Courtyard House: In times of famine, my hamster became a spirit.

Qin Huairu stood in front of the cracked, broken mirror.

The person in the mirror had a sallow complexion and high cheekbones; it was the deathly aura that life had crushed.

She expressionlessly raised her hands, roughened from washing clothes, and pinched the softest part of her inner thigh hard.

"hiss--"

Tears welled up in my eyes.

Qin Huairu skillfully adjusted her expression in front of the mirror: the corners of her mouth drooped, and her eyes changed from empty to sorrowful.

perfect.

This appearance is her pass to walk around the courtyard house.

Normally, as long as he puts on this face, Sha Zhu would be so eager to give up his heart that Yi Zhonghai would obediently open his wallet.

"Huai Ru... I can't go on... Go get something to eat..." Jia Zhangshi's whimpering on the kang was enough to give anyone a headache.

Qin Huairu turned around, glanced at the rice jar that could starve rats, and her eyes turned cold.

Sha Zhu has been completely drained.

Their only lifeline now is that old man who holds the power of speech in the entire hospital.

Qin Huairu wrapped her faded cotton-padded coat tighter around herself and pushed open the door to go out.

Most people had already turned off their lights to save fuel, but Qin Huairu knew perfectly well that behind those dark window papers, countless eyes were watching the central courtyard, waiting to see her, this "pretty widow," make a fool of herself.

A joke? Humph.

Can fame buy a pheasant's legs?

Can I exchange it for a full meal?

Qin Huairu took small steps through the central courtyard, mentally reviewed the lyrics one last time, and stopped in front of the heavy red lacquered wooden door.

Take a deep breath and adjust your breathing rate.

She raised her hand and tapped her knuckles on the door.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Two long and one short, with extremely light force. This was the unspoken code between her and the old man.

"Uncle... I'm Huai Ru."

Her voice was extremely low, trembling and tearful, "We're really starving, my son is writhing in pain, and if we don't pay tomorrow, they'll stop his medication... Please open the door and save us, a widow and her child..."

She pressed her forehead against the door, her body trembling in response, maximizing the sense of "brokenness".

However, she was met with deathly silence.

Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat.

Normally, by this time, Yi Zhonghai would have already put on his clothes and come out, and would even take the initiative to pull her into a dark corner and slip her money, for fear of being seen by others.

But today, one minute... two minutes...

Apart from the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the dry branches, there was no sound inside the house.

Just as Qin Huairu was about to knock on the door again, the door hinges finally made a dry, harsh creaking sound.

The door opened a crack.

The dim light from the kerosene lamp illuminated the face, casting it in half-light and half-shadow.

Qin Huairu was overjoyed and instinctively tried to squeeze in: "Uncle, I knew you were the kindest person..."

"Snapped!"

A calloused hand rested on the door frame, blocking the way.

Qin Huairu was taken aback, her gaze shifted upwards, and she froze.

The person blocking the door was not Yi Zhonghai.

She was an older woman.

This woman, who usually only knew how to sew shoe soles and was virtually invisible, was now standing in the middle of the door crack with a stern face.

The gentle look in his eyes was gone; instead, it seemed to hold resentment that had been building up for over a decade.

Yi Zhonghai hid half a step behind her in the shadows, his body hunched over and his eyes drooping.

The factory-wide announcement during the day made him feel as if his soul had been ripped out overnight.

He looked at Qin Huairu with eyes full of fear and wariness.

"Huai Ru."

An older woman spoke up, her voice indifferent, "It's the middle of the night, and it's inappropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together. If you have something to say, say it at the door. Old Yi's heart isn't feeling well today; he can't handle any excitement."

Qin Huairu's eyelids twitched violently twice.

Even this usually quiet, unyielding guy dares to bite today?

But she reacted very quickly, her eyes darting around, completely ignoring the wall.

She knew better than anyone who was in charge of the household.

Qin Huairu tilted her head slightly, her tearful peach blossom eyes passing over the middle-aged woman's shoulder, precisely locking onto Yi Zhonghai in the shadows, and activating her skill.

"Grandpa..." The greeting was tinged with emotion, incredibly sweet. "I know it's tough for you too, but... that's your godson! What did you promise when Dongxu left? You said you'd take care of this family for him..."

"The hospital is pressing me for payment! I don't need much, just lend me ten yuan... no, five yuan! Five yuan is fine too! I'll definitely pay you back as soon as I get paid!"

five yuan.

In the past, it would have been a matter of two packs of cigarettes for Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai's lips moved, and a struggle flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

Decades of "moral inertia" made him subconsciously want to pay money to buy peace and quiet, because if Qin Huairu really made a scene, the reputation he had worked so hard to build in the courtyard would collapse.

His hand was about to reach into his pocket.

"Oh!"

An older woman let out a cold, sarcastic laugh.

"Five yuan? Qin Huairu, do you think money grows on trees these days?"

The older woman turned around, her eyes falling on Yi Zhonghai's restless hand, then she turned to Qin Huairu and unleashed her full power:

"Didn't you hear the announcement during the day? All our bonuses for the year are gone! And they're going to label us as 'backward elements'! We've lost several hundred dollars of our life savings today!"

"Your family's livelihood is precious, but our old age isn't? Borrow? How are you going to pay it back? With your measly twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents? You expect to support a bunch of ungrateful wretches who only take and never give?"

This barrage of questions was like a machine gun, each word piercing the heart, hitting Qin Huairu precisely where it hurt.

In the pitch-black courtyard, a few suppressed laughs could be faintly heard.

This is big news! An honest, simple woman has fallen out with Qin Huairu over money!

Qin Huairu turned pale after being rebuked.

She never expected the older woman to go to such lengths, tearing away even the last shred of decency.

There's no reasoning with this possessive old woman.

Qin Huairu steeled her heart, and tears instantly streamed down her face.

"Thump!"

Without any warning, Qin Huairu's knees buckled, and she knelt heavily on the cold threshold.

The noise was so loud, it sounded painful.

She reached her hands through the crack in the door and grabbed the exposed part of Yi Zhonghai's trouser leg, her nails digging into his flesh.

"Sir! You can't just stand by and watch someone die!"

Qin Huairu's voice rose, echoing mournfully in the dead of night, "You're the moral exemplar of the courtyard! You're a respected elder! If even you don't care, our whole family will have no choice but to jump into the river! Can you bear to see Banggeng crippled? Can you bear to see the Jia family line end?!"

Moral blackmail.

This is Qin Huairu's ultimate move.

As long as you firmly attach the high hat of "moral exemplar" and then lay out the tragic situation of "extinction of the family line" in front of all the neighbors in the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai will have no choice but to give it to them, even if he doesn't want to!

Otherwise, if his public image collapses, how will he support Sha Zhu in his old age?

Yi Zhonghai trembled with fear at the sight of him kneeling.

The pulling sensation on his trouser leg made him feel as if he were being entangled by a venomous snake.

In the past, he would have helped Qin Huairu up with a sorrowful expression, while also showing off his noble character.

But now...

The phrase "moral exemplar" doesn't sound like praise; it's practically a death knell!

The warning from Deputy Factory Director Li still echoed in his mind: "Yi Zhonghai, if things don't get clear-cut, you'll be dealt with too!"

fear.

Extreme fear of losing pension, status, or even having to clean toilets.

He looked at Qin Huairu, who was still clinging to him on the ground, and the struggle in his eyes disappeared.

This is not her goddaughter.

This is a bomb! A bomb that will blow him to smithereens!

"What...what are you doing!"

Yi Zhonghai's voice changed, becoming sharp and distorted.

Instead of helping him up, he lifted his leg and pulled it backward with all his might!

That kick was a survival instinct.

"what!"

Qin Huairu never expected Yi Zhonghai to pull this stunt. She was holding onto her trouser leg when the force pulled her, causing her to lose her balance, fall backward, and crash heavily to the ground.

"Bang!"

The fall left her stunned.

In the darkness, a few suppressed gasps could be heard.

No one expected that this kind and righteous old man would actually resort to violence against the pretty widow!

Qin Huairu slumped to the ground, her hair disheveled and her face covered in dirt.

She stared blankly at the man who had once shown her kindness and concern, as if he were a complete stranger.

"Old man...you..."

"Stop talking! Qin Huairu, you're trying to get me into trouble!"

Yi Zhonghai's face twisted in pain, his hypocritical mask completely torn away, revealing the hideous weakness beneath.

He gripped the doorframe, growling in a low voice, spittle flying everywhere:

"I can barely take care of myself now! Your family is a bottomless pit! If you need money, go find Sha Zhu! Go find Zhou Jianguo who ruined your family like this! Don't come looking for me again!"

"Let me tell you, from now on, everyone looks after their own business! I, Yi Zhonghai, can't manage it, and I don't have the money to!"

That's absolutely amazing.

This was not just refusing five yuan; it was publicly severing the chain of interests between the Jia and Yi families.

"Old Yi, stop talking nonsense!"

The older woman was quick-witted and nimble, giving Qin Huairu no chance to react, and pulled Yi Zhonghai back into the house.

"Bang!"

Under Qin Huairu's desperate gaze, the red lacquered wooden door was slammed shut.

Immediately afterwards, with a "click," the bolt locked.

The voice was cold, firm, and resolute, effectively sentencing Qin Huairu to death.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Qin Huairu slumped to the ground, a chill creeping up her tailbone.

From inside came a middle-aged woman's low curses: "Don't open the door for that vixen again...it's bad luck..."

Faint snickers could be heard coming from behind the window next door.

"See? Yi Zhonghai isn't stupid."

"This is what they call 'when the wall falls, everyone pushes it down,' they deserve it."

Shame, anger, and despair gnawed at Qin Huairu's heart.

She lowered her head, her initially blank gaze gradually focusing, and finally turning into madness.

This road is blocked.

Then we'll have no choice but to take that last, dangerous path.

Qin Huairu slowly got up and patted the dirt off her pants.

The sorrowful mask on his face disappeared.

She turned away, not returning to her musty-smelling house.

She stood still in the darkness, her gaze shifting slowly as she passed through the central courtyard and the moon gate.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the window in the front yard that emitted a warm yellow light.

That's where Zhou Jianguo lives—the man who sent Sha Zhu to clean latrines, who terrified Yi Zhonghai, and who is now sitting in his house eating braised pork.

"An old man... Sha Zhu..."

"Since you are all so heartless, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

She raised her hand, tidied her messy hair, and ran her fingertips across the collar, unbuttoning the top button of her cotton-padded jacket.

A pale yet dazzling neck was revealed.

She took a deep breath, started walking, and headed towards the direction that both terrified and alluring her.

Hunters often appear as prey.

Tonight, it's either you or me who dies.