Kill the beasts in the courtyard, I fled to Hong Kong, surrounded by beauties on both sides.

Qin Huairu was awakened by Xiao Dang's crying.

"Mom...I'm hungry..."

She opened her eyes. It was still dark, and a dim light streamed in through the window covered with old newspapers, casting a bleak glow on the room. Little Dang nestled in her arms, her little hands clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her face. Huaihua also woke up, her big eyes wide as she looked at her timidly.

Qin Huairu felt a pang of sadness and patted her daughter's head: "Sweetie, sleep a little longer, Mommy will go make something to eat."

She sat up, intending to get dressed, and her hand touched something under the pillow—not the twenty yuan she had left there, but a small cloth bag.

Her heart skipped a beat. She took it out, opened it, and froze.

The cloth bag contained grain coupons and meat coupons: twenty jin of grain coupons and five jin of meat coupons, all new coupons from this year, stamped with red seals.

There was also a note with crooked handwriting: "Twenty jin of grain coupons and five jin of meat coupons are ready. Tomorrow night at eight o'clock, same place. Bring thirty yuan."

Qin Huairu's hands began to tremble.

The fear from last night hadn't subsided, and it returned this morning.

Who? Who put these things under her pillow?

She definitely locked the door last night! And the windows were closed properly too!

Could it be... that there really are ghosts?

Qin Huairu recalled Jia Zhangshi's ravings before her death, the note that read "Thieves will not die a good death," and the conversation between Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong in the woodshed last night...

She was chilled all over.

"Mom, what's this?" Xiao Dang asked curiously, looking at the tickets in the cloth bag.

Qin Huairu quickly put away the cloth bag and stuffed it into her arms: "It's nothing. Be good, sleep a little longer."

She got dressed, got out of bed, and went to the door to check the latch—it was fine, with no signs of tampering. The windows were also tightly closed, and the bolts hadn't been moved.

How did these things get in?

Qin Huairu's mind was in complete turmoil.

Morning: Rumors in the courtyard

In the morning, various rumors were circulating in the courtyard.

Two people from the Jia family died in three days; this is too eerie. In addition, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong went to the woodshed in the backyard last night to "catch" someone. Although they didn't catch them, the news has already spread.

"Have you heard? Last night, Uncle One and Uncle Two went to the woodshed to arrest those who were speculating and profiteering!"

Who is it?

"Who else could it be? The Jia family, of course. Qin Huairu tried to resell grain coupons, and an old man found out."

"Really?"

"I heard it with my own ears! An old man said someone reported that the transaction would take place at 8 pm tomorrow night, so he went to keep watch last night, but unfortunately he didn't catch anyone."

"Then why did you say 8 PM tonight?"

"Who knows...maybe the information is wrong?"

"I think someone is trying to destroy the Jia family. Bang Geng just died, then Jia Zhangshi died, and now they're targeting Qin Huairu... They're trying to wipe out the Jia family completely."

"Shh, keep your voice down..."

When Qin Huairu went to fetch water with her bucket, she heard these comments and her face turned as white as paper.

She walked past with her head down, not wanting to listen, but the words pierced her ears like knives.

As I walked to the pond, I encountered Ma's wife from the front yard.

The Ma family's daughter-in-law glanced at her, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She seemed to want to say something, but didn't. She just sighed, turned around, and left.

Even the Ma family's daughter-in-law, with whom she usually had a good relationship, was like this...

Qin Huairu bit her lip, holding back her tears, filled the water tank, and carried it back home.

The bucket was heavy, and she struggled to lift it, her shoulders aching from the pressure. When Bang-geng was around, he would help her carry it. Later, Sha-zhu would help her too. Now… no one.

She walked very slowly, step by step, as if walking on the edge of a knife.

Noon: Sha Zhu's discovery

At noon, Sha Zhu found a second note under his pillow.

He picked up the note, opened it, and frowned.

"Qin Huairu will be making a transaction with someone tomorrow night at 8 PM; the evidence is conclusive."

The handwriting was still done with his left hand, crooked and messy, just like the previous notes.

Sha Zhu held the note, his mind in turmoil.

Qin Huairu's reaction yesterday was so strange. He was clearly just trying to be helpful, but she reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Could it be... that she's really up to nothing?

Sha Zhu recalled Qin Huairu's recent changes: haggard, flustered, and with evasive eyes...

There was also the matter of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong going to the woodshed last night—although he didn't know exactly what happened, he heard people in the courtyard talking about it, and it seemed like they were going to arrest someone.

Who should be arrested? Qin Huairu?

Sha Zhu couldn't sit still any longer.

He took the note and went to find Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai was drinking tea inside when he saw Sha Zhu enter. He frowned and asked, "Zhu Zi, is something the matter?"

"Uncle," Sha Zhu handed over the note, "look at this."

Yi Zhonghai took the note, glanced at it, and his face darkened: "Where did this come from?"

"Under the pillow," Sha Zhu said, "I found it this morning."

Yi Zhonghai was silent for a moment, then said, "Zhu Zi, what do you think about this?"

"I..." Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment, "I don't believe Sister Qin would do such a thing. She's not that kind of person."

"People change," Yi Zhonghai sighed. "Zhuzi, I know you have feelings for Qin Huairu, but some things can't be decided by emotions. If she's really involved in speculation, that's illegal and she'll go to jail."

Sha Zhu fell silent.

"Last night, Lao Liu and I went to the woodshed because someone reported us," Yi Zhonghai continued. "Although we didn't catch anyone, the informant's account was very detailed. Now this note has appeared... I'm afraid it's not just a rumor."

"Then... what should we do?" Sha Zhu asked.

"Go check it out tomorrow night at eight," Yi Zhonghai said. "If she really went to make a deal, catch her red-handed. If not, then clear her name."

Sha Zhu nodded, but felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart.

He truly hoped that Qin Huairu was innocent.

But what if it isn't?

Afternoon: Chen Fei's preparations

In the afternoon, Chen Fei stayed at home to "recuperate".

He closed his eyes, seemingly sleeping, but was actually listening to the sounds coming from the courtyard.

He "heard" Qin Huairu's fear.

He "heard" Sha Zhu's struggle.

He also "heard" Yi Zhonghai's plans.

Three fish were struggling in the net.

Now, it's time to close the net.

Chen Fei took out thirty yuan from the system space—this was "taken" from Jia Zhangshi, and he hadn't spent it all yet. He also took out some grain coupons and meat coupons—these were "borrowed" from Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui.

He wrapped the money and tickets in a tattered cloth.

Then, he focused his mind and used his thoughts to find the woodshed in the backyard.

The woodshed remained the same—dilapidated, cluttered, and piled high with firewood and miscellaneous items. In the corner lay a pile of tattered burlap sacks, with some old bricks underneath.

With a thought, Chen Fei brought the cloth bag to the bottom of the tattered sack. It was well hidden, but could be found with a little searching.

After doing all that, he wrote another note:

"The money and tickets are under the sack. Get them quickly."

It was written with his left hand.

He placed the note in Qin Huairu's sewing basket using his mind—in the same spot as before.

In this way, Qin Huairu will find the note and know the exact location of the "transaction".

But would she dare to go and get it?

Chen Fei sneered.

She had no choice but to dare, because she was already at her wit's end.

Xiao Dang and Huaihua were crying from hunger, and no one in the yard was helping them. Yi Zhonghai was waiting to find something to use against her...

She had no choice but to go.

Evening: Qin Huairu's Despair

In the evening, while Qin Huairu was doing needlework, she found the note again.

"The money and tickets are under the sack. Get them quickly."

The handwriting was the same as before, crooked and messy.

She held the note, her hands trembling violently.