Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

After exiting the Myriad Realms Thief Space and calming his mind after the night's hunt and escape, Sun Jingyuan quietly lay back on the kang (a heated brick bed). Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest, a crisp system notification suddenly rang in his mind.

[Ding! The storage capacity for planting, animal husbandry, and hunting items in the Myriad Realms Thief Space has reached its maximum!]

[You can choose to recycle and convert: exchange for 25800 RMB in the current world, or convert for 2.58 system points. 1 point can be exchanged for one chance to randomly steal from the myriad realms!]

Hearing the system notification in his mind, Sun Jingyuan's eyes flickered slightly as he began to calculate. 2.58 points meant he could exchange them for two opportunities to steal from the myriad realms. Perhaps he could draw something even more useful. He could try his luck and see what key resources or abilities he could unlock. Just as he focused his mind to trigger the exchange, he heard a very light, cautious sound coming from the hidden door connecting to Qin Huairu's side room.

It was obvious that Qin Huairu had sneaked in through the hidden door under the cover of night. Sun Jingyuan immediately abandoned the idea of ​​exchanging the items right away. He still had system points and exchange opportunities, so there was no rush. He could exchange them later if he encountered urgently needed supplies or treasures that could strengthen him. He simply relaxed and lay quietly on the bed, waiting for Qin Huairu to approach.

In the darkness, Qin Huairu tiptoed to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and gently lay down, afraid of disturbing him. As soon as she lay down, Sun Jingyuan gently turned to his side, and the two nestled together. There were no many words exchanged, only the unique tranquility and warmth of the deep night. The troubles in the courtyard and the hustle and bustle of life over the past few days had left Qin Huairu exhausted. Now, leaning against Sun Jingyuan, she completely relaxed and soon fell into a deep sleep, enjoying a peaceful and dreamless night.

It was five or six in the morning the next day. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and there was still no movement in the courtyard. Qin Huairu slowly opened her eyes, looked at Sun Jingyuan who was fast asleep beside her, got up gently, carefully tucked him in, and then quietly got up and quietly returned to her side room through the hidden door. She did not make a sound at all and did not disturb anyone in the courtyard.

Sun Jingyuan was a light sleeper, and he had already woken up when Qin Huairu left, but he didn't get up. He remained lying down with his eyes closed until it was fully light, when he slowly got up to dress and wash. As soon as he opened the door, the shrill mutterings of Jia Zhangshi and the echoing voices of Jia Dongxu from the middle courtyard came through clearly.

"Dongxu, you finally listened to your mother and divorced that woman Qin Huairu! Our family is truly blessed!" Madam Jia Zhang stood with her hands on her hips at her doorway, her voice so loud it seemed the whole courtyard could hear. "Look at her! She owes a staggering thousand taels of silver, a debt she'll never be able to pay off in this lifetime. If we hadn't divorced, this mountain of debt would have weighed on the Jia family. Would our mother and son even have a chance to survive? Thank goodness we divorced! Thank goodness we divorced early!"

"Mother is right, you have foresight." Jia Dongxu stood aside, his face full of relief, and then said sarcastically, "I told you she didn't have the ability, but she insisted on pretending to be rich and buying a house. Just wait, it won't be long before she's driven to desperation by her creditors, and then she'll have something to cry about!"

"Absolutely! A divorced woman, all alone, dares to owe so much money? I think she's gone mad!" Jia Zhangshi became more and more agitated, her words growing increasingly offensive. She kept gossiping and cursing in the direction of Qin Huairu's room, "I think she's just ungrateful; sooner or later she'll pay the price for her greed!"

The two of them sang in unison, making no attempt to conceal their voices, deliberately speaking for the entire hospital to hear, wanting to see Qin Huairu humiliated, completely forgetting how they had mistreated Qin Huairu and how they had driven her to the point of divorce.

Sun Jingyuan remained calm as he stepped out of the backyard. Just as he reached the moon gate, Jia Dongxu spotted Qin Huairu, who had come out to tidy the yard. He immediately stepped forward, pointed at her nose, and began to hurl insults at her, using extremely vulgar language. Jia Zhangshi also joined in, throwing a tantrum and yelling, attracting a crowd of neighbors to watch the spectacle.

Qin Huairu remained calm, not angered by their insults at all. She simply looked at them coldly, her eyes full of disdain.

"Qin Huairu, stop pretending!" Seeing that she remained unmoved, Jia Dongxu's anger flared even more. He clenched his fists, ready to strike. "You're drowning in debt and you still have the nerve to stand here? If I were you, I'd be too ashamed to show my face!"

The surrounding neighbors were talking amongst themselves, some looking at Qin Huairu with sympathy, others with amusement. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were also standing in the crowd, but they didn't try to stop her; they just wanted to watch coldly from the sidelines.

Just as Jia Dongxu was becoming arrogant and about to make a move, Qin Huairu slowly raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as she looked at him. Her tone was cold and resolute as she directly shouted, "Jia Dongxu, you dare to touch me! I am now a member of the Women's Federation at the steel rolling mill, responsible for protecting the rights and interests of women in the factory area and their residential compound. If you dare to lay a hand on me or cause trouble, I will immediately report you to the factory's Women's Federation and then to the street office. I guarantee you'll lose your job and be kicked out of the steel rolling mill for good!"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent. Jia Dongxu's raised hand froze in mid-air, his arrogance vanishing instantly. He stood there, stunned, his face filled with disbelief. He simply couldn't believe that in just a few days, Qin Huairu had become a member of the women's federation at the steel mill, wielding such power!

Jia Zhangshi was so frightened that she shut her mouth. Her previous tantrum vanished instantly. She took a step back, her eyes filled with panic. She knew how important the job at the steel mill was to Jia Dongxu; it was the family's only source of income. If he really lost his job, the two of them would be completely unable to survive!

"You, you're bluffing me! How could a worker who just started working at the factory become a member of the Women's Federation!" Jia Dongxu shouted, his voice trembling despite his bluster, clearly lacking confidence.

Qin Huairu was too lazy to waste words with him. She simply raised her hand and showed him the badge of the Women's Federation pinned to her lapel. The silver badge was clear and eye-catching. Most of the neighbors present were steel mill workers, and they recognized at a glance that it was the exclusive badge of the factory's Women's Federation and was definitely not fake.

"The badge is right here. Whether it's a bluff or not, you can go to the factory to verify!" Qin Huairu's tone was firm, her aura overwhelming. "I'm warning you one more time: if you dare to insult me, cause trouble, or provoke me again without cause, I will not tolerate it and will make you pay the price for your actions!"

Jia Dongxu stared at the badge, his face turning pale and then flushed. His clenched fists slowly loosened, and he dared not utter another harsh word, let alone take any action. He knew in his heart that Qin Huairu was telling the truth. If he really made a scene at the factory, he would definitely lose his job, and then he would regret it.

Madam Jia was so frightened that she dared not utter a sound, hiding behind Jia Dongxu and not daring to raise her head. Her previous arrogance had completely vanished, leaving only a heart full of fear.

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai wanted to step forward to smooth things over, but Sun Jingyuan gave him a cold glance, which made Yi Zhonghai stop in his tracks and dare not interfere any further.

Sun Jingyuan stood to the side, not saying a word the entire time, but his mere presence gave Qin Huairu a strong sense of confidence. The neighbors in the courtyard also understood that Qin Huairu was no longer the pushover she once was. Not only did she have the support of the Women's Federation, but she also had Sun Jingyuan's assistance behind the scenes. The Jia family mother and son simply couldn't afford to offend her, and they all resolved in their hearts never to provoke Qin Huairu again.

The onlookers, seeing that the spectacle was over and also wary of Qin Huairu's status, dispersed, and no one dared to utter another word. Jia Dongxu looked at the imposing Qin Huairu before him, and then thought of his own disheveled appearance just now. He was filled with resentment and unwillingness, but there was nothing he could do. He could only glare at Qin Huairu, drag the still-muttering Jia Zhangshi, and slunk back to the Jia family home, closing the door tightly behind him.

After this incident, no one in the entire courtyard dared to underestimate Qin Huairu anymore. Those who had previously harbored ill intentions towards her or wanted to gossip about her all gave up their thoughts. Qin Huairu looked at the tightly closed door of the Jia family's house, her expression still calm. She turned around and continued tidying up her own courtyard, composed and calm.

Sun Jingyuan nodded slightly at the scene before him, then turned and went back to the backyard. Back inside, the system's points exchange notification flashed through his mind again; the 2.58-point random stealing opportunity still lay quietly on the system panel. He didn't rush to use it. He already had a plan in mind. Whether he encountered trouble or needed rare resources in the future, these points would come in very handy. Saving them for emergencies was far more prudent than randomly drawing them now.

While taking care of the trivial matters in the courtyard, Sun Jingyuan silently planned to enter the secret forest of the Thief Space again when he had time. He would firstly continue to hone his hunting skills, and secondly, explore the secrets deep in the forest. He would also check the consumption of space resources and, when the time was right, use the system points to exchange for his own opportunity.