I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 85 The Scramble

Liu Haizhong knew in his heart that although the courtyard was not large, it was like a pot of boiling porridge, and no one was willing to let others take a bigger spoonful. Since Lao Mo was transferred to his hometown in Northeast China last month, this south room in the middle courtyard had become a "no man's land" in everyone's eyes.

Everyone knows that whoever makes the first move gains the upper hand.

While the families in the courtyard said they were "waiting for the neighborhood committee to decide," they each had their own agendas: Luo Jianguo's family of seven in the middle courtyard was short of a house, and the Yan family also coveted Yan Jiecheng's wedding house, which led to a big fight with the Jia family, and they ended up losing a lot of money and being left in a bad way.

Liu Haizhong started planning yesterday. His eldest son, Guangqi, is about to graduate. If he can get his hands on this south-facing room in the courtyard, Guangqi's future will be secure. At the very least, it can be left to his second son, Liu Guangtian. As the second uncle, Liu Haizhong's reputation in the courtyard will be even more prestigious, and he will be able to speak with more authority in future meetings.

The two wooden doors in the south room had peeling paint, and the red paint on the door panels had long since become mottled and fish-scale-like. The hinges were rusty and groaned at the slightest touch, as if the house, like its owner, had been worn down by the years.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, as if he were swallowing a mouthful of dry ambition. This house originally belonged to Old Mo, and whoever moved in was the "first mover," which was an unwritten rule of the courtyard house.

Liu Haizhong pulled out a brass lock from his pocket. The lock was brand new and shiny. He had specially gone to the department store last night to queue up and buy it. It cost 68 cents, twice as expensive as the old lock, but he bought it for the sake of its "newness" and to make it seem "legitimate".

His fingers trembled slightly with excitement, his nails scratching the key fob twice before he finally managed to open the new lock. A gust of cold wind blew, and beads of sweat appeared on his nose. With a soft "click," the new lock opened, and as if he had accomplished something momentous, Liu Haizhong straightened his back. Just as he was about to lock the door with the new lock, his expression suddenly froze.

Don't think you're the first to set off; there are always those who set off earlier.

There was already a lock on the door of Old Mo's house. The lock was so small that Liu Haizhong hadn't noticed it beforehand.

"Who?! Who did this?! This is outrageous! This is all outrageous! The house is collective property; how can they lock it up and play music without permission? This is lawless! Absolutely lawless!"

In an instant, Liu Haizhong abandoned his fantasies. He hadn't slept well all night, constantly thinking about how this house would serve as the bridal chamber after Liu Guangqi's wedding. He'd decorate it with red "double happiness" characters, place two wooden beds and a five-drawer chest there; when the in-laws came to visit during holidays, their faces would light up with satisfaction upon seeing this separate bridal chamber. He could even stand tall in the courtyard and say, "I, Liu Haizhong, have taken care of my son's life's most important event!" He could almost see the wedding day: neighbors gathered around, small tables laden with melon seeds and peanuts, children chasing and playing in the courtyard, while he sat at the head of the table, sipping tea from an enamel mug, his face glowing. This house wasn't just bricks and wood; it was a symbol of his status in the courtyard, the foundation upon which the Liu family line would continue.

Liu Haizhong's shouts were so loud that Yan Bugui emerged from the hanging flower gate carrying a large water jug, spilling water all over the ground. His eyes immediately fell on the lock on Old Mo's door.

Yan Fugui's heart skipped a beat, and he cursed himself for being a step too late. He had intended to have his wife come and lock the door last night, but Yang Ruihua was in chest pain. She was worried about causing trouble and advised Yan Fugui to be patient and wait a couple of years until things calmed down before doing so. As a result, he was delayed.

The lesson from the last time he seized the Jia family's house was still fresh in his mind, so Yan Fugui dared not take action himself again. Originally, he and his wife had agreed not to get involved, but when the time came, he started to covet the house again.

He forced a fake smile and slowly walked over, humming the tune of "Shajiabang," but the smile didn't reach his eyes at all.

Yan Bugui was secretly calculating: if Liu Haizhong took over this house, he would have even less say in the courtyard. He had to find a way to ruin it. He deliberately slowed his pace, observing Liu Haizhong's expression as he walked, trying to find a flaw in his demeanor. He knew Liu Haizhong was concerned about his reputation; as long as he could find something to hold against him, he could make him give up willingly.

"Old Liu, you're holding a lock, are you going to lock the door too?"

Yan Fugui asked casually, but his eyes were actually fixed on the small lock in Liu Haizhong's hand. He was thinking that if Liu Haizhong dared to admit to occupying the house, he would immediately call the others in the yard to embarrass Liu Haizhong.

Yan Fugui had even prepared his arguments, aiming to portray Liu Haizhong as a selfish and self-serving person who disregarded the collective interest. Ideally, he would bring Liu Haizhong down from his position, ensuring that if Yan Fugui couldn't become the leader, Liu Haizhong wouldn't be able to either.

Liu Haizhong was startled. He quickly adopted the stern demeanor of an old man, cleared his throat, and said, "Hey, this house was just sitting empty anyway, so I thought I'd come and check it out to prevent it from being ruined by some random cat or dog. It would also give us an explanation when the neighborhood committee comes. I didn't expect it to be locked up. This kind of despicable act of seizing a house must be severely criticized."

Liu Hai inwardly cursed Yan Bugui for meddling, but outwardly remained calm, thinking he should get rid of him as soon as possible. He knew Yan Bugui was always shrewd and he couldn't let him find any fault with him. He deliberately emphasized the phrase "any Tom, Dick, or Harry," implying that Yan Bugui was the kind of person who would ruin the house.

"Explain?"

Yan Bugui curled his lip, put the large kettle on the stone stool, and said slowly but with a hint of sarcasm, "You also had a lock in your hand, were you planning to leave it for Liu Guangqi? You didn't expect to be a step too late and have someone else snatch it up first. Old Liu, the rules in this courtyard aren't something you made up by yourself. When Old Mo left, he didn't say who this house belonged to. It has to be discussed by everyone, and we have to be fair."

He deliberately raised his voice, hoping to lure everyone out of the courtyard. With more people around, it would be harder for Liu Haizhong to act unilaterally.

"I'm doing this for the good of the courtyard houses!"

Liu Haizhong stiffened his neck, his voice involuntarily rising, and a vein throbbed on his forehead. "What do you know? I'm here to safeguard the organization's assets! If just anyone can come in and live here, stealing, fighting, cooking, and if something happens, who's responsible? I'm taking responsibility! I'm not going to argue with you now. Whoever locked the door, come out and admit your mistake right now, or we'll have a hospital-wide meeting tonight to criticize them."

He knew exactly what Yan Fugui was thinking: he wanted to cause trouble so that if Yan Fugui couldn't get the house, no one else could either.

Liu Haizhong decided to strike first, dealing with those who occupied the rooms, and then packaging his actions as "for the collective good," claiming it was "preventive management" or "taking precautions," so that others wouldn't have anything to say. He used his position as the person in charge to suppress Yan Bugui, making Yan Bugui dare not object anymore.

As the two were arguing, the door to the Luo family creaked open, and the old lady of the Luo family walked out with her hands on her hips. Her hair was not combed and a hair clip was stuck out at an angle. She had stayed up until after 2 a.m. last night mending her grandson's pants, which made her dark circles under her eyes.

When she saw Liu Haizhong about to smash her lock, her eyes instantly turned red, as if they were on fire. "You bastard Liu Haizhong! You heartless scoundrel! How dare you smash my lock and steal my house!"

She took off running, not even fully wearing shoes; one foot was shuffling in a cloth shoe, while the other was bare, and she didn't feel cold as she stepped on the ground.

The Luo family of seven lived crammed into one room, and every inch of space was a bargaining chip for her to survive.

Old Mrs. Luo had long ago decided to take over the house, even if only temporarily, to maintain some semblance of dignity in front of her in-laws. She planned to humiliate Liu Haizhong today, making him afraid to even consider taking the house again. She knew Yan Bugui also wanted a share of the profits, and could use him against Liu Haizhong. She even planned to throw a tantrum on the ground if Liu Haizhong didn't compromise, disrupting the entire courtyard.

"What do you mean, 'your house'? This belongs to the country!"

Liu Haizhong hurriedly stepped in front of her, and the two began to shove each other. The old lady of the Luo family was already shrewish. Her husband was in poor health, and she had raised her children with great difficulty. What kind of scene hadn't she seen? At this moment, she used all her strength, scratching and clawing, leaving three white marks on the sleeve of his work clothes with her fingernails.

Liu Haizhong's plump body was forced to retreat repeatedly by her. His lower back hit the door frame, and he groaned. A button on his clothes popped off with a "snap" and rolled into a crack in the wall and disappeared.

He was both angry and anxious. That shrewish old lady from the Luo family was really troublesome. He had to find a way to control her.

He glanced at Yan Bugui, hoping he would say a word for him, but Yan Bugui stood aside watching the show with a sneer on his lips. He cursed Yan Bugui inwardly for being disloyal, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and confront Jia Zhangshi.

Liu Haizhong was in his prime. He was determined and used only a little force to push the old lady of the Luo family against the wall of the Mo family's house.

"Stop! Stop it, all of you!"

Just as things were about to escalate, a figure rushed forward to stop it.