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

He put down his chopsticks, stood up, and said, "Rain, you eat first, I'll go get some food."

He Yushui was taken aback for a moment, then looked a little embarrassed, "Big brother, this is all the food we have at home, there's really nothing else..."

"Hehe, I brought these back myself, they're in my bag." He Yubing took out his backpack, pulled out a few eggs, and then found a small oil bottle.

I went to the stove, lit the fire, and poured a little oil into the pan. Once the oil was hot, with a sizzle, three golden poached eggs were released. The rich aroma of eggs mixed with the fragrance of oil instantly filled the entire house, then relentlessly wafted out into the yard.

The aroma was an irresistible temptation for a stomach that had been chronically deprived of oil and fat. Immediately, the wailing of the ungrateful little boy, Bang Geng, came from across the street at the Jia family's house: "Eggs! I want eggs! Mom! I want fried eggs!" This was followed by Jia Zhangshi's incoherent cursing.

He Yushui's throat bobbed instinctively as she swallowed hard. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten an egg, let alone fried one. In those days, each person was only rationed two ounces of cooking oil per month, and every household was reluctant to use oil when cooking, saving it up for the New Year to use more. Therefore, the oil in her stomach was usually completely depleted.

He Yubing secretly added some spiritual spring water to the eggs. He needed to replenish his sister's nutrition as soon as possible; her body was too frail. In particular, glancing at Yushui's flat chest, he muttered to himself that he had to stand up quickly, otherwise he wouldn't be able to find a good partner in the future.

Three poached eggs were placed on a plate and pushed in front of He Yushui. "Little sister, you're still growing, eat all of these."

He Yushui looked at the eggs in front of her, her mouth watering, but she still politely looked at her older brother and said, "Brother, you eat some too. One is enough for me..."

"Just eat what I tell you to eat! Don't worry, my monthly ration is more than enough for us to live a life of luxury. From now on, I'll find you some delicious food every day to nourish your body."

Under He Yubing's commanding tone, He Yushui finally picked up her chopsticks and, no longer caring about being reserved, began to wolf down her food. Three poached eggs were gone in the blink of an eye, and she even wiped the oily soup off the plate with a cornbread roll.

Seeing that she still seemed to want more, He Yubing smiled and said, "I'll get a chicken for you tonight and make you chicken soup."

The brother and sister chatted and laughed for a while longer, then He Yuzhu rushed back in a flurry, "Big brother, I've got the leave! Where are we going now?"

"You'll see when we get there." He Yubing stood up, told He Yushui to watch the house, and then left the hospital with Shazhu.

He Yubing led Sha Zhu through several streets and arrived at the nearby post office. Upon entering, they went straight to the counter and presented He Yubing's retired military officer certificate.

Upon seeing that he was a regimental-level officer, the staff immediately became more welcoming, asking, "Comrade, how can I help you?"

"Could you please help me check if there are any letters or money orders mailed from Baocheng since 1952, addressed to He Yuzhu of the courtyard house at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang?"

Standing to the side, He Yuzhu heard the words "Baocheng" and "remittance," and a thought flashed through his mind, instantly understanding his elder brother's intention. In his previous life, after He Daqing returned, he did mention the living expenses, but somehow, Yi Zhonghai and He Daqing both said that Yi Zhonghai was holding onto the money and would give it to him after his marriage. Plus, Qin Huairu had smoothed things over at the time, so although he still had many unexplained doubts, he didn't think too deeply about it.

Seeing my brother come to the post office to check the records now fills me with rage. It turns out that Yi Zhonghai really is a culprit! My brother never fights a battle he's not sure of winning, so it seems that his living expenses have probably been embezzled by Yi Zhonghai.

The staff behind the counter didn't dare to delay and immediately began searching through the thick registers and stubs. The post office keeps relatively complete records of these kinds of letters involving money.

"Comrade, we've found it. From the beginning of 1952 until the end of last year, there was a remittance from Baocheng almost every month, to He Yuzhu, at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang. The remitter's name was He Daqing. The amount was ten yuan per month. In addition, there are some letters registered from Baocheng, also to He Yuzhu."

"Yi Zhonghai!" Sha Zhu's eyes were red. Of course, he also felt utterly humiliated. He never imagined that after two lifetimes, he would only see the true face of this old widower today! He had treated Yi Zhonghai as his most respected elder, yet he had embezzled his sister's living expenses, watching him and his sister eat cornbread every day, and then, with a sanctimonious air, told him the Jia family was struggling and he should help them. Help my ass!

He Yubing, too lazy to pay attention to this crazy idiot, pointed at him and said to the staff, "Comrades, this is my younger brother, He Yuzhu. In 1951, I joined the army and went to fight in the Korean War, so he was the one who received the letters and money that my father, He Daqing, sent from Baocheng. But when I returned from my military service this time, I learned that he had never received any money or letters. Can you give me a reasonable explanation?"

Impossible! The staff were now in an uproar. They hadn't received anything in nearly ten years. If this were true, it would be a major postal error, especially since it involved Korean War officers and their families. That would be a huge mess, and the entire post office would be in serious trouble.

The staff member quickly took out the receipt and pointed to the signature on it for He Yubing to see. "Comrade, look, there's a receipt record here. It's Comrade He Yuzhu's signature. Our procedures are compliant. You can't just say things like that."

He Yubing didn't even look at it, and directly pulled Sha Zhu over, "Take a look for yourself, is this your handwriting?"

Sha Zhu leaned closer to take a look and immediately became so angry that he trembled all over. He grabbed the pen from the counter and scribbled his name on the blank space of the reply slip.

"Look for yourselves! Is this my handwriting? This is clearly a forger's signature!"

The difference was obvious when compared side-by-side. Sweat beaded on the staff member's forehead. "This..." Knowing this was beyond his control, he said, "Comrade, please wait a moment, I'll go get my supervisor!"

He hurriedly ran into the inner office. A moment later, a man who looked to be in his fifties, resembling an official, came out quickly, his face also showing panic. He was the postmaster of this post office, surnamed Wang.

When Director Wang saw that a large crowd had gathered outside to watch the commotion, and also noticed He Yubing's military uniform, he secretly groaned. The atmosphere was too tense these days. If the onlookers caused trouble, coupled with the matter of the officers here, it would be a small matter if he, as the director, couldn't protect himself; being criticized and demoted would be truly terrible.

He quickly stepped forward, his face ingratiating, "Comrade, I am the director here. There are too many people around, it's not convenient to talk here. Would you please come to my office inside to discuss this in detail? We will definitely investigate thoroughly and give you an explanation."

He Yubing glanced at the growing crowd around him and understood Director Wang's concerns. He was mainly there to obtain evidence and didn't want to make a big fuss. Besides, he had other plans, so naturally he wanted to maintain a good relationship with the post office.

"Okay." He Yubing nodded. "Let's go inside and talk."