The Courtyard House: Xu Damao's Aunt is the Queen of Women

What?

The group of inmates paused for a few seconds, then subconsciously stopped, their eyes fixed on Sha Zhu.

The warden in the jeep behind shouted sternly, "Hurry up! If you dawdle again, you'll all be put in solitary confinement when we get back!"

The group of inmates shuddered and hurried forward, but their eyes remained fixed on Sha Zhu and Liu Hai's bewildered expression.

Yan Fugui hurriedly asked, "Shazhu, what do you mean by that?"

Sha Zhu said coldly, "You all know that Liu Hao's identity is not simple, right?"

The group of inmates nodded in unison.

They had long known that Liu Hao was not an orphan and that his biological parents were very likely high-ranking officials. Otherwise, how could Liu Hao and Ye Juan have risen from a lowly accountant and announcer to become the secretary and deputy secretary of the First Labor Reform Farm?

This is a full-fledged division-level cadre; for a deputy division-level cadre, this is a meteoric rise.

Lou Zhenhua was very shrewd; his mind raced, and he immediately thought of a possibility.

"Shazhu, you mean that Liu Haizhong hired someone to murder Liu Hao and Ye Juan, and Liu Hao's biological parents then targeted the courtyard house at number 95? Investigate all the residents and severely punish all those who break the law?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Fugui, Yan Jiecheng, Yang Ruihua, the deaf old woman, Liu Guangqi, Liu Guangtian, Liu Guangfu, Xu Fugui, Zheng Sulan, Banggeng, Qin Huairu, Jia Zhangshi, Qin Shouhua, Director Wang, Lou Tanshi, Lou Xiao'e, He Daqing, Yi Zhonghai... all stared wide-eyed as if struck by lightning, their eyes filled with shock, rage, fury, and resentment.

That's right! That's right! Everything matches!

No wonder the people in courtyard number 95 who break the law are arrested today, tried tomorrow, and all given heavy sentences. They are all sent to the Northwest to serve their sentences in less than seven days. This is clearly not in line with common sense.

Moreover, why were the police suddenly uncovering Qin Huairu and Qin Shouhua's sordid affairs, and Yan Fugui's pre-1949 crimes?

It turns out it was all that bastard Liu Haizhong's fault!

The cold wind of the Gobi Desert stung their cheeks, but the entire group of inmates were red-faced and panting heavily, their heads practically steaming with anger.

In an instant, all his anger poured out onto Liu Haizhong, and his curses instantly drowned out the sound of the wind.

Yan Fugui rushed forward first, but was pulled back by Yang Ruihua beside him, only then remembering that the guard was still behind them. He could only lower his voice and curse, "Liu Haizhong! You damned beast, what do you have to say now! Everything is clear, it's all your fault!"

Liu Haizhong was still in a daze, bewildered and terrified, his eyes darting around.

"Old Yan, what... what nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean I caused this? What does it have to do with me?"

"Is it okay?"

Xu Fugui sneered and stared intently at him.

Liu Haizhong didn't give Xu Fugui a chance to speak, and shouted with his neck stiff, "What does your arrest and sentencing have to do with me? Why should it be pinned on me? I don't accept it!"

Yang Ruihua shouted angrily, "Liu Haizhong, have you no shame?! If you hadn't hired someone to kill us, would the police have suddenly started investigating our No. 95 compound so thoroughly? Would they have dug up all our old and new grievances?"

Qin Huairu's tears streamed down her face. She was truly devastated. So I had suffered an undeserved calamity?

"Liu Haizhong, I have no grudge against you. You brought this on yourself, why drag us down with you? I've kept my secrets hidden for so many years without any problems, but everything was exposed the moment you got into trouble. Who else would be implicated if not you?"

Liu Haizhong stomped his feet in frustration, raised his voice a few decibels, and began desperately shifting the blame.

"That's because you yourselves are corrupt! Qin Huairu, did I force you to do that scumbag thing with Qin Shouhua?"

"Yan Fugui, was it me who instructed you to commit your old crimes of cannibalism, murder, and robbery?"

"Yi Zhonghai, you intercepted He Daqing's letter and money, was that also at my instigation? Xu Damao, Xu Fugui, Zheng Sulan, you three thieves, did I tell you to steal?"

"You broke the law yourselves, you deserved to be arrested, why are you blaming me for it!"

"You're talking nonsense!"

Yan Fugui's small eyes widened in surprise.

"My little affair went unpunished for decades. If you hadn't caused such a huge mess, would the police have been able to find me? Would they have given me such a heavy sentence? So many people from the entire hospital were sent to the Northwest for labor reform—what a coincidence!"

Liu Guangtian's eyes were bloodshot as he angrily cursed at Liu Haizhong.

"Liu Haizhong, you old beast, you're still being stubborn! The three of us brothers are here in this Gobi Desert to suffer because of you, our lives are ruined! And you still say it's not your fault?"

Liu Guangqi chimed in, "Exactly! You old bastard, you deserve to die a horrible death, you damned dog!"

"Stop giving me that nonsense!"

Liu Haizhong yelled back at the two brothers, his face full of arrogance.

"I am me, and you are you! I committed my crimes, and I will bear the consequences myself! Your sentencing is your own problem; don't try to pin it on me, I absolutely will not accept it!"

The deaf old woman cried with tears streaming down her face, and spoke in a trembling voice.

"You beast! You damned beast! I'm just an old woman, and you've dragged me to this place. Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"

"What are you afraid of? I didn't force you to break the law!"

Liu Haizhong remained completely calm and refused to admit it.

"If Secretary Liu's parents want to be investigated, that's their business. You broke the law yourselves, what does it have to do with me? I just happened to be caught in the crossfire, how did it become that I implicated you?"

Lou Xiao'e frowned, her face full of disdain as she questioned, "Liu Haizhong, what you're saying is utterly heartless. The things we did shouldn't have warranted more than ten years in prison, no matter how severe the sentence. It's all because of you that we received such a heavy sentence and were exiled to the Northwest. Can you honestly say this wasn't your fault?"

Lou Tanshi chimed in, "That's right. Our Lou family is law-abiding, but just because Xiao'e married into your dilapidated courtyard, we've been implicated. What else could it be but being dragged down by you?"

Yan Jiecheng said in a sinister tone, "Liu Haizhong, if I don't kill you, you son of a bitch, I'll change my surname to yours! You just wait!"

The inmates chattered amongst themselves, their shouts and questions rising and falling. Everyone glared at Liu Haizhong with bloodshot eyes, their gazes filled with hatred, as if they wanted to devour him alive.

Liu Haizhong was terrified. Hearing the overwhelming accusations, he became increasingly panicked, and his legs trembled uncontrollably.

But he remained adamant and refused to admit it. He knew that if he confessed to a crime that implicated the entire institute, these people would definitely target him in every way while he was in the labor camp, and he would not be able to survive.

The problem is, even if he doesn't admit it, these people will still believe that he is the one who caused the whole hospital to suffer!

What should I do?

Liu Haizhong was numb, and once again regretted why he had been so blinded by greed and had taken the risk of hiring someone to kill Liu Hao and Ye Juan.

He failed to kill anyone, lost all his money and tickets, and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. That was already as bad as it gets, and now he's in this mess.

No, I have to save myself!

Liu Haizhong, quick-witted, pointed to the correctional officer who was following behind in a car.

"I'm warning you, this is a labor camp. If you dare harm me, you'll be shot too!"