Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

Yan Jie looked as if he'd been scalded; he jumped up abruptly, his face flushed red. "I don't care about any of that! The book is mine, and it has to be returned to me!"

"Jie Cheng's explanation makes sense!"

"Teacher Yan went too far this time!"

"Sir, this judgment is unfair!"

……

A chorus of agreement immediately arose, like boiling water just beginning to rise.

"I'd also like to say a few words about this matter."

Liu Haizhong, the second uncle who had been observing quietly, stood up with his belly sticking out and said in a loud voice, "It is only natural for fathers to discipline their sons! Strict fathers produce filial sons, Old Yan is right."

Now that all three of us in charge have this view, the matter is settled!

"Can't be confirmed!"

Yan Jiecheng's neck veins bulged, as if he was going all out. "If you don't return the book, I... I'll move out! I'm not staying in this courtyard anymore!"

"Move? Where are you going to live?"

Someone retorted.

"Under the bridge, at the street entrance! Let's see if anyone's in charge!"

He held his neck stiffly, his eyes gleaming with a do-or-die spirit.

"You...you unfilial son!"

Yan Bugui's finger trembled as he pointed at his son, his other hand frantically pressing on his philtrum, pinching it hard, his breathing erratic. "Are you trying to drive me to my death? How is that lousy book more precious than your father's life?"

"A tattered book?"

Yan Jiecheng's voice was shrill, filled with a desperate fervor. "Jia Dongxu must have already caught wind of our plans to take over those fish! I must get my hands on 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' and decipher its strategies so that I can use a fair and square plan to overpower his 'Sleeping Dragon' title! I want everyone in this courtyard to see clearly that I, 'Phoenix Chick' Yan Jiecheng, am the one who can truly decide the fate of the world!"

"You...you dare to..."

Yan Bugui's eyes widened suddenly, filled with horror and despair. Before he could finish speaking, a gurgling sound escaped his throat.

With a thud, his body fell straight backward.

"Old Yan!"

"Teacher Yan!"

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong rushed forward to support him, their fingers pressing urgently on Yan Bugui's philtrum.

But the skin and flesh seemed to have lost all feeling; no matter how much force was applied, the person lying there remained ashen-faced and unresponsive.

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes slowly shifted from the unconscious Yan Bugui to the stunned Yan Jiecheng, each gaze filled with disbelief and shock.

"He just said..."

"Reselling...fish?"

"Good heavens, this is speculation and profiteering, they're taking public property!"

"How dare they even consider this!"

……

The whispers eventually coalesced into a clear wave of sound, each word like an icicle striking the bluestone slab.

Yan Jiecheng blinked blankly, the rage on his face gradually fading, replaced by a belated, empty bewilderment.

"Huh? Did I just... say something I shouldn't have?"

After a moment of silence, a sudden burst of laughter ripped through the heavy atmosphere.

"Haha...hahahaha!"

Jia Dongxu clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he was doubled over, tears almost streaming down his face. "Yan Jiecheng! You utter idiot!"

"With your looks, you dare to compare yourself to the Phoenix Chick?"

His voice was filled with undisguised contempt.

"Let me tell you straight! I've been watching your sneaky scheme to fish in Shichahai for ages!"

Not only that.

I even wrote a poem especially for you all.

Listen carefully—

The sea at Shichahai is wide and the fish are plump and delicious.

Unfortunately, some people's hearts are still unenlightened.

Imitate the crane's cloud-piercing steps.

I broke my back without paying attention.

The toad by the transfer pond

The swan in my wildest dreams is hard to swallow.

Instead, its sharp beak pecked in alarm.

A peck, a jump, a flustered start.

Do you understand the meaning behind this poem?

No need to answer.

You wouldn't be able to grasp the true meaning behind it.

Let me explain it to you—

The first sentence needs no further explanation.

The second sentence is a sarcastic jab at your stubborn, dull-witted, and pig-like nature.

As for cranes...

That was a symbol of the noble and dignified demeanor of officials in ancient times.

Do you also want to imitate that kind of grandeur and resort to crooked and unorthodox methods?

Be careful not to take too big a step, or you might break a bone!

The second half of the poem...

It's a joke that you're overestimating yourselves by daring to set your sights on me.

Isn't this just like a toad's infatuation with swan meat?

In the end, it was naturally chased by me, this 'swan,' and fled in a panic!

Haha ...

Now it seems,

Doesn't it all come true?

Jia Dongxu held his head high, his face brimming with barely suppressed smugness.

In his exhilaration, he suddenly thought of Li Jianye—the person he feared most deep down.

His gaze then shifted to that direction, with a hint of eager boasting.

"Li Jianye, what do you think of my poem?"

"Well……"

Li Jianye was speechless for a moment, as if something was choking him.

After a long pause, he slowly raised his hand and gave a thumbs up.

"I've really... broadened my horizons."

"This ordinary courtyard house has actually nurtured two 'geniuses' like you two!"

"The Crouching Dragon... the Young Phoenix!"

"I admire you, I truly admire you."

"hey-hey……"

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu was overjoyed, feeling as refreshed as drinking a bowl of ice water on a sweltering summer day.

Li Jianye actually approved of him!

This sudden praise made him feel as if he had been transported back to a distant afternoon, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, when he had run carefree, the wind whistling past his ears, filled with freedom and joy.

However, the neighbors around him froze when they saw the undisguised, excessively bright smile on his face, their expressions seemingly turning into invisible black lines on their foreheads.

"Good heavens..."

Someone muttered under their breath, "Does he really not know the difference between good and bad words?"

"Only today did I realize that the name 'Sleeping Dragon' could be used in such a way..."

"This is truly... something I've never seen before."

The emotions in everyone's hearts were turbulent and indescribable.

It's unclear who started it, but scattered applause rang out, which then quickly grew into a continuous burst.

Jia Dongxu was completely intoxicated by the surrounding applause, squinting his eyes as if he were on a cloud.

The entire college meeting ended hastily in this almost absurd and farcical atmosphere.

In the days that followed, the courtyard house fell into a rare state of superficial tranquility.

Yan Jiecheng's plan to steal and resell fish has been exposed, and this "business" is now doomed.

Naturally, it died young.

Jia Dongxu was completely captivated by his "poetic talent."

In the midst of the performance, one is oblivious to what is happening outside.

Life in the courtyard was like a still pond without ripples.

However, beneath this deliberately maintained tranquility, Li Jianye had already bid farewell to Dilisilin and, with eight bodyguards, quietly headed south on official business.

Bringing so many people was naturally out of deep concern for his safety from his superiors—compared to Beijing, enemy agents in the south were much more rampant.

Not only that, the big boss also assigned two more female guards to Delilah's side.

In this way, she had three people protecting her.

These meticulous arrangements put Li Jianye at ease and brought him some relief regarding Dilisilin's safety.

……

Time flies, and more than two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

After a long and tiring journey, Li Jianye returned to Beijing, looking travel-worn.

During his time traveling south, he experienced a lot.

He not only led the research team deep into the fields to conduct complex observations and studies, but also, together with the guards, engaged in a thrilling firefight with hidden enemy agents on a tense midnight.

As the train slowly came to a stop, Li Jianye stepped off the footboard, the slight warmth of the gun handle still lingering in his palms.

This is the fourth time—in the rhythm of wheels rolling over the rails, a dangerous variation always suddenly bursts forth.

Those eyes lurking in the shadows never gave up; each ambush became more cunning and ruthless.

If he hadn't been able to sense the faint malice in the air beforehand, the young faces following behind him would probably have already become cold, hard numbers.

"What a bunch of lunatics."

He whispered, his voice fading into the cacophony of voices on the platform.

The burning sensation of the bullet grazing his ear in that split second inside the carriage was only now slowly creeping over his back.

"Brother Jianye, your marksmanship is simply amazing!"

A round-faced guard approached, his eyes filled with admiration. "If he joined our team, he'd definitely be our top soldier!"

Those around him laughed and chimed in, "Exactly! If you get tired of being a researcher, you can always come and be a top soldier here!"

Zhou Kui, who was walking on the far side, only slightly twitched the corner of his mouth upon hearing this, without replying.

His gaze swept across the surging crowd like a blade, his right hand always pressed against the hard object at his waist, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Joking aside, at this moment he was completely taut like a bowstring.

Li Jianye waved his hand, didn't linger, and led the group through the crowd to leave.

The wind carried the dry crispness characteristic of autumn in the north, but it also carried unseen thorns.

The courtyard of Zhonghai remains quiet.

Since his father was away on a business trip and had not returned, he went straight to find Mr. H.

Amidst the rising steam of tea, he briefly mentioned what had happened on the road.

H paused in his hand holding the teapot, his brows furrowing slightly. "So frequently? It seems your whereabouts have been under surveillance since you left the house."

He put down his teacup, the sound of the porcelain bottom lightly tapping the table was particularly clear. "Train schedules, destinations... are not hard to find."

Those experimental fields in the south had long since become their firing ranges.

"Yes, the routes are too predictable."

Li Jianye smiled wryly, his fingertips tracing the warm glass, "It's like playing with your cards face up."

"From now on, we need to increase the number of guards when we go out."

Mr. H's tone left no room for argument. Seeing that he seemed about to decline, he changed the subject, "The autumn harvest is almost here, and the figures reported from various places are all very good. It's another bumper year."

He abruptly stopped talking, a hint of mischievous amusement flashing in his eyes. "However, there's something interesting—it's time to harvest the corn over there in Russia."

Li Jianye looked up.

Mr. H took a slow sip of tea before continuing, "But their cornfields, many of them only grow ears of corn, not kernels."

Even worse, some people are ashamed to show their sticks, leaving them bare and exposed.

He shook his head, a smile finally spreading across his eyes. "Your initial judgment was absolutely correct."

They've really hit rock bottom this year.

Just then, a distant pigeon whistle swept past the window, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating an invisible ripple.

H's laughter echoed in the room, and Li Jianye also smiled.

"I can imagine,"

Li Jianye said, his eyes gleaming, "How grim their faces will be next autumn harvest."

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter again.

"lead,"

After laughing, Li Jianye composed himself and asked, "Now that our northern neighbors have had problems with their corn harvest, have they changed their tune and are no longer demanding cash, but instead want grain?"

"That's exactly right."

Mr. H nodded, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm, "They offered a 'favor'—allowing us to offset the debt with grain."

The changes brought about by Li Jianye are like a butterfly flapping its wings, triggering a storm in the distance.

After the giants of the north broke their promise, they immediately pressed for repayment, demanding hard currency.

But where would we get so much foreign exchange? We can only ask for an extension and repay in installments.

They were initially full of confidence, believing that planting corn extensively would yield mountains of grain.

The situation has now taken a sharp turn for the worse; the corn in the fields is not even producing ears, and a reduction in grain production is a foregone conclusion.

Those proud heads had to be lowered for the time being.

However, this bowing of the head was not thorough.

They wear the guise of "thinking of you".

Under the guise of [something], they proposed that so-called grain debt settlement plan.

The arrogance and scheming in it are self-evident.

"Thanks to you, Jianye."

The governor breathed a long sigh of relief, filled with emotion, "If it weren't for you, our grain production would probably still be stagnant."

When that time comes, they will ask for grain, and our own people will have to tighten their belts.

Although the situation has improved and most people can now eat their fill, they are far from being well-off.

Fertilizer production cannot keep up, and livestock and poultry farming also require a large amount of feed, so grain is still in short supply.

How did your trip south go?

"all the best."