Chapter 31 Acting
The deaf old lady was lying on the ground and throwing a tantrum, but she was not hurt by the fall, which shows how strong her body is.

Li Jiandong walked out of the house.

The deaf old lady was the first to complain and shouted at Li Jiandong:
"Li Jiandong, don't you like to meddle in other people's business? Do you care if an old man like me in the courtyard is beaten by an outsider? If Yi Zhonghai were here, he would definitely not watch me, an old ancestor, being bullied by outsiders."

Li Jiandong originally just wanted to watch the fun, but he didn't expect to be stuck with the deaf old lady.

It just so happened that the noise was so loud at this time that other residents in the yard also came over to watch the fun.

Li Jiandong asked these people: "Neighbors, do you think Xu Hui is really an outsider?"

Jia Zhang was the first to say, "How can we be considered outsiders? Huizhen is Daqing's already married daughter-in-law, so she belongs to our courtyard."

Old Yan's wife also said: "If Xu Hui is really an outsider, then aren't all of us women outsiders?"

Old Liu's wife held Liu Guangfu in her arms and stood at the archway in the backyard and said, "I think Chunmei is right. If you really count, you, old lady, moved in later. And no one in your family works at the steel mill yet."

"Even if there is an outsider, it is you. Huizhen is not an outsider."

"Hu Guiying, you are blind. Why didn't you give birth to the child? We all live in the backyard, and you are helping an outsider. You are really a traitor."

The deaf old lady's curse was very unpleasant to hear.

Liu Haizhong protected his wife and said, "Old lady, if you continue to be so unreasonable, we will call a meeting of the whole hospital and kick you out."

"Come on, why don't you chase me out? Even the street office doesn't dare to chase me away. You are just a sixth-level blacksmith, and you haven't become the master of the backyard yet. Even if you become the master, you are nothing in front of me, an old lady."

The deaf old lady is very powerful and can hold her own in a debate with the whole hospital.

Li Jiandong kept out of the matter as if it had nothing to do with him, just like he was watching a monkey show.

The deaf old lady cursed for more than half an hour until her voice became hoarse, and then she returned to the backyard unwillingly.

That night, Li Jiandong vaguely heard that someone's glass seemed to be broken, and someone ran out and yelled in the yard.

However, he was a sound sleeper and did not wake up when he heard the noise.

The next morning, Qin Huairu told him that someone had broken the windows of He Daqing's house last night.

"Old Li, this old lady is a nuisance. Why don't you, Old Liu and the others convene a meeting of the entire courtyard while Yi Zhonghai is away and drive this old woman out of the courtyard?"

After arriving at the steel rolling mill, He Daqing found Li Jiandong in a workshop and said.

He has now completely broken off with the deaf old lady and doesn't want to see her again for a day.

Li Jiandong shook his head: "Daqing, this matter is not as simple as you think. If the deaf old lady was so easy to deal with, the street office would not have been blocked by her and scolded for several days, and finally gave in and arranged for her to work in our hospital."

The identity of the deaf old lady remains a mystery. If she is really from Nanluoguxiang, it is impossible that Yi Zhonghai is the only one who knows her.

The street office issued her an ID card and allowed her to live in a courtyard house. It was obvious that they had become so annoyed by her that they used this as a way out.

He Daqing said sullenly, "So we just let this old man do whatever he wants? Don't you know that last night, the brick hit the head of my bed and almost hit me on the head."

Li Jiandong shook his head.

Last night, the old lady ran away after throwing the brick. We couldn't catch her in the act, so there was no way to punish her.

He could only comfort He Daqing: "Daqing, don't worry. If God wants to destroy a person, he must first make him crazy. This old lady is reckless and will regret it one day."

He Daqing sighed: "It's all my fault that I didn't catch her last night, otherwise I would have asked the police station to teach her a lesson."

Li Jiandong thought that even if the police station educated her, it probably wouldn't have any effect.

The deaf old lady is so old that her evil nature is so deep in her bones that she is beyond redemption.

Now, we can only think of a way to drive her out of the compound.

As for what to do, Li Jiandong already had an idea in mind.

After get off work, Li Jiandong asked Jia Dongxu and Yan Jiecheng to go back to the courtyard by themselves.

I rode my scooter to Qianmen Street.

This place is much more prosperous than Nanluoguxiang, with all kinds of shops and pubs lined up.

Li Jiandong first went to Liubiju to buy some pickles, then went to Quanjude to order a roast duck, and then took a few turns to arrive at a courtyard house with two entrances.

"Who are you? Who are you looking for?"

The old man at the gate of the courtyard saw Li Jiandong wearing work clothes and asked.

Li Jiandong replied: "Uncle, I'm here to look for Mr. Natu. I wonder which room he lives in?"

The old man glanced at Li Jiandong, then looked at the roast duck in his hand.

He narrowed his eyes and said, "This roast duck is of good quality. You can see that the skin is made with great care. The duck is big and plump, and the ingredients are solid. It looks like the roast duck from a big store. However, the roast duck from the cheap house has a refreshing and fragrant smell. Although yours smells good, it's still a bit inferior."

Li Jiandong's eyes lit up and he immediately understood that the person in front of him was the one he was looking for.

"The old man is really particular. This is Quanjude's roast duck. I saw that this side is closer to your home.

Otherwise, if you buy it from Bian Yi Fang, it will be cold by the time it reaches you, and it won’t have that flavor.”

The old man burst into laughter.

"Young man, I see you know how to eat, so tell me what you want from me?"

Li Jiandong handed the roast duck and pickles to the old man.

The old man took a sniff and immediately gave a thumbs up:

"This is definitely Liubiju's pickled vegetables. I used to eat them every day. What a pity, what a pity..."

The old man seemed to have thought of something, and his expression was a little lonely.

Li Jiandong knew that he was missing his former glory, which was why he came to find him.

Without wasting any more time, Li Jiandong asked directly: "Then old man, I came to see you for something trivial."

"I know you were from the palace. There is also a woman from the palace in Nanluoguxiang. She is about seventy years old this year and is known as the deaf old lady."

"Her ears, oh, only become deaf when she encounters something she doesn't want to hear. When she encounters something she wants to hear, she hears it more clearly than anyone else."

Li Jiandong was not sure about the deaf old lady's identity as a palace servant, but he saw with his own eyes that the deaf old lady had bound feet.

Moreover, she spoke with a Beijing accent, but she did not dare to reveal her identity.

What's more, she is so familiar with Tan's cuisine. You know, Tan's cuisine is palace cuisine. Who can know palace cuisine so well?
That must be the people in the palace who can eat palace food every day.

That's why Li Jiandong found the old man, just to confirm the identity of the deaf old lady.

As long as it is confirmed that she is a member of the palace, even if there is no evidence to drive her out of the courtyard, at least she can be threatened and made to behave herself in the future.

When Li Jiandong asked this, the old man couldn't help but narrow his eyes. "You know what, your mention really reminded me of someone."

Li Jiandong asked hurriedly: "Grandpa, do you know her?"

The old man nodded and said, "I know him, but I'm not familiar with him."

“In fact, she and I used to be from the same family, both belonging to the Nara clan, but she was from the Yehenara clan, and I was from the Ulanara clan.

"Besides, she is more than ten years older than me, and I have basically no contact with her."

Li Jiandong asked again: "Then how can you be sure it's her?"

The old man sneered: "I didn't know her well, but she was making a scene on your street a while ago."

"After all, we all come from the same family name. She is such a disgrace to our ancestors, we can't help but be ignorant of it. Fortunately, she didn't reveal her identity, otherwise, I would have wanted to slap her a few times."

"Forget it, I won't say any more. I'm telling you this because you know something about food. I wouldn't tell an ordinary person this. If we continue talking, the duck will get cold. Go do whatever you need to do. I'm going home to eat duck."

As the old man spoke, he stood up from the stool, holding the roast duck in one hand and the pickles in the other, humming a Peking opera, and walking towards the yard with a figure-shaped step.

Li Jiandong had already obtained the information he wanted, and shouted behind the old man: "Goodbye, old man, I will come to see you another day."

After saying that, he turned around, rode on the bicycle and left.

Li Jiandong rode very slowly along the way, thinking about today's information and whether he could help the deaf old lady.

After careful consideration, he felt that it was still not enough.

The main thing is that the old man and his people all care about face. If he is asked to testify against the deaf old lady, he will definitely not do it. If no one testifies, it is not realistic for him to use the deaf old lady's identity as a bannerman to drive her out of the courtyard.

It seems that we have to wait for an opportunity for the deaf old lady to reveal her true colors.

A few days passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it is the eve of the election.

Yi Zhonghai was tossing and turning in his hospital bed when the door creaked open.

Li Huilan came in from outside carrying a bag and two bottles of wine: "Lao Yi, I brought the things you wanted. Can you see if you left anything behind?"

When Yi Zhonghai opened it, he saw that it was full of good stuff like meat candies.

Both bottles of wine were high-quality Maozi.

Yi Zhonghai said with satisfaction: "The things are fine, please go and arrange for me to be discharged from the hospital immediately.

The election for the leader will be held tomorrow. If I don’t leave today, Li Jiandong will have the advantage.”

Li Huilan said anxiously, "But Lao Yi, the doctor said that your injury has not healed completely yet. If you are discharged from the hospital now, I am afraid that your bones will be dislocated, and it will be troublesome to get treated again later."

Yi Zhonghai said angrily: "What do you know, old woman? Just do it when I ask you to. How is my own health? Don't I know it?"

What's the big deal about injured ribs?
Compared with the election boss, it's nothing.

Li Huilan couldn't beat him, so she had to go through the discharge procedures. The doctor got the news and came to persuade Yi Zhonghai, but Yi Zhonghai had made up his mind and the doctor couldn't keep him, so he could only complete the discharge procedures for him.

After leaving the hospital, Yi Zhonghai did not return to the courtyard immediately.

He asked Li Huilan to go home first, and after returning to Nanluoguxiang, he turned a corner and went to Deputy Director Dai's house.

I knocked on the door and Deputy Director Dai came out.

Seeing that it was Yi Zhonghai, Deputy Director Dai's expression suddenly turned ugly, and he scolded Yi Zhonghai: "Why are you still looking for me? You made me lose face last time, and you still have the nerve to come to see me?"

Yi Zhonghai also knew that it was his poor performance that caused Director Dai to lose face.

I smiled and said, "Director Dai, I didn't do my job well last time and made things difficult for you. It's my fault. I just got out of the hospital today and I came here with a gift to apologize. I hope you can put aside the past and give me another chance."

Yi Zhonghai said this as he handed over the gift he had brought.

Deputy Director Dai took it and squeezed it twice, then he guessed what was inside.

His expression softened a little and he said:

"Old Yi, I'm not mad at you. It's just that you were too unstable last time. However, I still have high hopes for you. If you behave well in the future, the street and I will always support you."

Yi Zhonghai nodded repeatedly:
"Thank you Director Dai for your trust, but... I'm ashamed to say that I've been in the hospital recently and haven't had time to contact my connections in the hospital."

"Tomorrow is the day for the election. If I run now, I'm afraid my vote count won't be ideal. Director Dai, what do you think..."

Before Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, Director Dai refused:

"Old Yi, I can't help you with this."

"Joint elections are the tone set by the higher-ups. I'm just a deputy director of a subdistrict. If you're chosen as the boss, and the news gets to the higher-ups, I'm afraid my job won't be safe. You should think of a way to canvass for votes."

After saying this, Deputy Director Dai prepared to close the door.

Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped forward and stood in front of the door, saying with a wry smile: "Director Dai, you must help me. Li Jiandong is too lawless. He led a group of people to fight and even fought in the yard."

"My ribs were accidentally injured during their fight. If you let this guy become the boss, won't you and the street have a headache because of him every day? This guy is a troublemaker."

Seeing that Deputy Director Dai was unmoved, Yi Zhonghai continued:
"Director Dai, you know me well. I, Yi Zhonghai, have no other merits than to repay a favor. You did me a favor this time, and I will definitely show my gratitude in the future."

After hearing this, Deputy Director Dai smacked his lips and said:
"Old Yi, we have been friends for so many years, if I don't help you, who will? But you have to do your best and don't cause me any more trouble. So you go back first, and I will arrange everything for the election tomorrow."

After hearing what Deputy Director Dai said, Yi Zhonghai finally felt relieved.

He thanked her repeatedly: "Thank you, Director. I'll leave first. I won't forget your help."

While Yi Zhonghai was using his connections to become the boss, some people in the courtyard were also discussing the election for the boss position.

Li Jiandong’s home in the Intermediate Court.

Li Jiandong, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and He Daqing, four big men, sat together.

The election for leader is about to begin, and Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui are both a little nervous.

Although they have already collected a lot of votes that definitely exceed half of the entire institute, no one dares to relax until the final result comes out.

"Old Li, Yi Zhonghai hasn't come back yet. It seems like you, the boss of the Central Court, are safe now."

Liu Haizhong was the first to speak. There were only three candidates suitable to be the boss in the Intermediate Court: Li Jiandong, Yi Zhonghai and He Daqing.

First of all, He Daqing will definitely not compete with Li Jiandong for this uncle. If Yi Zhonghai does not come back, Li Jiandong will be the only one left, and there is no need for a choice at all.

Yan Bugui laughed at the side and said:

"Old Liu, you really don't know Yi Zhonghai. How could he not come back to participate in the election? Li Huilan went to the hospital an hour earlier than usual today. Maybe she went to get him discharged."

Li Jiandong also said: "Yi Zhonghai will definitely come back."

It goes without saying that if Yi Zhonghai did not come to run for the position of boss, he would not be himself.

Just as Li Jiandong finished speaking, he heard Jia Zhang's voice coming from the yard: "Oh, Old Yi is back, are your injuries all healed?"

Yi Zhonghai responded: "Alright, it's almost done. The election will be held tomorrow. I want to work for our hospital, so I have to come back."

Several people in the room looked mocking.

He Daqing, in particular, said bluntly: "Yi Zhonghai's grandson still wants to work for our hospital?"

"I think it's good that he didn't sell us out. Last time, the whole hospital took action, but this grandson didn't dare to do anything. He even wanted to be a peacemaker. Compared with Old Li, he is not even worthy of carrying shoes."

Yan Bugui said cautiously: "You can't say that. Although Yi Zhonghai is not capable, his moral character is low enough."

"I heard from my daughter Chunmei that Yi Zhonghai asked his wife Li Huilan to find a few needy families in our courtyard. He promised them that if they became rich, he would donate money to them. People like this will use any despicable means to achieve their goals."

Liu Haizhong also looked down on Yi Zhonghai.

He sneered and said, "Don't worry. No matter how despicable Old Yi is, he is definitely no match for Li Jiandong. The votes we three have already accounted for more than half of the entire hospital. Even if Yi Zhonghai gets all the remaining votes, he can't get more than Jiandong."

Yan Bugui grinned: "That's true."

By this time the meal was ready.

Qin Huairu and Xu Huizhen put the food on the table and let the four grown men talk about business while drinking and eating.

The two women brought other meals to He Daqing's house to eat with Sha Zhu and He Yushui.

The next day, early in the morning.

The street loudspeakers began to play the song "The East is Red". All cadres and staff gathered in advance and walked to the compound they were responsible for, carrying their campaign supplies.

There are 12 department heads in Nanluoguxiang. Each leading cadre brings an officer and is responsible for the election of 3 to 4 courtyards. Courtyard No. 40 is under the charge of Deputy Director Dai and is scheduled to be the first election in the morning.

"Old Li, let's gather quickly, remember to bring a pen."

Li Jiandong was sorting clothes at home when he heard He Daqing's voice outside the door.

He replied, “Got it.”

Then he carried the stool and walked out with Qin Huairu.

Everyone else in the yard also got up early and brought their stools to the middle yard to gather.

Behind the round table, Deputy Director Dai squinted his eyes and said nothing. The clerk next to him poured him some water.

Then, he asked Yi Zhonghai to find a nail and nail it on the wooden pillar in front of the corridor, and hang the small blackboard he brought with him on it. After doing all this, he leaned over and whispered something in Deputy Director Dai's ear.

Deputy Director Dai nodded, opened his eyes and said, "Let's get started."

The thirty-year-old clerk, who was very capable of handling things, immediately opened his voice and shouted, "Everyone, be quiet. Director Dai from our street will speak to everyone."

The residents who were talking shut up, and the air was quiet for a while.

(End of this chapter)