Chapter 69 Contention

He Yushui's enthusiasm was instantly extinguished, leaving her looking like a frost-bitten eggplant, completely wilted.

She had been full of anticipation, hoping her older brother would discuss this exciting new gossip with her, only to receive such a cold response. Needless to say, she felt immensely let down.

The siblings stood in the bustling and noisy courtyard amidst a sea of people coming and going, gathering in small groups and chatting animatedly.

Yet the two of them seemed separated by an invisible barrier, standing in silence and looking particularly out of place.

Even though He Zhijun—He Zhuhui—did not want to meddle in these affairs, the rising and falling discussions in the courtyard still relentlessly drilled into his ears.

"Hey, have you all heard? Our courtyard is probably going to experience a major shake-up! Word is that the Second Master is running for First Master, and looks like the seat is about to change hands!" a young fellow shouted at the top of his lungs, his face written all over with the excitement of someone eager to watch a good show.

"You can say that again!" a middle-aged woman chimed in, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. "The Second Master even gave our family fifty cents. How much did your household get?"

"What? Fifty cents?" Another woman raised her voice immediately upon hearing this, her face filled with dissatisfaction. "He really knows how to play favorites! He didn't give our place a single penny, just brushed us off with a handful of melon seeds and peanuts. Isn't that looking down on people too much?"

"Oh, come off it! Free money is free money, so don't be so picky," an elderly man tried to smooth things over from the side, saying leisurely, "Something is always better than nothing."

"That won't do!" The complaining woman immediately retorted, stiffening her neck and saying angrily, "It's not about him giving too little, it's the sheer annoyance of Liu Haichang—Liu Haizhong's habit of looking at people through the lens of their status! Just for this stunt of his, I am firmly against him becoming the First Master!"

A hint of amused interest surfaced on He Zhuhui's face as he muttered inwardly that Liu Haizhong was truly reaping what he sowed.

In this world, it would probably be hard to find anyone more eager to invite trouble upon himself than him.

To win support among the masses, paying a certain price was indeed a good tactic.

Yet, deep down, Liu Haizhong was still far too stingy and reluctant to part with his money. Treating different people with such stark contrasts, how could he avoid drawing a mountain of complaints?

That being said, Liu Haizhong had actually made a ruthless effort to win him over.

The man had actually been willing to gift him a tin of Longjing tea, which was considered quite a rare luxury item back then.

Although He Zhuhui hadn't uttered a word about it outwardly, he hadn't made much of a fuss about it in his heart either.

Lost in these rambling thoughts, he paid no attention to the commotion around him.

It was only when the familiar figure of the First Master directly entered his line of sight that He Zhuhui was abruptly jolted back to reality.

Shortly after, the Second and Third Masters made their appearances one after another.

To everyone's surprise, the First Master did not take his usual place right in the middle.

That seat, which had always symbolized supreme authority, had already been swiftly and preemptively seized by the Second Master.

In a split second, everyone realized that the undercurrent-laden battle for the position of First Master had officially begun.

Naturally, this unusual seating arrangement of the three men was taken in by everyone in the courtyard.

The residents of the quadrangle instantly erupted in a flurry of whispers and hushed discussions, gathering closely together.

"Look at that, Liu Haizhong really couldn't hold his horses. The moment he arrived, he just brazenly planted himself in the First Master's seat."

"Yi Zhonghai's temper is truly remarkable. Anyone else would have blown their top by now, but not him—he just sat quietly off to the side without a word."

"To my mind, Yi Zhonghai probably doesn't care much about this title of First Master anymore. If he really cared, there's no way he could remain so nonchalant."

"I still think Yi Zhonghai is the most suitable person to be First Master. For all these years, the way he handles matters has been fair and convincing to everyone."

Just as the crowd was chattering back and forth, Liu Haizhong gave the table a heavy knock—*thump, thump, thump*—his expression looking quite grave.

He knew very well that successfully winning the election for First Master depended heavily on the support of the neighborhood, so the moment he opened his mouth, his tone was exceptionally warm and cordial, attempting to narrow the distance between himself and the crowd.

"Dear neighbors and residents, dragging you all out for this whole-court meeting in such cold weather must have been tough on everyone. Thank you for your hard work.

Let's not waste any time and keep it short.

I am originally the Second Master of our courtyard, but with my heart set on better serving everyone, I plan to run for the position of First Master. I hope you will all give me your full support."

As soon as Liu Haizhong spoke those words, an air of pompous officialdom permeated the atmosphere.

Yet, being a crude and rugged fellow by nature, this bookish and pretentious way of speaking looked thoroughly awkward no matter how one sliced it, and felt thoroughly unnatural to listen to.

Hearing this, He Zhuhui felt goosebumps break out all over his skin, muttering to himself that despite attending so many courtyard meetings, he still could not adapt to this kind of empty, hypocritical, and insincere speaking style.

Fortunately, Liu Haizhong was also impatient by nature and spared them any further nonsense, clearly outlining the purpose of the meeting in just a few words, thus sparing He Zhuhui's ears any further torture.

The moment the Second Master's voice trailed off, the crowd erupted into a lively commotion, resembling a boiling pot of oil.

One had to admit that having served as First Master for so many years, Yi Zhonghai held immense prestige and enjoyed exceptional popularity within the courtyard.

Many people stepped forward, earnestly defending him with heartfelt words.

"Liu Haizhong, you should weigh yourself first. You don't even know enough characters to fill a basket, yet with qualifications like yours, you want to be First Master? Keep dreaming!"

"Old Yi has been the First Master of our courtyard for so many years. When has he ever handled matters without putting others first and himself last?

Liu Haizhong, put your hand on your heart and ask yourself, can you ever do that?"

"In this courtyard, I only recognize Yi Zhonghai as the First Master. Anyone else trying to sit in that chair will have to get past me first—I'll be the first to disagree!"

Many of those speaking up for Yi Zhonghai were even older than Liu Haizhong.

Even if Liu Haizhong felt resentful inside, he could hardly talk back directly to these elders.

With a twitch of his eyes, he quickly pushed Yan Fugui to the forefront.

"Old Yan, you are also a member of the courtyard's leadership team. When it comes to choosing who should be First Master, your voice carries more weight than an ordinary neighbor's. Why don't you say a few words and analyze the situation for everyone?"

Hearing his name called by Liu Haizhong, Yan Fugui groaned inwardly, knowing that what was bound to happen couldn't be avoided! Having previously accepted three yuan from Liu Haizhong—bound by the old saying that eating someone's food makes your mouth soft, and taking someone's gift makes your hand short—he had no choice now but to go against his conscience and utter some insincere remarks.

"Who should be the First Master is a major matter concerning our entire quadrangle.

As a member of this courtyard and bearing the title of Third Master, it is indeed my duty to step up and say a few words.

Old Yi has served as First Master for so many years and has truly worried a great deal for everyone, accomplishing many practical deeds. He deserves both credit and hard-earned praise..."

"Ahem, ahem, ahem..." Liu Haizhong's consecutive coughs abruptly cut off Yan Fugui's words.