Reborn in 1950: Shorting the Federal Reserve at the Start

"Shen...Shen Jinghong?"

Yan Bugui's hand trembled, and the eyeglasses arm, which was wrapped with tape several times, finally gave way and fell to the ground with a "thud".

He didn't bother to pick up the glasses he treasured; his two beady eyes were wide open as he stared intently at the aloof woman in front of him, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

"Miss, you...you haven't got the wrong person, have you?"

Yan Bugui stammered, his voice trembling, "There is a student named Shen Jinghong in this courtyard, but he's... he's a poor student who was just kicked out of his family!"

He simply couldn't reconcile the image of that down-on-his-luck young man in an old trench coat, forced to sever ties with his own parents, with that of the "golden girl" in front of him, driving a military jeep and carrying an expensive leather suitcase.

These two are like mud on the ground and clouds in the sky—they have absolutely nothing in common!

"That's right."

Lin Qinghan is extremely sparing with her words.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze passing over Yan Bugui's shrewd and calculating old face, and landing deep in the courtyard.

Although it was her first time here, her mathematician's intuition told her that an unseemly farce had just taken place. The lingering smell of tobacco in the air, the messy footprints on the ground, and the few figures peeking out from the main house in the distance all spoke of unrest here.

"Since he's here, that's for the best."

Lin Qinghan picked up her suitcase and was about to go inside.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't rush!"

Although Yan Bugui was shocked, his gossip spirit, which was ingrained in his bones, instantly ignited.

This is big news!

Huge news!

Shen Jinghong had just finished her "righteous act of sacrificing family ties" and left when this woman, who looked like she stepped out of a magazine, came knocking on her door.

Look at this jeep, look at this license plate, is it something an ordinary person can ride in?

"Everyone, come out and see! Someone's looking for Jinghong!"

Yan Bugui's shout was like a depth charge dropped on a calm lake.

"Splash—"

The neighbors, who had been so frightened by the guards' arrest that they had stayed indoors, were now all drawn out by this strong desire for gossip.

The window was pushed open, and the curtain was lifted.

One by one, heads emerged from the darkness, and dozens of eyes, like searchlights, all focused on Lin Qinghan.

Immediately following was a series of synchronized inhalations.

"hiss--"

"My goodness! Whose daughter is this? She's so beautiful!"

"Look at that figure, look at that outfit, isn't that a Lenin suit? I've never seen such good material in a department store!"

"She's not just pretty, she's like a fairy descended from heaven! She's even more beautiful than that actress we saw at the outdoor movie the other day!"

The older women whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy.

The men stared in disbelief, some even forgetting that the cigarettes in their hands had burned their fingers.

Lin Qinghan stood there, like a bright pearl that had fallen into a pile of coal.

The scholarly air she possessed, cultivated through higher education, and the aloofness and rigor she developed from long-term work in confidential matters, formed a stark contrast with the bustling, mundane atmosphere of the courtyard house.

This contrast is an invisible form of crushing.

"This girl is looking for Shen Jinghong? No way! What has that Jinghong done to deserve this?"

"That's right, Liu Cuihua just said he was washing dishes in America. How could washing dishes meet such important people?"

The murmurs grew louder and louder, like a swarm of flies buzzing around.

Lin Qinghan frowned slightly.

She disliked being treated like a monkey, and she disliked even more the contemptuous tone these people used when mentioning Shen Jinghong.

Just then, someone secretly poked a hole in the paper window of the main room.

Liu Cuihua was hiding behind the window, her eyes fixed on Lin Qinghan outside, her eyes almost red.

She may lack knowledge, but she's not blind.

The jeep parked at the door, the suitcase the woman was carrying, and the air of wealth emanating from her all clearly told her one fact—this woman was rich, powerful, and had a close relationship with Shen Jinghong!

"My goodness..."

Liu Cuihua slapped her thigh, regretting it so much she felt like her guts were turning green.

When Shen Jinghong left, she was relieved to have gotten rid of a burden and was smug about getting five hundred yuan.

But now it seems she lost the big picture for a small gain!

If the family ties hadn't been severed, and if Shen Jinghong were still in this family, wouldn't this woman be her daughter-in-law? Wouldn't that jeep belong to the Shen family? And all those valuables in that suitcase…

"What a tragedy! What a tragedy!"

Liu Cuihua beat her chest and stamped her feet, her heartache a hundred times stronger than when she saw Shen Yaozu being arrested.

"Old man, tell me... is it too late for us to go out and apologize now, saying that the letter severing ties was a joke?"

Shen Dayong, who was squatting in the corner smoking in silence, rolled his eyes upon hearing this and cursed irritably:

"Keep dreaming! The soldier just had a gun pointed at your head, and you dare to go out? Go ahead if you want, but I still want my old life!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Cuihua collapsed onto the kang like a deflated balloon, only able to stare longingly at the "golden phoenix" outside. Her heart ached with bitterness, as if she had drunk two jin of aged vinegar.

The atmosphere in the courtyard was somewhat awkward.

Lin Qinghan was annoyed by the stares of this group of people and was just about to ask about Shen Jinghong's whereabouts.

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze wafted over.

The curtain of the west wing was lifted, and Qin Huaihua swayed her hips as she walked out.

She had been observing from the shadows the whole time.

As the undisputed "courtyard beauty" of this siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), Qin Huaihua was always quite confident in her looks. With these assets, she navigated the men's world with ease, even managing to charm an honest man like Sha Zhu.

She had originally planned to try and win over Shen Jinghong once things calmed down. After all, he was a returned overseas student; even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse, and she could still squeeze some profit out of him.

But now, Lin Qinghan has appeared.

Looking at the woman standing under the streetlight, as aloof and noble as a white swan, Qin Huaihua felt a surge of sourness and jealousy that grew wildly like weeds.

That was a complete and utter crushing defeat.

Whether it's looks, temperament, or the clothes she's wearing, she's completely outshone.

This intense sense of crisis made her restless.

"If she were to enter the family, where would I, Qin Huaihua, have a place in this courtyard?"

Qin Huaihua gritted her teeth, tidied the stray hairs at her temples, put on her signature smile that seemed warm but actually hid a knife, and took small steps to meet her.

"Oh my, where did this young lady come from?"

As she walked, she greeted people in a deliberately friendly manner, her voice so sweet it gave me goosebumps:

"Why are you standing here alone in the wind so late? It's quite cold. I'm your neighbor in this courtyard, and also Jinghong's sister-in-law."

Qin Huaihua walked up to Lin Qinghan, her peach blossom eyes scanning him up and down with a scrutinizing and critical look, before finally settling on the leather suitcase in Lin Qinghan's hand.

"Looking for Jinghong, right? Oh dear, what bad luck, he just went out on an urgent matter."

She reached out, her hand, painted with cheap nail polish, and naturally reached for Lin Qinghan's arm, while her other hand followed suit, reaching for the suitcase.

"This box looks quite heavy. It must be tiring for you to carry it, little sister. Come on, let me help you carry it. Go inside and sit for a while, have some hot water and wait patiently."

This isn't helping; it's clearly an attempt to steal the prize.

Once the box is in her hands, once the person enters her house, how will the relationship be discussed afterward? It will all depend on her word.

The neighbors were all dumbfounded.

These flowers from Qinhuai are incredibly audacious!

Lin Qinghan's brow twitched violently as she looked at the hand extended in front of her.

She has obsessive-compulsive disorder related to cleanliness.

It's not just physical, but also psychological.

The woman in front of her, though smiling, revealed a greedy and calculating glint in her eyes, along with an undeniable air of worldliness that made her feel physically uncomfortable.

It was like a fly trying to land on a pure white lily.

"Don't touch me."

Lin Qinghan took a half step back, her voice as cold as if she had been pulled out of an ice cellar.

Those eyes hidden behind the glasses suddenly burst forth with a sharp killing intent, piercing straight into Qin Huaihua's eyes.

"besides."

She stared at Qin Huaihua's heavily made-up face and said, word by word:

"Take your dirty hands off."