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

Whenever Sha Zhu thought of Hao Jianguo's smug look, his heart felt like it was in a tangled mess.

Unlike Yi Zhonghai's apprehension, the old lady seemed full of confidence: "Don't worry, I have my own methods."

"I swear, old lady, I will get Hao Jianguo out of this house in this lifetime! Otherwise I will—"

She actually swore a solemn oath on the spot.

Yi Zhonghai understood that this was just the old lady expressing her determination and showing off her abilities, but the moment he heard those words, his heart still tightened for no reason, and even a certain uneasy thought flashed through his mind... He immediately shook his head and shook the thought away.

Many people thought that these three would not stay put after they returned.

Based on their understanding of the old lady, how could she possibly suffer such a great loss? But the truth was unexpected.

For several days in a row, Yi Zhonghai and his entourage seemed to have changed their ways, behaving themselves every day and never causing trouble.

Sometimes when they run into Hao Jianguo, they even turn around and leave, no longer speaking ill of him as they used to.

This made Xu Damao and the others, who were waiting to watch the show, feel rather bored.

However, life in the courtyard ultimately didn't revolve around them.

As the days passed, the past seemed to fade away, and life returned to normal.

Until that day, Jia Dongxu was discharged from the hospital and returned home.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, his gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard with a sinister look.

His eyes, however, had become even more somber than before.

The neighbors who had been chatting suddenly fell silent and looked at him, wondering to themselves: What is Jia Dongxu going to do now?

When Jia Dongxu returned from the hospital last time, he went straight to Hao Jianguo to cause trouble, but he didn't get the better of him at all. Hao Jianguo didn't even have to lift a finger; Xu Damao and his gang rushed to stand up for him and made Jia Dongxu look utterly pathetic.

Now that Jia Dongxu has reappeared, everyone in the courtyard is secretly wondering: what kind of embarrassing end will he suffer this time?

"Hey, isn't this our Dongxu brother? How's your health? That place... is it still working?"

Xu Damao caught a glimpse of Jia Dongxu's hostile gaze and was not about to let go of this opportunity to kick someone when they were down.

He has always been sharp-tongued, always hitting the nail on the head when he speaks.

Losing the right to be a man was Jia Dongxu's deepest scar, but now Xu Damao has publicly exposed it.

What enraged him even more was that Yan Jiecheng and the others burst into laughter upon hearing this. Their laughter was like a series of awls, piercing his heart and making his whole body tremble.

"You bastards!"

Jia Dongxu finally couldn't hold back and shouted out in a shrill voice.

After scolding him, she had her son, Banggeng, push her back into the house, and the door slammed shut.

The door slammed shut with a loud thud.

The people in the courtyard were stunned for a moment, looking at each other in bewilderment.

After a few seconds of silence, Xu Damao suddenly burst into exaggerated laughter:

"Hahaha... Listen to this! Coming from Jia Dongxu's mouth, he sounds as effeminate as a palace eunuch!"

He laughed so hard he almost fell over, but he didn't notice the subtle look that Hao Jianguo was giving him.

Hao Jianguo knew in his heart that Xu Damao himself might not be much better off—although he could still perform his functions, he couldn't have children, and in the end, he would just be childless.

He didn't say these words aloud, but simply looked away.

After Xu Damao's prompting, everyone could no longer hold back, and the courtyard burst into laughter.

Yan Jiecheng suppressed a laugh and patted Xu Damao on the shoulder:

"Da Mao, that's not right of you."

What does "like a eunuch" mean? Brother Dongxu has truly lost his genitals; he's a real eunuch now!

Liu Guangfu chimed in, "Speaking of which, he really has a tough time."

He survived a near-death experience, but he's lost his manhood. What's the point of living? I'd rather—pfft, pfft, what nonsense am I spouting!

The group chatted loudly, one after another, without any attempt to hide their conversation.

Every word was clearly uttered into Jia Dongxu's ears, making him so angry that he almost gritted his teeth.

"Damn it...you all damn it...you just wait..."

He muttered curses in a low voice, his eyes burning with a dark fire.

Of course, he dared not actually utter these harsh words—if someone heard them, it would only alert the enemy.

Especially when his gaze swept over Hao Jianguo, his eyes seemed to be filled with venom.

In his twisted mind, all the suffering he was experiencing now was blamed on Hao Jianguo: if Hao Jianguo had obediently been bitten by the snake that day, how could he, Jia Dongxu, be the one who is now a cripple?

"It's all your fault... Hao Jianguo, it's all your fault... I'll make you pay..."

Unlike her son, who was gloomy, Madam Jia was beaming with joy.

Clutching the five hundred yuan she had just received, she was overjoyed and already planning her future days of eating meat every day.

Thinking about it this way, it seems there's no need to be envious of how Hao Jianguo is doing anymore.

As the days went by, Jia Zhangshi became increasingly carefree and relaxed.

She bought the cheapest wine, sipped it a few times a day, and paired it with some snacks, feeling that she was living a fulfilling life.

She had long forgotten where the money came from—it was earned by her son Jia Dongxu with his life.

Qin Huairu, however, lived a life of misery and hardship.

Jia Zhangshi had wine and dishes, and Jia Dongxu often had meat in his bowl, but she got nothing. It was a rare treat for her to be able to eat a few bites of coarse cornbread every day.

Jia Zhangshi wouldn't even leave her a drop of leftover soup, and at night she forced her to suck the pus and blood from Jia Dongxu's wounds.

This torment pushed Qin Huairu to the brink of despair.

She wanted to resist, but she was no match for the old woman. She could only grit her teeth and endure it, praying to God again and again: "Let Jia Dongxu die soon."

Her resentment spread, and she even cursed Jia Zhangshi as well.

In her view, her good days would begin as soon as the old hag died.

For a fleeting moment, she even had murderous thoughts and wanted to kill the old woman with her own hands.

But she ultimately suppressed the thought—although she wanted to break free from this cage, she was unwilling to sacrifice herself for it, as that was not worth it.

However, another path began to stir in her mind.

"I was so stupid."

She thought to herself, "Why confront her head-on? Why not just steal her money? That old hag is quite adept at accumulating wealth. Last time she threw feces and caused a scene, she managed to skim off a bit of money from the deaf old woman. This time she's made another five hundred dollars."

She must have at least seven or eight hundred in her hands now…”

Thinking of this, Qin Huairu's eyes almost lit up.

Looking at Jia Zhangshi again, her bloated body seemed to have transformed into a heavy gold ingot.

Once you have the money in your own hands, why worry about not having a comfortable life? Having money in your own palm is the real support.

"How could I have been so foolish as to give her all the money I earned?"

She was secretly annoyed, but then she realized that it wasn't too late.

The most important thing right now is to save up enough money. As long as she has money, she can still survive even if she leaves the Jia family, and she can live quite well.

Having made up her mind, Qin Huairu quietly began to plan.

After days of observation, she finally figured out where Jia Zhangshi hid her money.

Her heart pounded wildly, but Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu stayed in the house day and night, unable to find an opportunity to make a move.

But Qin Huairu was not impatient; she had plenty of ways to deal with it.

That day, seeing the mother and son sitting and drinking together again, Qin Huairu suppressed the craving in her throat, put on a gentle smile, and stepped forward: "Mom, let me pour you some wine."

She knew the time had come.

Jia Zhangshi immediately glanced at her with alarm—when they ate and drank together, Qin Huairu would only stand at a distance and had never been so attentive.

Something seemed amiss, and the old woman suspected that she was up to some trick again.

Seeing her so wary, Qin Huairu cursed inwardly, but on the surface she became even more respectful: "Mom, don't take it to heart."

These past few days I've figured things out. I was immature before, and I'm willing to atone for my sins... I only ask that you and Dongxu give me another chance in the future.

She spoke earnestly, her posture so humble that she was almost moved by her own performance.

Madam Jia was still skeptical, but Jia Dongxu snorted and his expression softened slightly—he had been fooled by these words.

"It's good that you have this awareness. It's worth the effort we've put into 'teaching' you these past few days. It has finally cleared your mind a bit."

Come, fill this glass for me... damn it.

Jia Dongxu grinned, his smile tinged with a chilling pleasure.

He naturally had no way of knowing that it was in that "thick" [area/subtlety]...

The moment the words entered her ears, Qin Huairu's stomach churned violently, and she felt so nauseous that she almost vomited on the spot.

But she gritted her teeth and swallowed it back, managing only to force out a smile that could barely be called a smile.

Watching from the side, Jia Zhangshi's face immediately showed an "I see" expression.

Her expression—in her eyes, Qin Huairu's submissive demeanor was nothing more than the result of days of torment and submission.

After all, there was wine and food on the table, but Qin Huairu could only eat hard cornbread, and sometimes she couldn't even get a piece of cornbread.

If you suffer mentally and physically, isn't it only natural to admit defeat and give in?

"Hmph, whether I forgive you or not depends on your future behavior."

If you serve them well, they might even give you a bite of leftovers; but if they dare to be lazy or try to cheat...

Madam Jia squinted, her words dripping with icy malice, "Watch out, or I'll skin you alive!"

She didn't treat Qin Huairu like a human being at all, and her cursing voice made Qin Huairu feel suffocated.

Qin Huairu, however, had already put on a convincing act. With her eyes lowered, she poured wine for the two of them, showering the mother and son with compliments as if they were made of honey, praising their "competence."

"Good fortune"

"Who in the courtyard can compare?"

...A whole basketful of sweet words were poured out, making the two lazybones feel so proud that they seemed to have truly become outstanding individuals.

When people are in high spirits, they tend to drink heavily.

Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu were both shallow-minded, yet they insisted on showing off their generosity, imitating others by exchanging cups and drinks.

After only a few rounds, the two of them collapsed onto the table like rag dolls, snoring loudly.

Qin Huairu hurriedly coaxed the children outside to play, and after confirming that the mother and children were too drunk to wake up in the short term, she slipped away and went to the corner where Jia Zhangshi usually hid her money.

A short while later, she brought out a wooden box.

"There are...so many?"

The moment she lifted the lid, Qin Huairu's breath hitched.

Although she suspected that the old woman must have hoarded a lot of money, the shock of seeing the stacks of bills piled up in front of her was still very real.

This was a number she had never seen in her entire life.

"You heartless old hag! You're holding onto so little money, yet you won't even part with a penny for your own son's medical treatment, instead forcing him to do those despicable things every day... Bah! Today I'll take it all away, let's see how you cry afterwards!"

Thinking of the torment she had suffered during this period, Qin Huairu felt a surge of anger.

If she weren't afraid of making too much noise and waking people up, she would have almost slapped Jia Zhangshi a few times on the spot.

Now that she had the money, she felt a surge of heat coursing through her body, her fingertips trembling with excitement—she couldn't wait to see what kind of wonderful expression Jia Zhangshi would have on her old face when she discovered that her savings had vanished.

She carefully restored the corner where she had hidden the money to its original state, erasing all traces, and was about to quietly leave with the wooden box, then find a safe place to hide it carefully...

"what!"

As soon as she turned around, Qin Huairu gasped and almost dropped the box—a shadow had silently appeared behind her without her noticing.

When she finally saw what it was, she felt as if she had encountered a ghost, and staggered back several steps.

It turned out to be a frog.

But where in the world can you find a frog like this? Normally, it's at most the size of a palm, but this one in front of me is as big as a half-grown calf, its whole body glowing with a pale, bluish light, and it has a gray cloth bundle slung across its back. It just sits on the ground like this, its bulging eyes staring straight at her.

Caught in that gaze, Qin Huairu felt that her act of stealing money was exposed, and cold sweat suddenly broke out on her back.

"You... what kind of monster are you?"

Her voice trembled as she grabbed a ceramic bowl from the edge of the table, as if to smash it—this was no longer a frog, but a monster that had crawled out of the shadows.

However, the terrified cry did not scare the frog away; instead, it grinned and revealed an almost human-like smile.

The smile on the frog's face was so eerie that it sent a chill down Qin Huairu's spine—it didn't look like a beast at all; it was clearly the face of a living person.

It is no bigger than a child, but its movements are incredibly fast.

Before Qin Huairu could make a move, it leaped up and reached its paws into the money box, scooping everything out of it.

The money had barely been received, not even warmed, before it vanished without a trace.

"You damned robber! Give me my money back!"

Qin Huairu then came to her senses and screamed.

That was her lifeline; if this monster were to take it away, she simply wouldn't want to live anymore.