Chapter 36: Striking First to Gain the Advantage

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Clang! Clang! Clang!

The battered gong shattered the tranquil evening of the courtyard compound like a massive iron hammer.

From outside came the voice of First Auntie: “Attention, everyone! Once you’ve finished dinner, come to the central courtyard for a neighborhood meeting.”

A meeting?

Nothing major seemed to have happened in the compound today.

Li Aiguo furrowed his brows, his expression wary.

His eyes involuntarily fell upon the sack of enriched flour.

He had never been reluctant to assume the worst of the beasts living in this courtyard.

Just then, Xu Damao called from outside, “Aiguo, the meeting’s starting.”

“Coming.”

Li Aiguo picked up his stool and walked out.

It was the golden hour of a summer evening.

The clouds on the horizon blazed beautifully, casting a ruddy glow over everyone’s faces.

A gentle breeze carried a hint of coolness through the air, bringing a pleasant comfort.

By the time he reached the central courtyard, a dense crowd had already gathered beneath the old camphor tree.

A square table stood in the middle of the crowd, while the three neighborhood administrators sat upright on a long bench behind it.

Their expressions were solemn and imposing, bearing more than a passing resemblance to the patriarchs of a feudal household.

Granny Jia, Jia Dongxu, and Qin Huairu, who was holding Banggeng, sat in the very front.

Apparently sensing Li Aiguo’s gaze, Granny Jia turned her head. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and a strange smile appeared on her face.

That smile reminded Li Aiguo of a hunter who had laid a trap and was waiting for his prey to fall into it.

The meeting was presided over by First Master Yi Zhonghai.

However, Second Master Liu, an ambitious official-seeker, spoke first. After rambling on for two minutes, he finally invited First Master Yi to conduct the meeting.

First Master Yi rose to his feet, his expression grave, and began to speak.

“Everyone, quiet down. Today, we’re mainly going to discuss the enriched flour.”

The disorderly scene instantly fell silent, while the members of the Jia family nodded repeatedly.

Xu Damao lowered his voice and said to Li Aiguo, “Aiguo, I don’t think Yi Zhonghai has good intentions. He saw that you managed to get enriched flour and now wants to scheme against you.”

Li Aiguo smiled. “We’ll deal with whatever tricks he comes up with.”

Before Yi Zhonghai could continue, he rose to his feet and said, “First Master, before we discuss the enriched flour, I think we should first solve the food shortage facing the several needy households in our compound.”

Li Aiguo’s words won the unanimous approval of the crowd.

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In this era of food shortages, having enough to eat was more important than eating well.

Xu Damao’s eyes shifted, and he stood up in agreement. “First Master, some families have already run out of food. Isn’t it a little heartless to discuss enriched flour at a time like this?”

Yi Zhonghai had not expected Li Aiguo to strike first. He could only swallow the words that had reached his lips and say through clenched teeth, “Comrade Li Aiguo’s suggestion is quite reasonable. Several households in our compound are indeed short of food.

“Therefore, in the spirit of unity, friendship, mutual assistance, and cooperation, families living comfortably should help those facing hardship.”

His eyes fixed directly on Li Aiguo. “Today, I heard that Comrade Li Aiguo…”

Before Yi Zhonghai could finish, Li Aiguo stood up again.

“First Master, my family was indeed short of food some time ago, and I’d like to thank you for your kind concern. However, I’ve now qualified as a train driver and received a reward from the locomotive depot, so we can still manage.

“If you intend to give us grain, I’ll demonstrate the proper spirit and let the opportunity go to a family in greater need.”

That crafty brat—he was always stealing the initiative.

Yi Zhonghai’s face flushed with frustration. He drew a deep breath and hurriedly waved his hands. “No, Comrade Li Aiguo, you’ve misunderstood me…”

Li Aiguo interrupted him again. “You’re a seventh-level fitter earning seventy-five yuan a month, and there are only two people in your household. Even if you ate meat every day, you couldn’t spend all that money. Yours is the best-off family in the compound.

“I originally thought that, as First Master, you possessed noble character and exemplary virtue, and that you had called this meeting today to take the initiative in helping the poor households.

“Now it seems I overestimated your moral standards.”

Xu Damao almost jumped to his feet and applauded.

So this was what it meant to strike first and gain the advantage. Li Aiguo had demonstrated it perfectly.

Yi Zhonghai’s face turned completely dark.

He could see that Li Aiguo was deliberately being obstinate.

But everything Li Aiguo had said was true, leaving him no way to refute it.

What an infuriating predicament.

Yi Zhonghai could only give Granny Jia a subtle signal.

Since reason could not defeat Li Aiguo, they would have to resort to shamelessness.

Granny Jia leaped to her feet. “Li Aiguo, today’s meeting is to discuss your enriched flour. Stop dragging in unrelated matters.

“You got several dozen pounds of enriched flour all for yourself and didn’t even offer to help your neighbors. What a heartless wretch!

“Besides, we aren’t asking for your flour for free. According to the grain station’s rules, two pounds of cornmeal can be exchanged for one pound of enriched flour.”

Some people in the courtyard voiced their agreement.

“That’s right. One man can’t possibly eat several dozen pounds of enriched flour by himself.”

Seeing that Granny Jia had gained the upper hand, Yi Zhonghai felt rather pleased.

Indeed, when dealing with a clever person, it was best to send someone unreasonable like Granny Jia into battle.

Who could have expected Xu Damao to object?

He had just spent ten pounds of cornmeal to exchange for enriched flour.

If Li Aiguo now exchanged it with others at the rate of two pounds of cornmeal per pound of flour, what would that make Xu Damao?

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A complete sucker?

Xu Damao was a famous clever man throughout Forty-Nine City. He had always been the one to take advantage, never the one to suffer a loss.

Xu Damao looked at Granny Jia and sneered. “Old woman from the Jia family, you really know how to indulge in a daydream. Two pounds of cornmeal for one pound of enriched flour? Fine. I’ll give you two pounds of cornmeal right now, and you give me one pound of enriched flour! If you can’t make the exchange, then stop spouting nonsense.”

Granny Jia had not expected Xu Damao to speak up for Li Aiguo. She stood, planted her hands on her hips, and cursed, “You bastard, Xu Damao! What business is it of yours if I’m exchanging grain with Li Aiguo? You never mean well. Be careful that you end up unable to father children. You look destined to die without an heir!”

Her words were not entirely baseless.

Xu Damao had grown up alongside He Yuzhu, known by his nickname Foolish Pillar. Whenever Foolish Pillar bullied him, he especially enjoyed kicking Xu Damao between the legs.

Even something made of iron could not withstand years of such treatment.

It had surely been ruined long ago.

Xu Damao was not yet married and had no idea of the misery awaiting him in the future. For now, he only felt that Granny Jia’s words were vile.

“Old woman from the Jia family, no wonder Old Jia died because of you, with a mouth as vicious as that.”

His words struck Granny Jia where it hurt.

She rolled up her sleeves, extended her notorious Nine Yin White Bone Claw, and charged forward with a savage lunge, intent on clawing Xu Damao’s face.

Xu Damao hurriedly hid behind Li Aiguo.

His cowardly appearance provoked a burst of laughter.

Yi Zhonghai was very satisfied with Granny Jia’s performance. He reached out to restrain her, then looked at Li Aiguo.

“Aiguo, it isn’t that I insist on taking your enriched flour. It’s just that Old Deaf Granny hasn’t been well lately and needs additional nourishment.”

“I need additional nourishment too,” Granny Jia said unwillingly.

The moment she said this, the residents burst into laughter.

Granny Jia and Liu Haizhong were known together as the courtyard compound’s two fattest residents.

In this era of material scarcity, Granny Jia weighed a full one hundred and fifty pounds. It could only be described as a miracle.

And now she was claiming that she needed more nourishment.

Who would believe that?

What a useless ally… Yi Zhonghai cursed inwardly. Then he looked up at Li Aiguo.

“Aiguo, no matter what, we all live in the same compound. Old Deaf Granny is the revered elder of the neighborhood and a household protected under the state’s five guarantees. You can’t simply stand by and watch her become bedridden from illness.”

Madam Liu, who had remained silent until then, stepped forward.

“First Master, we can all see your filial concern for the old lady. But you can’t be generous with someone else’s resources and force Li Aiguo to suffer a loss.”

Zhang Gangzhu and his wife, Wang Gangtie, rose to their feet.

“That’s right. Aiguo has had a hard life and has only just begun to get by. The moment he has a little extra, you come to fleece him. Is that any way for a First Master to behave?”

Both of them were enormous. Standing there, they resembled two black iron towers, their imposing presence intimidating everyone around them.

Yi Zhonghai found himself missing Foolish Pillar.

Watching this unfold, Xu Damao narrowed his eyes slightly.

That Li Aiguo fellow had quietly won over so many people.

It seemed that from now on, whenever he went to the countryside and obtained mountain delicacies, he would have to share a little with the neighbors.

Then, if Foolish Pillar bullied him again, there would be people willing to stand up for him.

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