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

These people have lived in the courtyard for so long that they've probably all forgotten what Xu Wude used to do! Back then, he was Lou Bancheng's personal bodyguard, and later he became a bodyguard and driver. He traveled all over the country for many years and had several lives on his hands. How could he allow a woman to treat him like this?

Tao Ling became even more anxious, taking a step forward to try and stop her, her voice shrill as she objected: "No! No! Absolutely not! We just got this apartment, where will we live if you give it away? I don't want to go back to the cramped dormitory at work, no, absolutely not!"

Xu Wude's face was frighteningly gloomy, but he didn't lash out on the spot. Instead, he turned to the side, leaned close to Tao Ling's ear, and whispered a few words.

Upon hearing this, Tao Ling's excited expression froze instantly. Her eyes flickered a few times, and then, as if she had thought of something, she suddenly shut her mouth. However, her chest was still heaving violently, clearly indicating that she was suppressing a bellyful of anger.

After a moment, Xu Wude looked up at Song Dahua, gritted his teeth, and said, word by word, "Fine, I agree. I'll transfer the house to you, and I'll give you the five hundred yuan as well. Consider this the end of the matter."

The moment these words were spoken, the courtyard erupted in an uproar! The onlookers whispered amongst themselves, their voices rising instantly. These days, a bride price was at most ten or eight yuan, yet the Xu family was offering a house plus five hundred yuan to get Song Dahua to divorce Xu Damao—this was an outrageously generous gesture!

Someone muttered under their breath, "My goodness, Song Dahua is so lucky! She got married and divorced just a few days ago, and she's already made a house and money."

But someone immediately retorted, their tone carrying a cold, worldly-wise edge: "Hmph, what's so good about it! I see things clearly now. Asking for two or three hundred yuan would be understandable, but she's asking for five hundred plus a house! She's completely offended Xu Wude! What kind of person is Xu Wude? He's never claimed to be a good person; he always considers himself a scoundrel, and he's surrounded by a bunch of petty, unscrupulous friends. Song Dahua is only thinking about immediate gains; she's probably in for a rough time!"

The words were crude but true, and many people secretly nodded in agreement. However, Song Dahua was already overwhelmed by the sudden surprise and could not care about these follow-up matters.

She threw the kitchen knife on the ground with a clatter, rushed forward, grabbed Xu Wude's arm, and said urgently, "You mean what you say! Come on, let's go to the neighborhood office now to get the paperwork done, lest something goes wrong!"

Xu Wude stumbled as she pulled him, a flash of coldness crossing his eyes, but he calmly pulled his hand away and said in a deep voice, "What's the rush! It's too late today, the neighborhood office is closed. We'll go get the documents tomorrow morning, you'll get yours."

He paused, then added, "Go back inside and wait. Don't cause any more trouble. Leave promptly tomorrow morning."

Fearing complications, Song Dahua quickly nodded, "Okay! I'll trust you this time. I'll be waiting for you here first thing tomorrow morning. Don't try anything funny!"

As he spoke, he turned and went back to the Xu family house, his face full of the joy of his impending success, completely unaware of the sinister look that Xu Wude and his wife exchanged.

The neighbors in the courtyard gradually dispersed as the farce came to a temporary end, still discussing the rights and wrongs of the matter.

Zhou Weiguo, holding the child, took in everything. His brows furrowed slightly. He could tell that Xu Wude had ill intentions, and that Song Dahua's seemingly victorious situation might not be a good thing at all.

Just then, a "knock knock knock" sound came from the main gate of the east courtyard, the rhythm was slow but somewhat weak.

Zhou Weiguo was taken aback. Who would come looking for him at this hour? He subconsciously activated his spatial perception and glanced around. He was startled again. There was a woman of about eighteen or nineteen years old standing outside the door. She was extremely beautiful. Even though she was wearing an old cloth shirt that was faded and patched in two places, it could not hide her elegant and refined temperament.

Her eyebrows were curved, her nose was straight and delicate, and her lips were naturally red. However, her face was too pale, which made her almond-shaped eyes appear even more watery, yet they also revealed an undeniable weariness and weakness.

The woman was holding a child of about one year old tightly in her arms. The little one was leaning on her shoulder, his eyes closed, and it was hard to tell whether he was asleep or awake. His little face was also pale.

Suppressing his surprise, Zhou Weiguo stepped forward and opened the courtyard gate. Both men were startled when the gate opened.

Looking at the woman so close to him, Zhou Weiguo felt even more that she was petite and charming. Her slender body seemed as if a gust of wind could blow her over, and her pale cheeks were flushed with a faint sickly blush, making her even more endearing.

When the woman looked up and saw Zhou Weiguo's appearance, she was instantly stunned. The man in front of her was tall and handsome, with a calm and reserved demeanor between his brows. He was definitely not an ordinary man. Moreover, he was holding a small child in his arms, who looked very cute.

When she caught a glimpse of the cars and motorcycles parked in the corner of the yard, all of which were models she had never seen before, the woman was momentarily dazed and subconsciously tightened her grip on the child in her arms.

However, she reacted quickly, instantly concealing her astonishment. Forcing herself to stand up, she pleaded cautiously, her voice soft yet trembling, "Hello, comrade. Excuse me... could I possibly have some water? My child and I have walked a long way and are extremely thirsty."

As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, her posture showing a hint of embarrassment. The child in her arms seemed to be startled by the sound and let out a soft whimper. She immediately tightened her arms, gently patted the child's back, and her eyes were full of maternal love.

Zhou Weiguo's gaze swept over her pale face and the child in her arms, then glanced outside the courtyard, a trace of doubt passing through his mind.

He stepped aside to make way, and said in a calm tone, "Come in, there's water in the yard."

A hint of gratitude flashed in the woman's eyes. She whispered, "Thank you, comrade," and then carried the child into the yard. Her steps were unsteady, clearly indicating that she was extremely exhausted.

As soon as the two entered the courtyard, the woman's gaze unconsciously fell on Zhou Weiguo, secretly observing him. Along the way, she had seen many men look at her with undisguised greed and lust in their eyes, but this handsome man in front of her only looked at her with a peaceful, somewhat indifferent scrutiny, and even a bit of pity, without a trace of impure thoughts, which puzzled her greatly.

Just then, footsteps were heard inside the house, and Lou Xiao'e, Tian Zao, and the others came out.

Tian Zao, heavily pregnant, moved a little slower. Upon seeing the unfamiliar woman and child in the courtyard, she paused for a moment, then walked to Zhou Weiguo's side and asked in a low, questioning voice, "Weiguo, who is this?"

Zhou Weiguo held the child in one arm and protected Tian Zao with the other, saying softly, "They were just passing by asking for a drink of water; they seem to be having a tough time. Let's help them if we can!"

Upon hearing this, the woman trembled, looked at Zhou Weiguo, and her eyes reddened.

This reaction completely baffled Zhou Weiguo. He was ready to take drastic measures against the woman when he saw Tian Zao and the others come out. What's the meaning of your sudden change in the friend or foe detection from red to green?

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