Courtyard House: The Frog Boy Brings Back a Genetic Potion at the Start

He felt a chill run down his spine and immediately became alert.

She especially noticed the dark hatred hidden in the glances that Sha Zhu kept giving her.

This kid is clearly after him.

Sha Zhu held the laxative tightly in his palm. When it was Hao Jianguo's turn, he flipped his wrist and silently sprinkled the powder into the dish.

At this moment, steam rose from the window, creating a misty white fog. Coupled with his extremely fast and stealthy movements, it was impossible for an ordinary person to detect him.

But Hao Jianguo was no ordinary man—had all his training these past few days been in vain?

Before Sha Zhu could even raise his hand, he had already detected a strange smell.

"Hey, your hands aren't shaking today?"

Hao Jianguo's eyes darted around, and he chuckled jokingly.

In the past, when Sha Zhu served food, he would habitually shake the spoon a few times, which would result in half a spoonful of food being missing.

Today they were really honest, the plate was so full it was almost overflowing.

Hao Jianguo knew perfectly well: this wasn't good intentions at all; it was clearly a malicious intent.

Sha Zhu snorted coldly without answering, and Hao Jianguo then spoke again:

"Oh—I see. You knew I was having dinner with Deputy Factory Director Liu today, so you specially served him extra food, didn't you? You know how to get things done."

"Alright, give me one like this too."

Deputy Factory Director Liu? Want to have lunch together?

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu froze on the spot.

Just then, Deputy Factory Director Liu walked over from behind and naturally took the plate that Hao Jianguo handed him.

Although he didn't speak, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes as he looked at the overflowing dishes.

Sha Zhu shuddered and almost reached out to snatch the plate back.

If the deputy factory director eats this dish...

He dared not think any further, and cold sweat instantly seeped down his back.

Before he could even make a move, Deputy Factory Director Liu had already turned and walked away with the plate in his hand.

Seeing Sha Zhu's dejected appearance, Hao Jianguo sneered inwardly, but on the surface he said sarcastically:

"What are you daydreaming about, you silly Zhu? Whose wife have you set your sights on?"

These words made Sha Zhu's face turn ashen, but Hao Jianguo ignored him, served his own food, and left.

Deputy Factory Director Liu was indeed hungry, and the aroma of the dishes was so tempting that he couldn't resist taking several large bites on the way to his seat before he even reached his seat.

Who knew that Sha Zhu would administer such a strong and potent drug this time? Within just a dozen seconds, the drug took effect.

"ah--!"

A piercing scream suddenly rang out.

Deputy Factory Director Liu's hand went limp, and the plate clattered to the ground.

It crashed to the ground with a thud.

While the workers were lining up for their meals in the canteen, Deputy Factory Director Liu suddenly clutched his stomach and bent over.

His face contorted in pain, beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, and a muffled groan of pain escaped his throat.

The other workers serving food were stunned; some almost dropped their lunchboxes.

Hao Jianguo was the first to rush forward and support the swaying deputy factory director, his voice suddenly rising: "Director! Your complexion—did you eat something bad?"

He looked up abruptly, his gaze piercingly fixed on the kitchen window: "There's something wrong with the food!"

These four words rolled through the cafeteria like thunder.

The workers who were engrossed in their meals stopped eating and looked at the food on their plates with surprise and uncertainty. Some even hurriedly pushed their lunchboxes aside.

Hao Jianguo strode to the food serving window and stared intently at He Yuzhu, whose face had turned pale: "He Yuzhu! You were in charge of cooking today, weren't you? Director Liu only ate a few bites and he's already like this—what did you put in the food?!"

The iron spoon in He Yuzhu's hand clattered.

It fell into the vegetable bowl with a thud.

He opened his mouth, his eyes darting back in a panic, until his back pressed against the cold stove.

This subconscious action made the workers who had gathered around even more certain of what was going on.

Several young workers quickly blocked the kitchen door, their gazes binding him like ropes.

Deputy Factory Director Liu could no longer hold on. The churning pain in his stomach forced him to hunch over and move out. Before leaving, he gritted his teeth and glared back at He Yuzhu—his eyes were filled with a fury that seemed about to burst out.

The security personnel arrived at the canteen quickly. The leader, a stern-faced man, surveyed the kitchen: "What happened? Who tampered with the food?"

Standing in the corner, Liu Lan quickly waved her hands: "It has nothing to do with me! It was all He Yuzhu who cooked! I was supposed to be getting the food, but he insisted on doing it—now that I think about it, he was acting strangely!"

He Yuzhu's legs began to weaken, and his voice trembled: "Nonsense! How could I harm the factory manager! I'm just a cook..."

The security personnel ignored his explanation and two burly staff members stepped forward and grabbed his arms.

He Yuzhu struggled to break free, but was held even tighter, with half of his face pressed against the greasy ground.

"What's the use of making excuses now? Take him away for questioning!"

He Yuzhu heard the word "investigation".

The two words went blankly into my head, and all the color drained from my face.

He knew all too well that once investigated, the matter of that packet of laxatives would be impossible to hide.

Just as he was being dragged up, Yi Zhonghai hurriedly squeezed into the crowd.

He just heard "poisoning" outside.

The discussions startled him, and when he saw Hao Jianguo was also present, he immediately concluded that someone had set a trap.

"Comrades, calm down!"

Yi Zhonghai stood in front of He Yuzhu, saying, "He Yuzhu has worked in the cafeteria for so many years, how could he ruin his career? This must be a frame-up!"

He Yuzhu, as if grasping at a straw, cried out in a tearful voice, "The old man is right! I'm innocent! I wouldn't dare harm the factory manager even if I had ten lives!"

But the security personnel did not let up.

With so many eyes watching, they had to give the entire factory an explanation.

He Yuzhu was eventually led out of the cafeteria, his legs trembling as he dragged them on the ground.

Hao Jianguo watched this scene silently, his mind perfectly clear.

He knew it was just a laxative, nothing serious, and at most it would make that Deputy Factory Director Liu stay in the toilet for a few more hours.

Once the factory's security department investigated, Hao Jianguo knew that the truth about He Yuzhu putting drugs in his food would come out sooner or later.

As for whether He Yuzhu would be fired because of this, Hao Jianguo thought it was unlikely.

Although Deputy Factory Director Liu will definitely hold a grudge against He Yuzhu this time, with Uncle Yi Zhonghai pulling hard behind the scenes, he will most likely be severely punished but let off lightly.

Things unfolded exactly as he had predicted.

After the investigation, Deputy Factory Director Liu insisted on dismissing He Yuzhu.

Yi Zhonghai then asked Deputy Factory Director Yang to intercede on his behalf, which gradually calmed things down.

However, although He Yuzhu kept his job, the punishment was by no means light: he was criticized in a factory-wide broadcast, made a public apology, and was fined a large sum of money.

His salary was withheld, and he was suspended for a week—on the first day back at work, everyone else was beaming with joy, but he seemed to have been cursed, plagued by bad luck.

Nowadays, when He Yuzhu walks in the factory area, he can always feel the pointing and whispering behind him. Many people even spit at him from afar and avoid him like he's a plague god.

This series of setbacks completely devastated him, leaving him dejected and listless all day long.

Although he wasn't kicked out of the factory, his reputation had been ruined throughout the entire factory, which was practically the same as being fired.

Looking at He Yuzhu's dejected appearance, Yi Zhonghai could only sigh repeatedly.

"What kind of mess did you make? Do you think you can just use those kinds of methods? If the security department investigates, they'll find out about you!"

Yi Zhonghai was both heartbroken and furious. He felt that He Yuzhu was simply recklessly messing with his future. What was even more frustrating was that Hao Jianguo hadn't been hurt at all. It was a complete loss.

"Um, sir, what should I do now? I really..."

He Yuzhu was filled with remorse, feeling that the road ahead was utterly dark.

Seeing him like this, Yi Zhonghai suddenly had a thought.

"Zhu Zi, look at Hao Jianguo. Ever since he married Yu Li, he's been getting promoted and having great luck. What do you call that? It's called a happy event bringing good fortune, and a woman bringing prosperity to her husband! If you ask me, you should hurry up and find a wife to get married and have a happy event to change your luck."

That's how people are often; they never believe in these things when things are going smoothly, but once they fall into a trough, they're willing to try anything.

That's exactly what Yi Zhonghai is like right now.

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's image immediately came to mind.

But after all those previous entanglements, he also harbored some resentment towards Qin Huairu.

"Huh? Could it be... we need to find Sister Qin again?"

He muttered to himself.

Yi Zhonghai got angry as soon as he heard this and glared at him: "You, is there no one else in your mind but Qin Huairu? Besides, can she bring you good fortune? If she were really destined to bring good fortune to her husband, the Jia family would have been prosperous long ago! I think she not only doesn't bring good fortune, but she also brings some misfortune."

You need to find another girl, get married properly to bring good luck, and only then can our lives prosper again.

Getting married? He Yuzhu was more than willing; it was something he had always dreamed of.

He even secretly hoped to find someone even prettier than Yu Li, so he could give Hao Jianguo a good scolding.

But then he thought about it again and deflated like a punctured balloon—given his recent reputation, what girl would want to be with him?

He Yuzhu felt a tightness in his chest.

Actually, he had considered finding a partner before, but what happened? After his affair with Qin Huairu became public, several matchmakers in the neighborhood avoided him.

If someone were to introduce him to a potential partner now, the other person would probably turn away as soon as they hear the name, and might even curse at him.

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu's mood sank even further.

"Uncle, look at me... do you really think I can still find a wife?"

He hung his head, his voice full of frustration.

Yi Zhonghai was slightly taken aback at first, but he did acknowledge that Sha Zhu's current situation was indeed not good. However, he still maintained a calm and confident demeanor.

"Leave it to me with confidence; I have the ability to handle it."

If that really doesn't work out, you can still marry someone of average appearance, as long as they can bring you good luck.

He spoke very earnestly.

But upon hearing "ordinary appearance"...

With just a few words, Sha Zhu immediately objected.

"Stop, stop, stop, Uncle Yi. If she looks like Pigsy's second aunt, I will never agree to it."

"They have to look pleasing to the eye."

Sha Zhu immediately adopted an attitude of complete lack of self-awareness, and once he started talking, he couldn't stop—he was secretly competing with Hao Jianguo.

Hao Jianguo was able to find such a beautiful wife. If I were to find an ugly one, wouldn't he laugh at me to death?

Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but roll his eyes at him, and scolded him irritably: "Now you're being picky? Don't you even know your own situation? You're lucky if someone's willing to be with you. Do you really want to be a bachelor for the rest of your life?"

These words were like a needle, instantly piercing through Sha Zhu's temper.

"Sigh... let it be ordinary, at least someone will warm the bed for me at night."

After that, Yi Zhonghai started making arrangements.

Sha Zhu is the kind of person who can't keep a secret. Once he gets cocky, he can't keep anything to himself. Besides, Yi Zhonghai only said that he was looking for someone with good looks because he had no other choice. He didn't insist that it had to be someone with good looks.

Therefore, Sha Zhu still harbored some hope, feeling that perhaps there was a chance for things to turn around.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, Sha Zhu started shouting happily.

"Hey everyone, listen up! I, Silly Zhu, am going to find a wife! When the wedding comes, I'll invite you all to a celebratory drink!"

He spoke with a cheerful smile, as if the marriage was already a done deal.

The elderly men and women who were sitting idly chatting in the courtyard had nothing to do, but were all drawn up by Sha Zhu's loud voice and became interested.

"Hey, Sha Zhu, are you serious?"

Someone immediately leaned closer to ask.

"You actually managed to find a spouse? Didn't I hear that no matchmakers are willing to take your job lately?"

"Silly Zhu, could we have been fooled? We need to get to the bottom of this."

In an instant, the people in the courtyard gathered around Sha Zhu as if they had seen a spectacle, chattering amongst themselves with doubt in their eyes. No one believed that he could get married in his current situation.

These reactions infuriated Sha Zhu.

He glared fiercely at everyone—Sha Zhu always valued his reputation the most, and he was unwilling to lose face in front of others at this moment.

"Nonsense! Let me tell you, the girl I'm meeting on a blind date is definitely prettier than Yu Li!"

In his haste, he blurted out this boast without thinking.

This made everyone even more excited, and they surrounded him, asking him all sorts of questions, creating a noisy commotion.

……

"Silly Zhu is going on a blind date? This... how is this possible..."

Qin Huairu had just returned home when she heard Sha Zhu shouting in the yard, and she felt inexplicably panicked.

He Yushui was currently at the Jia family's house with Qin Huairu. Seeing her anxious expression, how could He Yushui not understand what her older sister was thinking?

She immediately comforted him softly, "Sister Qin, don't listen to my brother's nonsense."

Don't you know his temper? He loves to boast.

"Looking at him now, who would want him? Nobody believes that."