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

"He's talking nonsense!"

Sha Zhu instantly flew into a rage, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He jumped up, his face turning a deep purplish-red, and pointed at He Yushui's nose, roaring...

"He Yushui! Did you get your brain squeezed by a door?!"

He's trying to sow discord! He's using psychological tactics! Can't you see that? What kind of spell he's cast on you?!

You were bought off with just one meal? So much so that you don't even trust your own brother anymore?!

You...you're completely bewitched!

Seeing her brother's angry and reckless words, He Yushui's last bit of hope was completely extinguished.

She felt utterly exhausted and sorrowful.

"Am I out of my mind?"

He Yushui also stood up, her voice trembling slightly with emotion, her eyes reddening again, but this time not from grievance, but from anger and disappointment.

"Brother! Ask yourself honestly! Ever since you became infatuated with that Qin Huairu, do you still care about me as your sister?"

Your salary, your efforts, all went to the Jia family! When Bang Geng stole a chicken, you took the blame and paid for it! When Bang Geng pulled out the valve stem, you paid for it and even pumped it up for him!

Qin Huairu's mother-in-law pointed her finger at you and cursed you, and you didn't dare to utter a sound! Then she took her anger out on me!

Even if He Yuanchao wasn't good, at least he gave me a hot meal!

They gave me a sip of sweet water! They didn't call me a beggar! And you? My own brother?!

She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, but her eyes remained unusually resolute.

"You keep saying you're doing this for my own good and telling me to stay away from him! But besides yelling at me, cursing at me, and making me feel heartbroken, what have you ever done for me?!"

You won't even buy me a bottle of soda! You're not even as good as that little thief from the Jia family!

"You...you...you've rebelled! You've defied the heavens!"

Sha Zhu was speechless with anger, trembling all over, pointing at He Yushui with his fingers shaking.

He wanted to yell at her, he wanted to hit her, but looking at his sister's tear-streaked face and resolute eyes, he couldn't bring himself to raise his hand.

Overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness and panic, he suddenly swung his hand, knocking an empty bowl off the edge of the kang table!

"Snap!"

The rough porcelain bowl shattered into pieces!

"Get out! Get out of here! Go wherever you want! I don't need a sister like you who betrays us!"

Like a trapped beast, Sha Zhu let out a desperate roar, turned around abruptly, and slammed the door shut again! This time, his back view was filled with dejection and a panic of being completely isolated.

The door of the cabin was still humming.

He Yushui stood there, looking at the broken porcelain shards on the ground, listening to her brother's heavy footsteps fading into the distance, tears streaming silently down her face.

But this time, her eyes held not only sadness, but also an almost numb calm.

She silently squatted down and picked up the broken pieces of porcelain one by one, carefully wrapping them in a handkerchief.

Then, she went to the water tank, scooped up some water, and washed her hands and face.

She didn't glance at the cold, unappetizing food on the table again.

She walked to her cold little kang (heated brick bed), took off her coat, crawled into the cold quilt, and wrapped herself tightly in the quilt.

The bed is cold, and so is my heart.

In the darkness, her eyes were open, but the warm light from He Yuanchao's room kept flashing before her eyes.

That plate of glistening braised pork, that bottle of ice-cold Arctic Ocean soda, and the focused profile he might have had when he taught me to write...

A faint yet persistent warmth quietly began to grow in that cold, dark little house.

Along with this warmth, there was also a secret anticipation for 7 p.m. the next night, which she herself was unaware of.

Next door, He Yuanchao's small house.

The lights were still on.

The table has been cleaned up.

He Yuanchao did not rest immediately. He sat on a small stool, playing with the empty glass bottle of Arctic Ocean soda in his hand, his eyes vacant, as if he was thinking about something.

On the table, the brand-new Peony brand television was turned off, its screen pitch black.

The room was very quiet.

Just then—

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully reversed He Yushui's dependence on Sha Zhu, dismantled the potential alliance within the courtyard, and gained the initial trust of key figures!]

[Congratulations, host, on completing the hidden 'Breaking the Ice' quest!]

[Reward: +3 Consciousness Fishing Attempts!]

【Should we use it immediately?】

The cold system notification sound, carrying a barely perceptible fluctuation of pleasure, rang clearly in his mind.

He Yuanchao's eyes focused instantly, sharp as a knife! A cold yet expectant smile slowly curved his lips.

"use!"

As consciousness sank in, the shimmering lake of consciousness reappeared. The illusory figure cast its fishing rod three times in succession, the golden fishing line silently disappearing into the depths of the calm lake.

[Ding! Fishing successful! Obtained: 'Truth or Dare' Gum (Enhanced Version) x3!] [Item Description: Appears like ordinary chewing gum. After the target chews it, they will be unable to control themselves from revealing their truest and darkest thoughts within ten minutes. Powerful effect, use with caution.]

[Ding! Successfully lit! Obtained: 'Good Luck' Lighter x1!] [Item Description: One-time consumable. After lighting, the user will receive a blessing of good fortune for the next hour, turning bad luck into good and making their wishes come true.]

[Ding! Fishing successful! You have won: 500 yuan in cash!]

Looking at the three pieces of chewing gum wrapped in exquisite candy wrappers, a lighter with a brass casing and engraved retro patterns, and a thick stack of brand-new "Big Unity" bills lying quietly in the system space, He Yuanchao's smile deepened.

Truth or Dare Gum? This is practically a magic weapon tailor-made for this group of hypocritical beasts in the courtyard! Yi Zhonghai's hypocrisy, Liu Haizhong's ambition for officialdom, Xu Damao's cunning, Qin Huairu's green tea... He was really looking forward to seeing how spectacular the scene would be when these people publicly revealed their truest and most sordid thoughts.

As for the five hundred yuan in cash, it was a timely help. In those days, five hundred yuan was a huge sum of money that could drive any family crazy, and it was the solid capital for him to stir up trouble and plan for the future.

He Yuanchao carefully packed away his spoils, feeling more cheerful than ever before. He pushed open the door, and in the courtyard, He Yushui had already left, leaving only Sha Zhu's lonely figure disappearing outside the hanging flower gate, his back filled with the dejection of being abandoned by the whole world.

He Yuanchao ignored it. He walked to the corner, looked at the brand-new Forever 28-inch motorcycle, his gaze falling on the tires that Sha Zhu had punctured to a full throttle, his eyes cold. He took out two brand-new valve cores from his pocket, which he had specially bought that afternoon, and quickly installed them on the tires, then carefully checked them again.

After doing all this, he pushed his cart out of the courtyard house, amidst the awe-inspiring yet obsequious gazes of Yan Bugui's family. He didn't go straight home, but instead rode his cart in the night in another direction—he wanted to see what was happening to Jia Zhangshi, the woman he had sent to the police station.

The police station was brightly lit. He Yuanchao didn't go in; instead, he stopped in a dark corner at a distance and quietly observed. He didn't need to do anything; he just needed to confirm that Jia Zhangshi, this malignant tumor, had been firmly controlled by the state apparatus and would not be able to cause trouble again in the short term.

Sure enough, not long after, he saw a familiar figure—Director Wang from the neighborhood committee, walking out of the police station, his face serious and slightly tired. Clearly, the neighborhood committee had also become involved in Jia Zhangshi's case. That was enough. He Yuanchao turned his car around and disappeared into the night.

The atmosphere in the courtyard was terribly oppressive the next morning.

Sha Zhu didn't return home all night. He Yushui went to school quietly in the morning, without even glancing at the Jia family. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong both claimed to be sick and didn't go to work, hiding at home and afraid to show their faces. Xu Damao, on the other hand, hummed a little tune, beaming with pride, telling everyone how he spent his hundred yuan.

Qin Huairu, sporting huge dark circles under her eyes, went to work at the factory like a walking corpse. As soon as she entered the workshop, she felt countless strange looks. The "caught in the cellar" and "chicken theft incident" in the courtyard last night had already spread throughout the entire residential area through those gossipy neighbors.

"Look, it's her, Qin Huairu." "Tsk tsk, I never would have guessed! She always acts so pitiful, but behind your back..." "I heard she was in the cellar with an old man..." "Shazhu even took the blame for her son, what a sucker!"

The foul language was like invisible needles, piercing Qin Huairu's body, making her face pale and her hands and feet ice-cold. She wanted to defend herself, but found that any words seemed so pale and powerless. She could only lower her head and, amidst the pointing fingers and whispers of the crowd, flee to her workstation, using the roar of the machines to numb herself.

At noon, an even more explosive piece of news arrived—Sha Zhu had been fired from the cafeteria!

The reasons given were "improper lifestyle, poor personal hygiene (the incident of falling into the latrine had a terrible impact), and unexcused absence from work."

The news struck like a bolt from the blue, instantly shattering Qin Huairu's last glimmer of hope. Sha Zhu's dismissal meant the Jia family's last stable source of income had also ended! Bang Geng's medical expenses, the family's food and drink... the future looked bleak.

After get off work, Qin Huairu returned to the courtyard house in a daze. As soon as she entered the middle courtyard, she saw Sha Zhu squatting at her door, smoking silently with cigarette butts scattered around his feet. His hair was messy, his beard was unkempt, his eyes were vacant, and he exuded an aura of decadence.

When he saw Qin Huairu return, Sha Zhu suddenly raised his head. For the first time, his bloodshot eyes no longer held the usual fawning and eagerness, but only a cold, complex emotion mixed with resentment and despair.

"Sister Qin," Sha Zhu's voice was as hoarse as a broken gong, "I've lost my job."

Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat, and her lips trembled as she stammered, "Zhuzi...I...I heard about it..."

"You've heard?" Sha Zhu suddenly laughed, a laugh more painful than a grimace. "It's all thanks to you! Thanks to your good son! Thanks to your good mother-in-law!"

He suddenly stood up, pointing at Qin Huairu's nose, his pent-up resentment erupting like a volcano: "I, Sha Zhu, took the blame for your Jia family! Paid money! Offended my own sister! Now I've even lost my job! What did I get for this?! Huh?! I'm the biggest idiot in the world!" "Let me tell you, Qin Huairu! From now on, your Jia family's affairs have absolutely nothing to do with me, Sha Zhu! You'll have to figure out Bang Geng's medical expenses yourself! You want me to be a sucker again? No way!"

After saying that, he angrily threw the cigarette butt in his hand to the ground, crushed it out with his foot, turned around, and walked into his equally deserted room without looking back, slamming the door shut.

Qin Huairu stood frozen in place, staring at the tightly closed door, listening to Sha Zhu's suppressed, beast-like growls coming from inside. She felt dizzy and a chilling despair instantly engulfed her.

It's over, Sha Zhu... This last hope has completely collapsed.

Just then, from He Yuanchao's small house in the backyard, came the clear and loud sound of the news broadcast on television, accompanied by the enticing aroma of stewed fish.

That sound, that fragrance, were like two sharpest knives, piercing Qin Huairu's heart. She could no longer hold on; her body slumped against the wall and she collapsed to the ground, covering her face with her hands, letting out a suppressed, desperate sob, like that of a wounded animal.