Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 35 Who is whose ancestor?

The sudden appearance and speech of the deaf old woman was something Li Hongbing hadn't expected.

They weren't here just now, how come they suddenly appeared?

Seeing Li Hongbing looking at her, the deaf old woman leaned on her cane and asked condescendingly, "Young Li, are you going to learn to cook at home?"

"What's wrong, ma'am?"

Seeing the deaf old woman's posture, Li Hongbing couldn't help but laugh.

Anyone who didn't know better would think she was there to confront someone.

Hearing Li Hongbing's tone and attitude, the deaf old woman's eyes flashed with displeasure. She adopted a commanding tone and said, "Boy, how long have you been in Fengzeyuan? You haven't even learned to walk yet, and you're already thinking about running. This is what you should be doing now."
Young people shouldn't be too ambitious. Look at Zhu Zi, he became an apprentice a year earlier than you, and his master still hasn't let him work in the kitchen. Are you more capable than him?
You're not even as good as a pillar right now, yet you dream of soaring to the sky. Don't think that just because you've studied a few more years, you can be arrogant.

"If I bring back so many nice things and you just squander them like this, even God wouldn't stand for it. It would be a terrible sin..."

He hadn't thought anything of it at first, but as soon as the deaf old woman uttered those words, Li Hongbing's expression changed.

That old geezer!

He came back from buying ingredients and was cleaning a fish in the yard without bothering her. But this deaf old woman, whom he had no connection with, came over and started babbling and pointing. What was she trying to say?
I spent my own money, and I didn't eat her rice, so why are you being so nosy?

Not to mention her, even the chefs at Fengzeyuan wouldn't be so idle as to cook for themselves at home.

Did she even have the right to say those things?

Moreover.

Which eye of hers saw her wasting things?
Li Hongbing knew that the people in the courtyard were not optimistic when they saw him cooking for himself, using all these good things. After all, Li Hongmei usually took care of all the cooking, and Li Hongbing hardly had to do anything.

Even though Li Hongbing has now entered Fengzeyuan, he has only been an apprentice for two months. In many people's eyes, he probably hasn't even learned the basics.

only.

Even if people think that way, no one would be so bored as to meddle in other people's business, even if they were just watching the show.

“Okay... Li boy, take these things to my room first. When Zhuzi comes back tonight, I’ll have him make them for you. His skills are the best in our yard, so it won’t be a waste.”

After gesturing wildly, the deaf old woman's command almost made Li Hongbing laugh.

"Grandma, aren't you being a bit too nosy? I bought these things myself, and I can do whatever I want with them. It's none of your business!"

Li Hongbing didn't have a good impression of the deaf old lady who always pretended to be deaf and stupid and acted like she was old and arrogant.

The worst part is that the deaf old lady has a sweet tooth. Whenever someone buys something delicious, her nose is more sensitive than a dog's, and she can always smell it and find her way to their door.

The deaf old woman is now over sixty-seven years old, which is considered a long life in this era. In addition, she has no relatives or friends, so she is considered a lonely old woman who needs to be taken care of by the authorities.

Previously, Officer Yang accompanied people from the district office to visit, bringing some grain and oil as a token of their concern, and also instructed Yi Zhonghai and the other elderly men in the management office to take good care of them.

However, these are merely acts of humanitarian concern from above.

As for the families of martyrs and the five-guarantee households, that's pure nonsense.

The Five Guarantees system was only established and implemented five or six years later, and it was limited to rural households, so it had nothing to do with deaf elderly women.

The words of the martyrs' families are even more absurd.

If they are family members of martyrs, the civil affairs department will take full responsibility for them, providing not only living support but also regular home visits.

The old lady with bound feet was just someone Yi Zhonghai had his wife bring her food from time to time in order to leave a good impression on Yang and the others, so as to establish the so-called glorious image of an old man in the courtyard.

Over time, relying on her long lifespan, her status as a long-time resident of the courtyard, and the support of elders like Yi Zhonghai, the deaf old woman gradually became arrogant and started to consider herself the matriarch of the courtyard.

It's common for them to come to someone's house and freeload, and if they're in a bad mood, they might even use their cane to knock on the window or even hit someone.

The old lady was old, and everyone was afraid that something might happen to her and she would become a burden on their family, so no one was willing to argue with her.

In addition, with Yi Zhonghai, that scoundrel son, acting as her lackey, wielding his authority like a tyrant, and promoting the deaf old woman, and constantly resorting to moral blackmail and arbitrary labeling, everyone can only let her run rampant.

As an employee of the food factory, Li Hongmei would occasionally bring back some delicious food from the factory, and the deaf old lady naturally became a "regular visitor" to their home.

Every time the deaf old woman came to visit, Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old woman had to share some of their money with her because of their influence in the courtyard.

The key issue is that this deaf old woman is not only greedy for food, but also greedy for ambition.

They're halfway buried in the ground; they're more immature than a child.

Even as a child, Yu Shui is greedy, but at such a young age, she knows not to ask for it on her own initiative, and she is already satisfied with just a taste each time, so she doesn't linger.

As a result, Li Hongmei had to hide the good things she brought back later, to avoid the deaf old lady.

Li Hongbing's aversion to the deaf old woman went beyond this.

Whether willingly or unwillingly, the deaf old woman often asked their family for food. However, when Jia Zhangshi spoke ill of the siblings behind their backs, the deaf old woman, who was always in the yard, never paid any attention and didn't even react.

Others might be afraid of Jia Zhangshi and not want to get entangled with her, but for the deaf old woman, it was just a trivial matter.

Even if he chased Jia Zhangshi all over the courtyard with a cane, not only would Yi Zhonghai not say anything, but even Jia Zhangshi herself would not dare to resist.

But the result was ironic.

As for the two previous conflicts between Li Hongbing and Yi Zhonghai, the reason why the deaf old lady didn't step in was simply because she didn't want to offend either side. If she offended Li Hongmei, she wouldn't be able to get any treats when she came to her door.

Even she herself didn't expect that Li Hongbing's destructive power would be so strong, directly causing Yi Zhonghai to lose his position as the head of the management department.

"Li Hongbing, how dare you speak to the old lady like that?"

When Li Hongbing spoke, the deaf old woman's face immediately darkened. Before she could even speak, Yi Zhonghai's wife, Wang Guihua, couldn't help but speak up for her.

"How can I speak? Is it wrong for me to speak normally?"

Li Hongbing glanced at Wang Guihua and gave her a cold look.

Just now, the deaf old woman came up and started pointing and gesturing, and even took it upon herself to give orders, telling him to take the things over and wait for Sha Zhu to come back so she could "cook for him". Does she really think Li Hongbing doesn't know what she's up to?

Given Sha Zhu's personality, and now that he's been brainwashed by Yi Zhonghai and is quite close to the deaf old lady, if things really go well, wouldn't he first serve her a bowl of rice as a sign of respect?

They use the guise of doing what's best for others, but in reality, they're just trying to get something for themselves.

Moreover.

Even if he can't do it, there's still Li Hongmei. Why should it be Sha Zhu's turn?
"Young Li, I'm your ancestor!"

Seeing that Li Hongbing was still so "unruly", the deaf old woman was so angry that her chest felt tight and her face turned black. She angrily slammed her cane against her hand.

When the deaf old woman shouted out this phrase, which Li Hongbing clearly considered an insult, Li Hongbing, who had been able to remain calm, completely lost his temper.

"Damn it, you old hag, I'm your ancestor!!"

(End of this chapter)