Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

He squinted, his gaze sweeping over the slender figure in the courtyard, especially the small, perfectly positioned black mole below her left eye, and a knowing yet playful smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

It really is that "famous" person.

The master.

Seeing He Yuzhu's dazed look, the last bit of doubt in his heart vanished.

Great, very good.

Xu Damao not only didn't want to stop it, but also felt a sense of anticipation and even a desire to see it happen.

If He Yuzhu really gets together with Liu Lili... hey, things will get interesting from now on.

Just thinking about how he could be embarrassed and laughed at for this every day made Xu Damao feel comfortable all over.

Li Jianye, who was standing not far away, had sensed something was amiss the moment Liu Lili stepped into the backyard.

The woman's graceful demeanor as she walked and glanced around subtly revealed a quality that was both unfamiliar to him and yet somehow familiar.

The scent of the past.

In his past life, his lively college classmates often shared their "curious experiences" in private group chats.

The materials are illustrated with pictures and text, and some enthusiastic individuals have even compiled lengthy "identification guides."

And "Safety Instructions"

.

Li Jianye glanced at them out of curiosity back then, and the explicit descriptions and pictures left him speechless.

Unexpectedly, the absurd impressions left behind by those online screens subtly overlapped with the living woman before my eyes at this very moment.

Moreover, upon closer inspection, his heart sank slightly.

Based on those fragmented pieces of "knowledge"

Some clues in the background suggest that Liu Lili is probably not just someone with a special identity; she may also carry some unclean "illness" about her.

—Most of them are the kind of horrific diseases that people dread.

He couldn't tell exactly which one it was, but the ominous feeling wouldn't go away.

Just as he was secretly marveling at the absurdity of the world and how their past and present lives had intersected in this way, Wang the matchmaker pulled Liu Lili along, smiling as they walked towards him.

"Jianye, come here, take a good look."

Matchmaker Wang spoke in a loud, clear voice, "This is Liu Lili, the girl I told you about. She's just turned twenty this year, and her looks and personality are impeccable. As for her..."

"Aunt Wang! Please wait a moment!"

He Yuzhu's shout interrupted Wang the matchmaker's endless chatter.

At this moment, he stood blocking Li Jianye's door, his eyes fierce, like a wild beast guarding its prey.

"To give way or not to give way?"

He spat out the final ultimatum through gritted teeth, "If you don't give me a straight answer, believe me, I'll leave you with two bruises all over your face right now!"

Just then, a series of slightly hurried footsteps came from the moon gate leading from the backyard to the front yard.

Yan Bugui led the way, followed by Qin Huairu with a somewhat complicated expression and Qin Jingru with a bewildered and curious look. The three of them were hurrying towards the center of the vortex.

The storm has already begun; let the winds blow even stronger.

Looking at the man in front of him, whose face was flushed, Li Jianye did not respond immediately.

Seeing that he remained silent, He Yuzhu became even more impatient, gesturing wildly in the air with his hands. If he hadn't been concerned about losing face in front of Liu Lili, he probably would have already pounced on him and thrown a punch.

Li Jianye slowly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a cool smile.

He detests being coerced, and He Yuzhu's actions have crossed that line.

It's time to teach this person a lesson.

"good,"

His voice was calm. "This person is yours."

He Yuzhu was taken aback.

"But I can't lose all face."

Li Jianye continued, "Let's have that young lady sit here for a while."

Go back and prepare some food. I'll invite her over when it gets dark.

To the outside world, just say that we two couldn't reach an agreement and weren't suitable for each other—that way, I'll have a way to save face.

His statement was certainly not for the sake of saving face.

Next door lives that elderly lady who is both sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, though she's called "the deaf old lady."

But deep down, he was clearer than anyone else.

She always treated He Yuzhu like her own grandson, and if she saw He Yuzhu leaving with a strange woman, she would never sit idly by.

If she interferes, He Yuzhu and Liu Lili's relationship will most likely fall through.

If Yi Zhonghai wanted to scheme against him, there were only two options: one was to use women as pawns, with Liu Lili being the one in front of him; the other was to dig up his past and uncover his secrets.

Given Yi Zhonghai's impatience, he would start investigating today.

Once it's discovered that he and Qin Huairu are from the same hometown, given that person's shrewdness, he'll immediately guess that there must be something going on—otherwise, why would Qin Huairu pretend to be a complete stranger? To reduce the chances of things happening, and to cover for Qin Huairu, Yi Zhonghai will most likely ask the deaf old lady to take Qin Huairu and Qin Jingru away from the courtyard first.

Yi Zhonghai himself would stay in the front yard to keep Yan Bugui occupied, and then have Jia Dongxu disrupt his meeting with Ran Qiuye.

In this way, everyone who might hinder He Yuzhu and Liu Lili will be sent away.

He only needed to let Liu Lili sit in his room for a while, and once everyone who was supposed to leave had left, what was supposed to happen would happen naturally.

How do I know you're not lying to me?

He Yuzhu stared at him with a mixture of belief and doubt.

"I, Li Jianye, keep my word."

Li Jianye's tone remained calm. "Besides, you don't want Xu Damao to come and ruin your plans, do you? This free time is just enough for you to get rid of him."

He Yuzhu frowned and thought for a moment, then finally nodded heavily: "Fine, I'll trust you this time! If you're not lying to me, from now on you're my brother; if you dare to play tricks... I'll make sure you can't move an inch in this city!"

Li Jianye simply smiled and didn't reply.

Outside the courtyard gate, Wang the matchmaker watched He Yuzhu's posture and her palms sweated with anxiety.

As originally instructed, she had to introduce Liu Lili to Li Jianye; otherwise, the remaining payment would be lost.

Liu Lili, standing to the side, remained composed, her gaze quietly fixed on Li Jianye, a hint of barely perceptible admiration hidden in her eyes.

Liu Lili knew in her heart that there was no possibility between her and Li Jianye.

She has contracted that disease.

There are only two choices in front of us.

The choice is either to let the illness progress and wait for death, or to accept treatment, but that would expose the secret.

She didn't want to die like that.

Therefore, she had no choice but to seek medical treatment.

But once she steps into the hospital, her hidden identity will be immediately exposed.

In the newly established country, that profession was subjected to severe crackdown and investigation.

Once discovered, it will be thoroughly investigated.

Following the clues, everyone involved will be taken away.

It is not that those who engage in that profession will be sentenced; but those who actually do it are all sent to women's reformatories or women's liberation institutes for reform.

There, they learn to read and write, receive free medical care, acquire skills to support themselves in society, and receive ideological education.

They will not regain their freedom until the reformation is completed.

Because of this policy, the country completely eradicated prostitution in 1964.

This news shocked countries around the world.

Therefore, when Liu Lili discovered that she was ill, she was determined to seek treatment and subsequently entered the reformatory to undergo reform.

But at that moment, Yi Zhonghai suddenly approached her.

He suggested that she devise a scheme to harm someone, promising her a large sum of money.

Seeing Yi Zhonghai come to her door, Liu Lili readily agreed.

She was never a kind person to begin with; she entered the industry simply to make money.

If you can make one last profit before leaving, that would be ideal.

……

"Squeak—"

Just as everyone in the courtyard was lost in their own thoughts, Li Jianye's door opened.

Then, Li Jianye and He Yuzhu came out one after the other.

"Matchmaker Wang, we can begin the blind date now."

"Okay!"

Wang the matchmaker immediately beamed with joy and quickly led Liu Lili into the house.

On the other side, He Yuzhu chased after Xu Damao and beat him severely, driving him out of the courtyard and never daring to look back.

"He Yuzhu!"

He Yuzhu was smugly planning to go home when he was stopped by Yan Bugui, Qin Huairu, and Qin Jingru.

"How did Li Jianye's blind date go?"

Yan Bugui asked impatiently.

"I don't think it will work out."

He Yuzhu's mouth was stretched into a wide grin.

"real?"

Yan Bugui was skeptical.

"Of course it's true! If I say it can't work, then it definitely won't work!"

Fearing that Yan Bugui would ruin his plans, He Yuzhu quickly pushed him out.

"Alright, Teacher Yan, weren't you supposed to be introducing Li Jianye to someone? Go take care of that first!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui exchanged glances with Qin Huairu and Qin Jingru.

After a brief discussion, the three of them formed an alliance and planned to sabotage Li Jianye's blind date.

Seeing how confident He Yuzhu was, I began to have some doubts.

"Qin Huairu!"

Just then, a loud shout rang out.

Everyone turned around and saw Jia Dongxu walking out of the house.

"You come back here right now! Xiao Dang has been crying for ages! And bring your sister back too, I have something to say to her!"

"All right……"

Qin Huairu looked helpless and had no choice but to lead her younger sister home.

The temporary alliance between the three thus fell apart.

……

Li Jianye casually replied to Wang the matchmaker with a few words, which made her overjoyed, thinking that she had succeeded, and she left happily.

"This time it really went smoothly!"

Wang the matchmaker strode out with great speed—she was going to find Yi Zhonghai to collect the remaining payment.

In a cheerful mood, Wang the matchmaker walked briskly and passed by Yi Zhonghai's house in the blink of an eye.

Through the window, she gave Yi Zhonghai a meaningful look.

No sooner had Wang the matchmaker left than Yi Zhonghai followed her out. The two walked through the alley one after the other, their steps hurried, as if they were performing a silent mystery.

The scene looked somewhat comical, yet it was also unavoidable—the schemes they were currently plotting were ultimately shady dealings.

Upon reaching a secluded spot at the alley entrance, Yi Zhonghai impatiently lowered his voice and asked, "How did things go?"

"It's done! With me, Wang Po, involved, how could anything not be accomplished?"

The matchmaker grinned, her face beaming with smugness, then opened her palm. "Where's the money? Give it to me now."

Yi Zhonghai pulled out two ten-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them over, lowering his voice even further: "Give me twenty first, and we'll settle the rest of forty when things are settled."

"snort!"

Matchmaker Wang snatched the money, curled her lip, and said, "Old Yi, you're too cautious. Aren't you tired of living like this?"

"You don't understand."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head, his eyes revealing a rare solemnity. "That person... is my nemesis."

Despite being just a farmer with little formal education, I have to admit he is the smartest person I have ever met in my life.

When dealing with him, you can't afford to make even the slightest mistake.

He spoke very softly, as if talking to himself, or perhaps reminding himself.

"What's with all this talk about being smart or not!"

The matchmaker spat dismissively, "In my opinion, he's just a young man who can't move his legs when he sees a girl! Alright, I won't waste any more time with you. Remember to prepare the money, I'm leaving now."

Yi Zhonghai didn't say anything more. He watched her turn and walk into another alley before turning back towards the supply and marketing cooperative.

He bought some pastries and candies, and headed towards Deputy Director Ma's house at the subdistrict office—he needed to confirm the other route as well.

Li Jianye needed to find out exactly where his hometown was.

In Yi Zhonghai's view, only by attacking both sides simultaneously can that tough nut be cracked completely.

Not long after, he came out of Deputy Director Ma's house, clutching the information he had just learned. But a rare look of astonishment appeared on his usually calm face.

"Li Jianye and Qin Huairu... they actually grew up in the same village?"

He stood by the roadside, motionless for a long time, his mind churning. "Then why do they act like complete strangers when they meet? Something's not right... there's definitely more to this!"

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He didn't bother to be polite at the Ma family's house, and after a hasty farewell, he hurried back home.

Upon entering the courtyard, he went straight to lift the curtain of the Jia family's door.

"Dongxu, come here for a moment."

He called Jia Dongxu to the eaves outside the door and said in a very low voice, "You know our plan."

Just in case, you should go outside and keep watch.