Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

Sha Zhu stood outside the Jia family's house, his face turning pale with anger.

The initial conflict between him and Zhou Feng stemmed from the Jia family.

In his heart, the family that should be supporting him the most is the Jia family!

As a result, both the eldest and second eldest uncles agreed, and the Jia family actually kicked him out.

That old hag, I never knew she could have such a sharp tongue!

However, if the Jia family doesn't want to participate, so be it. Anyway, if they want to hold a general meeting of the entire courtyard, they only need the support of two elders.

After venting his anger at the Jia family, Sha Zhu hesitated for a few seconds before finally visiting all the other neighbors in the middle and back courtyards.

The lobbying tactics were nothing more than things like "Zhou Feng's machine might be stealing electricity" and "Everyone's electricity bill will increase next month."

Even without concrete evidence, it will still make others wary.

Especially in this era, when everyone is generally poor, people are extremely cautious when it comes to money.

Furthermore, people are more concerned about inequality than scarcity, and there will always be someone who is jealous of Zhou Feng's washing machine. Sha Zhu actually managed to accomplish this.

Just after dinner, a group of residents gathered in the courtyard, chatting in twos and threes.

"Do you think Zhou Feng's washing machine might steal electricity?"

"I think it's quite possible, after all, we don't really know!"

"Did Shazhu go to your house?"

"Oh, he's here. Did he go to your house too?"

Public opinion quickly escalated, with everyone chiming in and clearly analyzing Sha Zhu's role in instigating the situation.

Nobody's a fool. It's best if Sha Zhu takes the lead, and the others can just follow behind and watch the show.

If Sha Zhu and the old men can persuade Zhou Feng to contribute the washing machine, everyone will benefit.

If the deal falls through, it's between them. I won't lose anything, and I won't have to get involved. Why not?

At this moment, Sha Zhu was in the backyard, in the room of the deaf old lady, trying to persuade her, but the old lady seemed to be in a serious condition, sitting blankly on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Grandma, you're the matriarch of our courtyard; you absolutely have to intervene today!"

Sha Zhu leaned close to the deaf old woman's ear and shouted loudly. The old woman's lips twitched, but she remained silent, staring at him blankly: "Huh? What did you say?"

"Hey, what kind of machine did Zhou Feng get up there? I wonder if he's stealing electricity from our yard!"

"Oh! You need electricity? I don't need electricity!"

"Both Uncle One and Uncle Two are planning to bring this up at a general meeting of the entire hospital; you need to intervene!"

"Noodles? I already ate a meal today, I don't want noodles!"

...

No matter what Sha Zhu said, the deaf old lady would just talk about other things, and you couldn't hear what she was saying.

"Hey, you old lady, I don't know if you're really deaf or just pretending!"

Sha Zhu was muttering to himself when suddenly his eyes lit up, and he reached out to help the old lady.

"Don't pretend here, I'll carry you there. As long as you're here, Zhou Feng won't be able to cause any trouble!"

Hearing Sha Zhu's words, the deaf old lady silently took a deep breath, and then, just as his hand was about to grab her, she suddenly cried out, "Ouch, ouch!"

"My leg hurts... Don't touch me, I can't take it anymore, this old woman needs to lie down for a while, it hurts so much!"

As she spoke, the deaf old woman rolled over on the kang (a heated brick bed), dodging Sha Zhu's grabbing hand, and buried her face in her arm, muttering something unintelligible.

"Alright, ma'am, I don't think you'll be able to get up today. I'll head over now. If you're feeling better, come over and help me keep things in order!"

Sha Zhu shook his head helplessly and turned to walk outside.

The deaf old lady listened intently to the footsteps inside the room for a while, and when they had faded into the distance, she immediately jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed).

He hurried to the door, bolted it, and finally breathed a sigh of relief before going back to lie down on the kang (heated brick bed).

She regretted stepping in to help Sha Zhu and the old man last time, fearing that Zhou Feng would take notice of her.

Now these two juniors are causing trouble again, and she's not getting involved!

I don't know what's wrong with these two. Isn't the example of Xu Damao obvious enough?

They actually dared to cause trouble for Zhou Feng!

"My old bones and arms can't keep you company any longer. If you have nothing else to do, come and take care of this old woman in her old age! As people get older, they get sleepy easily, so it's good for your health to go to bed early."

While muttering to herself, the deaf old lady reached out and pulled off her bedding, quickly spread it out, and then crawled into bed.

No matter what's going on outside, she's resting now, so you can't find anything about her!

Yi Zhonghai, who was outside, also felt that the time was right. In addition, Liu Haizhong, who was eager to show off, put their heads together and the two of them started to go door to door to inform everyone that a general meeting of the whole courtyard was to be held!

As darkness was about to fall, the eight-immortal table was brought out again.

Yan Jiefang immediately moved a chair and placed it opposite the octagonal table.

Yi Zhonghai raised his eyelids, quite curious. Wasn't Zhou Feng sitting opposite him this time?

As a result, after Yan Jiefang put the chair down, he went back to sit next to his brother and sister-in-law.

"Jiefang, what's going on here?"

Upon hearing the old man's question, Yan Jiefang chuckled and said, "Uncle, this chair was moved here for Brother Zhou Feng. I've seen him sitting here the whole time."

Yi Zhonghai almost fainted from exhaustion. He glared at Yan Bugui, who adjusted his glasses.

"My child enjoys playing with Zhou Feng, and I think that's great. It's good for neighbors to love and care for each other!"

What Yan Bugui didn't say was that as soon as Sha Zhu left his house, he instructed Yan Jiefang to go and report to Zhou Feng.

These days, jobs are so hard to find. They have a lot of kids, and they're all almost old enough to start working.

If you get along well with Zhou Feng, even if you can't help them find a job, you can still help them with chores and run errands, and Zhou Feng won't treat them badly.

Just by looking at the two orders of food, eggs, and meat that Zhou Feng gave to Master Cha, you can tell who he's going to follow!

Thinking of this, Yan Bugui smacked his lips.

Tonight at dinner, he sneaked into the kitchen, scooped out a small spoonful of lard, and mixed it into his rice. It smelled so good…

The others in the courtyard also saw Yan Jiefang's actions and recalled the scenes of Zhou Feng confronting Yi Zhonghai at previous courtyard meetings.

Although it would be very unfair and disrespectful to the old man to watch this with amusement, a glimmer of anticipation still lingered in everyone's eyes.

These days, who doesn't want to watch a show? After all, it's not them who gets embarrassed.

Madam Jia secretly tugged at Qin Huairu's sleeve and whispered in her ear, "No matter what they say later, you're not allowed to agree with them, and you're not allowed to offend Zhou Feng!"

The latter nodded subtly, indicating that he understood.

Just as most of the residents had arrived in the courtyard, everyone was whispering and discussing among themselves when Zhou Feng finally led Bai Ling out.

The way the two of them were acting was obviously not right. Bai Ling followed behind Zhou Feng with a flushed face, looking like a little wife.

Zhou Feng, however, looked smug and proud, standing tall and proud.

When I got to the middle of the courtyard, I made a point of cheerfully greeting the Third Uncle.

"Hello, Third Uncle! What's this whole-hospital meeting again? Have you eaten yet?"

"I've eaten, please have a seat!"

Yan Bugui quickly greeted Zhou Feng, it seemed that his suggestion to have Yan Jiefang report them had worked!

Actually, that's only one aspect. The main point is that when the TV series "The Story of Huaihua" went on, and Qin Huairu was ill, the second and third uncles were able to take out all their savings to treat her, which proves that this stingy old man Yan is actually quite capable.

As long as people know how to repay kindness, and since Zhou Feng has been actively trying to be friendly ever since he came to this world, there's no need for Zhou Feng to deliberately make things difficult for them, right?

Even if they just bring some food to his family, even if it just slips through their fingers, it would be enough to feed Old Yan's family to their hearts' content.

Humans are social animals after all, and they need their own social circles. If you want to fill your courtyard with enemies and become a shut-in in a courtyard house, cooking delicious food and showing off every day, what kind of life is that?

It's fine for a day or two, but if it goes on for too long, you won't know if he's just showing off or being stupid.

Liu Haizhong cleared his throat, picked up an enamel mug, and tapped it on the table: "Everyone, quiet down! I've gathered you all here today because it concerns something that affects the vital interests of every household in our compound. We need to discuss it together and come up with a plan!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at Zhou Feng, it was obvious that they were talking about him!

Zhou Feng, however, seemed not to hear him, tilting his head to talk to Bai Ling.

Seeing his reaction, Liu Haizhong's eyes flashed with displeasure, and he raised his voice slightly: "The matter concerns the washing machine that Comrade Zhou Feng brought back to the backyard today... Some residents have reported that this machine consumes a lot of electricity and poses a risk of using public power lines, leading to increased electricity bills."

"Electricity bills are a public expense for our institute, affecting every household's finances. To avoid potential disputes and maintain fairness and unity within our institute, today's meeting is to discuss what rules Comrade Zhou Feng should follow when using this washing machine, and how to ensure that the collective interests are not harmed."

Upon hearing Liu Haizhong's words, Sha Zhu immediately chimed in, "Second Uncle is right! This kind of encroachment on our courtyard's public resources must be strictly managed! Rules must be established for this!"

As soon as the two finished speaking, a buzz of discussion broke out below.

Some agreed, some were worried, and some were just watching the show.

The third uncle looked down at his glasses, which he had taken off, as if there were some kind of image on them. The Jia family also lowered their heads and remained silent.

With those two families gone, the other neighbors' voices gradually faded as they talked...

Sha Zhu didn't notice this at all, and a cold smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.

This time, he's not fighting alone. There are two old men with him, plus so many eyes watching. With real interests at stake, can Zhou Feng really turn the world upside down?

"Comrade Zhou Feng, do you have anything to say about this matter?"

Liu Haizhong took a sip of tea and looked at Zhou Feng, who suddenly grinned.

This plenary meeting is very likely the last time Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai will try to fight a losing battle...

Therefore, he had to teach these people a lesson!

"Actually, I don't just have one washing machine; I have other appliances at home too. Would you like to come and take a look?"

Upon hearing Zhou Feng's words, the previously noisy courtyard instantly fell silent.

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. Such a convenient machine, and Zhou Feng had more than one?

Yan Bugui and Bai Ling both looked anxious, as if they wanted to say something.

The former was overshadowed by Zhou Feng's gaze, while the latter had his hand held by Zhou Feng.

Although she didn't understand what he was going to do, Bai Ling chose to remain silent and support him.

"You...you say you have other machines? Where did you get so many machines?"

His eyes lit up; he seemed to have discovered something incredible!

"Yeah, I have quite a few more. Do you want to go take a look? And you guys, do you want to go take a look too?"

Zhou Feng's lips curled upwards as he pulled Bai Ling to her feet and looked around.

All the neighbors present sensed something was wrong; his attitude was a bit strange!

But Sha Zhu didn't care about any of that. Since Zhou Feng had spoken, they would just watch and see. What was there to be afraid of?

"Let's go! They all said we should go see it, so let's go!"

As he spoke, he took the lead and walked towards Zhou Feng's house. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong exchanged a glance and followed him.

Seeing that someone was taking the lead, the other residents also prepared to join in and watch the excitement.

Yan Bugui quickly walked to Zhou Feng's side and lowered his voice: "Zhou Feng, why are you saying all this? What if they report you?"

The latter chuckled and said, "Uncle, just you wait and see! Too many fleas are a nuisance. You have to use your strength to hit them hard, or kill them, before you can feel a little better."

Now, the Jia family in this courtyard no longer dares to provoke him, and the Yan family is always trying to curry favor with him.

Zhou Feng must make sure that Sha Zhu and his gang completely harvest this last batch of韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting people) in this operation!

"Come on, everyone, let me introduce you!"

Seeing that everyone had gathered at his door, Zhou Feng took Bai Ling's hand and walked over, opening the door. The neighbors immediately filed in.

The first thing that caught the eye was the washing machine in the hall, and all sorts of appliances on the table, each one of which was something none of the people present had ever seen before.

"There are more here!"

With a gasp, everyone turned their gaze to the other side, where another set of appliances prepared for Sun Yue and his group was neatly stacked.

"Come on, let me introduce this to you. This is called a rice cooker. When you're cooking rice..."

"This is called a kettle. I want some water..."

"This is called a space heater, let me turn it on for you..."

As Zhou Feng explained, streams of emotional value surged into his body, and the progress of his dual-gate upgrade was like that of someone on stimulants, constantly breaking through to new heights.

"My goodness, there's so much rice and flour in his kitchen!"

This shout pushed the progress of the double-door project to 100%!