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

My mom said before that my recent energy level was probably just a temporary resurgence...

However, Liu Guangfu's eyes lit up, and he started to have other plans.

He had always disliked Qin Huairu, and now that he had this opportunity, if he could throw some dirty water on her, he might be able to win over Hao Jianguo.

With that thought in mind, he spoke in a sarcastic tone:

"Hey Qin Huairu, you're not involved in this whole thing, are you? Did you pull some strings behind the scenes to get rid of Jia Dongxu?"

Who among them couldn't tell that Liu Guangfu was deliberately picking a fight? Strangely, not a single person stood up to speak a word of justice for Qin Huairu.

Most people just crossed their arms, a smirk playing on their lips.

A few busybodies joined in, making tsk-tsk noises as if stirring up trouble.

Qin Huairu had expected that someone would take the opportunity to cause trouble, but when she actually heard these words come out of Liu Guangfu's mouth, her chest still churned.

She glared at Liu Guangfu fiercely, her voice suddenly rising:

"What nonsense are you spewing! Liu Guangfu, stop throwing all this filth and stench at me! Haven't you all seen how Jia Dongxu and Bang Geng have been guarding against me these past few days? How could I possibly get close to them? What tricks could they possibly pull?"

Liu Guangfu grinned and persisted, "Who knows? You might have another way."

Qin Huairu trembled with anger, pointing her finger at his nose: "Fine! If you insist on saying that, we'll call the police right now! Let the police investigate! If it really was me, I'll go to jail right now! But if it wasn't me—"

Her voice suddenly sharpened, "You, Liu Guangfu, have to compensate me for my reputation! Two hundred yuan, not a penny less!"

She straightened her back, widened her eyes, and looked so furious that she truly seemed to have suffered a great injustice.

Qin Huairu was already feeling extremely anxious, but no one around her could tell.

Her biggest worry was that things would escalate. If the police were to be called, Jia Dongxu's true nature would inevitably be exposed once they came to investigate.

The reason she dared to speak like that was because she had figured out what the people in the courtyard were thinking.

Two hundred yuan is not a small amount in this compound.

Who would take such a big risk to gamble for a complete stranger? Especially the Liu family, who lost a whole year's wages in a bet with Hao Jianguo a few days ago.

Nowadays, "betting"

To the Liu family, those two words sounded like a death knell.

Qin Huairu had calculated this point precisely, which is why she dared to speak first and shut everyone up.

Things turned out exactly as she had predicted.

Upon hearing this, Liu Guangfu and Liu Haizhong's faces turned ashen.

Why should I bet with you?

Liu Guangfu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Jia Dongxu's health wasn't good to begin with. It's obvious he died because he couldn't take it anymore. Why should I waste two hundred yuan on him?"

With his hands behind his back and a stern face, Liu Haizhong nodded slightly to Liu Guangfu.

Actually, he felt a pang of anxiety just now, fearing that his hot-headed son would be provoked into agreeing to the bet.

If that were to happen, we would suffer a huge loss.

He had already made up his mind that if his son really made a mistake, he would deny the debt no matter what.

In his view, Qin Huairu's actions were clearly "malicious".

— Jia Dongxu clearly died of natural causes, but she tried to use reverse psychology to lure Liu Guangfu into a trap so she could make a quick buck.

The Liu family has already had enough bad luck lately, and this woman still wants to squeeze money out of them. Liu Haizhong gets angrier and angrier as he thinks about it.

"Hmph, Qin Huairu, what do you mean by this?"

Liu Haizhong glared at her fiercely. "Jia Dongxu clearly died of natural causes. You still want to drag my son into a bet? What, do you think our Liu family is easy to fool, or are you just picking on the weak?"

Little did Liu Haizhong know that Qin Huairu and the others were overjoyed when he said those words.

This is tantamount to giving Jia Dongxu a complete stamp of approval. Logically, they shouldn't be thinking of calling the police anymore.

The safer they felt, the more convincing their acting became.

He Yushui stepped forward in a flash, rolled up her sleeves, and looked as if she was ready to fight to the death for Qin Huairu.

Liu Haizhong gasped in shock and instinctively backed away.

"He Yushui, what... what do you want to do? I'm warning you, this has nothing to do with you, don't meddle!"

His words sounded forceful, but there was a hint of unease in his tone.

We can't be afraid; if He Yushui really goes crazy, she's capable of anything.

Liu Haizhong certainly didn't want to have to be on guard against someone sneaking in with a kitchen knife while he was sleeping at night.

He hadn't had enough of being an official in his life, how could he bear to die so mysteriously?

As he spoke, he took a few steps back.

He Yushui saw this and scoffed disdainfully, her eyes looking at him as if he were a joke.

"Liu Haizhong, do you think I'm stupid? Sister Qin is my good friend. With Jia Dongxu gone, Sister Qin might become my sister-in-law in the future."

She's suffered so much injustice, and you're telling me to ignore it? Do you think that's possible?

Wronged?

Liu Haizhong rolled his eyes as he listened.

He simply couldn't understand where Qin Huairu's grievances came from.

Seeing that the situation was turning sour, Yan Bugui echoed Liu Haizhong's words and spoke up: "Yushui, you can't just say things like that. Who in our courtyard has wronged Qin Huairu?"

He spoke carefully, but his eyes kept glancing at He Yushui's face, afraid that the fire would burn him the next moment.

He Yushui chuckled and suddenly turned her fingertips toward Liu Guangfu.

With just a light touch, Liu Guangfu's back was soaked with cold sweat.

Her voice suddenly rose: "Who just said that Sister Qin was scheming against the He family? What a joke! Liu Haizhong, are you senile? The one who started this trouble was your good son—if he hadn't falsely accused Sister Qin of harming Jia Dongxu, would Sister Qin have needed to resort to such methods to prove her innocence?"

She spoke rapidly, like a machine gun, each word hitting everyone's eardrums: "Now look what's happened! You've twisted the truth in your mouths, and all the blame has fallen on Sister Qin? What a clever way to turn the tables!"

The group of people with bangs were choked by her words, their faces turning pale and then red.

Hao Jianguo silently gave a thumbs up – he had finally seen it all today. These people were clearly dishonest, yet they were better at playing the victim than the opera singers on stage.

Such shamelessness truly opened his eyes.

Seeing that Liu Haizhong had lost his temper, He Yushui became even more enthusiastic.

She rolled up her sleeves and said in a voice as sharp as tearing silk, "Liu Haizhong, although you are the second-in-command of the courtyard and everyone respects you, if you want to rule the place and cause trouble—"

She paused deliberately, her gaze sweeping across the entire courtyard. "I'm the first to object! How about we go to the neighborhood committee right now and ask Director Wang to be our judge?"

She stood tall, looking as if she were completely in the right.

Liu Haizhong's lips twitched—this girl was clearly turning the tables on him. If he really made a scene at the neighborhood committee, he wouldn't get away with it.

"Nonsense, utter nonsense!"

His tongue was almost stiff. "When did I stir up trouble?"

These words, when they reached He Yushui's ears, already revealed her fear.

A surge of joy welled up inside her, but her expression hardened further: "No? Fine, then apologize to Sister Qin right now! You've slandered her without cause; shouldn't you apologize?"

Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu were both taken aback upon hearing this, and exchanged a glance.

Although surprised, the two quickly understood He Yushui's intention—if they showed any guilt at this moment, it would only arouse suspicion.

Only by persevering to the end can there be a glimmer of hope.

Liu Haizhong and his son Liu Guangfu turned ashen-faced instantly, looking as if they had swallowed a rotten rat.

One was afraid of losing money in the bet, and the other was afraid of being held accountable by the neighborhood committee. After hesitating for a long time, he finally lowered his head to Qin Huairu in front of everyone and mumbled a few words of apology.

Liu Haizhong felt as if the eyes of the entire hospital were branded onto his face and back.

If it weren't for the fact that he was still known as Second Master, he would have wanted to disappear into the ground immediately.

Yi Zhonghai, standing in the crowd, watched coldly, a surge of pleasure welling up inside him.

He glared at Liu Haizhong, muttering to himself, "Karma! This is what happens to a fence-sitter who turns on both sides!"

Liu Haizhong coughed twice, eager to turn the page, and said loudly, "That's enough. Jia Dongxu was already frail and sick, and now that he's gone, his days are numbered."

Since the person is gone, why dwell on it any longer? Send them for cremation as soon as possible, or find a place to bury them and let them rest in peace.

This statement effectively defined the nature of the matter.

Yan Bugui quickly nodded in agreement, saying repeatedly, "That makes sense."

Although He Yushui was present, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui had some things they couldn't say explicitly, but their eyes conveyed everything.

Now they felt a deep fear of Qin Huairu – in their eyes, even if Jia Dongxu's health had truly collapsed and he was dead, it was inevitably related to Qin Huairu.

It must be that Qin Huairu was cursed by fate, and she killed Jia Dongxu.

Thinking of this, Yan Bugui and the others felt a chill run down their spines.

Isn't that right? Qin Huairu had only remarried Jia Dongxu not long ago, and Jia Zhangshi was already "cursed" by her.

Once in jail, Jia Dongxu fared even worse; he lost his life.

Nowadays, almost no one in this compound dares to get too close to Qin Huairu anymore, as everyone is afraid of getting involved with this jinx and bringing trouble upon themselves.

Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady in the crowd were also filled with worry.

Regardless, Sha Zhu is still entangled with Qin Huairu, and they even heard a few days ago that Sha Zhu actually had the idea of ​​marrying her.

This made the two of them very uneasy, always fearing that one day Sha Zhu would also be killed by this woman.

If Sha Zhu were truly gone, for Yi Zhonghai, it would merely mean years of hard work going to waste, and his hopes of being cared for in his old age dashed; but what he feared even more was that kind of "jinx."

The bad luck will spread to me through my relationship with Sha Zhu.

"What a sin from a past life... That stupid kid, Zhu, still can't see it? Qin Huairu, who's always clinging to him, is the root of all evil!"

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words in a low voice.

If Yi Zhonghai hadn't been afraid that forcibly dragging Sha Zhu away now would force him to turn against him, he would have already pulled him away.

The deaf old lady standing to the side also shook her head silently, feeling utterly exhausted.

She had always doted on Sha Zhu like her own grandson, and now seeing him so entangled with Qin Huairu, how could she not worry? What if the curse of the jinx really came true? Would she, an old woman, have to bury her son?

"Alas, there's no use saying anything now... let's leave it to fate."

The deaf old lady sighed and replied in a low voice.

In fact, it wasn't just Yi Zhonghai and his group; even Xu Damao and a few others were pointing and whispering about Qin Huairu from a short distance away.

However, because He Yushui was present, those "evil stars"...

"Killing husband"

They didn't dare say those hurtful things aloud—everyone was afraid that He Yushui would go crazy and come after them.

Qin Huairu and her companions completely ignored the gazes and actions of the people around them.

Even if she could guess what others thought of her, Qin Huairu didn't care at all.

With Yu Shui on her side, Sha Zhu was already firmly tied to her, how could he possibly escape?

Hearing what the two old men had just said, Qin Huairu finally felt relieved.

Since they've already made that assessment, I should be considered safe.

Of course, for Qin Huairu, sending Jia Dongxu to be cremated was the best option—burning him would leave no trace; if he were buried, someone might reopen the case and investigate again in the future, which would eventually leave evidence.

"I think cremation is the best option."

Qin Huairu raised her eyes and said crisply and decisively.

Back then, cremation was not as common as it would later become, much less widely accepted.

In many people's minds, burial is the proper way to ensure peace; to be burned after death is a torment to the deceased, and even the soul cannot find peace.

Although Liu Haizhong and the others said that, they originally intended to bury Jia Dongxu.

To everyone's surprise, Qin Huairu would actually suggest cremation, leaving everyone stunned.

Liu Hai couldn't help but curse inwardly: This woman is truly vicious to the extreme.

Everyone knew Qin Huairu's resentment towards Jia Dongxu, but as the saying goes, the dead are gone.

Now that Jia Dongxu is gone, Qin Huairu still wants to go through all this trouble with his funeral arrangements. How deep must her hatred be to go to such lengths?

That being said, this is ultimately a private matter for the Jia family.

Liu Haizhong and the others were, after all, outsiders, so it was not appropriate for them to say anything.

On second thought, they felt relieved – if they were to be buried, the neighbors living in the same courtyard would inevitably have to lend a hand, and since Qin Huairu was the only woman left in the Jia family, they would have to rely on everyone for many things.

Now that cremation has been changed, it saves everyone a lot of trouble.

"Since you insist on cremation, then so be it."