Chapter 58: Factory Doctor Liu the Sly

"Director Wang, what brings you by today?"

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, Yan Fugui was still watering his flowers by the entrance. Normally, no one would return at this hour, but when he looked up, he saw Director Wang from the neighborhood committee accompanied by an unfamiliar young man.

"This is Comrade Liu Yishou. He is the new factory doctor at the Red Star Rolling Mill, and he has been assigned to those rooms belonging to the deaf old lady."

Director Wang seemed rather pressed for time. After a brief explanation, she led Liu Yishou straight into the courtyard compound.

Preoccupied and hurried, Director Wang failed to notice that Yan Fugui's expression darkened the moment she announced that the deaf old lady's rooms had been assigned to Liu Yishou.

Yan Fugui had long set his sights on the deaf old lady's quarters, having submitted multiple applications to the neighborhood committee, all of which had met with dead silence.

As far as he knew, he wasn't the only one; the Jia family in the middle courtyard and the Liu family in the rear courtyard had also been eyeing the old lady's rooms.

*"Hmph, the deaf old lady's place isn't so easily acquired!"*

Yan Fugui thought to himself, watching Liu Yishou's retreating back with a sneer of ridicule.

"Dear, go tell the Jia and Liu families about this."

Summoning the Second Matchmaker, Yan Fugui gave her a few brief instructions before following Director Wang, a playful and gloating smile spreading across his face.

"Mother Jia, you probably don't know yet, but the deaf old lady's rooms have been assigned to someone else!"

The Second Matchmaker sneaked over to the Jia family's residence and whispered to Mrs. Jia.

Upon hearing that the rooms had been given away, Mrs. Jia leaped straight to her feet and cried out in shock, "What? The deaf old lady's place has been assigned? Did they give it to your family or the Liu family?"

The Second Matchmaker furtively glanced back to make sure Director Wang hadn't heard before whispering, "It's not anyone from our compound. It's a newly arrived doctor from the rolling mill."

Mrs. Jia could no longer sit still. Leaving the Second Matchmaker behind, she bolted straight for the rear courtyard.

The Second Matchmaker chuckled to herself, then tiptoed toward the Liu family's house. However, upon reaching their front gate, she saw that the Second Madam was already outside talking with Director Wang, so she panicked and scurried back to her own home.

Watching Mrs. Jia lumber toward the rear courtyard like an oversized, puffing pig, Yan Fugui felt a surge of secret triumph.

*"Heh, you want the deaf old lady's rooms? In your dreams."*

"You have no right to touch my house! That belongs to the Jia family! I've already applied for it with the neighborhood committee, so you keep your hands off!"

As soon as she reached the rear courtyard, Mrs. Jia started screaming at the top of her lungs. Because she was so obsessed with the property, she hadn't even looked closely enough to see that Director Wang was the one leading Liu Yishou here.

Hearing Mrs. Jia's booming voice, Qin Min, who was inside taking care of the children, stepped out holding a baby. Her eyes didn't linger on the housing issue; instead, they landed squarely on the newcomer, Liu Yishou.

With just a single glance, Qin Min fell head over heels in love with him.

"Oh my god, is there really such a handsome guy?"

Qin Min broke into a lecherous grin, saliva pooling at the corners of her mouth.

Sensing Qin Min's greedy and predatory gaze, Liu Yishou turned his head and met her eyes. Seeing an absolute stunner, he flashed her a faint, charming smile.

Under the assault of Liu Yishou's smile, Qin Min's heart raced, sending a sudden, intense wave of desire through her body. Realizing her undergarments were already damp, she panicked and scurried back indoors to change, desperate to keep anyone from noticing.

*"To think a courtyard like this has such a gorgeous beauty. Not bad, not bad at all."*

Liu Yishou licked the corner of his lips, a slight, confident curve playing at his mouth.

"Thank you, Director Wang. I can handle things from here on out."

"Director Wang?"

Catching sight of Director Wang as she approached, Mrs. Jia was so startled that she instantly clamped her mouth shut, terrified that Director Wang would make trouble for her because of her earlier outburst.

Glancing at Mrs. Jia, who now looked as docile as a well-behaved child, Director Wang issued a sharp warning: "Mrs. Jia, if you dare pull any of your usual stunts, I'll have you driven right back to the countryside."

Mrs. Jia forced a hasty, ingratiating smile. "Director Wang, rest assured! I'm a thoroughly good person—how could I possibly make trouble?"

Inwardly, however, Mrs. Jia was swearing a blue streak. With the deaf old lady's rooms given away, she hated Director Wang with a venomous passion.

*"Damn you, Wang Shufen! Why won't you just drop dead, giving away my house like that!"*

Director Wang coldly glanced at Mrs. Jia, who was clearly slandering her in her heart; she knew full well what the woman was thinking. But she had no desire to bicker with such a shrew, especially since she knew Mrs. Jia enjoyed the backing of Yi Zhonghai.

After all, Yi Zhonghai managed Compound Number Ninety-Five reasonably well, and she was willing to overlook a few minor flaws.

"Mrs. Jia, you'd better behave yourself."

Director Wang nodded with a smile toward Liu Yishou and then turned to walk back to the neighborhood committee office.

The moment Director Wang left, Mrs. Jia narrowed her triangular eyes and glared coldly at Liu Yishou.

"Listen here, kid, I advise you to hand over two of those rooms right now, or you're going to regret it."

Hearing the threat, Liu Yishou merely offered a faint, unbothered smile. "You want my rooms?"

"What do you mean, *your* rooms? That's the Jia family's property!"

Mistaking Liu Yishou's smile for fear, Mrs. Jia puffed up her chest and spoke with even greater arrogance.

Hearing her carrying on yet again, Qin Huairu and the other three women wanted to come out and watch the commotion. However, Chen Xueru, worried about the safety of Qin Huairu and Lou Xiaoe's unborn babies, decided to go out and scout the situation first.

The moment she stepped outside, she caught Liu Yishou's attention.

*"Heh, this compound really is something else. To think there are so many beauties here."*

As Chen Xueru looked his way, Liu Yishou returned her gaze with a gentle, disarming smile. In his mind, a single smile was more than enough to captivate Chen Xueru.

Little did he know that Chen Xueru felt nothing but utter disgust upon seeing that expression.

*"This man is no good at all!"*

Having instantly categorized Liu Yishou as bad news, Chen Xueru turned on her heel, hurried back inside, and reported her findings to Qin Huairu and the other two women.

"The deaf old lady's rooms have been given away to some stinking hooligan."

Chen Xueru bluntly shared her impressions with the three women, immediately extinguishing any desire they might have had to step outside. In times like these, the world outside was chaotic, and scoundrels would stop at nothing when it came to beauties like them.

Seeing that Chen Xueru remained completely impervious to his charm, Liu Yishou froze.

*"How is this possible? Has my charm really dropped that much?"*

Ignoring Mrs. Jia entirely, Liu Yishou pulled a small pocket mirror out of his jacket to check his reflection. Satisfied that his flawless features were still entirely intact, he let out a breath of relief.

Seeing herself so brazenly ignored by the young man, Mrs. Jia was pushed to the verge of apoplexy.

"You little bastard, how dare you ignore me! Let's see how I deal with you!"

With that, Mrs. Jia lowered her head and unleashed her signature move: the wild boar charge.

Facing her onslaught, Liu Yishou merely maintained a faint smile, acting as if Mrs. Jia didn't even exist.

Watching Mrs. Jia hurl herself at Liu Yishou, Yan Fugui felt a thrill of intense excitement.

*"Go on! Crash into him! Smash him!"*

As for the Second Madam, she had retreated indoors the moment Director Wang departed. With the head of her household still away at work, she had no intention of recklessly provoking enemies without his orders.