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

The deaf old woman leaned close to Yi Zhonghai's ear, her voice low and chilling, like a viper's hiss: "That scoundrel Zhou Weiguo changes women like he changes clothes; he's obviously a lecherous glutton. We'll start with that! Listen carefully, one evening around nine o'clock, go to No. 25 Yanzhi Hutong. Knock on the door in a rhythm of two short knocks, three long knocks, then two short knocks again. Then you do this and that... After it's done, I guarantee he'll be utterly disgraced, crippled in body and soul, and never be able to recover!"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes lit up instantly, the gloom on his face vanished, replaced by almost frantic excitement.

He nodded vigorously, lowering his voice to solemnly assure her, "Okay! Okay! Don't worry, Grandma! Leave it to me, I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly!"

The deaf old woman nodded in satisfaction and waved her hand: "Alright, you can go out now. I want to say a few words to Cuilan."

Yi Zhonghai responded respectfully, turned around and walked out quickly, his steps much lighter, as if he had already witnessed Zhou Weiguo's tragic end of disgrace.

As soon as Yi Zhonghai left, the deaf old woman called out towards the door, "Cuilan, come here." Her voice carried an unyielding authority.

Zhang Cuilan, holding the child, slowly moved to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), keeping her head down the whole time. Her whole body exuded a sense of resistance, but she dared not show it openly, and could only secretly clench the hem of her clothes.

The deaf old woman looked her up and down, then slowly said, "Cuilan, I know you're a good girl. You must have seen the people from the neighborhood committee when you entered the courtyard, right?"

Zhang Cuilan pursed her lips and nodded gently, her unease surging like a rising tide.

The deaf old woman sighed and said in a heavy tone, "Something happened in the courtyard today. Xiao Yi was set up. Unfortunately, when the people from the neighborhood committee barged in, they witnessed something they shouldn't have seen, and now things have blown up completely."

Zhang Cuilan suddenly looked up, her eyes full of confusion: "Grandma, what's going on? I don't quite understand."

A vague sense of foreboding rose in her heart, her heart pounded faster and faster, and even the hands holding the child trembled slightly.

The deaf old woman narrowed her eyes, a barely perceptible hint of coercion in her tone: "Xiao Yi was drugged and lost control in my house, caught red-handed by the neighborhood committee. Now they want to prosecute him—either a few decades in prison or he'll be executed. There's only one way to save him: I'll get married to him and make this a misunderstanding between husband and wife. But you have to divorce him first, and then remarry him after things have calmed down."

The deaf old woman stared intently into Zhang Cuilan's eyes, her mind already made up: if this woman didn't cooperate, she wouldn't hesitate to use the origins of this bastard child to coerce and entice her.

Zhang Cuilan's face turned deathly pale instantly, her eyes filled with disbelief, as if her entire worldview had been shattered.

Her lips trembled uncontrollably, and she held the child tightly in her arms, as if that would give her a sense of security.

The deaf old woman's words were so impactful that they left her momentarily stunned.

She only dared to glance briefly at the sinister look in the deaf old woman's eyes, her heart trembled, and she quickly lowered her head again, biting her lower lip tightly until she tasted blood before she came to her senses.

After a long pause, she slowly raised her head, her voice hoarse as if it had been sanded: "I understand, ma'am. Whatever you say, we'll do."

Seeing Zhang Cuilan obediently comply, the deaf old woman instantly put on a fake smile, and her tone softened considerably: "That's a good girl. Don't worry, it's just a temporary measure. Once this is over, you'll soon be able to live a good life with Xiao Yi."

She glanced at Zhang Cuilan's pale face and secretly pondered: I can't push this woman too far; I'll still need her to serve me in the future. This woman has no one to rely on without Yi Zhonghai; as long as I can grasp her weakness, she'll naturally have no choice but to obey.

"Cuilan, I did all this to save Xiaoyi's life."

The deaf old woman softened her tone and took out a small cloth bag embroidered with subtle patterns from under her pillow. "Here, take this. It's a small token of my appreciation, and it'll put your mind at ease."

She opened the cloth bag, and inside lay two large, golden yellow croakers, gleaming dazzlingly in the dim light.

A hint of reluctance flashed in the deaf old woman's eyes, but she still gritted her teeth and handed the cloth bag to Zhang Cuilan: "Take it and rest assured."

She feigned sincerity, "If it weren't to save Xiao Yi, I would never have done this. Think about it, at my age, doing this would ruin my reputation for life!"

Zhang Cuilan glanced quickly at the deaf old woman, her eyes filled with panic and helplessness. After hesitating for a long time, she finally mustered her courage and spoke in a trembling voice, "Grandma, I... if I divorce Lao Yi, how will I live? I have no job, no salary, nowhere else to go, and I have to take care of the child... I really don't know how I'm going to survive in the future."

Her words were filled with helplessness and pleading; she knew that without Yi Zhonghai's support, she would find it impossible to move an inch in Beijing.

The deaf old woman waved her hand impatiently, a calculating glint in her narrowed eyes, but her tone was deliberately relaxed: "Alright, you don't need to worry about such a small matter. After Zhonghai divorces you, let him move in with me temporarily. The room you're currently living in will still be yours, and you can continue to eat with us as usual. We won't let you and your mother go hungry or cold, and you don't need to worry about anything in terms of daily life."

She had already planned it out: as long as Zhang Cuilan's basic living conditions were secured, this woman would be obedient.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuilan's eyes lit up instantly. She knew that she couldn't be too flamboyant in front of the shrewd deaf old woman.

She lowered her head and only gave a soft "hmm".

The deaf old woman stared at her intently, her tone softening slightly, carrying a hint of ambiguous warmth, but actually concealing an undeniable warning: "Cuilan, I remember all the care you've given me. As long as you behave and cooperate, Xiao Yi and I will take good care of you and the child. But you must understand, in this courtyard, the only ones who truly care about you and can protect you are Xiao Yi and me. Do you understand what I mean?"

Zhang Cuilan's face turned pale instantly, her body stiffened slightly, and she felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart with an ice pick. She instantly understood the deaf old woman's unspoken meaning.

This wasn't a gentle reminder; it was a blatant threat! As expected of an old woman, she knew all along what the child was like and was using the child to manipulate her!

She suppressed the fear and humiliation in her heart, her voice trembling slightly but unusually firm: "Grandma, don't worry, I know what to do."

Now that things have come to this, she has no choice but to compromise.

The deaf old woman showed a satisfied expression that said, "It's good that you understand," waved her hand, and her tone returned to its previous authority: "Alright, Cuilan, go and invite Director Wang in. This matter needs to be settled as soon as possible."