I painted an aircraft carrier on the courtyard house for Dongda University.

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly darkened, and he cursed Jia Dongxu inwardly for being more trouble than he was worth. But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward to stop him.

He shielded Jia Dongxu with his body, forcing himself to remain calm as he snapped, "Dongxu, shut up!"

However, the onlookers were already buzzing with gossip. Whispers mingled with sneers, and meaningful glances were cast at the Jia family. Qin Huairu's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she instinctively covered her mouth with her sleeve. She never dreamed that her husband would reveal such a thing in public, and for a moment she was completely flustered and didn't know what to do.

Seeing this, Zhou Weiguo was too lazy to argue any further and directly ordered, "Zhuzi, Yushui, lock the door and come with me. Let's go for a walk." After saying that, he glanced at the crowd, snorted coldly, and walked away.

He Yuzhu seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly followed.

Before leaving, he winked at Qin Huairu, "Sister Qin, you can't blame my uncle for this. Blame Brother Jia for speaking too quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Weiguo glared angrily at He Yuzhu.

Raindrops trotted to lock the door, then followed the two like a cheerful lark, and the three of them sped away.

Sensing the strange looks from the neighbors, Yi Zhonghai quickly led Qin Huairu and Jia Dongxu back to the Jia family home. Inside, Jia Dongxu slumped in a chair, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his eyes staring blankly at the ground. Qin Huairu leaned against the wall, dejected, tears silently streaming down her face.

Yi Zhonghai's face was terribly grim as he paced back and forth in the room. He inwardly regretted his choice of caregiver. Had he chosen the wrong person to care for in his old age? Jia Dongxu was utterly incompetent; he had ruined a perfectly good plan with his mouth and exposed the Jia family's scandals. Now, public opinion in the courtyard would be uncontrollable, let alone rescuing Jia Zhangshi through public opinion.

Yi Zhonghai looked at Jia Dongxu sternly: "Dongxu, remember, you absolutely cannot go to those places again. Otherwise, don't blame me for not taking care of you anymore. If you don't want the job your father passed down to you, then keep going, go every day. Don't forget why those people who were fired from the factory last year were fired."

Jia Dongxu quickly said, "Master, I understand. I definitely won't go again. Please believe me."

Yi Zhonghai's expression softened slightly: "The job grade determination is coming up soon. You've been working in the factory for several years now, how come your skills haven't improved? This time, you need to pass the exam to become a Level 1 worker." After saying that, he went straight out the door.

Jia Dongxu dejectedly agreed. Once Yi Zhonghai's footsteps had completely disappeared, he slammed his fist on the table, the porcelain bowl clattering loudly. Qin Huairu jumped in fright, but after a moment's hesitation, she said, "Dongxu, don't be angry, I don't blame you. Let's just live a good life from now on. By the way, we've run out of food. You just got paid yesterday, could you give me some money? We're almost out of food."

Jia Dongxu's face darkened, filled with regret. He knew he shouldn't have listened to Zhang Mazi last night and gone to the gambling den, only to lose everything. He said irritably, "If we're out of food, we should ask our master for some. Why spend money?" After saying that, he lay down on the bed and pretended to be asleep.

Meanwhile, Zhou Weiguo and his two companions strolled along the street outside the courtyard house. A gentle summer breeze blew by, but it couldn't dispel the joy in his heart. Seeing He Yuzhu beside him still immersed in the commotion, occasionally letting out a silly laugh, Zhou Weiguo couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. It seemed the turmoil in this courtyard house had only just begun; let's see what kind of trouble these scoundrels can cause.

The three chatted and laughed all the way, first going to a state-run restaurant for a delicious meal. Three large meat dishes cost less than three yuan in total. After their satisfying meal, Zhou Weiguo took them to a department store. As soon as they entered, he went straight to the bicycle section and carefully selected a Forever brand 28-inch bicycle. Then, he bought Yushui a floral dress and picked out a brand new pair of Warrior sneakers for He Yuzhu.

Seeing their surprised and touched expressions, Zhou Weiguo waved his hand and said, "Let's go to the grocery store and buy some candy and melon seeds. We'll have a good time when we get home tonight!"

Afterwards, He Yuzhu rode his new bicycle, Zhou Weiguo sat on the back, and He Yushui sat on the crossbeam. The three of them staggered off to get the official stamp, bought some groceries, and then leisurely returned to the courtyard house.

Just as they carried the bike into the yard, they bumped into Uncle Yan Bugui, who was standing at the gate, peering around. Seeing the three men returning laden with purchases, his eyes lit up instantly. He rubbed his hands together and approached them, his tone ingratiating: "Hey, Brother Zhou, you've struck it rich! You even bought a bicycle? Good heavens, this is a standard Forever brand bicycle, the first one in our yard! Brother Zhou, you're really something, buying so much good stuff!"

Zhou Weiguo raised an eyebrow and smiled, not replying, but simply nodding and preparing to step into the courtyard. Yan Bugui, seeing Zhou Weiguo's silence, wasn't embarrassed. Instead, he followed him into the courtyard, his eyes fixed on the grocery bag on the back seat. He clicked his tongue and said, "Brother Zhou, the candy you bought, is it ABC mouse candy? Tsk tsk, that's a rare find! My three kids have never even seen one before. Brother Zhou, let me see what this candy looks like?" As he spoke, he reached into the bag.

Zhou Weiguo stepped aside to block him and directly ordered, "Zhuzi, push the cart home."

Seeing that he hadn't gained anything, Yan Bugui's face darkened, and he complained, "Brother Weiguo, I haven't offended you, have I?"

Zhou Weiguo remained calm, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Brother Yan, there are some things I don't want to say outright. Everyone cares about face; if you're happy, I'm happy, and everyone's happy, then we're all happy. But if someone doesn't care about face, then the ending might be the same as Jia Zhangshi's." After saying that, he ignored Yan Bugui and walked straight home.

Yan Bugui's smile froze instantly, his hand hovering in mid-air, caught in a dilemma. He opened his mouth to retort, but was silenced by the threat in Zhou Weiguo's words. He could only awkwardly withdraw his hand and slink away to his home, muttering unintelligible complaints under his breath.

As soon as Zhou Weiguo entered the house, he saw He Yuzhu pushing the cart inside, and He Yushui tiptoeing to put groceries into the cupboard. Seeing Zhou Weiguo come in, her eyes crinkled into crescents. He Yuzhu immediately said, "Uncle, don't mind that stingy old man Yan. He's the kind of person who'd taste the saltiness of even a passing manure cart with his finger."

Zhou Weiguo sighed and said earnestly, "There's really no need to bother with people like that. From now on, you two should meddle less in the affairs of the courtyard. It's important to live a peaceful life. In a while, your uncle will find you an aunt, and then we'll have something to look forward to."

He Yuzhu and He Yushui exchanged a glance, and then He Yuzhu looked at Zhou Weiguo with a shy expression, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.