Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

"I used to think she was virtuous and kind; I was completely fooled!"

"Me too! I always thought Jia Dongxu treated her badly, but now I see, the two of them are actually a perfect match."

"Exactly! One's after money, the other's after looks. May their relationship last forever!"

The surrounding chatter was deafening, and even though Qin Huairu was unconscious, the words did not stop, but instead became increasingly sharp.

"Say less, everyone!"

He Yuzhu finally couldn't hold back and yelled, "The person's already passed out, can't you show some mercy?"

"Favor? Does she deserve it?"

Someone immediately retorted, "They're always playing the victim, trying to scam us out of food and drinks!"

"Exactly, looking back now, giving her all that stuff was a complete waste!"

"I regret it too!"

……

The noise in the factory yard continued, while Qin Huairu, who had fainted, was half-supported and half-carried by He Yuzhu, with fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead.

In the distance, someone pushed open the workshop door, and the clanging of metal could be faintly heard, mingling with the noise of the crowd, making the afternoon's commotion even more intense.

Those snacks were meant to be taken home for the children.

Her eyes were brimming with tears.

My heart softened.

He handed them all over.

"Let's go get our things back!"

"Yes! It's not convenient for us men to do it."

"I'll have to trouble you ladies!"

"Fine! We look down on that kind of behavior too!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a group of people surrounded Qin Huairu.

"What do you want to do!"

Upon seeing this, He Yuzhu immediately clenched his fist and took a step forward.

"Are you going to take action?"

"What? Are you saying we're afraid of just one person out of all these people?"

Several male workers stepped forward.

"Silly Zhu, are you trying to cause trouble?"

The security personnel also stepped forward with grim faces, their sharp eyes fixed on He Yuzhu.

"Do you intend to attack your coworkers first?"

"...I didn't mean that."

He Yuzhu's momentum immediately deflated.

He's already in a tough spot, and he's afraid of getting fired if he causes any more trouble.

Seeing him back down, the crowd did not hesitate any longer and rushed forward.

Several female coworkers reached into Qin Huairu's pockets, snatched back all the candies and pastries they had just given her, and even spat at her.

"Let's go! Ignore this jinx!"

"Auntie, tell us more about Comrade Li Jianye in the village! We all want to learn from him!"

"Yes, tell me what he was like when he was little? Did he never wet the bed as a child?"

"How could someone like that be like an ordinary doll!"

"Auntie, where is your brigade? I'd like to visit Li Jianye's former residence and see what kind of environment nurtured such a talented person..."

The crowd ignored He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu, and escorted Aunt Wang out, bombarding her with questions about Li Jianye's past.

Aunt Wang responded with a smile, recounting some amusing anecdotes from her childhood, while also inquiring about Li Jianye's current situation.

Before long, only Qin Huairu, who had fainted on the ground, and He Yuzhu, who was squatting beside her and supporting her, remained at the scene.

"Um……"

With a soft moan, Qin Huairu slowly opened her eyes.

"Sister Qin, you're finally awake!"

When He Yuzhu saw that she had woken up, he quickly forced a smile.

"Pillar! What...what are you doing?!"

Qin Huairu realized that He Yuzhu was holding her, and she was so frightened that she suddenly stood up and backed away.

"I just helped you up when you fainted."

"I'm a married woman; I need to be mindful of the impact!"

Qin Huairu glared at him.

He Yuzhu didn't care at all, and just smiled as he took a boiled egg out of his pocket and handed it over.

"Sister Qin, use this as a face mask first."

Those people were so inconsiderate; they even took back the candy and snacks.

Don't worry, I'll help someone organize a banquet tomorrow and bring back some good food to nourish you.

"Pillar... you're still the most honest one."

***

Just as Aunt Wang was inquiring about Li Jianye's whereabouts, Li Jianye had already arrived in Zhonghai.

In the office of the LD, he received an urgent task—to immediately train a group of newly selected researchers and impart all the production techniques and theories of organic fertilizer.

After graduation, these trainees will go to different places to host "Golden Fertilizer" programs.

Fertilizer production and promotion.

"Please rest assured, sir, I guarantee I will complete the task!"

"Okay, I always trust you to get things done."

The eldest lord nodded with a smile.

"Also, leader... after the training is over, I plan to go to Hainan again."

"It's time to go."

After a moment of contemplation, the eldest prince slowly responded.

The eldest ld nodded slightly.

"If you're going to Hainan, shouldn't you also visit other places? I remember you also set up a rice research base in the south?"

"Yes."

Li Jianye replied, "This trip south is a good opportunity to check on the growth of the rice seedlings and also to take care of the sugarcane fields."

"We need support to speak up at any time."

Dald spoke in a calm tone.

After chatting for a while longer, Li Jianye took his leave from Zhonghai.

As he walked out the door, he considered his schedule—Dilceline's due date was approaching, and he needed to get things done outside before then.

Originally, we planned to wait until she gave birth before setting off, but news of the unexpected situation at the Hainan experimental field came, so we had to bring forward our trip.

A few days passed quickly, the guidance work on organic fertilizer came to an end, and preparations for the trip south were nearing completion.

During this time, Aunt Wang from the village came to him, wanting to ask him to arrange for her son to go to the city to make a living, but Li Jianye politely declined.

He remembered that the original owner of this body had never been cared for by anyone in the countryside. Instead, he had a hard life because of Qin Huairu's family and died in his early twenties.

Nowadays, he naturally has no time to run errands for others.

The courtyard house had been unusually quiet these past few days, yet everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts: Yan Bugui and his son often whispered among themselves in the house; Nan Yi remained silent, like a shadow in the corner; Jia Dongxu, unusually, spent all his time in the library, sitting from morning till night; Qin Huairu rarely went home, spending her days at the hospital taking care of Banggeng, and also avoiding her husband; He Yuzhu was in a good mood, going to the hospital every day; Yi Zhonghai buried himself in the summary materials assigned by his unit, pondering how to write them to attract the leader's attention, and secretly considering the possibility of becoming an engineer; Liu Haizhong continued to sip his wine and eat scrambled eggs, occasionally spanking his child, living a leisurely life; Xu Damao, on the other hand, went to the countryside every few days, and when he returned, he was nowhere to be seen, causing Lou Xiao'e to be full of suspicion, often nagging Dilireba.

Seeing the other woman's protruding belly, Lou Xiao'e couldn't help but feel a pang of envy—she had been married to Xu Damao for nearly two years, but still hadn't conceived.

The deaf old woman still lives a secluded life and rarely shows her face.

That afternoon, Jia Dongxu, carrying a copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," a notebook, a fountain pen, and an old feather fan, strolled leisurely toward Shichahai.

Ever since he decided to become a writer, he has immersed himself in books, reading all sorts of different kinds.

Now that I feel I have enough savings, it's time to come out of retirement.

"Once I finish writing this groundbreaking work, perhaps a distinguished person will personally visit my courtyard and come to invite me to write it."

He stroked his long beard, which he had been growing for months, and smugly pleased with himself.

His hair and beard were disheveled and unkempt, and to others he looked like a wretched man, but in his heart he was a man of refined taste, just like Zhuge Liang in comic books, who would strategize while fanning himself.

"today,"

He gazed at the shimmering lake, gently waving his fan, "That was when my literary fame first blossomed."

The wind at Shichahai Lake rippled across the water, creating shallow ripples.

Wait a minute—maybe this shouldn't be called "playing"?

A more fitting phrase would be... Seeking inspiration? Or capturing imagery? Who cares, the name doesn't matter at all.

The important thing is that today, right here, I will write that groundbreaking first masterpiece.

Ok?

Those two figures in the distance looked so familiar. Squinting to make sure they were right—it was Yan Bugui and his son Yan Jiecheng.

It's not unusual to run into an acquaintance, but what's unusual is the timing.

It's clearly a weekday, and this father and son, one a teacher and the other with a public service job, should be busy with their own things. Why are they both here on the shore of Shichahai Lake?

Not right.

There must be something unusual hidden in this scene.

Jia Dongxu's pupils contracted slightly, and his body instinctively pressed against the nearby tree trunk, using the cover of the grass and trees to silently move towards the two people.

He needs to figure out what's really going on here.

***

"Jiecheng, is that person you just met really reliable?"

Yan Bugui lowered his voice, his brows furrowed, his tone full of hesitation.

These days, the father and son are focused on that "fresh goods".

They traveled far and wide for business, and today they both took leave to come to Shichahai.

The first thing to do was to "establish a good relationship" with the person in charge of the waterway.

Next, we need to find a few well-known, ambitious purchasing agents and smooth things over with them.

After several inquiries, Yan Bugui had learned the names and quirks of several key figures quite well, and he had a better understanding of the situation.

The only one who stood out was the steward he had just met. He had a dignified and respectable demeanor and spoke with impeccable eloquence, which made him feel uneasy and uneasy.

"Father, please put your mind at ease."

Yan Jiecheng flipped his wrist and pulled out a small folding fan from somewhere. He twirled it between his fingers and smiled knowingly. "That man may appear to be a respectable gentleman, but he's not like that at all."

I heard that once, a girl came to the lake at night to set up a net, and he caught her red-handed.

Guess what happened next?

"Just pay up and call it a day?"

"Hey, I didn't take a single penny."

Yan Jiecheng leaned closer and lowered his voice, "But the girl's innocence was thus ruined in his hands."

Now he still holds leverage over me, forcing me to become his mistress—a relationship that can't be brought into the open.

"Is this really true?!"

Yan Bugui gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

He simply couldn't reconcile the serious face he remembered with the appalling behavior his son described.

……

"What are you muttering about? Look at Old Man Yan's face, he looks like he's seen a ghost."

Hiding behind an old stone pillar a few dozen steps away, Jia Dongxu craned his neck but could only catch a glimpse of the father and son's blurry silhouettes and their gesturing.

If one tries to get any closer, the lake shore is wide open and offers no cover, inevitably leading to exposure.

"Damn it, I can't hear anything at all!"

He spat and had no choice but to abandon his plan to approach, shrinking back and staring from a distance.

My mind started racing.

"Those two are definitely up to no good when they're together! Humph, that Yan Jiecheng, I don't know what got into him, actually calling himself 'Phoenix Chick'. He should take a look in the mirror. Apart from his long, narrow face that barely has anything to do with 'ancient charm', what about him is worthy of those two words? It's the most ridiculous thing in the world."

Jia Dongxu subconsciously pulled out his own fan, unfolded it with a whoosh, and shook it rapidly a few times, as if trying to fan away the anxiety in his heart and also to fan out a bit of inspiration.

"They came from over there... Over there, besides a waterside pavilion, there's only the management office's small hut."

"The management office...that supervisor and Yan Jiecheng seem to be in the same system? Could it be that they're here to see that supervisor?"

The thought flashed through his mind, and he suddenly grabbed something, his breathing quickening.

"Wait! Could it be... that they've set their sights on the fish in this lake?!"

Jia Dongxu's eyes widened suddenly, and his heart pounded.

Ever since the rules for autumn fishing were established in Beijing, the management positions in these major waterways have become highly coveted jobs, with countless people eager to get in.

The wages weren't high, but they had other ways to make extra money—secretly going into the water to fish for extra cash. Even if they didn't do the work themselves, they could still do others a favor and reap some benefits.

Clutching a fishing net, many naturally coveted the fish and wanted to steal them.

The idea popped into Jia Dongxu's head without much effort.

"Is Yan Jiecheng planning to steal what he himself is guarding?"

He grinned, secretly chuckling to himself, "If I report him, he'll be fired! Ha, calling himself the Phoenix Chick... I, Jia Dongxu, am the real Crouching Dragon! I'll show you what strategy and skill truly mean!"

Jia Dongxu became more and more pleased with himself, his steps light and breezy, humming an off-key tune, as carefree as a child.

Just as he was enjoying himself, Yan Jiecheng spotted him not far away.

"Um?"

Yan Jiecheng frowned.

"What's wrong, son?"

Yan Bugui, who was standing nearby, asked.

"Jia Dongxu is there."