Chapter 13: A Day Apart, and Your Temper Has Grown

“Mhm, I understand. Thank you, Director Zhang.”
Auntie’s eyes brightened as she set down the bottle of Erguotou, expressing her gratitude again and again.
“Hurry up and get things done when you get home,” Director Zhang said, quite pleased with how transparent Auntie’s intentions were. “The demolition is already settled. At most, in two months, everyone will have to move out.”
“Thank you, Director Zhang.”
With gratitude in her eyes, Auntie got up with Uncle to take their leave.
“Take the liquor with you! Don’t be so formal with me,” Director Zhang protested, feigning displeasure as she picked up the bottle. Auntie and Uncle didn’t wait for her to follow them out; they lifted the curtain and hurried away in a few quick steps.
——
Director Zhang was a good person, constantly worrying over the people in her district.
Yet, for all her careful planning, fate is unpredictable. No one could have foreseen that her words would prove prophetic: as she had said, when you get old, death may come at any time.
That very night, Old Mr. Huang suffered a sudden heart attack and passed away.
The first to notice something was wrong was Mrs. Wang.

Early the next morning, Mrs. Wang finished preparing breakfast as usual and brought it to Old Mr. Huang. After knocking on his door for a good while with no response, she tentatively pushed it open a crack to peer inside.
That single glance nearly scared her out of her wits.
It seemed Old Mr. Huang had struggled to get out of bed before he died—he had slipped off the bed with his coat on, hit his head, and there was blood all over the floor.
Mrs. Wang screamed at the top of her lungs, startling everyone in the courtyard.
Lin Xiyu’s uncle was the first to rush out of his house and into the south room. One look was enough: Old Mr. Huang lay there, eyes open in death, already gone for some time.
——
Old Mr. Huang had no family by his side. Grandmother, being kind-hearted, told Uncle to take the day off and helped arrange his funeral and burial.
Director Zhang helped contact Mr. Huang’s son overseas, urging him to return to handle the inheritance.
His son, however, didn’t want to come back, instead authorizing his brother-in-law, Yan Hao, to sell the house during the upcoming demolition.
Ten years had passed since Yan Hao last set foot in Courtyard 9 on Donghua Street, and his attitude was even more arrogant than before.
“My brother-in-law says he’ll never return to this backward dump ever again. He thanks the JN city government for doing overseas Chinese a huge favor—now he can finally kick out those people who just squat there and refuse to leave.”
“Hey now, watch your mouth!”
His insolence was enough to anger even Director Zhang, who had come to mediate the dispute. The veins at the corner of her eyes throbbed with suppressed fury.

Mr. Wang and his son were even more infuriated. They grabbed a rolling pin and once again chased Yan Hao out with a beating.
“Just you wait! My brother-in-law will make sure you’re gone this time. Stop shamelessly squatting in someone else’s house and refusing to move!”
Yan Hao, howling in pain as the father and son chased him, tossed out a few threats before scurrying off with his tail between his legs.
——
“What’s going on in your courtyard? Another fight?”
While the elders busied themselves with Old Mr. Huang’s funeral, Lin Xiyu was helping her aunt watch the phone booth. Gu Bin arrived on his bicycle just in time to see Yan Hao storming past, livid.
Gu Bin stroked his chin, incredulous. “A fight every day? That’s a bit much. With you being such a gentle, bullied little lamb, how have you survived among the wolves?”
“What are you talking about?”
Lin Xiyu couldn’t stand him making fun of her family. Flushed with anger, she glared at him with what she thought was fierce indignation. “Who’s the lamb? The people in our courtyard aren’t wolves either. Don’t talk nonsense when you don’t know what’s going on.”
“Heh, haven’t seen you for a day and you’ve grown some backbone?”
Gu Bin looked at her with amusement, leaning in until his handsome face was almost touching her nose.