Courtyard House: The Frog Boy Brings Back a Genetic Potion at the Start

Just when things seemed to be going well, her daughter Yu Shui casually said something that made all her efforts over the past few days go down the drain.

Only then did the old man fully understand that Zhu Zi's heart was already with Qin's wife, and there was no going back.

The old lady felt utterly exhausted and gave up on offering even half a word of advice.

Seeing everyone still staring at her blankly, the old lady snorted and laughed: "Even now, you still don't understand? The important thing right now is not to argue about who is right and who is wrong, or who is in the right, but to think about how to handle this in the best interest of us."

Her tone betrayed a hint of anxiety and disappointment as she slowly continued speaking.

Zhu Zi was taken aback and blurted out, "Then... what do you mean, sir?"

He really couldn't figure out what the old lady was planning.

The old lady shook her head, but still explained, "The reason is simple."

From beginning to end, there's only one thing we need to be clear about: there's only one adversary.

As long as you remember this, you can temporarily set aside any old grudges.

As the old saying goes, there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.

As soon as she finished speaking, the people in the room suddenly realized what the old lady was planning—she wanted to use the incident caused by the Jia family to secretly give them a push.

"Okay, I think I can help."

The rain was the first to respond.

In her view, helping the Qin family's daughter-in-law now would make it easier to match her brother with her in the future.

The old man, who had been silent all along, finally raised his eyes and nodded: "Cooperation is possible, but we have to stay in the shadows."

Having dealt with that person for a long time, he knew that once certain things were brought to the forefront, he would only suffer losses; the safest course of action was to act quietly.

The old lady was satisfied with what she heard.

Of all the people in this room, only the eldest uncle made her feel the most at ease, and his thoughts were most in line with hers.

"Zhonghai is right."

This must be done quietly.

Even if things go wrong in the future, the Jia family will be the ones to take the blame, and it won't affect us.

She set the tone decisively.

Having decided to confront that person, her first thought was to clear herself of any wrongdoing and leave no room for anyone to use against her.

Old He slapped his thigh and said with a sigh of relief, "It should have been done a long time ago! Let the Jia family take the blame openly, while we work hard behind the scenes."

Even if that person guesses it's us, without any evidence, they can't touch us.

What he feared most was that Zhu Zi and his group would disregard everything and insist on going against the person who was currently in the limelight.

If a conflict were to break out openly, it would inevitably be one of us who would suffer.

And that's how things were settled.

The group whispered among themselves, deciding to take advantage of the current situation.

……

At this moment, none of them expected that their secret plans had already been relayed to that person's ears without being missed.

The man already knew the reason why the Jia family had made such a fuss. After the day's events were over, he knew that things would not end there and there would definitely be more to come.

Hao Jianguo then fully opened his senses.

At first, he just wanted to find out what Jia Zhangshi was planning so that he could take some precautions in advance. Yu Li and the child were living in this courtyard now, and with him in charge, there was naturally no problem. But there were always times when he was not at home.

It's always better to be cautious.

Unexpectedly, before the Jia family could hear anything, they instead overheard the deaf old lady's plot.

Hao Jianguo couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

In his view, some people in this courtyard were like centipedes, who, despite repeated suppression, still refused to behave themselves.

Having gone through so much, the old lady was still secretly plotting this – such "persistence"!

This ironically inspired a strange sense of admiration in him.

After a moment's thought, a playful smile appeared on Hao Jianguo's lips.

Since these people wouldn't back down, he would play along to the end and let them taste the consequences of provoking him.

He quickly devised a countermeasure against the deaf old lady's group's scheme, and decided to set a trap for them to fall into.

Hao Jianguo never hesitated to deal with these troublemakers.

Soon, a complete plan of retaliation took shape in his mind.

Just as the deaf old lady and her companions were secretly pleased with themselves, thinking they were about to succeed, little did they know that they had already become the praying mantis in the eyes of others.

"Jianguo, what are you laughing at?"

Yu Li walked to his side and, seeing his ambiguous smile, couldn't help but ask.

Hao Jianguo didn't intend to tell her about the deaf old lady, so as not to cause her any more worry.

"It's nothing, I just remembered how Sha Zhu got a lecture from Hai Tang before, and I found it quite amusing."

He brushed it off casually.

Mentioning Yu Haitang deepened Yu Li's doubts.

She looked at Hao Jianguo and asked softly, "Jianguo, there's something I've never understood... Was it because you secretly helped Haitang beat Shazhu that day?"

Hao Jianguo was slightly surprised, not expecting Yu Li to be so meticulous and able to subtly grasp the key points.

"Me, secretly helping? How could that be? You saw what happened; how could I have had a chance to intervene?"

He smiled and denied it outright.

It wasn't that he intentionally kept it from Yu Li, but the matter was rather mysterious, and even if he told her everything, she might not understand, and it would only increase her confusion.

Due to the limitations of the times, it's best not to mention it for now.

Upon hearing his answer, Yu Li frowned slightly.

She felt something was off, but upon closer examination, she couldn't find any flaws.

Hao Jianguo did not get close to the scene that day, let alone make a move.

But she knew all too well how capable her younger sister was.

Yu Li found it hard to believe that Yu Haitang could easily defeat Sha Zhu, the most capable fighter in the courtyard.

After pondering for a while without finding a clue, she could only gently shake her head and stop asking questions.

……

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu eventually went to the hospital.

The bite was so severe that I initially tried to tough it out to save money, but the pain kept coming in waves, and I was afraid I would die if I dragged it out any longer.

The terrifying experience of that night is still vivid in my mind—so many poisonous creatures crawled onto my body, and it was a miracle that I survived. If I hadn't been carefully examined, I probably wouldn't have known what would have happened later.

The couple spent the entire day in the hospital, spending a significant portion of their savings.

The doctor told them seriously that if they had been brought in any later, even if they didn't die, they would have been bedridden for life, worse off than Jia Dongxu.

After listening to the doctor's instructions, Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi felt a chill run down their spines and secretly rejoiced that they hadn't stubbornly stayed home to save a few dollars.

The doctor asked them how they ended up looking like that, but how could they easily reveal what happened that night to outsiders? The two stammered for a long time, only saying that they didn't know what kind of poisonous insect had bitten them.

You can't fool an expert with a lie like that.

The doctor knew perfectly well what was going on, but didn't expose it. He just gave a few instructions and then issued a discharge form.

The illness was temporarily suppressed, but it ultimately took root.

Jia Zhangshi was born with a fierce and angry face, and now her face was covered with many pustules, making her look like she had a toad's skin, which made people feel nauseous.

Qin Huairu's condition was slightly better; although not as terrible, both cheeks were still swollen, and it was unknown when the swelling would subside.

For her, it was like the sky had fallen—even if the swelling went down, who knew if it would leave any hidden illnesses?

The two fled back to the courtyard house with their heads almost buried in their hands, but their appearance did not escape the eyes of the crowd.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, whispers arose behind them, and their gazes were like needles pricking their backs, as if they had become some kind of monster.

"Oh my god! Look at those two faces—they're disgusting!"

Xu Damao's raspy voice never knew how to control itself, and he would start yelling as soon as he saw the two of them.

Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi were rushing into the house when these words came crashing down on them, making them so angry that their legs went weak and they almost tripped.

Jia Zhangshi suddenly turned her head and glared at him—now her face, with its ferocious expression, looked like a demon crawling out of hell, which made Xu Damao tremble all over.

Fortunately, Madam Jia was also embarrassed. She glared at him fiercely and rushed into the house with a loud crash.

He slammed the door shut.

The people in the courtyard looked at each other, and when they recalled that face from just now, they couldn't help but gasp.

Let alone Xu Damao, who among them wasn't terrified? Jia Zhangshi's dignified appearance was a nightmare that could wake children at night.

"I'm just baffled."

Liu Guangfu muttered in a low voice, "What on earth happened to those two last night? How could their faces be so ruined?"

Just thinking about it makes his stomach churn.

Normally, Xu Damao and his group wouldn't bother with Liu Guangfu at all—ever since his father Liu Haizhong's affair, who would want to have anything to do with the Liu family? But right now, everyone's mind was filled with Jia Zhangshi's face, and Yan Jiecheng couldn't help but chime in, "If someone saw her like that in the middle of the night, they'd be scared out of their wits!"

Despite saying that, he grinned widely, looking like he was enjoying watching the drama unfold.

"Look at that! Granny Jia's lips are swollen like two sausages hanging from them! If you ask me, she deserves it! She used to be so good at cursing in the streets, now she can't even speak properly—karma!"

Each of your words hits a nerve.

For many people in the courtyard, the Jia family's misfortune was more satisfying than the New Year.

Who would have thought that the Jia family had done so many hateful things in this courtyard in the past? If it weren't for that, even though there were many people in the courtyard with their own agendas, they wouldn't have ended up in this state where everyone criticizes them.

Yan Bugui strolled out, his eyes filled with disgust as he looked in the direction of the Jia family. "People should be more honest and upright, otherwise retribution will come sooner or later."

Look how arrogant the Jia family used to be, and what kind of state are they in now?

As he said this, he shook his head and sighed, his gaze shifting to his bangs, a meaningful look hidden in his eyes.

Liu Haizhong was well aware of Yan Bugui's intentions.

His face immediately turned pale and then red—if it weren't for Yan Bugui's rising popularity in the courtyard thanks to Hao Jianguo's influence, and Liu Haizhong being ostracized by everyone for offending Hao Jianguo, in the past, he would have found a way to get back at Yan Bugui for his open and veiled mockery.

Even if I'm furious inside, I can only grit my teeth and bear it.

"If you ask me, the Jia family is just reaping what they sowed."

If they still don't learn their lesson, it would be better to kick them out of the yard to avoid future trouble.

With a glint in his eye, Liu Haizhong raised his voice and said this.

He now understands that the only way to live peacefully in this courtyard is to please Hao Jianguo; otherwise, he will ultimately suffer the consequences.

The residents' discussions in the courtyard were not kept quiet, and naturally reached the ears of the Jia family.

The faces of Jia Zhangshi and the others immediately turned extremely ugly. Their already frightening faces became even more terrifying due to their ferocity, and even Jia Dongxu felt a chill run down his spine when he saw them.

"Mom, what exactly happened that night? How did things get like this?"

Jia Dongxu changed the subject, asking the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

Upon hearing the mention of that shape, Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu lost all color in their faces, and fear faintly surfaced in their eyes.

This reaction made Jia Dongxu even more curious.

After hesitating for a moment, Jia Zhangshi recounted the events of that night in detail.

"Poisonous insects? How could there be such a thing? If Hao Jianguo really had one in his house, something bad would have happened in the yard long ago."

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu was filled with astonishment and confusion.

Madam Jia Zhang was also unable to answer, and her face remained gloomy.

"Mom, is it... is it really just going to end like this? I... I don't want to die!"

Jia Dongxu didn't care about poisonous insects; all he wanted was to survive.

If you're about to lose your life, what's the point of caring if poisonous insects pounce on you?

"Don't worry, I'll definitely get those two brats of Hao Jianguo for you."

Madam Jia gritted her teeth and growled, her face contorted like a wild beast, "I'll rip out their hearts and livers for you to eat, and my son must live to be a hundred!"

She didn't care about the lives of others; all she wanted was for her son to live—that was her only hope.

She was determined to take revenge on Hao Jianguo, to make him taste the pain of losing a loved one, and to let him know how much she had suffered.

Now, Jia Zhangshi blames all her suffering on Hao Jianguo, as if she wouldn't have ended up in this situation without him.

Qin Huairu's gaze toward Jia Zhangshi was filled with a deep chill—she almost felt that the person in front of her had completely gone mad.

A pang of regret even crept into his heart: Had he known that Jia Zhangshi would be so twisted, he would never have stepped foot in the Jia family's house, even if he had ended up on the streets.

With his mother's permission, Jia Dongxu finally smiled and eagerly asked, "Mom, what's the next step?"

Madam Jia did not answer, but slowly turned her gaze to Qin Huairu beside her.

The moment that gaze fell upon her, Qin Huairu couldn't help but shiver.