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

The meeting ended hastily, and the neighbors dispersed in twos and threes, but the murmurs of discussion continued.

"I think this Jia Zhangshi is really scared."

"Scared? I don't think so. She's a stubborn mule, she never learns her lesson!"

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let her hear..."

Amidst the pointing and whispering of the crowd, Jia Zhangshi was half-dragged and half-pulled back into the house by Qin Huairu.

As soon as she entered the room, her face, which had just been plastered with a fawning smile, instantly fell apart, her eyes filled with resentment and bitterness.

"Just you wait! You all just wait!" she growled through gritted teeth, the sound seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.

The nightmare was only temporarily suppressed; it never truly left.

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

That evening, Sha Zhu brought back some leftovers from the cafeteria again.

Qin Huairu, as usual, smiled and intercepted the lunchbox, but after taking it back, Jia Zhangshi's face immediately fell when she saw the pitiful leftovers in the lunchbox.

This time, however, Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng learned their lesson. Only after Shazhu had gone far away did Jia Zhangshi start muttering to herself, no longer daring to gossip.

Now Sha Zhu is still willing to bring leftovers, and Yi Zhonghai can occasionally provide some cornmeal. Life is much better than when she was in the countryside.

With Jia Zhangshi keeping quiet and not causing trouble, a strange balance was achieved in the courtyard.

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

Meanwhile, Lou Bancheng began to deal with the assets he had.

He dared not conduct transactions as openly as before; that would be too conspicuous.

He could only quietly and sporadically sell off some small shops in less conspicuous locations through trusted old connections, or exchange some of his treasured calligraphy, paintings and antiques for the most tangible hard currency—gold.

Every day, he left early and returned late, and his whereabouts became mysterious.

His wife, Tan Yali, saw this and was deeply worried.

That evening, seeing her husband staring blankly at a pile of land deeds and account books in the study, she finally couldn't resist going in.

"Old Lou, what are you doing? Do you have to do this?" Tan Yali asked softly. "I think things are pretty stable now, aren't they? There's no movement from above."

Lou Bancheng put down his brush, let out a long sigh, and looked as deep as an ancient well.

"You don't understand."

He shook his head, his voice tinged with weariness and a sense of vicissitude.

"I've spent most of my life working in this business world, from the Manchu dragon flag to the Republic of China's five-colored flag, and now to the red flag. What storms haven't I weathered?"

"The calmer the sea, the more turbulent the undercurrents. I have a feeling that things will change sooner or later. People like us are like small boats in a storm; one wave could sink the boat and kill us all."

His words made Tanya's heart sink.

"It's always better to be prepared than to get soaked to the bone and be completely clueless when the time comes." Lou Bancheng stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the deep night outside. "We need to leave a way out for ourselves, for Xiao'e, and for the children."

Tanya Li fell silent.

She knew her husband had always had a keen eye; over the decades, the Lou family had been able to weather one crisis after another thanks to his extraordinary vigilance.

She silently walked to the desk, picked up another pen, and began to help her husband sort out those complicated accounts.

Outside the window, the moonlight was as clear as water, but a thick cloud hung over the hearts of the couple.

They didn't know exactly when the storm would come, but they knew they had to make the ship strong enough before then.

On August 25th, a car with a special license plate quietly stopped in front of the Lou Mansion.

The car door opened, and a young man in a suit and tie, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, stepped out.

It was Lou Yufan who had just returned from Hong Kong.

He returned this time under the guise of a "Hong Kong businessman returning to his hometown for business inspection," and all procedures were handled through legitimate channels, making it completely aboveboard. Moreover, he obtained family visit permits before returning to Beijing to meet with Lou Bancheng and others.

It would be inconvenient for Lou Bancheng to meet him in Guangzhou, because 62 was the peak of the massive exodus to Hong Kong. Near Guangzhou Railway Station, thousands of people gathered, trying to squeeze onto trains to escape to Hong Kong. Social order was tense, and the police were strictly checking passengers at the station. If Lou Bancheng were to travel from Beijing to Guangzhou by train at that time, he would be repeatedly questioned at the station and might be suspected of also trying to escape to Hong Kong.

Not to mention he's a big capitalist.

They thought they could just run away easily, carrying a large amount of supplies? No way.

However, the procedures are much simpler for Lou Yufan when he comes back to visit his family.

Hong Kong businessmen, the Canton Fair, raw material procurement—these are all ways to send foreign exchange, so it's naturally convenient.

That evening, the study in Lou's mansion was brightly lit.

Lou Bancheng and his son Lou Yufan closed the heavy door, cutting off all outside noise, and had a private conversation that lasted for three hours.

"Dad, I can be 100% certain that Zhang Dabiao and Zhang Yaoyang from Hong Kong are not the same person." Lou Yufan got straight to the point, resolving his father's biggest doubt first.

"Just two days before I came back, Zhang Yaoyang went to my factory to check the accounts. And as you said, the day before yesterday you went to see Xiao'e and your grandson, and Zhang Dabiao was still farming in the courtyard. You two chatted for a long time."

"It's impossible for a person to be in two places at the same time. Besides, Zhang Dabiao is almost always in Beijing; he never leaves."

This conclusion brought Lou Bancheng a sigh of relief, but his doubts only deepened.

If it's not the same person, how did Zhang Dabiao become so knowledgeable about things in Hong Kong, and even manage to plan ahead?

Moreover, the name Zhang Yaoyang has an identity; they were the ones who created it, so how come Zhang Dabiao happens to have a twin brother named "Zhang Yaoyang"? That doesn't make sense.

In the end, it can only be attributed to that mysterious "Zhang the Fortune Teller." He has the ability to defy fate, and perhaps the matter of obtaining a Hong Kong identity card was already part of his plan.

"Back in Hong Kong, my plastics factory is completely stabilized," Lou Yufan continued his report. "That shrewd Zhang Yaoyang took advantage of the situation and seized 25% of my shares. But to be fair, he's a real talent; his methods and vision are incredibly sharp."

"He made a fortune selling casters and plastic cups. If it weren't for his help, our factory probably wouldn't have survived until now."

He paused, his tone becoming urgent: "Dad, you need to find a way to come over as soon as possible. The policies on the mainland change every day; I'm afraid things might get complicated if we delay!"

Lou Bancheng remained silent for a long time, his fingers tapping lightly on the mahogany table, producing a dull sound.

"Wait a little longer."

He finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Things aren't looking good right now. I'm being watched by a lot of people. If I leave rashly, I'll attract too much attention and it could easily cause trouble. You should first solidify your foundation over there. You can try to transport some of the gold from home over in batches. But we'll have to wait a bit longer for the people." Lou Yufan's biggest purpose in coming back this time was to find a way to transport the gold over.

For 62 years, three trains transported goods from the mainland to Hong Kong every day.

The Lou family seized this opportunity to smuggle in their own agenda.