Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Right now, she needs to quickly vacate the storage room next door.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yi Zhonghai abruptly stood up, his face darkening as he strode to the window. A quick glance outside, and his expression turned ashen.

Yi Zhiliang had already run to the He family's house—He Yuzhu wasn't there today; only Lou Xiao'e and He Xiao were in the house, and Yu Li was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) playing with the children.

Yu Li, who herself had never given birth, adored children. Seeing that Lou Xiao'e was resting after giving birth, she visited almost every day these past few days. Lou Xiao'e also adored Zhi Liang, often giving him candy and fried beans; Zhi Liang would then call her "Aunt Lou" in a straightforward manner. Although the two families had never had any contact before, their way of addressing each other was quite simple and straightforward.

Yi Zhonghai guessed one thing correctly: He Yuzhu was indeed determined to make things difficult for the Yi family. He originally planned to return more than ten years later, by which time Zhiliang would have grown into a strong young man and become more determined. If he intervened then, he would only be able to watch helplessly and feel heartbroken.

Unexpectedly, Yi Zhonghai returned ahead of schedule.

"Look at that! Look at that brat, heading straight for the He family's place! Let me tell you, whether he's surnamed Yi or not is up to me! Not a single penny of his doesn't belong to me, not even a thought!"

Zhiliang went straight to his enemy's door and completely exposed Yi Zhonghai's weakness—he was so close to his enemy that he was like family. How could he expect Yi Zhonghai to support him in his old age?

What a load of rubbish!

"Go to Dongxu's house, find out about the Jia family's background, and have a chat with the deaf old lady..."

Yi Zhonghai's face was gloomy as he quickly calculated in his mind: Although Jia Dongxu was disabled, he still had Banggeng. Perhaps by the time he retired, Banggeng would be an adult and able to shoulder responsibilities.

However, what is the Jia family's current situation? Is Dongxu dragging them down? We need to find out the details first before making any decisions.

Or should we find another reliable caregiver as soon as possible? But it could never be Zhiliang—that kid is glued to He Yuzhu, he doesn't even bother to take his surname!

Upon hearing the words "little beast," the middle-aged woman's face instantly turned cold, her nails digging deeply into her palms, but she remained silent. Anyone else would have pounced on her and scratched her face; but Yi Zhonghai had just returned, and she didn't want to push things too far.

Turning her head, she silently left the house and headed straight for the adjacent outbuilding—she had to prepare a place for her and Zhiliang to lie down before dark.

Zhiliang, she would never give up. Over the years, she had quietly saved up a few dozen yuan. It wasn't much, but with her capable hands, it was more than enough to support two people.

The news spread like wildfire, throughout the entire courtyard before noon.

"Yi Zhonghai is back?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu abruptly propped himself up, nearly sitting up with a jolt. Yi Zhonghai was his master, and back in the day, he was the Jia family's strongest backer, having helped them countless times.

"Quickly help me up, I want to go see my master!"

He urged her anxiously, but Qin Huairu looked hesitant and softly advised, "Dongxu, let's wait a bit... It seems that the old man has encountered some problems. Going now might not be the right time."

"What's going on?"

"I heard she's lame. I was just delivering clothes to an older woman when I saw her tidying up the outhouse, like she's moving in... She probably had a fight with an older man."

Qin Huairu spoke slowly. Although the older woman didn't say it explicitly, her face was as taut as a frozen river, clearly indicating that she had just lifted the lid of a pot.

"Master is probably in a bad mood right now, let's go later. Or, could you give me some money so I can buy some pastries and canned goods and take them to see him later..."

Before she could finish speaking, Jia Zhangshi burst in, her voice shrill: "Buy what? Buy what? We're doing him a favor by coming here! And you bring gifts? Qin Huairu, you're not in charge of the household, don't you know the Jia family's rice jar is empty?!"

Qin Huairu's heart sank upon hearing this. She turned to Jia Zhangshi and sighed, "Mother, Uncle Yi is Dongxu's master, and he's still lame. Dongxu comes empty-handed—this isn't a disciple coming to visit, it's a slap in the face. If you're determined not to ask for help, then so be it; but if Uncle Yi washes his hands of things from now on, our family's last source of support will truly be gone."

When others visit someone in the hospital, they bring eggs and canned food, or at the very least, a couple of packets of snacks; but Dongxu was a disciple personally trained by Yi Zhonghai, and to go empty-handed would be tantamount to slapping his master in the face.

Saying they turned against each other is no exaggeration.

"Yi Zhonghai only has one lame leg, but my Dongxu has both legs useless! What's the point of buying anything? We've already emptied our pockets!"

Jia Zhangshi didn't even lift her eyelids, she only believed in one principle: money is more important than anything else.

These past few months, managing the household has been a nightmare, with daily expenses like firewood and cooking oil spilling out like water from a funnel. She's already so stressed she has blisters on her lips. Her retirement savings were just partially taken, and now she's expected to scrape together another ten yuan?

dream!

Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, Qin Huairu simply said, "Fine, I won't stop you. From now on, if Uncle Yi becomes estranged from our family, you should think about how you'll manage."

She paused, then her voice turned cold: "I've paid all my salary. Banggeng needs to pay his tuition next month, and you and Dad have to scrape together that money."

"Bang Geng is your own son..."

"Yes, it's my son. I'll keep five yuan from my salary next month and cover his tuition!"

"no--"

"Mom, Banggeng's name is Jiageng, and he's your own grandson! You won't even share a bowl of hot soup with him. Who will bring you medicine, bathe you, and take care of you in your final days?"

Qin Huairu's voice suddenly rose, her words like a needle piercing Jia Zhangshi's eardrums. She was speechless on the spot.

Jia Dongxu, standing to the side, was also stunned. He could neither stand nor walk now, so who could he rely on in the future? It was Bang Geng! But recently, he and his mother had been hiding the meat and vegetables brought back from the cafeteria in the cupboard, specifically choosing to secretly eat them when Bang Geng was at school or when Xiao Dang was asleep—the child may be young, but he remembers things early.

Sure enough, Banggeng was sitting on the edge of the kang, staring coldly at them. When his gaze swept over Jia Zhangshi, a strange resentment flickered in his eyes.

Jia Dongxu's heart clenched, and he opened his mouth to shout, but the words stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back.

It's easy to scold a child, but if you really break their heart, they might not even be able to afford a hot bowl of porridge for the rest of their lives.

He gritted his teeth and turned to Jia Zhangshi: "Mom, give Huairu ten yuan—five yuan to buy wine and food to honor your master, and five yuan to pay for the tuition!"

"Ten yuan? No way! I only have two yuan left from my salary this month. I just put my retirement money into it, and now you want to spend more? You might as well tear my heart out!"

Jia Zhangshi jumped up and down, her face turning bright red.

Jia Dongxu immediately retorted, "Fine, if you don't want to take it, then let Huai Ru run the household from now on. Look at these past few months, the rice jar is almost empty, the pickled vegetable jar is moldy, and we can barely even get any soy sauce!"

"Didn't you eat the groceries I bought? Isn't meat available every day?"

"You gnawed the bones before leaving me any soup, and by the end of the month I'm starving—Mom, are you really suited to run the household? Stop it! If this family keeps falling apart like this, we won't even have enough to eat!"

He grew increasingly defiant, finally adding, "They promised me three yuan a month, but after the first month, I haven't seen a single penny. And you, you keep buying painkillers without fail, while our son goes hungry without even blinking!"

Just as Jia Zhangshi opened her mouth to shout, Jia Dongxu revealed his true colors: "You won't give me money? Then let Huairu carry me into the courtyard! Let the neighbors see how my own mother has starved me so thin!"

This ruthless move immediately deflated Madam Jia.

Her disabled son threw a tantrum, and her attempts to plead poverty and act shamelessly were completely ineffective against him.

"Give Huairu ten yuan! Buy some good wine and food, and invite Master over tonight for a drink or two!"

Madam Jia's face was a mixture of pale and flushed, her lips trembling. She turned and went into the inner room. Xiao Dang and Bang Geng came over when they heard the noise. She pulled down the curtain, rummaged around for a while, and finally came out clutching a few crumpled bills.

"Take it! Spend it wisely, you can't miss out on that three yuan pension next month!"

Jia Dongxu sneered, "Retirement money? You don't trust us, that's why you're desperately saving money, right? But have you ever thought about this—money can buy medicine, but it can't buy filial piety; money can be stored away, but it can't keep people's hearts from scattering!"

As Qin Huairu listened, her fingertips secretly dug into her palm, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

We've endured these past few months, haven't we been waiting for this day?

Even Bang Geng complains that his grandma is biased, let alone Dong Xu, who is so hungry at the end of the month that he has to drink cold water...

She never cooked for Dongxu on her own initiative. If he wanted to eat, he had to ask Jia Zhangshi. But Jia Zhangshi was stingy with money and had no money left at the end of the month, so she would make him drink a thin porridge that was so thin you could see your reflection in it. Sometimes she would simply give him a bowl of hot water to coax him into thinking he was "full."

"Dongxu!!"

"Mom, listen to me, let's make it work; don't listen? Then let's break up completely—if the Jia family falls apart, who will take you in!"

As soon as she shouted, Jia Zhangshi was about to yell for Old Jia, but she was choked and couldn't make a sound.

When it comes to ruthlessness, a bedridden cripple could truly drive the shrewd Jia Zhangshi, who had been cunning all her life, into a corner with no way out.

Qin Huairu took the money, turned around and called to Banggeng and Xiaodang, "Let's go buy some wine and meat!"

Before dinner, He Yuzhu returned pushing a brand-new wooden stroller. He had personally planed, chiseled, and mortise-and-tenoned the stroller from the lumber mill, using the finest elm wood he had selected. It had a sunshade, an adjustable backrest, double brake wheels, and even the footrests were polished smooth and comfortable. Lou Xiao'e would push He Xiao to work at the neighborhood office, making the journey easier and safer, and she wouldn't have to rush around when changing diapers or carrying the baby.

Just after giving birth, Director Wang specially approved Lou Xiao'e's transfer to the street office as an internal affairs worker, so that she wouldn't have to go out in the wind and sun and could take care of her child right under her nose.

The work was originally done by someone else, but He Yuzhu brought two bags of brown sugar, a can of malted milk powder, and a new towel to thank them. The man initially had a stern face, but when he opened the package and saw the generous amount of goods inside, his face immediately lit up with a smile. He patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Xiao'e, from now on, since she's working at the neighborhood committee, I'm practically family to her!"

"Yi Zhonghai is back? What makes him think he can come back?"

When He Yuzhu heard Lou Xiao'e mention this name, his brows immediately furrowed.

"They said he had a limp, but the neighborhood committee sent a car to pick him up. Judging from the way they did it, he wasn't sneaking away; they were being properly brought back."

Lou Xiao'e had just carefully placed He Xiao into the stroller when the little one kicked his legs and giggled. She immediately found it easy to use—light wheels, high handles, and agile turning. Looking up, she saw He Yuzhu staring blankly at the courtyard gate and couldn't help but laugh, asking, "What's wrong? Your face turned as black as the bottom of a pot the moment he showed up?"