Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Originally, I thought that Zhang Dabiao's request was a win-win situation—bringing Qin Huairu and Shazhu together in exchange for not going against Zhang Dabiao in the courtyard. It was a free bargain!

But I never expected it to be so difficult, and every time it was ruined by Jia Zhangshi!

Could it be that Zhang Dabiao had foreseen this all along?

Yes, his father is Zhang Banxian, who could even predict Dongxu's death. There's no way he couldn't have foreseen this messy affair of the Jia family.

So Zhang Dabiao is setting me up? But he really didn't cause any trouble at the election rally, did he?

Yi Zhonghai was a little confused.

And—is that Jia Zhangshi an idiot? Even if you want that idiot Zhu to help your family, don't just say it outright! What are you after? I'm asking you, what are you after?!

Sha Zhu wants to quit? Fine! All he wants is to get married, right? Okay! I, Yi Zhonghai, will arrange it for him right away! There are so many coworkers in the factory, which family doesn't have a decent daughter? Finding someone with a clean background, hardworking and diligent, and most importantly, someone who knows how to respect the elderly and care for the young, and is filial to elders, isn't that a hundred times better than the bottomless pit that is the Jia family?

One of his coworkers' daughters is quite nice; she's good-looking and has a gentle temperament. I'll go talk to her about it tomorrow!

He, Yi Zhonghai, must personally regain the face he lost!

------------

The gloomy atmosphere in the central courtyard did not affect the tranquility of the east wing in the slightest.

In Zhang Dabiao's side room and small courtyard, Qin Jingru was humming a song as she busied herself preparing dinner in the side room (small kitchen). The aroma of stewed meat filled the air, and He Yushui was also busy helping out.

At this moment, Mu Wanqing was not there. She was in her own small room in the tenement, rummaging through drawers and cabinets. Aunt Mu also helped her search around. The atmosphere in the house was somewhat heavy.

Tomorrow is the department's selection competition, and Mu Wanqing was making final preparations. She had prepared a gift for Zhang Dabiao.

She had pulled countless strings and spent all the savings she had accumulated from working at a steel mill before going to university to find a German-made "Hohley" harmonica in a consignment shop. She knew that Zhang Dabiao liked to play small musical instruments, and the harmonica was the perfect instrument to play the interlude of "Towards the Distance".

Da Biao's harmonica broke down, with several cracked notes. He was going to just make do with it, but Mu Wanqing wanted to do her best in the selection competition and also wanted to give Zhang Da Biao a surprise, so she went to buy a new one at noon today.

She wanted to see Zhang Dabiao play that moving melody on the harmonica she had given him on the stage tomorrow.

However, when she wanted to take her harmonica to Da Biao's place and have dinner there, she found that her schoolbag was empty.

She paused for a moment, then searched carefully again. Nothing.

She turned her schoolbag inside out, but still found nothing.

"Strange, I remember buying it at noon and putting it in my bag..." she muttered to herself, a little panicked, sweat beading on her forehead.

After her lunch break, she went to the store to pick up the harmonica she had ordered, and then went back to school. She had two more classes in the afternoon. She clearly remembered that, afraid of losing it, she had put the harmonica in the innermost compartment of her backpack. After class, she went straight home without going anywhere else in between.

Could it be...?

A bad feeling gripped her heart.

She searched every possible place in the house—boxes, cabinets, under the bed… but found nothing.

The harmonica that held all her hopes and savings vanished without a trace.

Mu Wanqing's eyes instantly reddened, and large tears welled up in them. It wasn't just a harmonica; it was her affection for Zhang Dabiao, proof of her desire to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him on stage. Now, it was lost.

She couldn't hold back any longer, grabbed her schoolbag and ran out, heading straight for No. 95.

"Da Biao! Da Biao!"

Zhang Dabiao was arranging the winter vegetables in the courtyard, wondering whether he should build a greenhouse, when he saw Mu Wanqing rush in with tears streaming down her face, and his heart skipped a beat.

"What's wrong? Who bullied you?" He quickly went to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"The harmonica... the harmonica I bought for you... is gone!" Mu Wanqing's voice was choked with sobs, sounding as aggrieved as a child.

She recounted the events in a rambling, incoherent manner.

Qin Jingru also came over, extremely anxious: "How could it be gone? Sister Wanqing, think again, did you put it somewhere else?"

After listening, Zhang Dabiao frowned slightly, but his expression remained unusually calm. He pulled Mu Wanqing to sit down on a stone bench in the courtyard and handed her a cup of hot water to warm her hands.

"Don't rush, tell me slowly." His voice was calm and steady, carrying a reassuring strength. "Think back carefully. After you got the harmonica at noon, on your way back to school, did you encounter any unusual people? During afternoon classes, was your schoolbag always with you, or did it leave your sight?"

Mu Wanqing tried hard to recall: "Noon...nothing special happened at noon. During class in the afternoon, my schoolbag was placed next to my feet...oh, right, I went to the toilet in the middle, for about five or six minutes."

Were there many people in the classroom at the time?

"It's a general education course, there are a lot of people, it's chaotic."

Zhang Dabiao understood the situation.

Either her bag was stolen on her way back to school from the store, or it was stolen from her bag during the few minutes she went to the restroom.

The latter is highly probable.

But the value of the harmonica itself isn't important; what's important is that it was a gift from Mu Wanqing.

Zhang Dabiao was a bit angry, but this matter was really hard to investigate. As for whether it would affect his performance tomorrow?

That's absolutely impossible. I can just go to Hong Kong tonight and buy one on the spot.

Seeing Mu Wanqing's anxious expression, almost to the point of tears, Zhang Dabiao was not angry at all; instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He patted Mu Wanqing's hand and comforted her, "If it's lost, it's lost. Out with the old, in with the new."

"But... I finally managed to buy it... What will we do tomorrow...?" Mu Wanqing choked up.

"Your old harmonica is cracking again. Should I borrow one from a classmate?"

"Who said we have to use a harmonica tomorrow?" Zhang Dabiao's eyes gleamed.

He stood up, stretched, and looked confident.

"Wanqing, do you believe me?"

Mu Wanqing looked up at him through her tear-filled eyes.

"What do you mean?" Mu Wanqing, Qin Jingru, and He Yushui were all completely confused.

"You'll find out tomorrow," Zhang Dabiao said mysteriously. "Since we don't have harmonicas, let's play something even more special, something that will make everyone's eyes pop out."

"But... is there enough time? The competition is tomorrow."

"We'll make it in time!" Zhang Dabiao pinched Mu Wanqing's cheek, his tone filled with unwavering confidence. "You don't need to worry about anything. Go back and get a good night's sleep to recharge. Tomorrow, just focus on singing, and leave the rest to me."

[Wanqing's singing remains the same, and I'm free to improvise the music. What's so difficult about that?]

Seeing Zhang Dabiao's confident demeanor, Mu Wanqing's panic and grievances were actually mostly soothed. She didn't know what Zhang Dabiao was up to, but she chose to believe him unconditionally.

This man always seems to have a way of turning every crisis into a spectacular performance.