Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

So we had dinner in the cafeteria, and the conversation still revolved around breeding.

After the meal, he took out five small gifts that he had prepared in advance from his car and handed them to each of his assistants.

The car drove away from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and headed towards the courtyard house.

Li Jianye leaned back in his seat, a slight smile playing on his lips.

—It's time to go home.

I wonder what kind of expression Delilah will have when she sees him?

He deliberately didn't make a phone call or write a letter, wanting this return to be a sudden surprise.

At this hour, everyone in the courtyard has probably already had dinner. What are they doing right now?

……

The central courtyard of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) was brightly lit at this moment.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui stood in front of the crowd, and the residents of the courtyard gradually gathered, with benches and chairs arranged in a row.

"Everyone's here."

Liu Haizhong cleared his throat, his voice carrying through the night, "Tonight we'll hold a hospital-wide meeting, and I only want to discuss one thing—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each face.

"What is it?"

The general meeting of the entire community was held in the evening, and the residents gradually gathered at the central courtyard.

As darkness fell, the outline of the eaves blurred into a gray shadow.

Yi Zhonghai stood beside the octagonal table, his gaze slowly sweeping over the familiar yet haggard faces.

"I've called everyone here today for no other reason than..."

He cleared his throat, his voice particularly clear in the quiet courtyard, "Right now, the porridge in everyone's pots is getting thinner and thinner."

The ration book showed the same numbers, but most of what we received were sweet potatoes—these things don't last more than half a day before our stomachs start growling.

In our compound, there are people who do heavy labor, people whose families have grown, and a few who have come from the countryside to visit relatives. They don't have any food coupons at all.

If this continues, I'm afraid some people will really starve to death.

He paused, and waited for the whispers to subside before continuing, "I've come up with a plan."

Each household handed over their monthly ration from their grain book to the courtyard, and we redistributed it according to the number of people.

Of course, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach—strong laborers get more, the elderly, women, and children get less, and children get even less.

"By spreading it out like this, at least we can ensure that every household has something to cook, and no one will starve to death on the bed."

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtyard erupted in chaos.

"That's a righteous idea!"

Someone immediately chimed in, "We can't just stand by and watch our neighbors go hungry."

"I disagree!"

A rebuttal came from the corner: "My family of five depends entirely on my meager ration. If it's divided up, who will care if the children cry from hunger at night?"

"That's right! My uncle from the countryside sent someone to tell me the day before yesterday that his family had been without food for two days."

I need to send what I save back to my hometown!

"You're so heartless! We live in the same courtyard..."

Yi Zhonghai listened quietly, his face expressionless.

He had anticipated this scene.

He proposed this method purely out of self-interest for Jia Dongxu.

The Jia family is in dire straits now: Qin Huairu has a rural household registration and no grain coupons; Jia Dongxu has been transferred from a fitter to a toilet cleaner, his wages have been reduced, his rations have been reduced, and he was even penalized for making a mistake a few days ago. He can't even afford to buy more grain at high prices on the black market.

He Yuzhu's situation is also dire: his salary has been withheld, and his savings have been embezzled by Liu Lili. Now he is living on borrowed money from all sides.

In addition, Qin Jingru also came from the countryside, so there was another mouth to feed.

What's more troublesome is that after He Yuzhu offended the head of the security department, he was kept under close surveillance every day, and he couldn't even take leftovers out of the cafeteria.

The murmurs rose and fell, surging like a tide in the twilight.

Yi Zhonghai's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the dim light coming from the Jia family's window.

He knew he had to keep going.

Not only was He Yuzhu no longer able to smuggle things home from the cafeteria, but everyone else in the kitchen was also kept under close surveillance and couldn't get a single drop of oil or fat.

In an instant, He Yuzhu's influence in the cafeteria plummeted, and he offended almost everyone in the kitchen.

In this way, the burdens of both the Jia and He families fell entirely on Yi Zhonghai's shoulders, making it hard for him to breathe.

Having no other choice, he could only think of raising some money and food for these two families to help them in their time of need.

That's right, it's fundraising.

He previously mentioned "equal distribution"

It's just a prelude.

The vast majority of people in the compound were from urban areas, so who would be willing to share their ration of grain? Sure enough, when the topic of equal distribution came up, everyone shook their heads.

Seeing that the atmosphere was right, Yi Zhonghai seized the opportunity and brought up the idea of ​​fundraising.

He originally wanted to include He Yuzhu in the fundraising list, but He Yuzhu was shy and refused, so Yi Zhonghai had to give up.

"The key this time... is the one in Li Jianye's room."

Yi Zhonghai glanced furtively at Dilisilin.

"Li Jianye works at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, so he must have grain stored at home, right?"

The greed in his heart couldn't help but surface.

Although he usually didn't want to provoke Li Jianye, he was so hungry right now that he couldn't care less.

"Alright, everyone, quiet down!"

Seeing that everyone was still arguing and chattering, Yi Zhonghai raised his voice.

"Let's vote by raising our hands, with the minority obeying the majority. Isn't that fair?"

"become!"

Scattered responses rang out from below.

"Okay, then—those who agree with my suggestion, raise your hands."

As soon as Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, only a few hands were raised, and a quick glance revealed that they belonged to He Yuzhu, Jia Dongxu, and Aunt Wang.

No one else moved.

Yi Zhonghai had anticipated this outcome.

"Let's put it aside and leave this matter here."

Without changing his expression, he continued, "However, there are indeed a few households in our compound struggling financially, so..."

"So you're going to hold another fundraising event, right?"

A voice suddenly broke in, neither loud nor soft, yet it silenced the entire courtyard instantly.

Yi Zhonghai turned his head angrily, and his face turned pale the next second.

"Li...Li Jianye? When...when did you get back?"

"Jianye is back?"

"Oh dear, we were just talking about that!"

"It's good to be home!"

The neighbors immediately adopted a warmer tone and greeted him warmly.

Li Jianye smiled and nodded to everyone, his gaze finding Dilisilin in the crowd. The two exchanged a slight smile.

Then he turned to the crowd and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Everyone, let's disperse and stop with the fundraising."

I heard that the food rations for urban residents will be reduced again soon, and the savings will be allocated to rural residents.

Rest early if you can, lie down instead of standing; saving your energy is better than anything else.

"Still want to reduce it?"

Is that really true?

"It must be true!"

Xu Damao was the first to jump out and speak up.

That's Li Jianye—the witness at his wedding was the big boss, so how could his words be false?

He kept that secret tightly to himself and never uttered a word to anyone.

Xu Damao is a man with a cunning mind. He would love for everyone to be kept in the dark and unwittingly provoke Li Jianye.

Once those people really angered Li Jianye, they'd be in for a world of hurt—while he just stood by with his hands in his pockets, watching the show with a secret, quiet satisfaction that tasted sweeter than honey.

"What is Li Jianye's status? A first-level researcher, a genuine technical expert! He earns four hundred yuan a month, and the people he associates with are all influential figures."

Could his words be false? Everyone should hurry back inside and rest; getting enough rest is the most important thing!

"That makes sense!"

"Let's all go home, we can't go wrong listening to Li Jianye."

"Sigh... But if we really run out of food, how will we survive?"

The neighbors murmured amongst themselves, but their feet were already moving towards their own doorsteps.

Before long, the courtyard was empty, with only the Jia family, the He family, and Yi Zhonghai's family still standing there in a daze.

Yi Zhonghai felt a surge of anger rush to his head, his whole body stiffened, and even the wind blowing on his face seemed to mock him.

He hadn't even finished speaking! Everyone's already gone? What kind of old man is this!

Even Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong turned around and left.

Yi Zhonghai's face turned ashen. He had never imagined that Li Jianye held such a significant position in the courtyard.

The apprehension in her heart clung to her like vines, but then she thought, when had she ever gained the upper hand in a contest with Li Jianye? With that thought, her energy dissipated completely.

"That's enough... everyone can leave now."

He waved his hand, his voice revealing an indescribable weariness.

"Master! Are we just going to let it go like this?"

Jia Dongxu rushed forward, his face full of resentment, "Our family's fundraising efforts haven't been secured yet!"

"Fundraising? Everyone's gone. What do you expect? To call them all back one by one?"

Yi Zhonghai glared at him, too lazy to say anything more, and turned to walk into the house.

"Dongxu, forget it."

He Yuzhu shook his head and turned back to his own house.

He Yushui and Qin Jingru exchanged a glance and silently went into their little house.

"Dongxu, let's go back too..."

Qin Huairu whispered a word of advice from the side.

"Snapped!"

A sharp slap landed squarely on her face.

"Useless thing! Can't take good care of the children, can't bear to give birth, can't earn money, doesn't even have a share of food rations! It's a miracle that I, Jia Dongxu, married you, it's because my ancestors didn't accumulate any good karma!"

"Dongxu..."

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face.

But these tears are nothing more than a fig leaf.

Deep down, she had long harbored enough resentment towards Jia Dongxu.

"Do you really think I wanted to marry you? If it weren't for you... I'd be with Li Jianye now! If I were with him, I wouldn't have to suffer this filth!"

Thinking about it this way, regret surged up like a tide, making her feel choked and her chest tight.

Everyone closed their doors, but whispers leaked out from the cracks in the windows.

Food is a matter of utmost importance. The current monthly ration is already tight, and if it is cut again, there will be no way to survive.

"Can this be taken seriously?"

In one household, a couple was talking in hushed tones.

"It's hard to say."

The man shook his head. "How did Li Jianye find out about something this big?"

"He goes in and out of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences all day long, and he sees people from higher up. He might have heard some rumors."

The woman insisted, "Besides, it's better to believe it's true."

The family's food supply was nearly empty; they were eating tree bark and digging for grass roots every day. My mother said... my father had started to stop eating altogether, saying he wanted to save a bite for the younger one...

Night fell heavily, the courtyard fell silent, but the lights in each house remained on, illuminating sorrowful faces.

Low sobs echoed in the dimly lit room.

"If things don't change... I'm afraid I really won't be able to see Grandpa one last time..."

The woman's voice was choked with tears, broken and intermittent.

The man let out a long sigh, a sigh heavy with helplessness.

"How could I not know the state of the village? It's so difficult... Thinking about it this way, if things could really change, perhaps... perhaps there's a way out."

If we grit our teeth and tighten our belts, we can still get through this.

But for the villagers in the fields... that's a matter of life and death.

Hang in there, no matter how hard it gets, we have to hold on and hope for next summer's harvest, that the fields will yield life-saving crops.

"Um……"

The woman wiped away her tears with her sleeve and choked out, "I don't know which kind-hearted person came up with such a method."

If it really works, I don't know how many lives it could save... It would be an immense act of merit...

……

The discussions in the courtyard did not reach Li Jianye's ears.

Even if he heard it, he wouldn't care at the moment.

After the hastily concluded college-wide meeting, he walked straight to Delilah, who had been waiting in the corner, and gently pulled her into his arms.

The two embraced quietly, remaining motionless for a long time.

Their gazes met, as if a thousand words flowed and converged in the silent gaze, finally settling into a deep longing in their eyes.

A night breeze began to rise, carrying a chill.

Li Jianye said in a low voice, "Let's go home."

They have so much to say, and they shouldn't be left to freeze in this cold wind.

Delilah nodded and obediently followed his steps.

As soon as he stepped inside and closed the door, shutting out the cold air and noise from outside, an eager smile appeared on Li Jianye's face.

"Xiao Di, look what I brought you."

As if by magic, he took out a garment from his luggage and unfolded it—it was a glossy, thick mink coat.