My happy life in a courtyard house with triplets.

Chapter 81: Explaining the Power of the Steward

Jia Zhangshi glared at Zhang Lei and said angrily, "Zhang Lei, you're too arrogant! Do you think we really wouldn't dare to call the police?"

Zhang Lei laughed upon hearing this, his tone slightly mocking: "Alright, Jia Zhangshi, hurry up and report it! If you really do report it, I'll give you a dollar, how about that?"

Zhang Lei's move left Jia Zhangshi completely stunned.

At this moment, Jia Dongxu could no longer wait. He suddenly pushed his way out of the crowd and shouted urgently, "Don't call the police!"

Madam Jia turned to look at Jia Dongxu and, seeing his unusual behavior, quickly reassured him, "Dongxu, don't be afraid of him. With me here, he won't dare to do anything to you."

She paused, then added through gritted teeth, "Zhang Lei said that on purpose, he thinks we're afraid to call the police! I'm going to call the police right now!"

At this moment, Jia Dongxu was terrified. He wasn't afraid of Zhang Lei, but rather of the police.

After all, it was his idea to go to the casino from beginning to end; he was the one who actively encouraged us to go there. If this really escalated to the point of involving the police, he would definitely be the first one arrested.

He hurriedly grabbed Jia Zhangshi, his voice trembling slightly: "Mom, we can't call the police! There are rules in the compound, and matters within the compound must be resolved within the compound. He's telling you to call the police; he's deliberately trying to make you break the rules!"

Jia Zhangshi quickly understood Jia Dongxu's meaning and immediately felt confident.

She pointed at Zhang Lei and said in a loud voice, "Zhang Lei, your little scheme has been completely exposed by my son! You thought you could trick me into calling the police to break the rules of the compound? No way! If you want to resolve this, we'll have a general meeting and let the three managers judge this and deal with you properly!"

Upon hearing Jia Zhangshi's words, Zhang Lei quickly intervened, saying, "That won't do. The three stewards have absolutely no right to resolve this matter."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi flew into a rage, pointing her finger at Zhang Lei and yelling, "Zhang Lei, how dare you say that the three stewards have no right to interfere in this matter! I think you're just deliberately trying to cause trouble!"

She stiffened her neck and raised her voice even higher: "You just wait, once the three stewards are all here, let's see how arrogant you can still be! We'll make sure they kick your whole family out of the courtyard!"

Zhang Lei looked at the furious Jia Zhangshi, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Oh, Jia Zhangshi, I really didn't expect that the three stewards hold such weight in your heart. So, according to you, the power of these three stewards is greater than the law?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Fugui's expression immediately changed, and he quickly interjected to stop him: "Zhang Lei, don't talk nonsense! Since when has the power of a manager been greater than the law?"

Zhang Lei stroked his chin, looking at Jia Zhangshi with a half-smile: "Oh? No? Well, that's what I heard Jia Zhangshi say. She said the steward has the right to manage gambling, and that he has the right to kick our whole family out. Besides, our house is private property, doesn't she know that...?"

Yan Fugui's heart tightened, and he quickly and cautiously asked, "What doesn't he know?"

Zhang Lei grinned, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced Jia Dongxu and Yan Jiecheng, before turning to Yan Fugui and slowly saying, "Third Uncle, doesn't Jia Zhangshi know that gambling is illegal? Doesn't she know that kicking someone out of their private residence without cause is also illegal? Since you three stewards say you have the right to handle these two matters, doesn't that mean your power is greater than the law?"

At this moment, Yan Fugui's forehead was covered in sweat. He quickly waved his hands and denied it, saying, "Zhang Lei, I didn't say anything. It was all said by Jia Zhangshi herself!"

As Zhang Lei spoke, he turned to look at Jia Zhangshi, his tone tinged with reproach: "Jia Zhangshi, you see, even the Third Uncle doesn't admit to being able to handle this matter. It seems you're just making things up and guessing wildly, without any basis whatsoever. It seems that finding the three stewards to manage this matter is simply not going to work."

Zhang Lei paused, then looked at Jia Zhangshi, his words carrying a hint of schadenfreude: "I think you should go and call the police. The police are cracking down on gambling right now, so see if they can put me in jail for a year or two and teach me a lesson."

Jia Zhangshi glanced at Zhang Lei, then turned to Yan Fugui, and shouted defiantly, "No, impossible! Matters in the courtyard have always been resolved by the courtyard itself. Over the years, what matter in the courtyard hasn't been decided by the three stewards?"

Upon hearing Jia Zhangshi's words, Zhang Lei glanced at Yan Fugui, whose forehead was covered in sweat, and a smile appeared on his lips.

He spoke slowly, "It seems our three stewards wield quite a bit of power, managing everything in the courtyard. But I clearly heard that their authority is limited to relaying policy notices from higher authorities and mediating minor disputes between neighbors. I never imagined they also have the power to set up their own courts."

Zhang Lei continued, his tone full of mockery, "Looks like I'll have to ask the neighborhood committee or the police station sometime to see when the old man in charge of our compound suddenly gained this kind of power. I also need to give the police officers a good 'criticism.' If the old man in charge can handle these things, what's the point of having these police officers?"

Hearing Zhang Lei's audacious words, Yan Fugui's legs trembled so badly he almost couldn't stand. He hurriedly waved his hands and retorted, "Zhang Lei, we...we don't have a private court, and we don't do any of what you're saying! We just resolve minor neighborhood disputes and convey the street office's policies. Don't listen to Jia Zhangshi's nonsense!"

At this moment, Yan Fugui had already cursed Jia Zhangshi eight hundred times in his heart. He had only one thought in his mind: to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible and go to Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong to discuss countermeasures.

The neighbors who had gathered to watch were also in an uproar, with discussions rising and falling.

Someone looked on in astonishment and exclaimed, "What? The magistrate is just someone who mediates neighborhood disputes and conveys policies?"

Someone nearby immediately chimed in, their tone full of disbelief: "How could that be? Didn't the three stewards handle the housing allocation and donations for the courtyard before? How come they're saying they only care about such trivial matters now?"

Others chimed in loudly, "That's not donating money to allocate housing! It's clearly all forced! Like Zhang Lei's previous house, it was allocated to them for no reason, without any approval from the neighborhood committee!"

Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Zhang Lei's smile deepened. He turned to Jia Zhangshi, whose face alternated between pale and flushed, and slowly asked, "Jia Zhangshi, did you hear that?"