Courtyard House: I'm surrounded by celestial beauties on either side.

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's face turned pale instantly. Pointing at Fang Chengxuan, she cursed, "Fang! You might be the one who stole Xu Damao's chicken, and now you're trying to pin this on my son! Sha Zhu only has half a chicken in his pot, while you have a whole old hen stewing!"

Fang Chengxuan narrowed his eyes.

This widow knows her son's character perfectly well, so she's quick to strike first.

"I was buying rice, flour, oil, and salt today, and I ran into Xu Damao when I came back with the chicken." He turned to Xu Damao, "Tell everyone, is that chicken yours?"

The victim's words carry the most weight.

Xu Damao nodded: "The chicken Fang Chengxuan mentioned is fatter than the one at my house, so it's definitely not mine."

Fang Chengxuan was too lazy to argue, and took the casserole back from Yan Shuzhai: "Third Uncle, do you understand? My chicken has a clean origin."

Yan Shuzhai chuckled twice.

"I just had someone report it to the police." Fang Chengxuan glanced coldly at Qin Huairu. "Before the law enforcement officers arrive, the chicken thief should admit to it."

There's a crackdown on theft right now; don't wait until you're in jail to regret it.

Seeing Fang Lianyun standing next to Xiao Dang, he waved and said, "Girl, come home. I've stewed chicken and cooked fish for you."

"Hey!" The little girl's eyes lit up, and she ran over and grabbed his clothes.

"Finding who stole the chicken is very simple—" he said as he walked along carrying the pot, "smell the child, ask the neighbors, and it will be obvious."

Everyone stood there, stunned.

In the past, disputes were usually mediated by the three old men, but today it escalated to the point of reporting to the authorities.

They had only taken a few steps when Xu Damao sneered, "Qin Huairu! Your daughter still has chicken oil stained on her clothes! Pay up!"

"That hen was a gift from the Harvest Commune; it laid eggs for me! At one egg a day, it's worth at least five yuan over two years!"

He Yuzhu scoffed, "Why don't you calculate the chicken-and-egg cycle, where the chickens and eggs hatch, and the descendants keep paying for it?"

"If that's how you want to calculate it, I'll play along!" Xu Damao retorted, sticking his neck out.

"Pah! If it could really lay eggs, your wife would be pregnant by now!" He Yuzhu retorted sarcastically.

Lou Xiao'e blushed: "Sha Zhu, you're shameless!"

Xu Damao jumped up and down: "You're the one destined to be childless! You're a bachelor your whole life!"

Seeing He Yuzhu roll up his sleeves, Xu Damao rushed into the crowd, shouting, "Gentlemen, please do something! Foolish Zhu is about to commit a crime!"

The onlookers jeered, "What's Xu Damao up to? Beat him up!"

Seeing Qin Huairu's pale face, Yi Zhonghai understood: "Old Xu, the Jia family is in trouble, five yuan is too much."

Everyone echoed this sentiment.

"Being poor gives you the right to steal chickens?" Xu Damao sneered. "When the law enforcement arrives, it won't just be a matter of paying compensation—Bang Ge will be in juvenile detention!"

Qin Huairu secretly resented Fang Chengxuan for meddling, then her eyes darted around: "It's probably Fang Chengxuan who stole it! Where would an outsider like him get the money to buy chickens?"

Xu Damao remained unmoved: "The law enforcement officers will be here soon, and they will know the answer after an investigation."

Just then, a shout came from outside the courtyard: "Hongxing Police Station! Who reported the crime?"

Fang Chengxuan was serving fish soup to Fang Lianyun when a neighbor knocked on the door: "The three gentlemen have called a meeting and want you to go to the front yard."

He handed over the prepared chicken and fish, saying, "I promised you, take it back while it's hot." Then he asked, "Didn't we find the chicken? Why are we still having a meeting?"

"The law enforcement officer found out that Bang Geng stole it." The neighbor lowered his voice, "But Xu Damao insisted on handling it officially, and Bang Geng was taken to the juvenile detention center and detained for half a month."

They'll probably talk about this now.

After settling his younger sister in, Fang Chengxuan carried a stool to the front yard.

A neighbor greeted me warmly, "We've saved you a spot here!"

He had barely sat down when he saw Yi Zhonghai slam his fist on the table, his face grim: "Some people, sending the neighborhood kid to jail for a chicken, how heartless!"

Fang Chengxuan sat down on the stool, took a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket, and handed them to his neighbor beside him: "I've been here for so long, and I still don't know how to address you, brother?"

My name is Zhang Yangde, and I live next door to you.

"We're all from the same compound, so if you ever need any help, just let me know." Zhang Yangde chuckled as he accepted the sunflower seeds.

Fang Chengxuan nodded, took out an old cloth bag and spread it on the ground. He ate sunflower seeds and fed them to Fang Lianyun, occasionally eating one himself.

Qin Huairu, who was sitting opposite him, was glaring at him with resentment, but he ignored her.

"Ahem!" Yi Zhonghai, who was sitting in the middle, suddenly cleared his throat.

All eyes turned to him.

"Today, something happened in our compound that seriously undermined unity and affected neighborly relations," Yi Zhonghai said in a stern tone.

Fang Chengxuan continued peeling sunflower seeds, glancing indifferently at Yi Zhonghai.

"Fang Chengxuan!" Yi Zhonghai suddenly called out.

Fang Chengxuan stopped feeding the sunflower seeds, looked up and sneered, "Uncle, are you trying to bully me, an 'outsider' who's only been here for three months? I legally inherited my great-grandfather's courtyard."

"Fang Chengxuan, what nonsense are you talking about? Who bullied you?" Yi Zhonghai's face darkened.

"Then what do you want me to do? I haven't done anything to disrupt unity." Fang Chengxuan put the melon seeds back into his pocket, his eyes sharpening.

"You called the police saying Banggeng stole chickens, causing him to get arrested. Isn't that undermining unity?" Yi Zhonghai frowned.

"What's wrong with me calling the police? They suspect me even when chickens go missing in the yard. Do they expect me to take the blame?" Fang Chengxuan covered Fang Lianyun's ears, his tone forceful. "Bang Geng was arrested because he stole chickens himself. What does that have to do with me?"

"If you ask me, sir, you always favor Qin Huairu's family, which is why you've spoiled her into becoming a thief!"

Yi Zhonghai trembled with anger: "Fang Chengxuan, you're talking nonsense!"

"Who's talking nonsense? Since when has it become the person who called the police to blame the thief when he's caught? Grandpa, does the neighborhood committee even know about your level of dispute mediation?" Fang Chengxuan mocked.

Yi Zhonghai was furious, but had no words to respond.

"Gentlemen, the neighborhood committee has given you the power to mediate neighborhood disputes, not to cover up illegal and criminal activities."

Besides, do you have the right to convict someone? Why don't we go to the neighborhood committee and have them settle this?

Fang Chengxuan looked at Yi Zhonghai with disdain, sneering inwardly: Trying to bully the weak? No way!

The audience was silent.

Yi Zhonghai trembled with rage: "Fang Chengxuan, do you even respect me as an elder?"

"You are neither my parents, nor my relative, nor my wife. Why should I have any respect for you?" Fang Chengxuan sneered.

This conversation stunned everyone present.

"Grandpas, the neighborhood committee has limited authority over you, and it doesn't apply to me."

"I'll let it go this time because you're my elder, but if there's a next time, don't blame me for being impolite." Fang Chengxuan looked around and continued.

Yi Zhonghai's face turned ashen, and he couldn't utter a single word.

"Fang Chengxuan, how dare you speak like that? Uncle Yi is the backbone of our courtyard!" Qin Huairu couldn't help but stand up.

Fang Chengxuan glanced at her: "I think he's specifically here to be the pillar of your family, right? Why don't I see him calling on everyone to help other families in need?"

"I'm a widow with elderly parents and children, and life is tough. Please help me, everyone!" Qin Huairu covered her face and cried.

"Your monthly salary is twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents, the same as Uncle San's. Is that what you call hardship? Everyone sympathizes with you as a widow, but that's no excuse for you to push your luck." Fang Chengxuan exposed him mercilessly.

"Hiss—" Zhang Yangde gasped, "It's true, the Third Uncle's family has never complained about being poor."

"That's right, Grandma Zou raises her grandson by collecting scraps, but I've never seen Grandpa Zou solicit donations," someone else chimed in.

Qin Huairu paused in her sobs, then hurriedly explained, "My mother-in-law is sick, and my child needs to go to school. Without everyone's help, how can I, a woman, survive?"

She cried louder and louder, looking utterly heartbroken.

He Yuzhu quickly stepped forward to comfort her: "Sister Qin, don't cry. Some people just can't stand to see others doing well."

Everyone knows what's going on!

"What do you all understand? I want to ask you, this old man keeps calling on everyone to help Qin Huairu's family, but has he ever donated anything himself?" Fang Chengxuan continued to press, "I've been here for three months, and I've never seen this old man help anyone."

Why do something so good secretly?

Fang Chengxuan stood up, holding Fang Lianyun, and looked at the furious Yi Zhonghai: "My great-grandfather said before he passed away that Uncle Yi was the best person in the courtyard. Now it seems that he was just a 'good person' to some people."

"Our Chengxuan has always focused on the issue, not the person."

If I am truly wrong, I will apologize; but if someone takes advantage of their age and uses trivial matters as a pretext to cause trouble, I am not someone to be trifled with.

"Today, in front of everyone, I'll make things clear—the responsibility for Banggeng being caught stealing chickens lies with Qin Huairu."

Instead of teaching her son to walk the right path, the mother indulged him in petty theft at a young age.

If we're talking about disrupting the unity of the compound and affecting neighborly relations, Qin Huairu is the real culprit.

"Doesn't a mother know what kind of person her son is? Knowing full well he's wrong, yet she still blindly protects him—it's truly laughable!"

Fang Chengxuan's final cold laugh was more jarring than any words.

Qin Huairu, who was hiding in He Yuzhu's arms, turned pale instantly.

"I have no interest in attending this unfair college-wide meeting, so I'll leave first."

We're all neighbors, why sit here and make people uncomfortable?

Fang Chengxuan held Fang Lianyun in one arm and picked up a stool with the other, then turned and left.

Scattered voices of agreement rose from behind:

Fang Chengxuan is right; it is the father's fault if the son is not taught.

Since the dog has no father, its mother should discipline it properly.

Now that Banggeng has gotten into trouble, who's to blame? Isn't it all Qin Huairu's fault for not teaching him properly!

"Exactly! Sir, you're being way too biased towards Qin Huairu's family."

We know it's not easy for her as a widow, but that doesn't mean we can distort the truth.

Fang Chengxuan glanced back and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

You can do whatever you want, but don't mess with me!

If you dare to mess with me, don't blame me for retaliating and adding fuel to the fire!

Second Uncle Liu Haizhong raised an eyebrow with schadenfreude, while Third Uncle Yan Shuzhai's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Qin Huairu's salary is the same as mine?"

Yan Shuzhai glanced at Yi Zhonghai, then at Qin Huairu nestled in He Yuzhu's arms, and said sarcastically, "Uncle, if you can help Qin Huairu's family, why don't you help my family too?"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned ashen, and he glared fiercely at Yan Shuzhai: "What time is it? Still fooling around?"

"Nonsense?"

Liu Haizhong interjected in an official tone, "Yi Zhonghai, what did Fang Chengxuan and the Third Master say wrong? Tell me, did you ever help the Qin Huairu family? If you did, when? If you didn't, shouldn't you relinquish your position as the Third Master?"

Liu Haizhong aspired to be a leader, but unfortunately, he was all talk and no action. After half a lifetime, he was just a lowly second-in-command in a courtyard house, with Yi Zhonghai above him.

Now that he has the opportunity, he can't wait to bring Yi Zhonghai down.

The topic was brought up again, and Yi Zhonghai glared angrily at Liu Haizhong with a dark face: "You didn't see me helping out because I made you, an old lady, deliver it all!"

An older woman standing nearby gritted her teeth, stood up, and chimed in, "That's right, I deliver food to Qin Huairu's family every day when I have free time."

Liu Haizhong curled his lip, his face full of disdain: "Has anyone ever seen an old lady helping Qin Huairu out?"

Qin Huairu suddenly overturned the stool with a loud crash.

A sound attracted everyone's attention.

Tears welled in her eyes as she sobbed, "Second Uncle, what do you mean by this? There's always gossip around a widow's door. What's wrong with an old woman like me coming to see her off? Do you expect me to personally deliver it? What are you up to?"

"Fang Chengxuan bullied me, a widow, and now you're bullying me too!"

Her tearful appearance broke He Yuzhu's heart.

He immediately stepped forward: "Second Uncle, it's a good thing that First Uncle helped Qin Huairu's family, how come it's become distorted in your eyes? Wasn't the whole hospital meeting today about Xu Damao insisting on sending Banggeng to the juvenile detention center?"

Liu Haizhong sighed inwardly when he saw that Yi Zhonghai had escaped a calamity.

Xu Damao was originally wary of the three old men.

Yi Zhonghai was an eighth-grade fitter at the steel rolling mill. Even the factory director had to give him face. His monthly salary was ninety-nine yuan, making him the richest man in the compound.

He is fair and just in his dealings, and everyone respects him.

But after Fang Chengxuan's outburst, Xu Damao stood his ground: "You're talking about me? If a bastard doesn't steal my chickens, he'll be sent to a juvenile detention center?"

He held his head high, speaking with self-righteousness.

He Yuzhu cursed, "Bang Geng is still a child! We're all from the same compound, can't we just give you money? Do we have to send him to a juvenile detention center?"

Xu Damao scoffed and looked around at everyone: "Why? I'm doing this for Bang Geng's own good! When has our neighborhood ever had a thief? Qin Huairu couldn't raise her son well, and Dongxu died young. As a neighbor, can I just stand by and watch him become a thief?"

He became more and more impassioned as he spoke, appearing righteous and awe-inspiring.

Yi Zhonghai tried to mediate: "Xu Damao, Banggeng is only seven years old. Isn't sending him to a juvenile detention center too much?"