Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

At this time, most of the city police force had been dispatched to the explosion site, and those who remained were busy gathering clues when the silence was suddenly broken by the shouts of the guards.

"Chief! Something terrible has happened! A key suspect has been spotted at the entrance, along with a tip-off letter!"

The director, who had just driven back to the municipal bureau, took the note and read it carefully by the light. The more he read, the more his brows furrowed.

The note clearly listed Commander Guan's crimes: organizing the remnants of the Qing Dynasty, planning multiple retaliatory actions, attempting to bomb the steel rolling mill's R&D workshop, and murdering key technical personnel Lin Weidong, among others.

The location and contact information for the other hidden strongholds were also marked in detail.

"Immediately assemble all available police forces and, according to the address on the note, conduct a night raid! Leave no one alive!" the chief ordered decisively.

Late at night, convoys of police cars sped toward various checkpoints.

The surprise attack in the dead of night caught the remaining forces off guard. They were already in a state of panic because of the bombing of the courtyard house, and they were powerless to resist the heavily armed police.

In less than three hours, all the hidden strongholds were destroyed one by one, and the remaining Manchu loyalists and their subordinates were all captured. The restoration forces that had been entrenched for many years were completely wiped out.

Meanwhile, Lin Weidong was driving his jeep slowly toward the courtyard house.

On the way, he looked at the night scene passing by outside the window, and he had already made up his "retirement plan" for the deaf old lady.

Since the other party is so focused on retirement, then make proper arrangements for them.

The best candidate to "take care of" her in her old age would have to be the kind and simple-hearted widow Li from the mountain village.

It was already past midnight when we got back to the courtyard house.

Lin Weidong returned to the west courtyard. His parents must have been asleep by then, so he didn't disturb them.

"Mom, I need to tell you something."

The next morning, Lin Weidong casually remarked during breakfast.

"I always felt that the deaf old lady in the nursing home was a bit strange. Her behavior and tone of voice were not like those of an ordinary old lady."

"I suspect she might not be an ordinary person; she might be a remnant of the Qing Dynasty. Since you're from the neighborhood committee, could you help investigate her background?"

Zhao Xiulan paused for a moment, then nodded: "Now that you mention it, I also feel that something is off about her. She usually keeps to herself and her eyes have a sinister quality; she doesn't seem like a simple person."

"Alright, I'll take some people to visit the surrounding area today and investigate her background."

After finishing breakfast, Lin Weidong had just entered the west courtyard when Su Wanqing called him back.

She stood at the door, her eyes filled with obvious fatigue, staring blankly at him.

Where did you go last night?

Su Wanqing asked in a low voice.

"I noticed you looked off yesterday, and I heard an explosion in the distance last night. Did you do something dangerous?"

Lin Weidong felt a warmth in his heart, pulled her into the house, and closed the door.

Su Wanqing looked at him, her face full of worry: "I know you must be involved in those things. Don't blame me for asking, I'm just worried about you."

Before she could finish speaking, she couldn't help but step forward and hug Lin Weidong tightly.

Feeling the softness in his arms, Lin Weidong gently patted Su Wanqing's back and whispered words of comfort.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, it's all taken care of." He didn't explicitly say what he had done, but Su Wanqing could feel reassured from his tone.

Su Wanqing looked up at him with teary eyes.

Lin Weidong's heart stirred, and he leaned down to kiss her.

Their soft lips touched, carrying each other's warmth and tacit understanding; all their worries, concerns, and trust intertwined in this kiss.

Without needing to say more, the two confirmed their relationship.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xiulan, along with people from the neighborhood committee, began visiting the area around the courtyard house.

The more she visited, the more alarmed she became.

None of the long-time residents in the neighborhood knew the origins of the deaf old woman.

Some say she has lived here for decades, others say she moved here later. No one knows who her family is, nor how she makes a living.

"This deaf old woman is definitely suspicious!" Zhao Xiulan became more and more certain and immediately returned to the street office to report the situation to Director Wang.

After listening, Director Wang's expression turned serious: "The remnants of the Qing dynasty are no small matter. If she is hiding some conspiracy, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Immediately apply for a search warrant and conduct a full search of the deaf old woman's home!"

That afternoon, Zhao Xiulan, accompanied by staff from the neighborhood committee and several police officers, arrived at the courtyard house.

"Deaf elderly lady, we received a report that you are of unknown identity and suspected of possessing contraband. We are now conducting a lawful search of your home. Please cooperate."

Zhao Xiulan said in a serious tone.

The deaf old woman sat in the house, her face pale and her eyes filled with panic, yet she still tried to appear calm.

"What contraband could I, an old woman living alone, possibly possess? You're just making trouble out of nothing!"

But no one paid any attention to her obstruction, and the staff quickly began the search.

Soon, they found a locked wooden box and a yellowed booklet under the deaf old woman's bed.

Upon opening the wooden box, one was immediately struck by the dozens of gleaming gold bars, along with some jade pendants and jewelry from a previous dynasty.

"What is this?!" Zhao Xiulan picked up the booklet and gold bars and questioned sharply.

The neighbors in the courtyard heard the commotion and gathered around.

When they saw the gold bars in the wooden box, everyone was stunned and immediately erupted in excitement.

"My God! That deaf old lady is so rich!"

"A remnant of the Qing dynasty? No wonder she's been acting strangely; she's planning a restoration!"

"You can never truly know a person's heart just by looking at their face; I never imagined she was so well-hidden!"

An older woman stood in the crowd, a gloating smile on her face, and whispered to the person next to her:

"This old lady used to be lazy and good-for-nothing, requiring me to serve her every day. I never imagined she was a remnant of the previous dynasty."

Madam Jia Zhang exclaimed excitedly, "No wonder she always helped Widow Li bully others! Turns out she's not just some ordinary old woman!"

"These gold bars might all be ill-gotten gains plundered from the people! Officers, she must be severely punished!"

The deaf old woman looked at everything before her, her face turning completely ashen.

Zhao Xiulan had the deaf old woman taken into custody, confiscated the gold bars, and left the courtyard with her entourage.

The neighbors were still gossiping, their eyes filled with disdain and lingering fear as they looked at the deaf old woman's house.

The deaf elderly woman was taken to the neighborhood office, where her eligibility for the "Five Guarantees" (a government-provided social welfare program for the elderly) was revoked. She was also restricted in her living environment, and was only allowed to stay at home and go out once a week.

At other times, he had to work at home, pasting matchboxes to earn a living.

The deaf old woman never expected that she would actually achieve her goal of retiring in old age, but only in this way.