I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

In the east room of the small courtyard, the light was dim and soft, with faint sunlight filtering through the window paper.

Li Jing'an leaned against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), holding Wei Jialing in his arms. The girl nestled against his chest, her soft hair brushing against him, her every breath carrying a sense of peace.

"Hiss—be gentle, he's almost out of health, if you keep scratching him he'll be ruined." Li Jing'an inhaled sharply, his voice tinged with a lazy weariness.

"Mmm..." Wei Jialing buried herself in his arms, only responding softly, weak and powerless, without even the strength to lift her eyelids.

Li Jing'an gently stroked the top of her head, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "Hey, do you know anyone at the Labor Bureau?"

Wei Jialing slightly raised her eyes, her voice muffled: "I don't know her, why?"

"I want to get my sister a job transfer, somewhere closer to home," Li Jing'an said calmly. "I've already picked out a place, the grocery store in their area. It's a stable and easy job."

Wei Jialing's lips curled slightly as she gently traced circles on his chest with her finger: "I don't know him, but they know my dad, right?"

Li Jing'an was taken aback, then slapped his forehead and laughed, "Oh, right, how could I forget that? Come on, let me give you a kiss."

"Hmm...don't keep kissing me like this." Li Jing'an's voice was weak. "I can't take it anymore. No matter how strong my body is, I can't withstand this kind of torment."

The two lingered for a few more moments before slowly getting up to tidy up. At noon, they found a small restaurant nearby and had a simple meal. Wei Jialing had to leave first, so Li Jing'an went into a department store on the street alone, picked up two cans of fruit, and chose a decent-looking box of pastries, intending to visit his sister.

He felt he had to personally check on the neighborhood dispute that had caused such a commotion a few days ago before he could feel at ease.

As soon as Li Jing'an pushed off the heavy-duty bicycle, he felt a sharp pain in his lower back and abdomen, as if most of his strength had been drained away. Riding it was even more strenuous, each stroke heavy and difficult. He smiled bitterly to himself: Wei Jialing had really worn him out.

After several twists and turns, we entered a large, crowded courtyard.

This place is completely different from the courtyard house he lives in—illegally built structures are everywhere, small kitchens and side rooms are crammed together, and the once spacious courtyard has been eroded into a narrow passageway, full of potholes and cluttered with debris. In a few more years, there probably won't even be a narrow passageway left for people to walk on.

Li Jing'an pushed his cart and finally arrived at his sister's house. As soon as he entered, Li Hongying immediately greeted him with a beaming smile.

"Xiao An! What brings you here? Come in and sit down, have you eaten yet?"

"I've already eaten, I just stopped by to take a look." Li Jing'an put the canned food and snack box he was carrying on the table.

The furnishings inside were immediately apparent: an old table, two chairs with peeling paint, and an old-fashioned wardrobe in the corner. Several old wooden crates were stacked to one side; there was hardly any decoration, just enough space to live in.

"Where's my brother-in-law?" Li Jing'an asked casually.

"He went to my mother-in-law's house," Li Hongying muttered as she poured water. "The roof is leaking, so he went to help replace the tiles. I don't know when he'll be back."

"Where are the children?"

"The older one went to school, the second one went to play with his dad, and the youngest one has been left at his grandma's house."

Li Jing'an nodded and got to the point: "I came today to ask if you've resolved your issue with your neighbor?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hongying immediately perked up, straightening her back: "Hey, you mean that matter?! I started building the wall the very next day, and the house was finished in less than two days!"

"Have your neighbors stopped bothering you?"

"Find him? He wouldn't dare!" Li Hongying's voice rose, her face full of smugness. "That day you had that car bring us back, the whole courtyard saw it! Since then, not a single neighbor has dared to utter a sound! And that meddlesome old man in the backyard, he avoids me like the plague now, he's terrified!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, spittle flying everywhere, reliving the glory the car had brought her that day.

Li Jing'an didn't speak, but listened quietly, his brows furrowing slightly. His sister wasn't resolving the conflict; she was clearly using her power to intimidate him.

It doesn't matter as long as the problem is solved, even if it means dealing with the people involved.

"Has anyone from the neighborhood committee come looking for us?"

"No!" Li Hongying waved her hand. "They probably heard the rumors too, and didn't even dare to show their faces."

"That's fine then." Li Jing'an sighed softly. "There were only two rooms to begin with, and now with the addition of another one, it'll be much more spacious."

"That's right!" Li Hongying's eyes lit up, and she became bolder as she spoke. "I'm also planning to tear down the small kitchen we built before, expand it further, and take over a bit more space from the neighbor's house on the east side. That way, we'll have even more room!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing'an sighed helplessly, "Sis, please don't block their windows anymore. If things really get out of hand, I won't be able to help you clean up the mess. Isn't this just asking for trouble?"

Li Jing'an is not afraid of individual households making a fuss, but he is afraid of it turning into a mass incident.

"Don't worry, the east side doesn't even reach his window, it only occupies a tiny bit of open space, it'll definitely be fine!" Li Hongying waved her hand dismissively.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, and brother-in-law Wang Wenbin, carrying tools and sweating profusely, entered. Upon seeing Li Jing'an, he immediately put down his things and was incredibly hospitable.

"Jing'an's here! How long have you been here? Your sister didn't even tell me to come and call me!"

"I just arrived a short while ago, I just came to check on things. Didn't your child come back with you?"

"No, I had a blast at Grandma's house, so I ate there tonight."

Li Jing'an stood up: "Okay, I don't have anything else to do, I'll be going now."

"Oh? You're leaving already? Your brother-in-law just got back and you're leaving already? Have dinner before you go!" Li Hongying quickly tried to persuade her to stay.

"No, I have some things to do at the factory, I have to go back."

His older sister and brother-in-law escorted him out of the tenement, repeatedly inviting him to come often.

His final instructions were to his sister and brother-in-law not to make a big fuss.

Just make sure it doesn't escalate into a mass incident.