around—what's the difference from the old society's landlord? Wang the clerk grew angrier the more he thought about it.

"Auntie, why don't you have the Siheyuan react to the Military Control Committee?"

"React to what? Since ancient times officials protect each other; the elder was appointed by the Military Control Committee—do you think the Committee could slap its own face?"

The Third Aunt spoke her mind freely, but hearing those words felt like a dagger stabbing Wang the clerk's heart, making him barely able to breathe.

Her own struggle aimed to let the common people live good lives—yet the people's impression of them remained stuck in the old society's mutual official protection; how could that not make her furious?