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

Song Dahua's eyes lit up for a moment, as if she had grasped a lifeline, but then hesitation enveloped them again.

She bit her lower lip, her eyes flickering, and asked cautiously, "Da Mao...you're not lying to me? Really, nobody will know? Old Liu...he won't even notice?"

She was terrified—terrified of going to jail, afraid of dying, and even more afraid of being beaten by Liu Haizhong if he found out.

Seeing this, Xu Damao quickly patted his chest and assured her, his tone urgent and certain: "Absolutely not! Second Aunt, don't worry! I promise you, before Lao Liu gets out, we'll definitely resolve everything! Then you'll still be you, and I'll still be me, and we'll act as if this never happened!"

He sneered inwardly. As long as he could save his own life, he could worry about the rest later. This old woman was easily fooled.

On the other side, Yi Zhonghai stood anxiously at his doorstep, Zhang Cuilan had not returned for a long time, and every minute of waiting felt like torture. He finally staggered to the gate of the courtyard and craned his neck to look into the alley.

After waiting for more than half an hour, they finally saw Zhang Cuilan carrying a child, walking hurriedly from a distance, her shadow stretching long in the setting sun.

"Old Yi? What are you doing here?"

When Zhang Cuilan saw him, a look of surprise appeared on her face. Her tone was tired from just putting her child to sleep, and she slowed her pace.

Yi Zhonghai had no time to respond; the urgency in his eyes was almost overflowing. He grabbed Zhang Cuilan's wrist with a force as strong as an iron clamp and dragged her wildly toward the backyard.

"Stop talking nonsense! Come with me!" His voice trembled, filled with an undeniable panic.

Zhang Cuilan was pulled so hard she stumbled, and the child in her arms swayed with her. Terrified, she quickly shielded the child with her arms and screamed, "Yi Zhonghai! Are you crazy? Slow down! Don't drop the child! Hey, hey, pull gently, my wrist is going to break!"

Ignoring her cries and the astonished looks of the onlookers in the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai dragged Zhang Cuilan into the backyard as if she were an object.

He kicked open the deaf old woman's door and barged in with Zhang Cuilan.

Upon seeing the deaf old woman sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), Yi Zhonghai's face instantly fell, his voice trembling with terror and despair: "Old lady... Zhou Weiguo! I saw Zhou Weiguo! He wasn't arrested!"

The deaf old woman suddenly raised her head, her cloudy eyes filled with disbelief, staring intently at Yi Zhonghai: "Xiao Yi, are you telling the truth? Don't joke with me like that!"

Yi Zhonghai shook his head vigorously, veins bulging on his forehead, his tone urgent and certain: "Absolutely true! I'm not lying to you! He's in the Central Courtyard, leaning against the doorframe watching the commotion! He looks so relaxed, not at all like someone who's been arrested!"

The deaf old woman's eyes darted around twice, and the color drained from her face instantly, replaced by a gloomy expression.

She slammed her hand on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), gritting her teeth and cursing, "Good! Good for Zhou Weiguo! He's like a hunter who gets pecked in the eye by a goose! All of us have been outsmarted by this little beast!"

Yi Zhonghai already had some doubts, but now that the deaf old woman had pointed them out, all his suspicions turned into certainty.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, the hatred in his eyes almost tangible. He said viciously, "That's right! It's definitely him! That blockhead Sha Zhu, how could he have such thoughts and methods? You, Zhou Weiguo! I just wanted to scheme against Sha Zhu and bring him and Qin Huairu together, what does that have to do with you? Why did you have to meddle! Since he won't let me have an easy time, then I won't let him have an easy time either! Tomorrow I'll go to the Eight Great Hutongs and find some people, I refuse to believe I can't take him down!"

Upon hearing this, the deaf old woman rolled her eyes dramatically, her tone full of disdain and mockery: "Stop talking nonsense! You can scheme against Zhou Weiguo, but you absolutely cannot do it openly, much less use force! Otherwise, you'll be dead faster than anyone else!"

Yi Zhonghai was stunned by her retort, his face full of confusion and resentment. He shouted excitedly, "Why?! He's ruined us like this, are we just supposed to accept it? All we wanted to do was bring Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu together, what's wrong with that? Putting aside the facts, don't Zhou Weiguo and Sha Zhu bear any responsibility? He can scheme against us, why can't I fight back?"

Looking at his arrogant and ignorant attitude, the deaf old woman shook her head helplessly and said in a heavy tone, "I'll give you this last piece of advice: if you want to die, just do it openly, or go to the Eight Great Hutongs and find someone to take matters into their own hands. When that happens, no one can save you."

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat, and the arrogance on his face immediately diminished. He looked at the deaf old woman hesitantly: "You...aren't you exaggerating a bit? He's just a chief engineer, how could he possibly have absolute power?"

The deaf old woman glanced at him coldly: "There are many ways to scheme against him, but you absolutely cannot have someone directly attack him. If you dare to actually do it, you'll be arrested within three days. I'm telling you this."

Yi Zhonghai shuddered at her tone, and the image of those suspicious people in Zhou Weiguo's courtyard flashed through his mind. They were usually taciturn, but would instinctively reach for their waists at the slightest sound.

His eyes widened suddenly, a cold sweat broke out on his back, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Grandma... do you mean... Zhou Weiguo has someone protecting him? Or someone sent by the government?"

The deaf old woman didn't speak, but slowly nodded, the solemnity in her eyes saying everything.

Yi Zhonghai's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground. His face was filled with pain and resentment. He gripped his hair tightly with both hands and roared, "I'm not reconciled! I'm really not reconciled! Why could he manipulate us so easily? Why did I have to end up like this?"

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in the deaf old woman's eyes, and she said in a low voice, "Stop shouting! You're not willing to give up, and I'm even less willing! Since open attacks don't work, let's try covert ones. I have an idea, do you want to give it a try?"

Yi Zhonghai, as if grasping at a lifeline, abruptly raised his head, his pain instantly replaced by ecstatic joy. He eagerly leaned forward, "Grandma, please tell me! Whatever your idea is, I'll listen to you!"

The deaf old woman glanced at Zhang Cuilan, who was standing to the side holding her child and not saying a word, with a hint of disdain in her eyes.

Zhang Cuilan felt uncomfortable under her gaze and subconsciously took a half step back.

Seeing that she was sensible, the deaf old woman stopped paying attention to her and cleared her throat.

Seeing this, Zhang Cuilan wisely picked up the child and turned to walk towards the opposite house. In the instant she turned around, the disgust and loathing in her eyes almost overflowed.

After confirming that Zhang Cuilan had left, the deaf old woman slowly rummaged under her pillow for a long time, pulled out a silver dollar with an inscription, and handed it to Yi Zhonghai.

P.S.: Please urge me to update more and give me good reviews. Thank you!