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

The reason Cheng Shuhai pointed her in the right direction was simply because Jia Zhangshi's plan had exceeded his tolerance limit.

That old, vicious woman who could even kill a baby is a menace to her; keeping her around is nothing but a curse.

Using Qin Huairu to send her in is the best way to eliminate any future trouble.

As for whether Qin Huairu will go, Cheng Shuhai thinks she will.

Because she had no choice.

On one hand, there's the immediate urge to kill someone; on the other hand, there's the potential for gossip and slander after reporting them.

If she's not out of her mind, she'll know what to choose.

....................

Outside the door, Qin Huai stood there blankly.

Cheng Shuhai's words were like a knife, cutting through all her hesitation and cowardice.

Yes, what is she still worried about regarding her reputation?

Madam Jia Zhangshi has already used her as a weapon to kill! If she doesn't resist, she'll be next to die!

Cheng Shuhai is right, she had no choice.

Qin Huairu stood in the cold moonlight, her face still wet with tears, but her eyes slowly hardened.

She glanced at Cheng Shuhai's tightly closed door, then at her own small, cage-like room.

She knew she had to live for herself for once.

She turned around, no longer hesitating, and walked firmly towards the outside of the courtyard.

After daybreak, she went to the military control commission.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Qin Huairu hadn't slept all night, and her eyes were bloodshot. Taking advantage of Jia Zhangshi's still-sleepy state, she quietly slipped out the door.

Filled with immense fear and determination, she walked quickly to the office of the street military control committee, her head bowed.

There were only a few staff members on duty in the office.

Qin Huai mustered his courage and stepped forward to ask, "Comrade, I...I need to see Officer Wang. It's urgent."

"Officer Wang hasn't arrived yet, please wait a moment."

A young officer glanced at her and said casually.

Qin Huairu had no choice but to sit down on the bench by the door, her hands tightly clasped together, her heart pounding with anxiety.

Time passed second by second, and for her, every second was torture.

She was afraid that Jia Zhangshi would wake up and find her gone, and even more afraid that she wouldn't have the courage to tell the truth.

After an unknown amount of time, a familiar figure appeared at the door.

"Officer Wang!"

Qin Huairu felt as if she had seen a savior and suddenly stood up.

When Officer Wang saw it was her, he was somewhat surprised: "Qin Huairu? What are you doing here? What happened?"

Seeing Qin Huairu's pale face and red, swollen eyes, she knew it must be something serious.

Officer Wang led her to his office, closed the door, and poured her a glass of hot water.

"Tell me, what happened? Don't be afraid, tell me slowly."

Wang's gentle tone calmed Qin Huairu down a bit.

Qin Huairu held the hot water cup, her hands still trembling.

She took several deep breaths before finally mustering the courage to repeat, word for word, what Jia Zhangshi had told her the night before.

"...She forced me to steal Yi Zhonghai's newly adopted son, and told me...to throw him into a mass grave...Officer Wang, I couldn't do it! That's a human life!"

As Qin Huairu spoke, she started crying again.

"Snapped!"

After hearing this, Officer Wang slammed his hand heavily on the table and stood up abruptly.

Her usually gentle face was now covered with frost.

"Outrageous! Absolutely insane!"

Wang's chest heaved violently, and he trembled with anger.

She had dealt with so many neighborhood disputes, seen people throw tantrums and act shamelessly, but she had never seen anyone as vicious and inhuman as Jia Zhangshi!

In order to seize someone else's property, he actually instigated his daughter-in-law to kill a newborn baby!

What is this? This is a demon!

"Officer Wang, I... what should I do?" Qin Huai looked at her, completely lost.

Wang paced back and forth in his office a few times, forcing himself to calm down.

Looking at the terrified young woman in front of her, she felt a pang of sympathy.

Having such a mother-in-law is the worst luck imaginable.

She sat down again, looked at Qin Huairu, and asked in a serious tone, "Besides you and Jia Zhangshi, is there a third person who knows about this?"

Qin Huai hesitated for a moment, then thought of Cheng Shuhai.

But she ultimately shook her head: "No, that's all."

She didn't want to involve Cheng Shuhai.

Officer Wang nodded, having already made up his mind.

She said to Qin Huairu, "Comrade Qin Huairu, you did the right thing by coming to report this today! You not only saved that child, but you also saved yourself!"

"This matter is extremely serious! Our military control commission will not tolerate it!"

"However," Officer Wang changed the subject, "if word gets out that you reported your mother-in-law, it will damage your reputation. And since Jia Zhangshi is so adamant about not letting it go, this matter won't be easy to handle."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's tears welled up again. This was exactly what she had been most worried about.

"Don't worry," Officer Wang patted her hand reassuringly. "I'll handle this. No one else will know you were here today."

"Go home now and act like nothing happened. If Madam Jia asks, just say you went out to buy something. Keep her calm and don't let her become suspicious."

"Leave the rest to me."

The officer's tone carried an undeniable authority, finally giving Qin Huairu, whose heart was in turmoil, a sense of security.

"Thank you... thank you, Officer Wang!" Qin Huairu was moved to tears and stood up to bow deeply to Officer Wang.

"Go ahead, and remember, stay calm and don't give anything away," Officer Wang instructed.

After seeing Qin Huairu off, Wang's expression darkened again.

She immediately summoned her two subordinates and briefly explained the situation.

The two subordinates were shocked and furious after hearing this.

"Officer Wang, this old woman is too vicious! She should be arrested and executed!"

"They're utterly beasts!"

Officer Wang waved his hand, stopping their discussion.

"Right now we've only heard Qin Huairu's side of the story. Although I believe what she said is true, investigations require evidence," she calmly analyzed. "If we arrest someone directly on charges of 'inciting murder,' Jia Zhangshi will definitely deny it, and Qin Huairu will be put in the spotlight."

"Alright," Officer Wang gave the order, "you two, change into civilian clothes now and go keep watch around the area near No. 95. Find the children or talkative old ladies in the courtyard and subtly inquire whether Jia Zhangshi often engages in feudal superstitions, such as wailing or cursing."

"We arrested her last time for the same reason, and now you're using the same excuse again!"

"First, bring her back for interrogation on charges of 'promoting feudal superstition and disturbing social order'! Once she's here, I have plenty of ways to make her talk!"

"This way, we can both arrest the person and preserve Qin Huairu's reputation, allowing her to hold her head high in the hospital from now on."

"Yes! We understand!" The two subordinates immediately accepted the order and turned to leave.

Officer Wang sat in a chair, looking out the window.

She knew in her heart that the conflicts in this large tenement courtyard at No. 95 were getting deeper and deeper.

Especially that Jia Zhangshi, she's practically a cancer.

This time, she is determined to eradicate this cancer completely!