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

No, this is the time when Xu Damao and Shazhu are fighting over Yu Haitang. Lou Xiao'e's return should be related to her parents!

However, in the original story, it was Sha Zhu who asked a high-ranking official to help his family resolve this issue.

She had long since severed ties with Xu Damao, moved out of the courtyard, and had no further contact with Shazhu.

And then... she came to me?

Before Lou Xiao'e could even speak, Zhou Feng had already guessed her purpose.

Sure enough, after entering the house and closing the door, Lou Xiao'e, her eyes red, her knees buckled: "Comrade Zhou Feng, please, please help my parents!"

This startled Zhou Feng, who quickly reached out to support her arms, preventing her from kneeling down.

What era are we living in? Who still kneels in greeting?

It's not like the Dream of Splendor.

Bai Ling, who had just folded the blankets on the bed, came over and saw this scene. Her eyes widened, and she gestured to Zhou Feng.

The latter also showed a hint of helplessness on his face, and forcefully helped Lou Xiao'e up.

During this time, there were naturally quite a few interactions, which made Bai Ling, who was watching from the side, immediately frown.

"Wait, you two, what are you doing? Are you getting married?"

Upon hearing Bai Ling's voice, Lou Xiao'e realized that there was another person in the room and quickly broke free from Zhou Feng's embrace.

"Comrade Bai Ling, you've misunderstood. We didn't mean that!"

"So what are you doing here?"

Lou Xiao'e smoothed her hair behind her ear, took a deep breath, and calmed herself before speaking: "My parents were reported and arrested, and they're in detention. I don't know anyone, and the only person I could think of asking for help was Comrade Zhou Feng, which is why I came here. I promise, we have absolutely no connection!"

Although Lou Xiao'e moved away from the courtyard after separating from Xu Damao, she would still come back to visit the deaf old lady from time to time.

Naturally, they knew that Zhou Feng and Bai Ling's wedding was imminent.

So, in front of Bai Ling, she quickly explained, afraid of being misunderstood.

In this courtyard house, Lou Xiao'e had the temperament of a young lady from a wealthy family, but she wasn't really that bad.

Bai Ling and Zhou Feng exchanged a glance, then obediently returned to sit on the edge of the bed.

In matters like this, it's best for the men in the family to make the decisions; she won't interfere too much.

Zhou Feng looked at Lou Xiao'e, whose eyes were red, and made a quick decision in his mind.

Actually, what Lou's parents did wasn't a big deal.

If even the high-ranking leader whom Sha Zhu knew, who was already caught in the vortex, could directly intervene to release them, then Zhou Feng would be even more capable.

However, he was considering whether it was necessary for him to get involved in this matter.

The Lou family used to be known as Lou Half-City, but in the face of the state apparatus of the Dragon Kingdom, even someone like Liu Haizhong was able to bring people to eliminate them after receiving a report from Xu Damao.

This shows how weak the Lou family is now.

However, the Lou family members are definitely talented individuals.

His nickname, Lou Bancheng, reveals that most of the Lou family's connections and assets were located in Beiping (Beijing).

But in 1966, the Lou family smuggled themselves to Hong Kong Island, which was still in the era of the Four Great Detectives.

Despite facing discrimination against mainlanders, double exploitation by both the legitimate and criminal worlds, and the class monopoly of local families, they managed to develop their own industry!

This is no small feat!

If Zhou Feng wanted to leave someone in this courtyard world to run it for him, the Lou family father and daughter would definitely be the most suitable candidates.

After all, with Zhou Feng backing them up, it's much simpler than blindly running to Hong Kong Island and facing the situation, right?

This was something Zhou Feng couldn't do anything about.

In this world of courtyard houses, there aren't many people he can trust. Bai Ling's thinking has been solidified by this era and is difficult to change.

Qin Jingru is just a silly girl who relies on Zhou Feng. It's okay to ask her to serve Zhou Feng, but asking her to do anything is a disaster.

Therefore, the Lou family really is the best choice.

However, bestowing favors also requires timing. As the old saying goes, you can't make a deal if you're too eager.

If Zhou Feng takes the initiative to help solve the problem as soon as Lou Xiao'e asks for help, how can they know how precious this assistance is?

"Comrade Lou Xiao'e, this matter is actually not that difficult, but your father was arrested by those Red Guards, and he is not from the same unit as me, which makes things more complicated."

Listening to Zhou Feng's affected manner, Bai Ling frowned, but kept her lips tightly closed and remained silent.

Having followed Zhou Feng for so long, and under Sun Yue's constant guidance, she learned one thing.

That means if you encounter something you don't understand or can't figure out, just shut up, watch quietly, and don't speak rashly, lest you upset Zhou Feng.

"Then... what should I do?!"

Lou Xiao'e was truly panicked; she had never seen her parents so disheveled in her entire life.

She was bound hand and foot and dragged away in front of her, and was gagged before she even had a chance to speak.

The cabinets and sofas in the house were turned upside down, looking just like the scene in ancient stories about ransacking a house.

"Comrade Zhou Feng, I'm begging you!"

Lou Xiao'e's tears kept sliding down her cheeks, and her voice became distorted.

"My parents are both over 50 years old, how could they endure this? You have no idea how vicious those people were, just like bandits! My dad only said one sentence, and he got slapped across the face, and then they gagged him."

As she spoke, her body went limp, and she was about to kneel down again.

Zhou Feng reacted quickly and helped her up again: "Comrade Lou Xiao'e, don't kneel down so easily! Let's talk things out!"

As he spoke, he helped Lou Xiao'e to a chair, then pulled up a chair and sat opposite her: "Don't cry yet, explain things clearly. When were you arrested? On what grounds were you arrested? Who led the team?"

Lou Xiao'e wiped away her tears and sniffed: "It was...it was this morning. When I came back from leaving home, I saw a bunch of people gathered in front of my house. My parents were being dragged out! I asked them why they were arresting people, and they said my dad was a reactionary capitalist, a feudal remnant, and they were taking him for questioning..."

Do you know the person leading the team?

"I don't recognize them, but they should be from some factory nearby. They're all wearing blue overalls and red badges on their arms..."

As Lou Xiao'e spoke, her voice choked up again: "Comrade Zhou Feng, my parents are really not bad people, and they've never bullied any workers. When I was little, my dad ran a factory, and he even built dormitories for the workers, provided meals, and gave them gifts during holidays!"

Zhou Feng sighed softly, a slightly troubled expression on his face: "Comrade Lou Xiao'e, to be honest with you, this matter isn't a huge deal, but it's not insignificant either. Your father's social standing is indeed a sensitive issue at this juncture. But if someone puts in a good word for us, it's not impossible to release him."

Lou Xiao'e's eyes lit up, and she involuntarily leaned forward: "Then could you...?"

A scent of soap wafted into Zhou Feng's nostrils, causing him to unconsciously take a step back.

His wife was watching from the side; he couldn't afford to make a mistake!

"Let me finish speaking first."

Zhou Feng waved his hand, his tone somewhat heavy.

"As I just said, those Red Guards and the people I know aren't from the same unit. My words carry some weight with my side, but it's uncertain whether the Red Guards will even acknowledge me."

Zhou Feng's words were not wrong. Anyone else would have understood what he meant. However, given his importance, getting two people out of trouble was no big deal for him.

"Then... what should I do?"

Lou Xiao'e wrung her hands anxiously, tears streaming down her face again: "Comrade Zhou Feng, you know a lot of people, can you help me think of a way? What do you want... what kind of reward do you want, I... I..."

Lou Xiao'e suddenly stopped talking at this point.

Her house was ransacked, how could she possibly offer any compensation?

Not to mention her parents, even the little bit of savings and valuable jewelry she kept in her bedroom were all taken away.

Now, apart from some spare clothes and the few yuan she had left from grocery shopping, she is basically penniless.

Halfway through her sentence, Lou Xiao'e's face suddenly turned bright red, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Zhou Feng noticed her expression and naturally understood what was going on, but he didn't say anything. He just sighed and shook his head helplessly.

"Comrade Lou Xiao'e, this isn't about whether you'll pay me or not. It's about how this matter is really tricky. I need to think carefully about how to handle it and who to ask. I can't just blindly rush over and ask for people."

"How long will that take?"

"I reckon it'll take at least two or three days. Your parents won't be in any trouble at the detention center anytime soon, so let them stay for a couple of days. It shouldn't be a big problem."

Stay for two days?

Upon hearing this, Lou Xiao'e immediately pouted, "No, Comrade Zhou Feng, my parents aren't in good health. How can they possibly stay in a detention center? Let alone two days, they'd struggle even for one night. I beg you..."

As she was speaking, she slid off the chair and was about to kneel. Zhou Feng quickly bent down for the third time to help her up.

Bai Ling watched from the bedside, her lips twitching. She couldn't hold back any longer and coldly remarked, "Comrade Lou Xiao'e, can't you sit down and talk properly? This back-and-forth pulling and tugging makes it seem like my husband has done something to you!"

Lou Xiao'e was stunned for a moment before realizing that their posture was a bit off. She quickly let go of Zhou Feng's hand, took two steps back, and plopped down in a chair, her face flushed red.

"Comrade Bai Ling, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I just... I was just too anxious!"

Bai Ling snorted coldly, turned her face away from her, and then gave Zhou Feng a wink, the meaning of which was very clear.

Do what you want and stop there; don't push people too far.

Zhou Feng glanced to the side and saw Lou Xiao'e slumped in the middle of the chair, tears streaming down her face. She looked as if all her strength had been drained away, and her shoulders were trembling. She looked as pitiful as could be.

Having gone this far, Zhou Feng's heart softened a little, but he still maintained a composed expression.

It's not that he's heartless, but that's how things should be done. If you don't let him know how much gratitude he owes, how will he be able to use it smoothly in the future?

Lou Xiao'e sat there, crying, when suddenly she felt dizzy and her vision went black.

She hadn't eaten breakfast when she woke up early in the morning, and she was both frightened and anxious. Zhou Feng, her last hope, was in such a difficult situation, which made her feel like she couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey, hey, hey? What's wrong now?"

Seeing the girl slump down, Zhou Feng quickly grabbed her arm, and Bai Ling was also startled and stood up.

Lou Xiao'e leaned against Zhou Feng, her eyes half-open and half-closed, her lips pale, and she murmured, "Please, help me save my parents..."

Bai Ling glared at Zhou Feng, who sighed and shook his head.

Who would have thought that Lou Xiao'e is so vulnerable now?

Just then, the door creaked open.

A small head peeked in and was stunned when it saw the situation inside.

Qin Jingru had seen enough of the commotion outside and originally wanted to come back and talk to Zhou Feng about it. She even slowed down her movements, afraid of waking Bai Ling.

Then they saw Lou Xiao'e leaning against Zhou Feng, crying her eyes out. Bai Ling was watching from the side.

"Zhou... Zhou Feng, isn't this Lou Xiao'e? What happened to her?"

She was still outside watching the commotion, but when she got home, she found that the commotion inside her house was even more exciting than the one outside!

Bai Ling finally found a chance to speak. She quickly walked over, took Lou Xiao'e from Zhou Feng, and helped her to sit down on the edge of the bed. She said in an annoyed tone, "Your sister Xiao'e has had some trouble at home and came to ask your brother Zhou Feng for help."

Zhou Feng glanced at Lou Xiao'e's face, then patted Qin Jingru on the shoulder: "She might have low blood sugar. Make her a bowl of sugar water and bring her some food."

"Okay, sure!"

Qin Jingru nodded and turned to get the thermos to pour hot water.

That's one good thing about her; she never pries into things. Whatever Zhou Feng tells her to do, she does.

Lou Xiao'e leaned against the bed, her body slightly curled up, sobbing uncontrollably.

Although Bai Ling was a little unhappy, seeing how pitiful she was, she didn't say anything more. She just sat down beside her and gently patted her back.

Qin Jingru brought over a bowl of sweet soup from the kitchen, gently fed it to Lou Xiao'e bit by bit, and then handed her a piece of cake.

Don't underestimate this cake base that Zhou Feng brought back for them; it's a rare find in this day and age.

Watching Lou Xiao'e drink two sips of water and eat a bite of cake, Qin Jingru couldn't help but sigh.

"Oh... Sister Xiao'e is so pitiful, what happened to her parents? Brother Zhou Feng, why don't you help her?"

She hadn't thought that much about it, and she didn't know what had happened to Lou Xiao'e's family.

But judging from her previous experiences and the importance of Zhou Feng in Qin Jingru's heart, she simply believed that nothing could stump Zhou Feng, and that her Zhou Feng brother was omnipotent.

Bai Ling knew Qin Jingru's personality, so she didn't interrupt at all, but just looked at Zhou Feng with a strange expression.

Zhou Feng naturally remained silent.

Qin Jingru pursed her lips, turned to look at Lou Xiao'e who was acting as if she were dying, and her heart softened again. She looked pitifully at Zhou Feng: "Brother Zhou Feng—"