Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 2 Beating Jia Zhangshi

Upon suddenly realizing this, Li Hongbing stopped.

Look again.

On the system panel, my constitution attribute had indeed increased slightly, from 47 to 48.

In the Eight Pieces of Brocade section, the experience points also increased slightly.

Whether it was due to this or not, Li Hongbing could clearly feel that the weakness he had just felt had instantly lessened.

Li Hongbing knew that Baduanjin was good for the body, and he had personally practiced and verified it, but it takes time and effort to gradually feel the effects.

But the results just now were a bit too fast, weren't they?

Now, Li Hongbing finally understands what the system meant by "effort will surely be rewarded".

It is said that hard work leads to success, but that is not always the case.

There's nothing wrong with putting in effort; it's just that sometimes the result isn't what you want.

With this "Heaven Rewards Diligence" system, it can be guaranteed that all of Li Hongbing's future efforts will not be in vain.

Originally, Li Hongbing was thinking about how to improve his current physical condition, but after discovering the system's wonderful uses, he was completely free of worries.

"Old Yan's wife, I heard that the boy surnamed Li has woken up?"

Just as Li Hongbing was about to continue with the Eight Pieces of Brocade, a sound coming from outside caught his attention.

"That's what Hongmei said when she went out just now."

"Isn't that girl surnamed Li here?"

"He went to the market, saying he was going to buy an old hen to help Hongbing recover."

"Pah! An old hen, indeed! His sickly chicken is useless no matter what tonics he tries. It's such a waste of such a good thing. My Dongxu works so hard, and I can't even bear to buy him one. What a spendthrift!"

“Mrs. Jia, you can’t say things like that carelessly. If Hongmei hears you, she’ll never let you off the hook.”

“I’m afraid of a little girl like her? Even if she were standing right in front of me, let alone if she wasn’t in the yard right now, I would still say the same thing…”

"..."

From the content of the conversation, Li Hongbing had roughly guessed that the two people outside were Yan Bugui's wife and Jia Zhangshi.

The implication in Jia Zhangshi's words was quite clear: she was targeting the siblings.

the reason is simple.

In the second year after Li Hongmei joined the food factory, the Jia family asked Yi Zhonghai to act as matchmaker, hoping that Li Hongmei and Jia Dongxu would date. However, Li Hongmei didn't like Jia Dongxu, and the matter ultimately didn't work out.

Not long after, Li Hongmei found a boyfriend at the food factory, which made Jia Zhangshi lose face even more.

Because of this incident, Jia Zhangshi harbored resentment towards the siblings and took every opportunity to ridicule and gossip about them, belittling and slandering them everywhere.

Previously, Li Hongbing had listened to Jia Zhangshi's gossip and thought that he was a burden, dragging down his sister and preventing her from getting married. That's why he gave up his studies and secretly went to Fengzeyuan to become an apprentice.

That's not all; now, Jia Zhangshi is even going so far as to let crickets chirp outside her own house—she's simply inhuman.

"Jia Zhangshi, your mouth can be any fouler, believe me or not I'll tear you to shreds."

If Li Hongbing can still tolerate being swarmed by crickets, he's truly invincible.

"Hey, why are you being so fierce!"

Seeing Li Hongbing suddenly emerge from the house, Jia Zhangshi was startled, muttered a complaint under her breath, and turned to leave.

It wasn't that she was afraid of Li Hongbing, but rather that Li Hongbing was still ill, and if she argued with him and something happened, it would be difficult to explain herself.

When that time really comes, Li Hongmei won't let her off the hook; she'll fight her to the death.

In the entire courtyard, everyone knew that Li Hongbing was Li Hongmei's lifeline, and no one could touch him.

Jia Zhangshi likes to stir up trouble, but she's not stupid. "That... Hongbing, that's just how Jia Zhangshi is. She has offended countless people with her sharp tongue. Don't take it to heart."

After Jia Zhangshi ran away, only Yan Bugui's wife remained in the courtyard. Realizing that Li Hongbing was angry, she immediately distanced herself from him and awkwardly slipped back into the house.

Li Hongbing did not press the matter further.

There's really nothing we can do about what Jia Zhangshi just said.

After driving away the annoying Jia Zhangshi, Li Hongbing didn't rush back to his house. Instead, he went to the public water tap in the yard and washed his face.

I just did a few rounds of Baduanjin exercises indoors and worked up a sweat. After washing my face, I felt much better.

Just as Li Hongbing was about to go back to his room, he could faintly hear the chirping of crickets behind Jia Zhangshi coming from the middle courtyard.

“Mrs. Jia, Li Hongbing has already woken up. Do you still have the nerve to say that he is possessed by a water ghost? I think your theory doesn’t work at all.”

"That's right, it's a new society now, that kind of saying doesn't apply anymore."

"Sigh, there's no way to explain this to you laymen."

"You didn't see it, but when that kid from the Li family came back yesterday, he was soaking wet. He fell ill that very night and was unconscious. What else could this be but being possessed by a water ghost?"

"Li Hongbing woke up on his own in less than a day. How do you explain that?"

"A final burst of energy before death! This is a final burst of energy before death, do you understand?"

"I think that kid surnamed Li doesn't have many days left to live."

"That Li Hongmei is a jinx. She caused his father's death two years ago, and now she's trying to harm his younger brother. Whoever marries her will be doomed! Luckily, our Dongxu didn't end up with her, otherwise our family would be the ones in trouble. Thank goodness..."

"..."

Originally, he just wanted to hear if Jia Zhangshi was talking badly about him and his brother behind their backs again, but this conversation made Li Hongbing furious.

The cricket's behavior earlier was one thing, but now it's not only cursing me, but also spreading rumors about Li Hongmei behind my back, ruining her reputation. It's utterly outrageous.

How cruel this is to a girl who is not yet married.

Even though Li Hongbing is no longer the same Li Hongbing, he still felt angry after hearing these words.

not to mention.

He is now Li Hongmei's brother. If we remain indifferent to this situation, then wouldn't everyone be able to kick him while he's down?
It's too late, but it's soon.

Li Hongbing rushed towards the Intermediate Court. While Jia Zhangshi was still making accusations, he took a step forward and, with lightning speed, slapped her twice across the face.

"You old witch! You really think what I just said was bullshit? I'll rip your mouth apart!"

After slapping her twice, Li Hongbing grabbed a broom from the side and lashed it out at the foul-mouthed Jia Zhangshi.

"Hey hey!"

While she was talking boastfully, Jia Zhangshi didn't notice Li Hongbing suddenly running over, and the two painful slaps caught her completely off guard.

By the time Jia Zhangshi saw who it was, Li Hongbing's broom had already become a blur, striking her first. She had no time to fight back and was forced to run away with her head in her hands.

"Oh my god, someone's been murdered."

"Li Hongbing killed someone."

"This is outrageous!"

"Everyone come out quickly! Li Hongbing is trying to kill me!"

"Old Jia! I'm being bullied to death! Open your eyes and see!"

"Li Hongbing has killed someone!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)