Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

But she didn't expect that not two months after Banggeng left, Jia Cai came—his mouth was as sweet as honey. He called Qin Huairu "Mom" and Jia Zhangshi "Grandma" repeatedly. After all, he was a boy, and he made the two of them beam with joy. The candy in his pocket and the eggs in his bowl were all given to him, while she became the superfluous one. She even had to watch her mood when drinking a bowl of thin porridge.

Just now, Jia Cai was chasing the cat in the yard when he kicked over a soy sauce bottle, spilling dark brown soy sauce all over the ground. Qin Huairu saw it, but didn't say a harsh word. She just smiled and ruffled his hair, scolding him playfully, "You naughty monkey!" But yesterday, when she was washing dishes, she slipped and spilled half a basin of dishwater. Jia Zhangshi pointed at her and scolded her for a long time, calling her a "jinx," saying that her "hands were as clumsy as feet," and that she "eats the family food and drinks the family drink, but only causes trouble." This life is really suffocating, like being stuffed into a narrow jar, unable to breathe.

Xiao Dang clenched the vegetable stalk in her hand, her nails digging deep into her palm, leaving several crescent-shaped marks—she couldn't just accept her fate. Having witnessed the coldness of human nature in the courtyard over the years, she understood that the weak fear the strong, the strong fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the desperate. She, however, lacked even the means to be assertive, and could only rely on her shady skills to secretly save a little money. Taking advantage of the fact that the two in the outer room were chatting and laughing with Jia Cai, and no one was paying attention to the kitchen, she quietly wiped her hands, and like a cat sneaking along the wall, she slipped out of the courtyard gate with her head down, heading towards Old Man Wang's house in the middle courtyard.

Grandpa Wang was her "master." Though called a master, he was actually the oldest bachelor in the courtyard. In his youth, he had worked as an extra in a theatrical troupe, but later settled down, making a living by repairing shoes and umbrellas. Secretly, however, he possessed a "special skill"—picking bags and unlocking small locks, something he reportedly did frequently in his younger days. Xiao Dang accidentally witnessed him picking her lock (Bang Geng had locked the key inside), and after much pleading, she begged him to teach her a few tricks. Her only motivation was to earn a living in the courtyard, save some money, and eventually leave this place.

"Master." Xiao Dang pushed open the door and saw Grandpa Wang sitting on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, wearing reading glasses, sorting through a pile of thin wires in the sunlight. The wires were twisted into various strange shapes, which were "tools" for opening different locks. She quickly stepped forward and skillfully helped to sort and stack the straightened wires.

Grandpa Wang glanced at her, his eyes behind his glasses were cloudy but shrewd. Seeing her red eyes, he sighed, "Did you suffer in the yard again?"

Xiao Dang didn't say anything, but silently helped bend a thin wire into a hook, her fingertips nimbly as if they had a life of their own. Having learned this "craft" from her master for the past two years, her skills had become incredibly refined. She could find a wallet or open an old-fashioned brass lock so quickly that it was impossible for anyone to react. Grandpa Wang often said, "Your hands are even more skillful than mine were when I was young." Occasionally, someone in the courtyard would lose something, and no one would suspect that it was this quiet young girl who had done it. With this skill, she secretly saved a few yuan, hiding it in a cloth bag under her bed—her only hope.

“Master, I know that you can’t get by in this courtyard without some skills,” Xiao Dang said softly, twirling a thin wire between his fingers, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight. “I used to think that as long as I was sensible and capable, my parents would eventually notice. But now I realize that being sensible is not enough. You have to have something in your hands so that others won’t dare to bully you and you can have a better life.”

Grandpa Wang nodded and handed her a pair of repaired tweezers—a tool for picking locks: "It's good that you understand. In this world, those with strong fists have confidence, and those with working hands won't starve. You're quick and steady now, that's your advantage. But remember, don't do things near your burrow, don't do anything in the yard, lest you get burned."

Xiao Dang took the tweezers, her fingertips tracing the cool metal, and a sense of clarity gradually filled her heart. Yes, now, with this skill, she could at least save some money, unlike before when she had to beg for a piece of candy. She had "touched" Aunt Zhang's sewing basket and Uncle Li's loose change, doing it cleanly and efficiently, without anyone noticing. This money she had saved was her source of confidence.

Xiao Dang gripped the heavy cloth bag in her pocket tightly. The rough edges of the cloth hurt her palms, her fingertips turned white from the pressure, and her knuckles were marked with red welts—she knew it was time to prepare for the next step of her plan. The first step was to find a suitable opportunity to secretly take Jia Cai out without anyone noticing; more importantly, she needed to pave her way out, creating a perfect alibi so that even if Jia Cai disappeared into thin air, those watching in the courtyard, and even the police, would never suspect her.

These days, Xiao Dang was like a wary little animal, ears perked up, eyes wide open, secretly observing every movement in the yard. She knew in her heart that He Feng was the director of the Public Security Bureau, and his eyes were incredibly sharp, seemingly able to see through people's hearts; she couldn't afford to reveal the slightest flaw. But recently, things were different. He Feng seemed to have something extremely heavy on his mind, leaving early and returning late every day, his brow never relaxed, and he walked with a heavy heart, completely ignoring the trivial matters of the neighborhood—this was precisely the opportunity she had been waiting for, a fleeting gap in time.

Even more coincidentally, Liu Guangqi from the backyard is getting married next weekend. The yard will definitely be in chaos, with guests coming and going, firecrackers going off, adults busy greeting guests, and children chasing and playing. No one will care about the whereabouts of a little baby who can't speak yet and can only whimper. The timing and location are perfect; all that's left is to get started.

That afternoon, the sunlight slanted onto the screen wall of the courtyard. Xiao Dang seized the moment when Qin Huairu was busy steaming cornbread in the kitchen. She walked over quietly, her voice as sweet as honey, full of obedience: "Mom, I went out to find Teacher Wang. She specifically told me yesterday that there's a book-copying job today, which will earn me some pocket money, enough to buy Jia Cai a piece of candy."

Qin Huairu was kneading dough with her head down, fine beads of sweat on her forehead. Hearing this, she didn't even look up, her hands still moving: "Go on, be careful on the road, come back early, I'll save you two steamed buns for dinner, they'll be warm."

Xiao Dang simply nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave. She knew perfectly well that most of the money she earned ended up filling the family's holes, either being used by Jia Zhangshi to buy wine or to buy snacks for Bang Geng; she herself always got the least. But none of that mattered anymore—once Jia Cai "disappeared," she would be the only child in the family who could help with chores and earn money. Qin Huairu would surely look at her with more respect and would no longer treat her like she was invisible.