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

Especially Sha Zhu, after being slapped, his anger was soaring – he had only shown mercy to Qin Huairu because of her, but she dared to slap him in the face.

Sha Zhu couldn't swallow this insult.

"Stop right there!"

Seeing that Sha Zhu and the others were about to rush over, Jia Zhangshi immediately roared fiercely, looking as crazy as a mad beast.

"If anyone dares to take another step forward, I...I'll die right here!"

She was clearly prepared; before she finished speaking, she drew a weapon and held it directly to her neck.

Jia Zhangshi is now indeed half-mad.

The son is ruined, the daughter-in-law is in disarray, the grandson is on the verge of becoming mentally disabled, and the father has no money left for his retirement.

Having already lost everything, she decided to throw everything away.

Even if it costs me my life, I'll take someone down with me!

Seeing her like this, Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu were so shocked that they stopped in their tracks.

They knew in their hearts that this crazy woman couldn't take any more. If she were to die here, who would bear the responsibility?

The surrounding crowd of onlookers was also in an uproar.

Everyone hurriedly retreated, afraid of being touched by the madwoman with the knife.

A madman is scary enough, let alone a madman wielding a sharp knife.

"Mrs. Jia, let's talk this out, why come to this?"

Yi Zhonghai steadied himself and took a deep breath before he could barely manage to offer his advice.

Sha Zhu was also terrified.

Despite his usual carefree and unruly demeanor, he still becomes incredibly cowardly in this kind of situation.

"Grandma Zhang, you...you mustn't act impulsively. Think about your son and grandson; they still depend on you for care. If you do this..."

Sha Zhu meant well, trying to persuade Jia Zhangshi to stay by using these entanglements.

Little did he know that these words struck a nerve with Jia Zhangshi.

Before he could finish speaking, Jia Zhangshi suddenly let out a shrill scream, which startled Sha Zhu so much that he immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word.

The deaf old woman was completely dumbfounded at this moment.

She was so terrified by Jia Zhangshi's crazy appearance that she even temporarily forgot the nauseating taste in her mouth.

She stared wide-eyed at the seemingly insane Jia Zhangshi before her, unable to understand why the person she used to have such a firm grip on was now risking her life.

Is it all because of a meal I didn't treat you to?

If that's really the case, then it's truly a cruel twist of fate.

"Jia...Jia Zhangshi, what exactly do you want?"

As soon as the deaf old woman opened her mouth, the foul smell surged up again, choking her so much that she almost vomited again.

This time, Jia Zhangshi was completely desperate, and all the pent-up frustration she had been holding in for years poured out on the deaf old lady.

"What do I want to do? Old lady, put your hand on your heart and count how you've treated the people in the compound all these years!"

"This courtyard has almost become your personal domain. You are arrogant and domineering, and anyone who doesn't do as you please will be punished."

You still think you're the center of attention, like some kind of local tyrant in this courtyard? Let me tell you, this is a new society, and the people are the masters of their own destiny!

"Besides, after Old Jia left, you went to great lengths to trample on our Jia family, throwing all sorts of dirty water on us. You took advantage of your age to act like a big shot. Which of the things you did was worthy of your conscience?"

Madam Jia went berserk, shouting loudly. The grudges of decades past burst forth like water from a burst dam, impossible to contain.

Hearing this from the side, Yu Li couldn't help but clap her hands in delight, her face beaming with satisfaction.

"That was a satisfying scolding! This old woman deserved to be taught a lesson like that a long time ago."

"Jianguo, now I finally understand what you meant by 'evil people will be punished by other evil people'."

Although Jia Zhangshi was no pushover, she was perfect for dealing with the deaf old woman.

Yu Li smiled broadly, her eyes relaxed, and looking at the deaf old woman's current appearance, her pent-up frustration vanished, and her previous annoyance disappeared.

Even someone like Yu Li, who had only recently moved to the courtyard house, felt this way, not to mention the long-time neighbors who had lived there for many years.

Over the years, it would be impossible to say that I had no complaints about the deaf old woman.

The old lady's domineering and autocratic style in the courtyard had long aroused the secret dissatisfaction of many people.

But what can you do? Who told them to be capable and have status?

These few shouts from Jia Zhangshi have allowed many people to voice what they've been holding in their hearts.

……

The deaf old woman's lips twitched slightly, and waves of anger surged within her.

At her age, this was the first time she had ever been publicly berated like this.

The frustrating thing was that she didn't dare to talk back at that moment.

Firstly, what Jia Zhangshi said was mostly true; secondly, she was genuinely afraid that if she spoke up, the other party might do something even more extreme.

For a moment, the old lady could only suppress her anger with a livid face.

Seeing the deaf old woman's submissive appearance, Jia Zhangshi burst into laughter, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction.

This is the first time she has come out on top in all these years of battling this old lady.

"Jia Zhangshi...you've thrown excrement at you, you've cursed you, haven't you had enough?"

The deaf old woman stared at the other person's almost ferocious smiling face, her jaw clenching with anger.

Today's events almost drove her to the brink of collapse, and for the first time, she even considered tearing off all pretenses—she hadn't been this angry even when facing Hao Jianguo before.

What angered her even more was that Jia Zhangshi showed no sign of giving up.

"not enough!"

Jia Zhangshi gritted her teeth and glared at her, the knife still pressed tightly against her neck.

"You all forced me into this situation today! Hmph, if you really push me to the brink, none of you will escape responsibility!"

Her frenzied appearance sent chills down the spines of the surrounding neighbors.

Everyone secretly thought that they should stay away from the Jia family from now on no matter what—this family is too scary, and who can guarantee that Jia Zhangshi will not do this again next time?

The deaf old woman was driven almost mad by the ordeal, and when she looked at Jia Zhangshi again, she found the old woman repulsive.

"Then what else do you want?"

Madam Jia gave a cold laugh. "Pay up!"

She was completely obsessed with money—in her view, only real gold and silver could quell her anger.

Seeing her greedy face and her constant talk about money, the deaf old woman and the others were so angry they almost fainted.

In their eyes, Jia Zhangshi's actions were nothing short of extortion, a despicable attempt to blackmail them for their hard-earned money.

"...How much do you want?"

The deaf old woman suppressed her anger and asked, feeling that if she continued to hold back, she would explode at any moment.

"I haven't forgotten the score you and Yi Zhonghai held for conspiring to ostracize me."

Not to mention the money that went missing from my package, a whole thousand yuan, plus the compensation for emotional distress over the years, you owe me fifteen hundred yuan.

One thousand and five?

When the number was announced, Yi Zhonghai and his entourage were almost speechless with astonishment.

With his high monthly salary of nearly 100 yuan, even if he didn't eat or drink for a whole year, he couldn't save that amount.

Jia Zhangshi was asking for an outrageous price, which made them even more convinced that the old woman had probably gone completely mad.

This astronomical figure became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The deaf old woman, who had been silent all along, finally erupted, shouting angrily, "Jia Zhangshi, are you trying to cause trouble for me? Want to die? Then go ahead, no one's stopping you! 1500? Why don't you just rob someone? Is your life even worth that much?"

The old lady was not one to swallow her anger, and now she was pointing her finger at the other person's nose and cursing him, showing no regard for any sentimentality.

Since she wasn't afraid of death, she was going all out—what was there to be afraid of when she was already halfway to the grave?

Enraged by this outburst, Jia Zhangshi jumped up and down: "Fine, you're not afraid of death, are you? But let me tell you, if you don't pay up today, I'll sue you! Don't think you're clean; I know all about those things! I'll sue you all the way up the chain of command. Even if you don't care about your life, you still have some shame, right? After you close your eyes, see how your descendants will talk behind your back! What 'three generations of loyal martyrs,' I spit on you!"

She became increasingly agitated, her voice shrill: "Our Jia family has already given up entirely; dragging you down with us is worth it!"

Hao Jianguo, who was hiding in the shadows, was secretly astonished when he saw this scene.

When Jia Zhangshi throws a tantrum, her fighting power is truly astonishing.

He quietly gave a thumbs-up, cheering in his heart.

As the saying goes, those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose.

Although the deaf old woman was strong and even fearless of death, she had to consider the "three generations of loyal martyrs".

Its reputation.

Unsure what leverage Jia Zhangshi held, she ultimately dared not take the gamble.

After a long standoff, she finally gave in: "I can give you the money, but not 1,500."

"Six hundred at most. Take it or leave it, or we'll fight to the death."

Six hundred is far from one thousand five, but Jia Zhangshi knew when to stop while she was ahead.

If we push too hard, we risk losing both our people and our money.

She grabbed the money and left, completely satisfied.

The deaf old woman was left standing there, feeling utterly depressed.

The yard was a mess, so we couldn't eat. All the good mood we had been in vanished.

He wanted to dispel bad luck, but instead, all the bad luck was poured on him.

She swayed and seemed listless; if Yi Zhonghai hadn't caught her in time, she would have almost collapsed to the ground.

The old lady turned around shakily to leave; she couldn't stay there a moment longer.

Thinking back to how she was so full of vigor not long ago, and how she had ended up in such a miserable state—it just so happened that she had mocked Hao Jianguo earlier: the higher you climb, the harder you fall.

Just as I was about to leave, Hao Jianguo's door creaked open.

It opened with a sound.

Hao Jianguo and Yu Li walked out side by side, with playful smiles on their faces.

"Oh, the old lady is leaving already? She hasn't finished her meal yet."

"Weren't we supposed to have a welcome dinner for Lao Yi and the others to wash away their bad luck?"

Hao Jianguo spoke in a light tone, his gaze sweeping over her stained clothes, "But then again, the smell you have is indeed quite 'good for warding off bad luck'."

These words were like a needle, pricking the deaf old woman so deeply that she felt ashamed and wished she could disappear into the ground on the spot.

She glared at Hao Jianguo and refused to say another word.

With the deaf old lady gone, the mess she left behind fell entirely on the shoulders of Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu.

The two of them spent ages preparing several tables of food, but after only a few bites, the meal turned into this mess. In the end, they were left with the chore of cleaning up the mess, making it all for nothing.

At first, Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai wanted to ask their neighbors for help, but those who had joined in the fun during the meal quickly disappeared, leaving the two of them staring blankly at the mess of cups and plates.

There was no other way; I had to swallow this hard work myself.

Time flies by, the end of the year is approaching, and it will soon be time to go back to work.

The courtyard gradually became busier. The previous commotion seemed to be diluted by the daily trivialities. Everyone was focused on their own livelihood, and the desire to gossip faded away.

From that day on, the deaf old lady seemed like a different person, staying indoors all day and never going out.

That incident was like a thorn stuck in her heart. Whenever she saw anyone in the yard, the filthy scene of being splashed with excrement would flash before her eyes, and she would wilted.

However, Jia Zhangshi continued to live her carefree life.

Especially after receiving that six hundred yuan, she was all smiles, as if her life couldn't be more perfect.

But seeing how she often seemed to be enjoying herself, those around her became even more certain of one thing: this Jia Zhangshi was probably really crazy.

Yu Li was later sent home by Hao Jianguo.

Although she wanted to spend more time with Hao Jianguo, she knew in her heart that she was not yet married into the family. It was fine to stay for a day or two occasionally, but if she stayed for a long time, it would inevitably cause gossip.

To Hao Jianguo's surprise, the baby frog reappeared after he saw Yu Li off.

The long-lost sound and familiar figure made Hao Jianguo feel a little dazed for a moment.

Long time no see, here's the frog's "tribute" this time.

Quite a lot: five bicycles, four watches, and a stack of sewing machine tickets, radio tickets, and the like.

Rice, flour, cooking oil, and cloth filled the storage space—it was quite a haul.

To his even greater surprise, the frog also brought a special skill: top-notch repair skills.

From then on, no matter what machine malfunctioned, he could fix it himself.

The last small bag contained a variety of talismans, with all sorts of names: [Bad Luck Talisman], [Mute Talisman], [Dancing Talisman], [Truth Talisman], [Female Ghost Talisman]... all sorts of strange and unusual ones.

"I need to find an opportunity to try."

Hao Jianguo pondered, "If those guys in the courtyard keep causing trouble, it'll be a good opportunity to test the talisman on them."

He even imagined what would happen if he put a "dancing talisman" on a deaf old lady—but as soon as the image popped into his head, he quickly shook his head to stop; it was just too jarring.

……

Inside the deaf old lady's room, Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu stood guard by her bedside.

The old lady groaned and complained that she felt unwell all over, but when asked what was wrong, she couldn't explain it.

Yi Zhonghai knew in his heart that this was not a physical illness, but a feeling of unease in his heart—he was being irritated by Jia Zhangshi and suppressed by Hao Jianguo, and he couldn't feel any relief.

"Oh, right."