HCB Chapter 248 The Second Master's Dream Shattered, His Official Prestige Swept Away.
Chapter 248 The Second Master's Dream Shattered, His Official Prestige Swept Away.
The third uncle, Yan Bugui, was so frightened by He Yuzhu's public display of "crushing bones into powder" that he fainted. He then paid out of his own pocket to fix the water pipes, which became the latest headline news in the courtyard.
Old Yan lost both his wife and his army, becoming the biggest laughingstock in the courtyard. Meanwhile, He Yuzhu's prestige reached an unprecedented peak. Now, not only the Third Uncle, but everyone in the entire courtyard respectfully calls him "Master Zhu."
There was one person, however, who felt very uneasy.
This person is Liu Haizhong, the second uncle.
Liu Haizhong had only one hobby in his life—to be an official.
He dreamed of becoming an official, even if it was just a minor official in charge of a dozen or so households in this courtyard, it would still fascinate him.
Previously, Yi Zhonghai, an elderly man, was the one who called the shots in the courtyard. But ever since Qin Huairu's family fell from power, Yi Zhonghai's retirement plan fell through, his prestige plummeted, and he hasn't been going out much lately.
Liu Haizhong felt that his opportunity had arrived!
The old man fell down, and the third man became a laughing stock. In this courtyard, besides Liu Haizhong, who else is qualified to be this "official"?
As for He Yuzhu...
In Liu Haizhong's eyes, He Yuzhu was nothing but a reckless brute. Although he possessed some unorthodox skills, he was ultimately just a cook, not a respectable person. Such a person was only fit to be a henchman, a tool. Liu Haizhong, on the other hand, was the "commander-in-chief" who planned and commanded from behind the scenes.
He started to have his own plans: as long as he could win over He Yuzhu, the strongest "force," to his side, then he, the second uncle, could rightfully become the first uncle and firmly control the entire courtyard!
To achieve this ambitious goal, Liu Haizhong began actively "rehearsing" at home.
He would call his two sons, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, to his side for meetings every day.
"Ahem!" Liu Haizhong, his large pregnant belly protruding, paced around the room with his hands behind his back, mimicking a leader. "Today, we're holding a family meeting. The main topic of discussion is how our Liu family can seize opportunities, stand out, and gain a voice in the current complex and ever-changing situation within the courtyard!"
The brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. Their father's obsession with officialdom was becoming increasingly severe.
"Dad, just tell me straight, what do you want this time?" Liu Guangfu asked impatiently.
"What do you mean by 'doing something'? This is a business!" Liu Haizhong's eyes widened, exuding official authority. "Let me tell you, the key person right now is He Yuzhu! We must win him over! Guangtian, you go buy two bottles of good wine tomorrow. Guangfu, you go to the pigeon market and get two good fish. Then, I will personally go and have a 'heart-to-heart' with He Yuzhu."
He paused, a smug smile spreading across his face. "I'll make him understand who truly holds the reins in this place. I'll promise him that from now on he'll be the 'Deputy Commander-in-Chief,' second only to the commander! He's just a cook; I'm giving him such a huge favor. How could he not be grateful and subservient to me?"
Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu rolled their eyes, thinking, "Give me a break! Who is He Yuzhu now? Would he even look at you, the 'Commander-in-Chief'?"
But they dared not object and could only reluctantly comply.
The following evening, Liu Haizhong, dressed smartly and carrying gifts, arrived at He Yuzhu's doorstep with great arrogance.
He knocked on the door.
He Yuzhu was reading some ancient books about spiritual energy and the pharmacology of food, which Mr. Lin had given him. Hearing the knock on the door, he opened it somewhat impatiently.
"Second Uncle? Is something the matter?"
Upon seeing He Yuzhu, Liu Haizhong immediately adopted a friendly and courteous smile.
"Oh dear, Zhuzi, did I disturb you? Your second uncle just saw that you've been working hard lately, so he came to see you and have a chat." As he spoke, he handed the wine and fish in his hand into the house.
He Yuzhu frowned and immediately reached out to block it.
"Second Uncle, please just say what you need to say. You don't need any of the things. I have everything I need."
Liu Haizhong was rebuffed and felt a little embarrassed, but he still brazenly squeezed into the house.
He sat down by himself, looked around He Yuzhu's room, and then spoke in a serious tone.
"Zhu Zi, you are a capable person, and the whole institute can see that. However, ability alone is not enough. You are still young, and there are many things you haven't considered thoroughly."
He took a sip of the tea he had brought and continued, "Look at this courtyard now, it's leaderless and in complete chaos. The eldest uncle is too old to manage things anymore. The third uncle is just a cunning schemer, he's no good at anything. This family needs someone with prestige and ability to take charge!"
He Yuzhu wanted to laugh as he listened; he wanted to see what this old man was up to.
"So?" he asked cooperatively.
Seeing that there was hope, Liu Haizhong became even more energetic.
"So, I, as the second uncle, have to step forward without hesitation!" He slapped his thigh. "Zhu Zi, I'm here today to make something clear to you. If you support me as the head of this compound, I guarantee that from now on, all matters, big and small, will be decided by the two of us! I'll be the head, and you'll be the deputy! How about that? Pretty good, right?"
He looked at He Yuzhu with anticipation, as if he were a talent scout who had bestowed a great favor upon him.
Looking at his face, which was shiny with oil from excitement, He Yuzhu finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Second Uncle, how much have you drunk? Are you talking nonsense?"
His smile froze on his face: "What...what do you mean?"
"My meaning is very simple." He Yuzhu stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and gestured for him to enter. "I, He Yuzhu, am just a cook. I have absolutely no interest in being an official. You can save your theories about officialdom for your sons. Goodbye, and don't bother seeing me out."
This is an absolute and blatant insult!
Liu Haizhong's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. He had thought he was condescending to recruit talent, but it turned out that in their eyes, he was nothing but a huge joke!
"You... He Yuzhu! Don't be so ungrateful!" He was trembling with anger. "You think you're so great just because you have some brute strength? Let me tell you, without my advice, you're nothing!"
"roll."
He Yuzhu only said one word.
But the coldness and impatience conveyed in those words instantly reminded Liu Haizhong of Yan Bugui's fate. He shuddered, didn't dare utter another word, grabbed his gifts, and slunk away.
Back home, Liu Haizhong vented all his anger on his two sons.
"Useless! All of you are useless! What kind of lousy liquor did you buy! What kind of dead fish did you buy! You made me look bad in public!"
He grabbed a feather duster and was about to hit Liu Guangtian.
The Liu brothers, Guangtian and Guangfu, had long been fed up with his bullying attitude towards their own kind. They used to be angry but dared not speak out, but now that they were adults, why should they still put up with this?
Liu Guangtian grabbed the feather duster, while Liu Guangfu stood directly in front of his brother.
"Dad! When will you stop?!" Liu Guangfu shouted, his neck stiff. "You've had your day outside, why are you taking it out on us? We're not your punching bags!"
"You've gone too far! How dare you talk back to me!" Liu Haizhong's eyes turned red with anger, and he reached out to slap someone.
"We just talked back! So what!" Liu Guangtian retorted angrily. "You spend all your time at home daydreaming about being an official, treating us like slaves! Did you even ask us if we wanted to? Besides putting on your bureaucratic airs, what else can you do?"
"I'll beat you two unfilial sons to death!"
Liu Haizhong went completely berserk and pounced on him, baring his teeth and claws.
Two young and strong sons were no match for a middle-aged man like Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu. With a combined push, they shoved Liu Haizhong against the wall.
"Didn't you love being an official? Didn't you love meddling in things?" Liu Guangfu pointed outside the door and shouted, "Go be an official in the compound! Go and manage everyone in the compound! From today onwards, we two brothers are in charge of this family!"
As they spoke, the two brothers grabbed Liu Haizhong and dragged him to the door like a dead dog, then gave him a hard shove and pushed him out of the house!
"Bang!"
The door was slammed shut in front of Liu Haizhong and locked from the inside.
Liu Haizhong was pushed and stumbled, almost falling. He looked at the closed door and listened to his son's voice coming from inside, trembling with anger.
"Open the door! Open the door for me! I'm your father!"
He shouted and yelled in the yard, his voice shrill and shrill.
However, the courtyard was quiet.
Lights were on in every house, but not a single door was opened, no one came out to watch the spectacle, and no one spoke up for him.
Everyone was stunned by He Yuzhu's ruthless methods, fearing they would get into trouble.
Liu Haizhong shouted for a long time until his voice was hoarse, but no one paid any attention to him. His dream of becoming an official was shattered by his sons, whom he despised the most, and his pride in his official status was ruthlessly swept away.
He became the only truly lonely person in this courtyard. A colossal joke.