Courtyard House: Ten-year-old Master Zhu reorganizes the entire courtyard

Section Chief Ma and his gang arrived without warning.

Three days.

Just three days.

A beat-up jeep, like a wild donkey, pulled up directly at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang. As soon as the door opened, four or five people in yellow-green uniforms jumped out, all wearing armbands that read "Asset Investigation".

The one leading the group was none other than Section Chief Ma.

The man was as stocky as a rock, his fleshy features squeezing together. He had a pair of beady green eyes that darted around furtively, and he clutched a black leather notebook in his hand, like the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell.

"Listen up, all of you!"

Section Chief Ma stood at the entrance of courtyard number 95, his voice as loud as a broken gong.

"By order of Commissioner Li, conduct a thorough asset review in this area! Produce every single one of them—house deeds, land deeds, household registration certificates—and anyone who dares to hide anything will be prosecuted for 'concealing illicit assets'!"

The courtyard erupted in chaos.

In every household, people were rummaging through drawers and cabinets with a clanging and clattering sound.

Yi Zhonghai was the first to rush out, clutching his family's property deed tightly in his hand, his old face beaming with joy: "Sir, you've worked hard! I'm the old man in charge of this compound, and this is my identification..."

Section Chief Ma didn't even bother to lift his eyelids; he simply flicked his arm and pushed him aside.

"Stop talking nonsense and stand over there!"

Yi Zhonghai was rebuffed, his face turning pale and then red. He awkwardly shrank back against the wall, but his eyes kept glancing towards the main house in the central courtyard.

The He family didn't move back. The person living in the main room was a distant nephew whom Fang Wenlin had arranged to come and look after the house.

But today, Fang Wenlin himself is...

He Yuzhu asked him to come.

Section Chief Ma led his men into the central courtyard with a swaggering gait. His eyes, like those of an eagle, immediately fixed their gaze on the three main rooms.

Facing south, the building has a bright and spacious layout. The carved beams and painted rafters are old, but the grandeur remains.

"This house is nice." Section Chief Ma tapped twice on the doorframe with his walking stick. "Who owns the house?"

Fang Wenlin adjusted his glasses, walked up, and stood ramrod straight: "I am Fang Wenlin, the owner of this house."

"You?" Section Chief Ma scanned him from head to toe. He was dressed in ordinary cloth and didn't look like someone with any connections. He curled his lip and said, "Take out the land deed."

Fang Wenlin took out a yellow paper land deed from his briefcase and handed it over with both hands: "It's a red deed from the early years of the Republic of China, with the official seal still intact. It was recently registered with the municipal government. This is the transfer document, sir."

Section Chief Ma took it and examined it repeatedly.

The paperwork was complete, the seals were clear, and there was even a signature from someone he knew at the police station.

It's hard to find fault with something.

Section Chief Ma frowned and tossed the land deed back into Fang Wenlin's arms: "The paperwork is as described, but what time is it now? This is a critical period! I've heard that the original owner of this house had some shady dealings with the Japanese!"

Fang Wenlin's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure: "Sir, what are you saying? I bought this house with my own money, and the previous owner was an honest person."

"Duty? That's not up to you, it's up to me!" Section Chief Ma waved his hand arrogantly. "Write it down! Add it to 'Pending Verification'!"

Just then.

The door to the east wing creaked open.

Jia Zhangshi, who had been peeking through the crack in the window, suddenly popped her eyes out.

Her chubby face was filled with scheming and flattery. She shuffled over to Section Chief Ma with her small feet, her voice low and shrill, yet deliberately trying to make sure the whole hospital could hear her.

"Sir! Sir! Excuse me, just a moment, let's talk!"

Section Chief Ma glanced at her sideways: "What do you do?"

"I'm reporting this!" Madam Jia pointed to the main house, her face beaming with pride. "The previous owner of this house was surnamed He, a cook! He used to cook for the Japanese high-ranking officials every day! I saw him coming and going in those big leather boots clearly! If this house were clean, could a stinking cook like He Daqing afford it? Also, this guy surnamed Fang bought the house suspiciously; he's probably hiding things for someone!"

As soon as he said that, the courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Yi Zhonghai's expression changed several times. He couldn't wait for the He family to suffer, but he also felt that Jia Zhangshi, that foolish woman, was inviting trouble. If these people were brought into the courtyard, who would have a good life afterward?

In the backyard, the deaf old woman's door was tightly shut. Inside, the old woman's hand gripped her jujube wood cane tightly, the veins on the back of her hand bulging.

After hearing what Jia Zhangshi said, Section Chief Ma's beady eyes lit up instantly.

Isn't this just a ladder delivered to your door?

"Oh? Is that so?" He pretended to stroke his fat chin, then turned to look at Fang Wenlin, his eyes full of daggers.

"Mr. Fang, it seems your house has a story behind it."

"This is slander!" Fang Wenlin exclaimed anxiously. "Master He was forced into it; everyone in the neighborhood knows that!"

"You know?" Section Chief Ma scoffed. "This is the Nationalist government now, governed by law! If someone reports something, we have to investigate! Men!"

The two henchmen snapped to attention and stood up straight.

"Until the investigation is completed, this property is designated as a major disputed asset! Seal it off! No one is allowed to buy, sell, transfer, or reside in it! Have all relevant parties go to the relevant office within three days to clarify their situation! Otherwise, it will be confiscated!"

"yes!"

"Swish! Swish!"

Two lines of black characters on white paper intersected to form a large "X," and just like that, they were rudely pasted onto that vermilion gate.

Like a hideous scar.

Fang Wenlin wanted to argue further, but Section Chief Ma's walking stick had already poked him in the nose.

"Say one more word, and I'll take you with me! I think you're a suspect too!"

With this label pinned on him, Fang Wenlin could only swallow his words, along with the blood he had shed.

Looking at the two seals, Madam Jia was practically smug, then shrank back into the crowd, beaming with pride. From now on, who in this courtyard would dare look down on the Jia family?

Section Chief Ma was satisfied. He waved his hand, preparing to leave. Before leaving, he gave Yi Zhonghai a meaningful glance.

"You're in charge? Keep a close eye on things. If the seal breaks, I'll make an example of you!"

The jeep sped away, kicking up a cloud of dust and filling the yard with unease.

……

That evening, Rongxian Hutong.

He Yuzhu learned of this news.

Fang Wenlin sat opposite him, his face full of guilt: "Yuzhu, I'm so sorry. Those people were simply robbing us outright, they were completely unreasonable."

"Uncle Fang, this isn't your fault."

He Yuzhu poured him water, his hand moving incredibly steadily.

"Trying to reason with bandits? That's a quirk of scholars."

"What can we do? The seals are already on, and if we don't hear anything after three days, they might really take the house away." He Daqing, standing beside him, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. "How about... how about I go and talk to that Section Chief Ma? Maybe Xu Fugui can put in a good word for us?"

"Plead for it?" He Yuzhu laughed, but his laughter was full of ice shards. "Dad, if the meat falls into a wolf's mouth, you're going to plead with it to spit it out? Won't it chew your hand up too?"

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the inky black night.

"Since they're not playing by the rules, let's try a different approach."

Jia Zhangshi.

Section Chief Ma.

And that Commissioner Li.

He Yuzhu slowly savored these names on his tongue.

"I was originally planning to let you guys have a few more days of fun, but since you're in such a hurry to get going..."

His pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints.

"Then I'll see you off."

"Zhu Zi, what... what do you want to do?" Chen Lanxiang looked at her son, feeling panicked.

"check."

He Yuzhu uttered a single word.

"Find that Commissioner Li thoroughly, inside and out. I want him to understand that some houses in Beiping are worth taking, while others... are hot potatoes, they could burn your life!"