Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Just as things were spiraling out of control, someone shouted:

"He Daqing has arrived."

The entire room fell silent instantly.

Today was his day off, and He Daqing was taking his wife and children back to his hometown for a visit when he found that there was no one in the front yard.

Upon entering the Intermediate People's Court and discovering that something had happened, I immediately felt happy.

He Daqing thought, "I don't live here, so I'm just bringing my wife and kids to have some fun."

"What's going on? Why are so many people gathered here?" He Daqing asked as he walked to the center of the crowd.

No one answered him; they all looked at him with an expression that said, "Are you kidding me?" He Daqing felt somewhat confused, so he asked his son:

"Zhu Zi, what's wrong? Tell Dad..."

Sha Zhu blushed; he truly didn't know whether to tell or not. Just as he hesitated, his younger sister, He Yushui, suddenly appeared and said to her father:

"Dad, Uncle Yi said you, him, Uncle Liu from the backyard, Uncle Xu, and even the deceased Uncle Jia went to brothels together!"

He Yushui then quickly and concisely recounted the whole story.

"Holy crap!" He Daqing's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Damn it, they've messed with me, Old He.

I shouldn't have gone back to my hometown today.

He Daqing glared fiercely at Yi Zhonghai, pointing his finger at him repeatedly:

"Old Yi, you're fucking amazing, I'm impressed!"

Yi Zhonghai smiled bitterly, "Great Qing, don't blame me, I had no choice. It's better to die for my fellow Daoists than for me, so let's all go down together..."

Now is not the time to settle scores with Yi Zhonghai; the right thing to do is to appease his wife.

"Wife, let me explain..."

Bai Lian smiled and waved her hand, asking only one question:

"During the Qing Dynasty, was my old sister still alive then?"

He Daqing was taken aback by these words and quickly replied:

"By then, Zhu Zi's mother had already passed away, so I... well, you know..."

After he finished speaking, his face turned red, which was quite rare for him.

"Is that true, Lao Yi?" Bai Lian asked Yi Zhonghai for confirmation.

"That's right..." Yi Zhonghai remained silent, stating the facts.

Upon hearing this, Bai Lian smiled and gently patted He Daqing's shoulder to comfort him:

"It's alright then. It wasn't easy for you to support Zhuzi and Yushui all by yourself back then, and you didn't have anyone to care about you. Making a small mistake is no big deal."

"Unlike Lao Yi and his friends, who have wives but still go to brothels, I guess they're not very satisfied."

Upon hearing Bai Lian's words, Yi Zhonghai and the others all cried out in distress.

Their wives glared angrily at the group.

"Hehe, who would know? Anyway, I wouldn't do that behind my wife's back."

"Wife, I promise you, I will never do anything to betray you," He Daqing quickly pledged his loyalty.

Bai Lian nodded slightly.

"Hmm...we'll see how you do."

Hearing this, He Daqing didn't say anything more and pulled Bai Lian back to Sha Zhu and the others.

"Zhuzi, Yushui, Dad has come to see you, hehehe~" He Daqing laughed rather shyly.

Sha Zhu glanced at him irritably and said:

"You've completely embarrassed me..."

"Holy crap!" Li Jiuzhou exclaimed in surprise.

Bai Lian was dumbfounded. Did her eldest son want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang?

Qin Huairu looked at her father-in-law cautiously, afraid that he would lose his temper because of her husband's words.

He Daqing wanted to lose his temper, but he didn't. His son was grown up and married, so he couldn't hit him anymore.

However, his tone changed slightly: "You brat, how dare you talk to your father like that? No matter how much of a scoundrel I am, it's none of your business to lecture me."

Sha Zhu is the type of person who's easily swayed; if you're tough on him, he'll be even tougher. But this time, he didn't. Instead, his tone softened considerably.

"Fine, you're my father. There's no reason for a son to lecture his father. Tomorrow I'll go to my grandparents' graves, light incense, and file a complaint."

"I'll have a good talk with you tonight, let's see how filial you really are~"

"Zhu Zi, you..." He Daqing pointed at the silly Zhu Zi for a long time without being able to say anything.

It was Qinhuai District that stepped in to mediate:

"Alright, Pillar, stop arguing with your father. That's enough."

"Dad, don't get angry with Zhu Zi. He's just stubborn."

He Daqing would definitely take the step if given the opportunity.

"You're lucky you married a good wife, otherwise I'd beat you to death!"

Sha Zhu curled his lip in disdain. He would have believed He Daqing if he had said that two or three years ago.

But how much do I look like I used to?

Have you ever seen a fist the size of a sandbag?

I could punch you so hard you'd have to go see my mother.

He Daqing also saw his son's disdainful expression and knew that his son's wings had completely hardened.

Looking at his son, who is nearly 1.8 meters tall, he is not particularly burly, but his arms are frighteningly thick. If his son were to throw a punch at him, he might not be able to withstand it.

He was old but still vigorous, but he understood the saying that youth had the upper hand.

Thinking of this, He Daqing felt somewhat resentful, but also gratified by his son's growth...

He Daqing and the others were talking, but the scene was still noisy.

The deaf old woman, hiding in the crowd, squinted at them, constantly calculating in her mind.

After a long while, she decided to step in and talk to them, otherwise the courtyard would never have peace if things continued to escalate.

So he walked into the middle of the crowd, leaning on his cane.

When the deaf old woman came out, everyone quieted down.

After the deaf old woman had settled herself in the middle, she stamped her dragon-headed cane:

"Everyone, please be quiet and listen to what I have to say."

"Some of the people here have lived in this courtyard for a long time, while others moved in later."

"I donated this compound to the government, and they left me two rooms in the backyard for my retirement."

"But you've been making such a ruckus lately, keeping me constantly disturbed. Are you hoping I'll die sooner?"

Um... no one dared to respond to that...

Seeing that no one spoke, the deaf old woman continued:

"You Tong family members have made a fool of yourselves today."

When the deaf old woman spoke to him, Old Man Tong stepped forward and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Madam, you're too kind. It was just a coincidence today."

"Hmm... What happened today was too embarrassing. I hope that after this is over, no one will gossip about it."

"Otherwise, if I find out, I'll hang him right at his doorstep!"

"Oh my..." Everyone was startled and said they dared not.

"What do you say, Mr. Tong? I know the way to Changping too. Do you expect me to hang myself at your house as well?" the deaf old woman asked Mr. Tong again.

Old Man Tong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead:

"Don't worry, ma'am, we weren't here today."

"but..."

"But what?" the deaf old woman asked.

"The matter between Jia Dongxu and my daughter is not over yet."

After hearing this, the deaf old woman beckoned to Jia Dongxu: "Dongxu, come here."

"Hey, you're here." Jia Dongxu didn't delay and quickly stepped forward.

The deaf old woman pointed at the old man with her finger:

"Kneel down and apologize to your father. Tomorrow, bring some gifts and bring your wife and son back!"