The farce came to an end.
The courtyard returned to peace, and every household slowly drifted off to sleep.
But one person tossed and turned, unable to sleep at all.
At that moment, Second Elder Liu Haizhong's mind
kept replaying the scenes of Lin Zhen subduing Silly Zhu and driving away the Deaf Old Lady.
The two most troublesome people in the courtyard had been dealt with by Lin Zhen as easily as that.
Who in this courtyard would dare contend with Lin Zhen from now on?
If he recommended himself as Second Elder at the next courtyard meeting, would Liu Haizhong have to step down?
Even if Lin Zhen did not become one of the courtyard's managers, as long as he was around, Liu Haizhong would have no say.
Even Old Yi and Old Yan would be unable to keep him in check.
This Lin Zhen was even harder to restrain than Silly Zhu.
Wouldn't his title as Second Elder be nothing but an empty name?
Next year, when Lou Xiao'e went to work at the subdistrict office, Lin Zhen would surely prepare to become workshop director.
By then, whether at the factory or in the courtyard, Liu Haizhong would be completely suppressed.
Old Yi alone had already crushed his authority in the courtyard.
If he were suppressed by a young man too, he would truly have no face left to remain Second Elder.
No.
He had to find a way to dig up some dirt on him.
Lin Zhen might be somewhat arrogant in how he handled things, but there were no real flaws to pick at.
In terms of personal conduct, he was practically untouchable.
The only issue he could seize on was the background of Lin Zhen's wife, Lou Xiao'e.
Though her parents and sister had all gone abroad and cut ties with her,
who was to say that wasn't merely for show?
Could they really abandon their most beloved youngest daughter just like that?
They must still be in contact. Maybe they had even left Lou Xiao'e gold and silver.
As long as he found evidence of that, Lou Xiao'e's job at the subdistrict office would fall through.
Lin Zhen would be disciplined because of his wife and would never become workshop director.
Their family of six would have to live in the courtyard as if walking on thin ice. Dream on if they thought they could suppress Second Elder Liu Haizhong again!
Right!
That was exactly what he would do!
It would be hard to search for evidence during the day, so he would go looking in the middle of the night!
The Lou family might be gone, but they had surely left something behind. As long as he found proof against them, this would be settled!
When a person lay awake focusing on only one thing, it was easy to get stuck in a mental rut.
Liu Haizhong had gotten stuck in one.
He was terrified that Lin Zhen would suppress him both in the courtyard and at the factory.
He immediately threw on some clothes, grabbed a flashlight, and headed out.
Without considering how many years ago the Lou family had moved away, or that their warehouse and house had long since been confiscated.
What evidence could he possibly find?
But those who plotted behind others' backs were the most likely to be blinded by obsession.
Taking advantage of the dark and deserted night, he pushed his bicycle outside.
When he reached the middle courtyard, afraid Lin Zhen might hear him, he lifted the bicycle and slowly carried it out.
Lin Zhen's martial arts had already reached the realm of perfect unity between man and nature.
Even if he was truly asleep, he remained one hundred percent alert to anything unusual outside.
If an ordinary person passed through the front courtyard on the way to the public toilet in the middle of the night, it definitely would not wake him.
But Liu Haizhong's movements instantly pulled Lin Zhen from his sleep.
Lin Zhen frowned.
Heavy footsteps, moving slowly.
Is it Jia Zhangshi or Liu Haizhong?
Why are they walking so slowly? Sleepwalking?
Lin Zhen sat up, ran to the window, and lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside.
It was actually Liu Haizhong, carrying a bicycle and sneaking out on tiptoe.
"Damn, it's already the middle of the night... Is he going out to steal something?"
Lin Zhen grinned. He had not wanted to meddle.
But he found it amusing, so he gently shook his wife, Lou Xiao'e, awake.
"Honey, there's a show to watch."
Still half-asleep, Lou Xiao'e gave a coquettish laugh. "Why are you suddenly in the mood in the middle of the night?"
"Hehe, your mind went somewhere else. Liu Haizhong just carried his bicycle out like a thief in the middle of the night."
Disappointed, Lou Xiao'e said, "That? What's so interesting about that?"
She turned over to continue sleeping, then suddenly remembered what had happened that morning.
"Hey? Zhen, there's something I forgot to tell you. I don't know whether it has anything to do with Second Elder going out in the middle of the night."
"What is it?"
"This morning, Aunt Liu came to tell me about the job at the subdistrict office. Second Aunt happened to overhear it and gave me a suspicious look. I didn't say anything to her, but am I being too paranoid for suspecting Second Elder because of that?"
The moment Lin Zhen heard this, he understood eighty percent of it.
"My dear wife, there aren't any good people in this courtyard. You should be suspicious of them. Liu Haizhong is probably up to no good. I need to follow him and take a look."
"Ah? Would he really do something bad?"
"Hmph. When I taught Silly Zhu a lesson and forced the Deaf Old Lady away tonight, his expression kept changing at the side. That man is no good. Go back to sleep. I'll go take a look."
"Be careful on the way!"
"Don't worry. Mwah!"
Lin Zhen put on a light outfit, then added a hat and mask.
He quietly opened the door and ran out like a gust of wind.
Lou Xiao'e was astonished. Her husband did not make a sound at all as he ran through the night.
Wasn't that the kind of skill only wandering heroes had in the storytellers' tales?
My husband is a wandering hero?
Heavens! I'm so happy!
Lou Xiao'e soon fell asleep again with a lovestruck smile.
Lin Zhen had already followed him for half a li. He ran like a swallow skimming water and easily kept pace with Liu Haizhong's bicycle.
In this era, militia patrols were rare at night.
Thus, the streets were very quiet.
Lin Zhen only needed to listen to Liu Haizhong's bicycle to keep close behind him.
Yet Liu Haizhong had no idea he was being followed.
After taking several twists and turns, Liu Haizhong arrived at the Lou family's former residence.
It had already been converted into an office for some work unit.
Liu Haizhong slapped his forehead, only then realizing he had come to the wrong place.
After thinking carefully, he remembered that the Lou family's former servants were still in the city. He might as well go have a look there.
He would treat tonight as reconnaissance and investigate properly when he had the chance later.
If that did not work, he could search Lou Xiao'e directly for clues.
With that thought, Liu Haizhong immediately rode toward the home of the Lou family's former servants.
Tonight, he simply could not let go of this idea. He was determined to find some dirt on Lou Xiao'e.
From afar, Lin Zhen had already leaped into a tree and seen everything clearly.
Well, well, Liu Haizhong.
Who from the courtyard would come here for no reason?
He was obviously trying to dredge up his wife Lou Xiao'e's past.
Among the three Elders, Yi Zhonghai was a hypocrite and Yan Bugui was stingy, but if it came to true villains, Liu Haizhong ranked first.
Luckily, his wife had mentioned it tonight. Otherwise, he would not have known Liu Haizhong was plotting behind his back.
Seeing the direction Liu Haizhong was heading, Lin Zhen recognized the route to Lou Xiao'e's former servants' home.
That confirmed it. Liu Haizhong was trying to dig up old dirt.
Go ahead and dig!
Lin Zhen sprang down from the tree and snapped off a wooden stick from the greenery, intending to catch up and knock him out with one blow.
But on second thought, a single blow would end it too quickly. Better to make him suffer slowly for his sins.
In any case, his three sons were unfilial. His suffering was yet to come!
Since Liu Haizhong was plotting behind his back, Lin Zhen would return the favor and teach him a lesson from behind the scenes as well.
With that thought, Lin Zhen sped up, went around several intersections, and waited at the intersection ahead of Liu Haizhong.
A minute later, Liu Haizhong rode over on his bicycle, moving rather quickly.
Lin Zhen curled his lips into a smile, picked his moment, and hurled the stick with a whoosh.
Crack! The stick shot straight into the bicycle's front wheel.
Bang!
"Ah!"
The stick caught the bicycle and sent it crashing down. Liu Haizhong flew more than two meters and landed face-first.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhen had already left the scene in high spirits.
Whether Liu Haizhong lived or died now depended on his own luck.
Before you continue