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

late at night.

Inside the Jia family's house, there was a deathly silence.

Qin Huairu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), staring blankly at the rice jar.

The bottom of the jar was cleaner than her face; even the last few grains of cornmeal were gone.

From the inner room came Jia Zhangshi's snoring and whistling breathing, and Bang Geng's occasional groans in his sleep because he had run out of painkillers.

The sound pierced Qin Huairu's heart again and again.

Sha Zhu is ruined, reduced to a night soil collector, not only without a lunchbox but also burdened with a mountain of debt; Yi Zhonghai has collapsed, barely able to protect himself, and that kick shattered the Jia family's last hope.

The road is blocked.

"Hoo..." Qin Huairu's originally sorrowful gaze gradually focused, finally settling on the dusty little porcelain bottle on the dressing table.

It was a bottle of face cream, bought three years ago when Jia Dongxu had just left, and she had been reluctant to use it.

With trembling hands, Qin Huairu unscrewed the cap and scooped out a lump of milky white paste.

She carefully applied face cream to her cheeks, neck, and hands, which were rough from years of washing clothes, in front of the dim mirror.

The mirror reflected a face that still retained its charm. Although she had given birth to three children, the allure of a mature woman was something a young girl could never match.

She tugged at the corners of her mouth, trying to put on a smile that was three parts shy and seven parts helpless.

"Any man is a cat that steals fish."

Qin Huairu mentally encouraged herself. No matter how ruthless or arrogant Zhou Jianguo was, he was still a strong young man in his early twenties.

At such a young and vigorous age, without a woman by his side, how could he endure this long night?

As long as we can get into that room tonight, and once the deed is done, the Jia family will get a share of Zhou Jianguo's big savings, special-supply meat, and even his future in the factory!

dignity?

Qin Huairu looked down at her patched-up cotton shoes and sneered.

These days, how many white steamed buns can dignity buy?

She got up, deliberately unbuttoned the top button of her thick cotton-padded coat to reveal the floral collar underneath, and then tiptoed out the door.

……

The wind outside stung my face.

Qin Huairu crouched low, walking close to the shadows along the base of the wall.

She walked very slowly, taking each step carefully, afraid of disturbing the meddlesome second uncle or the calculating third uncle.

Passing through the moon gate, the front yard was quiet.

Only the west wing emitted a warm yellow light.

That's Zhou Jianguo's house.

Standing at the door, Qin Huairu's heart was pounding. She tried to calm her breathing and listened carefully.

The room was quiet, with the occasional rustling sound of papers turning over.

He was reading a book.

It's good that you didn't sleep.

Qin Huairu raised her hand and gently tapped the door with her knuckles.

"Tap, tap tap."

Two light and one heavy, carrying a kind of inexplicable probing and hint.

The sound of turning pages in the room stopped.

Qin Huairu held her breath, her palms covered in cold sweat.

If Zhou Jianguo were to yell "Get out!" at that moment, she would completely lose all semblance of dignity.

After a few seconds of silence.

"Enter."

A male voice came from inside the room.

Calm, languid, revealing no emotion, no surprise whatsoever.

The door wasn't locked?

Qin Huairu was overjoyed; this was her chance!

She gently pushed open the door, slipped inside in a flash, and then deftly bolted the door shut.

A soft "click" sounded.

The sound of the lock clicking shut was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

This was not only to prevent outsiders from entering, but also a means for Qin Huairu to create a "private space." With a man and a woman alone together, some things become unclear.

As soon as you enter the room, a wave of warmth washes over you.

That was the heat from the burning honeycomb briquette stove, mixed with the aroma of braised pork that had been tantalizing everyone in the hospital all night.

Qin Huairu took a greedy breath, feeling the chill in her body dissipate considerably, but what followed was an even stronger sense of jealousy and longing.

Why is it that Zhou Jianguo gets to live such a idyllic life while she has to eat cornbread and suffer from the cold?

"What's up?"

Zhou Jianguo sat in a rattan chair by the window, holding a thick book in his hands.

He didn't even look up.

The red glow of the fire illuminated his profile, outlining his sharp features.

He wore a clean white shirt with a military overcoat draped over it, exuding the unique aloofness and arrogance of a child from a military compound.

This disregard left Qin Huairu speechless, unable to finish her prepared opening remarks.

She had thought Zhou Jianguo would be surprised, angry, or even just give her a lecherous look.

But now, the other party's attitude of treating her like she doesn't exist is making her feel an invisible sense of pressure.

Stay calm, Qin Huairu, you're here to ask for a way to survive.

Qin Huairu quickly adjusted her state.

She didn't dare sit down, but instead took small steps to the desk and stood at the softest angle of the light.

"Nation-building..."

That call was a thousand turns and a trembling sound.

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened instantly, and tears streamed down her face like broken beads, yet she stubbornly refused to cry out loud.

This is her specialty, the one that best arouses a man's protective instincts.

"I didn't want to bother you so late." Qin Huairu lowered her head, her hands twisting together, her voice choked with sobs. "But I'm really desperate. My penis is in so much pain I'm rolling around in bed, and there's not a single grain of rice left in the house. Sha Zhu... that useless Sha Zhu, he can't even take care of himself now."

She secretly glanced up to observe Zhou Jianguo's reaction.

Zhou Jianguo's fingers gently turned a page of the book, the sound of the paper rubbing together sounding particularly jarring amidst the sobs.

"So?" Zhou Jianguo asked, still reading his book. "Are you here to borrow money? Or to borrow grain?"

That tone was so cold. So cold that it made Qin Huairu's heart race.

"Sister... I'm too ashamed to lend it to you."

Qin Huairu gritted her teeth and made up her mind.

If conventional methods don't work, then we have no choice but to resort to drastic measures.

She suddenly stepped forward, leaning forward so that the scent of the face cream would waft into Zhou Jianguo's nose.

"Jianguo, I know I was wrong before, and everyone in the compound was against you. I had no choice; we were just a widow and orphan trying to survive..."

As she spoke, Qin Huairu's fingers trembled as she reached for the buttons on her cotton-padded jacket.

The first one, the second one...

The heavy old cotton-padded coat slipped off his shoulders and fell to the ground with a "thud".

Under the lights, Qin Huairu was only wearing that thin floral shirt.

As a mother of three, she was voluptuous, with plenty of curves in all the right places. Her skin, slightly pale from the cold, was undeniably alluring under the warm yellow light.

She suppressed her shame, crossed her arms over her chest, and trembled slightly.

"Jianguo, as long as you can give the Jia family a way to survive, and give Banggeng something to eat... tonight, I'm yours."

Qin Huairu closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, looking as if she were ready to be taken.

"I'll come whenever you need me. I may be a bit older, but my body is... clean."

After saying that, Qin Huairu felt all her strength drain away.

This was her last trump card, and her last shred of dignity.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

In that instant, Qin Huairu's mind even flashed back to the image of Zhou Jianguo lunging at her and roughly pinning her to the table.

If she does that, she'll have won.

"Smack."

The sound of a book closing.

Qin Huairu was overjoyed, opened her eyes, and looked at him with deep affection.

However, what greeted her was not a pair of eyes burning with lust, but a pair of eyes that were frighteningly clear, even carrying a hint of mockery and scrutiny.

Zhou Jianguo put down his book, picked up the enamel mug on the table, slowly blew away the foam, and took a sip.

"Qin Huairu".

Zhou Jianguo put down his teacup and tapped his finger on the empty can of food on the table, which only had a little bit of red oil left, making a crisp "ding-ding" sound.

"Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about your own worth?"

Qin Huairu was stunned, her expression freezing on her face: "Jian... Jianguo, what do you mean?"

Zhou Jianguo leaned back in his chair:

"Look at this canned food. This is specially supplied braised beef; you can't buy it even if you have money. Do you know how many people have to fight tooth and nail for this kind of food?"

He pointed to the empty can and then looked Qin Huairu up and down.

"You think your body, which has given birth to three children, is more valuable than this can of beef?"

boom--!

These words struck Qin Huairu like a heavy hammer blow.

She had expected to be rejected, she had expected to be ridiculed, but she never imagined that she would be compared to a can of beef, and... she even lost the comparison!

"I..." Qin Huairu's face turned deathly pale, her lips trembling, "Jianguo, how could you humiliate me like this... I'm clean, I..."

"Clean?"

Zhou Jianguo chuckled, interrupting her directly, and slowly stood up.

He was tall and imposing; the moment he stood up, a sense of oppression enveloped Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu subconsciously took a half step back, thinking that Zhou Jianguo was just being stubborn and was actually going to take action.

She even instinctively puffed out her chest, preparing herself to give herself up.

However, Zhou Jianguo didn't even glance at her so-called capital.

He walked straight past Qin Huairu and headed towards the door.

Qin Huairu froze, then frantically reached out to tug at his sleeve: "Jianguo, where are you going...?"

Zhou Jianguo sidestepped, disgustedly avoiding her hand.

Immediately afterward, to Qin Huairu's horrified gaze, Zhou Jianguo grabbed the door bolt.

"Click!"

The door opened.

"call--"

The warmth in the room was blown away, and the biting cold wind lashed against Qin Huairu's thin shirt.

"what!"

Qin Huairu screamed from the cold, hugged her shoulders, and curled up into a ball.

But it's not over yet.

Zhou Jianguo strode to the window and, with a "whoosh," pushed both windows open!

Now look what's happened, a draft is coming through!

The once warm and cozy house has turned into an icebox.

Zhou Jianguo stood in the wind, letting his coat flutter loudly. He turned around, looked at Qin Huairu who was shivering from the cold, and suddenly raised his voice:

"Hey! Qin Huairu! Are you feeling restless?"

That shout, full of energy, carried far into the quiet of the night.

Qin Huairu was so frightened that her legs went weak and she almost knelt on the ground.

If the neighbors were to wake up and see her in this disheveled state in the bachelor's house, her life would be truly over!

"Don't...don't shout! Jianguo, please don't shout!" Qin Huairu pleaded, her voice trembling with tears, her teeth chattering.

Zhou Jianguo looked at her coldly, his signature mocking smile on his face, and continued to speak loudly:

"Wearing so little and coming into my room to sweat it out? Should I call out to your second and third uncles to see how resistant to the cold is to the cold from Widow Qin in our courtyard?"

shame.

Extreme shame.

Qin Huairu had never been so embarrassed in her life.

Her body, which she was so proud of, and her self-righteous charm, were torn to shreds by Zhou Jianguo and trampled on the ground.

"I'm leaving... I'm leaving..."

Qin Huairu no longer cared about using her beauty as a weapon or exchanging grain for money.

She frantically grabbed the cotton-padded coat from the ground and wrapped it haphazardly around herself, using both hands and feet.

Because I was in such a hurry, I buttoned all the buttons wrong.

Before leaving, she turned her head and took a deep look at Zhou Jianguo.

The fawning and pleading in his eyes were gone, replaced by a deep-seated resentment.

Zhou Jianguo didn't care at all, and even waved his hand in disgust: "Get lost."

Without uttering a word, Qin Huairu staggered into the cold wind and disappeared into the darkness.

"Bang!"

The door was slammed shut.