Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

"Hello, neighbors."

My name is Li Jianye, I am 27 years old, and I live alone.

I don't have many relatives left in my hometown. I used to farm in the countryside.

Li Jianye's voice echoed in the courtyard, and a brief silence fell over the surroundings.

"I was just lucky."

He said calmly, "We accidentally bred a high-yield wheat variety."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the faces in the courtyard, etched with the marks of time and hunger.

"In a few years, once this wheat variety is widely available, people should no longer have to worry about food shortages."

These words were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, causing ripples to spread rapidly.

"Jianye... are you serious?"

Someone asked in a trembling voice.

"That wheat...can it really yield 10,000 jin per mu?"

The other person followed up with more questions.

"Good heavens... will we really be able to eat our fill every day from now on?"

The whispers quickly turned into a clamor, and the eyes of the crowd gleamed with an almost burning light.

Their impression of Li Jianye was completely reversed at this moment—a person who could prevent all of China from going hungry was truly worthy of respect.

Even though he was assigned two rooms upon his arrival, no one felt it was inappropriate; some even secretly rejoiced, thinking that if it weren't for his appearance, they would probably still be suffering from hunger in the days to come.

Yi Zhonghai stood in front of the crowd, but his expression gradually darkened.

In this round, he was at a disadvantage.

He cleared his throat and raised his voice to suppress the noise:

"Comrade Li Jianye has made great contributions to the country! We should all applaud him!"

The applause started sporadically, then became more unified and enthusiastic.

After the applause subsided, Yi Zhonghai spoke again, his tone steady yet his words clear:

"Comrade Li Jianye, did you also report to Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill today? I heard that you are not only a first-level researcher, but also a level 13 technician... You are truly a promising young man."

The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

"Level 1 Researcher...plus Level 13 Technician?"

Someone murmured the same thing over and over.

"Then the monthly salary must be... four hundred yuan?!"

"Four hundred?! This old man has worked half his life and his monthly salary is only ninety-nine!"

"A farmer, who just got lucky and produced some wheat seeds, gets this kind of treatment?"

The surprise quickly fermented into a bitter jealousy.

Many people exchanged glances, with similar thoughts churning in their minds: Why can't I have such luck?

Qin Huairu stood at the edge of the crowd, staring blankly at that tall figure.

Four hundred yuan...

Her ears were ringing, and she suddenly remembered the young man who had smiled and handed her a handful of wild berries under the locust tree at the village entrance many years ago.

Regret clung to her heart like vines—if she had known he would end up like this, why did she ever marry into the Jia family?

Her mother-in-law was mean, her husband was taciturn, her son was still young, and she still had to do laundry and fetch water while pregnant, often going to sleep at night because she was hungry.

Life is like a millstone, grinding people forward round and round.

At that moment, Li Jianye simply smiled slightly.

He understood Yi Zhonghai's rhetoric perfectly—first, he praised him, then subtly stirred up the envy of others.

But he no longer wanted to engage in further maneuvering.

"It's just luck; it can't compare to an old man's genuine, top-level craftsmanship."

He spoke modestly, but then changed the subject, saying, "Before I came, Director Wang from the neighborhood specifically mentioned that under your leadership, our courtyard house has been named the 'Most Beautiful Courtyard' every year. He also praised you for being fair, caring for the elderly and children, and always ready to help others—truly living up to your reputation."

The sudden words were astonishing.

I can't help but feel a sense of respect for you.

When I first arrived in this city, I was just a country bumpkin who had just put down his hoe, and I didn't understand many of the rules.

I have a problem I'd like to ask an old man for advice on—when I returned home just now, I found that the door lock had been smashed.

All the furniture in the house had also disappeared.

Should we report such a serious matter to the police?

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the courtyard turned their gazes to Jia Zhangshi and her second uncle, Liu Haizhong.

"Call the police?"

Liu Haizhong's brows furrowed suddenly. "You're new to the city and come from a rural background, so it's no wonder you're immature."

Today, your second uncle will teach you some city rules—first, don't rush to find the police or the neighborhood committee if you encounter any problems; you have to go through us, the senior uncles in charge, first.

"Our institute can handle its own affairs."

He put his hands behind his back and softened his tone: "Besides, the city is much safer than the countryside."

Look at all these households in the courtyard, who has ever locked their door during the day? And finally, let's talk about that furniture... those weren't yours to begin with; they were just temporarily stored there by someone else.

When they saw you move in, everyone kindly moved out for you.

So, there were no robbers or thieves at all; it was purely a misunderstanding.

"You must be Second Uncle?"

Li Jianye still had a smile on his face, but his eyes were devoid of warmth. "I don't understand what you're saying."

Housing allocated by the state should, in principle, be equipped with some basic furniture.

Why is my room completely empty? There's not even a stool left!

Liu Haizhong was speechless for a moment.

Should he just say that before Li Jianye even stepped into the courtyard, the Zhao family's tables, chairs, chests, and cabinets had already been divided up like meat among the various families? How could he say that outright? He could only turn to Yi Zhonghai and cast a pleading look in his eyes.

"Here's what happened."

Yi Zhonghai spoke slowly and deliberately, as if he had been prepared, "The furniture in Old Zhao's house is too old, and most of it has rotted away."

For the safety of the residents, the neighborhood committee has decided to replace your apartment with a new one.

The new furniture will take time to be allocated, so I will go to the neighborhood committee tomorrow to expedite the process.

I've been very busy with official duties lately, please understand.

If you don't mind, you can come to my place tonight. Please feel free to ask if you need anything.

Our department has always valued mutual support.

"I see."

A barely perceptible sneer flashed across Li Jianye's lips.

Yi Zhonghai's words were so comprehensive that it was almost impossible to find any flaws.

But he overlooked one thing: Director Wang was right there on the scene.

If this street-level official had not been present, the situation would have inevitably turned in Yi Zhonghai's favor.

The neighborhood committee office had already closed for the day, so there was no way to verify their story.

Tomorrow, Yi Zhonghai only needs to find a familiar clerk to acknowledge the matter, and then hurriedly send a few more pieces of furniture, and the turmoil will naturally subside.

Unfortunately, Director Wang was standing in the shadows at the base of the wall.

"Then I'll have to ask Director Wang in person."

Li Jianye suddenly raised his voice and turned to the corner of the courtyard wall, "Director Wang, is our neighborhood committee really so busy lately that they don't even have time to replace the furniture?"

"Director Wang?!"

Everyone in the courtyard was taken aback and followed Li Jianye's gaze.

Director Wang walked slowly out from the shadows in the corner, his face grim, his clothes still covered in smudged wall dust.

Yi Zhonghai's heart sank suddenly.

This time, he was outsmarted by this seemingly dull farmer.

The moment Yi Zhonghai's gaze fell upon Director Wang, his face drained of all color.

In a flash, all the clues connected in his mind—it was all over.

"That damn brat... he was actually waiting for me here."

Yi Zhonghai's jaw tightened, and cold sweat seeped from his palms.

If he had known that Director Wang was there, he would never have said those things.

The situation is now beyond repair. Every word just now was like tearing off the glamorous facade of this courtyard house, laying bare the unbearable truth inside before Director Wang's eyes.

What "model compound"?

What "harmonious neighborly relations"?

Now it's all become a joke.

Even more critically, it's likely that Director Wang also saw through Deputy Director Ma's secret manipulation of housing allocation.

Once the evidence is conclusive and Deputy Director Ma falls from power, Yi Zhonghai will have no way out.

The only option now is to pay up to avoid further trouble.

"If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have coveted those few pieces of old furniture..."

Regret was like ice water poured down my spine, but it was too late.

Director Wang first glared at Yi Zhonghai, then turned to Li Jianye with an apologetic smile: "Researcher Li, this was all a misunderstanding. Please don't take it to heart."

When he was processing the paperwork during the day, he noticed that the rental agreement did not specify the cost of furniture, and assumed that the furniture was left behind by the previous tenant and given to the new tenant free of charge.

Since there was no record of the Zhao family's property being confiscated in the street archives, he did not investigate further.

Only then did he suddenly realize—what "most beautiful courtyard house"?

What "unity and mutual assistance"?

It's all a carefully crafted illusion.

This courtyard has been outwardly peaceful for many years, simply because all internal conflicts have been forcibly suppressed.

The items left behind by the Zhao family have probably already been divided up and disposed of privately by the people in the courtyard.

As for the house, it must have been Deputy Director Ma who tampered with it behind the scenes.

This courtyard may look neat and respectable, but who knows how much filth is hidden beneath.

Director Wang suppressed the urge to replace the three managers on the spot—at present, they had done nothing wrong on the surface, and there was no evidence yet of them colluding with the deputy director and embezzling funds.

"Make a note of this for now, and settle the matter later."

Today, we must first satisfy Li Jianye.

He scoffed inwardly.

In any case, we must not wrong this researcher Li today.

That person was personally brought by Mr. Deng's driver, and it is said that even Mr. H valued him highly.

If he were to share a room with Yi Zhonghai, wouldn't that be a huge oversight by the neighborhood committee? And the root of all this trouble lies in Yi Zhonghai's scheming.

"I remember the neighborhood should have delivered a brand new set of furniture to your new home a long time ago."

Director Wang spoke calmly, but his gaze was fixed on Yi Zhonghai's face. "Master Yi, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Yi Zhonghai's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally let out a long sigh.

"Yes... I was confused."

He lowered his head, his voice hoarse, "Those furniture were indeed arranged by the neighborhood committee to be delivered. You know how bad my memory is."

As he spoke, he took out a ten-yuan bill from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

"As an old man in the courtyard, I am also responsible for your door lock being smashed. It is my fault for not managing the people in the courtyard well."

Consider this money as compensation on behalf of the person who broke the lock.

I'll have the furniture moved back immediately, not a single piece will be missing.

Li Jianye didn't take the money, but only turned his head to look at Director Wang:

"Director Wang, wouldn't this be considered illegal trespassing?"

"Naturally."

Director Wang's face darkened.

Yi Zhonghai felt a metallic taste in his chest, and almost vomited blood.

He forced down his churning blood and turned to go inside. When he came out a moment later, he had a stack of banknotes in his hand.

Adding the previous one, it's a total of two hundred yuan.

"It's all my fault... Maybe the kids in the yard were just being naughty."

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his voice was almost pleading, "Researcher Li, please be magnanimous."

From now on, we'll be neighbors. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, right? Besides, this is the first time... Could you be lenient and not pursue this further?

Yi Zhonghai felt as if a dull knife was slowly cutting through his heart.

Although he received a considerable salary, he was always childless.

He was meticulous about every penny, even reluctant to buy a bicycle, something most ordinary families had, simply because he wanted to save up more money to provide some security for his precarious old age and to guard against unforeseen events.

"This is a one-time exception; there will be no next time."

With a slight smile, Li Jianye pocketed the banknotes.

Among intelligent people, many things don't need to be said explicitly; they understand each other implicitly.

The storm subsided quietly in this silent understanding.

The thought of calling the police never truly crossed my mind.

These days, the legal provisions are crude, so it wouldn't be difficult for Yi Zhonghai to get away with it.

He could easily argue that the furniture was purchased as a thank-you gift in recognition of the new resident's cultivation of excellent grain seeds.

They changed their minds at the last minute and wanted to move back because the other party's attitude was too tough, but they were a bit hasty in their methods.

This kind of explanation would not only allow Yi Zhonghai and his group to escape unscathed, but also earn them a reputation for gratitude, while putting Li Jianye in a bad position.

Moreover, if the matter were to escalate to the higher authorities, they would inevitably find out, which would give Director Wang the impression of poor management of the area and needlessly jeopardize his future.

Li Jianye had no grudge against Director Wang, so naturally he wouldn't do something that would harm others without benefiting himself.

The reason I mentioned calling the police earlier was simply because the amount of compensation I received did not meet my expectations.

This is the unspoken game they play.