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

These words were like turning on a floodgate, and Qin Huairu's sobs immediately surged forth.

"The child must have been possessed by some evil spirit, to be so frightened..."

Her voice was tinged with an unyielding bitterness.

This whole mess has ruined this year.

Now she doesn't even dare to leave the house, afraid of running into those pointing and whispering eyes. Even if others only talk about her behind her back, she feels like she's being pierced by a thousand arrows.

Seeing her like this, He Yushui became even more anxious: "How could such a lively child be so frightened out of the blue?"

She always felt that Banggeng was a lovable child—probably only the Jia and He siblings in the whole courtyard thought so.

"It's all because of that damned Hao Jianguo's sins!"

Madam Jia spat out a curse that rang out like thunder.

Qin Huairu frowned almost imperceptibly.

She knew perfectly well that the matter had nothing to do with Hao Jianguo. The scene was still vivid in her mind; that person had indeed not touched the stick at all.

But at this moment, she ultimately did not utter a word in rebuttal.

He Yushui's face darkened upon hearing this.

She hadn't expected Hao Jianguo to be so cruel to a child, and her already growing disgust intensified.

But they couldn't worry about that right now, and kept urging, "It's not a good idea to keep dragging this on, you have to get to the hospital to get checked out right away."

Early diagnosis brings peace of mind; what if it's delayed and develops into a serious illness?

She was urging them more urgently than anyone else in the Jia family; those who didn't know the situation might have thought it was her own child who had gotten into trouble.

"But... my family really can't afford it."

Qin Huairu shook her head dejectedly, "These days expenses are flowing out like water, and our savings are long gone."

He Yushui immediately straightened her back: "Then let's start a fundraising campaign! The neighbors all know your family is struggling. If you talk to them nicely, they'll understand."

She spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if she had completely forgotten the uproar caused when she organized donations for the Jia family last time.

Seeing the worry still lingering in Qin Huairu's eyes, He Yushui assumed she was still concerned about the matter of the stick, and quickly comforted her, "Sister Qin, don't worry, leave it to me. I'll find a way to raise some funds to help."

Before she finished speaking, she turned and left in a hurry.

As the curtain fell, Jia Zhangshi, who had been looking worried, and Qin Huairu exchanged a glance, and their faces instantly broke into smiles.

Madam Jia had a clear plan in mind: it would be good if someone was willing to donate money; as long as the money could be raised, the Jia family would be much better off financially.

He Yushui was indeed a "sincere person," knocking on the door of almost every household in the courtyard, earnestly pleading for help for the Jia family.

Upon hearing her purpose, an unconcealable sense of annoyance and helplessness appeared on the faces of every household.

Everyone knew perfectly well that He Yushui was probably quite muddle-headed, her brain was practically waterlogged.

Donate money to Korean hamsters? What a pipe dream!

"I don't have any spare money!"

"Get away from here quickly!"

"The Jia family insists that Banggeng is not sick, so why bother treating him if he's not sick?"

"You want us to pay for this? My own family is struggling to make ends meet, why don't you help me out first?"

Yan Jiecheng and the others were even more impolite, cursing and swearing as they kicked her out, as if they were driving away some bad luck.

But He Yushui was still not giving up, and kept praising the Jia family over and over again. The neighbors were tired of hearing the same old things.

"We live in the same courtyard, after all. We can't just stand by and watch someone in trouble, can we? Besides, what will people outside think of our courtyard if word gets out?"

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi also staggered into the courtyard, and together with He Yushui, she sat down on the ground and started wailing, slapping the ground and dragging out her complaints about how hard life was.

"Old Jia, open your eyes and look at what our family has become since you left... Now that we're in trouble, nobody in the neighborhood is willing to lend a hand!"

"My life... is as bitter as gall!"

During the Lunar New Year, the commotion caused by these two made everyone in the hospital feel suffocated, as if they had swallowed a fly, making them feel uncomfortable all over.

Of course, He Yushui's efforts were not entirely fruitless.

Sha Zhu, Yi Zhonghai, and even the old lady in the backyard all gave some money—they had no choice but to give it, as Jia Zhangshi's mournful commotion was really jarring, and who wouldn't feel unlucky to hear it during the New Year?

But in He Yushui's eyes, this amount of money was simply a drop in the ocean.

Seeing that the other residents remained unmoved, she suddenly turned around and headed towards Hao Jianguo's door.

Hao Jianguo had heard the commotion outside clearly, but he hadn't expected He Yushui to actually knock on his door.

He didn't intend to pay any attention, letting the door be knocked on loudly—if it got damaged, so be it, he'd just pay for it.

He Yushui pounded for a long time until her hands ached, but there was no response from inside.

She had no choice but to stop, but she still persisted through the door:

"Hao Jianguo, can't you have a little kindness? The Jia family is in such dire straits, they can't even have a peaceful New Year. What's wrong with lending a hand?"

She pulled out her own set of logic, which she thought was reasonable, and continued rambling on.

"Besides, the reason Bang Geng is in this state is because you scared him. You should take some responsibility and pay some compensation."

Inside the house, Hao Jianguo was almost laughing at this fool.

"Get lost."

He lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) and lazily replied, "The Jia family themselves said that Bang Geng is not sick."

How come they're putting on an act again so soon? Who are they putting on this for?

If someone is truly ill, as previously stated, they should be sent directly to a mental hospital.

These words drifted outside the door, and Jia Zhangshi's heart skipped a beat.

Sticks should never go to that kind of place.

But if she were to change her mind now and say that the child wasn't sick, wouldn't that be contradicting herself? She opened her mouth, but then choked on her words.

Jia Zhangshi immediately shut up and handed the situation over to He Yushui.

Just as He Yushui was about to speak, Hao Jianguo calmly interjected:

"If you ask me, the Jia family probably still has some hidden wealth."

These words immediately made He Yushui anxious.

"How is that possible? Hao Jianguo, don't you think about it? If the Jia family were really rich, would they be living like this? They can't even afford to treat Bang Geng's illness?"

"Hao Jianguo, I promise you—if the Jia family really has hidden money, I will never get married in my life!"

"I've already made such a vow, can't you at least help them?"

Madam Jia gave He Yushui a deep look, feeling a bit strange: This girl must be really confused, jumping around like this for the sake of the Jia family.

However, she was happy to see it happen and immediately joined in the crying, each cry more pitiful than the last.

Hao Jianguo was amused by He Yushui's oath.

Never get married? With that muddle-headed thinking, you'd only bring trouble to others if you got married, you might as well stay single.

(Announcement of consecutive updates for the day omitted)

"It's your business to make oaths, what does it have to do with me? Donations? Hmph, anyone willing to give money to the Jia family must be out of their mind."

Hao Jianguo's voice was loud and clear, and many neighbors had already gathered around—who would miss such a spectacle when He Yushui came to Hao Jianguo to ask for money? As for asking them to pay, no way.

Among the crowd were Mr. Yi and others who had previously donated money; these words were tantamount to slapping them in the face.

Several people immediately spoke up to rebuke him, but Hao Jianguo didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

He Yushui was at her wit's end and was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Just then, a scream came from behind—Qin Huairu pushed Jia Dongxu in his wheelchair and rushed to Jia Zhangshi in a panic.

"Mom, something's wrong! The bundle you kept... it's gone!"

Jia Dongxu's face turned pale, and his voice trembled.

"Burden? What burden?"

Jia Zhangshi didn't react for a moment.

She rarely touched the package containing the money and never even considered it.

Seeing his mother's bewildered expression, Jia Dongxu was sweating profusely, but dared not say it out loud in public—He Yushui was calling on everyone to donate money, and revealing his family's wealth at this time would be a slap in his own face, wouldn't it?

"It's that one you hid! That bundle!"

He stared wide-eyed, spitting out each word through gritted teeth.

Those around them were completely confused, but their curiosity was piqued.

Seeing the Jia family in such a state, Xu Damao felt a sense of satisfaction and deliberately stepped forward to strike up a conversation:

"Oh, what other treasures is the Jia family hiding?"

He added fuel to the fire with a grin, "Jia Dongxu, look how anxious you are, could it be that there's gold and silver jewelry inside?"

These words were meant as a casual jab, spoken without malice, but the listener was suddenly jolted—Jia Zhangshi suddenly let out a piercing scream:

"What?! Lost?! How is that possible?!"

The voice was sharp and panicked, like a hen being strangled.

Under the astonished gazes of everyone, she stopped complaining about being poor, scrambled to her feet, and nimbly rushed back into the house.

Everyone looked at each other, their doubts aroused to the extreme.

Xu Damao himself was stunned—could it be that he really was right?

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi was like a lost soul, frantically searching through the house.

She ripped open all the cabinet doors and drawers, scattering miscellaneous items all over the floor with a clatter, but she paid no heed, only bending over and groping around in every corner, muttering over and over, "It's gone... how could it be gone..."

Her distraught appearance made it seem as if something had captured her mind.

She practically turned the entire house upside down, leaving no stone unturned, even searching under the walls and bed, but the cloth bag she was looking for was still nowhere to be found.

As if all her last bit of strength had been drained away, Jia Zhangshi collapsed amidst the mess, her legs giving way. She pounded the ground and wailed, her cries so heart-wrenching they sounded like the sky was about to fall.

The people in the courtyard had already gathered outside the Jia family's gate, peeking inside with their heads sticking out, and were all bewildered by the scene.

"Aunt Zhang, what are you up to?"

Xu Damao squeezed to the front and craned his neck to ask.

"Shut your mouth! Nobody thinks you're mute!"

Sha Zhu glared at Xu Damao with a frightening look in his eyes, his fists clenched tightly.

Xu Damao shrank back, took a half step back sheepishly, and didn't say another word.

Yi Zhonghai frowned and glanced at him.

In his view, Xu Damao was deliberately causing trouble.

Normally, Yi Zhonghai would not want to get involved with the Jia family's affairs at all—the previous incident had not yet ended, and if he got involved now, who knows what kind of gossip would spread.

But now that Jia Zhangshi has gone mad like this, he, the eldest son of the household, can't just pretend not to see it.

"Say less, everyone."

Yi Zhonghai spoke in a deep voice, then turned to the figure on the ground, "Jia Zhangshi, what exactly happened? You should at least explain yourself clearly."

Madam Jia Zhang seemed not to hear at all, and continued to pound the ground and wail, her eyes unfocused.

To be honest, seeing her like this, Yi Zhonghai was a little uneasy, afraid that she would suddenly pounce on him like last time.

That incident did leave him somewhat traumatized.

Hao Jianguo stood on the edge of the crowd, hands in his pockets, slowly cracking sunflower seeds, looking like he was intently watching the show.

"It seems they've discovered the baggage is missing."

He knew perfectly well what Jia Dongxu had just meant by "burden".

What does that refer to?

However, he didn't say a word more, just watched quietly.

Even if the Jia family causes a huge uproar, it has nothing to do with him; it's all their own doing.

Hao Jianguo glanced to the side and his gaze fell on He Yushui, whose face was full of anxiety.

He was a little curious: what would this girl's expression be if she knew that the Jia family had lost a large sum of money? After all, not long ago, she had guaranteed the Jia family's marriage with her own.

Just then, Jia Zhangshi suddenly let out another sharp, long howl.

The sound was so piercing that it hurt people's eardrums, and several onlookers at the door were so frightened that they took several steps back.

"They said Bang Geng was possessed by an evil spirit before, and now Jia Zhangshi is the same way... Could it be that the Jia family has truly been tainted by something unclean?"

"It's hard to say. You heard her calling Lao Jia's name again. Could it be... that she called that other guy back?"

A low murmur arose from the crowd, the more they talked, the more they felt that the Jia family was strange, and some even quietly moved back, afraid of getting tainted by bad luck.

Even those who previously told everyone "there are no ghosts in the world"

Yan Bugui, at this moment, also showed a hint of fear on his face.

The Jia family is indeed strange.

"Jia Zhangshi, if you have something to say, just say it. What's the use of just crying!"

Liu Haizhong walked forward with his hands behind his back.

He didn't want to get involved, but seeing that Yi Zhonghai had already spoken up, he felt that if he, as the second uncle, didn't say anything, he would appear inferior—something he didn't want.

Jia Zhangshi had already lost her composure.

When Liu Haizhong asked her, she suddenly raised her tear-streaked face and screamed, "Which heartless thief stole my manhood! My baggage... my baggage is gone!"

The scream was so piercing it seemed to tear his throat apart.

Hidden inside that package was the money she had saved up for her retirement over the years.