My happy life in a courtyard house with triplets.

Chapter 52: Standoff

Soon, the two women, one older and the other younger, arrived at the entrance of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, panting heavily.

The two quickly found the gatekeeper, hurriedly gave his wife's name, and said they had something extremely urgent to discuss with them.

Before long, Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai arrived at the guardhouse.

The two women exchanged a glance, their faces full of confusion. They couldn't understand what could have made the two women rush to the factory at the same time.

The two older women, without even taking a breath, quickly embellished their story about how the demolition of the east courtyard had uncovered a secret room that might contain the prince's treasure.

After hearing this, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were filled with disbelief. They never expected that the East Wing, which no one had paid attention to before, actually held such a big secret.

After hearing this, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong went to ask their leader for leave without saying a word.

Seeing his master's anxious appearance, Jia Dongxu quickly stepped forward to stop him, repeatedly asking, "Master, what happened? Has something happened in our courtyard?"

Seeing Jia Dongxu's anxious expression, Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment and urged him, "Dongxu, you should hurry up and ask for leave like me! This matter can't be explained in a short time. You'll know what happened when we get back to the courtyard house."

Upon hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Jia Dongxu dared not delay and immediately went to ask for leave.

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu was overjoyed.

Because Jia Zhangshi spoke recklessly last night, Yi Zhonghai gave him a hard time today, assigning him all the heaviest and most tiring work in the car workshop.

Originally, Jia Dongxu cursed Yi Zhonghai a thousand times in his heart, but unexpectedly, Yi Zhonghai took the initiative to let him ask for leave. This was a good thing that he couldn't have asked for.

Yi Zhonghai had already planned ahead when he asked Jia Dongxu to take leave as well.

He figured that since this incident happened in Zhang Lei's east courtyard, there would definitely be a dispute and conflict when he got back.

When the time comes, let Jia Dongxu take the lead and act as his pawn, while I stay behind and strategize, offering a few pointers.

Soon, the group rushed back to the courtyard house, walking and running.

As soon as they arrived at the door, they saw that the Third Aunt had already brought the Third Uncle, Yan Fugui, over.

When the two groups met, they immediately exchanged awkward yet knowing smiles and headed together towards the east courtyard without saying a word.

At this moment, Zhang Lei had already asked Ye Shuqin to bring over a stool, and he sat on the stool, steadily blocking the entrance to the east courtyard.

His opponent was everyone in the courtyard who wasn't working, even the older children in the courtyard, who squeezed at the back of the crowd, peeking and joining in the fun.

Just then, someone glanced back and shouted, "The three stewards are here!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stepped back, making way for them.

Zhang Lei remained seated leisurely on the bench, pretending not to hear anything, not even lifting his eyelids.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Fugui walked quickly to the entrance of the east courtyard. Seeing Zhang Lei blocking the entrance, their faces darkened.

Liu Haizhong, an impatient man, immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Zhang Lei, what are you doing? Get out of the way!"

Zhang Lei looked up at Liu Haizhong and said slowly, "Hey, Second Uncle, what are you trying to do? Trespassing?"

Liu Haizhong was taken aback when Zhang Lei immediately slapped such a huge label on him, leaving him speechless.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai stepped forward, put on an impartial expression, looked at Zhang Lei, and slowly said, "Zhang Lei, everyone in the courtyard knows about this now. You can't handle it alone. Why don't you step aside first, and when the items are taken out, everyone will get a share. That would be better for everyone."

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi quickly pulled Jia Dongxu aside and whispered a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu's eyes lit up, and he quickly ran to Yi Zhonghai and whispered something to him.

Upon hearing Jia Dongxu's words, Yi Zhonghai's face lit up instantly. He then straightened his expression and said seriously, "Zhang Lei, this matter is currently only known to our institute and these workers. But if you're truly determined to monopolize it, don't blame me for being ruthless as the boss and calling the police!"

Upon hearing the words "call the police," Zhang Lei immediately chimed in, staring at Yi Zhonghai and saying, "Yi Zhonghai, have you forgotten the rules of our courtyard? Matters within the courtyard should be resolved within the courtyard. Why call the police? Aren't you just ruining the reputation of the courtyard house?"

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Fugui exchanged glances, all thinking that Zhang Lei was afraid, and a surge of smugness welled up in their hearts.

Yan Fugui immediately stepped forward, adopting a conciliatory stance, and said, "Zhang Lei, if you don't want us to call the police, then hurry up and clear the way. You'll definitely get a share of what's inside."

Yi Zhonghai quickly nodded in agreement: "Third Uncle is right. You are also a member of the courtyard house, and we will certainly not forget you."

At this moment, Zhang Lei deliberately frowned, pretending to think seriously, and said, "No way, this thing is in my east wing, so I should get the lion's share. I don't agree to this division!"

At this point, Jia Zhangshi, who was behind them, became unhappy and shouted in a shrill voice, "Zhang Lei, you little bastard, why do you get the lion's share? We should be grateful if you get even a small portion!"

Upon hearing Jia Zhangshi's words, Zhang Lei immediately turned and glared at her, his face turning pale with anger. He shouted angrily, "Jia Zhangshi, what a load of bull! This courtyard belongs to our family, and the secret room is also on our property. No matter what, this thing is mine!"

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai knew he couldn't continue arguing, so he steered the conversation back on track, saying in a deep voice, "Zhang Lei, taking the lion's share is definitely not acceptable. After all, so many people in the compound are watching. If you take it all, what will the others get?"

At this moment, Zhang Lei stroked his chin, as if he had suddenly thought of an idea, and slowly said, "It's fine if we don't divide it like this. I won't take more than my share. I'll take two portions, okay? After all, this yard is mine. If you're still not satisfied, then I might as well call the police. Nobody will get any benefit."

Yi Zhonghai and the others quickly calculated in their minds, feeling that Zhang Lei asking for two portions wasn't unreasonable. After all, there were many people in the courtyard, and the remaining portions were ultimately up to the three of them, the managers. The three exchanged glances and nodded in unison: "Alright, we'll do it your way."

Seeing this, Zhang Lei immediately put his foot on the stool next to him and threw out another condition: "Wait a minute, I have something else to say. The secret room is only so big, so not everyone can go in. We can only select a few representatives. And whoever wants to go in must pay first."

Upon hearing that money was required, Yan Fugui was the first to object. He was most afraid of losing money, and immediately frowned and asked, "Zhang Lei, what kind of money do you want?"

Zhang Lei grinned and said matter-of-factly, "This is different from usual. If you want to enter the secret room, you have to pay a toll. Those who pay can go down into the secret room to check it out first; those who don't want to pay can wait outside until someone brings the item up."