Pursued by the Heavenly Dao, first level up in the courtyard.

As time passed, the locust trees in the northern part of the city blossomed.

That night, Qin Huairu went into labor, wailing in unbearable pain.

Zhang Cuihua shouted loudly, "Help! My Huairu is about to give birth!"

Yi Zhonghai hurriedly walked towards the Jia family's house, but before he even entered, he turned to the He family's house.

Upon hearing that Sister Qin was about to give birth, He Yuzhu was startled and was about to go and help.

Liu Yuhua asked, "Brother Zhu, what do you want to do?"

He Yuzhu said, "Wife, Qin Huairu is about to give birth. There are no men in her family, so they need help."

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and Yi Zhonghai's voice came from outside.

"Zhu Zi, Qin Huairu is about to give birth. Go and borrow a cart so we can take her to the hospital."

With his wife Liu Yuhua's consent, He Yuzhu replied, "I'll go right away."

Liu Yuhua knew that if she stopped He Yuzhu from helping, He Yuzhu would definitely hold a grudge.

Zhang Cuihua said, "Uncle, Sha Zhu, Qi Bing from the east wing next door, doesn't he have a car?"

Yi Zhonghai said helplessly, "Sister-in-law, do you think Qi Bing will help?"

"Uncle, I'll go borrow a cart." As soon as He Yuzhu finished speaking, he quickly ran out of the courtyard.

He Yuzhu pulled the cart, with Yi Zhonghai helping to push, and took Qin Huairu to the Sixth Hospital.

Zhang Cuihua patted her pockets and said seriously, "Uncle, Zhuzi, I don't have any money on me. Do you have any? If you do, could you please help me pay the medical bills? I'll pay you back when I get back."

Yi Zhonghai knew perfectly well that the Jia family borrowed money but never repaid it.

After Jia Dongxu's death, with no guarantee of retirement, Yi Zhonghai was even less willing to spend money.

When he left home, he left all the money he had on him at home.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai patted himself down and said, "I left in such a hurry that I didn't bring any money with me."

He Yuzhu smiled bitterly and helplessly: "I don't have a single penny on me. My wife collects all my wages."

Zhang Cuihua said matter-of-factly, "Zhuzi, you're fast, go back and get the money."

He Yuzhu said, "Auntie, even if I go back, I won't get the money."

Zhang Cuihua scolded, "You're a grown man, and you don't have a single penny? Is that proper?"

He Yuzhu was both angry and furious. He didn't argue with Zhang Cuihua and turned to leave.

Pulling the borrowed cart, He Yuzhu returned to Nanluoguxiang. After returning the cart, he hurried home.

"Brother Zhu, how is Qin Huairu?"

"He's been admitted to the hospital, but he's fine."

"You're back so soon?"

"Mrs. Jia wanted me to pay for her medical expenses, but I didn't have any money on me."

"Brother Zhu, from what you're saying, if you had money on you, would you still pay for medical expenses?"

"Wife, how could I possibly pay for medical expenses? Even if Zhang Cuihua doesn't have three thousand yuan, she's not far off. Don't even think about me paying. I'm not stupid."

Thinking that he had no money on him, otherwise he would definitely have suffered losses again, He Yuzhu felt somewhat fortunate.

His wife provided him with his daily cigarettes and alcohol, and He Yuzhu, who never carried any money, hadn't suffered any losses in a long time.

After discussing it with Zhang Cuihua, Yi Zhonghai from the hospital decided that Yi Zhonghai should come back to get the money.

Yi Zhonghai, with his clear mind, knew very well that Zhang Cuihua would never return the money he had given for medical expenses.

Not paying medical expenses? Now that Jia Dongxu is dead, he still expects Qin Huairu to support him in his old age and to take care of him in his final days.

An hour later, Qin Huairu gave birth to a daughter. Seeing the locust flowers blooming outside, she named her Jia Huaihua.

Upon learning that her daughter-in-law had given birth to another daughter, Zhang Cuihua cursed inwardly, "Another little girl."

"Mom," Qin Huairu called softly, her voice weak and feeble.

Zhang Cuihua's tone was somewhat cold: "Why did you call me?"

Qin Huairu knew her mother-in-law was unhappy, but she could only bite the bullet and say, "Mom, I'm hungry."

Zhang Cuihua harbored considerable resentment, but she dared not offend Qin Huairu.

She had nearly three thousand yuan in her hands, but had no source of income and would have to rely on Qin Huairu for her retirement.

Qin Huairu is Jia Dongxu's wife, and according to Xia law, she is entitled to a share of Jia Dongxu's job and compensation.

Even if Qin Huairu herself was willing to leave with nothing, Zhang Cuihua could not let Qin Huairu go.

She's not that stupid to ask Zhang Cuihua to work at a steel mill to earn money and support Banggeng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua.

Less than three days after Qin Huairu gave birth to Huaihua, Zhang Cuihua began to morally blackmail her.

"Huai Ru, you're so delicate. When I gave birth to Dong Xu, I started doing laundry and cooking the very next day. How come you just eat and sleep all the time, and I have to take care of you?"

Zhang Cuihua didn't resort to excessive insults, but every word she uttered was piercing. She carefully measured her words, venting her dissatisfaction without earning a reputation for being mean or malicious, and without completely offending Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu said in a low voice, "Mom, Huaihua isn't getting enough to eat. Why don't you buy some crucian carp to make soup? Huaihua is Dongxu's last child, we can't let her go hungry."

After a few words of grumbling, Zhang Cuihua had no choice but to agree to buy crucian carp to make soup.

Zhang Cuihua was worried that Qin Huairu would remarry, while Qin Huairu did not want to bear the infamy. Both of them had their concerns and dared not openly turn against each other.

After several verbal exchanges, Zhang Cuihua and Qin Huairu finally reached an agreement.

From now on, Zhang Cuihua will play the wicked mother-in-law, and Qin Huairu will play the bullied daughter-in-law.

One is black, one is white; one is good, one is evil. They won't be bullied by their neighbors and can even benefit from Yi Zhonghai's extinct family fortune.

The deaf old lady's house was confiscated, which made Zhang Cuihua and Qin Huairu somewhat depressed.

The deaf old lady's two back rooms were worth a few hundred yuan, and her twelve chests of gold and silver treasures were of immeasurable value.

If the deaf old lady hadn't been arrested, her house and money would have belonged to Yi Zhonghai, and eventually to the Jia family.

Fortunately, Yi Zhonghai was a level seven fitter, and he also had a side room and an annex room. Sooner or later, his money and house would belong to the Jia family.

Several neighbors in the courtyard were chatting together, speaking in hushed tones.

"Qin Huairu gave birth to another daughter, and Zhang Cuihua often scolded her."

"It's all an act. Zhang Cuihua plays the wicked mother-in-law, and Qin Huairu plays the bullied daughter-in-law. They want us to sympathize with the Jia family and help them. Zhang Cuihua probably has three thousand yuan in her hands."

"The Jia family wanted to scheme against Sha Zhu, but unfortunately, Sha Zhu had no money."

"Yi Zhonghai is so pitiful. He spent so much money on the Jia family, but the old man he chose, Jia Dongxu, died."

Could Jia Dongxu's death be related to Yi Zhonghai?

"Jia Dongxu was Yi Zhonghai's caretaker, so how could Yi Zhonghai possibly lay a hand on Jia Dongxu?"

"During the time when Jia Dongxu was still alive, Yi Zhonghai's monthly salary was not enough. After Jia Dongxu died, the amount of money Yi Zhonghai gave to the Jia family each month was only two or three yuan."

"When Yi Zhonghai gets old, the person who will take care of him will definitely be Qin Huairu, not Jia Dongxu. After all, Jia Dongxu still has to go to work to earn money and is not usually in the hospital. Does Yi Zhonghai want Qin Huairu to take care of him in his old age?"

As everyone shared their opinions, they gradually began to doubt Yi Zhonghai.

Hearing the gossip from the main courtyard, Qi Bing began to suspect that the deaths of He Daqing and Jia Dongxu were related to Yi Zhonghai.

"When you have time, keep an eye on Yi Zhonghai. If He Daqing and Jia Dongxu were both taken down by Yi Zhonghai, it's hard to guarantee he won't target others."

Qi Bing only used his mental power to explore all directions in his spare time from work, life, and cultivation; he rarely had time to spy on the people in the courtyard.

Banishing the distracting thoughts in his mind, Qi Bing continued to peruse the ancient case files.

Suddenly, while he was reviewing the case files, he entered a state of enlightenment.

"Having grasped the basics of cause and effect, and even directly achieved minor mastery—is it just my incredible luck, or my exceptional comprehension?"

In high spirits, Qi Bing checked the time, put the ancient books and files into his spatial ring, prepared the ingredients for dinner, and drove to the Fifth Middle School.

Arriving at the school gate, Qi Bing waited for his wife and the others, his mind preoccupied with the affairs of the puppet Manchukuo regime.

The puppet Manchukuo forces in Xia State have been purged many times, but he knows very well that they have never been completely eliminated.

A group of vicious thugs who do not regard the people as their own are his enemies and should be exterminated.