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

To go or not to go?

The fear from last night is still lingering, and I haven't even dealt with the tickets under my pillow this morning, and now this note has arrived...

This is clearly a trap.

But what could she do?

Not going? What about Xiaodang and Huaihua? She hasn't given the children a proper meal for two days, just thin porridge, and the children are crying from hunger.

Go? What if Yi Zhonghai catches me again...?

Qin Huairu recalled the conversation between Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong in the woodshed last night. They said "8 pm tomorrow night," and this note told her to "get it quickly"—right now.

It's not dark yet, so maybe... it's safer?

She gritted her teeth.

go with!

Right now, it's not dark yet, and everyone in the yard is cooking, so no one will notice.

She slipped the note into her pocket and quietly left the house.

There were indeed few people in the yard, only a few children playing. She went around to the back yard, where the door to the woodshed was still ajar.

She pushed open the door and went inside. The room was dark, with only the twilight light filtering in through the broken window.

Following the instructions on the note, she found the pile of tattered sacks, lifted it up, and sure enough, there was a cloth bag underneath.

She picked up the cloth bag, opened it, and saw that inside were thirty yuan, as well as grain coupons and meat coupons.

The money is real, and the tickets are real too.

Qin Huairu felt a surge of joy, but fear quickly followed.

Who put these things there? And why give them to her?

Without thinking it through, she stuffed the cloth bag into her bosom and turned to leave.

Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the door.

Her heart tightened, and she quickly hid behind the woodpile.

The door opened, and a person walked in.

It wasn't one person, it was two people.

Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai.

Qin Huairu hid behind the woodpile, covered her mouth, and dared not breathe.

Evening: Standoff in the woodshed

"Uncle, look, there's no one here," Sha Zhu said. "I told you Sister Qin wouldn't come."

Yi Zhonghai walked around the room, his gaze landing on the woodpile—there were obvious signs that it had been disturbed.

"Zhu Zi, look over there." Yi Zhonghai pointed to the woodpile.

Sha Zhu walked over and found that the sack had been opened, revealing an empty space underneath.

“Someone came here,” Yi Zhonghai said, “and they just left not long ago.”

Sha Zhu's heart sank.

Could it be... that Qin Huairu really came? And took the things?

"Zhu Zi," Yi Zhonghai looked at him, "I know you're upset. But the facts are the facts. If Qin Huairu is really engaging in speculation, that's her own choice."

Sha Zhu didn't speak, he just stared at the pile of sacks.

Suddenly, he heard faint breathing sounds behind the woodpile.

"Who's there?" He turned around abruptly.

Qin Huairu knew she couldn't hide it any longer, so she came out from behind the woodpile, her face deathly pale.

"Sister Qin..." Sha Zhu looked at her, his eyes filled with disappointment, "You really came."

"Zhu Zi, I..." Qin Huairu wanted to explain, but didn't know what to say.

"Where are the money and tickets?" Yi Zhonghai asked in a deep voice.

Qin Huairu instinctively covered her chest.

Yi Zhonghai stepped forward and held out his hand: "Give it to me."

Qin Huairu bit her lip, took out the cloth bag, and handed it to Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai opened the cloth bag, looked at the money and tickets inside, and his face darkened further: "Qin Huairu, do you know what this is? Speculation and profiteering! You'll go to jail!"

"Uncle, I...I didn't..." Qin Huairu's tears fell. "These things...someone left them here...I just...just came to get them..."

"Who put it there?" Yi Zhonghai asked.

"I don't know..." Qin Huairu shook her head, "I really don't know... Someone wrote me a note and told me to come and pick it up..."

"Where's the cop?" Yi Zhonghai reached out his hand.

Qin Huairu took out the note and handed it to Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai glanced at the note, then at Qin Huairu, and sneered, "Qin Huairu, do you think I'd believe that? Someone would give you money and tickets for no reason? And even write a note telling you to come and collect them? Is there such a good thing in the world?"

"It's true..." Qin Huairu cried, "Grandpa, please believe me..."

"I believe you?" Yi Zhonghai shook his head. "Qin Huairu, you've disappointed me greatly. The Jia family just had such a huge incident, and instead of repenting, you've resorted to illegal activities. How am I supposed to explain this to the people in the compound?"

Qin Huairu collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Sha Zhu stood aside, watching her, his heart aching as if it were being stabbed.

He wanted to believe her, but the evidence was right in front of him—money, tickets, notes, and her coming to collect them in person…

"Sister Qin," his voice was hoarse, "why...why did you do this?"

Qin Huairu raised her head, looking at Sha Zhu, her vision blurred with tears: "Zhu Zi, even you don't believe me? I really didn't... I was framed..."

Sha Zhu looked at her, and seeing the despair and pleading in her eyes, his heart softened.

But then he remembered the notes, Yi Zhonghai's words, and the gossip in the courtyard...

"Sister Qin," he closed his eyes, "how can I trust you?"

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the woodshed.

"Zhu Zi!" Qin Huairu wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by Yi Zhonghai.

"Qin Huairu," Yi Zhonghai said coldly, "I can let this matter go without reporting it to the police station. But you need to write a self-criticism and make a public apology. Also, I'm confiscating all this money and receipts. If you dare to do anything illegal again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Qin Huairu slumped to the ground, watching Yi Zhonghai leave with the cloth bag, looking at the empty woodshed, and at the darkening sky outside the door…

She suddenly felt that this world was really cold.

Late at night: Chen Fei's eavesdropping

Chen Fei lay on the bed, listening to the sounds coming from the courtyard.

He "heard" the confrontation in the woodshed perfectly.

Qin Huairu's despair, Sha Zhu's disappointment, Yi Zhonghai's coldness...

Everything is proceeding according to his plan.

Qin Huairu is now completely isolated and helpless.

Sha Zhu was disappointed in her. Yi Zhonghai made her write a self-criticism, and the way people in the courtyard looked at her changed.

She is one step closer to reaping the consequences of her actions.

But not enough.

Chen Fei knew that Qin Huairu wouldn't just collapse like that. This woman was resilient; for her child, she would grit her teeth and live on.

We need to give it another push.

How do I push it?

Chen Fei thought of Xiao Dang and Huaihua.

The two children were Qin Huairu's Achilles' heel. If something happened to the children...

No, we can't harm children. That's the bottom line.

Then let's start from somewhere else.

Chen Fei took out a piece of paper from the system space and wrote a few lines with his left hand:

"Qin Huairu stole public property from the courtyard; the evidence is in the east corner of the woodshed."

He folded the note and placed it on Yi Zhonghai's desk using his mind.

Then, in the east corner of the woodshed, he placed several things in his mind: a chipped shovel—used in the yard; several broken bowls—also used in the yard; and half a bag of lime—leftovers from Yan Bugui's wall painting.

These things are worthless, but they are indeed "public property".

Tomorrow, if Yi Zhonghai finds the note and goes to the woodshed to find these things, he will conclude that Qin Huairu stole them.

At that point, Qin Huairu will truly be unable to defend herself.

Chen Fei lay down and closed his eyes.

The resentment in my chest dissipated somewhat.

He seemed to hear his sister Chen Xiaoyu's voice: "Brother...it's almost time..."

Chen Fei thought to himself, "Xiaoyu, wait a little longer. There are still many people who owe our family debts."

Outside the window, the wind howled.

The courtyard was immersed in a deathly silence.

But Chen Fei knew that beneath this silence, undercurrents were surging.

Tomorrow, there will be an even bigger storm.