Courtyard House: My max-level medical skills specialize in treating beasts.

As soon as He Yudong and Sha Zhu stepped out the door, Liu Haizhong impatiently urged, "What are you two standing there for? We're the only ones missing! With your attitude, you two clearly have no respect for the organization!"

"You think you're qualified to represent the organization?" He Yudong chuckled. This old guy really was taking a trivial matter too seriously.

"You... I'm not going to waste my breath on you. You'll see what happens later!" Liu Haizhong said angrily, his hands behind his back, as he strode angrily toward the central courtyard.

At the table in the Intermediate Court, Yi Zhonghai and Yan Fugui were already seated. Seeing Liu Haizhong sit down, Yi Zhonghai turned to Yan Fugui and said in a low voice, "Old Yan, I've discussed it with Old Liu, and we think you should continue to hold this position. However—your stance needs to change; you can't go astray again."

The so-called "wrong path" simply refers to Yan Fugui's previous stance on He Yudong's side.

Yan Fugui knew perfectly well that these two were only trying to win him over in order to join forces against He Yudong. Although Yan Fugui was shrewd and calculating, he hadn't forgotten that He Yudong had treated him very well, and one shouldn't be ungrateful.

"Old Yi, I really don't care about this third uncle's seat. You can sit if you want," Yan Fugui retorted indifferently.

"Hey! You really don't know what's good for you!" Yi Zhonghai's face darkened.

Before the words were even finished, the second auntie jumped out from the crowd, pointing at He Yudong's nose and yelling, "He Yudong! You heartless bastard! How dare you beat my son like that!"

He Yudong didn't even glance at her, calmly saying, "Second Aunt, many people witnessed what happened today. Those two bastards, Liu Guangfu and Liu Guangtian, brought men to ransack my house. I didn't kill them; I showed them mercy. What, you got beaten to a pulp, and now you're holding a hospital-wide meeting to criticize me? Have you no shame?"

"He Yudong! How dare you speak like that? Don't you know how to respect your elders?" Liu Haizhong slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Liu Haizhong, who do you think you are, an elder?" He Yudong's gaze was like a knife, pressing closer step by step. "Don't you know what kind of people your family is? Your two sons brought a bunch of thugs to surround me, and I beat them into the hospital in self-defense. It hasn't been long, and I haven't even sued them for attempted murder yet! You think you're a leader just because you're pregnant?"

"How dare you talk like that! How am I not a leader! I'm the team leader now, I represent the organization! You have no respect for the organization at all!" Liu Haizhong was trembling with anger.

"What kind of bullshit organization is this? With all the despicable things you've done, leading people to ransack other people's homes and steal their things every day, aren't you afraid of getting ambushed in the middle of the night? Heaven is watching what you do; watch out for retribution!"

"You—you—" Liu Haizhong choked on his breath, his face turned as red as a pig's liver, and he gasped for air, almost passing out.

"Yu Dong, Guang Fu is from the same hospital, you shouldn't have hit him so hard." Yi Zhonghai spoke up at the right time, playing the peacemaker again.

"Heh, Yi Zhonghai, how about I bring a few men to your house tomorrow to ransack it? You'll see how that feels," He Yudong sneered.

"You—you're utterly unreasonable!"

"Do you even know what 'Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you' means? I bet you don't. You're always pretending to be a good person to me, but I can't be bothered to expose your dirty deeds. I won't bother you, so don't come looking for trouble."

"No matter what, you hit someone, so you have to pay for their medical expenses." Yi Zhonghai dropped his pretense and got straight to the point.

"Yes! You have to pay! We haven't even settled the medical bills for Guangfu and Guangtian last time. If you don't pay this time, I'm not done with you!" Liu Haizhong, having caught his breath, immediately chimed in.

"Hey, Liu Haizhong, what are you planning to do about this? Are you going to have someone raid my house again?" He Yudong sneered.

"You think I wouldn't dare? I have that power right now! I can confiscate your property if I say so!" Liu Haizhong simply tore off the mask of pretense. Others at least make up a pretext for doing bad things, but he was so straightforward that he didn't even bother with a fig leaf.

"Sure, go ahead and try," He Yudong said, stepping towards Liu Haizhong. "But guess whether I dare to hit you?"

Liu Haizhong's face immediately changed, and he retreated hastily, pointing at He Yudong and stammering, "He Yudong! You—what do you want to do? Let me tell you, I'm an old man! If you dare to touch me, you'll be in big trouble!"

"Heh, now you remember you're an old man? Disrespectful to your age." He Yudong stopped, stood with his hands behind his back, his voice low but firm, "I, He Yudong, never cause trouble, nor am I afraid of trouble. If you dare mess with me, go ahead and try, you'll bear the consequences. As for paying compensation—pay your grandmother's legs! If you dare cause trouble at my house again, next time it won't be as easy as today."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving behind the words, "Brother, I'm leaving. I'm wasting time with these idiots."

Sha Zhu followed him away, leaving the people in the courtyard looking at each other in bewilderment. With the main figures of the criticism session gone, the drama could no longer continue, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

"Too arrogant! Absolutely too arrogant!" Liu Haizhong gritted his teeth. "If He Yudong isn't taught a lesson, I, his second uncle, will have no authority left! Old Yi, we absolutely cannot let him continue to be so arrogant!"

"So what do you want to do? Have someone raid his house again?" Yi Zhonghai sighed helplessly.

He had other plans in mind—if He Yudong wasn't eliminated, Sha Zhu wouldn't be so easy to fool, and it would be difficult to find someone to take care of him in his old age. Besides Sha Zhu and his brothers, the only other young people in the compound were the sons of the second and third uncles, but those people might not even take care of their own fathers, let alone Yi Zhonghai.

He Yudong? Even less likely. The only hope rests on Sha Zhu.

But with He Yudong around, Sha Zhu wouldn't be easily fooled. Thinking of this, Qin Huairu's image flashed into Yi Zhonghai's mind—if Qin Huairu could get her hands on Sha Zhu, especially if she could force the issue, wouldn't Sha Zhu be completely trapped?

Now that Lou Xiao'e has left, this is a golden opportunity. He is convinced that Lou Xiao'e is far away in Hong Kong, separated from Sha Zhu by thousands of miles, and their relationship is destined to end completely.

Having made up his mind, Yi Zhonghai picked up a bag of cornmeal and headed towards the Qin family's house.

When Jia Zhangshi saw Yi Zhonghai arrive, a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes. She was well aware, of course, that this old man had made some shady deal with Qin Huairu, and now that he was scheming against Sha Zhu, he had come to her again.

"Sister-in-law, bring some cornmeal for the children. Is Huairu home?" Yi Zhonghai asked with a smile.

Qin Huairu came out upon hearing the noise, glanced at the bag of cornmeal, and a hint of disdain flashed in her eyes. Previously, Deputy Factory Director Li had given her white flour and meat; Yi Zhonghai's cornmeal was truly meager. However, it was better than nothing, and things weren't easy at home right now. Besides, a new opportunity was right in front of her—if she got hold of Sha Zhu, his house and money would all be hers.

"Huai Ru, I have something I want to discuss with you. Can you come out for a moment?" Yi Zhonghai said with a smile.

"What can't be said here?" Jia Zhangshi said with a dark face, wondering to herself if these two were going to sneak into the cellar again.

Yi Zhonghai looked troubled; it was indeed inconvenient to discuss this matter in front of others.

Qin Huairu understood his meaning and said to Jia Zhangshi, "Mother, I'm going out with Uncle Yi for a bit, I'll be back soon."

"Hmph." Madam Jia snorted coldly and did not stop her any further.

After everyone left, Jia Zhangshi stared down at the cornmeal on the ground, muttering with disgust, "I finally got out of prison, and this is what I get to eat? Useless trash."

In a corner of the backyard, away from where others might see, Qin Huairu spoke first: "Uncle, what's the matter?"

"Huai Ru, it's like this," Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice, "You see, Lou Xiao'e is gone, and Sha Zhu is all alone now. I'm thinking, why don't you just live with Sha Zhu? What do you think?"

Qin Huairu was slightly taken aback, her heart filled with suspicion—why did this old lecher suddenly bring this up? Did he want her to bear him a son again, and then have Sha Zhu raise him?

She felt a surge of disgust when Yi Zhonghai made that suggestion last time. She wanted Sha Zhu to raise her child; she never intended to have a child with Sha Zhu, much less with Yi Zhonghai!

"Huai Ru, it's not easy for you to raise this whole family on your own. It's not a good solution to not have a man in the family," Yi Zhonghai continued to earnestly persuade her.

Qin Huairu's mind raced. She did want to take this opportunity to win over Sha Zhu, but she absolutely did not want to get entangled with Yi Zhonghai any longer. However—Yi Zhonghai's monthly salary of over a hundred yuan was truly tempting.

"Uncle, I'd like to too, but Sha Zhu might not agree." She still felt annoyed when she recalled the embarrassing incident of being kicked out after bringing wine and peanuts to curry favor with him. However, she was always confident in her looks and figure. With Lou Xiao'e not around, as long as she showed concern for him from time to time, winning over Sha Zhu was only a matter of time.

"Don't worry about that, Uncle Yi will help you matchmake," Yi Zhonghai said with a smile. "I'll find some time to talk to Sha Zhu later. To be honest, Lou Xiao'e and Sha Zhu are not a good match; you and Sha Zhu are the perfect match."

Qin Huairu was no pushover. He immediately bluntly asked, "Sir, just tell me straight, why are you helping me?"

"Look at what you're saying. Shouldn't we, as neighbors, help each other out?" Yi Zhonghai, with his upright and gentlemanly demeanor, suddenly changed the subject. "But you know, your aunt's health is getting worse and worse, who knows when she might... I'm a grown man, my salary isn't low, and I have some savings—"

"Uncle, what do you mean?" Qin Huairu's eyes lit up as soon as he heard him mention money.

"What do you think about that thing we talked about last time? If you agree, you can manage all my money from now on, and we'll be family."

A wave of disgust welled up in Qin Huairu's heart. The last time—wasn't it about wanting her to bear him a son? When the plot was exposed, she had to claim she was forced by Yi Zhonghai; in reality, it was nothing more than a sordid transaction.

"Uncle, your request is excessive. If you could help me get together with Sha Zhu, we'd take care of you in your old age, no problem. But I'm sorry, I cannot agree to your request."

She knew she couldn't let this old man lead her by the nose; she had to control the pace of things herself. Once she got rid of Sha Zhu and extracted Yi Zhonghai's money, who would take care of him in his old age? She couldn't even support her own family!

Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment. He had originally wanted Qin Huairu to have a son, to be raised by Sha Zhu, but Qin Huairu had flatly refused; a forced marriage wouldn't be happy. However, if Qin Huairu agreed to support him in his old age, it would be somewhat plausible.

"Alright, that's settled then—I'll help you marry Sha Zhu, and from now on, you and Sha Zhu will be responsible for my care in my old age. As for the children, forget about it; I actually quite like Bang Geng and the others too."

Qin Huairu immediately beamed, "Then it's settled. Thank you so much, sir!"

"You're welcome. We'll all be family from now on." Yi Zhonghai nodded with a smile, but inwardly he cursed this little vixen for pretending to be so high and mighty.

"Um... sir," Qin Huairu said, adopting a pitiful expression, "you know, my family has been really struggling to make ends meet lately. My mother-in-law just came back, we've run out of food, and expenses are high... so you see—"

Yi Zhonghai, as expected, fell for it and quickly pulled out some money: "Huai Ru, don't worry, I have fifty yuan here. Take it first, and let me know if you need more."

"Thank you, sir!" Qin Huairu said with a bright smile as she took the banknotes.

Both harbored their own ulterior motives and believed they had everything under control.

They made quite a show of breaking up; Yi Zhonghai walked out of the corner first, and Qin Huairu only came out a few minutes later.

That corner happened to be directly opposite He Yudong's window.

He Yudong watched the two figures leave one after the other. Although he couldn't hear what they said, he could tell from their furtive expressions that they were plotting something again. However, he was too lazy to investigate further; Qin Huairu's little schemes wouldn't amount to much.

Just then, Sha Zhu pushed the door open and came in, getting straight to the point: "Brother, can I borrow your phone to call Xiao'e?"

Just as He Yudong was about to get up to fetch it, Yi Zhonghai's voice came from outside the door: "Zhuzi, come here for a second, an old man wants to talk to you about something."

Sha Zhu glanced at He Yudong, who nodded slightly, signaling him to go see what tricks the old man was up to this time.

Sha Zhu led Yi Zhonghai into his house and sat down casually: "Uncle, get to the point."

"Zhu Zi, I feel that our two families have become a bit distant lately. If Uncle does anything wrong, please don't take it to heart. After all, we've been neighbors for decades, don't you think?" Yi Zhonghai said sincerely.

Sha Zhu sneered inwardly. If he hadn't seen through this old fox's true colors earlier, his words today would have surely fooled him. His words were loaded with hidden meaning and were definitely not well-intentioned.

"It's normal for neighbors to have misunderstandings from time to time," Sha Zhu replied casually.

"It's good that you think that way! I've watched you grow up, and to be honest, you're like my own child to me." Yi Zhonghai patted his chest emotionally.

"Alright, sir, just say it directly." Sha Zhu felt uncomfortable all over—being treated like "one of his own" by this old man gave him goosebumps, as if he were being taken advantage of.

"Then I'll be frank." Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat. "Look at you now, all alone. It's really not good to live without a woman in your family. I've been thinking, Huai Ru is actually a pretty good woman—it just so happens that you're single too, and she's single too. Huai Ru mentioned to me privately that she has feelings for you and wants to live with you..."

"I think you two are a good match, so I came to ask what you think. When would be a good time to get married?"

"Wait a minute!" Sha Zhu suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, "Grandpa, the more I listen, the more confused I get! What do you mean I 'done things' with Qin Huairu? Are you senile?"

"Zhu Zi, what are you saying!" Yi Zhonghai said sternly. "I'm doing this for your own good, aren't I? What's wrong with Huai Ru? Isn't she good enough for you?"

"Grandpa, Lou Xiao'e and I are a legally married couple, we've got our marriage certificate! You want me to go live with Qin Huairu now? Are you senile or what?" Sha Zhu was furious. This old man was simply inhuman!

"Didn't Lou Xiao'e abandon you and run off to Hong Kong? You can't stay single forever, can you?" Yi Zhonghai said emphatically.

Sha Zhu almost blurted out that he was also going to Hong Kong soon, but remembering his brother's instructions, he swallowed it back and said in a deep voice, "This is between Xiao'e and me, no need for you to worry about it. We are husband and wife, no matter how far apart we are, we will always be husband and wife, that won't change. Uncle, if you have nothing else, please go back."

"You—you're unreasonable! You're infuriating!" Yi Zhonghai stormed off, thinking that this stubborn rock, Sha Zhu, would eventually come to terms with reality and accept Qin Huairu.

The thought of Qin Huairu's figure stirred a filthy thought in Yi Zhonghai's mind again...

Sha Zhu turned and scurried back into He Yudong's room, angrily saying, "Do you know what Yi Zhonghai just told me?"

He Yudong looked at his complicated expression and smiled: "That old guy isn't trying to persuade you to marry Qin Huairu, is he?"

"Hey! You little rascal, you really can't hide anything from me!" Sha Zhu genuinely thought his younger brother was like a god, able to predict the future.

"That old guy has never had good intentions. Don't forget what happened between him and Qin Huairu in the cellar back then—did you really think Yi Zhonghai forced Qin Huairu?" He Yudong said meaningfully.

Sha Zhu was startled, and his expression changed drastically.

Lock on Xu Weibiao, lock on, lock on every update of "Siheyuan: My Max-Level Medical Skills Treat Beasts".

Qin Huairu immediately beamed, "Then it's settled. Thank you so much, sir!"

"You're welcome. We'll all be family from now on." Yi Zhonghai nodded with a smile, but inwardly he cursed this little vixen for pretending to be so high and mighty.

"Um... sir," Qin Huairu said, adopting a pitiful expression, "you know, my family has been really struggling to make ends meet lately. My mother-in-law just came back, we've run out of food, and expenses are high... so you see—"

Yi Zhonghai, as expected, fell for it and quickly pulled out some money: "Huai Ru, don't worry, I have fifty yuan here. Take it first, and let me know if you need more."

"Thank you, sir!" Qin Huairu said with a bright smile as she took the banknotes.

Both harbored their own ulterior motives and believed they had everything under control.

They made quite a show of breaking up; Yi Zhonghai walked out of the corner first, and Qin Huairu only came out a few minutes later.

That corner happened to be directly opposite He Yudong's window.

He Yudong watched the two figures leave one after the other. Although he couldn't hear what they said, he could tell from their furtive expressions that they were plotting something again. However, he was too lazy to investigate further; Qin Huairu's little schemes wouldn't amount to much.

Just then, Sha Zhu pushed the door open and came in, getting straight to the point: "Brother, can I borrow your phone to call Xiao'e?"

Just as He Yudong was about to get up to fetch it, Yi Zhonghai's voice came from outside the door: "Zhuzi, come here for a second, an old man wants to talk to you about something."

Sha Zhu glanced at He Yudong, who nodded slightly, signaling him to go see what tricks the old man was up to this time.

Sha Zhu led Yi Zhonghai into his house and sat down casually: "Uncle, get to the point."

"Zhu Zi, I feel that our two families have become a bit distant lately. If Uncle does anything wrong, please don't take it to heart. After all, we've been neighbors for decades, don't you think?" Yi Zhonghai said sincerely.

Sha Zhu sneered inwardly. If he hadn't seen through this old fox's true colors earlier, his words today would have surely fooled him. His words were loaded with hidden meaning and were definitely not well-intentioned.

"It's normal for neighbors to have misunderstandings from time to time," Sha Zhu replied casually.

"It's good that you think that way! I've watched you grow up, and to be honest, you're like my own child to me." Yi Zhonghai patted his chest emotionally.

"Alright, sir, just say it directly." Sha Zhu felt uncomfortable all over—being treated like "one of his own" by this old man gave him goosebumps, as if he were being taken advantage of.

"Then I'll be frank." Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat. "Look at you now, all alone. It's really not good to live without a woman in your family. I've been thinking, Huai Ru is actually a pretty good woman—it just so happens that you're single too, and she's single too. Huai Ru mentioned to me privately that she has feelings for you and wants to live with you..."

"I think you two are a good match, so I came to ask what you think. When would be a good time to get married?"

"Wait a minute!" Sha Zhu suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, "Grandpa, the more I listen, the more confused I get! What do you mean I 'done things' with Qin Huairu? Are you senile?"

"Zhu Zi, what are you saying!" Yi Zhonghai said sternly. "I'm doing this for your own good, aren't I? What's wrong with Huai Ru? Isn't she good enough for you?"

"Grandpa, Lou Xiao'e and I are a legally married couple, we've got our marriage certificate! You want me to go live with Qin Huairu now? Are you senile or what?" Sha Zhu was furious. This old man was simply inhuman!

"Didn't Lou Xiao'e abandon you and run off to Hong Kong? You can't stay single forever, can you?" Yi Zhonghai said emphatically.

Sha Zhu almost blurted out that he was also going to Hong Kong soon, but remembering his brother's instructions, he swallowed it back and said in a deep voice, "This is between Xiao'e and me, no need for you to worry about it. We are husband and wife, no matter how far apart we are, we will always be husband and wife, that won't change. Uncle, if you have nothing else, please go back."

"You—you're unreasonable! You're infuriating!" Yi Zhonghai stormed off, thinking that this stubborn rock, Sha Zhu, would eventually come to terms with reality and accept Qin Huairu.

The thought of Qin Huairu's figure stirred a filthy thought in Yi Zhonghai's mind again...

Sha Zhu turned and scurried back into He Yudong's room, angrily saying, "Do you know what Yi Zhonghai just told me?"

He Yudong looked at his complicated expression and smiled: "That old guy isn't trying to persuade you to marry Qin Huairu, is he?"

"Hey! You little rascal, you really can't hide anything from me!" Sha Zhu genuinely thought his younger brother was like a god, able to predict the future.

"That old guy has never had good intentions. Don't forget what happened between him and Qin Huairu in the cellar back then—did you really think Yi Zhonghai forced Qin Huairu?" He Yudong said meaningfully.

Sha Zhu was startled, and his expression changed drastically.

"Alright, that's settled then—I'll help you marry Sha Zhu, and from now on, you and Sha Zhu will be responsible for my care in my old age. As for the children, forget about it; I actually quite like Bang Geng and the others too."

Qin Huairu immediately beamed, "Then it's settled. Thank you so much, sir!"

"You're welcome. We'll all be family from now on." Yi Zhonghai nodded with a smile, but inwardly he cursed this little vixen for pretending to be so high and mighty.

"Um... sir," Qin Huairu said, adopting a pitiful expression, "you know, my family has been really struggling to make ends meet lately. My mother-in-law just came back, we've run out of food, and expenses are high... so you see—"

Yi Zhonghai, as expected, fell for it and quickly pulled out some money: "Huai Ru, don't worry, I have fifty yuan here. Take it first, and let me know if you need more."

"Thank you, sir!" Qin Huairu said with a bright smile as she took the banknotes.

Both harbored their own ulterior motives and believed they had everything under control.

They made quite a show of breaking up; Yi Zhonghai walked out of the corner first, and Qin Huairu only came out a few minutes later.

That corner happened to be directly opposite He Yudong's window.

He Yudong watched the two figures leave one after the other. Although he couldn't hear what they said, he could tell from their furtive expressions that they were plotting something again. However, he was too lazy to investigate further; Qin Huairu's little schemes wouldn't amount to much.

Just then, Sha Zhu pushed the door open and came in, getting straight to the point: "Brother, can I borrow your phone to call Xiao'e?"

Just as He Yudong was about to get up to fetch it, Yi Zhonghai's voice came from outside the door: "Zhuzi, come here for a second, an old man wants to talk to you about something."

Sha Zhu glanced at He Yudong, who nodded slightly, signaling him to go see what tricks the old man was up to this time.

Sha Zhu led Yi Zhonghai into his house and sat down casually: "Uncle, get to the point."

"Zhu Zi, I feel that our two families have become a bit distant lately. If Uncle does anything wrong, please don't take it to heart. After all, we've been neighbors for decades, don't you think?" Yi Zhonghai said sincerely.

Sha Zhu sneered inwardly. If he hadn't seen through this old fox's true colors earlier, his words today would have surely fooled him. His words were loaded with hidden meaning and were definitely not well-intentioned.

"It's normal for neighbors to have misunderstandings from time to time," Sha Zhu replied casually.

"It's good that you think that way! I've watched you grow up, and to be honest, you're like my own child to me." Yi Zhonghai patted his chest emotionally.

"Alright, sir, just say it directly." Sha Zhu felt uncomfortable all over—being treated like "one of his own" by this old man gave him goosebumps, as if he were being taken advantage of.

"Then I'll be frank." Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat. "Look at you now, all alone. It's really not good to live without a woman in your family. I've been thinking, Huai Ru is actually a pretty good woman—it just so happens that you're single too, and she's single too. Huai Ru mentioned to me privately that she has feelings for you and wants to live with you..."

"I think you two are a good match, so I came to ask what you think. When would be a good time to get married?"

"Wait a minute!" Sha Zhu suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, "Grandpa, the more I listen, the more confused I get! What do you mean I 'done things' with Qin Huairu? Are you senile?"

"Zhu Zi, what are you saying!" Yi Zhonghai said sternly. "I'm doing this for your own good, aren't I? What's wrong with Huai Ru? Isn't she good enough for you?"

"Grandpa, Lou Xiao'e and I are a legally married couple, we've got our marriage certificate! You want me to go live with Qin Huairu now? Are you senile or what?" Sha Zhu was furious. This old man was simply inhuman!

"Didn't Lou Xiao'e abandon you and run off to Hong Kong? You can't stay single forever, can you?" Yi Zhonghai said emphatically.

Sha Zhu almost blurted out that he was also going to Hong Kong soon, but remembering his brother's instructions, he swallowed it back and said in a deep voice, "This is between Xiao'e and me, no need for you to worry about it. We are husband and wife, no matter how far apart we are, we will always be husband and wife, that won't change. Uncle, if you have nothing else, please go back."

"You—you're unreasonable! You're infuriating!" Yi Zhonghai stormed off, thinking that this stubborn rock, Sha Zhu, would eventually come to terms with reality and accept Qin Huairu.

The thought of Qin Huairu's figure stirred a filthy thought in Yi Zhonghai's mind again...

Sha Zhu turned and scurried back into He Yudong's room, angrily saying, "Do you know what Yi Zhonghai just told me?"

He Yudong looked at his complicated expression and smiled: "That old guy isn't trying to persuade you to marry Qin Huairu, is he?"

"Hey! You little rascal, you really can't hide anything from me!" Sha Zhu genuinely thought his younger brother was like a god, able to predict the future.

"That old guy has never had good intentions. Don't forget what happened between him and Qin Huairu in the cellar back then—did you really think Yi Zhonghai forced Qin Huairu?" He Yudong said meaningfully.

Sha Zhu was startled, and his expression changed drastically.

Qin Huairu immediately beamed, "Then it's settled. Thank you so much, sir!"

"You're welcome. We'll all be family from now on." Yi Zhonghai nodded with a smile, but inwardly he cursed this little vixen for pretending to be so high and mighty.

"Um... sir," Qin Huairu said, adopting a pitiful expression, "you know, my family has been really struggling to make ends meet lately. My mother-in-law just came back, we've run out of food, and expenses are high... so you see—"

Yi Zhonghai, as expected, fell for it and quickly pulled out some money: "Huai Ru, don't worry, I have fifty yuan here. Take it first, and let me know if you need more."

"Thank you, sir!" Qin Huairu said with a bright smile as she took the banknotes.

Both harbored their own ulterior motives and believed they had everything under control.

They made quite a show of breaking up; Yi Zhonghai walked out of the corner first, and Qin Huairu only came out a few minutes later.

That corner happened to be directly opposite He Yudong's window.

He Yudong watched the two figures leave one after the other. Although he couldn't hear what they said, he could tell from their furtive expressions that they were plotting something again. However, he was too lazy to investigate further; Qin Huairu's little schemes wouldn't amount to much.

Just then, Sha Zhu pushed the door open and came in, getting straight to the point: "Brother, can I borrow your phone to call Xiao'e?"

Just as He Yudong was about to get up to fetch it, Yi Zhonghai's voice came from outside the door: "Zhuzi, come here for a second, an old man wants to talk to you about something."

Sha Zhu glanced at He Yudong, who nodded slightly, signaling him to go see what tricks the old man was up to this time.

Sha Zhu led Yi Zhonghai into his house and sat down casually: "Uncle, get to the point."

"Zhu Zi, I feel that our two families have become a bit distant lately. If Uncle does anything wrong, please don't take it to heart. After all, we've been neighbors for decades, don't you think?" Yi Zhonghai said sincerely.

Sha Zhu sneered inwardly. If he hadn't seen through this old fox's true colors earlier, his words today would have surely fooled him. His words were loaded with hidden meaning and were definitely not well-intentioned.

"It's normal for neighbors to have misunderstandings from time to time," Sha Zhu replied casually.

"It's good that you think that way! I've watched you grow up, and to be honest, you're like my own child to me." Yi Zhonghai patted his chest emotionally.

"Alright, sir, just say it directly." Sha Zhu felt uncomfortable all over—being treated like "one of his own" by this old man gave him goosebumps, as if he were being taken advantage of.

"Then I'll be frank." Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat. "Look at you now, all alone. It's really not good to live without a woman in your family. I've been thinking, Huai Ru is actually a pretty good woman—it just so happens that you're single too, and she's single too. Huai Ru mentioned to me privately that she has feelings for you and wants to live with you..."

"I think you two are a good match, so I came to ask what you think. When would be a good time to get married?"

"Wait a minute!" Sha Zhu suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, "Grandpa, the more I listen, the more confused I get! What do you mean I 'done things' with Qin Huairu? Are you senile?"

"Zhu Zi, what are you saying!" Yi Zhonghai said sternly. "I'm doing this for your own good, aren't I? What's wrong with Huai Ru? Isn't she good enough for you?"

"Grandpa, Lou Xiao'e and I are a legally married couple, we've got our marriage certificate! You want me to go live with Qin Huairu now? Are you senile or what?" Sha Zhu was furious. This old man was simply inhuman!

"Didn't Lou Xiao'e abandon you and run off to Hong Kong? You can't stay single forever, can you?" Yi Zhonghai said emphatically.

Sha Zhu almost blurted out that he was also going to Hong Kong soon, but remembering his brother's instructions, he swallowed it back and said in a deep voice, "This is between Xiao'e and me, no need for you to worry about it. We are husband and wife, no matter how far apart we are, we will always be husband and wife, that won't change. Uncle, if you have nothing else, please go back."

"You—you're unreasonable! You're infuriating!" Yi Zhonghai stormed off, thinking that this stubborn rock, Sha Zhu, would eventually come to terms with reality and accept Qin Huairu.

The thought of Qin Huairu's figure stirred a filthy thought in Yi Zhonghai's mind again...

Sha Zhu turned and scurried back into He Yudong's room, angrily saying, "Do you know what Yi Zhonghai just told me?"

He Yudong looked at his complicated expression and smiled: "That old guy isn't trying to persuade you to marry Qin Huairu, is he?"

"Hey! You little rascal, you really can't hide anything from me!" Sha Zhu genuinely thought his younger brother was like a god, able to predict the future.

"That old guy has never had good intentions. Don't forget what happened between him and Qin Huairu in the cellar back then—did you really think Yi Zhonghai forced Qin Huairu?" He Yudong said meaningfully.

Sha Zhu was startled, and his expression changed drastically.