Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Yan Bugui solemnly handed a stack of money to Jia Dongxu.

"Um... Dongxu, take care!"

Jia Dongxu's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to curse, but he held back and then, with a look of grim determination, removed the dead cat and dog from the door knocker.

He washed the door knocker clean with the prepared water, and finally left carrying a tattered burlap sack.

Jia Dongxu didn't try any tricks and obediently followed his master Yi Zhonghai's instructions.

They hung the black cat on a tree branch in a secluded place and threw the dog into the flowing river.

Then I rode my bike to Qinghua Pool for a bath, also called a cleansing, to remove bad luck.

It was already noon by the time the whole process was completed.

When Jia Dongxu was admitted to the hospital, Aunt Yi specially prepared a brazier for him to step over.

She thought the matter was over, but Jia Zhangshi was still terrified by what happened that morning.

When Jia Dongxu returned home, she was already delirious with fever. The yard was in chaos again. Sha Zhu drove the whole family to the hospital.

This incident has put everyone in the hospital in a bad mood; it's so unlucky.

Many people went out to seek immortals and Buddhas, hoping for some psychological comfort.

Li Jiuzhou saw it all, but he didn't say anything and understood.

We're all ordinary people; anyone would be panicked if something like this happened.

But life goes on, and a grown man can't let himself die from holding in his pee.

As for the instigator, if he is found out later, Li Jiuzhou will definitely give him a severe beating.

Damn it, I didn't know Director Li lived here too. He really doesn't give me any face at all.

Good things don't go out, bad things pass thousands of miles.

Thanks to the efforts of some people in the factory, many people in the factory learned about what happened at No. 95 Courtyard.

Second Uncle Li Huaide even came to ask Li Jiuzhou whether he should investigate further.

Li Jiuzhou refused, saying there was no need for such trouble; if they dared to do it, it meant they had a certain level of confidence.

Because of this matter, Secretary Nie, that old man, specifically sought out Li Jiuzhou for a talk, his tone carrying a hint of teasing:

"I heard your place got sabotaged. That's interesting, really interesting."

"But don't worry about it, kid. All those demons and monsters are just paper tigers. These little tricks can only scare people, they're no real threat."

Secretary Nie said this without batting an eye, little did he know that he himself was the most deeply hidden demon and monster!

It was precisely because he understood that he reminded Li Jiuzhou that there was nothing to be afraid of.

The reason for reminding Li Jiuzhou was to prevent him from making a mistake because of this matter. If he went to find someone to handle such a thing, he would inevitably be criticized.

Remind him that it's out of love and care.

Li Jiuzhou was a smart man, and naturally he could understand the hint in Secretary Nie's words, and immediately showed a grateful smile:

"Thank you, Secretary. As the saying goes, 'An elder in the family is a treasure,' I know what to do."

"Besides, we're not afraid. We act with integrity and uprightness, and we possess a strong sense of righteousness."

"Anything that is filthy that gets close will surely be reduced to ashes!"

"Hahahaha..." Secretary Nie chuckled.

"It's good that you're aware of this. Go ahead and do your job well!"

"Um!"

After staying in the hospital for two days, Jia Zhangshi returned home pale and had lost several pounds.

Scientifically speaking, it is quite normal to fall ill from excessive fright.

But the neighbors in the courtyard didn't see it that way; they were even somewhat grateful to Jia Zhangshi.

It's all thanks to you! If you hadn't been the first to open the door and shield us from the disaster, who knows what the consequences would have been.

As soon as Jia Zhangshi returned, the neighbors all came to visit her.

People gave eggs or red envelopes as a token of their appreciation.

Even the deaf old lady came over and gave me a big red envelope, 10 yuan.

The main reason was the abundance of eggs; the total value of the red envelopes was 18 yuan.

Jia Zhangshi leaned against the kang (a heated brick bed) with a pale face, but she still had the energy to count the money.

After counting, she looked at her son, Jia Dongxu:

"Dongxu, let's split it in half when we meet. It's not unreasonable for your mother to want half of the money you have, is it?"

"At least it's me who's been cursed. My mother is in this state, it's not unreasonable for you to ask for some money."

What can Jia Dongxu say after his mother has said all this?

Tong Jie gave her half the money.

After receiving the money, Jia Zhangshi moistened her fingers with saliva and counted it again.

Jia Dongxu and Tong Jie exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Mom, how are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?" Jia Dongxu asked with concern.

Jia Zhangshi smiled and shook her head:

"What could be wrong? I was just scared and developed a high fever."

"An old saying goes that if you can eat and drink normally after something has happened, it means nothing's wrong."

After saying that, he handed Jia Dongxu ten yuan:

"Son, go buy a roast duck, you need to nourish yourself."

"This..." Jia Dongxu hesitated for a moment, looking at Tong Jie.

"Why are you looking at my daughter-in-law? She doesn't have to pay. I'm treating. This is money I earned through my own hard work. I don't need to depend on anyone else."

"If our daughter-in-law doesn't agree, then when we eat roast duck later, she'll have to watch us eat!"

Tong Jie was naturally unwilling to accept this; she also wanted to eat roast duck, so she immediately tried to appease Jia Zhangshi:

"Mom, of course I'd be happy. I'm overjoyed that you can eat and drink well."

"Dongxu, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and go!"

"Okay, okay, I'll go right away," Jia Dongxu quickly agreed.

Before leaving, Tong Jie gave him an extra five yuan to buy two bottles of good wine, saying she would invite her master and mistress to come and eat with her later.

"Alright!"

Although Jia Zhangshi was somewhat unhappy about the arrangement for her daughter-in-law, she remained silent.

They can't keep things to themselves; you know, Yi Zhonghai's family always shares anything good with them.

It wouldn't be right not to inform others if they were having a good meal at home, and Jia Zhangshi understood this principle.

After all, ever since Yi Zhonghai and his wife started living life to the fullest, they've been spending money like water.

Madam Jia saw it all and felt deeply pained.

That's their family's money, Lao Yi, you damn spendthrift!

Even Jia Zhangshi secretly calculated the living expenses of the Yi family, which shocked her greatly.

She spent 30 yuan in half a month, and that's only what Jia Zhangshi could see; she didn't count the money she couldn't see.

After all, the Jia family still needs to rely on Yi Zhonghai, so they cannot be selfish.

On the contrary, no matter how much the Jia family paid, Yi Zhonghai would make up for it and never let them suffer a loss.

On this point, Jia Zhangshi was extremely satisfied and even somewhat admired Yi Zhonghai.

To be honest, living with this kind of person is incredibly pleasant.

They always think of you when there are good things to do, and they do their best to help you when you're in trouble. What more can I say?

Although there was some scheming involved, the bond between the two families was not something to be taken lightly.

Since her own grandchildren are already calling Yi Zhonghai and his wife "Grandpa" and "Grandma," Jia Zhangshi has already made the biggest concession.

It was precisely because of this that Yi Zhonghai was extremely tolerant of Jia Zhangshi.

Yi Zhonghai had nothing to say. He believed that Jia Zhangshi had gone to such lengths because she truly treated him and his wife as family.

Otherwise, why would they let their grandchildren call a pair of people who are not related by blood "grandpa" and "grandma"?

As for Jia Zhangshi's scheme?

Even without Yi Zhonghai's help, the Jia family could live comfortably without coveting his estate after his death.

Then take it. His apprentice, Jia Dongxu, will take care of him in his old age and see him to his death. The property is rightfully his, so why are you even thinking about it?

Even if Jia Dongxu really has his eye on it, it's his right to have it, because it was originally his.

Yi Zhonghai was thinking about what to do if his and his wife died and their relatives and apprentices from their hometown tried to seize their property.

The fact that he thought of this level shows how much he cherishes his apprentice Jia Dongxu; he truly treats him like his own son.