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

"If you ask me, he must have suffered quite a bit; something's wrong here."

Despite this, Yan Bugui's tone revealed no pity whatsoever, but rather a hint of schadenfreude, clearly making fun of He Yushui's plight.

"ah--!"

A piercing scream suddenly rang out, startling everyone in the courtyard.

All eyes turned to the sound, and there was He Yushui curled up with her hands covering her head; the shout just now had come from her mouth.

Xu Damao stood in front of her, looking completely bewildered, as if he had just said something that had driven He Yushui into a frenzy.

"Xu Damao, are you looking for death? What did you do to my sister?"

Sha Zhu rushed out of the house upon hearing the noise, still clutching a kitchen knife in his hand—he had been busy by the stove just moments before.

Although Sha Zhu had been listless these days, his glaring and raised eyebrows were still intimidating.

Xu Damao felt uneasy under his gaze, fearing that the cleaver might strike without warning.

Xu Damao himself was also full of frustration, and he was completely confused by He Yushui's sudden outburst.

"What did I do? I didn't do anything!"

He scratched the back of his head, his voice filled with grievance, "I just asked her what happened to her."

"Isn't this a kind gesture? If someone really commits a crime, we'll report it to the police and bring the bad guys to justice."

But I only asked one question, and your sister is already like this.

"He Yushui, have you really gone mad?"

Xu Damao lowered his voice for the last sentence, almost holding it in his mouth.

But Sha Zhu still glared at him fiercely—everyone in the courtyard knew what kind of person Xu Damao was.

In everyone's eyes, Xu Damao would never genuinely care about He Yushui's plight.

He went up to ask questions, simply wanting to see what was going on and find something to laugh about.

Everyone knows this but no one says it out loud.

Just as Sha Zhu was about to speak again, He Yushui suddenly screamed.

"They...they're not human...they're beasts! They dragged me into the cowshed, and then...and then..."

At this point, it was as if an invisible hand had gripped her throat; her whole body trembled violently, and the words broke apart in her sobs, unable to be pieced together again.

But everyone present understood.

Even though He Yushui couldn't finish speaking, those broken syllables were enough to imprint four words in everyone's mind:

Robbery and humiliation.

There had been much discussion in the courtyard about He Yushui's disappearance, with some even speculating that she had been sold as a child bride.

Now that she has come to light, many people feel that her experience was far more tragic than that of a child bride.

However, at this moment, not a single person in the courtyard could be found who truly pitied her.

Low snickers and whispers could be heard from the corner from time to time, and those gazes were like needles piercing He Yushui's back.

In the eyes of many, the suffering she is enduring today is entirely the result of her own actions.

He Daqing's face was so gloomy it looked like it could be wrung out of water.

He glared at Xu Damao fiercely, cursing him a thousand times in his heart.

The rumors were originally circulating only in a small circle, and no one could say for sure what He Yushui had gone through; but after Xu Damao asked in such a seemingly concerned way, He Yushui herself told him all about her unbearable ordeal.

How can an unmarried girl hold her head high and find a good husband after such a thing happens?

Sha Zhu instantly understood this as well, and his anger surged to the top of his head.

He gripped the kitchen knife tightly, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to pounce on Xu Damao.

Xu Damao was so frightened by his murderous look that he took several steps back, his voice trembling as he shouted, "Shazhu, are you crazy! If you dare to lay a hand on me, you'll be spending your days in jail with Jia Zhangshi!"

He Daqing eventually reached out and stopped his son.

His daughter was already ruined; he couldn't bear to see his son get into trouble too.

Besides, Sha Zhu has been very weak these days and can barely walk steadily. If it really comes down to a fight, he probably wouldn't be a match for Xu Damao.

Hao Jianguo stood to the side with his arms crossed, a cold sneer on his lips.

He felt that He Yushui had only herself to blame—since she had the evil intention of abducting children, she was now suffering the consequences, so who could she blame?

He sighed deeply and decided to take his daughter back inside first.

Staying in the courtyard will only make them a laughing stock.

But He Yushui was already out of her mind. As soon as he approached, she screamed and struggled like a madwoman. Her frenzied appearance made the onlookers shake their heads.

"It's over. He Yushui's life is completely over."

Liu Guangfu, with his hands behind his back, drawled out his words.

There was not a trace of regret in his words; instead, there was a hint of schadenfreude.

He couldn't wait for this show to escalate further, so he could have a good time watching it.

Qin Huairu watched from afar, her brows furrowed.

In the past, He Yushui was her strategist, helping her to navigate and plan around Sha Zhu; without this "strategist," her relationship with Sha Zhu probably wouldn't have reached this point.

Now that He Yushui has gone mad, it's like losing an arm for her.

Thinking of this, Qin Huairu felt a pang of bittersweet confusion.

Although Qin Huairu looked worried at this moment, it was not because she was concerned about Yu Shui's situation, but because she was worried about her own predicament, which is why she showed such an expression.

It is clear that deep down, she never truly regarded He Yushui as a friend worth caring about.

"What should we do next?"

Qin Huairu sighed silently in her heart, her gaze unconsciously turning towards Sha Zhu.

At this moment, Sha Zhu was completely out of sorts. In Qin Huairu's opinion, he was no longer reliable—at least it was impossible to rely on him to deal with Jia Dongxu.

Now, Jia Dongxu's spirits are much stronger than Sha Zhu's. Qin Huairu is even worried that if Sha Zhu, who is in such a daze, were to take action, he might be suppressed by Jia Dongxu instead.

Jia Dongxu has been increasingly energetic lately. If it weren't for his paralysis and loss of masculinity, Qin Huairu would almost have considered settling down with him again.

But precisely because Jia Dongxu was no ordinary man, his methods of torturing people became increasingly ruthless and insane.

Every night, Qin Huairu was exhausted by him. She wanted to resist, but she was annoyed to find that as soon as she showed the slightest unwillingness, Jia Dongxu would threaten her life.

Just thinking about Jia Dongxu's current behavior fills Qin Huairu with intense disgust and revulsion.

Ever since Hao Jianguo got involved, Jia Dongxu has frequently threatened to kill himself, clearly knowing that she wouldn't dare to act rashly in this matter, which is why he is so unscrupulous.

In fact, for Qin Huairu now, it's not impossible for her to start a new life with Jia Dongxu—even if he's a cripple, at least their life won't be too difficult.

But Jia Dongxu's heart was already twisted; he wouldn't be happy if he didn't torment her for a day. Moreover, even if she wanted to live a peaceful life, Jia Dongxu and his son Banggeng would never let her have her way.

Especially Bang Geng, who now looks at her with disdain and resentment. Qin Huairu felt that if she were to voice her current plans, she would only invite Jia Dongxu's ridicule, or even be humiliated by him to his face.

Of course, these thoughts must never be known to Sha Zhu, otherwise he might be so angry that he would vomit blood.

In Qin Huairu's mind, Sha Zhu is not even worth considering as a backup option now.

She felt only bitterness in her mouth, as if fate was always playing a cruel joke on her.

Every time she made a choice, fate would immediately push her in the opposite direction.

As she was pondering this, Qin Huairu suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She turned around abruptly and met He Daqing's eyes, which were burning with anger.

Qin Huairu was immediately embarrassed. Everyone knew what He Daqing was thinking at that moment—he probably hated her to the core.

Indeed, this is the case. He Daqing now regards Qin Huairu as a jinx and a harbinger of disaster. He believes that if it weren't for this woman, his daughter would not have been implicated in such a situation.

Qin Huairu couldn't help but shudder, fearing that He Daqing would immediately beat her up.

Fortunately, He Daqing eventually turned around and went back into the house, but even though it was just a brief encounter, Qin Huairu already felt immense pressure.

"Qin Huairu, how are you feeling now, caught in the middle? Do you even know what it means to be trapped in your own web?"

A chilling laugh suddenly rang out.

Qin Huairu frowned and looked over, only to see Jia Dongxu slowly pushing his wheelchair out of the door, a mocking expression on his face, looking at her as if he were observing a farce.

"Why are you so quiet now? Weren't you quite the troublemaker before? Now you're all wilted?"

Seeing Qin Huairu remain silent, Jia Dongxu laughed even more heartily, his words full of sarcasm.

Qin Huairu's face was already quite gloomy, and upon hearing Jia Dongxu's words, her entire face instantly turned purple.

She glared at him fiercely, her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Deep down, she knew better than anyone else that she was truly helpless against Jia Dongxu at the moment.

True despair comes at night.

Perhaps convinced that Sha Zhu and his gang no longer posed a threat, Jia Dongxu became increasingly ruthless.

In the days that followed, Qin Huairu lived in agony almost every day, as if she would be tortured to death at any moment.

Occasionally, she would ask her son for help, hoping he would speak up for her, but instead of helping, he would sneer and laugh, treating her as a huge joke.

Qin Huairu thought of confiding in Sha Zhu, but given Sha Zhu's current state, even if she wanted to help, she was powerless to do so.

Even without Sha Zhu, there was at least He Yushui to rely on before, but now He Yushui has also become mentally unstable.

If she wanted to regain her footing in this courtyard and suppress Jia Dongxu's arrogance, her only hope lay with these two.

So, we have to get them better no matter what.

"It seems... we have no choice but to ask Uncle Yi for help."

This thought swirled in Qin Huairu's mind.

She knew perfectly well that Yi Zhonghai had been avoiding her all this time—her "nemesis."

His reputation was too great, and Yi Zhonghai was deeply involved with Sha Zhu, so he was naturally afraid of being implicated.

"Uncle Yi, you're the only one who can help us now. Sha Zhu's health is getting worse every day."

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was about to turn and walk away again, Qin Huairu hurriedly stopped him.

"If you don't take action soon, Sha Zhu might collapse like last time."

And there's rain too, we can't go crazy forever, can we?

She pleaded pitifully, her gaze towards Yi Zhonghai filled with sorrow.

However, Yi Zhonghai's face was covered with an icy indifference, and he even subconsciously took two steps back, deliberately creating distance.

Qin Huairu felt immediately embarrassed—how could she not understand? Yi Zhonghai was also afraid of her "nemesis."

The rumors.

In the past, she would have been sensible enough to leave, lest she humiliate herself.

But the situation is different now.

Without the support of Sha Zhu and He Yushui, she would probably really die at Jia Dongxu's hands.

These methods have become increasingly ruthless, and Qin Huairu doesn't know how much longer she can hold out.

"Uncle Yi, I've heard all the rumors circulating in the courtyard."

The whole "nemesis" thing is ridiculous.

Think about it, wasn't it Wang the Taoist priest who was sent to the cowshed for promoting feudal superstition? You can't believe in this kind of superstition!

Qin Huairu defended herself once again.

She knew in her heart that without a decent explanation, saying anything more would be futile.

"I know what you want to say—the rain is my fault, and the fact that Shazhu has become like this is also my fault."

But these things have nothing to do with me!

Then, she told Yi Zhonghai the whole story of how He Yushui had initially suggested trafficking Bang Geng.

From beginning to end, it was all He Yushui's idea; she herself merely nodded in agreement.

Now, when the matter is brought up again, Qin Huairu stands ramrod straight, her words brimming with confidence.

To highlight He Yushui's faults, she added some embellishment and color to her words.

He Daqing was standing to the side.

Hearing others criticize his daughter like this, his face turned ashen, and he was so gloomy he could wring water out of his skin.

But he couldn't bring himself to argue—he had already learned the whole story from Sha Zhu and understood that He Yushui had indeed brought this trouble upon herself.

If she hadn't had that wicked thought that day, wanting to take advantage of the gangster, how could she have been targeted by human traffickers and ended up like this?

The more he thought about it, the darker his face became.

After Qin Huairu finished her embellished remarks, even Yi Zhonghai showed an expression of disbelief.

If Qin Huairu had come alone today, Yi Zhonghai would not have believed her based on her empty words alone.

He knew this woman's temperament all too well; she was bound to say seven or eight falsehoods out of ten sentences.

But He Daqing's reaction was undeniable—Yi Zhonghai knew him well; if Qin Huairu's story was pure fabrication, He Daqing would have already slammed his fist on the table and started cursing.

However, at this moment, He Daqing not only did not lash out, but a trace of embarrassment flashed across his face.

Based on this alone, Yi Zhonghai had a hunch: He Yushui was probably just going astray in this matter.

Qin Huairu was an extremely astute person. Seeing that the two men's expressions relaxed, especially since He Daqing had unintentionally spoken up for her, she knew that Yi Zhonghai had already believed seven or eight parts of the story.