There is an old saying: "Without investigation, there is no right to speak."
However, there is another saying: "Do not propagate feudal superstitions."
So, Section Chief Liu and his colleagues, at least Section Chief Liu himself, do not believe in ghosts! Given that, he is even more convinced that someone is deliberately creating a supernatural atmosphere. As for others, well, that's a matter of personal opinion.
Everyone has their own thoughts, but investigation is certainly necessary, isn't it?
As Section Chief Liu was questioning, people from the neighborhood committee arrived. Such a big incident in their jurisdiction couldn't go unaddressed. The two parties joined forces and quickly decided that the factory would handle the investigation.
To be honest, the neighborhood committee didn't want to get involved in such matters. If someone else could investigate, that was the best outcome.
The neighborhood committee members came and left in a hurry, almost like a gust of wind.
Section Chief Liu: "..."
It's clear that you all believe there really is a ghost.
Of course, besides investigating the "supernatural prank," there's also the matter of "improper relationships between men and women."
However, since there was only one witness, a drunkard, and Zhou Qun firmly denied it, the situation became a he-said-she-said. As for who people believe, that's another matter of personal opinion.
It's easy to guess that most people believe the drunkard.
Normally, Zhou Qun had a slightly better reputation among the residents than the drunkard, who was known for his love of alcohol. Zhou Qun still had a reputation as a gentleman. However, people still didn't believe him. After all, even if the drunkard were to make up stories while drunk, he wouldn't be able to mention those names.
He wasn't even from the machinery factory.
Moreover, a solemn oath carries a lot of weight.
Everyone has their own measure in mind.
Zhao Guihua watched for a while and then turned around to go home to cut the fabric. Her old man hadn't had new clothes in years, and this year, she was determined to make him a new one.
"Is Auntie home?" A man's voice came from outside the door. Zhao Guihua got up to take a look and saw a young man from the security department.
Zhang San entered and smiled, saying, "Auntie, I'm from the security department. I'd like to ask you about last night's situation."
Zhao Guihua: "Sure, come in and talk."
She brewed a cup of tea and said, "Here, have some tea."
Zhang San was flattered and quickly thanked her, "Oh, how could I trouble you, Auntie. Thank you."
Zhao Guihua: "Ha, what's there to thank for? You're here investigating this matter for the safety of all of us. It's a good thing."
In her heart, she was sighing that the security department really had a lot of authority at this time. She guessed that those born in the 80s and 90s wouldn't be able to imagine how important the security department's role was during this period. As for those born in the 2000s, even more so.
She said, "Young man, go ahead and ask whatever you need."
Zhang San nodded, "You can call me Little Zhang, Auntie. My name is Zhang San."
Zhao Guihua: "Alright."
Ah, that name is so common. There was a thief before who was also named Zhang San.
Zhang San: "Last night, when did you go out?"
Zhao Guihua: "I went out early. As you get older, you sleep lightly. I vaguely heard some noise and immediately woke up my old man. My old man is from the factory, called Old Man Zhuang. We thought it might be a thief. There was a theft incident in our neighborhood after the New Year. I thought it might be the same thing again. So we held our breath and listened for a while, then we heard the sound of the gate being closed."
"The gate was closed?"
Zhao Guihua nodded, "I put on my clothes and went out. I saw Bai Fendou closing the gate, so I quickly went out. Soon after, Aunt Su, Wang Xiangxiu, and the Wang family from the back courtyard, the Sui family, all came out. Many of us gathered at the gate."
"Was Bai Fendou closing the gate after coming back from outside?" Zhang San quickly asked the key point, as Zhou Qun had accused Bai Fendou of being the one who harmed him. So this needed to be investigated in detail.
Zhao Guihua shook her head and said, "I don't think so. When I went out, Bai Fendou was wearing a tank top and shorts, and he was wearing slippers. Although it's mid-April and the weather is warm, it's still quite cold at night. Even if someone were to go out to the public toilet, they wouldn't dress like that."
Although Zhao Guihua didn't particularly like Bai Fendou, she certainly wouldn't slander him. She said, "We all heard noises outside, and there were also ghost fires. I did see them. Bai Fendou's house is the one closest to the gate. He came out early, saw the fog and ghost fires, and was so scared that he quickly closed the gate. This was to ensure the safety of all of us."
Zhang San nodded, "I see."
He asked again, "Were all your family members out at that time?"
Zhao Guihua: "My old man and I went out first, then my youngest son, Zhuang Zhixi, came out. He's also from your factory, working in the clinic."
“Ah, you’re Little Zhuang’s mom. I’m quite familiar with Little Zhuang. Look, it’s like the Dragon King’s Temple being flooded, and a family not recognizing each other. We have a good relationship.” Zhang San said with a smile, “We often gather together to gossip.”
Zhao Guihua: "..."
Can't you talk about something serious?
However, she still smiled and said, "Then come visit more often in the future."
Zhang San: "Alright."
He said, "Let's continue. You have more than one son, right?"
Zhao Guihua: "Yes, but my eldest son isn't at home. He's a train conductor and is away from home for most of the month. After everyone came out, they were all furious with Aunt Zhou, and soon everyone dispersed."
"Do you think Zhou Qun has any enemies?"
Zhao Guihua smirked, "Whether Zhou Qun has any, I don't know. But his mother, Aunt Zhou, is disliked by everyone in this neighborhood. She's mean-spirited and has a sharp tongue. Yesterday, she even cursed us with 'may you die without descendants.' She's made enemies everywhere. However, if someone were to target Zhou Qun specifically... I don't think it would go that far. Even if they wanted to take revenge, they'd go after Aunt Zhou! After all, it's her mouth that's smelly."
Zhang San nodded, "Understood."
As a staff member of the security department, he had indeed witnessed how vicious and toxic this old lady could be.
But Aunt Zhao's words made sense. If someone hated their family, they'd go after Aunt Zhou. Why would they target Zhou Qun? In his heart, he vaguely felt that maybe there really was a ghost...
Oh my, just thinking about it is scary.
"Alright, Auntie, I'll go and get busy now. See you later."
"Alright."
The investigation by the security department basically matched what Zhao Guihua said. Although Zhou Qun insisted that someone was playing a supernatural prank,
There were still many inexplicable aspects. Where did the smoke come from? They checked the entire alley and found no trace of anything being burned; where did the ghost fire come from? The flames floated in mid-air, and they had no idea how it was done. There was also the rumored floating female ghost.
If it was "floating," it must have been done with tools, but the stone in the toilet was moved by Zhou Qun himself, and there were no signs of any mechanism.
For a moment, Section Chief Liu was a bit at a loss.
Zhao Guihua didn't care about how others were investigating. She asked Liang Meifen to watch the house and then picked up her basket and fishing rod to go out.
Zhang San was talking to Section Chief Liu, and Aunt Wang was also there. Seeing her come out, Zhang San greeted, "Aunt Zhao, are you going fishing? Your skills must be good."
Zhao Guihua: "Yes."
For some reason, Zhang San felt that when Zhao Guihua said those two words, she seemed a bit gritted her teeth.
She rode her bike out, and Aunt Wang whispered, "Old Zhao's fishing skills are terrible. Mentioning fishing to her is like provoking her."
Zhang San: "But I remember seeing a fish hanging on the beam when I went over earlier."
Aunt Wang: "That was caught by her old man yesterday afternoon. Since she bought the fishing rod, she hasn't caught a single fish. Everyone mentioning it makes her turn black-faced, but she's quite addicted to it and is determined to redeem herself."
Zhang San: "What an unyielding old lady."
Aunt Wang laughed and said, "Exactly. By the way, is there anything else you want to ask? To be honest, I think this doesn't need investigation. It's definitely a ghost. What's with this 'supernatural prank'? It's just Zhou Qun's excuse."
Actually, this is something that shouldn't be said, but Aunt Wang felt that such a big investigation was quite tiring, so she decided to just come out and say it.
Section Chief Liu: "Nonsense, what ghosts are you talking about?"
He glanced around and said, "I heard that Madam Zhou Li's daughter-in-law is quite skilled?"
If someone is really pretending to be a ghost, they must be quite agile!
Aunt Wang: "You mean Meimei? Well, she's quite capable. She's caught thieves several times. She's... well, not just in our courtyard. But wait, Section Chief Liu, are you suspecting her?" Aunt Wang looked suspiciously at Section Chief Liu, feeling speechless: "What are you thinking? How could it possibly be related to Meimei? She's good at fighting, sure, but that's different from being able to float. Besides, Meimei hasn't been here long, and she doesn't have much to do with the Zhou family. What would she gain from doing something like that?"
"Her grandfather had some conflict with Madam Zhou Li, didn't he?"
That's why Section Chief Liu is a section chief. He's definitely not someone like Zhang San.
He does have some judgment skills.
Aunt Wang was even more speechless: "That was ages ago. Let me tell you, the conflict between Aunt Zhou and Grandpa Lan is considered a minor one in our courtyard. Aunt Zhou... you don't know her, but she's really good at making enemies. Besides, she was already punished back then, wasn't she? Your security department locked her up for three days? Who would still hold a grudge now? And if anyone were to seek revenge, it would be against Aunt Zhou, not Zhou Qun."
Aunt Wang felt that Section Chief Liu was overthinking things.
Section Chief Liu: "Did Meimei come out to watch the commotion?"
Aunt Wang thought carefully and said, "Not at first, but she came out later. She even said she wanted to beat up Aunt Zhou."
Section Chief Liu's mouth twitched.
Since she was in the courtyard, it probably wasn't her!
According to everyone's account, Bai Fendou had closed the gate, so anyone in the courtyard couldn't have been involved.
Moreover, she wanted to fight... If someone had done something bad, they would definitely try to lower their profile and hide, not stand out. This suggests that Meimei is likely not involved in this matter.
"Why did she want to fight?"
Aunt Wang quickly explained: "Aunt Zhou was being rude, cursing her with words like 'childless and cursed.' Everyone wanted to beat her up. You saw her eyes, right? Bai Fendou couldn't hold back and hit her."
Section Chief Liu's mouth twitched again, feeling utterly speechless. Just how annoying must Madam Zhou Li be to have made enemies all over the courtyard.
"Wah, wah wah..."
Just as they were talking, a child's crying sounded. Everyone turned around simultaneously to see Tonglai crying like a big fool. Due to the excitement from last night, the three brothers hadn't gone to school today and were playing in the alley.
"What's wrong now?"
Before they could finish, they saw Zhao Guihua dragging Tonglai in, shouting: "Aunt Su, Aunt Su, come out quickly! Your Tonglai has had an accident in his pants."
She had planned to go to the toilet and then go fishing. Just as she came out of the bathroom, she saw the three boys lying on the ground playing with crickets. Before Zhao Guihua could leave, the boy started crying, clutching his stomach...
Being neighbors, she couldn't just ignore it.
Aunt Su rushed out: "What happened?"
She questioned Zhao Guihua: "What did you do to my Tonglai?"
Zhao Guihua: "Hey, don't you have any shame? You're really like a dog biting Lu Dongbin—ungrateful. Your kid having a stomachache and diarrhea has nothing to do with me. I even kindly brought him back for you. Yet you want to blame me? How shameless can you be?"
Aunt Su: "Uh..."
Zhao Guihua: "What? Do you think I'm easy to bully?"
Aunt Su quickly said: "No, I'm sorry, Old Zhao. I've been dealing with all these troubles, and I'm a bit muddled. Don't take it personally. I'm sorry, okay?" She was good at navigating situations, clever in knowing what to say and when to say it.
Now that the factory leaders had left, but the security department was still around, she wouldn't leave a bad impression at this time.
She quickly picked up the child and said: "Tonglai, what's wrong? Don't scare your grandma..."
"Grandma, help..." Yinlai also ran back, his body emitting a smell that was hard to describe. Following him was Jinlai, who, being older, had a bit of shame and looked listless.
Aunt Su: "Oh dear, what did they eat?"
With all three children having diarrhea, Aunt Su was really struggling. She called out: "Guihua, come help me..."
Zhao Guihua retorted: "Forget it! You were about to blame me just now. I'm not crazy enough to help you."
She turned and left, not wanting to be the good Samaritan.
Fishing, she must go fishing today. Otherwise, she'd have to endure this smell in the courtyard.
Aunt Su: "Old Wang, help me..."
Aunt Wang: "I'll boil some water for you. You should quickly change the kids' pants. How did this happen..." She turned: "Section Chief Liu, you're overthinking things. No one in our courtyard would do something like pretending to be a ghost. I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm going to help."
She muttered softly: "That ghost fire wasn't man-made. It was clearly a ghost... always suspecting people for no reason."
As she spoke, she looked up at Zhao Guihua, who was also looking over. Zhao Guihua rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Aunt Wang forced a smile and then said: "What did they eat?"
Aunt Su's eyes turned red: "I don't know. How could all three of them have diarrhea? We eat the same things..."
"Ah! You little thief!" Madam Zhou Li suddenly burst out of the house, rushing up and slapping Aunt Su across the face so fast it was unbelievable. She shouted: "I knew it! My freshly born lamb eggs are gone. It must be your kids who stole them! You three little brats, while my son is suffering outside, you sneak into my house to steal. I'll beat you all to death, you thieving family..."
"What are you doing!"
Before Section Chief Liu could step forward, Old Man Bai rushed over like a whirlwind, slapping Madam Zhou Li across the face. "I've tolerated you for too long. You've been bullying Sister Su all along, and it's never-ending. I won't let you get away with it, you old hag. Don't think I don't know why you're targeting her! You're jealous because I treat her well, so you're taking this chance to get back at her!"
Oh ho!
Zhao Guihua, who had just stepped out the door, casually stepped back in.
No fishing today.
An old love story in the Beijing alley, she couldn't miss it.
Zhao Guihua quietly stood at the door, and every household came out, silently watching the scene unfold.
Fortunately, the questioning had just ended, and many had gone to work. Otherwise, there would have been even more people.
Section Chief Liu rubbed his forehead, unable to help but shout out his soul's cry. How many things were happening in this courtyard? He felt overwhelmed. The other security officers were equally excited, having never seen such a scene before.
They had seen many love and hate dramas, but never one involving people of this age.
Madam Zhou Li's face darkened as she cursed: "Stop talking nonsense. Have some shame. Do you think I'd look at you? You're only good enough for someone like Aunt Su."
Old Man Bai sneered: "You've forgotten about the time you came to my place, took off your shirt, and said you liked me! I saw through what kind of vicious woman you are and didn't fall for it. You call her dirty? I think you're the filthiest. Don't think I don't know you had an affair with Zhou Qun's master, which is why Zhou Qun got into the electrical department at the factory. You and your son are quite something. It's like a knife slicing through my eyes. I've never seen anything like it. You two didn't leave a single person in that couple untouched. You had an affair with the man, and your son slept with the wife. At that age, how could you even do such a thing? It's disgusting."
Old Man Bai sure knew a lot. After all, he had worked in the factory for so many years and was in logistics, so he had more opportunities to see and hear things. This revelation left everyone in disbelief, their eyes wide, almost popping out.
Wow, what did they just hear?
Was this something they, as ordinary people, should be hearing?
"Coming to my door to undress? And seducing Zhou Qun's master?"
This old lady is really into some wild stuff, no wonder Zhou Qun is like this... is he just following her lead?
Old Man Bai is jumping up and down: "None of you in your family are good people!"
"I'll kill you!"
"I..."
The scene once again erupts into full-blown chaos, with Section Chief Liu shouting: "Quickly, pull them apart, get them separated, what the hell is going on here..."
He finally understands why Aunt Wang said it was impossible for Mingmei.
Because that conflict, it really wasn't a big deal, just look at the situation now, this is...
He rubs his forehead again, feeling that Aunt Zhou is truly a one-of-a-kind unique character in the universe.
The other members of the security department are all excited, having never seen such a lively scene at the factory. They wish Old Man Bai would reveal more secrets. Keep talking, we want to hear more.
Sniff, sniff, I really want to move into this courtyard.
Zhang San approaches Aunt Wang and asks: "Auntie, is there any vacant room in your courtyard?"
Aunt Wang's mouth twitches: "No."
Three stiff words.
Zhang San sighs with disappointment, feeling really let down.
Such good drama, why can't they encounter it? Compared to this, their own courtyard is so mundane. Although there are also family squabbles, nothing as exciting as this. Zhang San feels deeply regretful.
The others share the same sentiment.
I really want to move here.
Section Chief Liu: "..."
Just, feeling very tired.
They've tussled for half a day, found nothing, and even had to break up a fight.
Aunt Zhou: "You old bastard Bai, you're the one who's unclear with Aunt Su, and now you're trying to frame me? Don't even think about diverting the topic. The lamb testicles we bought three days ago, my son said they tasted off yesterday, so we didn't eat the rest. But just now, I found out someone had moved our cupboard, not only was the lamb testicle soup gone, but also a steamed bun was missing. If it wasn't Jinlai the thief who ate it, then who else? My son also didn't eat well because of this and got diarrhea! They must have stolen and eaten it!"
Aunt Zhou is unusually logical and coherent this time, which isn't because she's particularly sharp, but because Zhou Qun had hinted at her earlier in the house.
Zhou Qun was so scared he wet his pants, and this would ruin his reputation if it got out. It's better to attribute it to a stomachache, which sounds more acceptable.
Section Chief Liu: "..."
Truly, he's never been so speechless in his entire life.
He looks at Aunt Su, who is crying, her face swollen on one side. Her daughter-in-law has already gone to work, and she's holding three children, crying pitifully. She says: "I don't know, I really don't know..."
She pats the three children and says: "Tell me, did you steal anything? Tell me."
Jinlai's eyes dart around, but he loudly declares: "No!"
His tone is firm.
Aunt Su looks up: "See, my kids didn't steal anything. Aunt Zhou, I know you don't like me, but you can't always blame me like this. I know you have... feelings for Old Man Bai..."
"You're lying, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
The scene once again escalates into a fierce fight.
Section Chief Liu: "Stop fighting, stop fighting!"
Zhang San: "Stop fighting, stop fighting."
Other members of the security department: "You guys... oh, who the hell scratched me, damn it..."
The scene descends into complete chaos.
Zhao Guihua quickly retreats from the battlefield, pulling her silly daughter-in-law, Liang Meifen, back: "Why are you still stepping forward, eager to get hit or what?"
Liang Meifen: "They're really hot-tempered lately."
Zhao Guihua thinks for a moment and says: "It's probably because it's getting hotter. When the weather gets hot, people get more irritable. In a few days, let Old Man Zhuang go up the mountain to pick some free herbs, and we'll make some tea to cool down. Otherwise, all they do is fight all day."
Liang Meifen nods in agreement.
As Zhao Guihua and Liang Meifen are talking, they don't notice an old lady limping towards the gate. This is none other than Liang Meifen's mother, Granny Hu, who got beaten up for being rude and grabbing a seat. Although the person who beat her is now in jail for the gold bar incident, Granny Hu still hasn't fully recovered.
She's here this time to borrow money from her in-laws. Her son is desperate to marry a certain woman, and as parents, they have to scrape together every penny to support him. If they can't provide for their son, what's the point of living?
This woman isn't a good match, demanding too much, but she has promised to bring a sewing machine as part of her dowry, which gives Granny Hu some peace of mind. At least this future daughter-in-law is thinking about the family.
But their family's situation is dire. Don't even mention the "three rounds and one sound" (a common phrase referring to expensive household items in the 60s and 70s); even one of those would be hard to come by. They can't borrow anything from relatives and friends. Now, they're relying on the in-laws of their daughters.
She first came to Liang Meifen's place, as this family is the best off.
The other two daughters' families are a bit worse.
Actually, she's a bit scared this time. It's not that she's cowardly, but she's truly aware of Zhao Guihua's temperament after some interactions. Her daughter often complains about her mother-in-law when she visits her parents.
So Granny Hu knows this person is not to be messed with.
She originally thought that since her daughter is the eldest daughter-in-law, she could use that position to control the younger daughter-in-law and maybe get some benefits. But she never expected, on their first meeting, to witness the younger daughter-in-law's "skills."
To be honest, thinking about that little wife still makes her heart tremble.
That's why she chose this time to come, to avoid that tigress.
She limps to the courtyard of the apricot flowers, and as she approaches, she hears an unusually lively commotion. She's surprised, aren't they supposed to be working? It's like a New Year's celebration here. With curiosity, she listens to conversations about "ghosts," "master's wife," "security department," "exam irregularities," and "preferring older targets"...
In such a context, Granny Hu is quite confused.
Just, this is completely incomprehensible.
But these topics also give her a sense of excitement.
So what are they talking about here?
She originally wanted to stand here and listen for a while, but she's afraid that if she delays, time will pass, and her younger daughter-in-law might come home from work. Then the matter of borrowing money might be difficult to bring up. After all, in a family with more than one son, there's always competition.
She doesn't want to meet Mingmei, so she has to give up on the gossip and limps to her daughter's in-laws' place.
Like their own crowded courtyard, this siheyuan is also a communal living space, but there's a clear difference in quality. This place looks much better. She walks to the gate, takes a deep breath, and is about to step in when suddenly she stumbles and quickly grabs the door frame.
What the hell!
What's going on!
Inside the courtyard, old and young are cursing each other, insulting each other's ancestors for eighteen generations.
An old lady is pulling another old lady's hair, while the latter is kicking at the old man's sensitive area. There are also younger women taking sides, and a few security guards in uniform.
Around them, three kids are squatting, and even from the gate, you can see the dirty stains on their pants, the smell... For a moment, Granny Hu feels like she's watching a movie.
Really, besides movies, she's never seen such a fiery scene.
At this moment, an old lady is kicked out, and her in-law Zhao Guihua quickly helps her up, but unexpectedly, the old lady, either out of rage or on purpose, directly scratches Zhao Guihua.
Zhao Guihua didn't expect Madam Zhou Li to be so shameless. She was kind enough to help her, yet she took the opportunity to attack. What does this have to do with her!
She sidesteps, slaps, and then kicks.
Madam Zhou Li stumbles back several steps and falls onto Old Man Bai, who quickly pushes her away and shouts: "You old tramp, don't take advantage of me!"
Everyone who was fighting couldn't help but laugh.
That line really is...
The scene descended into chaos once again. Granny Hu's face turned as pale as paper. Trembling, she looked at Zhao Guihua, who was standing with her hands on her hips, shouting, "Madam Zhou Li, you ungrateful wretch! I was trying to help you, and you want to take advantage of the chaos to hit me? Who do you think you are?!"
With a howl, she charged forward, grabbed Aunt Zhou, and pinned her down, slapping her face repeatedly—like a tigress on the prowl.
This display stunned everyone present.
"Holy crap!"
"My goodness, this old lady's gone wild..."
"How can she be so fierce?"
Section Chief Liu: "Oh, come on~ Auntie, calm down, please calm down..."
He dragged and pulled Zhao Guihua out of the fray. Her aggressive intervention had stopped the fight.
Zhao Guihua pointed at Madam Zhou Li and continued to curse loudly, not holding back on any ancestral insults. Who couldn't do that? Zhao Guihua was even more skilled at it.
She was a shrew—and she feared no one!
Granny Hu, entangled in the chaos, leaned against the doorframe, silently retreating, step by step, until she turned and ran. It was no wonder Liang Meifen resembled someone; she had inherited some traits from her mother. Granny Hu was also the type who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
If you were kind and easy to talk to, she would take advantage of you endlessly.
But if you were fierce and domineering, she wouldn't dare say a word, behaving as meek as a lamb.
Granny Hu had come with the intention of borrowing money, but upon seeing Zhao Guihua's ferocity, her determination plummeted from 80% to -80%.
Forget borrowing money—she didn't even dare enter the house.
This woman, when she lost her temper, was like a Siberian tiger!
She valued her life. Although her son's affairs were important, she couldn't risk her own life. What if something happened? How would she see her son have grandchildren in the future? Granny Hu bolted, her heart filled with the deep realization that her third daughter had been right—her mother-in-law was indeed not someone to be trifled with.
There were occasional fights among their neighbors, but nothing as fierce as this. She had no doubt that if she dared to speak up, this old lady would slap her. Thinking of the pitiful state of the other elderly woman being beaten, she shivered and quickly boarded a bus.
Recalling the courtyard, her head shook like a rattle drum.
In their neighborhood, neighbors often bickered, but nothing like this... What kind of people lived in this courtyard? It was too crazy—a full-on brawl, with even the security team unable to stop it.
She grimaced and decided to visit less often in the future.
In fact, their whole family should stay away.
One must cherish their life.
Granny Hu darted away faster than a monkey, her previously unsteady legs not slowing her escape.
Meanwhile, her daughter Liang Meifen hadn't noticed her mother's arrival or departure.
Zhao Guihua pointed at Aunt Zhou, exuding arrogance: "If you dare provoke me again, I'll slap you to death!"
Aunt Zhou was dazed from the beating, mainly because she had been hit so many times today—everyone seemed to take a swing. She was so angry she could barely breathe, but she didn't dare retort to Zhao Guihua. If it were Aunt Su, she might have fought back.
Aunt Su only had Old Man Bai, an outsider, to back her up, and an old man wasn't much of a threat. As long as Wang Xiangxiu wasn't involved, Bai Fendou wouldn't step in—he was a man of Beijing and cared about face.
But Zhao Guihua was different. She had both a husband and sons. At this moment, Aunt Zhou only regretted having too few sons, only Zhou Qun. If she had more, she wouldn't be so humiliated.
She sobbed miserably, not saying a word.
Section Chief Liu: "Aunt Zhao, please calm down. Aunt Zhou, stop crying. Aunt Su... Old Man Bai, you all stop fighting."
He turned back to see the three children who had soiled their pants, sighing helplessly. "Stealing is wrong, but it's important to educate them properly."
He felt utterly drained, finally understanding the challenges of grassroots work. "You all stop fighting. If you continue, I'll have to take you to the security office."
Everyone's expressions softened.
Section Chief Liu: "This isn't me scolding you, but you're all not young anymore. You should set an example for the younger generation. Instead, you're even more fiery than them. Look at yourselves—don't you feel ashamed in front of your children? This time, I'll let it go, understanding that everyone was tense after last night's scare. But if it happens again, the security office will have to intervene."
This day felt longer than a year.
Everyone looked at each other. Zhao Guihua grumbled, "It won't happen again."
"Right, it won't."
"Nor will it at my place."
They all agreed.
Section Chief Liu: "Alright, think about it. Zhang San, lead the team back."
Although many questions remained unanswered, his heart was shattered by these elderly folks. He waved his hand, and the security team, unlike their section chief, seemed a bit reluctant to leave.
Section Chief Liu: "Let's go."
As for the investigation, he left it to his subordinates. He never wanted to visit this courtyard again.
Section Chief Liu had marched in with determination, but left with faltering steps, looking thoroughly worn out. Aunt Wang, seeing this, felt a sense of balance. She still had some standing in the courtyard—at least when she intervened, the fighting decreased.
Look at Section Chief Liu—he was useless.
The matter, if Section Chief Liu insisted on being strict, could have resulted in taking them all in, but then again, a bunch of old folks fighting was significant but not that significant.
And these people had their reasons, so it wasn't appropriate to take them all in.
This era's security teams were armed, dealing with major incidents. Small matters could be managed, but if they directly arrested people, it would be awkward. People might accuse them of overreacting, using a cannon to kill a mosquito.
It was possible, but really unnecessary.
The same went for Jinlai. Was this his first time stealing? No, but in this era, kids who didn't steal money and just took some food were usually just beaten. Taking them to the security office would only embarrass the security team.
Besides, if they took these people in, they'd still need food and care.
As for Bai Fendou and Zhou Qun fighting, since it happened in the courtyard and no one reported it to the security office, Section Chief Liu simply ignored it. After all, Bai Fendou was still part of their security team.
Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou eventually parted ways, so it was left alone.
So Section Chief Liu didn't bother and left.
He was done with it.
That was his mindset.
Of course, regarding Zhou Qun's mother or aunt, this matter would still be thoroughly investigated, as it potentially involved an upgrade exam, which was more important to the factory than investigating ghost rumors.
The ghost rumors could be dismissed as someone playing tricks. Whether the culprit was found wasn't that important.
But the exam matter needed to be crystal clear, like scallion and tofu—clear and distinct.
Under various considerations, Section Chief Liu left, and everyone stopped fighting.
After all, there was no one to mediate anymore.
What if they got the short end of the stick if they continued!
Everyone limped home, and Liang Meifen once again witnessed her mother-in-law's combat prowess, feeling even more awed and subdued. She asked, "Mother-in-law, would you like to rest?"
Zhao Guihua: "Go buy some tofu. We'll have fish stew tonight."
Liang Meifen: "Got it."
Zhao Guihua loved this dish, and their family often prepared it.
Liang Meifen left, and Zhao Guihua tidied up her clothes, lay on the kang, covered her face with her hand, then uncovered it, silently laughing...
Everyone thought she was just a fierce old lady who lost her temper and hit people, but little did they know, Zhao Guihua had achieved three goals with one move.
If it weren't for seeing Granny Hu standing at the door, she definitely wouldn't have gone up to beat Aunt Zhou. This is what you call: killing a chicken to scare the monkey.
Fortunately, the monkey was truly frightened. Isn't it great to have some experience from a past life? She knows this mother-in-law quite well—a family of bullies who are afraid of the strong and bully the weak. Killing a chicken to scare the monkey works wonders for them.
Sure enough, Granny Hu didn't even dare to enter the door, let alone borrow money.
Yes, even without exchanging a single word, Zhao Guihua knew she had come to borrow money.
She wasn't about to indulge them.
You wear a hat that fits your head size; if you don't have money, don't go for those fancy three-turn-one-ring and thirty-six-legged things. Isn't that just laughable? Fortunately, she knew this family was all about taking advantage and had a timid nature. She figured a good scare would reduce such incidents in the future.
That was her first goal.
Achieved, √.
Her second goal was to thoroughly humiliate Aunt Zhou. Otherwise, this old lady would never know when to stop, always jumping around like a monkey, not biting but annoying people. After Zhao Guihua beat her this time, Aunt Zhou would definitely be on her best behavior for a long while. It might not be forever, but it would definitely last for quite some time.
Having peace for half a year would be good enough.
Second goal, achieved, √.
As for the third goal, Zhao Guihua felt a bit subtle about it. Her third goal was to clean up the mess for her son and daughter-in-law. She had a feeling that Section Chief Liu suspected Mingmei. Just from Aunt Wang's glance, she was certain Section Chief Liu must have asked about this.
Although she knew it was definitely Mingmei's doing.
But others couldn't think that way. She had to cut off this suspicion.
She used reverse psychology, thinking that if someone did something bad, they would definitely try to lower their profile. As a family member, Zhao Guihua decided to be more aggressive. The more she jumped around, the less it would seem like their family had anything to do with the ghost incidents.
Moreover, she wanted to give the impression that their family was reckless, that they would directly resort to violence when things got tough. Although Zhao Guihua couldn't judge the outcome from Section Chief Liu's behavior, observing his state, she guessed that this goal had also been achieved.
This old lady, though not good at reading, knew how to use tactics. Sacrificing her reputation as a fierce old lady to achieve three goals—that's a surefire win.
After all, she already had a reputation for being fiery and outspoken.
A three-bird-one-stone move, perfect!
However, Zhao Guihua stroked her chin and pondered, these two little rascals have some tricks up their sleeves. Creating such a big commotion and leaving no clues behind, with smoke and ghost fires, she had no idea how they did it.
And those props...
Come to think of it, this stuff is actually quite challenging. Even as a reborn person, Zhao Guihua wouldn't know how to do it.
But soon, she thought of it: these two little rascals probably don't know either, but they have a mentor, Lan Sihai, that old man is no simpleton. He knows more tricks than those street performers at Tianqiao.
Zhao Guihua sighed, "This life is going to get even more lively."
******
Lan Sihai: "Achoo, achoo, achoo."
He frowned, "Who's talking about me!"
Which bold scoundrel is gossiping about me behind my back!
