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

Yu Li felt incredibly sweet inside, as if her partner was treating her so considerately.

The envious looks from those around her made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

"I know you're good to me, but we need to live a down-to-earth life from now on. There's no need to spend so much money. Buying one outfit is enough."

Yu Li blushed and said in a low voice.

Hao Jianguo shook his head earnestly and gently took her hand. "I'm willing to buy this for the woman I'll spend my life with; it's worth it."

These words warmed Yu Li's heart and moved her deeply.

Many people around him were envious, but also felt a little embarrassed—it was as if he had been stuffed with a mouthful of sugar, so sweet it was almost sickening.

I came here happily to pick out fabric to make clothes for the New Year, but my heart was hit by a series of blows.

Does this mean other people can't live their lives in peace? Especially the men who brought their partners, who looked particularly uncomfortable.

After all, there's a "role model" like Hao Jianguo.

Faced with this situation, their partners all urged them to learn more.

Why should men make things difficult for other men?

After a flurry of activity, the fabric for Yu Li's dress was finally chosen.

Yu Li then decided to leave, feeling quite uncomfortable being watched by so many people.

"Wait, don't rush off yet, we still need to pick some more."

Hao Jianguo spoke in a normal tone, but it made the hearts of those around him skip a beat.

Do you want to buy more?

Everyone stared at Hao Jianguo in disbelief. How much cloth coupons and savings must he have to be so generous? Even Yu Li was taken aback.

She already felt that what he had just bought for her was too extravagant, but she never expected that Hao Jianguo would not stop at all.

"this……"

Yu Li was about to dissuade him when Hao Jianguo bluntly continued, "My parents-in-law need some new clothes too, right? And my younger sister needs some new clothes too, otherwise my sister-in-law will be unhappy."

Yu Li was so anxious she almost jumped up, and quickly grabbed Hao Jianguo.

She knew in her heart that this would cost a lot of money.

Hao Jianguo doesn't earn money easily, and she truly feels sorry for him.

Those standing nearby, including the Third Aunt and Yan Jiedi, were already dumbfounded. "This is an enormous gesture... Is Hao Jianguo really that wealthy?"

The three women muttered to themselves.

She had never heard of anyone providing so much clothing material for their father-in-law's family before; this son-in-law was truly one in a hundred.

The three women glanced at their daughters subconsciously, wondering if their future sons-in-law would be even half as good as Hao Jianguo.

No, even if it were only one-tenth, she would probably burst out laughing.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh: if her daughter had been born a few years earlier, Hao Jianguo might have become her son-in-law.

"Ah, what a pity, the Yu family really had good luck."

Good things always belong to other people; the old lady felt bitter inside and could only look on with envy.

Hao Jianguo ignored Yu Li's hesitation and began selecting items. "Jianguo, are you really going to buy this? It'll cost quite a bit of money."

Yu Li continued to comfort her with heartache.

Hao Jianguo smiled and lightly brushed the tip of her nose: "Of course I'll buy it."

Now that we've become family, there's no reason to be reluctant to part ways.

Seeing how straightforward he was, even the shop assistants became extra enthusiastic—you only encounter a handful of customers like him all year round.

After picking and choosing for a while, Hao Jianguo and Yu Li left with the fabrics they had selected.

After that, they'll have to find a tailor to make their own clothes.

Although the person had left, the fabric shop remained lively, with everyone discussing it for a long time.

The neighbors' chatter hadn't subsided yet, as they were all still savoring Hao Jianguo's considerate manner towards Li.

"Look at that, now that's what it means to love your wife! That's the kind of man you should marry."

"I really envy her mother. If I had a son-in-law like that, I would treat him like a treasure every day. That would be a blessing I've accumulated over several lifetimes."

Amidst the cacophony of comments, the other men in the shop felt embarrassed—without comparison, one cannot discern superiority or inferiority.

After dropping Yu Li off at home, the two elderly people warmly welcomed Hao Jianguo inside. Their attentiveness made Yu Li pout slightly.

It was as if Hao Jianguo was the biological son, while she herself felt like an outsider.

Despite her thoughts, seeing how satisfied her parents were with him, Yu Li felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

After sitting down, Yu Li brought up the matter of buying fabric to make new clothes.

"Dad, Mom, Jianguo bought a lot of fabric today. Our whole family can get several new outfits this year."

Although she felt bad for him spending money, she couldn't hide her pride in her voice—look, this is the man she chose, how capable he is.

Upon hearing this, the two elders smiled even more broadly and hurriedly invited Hao Jianguo to stay for dinner.

"No, Auntie, it's getting late, I'll head back now."

From now on, we'll all be family; we'll have plenty of time to eat together.

"One family"

The three words brought smiles to the faces of the two elders, and Yu Li's mother was especially pleased, repeatedly urging him to come and visit often.

Just before leaving, Yu Li's mother suddenly said, "Jianguo, how about we pick a day during the first month of the lunar calendar to visit you?"

Hao Jianguo understood that this person wanted to see the environment where his daughter would live in the future, so he smiled and agreed: "Okay, you can decide the time."

He left as the two elders and the Yu sisters watched him go.

With the year-end approaching, and the upcoming wedding registration, plus the possibility of a promotion at the factory, the days suddenly felt much busier.

Hao Jianguo walked towards the courtyard house, lost in thought. The courtyard was bustling with activity.

As soon as Aunt San returned, she began to recount what she had seen and heard at the fabric shop. Several women gathered in the courtyard, basking in the sun and cracking sunflower seeds, listening intently.

Aunt Er and the others felt a surge of warmth in their hearts, and couldn't help but recall the old story of Qin Huairu and Hao Jianguo breaking off their engagement.

"Back then, Qin Huairu was too picky, a country girl who was so picky. Now look what's happened, she's thrown away the good fortune that was within her grasp."

"Who can argue with that? If she hadn't looked down on people for being poor, she wouldn't have ended up in this situation."

"Who would have thought that fortunes would turn so quickly? Hao Jianguo has turned his life around so beautifully... If I had known this would happen, I should have said a few more words for him back then, so as to make a good connection."

The group sighed, their faces showing regret.

Qin Huairu was washing clothes by the pond not far away, but ever since the Jia family's reputation plummeted, these old neighbors no longer cared about her, and gossip still drifted by.

Qin Huairu heard every single word clearly.

Every word felt like a needle piercing her heart. Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she rubbed the clothes. Despite her efforts to hold back, her eyes reddened and tears welled up.

Regret gnawed at her heart—she wished she could turn back time and slap her past self, who had been so greedy and vain.

Unfortunately, there's no going back in life.

An older woman noticed her expression and gently advised, "Alright, let's keep our voices down."

Aunt Er and Aunt San pretended not to hear and continued chatting enthusiastically.

Hearing those gossips, Qin Huairu felt as if her heart was being cut by a dull knife, and she felt waves of pain.

She bit her lip and buried her head in the basin to continue washing the clothes, her fingers turning white and wrinkled from being soaked, but she didn't even notice.

By the time the last piece of clothing was washed, it was already completely dark.

She dragged her stiff legs back into the house. The stove was deserted, the rice jar was empty, and she had to prepare dinner for the whole family again.

Qin Huairu sometimes felt that she was not like a daughter-in-law of this family, but more like a servant who had signed a contract to sell herself into servitude—her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, and her husband, Jia Dongxu, were both incredibly lazy, not even bothering to pick up a fallen oil bottle.

The meal was served in a thin, watery broth, without a trace of oil.

Qin Huairu stared at the thin porridge in the bowl, her stomach churning and her throat feeling choked with discomfort.

If it weren't for her children, she wouldn't be able to live like this for even a day.

But the house leaked every night rain.

These days, Jia Zhangshi has dark circles under her eyes, is absent-minded all day, and at night she either talks in her sleep or gets out of bed and wanders around aimlessly.

Several times, Qin Huairu woke up in the middle of the night to hear her mother-in-law calling "Old Jia, Old Jia" in a low voice, which made her hair stand on end and she suspected that something unclean had gotten into the house.

Jia Dongxu wasn't much better off.

Ever since he was pulled out of the cesspool last time, he's been like a lost soul, listless and lifeless all day long.

As for her son... Qin Huairu didn't want to think about it anymore, only feeling a tightness in her chest.

In the quiet of the night, she would occasionally have some inappropriate thoughts: if Jia Dongxu had really drowned in the latrine or died from a work injury, she could have lived a quiet and peaceful life as a widow, which might have been better than her family dragging on in this half-dead state.

But there are no "what ifs" in this world.

The night was as dark as ink.

A dark figure staggered into the courtyard, reeking of alcohol—it was Yi Zhonghai.

He had a bad day at the factory and was furious.

He used to be a respected level-eight master craftsman, and even the leaders treated him with great courtesy; now, however, that scandal has spread, his reputation is ruined, and even his bonuses and wages are in jeopardy.

He pleaded with his superiors several times, his words revealing his reluctance—it was no small sum, enough to make him feel the pinch for half a year.

Adding to the money he's spent on miscellaneous expenses lately, it feels like his heart is being torn apart.

Yi Zhonghai drank a few ounces of strong liquor, his head was spinning, and his legs felt unsteady.

As he passed by the Hao family's house, he suddenly stopped and stared intently at the dark window.

"It's all Hao Jianguo's fault," Yi Zhonghai spat angrily.

If it weren't for him, how could I have ended up in this state? He used to be the boss in the courtyard, but now even "Uncle Yi" has no say in it.

They couldn't even sit still in their seats.

The effects of the alcohol were rising in waves, and he really wanted to pick up a brick and smash that window.

But his remaining rationality held him back: if he really did it, he'd be in jail tomorrow.

Just as Yi Zhonghai was holding back his anger with nowhere to vent, he turned around and saw that the Jia family's underwear, which was hanging out to dry in the yard, had not been taken in—Qin Huairu must have been too busy to remember. As for Jia Zhangshi, expecting her to take action was harder than climbing to heaven.

Suddenly, a sinister thought popped into my head.

Yi Zhonghai grinned and glared fiercely at the Hao family's window.

"Aren't you living the high life? Isn't everyone praising you?"

He gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath, "I'll make sure you're utterly disgraced."

If anyone could see through Yi Zhonghai's thoughts at this moment, they would probably be speechless with astonishment.

This was completely unlike the way the old man they knew should behave.

Yi Zhonghai tiptoed to the clothesline, reached out to take Qin Huairu's garment, and planned to quietly slip it into Hao Jianguo's room.

He thought that Hao Jianguo must be fast asleep in the middle of the night, how could he have noticed? By tomorrow morning, he only needed to find a reason to make Qin Huairu realize that something was missing, and then he could guide her slightly. Once the investigation started, Hao Jianguo would have irrefutable evidence and no way to defend himself.

This situation is going to be quite lively.

In Yi Zhonghai's mind, although this trick was somewhat underhanded, it was worth it to make Hao Jianguo lose face.

He had just grasped the fabric in his hand and was about to move to Hao Jianguo's window when he suddenly caught a glimpse of something unusual out of the corner of his eye.

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously turned his head to look. He saw a dark human figure slowly emerging from the shadows beside the Jia family's door.

This sudden turn of events terrified Yi Zhonghai to the point of losing his mind.

Before he could even catch his breath, a faint, eerie voice, as if emerging from a crack in the ground, drifted over: "Old Jia... Old Jia... Is that you back? You've come to see me?"

Upon hearing the voice, Yi Zhonghai suddenly woke up and looked closely. It was none other than Jia Zhangshi! He had long heard that Jia Zhangshi had a habit of going out at night, but he never expected to run into her like this.

Yi Zhonghai let out a long sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he was lucky he was sleepwalking; otherwise, he really wouldn't know how to explain this situation to this woman.

Just as he was about to take the opportunity to slip away quietly, Jia Zhangshi suddenly let out a strange low cry, and her entire bloated body lunged forward, pressing down solidly on Yi Zhonghai.

Judging from her expression, she clearly regarded him as her deceased husband, Lao Jia.

Jia Zhangshi was a large woman, and her pounce was made with great force. Yi Zhonghai felt as if he had been hit by a heavy earthen wall. He staggered and was immediately pressed to the ground.

The moment he fell, a clear "crack" came from his waist.

A sharp crack followed by a sharp pain indicated a possible sprain.

He tried to struggle, but the pain in his waist made him unable to exert any strength, so he could only let the obese body press down on him.

Bearing the heavy weight of Jia Zhangshi on his body, Yi Zhonghai truly felt like dying for a moment.

Just then, another figure slipped into the courtyard through the screen wall at the entrance.

Xu Damao has returned.

As the year drew to a close, he wandered around drinking and thus returned home late.

But it was precisely because of this that he stumbled upon this year-end drama.

Upon seeing this scene, Xu Damao froze on the spot, and the remaining effects of the alcohol vanished in shock.