Courtyard House: The Long-Lost Eldest Son Returns with Military Merit

Guo Jianguo hurriedly reported: "Chief! We monitored the courtyard all day yesterday. The residents were behaving discreetly. Except for going to the market to buy things in the early morning, the middle-aged man stayed inside all the time."

"We then visited the Qianmen Street Subdistrict Office and learned that the owner of the courtyard is named Xie Jian, an employee of the cultural department, who is 47 years old and has recently taken sick leave."

However, during the monitoring process, we did not find any obvious pathological conditions in it.

Jia Dongming pondered for a moment, then pressed on, "Comrade Jianguo! Who did Xie Jian contact during his market purchases? Were these people investigated?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Jianguo immediately realized that his subordinates had overlooked Xie Jian's contacts within the market during their surveillance.

He immediately apologized, saying, "Director! It was my fault for not planning my work thoroughly enough. The team members only focused on Xie Jian's own actions and did not conduct an in-depth investigation into the vendors he came into contact with in the market."

Jia Dongming frowned slightly and immediately instructed: "Jianguo! Immediately dispatch the team members who were in charge of surveillance yesterday to investigate all the vendors in the market who had contact with Xie Jian, and confirm whether any of them are his accomplices."

Guo Jianguo solemnly replied, "Director! Understood! I will immediately arrange for personnel to conduct a market investigation and report back to you as soon as I have the results."

Around nine o'clock in the morning, a young girl rushed into the courtyard house and urgently called out to the front building, "Sister! Are you home?"

Yu Li, who was about to go out to look for odd jobs, heard her younger sister Yu Haitang's anxious shouts. She quickly opened the door and saw Yu Haitang covered in sweat. She hurriedly asked, "Haitang! Why are you covered in sweat? What happened at home?"

Yu Haitang said with a sob in her voice, "Sister! Mom suddenly fainted this morning. Dad and I took her to the hospital. The doctor said she has a brain tumor and needs surgery immediately. The cost will be more than two hundred yuan."

"We only have a little over 100 yuan at home, and we're still short 50 yuan."

Dad asked me to ask if you could raise some money to save Mom's life.

When Yu Li learned that her mother was critically ill, she panicked and turned back into the house to take out all her savings. She said anxiously, "Haitang! I only have seventeen yuan and sixty cents here. Give it to Dad first."

I'm going to borrow some money from Jie Cheng's father now, and then I'll go to the hospital to deliver the money.

Yu Haitang took the money and, as she walked out, urged, "Sister! You have to hurry, Mom is waiting for the money for her surgery."

After seeing her sister off, Yu Li rushed to the Yan family's house next door and said to the third aunt who was cleaning, "Mom! Do you have any money? Could you lend me thirty-five yuan? I'll pay you back slowly when I start working."

Yu Haitang's actions had already alerted the Third Aunt, who naturally knew why Yu Li had borrowed money.

The three women looked troubled and said to Yu Li, "Yu Li, all the money in the house is kept by your father. Where would your mother get thirty-five yuan?"

"Mom! I'll go to the school to find Dad right now."

Seeing the troubled expression on the third aunt's face, Yu Li remembered that Yan Bugui was in charge of the Yan family. After saying this, she turned around and ran outside.

As the old woman watched Yu Li's departing figure, she thought of Yu Li's mother's illness and muttered to herself, "A tumor in her brain, can this disease be cured? Spending so much money is probably just throwing it away. It would be better to buy some good food."

Just as Yu Li was about to step out of her house, she heard the third aunt's whispers and stopped in her tracks. She subconsciously turned her head to look at the door of the Yan family, her eyes revealing deep resentment.

"Teacher Yan! Teacher Yan! There's a woman at the school gate who claims to be your daughter-in-law and says she has something important to discuss with you."

Outside a classroom in the first grade of Hongxing Primary School, a teacher rushed to the door and saw Yan Bugui teaching a class. He hurriedly called out to inform him.

When Yan Bugui heard his colleague say this, he realized that Yu Li had actually come to the school. He looked puzzled and asked the teacher with a smile, "Teacher Zhou! Please look after her for a moment. I'll be right back."

Yan Bugui hurried to the school gate and saw Yu Li pacing back and forth outside. His heart sank.

Yi Chen quickly stepped forward and asked, "Yu Li! Why are you in such a hurry to come to the school to find me? Did something happen at home?"

As Yu Li left the Yan family home and headed to Hongxing Elementary School to borrow money from Yan Bugui, she had a vague feeling that the chances of getting the money from Yan Bugui were very slim.

But people always have a bit of wishful thinking, and it was with this thought in mind that Yu Li came to Hongxing Primary School.

Yu Li, covered in sweat, saw Yan Bugui's concerned expression and quickly said, "Dad! Everything is fine at home. It's just that my mother from my mother's side fainted suddenly while working this morning."

After my dad took her to the hospital, the doctor diagnosed her with a brain tumor.

"What! My mother-in-law has a brain tumor? Is it serious? Yu Li, why aren't you at the hospital with her? What are you doing at school?"

Upon hearing Yu Li's words, Yan Bugui first breathed a sigh of relief. But when he heard the news that Yu Li's mother was hospitalized, he immediately guessed Yu Li's purpose for coming. He then pretended to be surprised and changed the subject by asking a question.

Yu Li didn't catch the hidden meaning in Yan Bugui's words and anxiously explained, "Dad! The doctor said that my mom needs to have surgery as soon as possible. The surgery will cost more than two hundred yuan, but we only have a little over one hundred yuan left."

So I'd like to borrow thirty-five yuan from you, and I'll pay you back monthly.

When Yan Bugui heard that Yu Li wanted to borrow thirty-five yuan, his face immediately showed a troubled expression. He said, "Yu Li! You know our family's situation. Dad only has that little salary every month to support seven people. How can we save any money?"

At this point, Yan Bugui pretended to reach into his pocket, finally pulling out only one yuan, which he reluctantly handed to Yu Li: "Yu Li! This is all I have on me, take it and use it when you need it."

As the daughter-in-law of the Yan family, Yu Li knew all too well whether the Yan family was rich or not.

Seeing that Yan Bugui was only willing to lend her one yuan, she immediately understood his intention.

At that moment, the expectation on Yu Li's face instantly turned into disappointment, and she replied in a cold tone, "Dad! You should keep this one yuan."

I'll go to the grain station where Jie Cheng does odd jobs and see if he can borrow some from his coworkers.

Yan Bugui watched Yu Li's disappointed departure, and thinking about the amount she had asked to borrow earlier, he secretly rejoiced and muttered, "Thirty-five yuan, that's almost a month's salary for me."

Besides, the chances of curing my mother-in-law's illness are extremely slim. Wouldn't this be like throwing money down the drain?

"Instead of spending so much money to save someone who is almost beyond saving, it would be better to buy some good food so that my mother-in-law can pass away peacefully."

I really don't know what my in-laws were thinking.

Although Yan Bugui's voice wasn't loud, the gatekeeper in the guardhouse heard it clearly.

The old man was extremely disgusted by Yan Bugui's behavior of refusing to help someone in distress, and muttered to himself, "It's one thing for Yan Bugui to be late and leave early, but I didn't expect him to be so cold-hearted."

He wouldn't even lend his daughter-in-law thirty-five yuan for life-saving treatment. Such a cold-blooded person! If he dares to be late or leave early again, I'll report him to the principal!

After leaving Hongxing Elementary School, Yu Li ran all the way to the grain station. In the distance, she saw Yan Jiecheng sitting at the entrance chatting with someone. She immediately called out, "Jiecheng! Come here for a moment, I have something to tell you."

The workers who were bragging to Yan Jiecheng heard a woman calling him and all looked in the direction of the voice.

Upon seeing Yu Li standing not far away, they all started laughing and joking.

A coworker who was on good terms with Yan Jiecheng, seeing Yu Li waving at him, joked, "Yan Jiecheng! There's a pretty lady over there looking for you!"

Hearing Yu Li's shout, another coworker laughed and asked, "Yan Jiecheng! Is that your boyfriend? Why don't you introduce him to everyone?"

When Yan Jiecheng saw Yu Li suddenly come to the grain station to find him, a look of confusion appeared on his face. He quickly walked up to Yu Li and asked, "Yu Li! Weren't you supposed to be going to the neighborhood office to do odd jobs today? Why did you suddenly come here to find me?"

Upon hearing Yan Jiecheng's question, Yu Li hurriedly replied, "Jiecheng! My mother is sick and hospitalized. The doctor said she needs to have surgery immediately, but my father doesn't have enough money."

"How much money do you have left? Give it to me first, I'll take it to the hospital to pay for the surgery."

Yan Jiecheng was influenced by Yan Bugui from a young age, and he was even more cunning than Yan Bugui.

Upon hearing that Yu Li had come to him to raise money for her mother-in-law's surgery, he didn't even bother to ask how serious the illness was, and directly refused, saying, "Yu Li! I only earn so much from odd jobs each month. After deducting food and lodging, where would I get any money left? Why don't you go to my dad's school and borrow some from him?"

Yu Li went to Yan Bugui to raise funds, initially just with the intention of trying her luck. However, she approached Yan Jiecheng because he was her husband and her last resort.

To Yu Li's surprise, her partner of more than two years not only showed no concern for her mother's condition when she suddenly fell ill and needed money, but also made excuses to refuse to provide financial assistance.

At this moment, Yu Li finally saw through the true nature of the Yan family.

Disheartened, Yu Li glared at Yan Jiecheng with resentment before turning and heading towards the hospital.

After assigning tasks, Jia Dongming pondered the enemy spy case at the blacksmith shop alone in his office.

Based on the existing clues, if the blacksmith shop, Ye Quanwang's residence, and Xiao Quan's home are searched simultaneously, key evidence will be found quickly.

However, considering that Ye Quanwang's superiors and the number of subordinates who passed on intelligence had not yet been identified, Jia Dongming had to postpone the plan to arrest Ye Quanwang immediately.

Remembering the bag buried under Ye Quanwang's house, Jia Dongming decided to sneak into Ye's courtyard while Ye was at the blacksmith's shop, remove the fuse from the bag, and then conduct a secret search of Xiao's family in hopes of finding useful clues.

Having made up his mind, Jia Dongming gave instructions to the office and then rode his bicycle away from the steel rolling mill.

"Huh? Isn't that Yu Li? How come I ran into her on the street again today? She seemed unsteady on her feet, swaying as she walked. Was she feeling unwell?"

Not long after Jia Dongming left the factory, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

After leaving the grain station, Yu Li went to see several of her old friends.

But these days, no one is well-off. The sisters scraped together what they could, but they only managed to raise a little over six yuan for Yu Li, which was still more than twenty yuan short of the surgery fee.

Thinking about her mother's illness and the need for her subsequent recovery, Yu Li made up her mind to go to the hospital to raise money for her mother's treatment.

Perhaps because she was worried about her mother's safety, or perhaps because she had been traveling for days, Yu Li was hungry and thirsty, and her steps were unsteady and unsteady.

Just as she was looking for a place to rest, a bicycle suddenly stopped beside her.

Looking at Yu Li's pale face, Jia Dongming asked with concern, "Yu Li, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should I take you to the hospital?"

Upon seeing Jia Dongming suddenly appear, Yu Li's pale face immediately lit up with anticipation, and she hurriedly asked, "Director Jia, could you lend me twenty-nine yuan? I will definitely pay you back slowly when I earn more money in the future."

Yu Li's reaction surprised Jia Dongming. He asked gently, "Yu Li, what happened? Tell me slowly. I will do my best to help."

Upon hearing Jia Dongming's response, Yu Li remembered her mother's condition and quickly explained, "Director Jia, this morning my mother suddenly fainted while cleaning at home. My father and sister took her to the hospital, where the doctor said she had a tumor in her brain and needed immediate surgery."

"Because this is brain surgery, the cost is very high. My family only has a little over 100 yuan in savings, which is not enough at all."

I just borrowed money from my old friends, and they only managed to scrape together 6.3 yuan. I'm still short 29 yuan.

Could you lend me twenty-nine yuan? I'll definitely pay you back once I've earned the money.

Brain tumors are considered a serious illness even in later generations, let alone in this era when medical care was not yet advanced.

Upon learning that Yu Li's mother needed emergency surgery, Jia Dongming immediately reached into his pocket, actually taking out one hundred yuan from his system space, and handed it to the anxious Yu Li, saying, "Yu Li, take this money first. If it's not enough, come find me."

Yu Li was stunned when she saw Jia Dongming take out 100 yuan without hesitation as soon as he heard that his mother needed money for surgery, and even said that he could borrow more if it was not enough.