Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

As darkness fell, the kerosene lamp in the deaf old woman's house flickered dimly. Widow Li huddled alone in a chair in the corner of the room, her hands rubbing the hem of her clothes.

The room was a mess, with a few old clothes belonging to the deaf old woman scattered around, just like her anxious state of mind.

The image of the deaf old woman being taken away weighed heavily on her mind. She was afraid that her identity would be exposed, and she was also afraid that the deaf old woman would implicate her.

He paced back and forth in the house restlessly, constantly listening to the sounds outside the yard, and would tremble with fear at the slightest disturbance.

She knew that once her identity as a mountain bandit wife was exposed, her fate would be no better than that of the deaf old woman.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and Lin Weidong stood in the doorway. Widow Li's heart tightened at the sight, and she instinctively wanted to crawl under the table.

"You... why are you here?" Widow Li asked, trying to remain calm.

Lin Weidong walked into the room, casually closed the door, glanced at her flustered appearance, and said calmly, "Should I call you the Mountain Village Madam, or Widow Li?"

"How...how did you know?" Widow Li was struck dumb, and she stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with fear and murderous intent.

She never expected that Lin Weidong knew her true identity, and her only thought at that moment was to kill him to silence him.

She quietly reached for a pair of scissors hidden under the table, but her fingers had barely touched the cold metal when she was stopped by Lin Weidong's cold gaze.

"Don't waste your energy, you're no match for me. I'm not here to expose you, but to give you a chance to make a fortune."

Widow Li froze in place. "A chance to make a fortune?"

"The deaf old lady had a lot of treasures hidden away, including gold bars, jade, and antiques. What was confiscated by the neighborhood committee before was only a part of them."

Lin Weidong said slowly, "Now she's all alone, with no one to protect her. Do me a favor, and all the remaining treasures will be yours. As for how to get them, that's up to you."

Widow Li's eyes lit up instantly, greed overriding her fear.

She already knew the deaf old woman was rich, but she never had the chance to make a move. "What do you want me to do?"

"It's very simple," Lin Weidong said with a meaningful smile, "Take good care of the deaf old lady from now on, and let her experience what it's like to be waited on."

The widow Li instantly understood the deeper meaning behind those seemingly casual words of "care," and a sinister smile appeared on her face: "No problem! Leave it to me!"

At this moment, she was already planning in her heart that when the deaf old lady returned, she would definitely repay her for taking care of her during this time.

The next morning, the gate of the courtyard was pushed open, and people from the neighborhood committee escorted the deaf old woman in.

She used to be a woman who, leaning on a cane, stood tall and had the final say in the courtyard house.

But now, her hair was disheveled, her clothes were tattered, her body was hunched over, and her eyes were dull and lifeless, like a withered grass that had been battered by frost, completely lacking her former imposing presence.

"Look, the deaf old lady is being brought back!"

"This is truly gratifying! This remnant of the Qing dynasty has finally gotten his comeuppance!"

"He used to put on airs in the yard, but now he's just like a stray dog!"

The neighbors gathered around, pointing and whispering, their curses echoing everywhere.

Standing at the front, Jia Zhangshi, hands on her hips, shouted loudly, "You old hag, you've finally met your match! Weren't you so capable before?"

An older woman chimed in, "That's right! That wicked woman from the previous dynasty has brought this upon herself!"

The deaf old woman lowered her head, enduring the insults from the crowd, her cheeks burning, but she couldn't utter a single word.

She had never suffered such humiliation in her life, but now she was a prisoner and didn't even have the strength to refute it.

After being taken back to her home, the deaf old woman was just about to find a stool to sit down and rest when Widow Li walked in from outside, put her hands on her hips, adopted a hostess-like posture, and pointed at the clutter on the ground.

"What are you standing there for? Can't you see how messy the room is? Clean it up right now!"

The deaf old woman was stunned, unable to believe her ears.

She looked up at the widow Li who had once obeyed her every word, her eyes filled with astonishment and anger: "How dare you speak to me like that?"

"Why wouldn't you dare?" Widow Li sneered, took a step forward, and forcefully shoved the deaf old woman.

"You're a prisoner now, so why are you putting on airs? Get to work, or you'll regret it!"

The deaf old woman staggered back a few steps, trembling with anger.

She wanted to lash out, but seeing Widow Li's fierce appearance and considering her own current situation, she could only helplessly lower her head, pick up the broom in the corner, and begin cleaning.

The former concubine now had to sweep the floor for a widow from a mountain village; this huge change was heartbreaking for her.

The days that followed became a nightmare for the deaf old woman.

She was restricted from leaving the house, and every day, in addition to cleaning the house, she also had to do laundry, cook, serve tea and water for Widow Li, practically becoming Widow Li's servant.

Widow Li completely let loose, ordering the deaf old woman around every day, cursing her and even shoving her if she didn't do her job properly.

She searched every corner of the deaf old woman's house, under the bed, in the cabinets, in the cracks in the walls, and even lifted the roof tiles to check, but apart from some old clothes and worthless junk, she found no treasures.

"Damn the neighborhood committee, they're so efficient!" Widow Li cursed under her breath, but she was still unwilling to accept it.

She didn't believe the deaf old woman only had that few gold bars; she was sure there were even more valuable treasures hidden in secret places.

So she began to torment the deaf old woman in various ways, trying to force her to reveal the whereabouts of the treasure.

Sometimes they would deliberately withhold food from her, sometimes they would make her wash clothes with cold water in the dead of winter, and sometimes they would prick the back of her hand with a needle.

No matter how much Widow Li tormented her, the deaf old woman gritted her teeth and remained silent.

Even if it meant death, she would never let these things fall into the hands of someone like Widow Li.

"Tell me! Where did you hide the rest of the treasure?" Widow Li pointed a needle at the deaf old woman's face and asked fiercely.

The deaf old woman raised her head, her eyes filled with disdain and determination: "You're dreaming! Even if I destroy this treasure, I won't give it to you."

"Still being stubborn!" Widow Li, enraged, raised her hand and slapped the deaf old woman across the face. "Let's see how long you can keep up this act!"

The slap was loud, and the deaf old woman's cheek instantly swelled up and bled from the corner of her mouth.

But she still stood tall, showing no sign of yielding.

Widow Li trembled with anger at the sight of her, yet she was helpless. She knew that this old woman was determined to see things through to the end.

On the days when it was time for exercise, Widow Li would clean up the old man and let him sunbathe at the door. Many people in the courtyard thought that Widow Li was a kind-hearted person who would take care of people like him.

However, some people say she was a lackey of the old lady from the previous dynasty.