Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

"With this old woman here, let's see who dares to challenge me!"

At the crucial moment, Qin Huairu pushed the deaf old lady to the front.

She took a half step back, so that her small feet were positioned between herself and Li Jianguo.

Li Jianguo glanced at her.

His gaze held little emotion, yet carried an indescribable meaning—as if he saw through her, as if he disliked her, or even more like he didn't take her seriously at all.

His gaze swept across Qin Huairu's face.

A sudden pang of sadness shot through her heart.

A surge of heat rose from the soles of my feet, traveled down my spine to the back of my head, and my entire face burned intensely.

She couldn't explain what that feeling was like.

shame?

Wronged?

Or something else.

Anyway, she didn't dare to look up again, staring at her toes with her eyes lowered, wishing she could just curl up into a ball on the spot.

Li Jianguo glanced at her once before looking away.

His gaze fell on the deaf old woman's face.

"Who do you think you are?"

His voice wasn't loud.

It could even be described as peaceful.

But each word was like an ice cube, smashed out hard and unyielding.

"You dare order me around?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Xu Damao.

"Go call the police."

"Let's see who dares to stop you."

The deaf old woman's face turned ashen.

Her face was taut with wrinkles, her lips drooped, and her cloudy eyes stared intently at Xu Damao.

"Xu Damao, you've gotten quite bold, haven't you? You're not even listening to this old lady anymore?"

In her opinion, it was one thing for Li Jianguo to disregard her.

That person was an outsider and didn't know the rules.

But Xu Damao was someone she had watched grow up since he was a child.

When she was wearing open-crotch pants, she would run around in this yard, peeing and playing in the mud. Every time I saw her, I would call her "Grandma".

By what right do they dare to defy her?

"Old man."

A hint of disgust flashed in Li Jianguo's eyes.

His eyes looked like he had seen something dirty.

He strode forward.

Lift your foot.

The movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

He kicked the deaf old lady in the hip.

The old lady stumbled and fell to the side, her small feet tumbling a few steps on the ground before she finally lost her balance and sat down on her bottom.

A muffled thud.

She was completely stunned for a moment.

Li Jianguo didn't even look at her again.

He stared coldly at Xu Damao.

"Are you going or not?"

"I'll do it myself if I don't go."

Xu Damao was stunned by this fierceness.

He had lived for over twenty years and seen many people on the streets, but he had never seen anyone so arrogant.

This person is hardly reasonable.

This guy is practically a devil.

His Adam's apple bobbed a few times as he nodded frantically.

"Yes, you can go! You can go!"

"I'll go right now!"

Before he finished speaking, he pushed his bicycle and rushed out.

Its two legs moved so fast, it wished it could grow two more.

The deaf old lady fell to the ground and remained stunned for a few seconds before she came to her senses.

She kicked her legs, slapped her thighs with both hands, and started howling at the top of her lungs.

"Why is my life so miserable—"

"At such an advanced age, she still gets bullied by younger generations!"

"What are you all standing there for?"

"Isn't there anyone who will help me?"

"What are you afraid of him for?"

"He's just a head and two arms!"

She cried and cursed, pointing at everyone in the yard with her finger.

They cursed this person for being heartless, and that person for being cowardly, their spittle flying everywhere.

The crying was sharp and piercing.

Like fingernails scraping against glass.

Li Jianguo suddenly turned around.

"Shut up!"

He took two steps to stand in front of the deaf old woman.

Looking down at her from above.

She sat on the ground, and he stood, the angle of which caused his shadow to completely cover her.

"Old man, I haven't even settled accounts with you, yet you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep."

His voice was lowered, but it was even colder.

"I'll expose you for impersonating a recipient of the Five Guarantees sooner or later."

He paused.

"If the neighborhood committee finds out that your status as a recipient of the Five Guarantees is fake, you know what will happen to you."

He paused again.

It's like giving her time to imagine.

"Living in a doghouse at such an advanced age, parading through the streets wearing a sign..."

He clicked his tongue.

They didn't continue.

But the more this happened, the more panicked the deaf old woman became.

She stood there, stunned, forgetting to cry out.

A chill ran down my back, climbing up my spine and into the back of my head.

"You...you're talking nonsense!"

"My status as a recipient of the 'Five Guarantees' program is certified by the local street office. What makes you think it's fake?"

Do you have any evidence?

"Evidence will always come."

Li Jianguo looked down at her.

That gaze was as if looking at an ant.

An ant crawling on the ground, about to be crushed at any moment.

"By then, let's see who dares to help you?"

"If I say a few more words to you, I'm practically an accomplice."

"Let's savor these memories while we still can."

"No...impossible!"

The deaf old woman's lips trembled.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say a few more words, but the words stuck in her throat and wouldn't come out.

Only one thought remained in my mind.

How did he know?

How did he know about this?

What exactly does he have in his possession?

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became.

When I came to my senses, I realized that my back was chilly and my undershirt was soaked with sweat.

"Deaf old lady, what's the story behind your 'five guarantees' (a government-provided social welfare program for the elderly and disabled)?"

Yi Zhonghai lives nearby.

He heard most of what they said earlier.

He couldn't help but lean forward and bend down to ask.

"none of your business!"

The deaf old woman shooed him away impatiently.

"Get out of here!"

Her eyes were fixed on Li Jianguo with a gloomy gaze.

His gaze was sticky and unfocused, like a venomous snake coiled up, flicking its tongue.

This person must be dealt with as soon as possible.

Otherwise, none of us will have a good time.

Having lived to such an old age, this was the first time such a thought had ever crossed her mind.

The thought sent a chill down her spine.

But it's right there.

It can't be suppressed.

the other side.

Xu Damao did not disappoint the public.

He rode his bicycle at breakneck speed.

His legs pedaled incredibly fast, the bicycle chain rattling loudly.

When he arrived at the police station, he was covered in sweat and panting heavily.

The police here all know him.

The police officers working in this jurisdiction are almost all locals who grew up here.

Who doesn't know what kind of person Xu Damao is?

The policeman's face immediately tightened when he saw him arrive on a brand-new bicycle.

"Xu Damao, what's wrong with this car?"

"Stolen?"

"What are you saying!"

Xu Damao quickly put on an apologetic smile.

He jumped off the seat, grabbed the handlebars, and his face was beaming with joy.

"This car belongs to Mr. Li from our institute; he's the new engineer!"

"His house was broken into, and he asked me to report it. Isn't riding a bike fast?"

"What?"

"The engineer's house was burgled?"

The police officer's expression immediately changed when he heard that something had happened to the engineer's family.

He stood up from his chair, walked around the table, and went to Xu Damao.

"The Master Li you're talking about, is he the Level 8 engineer who just arrived at the steel rolling mill?"

"Yes, yes, that's him!"

Xu Damao explained the situation in the courtyard in detail.

He gestured as he spoke, vividly describing how messy the house had been and how many things were missing.

"When I opened the door today, the house was ransacked; a thief must have broken in!"

"Understood."

"We'll dispatch the police right away!"

The young policeman dared not slack off.

He turned and ran, his leather shoes making a clattering sound on the cement floor.

I pushed open the door to the director's office and peeked inside.

"Chief! Engineer Li's house at the steel rolling mill has been burgled!"

Without saying a word, the director put down his teacup and stood up.

"Everyone assemble!"

He buttoned his shirt as he walked out, his expression grave.

"We must catch the thief and investigate whether it's an act of espionage!"

"Every piece of paper and every book in an engineer's home is extremely important; they must be handled with utmost care!"

He gave the order.

Those on duty and those on standby were all mobilized.

Those with guns took their guns, and those who were organizing their equipment organized their gear.

This display of force also greatly frightened Xu Damao.

He stood at the entrance of the police station, watching the chaotic scene inside, his heart pounding with anxiety.

It's just a thief.

Is it really necessary to say that?

But he didn't dare ask any more questions.

He cautiously led the way on his bicycle, with the police following closely behind.

We soon arrived at the courtyard house.

The crowd confronting Li Jianguo in front of his room was stunned when they saw so many police officers.

Someone took half a step back.

Some people instinctively lowered their heads.

Yi Zhonghai considered himself the oldest man in the compound, so he mustered up his courage and took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"Officer, what's wrong...?"

"Which one of you is Engineer Li?"

Li Jianguo stepped forward.

"I am."

The director was taken aback when he saw how young the engineer was.

He looked Li Jianguo up and down.

He was in his early twenties, fair-skinned, and dressed neatly in a Zhongshan suit.

"You're the engineer?"

"So young?"

Xu Damao, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in.

"Officer, he really is the expert our factory hired!"

"We even saw him sitting and discussing things with foreign experts this afternoon; even the senior experts admire him!"

"Truly young and promising."

The director couldn't help but sigh.

He extended his hand and shook hands with Li Jianguo, his attitude becoming more respectful.

"We received a report that your place has been burglarized. Have you taken inventory of what was stolen?"

"To protect the scene, we haven't done a thorough inventory yet."

Li Jianguo paused.

"But there are already suspects."

He turned his head and glanced at the Jia family members.

"Just now, in front of everyone, this Aunt Zhang admitted that it was her grandson Banggeng who broke into the house and stole the things."

"No...it wasn't us!"

Jia Zhangshi was so frightened that she couldn't speak coherently.

Her face was deathly pale, her lips were trembling, and she didn't know where to put her hands.

"It has nothing to do with us!"

Bang Geng is good at petty theft and bullying children.

When they actually saw the police, they were completely dumbfounded.

He stood there, his legs trembling, tears welling in his eyes.

All he can do is sit on the ground and cry; he can't do anything else.

"Say something!"

Madam Jia was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet.

She shoved her son, Jia Dongxu.

"Why aren't you saying anything, you father!"

In the end, she was just a woman who was used to throwing tantrums.

When faced with a life-or-death situation, the first reaction is still to turn to the son for help.

But her son, Jia Dongxu, was even more cowardly.

They were terrified.

He shrank his neck, his eyes darting around, and tried to shirk responsibility without even thinking.

"This...this has nothing to do with me!"

"It was all her fault!"

He glanced at his wife and, without hesitation, splashed all the dirty water on Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu was completely stunned.

She stood there, stunned, unable to react for a moment.

She never expected that her mother-in-law and husband would be so in sync, putting all the blame on her.

She originally wanted to feign weakness to gain sympathy.

This time, she really cried.

Tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably.

She grew increasingly disgusted with her husband.

A good-for-nothing.

Lack of responsibility.

But at this critical juncture, is divorce even an option?

Through her teary eyes, she looked at Li Jianguo and the police, shaking her head in grievance.

"It wasn't me..."

"It really wasn't me..."

She pleaded with Li Jianguo again.

"Jianguo, you know me..."

"This has nothing to do with me..."

"Please help me..."

Her voice was so soft it seemed to melt your heart.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and tears clung to her eyelashes; she looked incredibly pitiful.

If it were Sha Zhu, he probably would have softened and agreed long ago.

pity.

He is Li Jianguo.

He had absolutely no interest in Qin Huairu.

They certainly wouldn't plead for her.

He stood there, staring at her expressionlessly, as if she were a roadside stone.

Faced with such an unreasonable family, she cried, shouted, and begged for mercy.

The police station chief is also very knowledgeable.

He's been in this line of work for twenty years; what hasn't he seen?

He skillfully gave direct orders.

"Keep an eye on this whole family."

"Don't let them interfere with the reporting of the case."

"Anyone who makes a sound here will be handcuffed and taken back to the station."

"Lock him up for a few days first!"

The words had barely left his lips.

The Jia family members remained completely silent.

Jia Zhangshi opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Jia Dongxu shrank his neck and took half a step back.

Qin Huairu dared not cry out loud anymore, only wiping away her tears with sobs.

They were genuinely scared.