The director of the neighborhood office already knew from the old woman who came to see her that Aunt Xie had been causing trouble for Granny Huang recently.
There's no point in having a subordinate who doesn't follow orders. She only allowed Aunt Xie to be her clerk because she thought she was honest.
Unexpectedly, she was also a two-faced person. She was very respectful to me on the surface, but it turned out that she was a hypocrite behind my back.
I haven't even retired yet, and some people already think they can replace me—it's laughable! Now is the time to make an example of them!
Aunt Xie grabbed the sleeve of the neighborhood office director's clothes, and she angrily tried to pull it away.
To my surprise, I heard a tearing sound and my sleeve was ripped off.
This infuriated the head of the neighborhood committee; her aloof image was gone, and she was utterly despicable!
She yelled angrily, "Get out of here! You have time to pack your things now, or you're not allowed to take anything from the office!"
This put Auntie Xie in a dilemma. She wanted to plead with the director, but the director said that if she didn't pack her things, she would not be allowed to take anything else with her.
She usually likes to leave things in her office, and only she has the key to the office cabinets. Neither her husband's family nor her own family can access her things.
If she really couldn't get into the office, she would suffer a great loss. She hesitated, but then gritted her teeth and walked away.
She knew the director quite well; the director was someone who cared a lot about her image, and having her sleeve torn just now had already touched a raw nerve.
Recently, two factions have been emerging in the office, and she has now been categorized as part of the opposing faction by the director, who will definitely not let her off the hook.
The things he kept in his office became his lifeline.
It's also my own fault; once I gained power, I stopped respecting my husband's family and my own family.
Now I've offended both sides of my family to death, I'll have to keep a low profile from now on.
Aunt Jie's eyes welled up with tears as she thought about it. Why did she have to go and invite such bad luck? She didn't have much money, and now she'd lost her job for nothing. She truly regretted it!
The director here restrained his temper and said to Xiao Yan in a gentle tone, "It's all my fault. Our street office is divided into areas, and I assigned this area to the clerk in charge."
"I didn't want her to be outwardly compliant but inwardly disobedient, not taking my instructions to heart at all. I've always known that Aunt Huang is a martyr's family member, and martyrs' families receive extra benefits."
The director then changed the subject: "Did Grandma Huang really sell the yard to you?"
Xiao Yan nodded readily: "Yes, all the formalities are complete! Do you need me to take a look at them?"
The director nodded: "It would be better to take a look!"
Xiao Yan immediately took out the property certificate and showed it to the director. The director saw that the owner's name had indeed been changed and felt resentful!
If I had received the information sooner, I would definitely have bought this place. This yard is just too attractive!
Her eyes darted around a few times: "How many people live here?"
"There are five of us in total, and all the houses are full!"
The director was unwilling to give up: "Isn't there still one room? Besides, you men and women can each have a room, which will free up several rooms!"
Xiao Yan immediately replied, "We have one room per person in our family, and we also have a child who needs to study. We have another room that has been converted into a study. There really isn't any space available!"
“Other people crammed a dozen people into one room, but with a house this big, you can divide it into several rooms. We’re all neighbors and comrades-in-arms, so let’s help each other out!”
Xiao Yan's heart sank: So they were birds of a feather, otherwise Aunt Jie wouldn't have dared to act that way. They were all making a mountain out of a molehill!
"In that case, your family could also partition off a few rooms. Why don't you set an example first!" Xiao Yan really didn't believe that someone like that could have a small house.
These words made the director's face stiffen. Her yard was certainly not small, and most of the people there knew each other. Someone immediately chimed in:
"Director, your yard is no smaller than theirs, and I heard that only your family lives there."
The implication was obvious, and the director's face immediately darkened!
The director only has one son and one daughter. Of course, the daughter is married off, and the son has only had one son so far. It is indeed quite spacious, but so what?
She knew she wouldn't let anyone else stay there, so she gave an awkward laugh: "Our place is full! There's no room for anyone else!"
After saying that, she didn't dare to say anything more, and nodded haphazardly: "I'll leave once things are settled!"
After saying that, she left in a flash. Seeing that the director was gone, Xiao Yan put the matter aside.
In places like this, you have to be assertive, or you won't even get a scrap!
Seeing that Xiao Yan had finished dealing with the matter, the old woman who had just gone out to call someone immediately came running up on her bound feet: "Two eggs, give them to me now!"
Xiao Yan looked at Yao Yanxin, who immediately went inside and took out two eggs. Before Yao Yanxin could hand them over, the old woman snatched the eggs and left happily!
As he walked, he boasted, "There really are two eggs! That's great!" He was practically drooling as he spoke!
Back in the courtyard, Yao Yanxin poured Xiao Yan a glass of water: "It really is true that there's conflict everywhere you go!"
Xiao Yan was also thirsty and drank the water in one gulp: "Where there are people, there is conflict. So you, put away your weak nature. What will you do if we are not by your side in the future?"
"I... I don't know how to do it either. My dad always used to protect me!" Yao Yanxin broke down in tears as she said this. She also wanted to grow bigger and stronger.
But she just can't do it, what can be done?
Seeing Yao Yanxin burst into tears, Xiao Yan felt a pang of sympathy. They had known each other for many years, and she knew her friend's personality well.
But Granny Huang is right; I can't really help her forever.
"Alright, alright, stop crying. At worst, Tongtong can take Geng'er with her to protect you for the rest of your life. I'll protect myself!"
"Really? We can still do it the same way as before!" Yao Yanxin smiled through her tears.
Seeing her friend both crying and laughing, Xiao Yan felt helpless: "You, you should marry someone who can always be by your side. With your personality, how could you marry a soldier?"
"With a mother-in-law like that, it would be strange to be happy! Oh well, I'm not one to laugh at someone else's misfortune; my own life is a mess too!"
The matter of the courtyard is now in the past. Xiao Yan and Yao Yanxin spent a day tidying up and organizing everything.
The beds were all there from the beginning. They cleaned them all, took out the ones that could be aired out, and then laid out the quilts, and it was ready to move in.
It seemed that Xiao Gengwu and Yao Tongxu had discussed it beforehand and decided to continue living in the original house. Xiao Gengwu even took Yao Tongjia's bed that was previously occupied.
That leaves one room in the house, which we can tidy up and use as a medicine-making room.
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