Huang was trembling with anger. "I know very well that you've always looked down on me!"
"Why did I hit you? It's because you're a petty thief. You're in the police station today, but you'll be out tomorrow and still be doing sneaky things! You're delusional that I moved into your house just for your property!"
Huang, exasperated, said to the street official, panting, "Officer, if you hadn't called me here, I would never have bothered with another person! If it weren't for the fact that he's my nephew, I wouldn't care even if he starved to death here!"
"What am I living here for? It's all for him! I'm friendly to my neighbors and have never argued with them. This brat eats my food and then calls me an ingrate. Doesn't that make sense?!"
Huang spoke with great distress, as if he had suffered greatly.
A neighbor chimed in, "Huang Zheyue, your uncle is a really good person. How could you say such a thing about him?"
"That's right, that's right, Huang Zheyue, tell me how many times you've stolen things? Your uncle hasn't given up on you, so how can you blame him!"
"You should apologize to your uncle right away."
Engineer Huang lowered his head and looked at Huang Zheyue.
His eyes were filled with malice and anger.
This brat actually made such a big fuss. Once he calms things down, I'll definitely teach this arrogant brat a lesson when we get back!
Others may not be able to see the emotions in Huang Gong's eyes, but Huang Zheyue, who is facing him, can see them clearly.
Huang Zheyue was also extremely angry.
Huang Gong is very good at creating a good image. People in Huaihua Hutong for two years all know that Huang Gong is honest, kind, hardworking, and a good person who likes to maintain harmony with his neighbors.
Therefore, these neighbors were very willing to make excuses for Huang Zheyue's accusations.
The neighbors who had once helped him now looked repulsive, their mouths opening and closing like sharp blades driving him into an abyss.
Huang Zheyue knew clearly that if Huang Gong was left here today and he was captured by Huang Gong again, he would face an endless abyss.
The rebuking voices continued to echo.
A growing, intense hatred welled up in Huang Zheyue's eyes.
"So you are Huang Zheyue's relative."
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice interrupted them.
Everyone looked towards the alley entrance and saw a tall man wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket and black trousers, carrying something, standing there.
He was quite handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a broad nose, and a sharply defined jaw.
Engineer Huang frowned and remained silent.
Zhou Mingli walked forward, glanced down at Huang Zheyue, and said, "In early November, Huang Zheyue was beaten so badly that he broke his bones and passed out. I took him to the hospital and paid for his medical expenses."
“I kept asking him where his relatives were, but he wouldn’t say. Now I’ve finally found them.”
Zhou Mingli nodded politely to Huang Gong and said, "Huang Zheyue's hospitalization fee, medical expenses, and the cost of the meals I brought him later, all in all, totaled one hundred and thirty-five yuan and twenty-six cents."
"Would you like to collect the money now and pay me back, or put it on the books and pay me back in installments later?"
Zhou Mingli spoke politely, but Engineer Huang couldn't hold back any longer. "I have no money! Huang Zheyue's injury is his own fault! It has nothing to do with me! Why should I pay for his medical expenses!"
One hundred and thirty-five yuan and twenty-six cents?
There are also zeros and positive ones.
He's an idiot, why would he give that money!
He refused outright.
Upon hearing this, the neighborhood committee member angrily retorted, "You're his uncle! Isn't it your duty to pay for his medical expenses?!"
"He's offended me so many times, why should I still pay for his medical treatment?"
As soon as he said that, Engineer Huang realized he was wrong.
The officer's gaze toward him had turned to one of shock.
“No wonder Huang Zheyue has been in the hospital for so long, and you haven’t even gone to see him,” Zhou Mingli said calmly. “His fracture hasn’t fully healed yet. Aren’t you afraid that hitting him like that will cause him to break his bones again?”
After stammering for a while, Engineer Huang finally managed to say, "I didn't know he had a fracture!"
"You don't know?" Huang Zheyue gave a miserable smile. "Did you know when you were hanging me from the beam and beating me?"
"You won't let me out because you're afraid I'll spread bad things about you outside. You beat me every day just so I can listen to you and obediently submit to you."
He held out his hand for everyone to see.
Huang Zheyue's wrists still bore the marks of being bound.
A group of unsuspecting neighbors gasped in shock.
No wonder Huang Zheyue rarely goes out once she's been found.
Mr. Huang said that the child was playful and he was afraid that the child would run away, so he kept the child at home to make him study and reflect on his actions.
So, Huang wasn't making him study at all, but rather beating him at home?
Huang Zheyue turned her head and stared intently at the person in charge of the street. "Officer, I just want my dad's house back. They don't deserve to live in my house."
The clerk at this moment couldn't say a word to persuade Engineer Huang to stay.
With a stern face, he said to Engineer Huang, "You have three days to pack up and move out! I remember you own a house; what's the meaning of occupying your nephew's house like this!"
"Officer...no, I didn't."
"What 'three, four, five, six'?! We're telling you to move, so move! If you don't move, our neighborhood committee will come to your house and help you move! Within three days! Understand?"
Huang couldn't utter a single word, and nodded with a pale face.
Seeing this, Zhou Mingli said nothing more and turned to leave.
Huang Gong's resentful gaze was fixed on Zhou Mingli, who seemed oblivious to it.
Huang Zheyue glanced at Engineer Huang, then at Zhou Mingli.
He took off and caught up with Zhou Mingli.
Huang Zheyue followed Zhou Mingli for half the way, but didn't go up to talk to him; she just followed silently.
As they approached the newspaper office's staff quarters, Zhou Mingli stopped and looked at him. "Why are you following me?"
Huang Zheyue, still bruised and swollen, scratched her buzz cut sheepishly upon hearing his words, "Um... thank you."
“A few days ago, the news of my father’s death was conveyed by the Ministry of Public Security, and Huang Gong arrested me and forced me to give him the house.” Huang Zheyue said honestly, “I didn’t want to, and he beat me up again. I wanted him to beat me in front of everyone and make him move out of Huaihua Hutong.”
"Once the house becomes available, could you... could you ask your wife to help me find someone to rent it out? I want to rent out the house."
Huang Zheyue didn't have many skills. He learned Jiang Ci's method and wanted to earn some money by introducing people to rent houses. However, the adults saw that he was a child and, after agreeing to give him one yuan, ended up giving him only fifty cents or two cents.
Huang Zheyue then realized that human nature was not as simple as he had initially perceived it to be.
That's when he came up with the idea of asking Jiang Ci to help him find tenants.
If he could just kick Huang's family out, he could rent out the house and then he would have money.
Zhou Mingli looked at him without saying a word for a long time.
"If you rent out the house, where will you live? Will you still sleep on park benches?"
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