Courtyard House: She got anxious when He Yushui wasn't licked.

Zhang Jiao shook her head. Today's events had frightened her, and she had no appetite at all.

However, Zhang Jiao was shocked when she entered Wang Lin's house.

There was meat on the table, a whole plate of meat, and the aroma of the meat could be smelled from outside.

When Fang Yue saw Zhang Jiao arrive again, she didn't throw a tantrum. Instead, she very considerately served Zhang Jiao a bowl and chopsticks.

After Wang Lin and Chen Amao brought the remaining food to the table, Wang Lin said to Zhang Jiao, "Don't be shy, make yourself at home and eat whatever you like."

"My God! So much meat and vegetables! Are we going to finish it all?"

Zhang Jiao looked at the food that Wang Lin and Chen Amao had brought to the table: stewed pork ribs and stir-fried shredded meat. It was even better than what the landlords ate.

Wang Lin picked up his bowl and chopsticks and said nonchalantly, "It's okay if we can't finish it. A Mao can pack it up and take it home. I'll hire him to do chores for me. He'll clean the house and everything."

Chen Amao called out to Zhang Jiao, "Sister-in-law."

Zhang Jiao blushed when she was called "sister-in-law".

Wang Lin gave Chen Amao a thumbs-up; this kid has some sense.

This meal gave Zhang Jiao a new understanding of Wang Lin. In this time of scarcity, Wang Lin was able to obtain so many supplies, with meat alone being more than enough for 99% of the population.

During the meal, Zhang Jiao even served food to the two mythical beasts. She thought Wang Lin's two younger sisters were so cute, with chubby faces that made her want to touch them.

Now that Wang Lin has met Zhang Jiao, it will be much easier to bathe the two mythical beasts in the future. Having a woman in the house can always be a great help.

After eating and drinking her fill, Zhang Jiao sat for a while before heading back. She dared not stay out all night, after all, her relationship with Wang Lin was still far from over.

Wang Lin offered to take Zhang Jiao home and, while he was there, to familiarize himself with the place so he could visit her next time.

As she was leaving, the deaf old woman with bound feet peeked out the window again.

Wang Lin rode his motorcycle with Zhang Jiao on the backyard.

The deaf old woman hadn't seen Sha Zhu all day, so she went to He Yuzhu's house again, leaning on her cane, to look for him.

The lights were on in He Yushui's room. The deaf old woman thought that Sha Zhu had returned, and she quickened her pace in excitement.

When the door was pushed open, it was Qin Huairu!

Qin Huairu was rummaging through drawers and cabinets in Sha Zhu's room, seemingly looking for something.

Upon seeing Qin Huairu, who looked like a thief, the deaf old woman immediately raised her cane and struck her, saying, "I'm hitting you, you thief! You stole my precious grandson's things."

Qin Huairu was hit by her cane. She turned around and saw that it was the deaf old woman. She immediately explained, "Grandma, I came to find some clothes for Shazhu to change into. He's been taken to the police station."

When the deaf old woman heard that her beloved grandson had actually gone to the police station, she almost fell over.

Chapter 107 He Yushui's Indirect Criticism

Qin Huairu was so frightened that she quickly reached out to support the deaf old woman. She said with a worried expression, "Grandma, Sha Zhu was reported by Wang Lin from the backyard for stealing public property and was sent to the police station for detention by the security department."

"What did you say? Sha Zhu is in the police station?" The deaf old woman was furious when she heard the name Wang Lin. Sha Zhu had actually been reported by Wang Lin!

Xu Damao, who was passing by He Yuzhu's door, overheard the conversation inside. He muttered to himself, "Wang Lin is too ruthless. He's actually starting to take revenge on Sha Zhu."

Xu Damao has been in a great mood these past two days. He finally succeeded in deceiving Qin Jingru and has been spending his days in the courtyard he rented for her, going out early and returning late, living like a carefree god.

Qin Huairu helped the deaf old woman, intending to go to the backyard to cause trouble for Wang Lin, but unexpectedly encountered Xu Damao's long face as soon as they came out, which was rather unlucky.

Xu Damao hadn't expected the deaf old woman and Qin Huairu to come out. He tilted his head back, whistling, and walked away on his own.

The deaf old lady and Qin Huairu don't have time to deal with Xu Damao right now.

Just as the two were about to go to the backyard, an old man named Yi Zhonghai arrived. He stopped them and asked, "Are you going to the backyard to cause trouble for Wang Lin?"

The deaf old woman tapped the ground with her cane and said to the old man Yi Zhonghai, "Shazhu has already been taken to the police station, and you, an old man, didn't even tell me. If I hadn't come to the front yard to look for Shazhu and met Qin Huairu, I would still be in the dark."

An elderly man named Yi Zhonghai looked at Qin Huairu and frowned, saying, "Little Qin, you're not doing this right. The old lady is too old to be agitated. What if she gets excited and something happens?"

"Uncle, I didn't want to either! I was looking for a change of clothes for Sha Zhu and was going to bring them to him later, but the deaf old lady came in and mistook me for a thief, so I had to tell the truth." Qin Huairu's actions were completely accidental; she had no intention of telling the deaf old lady at all.

Uncle Yi Zhonghai didn't blame Qin Huairu too much, but he felt that it was a bit risky to go looking for trouble with Wang Lin now, especially since Sha Zhu, the war god of the courtyard, wasn't around, so he was a little uneasy.

The deaf old woman noticed that Yi Zhonghai was very reluctant to go to the backyard. For the sake of her beloved grandson, she did not force him to go. Instead, she said to Qin Huairu, "Let's go. I want to see just how capable Wang Lin is, that he has made you suffer losses at his hands repeatedly."

Qin Huairu looked at the old man Yi Zhonghai, hoping that he would speak up and persuade the deaf old woman at this moment, in case Wang Lin was about to expose their shame again.

During this period, they only dared to do some small things behind the scenes and didn't dare to be too conspicuous, for fear that Wang Lin would expose their affairs. As long as they dealt with the aftermath of these matters, they wouldn't have to be afraid of Wang Lin anymore.

During this period, Yi Zhonghai had been working hard on Qin Huairu's salary. Through his constant supervision of Qin Huairu, he finally helped her reach the level of a second-level fitter, so Wang Lin could no longer use the salary issue as an excuse.

The deaf old woman took a couple of steps and then stopped. She remembered that Wang Lin had gone out and wasn't home. Worried about Sha Zhu, she changed her mind and said, "Qin Huairu, take Sha Zhu's clothes and come with me to the police station. I want to see my dear grandson. He's suffering inside."

Qin Huairu was surprised that the deaf old lady had changed her mind. She could only agree, "Grandma, wait for me a moment. I'll get ready and go with you."

The deaf old woman remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Qin Huairu grabbed a couple of clothes from He Yuzhu's room and left.

Just now at He Yuzhu's house, Qin Huairu searched everywhere but couldn't find the secret stash of money He Yuzhu had hidden.

If the deaf old woman hadn't barged in, she probably would still be rummaging through things. She wasn't afraid of being disturbed; as long as she insisted she was looking for clothes for He Yuzhu, she might even think Qin Huairu was a kind person.

After leaving He Yuzhu's house, Qin Huairu said to the deaf old woman, "Let's go."

The deaf old woman walked beside Qin Huairu, leaning on her cane.

After thinking it over, the old man Yi Zhonghai decided it would be better to go and see He Yuzhu together.

The three of them walked to the front yard to go see He Yuzhu.

Uncle Yan Bugui, the third uncle in the front yard, hadn't seen Sha Zhu all day; this didn't seem like Sha Zhu at all.

Just then, he saw an old man, Qin Huairu, and the deaf old woman, and he went up to them and asked, "Uncle, have you seen Shazhu? I haven't seen him all day. Could something have happened to him?"

Old man Yi Zhonghai couldn't very well tell Yan Bugui that He Yuzhu had been reported by Wang Lin for stealing public property and had been sent to the police station; that would be too embarrassing.

Qin Huairu lowered her head in shame. She really couldn't bring herself to ask where He Yuzhu had gone. She felt it would be embarrassing to talk about such a thing and would damage the reputation of the compound.

The deaf old woman said unhappily to her third uncle, Yan Bugui, "Don't pry into other people's business. Just do your own thing and take care of your own family."

Yan Bugui didn't get a reply from Uncle Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu, which he felt was a bad thing. In addition, the deaf old lady's change in attitude made him even more suspicious.

Just then, He Yushui returned pushing her bicycle. She said to Uncle Yan Bugui, "My silly brother was reported to the police station for bringing food from the factory canteen."

The old man, Yi Zhonghai, frowned. He hadn't expected He Yushui to say it, since such a thing was not honorable.

Upon hearing this, Uncle Yan Bugui finally understood why Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu were unwilling to speak. It turned out that He Yuzhu had been taken to the police station, which explained their silence and muteness.

He Yushui not only had to say it, but she also had to say it in a way that made some people blush: "My silly brother stole public property to help a widow. They say lust is a dangerous thing, and he deserved it! In addition, some people not only did not stop him, but also let my silly brother do this. They are unworthy of being elders."

This veiled criticism undoubtedly refers to Qin Huairu and the old man Yi Zhonghai.

When the old man Yi Zhonghai realized that He Yushui was referring to himself, he began to use moral blackmail, saying, "Yushui, I think you've misunderstood me. Shazhu's current situation is entirely due to Wang Lin. If Wang Lin hadn't reported him, Shazhu wouldn't have been sent to the police station by the factory's security department."

He Yushui was no longer the naive girl she once was, and of course she wouldn't be fooled by Yi Zhonghai any longer. She smiled and said, "If it weren't for Wang Lin reporting my brother, you probably would have continued to let my silly brother help widows, and then he would have been reported by someone else too."

Qin Huairu said with a pained expression, "Yushui, your silly brother supported your studies, and now he's been reported to the police station by Wang Lin. You can't repay kindness with enmity!"

He Yushui found it even funnier and retorted, "Support my education? I earned all my tuition through part-time jobs. How much money has Sha Zhu spent on me? On the contrary, it's your Qin Huairu family who spent all of my idiot brother's dowry money."

Chapter 108 I am Zhang Jiao's boyfriend, Wang Lin

Qin Huairu hadn't expected He Yushui to think so clearly. Her expression changed, as if she had suffered a great injustice, and tears immediately streamed down her face as she said, "Yushui, how could you think of me like that? Didn't you see how I wash clothes and clean for Shazhu every day?"

It would have been better if Qin Huairu hadn't mentioned it, because as soon as she brought it up, He Yushui remembered what Wang Lin had said and sneered, "Cleaning meant going through my idiot brother's room to find his secret stash of money. And when you did laundry, didn't you first check your pockets for money and receipts? Do you think everyone else is stupid?"

These words stunned Qin Huairu. How could He Yushui have seen through all her little schemes? Had He Yushui been spying on her lately? No wonder she always had this feeling of being watched.

He Yushui couldn't possibly be thinking deeply about these things; it's only possible that Wang Lin in the backyard said something to her that caused her to start paying attention to them.

When Yi Zhonghai, an old man, heard this, he realized that He Yushui was no longer the girl who was easily fooled.

The deaf old woman didn't care about any of that. She said to an old man named Yi Zhonghai, "Zhonghai, let's go. Let's go to the police station to see our beloved grandson."

An old man named Yi Zhonghai, taking advantage of the situation, said to Qin Huairu, "Little Qin, let's go to the police station to see Sha Zhu first, and we can talk about it later."

Qin Huairu nodded, wiping away her tears, but her gaze towards He Yushui was filled with grievance.

He Yushui is no longer a fool. She has inquired about Qin Huairu's salary from her classmate Yu Haitang. With Yu Haitang's status as the factory's most beautiful woman, the factory leaders can easily find out the amount in just a few words.

The three of them supported each other as they headed towards the police station, leaving behind Uncle Yan Bugui and He Yushui.

The third uncle, Yan Bugui, looked at He Yushui with shrewd eyes. He Yushui had some sense now; before, she was a complete fool who was manipulated by Qin Huairu.

He Yushui noticed that the Third Uncle was staring at her as if he was thinking about something, so she pushed her bicycle back without saying goodbye.

Wang Lin also said that his third uncle, Yan Bugui, was no good person either! His hard times were yet to come; his children were shrewd and calculating, and none of them would take care of him in his old age.

At first, He Yushui thought it was impossible, until she met the children of the Third Uncle and learned that the Third Uncle was scheming in all sorts of ways at home, even when eating and sleeping. He really lived by scheming against you every day.

When Uncle Yan Bugui saw He Yushui about to leave, he immediately stepped forward to stop him and said, "Yushui, it's almost the New Year, you don't need to buy couplets. Uncle Yan's calligraphy is very good, you can give me five cents and I'll write you a pair."

With the Chinese New Year approaching, Uncle San was thinking about how to earn some money to supplement his family's income, and couplets were a good idea he came up with.

A couplet costs 50 cents, which is already a friendly price in the courtyard.

He Yushui refused Uncle Yan Bugui, who showed no interest whatsoever, saying, "No need, Uncle, I don't need it."

Uncle Yan Bugui did not give up and continued, "It's just a matter of five cents during festivals, it's just for the sake of celebration."

A couplet costs 50 cents, which is already quite expensive.

He Yushui ignored the Third Uncle Yan Bugui and left.

Uncle Yan Bugui called out from behind, "Shouldn't two couplets be enough for five cents?"

He Yushui didn't turn around at all.

After seeing He Yushui leave, Uncle Yan Bugui, with his hands behind his back, began looking for the next person to sell his couplets.

After dinner, people in the courtyard would come out for a walk to digest their food.

At this point, Uncle Yan Bugui would ask each person individually. His asking price wasn't that high; he would write a piece for three cents, or even as low as two cents in the end.

Everyone lived in the same courtyard. Some people who were well-off bought a set from Uncle Yan Bugui, while those who were not well-off could only refuse him.

While Uncle Yan Bugui was promoting his couplets, he overheard some gossip: something big had happened at the factory gate that day, and it seemed to be related to Wang Lin; apparently, someone had committed a violent crime with a knife.

After the factory workers gossiped, several versions of the story emerged: some said that Wang Lin had stolen someone else's woman, and the man came to his door to confront him; others said that Wang Lin, relying on his position as the deputy director of the factory's purchasing department, bullied men and women.

When Uncle Yan Bugui heard this gossip, he immediately went back and told his wife about it.