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

Yi Zhonghai has something on his mind!

From the moment he got off work until he returned to his home in the courtyard house, he kept frowning.

My heart felt heavy, like it was carrying a large stone.

The reason, of course, was what Sha Zhu said to him when he was at the factory today.

The scandalous affair between Sha Zhu and Xu Damao had been the talk of the town in the factory for a long time, and he had naturally heard the whole story.

But when Sha Zhu came to him, insisting that Zhou Feng was behind it all, he had to take it seriously.

From the moment Zhou Feng and Bai Ling moved into this courtyard, he couldn't stand the sight of them.

That kid Zhou Feng never takes him seriously, and he even talks back to him from time to time, especially during the college-wide meeting!

Bai Ling went even further, not even calling him "Uncle Yi," but constantly referring to him as Master Yi or Comrade Yi Zhonghai!

What's most infuriating is that I don't know what kind of spell these two have cast on the old man in the backyard, but he has repeatedly told him not to provoke these two people.

But now that Zhou Feng has bullied Sha Zhu like this, if Yi Zhonghai continues to pretend to be deaf and dumb, how will he maintain his authority in this courtyard in the future?

In the old courtyard house, the one he valued most was Jia Dongxu. The boy was handsome and knew how to be filial, so he even took him as his apprentice!

Unfortunately, Jia Dongxu didn't have the fate to live a long life and died young. He could only settle for second best and turn his attention to Sha Zhu.

Before Zhou Feng and the others arrived, Sha Zhu was still acting normally, occasionally giving the Jia family some subsidies, but it wasn't a big deal.

But from the moment Zhou Feng entered this courtyard, he started to oppose Sha Zhu. He not only drew his knife, but also confronted the father and son directly.

Now they're doing this to Sha Zhu and Xu Damao!

Although Sha Zhu couldn't produce any real evidence, Yi Zhonghai believed that Sha Zhu would never falsely accuse someone out of thin air.

"Old Yi, is it true what's going on in the courtyard about Sha Zhu and Xu Damao?"

An older woman came in from outside, but instead of serving Yi Zhonghai food first, she ran up to him and asked him a question.

This was such a rare sight, these middle-aged women were extremely interested in it!

"Go away, what are you asking about? What's going on in the factory is none of your business!"

Yi Zhonghai snapped at his wife, who just pursed her lips.

"You're still hiding it from me? It's all over the hospital! If it weren't for the fact that it sounds too far-fetched, would I even bother asking you?"

"It's spread everywhere? Yeah, everyone in the factory knows about it. What do you suggest we do about this?"

Yi Zhonghai sighed; he should have expected this situation long ago.

"What should we do?"

The older woman glanced sideways at her husband: "This is the responsibility of security at the factory, and the police station outside. What does it have to do with us?"

"You wouldn't believe it," Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice, "Shazhu said Zhou Feng did it, and he's begging me to stand up for him. I'm just thinking about how to help him out."

"Zhou Feng did this? Didn't the old lady tell us to stay away from him?"

Yi Zhonghai kept his head down, frowned, and remained silent.

Seeing his posture, the older woman was starting to feel uneasy.

She thought the deaf old lady was right. Since they didn't know Zhou Feng's background, they should just avoid provoking him.

Why bother getting involved when this old man won't even pay you an extra salary?

But looking at her husband's expression, it was clear he was determined to control her.

"Old Yi, Old Yi, I think if you really want to get involved, why don't you ask the old lady? Maybe she can give you some advice?"

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai had made up his mind, an older woman quickly interjected, shifting the blame to the deaf old lady.

After all, her own man had picked a fight with Zhou Feng several times, and when had he ever gotten the better of him?

In order to prevent him from suffering any further losses, the old lady still needs to step in and persuade him!

Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, let's go ask right away."

The two left one after the other, and as they passed Sha Zhu's house, they could still hear people sighing inside.

Today's incident has truly made Sha Zhu lose all face!

This made Yi Zhonghai walk a little faster.

Others may not know, but he does. This little old lady in the backyard, though she's not very agile, was quite something when she was young!

As soon as he knocked on the deaf old lady's door, a simple and honest smile immediately appeared on Yi Zhonghai's face.

"Grandma, I've come to see you!"

Yi Zhonghai opened the door and went inside. The deaf old lady was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), squinting her eyes.

This old lady is quite lazy. As a family member of a martyr, she has a stable pension and doesn't need to supplement her income like Jia Zhangshi and others by pasting matchboxes or sewing shoe soles.

When he entered the house with a smile, the deaf old lady merely raised her eyelids, then pointed to her own stool and asked Yi Zhonghai to sit down first.

After obediently sitting down, the latter remained silent for several minutes, sorting out his thoughts before slowly speaking.

"Grandma, you told me not to mess with Zhou Feng, and I've always remembered that."

"But this time he really went too far! He stripped Zhu Zi and Xu Damao naked and tied them up in the factory, and this morning he even let a group of female workers see the melons. Isn't this deliberately bullying them?"

The deaf old woman's face remained unchanged; she simply looked up at him and said, "You caught him red-handed, why didn't you send him to the security office or the police station?"

"No...we didn't catch him in the act. Zhu Zi told me himself. He's your eldest grandson, and he's been bullied like this. You have to stand up for him!"

Who is the deaf old lady?

He was born in 1885, and lived from the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty until this time!

What kind of spectacle haven't I seen before?

Yi Zhonghai's skills are still very immature in her eyes!

"Xiao Yi, whether you're standing up for Zhu Zi or for something else, this old woman has one last piece of advice for you."

The deaf old lady paused and glanced at Yi Zhonghai.

"I've lived for over seventy years. I've seen all sorts of people and all kinds of people. I can tell at a glance what someone does and where they come from. Nothing can escape my eyes."

"This Zhou Feng is the only one who doesn't seem like an official or a member of the martial arts world; it's like he's from a completely different world from us."

"Don't even mention an old man like you. Look at how he treats Bai Ling, who has an official background—he acts just as reckless!"

"If you listen to your old woman, ordinary people like us shouldn't mess with them. You can't suppress them, do you understand?"

The deaf old lady had been quite blunt, practically telling Yi Zhonghai directly that he couldn't afford to mess with Zhou Feng and his companion.

But how could Yi Zhonghai be content with having two young men in this courtyard whom he couldn't control?

"Grandma, you just mentioned Bai Ling..."

"Don't ask! This old woman didn't say anything! Go ahead and mess with her, but don't drag me into it!"

Compared to the mysterious Zhou Feng, Bai Ling, whose background was partially revealed by the deaf old lady, was more daunting to her!

He was working at the Municipal Public Security Bureau before he was thirty years old, and he could still carry a bulging gun on his waist under normal circumstances. What level of person is he?

Zhou Feng was uncertain, but Bai Ling truly had the ability to manipulate them at will!

"Then tell me, what should I do...?"

"Huh? What did you say? I can't hear you..."

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was still not giving up, the deaf old lady got tired of talking and simply began to selectively ignore him.

Just as he was about to say something, a series of smashing sounds and constant shouting suddenly came from Xu Damao's house in the backyard.

"Grandma, please rest for a moment, I'll go see what's wrong!"

Yi Zhonghai hurriedly got up and walked outside, leaving only the deaf old lady sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a soft sigh.

"Sigh...it's impossible to reason with this damned devil!"