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

He Yuzhu scratched his head and said, "Sister Aiyi, why do I feel like Jia Zhangshi is acting like a landlord by renting the land to those who don't know their place?"

Wu Aiyi said, "Although this matter is not in accordance with regulations, most people turn a blind eye. If the people don't complain, the officials won't investigate. After all, this matter involves relatives, and many things are difficult to explain."

"That's true!" He Yuzhu agreed and followed Wu Aiyi to the Intermediate People's Court.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!" Wu Aiyi walked to the door of the Jia family's house and knocked on it.

Hearing the knock, Qin Huairu asked, "Who is it?!"

Wu Aiyi replied, "It's the Military Control Commission! Open the door."

Qin Huairu reluctantly opened the door and asked, "Comrade, what's the matter?!"

Wu Aiyi said, "I heard Jia Zhangshi is back. I came here specifically to see her." With that, Wu Aiyi pushed Qin Huairu aside and went inside. Jia Zhangshi, lying lifeless on the kang (heated brick bed), immediately feigned a wail upon hearing that it was someone from the Military Control Commission, crying, "Ouch! Ouch?! It hurts so much!"

Wu Aiyi walked into the inner room, looked at Jia Zhangshi, and asked, "How are you feeling now?!"

Jia Zhangshi half-opened her eyes and secretly sized up Wu Aiyi, saying, "Comrade, my legs hurt! My whole body aches!"

Wu Aiyi stared at Jia Zhangshi for a while, then reached out and pressed near Jia Zhangshi's wound. Having served as a battlefield medic, Wu Aiyi already sensed that Jia Zhangshi's injury wasn't as serious as she had initially thought. It wouldn't take a hundred days; a month or so of rest would be enough for recovery. Wu Aiyi said, "Jia Zhangshi, just take good care of yourself! I'll come to see you every week. Once you're better, go home as soon as possible."

When Jia Zhangshi heard Wu Aiyi tell her to go home early, she was furious! She cursed Wu Aiyi's ancestors in her mind. Actually, Jia Zhangshi's injury could have been avoided. But somewhere, she heard that getting injured meant she could go home. So when the rocks rolled down, Jia Zhangshi took the hit.

Seeing Jia Zhangshi's reaction, Wu Aiyi knew exactly what Jia Zhangshi was thinking. Without further ado, Wu Aiyi glanced at Qin Huairu and said, "Tomorrow morning, have your husband go to the Military Control Commission. We have something to tell him."

"Yes!" Qin Huairu responded, watching Wu Aiyi leave before immediately closing the door. Madam Jia sat up and glanced out the window. Seeing Wu Aiyi had already exited through the gate, Madam Jia breathed a sigh of relief and glared at Qin Huairu, saying fiercely, "What are you still standing there for?! Hurry up and cook! Do you want me to starve to death?!"

Including today, this was the second time Qin Huairu had seen Jia Zhangshi. Although she hadn't known Jia Zhangshi for long, Qin Huairu had learned a great deal about her from the neighbors. In this era where reputation was paramount, Qin Huairu knew very well that it was better to submit to Jia Zhangshi and let her already bad reputation worsen than to confront her and ruin her own.

Qin Huairu heated up the four leftover steamed buns from lunch, sliced ​​a pickled mustard green, and brought them to the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), saying, "Mom, dinner's ready!"

Lying in bed pretending to be asleep, Jia Zhangshi opened her eyes upon hearing the word "eat." Seeing the steamed buns and pickled mustard greens Qin Huairu was holding, her face immediately fell, and she roared, "You're letting me eat this?!"

Qin Huairu feigned a wronged expression and said, "Mom! Eat something first. When Dongxu comes back, tell him what you want to eat and he'll buy it for you."

"Hmph!" Madam Jia glanced at Qin Huairu's slightly protruding belly, gave a soft snort, gestured for Qin Huairu to put the food on the kang (heated brick bed), and then asked, "How many months pregnant are you?!"

Qin Huairu replied, "It's been over six months, almost seven months."

As Jia Zhangshi picked up a steamed bun made from two kinds of dough, she said, "Let me tell you! Our Jia family is a prestigious and wealthy family, unlike those humble families. You must give me a grandson this time. Otherwise, I'll have my son divorce you!" Jia Zhangshi was probably really hungry, because as soon as she finished speaking, she began to wolf down the buns. In the blink of an eye, all four buns, along with the pickled mustard greens, were gone.

Madam Jia, looking at Qin Huairu with a lingering sense of satisfaction, said, "What are you still standing there for?! Hurry up and prepare dinner! Do you want my son to starve to death?!"

Although Qin Huairu already knew that Jia Zhangshi was difficult to deal with, she didn't expect Jia Zhangshi to be even more shrewish than the shrewes in their village. She was unreasonable and unforgiving, capable of turning the world upside down.

Qin Huairu obediently took the basin, walked to the rice bin, scooped out four bowls of mixed flour, and began kneading the dough. Just as Qin Huairu finished kneading the dough and set it aside to rest, Jia Dongxu ran back.

As soon as Jia Dongxu entered, he ran into the inner room, saw Jia Zhangshi, and exclaimed, "Mom, you're really back?!"

When Jia Zhangshi saw her son return, she began to wail loudly. She recounted her ordeal inside to Jia Dongxu. After crying for a while, Jia Zhangshi got to the point: "Dongxu! Life inside was absolutely unbearable. I never want to go back now that I'm out. Please help me think of a way!"

Jia Dongxu said with a troubled expression, "Mom! It's not that I don't want to help you, but I'm really powerless to do so! I've been implicated by Yi Zhonghai, and now I can't even work as a fitter anymore. I've been reassigned to the forging workshop to swing a sledgehammer."

Madam Jia pressed on, "Then who is your master now?!"

Jia Dongxu gave a wry smile and said, "Master?! Who would be willing to teach me now!"

Jia Zhangshi said, "You're in the forging workshop right now. Why aren't you going to find Liu Haizhong?!"

Jia Dongxu said, "Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai have never gotten along. Now that Yi Zhonghai is finished, he's probably overjoyed! Why would he want to be my mentor?!"

"What a tragedy!" Madam Jia wailed, turning to Qin Huairu standing to the side, and roared, "It's all your fault, you jinx! You've ruined our family so badly!"

Qin Huairu was stunned! She never expected that a perfectly peaceful conversation between mother and son would so unexpectedly escalate into a conflict right in her own home. Qin Huairu felt like she had swallowed a bitter pill, unable to express her grievances. Just then, a rich aroma wafted into the Jia family's house. Jia Zhangshi smelled the aroma and couldn't help but mutter, "Who's cooking meat?!"

Jia Dongxu replied, "Who else could it be?! The He family!"

Madam Jia muttered, "The He family really has no manners! They made meat and didn't even bring me a bowl to nourish myself?!" Then, a plan formed in her mind, and she said to Qin Huairu, "Go to their house and ask them for some meat for me!"