Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

Huaihua led everyone into the house, pointed to the pried-open drawer, and cried with tears streaming down her face.

"I just went to the bathroom, maybe ten minutes at most, and when I came back, the lock had been broken open, and all the money was gone!" she sobbed. "That was all the money I'd saved up, penny by penny, from assembling antennas—464 yuan in total, all gone!"

Upon hearing this, the neighbors gasped in shock. These days, losing twenty or thirty yuan is a serious matter, let alone four hundred yuan! That's a fortune! The three elderly men, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui, paled instantly and immediately sent someone to call the police. Afterwards, everyone searched the yard thoroughly, trying to find the audacious thief.

Wang Jun didn't move. He patted the locust flower reassuringly, but he knew perfectly well what was going on. This thief was most likely Jia Zhangshi.

The logic is simple: everyone in the courtyard was busy assembling the antenna, and with so many people around, there was no chance for an outside thief to sneak in; furthermore, the money had disappeared in just ten minutes after Huaihua left, indicating that the thief knew the hiding place intimately. Who else could it be but Jia Zhangshi?

Although he knew what was going on, Wang Jun remained silent. If he spoke up now, Jia Zhangshi would definitely deny it to the death; it was better to wait for the police to arrive and they would know the truth at a glance.

Huaihua held Wang Jun's hand, her eyes brimming with tears: "Brother Jun, what should we do? Is there any chance I can get my money back?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon," Wang Jun comforted him softly, but his words carried a deeper meaning. "But you need to be prepared; the person who stole the money is someone very close to you."

Not long after, two police officers arrived on a Changjiang 750 motorcycle. After asking a few simple questions, their eyes were fixed on Jia Zhangshi's house.

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi was huddled in her room, trembling like a leaf. She never imagined that a simple theft would attract the attention of the police. She was now completely panicked.

Outside the door, the police officer solemnly announced: "Based on analysis, the suspect is most likely Jia Zhangshi. We are now going to search the house to look for the stolen money."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the courtyard.

"Holy crap! Jia Zhangshi stole money?"

"Huaihua is her own granddaughter! Even tigers don't eat their cubs, this is utterly heartless!"

"No wonder Huaihua's money was gone in just ten minutes; it turns out it's hard to guard against a thief within the family!"

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, their faces filled with disbelief. These days, it might happen that a granddaughter steals money from her grandmother, but for a grandmother to steal money from her own granddaughter was truly unheard of.

Huaihua was completely stunned, never imagining that her own grandmother would do such a terrible thing to her.

"Knock knock knock!"

The police officers arrived at Jia Zhangshi's door and shouted, "Jia Zhangshi, open the door! We suspect you of theft and are conducting a search in accordance with the law!"

There was no movement inside; Jia Zhangshi had already burrowed under the covers in fright. Without another word, the police officer shoved him hard in the shoulder, and with a loud bang, the door was violently forced open.

A policeman strode forward, dragged the trembling Jia Zhangshi out of her bed, and pinned her to the ground. Instantly, a foul stench filled the air—the old hag had wet herself in fear.

Another police officer approached with a police dog and quickly pulled a stack of banknotes from a hidden compartment in the blankets. The money was counted on the spot and found to be exactly 464 yuan.

unambiguous evidence!

The police officer said coldly, "Caught red-handed, take him back to the police station for questioning. Once the facts are verified, he can expect to go to jail."

Jia Zhangshi instantly broke down, screaming and protesting, "Officer, I didn't steal! I didn't steal! That's my own granddaughter, it's only natural for me to take her money, how can this be considered stealing!"

The police officer's face darkened, and he sternly reprimanded, "You broke into Jia Huaihua's house and took the money inside. This is a serious offense; it's a classic case of burglary!"

After saying that, he stopped talking and stepped forward to grab Jia Zhangshi, trying to take her to the police car.

"Is this an arrest?"

"Of course, stealing is illegal, so they should be arrested."

"Stealing even his own granddaughter's money, what a disgrace to his elders!"

"Yeah, this time they'll be taken away, they'll probably get at least three to five years in prison."

At this moment, the neighbors in the courtyard heard the news and rushed over to watch, pointing and gossiping about Jia Zhangshi. Jia Zhangshi was so ashamed and indignant that she wished the ground would split open and she could disappear into it.

Yi Zhonghai, watching from the sidelines, could no longer sit still. He was an elder, and the presence of a criminal in this courtyard would be a disgrace to him. More importantly, he was counting on Qin Huairu's family to support him in his old age, and he absolutely could not stand by and watch Jia Zhangshi go in.

Yi Zhonghai quickly stepped in to smooth things over, forcing a smile as he said, "Officer, please calm down. Jia Zhangshi and Huaihua are grandmother and granddaughter; this must be a misunderstanding within the family..."

Just then, Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu rushed back. Seeing the situation, they quickly grabbed Huaihua, and the whole family pitched in to plead for Jia Zhangshi.

Now the police officers were in a bit of a predicament. The victim wasn't pursuing the matter, and the family all claimed it was a misunderstanding, making the case difficult to proceed. In the end, the police officers could only give Jia Zhangshi a stern warning, ordering her to return the money to Huaihua, before mounting the Yangtze 750 and roaring away.

As Wang Jun watched the police car drive away from the crowd, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

"If Qin Huairu and Shazhu hadn't come back in time, Jia Zhangshi would have been finished this time. However, this old hag is hard to change, and she'll get into trouble sooner or later. When that happens, I'm afraid no one will be able to save her." Wang Jun shook his head and slowly turned around to go back into the house.

"Oh my god... You scared me to death! Qin Huairu, quick! Get me some painkillers!"

Seeing the police officers leave, Jia Zhangshi breathed a sigh of relief, slumped to the ground, clutched her chest, took the water Qin Huairu handed her, and swallowed four or five painkillers in one gulp. What she had just witnessed had truly terrified her.

Once the initial shock subsided, Jia Zhangshi turned to look at Huaihua, her expression immediately changing. She immediately began to berate her: "You wretched girl! You good-for-nothing! You jinx! You actually dared to call the police to arrest your own grandmother! You almost got me arrested too, what were you up to..."

Huaihua stood there, looking utterly aggrieved. The lock was broken, the money was stolen, and now she was being verbally abused. Who could she turn to for justice?

Oh, right, find Brother Jun! The money has to be with Brother Jun too!

Now Huaihua dared not keep money at home anymore. What if her grandmother, still harboring thieving intentions, stole again, or that dishonest lad, Banggeng, set his sights on her? She wouldn't be able to guard against it all. As Huaihua thought this, she clutched her money bag tightly and turned to walk towards the front yard.

Upon seeing this, Jia Zhangshi's face darkened, and she struggled to stand up, yelling, "You damned girl! Where are you running off to with the money? Come back right now and give me the money to keep safe!"

Even now, Jia Zhangshi was still thinking about those four hundred-odd yuan. If she could get her hands on it, it would be enough for her to live a life of luxury for a long time.

Upon hearing this, Huaihua ran even faster. Giving the money to Grandma for safekeeping? That would be like throwing good money after bad! She wouldn't do something so foolish.

……

Wang Jun had just sat down in his room when Huaihua came running over.

As soon as she entered the house, Huaihua carefully took out a wad of cash from her pocket, handed it to Wang Jun, and said timidly, "Brother Jun, can I keep this money with you?"

Of all the people in the courtyard, Huaihua trusted Wang Jun the most. There was no way around it; after all, Wang Jun was the richest. She believed that Brother Jun would never care about her money, and besides, she had already decided in her heart that she would belong to Brother Jun sooner or later. What was there to worry about when entrusting her money to him?

Wang Jun looked at the stack of money, somewhat surprised, and laughed, "Oh, Huaihua, you trust me that much? You actually dare to entrust all your belongings to me for safekeeping?"

Huaihua nodded emphatically: "Brother Jun, I believe you."

Wang Jun didn't stand on ceremony and casually said, "Okay, then you can keep your money here with me."

Anyway, he has system space, so he can just throw a few hundred yuan into it without it taking up much space. In fact, he currently has hundreds of thousands of yuan in cash lying in his system space.

After taking the money, Wang Jun said, "You can report to the cannery tomorrow and start working there."

Upon hearing this, Huaihua's face immediately lit up with a bright smile. Working in a factory was something she had always dreamed of!

"Thank you, Brother Jun!" Huaihua's eyes crinkled with joy.

Wang Jun reminded her, "Huaihua, the cannery is a bit far from here. You'd better buy a bicycle; it will be more convenient for commuting."

Now, Huaihua was troubled again. She had the money to buy a bicycle, but besides money, she also needed a ticket. She used to be a poor girl, so where would she get a bicycle ticket? She heard that she could buy one in Pigeon Market, but she was too timid to go alone.

Seeing her furrowed brows, Wang Jun knew the girl didn't have a ticket, so he said, "Here's what we'll do, I'll give you a bicycle ticket, go buy one yourself."

After saying that, Wang Jun casually took out a bicycle ticket and handed it over. He had gotten the ticket while fishing, and there was no use for it, so he might as well do a favor.

Huaihua accepted the bicycle ticket, her eyes welling up with tears. Looking at Wang Jun, she steeled herself, lowered her head, and whispered, "Brother Jun, how about... I come here secretly tonight? I'll leave as soon as it's light."

Wang Jun was stunned upon hearing this. Was this girl planning to offer herself to him?

Is it really necessary to go to such lengths over a mere bicycle ticket?

To be honest, Wang Jun was genuinely tempted. But there were too many people and eyes in this courtyard, and if someone saw him, it would be a huge problem. Besides, Qin Huairu's family were all shrewd and troublesome, and he didn't want to get involved easily.

Wang Jun reached out and patted Huaihua's head, laughing, "There will be other opportunities. You'd better hurry back now, or your grandma will probably start yelling at you again."

Huaihua blushed, nodded obediently, and turned to leave.

That evening, Yan Bugui and his wife carried a large iron pot back from outside, which immediately attracted everyone's attention, and everyone gathered around to watch the excitement.

"Wow, what a huge iron pot!"

"Goodness, this pot is enough for ten people."

"Uncle, did you get a new pot?"

"Uncle, what are you doing?"

Yan Bugui said casually, "It's nothing. The pot at home is too small, so I wanted to get a bigger one. Okay, everyone, stop crowding around and go home."

He bought this big iron pot, of course, to roast melon seeds. However, Yan Bugui wouldn't go around telling everyone. The fewer people doing roasted and sold melon seeds, the better; ideally, he'd be the only one doing it in the entire courtyard. That way, he could monopolize the business and make a fortune.

Yan Bugui and the three aunties carried the large pot into the kitchen. He laughed smugly, "Hehehe, it seems we're the only ones in the whole courtyard who're making and selling roasted melon seeds. Great, this is wonderful! I deserve to make money!"

Yan Bugui and the three aunties carried the large pot into the kitchen. He laughed smugly, "Hehehe, it seems we're the only ones in the whole courtyard who're making and selling roasted melon seeds. Great, this is wonderful! I deserve to make money!"

The three women nodded repeatedly. She had specifically gone outside the movie theater that day to check things out; those selling sunflower seeds could sell three or four hundred pounds a day—how much money must they be making! The sunflower seed stalls on the street were also bustling with people, selling very well. Clearly, selling sunflower seeds could be profitable now, as long as you dared to try!

Yan Bugui chuckled and said, "These guys, Wang Jun clearly explained how to make money, but they just won't do it. Just wait and see, they'll definitely regret it in a while."

He had already realized that selling sunflower seeds, a small business, could be very profitable if done well. If one could sell a thousand or even several thousand kilograms of sunflower seeds a day, it would be hard not to get rich.

Just then, a commotion broke out outside, as if something had happened. Yan Bugui ran out to see what was going on and saw Liu Haizhong and his second aunt carrying a large iron pot back!

Yan Bugui was stunned on the spot. Liu Haizhong had bought a large iron pot; it was obvious he wanted to start a business roasting and selling melon seeds!

"Well done, Liu Haizhong. I didn't expect you to have such good taste," Yan Bugui thought to himself, admiringly. He had thought he was the only one doing this business, but it turned out Liu Haizhong was also going to do it. He was quite a shrewd person after all.

At this point, everyone in the courtyard sensed something was wrong. The fact that everyone was buying large iron pots one after another was clearly suspicious.

"That's strange, why is everyone buying big iron pots?"

"Yes, I just passed by the mall and saw that Xu Damao was also buying a large iron pot."

"So, three people in our courtyard bought big iron pots? What are they going to do with them?"

"I heard that people who practice Qigong like to buy a big aluminum pot and put it on their heads. Are Second Uncle and Third Uncle buying a big iron pot to practice Qigong?"

"It's possible; many elderly people nowadays enjoy practicing Qigong."

Just then, an older woman suddenly remembered something, slapped her thigh, and exclaimed, "What qigong are they practicing! They bought that big iron pot to roast melon seeds and sell them!"

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized what was going on and began to discuss it animatedly.

"I see!"

"Looks like Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Xu Damao are all getting ready to roast and sell melon seeds! I suddenly think this business could be quite profitable!"

"Yes, Uncle San and Xu Damao are both very shrewd people. They won't do business that loses money. Now they're preparing to start a sunflower seed business, which looks like it's bound to be very profitable."

"Of course! This business was recommended by Wang Jun, it's bound to make money! I was hesitant to do it before, but now that I see so many people are doing it, I'm getting ready to do it too. Everyone, I'm going to buy a big iron pot!"

"Hey, wait a minute, I'm going to buy one too!"

"I'm going too!"

"Let's go together!"

"Haha, one big iron pot for each person!"

In an instant, six or seven people in the courtyard ran off to buy the large iron pot.

Yan Bugui watched from inside the house, feeling extremely annoyed: "These people, as soon as they see me doing it, they immediately follow suit. It's so annoying."

Yan Bugui was very frustrated, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't just stop people from doing it.

……

The next day, after breakfast, Wang Jun drove his Changjiang 750, carrying Huaihua, to the cannery. Recruiting workers for the cannery was a big deal, and as the boss, Wang Jun wanted to be there in person to see what was happening and handle any issues.

Huaihua sat in the back of the truck, her face beaming with excitement. Although she saw the Yangtze 750 every day, this was her first time riding in it, and it felt incredibly novel.

As Wang Jun drove, he asked, "Are you cold?"

Huaihua said excitedly, "It's not cold, not at all! Brother Jun, this car is so cool, everyone's looking at us!"

Wang Jun was speechless. It's just a motorcycle, why get so excited?

Wang Jun drove to the vicinity of the cannery and saw a huge crowd outside, with everyone craning their necks and queuing in long lines. The scene was so spectacular that Huaihua was completely stunned after just one glance.

"Wow, so many people! So many people want to get into Brother Jun's factory, Brother Jun is really capable!"

At this moment, Huaihua's admiration for Wang Jun grew even stronger. He casually opened a factory, and countless people were scrambling to get in—that was real talent. In comparison, her brother Banggeng was utterly useless. The family gave him a large sum of money to open a restaurant, and almost a month later, it still wasn't finished—clearly, he lacked ability.

Wang Jun drove his Changjiang 750 directly into the cannery and found Lü Guangrong. They then signed a contract, and Huaihua became a formal worker at the cannery.

"Thank you, Brother Jun! Let me treat you to dinner!" Huaihua was in a very good mood.

Wang Jun chuckled and said, "Forget about dinner, I'll take you to the mall and buy you a bicycle. It'll be inconvenient to commute to get off work without one."