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

When He Yuzhu asked for your underwear, did he say what he was going to use it for?

Qin Huairu shook her head vigorously, almost shaking her head off.

"I don't know! How could I possibly know? He wouldn't tell me something like that."

Li Jianguo didn't ask any more questions.

He simply nodded to the two police officers.

The nod was very light, yet it carried a certain meaning—a meaning that was left unsaid.

"Let her in."

The older police officer said in a deep voice.

When He Yuzhu was brought in again, he was trembling like a leaf.

Standing in the center of the room, I dared not look up. My eyes were fixed on the ground, as if there were flowers on it.

"What did you do with the underwear?"

The young police officer got straight to the point, like a woodcutter's axe, chopping directly down.

"I...I didn't do anything..."

"He Yuzhu".

The older police officer only called him by name once.

The sound wasn't loud, but it felt like a dull thud on the heart—a resounding thud that shook the very core of my being.

He Yuzhu's knees buckled.

I almost knelt down.

"I...I opened Director Li's door..."

His voice trembled, as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth—squeezed out with great effort and difficulty.

"I...I threw that thing in..."

"Are you sure you threw it in?"

"Then why did it end up in your room?"

He Yuzhu was stunned.

He was stunned, as if he had been hit over the head with a club.

Its mouth is open, but no sound comes out—like a fish on the shore, its mouth opens and closes, but no sound is made.

"I...I don't know..."

His voice was hoarse, like a broken gong.

"I also want to know what happened... how did they get into my room?"

The young police officer looked at him and suddenly said, "Could it be that you were in such a hurry that you made a mistake? You thought you put it in, but you didn't?"

That's a very thoughtful thing to say.

It's like offering him steps—steps laid out one by one, just waiting for him to descend.

He Yuzhu opened his mouth.

Finally, he lowered his head.

They didn't say anything.

The facts of the case have become clear.

He Yuzhu confessed himself. There are witnesses and physical evidence—Lou Xiao'e saw him loitering near Li Jian's house, that's a witness. He confessed himself, that's his statement.

The fact that the investigation was completed so quickly left the people in the courtyard somewhat bewildered.

like a dream.

"He Yuzhu," someone sighed, a sigh tinged with regret and complex emotions, "how could you be so careless in handling things? You even managed to frame someone incorrectly?"

An elderly deaf woman stood in the crowd, leaning on a cane.

Upon hearing the result, a flash of anger, a look of disappointment and frustration, crossed his face—an anger that concealed something else, something indescribable.

He raised his cane, ready to strike He Yuzhu.

"Alright, alright."

The young policeman stopped her, his brow furrowing. His brow was furrowed deeply, as if he were looking at something dirty.

"Grandma, what are you thinking—"

"I'm getting old, don't take it to heart."

The older police officer waved his hand, signaling to end the operation.

He looked at He Yuzhu.

"Let's go."

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, a voice suddenly rang out—

"Wait a moment."

Li Jianguo took a step forward.

Just that one step.

It felt like stepping on everyone's hearts.

His gaze swept over the faces in the yard that had been yelling the loudest—one by one, like a searchlight. His voice was as calm as if he were saying, "The weather's nice today."

"As agreed before."

He said.

"They slandered me and damaged my reputation. They should kowtow and apologize. This matter is separate from Sha Zhu's breaking the law."

The two police officers exchanged a glance.

The older man nodded.

"Of course. We'll be your witnesses."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the people in the courtyard changed.

It will become wonderful.

Like a color palette—blue, white, red, purple, all sorts of colors are there.

The third and second uncles exchanged a glance.

They stepped forward almost simultaneously—their movements were so synchronized, as if they had rehearsed.

"Director Li, I'm so sorry!"

The old man bent down and gave a perfect bow—ninety degrees, perfectly.

"We were also misled and followed the crowd. We're so sorry about this!"

The second uncle followed suit and bowed even lower than him.

"Yes, yes, we apologize!"

The two families were unusually polite. Their bows were sincere and earnest, as if they were genuine.

Xu Damao stood to the side with Lou Xiao'e.

They had no intention of approaching—they weren't there to apologize, they were there to watch the show. Those watching the spectacle, never wanting to miss out, stood far away, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

"Director Li."

Xu Damao came over with a big smile, his face beaming like a flower.

"Let me make this clear: I haven't said a single bad word about you from beginning to end. I have to thank Xiao'e for reminding you about this today."

Li Jianguo nodded at him.

I didn't make things difficult for him.

Only Yi Zhonghai, the deaf old lady, and Qin Huairu remained in the courtyard.

The three people stood there like three wooden stakes stuck in the ground—stuck there, motionless.

"Kneel down. Apologize."

Li Jianguo's voice was brief, as if he were issuing a command.

Qin Huairu's eyes were red and her voice trembled.

"Director Li, I was also scammed, I'm a victim too—"

"Apologize. Don't make me say it a third time."

The young police officer standing nearby couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward.

That step was taken very big, and it was tinged with impatience.

"Director Li is letting you off the hook, hurry up! Otherwise, come with us and we'll properly calculate what crime it is to slander a national-level engineer!"

Upon hearing this, the deaf old lady was the first to break down.

He knelt down with a thud.

The cane flew a long way, rolled twice, and came to rest at the base of the wall.

"sorry!"

These three words were squeezed out from between his teeth.

Gritting his teeth.

It was like chewing something up—chewing up self-esteem, chewing up face, chewing up a lifetime of pride.

Whether it's genuine or not, everyone knows.

But Li Jianguo didn't care.

He watched as Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu knelt down one after another.

Watching them bow their heads before me—so low, so low they were practically in the dust.

The anger I felt finally subsided a bit.

"Alright."

He waved his hand.

The group felt as if they had been granted a pardon.

He got up and ran, not daring to look back—like being chased by a ghost, he ran incredibly fast and in a sorry state.

Finally, He Yuzhu was escorted out of the courtyard by two police officers.

His figure disappeared into the night.

A chorus of whispers followed behind me—like leaves rustling in the wind.

farce.

It's finally over.

Early the next morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

The courtyard was unusually quiet.

It was as quiet as a graveyard.

There was no sound of brushing teeth or washing faces as usual—the rushing water was gone. There was no clamor of children playing—the chattering laughter was gone. Even the rooster's crowing sounded weak—it crowed twice and then fell silent.

All the doors of every household were closed.

It was locked up tightly.

Occasionally someone would come out, but they would walk by quickly with their heads down, and no one would say a word—like thieves or people hiding from debt collectors.

Last night's commotion really wore everyone out.

I only slept for a few hours before having to go to work or school this morning. Everyone had dark circles under their eyes, and they walked unsteadily—like walking on cotton, stumbling and unsteady.

Nobody could have predicted it.

How could He Yuzhu be so audacious?

Not only did he do such a disgusting thing, but he also used everyone in the hospital as pawns—and after using them, the pawns went off accidentally and he shot himself.

When Jia Zhangshi returned from the hospital, it was already broad daylight.

She stayed at the hospital all night last night.

Jia Dongxu's injury didn't improve much, although she was conscious, she was still groaning in pain—groans that were driving her crazy. She was incredibly annoyed, feeling like a million ants were crawling all over her.

I finally made it to morning and rushed back home.

I want to go home and lie down for a while.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I ran into Xu Damao coming out of the toilet—his belt was pulled up and his clothes were buttoned up.

"Oh, Aunt Zhang is back?"

Xu Damao's smile was meaningful. There was something hidden in that smile, something unspoken.

"How's Dongxu doing?"

"Still the same."

Jia Zhangshi waved her hand, too lazy to say anything more to him. She was very tired and sleepy, and all she wanted to do was go home and sleep.

"Then you should go home and check on things quickly."

Xu Damao took a step closer and lowered his voice. The voice was very low, like a whisper.

"It's too late. Your daughter-in-law might not be yours anymore."

Jia Zhangshi was taken aback.

His face changed instantly—turning ashen and contorted in a grimace.

"What? That slut Qin Huairu has found someone else?"

"Next buyer?"

Xu Damao sneered. His sneer was tinged with schadenfreude and the excitement of watching a good show unfold.

"Didn't we already find a replacement? Don't you know? Sha Zhu framed Director Li with your wife's underwear, and the police took him away last night!"

"What?!"

Jia Zhangshi's mind went blank.

It was like someone had set off a firecracker in her head—it made her dizzy and disoriented, and she couldn't care about anything else.

He took off running and rushed home.

"Qin Huairu! You shameless slut! You're out there being a slut while I'm not home!"

He kicked the door open.

The door slammed against the wall with a loud bang.

He started beating Qin Huairu, who was still sleeping on the bed, slapping her, pulling her hair, pinching her arms, doing whatever he wanted to vent his anger.

Screams.

Cries and screams.

The sound of cursing.

It instantly caused an uproar.

The whole courtyard was alarmed—like a hornet's nest had been stirred up, everyone was awake and buzzing around.

Li Jianguo turned over in a daze.

The commotion was coming from the Jia family's side—crying and wailing, it was quite a scene.

Turn over and continue sleeping.

"System, check-in."

[Congratulations, host, you have received: 100 yuan in cash, 10 jin of eggs, 100 jin of high-gluten flour, and 5 sugar coupons...]

I glanced at it.

He sat up with a normal expression.

I knew I wouldn't have that kind of luck every day. But this is enough—food, groceries, and other necessities; isn't that what life is all about?

Outside, the Jia family had already entered the courtyard.

It was called a fight, but it was actually just Jia Zhangshi beating Qin Huairu unilaterally.

One is a notorious shrew—she can curse for three days and three nights without repeating herself. The other is a woman with a pure and innocent face welded onto her—she's a master at feigning helplessness.

The outcome of a fight is obvious.

However, Qin Huairu was clever.

Instead of waiting inside to be beaten.

As soon as Jia Zhangshi made her move, she rushed out the door, still wearing her coat—she hadn't even had time to put it on properly, just draped it over her shoulders, revealing one shoulder.

She ran around the yard crying.

They hide faster than rabbits.

"You shameless little slut! The man's not even dead yet and you're already this horny!"

"You even gave away those two tattered pieces of cloth? Have you no shame?"

Jia Zhangshi chased after them, hurling incredibly vile insults.

She could spout all sorts of vulgar and offensive language that people in the courtyard couldn't even bring themselves to say—she used every dirty word imaginable.

The neighbors around were listening.