Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

The weekend passed in the blink of an eye, and the courtyard, which had been bustling for two days, returned to its daily rhythm. Workers hurried out with aluminum lunchboxes, children walked to school in groups with coarse cloth backpacks, and only the elderly remained at home to do housework. Everything proceeded as usual, without the hustle and bustle of a weekend.

Sun Jingyuan pushed his eye-catching Forever 28-inch bicycle out of the courtyard. Just as he turned the corner of the central courtyard, he ran into Qin Huairu, who was carrying a chamber pot. Her eyes were dark and swollen, her cheeks were flushed unnaturally, and there were several faint nail marks on the side of her face. Her eyes were constantly red. Anyone with eyes could see that she must have suffered a lot of grievances last night and hadn't been able to sleep a wink.

When Qin Huairu looked up and bumped into Sun Jingyuan, a hint of resentment flashed in her eyes, and she felt incredibly aggrieved. If it weren't for Sun Jingyuan's rash words in his haste yesterday, she wouldn't have been relentlessly pursued by Jia Dongxu and his mother, Jia Zhangshi, spending the entire night being beaten and verbally abused, suffering endless torment without even being able to utter a word in her defense.

Sun Jingyuan noticed the marks on her face and instantly understood the reason. He nodded calmly to her and greeted her in a gentle tone, "Good morning, Sister Qin."

Qin Huairu had no time for pleasantries. She gave a curt snort, glanced around instinctively to make sure no one else was in the courtyard, then quickly stepped closer and whispered urgently, "You need to be extra careful lately. Uncle Yi, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and a few others in the courtyard are secretly plotting to gather so-called evidence to report you for speculation and profiteering to the factory's security department and the street office. They've been eyeing your timber and bicycles for a long time, so you must be on your guard."

Sun Jingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly, not surprised at all. The group of people in the courtyard were inherently malicious, coveting the rare item he possessed, and constantly scheming against him. It was perfectly reasonable for them to think of using a report to make things difficult for him. He responded calmly, his tone unwavering: "Thank you for the reminder, Sister Qin. I understand."

No sooner had the two finished speaking than a sharp, piercing curse suddenly erupted from the middle courtyard, shattering the tranquility of the early morning.

"Qin Huairu! You unfaithful slut! How dare you whisper with a stranger in broad daylight? Do you want to utterly disgrace the Jia family?!"

Jia Zhangshi barged out of the house with her hands on her hips, her triangular eyes fixed on Qin Huairu, her face full of meanness and hostility, her voice extremely loud, as if she wanted everyone in the alley to hear her.

Qin Huairu shuddered violently, her face turning deathly pale. She dared not say another word to Sun Jingyuan, and quickly carried the chamber pot toward the public toilet outside the courtyard, wanting only to escape this undeserved disaster and avoid being beaten and scolded by Jia Zhangshi again.

Sun Jingyuan turned his head and met Jia Zhangshi's malicious gaze. She didn't back down at all, pointing a finger at Sun Jingyuan and spewing vulgarities: "Sun Jingyuan, you little outsider, you've only just entered the compound and you're already causing trouble, openly seducing a married woman! What kind of heartless scoundrel are you! I think you're a hooligan, believe me or not, I'll go to the factory and report you right now!"

Sun Jingyuan remained indifferent, not intending to waste any more words on this unreasonable shrew. He said coldly, "Mind your own family. Don't go out causing trouble all day long and just make yourself disliked."

After saying that, he didn't look at Jia Zhangshi again, nimbly straddled his bicycle, pedaled hard, and the wheels spun rapidly as he rode straight out of the courtyard, wasting no time to argue with her.

"You little bastard! Come back here! Don't you dare run away!"

Enraged, Jia Zhangshi jumped up and down, chasing after Sun Jingyuan all the way to the entrance of the courtyard. With her hands on her hips, she cursed loudly at his departing figure, spewing profanities. This attracted the attention of passersby, who stopped and pointed at her, but she paid no attention and continued to curse.

Inside the house, Jia Dongxu, Yi Zhonghai, and the others who were watching coldly from the side clenched their fists, their back teeth grinding, as they watched Sun Jingyuan ride away on his bicycle with a carefree air. The jealousy and resentment in their eyes were almost overflowing. They had racked their brains to figure out how to scheme against Sun Jingyuan, but he didn't take them seriously at all. This complete disregard made them more frustrated and angry than if they had been confronted directly, yet they were helpless.

Sun Jingyuan cycled smoothly all the way and soon arrived at the steel rolling mill. He parked his bicycle safely in the factory's bike shed and went straight to the staff clinic. As the factory doctor, he didn't see many patients at the clinic on weekdays. Most of them were minor bumps and bruises or colds caused by employees at work, so his work was quite relaxed.

After changing into a clean and tidy white coat, Sun Jingyuan did not slack off. Instead, he sat at his desk and carefully sorted out the past medical records of the factory's employees. He sorted out and categorized common occupational injuries and minor illnesses one by one. His mind automatically matched the diagnostic and treatment methods in the "Xuan Shu Medical Classic" and integrated the inherited medical skills with the current situation.

After this period of reflection, he has become increasingly proficient in using the medical knowledge inherited from the heavens. His skills in observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation have far surpassed those of the old doctors in the factory, and even those of ordinary Chinese medicine practitioners. However, he has always been low-key and never deliberately shows off his medical skills. Others only know that he is good at medicine, but they do not know how profound his true level is.

About half an hour later, the wooden door of the infirmary was gently pushed open, and a slightly reserved figure strode in. It was Li Hongmei, a workshop worker from the factory. Behind her was an elderly man with neatly combed hair, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a perfectly pressed Zhongshan suit. He exuded a refined and scholarly air, clearly an educated and dignified person.

Sun Jingyuan put down his pen, stood up, and asked in a calm tone, "Sister Li, why are you here at this hour? Are you feeling unwell?"

Li Hongmei quickly stepped forward, her face showing respect and urgency. She smiled and turned to introduce the elderly man behind her: "Dr. Sun, thank you for your help. This is my father-in-law, Zhang Shunli. He has suffered from a chronic lumbar spine problem for many years. It hurts terribly when it's cloudy or rainy, or when he sits or stands for a long time. He has seen many doctors and tried various medications and plasters, but none of them have provided complete relief. I heard from my colleagues at the factory that you have excellent medical skills, especially in massage and bone setting, so I brought him here to have you take a good look at him."

"Dr. Sun, hello, thank you for your help." Zhang Shunli stepped forward with a smile, took the initiative to extend his hand to Sun Jingyuan, his attitude was humble and polite, without the slightest air of a scholar, and his tone was very sincere.

Sun Jingyuan reached out and shook hands with him lightly, his fingertips casually brushing against the other's wrist to roughly sense the pulse. After doing so, he remained expressionless and gestured for the two of them to sit down on the chairs nearby. "Uncle Zhang, there's no need to be so polite. It's my duty to treat the families of employees. Please tell me about your specific symptoms, how long you've had the back pain, and if there are any other related discomforts."

Zhang Shunli sat down and rubbed his lower back. He couldn't help but sigh and said softly, "This problem has been going on for five or six years. I injured myself doing heavy work when I was young. At first, it was just a slight soreness, but it got worse and worse. Not only did my lumbar spine hurt so much that I couldn't straighten up, but my legs also felt heavy and numb, and my shoulders and neck also became sore and stiff. When it was really bad, I couldn't even get out of bed. It was really painful."

As they spoke, Zhang Shunli subconsciously glanced around to make sure there were no other outsiders in the infirmary. He quietly took out a small package wrapped in clean cotton cloth from the inner pocket of his Zhongshan suit, gently placed it on the desk in front of Sun Jingyuan, and slowly unwrapped the cloth. A brand-new, shiny Shanghai brand watch, still bearing the marks of its original packaging, was revealed.

In those days, Shanghai brand watches were truly rare items. Not only did they require money, but they also required coupons. Ordinary workers might not be able to buy one even after saving for one or two years. They were considered extremely valuable thank-you gifts.

He lowered his voice, his tone becoming increasingly sincere: "Dr. Sun, I know it's inappropriate to give money directly these days, it can easily cause trouble. This watch is just a small token of my appreciation for your hard work in treating me. It's purely a matter of courtesy and will absolutely not cause you any trouble."

Zhang Shunli knew that in this era, any transaction involving cash could easily lead to accusations of bribery, speculation, or profiteering. Using items like watches as thank-you gifts, presented under the guise of social interaction, was the safest way to express gratitude without leaving any grounds for criticism.

Sun Jingyuan glanced at the watch on the table, and without feigning politeness, calmly put the watch into his desk drawer. His expression immediately turned serious as he looked at Zhang Shunli: "Lie down on the treatment bed and expose your lower back. I'll give you a massage to set your bones and clear your meridians."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shunli did not hesitate at all. He immediately got up and walked to the examination bed, obediently lay down, and voluntarily exposed his lower back, fully cooperating with Sun Jingyuan's treatment.

Sun Jingyuan walked to the bedside, placed his hands on Zhang Shunli's lumbar spine, and steadily applied force with his fingertips. He strictly followed the ancient massage techniques in the "Xuanshu Medical Classic" and precisely pressed on the acupoints and knots of lumbar strain. The force was steady and measured, neither too light nor too heavy. Each press directly targeted the lesion without any unnecessary fancy movements.

Li Hongmei stood to the side, holding her breath the whole time, her expression tense, her eyes fixed on Sun Jingyuan's movements. She hoped that her father-in-law's old ailment would be relieved, but she was also worried that Sun Jingyuan was too young and his medical skills were not good enough to cure his long-standing illness. Her heart was always hanging in suspense.

After a full ten minutes, Sun Jingyuan steadily finished his stance, wiped the thin layer of sweat from his hands, and said in a calm tone, "Alright, slowly get up and try to stretch your waist."

Zhang Shunli slowly propped himself up as instructed. He first carefully twisted his waist, then gently moved his legs and shoulders. Immediately, a look of extreme surprise appeared on his face. His lumbar spine, which had been sore, painful, and unbearably stiff, was now completely painless. Even his numb legs and sore shoulders and neck felt exceptionally relaxed and comfortable, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and his whole body felt much lighter.

He rushed forward excitedly, grasped Sun Jingyuan's hand tightly, and exclaimed repeatedly, his voice filled with admiration and gratitude: "Dr. Sun, you are truly a miraculous doctor! You are amazing! My chronic ailment that has plagued me for five or six years has completely disappeared in just ten minutes. It's more effective than any of the doctors I've seen before. You truly live up to your reputation!"

"It's just clearing the meridians and straightening the strained muscles and bones to temporarily relieve the pain. Afterwards, you need to rest in bed more, sit or stand for long periods of time, and do less heavy work to reduce the recurrence of the disease," Sun Jingyuan replied calmly, without a trace of pride.

Zhang Shunli was filled with gratitude, nodding repeatedly and saying thank you, "I'll remember, I'll remember! Thank you so much, Dr. Sun. I'll keep this kindness in my heart, and I'll definitely come again next time to properly thank you!"

"No need for such formalities, treating patients is my duty." Sun Jingyuan waved his hand, looked at Zhang Shunli, and said calmly, "Please wait outside the infirmary for a moment. I have a few words to say to Sister Li about the patient's condition."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shunli was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and joked, "What, Dr. Sun, can't I, the person involved, hear about this illness?"

"This concerns follow-up treatment, so it's not appropriate for others to listen in. You can wait outside." Sun Jingyuan's expression was calm, and his tone carried an unquestionable certainty.

Seeing this, Zhang Shunli didn't ask any more questions, and nodded with a smile: "Okay, then I'll wait outside. Please take good care of me, Dr. Sun."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the infirmary, gently closing the door behind him to give the two of them some space to talk alone.

Seeing Sun Jingyuan's suddenly serious expression, Li Hongmei's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of unease welled up inside her. Her hands clenched unconsciously, her fingertips turning slightly white. She looked at Sun Jingyuan nervously, her voice tight: "Dr. Sun, is it my father-in-law's back, or some other serious problem? Just tell me, I can handle it."

Sun Jingyuan gestured for her to sit down, his tone softening but still carrying an undeniable seriousness: "His lumbar strain is a long-standing ailment, which I just relieved completely with massage. He just needs to rest well afterward, so it's not a major problem. But the real issue in his body isn't in his lower back, but in his lungs. Judging from his pulse, there are obvious abnormal signs in his lungs, and the situation is not optimistic."

Li Hongmei's face turned deathly pale instantly, her body trembled slightly, and she leaned forward anxiously, her voice shaking as she asked, "Dr. Sun, what exactly is wrong? Tell me the truth, what's wrong with my father-in-law's lungs? How serious is it?"

"I don't have professional diagnostic equipment here, so I can't make an accurate Western medical diagnosis, nor can I jump to conclusions to avoid misdiagnosis," Sun Jingyuan said calmly, each word clear. "Take him to a reputable hospital in the city right now for a comprehensive lung examination, including X-rays to identify the lesions. Only with accurate test results can we provide targeted treatment. Remember, the earlier the examination and the sooner the condition is clarified, the safer it will be. Don't delay."

Li Hongmei took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in her heart, and nodded firmly without the slightest hesitation: "I understand, Dr. Sun. Thank you so much. Thanks to your timely reminder, I will take my father-in-law to a big hospital for a check-up right now, without wasting a moment."

Without asking any more questions or hesitating for a moment, she bowed deeply to Sun Jingyuan, then quickly got up, opened the door of the infirmary, and hurriedly led the still confused Zhang Shunli out of the factory area, eager to get the elderly man a full check-up as soon as possible.

The clinic quickly returned to silence. Sun Jingyuan returned to his desk, picked up his pen again, and continued to organize the staff medical records on the desk.