Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The night was cool and still. Jia Dongxu dragged his weak, crippled arm, stumbling along the cobblestone path back to the central courtyard. He clutched tightly the thick middle and high school math and physics textbooks Wang Huanbo had given him, along with thirty heavy "big black ten" bills wrapped in old newspapers. These three hundred yuan felt like a branding iron, searing his chest and waking him from his dazed state.

The past few months had been like a long and agonizing nightmare. From the excruciating pain beside the machine tool, to the repeated ignitions and shattering of hope in the hospital, and finally to the doctor's cold pronouncement of "permanent functional impairment"... he felt like a piece of rusty iron thrown into a scrap heap, useless except for slowly decaying. His mother Jia Zhangshi's wailing and cursing, his daughter-in-law Qin Huairu secretly wiping away tears, and his son Banggeng's innocent yet increasingly gaunt face were like dull knives, cutting into his already numb nerves day and night.

He had felt hatred—hatred for the ruthlessness of the machine tools, hatred for Yi Zhonghai's hypocrisy, and even a hidden resentment towards Wang Huanbo for not saving him "faster" back then. But more than anything, he felt a deep despair and self-imposed exile. He felt he was finished, and his family was finished too.

Until tonight, when his mother, released after seven days of detention, was still cursing but noticeably less sullen, and Qin Huairu, heavily pregnant and with eyes full of exhaustion and worry, almost got into another argument over money for next month's food and medicine, Jia Dongxu, looking at the huddled stalker in the corner, suddenly felt a chord of responsibility in his heart! He couldn't go on like this! He was a man, a husband, a father! This family couldn't fall apart!

But where does the road lead? What can a disabled level-two fitter do? Go find Yi Zhonghai? That hypocrite is probably wishing he could sever all ties with him right now! The factory? Transfer to logistics? How much can he earn in a month? Enough for anything?

In his despair, the only person he could think of was Wang Huanbo, who had risen like a comet in the west wing, yet always maintained a strange aloofness towards everyone in the wing. He remembered Wang Huanbo's calm and decisiveness when he saved him, the factory's jubilation when Wang Huanbo invented the CNC machine tool and the car, and Wang Huanbo's effortless ease in handling the wing's affairs. Perhaps... only Wang Huanbo could show him the way? Even if he was ridiculed and rejected, he had to try! For his family!

So he came. He was even prepared to be ridiculed and treated perfunctorily. But Wang Huanbo's reaction completely surprised him. There was no disdain, no excuses, and he even helped him up immediately when he knelt down. Those calm yet sharp eyes seemed to see through all his embarrassment and struggle. Then came the path he had never dreamed of—studying, taking exams, and entering a technical department!

And that three hundred yuan! A timely help in his time of need! Wang Huanbo made it clear that it was a "loan," a "subsidy," and that it had to be repaid! This actually put Jia Dongxu at ease. This wasn't charity; it was an investment, a chance for him to turn his life around! The path had been clearly laid out; the start-up capital had been provided. The rest truly depended on Jia Dongxu himself!

Clutching the books and money, Jia Dongxu returned to the quiet middle room (where Jia Zhangshi was still cursing in the west room and Qin Huairu was tidying up in the kitchen), but his heart burned with an unprecedented intensity. He carefully hid the money, caressing the textbooks that still smelled of ink. Junior high? High school? He had gone to work as an apprentice in a factory after graduating from elementary school; those XYs and chemical symbols were long forgotten. Picking them up again now was no easy task. But when he thought of Qin Huairu's tears, Bang Geng's future, and Wang Huanbo's words, "I've shown you the way; how you do it is up to you," an unprecedented fierceness rose from the depths of his heart!

"I'll learn! I'll risk my life to master it!" Jia Dongxu gritted his teeth and made a silent vow. From that moment on, his life took a turn onto a completely unknown but hopeful path.

Meanwhile, in the west courtyard, after seeing Jia Dongxu off, Wang Huanbo continued explaining high school physics problems to He Yushui. The young girl listened intently, occasionally asking tricky questions, demonstrating her strong logical thinking ability and thirst for knowledge.

"Rainwater, you understand this force analysis very well, even better than some of the technicians in our factory," Wang Huanbo praised sincerely.

He Yushui smiled shyly, revealing two small tiger teeth: "Brother Huanbo, you're just flattering me. If you hadn't taught me, I wouldn't know any of this." She felt a deep sense of gratitude and admiration for Wang Huanbo. It was this suddenly appearing "Brother Huanbo" who had changed her world. Before, she only saw her silly brother, always being fooled by Widow Qin, and this calculating compound. Now, she had been exposed to a wider ocean of knowledge, learning what CNC machine tools were, what a car engine was, and even hearing Brother Huanbo talk about the amazing world of computers. A seed was quietly planted in her heart: I want to go to university! I want to learn more, like Brother Huanbo, and become a useful person!

After tutoring her, Sha Zhu came to pick Yu Shui up. He now admired Wang Huanbo immensely, and his tone was much more respectful: "Huanbo, thank you again! Yu Shui will listen to you!"

"Brother Zhu, you're too kind. Yushui is smart; she understands immediately," Wang Huanbo said with a smile. "The factory has been hosting a lot of banquets lately; thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard work at all! It's an honor to work for the factory!" Sha Zhu rubbed his hands together honestly, then lowered his voice, "Um... Jia Dongxu just came by, is he alright? He seemed distracted."

"It's nothing, he just wanted to chat," Wang Huanbo said casually. There was no need for Sha Zhu, who was so straightforward, to know too much about certain things.

Watching Sha Zhu and Yu Shui's departing figures, Wang Huanbo seemed lost in thought. Helping Jia Dongxu was both a casual and a calculated move. If it worked, the courtyard would have one less troublemaker, and perhaps one more helper in the future; if it didn't, it wouldn't be a big deal. As for He Yu Shui, she was a true gem, worthy of careful nurturing. It seemed that because of his intrusion, this "butterfly," the fates of everyone in this courtyard had begun to subtly shift.