Courtyard House: Starting by inheriting the tradition and suppressing the barbarians.

Backyard, main house.

The heating was on just right, and beautiful frost flowers formed on the windows, while the interior felt like springtime.

Li Xuan carefully held the exquisitely beautiful little dumpling in his arms.

Those hands, which usually held the scalpel with unwavering steadiness, were now slightly stiff.

This is his own daughter!

The little one had just finished nursing and was looking at the world with wide, dark eyes.

Her skin was as white as a freshly peeled egg, and her eyelashes were long.

Her occasional blink could melt Li Xuan's heart.

"Ah Xuan, you can name the child."

Hua Youlin leaned against the headboard, feeling somewhat weak despite having just given birth.

But her face radiated maternal glow, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

Li Xuan looked at the baby in his arms, gently teased her little nose, and smiled:

"Though there have been many ups and downs outside these past few years, our family has remained peaceful and stable."

"I only hope that she can live a peaceful, joyful, and carefree life."

"Let's call her Li Yue."

"The joy of heartfelt admiration is also the joy of pleasing the eye."

"Li Yue... Yueyue."

Hua Youlin read it twice, then nodded with a smile, "A good name, it sounds festive."

Just then, a system notification sounded in Li Xuan's mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on the birth of your daughter! Your family bloodline continues!]

[Special birthday gift pack from the system: Basic Gene Optimization Fluid (Infant Version) x1!]

[Note: This medicine is gentle and has no side effects. After taking it, it can remove congenital impurities from the infant's body, significantly enhance immunity and intellectual potential, and ensure that the child will be free from illness and disaster throughout their life, and be exceptionally intelligent.]

Li Xuan was overjoyed.

This is really good stuff!

In those days when medical conditions were relatively poor, it was common for children to get sick.

With this, my daughter will have the perfect starting line!

Taking advantage of Hua Youlin's inattention, he had a sudden thought, and a small jade bottle appeared in his hand.

He uncorked the bottle and gently dripped a drop of the faintly fragrant, transparent liquid into his daughter's slightly open mouth.

The little guy smacked his lips, seemingly finding the taste good, and even giggled.

In that instant, Li Xuan seemed to see his daughter's eyes become even clearer and brighter.

The skin also subtly glowed with a warm, moist sheen.

"My dear daughter, Daddy will give you the best of everything in this world."

Li Xuan gently kissed his daughter's forehead, officially beginning his life as a "doting father".

......

After my postpartum period ended, the weather turned out to be a beautiful sunny day.

Li Xuan wrapped Yueyue up tightly in a thick brocade swaddle.

Only her delicate little face was visible as he held her and let her bask in the sun in the yard.

This appearance immediately made her the focus of the entire hospital.

"Oh my! This must be the daughter of Doctor Li? She's so beautiful!"

"Look at those big eyes, they're exactly like Comrade Hua's!"

"This child is so lucky, born into such a blessed family!"

The three older women from the front yard, along with several young wives, all gathered around, their eyes gleaming with envy.

I wanted to touch it but didn't dare, afraid that dirty hands would soil the child's nice clothes.

At this moment, Li Xuan completely lost his usual aloof demeanor, his face full of doting smiles.

He even proudly boasted, "Look, she smiled at me!"

"Do you recognize your father?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Doctor Li loves children so much, he must recognize them!" Everyone echoed.

Even Yan Bugui, who is usually calculating, specially brought a homemade windmill over to amuse the child.

"Come on, Yueyue, look at this big windmill spinning!"

"This was made for you by your third uncle!"

The backyard was filled with laughter and joy; the genuine happiness and vitality seemed to dispel the winter chill.

......

however!

At the edge of this warm and beautiful picture, however, lies a pair of eyes filled with jealousy, regret, and despair.

He was staring intently at all of this.

Front yard, rear house.

The dilapidated wooden door was ajar.

Yi Zhonghai huddled in the shadows behind the door like a rat, wrapped in a tattered cotton-padded coat that smelled musty.

His cloudy old eyes peered greedily through the crack in the door at little Yueyue, who was being held in Li Xuan's arms and surrounded by a crowd.

That child... is so beautiful.

That laughter...it sounded so nice.

Enjoying the company of grandchildren and living a long and peaceful life.

These eight words represent Yi Zhonghai's greatest dream in his life, and the ultimate goal of all his scheming.

To achieve this goal, he schemed against Sha Zhu, Qin Huairu, and everyone in the hospital.

He thought he was the smartest chess player, that he could hold everyone's fate in his hands.

But now?

Sha Zhu died, or rather, he was indirectly driven to his death by Sha Zhu.

Qin Huairu hated him to the core and wouldn't even glance at him.

He himself went from being a respected elder to a lonely old man whom everyone in this cramped house despised.

Li Xuan, whom he most wanted to suppress and despised, was living the life he had always dreamed of.

He has status, a beautiful wife, and now he has such an adorable daughter.

"If we don't calculate... if we had truly been sincere towards Sha Zhu back then..."

Yi Zhonghai's hand trembled as he reached out into the air, as if trying to touch the grandson who didn't exist.

"If only I had stopped sooner..."

"Then, wouldn't it be possible for a child to call me 'Grandpa'?"

Two streams of turbid tears flowed down his deeply lined old face.

It dripped onto the dusty ground and dried quickly.

No if.

There's no going back in this world.

Yi Zhonghai felt as if his heart had been stabbed with a knife.

That pain was more unbearable for him than hunger or being cold.

That is the pain of having no descendants.

That was the despair of being destined to grow old alone and have no one to see you off in your final days.

"Karma...karma..."

Yi Zhonghai slid weakly to the ground, clutching his head, and let out a whimper like a wounded wild animal.

On this sunny winter day.

Some people are enjoying family bliss in heaven.

Some are chewing on endless bitter fruit in hell.

This is a courtyard house.

That's life.

......