Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Jia Dongxu! This is yours, isn't it?" Liu Fuguo's sharp gaze fell on Jia Dongxu, who was pale as a ghost and wished he could shrink into a ball.

Jia Dongxu's lips trembled. He glanced fearfully at his mother, whose face was contorted like a demon, then at the expressionless policeman. He swallowed hard, nodded, and whispered, "It's...it's my...some...pocket money I saved up..."

"Woof!" Big Yellow didn't stop. It turned to Qin Huairu's old cotton-padded jacket, which was washed to a pale color and had several patches, hanging on the nails behind the door. It sniffed at an inconspicuous patch with a slightly darker color and fine stitches on the inside of the hem of the jacket and barked again as a warning.

Qin Huairu's body stiffened instantly! As if she had been frozen in place, her face turned ashen, and her arms holding Xiao Dang tightened so much that her knuckles turned white from the force. The child twisted and cried uncomfortably from being squeezed.

Liu Fuguo walked over, took off the old cotton-padded jacket, and carefully felt the patch with his fingers, clearly feeling a hard object inside. He found a small pair of scissors and, under everyone's watchful eyes, carefully unraveled the stitching around the patch.

Hidden inside was a small cloth bag, also made of old cloth! Opening the bag, there was a thick stack of neatly folded bills and coins. The largest denomination was a five-yuan "Steelworker" bill, along with some loose coupons printed with "Beijing Local Grain Coupons (Coarse Grains)" and "Edible Oil Coupons (Two Liang)," totaling thirty-four yuan and seventy-five fen.

"Qin Huairu, is this yours?" Liu Fuguo's voice carried a scrutinizing tone.

Qin Huairu bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled, tears welling in her eyes but stubbornly refusing to fall. She nodded, her throat choked, unable to utter a single word.

A profound sense of humiliation overwhelmed her like a cold tide. What could she say? That she had saved every penny she could, penny by penny? That most of it was "lent" to her by Sha Zhu out of pity, and that she had secretly saved it for a rainy day? Or that it was her secret stash of money, which she had secretly pocketed every time she bought groceries, penny by penny, accumulating little by little?

Saying either of those things now would only bring greater humiliation and disaster! She could only swallow her pride and bear it silently.

"Fine! You heartless little slut! You traitor!" As if she had found the perfect outlet for her anger, Jia Zhangshi broke free from Wu Zhengmin's grasp and pounced on Qin Huairu like an enraged lioness!

Withered, claw-like fingers swung with the wind, digging hard into Qin Huairu's bare arm, leaving several deep purple welts instantly! The other hand, like an eagle's claw, swiftly snatched the small cloth bag containing money from Qin Huairu's hand!

"You dare hide money from your mother! You've gone too far! Where did this money come from? Tell me! Did you pry it out of us? Did you steal money from the groceries?! You jinx! You spendthrift! You're going to steal everything from this house! I'll beat you to death, you shameless slut!" Jia Zhangshi's curses were like the most filthy poison, spraying down on Qin Huairu, so vicious and unbearable to hear.

Qin Huairu staggered backward from the blow, her back slamming heavily against the cold earthen wall. She desperately protected the child and the small cloth bag in her arms, tears finally streaming down her face like broken beads, but she could only bite her lip tightly, letting out suppressed sobs like a wounded animal, not daring to utter a single word in defense.

She knew that once she revealed that the money was "borrowed" by Sha Zhu, Sha Zhu's pitiful face and remaining "family fortune" would be completely trampled into the mud, becoming an even bigger joke, and she would never be able to borrow a single penny from Sha Zhu again!

She could only suppress this overwhelming grievance and humiliation, along with the meager sense of security brought by the thirty-odd yuan, deep within her heart. The disdainful, pitying, and gloating gazes of her neighbors felt like countless needles pricking her.

"Enough!" Liu Fuguo's shout was like a thunderclap, filled with chilling rage. "Give them back their money! Register it clearly! Jia Zhangshi, if you dare to lay a handcuff on anyone again, you'll be immediately arrested for intentional assault and obstruction of official duties! There will be no leniency!"

Wu Zhengmin stepped forward and stuffed the money back into Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu's trembling hands, while giving Jia Zhangshi, who was still cursing and acting like a madwoman, a stern warning with a sharp look.

Madam Jia snatched the small cloth bag containing over thirty yuan from Qin Huairu, clutching it tightly in her hand like a vicious dog guarding its food. She glared fiercely at her daughter-in-law, still cursing rudely, "You jinx! I'll deal with you later!"

The Jia family's fig leaf has been completely torn to shreds! The three members of the family each harbored their own secrets and hid their own money! Jia Zhangshi even went so far as to hide more than a thousand yuan in cash and a gold ring in her pillow!

This undeniable fact, like countless slaps carried by thunder and lightning, struck Yi Zhonghai's face hard, and also struck the faces of all the neighbors who had been "morally blackmailed" into donating money, borrowing grain, and giving alms to the Jia family! It shattered the hypocritical temple of "mutual help" that Yi Zhonghai had carefully constructed!

"Grandpa! Look! Please open your eyes and look!" Aunt Li, who had been "earnestly persuaded" by Yi Zhonghai and reluctantly donated half a month's worth of her family's food money, rushed to Yi Zhonghai, who was being helped up, with red eyes. She pointed at the chaotic and disgraceful scene at the Jia family's house, her voice sharp and distorted with extreme anger and grievance.

"This is the 'impoverished family' you told us to tighten our belts to help?! So impoverished that they're hiding over a thousand yuan and a gold ring?! All the money and food we donated have been fed to the dogs! Fed to this heartless, rotten-hearted old hag!"

"That's right! Sir! Aren't you usually the fairest and most reasonable person? You be the judge for everyone! What's going on here?!" Another young worker, who had been "sincerely" borrowed five yuan from Jia Dongxu and had never returned it, also squeezed forward and questioned him excitedly.

"Our money didn't come from thin air! My mother is sick and we can't even afford to buy medicine! Why should we pay?! Sir, you have to give us an explanation! Can't we get our money back?!"

"Exactly! Over the years, at every major meeting, have you not mentioned the Jia family's difficulties? Have you always led the donations? And then you expect us to follow suit? Are we all fools? Have we been made a fool of?!"

"Sir, shouldn't you see a doctor about your eyes?!"

"I don't think it's a problem with your eyes; your heart is biased to the side!"

Public outrage erupted! Years of suppressed discontent, anger at being fooled, and heartache from economic losses burst forth like a volcano! The finger of criticism was instantly and precisely pointed at the initiator, organizer, and biggest instigator of this protracted "moral blackmail"—Yi Zhonghai!

The crowd surrounded him, bombarding him with questions, accusations, and condemnations. Their voices grew louder and louder, spittle practically hitting his face. Yi Zhonghai's carefully cultivated image of "highly respected" officials crumbled completely in that instant!

Yi Zhonghai felt his head buzzing, as if a million wasps were swarming inside. His vision blurred, and stars seemed to dance before his eyes.

The exposure of the Jia family was even more humiliating and suffocating for him than the box of gold belonging to Yan Bugui! It was tantamount to completely negating his "moral authority" and his "hospital management philosophy," nailing him to the pillar of shame for "misjudging people" and "protecting swindlers"!

The warm facade of "mutual help" that he painstakingly created was shattered by the musty banknotes and gold rings in Jia Zhangshi's pillow!

He opened his mouth, a hoarse, bellowing sound coming from his throat, but no word came out. The immense sense of defeat, the overwhelming accusations, and the utter shame of being completely exposed weighed down on him like three mountains.

He abruptly closed his eyes, his body swayed violently, and a short, dying whimper escaped his throat. His head lolled to the side, and he "fainted" again! This time, it seemed more like a complete escape and collapse due to the overwhelming pressure.

"Old Yi!" "Grandpa!" A gasp and a flurry of activity erupted from those nearby. The police quickly pinched his philtrum and lifted him up. The scene was chaotic.

Wei Chen watched coldly as Yi Zhonghai "fainted" again, as Jia Zhangshi threw a tantrum, as Qin Huairu cried silently while holding her child, and as the neighbors made angry accusations. He felt utterly indifferent.

This is exactly what he wanted! To prematurely detonate this cancer, exposing the Jia family's greed and shamelessness, and the very foundation of Yi Zhonghai's "moral blackmail," to the light of day! To let everyone see clearly how much of the so-called "difficulty" was merely a facade of greed!

This will utterly bankrupt the so-called "authority of the old man" in the face of irrefutable facts! After this battle, at least for the next few years, during the most difficult period, if the Jia family tries to use the excuse of "not being able to survive" to mobilize donations from the entire hospital, or if Yi Zhonghai tries to use the moral high ground to pressure people, they'll have to think twice! The resistance will be unprecedented! This is cutting off the fuel supply! This is eradicating the root of the problem!

The subsequent searches, conducted in the remaining houses in the middle and back courtyards, were uneventful and even somewhat dull.

Ordinary working-class families have savings of tens or hundreds of yuan, the source of which is clear—nothing more than the wages they save from every penny. The homes of impoverished families are even more destitute; you can search every corner and still not find a few small bills. It's heartbreaking to see, and one can't help but sigh.

The house in the backyard of Xu Damao was filled with a strong, lingering smell of Chinese medicine as soon as you entered. The furnishings inside were simple; apart from a few pieces of slightly worn furniture, there was nothing of value.

All they found in the chest of drawers was a tin box with "Shanghai Cookies" printed on it, containing 287 yuan and some loose receipts.

Xu Damao curled his lip and explained in a nonchalant manner, "Director Liu, look at me, my pockets are emptier than my face! I've been having some minor health problems lately, I'm practically a walking pharmacy, and the medical expenses are high, so it's good that I've managed to save this much. Hello, this is all the savings I have, I certainly didn't steal any money from that old man!" There was a hint of resentment and self-deprecation in his tone.