The Courtyard House: He Yuzhu Returns with Boundless Hatred for Revenge

When Zhang Guifen heard He Yuzhu say he was going to the Women's Federation, she couldn't sit still any longer. She had personally experienced the power of the Women's Federation and didn't want it to be used against her.

It's true the deaf old woman is a dissident, but if it were anyone else, they could simply distance themselves and kick her aside, and no one would care. The authorities might even praise them for "sacrificing family for the greater good." But Yi Zhonghai is the one who's been branded this way. Besides, the deaf old woman ended up in this situation because she was trying to help Yi Zhonghai. If He Yuzhu really reports this to the Women's Federation, Yi Zhonghai will be severely punished, if not killed. He might even end up like Liu Haizhong, in a labor camp, and her good days will be over.

No! Absolutely not!

Although Yi Zhonghai might seem like a complete scoundrel to outsiders, even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse. With the combined income from the third-level fitter and He Daqing's remittances, they still made up nearly sixty yuan a month, placing them among the upper class in this courtyard! Zhang Guifen couldn't expect any descendants for the rest of her life, so she poured her entire being into this man, especially his money. She could beat him, scold him, humiliate him, but she absolutely couldn't let him leave this home, and more importantly, she couldn't let him lose this source of income!

Once outside, Zhang Guifen glared at Yi Zhonghai, then turned to the deaf old lady who was still wailing on the ground. She put on a smile, bent down, and reached out to help her up. "Oh dear, old lady, what are you saying? Please get up. The ground is cold. You're so old; if you get sick from the cold, it would be our fault as the younger generation."

The deaf old woman was also getting tired of wailing. Seeing Zhang Guifen come out, she seized the opportunity to back down, "Guifen! My good daughter-in-law! You've finally come out! Look at Zhonghai, that heartless man, he doesn't want to abandon me! This old woman can't live anymore..."

"Grandma, don't listen to Zhonghai's nonsense!" Zhang Guifen pulled the deaf old woman up with a strong hand. "He's confused! No matter what, you're still our godmother, our elder. We remember how kind you were to us before. Now that you're in trouble, how can we really ignore you? Wouldn't that make people gossip behind our backs?"

As she spoke, she gritted her teeth, her anger directed not only at the deaf old woman but also at He Yuzhu. How could that filthy bastard be so evil? Why hadn't she seen through him before? If she had known, she should have listened to the deaf old woman's advice and sold his sister to the mountains while things were still peaceful in Beijing. That way, she could have vented her anger.

For now, we can only compromise for the time being, at least to shut He Yuzhu up from complaining to the Women's Federation.

"But as you can see, ma'am, things are tough for our family now! Zhonghai's salary has dropped significantly, and my health isn't what it used to be; I have to get medicine all the time. Things are really not what they used to be."

"Starting tomorrow, I'll bring you some food every day and help you tidy up the house. But as you know, our family is barely making ends meet now. What we eat and wear is definitely not what it used to be when you were the head of the household. Please make do with what we have; just simple meals, enough to keep you from going hungry or freezing. Is that alright?"

Upon hearing that there would be food and someone to serve her, the deaf old woman no longer cared about the simple fare. As long as she didn't starve and someone cared for her, she was grateful! She immediately nodded repeatedly, her old face beaming with smiles, "Alright! Alright! Guifen, you're so filial! As long as there's something to eat, this old woman won't be picky! Not picky at all!"

Zhang Guifen sneered inwardly, "Old hag, you're smart to know what's good for you." But on the surface, she maintained a smile, "Alright, ma'am, you should go back and rest. I'll come over first thing tomorrow morning."

Having received confirmation, the deaf old woman was satisfied. She feigned wiping away tears, gave Yi Zhonghai a snort, and, leaning on her cane, turned to go home. In her heart, however, she was calculating: "Let it be for now. Later, I'll slowly figure out how to squeeze more benefits out of the Yi family."

However, she hadn't even taken two steps...

"Master—Father—!"

A piercing scream suddenly erupted on a dark and windy night!

The sound came so suddenly and was so eerie that it sent chills down everyone's spines and made the hairs on their bodies stand on end!

"Who's calling? What's that sound? Where's it coming from?" A commotion arose among the crowd, who looked around frantically. The moonlight was dim, the wind howled, and the courtyard was shadowy, with no one in sight for a moment.

"Master, Master, I'm in such a terrible state, please help me, please help my family..."

The sound rang out again, filled with endless pain and sorrow, and... it seemed to be coming from the ground?

Following the sound, everyone turned their gaze to the ground and carefully discerned the source in the dim moonlight.

From the west wing of the Jia family's house, a human-shaped creature, but half a head shorter, was slowly crawling towards Yi Zhonghai and Zhang Guifen in an extremely bizarre posture.

Who else could it be but Jia Dongxu? Actually, many people knew it was Jia Dongxu just by hearing the scream, but even with the reality right in front of them, many were still terrified. They'd never seen anything like it in their lives. They'd seen plenty of dead people, but seeing a person with a broken leg crawling on the ground at night was a first for them. It would be a lie to say they weren't afraid.

At this moment, Jia Dongxu was using his two hands to support himself on the ground, dragging his empty trouser legs as he crawled forward with difficulty on the ground where there was still snow.

The scene was so tragic, bizarre, and terrifying that it immediately broke the defenses of some of the women and children present, who screamed and fled home.

Those who hadn't left immediately parted to make way, all staring intently at the Jia family man who had lost both legs and disappeared after returning home.

"ah!!!"

A scream pierced the night sky, and the color drained from Zhang Guifen's face instantly, her eyes filled with terror! It was as if she had seen the most terrifying sight in the world, not a ghost, but three times more terrifying than a ghost, and at this moment she was utterly terrified.

Unable to hold on any longer, her legs buckled, and she nearly collapsed to the ground if she hadn't instinctively grabbed the doorframe. She turned abruptly and scrambled back into the house, her hands trembling as she frantically searched through the cabinets. Finally, she found the small medicine bottle, her hands shaking so much she could barely hold it. It took her several twists to open it, and she poured out two pills, not even bothering to find water, and popped them into her mouth.

The effects of the medicine quickly subsided, gradually calming her palpitations. She collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), gasping for breath, her forehead covered in cold sweat. She pulled the quilt over herself, trembling like a leaf.

Outside, the crawling shadow had already reached the light.

Jia Dongxu's face was ashen, he was emaciated, and his hair was disheveled. His body was filthy, and blood was seeping from his empty trouser legs. He raised his head, his face contorted with all negative emotions, his eyes fixed on Yi Zhonghai, who stood frozen in place, staring in terror, filled with endless resentment.

"Master, I'm in such a terrible state... Please, Master, help me, help my family, please..."