Courtyard House: Inheriting the Restaurant, the Jia Family Wants to Get It for Free

"Jia Zhangshi! Don't be so unreasonable!" Tan Zhaodi retorted, pointing at her and saying, "Our family is still young after liberation, and we're barely making ends meet ourselves. We don't have the spare money to meddle in other people's business!"

"Besides, why did your son Jia Dongxu go to jail? Wasn't it because he wanted to do bad things himself? Who can you blame?"

"We've already done more than enough by not letting our old man Yi get involved! What more do you want?"

Tan Zhaodi's words were reasonable and well-founded, and many people in the courtyard nodded in agreement.

Jia Zhangshi was speechless. Looking at the disdainful looks from those around her and at the resolute expressions of Yi Zhonghai and his wife, she knew that this tactic would not work today.

Her eyes darted around, and she simply plopped down on the ground, kicking her legs wildly and slapping her thighs with her hands, unleashing her ultimate move.

"Old Jia! Open your eyes and take a look!"

"You died young! Leaving us, a widow and her children, to be bullied!"

"Now we can't even get a decent meal! I don't want to live anymore! Take me with you!"

The wailing was piercing and its melody took eighteen turns, echoing throughout the entire courtyard.

The children in the yard were all frightened and cried.

The adults, on the other hand, looked disgusted and impatient.

It's that trick again.

Cheng Shuhai crossed his arms and watched with amusement.

That old hag only knows this one trick.

Unfortunately, this tactic might work against others, but it's completely useless against Yi Zhonghai, with whom they've now completely broken off relations.

As expected, Yi Zhonghai looked at Jia Zhangshi rolling on the ground with no emotion on his face, only deep disgust.

He snorted coldly, grabbed his wife Tan Zhaodi, and turned to go back into the house.

"Bang!"

The door was closed, isolating it from everything outside.

Jia Zhangshi's wailing stopped abruptly.

She stared blankly at the closed door, a sense of panic creeping into her heart.

What... what should we do now?

Yi Zhonghai's path is completely blocked.

Qin Huairu stood aside, looking at her mother-in-law sitting on the ground in a daze, and then at the amused looks from the neighbors around her. She felt her face burning and wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

She stepped forward, tugged at Jia Zhangshi's arm, and whispered, "Mom, get up, let's go home."

Jia Zhangshi seemed to have lost her soul, letting Qin Huairu help her up from the ground and drag her back to the dark little house.

The farce has come to an end.

Cheng Shuhai looked at the tightly closed door of the Jia family's house and shook his head.

He knew this wasn't over.

Given Jia Zhangshi's stubborn nature—she wouldn't give up until she saw a clear benefit—she would definitely not let the matter rest so easily.

Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall; this old hag, driven to the brink, might come up with some even more vicious tricks.

Late at night.

In the Jia family's small house, only a dim kerosene lamp was lit.

Jia Zhangshi sat on the edge of the bed, silent, her old face appearing sinister and terrifying in the flickering firelight.

The daytime farce caused her to lose face and made her realize a fact: Yi Zhonghai's path was completely blocked.

Expecting that "childless" person to have a change of heart is harder than climbing to heaven.

Is this really how I'm going to accept my fate?

Living in this dilapidated house, eating coarse food every day, serving this cripple, waiting for that good-for-nothing Jia Dongxu to come back from the farm?

Do not!

A ruthless glint flashed in Jia Zhangshi's eyes.

She refuses to accept her fate!

She worked hard all her life, raised Jia Dongxu, and helped him get married. She was just about to enjoy her retirement, how could she end up like this!

They're all Cheng Shuhai! They're all Yi Zhonghai!

Those two damned bastards ruined everything she had!

She must get her revenge! She must take back everything that belongs to the Jia family!

But what method should we use?

She's no match for him in a head-on confrontation. Throwing tantrums and making a scene won't work anymore.

Jia Zhangshi's mind raced, like a wild beast trapped in a cage, searching for a way out.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind.

Yi Zhonghai...didn't Yi Zhonghai adopt a son? What's his name...Yi Jiefang?

Doesn't he treat that little brat like a treasure, like his lifeblood?

What if... what if this child is gone?

A vicious plan slowly took shape in her mind.

Jia Zhangshi's breathing became heavy, and her eyes flashed with a crazed light.

She turned her head and looked at Qin Huairu, who was clearing away the dishes.

Qin Huai felt uneasy under her gaze, stopped what she was doing, and asked softly, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Huai Ru, come here." Madam Jia beckoned to her, her voice hoarse.

Qin Huai hesitated for a moment, but still walked over.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Jia Zhangshi grabbed her hand with such force that it was frightening, and Qin Huai felt a sharp pain in her hand.

"Huai Ru, do you want to live a good life?" Madam Jia lowered her voice, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"I want to..." Qin Huai nodded subconsciously, not understanding why.

"Do you want to eat meat? Do you want to live in a big house? Do you want to stand tall and be respected by everyone in the neighborhood?"

Every word Jia Zhangshi uttered was like a devil's temptation, striking Qin Huairu's heart.

Qin Huairu's heart raced. Of course she wanted it! She dreamed about it!

"Mom, what...what exactly are you trying to say?"

Jia Zhang leaned close to her ear and said, in a voice only the two of them could hear, word by word, "Go and steal that little bastard from Yi Zhonghai's family!"

boom!

Qin Huairu's mind went blank.

What...what did she hear?

Child abduction?!

She abruptly pulled her hand back, looked at Jia Zhangshi in horror, and retreated repeatedly.

"No! Mom! This won't do! It's illegal! You'll be arrested and shot!" Her voice trembled with fear.

"Shoot him? Who saw that?" Madam Jia sneered disdainfully. "You went in the middle of the night, took the child away without anyone noticing, and dumped him in a mass grave outside the city! A little baby, he'd freeze to death, starve to death. Even if someone found out, who would know who did it?"

"When that time comes, Yi Zhonghai, who has no descendants, will lose his only hope. Won't he go crazy?"

"Who else could he leave the money he'd saved up his whole life, those two houses, to if not his apprentice Jia Dongxu?"

"Once Dongxu returns and inherits everything from Yi Zhonghai, our family will be turned upside down! Then you can eat whatever you want, wear whatever you want! Let's see who dares to look down on us then!"

As Jia Zhangshi spoke, she became more and more excited, as if she could already see the wonderful life ahead.

Qin Huairu felt a chill run through her body and her limbs went weak.

This is absolutely wicked! This is an idea that no human being could come up with!

That was a living, breathing child!

"No! I won't do it! I absolutely won't!" Qin Huairu shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face. "Mom, please don't force me, I'm scared!"

"Useless!" Seeing that she wouldn't comply, the last trace of warmth on Jia Zhangshi's face vanished. She slammed her hand on the bed and shouted angrily, "You won't do it? If you won't do it, then get out! Go back to your poor, remote mountain village!"

"Do you still think you're some virgin? You're married to Dongxu, so you're a member of the Jia family! Now that Dongxu's not around, you have to listen to me!"

"Let me tell you, Qin Huairu, if you dare disobey me, I'll write to your parents tomorrow saying you're unfaithful in your husband's family, that you're philandering, and I'll make sure you never hold your head up high again!"

"If you behave well, you'll be a great contributor when our family becomes successful! Then I'll bring your younger brother to the city and find him a good job!"

Jia Zhangshi used both soft and hard tactics, coercion and enticement.