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

On the way to the hospital, every step was filled with fragrance, and every step made me want to look back.

It's the middle of the night, and you can't get a cart at all.

Nobody wants to take in someone so filthy.

Having no other choice, Yi Zhonghai had Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu take turns carrying the semi-conscious Jia Zhangshi to the hospital.

Sha Zhu carried Jia Zhangshi on his back, feeling as if he were carrying a fermented manure bucket.

The smell hit him right in the head, and it almost made him throw up his dinner several times.

"Grandpa, I can't take it anymore, let Dongxu carry me for a while!" Shazhu really couldn't hold on any longer.

Jia Dongxu covered his nose and stayed far away: "Silly Zhu, you're strong and powerful, so please bear with me."

"My...my back injury hasn't fully healed yet!"

"Damn it!" Sha Zhu cursed inwardly.

So, when it comes to saving your mother, you're the one who runs the furthest away from her than anyone else?

We finally made it to the hospital entrance.

The moment the nurse on duty looked up, she was forced to take three steps back by the stench.

"Ouch! What's that smell? Did I fall into the latrine?"

"Hurry up! Go to the washroom outside and rinse yourself off before coming in!"

"Otherwise, this emergency room won't be able to accommodate anyone!"

no way.

Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu, in the dead of winter, connected the tap and sprayed water all over Jia Zhangshi.

The icy water poured over her caused Jia Zhangshi, who was already exhausted, to shiver and wake up.

"Ah! It's cold! Murder! Help!"

"Alright, Mom! Stop howling! This is a hospital!" Jia Dongxu shouted impatiently.

After more than half an hour of fussing, they finally managed to get him to a somewhat presentable state before pushing him into the emergency room.

After a series of examinations, gastric lavage, and IV drips, the doctor came out with the report.

"The patient has acute gastroenteritis, plus an infection from inhaled foreign body."

"He also has a fever from catching a cold and needs to be hospitalized for observation for a few days."

"Who is a family member? Go and pay the fees."

Yi Zhonghai took the order and looked at it.

Good guy!

Registration fee, gastric lavage fee, medication fee, hospital deposit... all these expenses added up to a whopping 25 yuan!

In those days, that was roughly a month's wages for an apprentice!

Yi Zhonghai's eyelids twitched, and he turned to look at Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu.

"Dongxu, Huairu, hurry up and pay the fee."

Upon hearing that money was required, Jia Dongxu immediately turned into a bitter face and shrugged.

"Master, as you know, I haven't received my salary this month yet."

"I spent all my money on medicine before, my pockets are practically empty, where am I going to get any more money!"

After he finished speaking, he nudged Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu burst into tears at the drop of a hat, pitifully saying, "Uncle, all the money in my family is held by my mother-in-law."

"She's unconscious right now, and we can't get the money out..."

"What should we do?"

Yi Zhonghai cursed inwardly.

The Jia family is a bottomless pit!

But as an elderly man, he couldn't just ignore it at this point.

Otherwise, this persona of "respecting the elderly and caring for the young" and "uniting the neighborhood" will collapse.

His gaze naturally turned to Sha Zhu beside him.

This is his "personal wallet" and "blood pack".

"Pillar."

Yi Zhonghai patted Sha Zhu on the shoulder earnestly, "You see, the Jia family is indeed in trouble."

"Dongxu is your brother again."

"You can pay for this first, and your Aunt Jia will pay you back later."

Normally, Sha Zhu would have already paid up to impress Sister Qin.

But today...

Sha Zhu turned his two pockets inside out, revealing the white lining beneath, and looked helpless.

"Sir, do I look like I have money?"

"I just heard someone shouting for help, so I grabbed my pants and rushed out."

"Forget about money, I didn't even bring my keys!"

Sha Zhu wasn't lying this time; apart from the stench, he didn't have a single penny on him.

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

Jia Dongxu had no money, Qin Huairu had no money, and Sha Zhu had no money with him.

So all these people in the room were just waiting to fleece him, this sucker?

"Sir, the doctor said if we don't pay soon, they'll stop the medication..."

Qin Huairu looked at Yi Zhonghai with red eyes, pleading.

His eyes made it seem as if Yi Zhonghai was a murderer who refused to help someone in distress if he didn't pay.

Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath, feeling a sharp pain in his chest.

Two days ago, Li Xuan paid a significant portion of the fifty yuan door repair fee for Sha Zhu.

Do I have to pay these 25 yuan again today?

Why should Jia Zhangshi pay for falling into the cesspool?

But looking at the strange looks from the doctors and nurses around him, and Qin Huairu's expectant eyes.

In order to maintain his image of being "highly respected," Yi Zhonghai could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.

"Okay...okay."

Yi Zhonghai shakily pulled out a stack of warm banknotes from his inner pocket.

He counted out two ten-yuan bills and five one-yuan bills, and his hand was trembling slightly as he handed them to the nurse.

"I...I'll put it on first."

"That old man is such a kind person!" Qin Huairu immediately gave him a "good guy" card.

Jia Dongxu quickly followed suit, flattering him: "Master, you're like my own father!"

"I'll definitely pay you back when I have the money!"

As Yi Zhonghai listened to these empty words, his heart was bleeding.

return?

Once the money went into the Jia family's hands, when has it ever come back?

That twenty-five yuan is basically wasted!

......

The next morning.

Li Xuan got out of bed feeling refreshed and stretched in the yard, feeling completely relaxed.

I slept so well last night, I even dreamt of the sound of merit points being deposited into my account.

I was brushing my teeth when I saw a group of people walk in through the gate of the courtyard.

That was quite "eye-catching".

Sha Zhu, who was walking at the very front, looked dejected.

Although he had changed his clothes, he still seemed to have a lingering stench, and the neighbors who passed by avoided him.

Jia Dongxu helped Jia Zhangshi, whose face was ashen.

Yi Zhonghai, who was following at the very back, looked even more unpleasant than Jia Zhangshi!

His eyes were as black as the bottom of a pot, and they revealed a sense of pain and exhaustion from "spending money to avoid disaster."

"Oh, is it Grandpa and Grandma Jia who are back?"

Li Xuan, with a toothbrush in his mouth, mumbled a greeting with a bright smile on his face.

"Aunt Jia looks great. Looks like she took a good fall last night."

"Have you let out all the anger you were feeling?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi was so angry that she almost fainted again.

She pointed at Li Xuan, her lips trembling, "You...you..."

"Mom! Please don't say anything," Qin Huairu quickly stopped her. "The doctor said you can't get angry!"

If he gets so angry that he gets seriously ill and has to go to the hospital again, Yi Zhonghai might just lose his temper on the spot.

Yi Zhonghai gave Li Xuan a cold look but didn't say a word. He then walked quickly back to the central courtyard with his hands behind his back.

He gets a headache just looking at Li Xuan now.

Can't afford to provoke, can I still not hide?

Watching the group of people slink away, Li Xuan rinsed his mouth and spat out the foam.

"Serves you right! For scheming against people."

"This is just the beginning; the best is yet to come."

[Ding! Detected that the host's plan last night was successful. Yi Zhonghai lost money, Jia Zhangshi suffered, and Sha Zhu was humiliated.]

[Additional Merit Points: 100!]

Hearing the system notification, Li Xuan felt even better.

"Mom! Is breakfast ready?"

"I'm hungry, I'm going to eat three eggs today!"

......