Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Wang Huanbo helped the excited deaf old lady back to her dimly lit little house. Although the house was simple, it was clean and tidy, filled with the unique scent of the old woman, a mixture of soap and sunshine.

"Young master, please sit down, please sit down!" The deaf old lady held Wang Huanbo's hand tightly, as if afraid he would run away. She pressed him down into the old rattan chair she usually sat in, while she herself sat shakily on the edge of the kang opposite her. Her cloudy eyes stared at Wang Huanbo without blinking, as if she wanted to engrave him in her heart.

"Grandma Sun, don't bother, I can do it myself," Wang Huanbo said softly, his heart aching. He noticed that the old woman's hands were covered in calluses and wrinkles, but they were still strong.

"Oh, good, good..." The deaf old lady wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes with her sleeve. "Young Master, you...you're really back...Am I dreaming? Master, the eldest young master and the eldest young lady, they...they're in America, are they really all alright?"

"All is well, all is well." Wang Huanbo nodded affirmatively and told the old lady about the good things about his parents, brothers and sisters in the United States, such as how successful the Carrefour supermarket was, how his eldest brother married the daughter of the Durant family, how his eldest sister helped manage the business, and how he himself had been admitted to a doctoral program.

The deaf old lady listened with great interest, sometimes exclaiming in amazement, sometimes wiping away tears, a relieved smile spreading across her wrinkled face: "Good, good! My husband is a capable man; he can thrive anywhere! If Madam (Wang Huanbo's mother, Lin Wanrong) knew how successful you were, she could rest in peace in heaven..."

As she spoke, the deaf old woman's voice lowered, becoming emotional: "Young master, you have no idea... After you left, my heart felt so empty. Later, after the Japanese surrendered, I received news of my two sons' sacrifice. Then, the People's Liberation Army entered the city and established a new government. Director Wang from the neighborhood committee came to me and said that since my courtyard was large and I lived alone, he suggested that I hand over the extra rooms to the neighborhood committee so that they could be allocated to those who needed them more... I... I thought at the time that my parents might never come back, and it was useless for an old woman like me to stay in this empty courtyard. I could at least contribute to the country, so... I agreed. I only kept this small room. Young master, I'm so sorry for betraying my parents' trust... I've squandered the family fortune..."

As the old lady spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again.

Wang Huanbo quickly comforted her, "Granny Sun, please don't say that! You did the right thing! At that time, the country had just been founded, everything was in ruins and housing was scarce. Giving the house to the country was a great act of righteousness! If my parents knew, they would only praise you and would never blame you! Besides, you still have me now, don't you? I'm back, and I will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days!"

"No! No!" The deaf old woman waved her hands repeatedly. "Young master, you are a valuable talent of the nation! How can I, an old coffin-bearer, be a burden to you..."

"Grandma Sun," Wang Huanbo grasped the old lady's hand, his tone firm, "you've worked tirelessly for our Wang family your whole life. After my mother passed away, you raised me single-handedly. In my heart, you're like my own grandmother. It's only right that I take care of you in your old age! If you don't agree, then you're treating me like an outsider."

Looking into Wang Huanbo's sincere eyes, the deaf old woman burst into tears, choked with sobs and unable to speak, only able to grip his hand tightly. At that moment, she felt that all the decades of loneliness and waiting had been worthwhile.

Just then, there was a rustling sound of footsteps at the door, and then a head peeked in—it was Sha Zhu.

He scratched the back of his head, a mix of embarrassment and curiosity on his face. "Um...madam, Comrade Wang...I...I didn't disturb you, did I?"

The deaf old woman wiped away her tears and smiled, "Oh, it's Zhu Zi. Come in, it's alright."

Sha Zhu finally shuffled in, looked at Wang Huanbo, then at the deaf old woman, and after a long pause, finally said, "Comrade Wang...you...you're really the young master of the old master's house? Wang Huanbo?"

Wang Huanbo smiled and nodded: "Brother Zhu, it's me. We used to learn wrestling together with our master when we were kids, don't you remember?"

"I remember! Of course I remember!" Sha Zhu slapped his thigh, getting excited. "It was you! When we were kids, you were weak and would get out of breath after just a few moves. I used to laugh at you! Then your family... went to America."

Reunited with an old friend, though their social statuses were now worlds apart, the childhood bond still stirred a sense of warmth in Sha Zhu. He looked Wang Huanbo up and down with curiosity, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Good heavens, a PhD from America! He's really made something of himself!"

Looking at the still somewhat simple and naive Zhu, Wang Huanbo thought of his future tragic end at the hands of Yi Zhonghai and sighed inwardly. He smiled and said, "Brother Zhu, I just got back. The house's cold and empty. The neighborhood sent some rice, flour, and cooking oil, but my cooking skills… are really nothing special. Since you're here too, how about you show off your skills? The two of us, and Granny Sun, can have dinner together—a welcome-back dinner?"

Sha Zhu perked up immediately when he heard he was being asked to cook. He didn't have many hobbies, but he loved showing off his culinary skills. Besides, this man was his childhood friend, and now a very important figure; asking him to cook was a way of giving him face!

"No problem! Leave it to me!" Sha Zhu patted his chest loudly. "Don't let my current job at the steel mill canteen fool you; my skills are a family tradition! I'll go back and get the tools right now!"

"Don't bother," Wang Huanbo said. "My kitchen is all new and fully equipped, we just need someone to cook. I have the ingredients, so please have Brother Zhu come over and cook."

"Alright! Just you wait and see!" Silly Pillar excitedly headed out.

"Wait, Brother Zhu," Wang Huanbo called out to him, asking seemingly casually, "By the way, Brother Zhu, Uncle He... I heard he went to Baocheng? So many years, and we haven't heard from him at all?"

Mentioning He Daqing, Sha Zhu's smile instantly froze, replaced by resentment: "Why bring him up? He never cared about us siblings! He just packed his bags and ran off with a widow, leaving us to fend for ourselves in this yard! If it weren't for that kind old man who took us in, Yu Shui and I would have starved to death long ago!"

Wang Huanbo nodded thoughtfully: "Oh? Is that so? I remember Uncle He wasn't the kind of irresponsible person. Before he left, he specifically came to see Granny Sun, saying that he was worried about you and your siblings, and left a message saying that he would send money back after he was settled."

Sha Zhu was stunned: "Leave a message? Send money? No! An old man said he ran away with the White Widow and left nothing behind! When Yu Shui and I went to look for him, the White Widow and his sons beat us up!"

Wang Huanbo looked at Shazhu with a meaningful gaze: "Really? That's strange... Granny Sun, do you remember when Uncle He left, didn't he give a letter and some money to a trusted person in the courtyard, asking him to pass it on to Zhuzi?"

The deaf old woman, though old, was shrewd and immediately understood Wang Huanbo's meaning. She squinted and slowly said, "It seems...that's true. It was a chaotic time, and as for who exactly it was handed over to...this old woman is too old to remember..."

Sha Zhu wasn't really stupid; he was just straightforward and easily trusting. Hearing what Wang Huanbo and the deaf old woman said, and recalling Yi Zhonghai's "timely" appearance later, helping him get into the steel mill, and his usual "attentive care" towards him, a vague yet terrifying thought, like a thorn, pierced his heart.

Could it be... that old man...? It's impossible, right? The old man was so good to him...

Seeing the uncertain expression on Sha Zhu's face, Wang Huanbo knew that the seed of suspicion had been planted. He decided to stop while he was ahead, and patted Sha Zhu's shoulder with a smile, saying, "Maybe I remembered wrong. Let's go, Brother Zhu, let's cook. I'm really craving authentic Beijing cuisine."

Sha Zhu absentmindedly hummed in agreement and followed Wang Huanbo toward the west courtyard, but the doubts in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

At Yi Zhonghai's doorstep, he happened to see Sha Zhu following Wang Huanbo into the west courtyard, looking thoughtful. His heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of crisis surged into his heart.