Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

Jia Dongxu raised his chin. "Physical evidence. I had Zhu Zi wear Li Jianye's shoes and leave clear footprints in the rain-soaked house."

"It's easier to get witnesses. Just have an older woman say she saw Li Jianye go in, and that'll settle things, right?"

"good,"

Yi Zhonghai sneered, "If the police ask what exact time Li Jianye entered the rainwater house, what are you expecting an old woman to answer?"

"Let's just say four points."

"Four o'clock?"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes sharpened. "Did Li Jianye really come back at four o'clock? Where was he then? What if someone with him could testify that he wasn't in the yard at the time? How will your explanation hold water?"

Jia Dongxu opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words to reply.

Yi Zhonghai did not expect that the other party would make such a basic oversight.

"Your actions constitute false accusation."

He said in a stern tone.

"According to the law, this is sufficient grounds for a sentence of up to three years in prison."

Since his defeat in his last confrontation with Li Jianye and being forced to undergo legal education, he has begun to study legal provisions.

He specifically sought advice from others and reviewed all the regulations that might apply to him, thus gaining a clear understanding of many legal issues.

"What?"

He Yuzhu and Jia Dongxu were both stunned upon hearing this.

Let's stop here.

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand.

"It's better for everyone to stop now before things get too serious."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving the two of them looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Ha, and he calls himself 'Sleeping Dragon'?"

He Yuzhu glanced at Jia Dongxu, his tone sarcastic.

"I think it's nothing special."

Jia Dongxu opened his mouth, his cheeks flushed red, but he couldn't find the words to refute.

This was indeed his oversight, a flaw that shouldn't have existed.

In the end, all he could do was leave with a harsh remark:

"This was an accident."

"Just you wait, next time I'll definitely come up with a more comprehensive plan to deal with Li Jianye!"

He didn't go home.

My chest was filled with regret and resentment—I hated myself for not thinking things through and for wasting such a golden opportunity.

So I ran towards the setting sun, as if that would leave my frustrations behind.

While running, I didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, I gradually felt more and more relaxed, and before I knew it, I had arrived near the forest where Yan Bugui had set a trap.

"How did you end up here?"

When he stopped at the foot of the mountain, Jia Dongxu finally came to his senses from his anger.

"Well, since we're here, let's go in and take a look."

he thinks.

"If Yan Laokou's trap really yields results, it will be mine."

He didn't notice anything unusual when he first entered the forest, but after half an hour, he gradually realized something was wrong—he was lost.

The sun had set, dusk was falling, and directions were even harder to discern.

The autumn night was chilly, and with his stomach empty, Jia Dongxu was soon enveloped by hunger and cold.

He tried desperately to find a way down the mountain, but always ended up back where he started; he cried out for help, but there was no response even when his voice became hoarse.

As the night deepened, fear tightened around my heart like vines.

The humiliation of today's failed schemes and the desolation of being trapped alone in the wilderness intertwine to form a heavy shadow.

A rustling sound came from the wind, and in the distance, there were occasional ghostly green phosphorescent lights. Jia Dongxu finally couldn't bear it anymore and curled up on the ground, wailing loudly.

"Mother... your son misses you..."

He was sobbing, his words incoherent.

"It's too cold... I'm scared..."

"Father! Why did you leave so soon! Look how badly your son has been bullied! Please, have mercy and save your son!"

……

At the same time, inside the courtyard.

Qin Huairu grew increasingly anxious as Jia Dongxu failed to return, and hurriedly went to Yi Zhonghai's residence.

"Grandpa, something's happened!"

She knocked on the door and said urgently.

Seeing her flustered expression, Yi Zhonghai was taken aback: "What's wrong, Huai Ru?"

It was already pitch black outside the window when Qin Huairu's voice, carried on the night wind, rushed into the room, filled with barely concealed panic: "Dongxu has been gone for most of the day, and we haven't seen a trace of him!"

Yi Zhonghai was reading a newspaper by lamplight when he heard this. He looked up and the pages in his hand rustled.

"What?"

He was stunned for a moment, then realized something was wrong, and his heart sank.

Jia Dongxu—that was the person he had long planned to take care of in his old age and see to his death; he absolutely could not afford to have any mishaps.

If something really happens to us, who will we rely on for the rest of our lives?

"When did you leave? Did you mention where you were going?"

As he spoke, he grabbed the coat draped over the back of the chair, quickly put it on, and followed Qin Huairu across the threshold.

"How would I know..."

Qin Huairu's voice was drawn out and long, floating in the chilly corridor, "Ever since he came back from your place, he hasn't stepped foot inside the house."

Yi Zhonghai's expression suddenly changed.

He didn't reply, turned around and walked quickly to He Yuzhu's house, raising his hand to knock on the door.

"Zhu Zi, are you inside? Did you see where Dong Xu went, Zhu Zi?"

He called out several times before a rustling sound came from inside.

Pushing open the door, I saw He Yuzhu sitting hunched over on the edge of the bed, his eyes glazed over, staring at a piece of peeling paint on the floor, looking as if he had lost his soul.

Yi Zhonghai called him twice more before He Yuzhu slowly turned his neck, his eyes scanning over blankly, his lips moving slightly: "...It's an old man."

Is something the matter?

"Zhu Zi, what's wrong with you?"

Yi Zhonghai felt a pang of anxiety; this was completely unlike the energetic He Yuzhu he usually was.

Qin Huairu also squeezed forward, her voice soft and urgent: "Zhuzi, I'm your sister Qin."

Tell your sister, what happened?

In her heart, He Yuzhu held a much heavier weight than Jia Dongxu.

If Jia Dongxu really can't come back, it might not be a bad thing for her—she might be able to take his job, work in the factory with dignity, and not have to suffer beatings anymore. She could receive a monthly salary and have a few days of peace and quiet.

But if He Yuzhu falls, that would truly cut off his path to survival.

His family was always hungry, and they relied entirely on the boxed meals he brought back from the canteen every day to make ends meet.

This "meal ticket"

She couldn't even imagine the famine that would follow if they were gone.

Right now, she didn't have time to ask about her husband's whereabouts. She just gently nudged He Yuzhu's arm and asked repeatedly, "Say something, Zhuzi? Don't scare me."

"I know, Sister Qin... an old man."

He Yuzhu's voice was dry and tired. "My mind is in turmoil. I want to be alone."

If you have nothing else to do, you can head back now.

He still looked listless and unresponsive.

Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu exchanged a glance, both feeling helpless. They wished they could pry open his head and see what secrets he was hiding inside.

"Pillar?"

"Pillar!"

"That's enough!"

He Yuzhu suddenly sprang to his feet, kicking over a low stool beside him and letting out a low growl, "I told you to get out!"

The roar was deep and powerful, making the windowpane vibrate softly.

Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu were both taken aback by the sudden outburst of anger and fell silent for a moment.

Yi Zhonghai sighed heavily.

He could tell that He Yuzhu must have encountered some troublesome problem, but since the other party was adamant about not revealing anything, it would be futile for him to ask any more questions.

"We came here mainly to inquire about Dongxu."

He steadied his tone and steered the conversation back on track, "Dongxu hasn't shown up since he left your place."

Do you know where he might have gone?

"Jia Dongxu?"

He Yuzhu was momentarily dazed, then shook his head. "He didn't say."

After leaving me, they just left without mentioning anything else.

"That's how it is..."

Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment and nodded, "Okay, then you can rest first."

If you're feeling down, don't try to tough it out. If you don't want to talk to us, you can go to the backyard and chat with the old lady.

After he finished speaking, he patted Qin Huairu's arm, and the two of them quietly left the room, which was filled with a suffocating atmosphere.

Yi Zhonghai led Qin Huairu out.

He Yuzhu was the only one left in the room.

He stared at the closed door, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Talk to the old lady? Forget it."

He muttered to himself, but his gaze involuntarily drifted to a spot not far from the doorway—there, a pair of shoes lay quietly, their soles riddled with holes.

These shoes reminded him of that afternoon not long ago.

Jia Dongxu had only been gone a few days when he saw the remaining rice, noodles and vegetables at the Jia family's house. He thought about cleaning them up and cooking a decent meal to send to Qin Huairu so that she could at least have some nourishment.

The door was pushed open before the pot had even heated up.

It was Li Jianye who arrived.

He walked in carrying something in his hand, tossed it aside—and the shoes landed at He Yuzhu's feet.

"These shoes are yours."

Li Jianye's voice was flat.

He Yuzhu was momentarily stunned and looked down blankly.

One glance was enough to make his back stiffen.

Those were the shoes he had worn not long ago.

He deliberately changed them; they were the same pairs he wore when he wanted to smear Li Jianye's reputation.

The sole of the shoe has now been punched with brute force, clearly the work of Li Jianye.

He Yuzhu was both surprised and confused, but a surge of anger also rose within him.

He was looking for an excuse to vent his anger, so he took this opportunity to pounce on Li Jianye.

The result was beyond his expectations.

He didn't even see how the other person kicked before a dull pain shot through his chest, and he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground. He couldn't get up for a long time.

As the pain gradually subsided, a colder realization surfaced: Li Jianye's skills far surpassed his own.

Li Jianye didn't make any more moves; he just stood there and slowly began to speak.

He Yuzhu heard every word he said clearly and would probably never forget it for the rest of his life.

"Shazhu, you've been in my room, haven't you? You've worn these shoes of mine, haven't you? And you even stuffed something in my closet—given your character, that thing probably wasn't He Yushui's, but Qin Jingru's, right? You'd actually resort to such despicable tactics as framing someone."

Was it Yi Zhonghai who stopped them from reporting it to the authorities in the end? That old fox is quite shrewd.

If he hadn't stopped you, you would have definitely gone to jail this time—but then again, sometimes going to jail is a good thing.

Li Jianye paused, his gaze falling on the pair of worn-out shoes.

"As for why I gave you these worn-out shoes... it's simple, you've worn them, I think they're dirty, and I don't want them anymore."

I wouldn't want to give it to you for free, so I'll just expose it and then give it to you, so no one else can wear it.

He suddenly smiled, a smile that carried an indescribable sarcasm.

"There's another point, think about it."

Remember Liu Lili? She was also a "broken shoe".

Oh, by the way, there's something I need to tell you: Liu Lili has a disease, venereal disease, you've heard of it, right? I see you have red rashes on your lips, you probably have them all over your body too, right? Tsk, don't think it's just pimples from being inflamed, do you? Poor thing.

Go see a doctor right away—but before you do, you'd better figure out how to tell the doctor.

After saying that, Li Jianye threw a piece of clothing next to He Yuzhu, which He Yuzhu had left at his house.

Then, Li Jianye turned and left, the door closing gently behind him.

He Yuzhu remained seated on the ground, motionless.

His mind was completely blank, like it was filled with soaked cotton wool; he couldn't think of anything, and he couldn't grasp anything.

The only clear sensation was the cold, creeping up from the soles of my feet, freezing my limbs and bones.

His life is probably over.

……

"What should I do?"

He Yuzhu stared blankly ahead, his mind completely blank.

Everyone called him Sha Zhu, but he had never felt so foolish as he did at this moment.

He was perfectly clear-headed.

He understood the current situation all too well.

It's highly likely that, just as Li Jianye said, he contracted that disease.

If this disease is left untreated, the patient will not survive.

If treatment is needed, the doctor will inevitably call the police.

Once the police get involved, those shameful private matters can no longer be covered up.

In those days, being caught for having an affair didn't necessarily lead to imprisonment; similar to later generations, at most, one would be detained for a few days.

Detention is not the worst thing.

What's truly terrifying is the massive uproar that follows once the matter is exposed.

Once the charges are proven, his scandalous private life will immediately spread, and his reputation will be completely ruined.