Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

The sound of the jeep's engine came to an abrupt halt at the gate of the courtyard.

The screeching sound of brakes instantly drowned out the noise in the yard.

Everyone instinctively turned their heads to look, only to see Lin Weidong striding into the courtyard.

The courtyard, which had been arguing noisily just moments before, suddenly became quieter.

Just as Yi Zhonghai was about to break free from Sha Zhu's obstruction to report to the police, he caught a glimpse of Lin Weidong, and his heart sank.

The righteous indignation on his face froze instantly, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

"What happened?" Lin Weidong asked.

His gaze first fell on the charred and collapsed Zhang family hut, then swept over the ashes scattered on the ground, and then precisely caught the faint smell of kerosene in the air.

As if he had found his pillar of support, Sha Zhu rushed forward and exclaimed urgently, "Wei Dong! You're finally back!"

"Yi Zhonghai set fire to Aunt Zhang's house and then framed my dad for arson, trying to get him arrested!"

Qin Huairu quickly supported the swaying Zhang Shi, adding, choking back tears, "The fire had barely been extinguished when Yi Zhonghai jumped out to frame Uncle He, even using the kerosene smell from Uncle He putting out the fire as evidence—he's completely distorting the truth!"

Zhang coughed until her chest ached, but she stared intently at Yi Zhonghai, her voice hoarse: "Lin Weidong, Yi Zhonghai started the fire! He hates me for getting a divorce, he hates my relationship with He Daqing, and he wanted to burn me alive!"

He Daqing stepped forward, his face still flushed, but he suppressed his anger: "Wei Dong, I risked my life to put out the fire, and he instead slanders me! I..."

"Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

Upon hearing this, the people in the courtyard started talking all at once.

After listening for a while, Lin Weidong raised his hand to interrupt everyone.

His gaze slowly shifted to Yi Zhonghai. "Yi Zhonghai, you said He Daqing started the fire, where's the evidence?"

Yi Zhonghai composed himself, immediately adopting a wronged yet righteous demeanor, and pointed at He Daqing, shouting, "Lin Weidong, you can smell the kerosene all over him!"

"If he didn't start the fire, how could he have gotten this stuff on his hands? Besides, he's always clinging to Zhang, plotting something nefarious. He was enraged and set the fire—his motive is obvious!"

Madam Jia quickly chimed in, "That's right! He Daqing has been eyeing Madam Zhang for a long time; it must have been him!"

"Yi Zhonghai's house was burned down, how could he have set it on fire?"

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui shrank to the side, not daring to utter a sound, but secretly observing Lin Weidong's expression.

Lin Weidong sneered, walked to He Daqing's side, glanced down at his sleeve, then walked to Yi Zhonghai and suddenly grabbed Yi Zhonghai's cotton-padded jacket sleeve.

A faint smell of kerosene wafted out from Yi Zhonghai's sleeve.

"You also smell of kerosene," Lin Weidong said calmly.

"Following your logic, you're also a suspect in arson?"

Yi Zhonghai's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly pulled his hand back, trying to appear calm: "I... I got this while putting out the fire! Just like him!"

"Same?"

Lin Weidong smiled and said:

"First, the Zhang family's hut and woodshed were the starting points of the fire, and they were the furthest from your house. They only blackened a small corner of your wall, yet you claim that your house was almost burned down. That's a complete lie."

"Secondly, in the middle of the night, when everyone in the hospital was fast asleep, you were the only one who discovered the fire and shouted immediately. Unless you stayed near the fire the whole time, you would have been in danger."

"Third, the kerosene smell on He Daqing's body came from a large area being contaminated during the firefighting, while you only had a small amount on your cuffs, which must have been accidentally rubbed off when you poured the kerosene. The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to deny it?"

Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Yi Zhonghai's pretense with devastation.

Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, his whole body trembled, and he opened his mouth but could not utter a word of rebuttal. The panic in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

Madam Jia was also dumbfounded. She took two steps back and dared not utter another word.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Old Yi, we really didn't expect you to turn out like this."

"Why!"

After saying that, the two shook their heads, feigning regret.

The onlookers instantly realized what was happening, their earlier suspicions turning into anger, and they pointed at Yi Zhonghai and began to berate him:

"So it was Yi Zhonghai who set the fire! How vicious! He actually tried to burn his ex-wife to death!"

"They even framed He Daqing; their hearts are so black!"

"He was already abusing Zhang before, and now he's committed arson! He's inhuman!"

Yi Zhonghai was so ashamed by the insults that he wanted to turn around and run away, but Sha Zhu grabbed him by the collar and slammed him to the ground.

"Run! Where do you think you're going!" Sha Zhu glared angrily, wanting nothing more than to beat him up. "You heartless bastard, you almost killed Aunt Zhang!"

Lin Weidong glanced at the disheveled Yi Zhonghai and said in a deep voice, "Arson is a serious crime. Keep an eye on him for now, and send him directly to the police station at dawn for legal processing."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone rushed forward, found ropes, tied Yi Zhonghai up, threw him in the corner, and ignored him completely.

He Daqing never expected that a deadly crisis would be easily resolved by Lin Weidong with just a few words.

Seeing that things had come to a conclusion, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Lin Weidong with admiration.

He Daqing quickly turned around and walked to Zhang's side. He looked at her pale face, messy hair, and red eyes from coughing.

Feeling extremely distressed, he quickly reached out and gently supported her arm, whispering, "Zhang, are you alright? Sit down and rest, don't tire yourself out."

His movements were careful and full of concern. He gently patted her back to help her catch her breath, and his eyes showed no attempt to hide his worry and heartache.

Supported by He Daqing, Zhang felt the warmth of his palm and saw the care in his eyes. The shock, grievance, and fear she had just experienced surged into her heart, her eyes reddened, and tears fell uncontrollably.

Over the years, she has only experienced domestic violence and scheming by Yi Zhonghai's side, never a shred of sympathy.

He Daqing risked his life to put out the fire when she was in her most dangerous moment, and even when he was framed, he never abandoned her. This sincerity is more precious than anything else.

"Daqing..." Zhang's voice choked with emotion as she looked up at He Daqing, her eyes filled with gratitude and reliance. "Thanks to you today, thanks to Weidong."

"Why are you saying all this?" He Daqing quickly raised his hand and gently wiped away her tears with his rough fingertips. His movements were clumsy but gentle. "From now on, with me here, no one can bully you anymore. I'll protect you."

A simple sentence, yet it was like a warm current that instantly flowed into Zhang's heart, making her heart burn with warmth.

Looking into He Daqing's sincere eyes and feeling his steady support, her cheeks flushed slightly.

Having survived this life-or-death ordeal, she clearly understands who is truly someone she can rely on.

Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu, who were standing nearby, looked at each other and smiled.

Yi Zhonghai was tied to the corner of the wall. Watching this scene, he gritted his teeth in hatred, and the resentment in his eyes was almost overflowing.

Meanwhile, the deaf old woman listened to the commotion at the courthouse through her window. After Yi Zhonghai was proven guilty, she slammed her cane down hard.

"Useless! Useless! You can't even handle something this simple."

The deaf old woman's eyes were sinister; she began to plot.

Actually, she wasn't afraid of going out or not. As long as no one was watching her, she could leave at any time. There was a passage in that underground secret room that led directly to the alley next door.