Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

Sun Jingyuan strolled leisurely towards the courtyard house, walking alongside the flow of people leaving the factory. Almost every worker at the steel rolling mill carried a 28-inch bicycle, their bells jingling incessantly, the wheels creating wisps of wind as they rolled over the asphalt. Many of his fellow workers rode past him, their bikes carrying vegetable baskets, cloth bags, or their wives and children heading home. That down-to-earth, everyday atmosphere stirred something within Sun Jingyuan.

He looked down and touched his pocket, remembering that among the stack of receipts Yang Xugang had personally handed him last time, there seemed to be a bicycle receipt tucked inside. He then calculated his savings; since starting work as a factory doctor at the steel mill, his salary plus previous savings were more than enough to buy even the most ordinary Forever brand 28-inch motorcycle, without a penny to spare.

Sun Jingyuan paused for a moment, then immediately made up his mind: go to the supply and marketing cooperative first thing tomorrow morning, use the bicycle voucher, and pick out a good one.

As soon as he turned into the alleyway leading to the courtyard house, he saw Yan Bugui squatting on the steps of the west wing, meticulously wiping his precious old-fashioned bicycle with a tattered rag in his hand. The handlebars, frame, seat, and even the chain were polished to a shine. Yan Bugui was wiping with exceptional seriousness, as if he were holding some rare treasure rather than a bicycle.

Hearing footsteps, Yan Bugui immediately stopped what he was doing, looked up, and greeted her with a warm smile: "Dr. Sun, you're off work? Were you busy at the factory today?"

"It's alright, not too busy," Sun Jingyuan replied casually, his gaze sweeping over Yan Bugui's gleaming bicycle, his tone indifferent.

"That's right!" Yan Bugui immediately launched into a long-winded explanation, "Dr. Sun, you have no idea, bicycles really need maintenance! If you don't wipe them down for a day, the handlebars get dusty; if you don't wipe them down for three days, the frame gets rusty; if you don't wipe them down for half a month, the chain gets stuck and you can't ride it. It creaks and groans like a broken gong, so embarrassing! I wipe my bike down every day after get off work, it looks brand new, I feel proud to ride it, and it'll last for over ten years without breaking down. It's much better than those neglected bikes..."

He rambled on and on, from car-washing techniques to maintenance tips, spitting as he spoke, without stopping. Sun Jingyuan stood to the side, calmly listening without interrupting.

Yan Bugui continued talking until his throat was dry. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and then suddenly slapped his forehead, pretending to suddenly realize something. His tone was deliberately concerned: "Look at my memory! I was so focused on wiping the car! Dr. Sun, you haven't bought a car yet, have you? The employees of our steel rolling mill rely entirely on bicycles to get to and from work. It's so inconvenient not having a car."

"Not yet, I plan to go to the supply and marketing cooperative tomorrow," Sun Jingyuan replied casually, without moving, waiting for him to continue.

Yan Bugui's eyes lit up, and he sighed with feigned emotion, "Young people need to have goals to strive for, and buying a car is a good thing! But if you need a car urgently and haven't found a suitable one yet, just come to Uncle San anytime. My car is well-maintained and rides smoothly. If you want to use it, I'll charge you three cents a time, just consider it a maintenance fee. I won't charge you more, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Jingyuan knew that Yan Bugui wanted to use his car to make some extra money. He showed no disdain, simply smiling and nodding, his tone both distant and polite: "Alright, thank you very much, Uncle San, I'll remember."

After saying that, Sun Jingyuan didn't linger any longer and turned to walk towards the west wing of the backyard. As he passed Jia Dongxu's house, he keenly sensed a sinister gaze, like a poisoned knife, fixed on his back.

Looking up, I saw Madam Jia sitting on her doorstep, fiddling with a straw rope, muttering to herself, her triangular eyes wide with venom. When she saw Sun Jingyuan looking over, she didn't quiet down; instead, she raised her voice, shrilly, "Keep being arrogant! Sooner or later, someone will kill you in this courtyard! Then, those three west wing rooms will be mine!"

Sun Jingyuan paused, turned his head, and met Jia Zhangshi's triangular eyes, which were filled with hostility. His lips twitched, and he silently uttered two words, each one piercing to the heart: "Old hag."

After saying that, Sun Jingyuan remained expressionless, lifted his foot and continued walking forward, as if nothing had just happened.

"You little beast! Who are you calling a 'beast'?!"

Inside the house, Jia Zhangshi instantly exploded, leaping up from the threshold with disheveled hair and hands on her hips. Like an enraged wild boar, she bared her teeth and claws and charged at Sun Jingyuan, her voice so shrill it could pierce eardrums.

Sun Jingyuan stopped and turned around, his face showing an innocent expression, his brows slightly furrowed, and his tone calm: "Aunt Jia, what's wrong? I was just passing by your house, what did I do to offend you?"

Hearing the commotion, the neighbors peeked out of their houses and quickly gathered around. Yan Bugui also hurried over and stood in the crowd, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"He just called me an old hag!" Madam Jia's face turned a deep shade of liver with rage. She pointed her finger at Sun Jingyuan's nose and roared, spitting all over his face. "You newcomer, you dare to insult your elders as soon as you arrive at the courtyard house? Don't you have any manners?!"

"Aunt Jia, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want." Sun Jingyuan still had that innocent look on his face. He turned to look at Aunt Li, who was standing less than a meter away from him. She had heard everything clearly. "Aunt Li, you're so close to me, did you hear me cursing Aunt Jia?"

Aunt Li quickly shook her head, her tone crisp: "I didn't hear it. Little Sun didn't swear at all. It was Aunt Jia who was just talking nonsense."

"Look, even Aunt Li didn't hear me." Sun Jingyuan spread his hands, his tone tinged with grievance. "I was just passing by her house and didn't even say a word to Aunt Jia, and I'm already being accused of swearing. Isn't this blatant bullying of me, the newcomer?"

"Aunt Jia, that's not right of you." Yan Bugui sighed and stepped forward to smooth things over, his face showing a bit of helplessness. "Wasn't the matter of the house already clarified before? Xiao Sun is the factory doctor, and the house was allocated through proper channels. There's no point in you making a fuss like this. It'll only make things look bad if word gets out."

"That's right, Aunt Jia, we're all neighbors, don't make things too awkward," Aunt Li chimed in, reaching out to tug at Jia Zhangshi's arm.

But Jia Zhangshi wouldn't listen to reason. She abruptly shook off their hands, plopped down on the ground, slapped her thighs, and began to wail loudly, spewing out vulgarities: "You heartless little beast! You ungrateful wretch! I'll fight you to the death! You wild outsider, occupying the best house in the courtyard, and you dare to bully an old woman like me! Why doesn't God strike you dead!"

The more she cursed, the more offensive her words became; the more she cried, the more intense her outbursts, as if she wanted to disturb everyone in the entire courtyard. The surrounding neighbors whispered among themselves, their faces showing disdain. They all felt that Jia Zhangshi had gone too far and was clearly deliberately picking a fight.

Sun Jingyuan stood to the side, his expression remaining calm. Only after Jia Zhangshi's scolding subsided slightly did he speak softly, his tone flat yet penetrating, his gaze lightly sweeping over the portrait hanging on the main wall of Jia Zhangshi's house.

The portrait was of Jia Zhangshi's deceased husband, framed in glass and placed in the most prominent position in the main room; it was the thing she cared about most in her life. The moment Sun Jingyuan's gaze swept over it, Jia Zhangshi's sobs abruptly ceased, and she froze on the spot.

"People who have done something wrong will not even have a memory left, right?" Sun Jingyuan's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui and Aunt Li gasped, instinctively taking a step back, their eyes filled with shock. Everyone in the courtyard knew that Jia Zhangshi had been widowed at a young age, and her greatest taboo was anyone mentioning her widowhood, let alone touching on her deceased husband's sore spot. Sun Jingyuan's words, though unspoken, precisely struck at Jia Zhangshi's most sensitive point, even more viciously than a direct insult.

"You little bastard! I'll fight you to the death!"

Jia Zhangshi's eyes instantly turned red. Like a mad dog whose tail had been stepped on, she suddenly got up from the ground and charged at Sun Jingyuan again, baring her teeth and claws, as if she wanted to devour him alive.

Sun Jingyuan simply turned slightly to the side, easily dodging Jia Zhangshi's attack. Jia Zhangshi missed her target, slipped, and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, she grabbed the door frame to steady herself.

Sun Jingyuan stood still, his expression calm, and said in a light tone: "Third Uncle, look at this Aunt Jia, she's throwing a tantrum and trying to fight me. I'm new here, I can't handle this treatment."

Yan Bugui quickly stepped forward and grabbed Jia Zhangshi's arm tightly, afraid that she would do something outrageous again. His face was full of embarrassment: "Aunt Jia, let's talk this out. Don't be impulsive! Xiao Sun is a reasonable person. Let's talk things over slowly."

Jia Zhangshi was held captive by Yan Bugui, unable to move. She could only stand there, pointing at Sun Jingyuan's nose, cursing incessantly, her face covered in tears and snot, looking like a madwoman. Seeing this, the surrounding neighbors shook their heads and dispersed, no one willing to join in the commotion.

Sun Jingyuan ignored Jia Zhangshi's tantrum and turned to continue walking towards his west wing. He reached the door, took out his key, opened the door, closed it behind him, and locked it in one smooth motion, without glancing at Jia Zhangshi again.

Jia Zhangshi cursed outside for a long time, but seeing that Sun Jingyuan ignored her completely and there was no movement inside, she had nowhere to vent her anger and could only sit on the ground and continue to wail.

The entire courtyard was now silent except for Jia Zhangshi's shrill curses, which echoed through the alley, but no one paid any attention to them anymore.