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

Yan Bugui's face changed instantly when he heard Yan Jiefang ask him for money. Before Yan Bugui could speak, Yang Ruihua questioned, "You're contributing to the family. How can you ask for money?!"

Yan Jiefang said, "Dad, my brother and I were spreading rumors about He Yuzhu at your behest. If you're unwilling to pay, and you get arrested and taken to the police station, He Yuzhu will definitely demand compensation from you. It won't be something that can be settled with just ten or twenty yuan. You just said that if you get arrested, you'll definitely be expelled from school. I don't know the exact amount of our family's annual income, but it's probably around 240 yuan. Based on our family's monthly living expenses of three yuan per person, that's 12 yuan a month, 144 yuan a year. With your abilities, you can save at least 100 yuan a year. I don't need more, just give me 100 yuan. I'll accept this. Even if He Yuzhu kills or tortures me, I won't tell you or Mom."

Yang Ruihua asked, "Jiefang, do you even know how much a hundred yuan is?! You dare to ask for it?!"

Yan Jiefang said, "If you dare to give it to me, I dare to take it."

Yan Bugui said, "Liberation, one hundred yuan is indeed too much. How about we make a deal? I'll give you one yuan, what do you say?!"

Yan Jiefang said, "Dad, I'm not discussing this with you, I'm informing you. If you're willing to give it, I'll take responsibility. If you're not, then we'll part ways."

Yan Jiecheng's eyes darted around, and he said, "Dad, how about I take the blame?! Fifty yuan is enough for you."

Yan Jiefang's expression changed slightly when he saw Yan Jiecheng appear. However, he quickly regained his composure and said, "Brother, you need to think this through. If you take the blame, you'll have a criminal record. It will affect your future job search and marriage. Is it worth ruining your life for fifty yuan?!"

Yan Jiecheng was immediately frightened.

Seeing Yan Jiecheng's reaction, Yan Jiefang laughed and looked at Yan Bugui again.

Yan Bugui said, "One hundred yuan is too much. I'll give you ten yuan at most."

Yan Jiefang shook his head and said, "If you don't agree to my demands, you can carry it yourself!"

Yan Bugui's eyes darted around, and he said with a smile, "Okay! I agree! But I don't have that much money right now. Let's put it on a tab!"

Yan Jiefang said, "One hundred yuan for immediate payment. If you don't want to pay immediately, the interest will be calculated based on nine-tenths of the original amount."

Upon hearing "nine out, thirteen back," Yan Bugui suddenly felt an urge to vomit blood. He asked, "Jiefang, who did you learn this from?!"

Yan Jiefang replied with a smile, "Dad! This is called the student surpassing the master. Who told me to be your son?!"

Yan Bugui was dumbfounded. Yang Ruihua interjected, "Jiefang, since you're so insistent on settling accounts with us, then let's settle everything." He then said to Yan Bugui, "Old Yan, bring out our family's account books."

Yan Bugui instantly understood his wife's meaning, went to the inner room, and brought out a stack of account books. After sitting down, Yan Bugui handed the account book with Yan Jiefang's name on it to Yan Jiefang, saying, "This is a list of all the money spent on you since you were born." Then Yan Bugui opened the master ledger, found Yan Jiefang's name, and said, "As of today, you owe me a total of 372 yuan and 58 fen."

Yan Jiefang was dumbfounded and asked, "I don't think I spent that much money!"

Yan Bugui said, "Your mother suffered greatly giving birth to you. Charging you two hundred yuan for childbirth is not too much. There's also the feeding fee, ten yuan a month. Your mother breastfed you for ten months, which is a total of one hundred yuan. The rest is the money you've spent since you weaned."

Yan Jiecheng, who had been sitting silently to the side, suddenly asked, "Dad! Do you have my account book too?!"

Yan Bugui said with a smile, "I've been keeping track of your children's finances ever since your mother became pregnant with you three brothers. The reason I kept track of your finances was because I was afraid that if you had more brothers later, people would say that your mother and I were being biased."

Yan Jiefang quickly considered the matter and said, "It's fine for me to take the blame. This debt is now wiped clean."

Yan Bugui said with some reluctance, "I can wipe the slate clean before today. After today, we'll settle the score again."

Before Yan Jiefang could speak, Yan Jiecheng interjected, "Dad, don't you feel guilty keeping accounts for us?!"

Yan Bugui replied with a smile, "Don't forget our family motto! You won't go poor from eating or dressing, but you will if you don't plan ahead. If you don't want to be poor your whole life, you have to learn to plan."

Yan Jiefang sighed, resigned to his fate. He downed the cornmeal porridge in his bowl in one gulp, then turned and left the living room.

After Yan Jiefang left, Yan Jiecheng said, "Dad! You need to settle my accounts too! Otherwise, I won't support you in your old age!"

Yan Bugui laughed and said, "You won't support your mother and me in our old age. We still have Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang. There are so many people in the family, we won't miss you."

Yan Jiecheng snorted, finished the cornmeal porridge in his bowl in one gulp, then picked up two strips of pickled mustard greens and stuffed them into his mouth before hurriedly leaving.

Yan Bugui watched Yan Jiecheng's retreating figure and muttered with a smile, "Trying to fight me?! You're still too green!"

Yang Ruihua said, "Old Yan, we really owe you a debt of gratitude for this."

Yan Bugui smiled and said, "Let's eat! Eat it while it's hot." After saying that, Yan Bugui picked up the bowl and sipped it slowly, as if it were Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Every now and then, he would make a series of sounds of ecstasy.

It was five o'clock in the afternoon. He Yuzhu had just turned into the alley where No. 95 courtyard was located when Yan Jiefang suddenly jumped out from the side and blocked his way. He Yuzhu braked his bicycle and asked, "Yan Jiefang, what do you mean by this?!"

Yan Jiefang stammered, "Brother Zhu, I'm here to apologize to you. I was the one who spread those rumors about you."

He Yuzhu sized up Yan Jiefang and said, "You're really pathetic! Your family has pushed you out as a shield." Then he asked, "Aren't you feeling extremely unhappy right now?!"

After a few seconds, seeing that Yan Jiefang didn't react, He Yuzhu continued, "Go back and tell your father that you can let this matter go, but you must apologize to me in front of the entire hospital and compensate me for my losses."

When Yan Jiefang heard He Yuzhu ask him about the losses, he panicked. Yan Jiefang said, "I have no money! But I can take your life."

He Yuzhu said, "Since you're unwilling to pay, then we'll have to go through the proper channels. Don't blame me later!"

Yan Jiefang thought for a moment and asked, "How much compensation do you want from us?!"

He Yuzhu said, "I'm magnanimous. I'll make your father pay two hundred. Also, make him apologize to me in front of the whole hospital."

Yan Jiefang said, "You're asking for two hundred yuan just for spreading a few rumors. Isn't that a bit too much?!"

He Yuzhu said, "It's fine if you don't want to give it to me! I won't force you!"