Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

"Doctor, please make an exception..."

Xu Damao quietly reached into his pocket, pulled out a few banknotes, and quickly and discreetly pushed them toward the doctor.

"Take it back!"

The doctor's expression turned serious, and he raised his hand to block the way. "Comrade, please don't make me make a mistake."

"Please, please help me!"

Undeterred, Xu Damao added a little more and tried again.

"Comrade,"

The doctor sighed, his tone softening slightly, but his stance remained unchanged: "It really can't be done, please don't make things difficult for me."

He didn't mention the woman's arrival or her request; having promised to keep it a secret, he would remain silent.

After several rounds of back and forth, Xu Damao saw that the other party's attitude was firm and showed no signs of backing down, and finally gave up the idea of ​​bribing them to change the report.

His eyes darted around, and a new idea popped into his head: "Well... Doctor, could you... sell me a blank report? Like, one without any information filled in?"

"This won't work either."

The doctor continued to shake his head, his expression dignified and impeccable.

In those days, medical examination reports were all filled out by hand. He knew very well what it meant for a blank form to be released.

Xu Damao stuffed the stack of banknotes back into his pocket and left the clinic without looking back.

But as soon as he reached the corner of the corridor, his feet seemed to stick to the ground again.

He turned around, leaned inside, and asked, "Doctor, can you give me a definite answer... I'll still be able to have children in the future, right? I could before, and I should be able to again, shouldn't I?"

The doctor looked up from behind the medical record, his voice veiled in a thin mist: "No one dares to say for sure about something like this."

If you're really worried, come back and check again in a while.

"Okay, thank you."

Xu Damao left after saying those words.

As soon as the door closed, the doctor put down his pen and got up to go to the director's office.

He explained all his concerns in detail.

The hospital acted quickly; just after noon, a new notice was posted: all medical examination conclusions must be revised, removing definitive statements and retaining only "possibly."

,"tendency"

"Re-examination recommended"

These kinds of vague terms.

The doctor sat back in his chair, took a sip of tea, and the sunlight from the window slanted across the glass.

He looked at the reflection, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips.

As Xu Damao stepped out of the hospital, the bright sunlight shone directly on his face.

He stood on the steps for a while, stunned, and began to sort out the mess in his mind: "Maybe it's because my body was strong enough the past two months that I caught it."

Last night's drinking session left me completely drunk, no wonder I didn't get a good result today... I'll go get checked again in a few days when I've calmed down.

"It'll be fine."

Thinking about it this way, the tightness in my chest seemed to ease a little.

But another worry immediately loomed over him.

As he was leaving the hospital in the morning, he ran into Aunt Li from the front yard, who called out loudly, "Da Mao, going for your checkup?"

Before leaving in the afternoon, I ran into Grandpa San by the pool. He cheerfully asked, "Can I pick up the results today?"

He agreed at the time, his voice carrying a hint of showing off.

Now I'm empty-handed, how am I going to go back? Today I can still make excuses, saying the machine malfunctioned and the order wasn't printed.

But what about tomorrow? When the sun comes out tomorrow, how many eyes will be waiting to see his scrap of paper?

A thought suddenly popped into my head, like a match struck in the dark.

Find someone to take his place! Find someone who is physically strong and healthy, and have him get checked at another hospital using Xu Damao's name.

Tomorrow morning, that impressive report will be displayed on the stone table in the courtyard.

Who should I ask? I can't even open my mouth in front of someone I know; I'd be so embarrassed.

It's even more dangerous with strangers; if they were to seize this opportunity in the future, the consequences would be dire.

He sifted through his mind and finally settled on one name—Wang Housheng.

That was his high school classmate, honest to the point of being a bit dull, not very talkative, but never breaking his promises.

"He's the one!"

Xu Damao stomped his foot, as if to crush all hesitation.

He had to find Wang Housheng immediately and, before it got dark, quickly switch to another hospital to settle this matter.

Tomorrow morning, that piece of paper will be safely tucked into his arms, and he can take it back to that courtyard full of eyes.

He rushed to his old friend's place.

At almost the same moment, Lou Xiao'e had finished developing the photos and was humming a little tune as she walked back to the courtyard house.

A fierce determination surged within her—this time, she was determined to make Xu Damao lose all face in front of everyone.

Although she usually seems a bit naive, she is by no means the type to swallow her anger.

Since Xu Damao treated her badly, she was determined to retaliate fiercely.

However, not everyone in the hospital is here yet. We'll have to wait until after get off work, when most people are back, to really get this story out of the blue.

She was making plans in her mind, but her steps didn't stop. She turned a corner and entered the home of her third uncle, Yan Bugui.

The old woman was tidying up the house when she looked up and saw Lou Xiao'e. She was taken aback: "Xiao'e? What brings you here at this hour?"

"Auntie, I need to speak with Uncle about something urgent. When will he be back?"

"He usually gets off work early, he should be here by now..."

Before the three women could finish speaking, the courtyard gate opened, and a tall, thin middle-aged man stepped in—it was Yan Bugui.

"Honey, don't mention Cao Cao."

Yan Bugui subconsciously raised his hand and pressed on the philtrum, then lowered his hand when he saw that it was the Third Aunt. "I can't stand hearing characters from the Three Kingdoms lately, it makes me dizzy."

Ever since he fainted from anger at being angered by his son Yan Jiecheng, he has become exceptionally sensitive to figures from the Three Kingdoms period.

But Yan Jiecheng, that brat, after making him faint from anger, bought a copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" the very next day, and after that, he stopped giving a single penny home, keeping all his wages for himself.

Yan Bugui felt frustrated just thinking about it, but he couldn't do anything about his son—if he really kicked him out, Yan Jiecheng might actually end up sleeping in front of the neighborhood office, and he would lose all face.

As he was pondering this, he noticed Lou Xiao'e standing to the side: "Oh, Xiao'e, is there something you need?"

"Third Uncle, could you please arrange a hospital-wide meeting later?"

Lou Xiao'e got straight to the point, "Just say that Xu Damao's medical examination report is out and we're going to announce it in front of everyone."

"This is easy. Just hold it before dinner. That's all you need to do."

Yan Bugui was taken aback: "What...what does this mean?"

"Here's three yuan. I'll give you another three yuan after everything's taken care of."

Lou Xiao'e took out some money from her pocket and lowered her voice, "I have two requirements: First, not a single person in the entire hospital can be missing; second, absolutely no word can be leaked, especially not to Xu Damao who should know about this beforehand."

"Are you trying to... mess with Xu Damao?"

Yan Bugui finally understood, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Could it be that the one who can't have children is... Xu Damao?"

"That's him!"

Lou Xiao'e's lips curled into a cold smile. "Third Uncle, will you take this job?"

"Yes! Of course I'll answer!"

Yan Bugui took the money without hesitation.

Six yuan is nothing, it's practically a free bargain.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it perfectly for you, without a single mistake!"

"Okay, then I'll wait for your message."

Lou Xiao'e smiled, turned around and left the Yan family's house.

Yan Bugui held the three yuan in his hand, his heart filled with joy.

Besides making a net profit of six yuan, he also became the number one listener to this shocking secret.

A wave of ecstasy washed over him, yet he did not succumb to it in the slightest.

Yan Bugui exchanged a few hurried words with his wife, then his figure swept out of the courtyard gate like a whirlwind, knocking on each door to announce the evening gathering.

No one in the courtyard had any doubts about this; they simply assumed that Xu Damao had asked Uncle San to convene a general meeting of the entire courtyard.

Not only did ordinary residents think this way, but even the usually shrewd Yi Zhonghai did not suspect anything—perhaps Xu Damao happened to meet Yan Bugui when he entered the house and casually entrusted this matter to him.

Upon receiving the news, Yi Zhonghai went straight to the backyard to look for the deaf old lady.

Today, the old lady specifically instructed an older woman to hear firsthand the excitement of Xu Damao reading out his medical report in public.

Yi Zhonghai didn't dare to delay. Upon hearing the news, he helped the old lady to the front yard.

Before long, the courthouse was filled with people.

Even residents who rarely show their faces peeked out, all eager to witness this spectacle.

However, everyone's anticipation soon turned into confusion—the stage was set, but the main character was nowhere to be seen.

Where is Xu Damao?

Liu Haizhong, his belly protruding, spoke with impatience, "Everyone still has rice simmering on their stoves! If it burns and wastes the food, can he take responsibility for that?"

"Huh—who called me?"

As they were talking, Xu Damao strolled over from the front yard, a hint of elation still lingering in his eyes and brows.

He had just convinced his old classmate to take the medical exam in his place, and he was just waiting to pick up the report tomorrow morning.

With the matter that had been weighing on my mind finally settled, most of the pent-up frustration from the past few months dissipated.

When everyone saw him return with a smile, they all felt it was only natural—since the medical examination results were normal, their joy was only to be expected.

"We've been waiting for you, Xu Damao!"

Liu Haizhong raised his hand and pointed at him, "Come on, say it in front of everyone!"

After speaking, a bright smile bloomed on his round face.

The neighbors all craned their necks, their eyes burning with intense curiosity.

"E'zi, come here."

The deaf old lady suddenly waved to Lou Xiao'e.

Lou Xiao'e's eyes flickered slightly, and she walked closer as instructed.

"Sigh... What a wonderful girl, but she ended up with a useless man."

The old woman gently patted the back of her hand with her withered hand, "Don't be afraid, don't feel wronged."

The old lady is here! Nobody can bully you today.

"Thank you for your concern, Grandma."

Lou Xiao'e responded obediently, but a hint of sarcasm rose in her heart.

Ever since hearing the truth about the deaf old lady from Li Jianye that day, this act of feigned kindness has long since lost its effectiveness.

"When we show Xu Damao's medical examination report later, we'll see what your face looks like."

……

He Yuzhu's expression was equally subtle at this moment.

Last night, the deaf old lady came to find him and talked for a long time, but her words only revolved around one thing—that he should marry Lou Xiao'e.

At first, He Yuzhu flatly refused. How could he marry a woman his mortal enemy had abandoned and who couldn't bear children? But after the old lady's persuasion, he gradually softened...

If I could marry Lou Xiao'e and have her conceive my child, what a wonderful thing that would be.

Just thinking about this scene warms my heart.

Not to mention, if this news gets out, it will surely make Xu Damao furious—just imagining his appearance makes one want to curl the corners of their mouth.

Besides, with his reputation for moral failings, what ordinary girl would dare to marry him so easily? Lou Xiao'e's willingness to agree was already a rare stroke of luck.

With that thought in mind, he no longer hesitated and nodded slightly to the matchmaker.

When he looked up at Lou Xiao'e again, his gaze unconsciously held a tenderness he had never shown before.

She lowered her head to sip her tea, her profile appearing exceptionally gentle under the lamplight.

He thought to himself: If Xu Damao really dares to cause any embarrassing scene later, I will rush up to protect her.

If I play the hero and save the damsel in distress, maybe I can actually get her to look at me a little more...

Thinking about this, he almost burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Yan Bugui stood in the crowd with his hands tucked in his sleeves, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He had already figured out the whole story from the sidelines. Now, looking at the scene before him, he was like an audience member watching a play from below the stage, fully aware of everything, yet unable to say anything.

This feeling of being the only one sober while everyone else is drunk was quite exhilarating to him.

"Announce? Announce Xi Yao?"

Surrounded by the crowd, Xu Damao scratched his head, looking bewildered.

He clearly hadn't realized what was going on, and stared blankly around until someone urged him again, at which point he suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Oh—you mean that matter!"

He drew out his words and waved his hand casually, "What's the rush? I haven't even called anyone yet, and you've all gathered here on your own."

Okay, okay, since you're already here, I'll just say it straight: there was a little mishap at the hospital today, and I won't be able to get my medical report until tomorrow morning.

So, for this conference... how about we reschedule it for tomorrow afternoon?

The courtyard fell silent for a moment after he said that.