I Have a Lake as I Walk Through the Courtyard

It was Lin Feng's first time attending such a conference, and he felt a bit of novelty. When he arrived at the central courtyard, he looked around and saw three people sitting at a table in the middle. They were the three old men from the courtyard.

Lin Feng casually found an open space, put down the stool, and his eyes immediately fell on Jia Zhangshi!

No wonder Lin Feng spotted her so quickly; she was simply too outstanding. In a yard full of skinny people after the famine, this girl was glowing with health. Lin Feng glanced at her conservatively and realized she weighed almost 200 pounds! Then he looked at himself and realized he was almost twice his size!

Many neighbors in the courtyard glared angrily at Jia Zhangshi, and there were even a lot of whispers and gossip, loud enough for Lin Feng to hear.

Lin Feng listened to these sarcastic remarks and looked at Jia Zhangshi with curiosity. He saw that the old woman was holding the shoe sole as if nothing had happened, as if the people around her were not talking about her. Her calm and steady appearance made Lin Feng reflect on himself and realize that he was still not skilled enough!

"Alright, everyone, quiet down!" Liu Haizhong stood up first, slamming his teacup heavily on the table. "There's only one thing today! Jia Zhangshi! You stand in the middle!"

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment. In his memory, Liu Haizhong was always a long-winded talker. He had changed his tune today. But when he saw Liu Haizhong clutching his stomach with one hand, Lin Feng suddenly realized that the boomerang had stabbed him!

"Fatty Liu, why are you making such a loud noise?" Madam Jia rolled her eyes, slowly put down the shoe sole in her hand, got up, dusted off her clothes, and walked slowly to the middle of the yard.

"You're still pretending nothing happened, but everyone in this courtyard who ate your flesh has gotten infected! Aren't you going to give us an explanation?"

"Yes! My husband's had diarrhea; he hasn't been able to get out of bed all day, and he won't have the energy to go to work tomorrow. Your family has to compensate him!"

Remembering the suffering his original self had endured, Lin Feng joined the chorus of condemnation, standing up and pointing at Jia Zhangshi. "We all contributed our share of the money, and what kind of garbage are you feeding us? Give us our money back!"

Lin Feng's voice wasn't loud, but Jia Zhangshi was very sensitive to the word "money." She suddenly turned and jumped up at Lin Feng. "You little piece of trash! You want to throw up what you've already eaten! A refund? Are you blind?! Go ask around the streets and see who gives refunds after a meal!"

Lin Feng hadn't expected the old woman to target him so quickly, and he clenched his fists, showing no sign of backing down. "I was in the toilet all night last night, it was so crowded I couldn't even squeeze in. Tell everyone in the yard the truth, where did you buy this meat?"

"Yes, to be honest, where did you buy your meat? Was it from a diseased pig?"

Many women in the courtyard stood up and formed a circle around Jia Zhangshi, shrinking smaller and smaller, as if they were about to fight at the slightest provocation.

"Shut up, all of you!" Jia Zhangshi shouted with all her might, and the courtyard instantly fell silent.

Madam Jia glanced around smugly, her gaze settling on Lin Feng's thin frame. "You little piece of trash! Trying to take advantage of me? Don't you even know your own weight? You want your money back? Go ask around the alley, which family has that kind of rule?"

Seeing Jia Zhangshi rushing towards him, Lin Feng thought to himself, "She's taking me for a fool." "Fine, I won't refund the money!" Lin Feng said, glancing at Yi Zhonghai, who had been watching the show from the middle of the courtyard.

"You were the one who asked everyone to chip in, saying we're all neighbors and should lend a hand. Now that something's happened, you're just sitting here watching the show? Fine, old man, you've made an example of me this time. Next time something happens in the neighborhood, don't blame me for ignoring you!"

People in the courtyard gasped when they saw Lin Feng pointing at Yi Zhonghai. Yi Zhonghai himself was even more surprised that he had become the butt of the gossip. He frowned as he looked at Lin Feng.

"It's true that the Jia family was in the wrong, but they've just lost their son, leaving behind a widow and her child. Don't you have any compassion at all?"

"Yi Zhonghai, stop twisting the truth! Everyone contributed money to help with the Jia family's funeral. Don't you have any compassion? This old woman is not only ungrateful, but she also made everyone sick from the food, and now you're blaming her!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai narrowed his eyes, staring at Lin Feng and thinking to himself, "How come another troublemaker has appeared in this courtyard?"

"Xiaofeng! Look at them now, a widow and her child, and Qin Huairu is pregnant. Life is indeed difficult for them. How about this? I'll have the Jia family apologize to you. What do you think?"

"Old Yi, that's not right! Everyone was having diarrhea last night, and I even took two pills. An apology would have been enough."

Hearing Yan Bugui speak, Liu Haizhong didn't sit still either. "Yeah, Lao Yi! With my strong physique, my legs are still like cotton. It wouldn't be right if this wasn't severely punished!"

Seeing that his two partners had rebelled, Yi Zhonghai glanced resentfully at the old woman, then looked at all the angry neighbors in the yard. If this matter wasn't handled properly, his prestige would likely suffer greatly.

Just as Yi Zhonghai was feeling agitated, Qin Huairu, heavily pregnant, stepped into the middle. "Uncles, sirs, this is our fault. My mother-in-law didn't do it on purpose; she was deceived. Please, have mercy and let us off this time!"

As Qin Huairu spoke, she bowed to everyone. Yi Zhonghai, who was standing in the middle, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this and gave Jia Zhangshi a wink.

Jia Zhangshi understood immediately, plopped down on the ground, and patted the mud off with her hands. "That damned butcher Wen cheated this old woman, causing everyone so much suffering! Dongxu, if you have a spirit in heaven, open your eyes and take that butcher away..."

As Jia Zhangshi's cries shook the heavens, Qin Huairu sobbed beside her, and for a moment the entire courtyard was shrouded in gloom. Looking at the two pitiful widows, all the neighbors were dumbfounded, and even Yan Bugui, who was always greedy for money, couldn't bring himself to do it.

Having come from the future, Lin Feng had never seen such a scene before. Knowing it was fake, he didn't know where to begin. Lin Feng looked at all the neighbors in the courtyard. He didn't believe that the people in the courtyard couldn't see through it, but since no one moved, there must be a reason. Thinking of this, Lin Feng quietly retreated.

Seeing that the situation was under control, Yi Zhonghai glanced at Sha Zhu, who looked anxious, out of the corner of his eye. "Zhu Zi! I'm not trying to be mean, but you're a chef, and you can't even tell the difference between good and bad meat! Look what you've done to the neighbors!"

Sha Zhu was stunned by these words. Just as he was about to argue, Qin Huairu stood up and grabbed his arm. "Zhu Zi, please help us!"

Sha Zhu felt the softness on his arm, and his old face flushed slightly. "Alright, it's just a couple of yuan for a gift, right? I'll pay..." He then pulled out a ten-yuan note and a five-yuan note from his pocket.

"There are over 20 households in our compound, surely 10 yuan should be enough to cover the losses!"

Just as Qin Huairu was about to take the money, Yan Bugui swiftly grabbed it. "I've kept track of everyone's accounts; leave this to me!"

Lin Feng looked at the tall, burly man and cursed inwardly, wishing that such a sycophant would meet a terrible end.