Transmigration: On the Gossip Front
Chapter 787 - 788: 60s Siheyuan 36_1

Chapter 787: Chapter 788: 60s Siheyuan 36_1

After having a good dinner, Zhang Yu brought Zhang Li out to enjoy the cool air in their small courtyard.

Although there were only two of them, it was truly peaceful. Zhang Yu stared at the flowerbed in the courtyard, contemplating how to make use of it.

The space wasn’t large, but if utilized well, it could really solve many problems.

When Yi Zhonghai and the First Elder helped the Deaf Old Lady arrive, what they saw were the two sisters lying in the small courtyard, enjoying the breeze.

The Deaf Old Lady looked at Zhang Yu with fire in her eyes. To the old lady, the only people in the courtyard worth her concern, besides Yi Zhonghai, were Sha Zhu.

The others didn’t catch her eye at all, mainly because the Old Lady, due to her bound feet, usually didn’t go further than the middle courtyard and was mostly taken care of by the First Elder.

For the old lady to walk from the back courtyard to the front today was indeed a burden. It was because she knew that Yi Zhonghai had lost his position as First Elder because of Zhang Yu that she wanted to fight for his rights.

Such a short distance had worn out the old lady, only to find this girl sleeping soundly in the lounge chair.

The old lady hmphed coldly. Hearing the noise, Zhang Yu opened her eyes and looked up, "Good day, Old Lady."

"Master Yi, auntie, hello." No longer being the First Elder, of course, he needed a new title.

"That is the First Elder," the Old Lady insisted.

"Old Lady, because Master Yi has acted unjustly, he has already been stripped of the Steward’s rights."

"If the Old Lady has any complaints, she may go to the community office and find Director Wang."

"I just don’t know whether your so-called ’Five Guarantees’ household has any status in front of Director Wang."

"Xiao Li, go get three stools out, otherwise, if something happens to the Old Lady’s health, it would be a serious matter."

Zhang Yu gave an acknowledgment and quickly went inside to fetch the stools, not intending to give up her spot.

Zhang Li made two trips and brought out three chairs, "Please take a seat."

"Sis, I will go inside and read," she said.

She knew that the situation to come was not suitable for a child like her to be present. Anyway, she could still hear everything from inside.

Zhang Yu hummed in agreement, "Go read your book. The more you read, the more you’ll understand and discern right from wrong."

Yi Zhonghai always felt that her words were an indirect criticism of him, but he could only pretend he hadn’t heard.

After the Old Lady sat down, she said, "It was just a matter of the courtyard, why did you have to make such a fuss and even cause the First Elder to lose his position? How can you be so thoughtless."

Thoughtless? Truly like Yi Zhonghai, a high-level heartless person, "I’m thoughtless? People are scheming against my house, how should I be thoughtful?"

"Old Lady, when my parents were alive, they didn’t mistreat you, did they?"

"My father would bring you local specialties from his business trips, my mother would give you fabric. Most of your clothes are made from fabric my mother gave you, aren’t they?"

"Whenever we had delicious food at home, needless to say, there was always a portion for you, Old Lady."

"After my parents died, the Jia Family and Yi Zhonghai plotted against my house, did you speak up?"

"That’s right, you would say you were in the back courtyard, your ears and legs weren’t good, you didn’t know about these things."

"If you didn’t know anything then, why come meddling now?"

"You’ve always stayed out of these matters, never dealt with them. I truly admired you for that."

"I, I..." Deaf Old Lady had been provided for by people led by Yi Zhonghai for years and had grown accustomed to being immediately obeyed. She never expected someone to outright defy her.

"Old lady, if I were you, I’d just keep quiet and not make a fuss," Zhang Yule retorted.

"The so-called ’Five Guarantees’ households are meant for those without children, a state support for the lonely and elderly, not a foundation for you to act high and mighty," he added.

"Don’t even mention that you used to send shoes to the Red Army. You, an old lady with bound feet, have always lived in the city."

"You need someone to support you just to move from the back courtyard to the front. How could you have left the city to deliver shoes?" he questioned.

"Besides, I may have been young at the time of Liberation, but I know that Capital City was peacefully liberated without any war. How could you have sent shoes to the Red Army?" he challenged.

"Furthermore, if you had truly made contributions, wouldn’t the local authorities have come to pay their respects during the New Year?" he asked.

"Take Old Man Hao from the alley ahead or Old Lady Li from the one behind, for example. Director Wang and others always visited them during New Year. Why not you?" he pointed out.

"Could it be you actually believed what Yi Zhonghai said about your contributions to the Red Army in the yard? Did you really think it was true?" he continued.

Deaf Old Lady’s body trembled nonstop, whether out of anger or because Zhang Yule had exposed her true nature.

Yi Zhonghai, of course, was aware of the old lady’s past. "Zhang Yule, how can you speak to your elders like that?" he admonished.

Yi Zhonghai helped the old lady up. If her status was in question, he was sure it wouldn’t bode well for him.

"Elders..." Zhang Yule laughed, "This is a new society; the concept of ’elders’ doesn’t exist anymore."

"Yi Zhonghai, I know what you’re thinking. You’re nice to the old lady now, hoping when you’re old, people in the courtyard will treat you well," Zhang Yule accused.

"Like how you’re helping Jia Dongxu and Sha Zhu now, deciding who will take care of you when you’re old is a personal choice," he continued.

"But why must my interests be sacrificed?" he demanded to know.

"You even had the audacity to suggest the old lady intervene, hoping to restore First Elder’s status," he revealed.

"Your scheme involves the entire courtyard supporting your retirement, contributing money and effort solely for you, is utterly inappropriate," he said firmly.

"You want to become the First Elder? That’s fine, but make a public pledge to be fair in your dealings. From now on, take on the affairs of the Jia Family and Sha Zhu’s family as your own," he stipulated.

"If they’re short of money and have to skimp on food, it’s your responsibility—you pay up. You’re the one with the incredibly high income, and you expect us to contribute while you reap the benefits?" he questioned sharply.

"Besides, your kindness to Deaf Old Lady isn’t without self-interest. You’re eyeing her house," he accused.

At that thought, Zhang Yule’s eyes brightened, "Yes, that’s it! The Jia Family doesn’t have enough space, and I’ve just thought of a solution."

"You and your wife could move in with the old lady. It would allow you to take better, more convenient care of her, and your house could be given to the Jia Family to live in—that would solve their housing problem," he suggested.

Zhang Yule raised his voice and shared his idea with Yan Fugui, who was enjoying the cool air in the front courtyard.

Yan Fugui had seen Yi Zhonghai and his wife supporting the old lady on their way to find Zhang Yule, wondering how Zhang Yule would handle it.

He didn’t expect Zhang Yule to be so firm, not even giving face to the old lady.

Yan Jiecheng and others who had suffered at the hands of Sha Zhu now held Zhang Yule in high regard, "Right, I think that’s a good idea."

"Didn’t First Elder always say we should be happy to help others?"

Liu Haizhong, knowing that Yi Zhonghai and his wife had gone with the old lady to look for Zhang Yule, suspected they would talk to Zhang Yule. He worried that Zhang Yule might not stand up to the old lady and agree to ask Director Wang for help, which could mean that he, having just assumed the role of First Elder, might be deposed.

Since Yi Zhonghai had already stepped down, he should just stay put and reflect on what he did wrong instead of stirring up more trouble.