Siheyuan: Game of Red Dust

Chapter 80: The Courtyard in Dire straits

After Li Weidong finished packing, he went to his teacher's place and helped her move first, then moved his own. While Li Weidong was busy moving, everyone in the courtyard also spent the day in dire straits.

Everyone in the courtyard thought that the investigation was complete that day and that everything would be fine. Besides, they had not gone into Li Weidong's house. But who knew that the next morning, several families were called to the police station.

When these families arrived at the police station, they found that their relatives or friends had been arrested. The police called them in and asked them if they knew what their friends had done.

Everyone told the truth, and then they were released. Several families returned home confused.

That morning, several more families were called to the police station. Some had been there that morning, some hadn't. The questions were the same: friends of one family, relatives of another, who had committed a crime and were looking for questioning. After the questioning, they were sent back to their courtyards. They didn't think much of it, perhaps it was just a coincidence—a routine questioning of a friend or relative who had been arrested.

In the afternoon, the scramble started again. Throughout the afternoon, with the exception of Liang Ladi's, Zhou Jianjun's, and Xu's homes, the entire Siheyuan was wiped out. Some went once, others three or four times. By then, everyone realized it wasn't a coincidence; something was definitely going on. Coincidence couldn't be a coincidence. Were all the relatives and friends of the Siheyuan arrested on the same day? Some were involved in speculation, some in gambling, and even prostitution. All caught on the same day? How could it be possible? Everyone pondered, but couldn't figure out why.

Suddenly someone said, "How about we hold a meeting and ask Lao Xu? I didn't see Lao Xu go to the police station today. He must have guessed something."

"Yes, ask Lao Xu. I didn't see anyone from his family go into the police station either."

……

Everyone talked about it and decided to go back and call a meeting to ask Lao Xu to see if he knew anything. Even if he didn't know, they could ask him for help and give some advice.

After returning to the courtyard, these people began to call everyone for a meeting.

Soon everyone gathered, and the person who had asked Lao Xu stood up and said, "Lao Xu, I don't know why today, but everyone's relatives and friends have gotten into trouble and are in police custody. They've summoned us all for questioning, and we're completely baffled. It's impossible that all our relatives and friends were arrested on the same day. We can't figure it out, so we'd like to ask you if you know anything or can help us analyze it."

After this person finished speaking, everyone in the yard turned their attention to Xu's father.

Father Xu looked at the expectant eyes of the crowd and sighed in his heart. After all, they had been neighbors for so many years, so he might as well give them a few words of advice.

"Then I will analyze it for you guys. Please don't be offended if I'm right or wrong," said Father Xu.

"Look at what you said. Lao Xu is helping us. How can we blame you?"

"That's right, Lao Xu, don't worry."

……

Everyone said one after another.

Father Xu looked at the people who were talking, nodded, took two steps forward, walked to the center of the yard, turned around to face everyone, and then said:
"Then I'll say a few words.

I analyzed that the reason why everyone's relatives and friends were arrested today was related to what happened in our yard yesterday.

Have you forgotten what the captain said to us before he left?

Why are we restricted from leaving the city? What does this mean?
This means that the matter is not over yet and still needs to be investigated.

Maybe everyone is wondering, what does the investigation have to do with our relatives and friends going to the police station?
Let me tell you, your relatives and friends were arrested because of the investigation into you.

I'm not going to hide it from you all. I suspect Li Weidong's notebook contains confidential information, so anyone who has access to it will be rigorously investigated. Your friends and family were probably arrested because they're investigating whether there are any bad elements among the people you regularly interact with. It's you who are responsible for your friends and family being arrested. This matter should remain hidden within our hospital, and no one should tell anyone. Otherwise, your friends and family will have no idea what to do to you.

There will be further investigations, so everyone should be prepared. Don't go to the black market or commit crimes against the wind."

Xu's father's analysis made everyone in the courtyard stare wide-eyed. It turned out that their relatives or friends were arrested because of their own fault, implicated in the investigation. If their relatives or friends knew about this, not only would they no longer be able to get along with them, but if it got out, no one would dare to be their friend.

Moreover, Lao Xu said that the investigation was not yet concluded. He had already been to the police station several times in just one day. If the investigation was still ongoing, who knew how many more trips he would have to make. The thought of this made everyone in the hospital's scalp tingle.

"Uncle Xu, when will the investigation be completed? Our family has been to the police station three times today." A man younger than Xu Damao in the yard asked.

“I don’t know the exact time either. I can only wait for notification from the street office. When the restrictions on leaving the city are lifted, the investigation should be completed.

There is no need to worry too much. As long as you don’t do anything bad, nothing will happen. It’s just a little troublesome.

There's nothing we can do about it. It's because we have neighbors like the Jia family.

He is not good at anything he does every day and is always the troublemaker.

Wasn't the incident in our courtyard that caused by the Jia family?"

Father Xu explained to everyone, then comforted everyone, and finally talked about the trouble-making Jia family.

"Oh, I still have to check. How annoying!"

"Didn't you listen to what Lao Xu said? It's just a little troublesome, but it's good as long as you're alright. Didn't you see the three uncles, Sha Zhu, and Qin Huairu haven't come back yet? They're probably in a worse situation!"

"They deserve to be miserable. We are implicated by them. Even our friends are implicated. If it weren't for the Jia family, would we have encountered such a thing?"

"Exactly. If you ask me, the reason our hospital holds meetings every other day is mostly because of the Jia family. Either they're short of food and need donations, or they're having a fight with Jia Zhang or someone else. The Jia family is truly a troublemaker."

Everyone was talking about it, and most of them were blaming the Jia family.

At this time, Father Xu said again: "Don't tell anyone about this matter. The things we seized from certain houses a few days ago were on the black market. I think the black market will be strictly investigated. Don't spread it. If they knew that the black market was strictly investigated because of our hospital, I'm afraid the people in the black market would retaliate. This group of people are in the business of turning around, and no one knows what will happen if they retaliate. Everyone must tell their families not to tell anyone. Okay, everyone, disperse."

Father Xu warned the neighbors in the courtyard, and everyone in the courtyard nodded in agreement. After Father Xu reminded them, they also realized that their relatives and friends had been investigated. If black market items were found in their homes, how could the black market not be investigated? Of course not!
These people in the black market are really miserable. If you sell something to them, you will be arrested because of them.

When everyone thought of this, they wanted to laugh, but when they thought about the consequences of spreading the news and being known by people in the black market, they became a little scared.

How could I not be afraid? Their families were imprisoned because of someone from your hospital, or because they were implicated by your hospital. If I knew, how could I not be angry? How could I not seek revenge?
Everyone in the courtyard then went home with a serious face to give instructions to their families.

After this meeting, all the residents in the courtyard were convinced by Mr. Xu.

From that day forward, whenever the residents of the courtyard were undecided about something, they would bring a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of wine and ask Father Xu for help in analyzing it. This also laid the foundation for Father Xu to ascend to the throne of the Great Lord.

(End of this chapter)