Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"Article 2: Xu Damao's public accusation that I stole chickens is purely malicious slander and constitutes false accusation and framing. The police can be called to investigate and pursue the matter."

"Whichever of these two options you choose, it will get you in jail."

"So, do you still think thirty yuan is too much?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao broke out in a cold sweat, his throat tightened, and he could barely speak. There was no escaping this; compensation was a foregone conclusion.

He knew He Yuzhu's temper all too well: if he pretended to be deaf and dumb, the man would turn around and call the police station.

In that case, he will be the one who suffers, and he might even lose his job as a projectionist.

"well……"

His heart sank heavily, as if a stone had been placed on it.

"I'll pay for it! Okay?"

"That's more like human language." He Yuzhu didn't even lift his eyelids. "Aren't you going to get the money? Are you just standing here like a doorman?"

Xu Damao didn't dare utter a word and ran home as fast as he could. But when he returned, he dragged his feet, his face tense, as if he had been in excruciating pain.

What kind of mess is this? The chicken disappeared without a trace, and a month's wages are gone!

"Snapped!"

He slammed the money on the table with such force that the dishes vibrated, clearly taking the opportunity to vent his anger.

"Wow, you've got quite a temper."

He Yuzhu didn't care what anger he was holding back. He reached out, grabbed the money, counted it one bill at a time in front of him, slowly stuffed it into his pocket, turned around and left. He closed the door and never looked back.

"Bang!"

Upon seeing this, Xu Damao immediately roared at everyone in the yard, "Who stole my chicken? Step forward right now! Dare to hide it? Let me find him, and I won't let him off easily!"

"Believe it or not, I'll report it to the police right now!"

The three old neighbors looked at each other and shook their heads. Who knew where the chicken had flown off to?

"Xu Damao, take another look around. He probably hasn't gone far."

"Yes, keep looking!"

"Neighbors, if you see this, let me know! It's Xu Damao's chicken."

He Yuzhu had already gone back to his room and lay down. The commotion outside drifted in, and he couldn't help but smile.

A group of restless people who love to join in the fun.

But what does it bother him? He eats well and sleeps soundly; that's the kind of comfort he's after.

He leaned back lazily in his chair, slowly savoring the feeling of ease.

Night had fallen, and the courtyard had finally quieted down. He Yuzhu, having already eaten and drunk his fill, was resting with his eyes half-closed.

I feel relaxed all over, and every bone in my body feels soothed.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have successfully extracted thirty yuan in compensation from Xu Damao. You are rewarded with ten yuan."

"Um?"

"If I calculate it that way, I should have forty-two dollars on hand."

"Level up skills first."

Without hesitation, he spent all forty dollars on the "physical skills" category.

"Ding! Physical skills have been upgraded to LV4. New abilities will be automatically unlocked upon reaching the maximum level."

In an instant, a solid force surged up from all four limbs and bones.

He got up and walked to the sofa, then easily lifted it up with one hand.

"That's some serious strength!"

Just as I was pondering this, a clear voice suddenly called out from outside the door: "Brother! Brother! I'm back!"

He Yuzhu put down the sofa, wiped the sweat from his forehead, walked to the door and opened it. He Yushui stood there, her braids still damp with the evening breeze, her little face flushed.

This girl is getting more and more beautiful as she grows up.

"Come in!" He smiled and stepped aside.

In this courtyard, he only had this one relative left.

He Yushui parked her bicycle and stepped inside. Her nose twitched: "Wow, it smells so good!"

Her eyes lit up, and she rushed in excitedly: "Brother, what delicious food did you make this time? It looks even more tempting than before!"

"I stewed a chicken for you to nourish your body." He Yuzhu ladled out a bowl of hot soup. "You're in your final year of high school, so you need to eat well."

"Thank you, brother!" She rushed over and hugged him, giggling.

"Silly girl, if I don't treat you well, who else would I treat well?"

He patted her on the shoulder, turned around and brought out a large bowl of thick soup and a plate of glistening, fragrant roasted chicken. "Drink the soup while it's hot. I roasted the chicken myself, I guarantee you won't be able to stop eating it."

His preparation resulted in a clear broth, tender meat, and an aroma that permeated the heart.

He Yushui had just taken a sip when her eyes widened suddenly: "Brother! This soup... how come it's so incredibly delicious? It's the best I've ever had in my memory!"

"Of course, I'm a chef, I learned everything through real practice."

"The craftsmanship speaks for itself."

He pushed a plate of golden, crispy chicken drumsticks in front of her and filled a bowl with white rice.

"Okay!"

She picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, her cheeks puffed out, and her eyes widened in surprise.

So delicious!

When did my brother become such an amazing cook?

"Brother, did you really make this? This tastes so much better than before! The soup is so refreshing too!" She said with a smile as she chewed.

"If it wasn't me, could it be the Kitchen God appearing in spirit?"

He Yuzhu laughed and flicked her forehead.

"Ouch, brother, don't hit me!" she whined, rubbing her forehead. "It's so delicious!"

"Alright, you little sycophant." He waved his hand, not really going to bother with such a small matter.

Halfway through the meal, He Yushui suddenly stopped eating, tilted her head to look at him, and asked, "Brother, what was all that commotion in the yard just now? I heard Xu Damao yelling that his chickens were stolen, and that he even had to pay you thirty yuan in compensation?"

"What exactly happened?"

Actually, she wanted to ask as soon as she entered, but the fragrance was so overpowering that it completely overshadowed her question.

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu couldn't help but smile and said, "Little sister, this is quite a coincidence."

Actually, it was Qin Huairu's son, Banggeng, who stole Xu Damao's chicken, but Xu Damao was completely unaware of it.

Since you're coming back tonight, I asked someone to pick out a plump rooster from the street this morning, specially to stew for you to nourish your body.

Unexpectedly, Xu Damao bumped into our door at this very moment. Chicken feathers were scattered on the ground, and the aroma of hot meat was wafting from inside the house. Without saying a word, he accused me of stealing his chicken and tried to pin the blame on me. In the end, I pushed him out the door.

He couldn't swallow his anger, so he went to find the three old men and insisted on holding a general meeting of all the residents in the courtyard.

After being confronted in public, I clearly cleared my name. As for that person who spoke recklessly and tried to shift the blame, how could I let him get away unscathed? I made him pay me thirty yuan on the spot.

He Yushui listened quietly, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper, her eyes filled with disbelief.

What a coincidence!

She glanced furtively at He Yuzhu, her voice softening slightly: "Brother... really? Banggeng is so young, how dare he steal a chicken? He's got some nerve!"

"Besides, Xu Damao is always stingy. Would he really give me thirty yuan? That's almost your entire monthly salary!"

"well,"

"Girl!"

"People may seem honest and upright, but they may not be so open-minded; they may appear kind and gentle on the surface, but who knows what they might be plotting behind the scenes. As the old saying goes: you can know a person's face, but not their heart."

He Yuzhu looked at his sister's astonished expression and sighed softly.

"Why did he obediently pay the money? It's because I was in the right, I stood firm, I didn't do anything wrong, and I took the money honestly."

"As expected of my brother! He's really capable! He managed to squeeze thirty coins out of Xu Damao, that miser. He's probably stamping his feet in frustration right now!"

He Yushui's eyes lit up, her tone full of admiration, "Brother, that's a solid thirty yuan!"

"That's natural."

"His face turned pale at the time, but so what? As soon as I got the money, I turned around and left. Who cared about his bitter face?"

He Yuzhu smiled and shook his head. Who wouldn't be happy with such a large windfall...

……

Halfway through the meal, He Yushui suddenly remembered something, put down her chopsticks, and said:

"Brother, we still have quite a bit of chicken left. How about we invite Sister Qin Huairu and her three kids to come and have some?"

"Ding! Host has triggered a new mission, two options available."

"Ding! Option 1: Invite Qin Huairu to dinner, turn enemies into friends, reward one yuan."

"Ding! Option 2: Explain Qin Huairu's true feelings to your younger sister. Reward: 10 yuan."

"Um?"

Without this system notification, he wouldn't have even thought about it.

Are you kidding me?

A widow with three ungrateful children and a calculating mother-in-law—you'd be trying to avoid her, yet she's actively courting her?

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu immediately stopped eating, staring intently at He Yushui, his tone turning somber:

"Girl, from now on, avoid contact with their family as much as possible, stay away from them, understand?"

"what?"

He Yushui was stunned, staring blankly at her brother.

My brother used to take such good care of their family, why has he suddenly changed his tune? Did they have a falling out? That shouldn't be!

Qin Huairu was also good to her brother, often washing his clothes and bringing him lunch boxes, taking care of everything.

"Brother, what happened?"

"well……"

He Yuzhu sighed softly. His younger sister was naive; no wonder. These days, there were quite a few girls like her with innocent hearts.

"Let me tell you slowly."

Seeing her brother's unprecedentedly solemn expression, He Yushui slowly put down her chopsticks, sat up straight, and stared intently at her brother's face.

This was the first time she had seen He Yuzhu so serious, and her heart tightened inexplicably, even her breathing became shallow.

"Sister, we're siblings, we're each other's only family. With no one to help, I've had to shoulder everything myself. I work myself to the bone to support your education, to provide for your food and clothing—everything costs money!"

"Besides, I only make thirty-seven yuan and fifty cents a month. If I also subsidize Qin Huairu's family, how many coins will I have left in my pocket?"

"You remember, I used to always make sure you ate the food I brought back from the cafeteria first; but ever since I started helping them out, you've hardly touched a bite."

"Also, you probably feel that Qin Huairu treats you like a sister, right?"

He Yushui nodded: "She's really good to me, always asking how I am."

"Silly girl!"

"You don't know, she's good to you only because I've been supporting her family all along. I earn thirty-seven yuan and fifty cents a month. It costs me money to support you, and even more to help them, but they don't spend a penny and live a comfortable life."

"She has her own salary, more than twenty yuan a month, which is more than enough to support a family of four, and maybe even leave some money behind; but what about me? I'm broke every month, and I can't even afford to buy myself a decent piece of clothing. In this compound, who cares about them and works as hard as I do?"