Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"But what do I get out of this? Just to have her wash a few clothes and clean the house? Is such a small thing worth spending half a lifetime's savings on?"

"The worst part is, every time you leave the house, she comes running to my place. What kind of behavior is it for a widow to be showing up every other day?"

"I'm over thirty and still unmarried. What will outsiders think of her constantly going back and forth like this? Will any girl still want to marry me?"

"Girl, I'm happy to lend a hand; but they can't treat me like a sucker. We're not related by blood, and we have no debt of gratitude to each other, so why should I fill this bottomless pit?"

He Yuzhu spoke earnestly, every word coming from the bottom of his heart.

He had to make his sister see the truth, not to vent his anger, but because he was afraid she would suffer.

After all, she was just too naive.

He Yushui was stunned after hearing He Yuzhu's words, and her mind couldn't process it for a moment.

She was only a senior in high school, her mind as pure as a blank sheet of paper. How could she compare to those shrewd and calculating girls in the future?

So she didn't say anything, but just lowered her head and pondered what her brother had just said, things she had never thought about before.

But the more she thought about it, the more she felt that her brother was right: Qin Huairu's family had enough to eat, drink and cover their expenses, so why should they always ask for help?

Just to wash a few pieces of clothing for He Yuzhu? Can't he do such a small thing himself?

It seems she wasn't just overthinking things; the other person really was pushing their luck.

He Yuzhu saw that his sister's eyes had changed, and he knew that she had taken his words to heart, which made him feel quite at ease.

"Girl!"

"If Qin Huai were able-bodied, his monthly salary would be more than enough to support a family of three."

"But she comes to our door every few days asking for help, don't you think that's going too far?"

"Besides, what are we after? We get nothing out of it, and we end up doing each other favors, right?"

After hearing these words, He Yushui nodded and suddenly understood.

Their salaries are enough to live on, so why do they keep coming here to freeload?

We don't owe her family a single penny, and we have no obligation to raise her child.

Besides, my brother isn't married yet.

If we continue to subsidize them, we won't be able to save up for a wedding house, and we won't even be able to get married. Isn't that just playing with our lives?

I used to think Qin Huairu was pitiful and sensible, like a mother and son, but now I realize it was all a misconception.

"Brother, you're right! I'll avoid them from now on."

"Don't worry!"

"I may not be the most clever, but I can still tell right from wrong."

"With looks and qualities like yours, finding a partner shouldn't be difficult at all! I'll keep an eye out for you; I guarantee you'll find someone young and beautiful!"

As she spoke, her face lit up, and she almost forgot that her family was actually living quite comfortably.

"Oh!"

"My silly girl, she's finally awake."

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up as he watched his sister, and a smile crept onto his face.

His younger sister is not a quiet bookworm.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the task of persuading He Yushui. Reward: 10 yuan."

As soon as he finished speaking, he had ten more yuan in his pocket, which, together with the two yuan he had before, now made exactly twelve yuan.

"Eat!"

"Okay, bro!"

……

At the same moment,

The atmosphere at He Yuzhu's home was relaxed, but the Qin Huairu family was shrouded in gloom.

As soon as Qin Huairu stepped into the house, she noticed that Banggeng and her two younger sisters hadn't touched the cornbread on the table.

She glanced at it a few more times and noticed that Bang Geng's clothes were stained with a lot of oil. Her heart sank: Could it be that he really stole Xu Damao's chicken?

She immediately asked, "Bang Geng, tell the truth, did you take Xu Damao's chicken?"

Before she could finish speaking, Madam Jia's face darkened: "What nonsense are you spouting? Our Banggeng is honest and law-abiding, how could he do such a thing?"

"Hmph, what's the use of being stubborn?" Qin Huai glanced at her sideways, pointing to the oil stains on the three children's clothes. "Look at yourself, where did this oil come from?"

Pointing to the untouched cornbread on the table, she said, "Usually, it's all gone by the time I walk in. Why hasn't it been touched today? Did you eat too much outside?"

Following her finger, Jia Zhangshi saw that the three people were indeed covered in grease stains. Her heart tightened: "Banggeng, tell Grandma the truth, did you take Xu Damao's chicken?"

"I don't know." Bang Geng quickly shook his head, stubbornly refusing to let go.

Madam Jia turned to stare at Xiao Dang: "Xiao Dang, tell me, isn't it...?"

"I don't know! Don't ask me!" Xiao Dang turned her head away and shut her mouth tightly. The two of them had already agreed that they would deny it no matter what.

But Little Locust Flower was different. The youngest and most honest, she blurted out the answer before the question was even finished:

"Grandma, the 'flower chicken' that Banggeng made smells amazing! I'm still savoring the taste!"

"It tastes so much better than these plain steamed buns!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu immediately looked at Jia Zhangshi, her eyes filled with helplessness.

She sighed softly, her voice turning cold:

"Mom, you heard it too. The child is so young and already dares to steal and lie. What will become of him in the future?"

Before he could finish speaking, Banggeng interrupted, "I didn't steal the chicken! It ran out on its own, and I just caught it!"

"you,!"

Qin Huairu was so angry that her face contorted. She never expected that her son could steal something and still talk about it so confidently.

Is this still the child she raised herself? She lies without even blinking.

"Alright!"

Madam Jia glanced at Bang Geng and her two granddaughters, her tone calm yet unquestionable.

After you finish eating, go back to your rooms and do your homework immediately. For the next few days, no one is allowed to go out. Keep your mouths tightly shut.

After a while, once the storm passed, things calmed down.

What?

Qin Huairu never expected that Jia Zhangshi would discipline her children in this way; judging from her tone, she didn't take it seriously at all.

She had heard that if Xu Damao really had his eye on this matter, he could report it to the police on the spot.

Her heart tightened, and she was so anxious that she almost stammered:

"Mom, you didn't go out just now, so you have no idea there was just a big meeting in the yard! Xu Damao is furious. He personally declared that anyone who dares to touch his chickens will be immediately sent to the police station!"

snort!

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia didn't even lift her eyelids, and slowly began to speak:

"It's just a lost chicken. It's such a trivial matter, why bother the police? Xu Damao has mountains of gold and silver. If we really make a scene at the police station, he'll only lose face."

As soon as Qin Huai finished speaking, Jia Zhangshi still looked indifferent.

"You really think I'm bluffing?!"

Before she could finish speaking, tears welled up in her eyes. She hurriedly wiped her eyes, and after a moment, she continued:

"This morning's hospital-wide meeting was convened because of this misunderstanding."

"Xu Damao saw that He Yuzhu was stewing chicken on the stove, and then he found that his own chicken was missing. He immediately accused He Yuzhu of stealing it."

"And what happened? He Yuzhu proved his innocence on the spot and even falsely accused Xu Damao, forcing him to pay thirty yuan in compensation."

"Xu Damao is losing face right now and is holding back his anger. If he catches anyone stealing chickens, the police will really come knocking!"

"If it turns out to be Bang Genggan, he's just a child, he could really be taken away and locked up... That's no small matter, it would be a catastrophe!"

After she finished speaking, she couldn't help but choke up again, her shoulders trembling slightly.

To be honest, Qin Huairu herself was also in a complete mess.

Banggeng is, after all, her own son. If her son really goes to jail, the family will be completely broken up.

It's all over.

What?!

Are you telling the truth?

Jia Zhangshi suddenly jumped up from her chair, her face turning ashen instantly.

If the police are notified and it turns out that her grandson did it, then the child's life will be ruined.

"It's all He Yuzhu's fault! If he hadn't demanded such an exorbitant sum, forcing Xu Damao to pay thirty yuan, would we be in this mess?"

"So what if you were wrongly accused? Why try to extort thirty yuan from someone? Isn't that blatant robbery?"

"How much is a chicken worth? But this thirty yuan is enough for a family to eat for two months!"

"He Yuzhu is utterly despicable! He's probably determined to drive our whole family to ruin!"

As Jia Zhangshi spoke, she grew angrier and angrier, her fists clenched until they turned white.

In her eyes, the whole thing was caused by He Yuzhu. If he hadn't taken it so seriously, how could such a big wave have been stirred up?

How should this situation be resolved?

But then again, it was indeed Bang Geng who stole the chicken, yet she stubbornly refused to admit it.

Ugh……

She sighed silently in her heart.

If Xu Damao really called the police, once the police investigated, they would definitely follow the clues to the top of the stick, and then everything would be over.

and many more!

By the way, Banggeng, Grandma has a question for you: When you stole the chicken, did anyone see you do it?

After all, you need evidence to arrest someone, right?

Jia Zhangshi frowned and pressed for an answer.

If no one saw it, there would be room for maneuver. She clenched her fists tightly, hoping for divine intervention.

Grandma, no one saw me take the chicken.

Banggeng thought for a while, then shook his head vigorously.

There was no one around at the time, so he grabbed the chicken and ran away without leaving a single footprint.

But he never expected that stealing a chicken would cause such a big mess, and he was so frightened that cold sweat broke out on his back.

It's all Sha Zhu's fault for being so meddlesome! He insisted on asking for that thirty yuan, making the whole family live in fear and anxiety.

call,

Madam Jia breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Fortunately, no one witnessed it. As long as Banggeng remains firm in his story, without any evidence, the police can't arrest him by force.

Okay! Okay! As long as no one saw! But from now on, you'd better keep your mouth shut, not a single word can escape your lips, understand?!

……

Qin Huairu listened, silently lowered her eyes, and sighed softly.

Although I heard that no one saw it, I couldn't suppress the heavy unease in my heart.

Her mind was buzzing, and she couldn't make sense of anything.

Now that things have come to this, blaming the stick won't help. The most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation and keep the child in line.

If there's a next time, it won't end so easily.

Fortunately, no one caught them this time, so it can be said that God left a crack.

Can it really be kept secret forever? The net of justice is wide and inescapable; it's just a matter of time before it comes.

The next morning!

He Yuzhu put on his clothes, washed up, heated up some leftovers from last night, and casually chopped up a cabbage and threw it in. With another person in the house, he had to cook more.

At this moment, He Yushui also woke up. She always got up early at school, and her biological clock remained punctual even after returning home.

Brother, is breakfast ready?