Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

It's been a month or so since my little cousin's one-month celebration, and Li Jiuzhou's wife, Fan Bingbing, is more than three months pregnant.

For the past three months, Li Jiuzhou has taken meticulous care of the household, doing all the chores he could.

My mother-in-law will come over to help out if she has nothing else to do; she doesn't feel at ease if there are no elders in the family.

The two younger brothers-in-law are very sensible. They often come to visit their older sister and help with things like fetching water for the family.

Life went on in this routine.

Nothing major happened in the courtyard, but can the courtyard at No. 95 remain peaceful?

Is everything calm now, or is it just the No. 95 courtyard?

The story goes back to the day when the Jia, Liu, and Yan families discussed holding a full-moon celebration together.

One sentence from Liu Haizhong that day aroused Tong Jie's suspicion. At first, she didn't think much of it, but as the matter of her postpartum period came to mind more and more often.

Now she doesn't even want Jia Dongxu to touch her anymore.

More than 40 days after giving birth, Jia Dongxu, that lecherous man, was itching to get in the car that very night.

But Tong Jie's mind drifted back to Liu Hai's words:

"And you, Jia Dongxu, you're nothing but a john!"

Tong Jie felt extremely irritated just thinking about Liu Haizhong's words, and said to Jia Dongxu:

"Go away, I'm annoyed..."

"Wife, what's wrong with me?" Jia Dongxu looked annoyed, wondering why his wife wouldn't let him touch her.

You used to be more proactive than me, what should I do?

Jia Dongxu assumed she hadn't recovered from childbirth, so he didn't say anything, covered her with a blanket, and put her to sleep.

Tong Jie stayed up most of the night, feeling that she couldn't get over this thorn in her heart unless it was resolved.

She decided to ask Liu Haizhong the next day why he said that that day.

The next morning, while Liu Haizhong's wife went out to buy groceries, Tong Jie went to the backyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, I saw Liu Haizhong wiping his bicycle, so I took two steps forward and asked:

"Uncle Liu, can I ask you something?"

Liu Haizhong saw Tong Jie as soon as she entered the backyard, but he didn't expect her to be looking for him.

Although he had a grudge against the Jia family, he had to be selective about who he was dealing with. Tong Jie hadn't had any conflicts with his family after marrying into the family, so he said in a neutral tone:

"Go ahead and ask."

Tong Jie paused, organized her thoughts, and then asked:

"Uncle Liu, you said at my house last time that Dongxu was a client of prostitutes. I'd like to ask you if you have any evidence to support that claim?"

After Tong Jie finished speaking, she stared intently into Liu Haizhong's eyes.

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong's heart skipped a beat, his eyes widened, and he dared not look Tong Jie in the eye. He could only feign composure, lowering his head to wipe the car, and said in a muffled voice:

"I was angry last time, Tong Jie, you know how it is. It's normal for people to say hurtful things when they're angry. Your mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, said even worse things."

"Really? Uncle Liu, you're not lying to me..." Tong Jie didn't believe Liu Haizhong's words.

Tong Jie noticed his shifty eyes just now, making it hard for her not to be suspicious.

The voice in the bangs suddenly became louder:

"Of course it's true."

"Do you know the specifics of what happened when Dongxu was beaten that night?" Tong Jie asked the crucial question.

Liu Haizhong's heart trembled violently: "I...how would I know? The person was brought back by Lao Yi, Sha Zhu, and Jiuzhou. You've asked the wrong person."

Tong Jie stared intently at Liu Haizhong with her sharp eyes, and after a few seconds she said:

"Okay, thank you, Uncle Liu."

Tong Jie turned and left after she finished speaking.

There's no need to guess anymore; there must have been something wrong with Jia Dongxu being beaten that night. She had a vague suspicion in her mind, but she still needed to find out the truth thoroughly, otherwise she would feel resentful.

Liu Haizhong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he watched Tong Jie's departing figure, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.

He secretly prayed in his heart, "Tong Jie, you can investigate all you want, but please don't drag me into it in the end!"

Just in case, Liu Haizhong decided to inform Jia Dongxu.

During his break at Lou's Steel Rolling Mill, Liu Haizhong called out Jia Dongxu from the workshop next door.

"Old Yi, what are you doing out here? I'm looking for Jia Dongxu." Liu Haizhong didn't expect Yi Zhonghai to come out as well.

Yi Zhonghai chuckled softly:

"What, is there some secret you're hiding?"

"Isn't that obvious? I must have a secret reason for seeking out your apprentice."

"this..."

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze. He hadn't expected Liu Haizhong to be so blunt. "Then I'll leave?"

It was Jia Dongxu who noticed his master's embarrassment and joked:

"Alright, Uncle Liu, my master isn't an outsider. Just say what you need to say."

"Let me make this clear first, I don't have any money to lend you."

Yi Zhonghai glanced at Jia Dongxu with satisfaction, a contented smile spreading across his face. He then took out cigarettes from his pocket and offered them to the two of them.

"Old Liu, just say what you need to talk to Dongxu about. It's like you two have done something shameful by hiding it from each other."

Liu Haiyang retorted irritably, "Damn it, we did something shady!"

"Old Yi, I'm telling you now, you have to listen whether you want to or not. If things get out of hand, you'll be the first one to pay with your life!"

"Cough cough cough..." Yi Zhonghai choked on the smoke, coughing repeatedly, his eyes filled with horror.

"Holy crap, you two aren't traitors, are you?"

"You're the traitor, your whole family are traitors!" Liu Haizhong looked around and cursed in a low voice.

"Master, let's hear what Master Liu has to say first, don't panic." Jia Dongxu remained calm.

"Hey, Lao Liu, just tell me straight, don't scare me, okay?" Yi Zhonghai sighed.

Dots in bangs:

"Jia Dongxu, you've been caught red-handed!"

He then recounted how his wife, Tong Jie, had gone to his house early that morning to question him.

Jia Dongxu's eyelids trembled after hearing this.

Yi Zhonghai never expected that Tong Jie would doubt what Liu Haizhong had said at the Jia family.

Now I'm even more determined to find out, and if she finds out, she'll definitely make a scene.

"Master, what should we do?" Jia Dongxu was already losing his composure. He felt a little scared when he recalled why Tong Jie wouldn't let him touch her last night.

Yi Zhonghai calmly said:

"Don't panic. Tong Jie didn't find anything, right? What's the point of investigating if there's no evidence?"

"Only Zhu Zi and Jiu Zhou know about that night; even if Tong Jie asked, she wouldn't get any information."

"They both promised to keep it a secret, so don't worry."

Tong Jie, who was in the courtyard, already knew the whole story.

In the morning, she went to see Liu Haizhong, but Xu Damao saw everything and hid in the shadows to eavesdrop.

So after everyone left, they found Tong Jie, paid her 20 yuan, and gave her the information in exchange for the money.

Tong Jie was unwilling to agree, and when the price was finally set at 10, Xu Damao did not give a specific answer, but pointed her in a clear direction.

His exact words were as follows:

"Sister-in-law Jia, you can go and inquire about the situation at the Military Control Commission near Dongzhimen. Bring Jia Dongxu's identification, and I guarantee you won't lose out."

Xu Damao was also clever; instead of saying it directly, he gave clues, not wanting to be the villain.

Even after the incident occurred, it was Tong Jie who found the information herself.

Tong Jie went to the Dongzhimen Military Control Commission with some doubt. After inquiring, the staff told her everything. At this time, there was no such thing as keeping secrets. What secrets could a customer of a prostitute keep?

In a few years, if the Women's Federation finds out about Jia Dongxu's behavior, they could drag him out for a public humiliation.

Tong Jie nearly fainted after hearing the confirmation, but managed to walk slowly home!