The door of the courtyard house has been welded dead

"Have you heard? The Xu Damao family case has been solved!"

"I heard about it! It's not just in the newspapers, it's on the news too! The guy's been arrested. The main culprit's name is Jia Geng. I was wondering why that name sounded so familiar, and then I realized it's just like the character 'bang geng'!"

“The neighborhood committee came this afternoon. Director Wang has already told us that this is burglary, and it’s not just this one; he also participated in a gang that robbed people on the street.”

Liu Yin doesn't read newspapers much, nor is she interested in listening to news broadcasts, but when she hears the old ladies chatting about Korean jokes, she can't help but frown.

This name, which had disappeared from the courtyard house for so many years, has reappeared and caused such a huge trouble.

"This is the kind of thing this kid would do. He lost his parents and no one taught him anything. Sha Zhu never took him home before, and as a result, he got robbed himself and lost several hundred yuan. He was so kind, but it was all for nothing!"

"No, no, what's going on? How did you all know? I was listening and I'm still a bit confused!"

Liu Yin, who disliked gossiping outside the courtyard, had no choice but to sit down next to the elderly couple and join the discussion.

"Yinzi, Xu Damao's house was robbed a while ago, right? It was that kid Banggeng who led a group of people to do it. They stole more than three thousand yuan. It was in the newspaper. Now everyone has been arrested. They fled to Tangshan, but they've all been caught."

"Director Wang said that this kid has gone astray. After leaving the orphanage, he didn't go to school and just hung out on the streets. He didn't even get married. If his mother, Qin Huairu, saw this, she would definitely pull up the coffin lid and come out."

"I remember, when this kid was little, didn't he steal something from your family? I think it was fish, right? Back then, everyone was struggling financially, and this kid threw the fish in the toilet, wasting food!"

As the sun set, the evening sky was filled with fiery clouds. The elderly couple talked on and on, giving Liu Yin a general account of what had happened.

As they talked, they unconsciously brought up old grievances from the past. Everyone felt that the child had been an ingrate since childhood, and then they sighed a few times to show their meager sympathy.

Liu Yin, who lives a secluded life, didn't even know that Xu Damao's house had been robbed. After hearing the story, she pursed her lips and shook her head, feeling that Qin Huairu was truly not a worthwhile mother.

Back then, the oxen were raised like little calves, eating a lot. As a result, not only did the ancestral graves of the Jia family emit "green smoke" from Qin Huairu!
"That's all in the past, I've forgotten about it. All I have to say is, this time he stole from Xu Damao again, and now he's been caught!"

"Absolutely! Xu Damao lost his money, he'll definitely report it to the police. He's just like Sha Zhu, silently suffering in silence. If you ask me, it's because he was spoiled since he was a child. His mother, Qin Huairu, spoiled him, and Sha Zhu was spoiled too. He dared to steal a needle when he was young, and now he's caused trouble!"

Aunt Yan slapped her thigh, now energized. Every household in the courtyard had suffered at the hands of this young man.

"If you ask me, it's Jia Zhangshi who's the real culprit. She was quite unreasonable back then, but she protected her precious grandson. Now look what's happened, I think her precious grandson will probably be working for the government!"

"Not only that, this is very serious. Giving him a government job is too lenient a deal; he even conspired to rob people on the street. Right now, there's a crackdown on these crimes, right? Director Wang's implication is probably...!"

Aunt Yan, who had spoken with Director Wang, who knew the situation, in the afternoon, made an "eight" gesture with her hand and pointed to the side of her head, seemingly eager for the boy to be eliminated as soon as possible.

"Xu Damao is really unlucky. He has money to burn, with over three thousand yuan at home. Tell me, if I had over three thousand yuan at home...!"

After the previous topic ended, Liu Yin got up and slowly returned to the courtyard, but her heart was still racing.

The other neighbors treated it as a joke. They didn't care about being neighbors. Ever since Qin Huairu's accident, or rather, since she moved out of the Jia family's courtyard, they had stopped recognizing the Jia family.

Everyone had unknowingly forgotten about this family, but they never expected that when they heard about them again, things would have reached this point.

The house in the Intermediate People's Court is still there, but it gives people a feeling that things have changed and people are no longer the same.

If Jia's only son were to be shot, all of Qin Huairu's sacrifices over the years would be in vain. Is such a child worth it?
In contrast, other families, even if their children don't become successful, at least they've grown into adults.

He Yuzhu got off work a little late. Carrying the lunchbox he brought back from the restaurant, he strolled back to the courtyard.

I took out a wine bottle and a wine cup from the cupboard, filled them up, and hadn't even opened the lid of the lunchbox when I heard arguing coming from the backyard.

"Aren't you Banggeng's aunt? Something happened, aren't you going to go and check on it?!"

"What am I looking at? He even stole one of my chickens! Even if Qin Huairu were still here, I wouldn't acknowledge her. It's not like I got into university, what's there to be proud of?"

Upon hearing that Banggeng had gotten into trouble, Zhuzi picked up the wine cup, but before he could even bring it to his lips, he put it down, blinked, and turned his gaze to the backyard.

"I'm telling you, after all, he's your sister's only son left alive. You're showing no mercy at all. Maybe you should talk to Xu Damao and drop the case. Otherwise, you'll really get shot. I'm not kidding you!"

Under the grape trellis in the backyard, Liu Haizhong sat in a recliner, swaying back and forth, thoroughly enjoying himself. The older generation, with their emphasis on tradition and values, believed that of the three unfilial acts, the greatest was having no offspring. But Qin Jingru's generation didn't seem to feel that way. Or rather, they didn't want to.

A few years ago, because my cousin had been a spy in my family, I was almost implicated. Anyway, it was her cousin's child who got into trouble, not my own, so I couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to what Lao Liu was saying.

"Anyway, it has nothing to do with my family. As long as my Ma Zhixing is doing well, that's all that matters. I can't control other people's families. Ma Hua is just a small station manager. I can't afford to pay more than three thousand yuan!"

Sitting outside the door, in a large basin, Qin Jingru was washing clothes for the father and son. She mumbled to herself, wiping the sweat from her forehead, and lowered her head.

She wasn't very educated, but Qin Jingru knew how valuable money was. Three thousand yuan was no small sum for the Ma family, and Xu Damao certainly wouldn't let her sister's son off easily.

The simplest way would be for Xu Damao to say something like, "You, my aunt, will compensate me for the stolen money," which would easily shut him down.

The few remaining kinship ties based on blood are particularly fragile in the face of money, and she really didn't want to have any further connection with her sister.

"Anyway, I've told you what happened. His case is quite serious, and it just so happens to be happening now. If Xu Damao doesn't drop the case, he'll probably end up in the western suburbs!"

Holding a small, exquisite purple clay teapot in his hand, he took a sip and, seeing Qin Jingru's indifferent expression, Liu Haizhong also became indifferent. Continuing to talk would only make him seem like he was meddling.

Qin Jingru, who was washing clothes on the washboard, paused noticeably when she heard "west suburbs," indicating that she knew what going to the west suburbs meant.

"I can't do anything about it. He's been a bad kid since he was little. He stole so much money, who can afford to pay for it? It's so annoying, I'm not washing anymore!"

She threw the freshly wrung-out clothes into the washbasin. Her cousin had been shot, and now her son was going to be shot too. Qin Jingru couldn't possibly remain completely indifferent.

Not wanting to help is a matter of inability, but to have no feelings whatsoever when facing death is simply too cold-blooded.

Having roughly sorted out the situation, He Yuzhu, who was clinging to the dormer window, jumped down from the stool, his forehead already twisted into a deep frown.

He knew about the theft at Xu Damao's house, and at the time he was even a little gloating, feeling that Xu Damao deserved it, since he was the one who left that money at home.

But the fact that it was Bang Geng who did this was completely unexpected. The way things developed caught He Yuzhu off guard.

You know, it was actually him who taught Banggeng his lock-picking skills, but who would have thought that this kid would grow up to be so successful, even managing to prey on Xu Damao like a lamb to the slaughter?
Now that Banggeng has been arrested, Zhuzi is even a little guilty and his mindset is extremely complicated. If Sister Qin's only child is killed because of Xu Damao, it would be a huge loss.

Picking up the wine bottle and the money hidden at the bottom of the box, He Yuzhu felt that he needed to find Xu Damao and have a serious talk with him.

……

"That's my money, my money! He brought a bunch of thieves into my house and stole it. Am I supposed to thank him?"

"Withdrawing the case is out of the question. It's over three thousand yuan, you silly Zhu. I thank you for helping me back then, which made me who I am today, but you don't have that much influence!"

Upon hearing He Yuzhu's purpose, Xu Damao immediately became furious, slammed his fist on the table, and directly turned against He Yuzhu.

"Silly Zhu, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business. Things with Bang Geng aren't that simple!"

“Liu Guangqi told me that he also participated in several cases of robbery and injured people, do you know that?”

Robbery is a much more serious crime than theft. It's not that I want him dead, but even without this case, he wouldn't have gotten away. Holding a knife to someone's neck, he'd hack them to death if they didn't hand over money. He was that ruthless; if he didn't die, who would?!

Xu Damao's face was gloomy, and he didn't give his childhood friend a good look. Face, what use is face? Even if you have a lot of face, you can't escape this time.

Zhu Zi placed one hand on the table and gripped his pants tightly with the other. He truly hadn't expected that Bang Geng had committed more than just this one crime.

"A life for a life. As long as you didn't kill anyone, there's still a chance. As for going to jail, you've reformed, haven't you? He's practically your son, and you don't have any children anyway. If you let him go this time, he'll have someone to take care of you when he gets out!"

Hearing He Yuzhu say such things, Xu Damao was so angry he almost laughed. He poked He Yuzhu's chest hard and stared directly into Yuzhu's eyes.

"I'm starting to think of you more and more like Yi Zhonghai. I, Xu Damao, am rich, and there are plenty of people willing to take care of me in my old age. Don't interfere!"

"Jia Geng brought this on himself; he deliberately walked into the line of fire. You still don't understand what 'severe crackdown' means!" (End of Chapter)