Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

Yesterday's shocking scene is still fresh in my mind—Jia Dongxu accidentally dropped the clapper, and the child's head hit a stone, causing a skull fracture.

Fortunately, the cervical nerves were not damaged, thus avoiding disability.

However, the doctor advised that Bang Geng still needs to be hospitalized for two weeks to rest, and after being discharged, he will need to rest for two more months to fully recover.

"Mom! My head hurts..."

Banggeng sobbed and cried out, followed by a series of angry curses laced with sobs. His demeanor and tone even vaguely resembled Jia Zhangshi's shrewishness: "Jia Dongxu is not my father! He's a scoundrel!"

A burning pain shot through his wrist, and he frowned, the resentment rising within him once more.

When I grow up in the future, I will definitely remember this debt.

"Stop yelling!"

Qin Huairu glanced at the child, her tone reproachful, but not revealing much real anger.

She had always been indulgent towards her son, and she would just let those angry words go as she thought the child was being unreasonable.

"I'll have the doctor come and check on me later. If everything's alright, I have to head to the factory."

"Mom, can't we not go?"

The child tugged at her clothes, his voice full of reluctance.

"How can you not go? If your wages are docked, you won't even see a speck of meat in the future."

Upon hearing the word "meat"

Upon seeing the words, the child's eyes lit up, and the slight reluctance was immediately suppressed by the craving.

"Then...then you should go."

Qin Huairu smiled and turned to call the doctor.

After a thorough examination, apart from a minor fracture in his skull and slight concussion, there was nothing else seriously wrong.

So she left her child alone at the hospital and hurried off to the factory.

Those were years of scarcity, yet they possessed a simplicity that is hard for later generations to imagine.

There were no shady dealings in the streets and alleys. Children ran and jumped in groups, going to and from school on their own, and picking up a bottle of soy sauce for their families along the way.

Even if they wander off for a while, their neighbors can always help them find them.

That's why Qin Huairu wasn't flustered.

The child in the hospital bed wasn't afraid at all, engrossed in reading the comic books his mother had brought the night before.

Days without having to go to school are always happy.

Just as I was engrossed in reading, a shadow fell onto the page.

He looked up and paused for a moment.

"Huh? The mailman?"

The man standing at the foot of the bed smiled and said, half truthfully and half casually, "I was just passing by and happened to see you."

Why are you lying here?

As he spoke, he took a piece of candy out of his pocket and handed it over.

The child's eyes lit up, and he took it, peeled it open, and put it in his mouth, his cheeks puffed out, as he recounted the whole commotion at home yesterday.

The man listened without showing it on his face, but he was secretly surprised.

This family... is quite interesting.

He bent down and softened his tone: "It's really not right that your parents made such a scene and caused you to get hurt."

When you're feeling better, your uncle will come over for a visit and try to persuade you.

Sometimes, it's best to talk things out when it comes to adult matters.

The child felt a slight lump in his throat upon hearing this.

Ever since his grandmother's accident, no one had spoken to him so gently and kindly.

"uncle,"

He sniffed and said very seriously, "Please don't call me by my full name, just call me by my nickname, my name is Banggeng."

"Can."

Upon hearing this, the spy's face lit up with a hint of joy.

He felt that the distance between himself and Banggeng seemed to have narrowed a bit.

He simply sat down by the hospital bed and continued to subtly probe for information about Li Jianye.

Banggeng was young and naive, no match for such a seasoned veteran.

Before he knew it, he had revealed everything he knew about Li Jianye.

"Alright, Uncle has to go back to work. I'll come see you another day."

The agent chuckled, pulled a handful of White Rabbit milk candies from his pocket, and stuffed them into Banggeng's hand.

"I'll bring you a few comic books then."

Banggeng's eyes lit up when he saw the milk candies in his palm.

Since the 1960s, even candy had to be purchased with ration coupons, making White Rabbit candy a rare commodity.

At school, if someone can pull out a White Rabbit candy, they're sure to attract envious glances from a group of children.

Banggeng planned to keep these candies safe and bring them out at school, making everyone envious.

"Uncle, I want more White Rabbit candies!"

Seeing the agent get up to leave, Banggeng grabbed his sleeve and greedily made a request.

"Sure, Uncle will buy it for you."

The agent was not annoyed at the words; instead, his smile deepened.

He likes greedy people—the more greedy they are, the easier they are to manipulate.

"If the child is this greedy, the adults in his family are probably even more so."

Thinking of this, the spy felt even more at ease.

-------

At the same time, in the steel rolling mill.

Qin Huairu was surrounded by a group of coworkers, who were all asking her questions with concern.

Her face bore obvious injuries, and anyone could tell at a glance that she had been beaten.

Yi Zhonghai, who worked in the factory, had already given instructions not to spread the word that Qin Huairu was Li Jianye's ex-girlfriend, so no one in the factory knew the real reason she was beaten.

Seeing that she was covered in wounds, everyone gathered around to comfort her.

Upon seeing this, Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and she lowered her head and began to sob.

Her pitiful appearance made her fellow workers around her feel even more sorry for her.

Some people angrily asked who did it and said they would stand up for her; some suggested that she could go to the Women's Federation for support; others took out the candy and snacks they had brought and stuffed them into her hands, hoping to comfort her.

The crowd was immediately outraged, as if they wanted to find the guy who hit someone and teach him a lesson.

But Qin Huairu just kept shaking her head and whispered, "Let's forget about family matters."

She looked just like a wronged little wife.

Upon hearing this, everyone naturally blamed Jia Dongxu, and the curses were endless.

Qin Huairu lowered her head and wiped away her tears, offering no explanation, only secretly laughing to herself.

"They're so easy to fool... Sigh, if Li Jianye were as easily manipulated as they are, I wouldn't have had to suffer like this with Jia Dongxu."

"We can save these sweets and snacks and bring them to Banggeng tonight; he'll definitely be happy."

"Sister Qin! Sister Qin!"

Just as he was pretending to cry and making plans, a familiar shout suddenly came from outside the crowd.

Everyone turned to look, and saw a figure limping hurriedly walking towards them—

It was He Yuzhu.

When He Yuzhu returned to the courtyard after taking a shower after get off work yesterday, Qin Huairu had already taken Banggeng to the hospital. He did not witness Jia Dongxu's attack.

When he heard about this later, he immediately became anxious.

When Qin Jingru exposed Qin Huairu's past relationship with Li Jianye, He Yuzhu was at the hospital with Jia Dongxu and Xu Damao and was completely unaware of it. Later, Yi Zhonghai suppressed the matter, so he is still in the dark.

Shocked, he immediately wanted to rush to the hospital to visit him, but Yi Zhonghai stopped him.

Yi Zhonghai advised him that going now would damage Qin Huairu's reputation, and He Yuzhu reluctantly held back.

He Yuzhu suppressed the impulse in his heart.

He knew he shouldn't make a move against Jia Dongxu at this juncture, so he abruptly stopped himself.

She maintained a calm expression until she returned to her room alone and closed the door behind her, at which point her pretense completely crumbled.

He grabbed a cup from the table and slammed it to the ground. Amidst the crackling sound of shattered porcelain, he suddenly chuckled softly.

He was heartbroken that Qin Huairu had been beaten; but then he thought about the rift between her and Jia Dongxu and was secretly pleased.

Opportunities may be hidden in the cracks.

What relieved him even more was that Qin Huairu also coveted wealth and status—this thought was like a needle, gently piercing the halo he had long admired.

The goddess suddenly fell to earth, becoming even easier to approach than ordinary women.

For He Yuzhu, who carries a stain on his conduct and has a history of hidden illnesses, this discovery has become a source of comfort.

It turned out that there was no distance between her and me as I had imagined.

Since that scandal and his illness, inferiority had haunted him like a shadow; yet now, he found the two of them quite compatible.

Moreover, Qin Huairu was greedy for money and had fallen out with Jia Dongxu, so the road ahead suddenly seemed much brighter.

So as soon as he heard that she had returned to the factory, He Yuzhu couldn't wait to come and find her.

"Sister Qin, are you alright? Jia Dongxu is a complete scoundrel... Here are a few boiled eggs, they've cooled down completely, perfect for applying to the affected area."

He approached carrying a cloth bag, but the people around him retreated as if avoiding a plague.

Disgust and wariness mingled in their eyes, and hushed whispers drifted over:

"He Yuzhu, stay away from Qin Huairu!"

"Exactly! You're not clean yourself, and you have diseases too. Don't set a bad example for others!"

"We're also afraid of being reported, so please stand further away!"

……

He Yuzhu's face darkened, and he turned around and roared, "My illness was cured a long time ago! I'm perfectly healthy now, why don't you believe me?"

He was telling the truth.

That terrible illness was only in its second stage, and after several months of treatment, I have long since recovered.

But people still avoid him, as if that stigma is etched into their very bones.

Just then, a security officer led a middle-aged woman through the crowd.

"Qin Huairu, someone is looking for you!"

The onlookers instinctively made way for them.

Qin Huairu looked up and her vision went black; she almost lost her balance—it was Aunt Wang, whom she had seen in the courtyard yesterday.

"Huai Ru, I asked you for help yesterday, but you kept making excuses, so I had no choice but to come to the factory."

Aunt Wang spoke in a loud and clear voice, without any hesitation, "Didn't the newspaper say that Li Jianye used to work here? That's why I came here."

Of course, I didn't come here specifically to see you—you're such a stingy girl. You and Li Jianye were childhood sweethearts and even dated for a while, yet you won't even help with this little thing.

"Hmph, I only got in by using your name."

Wang Xiuhua looked around and continued, "Masters, I'm from the same village as Li Jianye. My name is Wang Xiuhua. I have something urgent to discuss with him. Could any of you please pass on a message to him?"

For a moment, no one responded. Everyone's eyes were on Qin Huairu, their faces full of disbelief—no one had expected that Qin Huairu and Li Jianye were childhood friends.

A young worker in the crowd couldn't help but ask, "Auntie, since they've known each other since they were kids, why didn't they end up together?"

"What else could it be?"

Wang Xiuhua's voice rose, "She thought Jianye was a country bumpkin! She didn't even leave a word before marrying him in the city. Jianye was heartbroken for years! If you ask me, this is Jianye's good fortune. If he had really married her, he might not be as successful as he is now!"

These words were like a stone thrown into the water, creating ripples.

The workers looked at each other in disbelief. It turned out that Qin Huairu was such a materialistic and snobbish person. It turned out that she had a past relationship with Li Jianye, but quietly married Jia Dongxu.

"No wonder...no wonder it caused such a commotion yesterday."

Someone sighed softly.

At this moment, everyone understood perfectly; the reason for yesterday's turmoil had finally come to light.

Standing in the center of the crowd, Qin Huairu felt her blood run cold.

The gentle image she had painstakingly maintained for many years collapsed at this moment.

How should I conduct myself in the factory from now on? And how should I face the gazes of those around me?

"Auntie, what have I done to wrong you that you would ruin me like this?"

Qin Huairu screamed inwardly, her finger trembling as she pointed at Wang Xiuhua, trying to explain herself. But because she hadn't slept the night before and was now consumed by anxiety, her vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Sister Qin!"

He Yuzhu, who had been standing next to her, hurriedly reached out to support her, and at the same time, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

"Sister Qin's reputation is completely ruined... but things might actually take a turn for the better for us."

He Yuzhu pressed his lips tightly together, afraid that his laughter would leak out.

His expression, a mixture of wanting to laugh and trying to suppress it, looked rather strange.

"I never would have guessed Qin Huairu was this kind of person!"

"Serves them right! It's too late to regret it now, isn't it? Letting such a capable person go."

"Speaking of which, Li Jianye should really thank her for not marrying him back then; he almost married someone else..."