Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

After settling Qin Huairu's onboarding at the canteen, Sun Jingyuan didn't linger in the infirmary. He knew he was the only one in the factory's medical staff, and he had to deal with any employee who was injured or suddenly unwell immediately. So he strolled slowly along the factory paths around the infirmary, keeping watch at his post and not daring to stray even half a step too far.

He hadn't been strolling around for long when he saw workers hurrying towards the personnel department deep inside the factory, their faces filled with anticipation. The previously relaxed atmosphere of the factory instantly became lively. Sun Jingyuan wondered what was going on, so he casually grabbed a worker carrying an enamel mug who was walking quickly and asked him with a smile.

"Master, why are you all rushing off to the HR department? What business do you have there?"

The worker didn't stop walking, only hurriedly throwing out a sentence without slowing down his pace: "What else could it be? It's the monthly wage payday, everyone's rushing to collect their money! I have to hurry and line up, who knows how long I'll have to wait if I'm late!" As soon as he finished speaking, he plunged into the crowd and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Sun Jingyuan raised his hand and slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering. Today was Friday, and also the one-month anniversary of his arrival in this era and his employment at the steel rolling mill. Since reporting for duty, he had secured his position in the medical department thanks to his professional medical skills, and Factory Director Yang had specially approved a two-level promotion in his salary. He had been so busy for a whole month that he had completely forgotten about collecting his salary. Such a good thing as a raise right after joining the company was unique in the entire steel rolling mill, something that others could only envy.

Seeing everyone going to collect their wages, Sun Jingyuan lost interest in pacing around and decided to go to the personnel department to join the fun and collect his salary. He hadn't gone far with the flow of people when he heard arguing coming from around the corner ahead. The voices sounded very familiar, so he immediately slowed down and quietly approached.

Jia Dongxu stood blocking Qin Huairu's path, his earlier arrogance from the cafeteria completely gone. Instead, he lowered his stance, his face filled with urgency as he pleaded in a low voice, "Huairu, I know I was wrong before, and my mother has treated you harshly. Please don't hold it against us. Let's remarry. Now that you're a permanent employee at the factory, we're both working at the steel rolling mill. We can live a stable and respectable life from now on. Please give me another chance!"

In the past, Qin Huairu might have softened and wavered, but now she had long seen through the cold-heartedness of the Jia family, and with a stable job and confidence, her eyes were firm and her tone was without the slightest hesitation as she directly refused: "You should give up on this idea as soon as possible. There is absolutely no possibility of remarriage. I will never have anything to do with the Jia family again in my life."

Seeing her resolute attitude, leaving no room for negotiation, Jia Dongxu's feigned humility vanished instantly. His face darkened, and his tone became harsh and vicious: "Don't push your luck! Have you already been involved with that brat Sun Jingyuan, that's why you're in such a hurry to distance yourself from me?"

These words thoroughly enraged Qin Huairu. She was no longer the submissive woman she had been at the Jia family's mercy, submissive to everyone. Now, with a stable job and powerful backers, she confidently stared directly at Jia Dongxu and coldly retorted, "If you continue this nonsense and malicious slander, I'll go to the security department right now and report you for openly bullying a female colleague and spreading rumors. I'll let the factory judge my case!"

Jia Dongxu was speechless after being rebuked, and his anger instantly surged to the top of his head. His habit of bullying Qin Huairu over the years made him subconsciously raise his right hand to slap her face.

Qin Huairu's face was frosty, showing no sign of flinching. She stood straight, coldly intimidating: "You dare to lay a hand on me? The factory rules clearly state that employees are strictly prohibited from hitting others, especially bullying female colleagues. The consequences range from having all bonuses deducted and receiving a major demerit to being fired and losing your job. If you don't care about this job, go ahead and hit me!"

She knew all too well Jia Dongxu's cowardice and selfishness. This man valued his permanent position at the factory more than his own life and would never dare to ruin his livelihood for a moment of anger. Sure enough, Jia Dongxu's raised hand froze in mid-air. Looking at Qin Huairu's determined eyes, he weighed his options several times and ultimately didn't dare to lower it. He was so angry that his face turned ashen and his whole body trembled.

He glared at Qin Huairu, gritted his teeth and forced out a "You wait," then turned and squeezed into the crowd, rushing towards the personnel department, preoccupied with collecting his salary and having no intention of arguing with Qin Huairu any further.

Watching Jia Dongxu's hasty retreat, Qin Huairu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she calmed herself, she caught sight of Sun Jingyuan not far away, giving her a slight thumbs-up, his eyes full of approval. Qin Huairu's cheeks instantly flushed red. She subconsciously lowered her head, concealing the panic in her eyes, and quickly walked towards Sun Jingyuan.

The two maintained a respectful distance within the factory grounds, avoiding any intimacy to prevent gossip. Reaching Sun Jingyuan's side, Qin Huairu lowered her voice and whispered, "What are you doing here? Weren't you in the infirmary?"

"I came to collect my wages at the factory and just happened to witness this scene," Sun Jingyuan replied with a smile, his tone tinged with satisfaction. "You were much tougher just now. You should have stood up to them a long time ago. There's no need to give in to the Jia family anymore."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's lips unconsciously curled into a slight smile, a warm feeling welling up inside her. She then asked with curiosity, "Where do I collect my salary? I'm new here and have never seen anything like it before. Could you show me?"

"It's no big deal, just follow me." Sun Jingyuan readily agreed, turned around and walked ahead, while Qin Huairu silently followed a step behind, acting with perfect propriety and without overstepping any boundaries.

By this time, a long line had already formed outside the personnel department. Thousands of steel rolling mill employees arrived one after another, and the line stretched from the office door all the way to the main road of the factory area. The place was bustling with noise and excitement, and everyone was looking forward to receiving their salary, their faces full of joy.

"Sister Qin!"

A loud voice rang out, and Sha Zhu spotted Qin Huairu in the crowd. He immediately pushed his way through the crowd with a warm smile on his face.

"Zhu Zi." Qin Huairu nodded slightly to him and greeted him.

"You're here to see if you're getting paid too?" Sha Zhu scratched his head and made conversation. "You've only been here a few days, so your salary for this month won't be paid until next month. You definitely won't get it this time."

"I was just watching the fun, I wasn't thinking about getting any money," Qin Huairu replied calmly, her gaze seemingly looking around, but actually always quietly fixed on Sun Jingyuan.

As the two were talking, Li Hongmei, who was in charge of payroll at the entrance of the personnel department office, spotted Sun Jingyuan in the crowd and immediately waved to him, calling out, "Little Sun, come this way!"

This scene drew the attention of the surrounding workers, who secretly thought to themselves, "This Dr. Sun is indeed extraordinary. Even when he's getting his salary, the personnel department calls his name specifically so he doesn't have to wait in line."

Seeing this, Sun Jingyuan quickly walked to the office door and said with a smile, "Sister Li, thank you for your trouble. I'll just wait in line. There's no need for special treatment." He deliberately raised his voice so that the workers waiting in line could hear him, so as not to cause dissatisfaction among others.

"Why queue? You're the only doctor in the entire medical department. Your attendance and salary are all clearly reported to the factory. There's no need to waste time queuing up." Li Hongmei laughed heartily, her tone familiar, and directly stuffed a thick brown paper envelope into his hand. "Your salary has already been set aside. Just take it."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding workers' initial discontent vanished instantly, and they suddenly understood. It turned out that the factory's medical clinic was officially called the Steel Rolling Mill Medical Department. According to the established staffing, it should have a director and a department head, but due to the nationwide shortage of professional doctors, no one was willing to take the position at the factory. The position of director had been temporarily filled by Factory Director Yang. Sun Jingyuan, as the only doctor in the medical department, was directly under the factory director's management, which was already a special case, and it was perfectly normal that he didn't have to wait in line.

"Thank you for your trouble, Sister Li." Sun Jingyuan smiled as he accepted the pay envelope, politely thanked her, and then turned and left the office.

Seeing Sun Jingyuan leave, Qin Huairu lost interest in chatting with Sha Zhu and immediately bid farewell to Sha Zhu, who was still bragging about his salary, and quickly followed after him.

The factory's production schedule wasn't too tight during this period. It just so happened that today was payday and tomorrow was the weekend, so the factory relaxed its attendance policy. Before 3 p.m., many workers started packing up and leaving the factory one after another, and the bustling factory area gradually quieted down.

Sun Jingyuan, holding his pay envelope, planned to visit the nearby supply and marketing cooperative to buy some daily necessities and stock up on odds and ends. He had just reached the factory parking area and started pushing his bicycle when Qin Huairu gently tugged at his sleeve from behind.

"Where are you going?" Qin Huairu looked up at him and asked softly.

"Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy some things. Do you want to come with me?" Sun Jingyuan turned his head and asked with a smile.

"Yes! I want to go too." Qin Huairu's eyes lit up instantly, her face full of anticipation. She nodded quickly, then asked softly, a little shyly, "Dr. Sun, would it be convenient for you to give me a ride?"

"Come on in, don't be shy." Sun Jingyuan readily agreed and gestured for her to get in the car.

Qin Huairu nervously and gently sat on the back of the bicycle. The last time she rode a bicycle was when she married Jia Dongxu, who borrowed her third uncle's old bicycle to pick her up from the village, which made the villagers extremely envious. She was very mindful of her surroundings, keeping her body tense throughout the journey, her hands gently holding onto the wooden frame of the back seat, deliberately keeping her distance from Sun Jingyuan. Even on the bumpy road, she didn't touch him at all, her behavior was perfectly measured, and even if a passing colleague saw her, they wouldn't find anything wrong with it.

Before long, the two arrived at the town's supply and marketing cooperative. As soon as she entered, Qin Huairu couldn't help but look around with curiosity. The shelves were filled with a dazzling array of goods, many of which she rarely saw. However, she was very well-behaved, quietly observing without touching anything on the shelves, for fear of accidentally breaking something and being unable to afford the compensation.

Looking at her reserved yet curious demeanor, Sun Jingyuan couldn't help but ask in surprise, "You seem to be here for the first time, just like when you first come to the supply and marketing cooperative."

"This isn't the first time; this is my second time here." Qin Huairu withdrew her gaze, responding with a soft laugh, her tone tinged with bitterness.

"The second time?" Sun Jingyuan was even more surprised. She and Jia Dongxu had been married for seven or eight years, and their son was already in elementary school. After living in the city for so many years, this was only the second time she had entered the supply and marketing cooperative.

"How could I possibly have the chance to come here often?" Qin Huairu pouted slightly, unable to help but complain in a low voice, "Back in the Jia family, Jia Zhangshi watched me like a prisoner every day. She would secretly follow me even when I went out to buy groceries, afraid that I would spend money recklessly or come into contact with outsiders. I never had the chance to come here on my own."

Sun Jingyuan understood immediately upon hearing this. Looking at Qin Huairu, who had gentle features, he couldn't help but tease her casually, "No wonder. You have a good appearance and a steady personality. Anyone would be afraid that you would make it big and find a better life."

"Don't tease me, you're so irresponsible." Qin Huairu blushed at his words, a sweet feeling rising in her heart. She subconsciously lowered her head to hide her fluster.

The two strolled leisurely through the supply and marketing cooperative, moving from the daily necessities section to the food section, and then to the clothing section. Reaching the clothing shelves, Sun Jingyuan glanced at the items, casually picked up two simple, plain-colored suits, and gently held them up against Qin Huairu. Seeing that the sizes fit perfectly, he immediately called to the sales clerk, intending to buy them all.

Seeing this, Qin Huairu panicked and quickly stepped forward to stop him, whispering, "Don't waste money, put the clothes back!"

"This outfit is well-fitting and perfect for work. How is this a waste of money?" Sun Jingyuan looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"You're still young. You'll need money for everything from starting a family to building a career. You have to save carefully and not be so extravagant," Qin Huairu said in a low voice, her tone full of earnestness.

The sales clerk overheard their conversation. She looked them up and down with a wary look in her eyes and immediately asked, "What's your relationship? You two don't seem like ordinary neighbors." She could tell at a glance that Qin Huairu had been married before, and she was afraid that their relationship might be improper and cause trouble.

Qin Huairu panicked and hurriedly explained, "Comrade, please don't misunderstand. I am his cousin. I came from the countryside to live with him. He works in the factory."

"Oh, I see. I was overthinking it." The saleswoman breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, trying to smooth things over. "It's only right that your brother buys you two new clothes because he cares about his sister. I can tell your brother is promising and considerate."

"That's right." Sun Jingyuan nodded and agreed with the salesperson, without refuting her words at all.

The sales clerk stared at Sun Jingyuan for a few seconds, then suddenly realized, "You look familiar. Didn't you bring a young girl to buy clothes a while ago? I thought you were her boyfriend!"

"Big sister, please don't joke around. That's my own sister. She's still in junior high school and is very young." Sun Jingyuan quickly waved his hand and explained with a smile.

"I see, you have quite a few siblings in your family." The saleswoman replied with a smile, then picked up the suit and skillfully packed it up.

Looking at Qin Huairu, whose cheeks were flushed and whose eyes were charming, Sun Jingyuan couldn't help but say in a serious tone, "There's nothing we can do. Our parents are good at having children, so the family is lively and bustling."

Qin Huairu chuckled at his joke, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed. She subconsciously reached out and gently pinched his waist, her blush deepening.