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

Yan Bugui's eyes lit up, and he immediately seized the opportunity to shout:

"Wen Chao is right! Absolutely right! This is completely illogical!"

How could there only be a few feathers after processing a chicken? This is clearly a deliberate frame-up!

They only stuffed a few hairs in there, trying to frame Korea!

"frame?"

Liu Haizhong's chubby face darkened, and he retorted in a highly official tone.

"Who framed him? Who could have secretly stuffed chicken feathers into the locked stove in He Yuanchao's house?"

Yan Bugui, that's pure conjecture! Why are you trying to exonerate him for aiding Korea?!

"absolve?"

Xu Damao jumped up and down, pointing at He Yuanchao's nose and cursing.

"He Yuanchao! You're fucking greedy! Greedy for petty gains!"

I thought I could steal a chicken without anyone noticing!

It wasn't cleaned properly during processing, and a few hairs were left in the stove!

Now that they've been found out, they're just making up excuses! What frame-up? Bullshit!

I think you're just trying to renege on your debt!

"Trying to get something for nothing?"

Yan Jiecheng was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode, and roared...

"Xu Damao! You're blind and heartless! Brother He can sell a piece of calligraphy for four hundred yuan! Professors from Tsinghua and Peking Universities are begging to buy it!"

"Would he really steal your worthless chicken? Is your chicken even worth four hundred yuan? Would your whole family be worth four hundred yuan? Why would Brother He need to steal?"

"Bullshit!"

Sha Zhu immediately turned his attention to Yan Jiecheng, his voice booming, "Four hundred yuan, my ass? Yan Jiecheng, I think you've been bewitched by He Yuanchao!"

What did he do for you to brag about him like this? A professor from Tsinghua or Peking University? Why don't you just say the Jade Emperor is his godfather?!

He Yuanchao, tell me, wasn't this chicken feather found in your stove? Yes!

You have to admit it! You have to pay compensation!

Stop spouting nonsense!

Lose money!

Apologize!

Get out of the courtyard house!

"Yes! Pay up! Apologize!"

Jia Zhangshi immediately echoed in a shrill voice, a malicious pleasure gleaming in her triangular eyes.

"Why waste words on a scoundrel like him! The evidence is irrefutable!"

Pay Xu Damao back the money for the chickens!

Pay me for my emotional distress!

Pay my grandson's reputation damages!

Not a single point less!

Otherwise, send him to jail!

As Yi Zhonghai looked at He Yuanchao's calm, even slightly mocking, eyes, his unease grew stronger.

But he's already been put on a very high pedestal; he absolutely cannot back down now!

He took a deep breath, once again adopting the authority of a steward, his voice booming and drowning out all the noise:

"He Yuanchao! No matter how eloquent you are, you can't change the facts! This chicken feather is irrefutable proof!"

It will appear in your home!

It appears in the stove where you're cooking!

This is the most direct proof that you stole chickens!

Everything else is just your excuses!

He abruptly waved his hand, conveying a sense of "the outcome is already decided":

"Now, you only have two paths before you!"

"First, admit your mistake! Compensate Comrade Xu Damao for the cost of ten laying hens! Publicly apologize to all the neighbors in the courtyard and deeply reflect on your error! Accept everyone's supervision and reform!"

"second!"

Yi Zhonghai's voice suddenly became extremely stern, carrying a blatant threat.

"If you continue to be stubborn and refuse to admit your mistakes, in order to prevent our courtyard's reputation for 'advanced civilization' from being tarnished,

For the sake of the collective's honor and stability, I, Yi Zhonghai, as the person in charge, have no choice but to immediately report to Director Wang of the Subdistrict Office!

Please ask her to bring people to handle this!

You'll face the consequences! Your theft is enough to land you in jail for several days!

"Report this to the neighborhood committee! Arrest him!"

Jia Zhangshi was so excited that she danced with joy.

"Yes! Arrest him! Put him in jail!"

Sha Zhu started waving his fists and making a fuss.

"Arrest him! Arrest him!"

Several residents, incited by the crowd, also joined in the shouting.

The pressure, like a landslide and a tsunami, pressed down on He Yuanchao once again!

Yi Zhonghai unleashed his final trump card—the intimidation of the neighborhood committee and the "advanced" plaque!

Yan Bugui's family turned pale, and the three aunts covered their mouths in fright.

Qin Huairu watched from a distance, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Her unease was masked by Yi Zhonghai's "righteous indignation."

It was suppressed.

Yes, the evidence is irrefutable, how can it be overturned?

Just when everything seemed to be going perfectly, and Yi Zhonghai, Jia Zhangshi, and others thought victory was assured and were preparing to witness He Yuanchao's collapse and confession—

He Yuanchao suddenly laughed.

It wasn't a sneer, nor a mocking laugh, but rather a kind of...

It was as if I had heard the funniest joke in the world, a heartfelt laugh filled with endless irony and pity.

"Hahaha……"

The laughter wasn't loud, but it pierced through all the shouts and threats with unusual clarity, carrying a strange magic that made everyone's heart inexplicably tighten.

The laughter gradually subsided.

He Yuanchao's gaze, like two quenched blades, slowly swept over Yi Zhonghai, Jia Zhangshi, Sha Zhu, and Xu Damao.

Finally, with a knowing clarity that sees through everything, the image focuses on the tightly closed window of the Jia family, covered with tattered newspapers.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it resounded like thunder in everyone's ears:

"Am I lacking food?"

He seemed to be asking himself a question, or perhaps questioning everyone else.

"Third Uncle,"

He Yuanchao turned his gaze to the anxious Yan Bugui, "Could you please tell everyone if there's any fish I caught the other day, or cured meat that I haven't finished eating?"

Yan Bugui was taken aback, then realized what he meant and immediately shouted, "Yes! Of course!"

There were at least ten kilograms of cured fish and meat hanging in Yuan Chao's house! The aroma was so strong you could smell it through the door! How could he possibly be so hungry as to steal chickens?

"snort!"

Xu Damao scoffed, "Who knows if that fish and meat were stolen too? Maybe they were bought with stolen money!"

"fart!"

Yan Jiecheng cursed angrily, "You motherfucker..."

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

He didn't even glance at Xu Damao; his gaze remained fixed on the Jia family's window. The cold curve of his lips deepened, carrying an almost cruel certainty as he spoke, each word clear and distinct:

"I am He Yuanchao, a level 5 fitter, with a monthly salary of 53.5 yuan! I am also a fishing expert, and I catch something every few days!"

My family has no shortage of fish and meat, and I even know professors from Tsinghua and Peking Universities. A single piece of calligraphy from them can make a leading scholar of Chinese classical studies go to great lengths to buy it!

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a chilling question, crashing down on Jia Zhangshi like a thunderclap:

"Would I even consider Xu Damao, that rotten hen that can't lay golden eggs?!"

"But you, Jia Zhangshi!"

He Yuanchao suddenly raised his hand, his index finger like a javelin, pointing straight at the old woman whose face had suddenly changed!

"Your Jia family!"

You can't even afford cornmeal porridge anymore, can you? Bang Geng broke his leg, he needs some oil and fat to replenish his body, right? Your grandson Bang Geng, you're not a clean freak, you have a 'criminal record'!

Who in the entire hospital doesn't know?!

"You're spouting nonsense!!"

Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, Jia Zhangshi instantly bristled, jumping up and down and screaming. Her old face was distorted by extreme anger and a hint of panic at having her secret exposed!

"You damned, childless bastard! You rotten-tongued beast!"

"How dare you slander my grandson?! I'll fight you to the death!"

She lunged at him, baring her teeth and claws, but Qin Huairu held her tightly.

Qin Huairu's face also turned pale, and she shouted at He Yuanchao, "He Yuanchao! You've gone too far! Bang Geng is still a child!"

His leg is still broken! How could you slander him like that?!

Yi Zhonghai's heart pounded wildly. He had a vague feeling that He Yuanchao seemed to have grasped something, but he absolutely could not let him take advantage of the situation!

He must nip this in the bud immediately!

"He Yuanchao!"

Yi Zhonghai shouted sternly, his voice filled with anger at being offended.

"How dare you! With irrefutable evidence before you, instead of showing remorse, you even dare to try to frame others and divert attention!"

To slander a child with a broken leg!

Have you lost your conscience?!

Comrade Jia Zhangshi and Comrade Qin Huairu are already pitiful enough as orphans and widows, and you are rubbing salt into their wounds!

This is utterly inhuman! Worse than an animal!

"Yes! They're worse than animals!"

Sha Zhu immediately chimed in, glaring at He Yuanchao.

"Bang Geng is such a good kid! He wouldn't steal a chicken? Stop talking nonsense and trying to shift the focus!"

Jia Zhangshi struggled in Qin Huairu's arms, wailing and crying out in a heart-wrenching voice, as if she had suffered a tremendous injustice:

"Heavens above! Open your eyes! Look how this childless family is bullying us, a widow and her orphans!"

They stole the chicken but denied it, and even slandered my grandson!

My life is so miserable... I can't live like this anymore... He Yuanchao!

You heartless bastard!

You've smeared the innocence of the stick vine!

They've ruined the reputation of the Jia family!

You have to pay me! You absolutely must pay me for my emotional distress! Two hundred yuan! If it's not a penny less, this old woman will hang herself on your doorstep!

As she howled, she glared viciously at He Yuanchao with her triangular eyes, which gleamed with greed.

Two hundred yuan!

This is like a windfall!

She was certain that He Yuanchao couldn't handle the baton!

As long as Bang Geng denies it, she's determined to get the money!

When Yi Zhonghai heard "two hundred yuan", his eyes lit up!

Previously, He Yuanchao threatened him with "resigning to take responsibility" and "fifty yuan in reputational damages," which made him feel extremely aggrieved.

Now, this shrew Jia Zhangshi has stumbled upon a brilliant idea: she's demanding "two hundred yuan in compensation for emotional distress"? This is simply a stroke of genius!

He knew that kid Banggeng too well; he was slippery and a habitual liar. As long as Jia Zhangshi gave him a heads-up beforehand, he would never admit it, no matter what.

What is He Yuanchao asking? Just empty words? No wonder the Koreans wouldn't recognize them!

At that time, not only will He Yuanchao's crime of stealing chickens be confirmed, but he will also be forced to spit out a huge sum of two hundred yuan!

This is practically a double victory!

To wipe away this humiliation!

Sha Zhu was so excited that his face lit up. He couldn't wait to see He Yuanchao go bankrupt!

Immediately, they joined Jia Zhangshi in a commotion, their voices deafening:

"That's right! He Yuanchao! Aren't you awesome?"

Isn't a piece of calligraphy worth four hundred? Do you dare to agree to Aunt Jia's request?

If you can't get a clear answer or prove that it's Bang Genggan, you'll have to pay Aunt Jia two hundred yuan for emotional distress!

Do you dare? If you don't, you're a coward!

He's got a guilty conscience! A chicken thief!

"Do you dare?!"

Xu Damao also shouted, even though he had no money for the chicken yet, he felt relieved to see He Yuanchao bleeding so much.

All eyes were once again focused on He Yuanchao!

Yi Zhonghai suppressed his elation and sense of revenge, and with a straight face, feigned "fairness" as he said:

"He Yuanchao, although Comrade Jia Zhangshi's words were too extreme, her demands are also reasonable."

Your remarks have indeed had a negative impact on the reputation of Bang Geng.

If you insist on doubting Banggeng, then fine, for the sake of fairness and to thoroughly investigate the truth, we can call Banggeng out for a face-to-face confrontation!

He paused, his gaze sharpening as he stared at He Yuanchao, his expression one of blatant coercion:

"But! If you can't get anything out of them and can't prove your slander, then you must publicly apologize to Bang Geng and the Jia family!"

Furthermore, as requested by Comrade Jia Zhangshi, she should be compensated with two hundred yuan for emotional distress!

This is punishment for your reckless talk and slander of others!

Do you dare to accept?!

"Dare! Why wouldn't I dare?"

He Yuanchao acted almost without hesitation; instead, the cold smile on his lips deepened, carrying an air of complete composure.

"Two hundred yuan? No big deal. But..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai like a cold blade:

"What if I find out? What if it turns out that Banggeng stole the chicken and framed me? What then?"

"Bullshit! Impossible!"

Jia Zhangshi screamed, interrupting him with a frantic certainty in her triangular eyes, "My eldest grandson is innocent!"

I would never do such a thing!

He Yuanchao!

Just you wait and see! Two hundred yuan! Not a penny less and this old woman will fight you to the death!

Yi Zhonghai also said in a deep voice:

"He Yuanchao! If you can really provide evidence that it was Bang Geng who did it, then we will naturally follow the rules! You should compensate for the chickens you should pay and apologize for what you should apologize for!"

But now, you need to agree to the two hundred dollar bet first before we talk about anything else! Don't try to change the subject!

"good!"

He Yuanchao's voice was firm and clear.

"It's a deal! I, He Yuanchao, agree! If I can't find out the truth, I'll pay Jia Zhangshi two hundred dollars!"

If I find out and it turns out that Bang Geng stole the chicken and framed me, then…”

His gaze, as cold as solid ice, swept over Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Jia Zhangshi, Sha Zhu, and Xu Damao:

"The Jia family shall compensate Xu Damao for the cost of the chickens! Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng shall kowtow to me in public and admit their mistakes!"

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, you two stewards are unable to distinguish right from wrong. You led the way in violating private residences and tarnishing my reputation. You should also bow and apologize in public!

Furthermore, he resigned from his position as the head steward, taking responsibility for the incident! From this day forward, he is forbidden from interfering in any private matters within the compound!

"You dare?!"

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly turned ashen!

Another resignation due to accountability!

This is going to kill him!

"What? Wasn't this old man just talking about fairness and justice? Now you're scared?"

He Yuanchao scoffed.

"Say yes! What are you afraid of, old man?!"

Sha Zhu immediately roared, "Bang Geng is a good kid! We absolutely cannot admit it! Let this childless man lose everything!"

"Yes! Say yes!"

Mrs. Jia was so excited that she trembled all over, as if she had already obtained the two hundred yuan.

"I'm going to watch you die today! You're awesome! You're awesome!"

My dear grandson! Come out now! Let this childless man prove your innocence!

Amidst Jia Zhangshi's shouts, the tattered curtain of the Jia family's door was suddenly flung open.

Bang Geng, leaning on a simple wooden crutch, dragged his leg, which was in a thick cast, out of the way with Qin Huairu's help.

The little guy's face still had the grease from eating the chicken leg, but he was trying his best to look like he had suffered a great injustice, stubborn and angry.

Jia Zhangshi immediately rushed over, grabbed the stick, and howled:

"My dear grandson! You've suffered! Does your leg still hurt? That damned, childless bastard, you stole a chicken!"

You must stand up for yourself! Never admit it, no matter what! Grandma believes you're innocent!

As she howled, she used her body as cover, and with her withered, chicken-claw-like hand, she pinched the tenderest flesh on the inside of the man's arm hard and secretly!

The nails are sunken in!

"Aww!"

Banggeng was in so much pain he almost cried out, and tears welled up in his eyes instantly. He immediately understood what his grandmother meant—he absolutely must not acknowledge her!

If I admit it, not only will I get a chicken leg, but my butt will also be bruised and battered!

I admit it, and those two hundred yuan are gone!

~~~~~~

I'm so tired~

Is it really that badly written...? Just a few dollars a day, sob sob...