Courtyard House: In times of famine, my hamster became a spirit.

"Money! I'll pay you back!"

Yi Zhonghai straightened up, stretched out his hand, which was still covered in mud, and tremblingly gestured three fingers in the air.

"Seven hundred and twenty yuan! I'll pay it all back! Right now!" He was panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot, scanning everyone in the hospital before finally stopping at Yan Bugui.

He knew that the most greedy person in the courtyard was this third uncle.

"Not only will I return the principal, but I'll also give you compensation! I'll add another three hundred! That'll be a total of one thousand yuan!"

Yi Zhonghai roared like a madman, his voice tearing through the night sky:

"One thousand dollars! As long as we settle this privately! As long as we don't call the police! I'm going home right now to get my bankbook! One thousand dollars in cash, all for Yushui! It's a small token of my appreciation as an old man, to help the child recover!"

boom--!

The moment this number was announced, the once-silent courtyard erupted in chaos.

One thousand dollars!

In an era when the average wage was only twenty or thirty yuan, what was the concept of a thousand yuan?

That was a decent main house in a courtyard house!

That's the savings an ordinary worker would have accumulated over ten years without eating or drinking!

In this winter of scarcity, how many cornbreads can one thousand yuan buy?

How many kilograms of pork can it buy? What kind of blissful life can it provide for a family?

Rapid breathing filled the crowd; it was greed taking hold.

The neighbors, who had been indignantly cursing Yi Zhonghai, now had their anger replaced by greed.

That's a thousand yuan!

Even if the money wasn't meant for them, the sheer amount of money had enough to shatter their already fragile moral compass.

"My goodness... a thousand dollars..."

The third uncle, Yan Bugui, who had been huddled to the side calculating, nearly popped his eyes out of his glasses.

His shrewd mind raced, the abacus beads clicking rapidly: If Yi Zhonghai went to jail, that was a government matter, and Yu Shui, besides getting some revenge, wouldn't get a single penny. But if they settled privately… that thousand yuan would still be a windfall for the He family, even if Yan Bugui could only get a little something out of it, or gain some benefits under the guise of mediation!

Greed completely triumphed over so-called justice at this moment.

Yan Bugui swallowed hard, adjusted his broken glasses, took two steps forward, and put on his signature calculating smile.

"Ahem... Um, Jianguo, and Yushui."

Yan Bugui rubbed his hands together, his eyes glancing at Yi Zhonghai. "If you ask me, we should be lenient. Look, Old Yi has admitted his mistake, and this thousand yuan... that's quite a lot. As the saying goes, even murder is just a matter of beheading. If we really call the police and Old Yi goes to jail, the money will be confiscated, and Yushui won't get anything."

He turned to look at He Yushui, who was staring blankly, and earnestly advised, "Yushui, listen to my advice. You've had a hard life. With this thousand yuan, you'll have more than enough to buy grain, meat, and even your dowry. It's best to resolve matters within our compound here, so we don't become a laughingstock. Don't you agree?"

With Yan Bugui taking the lead, several neighbors who were already envious began to whisper among themselves.

"Yes, a thousand yuan, that's incredibly generous."

"Although Yi Zhonghai is unethical, this money is real cash."

"That kid Rainwater is quite pitiful. Taking the money to get him healthy is the most important thing. Can you feed someone by arresting them?"

The wind direction has changed.

Yi Zhonghai keenly grasped this point.

He collapsed to the ground, listening to the surrounding chatter, his lips twitching slightly, revealing the relief of surviving a disaster.

He made the right bet!

These poor bastards have never seen money before!

When faced with a thousand dollars, morality and law are all bullshit!

As long as Yan Bugui and the neighbors turn against him, how can Zhou Jianguo and He Yushui, two juniors, possibly cause any trouble?

Yi Zhonghai, seizing the opportunity, quickly added, "That's right! Uncle San is right! I'll go get the money right now! I'll give it to you immediately! Yushui, take the money, buy whatever you want. Uncle San will definitely change his ways and treat you like his own daughter..."

It looked like this public trial was about to turn into a dirty money transaction.

It was as if the wicked were about to use money to buy their conscience and escape punishment.

"Oh."

A sudden, chilling laugh.

Zhou Jianguo slammed the fire hook down.

when--!

The crisp sound of metal striking the blue brick floor was particularly jarring in the cold night, making everyone's eardrums ache.

The scene fell silent instantly.

All eyes were on the young man with a mocking expression.

Zhou Jianguo didn't look at Yi Zhonghai, but turned his head, his sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, fixed on Yan Bugui.

"Third Uncle, I think you've gone mad from teaching!"

"Or are you ignorant of the law? Do you think this courtyard house is your Yan family's private property, and the country's laws don't apply here?"

Yan Bugui felt uneasy under that gaze, but forced a smile and said, "Jianguo, what are you saying... I'm just doing this for the good of the rainwater..."

"For the sake of rainwater?"

Zhou Jianguo took a step forward, his fire hook almost piercing Yan Bugui's chest.

"Yan Bugui, listen to me carefully. This isn't called paying back debts; it's called misappropriation of other people's property! It's called embezzlement! It's called fraud!"

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across everyone in the courtyard like a blade, his voice suddenly rising, each word like iron:

"Seven hundred and twenty yuan! What kind of crime is this? According to current laws, individuals who embezzle or steal public or private property in large amounts are subject to imprisonment for ten years or more! In serious cases, they may face life imprisonment or even the death penalty!"

"Yi Zhonghai embezzled this money for ten years; this was a premeditated and planned crime! This is undermining socialism! This is profiting from human suffering!"

Zhou Jianguo pointed to Yi Zhonghai on the ground, then to Yan Bugui, who looked dazed:

"This is a criminal case! A public prosecution! Not a civil dispute that you bunch of old fogies can settle behind closed doors!"

"Yan Bugui, what did you just say? Settle it privately? Take money?"

Zhou Jianguo revealed a sinister smile, "Do you know what this is called? This is called harboring a criminal! It's called receiving stolen goods! It's called being an accomplice!"

"According to the law, anyone who knowingly assists in concealing, dividing, or mediating cases involving embezzled funds is considered an accomplice! What's wrong, Uncle San? Do you think your family has too much food and want to spend a few years in jail eating free cornbread? Or do you want to accompany Yi Zhonghai to the execution ground and taste what peanuts are like?!"

Boom—!

The entire hospital was deathly silent.

The neighbors who had originally intended to persuade He Yushui to take the money now looked ashen-faced, like chickens with their necks being choked.