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

Madam Jia pouted, thinking to herself, "What a coward!" Then she replied aloud, "Dongxu, don't worry! I won't go looking for the immortal!"

The next morning, everyone in courtyard number 95 who was supposed to go to work went to work, and everyone who was supposed to go grocery shopping went to buy groceries. Jia Zhangshi leaned against the windowsill, peered outside, and then limped out of her house. About twenty minutes later, Jia Zhangshi arrived at the gate of a large, crowded courtyard. Seeing no one at the gate, she immediately went inside. Soon, Jia Zhangshi reached the door of the west wing of the back courtyard. She knocked on the door and asked, "Is Sister Gu home?!"

"Who is it?!" A moment later, the door opened. A dark-skinned, hunched-over old woman came out. She paused for a few seconds upon seeing Jia Zhangshi, then asked, "What do you want with me?!"

Jia Zhangshi said, "Sister Gu, I have come to ask you for a favor."

The old lady looked behind Jia Zhangshi and said, "I stopped doing that kind of work a long time ago. You should find someone else!" With that, the old lady was about to close the door.

Jia Zhangshi immediately blocked the door and said, "Sister Gu, we've known each other for a long time. You can't just stand by and watch me die, can you?! Don't worry! I'm tight-lipped! I would never betray you."

The old lady thought for a moment, sighed, and said, "Alright then! But filial piety must not be neglected!"

"I understand!" After saying that, Madam Jia followed the old lady into the house and closed the door behind her.

The old lady gestured for Jia Zhangshi to sit down and asked, "What do you want me to do?!"

Jia Zhangshi said, "Please help me calculate my family's fortune." Then Jia Zhangshi told the old lady Jia Dongxu's birth date and time.

The old lady pretended to do some calculations and said, "Your son's name, combined with his destiny, indicates a life of great wealth and honor. Unfortunately, even with his strong masculine energy, it can't overcome the abundance of water around him. Too much water has washed away all his wealth and fortune."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi was startled: "It's true! There are quite a few names with the character 'water' in them in the courtyard. Guanghai has two names, Yu has two, and his wife's name even has 'Huai' in it." The more Jia Zhangshi thought about it, the more she felt her son had been tricked by the people in the courtyard. Jia Zhangshi hurriedly asked, "Sister Gu, is there any way to resolve this?!"

The old lady glanced at Jia Zhangshi but remained silent. Jia Zhangshi, understanding the implication, took out two yuan from her pocket and handed it over. The old lady shook her head. Jia Zhangshi steeled herself and took out three more yuan, bringing the total to five. The old lady took the money and said, "There's only one way to break this curse: stay away from places with lots of water. But your son is cursed and can't live without water." The old lady then looked Jia Zhangshi up and down and continued, "Your son's first child is crucial. It must be a boy. If it's a boy, his name must contain the element of wood. Wood strengthens water and brings prosperity…"

After hearing the old lady's words, Madam Jia Zhang began to make plans.

Seeing that the time was right, the old lady gave the order to leave. Jia Zhangshi paid two more dollars before leaving in high spirits.

After finding a restaurant outside and having a special meal to replenish her energy, Jia Zhangshi returned home and stared intently at Qin Huairu's belly. Qin Huairu felt a chill run down her spine under Jia Zhangshi's gaze and asked in a trembling voice, "Mom, what are you looking at?!"

Madam Jia glared at Qin Huairu and said, "Let me tell you! You have to give me a big, fat grandson this time. If you can't give me a grandson, I'll have my son divorce you!"

Qin Huairu was somewhat confused by Jia Zhangshi's words. After a few seconds, Qin Huairu said, "Mom, don't worry! The greatest skill of the Qin family's daughters is bearing sons."

"That's for the best!" Jia Zhangshi replied, then limped into the inner room, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and began to lie down.

Qin Huairu frowned deeply as she looked at Jia Zhangshi lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). Although Qin Huairu had only known Jia Zhangshi for a few months, she knew that Jia Zhangshi was not as simple as she appeared. There were things she could hide from Jia Dongxu, but not necessarily from Jia Zhangshi. The child had to be born, but even if it was, she had to maximize her own interests. At least she had to make Jia Zhangshi take the blame.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. That noon, Qin Huairu was just preparing lunch when she suddenly felt her stomach begin to move. Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat, thinking, "Am I about to give birth?!" Just then, Jia Zhangshi's questioning voice rang out, "Qin Huairu, is lunch ready?!"

Despite the pain, Qin Huairu replied, "Mom! I'm already doing it. It'll be done soon!"

After waiting a while, seeing that Qin Huairu hadn't called her for dinner, Jia Zhangshi urged, "Is it ready yet?!"

"Almost there! Almost there!" Qin Huairu unconsciously quickened her pace.

After a while, Jia Zhangshi still hadn't heard Qin Huairu call her for dinner, and she got up from the kang (a heated brick bed) somewhat impatiently. Walking to the stove, Jia Zhangshi saw Qin Huairu taking cornbread out of the steamer. Jia Zhangshi's face immediately showed displeasure, and she pushed Qin Huairu as if possessed.

Qin Huairu bumped into something to the side, then lay down on the ground, crying out, "Mom! My stomach hurts!"

Just as Jia Zhangshi picked up a steamed bun made of mixed flour, she heard Qin Huairu cry out in pain, and her face instantly changed. Jia Zhangshi roared, "Qin Huairu! Stop pretending! Get up right now!"

Ma Cuilan, who was washing things by the pool, heard Jia Zhangshi's shouts but initially didn't want to intervene. However, after not hearing Qin Huairu's response, Ma Cuilan became worried and went into the Jia family's house. She found Qin Huairu collapsed by the stove. Seeing this, Ma Cuilan said, "Jia Zhangshi! Your wife is not doing well! Take her to the hospital immediately! Do you want to kill her?!"

Upon hearing that someone was going to die, Jia Zhangshi was immediately startled. However, she was now stubborn and refused to admit defeat. She forced a smile and said, "Even if my daughter-in-law dies, she's still a member of the Jia family. What does it have to do with you?!"

"Jia Zhangshi, whether your daughter-in-law lives or dies is none of our business. But if someone dies, you won't get away with it either." After saying that, Ma Cuilan stopped meddling in the Jia family's affairs and went straight home.

After a while, Jia Zhangshi noticed that Qin Huairu's expression was becoming increasingly strange, and she grew frightened. Jia Zhangshi hurriedly ran out of the house, shouting, "Help! Someone save my wife!!"

Hearing the commotion, the plump aunt came to the middle courtyard and asked, "Jia Zhangshi, what are you howling about?!"

Seeing Aunt Pang, Jia Zhangshi cried out as if she were a lifeline, "My daughter-in-law is in trouble!"

"What?!" Aunt Pang was startled and ran into several houses. Seeing Qin Huairu lying on the ground, she rushed over. Seeing that Qin Huairu was still breathing, Aunt Pang patted Qin Huairu's face a few times and asked, "Qin Huairu, are you alright?!"