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

A few days later, Bang Geng was discharged from the hospital.

When Qin Huairu went to the hospital to pick him up with locust flowers in her arms, the doctor's words relieved half of her anxiety, but also raised the other half.

"The child's eardrum perforation has miraculously healed most of its extent, and his hearing has basically recovered, so surgery is not necessary." The doctor was also somewhat surprised. "However, this is only temporary. He still needs to continue taking medication to consolidate the treatment, avoid any external impact, and avoid catching a cold or fever, as well as getting the ear wet, otherwise it is very easy for it to recur."

Qin Huairu nodded repeatedly, expressing her gratitude profusely, and took the stick home.

Not needing surgery means saving a lot of money.

However, "insisting on taking medication" also means a fixed expense every month.

You have to spend money everywhere.

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

Back in the courtyard, a group of children were playing a game called "attacking the hilltop," since there was nothing else to do during summer vacation.

Zhong Xiaotao (Zhong Xiaohu's younger brother), Qi Xiaoli (Qi Datou's younger sister), and several other teenagers in the courtyard, such as Yan Jiefang, Yan Jiekuang, Yan Jiedi, Liu Guangfu, and several children from the neighboring courtyard, were making a ruckus there, their laughter carrying far.

Banggeng stood at the entrance of the courtyard, looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar scene, and subconsciously wanted to go over and join them.

He used to be the "leader" of this group of children, the bully of the school—mainly because he ate well and was strong, and his grandmother would rush out whenever something happened, and even dared to hit the children, so everyone instinctively dared not mess with him.

However, when he stepped into the courtyard, the once lively scene instantly fell silent.

All the children's eyes fell on him, their gazes no longer filled with the usual admiration and fear, but instead with a complex mix of curiosity, disdain, and alienation.

Zhong Xiaotao took two steps back. Being young, he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Pointing at the stick, he loudly told his friends, "My mom won't let me play with thieves!"

Another child chimed in, "My mom said too, kids who steal will go to jail when they grow up!"

"Stay away from him, he'll push pregnant women over and hit people!"

The children chattered away, their innocent words like sharp knives stabbing deeply into Banggeng's heart.

"I'm not a thief! I didn't!" Bang Geng's face instantly turned bright red as he roared at the group of children, his voice becoming shrill with excitement.

"You are! Xu Damao already said that you broke into his house through the window to steal malted milk powder!" Zhong Xiaotao persisted.

"You even pushed Aunt Lou Xiao'e over! She almost died!"

"Your grandma's a bad person too; she was arrested by the neighborhood committee!"

The children's voices merged into a torrent, completely drowning out the stick.

He stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking at those "little brothers" who used to follow him around, now avoiding him like the plague. Their young faces were filled with undisguised disgust.

Qin Huairu followed behind, and hearing these words, her heart ached as if it were being torn apart.

She wanted to go up and scold the children, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't utter a single word.

Because what the children said was true.

She could only walk quickly forward and grab Banggeng's hand: "Banggeng, ignore them, let's go home."

Banggeng flung her hand away, his eyes fixed on the group of children, the innocence of childhood gone, replaced by a vicious, almost sinister malice.

Without saying a word, he turned around and went straight back to the main room in the front yard, the house where he and his grandmother lived.

"Bang!"

The door was slammed shut, as if isolating the entire world.

Qin Huairu stood in the courtyard, looking at the tightly closed door, and then at the children in the distance who had started laughing and playing again. A chill ran down her spine and spread throughout her body.

She knew that a seed of hatred had been planted in Bang Geng's heart.

She knew even better that ever since her grandmother was sent back to the countryside, Banggeng's world had collapsed.

This child will probably never be able to go back to the way things were before.

From then on, Bang Geng was like a completely different person.

He stopped going out and playing with the children in the yard, and locked himself in the dark passageway all day.

He was either lost in thought or doing his homework. Occasionally, he would come out of the house with his head down and his steps hurried.

His gaze was always evasive, yet it inadvertently revealed a chilling, venomous quality.

The entire courtyard seemed to have forgotten this former tyrant.

Only Qin Huairu felt her fear growing stronger every day as she looked at her son's increasingly gloomy face.

She was afraid, afraid that one day this seed of hatred would bear unbearable consequences.

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

On the third day after Banggeng returned home, Chen Guangliang, the director of Jiaodaokou Police Station, personally came to the courtyard house.

He was accompanied by Director Wang from the neighborhood committee.

Yi Zhonghai, the manager, accompanied them throughout the entire process, his old face as black as the bottom of a pot.

Since a general meeting of the entire college was no longer possible, Chen Guangliang directly called Qin Huairu to the center of the courtyard, next to the small stone table.

Although the neighbors in the courtyard did not gather around, they all pricked up their ears behind their windows and secretly peeked out.

Chen Guangliang held a document in his hand, his expression serious, and began to speak in a businesslike manner:

"Comrade Qin Huairu, regarding the case of your son Jia Geng's burglary that indirectly caused injury to others, after a joint investigation by our police station, the neighborhood committee, and the school, the results have been released."

Qin Huairu's heart leaped into her throat, her hands clenched tightly together until her knuckles turned white.

Chen Guangliang cleared his throat and read aloud:

"Upon investigation, Jia Geng's attempt to commit burglary was unsuccessful, but his actions constituted a violation of the law. Given that he is under the age of fourteen, in accordance with relevant regulations, he will not be held criminally liable."

Hearing this, Qin Huairu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Not being held criminally liable means not having to go to a juvenile detention center.

But Chen Guangliang's next words made her heart sink again.

"The following measures will be taken: First, Jia Geng will be listed as a 'key person to be monitored' in our jurisdiction. A joint supervision and education team will be established by the subdistrict office, the police station, and Hongxing Primary School to regularly observe his thoughts and conduct corrective education."

"Secondly, her guardian, Comrade Qin Huairu, is ordered to strictly discipline her and sign a 'Family Guardianship Responsibility Agreement' to guarantee that similar incidents will not occur again. Any recurrence will be dealt with severely!"

"Third, this matter will be reported to Hongxing Primary School, where the school will issue an anonymous reprimand within the class as a warning to others!"

With each item Chen Guangliang read aloud, Qin Huairu's face paled a little more.

Who should we pay special attention to?

Tripartite joint supervision?

Should we notify the school?

Each of these words felt like a mountain, pressing down on her and making it hard for her to breathe.

This means that an indelible stain will forever remain in Bang Geng's file.

This means that he will be viewed differently by people, both at school and in society.

That wasn't all. Chen Guangliang added, "If there's a next time, it'll be either a juvenile detention center or a reform school. Qin Huairu, if you don't keep a close eye on Banggeng, then we'll have to take direct control of him. Once he's in those places, no one will protect him anymore."

You'd better think about this carefully.

Qin Huairu was stunned!