Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

There's always a reason behind everything.

Li Jianye's lips curled into a cold smile. "Jia Dongxu wouldn't go out at night for no reason."

It's nothing more than getting things done or looking for someone.

Qin Huairu,

He turned to the pale-faced woman beside him, "Did Jia Dongxu do anything unusual today?"

Qin Huairu shuddered suddenly, and the first thing that popped into her mind was Jia Dongxu and He Yuzhu's conspiracy to use Qin Jingru to frame Li Jianye.

She would never dare to reveal this secret.

Then she remembered that early in the morning, Jia Dongxu got up before dawn, grabbed two steamed buns and went out without even having breakfast.

This might be a clue.

She hurriedly told him what had happened.

"You went out this morning?"

"What would you be doing out at that time?"

"Once in the morning, and again at night... Could they really be up to something shady?"

"It looks like it!"

Whispers spread like a tide.

Yi Zhonghai was also taken aback upon hearing this, as he was unaware that Jia Dongxu had gone out that morning.

It seems that he did not encounter any misfortune, but rather... His heart tightened: Could it be that this disciple was really up to something in private?

"etc!"

Yan Bugui suddenly cried out. He suddenly remembered something: when he came down the mountain after setting the trap in the morning, he saw several fresh footprints on the mountain path.

I hadn't paid attention at the time, but now that the two points are confirmed, a thought flashed through my mind like lightning.

"I know where Jia Dongxu might have gone!"

Looking back now, that thing was most likely left behind by Jia Dongxu!

How dare Jia Dongxu steal his hard-earned achievements!

Thinking of this, Yan Bugui felt a surge of anger.

"Jia Dongxu must have followed me into the mountains this morning! I set a trap in the woods, intending to collect it tonight, but something came up at school and I had to postpone it."

Unexpectedly, that bastard actually sneaked over there himself! That must be it!

"Absolutely impossible!"

Although Yi Zhonghai was already seven or eight parts convinced in his heart, he refused to admit it aloud.

"If what you say is true, Dongxu should have returned long ago. Why is he still nowhere to be seen?"

"There are many forks in the road in the mountains, and he might get lost."

Yan Bugui's tone was resolute.

"I think what Uncle San said makes sense."

Li Jianye chuckled upon hearing this, "Jia Dongxu might really be wandering around in the mountains right now."

"Master Yi, don't you know your precious apprentice's character? He's a carbon copy of his mother, Jia Zhangshi; his hands and feet have never been clean."

"You're spouting nonsense!"

"Whether it's slander or not, go and see for yourself."

"Well, you don't have anywhere else to look for it, do you?"

Li Jianye shrugged. "Alright, everyone, let's go."

Jia Dongxu secretly went to set off the Third Uncle's trap, and ended up trapped in the mountains himself—let Master Yi and the Third Uncle discuss this matter.

"Everyone hurry back to your rooms and rest; you have to go to work tomorrow!"

"Yes, yes, Jianye is right!"

"Jia Dongxu is a thief, why bother with him!"

"Haha, time to sleep! Go back to sleep!"

……

"Li Jianye, you're talking nonsense!"

Seeing his neighbors chatting and laughing as they dispersed, Yi Zhonghai panicked but dared not stop them any longer.

Deep down, he already believed that Jia Dongxu was capable of such a thing.

As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his father. Although he was only a teacher, he also carried half the burden of a father.

"Whether Li Jianye is talking nonsense or not, just take a look and you'll know."

Yan Bugui glanced at Yi Zhonghai with annoyance, feeling resentful towards the master and apprentice.

"Fine, I'll go! But I'm sure he won't be there!"

"What if you were here? You bet me a hundred dollars, are you up for the bet? Sir, aren't you the one who trusts Jia Dongxu's character the most?"

Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses and smiled meaningfully.

The neighbors who were about to leave stopped and turned around to watch the excitement.

"Yes, sir! Since you think Jia Dongxu isn't around, what's wrong with taking a gamble?"

"That's right, that's right..."

……

"Gambling is unacceptable! We can't start this trend."

Yi Zhonghai shook his head repeatedly.

"Okay, if you don't believe me, that's fine too. I'll go back to my room and rest."

"Go find it yourself."

Yan Bugui was unusually assertive – he was truly furious.

He had painstakingly searched for that hunting paradise, but now that it had been completely exposed, wouldn't Jia Dongxu be able to come and steal the spoils anytime he wanted? How could he swallow this insult?

"...Fine! I'll take the bet!"

Yi Zhonghai understood that Yan Bugui would never lead the way if he did not agree.

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree to this absurd bet.

"Okay! Let's set off now."

That's a treasure trove of land! No one else but the two of us can know about it! All of you neighbors are witnesses; this bet is finally settled!

Amidst the chorus of agreement from the crowd, Yi Zhonghai could only nod heavily.

"Let's go."

Yan Bugui turned and strode forward, his voice tinged with coldness.

Yi Zhonghai's face grew increasingly somber in the flickering light of the torches.

The shifty glances and hushed whispers of his neighbors felt like needles pricking his back.

The little prestige he had painstakingly built up in this alley was cracking and shattering like thin ice under the scorching sun.

"Damn it..."

These two words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with an indescribable frustration and anger.

He said no more, but gave his third uncle Yan Bugui a wink, and the two of them, one in front of the other, stumbled into the dark shadows of the mountains in the suburbs.

The mountain night wind carried a biting chill, rustling the grass and trees.

The two men found the snare-covered slope by memory. The torchlight swept across the ground—there was no sign of Jia Dongxu, but instead a gray wild rabbit was seen, its hind legs bound by a rope, kicking in vain.

"Did you see that clearly?"

Yi Zhonghai's voice suddenly rang out in the silence, with an eagerness to prove something, "Where is your apprentice? Your trap wasn't a waste of effort."

Yan Bugui squatted down, deftly untied the still twitching rabbit, weighed it in his hand, and his lips, which were about to curl into a smile, immediately tightened again.

He stood up, cupped his hands to his mouth, and called out into the thick, inky night, "Jia Dongxu—! Dongxu—! Answer me if you hear me!"

The shouts crashed against the mountainside, echoing hollowly before being swallowed by the boundless darkness.

Apart from the sound of the wind, there was no other noise.

The taut string in Yi Zhonghai's heart seemed to loosen a little.

Just as he was about to speak, a faint sound suddenly drifted from behind the bushes to his right.

"Third...Third Uncle? Is that you? Help...help me!"

That hoarse, trembling voice, tinged with sobs, could only belong to Jia Dongxu.

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Immediately afterwards, there was a loud clattering sound as the grass and trees were roughly parted, and a stumbling figure with dry leaves stuck in his hair tumbled and crawled into the firelight.

It was Jia Dongxu.

His face was pale and his lips were purple from the cold. But when he saw Yi Zhonghai, his eyes lit up and he rushed over without a second thought.

"Master! I've finally..."

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap cut off all his sobs.

Jia Dongxu was stunned by the beating, and half of his face burned.

"Shameless wretch!"

Yi Zhonghai pointed at his nose, his voice trembling with anger, "In the dead of night, you come to this desolate wilderness to do this kind of petty theft! It's one thing to be dishonest yourself, but you dare to tarnish my reputation! How have I raised you? Huh?"

Jia Dongxu's mouth was open, and his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

He glanced at Yan Bugui, who stood beside him with his arms crossed and a half-smile on his face, and then at his furious master in front of him. A surge of immense grievance and icy despair welled up inside him and rushed straight to the top of his head.

He wanted to shout, to defend himself, to say that he was just feeling frustrated and wandering around aimlessly, that the thought of poaching was only fleeting... But all these words seemed so pale and ridiculous in this situation.

He ended up just trembling, his head hanging down, his nails digging deep into his palms.

It’s over.

He said to himself.

Now, even jumping into the Yellow River won't clear my name.

They failed to steal the chicken and ended up losing all their remaining dignity.

"Achoo!"

A loud sneeze suddenly burst out without warning, making him shudder and almost bringing tears to his eyes.

All day long, from running out of the city in a fit of pique in the afternoon to enduring the cold and fear in this godforsaken place at night, he hadn't eaten a single grain of rice. His thin clothes had long been soaked through by the cold dew, and now the chill was seeping into his bones.

Looking at his disheveled appearance, Yi Zhonghai felt his anger inexplicably extinguished by something, turning into a heavy sigh.

He silently took off his coat and draped it over Jia Dongxu's shivering shoulders. Then he took out a roasted sweet potato wrapped in oil paper, still slightly warm, from his inner pocket and stuffed it into Jia's icy hands.

"Put it on."

Eat this first.

Holding the faint warmth in his hands, Jia Dongxu looked up at his master's deeply wrinkled face, illuminated by the firelight. His nose tingled, and tears finally rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but only a choked sob escaped his lips.

"Alright, stop crying."

Yan Bugui impatiently kicked away the pebbles at his feet, his voice cold and hard, "What's with this father-son affection in the middle of the night?"

"Hurry up and leave; this mountain is not a place to linger."

Yi Zhonghai didn't say anything more, but reached out and forcefully pulled Jia Dongxu's arm.

The three of them fell silent and slowly moved along the path they had come from, towards the scattered lights at the foot of the mountain.

Jia Dongxu took small bites of the sweet potato, swallowing the sweet taste mixed with the salty bitterness of his tears.

Behind him lay boundless darkness and silence; ahead, what awaited him?

As dawn broke, the sounds of water and footsteps in the courtyard gradually increased.

People rubbed their sleepy eyes and began preparing for another day of construction.

Last night's turmoil, after Yan Jiecheng's vivid recounting, had already spread to every corner during the morning's washing and brushing routine.

In the time it takes to eat breakfast, it becomes clear that "the Jia family has been thieves for generations."

The story spread like wildfire, both inside and outside the courtyard, becoming more and more true with each passing day.

This unpleasant nickname somehow ended up in Jia Dongxu's ears as he was rinsing his mouth in the courtyard.

"That's utter bullshit!"

Jia Dongxu smashed the enamel mug in his hand, turned around and rushed back into the house, slamming the door shut with a deafening roar.

An uncontrollable rage erupted from inside the house: "Thieves? They're the thieves! The whole family, from the oldest to the youngest, isn't a single good person! Achoo!"

He cursed fiercely, his voice was nasal, and he sneezed several times in a row, making his head ache; he had clearly caught a cold.

"Hurry up and wipe it off."

Qin Huairu handed over a piece of rough paper, her brows furrowed, and she subtly took a half-step back, the disgust in her eyes impossible to hide.

Regret, like stale sour water, bubbled up again.

She stared at the man in front of her, his nose red and cursing, but her thoughts drifted back to the countryside years ago: "If only I had held back then, hadn't been tempted by the superficial excitement of the city, and had married Li Jianye peacefully... what kind of life am I living now? My husband is useless, his reputation is ruined, and even my son will be talked about behind his back in the future, making it difficult for him to find a wife..."

This thought had been going on and on for so long that she had lost count of how many times it had happened.

Every time she saw Li Jianye, or faced Jia Dongxu's dejected face, regret would gnaw at her.

But he chose this path himself, and now he can only swallow his pride and bear it.

"I'm so sick, I'll take another day off today."

Her voice was dry and lacked any real concern.

"Take leave? Where will the money come from?"

Jia Dongxu abruptly turned his head, his gaze sweeping darkly across her face. "You already earn so little, and if we deduct more wages, will the whole family starve? It's all your fault, you useless woman! All you do is eat and do nothing! Look at what kind of wife Li Jianye married—a policewoman! A steady 49.5 yuan a month! And you? What can you do besides eat? You can't even give birth to a son, just a bunch of money-losing brats!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, his fierce gaze fixed on his youngest daughter curled up on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Xiao Dang shuddered in fright and shrank further under the covers.