The Courtyard House: He Yuzhu Returns with Boundless Hatred for Revenge

It turned out that the old man had known about his scheming all these years. Yi Zhonghai thought to himself, "What bullshit about sincerity? If I were sincere, why would I need Sha Zhu? I could just go and spend money to support the Jia family! This old man just wants to curry favor with Sha Zhu and get a better share of the good stuff."

He thought this in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face, still appearing humble and eager to learn.

The old lady picked up her teacup, took a sip, and continued, "Jia Dongxu seems filial now, a good prospect for old age. But his mother... Hmph, you know better than I what kind of person Jia Zhangshi is. With her stirring things up behind the scenes, how much of Dongxu's own will he have? No matter how filial Jia Dongxu is, he can't withstand having such a mother. You've placed all your bets on Jia Dongxu alone. What if something happens to him in the future? What if his mother causes trouble, or something happens to him? Wouldn't your hopes for old age be completely gone?"

Yi Zhonghai was startled. He hadn't considered this question at all. All these years, he had devoted himself to cultivating Jia Dongxu, precisely because he valued his honesty, obedience, and filial piety. But the old lady's words also made sense; what if something really happened? Wouldn't all his efforts have been in vain?

"So, you need to have a backup plan." The old lady looked at Yi Zhonghai. "Sha Zhu is the best backup plan for retirement. This kid has excellent cooking skills and a straightforward personality. As long as you treat him sincerely, he will definitely remember your kindness. You should keep working on both sides. Continue to cultivate Jia Dongxu, and don't slack off on Sha Zhu either. No matter who succeeds in the future, you won't be at a disadvantage. This is the safest approach."

Yi Zhonghai found it increasingly reasonable. Yes, you can't put all your eggs in one basket. Wouldn't it be safer if both people could support themselves in their old age?

"Grandma, you're right. But you didn't see the way this kid acted today; he was completely ruthless! I'm afraid if I soften my stance now, he'll take advantage of me even more."

"What's the rush?" The deaf old woman said, her eyelids drooping. "He's in a bad mood right now. If you confront him head-on, you'll only end up hurt. Let him cool off for a few days, until his anger subsides, then have your husband, or I, find a reason to talk things over. People are all human; he might not have forgotten all the good things you did for him before."

"The old lady is right." Yi Zhonghai nodded. "I understand."

"Good that you understand." The old lady waved her hand. "Go back and think carefully about how to handle this. Remember, you have to be genuine with Sha Zhu. Don't always try to get something for nothing. You still have to spend the money that needs to be spent and give him the benefits that are due. Only then will he truly follow you."

"Yes, yes, I understand." Yi Zhonghai stood up. "Then I won't disturb the old lady's rest any longer."

Yi Zhonghai emerged from the deaf old woman's house, a chilly night wind sending a shiver through him. The old woman's words echoed in his mind. Sincere towards He Yuzhu? He subconsciously touched his pocket, as if he could feel his hard-earned retirement savings. To have to subsidize the Jia family with his own money? That would hurt more than cutting off a piece of his own flesh!

Besides, how much does it cost to feed those few mouths in the Jia family every month? His monthly salary is high, but it can't keep up with that kind of spending. Just think of that fat old woman, Jia Zhangshi, who weighs almost 200 pounds and eats five meals a day—it's terrifying. If Sha Zhu continues to help the Jia family, he only needs to give them a token amount occasionally; that's the most cost-effective way.

No, we can't let this go! Years of scheming have almost secured He Yuzhu's loyalty to the Jia family, ensuring his retirement. How can we let this momentary resistance ruin everything? We must suppress his evil spirit! A general meeting of the entire household! Yes, a general meeting of the entire household is necessary! If the three elders unite, plus the pressure from everyone else in the household, how can He Yuzhu possibly cause trouble? I refuse to believe that He Yuzhu would dare defy the world and become an enemy of the entire household!

Yi Zhonghai thought about it more and more and felt that this method was better. He decided to invite Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui to his home for dinner after get off work tomorrow to discuss how to hold this hospital-wide meeting.

Thinking of this, Yi Zhonghai felt much more relaxed. He hummed a little tune as he went home.

An older woman was tidying up the house when she saw Yi Zhonghai return. She asked, "What did the old lady say?"

"The old lady told me to be sincere with Sha Zhu." Yi Zhonghai took off his coat. "But I have a better way."

"What method?"

"Go buy some good food tomorrow. I'm inviting Lao Liu and Lao Yan over for dinner." Yi Zhonghai sat down on the edge of the bed. "We need to have a good talk and hold a hospital-wide meeting to put that idiot Zhu's arrogance to rest."

The older woman nodded and didn't ask any more questions. She knew she couldn't control these things; it was enough that Old Yi understood.

On the other side, He Yuzhu lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into that space.

The space was small, about ten square meters, and gloomy, with what seemed like invisible walls surrounding it. The spring in the middle was still bubbling up clear, cool water, radiating an amazing, vibrant energy.

He tried to concentrate and imagine his body entering the space. However, he failed several times. His consciousness could clearly see everything in the space, and he could even manipulate the objects inside, such as moving the spare kitchen knife that he had casually put in there earlier that day from one corner to another, but his physical body was as if nailed to the bed in reality, unable to move an inch.

He then tried to store an enamel mug next to his pillow. With a thought, the mug vanished from beside the pillow and reappeared on the floor. With another thought, it returned to its original position. Indeed, it could only store inanimate objects.

He Yuzhu understood, but also felt somewhat helpless. It seemed this space was more like a portable storage warehouse and a resource point with a magical spring, not a place where he could physically enter to escape danger. This undoubtedly forced him to shelve some of his more radical ideas, such as simply causing certain people to disappear unexpectedly.

He had originally thought that if his physical body could enter this space, many things would be much easier to handle.

But now it seems that although this space is very useful, it is far from as miraculous as he had imagined.

He Yuzhu opened his eyes and stared at the roof.

The limitations of this space meant that his revenge plan had to be much more cautious. Although his physical abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people after his rebirth, he couldn't possibly be strong enough to dodge bullets.

In this era, once something goes wrong and an investigation begins, even if he has a space to hide evidence, he cannot hide in that space himself. Facing the power of the government, the risks are still extremely high. He might end up getting himself killed instead of seeking revenge.

Since Heaven has given him a second chance at life, he should naturally live it to the fullest. He should marry and have children to continue the He family line, and let his younger sister study hard so that she can marry into a good family and have a bright future. These are all things that should be done.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "I can't risk my life for a moment's pleasure. Fine, let these beasts suffer a fate worse than death, slowly tormented; that's more satisfying than a quick and clean end!"