Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"My dad is going to call a hospital-wide meeting to talk about what happened between Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao last night."

"Understood." He Yuzhu nodded and closed the door behind him.

He wouldn't bring He Yushui to this kind of meeting; at most, he'd show his face to see what Liu Haizhong was up to—for this old guy to be so eager to gather the whole hospital so early in the morning, it must be no small matter.

Liu Guangtian was locked out of the room, and a surge of anger rose in his heart. He cursed under his breath, "What a big shot!" and turned around to continue notifying people door to door.

It was still early before work. Most of the people in the compound were workers from the steel rolling mill, and others either did odd jobs. For example, Yan Bugui, a primary school teacher, started class at 8:30. As long as he wasn't late, he was fine.

Furthermore, last night, Second Uncle led a large group of people out to look for someone, and then brought Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao back, making quite a commotion. Many people had been eagerly anticipating this. Upon hearing that a meeting was to be held, everyone immediately perked up and flocked to the Intermediate People's Court.

He Yuzhu also went out. At this point, everyone in the courtyard except for the Jia family and Xu Damao was basically present. Seeing that someone was still missing, Liu Haizhong immediately called to Liu Guangtian, "Guangtian, go and call the Jia family and Xu Damao again! If they don't come, they're disrespecting everyone!"

Liu Guangtian accepted the order and made another trip. This time, Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao finally arrived, looking pale and with cloudy eyes, clearly still hungover.

"The purpose of this meeting today is to clarify what happened last night." Liu Haizhong stood in the middle, drawing out his words, "Jia Dongxu went out to buy alcohol after get off work and didn't come home all night. Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu came to me, asking me to help find him..."

He slowly and methodically explained the cause and effect, and only then did everyone understand the whole story.

It turned out that he had led the Yan family and two other households to look for someone. However, Liu Guangtian bumped into Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao on the way, as they emerged from a half-open door. Their clothes were wrinkled, and they smelled of cheap rouge.

When Liu Haizhong arrived, he caught them red-handed—one had a wife and children, and the other had only been a regular employee for a few days, yet they dared to frequent such places!

He originally intended to reprimand them in public and make them admit their mistake, then let it go. But the two refused to admit it, insisting instead that they had been drinking late and had just been "caught" and brought back after the party.

Madam Jia Zhang, however, turned hostile and retorted, "My son is innocent; how could he possibly go to such a despicable place? You're deliberately framing him!"

"Second Uncle, I already said I was just drinking last night. What's wrong with coming back a little late? Why are you making such a fuss?" Xu Damao sneered. "You're so controlling, can you even control someone's drinking? That's too domineering!"

"Bullshit!" Liu Haizhong slammed his fist on the table. "That's promiscuity! It's a matter of conduct! It deserves to be denounced and criticized!"

"Tch," Xu Damao scoffed, "That smell? Can't you just leave it on by accident? Second Uncle, aren't you being a bit too nosy? Did our drinking bother you?"

Jia Dongxu chimed in, "Yes, Second Uncle, it's nothing, why are you making such a big deal out of calling a meeting with the whole hospital? We haven't done anything to offend you."

These words were practically an admission that he was using this as an excuse to settle a personal score. Liu Haizhong's face turned a deep shade of purple with anger, his fingers trembling: "Jia Dongxu! You said you were drinking? Then why did your wife and mother beg me to help you find someone in the middle of the night? Were they acting too?"

"It was Huairu who forgot, and only remembered later. It was all a misunderstanding! Second Uncle, we appreciate your help in finding Dongxu, but you can't say things like that—I won't allow it to get out that my Dongxu went to the half-closed door!"

Suddenly, Jia Zhangshi stepped forward and, with a few words, completely absolved herself of any blame. Then, she turned around and adopted a protective stance towards her son, displaying great power.

Yan Bugui, who was standing to the side, shook his head and secretly gave Liu Haizhong a wink: Why did you have to get involved in the Jia family's mess?

The ensuing hospital-wide meeting turned into a protracted battle. Liu Haizhong remained adamant, insisting on "seeing it with his own eyes," and even describing the time and place in great detail, saying that Xu Damao and Jia Dongxu had been wandering around the alley with the half-closed gate in the south of the city last night.

But how could the parties involved admit to anything? Xu Damao jumped up and down on the spot, and Jia Dongxu also looked wronged. Liu Haizhong wanted to find people to testify, but the other two families all cowered and pretended to be quails. One said he went to bed early and didn't notice, and the other simply said he was brewing medicine.

Who would want to offend Jia's mother, who can throw a tantrum without restraint? Not to mention that Xu Damao is now a formally employed projectionist at the steel mill; messing with him would be asking for trouble.

In the end, no one dared to take sides, and Liu Haizhong was left humiliated; the denunciation meeting ended abruptly. But his ashen face, his table-pounding, and his glaring eyes were already etched into the neighbors' minds—it was highly likely that those two had indeed been to such places.

In the short time this morning, the three families argued fiercely, and no one benefited. With the work bell about to ring, everyone dispersed.

He Yuzhu watched coldly, but inwardly chuckled: Xu Damao had actually gotten involved with Jia Dongxu again, and even came up with this "half-closed door" scheme? As for Liu Haizhong, it was a thankless task; he found the person but was instead framed. It was probably because the two of them had rehearsed their lines beforehand.

However, judging from Liu Haizhong's expression as he left, it was so gloomy it could drip water—this feud was now officially formed.

Birds of a feather flock together. Once the show was over, He Yuzhu grabbed his lunchbox and headed to work.

His daily routine was already well-known: first, he would inspect the canteen, then check the greenhouses, treat himself to a special meal at noon, and when he had free time, he would stay in the office and study skill books. Recently, he had been focusing on electrical engineering skills, and the book he was holding was so worn that the edges were curled up.

Now that the rules for the canteen and greenhouses are established, he just needs to follow the procedures every day, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, no one will bother him. So, he earns 99 yuan a month, but the work is easy—making two rounds of inspections, cooking a meal, and at most dealing with some minor issues.

They have such a leisurely life that it makes people envious.

Before leaving get off work in the afternoon, he casually greeted Bai Danyu: "Take Xiaobaiying out for some good food tomorrow."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "I'm bringing enough for two people."

Bai Danyu immediately understood that he was teasing her about taking her daughter's snacks last time. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she spat out, "You're such a smooth talker!" She turned and left, but her steps were lighter.

On the way home after picking up He Yushui, a familiar figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the courtyard house—Chen Xueru.

That's rare. This woman has always been arrogant and rarely takes the initiative to visit.

"Zhu Zi, I have an urgent matter... It's really urgent, you have to help me!"

The moment she saw He Yuzhu, all her composure vanished, replaced by barely concealed anxiety. He Yuzhu frowned. "Don't talk outside, let's go inside and chat."

He then led her toward the central garden.

Qin Huairu happened to witness this scene. She was squatting by the pool, washing Jia Dongxu's clothes from the previous night, which still smelled of rouge. When she looked up, she saw Chen Xueru dressed in a stylish cheongsam, looking graceful and charming, even her walk exuding a fragrance.

Comparing her own wet hands and dripping trouser legs, a sudden tightness gripped her chest.

No wonder Sha Zhu hasn't even glanced at her lately... turns out he's climbed the social ladder.

After Chen Xueru entered the house, Qin Huairu was still standing there in a daze. She looked down at her coarse cloth clothes and felt a pang of bitterness: If I could dress like that, I might not lose to her. How regrettable that I was too hasty back then, plunging headlong into the fire pit of the Jia family.

Jia Dongxu used to know how to care for people, but now he's gone off to fool around with Xu Damao, even daring to go through half-closed doors...

Inside the house, Chen Xueru grabbed He Yuzhu's hand as soon as she entered, her voice trembling, "Zhuzi, you have to save me this time..."

Seeing this, He Yushui immediately and obediently went into the kitchen, took out flour, and prepared to cook. Her thoughtfulness was heartbreaking.

He Yuzhu was a little embarrassed—his own sister was there, and if this scene reached Lou Xiao'e's ears, wouldn't it cause an uproar?

"Xue Ru, put your hand down for now. Tell me slowly if you need anything. I will definitely help if I can."

Chen Xueru took a deep breath, finally calming down a little: "It was Liao Yucheng... He ran off with all my dividends and savings! He also resigned and disappeared without a trace. Now I don't even have the money to go to Suzhou to buy goods!"

"What?!" He Yuzhu's pupils shrank. "He's so bold! How much did he steal? Did he call the police?"

"I didn't count it exactly, but it's at least ten thousand... I didn't call the police." Her voice lowered, her eyes slightly red. "Zhu Zi, if this money isn't recovered, the silk shop will have to close down..."

Chen Xueru's usually charming face was now filled with panic. A person with ten thousand yuan—in these days, that's an extremely rare breed, ranking among the very elite nationwide.

Although He Yuzhu was a top chef in the canteen, with no worries about food and drink, and also earning extra money by taking on private banquets, his total savings from three years of apprenticeship and the small amounts of money He Daqing sent back were only a little over two thousand. But she insisted that a full ten thousand had been swindled away, and just that statement was enough to make one feel suffocated.

She gripped He Yuzhu's arm tightly, her voice trembling: "After the New Year, Liao Yucheng pressured me to get married. At first, I thought he was quite handsome, but the more we spent together, the more I realized how incredibly immature he was! I didn't agree, and who knew that while I was out, he broke into my suitcase and ran off with all the money I had saved up over the years!"

"Aren't you going to call the police?" He Yuzhu frowned. "Liao Yucheng has a family here. Where could he go without a street certificate? The police can follow the trail and catch him in no time."

"Don't report it!" Chen Xueru shook her head violently, her face deathly pale. "He...he has something on me. If I touch him, he'll flip the table, and then I'll be in jail too."

"What leverage?" He Yuzhu narrowed his eyes, his tone turning colder.

She had already mentally analyzed the situation: it was unlikely to be murder or arson; it was probably shady dealing in in-demand goods, such as silk, fabrics, and imported jewelry. Things were very tense after the public-private partnership, yet she still dared to engage in this clandestine activity—truly, her cleverness backfired.

I was hoping to buy Manager Huang's batch of jewelry at a low price a while ago, and I missed out on a small fortune. Now, my greed has brought me trouble.