Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The closed door of Yi Zhonghai's house seemed to separate two worlds. Inside, there was a faint warmth of surviving the ordeal and the bond of blood; outside, the entire No. 95 courtyard was boiling over like a depth charge, fermenting with all sorts of bittersweet feelings.

Yan Bugui returned to his house in the front yard, his mind still buzzing. "Nephews and nieces? Where did Yi Zhonghai get his brother? And he died in Korea? Became a martyr?" He sat on a stool, his small eyes darting around, his mind racing with calculations: "If he really is a martyr's orphan, the state will provide subsidies! That old bastard Yi Zhonghai will not only get two children to support him in his old age, but he'll also get a pension? This... this is practically a blessing in disguise! If only I had known this would happen..." The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, and he regretted not asking more questions earlier. He was plotting how to get more details from Yi Zhonghai or Director Wang, to see if he could also benefit from it, or at least figure out how much of a "martyr's" title was and whether he could use it to get some benefits for his family.

The atmosphere at Liu Haizhong's home in the Intermediate People's Court was even more oppressive. Liu Haizhong paced back and forth in the room, his hands behind his back, his face ashen. "Yi Zhonghai! What makes him so special?! Huh? A man without an heir, about to face a miserable old age, and suddenly a martyr's brother appears out of nowhere, and even has two children! What kind of luck is this?!" The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, especially thinking about his three sons, none of whom were good enough, and his eldest son was determined to leave. His anger flared even more. "A martyr's orphan? Hmph! Who knows if it's true or not! Maybe Yi Zhonghai found some bastard to impersonate him just to save face! Yes! That must be it! I have to find a chance to expose him!" A strong sense of jealousy and resentment made it impossible for him to accept the fact that Yi Zhonghai had suddenly "turned the tables."

In the Jia family home, Jia Zhangshi peeked through the crack in the window at the Yi family's tightly closed door, curled her lip, and said to her son Jia Dongxu and daughter-in-law Qin Huairu, who were lying on the bed, "See that? That old bastard Yi Zhonghai still managed to bring two kids along to save face! He claims they're his nephews? What a joke! They're probably unwanted wild children that he picked up to take advantage of! Just wait and see, he'll regret it!" In her heart, she was hoping that Yi Zhonghai's adoption would fail and he would become a laughing stock again, so that her Jia family, although struggling, would at least appear to be "original."

In the backyard, Xu Damao was tidying his thinning hair in front of the mirror when he heard the news his parents brought back. He sneered, "Oh ho! Yi Zhonghai is something else! He's made up quite a story! A martyr's orphan? Why doesn't he mention that his brother is the Commander-in-Chief? I bet Director Wang just took pity on him and found him two kids to flatter him a bit! Just wait and see, with Yi Zhonghai's stinginess, how good can he be to two outsiders? They'll cause trouble sooner or later!" He seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold.

Only Sha Zhu, who overheard the news from his own house, scratched his head and said to He Yushui, who was cooking, "Yi Zhonghai found his nephew? And he's a descendant of a martyr? That's good news! No matter what, the child is innocent. From now on, I'll save some leftovers for those two kids. Look how thin they are, it's pitiful." He was simple-minded and thought that having children made the house lively, which was a good thing.

In the west courtyard, Wang Huanbo monitored the activity through Pangu, and naturally learned about the background of the Yi siblings. He nodded slightly; this was an unexpected yet reasonable outcome. Yi Zhonghai had found blood relatives and had someone to rely on, which might reduce some of the conflicts within the courtyard. As for the siblings, they were descendants of martyrs and deserved care. He instructed Pangu to keep an eye on the Yi family's situation, and that he could provide some basic material assistance if necessary, but without excessive intervention.

Inside the Yi family home, however, the scene was entirely different. Yi Zhonghai rummaged through drawers and cabinets, finally finding a family photo he had treasured for many years, now yellowed with age—the only family photo taken before their escape. It showed his young parents, himself as a boy, and his younger brother, Yi Zhonghe. His hand trembled as he pointed to the chubby-cheeked little boy in the photo, and said to Yi Aijia, whose eyes were wide open, "Aijia, look, this is your father, Yi Zhonghe… He looked like this when he was little… I'm your uncle, Yi Zhonghai…"

Looking at the blurry figure in the photo, and then at the elderly man in front of her with reddened eyes, Yi Aijia seemed to understand something and whispered, "Uncle..."

At that one word, "Uncle," Yi Zhonghai could no longer hold back his tears, which streamed down his face. He hugged his niece tightly, choking back sobs, and said, "Good child! Good child! With your uncle here, no one will dare to bully you! Your uncle supported your education and raised you to adulthood!"

An older woman was also wiping away tears. She picked up the sleeping Yi Aiguo and pointed to the photo, saying, "Aiguo, look, this is your father..."

Young Yi Aiguo was too young to understand; he simply looked curiously at the photos and the crying adults.

Looking at his younger brother's orphan, Yi Zhonghai felt a surge of pride and responsibility. He was no longer the pathetic, childless Yi Zhonghai who lived only to support himself in his old age! He was the elder brother of the hero Yi Zhonghe! He was the guardian of the martyr's orphan! He wanted everyone to see that he, Yi Zhonghai, had descendants! And the most glorious descendants at that!

He stood up and said to the older woman, "Tomorrow, I'll go to the factory to get the certificate, then to the neighborhood committee and the civil affairs bureau to complete the formalities. After that, I'll go buy fabric, the best fabric, to make new clothes for the children, brand new inside and out! I'll also buy meat, fish, and flour! Our Yi family's children can't be deprived!"

His voice was loud and clear, filled with a long-lost confidence. He wanted to publicly acknowledge his nephew and niece in front of everyone in the hospital, to let everyone know that he, Yi Zhonghai, was not an orphan, and that his Yi family were glorious families of martyrs!

This night in courtyard number 95 was destined to be anything but peaceful. The sudden appearance of the Yi family's "heroic bloodline" was like a boulder thrown into the pond where each of them harbored their own ulterior motives; the ripples it created were only just beginning to spread. And the specific details of Yi Zhonghe's time on the Korean battlefield, as well as the Yi family's tragic escape, would soon be revealed in a shocking way, revealing just the tip of the iceberg. A new story was quietly unfolding in this ancient courtyard.