Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Yi Zhonghai sat up straight again, his tone calm, "I just want to tell you that right now, the only one who can protect Qin Huairu and Xiao Dang is me."

He paused, then added, "Of course, provided... you cooperate."

"Cooperate with what?" Jia Zhangshi asked warily.

"Cooperate..."

Yi Zhonghai's eyes flickered. "Cooperate with the treatment, take good care of your injuries, and stop talking nonsense all day long. If it gets out, it won't be good for anyone."

Also, you need to go back to the courtyard house tomorrow night. There's going to be a general meeting for the whole courtyard; they've invited a master to come."

He spoke in a very veiled way, but Jia Zhangshi understood.

This is to shut her up.

Tell her to stop making trouble, after all, what they did was dishonorable.

Otherwise... Qin Huairu and Xiao Dang...

Jia Zhangshi closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.

My son died, my grandson died...

Now, the daughter-in-law and granddaughter...

Xiao Dang is now the only son of the Jia family, so they can find a son-in-law to live with them in the future.

"Okay..." her voice was hoarse, "I...I'll cooperate and come back tomorrow night."

"That's right."

Yi Zhonghai nodded in satisfaction, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, as long as I'm here, I will definitely take good care of Qin Huairu and Xiao Dang."

He stood up and said, "You get some rest, I'll pick you up tomorrow night."

As he reached the door, he turned back to look at Jia Zhangshi with a complex expression.

This old hag...

She will be the human sacrifice tomorrow night.

Yi Zhonghai pushed open the door and went out; the nurse was still standing guard at the door.

"Comrade," Yi Zhonghai said, his expression turning sorrowful again, "Please take good care of your wife, she...she's so pitiful..."

"Don't worry, this is what we should do." The nurse nodded repeatedly.

Yi Zhonghai nodded and turned to leave.

His steps were very steady.

My heart is cold.

To survive...

He's capable of anything.

Meanwhile, in the ward, Jia Zhangshi lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

In a small hotel near Qianmen Street, Yang Ruihua, Yan Jiefang, Yan Jiekuang, and Yan Jiedi were crammed into a cramped room, the atmosphere so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

Occasionally, shouts could be heard from outside the window.

"mom..."

Yan Jiedi spoke softly. The eleven-year-old girl didn't quite understand what was happening, but she could sense the adults' fear. "When is Dad coming back? Will something happen to him?"

"No, it won't happen." Yang Ruihua stroked her daughter's head, her voice slightly unsteady. "It'll be soon..."

She was actually unsure of herself.

Four people died in the hospital today, and my husband still has to go back... what if...

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Who?" Yan Jiefang asked warily.

"It's me," came Yan Bugui's voice.

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

Yan Jiefang quickly opened the door, and Yan Bugui slipped in, closed the door behind him, his face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and his clothes were covered in dust.

"The head of the household."

Yang Ruihua rushed over, looking him up and down. "Are you alright? What's the situation in the yard?"

Yan Bugui shook his head, sat down on the edge of the bed, took off his glasses and wiped them, his voice weary: "Liu Guangfu is dead."

Those five short words pierced everyone's heart like icicles.

The room fell silent instantly.

Yan Jiefang's face turned deathly pale: "Dad... what did you say? Liu Guangfu, he's dead too?"

"How did he die?" Yan Jiekuang's voice trembled. "Like my elder brother... hanged?"

Yan Bugui nodded without saying anything.

He recalled the scene he had witnessed that morning: Liu Guangfu hanging from a crooked tree, his body swaying slightly in the air, his face still bearing the look of terror he had felt before his death.

"It was discovered this morning."

Yan Bugui said slowly, "Hanging on that tree outside the courtyard, just like Jia Dongxu and Xie Cheng...

Yang Ruihua's legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the bed, tears streaming down her face: "Another one died, another one died, and it's only the second day."

Yan Jiedi also burst into tears, throwing herself into her mother's arms: "Mom...I'm scared..."

"Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!" Yang Ruihua hugged her daughter, but her hands were trembling.

Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang exchanged a glance, both seeing deep fear in each other's eyes.

My elder brother is dead, and Liu Guangfu is dead too.

Who will be next?

"dad!"

Yan Jiefang took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "What exactly is the situation in the compound right now? Didn't the police move in? Why are they still..."

"What's the use of the police?"

Yan Bugui smiled bitterly, "Liu Guangfu disappeared right under the noses of two policemen. He was found hanged from a tree this morning, and the police didn't find anything."

These words made the temperature in the room drop a few degrees.

Right under the noses of the police...

"Then...what should we do?" Yang Ruihua's voice trembled. "Honey, it's too dangerous in the yard. Can we...can we not go back?"

As she spoke, she grasped Yan Bugui's hand: "Let's stay outside a little longer, until things have calmed down."

"No," Yan Bugui shook his head, his tone resolute. "We must go back."

"Why?!" Yang Ruihua cried out anxiously, "Are we going back to die? One person dies every day... the next one could be..."

She didn't dare to continue.

Yan Bugui looked at his wife, then at his three children, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Third Master said that there's no escaping this matter."

The vengeful spirits are seeking revenge; there is cause and effect. We participated in the exploitation of the Lin family's extinct members and the division of the Lin family's houses. We cannot escape this karma, no matter where we go.

Besides, you need a letter of introduction to go anywhere these days.

Where can we go? If we go somewhere else, we have no work, no place to stay. What will we eat? Where will we live?

This is a very realistic and cruel statement.

We live in a planned economy era; without a letter of introduction, you can't move an inch.

Even if they escape, without jobs or food rations... how will the family survive?

The room was silent.

Only Yan Jiedi's suppressed sobs could be heard.

After a long silence, Yan Jiefang finally spoke: "Dad...then if we go back, aren't we just sending ourselves to our deaths?"

"It's not about sending them to their deaths." Yan Bugui shook his head, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Yes, it's about solving the problem."

"How do we solve this?" Yan Jiekuang asked.

Yan Bugui did not answer immediately.

He glanced out the window to make sure no one was eavesdropping before lowering his voice and saying, "Third Master has a way to suppress the great evil."

"Suppression?" Yang Ruihua's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"real."

Yan Bugui nodded, "Now... everything is basically ready, we're just waiting for the full moon tomorrow night."

He didn't specify what it was.

But everyone inside could tell that it was definitely not a good thing.

"Dad!" Yan Jiefang's voice trembled, "This, this isn't... too..."

"Too what?" Yan Bugui interrupted him, "Too ruthless? Too evil? Or too dangerous?"

"Do you know what's going on in the hospital right now? Jia Dongxu is dead, Liu Guangtian is dead, Bang Geng is dead, Jie Cheng is dead, Liu Guangfu is dead... one by one, four are dying every day."

He turned to his family: "Who do you think will be next? Me? Your mother? Or you all?"

No one spoke.

Everyone was devastated by this cruel reality.

"So..." Yan Bugui said slowly, "we must suppress them, at all costs."

He walked to the bedside, took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, and opened it—inside were several grain coupons and some loose change.

"Take these...

He handed the cloth bag to Yang Ruihua, "Stay at the hotel for three more days. If things are resolved the day after tomorrow, I'll come pick you up. If..."

He didn't go on.

But everyone understands what it means.

If he doesn't come in three days, then something must have happened.

"Honey!" Yang Ruihua's tears welled up again. "You...you must be careful..."

"I know."

Yan Bugui nodded and patted his daughter's head. "Jie Di, be good. Listen to your mother. Jie Fang and Jie Kuang, you are men now. Take good care of your mother and your sister."

"Dad!" Yan Jiefang cried, his eyes red-rimmed. "You...you have to come back..."

"Hmm." Yan Bugui nodded, put his glasses back on, "I should go, I need to get back to the hospital before dark."

He walked to the door and then looked back at his family.

That glance lasted exceptionally long and was exceptionally deep.

Then, he opened the door and went out.

The door closed.

Inside the room, only suppressed sobs and heavy breathing could be heard.

……