The Courtyard House: The story begins with He Yuzhu beating up the White Widow.

He Daqing asked, "Are you repairing your house over there?!"

He Yuzhu replied, "I just checked. Although no one has lived here for a long time, the house structure is still pretty good. I'll have Uncle Liu flip the tiles later. Nothing else needs fixing. We can fix it after I get married."

Zhao Shufen returned home and began packing. She quickly finished packing the bedding and clothes. Then, she heated up the leftover steamed buns from yesterday, ate a simple meal with some pickled mustard greens, and continued cleaning the house. This time, Zhao Shufen conducted a thorough search, checking every corner and every floor tile. What she found, only Zhao Shufen herself knew.

While Zhao Shufen was busy packing her luggage, Yi Zhonghai was taken into the interrogation room. Indeed, after such a long and arduous battle of wits, the deaf old woman finally confessed. What she revealed sent chills down everyone's spine. The interrogation ended. The person in charge immediately placed the interrogation record in a file bag marked "Top Secret" and sent it to the highest level. The deaf old woman not only confessed to her mission as an undercover agent, but also revealed a shocking secret. It turned out that Lao Jia didn't die in an accident. Instead, Lao Jia had caught Yi Zhonghai red-handed and premeditatedly sent him to his death.

Yi Zhonghai initially thought he would at most be implicated and imprisoned for a few years before being released. However, when he entered the interrogation room and the police questioned him about Lao Jia, Yi Zhonghai was stunned. He thought he had been discreet, but he hadn't expected to be discovered. Faced with the truth, Yi Zhonghai's psychological defenses completely collapsed. He spilled everything, revealing everything. Not only that, Yi Zhonghai also mentioned things the deaf old woman hadn't said. In short, the two entered a vicious cycle of bickering.

The next morning, Zhao Shufen went to work on time as usual. Not long after, He Daqing, along with He Yuzhu and He Yushui, also left. At the alley entrance, He Daqing parted ways with the siblings. He Daqing went to the steel rolling mill, while He Yuzhu took He Yushui to the military control commission.

Upon arriving at the steel rolling mill, He Daqing and Zhao Shufen met up. They first went to the labor and personnel department, where He Daqing gave the head of the department some bribes. Zhao Shufen completed her resignation procedures, and He Daqing received his employment certificate. Afterwards, He Daqing spoke with the canteen manager and took Zhao Shufen to the military control commission. After completing the house transfer procedures, they left the commission. He Daqing found a secluded spot, took out the five hundred yuan he had prepared beforehand, along with the letter of introduction he had just obtained from the steel rolling mill, and handed them to Zhao Shufen, saying, "Be careful on the road. In the future, be sure to keep your eyes open when choosing a man. Don't get scammed again. Also, hide your money well. And when you get to your parents' place, don't forget to find yourself a job. A job is your backbone, and money is your confidence. As long as you have these two things, you can live a good life anywhere." With that, He Daqing didn't linger and headed towards the steel rolling mill.

Zhao Shufen watched He Daqing's retreating figure, sighed softly, put the money away, and hurriedly returned to the courtyard house.

Yang Ruihua, who was sitting on the porch chatting with Aunt Pang while picking vegetables, saw Zhao Shufen come in from outside and asked, "Shufen, didn't you go to work?!"

Zhao Shufen replied, "I quit my job. I came back to pack my things and prepare to go to Shandong Province to reunite with my parents." After saying that, Zhao Shufen was about to walk towards the Intermediate People's Court.

Yang Ruihua stopped Zhao Shufen and asked, "What's going to happen to the house now that you're leaving?!"

"I've sold the house!" Zhao Shufen said, quickly entering the courtyard. About twenty minutes later, Zhao Shufen emerged from the courtyard carrying her belongings on a simple carrying pole. After saying goodbye to her neighbors, Zhao Shufen walked out of the courtyard gate. At the gate, Zhao Shufen turned her head for one last look at the courtyard, then walked away without looking back.

As they watched Zhao Shufen's figure gradually disappear into the distance, the neighbors still began to discuss: "With Zhao Shufen gone, Jia Dongxu's plan has failed."

"Exactly! Who do you think Zhao Shufen sold the house to?!"

"It's not going to be sold to anyone, not even someone from our compound."

Yang Ruihua said, "That's not necessarily true. Zhao Shufen has treated He Yuzhu and his sister quite well. Maybe she'll sell the house to the He family for the sake of the two younger siblings."

"Old Yan's family has a point." The neighbors echoed in unison, and then began to talk about Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady in the backyard.

Zhao Shufen carried her luggage to the alley entrance, intending to find a waiter to take her to the train station, when she suddenly thought of Yi Zhonghai. Although Yi Zhonghai had deceived her for nearly twenty years, they still had some feelings for each other. After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Shufen carried her luggage to the entrance of the Military Control Commission.

He Yuzhu, who had just returned from grocery shopping, was taken aback when he saw Zhao Shufen and asked, "Aunt Zhao, what brings you here?!"

Zhao Shufen said, "I'm here to see Director Wu. I'd like him to pass on a message to Yi Zhonghai."

He Yuzhu said, "Aunt Zhao, let me take you inside!"

"Zhu Zi, what groceries did you buy today?" Before He Yuzhu even entered the gate of the Military Control Commission, Wu Jiangyong and Wang Xia came out from inside. He Yuzhu asked, "Director Wu, Yi Zhonghai's ex-wife is looking for you." After saying that, He Yuzhu stepped aside.

Wu Jiangyong walked up to Zhao Shufen and asked, "What do you need me for?!"

Zhao Shufen said, "I've found my parents. They're still alive. I've finished dealing with everything in Beijing and plan to go stay with them today. Could you please pass on a message to Yi Zhonghai for me? I hope he'll behave himself in the future and not bother me again."

Wu Jiangyong nodded silently and said, "I understand! I will definitely pass on your message."

"Thank you!" Zhao Shufen bowed to Wu Jiangyong, then carried her luggage away.

Watching Zhao Shufen's retreating figure, He Yuzhu felt uneasy. It's said that every pitiful person has something hateful about them. He Yuzhu only felt pity for Zhao Shufen.

After Zhao Shufen walked away, He Yuzhu came to his senses and looked at Wu Jiangyong and Wang Xia, saying, "Aunt Wang, I ran into a fishmonger on the way today. The fish looked pretty good, so I bought a few. I'll make soup with the fish heads and tails for lunch, and braise the middle section. The taste will definitely be amazing." With that, He Yuzhu picked up the groceries and dashed into the Military Control Commission.

Looking at He Yuzhu's retreating figure, Wu Jiangyong said, "That kid is really interesting."

Wang Xia said, "Old Wu, don't let his cheerful demeanor fool you. He's actually quite deep in thought!"

Wu Jiangyong asked, "Didn't his father come back?!"

Wang Xia sighed and said, "I'm back, but I haven't gotten over that knot in my heart yet." Then she urged, "Let's go! If we don't leave now, we'll be late for the meeting."