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

Given Jia Zhangshi's obese figure and her reckless madness, in the past, Xu Damao and the others might have actually been intimidated by her.

But right now they were focused on making a good impression on Hao Jianguo, so they didn't care about the old woman's bluster.

Just as Jia Zhangshi rushed forward with her broom, before she could even swing it, Liu Guangfu had already stepped forward and kicked her.

Jia Zhangshi cried out, "Ouch!"

With a cry of pain, he fell heavily to the ground.

"Jia Zhangshi, I advise you to be sensible."

Xu Damao sneered, "I didn't bother with you before because I couldn't be bothered. Did you really think everyone was afraid of your tantrums? You've taken advantage of my kindness!"

He spat on the ground, then pointed at Jia Dongxu, who was curled up on the ground, and cursed, "And you, you good-for-nothing son, your mouth is as foul as a stray dog's. Beating him is too lenient!"

Xu Damao's mouth was always vicious, and he would say all sorts of nasty things, which made the Jia family mother and son's eyes turn red, and they almost spit fire.

Seeing that Jia Dongxu still dared to glare at him, Yan Jiecheng kicked him hard in the side: "What are you glaring at me for? You want a beating, don't you?"

"Jia Zhangshi, don't you dare complain,"

Xu Damao continued, "If you cause any more trouble today, we'll take care of you too! Even if things escalate, we're in the right—it's your son's fault for asking for trouble, he deserves to be beaten!"

Liu Guangfu chimed in, "Let's talk to Hao Jianguo properly. Your son rushed over and started spewing nonsense. Who does he think he is? Does he really think he's someone important?"

Those watching the commotion nearby, upon hearing this, recalled being scolded by Jia Dongxu earlier, and began pointing and gossiping, listing the faults of the Jia family.

Surrounded and rebuked by the crowd, Jia Zhangshi's arrogance immediately diminished.

But she has always been the type to make a scene even when she's in the wrong. Seeing her son wailing incessantly and having been kicked herself, she just couldn't swallow her anger.

She propped herself up, opening her mouth to curse—

"Bang!"

Xu Damao didn't give her a chance at all and kicked her in the calf again.

Jia Zhangshi screamed in pain, and before she could catch her breath, she was gone.

"Still trying to throw a tantrum?"

Xu Damao took two steps closer, his tone mocking, "Use your brain and see what the situation is like now! You still expect Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old woman to come out and smooth things over for you? Yi Zhonghai is already crippled, and don't count on the deaf old woman either—she was forced to kneel on the spot by Hao Jianguo. What, you want to try that feeling too?"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Jia Zhangshi's head.

She trembled, stared wide-eyed at Xu Damao, and the curses that were about to come out stuck in her throat.

The story of the deaf old woman kneeling down had long been known throughout the entire hospital.

Xu Damao's words completely exposed Jia Zhangshi's little scheme, leaving her frozen in place, not daring to move a finger.

Although Jia Zhangshi went to the hospital to take care of her son during the day, she couldn't help but hear about the strange incident from other people.

Amidst the various rumors, Hao Jianguo was portrayed as almost divine—many people personally witnessed the usually arrogant deaf old lady crying out "Dad" to him that day, looking utterly miserable, a stark contrast to her usual self.

Such a bizarre turn of events is inexplicable to everyone, so the rumors spread like wildfire, with embellishments and exaggerations going far as not to be excessive.

At this moment, Xu Damao brought up the old matter again, and Jia Zhangshi couldn't help but shudder.

She suddenly recalled many things: Sha Zhu's sudden change that night and his subsequent mental confusion; her grandson Bang Geng's usual fear of Hao Jianguo... Each and every one of these things seemed to be shrouded in a shadow.

She thought to herself that Hao Jianguo was always present whenever something happened, and she would never believe that he had nothing to do with it.

Even her previous insomnia, nightmares, and even night wanderings probably started after her argument with him—this thought sent a chill down Jia Zhangshi's spine.

Stealing a glance at Hao Jianguo, who was standing to the side with a half-smile, she dared not make any further moves, fearing that this man might be hiding some evil tricks that would lead her and her son down the same path as the deaf old lady.

She was asked to kneel before Hao Jianguo? That would be worse than death.

In the end, Jia Zhangshi chickened out. She hurriedly got up from the ground and helped Jia Dongxu stumble out of the door.

Seeing the disheveled figures of the mother and son, Xu Damao sneered, "Even someone as arrogant as the deaf old woman knelt down, what are you, Jia Zhangshi? You dare to act tough here?"

Yan Jiecheng and the others also joined in the cursing.

They had been fed up with the Jia family's mistreatment, but never dared to actually retaliate; now, with Hao Jianguo behind them, they had the courage to show off their power.

The neighbors all laughed at the sight, feeling a sense of relief—years of pent-up frustration seemed to vanish with this escape, and they realized that Hao Jianguo was indeed no ordinary person.

After this commotion, the Jia family temporarily calmed down.

Time flowed by slowly, and Sha Zhu's recent "condition"...

The roar seemed to have subsided, no longer as frantic as before—the talisman's effectiveness had been diminishing over time.

He Yushui was unaware of the intricacies of the situation, but she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least she didn't have to live in constant fear, and her brother wouldn't be driven out of the courtyard by everyone.

But she still noticed that Sha Zhu was acting strangely: he often sat blankly, his eyes empty.

Fearing that his "old illness would relapse," He Yushui thought it over and over and had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to Yi Zhonghai to discuss it.

Now, he's the only one left who can still exchange a few words with us.

As for the deaf old lady... ever since that incident, she has never dared to visit again, for fear of being beaten again.

Yi Zhonghai has been constantly worried lately, all because of the changes in Sha Zhu's situation, which have kept him awake at night.

In his heart, Sha Zhu was already like his own son, and was his hope in his later years.

If something really happens to this child, who will take care of him/her from now on?

"Rain, you know your brother's temperament better than anyone else."

Although he had been reckless and occasionally did foolish things, he had always been clear-headed and there was absolutely no way he could suddenly lose his mind.

"I watched him grow up from a baby, and I'm absolutely certain of that!"

Even now, Yi Zhonghai still refuses to believe that Sha Zhu has truly lost his mind.

He Yushui nodded silently after hearing this.

Although the events of that night still haunted her, she knew her brother's usual demeanor well, having been siblings for many years.

"Then... how could my brother suddenly become like that overnight? You saw it with your own eyes that night; he was like a completely different person. It was really frightening."

She couldn't help but press for more information.

Yi Zhonghai's brows furrowed even deeper: "I've thought about this matter repeatedly, and in my opinion, it might be a case of being possessed by an evil spirit."

Think about it, our courtyard hasn't been peaceful lately. Maybe some unclean thing has entangled him.

The most important thing right now is to find someone knowledgeable to dispel the bad luck.

He Yushui's eyes lit up: "That's right, I also think that brother must be possessed by an evil spirit."

"I've taken so much medicine and it's not working... But Uncle Yi, where can you find someone like that these days?"

Indeed, in this situation, who would dare claim to be able to communicate with ghosts and gods? A slight misstep could bring trouble upon oneself and earn one a reputation for promoting superstition.

In the past, Yi Zhonghai himself would not have believed in these things, but he had seen Sha Zhu's appearance with his own eyes, so he couldn't help but think about it.

"I heard that there was someone who did this job in the past, but he has long since retired."

I'll go and ask her; perhaps she can come."

Urged repeatedly by He Yushui, Yi Zhonghai hurriedly brought the woman over.

At first, the other party refused in every way, saying that those were the dregs of the old society and should not be believed. Their expression was full of vigilance, as if they were afraid that this was a trap set to test whether she would return to her old ways.

In the end, it was the reward promised by Yi Zhonghai that tempted her, and the woman finally made up her mind and followed him into the courtyard.

Naturally, they only told outsiders that he was a distant relative of Sha Zhu who had come to visit after hearing that the child was sick.

The neighbors in the courtyard did not suspect anything.

After closing the door, the woman assumed a swaying posture, her body beginning to sway gently, as if possessed by something.

Just looking at him made Yi Zhonghai and He Yushui hold their breath.

After a while, she showed signs of fatigue, raised her hand to wipe her forehead, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief—luckily, she hadn't completely forgotten her old tricks.

She then adopted a solemn expression, which made the two people in front of her tense up and dare not even breathe.

After a long while, the woman lowered her voice and said softly, "As soon as I stepped into this room, I felt a foul and gloomy atmosphere."

"A ritual has already been performed to temporarily drive that thing away."

Whether it was psychological or not, Yi Zhonghai and He Yushui actually felt that the surroundings were a bit warmer.

"So... how is Sha Zhu doing now? Has that evil thing left?"

Yi Zhonghai asked hurriedly.

At this point, the two men were completely convinced of the woman's abilities.

Even Sha Zhu, who was huddled in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), opened his eyes wide and looked over in a panic—these days he had been sometimes lucid and sometimes confused, and he always vaguely saw a slender figure standing in the room, seemingly real yet unreal.

At first, Sha Zhu was quite pleased with himself.

But when he came to his senses, the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong—even if Yi Zhonghai hadn't taken the initiative to invite the sorceress this time, he would have begged her to do so.

The sorceress sighed dramatically and shook her head, saying, "Silly Zhu has gotten himself into a lot of trouble this time; he's been entangled by the 'Foolish Ghost.'"

This ghost has a nickname: he specializes in hooking up with bachelors like him, and he's always successful.

Once you're entangled with it, everyone seems like an angel, and your mind wanders to wicked thoughts.

The sorceress had already heard some information from Yi Zhonghai. Although she had no real ability to catch ghosts, she was good at making up stories.

He then spoke in a half-serious, half-joking manner, which actually stunned the people in front of him.

He Yushui's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Grandma, you're amazing! My brother is exactly as you described! That day he almost mistook the deaf old lady for a pretty girl!"

She blurted out her words without any restraint, making Yi Zhonghai roll his eyes.

He had deliberately avoided mentioning the deaf old woman earlier, only talking about Jia Zhangshi's matter, after all, the old lady was old, and he wanted to save her some face.

Who knew that He Yushui, that girl, would blurt it all out.

Upon hearing this, the sorceress slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Now you should believe me, right? But to be honest, I've been criticized a lot over the years, and my magic powers are not what they used to be."

If I were to fight this ghost, even if I managed to capture it, I would suffer a great loss of energy.

These past few years, I haven't been eating or sleeping well; the damage has been done, and there's no way I can ever make up for it.

Judging from her posture, Yi Zhonghai knew perfectly well that she wanted money.

If you don't pay, she won't continue.

Despite his displeasure with this last-minute escalation, Yi Zhonghai knew that Sha Zhu's matter could not be delayed any longer.

He gritted his teeth, took out some money, and stuffed it into the fortune teller's hand.

The sorceress's previously sorrowful face suddenly lit up. "Oh dear, what can I say! Fine, since you're so sincere, this old woman will fight to the bitter end with this foolish devil!"

"I can cast a spell, but you also need to prepare some things: blood and a child's urine, mix the two together and make Sha Zhu drink it."

With my magic, that ghost can be exorcised.

Yi Zhonghai's lips twitched upon hearing this.

What happened to all the complicated procedures? It's so simple! Are you just trying to scam me?

He only dared to mutter these words to himself, fearing that the fortune teller would abandon the job.

"Does it really work?"

He Yushui muttered softly, "Drinking...drinking urine will work?"

The thought of drinking urine sent shivers down Sha Zhu's spine.

When she recalled some unpleasant experiences from the past, her expression became even more unpleasant.

Sha Zhu's already panicked heart jumped into his throat. Hearing that this matter might endanger his life, he was even more at a loss.

He nodded hastily, his voice trembling, "I...I'll drink it. It's just urine, right? As long as it cures this problem, I'll swallow anything."

With a heavy heart, he finally agreed, albeit reluctantly.

"But how much of this boy's urine... should we prepare?"

Yi Zhonghai, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but interject with a question.

The fortune teller waved her hand: "Of course, the more the better!"

Sha Zhu choked on his words, his stomach churned, and he almost vomited on the spot.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai couldn't care less about Sha Zhu's reaction; his mind was already on the deaf old lady in the backyard.

The old lady has been acting very strangely lately. When he went to visit her, he heard her groaning on the kang (a heated brick bed) several times, repeatedly muttering "baka, baka".

Yi Zhonghai's heart pounded: Could it be... that the wandering spirits of the East have haunted her?

He quickly told the fortune teller about the old woman's strange behavior.

Upon hearing this, the sorceress's face darkened. "According to your explanation, it must be a case of evil spirits possessing the body."

If it isn't treated quickly, something serious might happen.

Yi Zhonghai was so frightened that his back went cold, and he hurriedly invited the sorceress into the old lady's house.

The fortune teller was secretly delighted; this day had brought double the business, and two sums of money were about to be in her pocket.