Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

As dawn broke, the courtyard house struggled to awaken from the chaos of the night.

The air still seemed to carry the awkwardness, resentment, and faint smell of blood from last night's cellar incident.

However, another domineering and unparalleled aroma, like the first rays of sunlight, forcefully tore through this oppressive atmosphere, rudely penetrating every window and every crack in the door—that was the smell of fish soup!

Rich and mellow, with the unique sweetness of fish, accompanied by the caramelized aroma of oil brought out by high temperature, it permeates, rolls, and rises freely in the cool morning air.

The aroma was even stronger than the meat porridge from yesterday morning, carrying a sense of bounty from the sea and the joy of harvest, permeating every hungry stomach and sensitive nerve.

The source was the home of the third uncle, Yan Bugui, in the front yard.

The three aunties got up before dawn, full of energy like never before.

Although I was frightened last night, the half of the smoked fish that He Yuanchao promised and the heavy catch of fish in front of me were enough to dispel all the gloom.

The firewood crackled and popped in the stove, while the milky white broth in the large iron pot bubbled and boiled, with large chunks of fish heads, fish bones, and a few pieces of the fattest fish meat floating in it.

To make this excellent fish soup, the third aunt went to great lengths, using half a piece of her treasured lard to sauté the ingredients and adding a few slices of ginger that she had specially reserved from the fish given to her by He Yuanchao to remove any fishy smell and enhance the flavor.

"It smells so good! It smells fucking good!" Yan Jiecheng sniffed, leaning against the kitchen doorway, his eyes fixed on the milky white waves bubbling in the pot, his mouth almost watering.

Yan Jiefang's throat bobbed, and he kept swallowing: "Mom, this taste... amazing! It's even more tempting than Donglaishun's mutton soup!"

The three women couldn't hide their smiles and pride. As they carefully skimmed away the foam, they scolded, "Look at you all! These are fish caught by Yuanchao, big carp and grass carp just pulled from Shichahai Lake! How could they not be good? Hurry up and clean the stove. When Yuanchao wakes up, we have to send him a big bowl first! We're only able to enjoy this food because of Yuanchao's kindness!"

"Yes! Understood!" Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang replied in unison, and quickly began to tidy up.

They knew very well that He Yuanchao was their family's biggest "god of wealth" and "backer" right now.

Last night, when he brought back those twenty pounds of live fish, my father, Yan Bugui, stood up straight, looking even more smug than when he became the factory director! He saw all the envious and jealous looks from the neighbors, and he was secretly thrilled.

Not to mention the dozens of kilograms of fish waiting to be smoked; once they're smoked, we can get half of them! Life is finally looking up!

The aroma of the fish soup spread powerfully, quickly enveloping the entire courtyard.

The tattered curtain of the Jia family's house in the middle courtyard was suddenly flung open with a "whoosh," revealing Jia Zhangshi's old face, which looked like a dried orange peel.

On the sallow, swollen dough, a pair of triangular eyes glared viciously towards the front yard. Her nostrils flared as she greedily inhaled the intoxicating aroma of fish, her saliva uncontrollably secreting, only to be swallowed back viciously, transforming into an even more venomous curse:

"Pah! Show-off! What are you showing off for? You make a stupid fish soup and wail like your parents died! Old Man Yan and his whole family are spineless bastards! Licking that childless asshole! Does it taste good?"

Watch out for fish bones! You filthy creatures! Who are you trying to seduce so early in the morning? You've got my grandson... I'm so jealous...

The thought of Banggeng lying in the hospital, his life hanging in the balance, his leg possibly lost, made Jia Zhangshi's heart ache as if bitten by a venomous snake. Her hatred for He Yuanchao and the Yan family was overwhelming.

She dared not yell at He Yuanchao, so she vented all her anger on the Yan family. Her voice was extremely low, yet it was like poisoned steel needles, seeping out in wisps: "You childless, lineless bastards! You damned old man Yan! Eat! Eat! I'll choke your whole family to death! May your intestines rot!"

May he die a horrible death! Old Jia! Come and take him away! I can't live like this anymore..."

Inside the room, Jia Dongxu lay sprawled on the kang (a heated brick bed), his murky, lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. The humiliating scene of Qin Huairu being "caught in the act in the cellar" last night, along with the screams of the man with the stick, kept replaying in his mind.

The aroma of fish soup wafted in, but instead of whetting his appetite, it felt like a handful of salt being rubbed into his festering heart, sending waves of nausea and resentment through his stomach.

It made a strange "hoarse" sound from its throat, like a broken bellows being pulled.

Qin Huairu, on the other hand, was like a walking corpse.

As dawn broke, she struggled to get up, enduring Jia Zhangshi's piercing gaze and Jia Dongxu's venomous, lifeless eyes, and forced herself to finish washing all the dirty clothes the family had accumulated.

The icy well water froze her fingers until they were red and numb, but it couldn't compare to the chill in her heart.

Her face was deathly pale, her eyes were sunken, and she looked as if she had aged ten years overnight.

The humiliation in the cellar last night, Sha Zhu's earth-shattering roar, Yi Zhonghai vomiting blood and falling into a coma, the deaf old lady's "guarantee," Jia Zhangshi's vicious curses, and Jia Dongxu's silent resentment... were like mountains pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

The exorbitant medical expenses for the piglet are like a sword of Damocles hanging over its head.

She silently went to the kitchen, intending to grab a leftover, cold, hard cornbread from last night for breakfast, so she would have the energy to go to work at the factory.

"Eat, eat, eat! You shameless slut, you still have the nerve to eat?!"

Like a hyena smelling blood, Jia Zhangshi lunged in, snatching the cornbread from Qin Huairu's hand. Her triangular eyes gleamed with malicious glee. "Starve to death, you jinx! You wretched, cursed woman! If Bang Geng's leg doesn't survive, it'll all be because you seduced that wild man! You still want to eat? Go eat shit! Save the food for my grandson's recovery!"

Qin Huairu's hand froze in mid-air. Looking at her empty palm and listening to her mother-in-law's piercing insults, tears welled up silently and swirled in her eyes.

She bit her lower lip hard, tasting the salty, metallic flavor of the metal, which kept her from crying.

The immense grievance, helplessness, and despair nearly consumed her.

She dared not refute, nor even look at Jia Zhangshi. She silently lowered her head, turned around, and walked out with unsteady steps.

His back view was thin and desolate, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

Looking at Qin Huairu's submissive and dejected appearance, Jia Zhangshi felt no pity whatsoever. Instead, she felt a sense of satisfaction and spat out a mouthful of phlegm: "Pah! What are you pretending to be pitiful for? You slut! Get back to the factory and work! If you don't earn enough for Bang Geng's medical expenses, I'll skin you alive!"

She held the cold cornbread in her hand, took a big bite, and chewed it with a crunching sound, as if she were chewing on Qin Huairu's flesh and bones.

As Qin Huairu dragged her weary body out of the moon gate of the central courtyard, from behind the low window of the Jia family's house, Sha Zhu's face, bearing several bloody scratches from Jia Zhangshi's scratches the previous night and clearly showing signs of sleep deprivation and worry, peeked out.

He clutched a small aluminum lunchbox wrapped in an old towel. Inside was a breakfast he had prepared for Qin Huairu before dawn, using the good stuff he had "borrowed" from the cafeteria: two white steamed buns sandwiched with fragrant scrambled eggs, and a small spoonful of pork cracklings hidden underneath.

Seeing Qin Huairu's haggard and weak figure, Sha Zhu felt extremely distressed.

He tiptoed open the Jia family door, ignoring Jia Zhangshi's resentful old face, and crouched down to chase after her.

"You idiot Zhu! You brain-dead bastard! Trying to feed that slut again?!"

Jia Zhangshi's sharp and sarcastic curses were like awls, stabbing hard into Sha Zhu's back. "Pah! Lick! Lick harder! Does it taste good? People treat you like a dog wagging its tail!"

If it weren't for your lousy howling last night, would such a big incident have happened? It would have caused so much trouble for Bang Geng's grandma... Ugh!

You think you can make Zhonghai vomit blood? I think you and that slut are a pair of despicable lovers!

"That bastard child you had with that bitch! How dare you lick it? Get out! Get far away from us! Don't defile our Jia family's land!"

On the kang (a heated brick bed), Jia Dongxu let out a low growl, like a wild beast, his turbid eyes fixed on Sha Zhu, filled with naked murderous intent and humiliation.

Sha Zhu's face turned red and then pale from being scolded. He could still vividly recall the resentful and cold look in Qin Huairu's eyes before she left last night.

He was so frustrated he felt like he was going to explode. He wanted to explain that the shout wasn't from him at all, but who would believe him? He couldn't even explain it himself! Faced with Jia Zhangshi's shrewish insults and Jia Dongxu's predatory gaze, he chickened out.

That protective instinct and reckless spirit towards Qin Huairu vanished instantly in the face of the pressure of reality and the inexplicable frustration.

He dared not chase after her any further. He could only clutch the lunchbox in his hand tightly, watching Qin Huairu's figure disappear outside the courtyard gate, his eyes filled with anxiety, heartache, and a sense of injustice as if he had been wronged by the whole world.

"Sister Qin...I...I really didn't mean it..." Sha Zhu cried out in his heart and retreated in a daze.

In the front yard, at the entrance to the Yan family's kitchen.

The three women carefully carried a large, steaming bowl filled with a fragrant aroma. Inside was a thick, milky-white fish soup, garnished with bright green scallions, and several large, trembling, white pieces of fish.

The brothers Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang followed closely behind, their faces beaming with ingratiating smiles.

As soon as He Yuanchao pushed open the door, the morning sunlight fell on his tall and upright figure. He looked energetic and calm, a stark contrast to the listlessness of the others in the courtyard.