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

"Yi Zhonghai suspects you of embezzling grain coupons and colluding with Liu Haizhong to seize power. Be careful."

Embezzling grain coupons? Those ten jin of grain coupons were clearly evidence that he "found" them! Although... he really didn't intend to hand them over. Colluding with Liu Haizhong? Honestly, aside from meetings, he barely spoke a word to Liu Haizhong in private!

Would Yi Zhonghai believe it? Given Yi Zhonghai's suspicious nature, he would definitely prefer to believe it's true.

What to do? Hand over the grain coupons? Reluctant. That's ten jin of grain coupons! Not hand them over? What if Yi Zhonghai really believes he embezzled them and publicly punishes him at the school assembly? Where will he put his face as the "Third Master"? What about the teacher's reputation?

Yan Bugui was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in the cramped room. Finally, he gritted his teeth, took out the ten jin of grain coupons from the drawer, looked at them again and again, touched them again and again, and finally locked them back in.

No, I can't hand it in! Handing it in would be admitting I have a problem. I need to think of another way… Perhaps I could proactively go to Yi Zhonghai to "report my work" and express my true feelings? Or, could I write a statement explaining the situation?

He picked up his pen and then put it down again, feeling agitated.

The backyard, Liu Haizhong's house.

Liu Haizhong also saw the new note. Unlike Yan Bugui, he didn't mince words and immediately burst into a rage, cursing, "That bastard Yi Zhonghai! Is he never going to stop?! I'm already in this state, what more does he want? To team up with Yan Bugui? Team up with his grandma's legs!"

Despite the insults, he was also afraid. Yi Zhonghai's treatment of him at the factory wasn't over yet; if he were to be punished in the yard as well... he simply couldn't bear to think about it.

"No, we can't just sit here and wait to die." A ruthless glint flashed in Liu Haizhong's eyes. "Yi Zhonghai, you're heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless too! Don't think I don't know about your dirty deeds!"

He recalled the day Chen Jianguo died, when Yi Zhonghai "happened" not to be present. He also recalled the rumors circulating in the factory about the alleged transfer of benefits between Yi Zhonghai and Deputy Factory Director Li…

Perhaps we should try to get some real evidence?

Evening: Sha Zhu's lunchbox and a silent dinner

In the evening, Sha Zhu returned with a lunchbox, which, as usual, contained leftovers from the cafeteria—today it included some stir-fried cabbage and a few slices of fatty meat.

He walked to the middle courtyard and saw that the Jia family's door was closed. After hesitating for a moment, he still went over and knocked on the door.

A calm voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"I am Pillar."

The door opened. Qin Huairu stood in the doorway, wearing an apron and holding flour in her hands, seemingly cooking. The aroma of cornmeal porridge wafted from the house, along with a hint of… the sweet smell of steaming white flour? She was actually making steamed white flour buns?

Xiao Dang and Huaihua lay on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), staring longingly at the pot on the stove.

"Zhu Zi, is something wrong?" Qin Huairu asked, her face devoid of smiles or resentment, only displaying a polite distance.

Sha Zhu held up his lunchbox: "The cafeteria food is alright today, for the kids..."

"No need, Zhu Zi," Qin Huairu interrupted him, her voice still calm. "We have our own food. Thank you for taking care of us all this time. From now on... you don't need to bring us anything special anymore."

Sha Zhu's hand, holding the lunchbox, froze in mid-air.

He looked into Qin Huairu's eyes, and there was no resentment or grievance in them, only a clear and resolute determination to draw a line. She knew what the people in the courtyard were saying about their relationship, and she didn't want to cause him or herself any more trouble. All she wanted now was to raise her child peacefully and quietly.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Sha Zhu's heart—a sense of loss, relief, and a touch of admiration. He took back his lunchbox and nodded. "Okay. Well... if you need any help, just let me know."

"Okay." Qin Huairu nodded, without saying "thank you" or anything else, and gently closed the door.

Sha Zhu stood outside the door, listening to the faint cheers of children coming from inside, drawn by the aroma of food, and Qin Huairu's soft instructions: "Xiao Dang, get the bowl. Huaihua, sit down."

He suddenly realized that Sister Qin, who always needed help and was always teary-eyed, was truly dead. Now, a mother who could support herself was alive.

He carried the lunchbox back to his room and for the first time felt that the leftovers were actually quite good to eat.

Inside the Jia family's house, under the dim light of a kerosene lamp.

On the small wooden table sat a bowl of cornmeal porridge, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and—three white steamed buns! They weren't big, but they were steamed soft and fluffy, steaming hot.

Xiao Dang and Huaihua's eyes widened, and they were practically drooling.

"Mom, is it really okay to eat this?" Xiao Dang asked in disbelief.

"Okay." Qin Huairu broke the steamed bun in half and gave half to each of her two daughters. "Eat slowly, don't choke."

She picked up the remaining half of the steamed bun and took a small bite. The sweet aroma of the white flour melted in her mouth, a long-lost taste that almost brought tears to her eyes. But she held back, chewing slowly as she watched her two daughters wolf down their food, a faint but genuine warmth finally appearing on her face.

The meal was eaten quietly, yet it was filled with a real, tangible strength to keep living.

Late at night: Chen Fei's new plan and the use of space

It was late at night.

Chen Fei entered the planting space. The newly sown crops were growing well, and the air by the spiritual spring was invigorating. He circulated his breathing technique for several cycles, replenishing the mental energy he had used up during the day's listening and planning, and even felt that he had made further progress.

After exiting the space, he did not go to sleep immediately, but began to prepare for the next step of his plan against Yan Bugui.

Chen Fei had already figured out where Yan Bugui hid the loan agreements and the grain coupons he was "keeping." The loan agreements were tucked among several textbooks, and the grain coupons and some cash were in a hidden compartment in his desk drawer. Stealing them directly would certainly cause Yan Bugui a heavy loss, but it wouldn't be "interesting" enough, and it would easily alert him.

Chen Fei wanted Yan Bugui to expose himself, preferably in public, and to be utterly disgraced.

He had an idea.

In this era, "usury," a "remnant of the old society," and "exploitative behavior" are severely cracked down on. If Yan Bugui's usury is exposed, he will lose his job as a primary school teacher, not to mention his position as "Third Uncle," and may even be sent to a "re-education class" for reform.

So, how do you make this matter "accidentally" come to light?

Chen Fei thought of a classic scenario: an anonymous tip-off from a concerned citizen. But he didn't plan to write the tip-off letter himself, as the handwriting might be verified. He wanted the IOU to appear where it should.

He found several blank sheets of paper—borrowed from Yan Bugui's house—and used the pen he usually used to correct homework (also borrowed) to imitate Yan Bugui's handwriting. Under each IOU, he added a section on "calculation of renewal interest" and "handling of overdue payments," the content of which was extremely harsh, confirming the nature of usury.

Imitation of handwriting requires extremely high mental control, and Chen Fei did it with utmost care, feeling somewhat exhausted upon completion. But looking at the several IOUs that had become "hideous," he nodded in satisfaction.

Then, he picked out two IOUs with larger amounts and borrowers who were people in the courtyard or acquaintances nearby, and used his mind to remove them from Yan Bugui's textbook.

The next crucial step is to ensure that these two critical IOUs appear in a place that Yi Zhonghai or a local street office official will definitely see and cannot ignore.

He selected three positions:

The first one was placed behind the glass frame of the notice board in the Intermediate People's Court—where street notices and court announcements were usually posted, which Yi Zhonghai would look at every day.

The second one was tucked into a crack in the wall of the front gate, but a corner was sticking out—a very conspicuous spot that would be easily seen by people going out in the morning.

The third one was placed directly into the inner compartment of the briefcase that Yi Zhonghai planned to take to the factory the next day.

After doing all this, Chen Fei lay back on the bed, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Tomorrow, when Yi Zhonghai sees the IOU on the bulletin board, finds it in the doorway, and then finds it again in his briefcase at the factory… what will his expression be? How will he deal with Yan Bugui?

When Yan Bugui discovers that the most important IOU has disappeared and is in that kind of place, how panicked will he be?

The dog-eat-dog drama is about to escalate.

The resentment in his chest slowly swirled, bringing a chilling sense of pleasure. The faces of his father, mother, and sister appeared in the darkness, silently watching him.

"Yan Bugui, it's your turn." Chen Fei closed his eyes and sank into a semi-conscious state of breathing exercises.

Outside the window, a baby cried out in the night, then was quickly muffled. The courtyard was shrouded in the inky darkness of the night, with only the sound of the wind whistling through the roof tiles, as if foreshadowing the chaos to come tomorrow.