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

On the car seat, He Yuanchao stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his expression calm and undisturbed.

In the back seat of the car sat Yan Jiecheng, who had just recovered from his shock and whose face was still flushed with excitement.

The car came to a smooth stop in front of He Yuanchao's small side room, blocking Liu Haizhong's way as he was about to open the door.

He Yuanchao, with his long legs, nimbly got out of the car.

His gaze calmly swept over the people in the courtyard, over Yi Zhonghai's raised hand, over the key clutched in Liu Haizhong's hand, and finally landed on his tightly closed door. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his voice, though not loud, clearly pierced through the noise of the room:

"What's going on? What do they want, circling around my door?"

This question, so calm it was almost indifferent, was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the excitement that had just begun to rise in some people's hearts.

The courtyard fell into an eerie silence for a moment.

Xu Damao was the first to react. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he jumped out and pointed at He Yuanchao's nose, his voice sharp and shrill with excitement:

"He Yuanchao! What are you pretending for?! You stole my chicken! And you dare ask us what we want? Hand over the chicken!"

He Yuanchao's gaze shifted to Xu Damao, his eyes showing no anger, only a faint scrutiny, as if looking at a clown:

"Stealing chickens? Your chicken is gone, what does that have to do with me?"

"What's it to you?!"

Like a hyena smelling blood, Jia Zhangshi pounced immediately, her triangular eyes gleaming with venomous excitement, her voice so shrill it could pierce eardrums.

"You're the only one in the whole hospital who's been eating and drinking well lately!"

Who else could it be but you? Sha Zhu fell into the latrine today, and my grandson's leg isn't fully healed yet. Who else could do something like this? It must have been you, you heartless bastard, who stole it!

Where did you hide the chicken? Was it in your house?!

As she spoke, she used her greasy fingers to poke hard towards He Yuanchao's door, as if she could already see the evidence of his crimes through the door.

Sha Zhu immediately chimed in, trying to shift the blame for the earlier humiliation onto He Yuanchao:

"That's right! It's you! He Yuanchao! Stop pretending to be innocent! You eat fish and meat every day, where did you get the money? Where did the tickets come from? You're definitely up to no good!"

Xu Damao's chicken went missing today. If you didn't steal it, what else could it be?! Hand over the chicken and pay me back right now!

Seeing that Jia Zhangshi and Sha Zhu had stirred up the atmosphere again, Yi Zhonghai immediately stepped forward, adopting the air of a steward, his voice steady yet authoritative:

"Yuanchao, don't get agitated. It's true that Xu Damao's laying hen is missing. Everyone's worried."

Just now, we held a general meeting of the entire hospital. In order to be fair and just, and to clear your name, we decided by unanimous vote to search your house to see if there are any clues.

This is for your own good. The innocent will clear themselves! Here's the key, Lao Liu, open the door!

His words were eloquent and respectable, but his eyes were fixed on He Yuanchao, trying to catch a trace of panic on his face.

Yan Bugui was so anxious that he stamped his feet:

"Old Yi! Old Liu! You can't do this! You just returned from the Korean War, and we haven't even gotten to the bottom of things! This isn't the proper procedure!"

Yan Jiecheng was so angry that his face turned red. He had just jumped out of the car and hadn't even had time to process the shock brought by the Tsinghua and Peking University professors when he saw this group of people bullying his "God of Wealth". He was immediately filled with rage and was about to start cursing.

He Yuanchao suddenly raised his hand, stopping Yan Jiecheng from speaking.

His face remained expressionless as he looked at Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips, as if mocking them.

"Search my house?"

He Yuanchao's voice was calm and undisturbed. His gaze swept over Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, finally settling on Jia Zhangshi's face, which was filled with malicious expectation.

"Based on your suspicions? Based on your vote? Based on Jia Zhangshi's words that I stole it?"

He took half a step forward, and the invisible pressure made Liu Haizhong, who was closest to him, subconsciously take half a step back.

He Yuanchao's gaze was like a cold probe, piercing straight into Yi Zhonghai:

"Sir, tell me, which law allows you to arbitrarily search a worker's home based on suspicion or a vote? Who gave you this right?"

Yi Zhonghai was caught off guard by the question, and his face flushed slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm and said:

"Support Korea! This is the rule of the courtyard! It's also to protect everyone's interests! You..."

"rule?"

He Yuanchao chuckled lightly, a laugh devoid of any warmth. "Are your rules greater than the national law?"

His gaze swept over the crowd, and no one dared to meet He Yuanchao's eyes.

Uncle Liu Haizhong felt uneasy under the calm yet extremely oppressive gaze of the man and subconsciously took a step back.

Yi Zhonghai felt a chill run down his spine, but the die was cast and he had no choice but to proceed.

He steeled himself, adopted the air of a high-ranking official, and stepped forward:

"This is also to clear your name and remove any suspicion against you."

"clean?"

He Yuanchao's lips curled into a cold, sharp smile, his eyes piercing like knives, aimed directly at Yi Zhonghai. "Old man, are you implying that I stole Xu Damao's chicken?"

Xu Damao had been itching to get going for a while, and He Yuanchao's calm demeanor only added fuel to the fire.

He suddenly jumped out, pointed at He Yuanchao's nose, and started cursing with spittle flying: "He Yuanchao!"

What the hell are you pretending for? If you didn't steal it, who else could it be? My chickens are plump and healthy, laying an egg every day!

It must be you, you greedy bastard, who stole my chicken for a treat!

You've been eating fish and meat lately, where did the money come from? It's all from petty theft!

Hand over my chicken right now! Or I'll make you pay!

Jia Zhangshi immediately squeezed out from the crowd, her triangular eyes flashing with malice, and chimed in shrill voice:

"That's right! He Yuanchao! You little bastard! You always act all respectable, but behind my back you're always doing petty theft!"

You didn't steal Xu Damao's chickens, did you? They didn't fly away! Admit it and pay compensation! Don't waste everyone's time!

I bet those chicken feathers and bones are still hidden in your house! Search!

"Grandpa, hurry up and search inside! You're sure to find it!"

As she spoke, she desperately tried to signal to Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu with her eyes.

Sha Zhu immediately perked up, rolled up his sleeves, and roared:

"Yes! Search him! He Yuanchao, you dare to do it but not admit it, huh? If you have the guts, let this old man go in and take a look!"

"Let's see how long you can keep up this act!"

Yi Zhonghai looked at He Yuanchao with a complex expression, a mixture of pent-up resentment and a secret thrill of "finally having caught you red-handed".

He said in a deep voice:

"Comrade He Yuanchao, the eyes of the masses are discerning."

Since everyone has doubts, in order to prove your innocence and to give Xu Damao an explanation, you should cooperate and let us go in and take a look.

True gold fears no fire; if you really didn't take it, what harm is there in taking a look?

Uncle Yan Bugui, unable to bear it any longer, squeezed to the front and urgently said to Yi Zhonghai, Xu Damao, and the others:

"Old Yi! Xu Damao! Do you have any sense of reason? You're searching my house without any evidence? That's illegal!"

Comrade He Yuanchao is an advanced worker in the factory, how could he possibly do such a thing? You are slandering him!

The three older women also chimed in from the side:

"Exactly! You can't bully people like that!"

Yan Jiecheng was still immersed in the excitement of "seeing the world" with He Yuanchao when he entered the courtyard and saw this group of people about to pour dirty water on him, the "God of Wealth" and "God of Literature". He was furious.

Seeing Jia Zhangshi's face and Sha Zhu's arrogant attitude made him even angrier.

He suddenly rushed in front of He Yuanchao, like a fighting rooster protecting its chicks, pointed at Xu Damao's nose and started cursing, spitting all over Xu Damao's face:

"Xu Damao! I'll fuck your grandpa!"

Are your eyes on your ass or are they covered in shit? How much is your worthless chicken? Is it worth me, Brother He, stealing it? You son of a bitch!

Brother He, he…”

Yan Jiecheng gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently. His voice suddenly rose eight octaves, carrying a triumphant exhilaration mixed with extreme contempt, echoing throughout the entire courtyard:

"Brother He just got off work on Qianmen Street, and he sold a piece of calligraphy! Just one piece of calligraphy! He sold it for four hundred yuan! A full four hundred yuan!!"

The old professors from Tsinghua and Peking Universities, the nation's most prominent intellectuals, were practically begging to buy it!

Four hundred yuan!

Is your worthless chicken worth four hundred yuan? Would your whole family be worth four hundred yuan? Why would Brother He need to steal your rotten chicken that can't lay golden eggs?!

Do you fucking deserve it?!

boom--!!!

It was like a thunderclap from the heavens exploding above the courtyard!

The words "four hundred dollars" struck everyone's head with unparalleled force!

In an instant, the entire courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

The evening breeze rustled through the locust tree leaves, creating a soft, whispering sound that became the only background noise at that moment.

Everyone's expression froze.

Yan Jiecheng's earth-shattering "Four hundred yuan!" echoed through the deathly silent courtyard, carried by the evening breeze, its reverberation lingering and making people's eardrums ache.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

Immediately, an even louder wave of laughter swept through the entire central courtyard.

Four hundred dollars?!

"Yan Jiecheng, are you fucking desperate for money? Can't you at least make your lies believable?"

Xu Damao was the first to point at Yan Jiecheng, laughing so hard he was doubled over, spitting out saliva, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Him? He Yuanchao? He writes a few lousy characters and sells them for four hundred? You think that money is like leaves picked up on the street? Hahaha!"

The laughter was like a pot of boiling oil, crackling and popping.

The crowd, who had been stunned by Yan Jiecheng's roar, now seemed to have found an outlet, and all sorts of contemptuous, mocking, and idiotic gazes were fixed on Yan Jiecheng.

"Jie Cheng, are you drunk?"

Someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

"I think he got dizzy from being on the bicycle! Four hundred yuan? I'd be grateful if He Yuanchao's handwriting was even worth four cents!"

Sha Zhu crossed his arms, grinned widely, making no attempt to hide the contempt and schadenfreude on his face, as if the humiliation of falling into the latrine had been somewhat diluted by this absurd "four hundred yuan".

He felt completely at ease, and seeing He Yuanchao make a fool of himself was more satisfying than anything else.

"Yan Jiecheng! You little brat!"

Jia Zhangshi's raspy voice was incredibly piercing; she slapped her thigh, spitting as she spoke, a malicious pleasure gleaming in her triangular eyes.

"To lick that worthless asshole, you dare to fart like this? Four hundred yuan? Have you ever seen what four hundred yuan looks like? If you piled it up, it could crush you!"

He brags without even thinking! Doesn't he fear his tongue will slip up in the wind?

She got more and more excited as she spoke, her finger almost poking He Yuanchao's nose, spittle flying everywhere.

"He Yuanchao! You've got guts! You've even learned to find someone to pat you on the back? You found this kind of scum to brag for you? Four hundred yuan? Hand it over!"

Let everyone see! I want to see if your lousy handwriting is edged with gold or studded with diamonds!

Laughter, mockery, and Jia Zhangshi's sharp curses mingled together, like a huge, malicious vortex threatening to completely engulf He Yuanchao and Yan Jiecheng in the middle.

However, at the center of the whirlpool, He Yuanchao was like a reef.

His face remained completely expressionless, almost coldly calm.

Those deep eyes looked past the clown-like Jia Zhangshi and Xu Damao, past the scornful Sha Zhu.

Finally, the light fell on Yi Zhonghai's old face, which feigned composure but whose eyes concealed scheming, carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery.

It felt like watching a farce that had nothing to do with me.

This extreme calmness, on the contrary, was like a bucket of invisible cold water, extinguishing part of Yan Jiecheng's anger ignited by the ridicule, but igniting another, stronger impulse in him—a desire to prove something.

"Bullshit! Granny Jia! Xu Damao! Sha Zhu! You don't know anything!"

The veins on Yan Jiecheng's neck bulged, and his face turned bright red. He abruptly shook off the three aunts who were trying to pull him away and took a step forward.

He practically pointed at Jia Zhangshi's nose and yelled back, his voice hoarse and trembling with excitement:

"I saw it with my own eyes! It was right on Qianmen Street! Next to the 'Du Yichu' shumai restaurant! Brother He spread out the paper and ground the ink!"

The calligraphy... it's called the "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion"! Wang Xizhi's running script! Do you understand? You guys know nothing!

He surveyed his surroundings, his eyes fierce, filled with a reckless madness:

"That old gentleman! A professor from Tsinghua and Peking Universities! His surname is Shen! His name is Shen Molin! Professor Shen Molin! He said it himself!"

They said Brother He's calligraphy was "priceless"! "Reaching for the level of the Sage of Calligraphy"! "Masterful style!" Someone immediately offered to pay four hundred dollars to buy it! Four hundred dollars!

A thick wad of ten-yuan notes! It was all money! Professor Shen said he scraped together it by selling everything he owned!

Yan Jiecheng was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently. He suddenly raised his right hand, pointing three fingers together at the dim sky.

His eyes held an unprecedented resolve and a ruthless intensity that bordered on a vow:

"I, Yan Jiecheng, swear to Heaven! If I have uttered even a single lie, may I be struck by lightning! May I be hit by a car and die! May I be childless and have no descendants! May I die a horrible death!"

"Shen Molin?!"

These three words, like three invisible steel needles, instantly pierced the center of the noisy vortex.

Yan Bugui, who had been frowning and thinking that his son's boast was really outrageous, suddenly shuddered and the color drained from his face in an instant!

He shoved aside the three women blocking his way, staggered to Yan Jiecheng, his tattered glasses askew, his eyes wide and staring intently at his son's face, which was contorted with excitement.

"You...who are you talking about? Shen Molin?! Professor Shen Molin of the School of Literature at Tsinghua and Peking Universities?!"

Yan Bugui's voice changed tone, becoming unbelievably sharp.

~~~

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