Courtyard House: Home Alone

After doing all this, he once again used his spatial abilities to fill the pit with the soil and stones he had previously "dug out," gently compacting them and then sprinkling some fallen leaves and weeds on the surface. The whole process was smooth and effortless. If one did not see it with their own eyes, it would be impossible to imagine that deadly explosives were buried here.

It took Lin Yifan a whole day to complete all three hundred blasting points, from surveying, digging pits, placing explosives, wiring, to backfilling and camouflaging. He was sweating profusely and his breathing was a little rapid.

Starting the next day, he selected locations 250 meters apart on both sides of the road to dig bunkers. This time, he was much faster, digging more than 100 bunkers on both sides of the road in just half a day.

At this point, all preparations have been completed.

Meanwhile, inside the courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang, a completely different scene unfolded. Uncle Zhang and a few others had just helped bring Jia Gui's body back from the police station, while Jia Zhangshi, holding Jia Dongxu's hand, knelt beside Jia Gui's body, wailing and crying.

Yesterday, when I went to the police station to report that Jia Gui had gone missing, the police brought eleven bodies from Tang Ergou's family back to the station. When Jia Zhangshi saw the clothes and pants worn by one of the bodies, she immediately recognized it as Jia Gui. Although Jia Gui's face was badly beaten, there were patches on his clothes that Jia Zhangshi had personally patched.

This is quite different from the original drama. In the original drama, Jia Gui should have died in the steel rolling mill, so he would have received a pension. Here, Jia Gui has lived at least nine years less, so the pension is even less likely.

Seeing Jia Zhangshi crying and shouting, the older women and aunties behind her didn't care and continued to gossip.

"Did you know? I heard they died at the home of that traitor Tang Ergou, more than ten people died at once!"

"Heh! He deserves it. All the Japanese soldiers in Beiping are dead, and he still dares to mingle with the traitors. Isn't that just asking for death?"

"Who says otherwise! He usually bullies everyone in our courtyard because he knows a few thugs. He's bullied the neighbors a lot, and he even tried to extort money from Xiao Fan before the New Year!" A middle-aged woman in a blue coarse cloth jacket curled her lips, her tone full of disdain and glee.

A woman holding a child nearby nodded in agreement: "Exactly! I saw him blocking Sha Zhu's door the other day, trying to steal the cornmeal he just bought! It's better if that kind of person is dead; it'll save him from being an eyesore in the yard!"

Grandpa Zhang stood to the side with his hands behind his back, his face grim, listening to the crowd's discussion with a furrowed brow. He coughed and cleared his throat: "Alright, alright, everyone, say less! A person is dead, no matter what, it's still a life. Jia Zhangshi, stop crying, quickly think about what to do for the funeral."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi cried even louder, slapping her thighs and sobbing, "My dear family! You died so tragically! How am I supposed to live the rest of my life? Are the police just sitting around doing nothing?"

Why haven't they caught the murderer and brought him to justice yet?! I don't care, Old Jia can't just die like this in vain! She wailed, her eyes glancing at the neighbors around her from time to time, as if trying to find a trace of sympathy on their faces, but unfortunately she mostly saw indifference and contempt.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai, who had gone out to buy funeral supplies, returned to the courtyard house.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw a chaotic scene, and Jia Zhangshi's cries could be heard from a great distance.

Yi Zhonghai frowned involuntarily, holding the incense and paper money he had just bought. Someone brought over a thin coffin from behind. He said in a deep voice, "Jia Zhangshi, please accept my condolences. She's already gone, and crying won't bring her back. It's more important to take care of the funeral arrangements as soon as possible."

When Jia Zhangshi saw Yi Zhonghai speak, her crying subsided slightly, but she still sobbed, "Little Yi!... My husband, Jia, died so tragically... He can't just die like this without any explanation... What did the police say? Did they catch the murderer?"

Yi Zhonghai shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness: "In this world, with war and chaos, how can the police possibly care about these things?"

Who is Tang Ergou? A notorious traitor! Now that all the Japanese devils in Beiping have been killed, who would dare to get so close to those traitors! Old Jia, really! Sigh!

"Right now, someone in his family has died, and the police will most likely turn a blind eye. What can they do? You should be realistic and make sure Jia Gui has a dignified death."

He paused, then added, "I've already bought the coffin. It's simple, but it's the thought that counts. We're all neighbors, and everyone will lend a hand if they can."

Hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, the neighbors all agreed and expressed their willingness to help. Although they usually had many grievances against Jia Gui and Jia Zhangshi, they still respected the deceased and had basic decency towards them.

Looking at the thin coffin and then at the indifferent yet pitying gazes of her neighbors, Jia Zhangshi felt a mix of emotions. Her sobs gradually subsided, leaving only suppressed whimpers.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and a faint sense of sadness enveloping the small courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai sighed, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the courtyard before finally settling on Li Ermazi. He said in a deep voice, "Li Ermazi, lend a hand and carry the coffin to Jia Gui's room first."

Li Ermazi grunted in response, said nothing more, and stepped forward with another younger neighbor to carefully lift the makeshift coffin and head towards Jia Gui's low-ceilinged hut.

Seeing this, Jia Zhangshi hurriedly followed, her steps unsteady, muttering something incessantly. The exact words were unclear, but her voice was filled with despair and helplessness.

Yi Zhonghai watched them enter the house, then turned to the remaining neighbors and said, "With Jia Gui dead, only Jia Zhangshi and her son Jia Dongxu are left in the family. Their future will be difficult. Let's help with the funeral arrangements as much as we can."

He paused, as if remembering something, and added, "I think it's best if the men help tidy up the house this afternoon and set up a framework for the mourning hall."

"Women, you'll have to work harder and see if Jia Gui's family has anything they can use, anything they lack, so everyone can chip in and make sure the deceased doesn't have to leave in poverty."

Xu Fugui, who was standing at the back of the crowd, also stepped forward and said, "Alright, let's not all stand here. Let's all lend a hand. After all, we're neighbors."

Just then, footsteps sounded at the gate of the courtyard, and a middle-aged man wearing a gray jacket and a felt hat walked in. He was Li Laonian, the police officer in charge of this area.

As soon as Li Laonian entered the courtyard, he saw the coffin and the solemn atmosphere. He frowned and asked, "Is this Jia Gui's house?"

Yi Zhonghai hurriedly went to greet him. Li Laonian sighed, "Alas, I heard about this when I returned to the bureau yesterday. That's why I came here specifically to see. In these chaotic times of war, human life is as cheap as grass."

Tang Ergou's traitor's den was raided, and many people died, including Jia Gui... sigh, let's not talk about it."

He glanced in the direction of Jia Gui's house and said, "You can handle the funeral arrangements as you see fit, just don't cause any trouble."

"If you need any help, you can come to the station to find me." After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

[Before liberation, not many beasts were killed in courtyard houses, partly for the sake of later sequels. Also, before liberation, there weren't as many conflicts of interest between neighbors, so it was unlikely that someone would kill someone for some unrealistic idea. Of course, if there were conflicts of interest, the protagonist wouldn't be spared. Please understand!]