Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

As the car drove away from the factory area, Li Jianye gazed at the familiar street scenes flashing past the window, a ripple of emotion stirring within him: "It's been over three months since I left; I wonder what the factory looks like now?"

……

At this moment, the courtyard was suddenly disrupted by a burst of noise, breaking the usual tranquility.

"Where's the chicken? Where did my chicken go?!"

Xu Damao stared wide-eyed at the empty chicken coop in front of his house, as if he were nailed to the ground, his mind a complete mess.

The cage in the backyard was empty, and Xu Damao felt a surge of anger rising to his head.

He went through so much trouble to get that old hen from the countryside! In those days, hens that could lay eggs were incredibly precious, and he had to use all his persuasive skills and even give away some extra money to get it.

Lou Xiao'e, who was standing nearby, also became anxious. The two of them didn't say anything more. One of them searched in the pile of miscellaneous items in the backyard, while the other went straight to the middle courtyard.

The first person Xu Damao thought of was Sha Zhu He Yuzhu.

Ever since Liu Lili's incident caused a stir, Sha Zhu has held a grudge against him—all the rumors in the factory originated from Xu Damao's mouth.

These days, Sha Zhu has been looking for opportunities to teach him a lesson.

Xu Damao knew this, so lately he always found excuses to go to the countryside. Although it was hard work, it was better than staying in the yard and getting punched by that scoundrel.

Besides, there are subsidies for showing movies in rural areas, so it's not a complete waste of time.

That's how the chicken came to be.

He pushed open the half-closed door of He Yuzhu's house, but it was quiet inside. The stove was cold and the pots were empty, and there was no one in sight.

Xu Damao was stunned for a moment, and when he came out, he was wondering to himself: If it wasn't him? Then who could it be? A thought flashed through his mind and he thought of that kid Banggeng.

That child has a history of being dishonest and has a criminal record.

Thinking it over, he quickly moved to the front of the Jia family's house.

As soon as he lifted the curtain, Qin Huairu, who was bending over tidying up the room, frowned immediately when she saw him come in.

"Xu Damao, what are you doing here?"

"My chickens are missing."

Xu Damao glanced around but didn't see any chickens or feathers in the house. Disappointed, he hardened his tone and said, "Come and see if your chickens have 'taken advantage' again."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's face flushed red: "Don't try to pin the theft on us Banggeng family! What happened at Li Jianye's house last time was because my mother-in-law was confused. We Banggeng family have learned our lesson and will never do such a thing again!"

"If I believed your nonsense, I'd write my name backwards."

Xu Damao scoffed, too lazy to argue any further, and turned to head towards Yi Zhonghai's house across the street.

After Li Jianye moved out, Yi Zhonghai quickly took back control of the courtyard house and restored the "Grandpa" lifestyle.

Because of his reputation, everything in the courtyard, big or small, had to go through him.

Having learned his lesson the hard way, Xu Damao didn't dare to report the loss of his chicken to the authorities; he could only come to him first.

"Grandpa, something's happened! My old hen that lays eggs has been stolen!"

Yi Zhonghai, who was holding a teacup, frowned upon hearing this.

In this day and age, he knew all too well what a hen that lays eggs meant.

If this matter is not handled properly, his newly restored authority may collapse.

"How did it get lost? Did it run away on its own, or...?"

He put down his teacup, his expression serious.

"The cage door has been broken into; it must have been stolen! If you don't believe me, go check in the backyard now!"

Without delay, Yi Zhonghai followed Xu Damao to the backyard.

The chicken coop leaned against the corner of the wall, the bamboo latch was obviously torn open, and a few uneaten corn kernels lay on the side.

He crouched down and examined it carefully, and realized what had happened—it was indeed a thief's den.

He stood up, dusted off his hands, and said to Xu Damao, "Go and call Lao Liu."

I went to find Old Yan.

This matter cannot be delayed; a hospital-wide meeting should be held.

"Alright!"

Xu Damao immediately ran towards the Liu family's house.

Before long, a large number of people had gathered at the Intermediate People's Court.

As dusk approached, it was time for everyone to prepare to light fires and cook.

Yi Zhonghai glanced at the neighbors in the courtyard, cleared his throat, and got straight to the point: "Since everyone is here, let's not beat around the bush."

Xu Damao brought back an old hen a couple of days ago, and everyone knows that.

Now the chicken is nowhere to be found. Perhaps someone stole it, or perhaps it got lost while wandering around.

If anyone knows anything about this, please let me know in private later.

We live in the same courtyard, and what we value is harmony and mutual assistance. If we are willing to admit our mistakes and correct them, that is good.

Let's eat first, and then we'll sort this out afterward.

I hope that before I put down my chopsticks, someone will come and talk to me, and we can resolve the issue behind closed doors.

If no one speaks up... then we'll probably have to follow the official procedures.

As he spoke, his gaze slowly swept across each face, trying to catch any clues in the subtle expressions.

When Yi Zhonghai's gaze fell on Jia Dongxu, he couldn't help but pause—the young man's eyes were darting around, he was restless, and there was even a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

Could it really be him?

Just as Yi Zhonghai was about to adjourn the meeting and then ask Jia Dongxu for clarification, a commotion and footsteps suddenly came from the front yard.

Everyone turned to look, and saw Li Jianye leading the way, carrying a sewing machine into the courtyard, followed by an unfamiliar man carrying a clock and a radio, and several pieces of luggage.

The last person to enter was a girl in a floral dress, carrying only a few light items, yet she instantly captured everyone's attention in the courtyard.

The girl was extremely beautiful, with deep-set eyes, fair skin, and a head of black hair loosely tied behind her neck.

She simply stood there quietly, and the entire courtyard seemed to brighten up a bit.

"Wow, everyone's all gathered here."

Li Jianye placed the sewing machine on the ground, dusted off his hands, and spoke with a smile.

But no one responded to him.

Everyone was still staring blankly at the unfamiliar girl, and even the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Li Jianye coughed heavily twice, which brought everyone back to their senses.

He stepped forward half a step and said loudly, "Perfect timing, since everyone is here, let me introduce myself."

This is Delisilin Annivar, my love, we've already got our marriage certificate.

From now on, everyone will no longer need to worry about my marriage.

Also, if you find her name hard to pronounce, it's easy to remember—she's a police officer who works at the police station in our jurisdiction.

Please address her as "Officer."

After he finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent.

A few seconds later, whispers spread like wildfire.

No one expected that Li Jianye would quietly marry such a beautiful wife, let alone that this girl was a policewoman—the policewoman in charge of the police station in their alley.

If there are any more trivial disputes in the backyard, wouldn't they just end up in front of the police?

Yi Zhonghai looked at Li Jianye's composed profile and sighed silently in his heart.

This kid always manages to pull something like this out of the blue.

From now on, I'll probably have to be more careful about what I say and do in this courtyard.

He couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest, as if a heavy stone was pressing down on his heart.

On the other side of her bangs, she was also secretly clicking her tongue in amazement.

He still harbored some old grudges, but at this moment he quickly changed his mind: this Li Jianye is probably someone he can't afford to offend.

Why not try to get to know each other better in the future? It's never a bad thing to improve the relationship.

But as her gaze swept over the radiant Diliresh, and then she thought of her son who had run away to another place with a girl from another region, she couldn't help but feel a pang of bittersweet emotion.

Jia Dongxu, standing in the crowd, had already heard the word "police"...

His face flushed when he heard the word "two".

The ground turned white.

He instinctively shrank his neck, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes, his eyes darting frantically to the ground, and even his breathing became rapid.

He looked as if he was carrying a secret that was about to explode at any moment.

Only when Li Jianye turned and left with Dilisilin did the stagnant air in the courtyard begin to move again.

Yan Bugui watched the three figures disappear into the distance, took off his glasses and slowly wiped them, a wave of regret washing over him.

He should have realized long ago that the only person in this courtyard who could directly confront Yi Zhonghai's invisible power was Li Jianye.

No matter how much Yi Zhonghai schemed and plotted, he was like a snowdrift hitting a red-hot iron, melting away in an instant whenever he encountered Li Jianye.

He recalled the old story of the arranged marriage, and his throat went dry—had Li Jianye really forgotten that grudge? The name Ran Qiuye suddenly popped into his head, making him even more irritated, and he secretly blamed himself for being short-sighted back then.

On the other side, He Yuzhu's gaze was fixed like a nail on the passageway where Li Jianye had disappeared.

He felt a burning sensation in his chest, which made his internal organs ache.

How could that bastard get it so easily, even getting the marriage certificate so quietly! All his plans to report him or sabotage him have now vanished.

A surge of fierce determination welled up within him, and he gritted his teeth: If open methods don't work, then covert ones won't do either! There will always be a dark and unexpected turn of events, and then he'll put a sack over his head and beat this pent-up anger out of him.

Jia Dongxu squatted in the shadows against the wall, his nostrils still filled with the lingering, foul smell of the public toilet.

He swept the latrine for three months, and the smell seemed to seep into his fingernails.

Looking again in the direction Li Jianye had left, although he was no longer in sight, the fleeting glimpse of the girl's profile still lingered in his mind—such a strikingly beautiful face, and he'd heard she even had a respectable job.

He thought of his lazy wife on the kang (a heated brick bed) who would slouch after eating her fill and wouldn't even pick up a fallen oil bottle, and a surge of anger mixed with sourness rushed to his head.

It's all Li Jianye's fault! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have ended up in this state, smelling terrible, and unable to even find a decent wife.

Qin Huairu stood there blankly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

She always knew she was beautiful; a single glance from her could leave people like Sha Zhu and Xu Damao completely bewildered.

The "first" in this courtyard

She secretly enjoyed it for a long time.

But when that woman walked in just now, it was like a beam of light suddenly shining into the drab room, making all the assets she was once proud of suddenly fade.

In terms of looks, figure, and appearance... she couldn't compete in any of them.

The most heartbreaking thing was that it was Li Jianye's man.

Her secret hopes—hoping he would fall into despair, hoping he would turn back, hoping he would beg—shattered completely at that moment.

Why could he find someone better? A bitter feeling mixed with resentment and jealousy welled up inside her, making her feel choked up.

Qin Jingru, sitting in the corner, bit her lip, almost bursting into tears.

She went to great lengths to stay in the city, relying on He Yuzhu's food rations, and even begged for the opportunity to go to school. In her heart, she was full of plans to grow up and climb up to Li Jianye.

Now, before the dream could even warm up, it has been shattered before my eyes.

Why couldn't Jianye have waited a few more years? She looked towards the backyard, her heart filled with the emptiness of her plans falling through.

Yan Jiecheng's mouth was still agape, as if his soul had not yet returned.

His mind kept replaying the girl's image, and he thought to himself that he was getting old enough to pester his father to find him a wife who looked just like her.

Xu Damao spat, feeling an itch in his heart as if a cat's claws were scratching at him.

He had seen a lot of rural life when he went to the countryside to show movies, but the person he just saw was as if he had stepped out of a painting.

Despite his envy, when his thoughts turned to Li Jianye, he suddenly felt a jolt of fear.

He had experienced that man's methods firsthand; he couldn't afford to offend him.

No matter how beautiful it is, you still need to be alive to enjoy it.

He shrank back, quickly suppressing his own ulterior motives.

Lou Xiao'e stood quietly at the edge of the crowd, watching the two figures walk away into the distance, a hint of envy in her eyes.

The sight of them standing side by side makes one feel that they are a perfect match and that you can rely on them.

She sighed softly. If she had been born earlier, perhaps she wouldn't have had to marry Xu Damao, who was all talk and no action but was all bark and no bite.

Li Jianye led Dilisilin through the central courtyard, completely unaware of the various gazes directed at them from behind, and with no intention of noticing them.

He turned to his wife beside him and said gently, "Let's go home and get ready first. Let them continue their meeting here."