Courtyard House: A Veteran Returns Home and Becomes a Father

Xu Damao's hoarse voice echoed long in the night sky before disappearing around the corner of the alley.

The entire east courtyard, along with the dozens of people at the entrance, seemed to have been put on pause.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Jia Zhangshi collapsed to the ground, tears still wet on her face, her mouth still poised to cry, but no sound could escape. Only one thought echoed wildly in her mind—how dare he? How could he really dare to call the police?

Yi Zhonghai's face was beyond ugly; it was a purplish-brown color, a mixture of shock, anger, humiliation, and a hint of fear. He felt that his authority as an elder had just been trampled into the mud by Xu Damao's bow-legged legs, and even ground into the mud a few times.

Liu Haizhong had been putting on airs for too long and didn't react for a moment. He just straightened his back subconsciously and muttered, "Nonsense! Absolutely nonsense!" But even he could tell that his voice lacked confidence.

Qin Huairu's face was ashen. She looked at her son, who was terrified, and then at Su Mo, who was as cold and indifferent as a demon king. A bottomless despair completely engulfed her.

It’s over.

This time, the Jia family is truly finished.

The neighbors around were too afraid to even breathe.

Looking at the man in the center of the courtyard, hands in his pockets, expression indifferent, they felt a sense of awe for the first time.

This is no longer just a neighborhood dispute.

This is a blatant example of dimensional reduction attack.

Su Mo had no interest in playing any kind of communal games with them, nor did he bother to throw a tantrum at Jia Zhangshi.

He flipped the table and summoned the rule-makers and enforcers.

In the face of absolute power, all attempts to smooth things over, take sides, and use moral blackmail become a joke.

Time passed by, second by second.

Every second felt like a small hammer striking Jia Zhangshi's heart.

Her initial shock gradually turned into a sense of relief.

Maybe...maybe Xu Damao is just a loudmouth who will come back after running around for a bit?

Maybe... when the police arrive, they'll hear it's just a child being misbehaving, give him a few words of criticism, and that'll be it?

However, her wishful thinking did not last long.

From the entrance of the alley came a series of hurried and forceful footsteps.

The footsteps were uniform, steady, and powerful, a stark contrast to the lazy pace of the old and young men in the courtyard.

Immediately afterwards, two bright beams of flashlight light cleaved through the night like swords, shooting straight into the gate of No. 95 courtyard.

"Police! Who called the police?"

A powerful, resounding question sent a shiver down the spines of everyone present.

The crowd parted automatically, like butter being sliced ​​by a hot knife.

Two policemen in uniform, with guns at their waists, strode in.

The leader was a middle-aged policeman in his forties, with a square face, sharp eyes like an eagle, and an aura of authority that commanded respect without being angry. Behind him followed a younger policeman, holding a notebook and pen, with a serious expression.

Everyone in the courtyard instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to meet their gaze.

Just a moment ago, Liu Haizhong was trying to put on airs, but now he's shrank his head like a quail.

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, wanting to strike up a conversation as an old man, but looking at the police rank on the other person's shoulder, the words "Hello, comrade" stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them no matter what.

The middle-aged policeman's gaze swept around the courtyard before finally settling on Su Mo.

There was no other way; among this group of timid and hesitant people, only Su Mo stood upright, composed, as if he were the master of this place.

"Did you call the police?" the middle-aged policeman asked.

Su Mo nodded, met his gaze, and calmly said, "I sent someone. This is my yard, and someone broke in and stole."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

Burglary!

The weight of words spoken by Su Mo is completely different from the weight of words spoken by Xu Damao.

The middle-aged policeman's expression immediately turned serious. He followed Su Mo's gaze and saw Jia Zhangshi and Bang Geng lying on the ground.

"What happened? Tell me in detail."

Su Mo didn't embellish the story; he simply stated the facts objectively, like an outsider.

"This is my yard, and the gate is locked at night. This child crawled in through the dog hole in the corner, trying to steal wood from the yard. My dog ​​found him but didn't cause him any physical harm. He was so frightened after being discovered that he looks like this now."

He paused, then pointed to the small cloth bag next to Banggeng.

"These are the tools he always carries with him."

The middle-aged policeman walked up to Banggeng and squatted down.

A strong smell of urine made him frown.

He glanced at the terrified child, then at the cloth bag, then stood up, walked to the corner, and carefully shone his flashlight on the dog hole.

The soil around the cave entrance was very fresh, with obvious signs that someone had climbed over it.

He walked back, his flashlight beam falling on the neatly stacked pile of Phoebe zhennan wood.

The wood gleamed with an unusual golden luster under the light, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary material.

"Is this timber very valuable?" he asked Su Mo.

"Golden Phoebe wood," Su Mo said, only uttering four words.

The middle-aged policeman's pupils suddenly contracted.

Although he wasn't a carpenter, he had heard of this kind of wood. This stuff was sold by the gram! This pile… its value was immeasurable!

This is no longer a simple theft; this is a major theft!

"Jia Zhangshi! What else do you have to say?!"

Before the police could speak, Yi Zhonghai became anxious. He was afraid that this matter would implicate the entire courtyard and affect his selection for "Advanced Individual," so he quickly pointed at Jia Zhangshi and scolded her sternly, trying to distance himself from the situation.

Startled by his shout, Jia Zhangshi finally came to her senses.

Looking at the police officer's serious face, her survival instinct kicked in and she started throwing a tantrum again.

"Officers! You must help us! We're innocent!"

She sobbed, tears streaming down her face, "My grandson is just a child! He was just playing around, he saw a hole and crawled in, what does he know! It was Su Mo! He deliberately released the dog to scare my grandson! Look, my grandson is terrified! He intentionally harmed him!"

The middle-aged policeman looked at her coldly, as if she were a clown jumping around.

"Shut up! We're handling cases, it's not your place to tell us what to do. Now I'm asking you questions, so answer honestly!"

He pointed at the stalk of the stick: "Is this your grandson?"

"Yes...yes."

Why is he here?

"I...I told you, he's playful!" Jia Zhangshi shouted, her neck stiff.

"Playful?" The middle-aged policeman sneered. "Playing requires crawling through someone's dog hole in the middle of the night? Playing requires carrying a bag to pack things?"

His voice suddenly rose: "Confess! Did you instigate him?!"

"I didn't! I'm not! Don't talk nonsense!" Jia Zhangshi denied it outright, acting like a dead pig that doesn't fear boiling water.

The middle-aged policeman didn't waste any words with her and turned to look at the still trembling Bang Geng.

He softened his tone, trying to make his voice sound gentler.

"Little friend, don't be afraid. Tell uncle, what's your name?"

Banggeng raised his head tremblingly, looked at the policeman, then at his grandmother beside him, his lips moved but he didn't dare to speak.

"Tell your uncle, why did you come to this yard? Do you want this wood?" The policeman pointed to the pile of wood.

A flicker of longing crossed Banggeng's eyes, but fear was far more intense.

Seeing this, Madam Jia panicked and shouted, "Don't ask my grandson! He's terrified! Don't take his words seriously!"

"If you say another word, I'll arrest you right now for obstructing official business!" The middle-aged policeman turned around and shouted angrily, which made Jia Zhangshi tremble and swallow all the words she was about to say.

The policeman turned to the stick again, took a piece of candy out of his pocket, and handed it to him.

"Don't be afraid. After you eat the candy, tell Uncle the truth. As long as you tell the truth, Uncle won't arrest you."

Banggeng looked at the candy, hesitated for a moment, and then took it.

Perhaps the sweetness of the candy gave him a sense of security, or perhaps the policeman's tone made him lower his guard.

His tears flowed again, and he spoke haltingly, his voice trembling with sobs.

"I...I didn't want to...it was Grandma...Grandma made me come..."

boom!

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding loudly in the quiet courtyard.

All eyes immediately focused on Jia Zhangshi's face, which had instantly lost all color.

Yan Bugui hid at the very back of the crowd, his legs felt weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot. Oh no, oh no, if this old hag betrayed him… he didn't dare think about it, he just wished he could die right there and then.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong stared, mouths agape, their faces filled with disbelief. They had just been trying to mediate, never expecting that the mastermind was this old man who had been wailing and lamenting all along!

Jia Zhangshi's mind went blank for a moment, and she was completely stunned.

She never imagined that her most beloved grandson would betray her at the most crucial moment!

"No...no!" she screamed like a madwoman, "You little brat! What nonsense are you spouting! When did I ever let you go! You were just greedy! You were the one who wanted to steal!"

Banggeng shuddered at her ferocious appearance and cried even harder.

He cried as he poured out his heart.

"It was you! You said it! You said that if I brought back a piece of wood, you'd buy me meat buns! Every day! Every meal! You said it was taking back what was ours! Waaah... I don't want meat buns anymore... I'm scared..."

Meat buns...

Get your things back...

These few sentences clearly and plainly explain the cause and effect.

The proof is like a mountain!

The middle-aged policeman's face was so cold it felt like ice could be scraped off.

He slowly stood up, walked to Jia Zhangshi, and said, word by word, "Instigating minors to commit theft is an even more serious crime."

He waved to the young policeman behind him.

"Cuff him and take him away!"

"yes!"

The young policeman responded, took out gleaming handcuffs, and strode forward.

"No! You can't arrest me! I haven't broken the law! I'm innocent!"

Jia Zhangshi went completely mad. She thrashed about on the ground, like a fat fish thrown ashore, throwing a tantrum and crying for her parents.

"I'm so old! You're bullying an elderly person! Help! The police are beating people!"

However, all of this was in vain.

The young policeman moved swiftly, grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back. With a "snap," the cold handcuffs firmly locked her dirty wrists.

"Ah—! Let me go! You heartless, rotten-hearted bunch! I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

Jia Zhangshi was lifted up by two policemen, one on each side, and dragged away. She was still struggling desperately, cursing and swearing, cursing Su Mo, the police, and the grandson who had betrayed her.

Qin Huairu knelt on the ground, crying, and pleaded with the policeman, "Officers, please, please let my mother-in-law go! She's old, she's confused!"

The middle-aged policeman didn't even glance at her, coldly saying, "Before the law, there is no distinction between young and old. If you have something to say, go to the police station."

After saying that, he took Jia Zhangshi by the arm and walked out of the courtyard without looking back.

The sound of police cars starting up rang out and then gradually faded into the distance.

The entire courtyard fell into a deathly silence once again.

All that remained was Qin Huairu, who was holding the terrified Bang Geng, lying paralyzed on the ground, whimpering in despair.

Su Mo didn't even blink once from beginning to end.

He walked over to Optimus Prime and Pillar, patted their heads, and whispered, "Well done."

Then, he turned around and, amidst the fearful, complex, and awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd, slowly walked back to Courtyard No. 96 and closed the door that seemed to separate two worlds.