Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

A look of surprise flashed across Li Jianguo's eyes.

It's amazing that so many good things have been revealed all at once.

Looking at the reward description, a playful smile appeared on his lips.

The days to come should be very interesting.

These beasts are in for a treat.

Looking up, I saw Jia Dongxu was dawdling again.

"What are you standing there for? Don't you want to work?"

Li Jianguo gave a cold shout.

Jia Dongxu shuddered in fright and immediately became more efficient with his hands.

Ever since he was thrown to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw, he knew this guy was someone he couldn't mess with; he was a complete coward.

Li Jianguo almost burst out laughing.

It's rare to see a man so cowardly. Even rarer is someone who's both cowardly and wicked.

Yi Zhonghai didn't want to go into that room, so he lazed around in the outer courtyard, watching Sha Zhu and Jia Zhangshi busy themselves.

Li Jianguo suddenly spoke up.

"Is this old man a level eight fitter?"

Yi Zhonghai shuddered and forced a fawning smile.

"Yes, it was a lot of hard work to get in a few years ago."

Being an eighth-grade fitter was his lifelong pride. Even the factory director treated him with utmost respect, and new engineers had to call him "Master."

But now, facing Li Jianguo, he couldn't be arrogant at all.

This isn't an ordinary engineer; he's a level eight engineer, hired by the factory. His skill level isn't something he can teach.

If Li Jianguo were to go to the factory and say a few words, his life would become difficult.

"Um... I'll get ready for you right away. I'll make sure you have a place to stay tonight."

Yi Zhonghai's voice trembled as he forced himself to enter the stinking room.

There was a lot of stuff, but it was all junk, so it was easy to clean up. It wasn't long before it was almost all cleared out.

Li Jianguo went into the house to inspect.

I had only taken two steps when I saw a puddle of water in the corner of the wall, and the stench was pungent.

It's old urine stains.

He withdrew in disgust.

"Clean all the stains thoroughly. Kneel down and scrub with a brush, make sure they're gone."

Yi Zhonghai was so overwhelmed by the fumes that he almost vomited.

"Aunt Zhang, even if you don't use a chamber pot, you can't pee indoors. Even a one-year-old wouldn't do that."

Madam Jia was so embarrassed that her face turned bright red, and she stormed out of the house.

"Qin Huairu, you're still slacking off."

She rushed into the next room and pulled Qin Huairu, who was trying to comfort the child, out.

"You little brat are serving me quite well. Why don't you serve me like this, your mother-in-law? That room is ready, go and clean it."

Qin Huairu looked at the stain and felt nauseous.

But she couldn't go against her mother-in-law's wishes, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go along with it.

She sobbed softly as she worked—especially when Sha Zhu was nearby.

Sha Zhu couldn't stand it any longer, as expected.

Even though I felt disgusted myself, I still helped out.

"Thank you, Shazhu, you're such a good person—"

Another "good guy" card.

Sha Zhu, however, was like he'd been injected with chicken blood, working extra hard and not caring about getting dirty, as if he wanted to take on all the work himself.

Li Jianguo watched this scene coldly from outside.

This woman is truly capable. With just two tears, she made a married man fall head over heels for her.

After several washes, the house was finally passable.

Yi Zhonghai walked out, clutching his back, feeling as if his bones were about to fall apart. Having been an old man for so many years, he had never done this kind of work before. He was too old for it.

"Master Li, we're done cleaning up, we're leaving now."

"Take care, and don't bother seeing me off."

Li Jianguo didn't even bother with politeness.

Watching the group leave.

"Bang."

The door closed.

The empty room stirred a pang of sadness in his heart.

From this moment on, my life in Beijing truly begins.

He was the only one left in the room.

Li Jianguo took out the gene-enhancing medicine, tilted his head back, and drank it.

Instantly, it felt like my body had been thrown into a furnace; my blood boiled, and crackling sounds came from my limbs and bones.

Muscles are expanding, bones are remodeling, and every cell is undergoing frantic fission and regeneration.

The sense of power surging from the depths of his soul made him clench his fists involuntarily.

The renovation is complete.

He looked down at his hands, a cold smile curving his lips.

Now, he can kill a cow with one punch.

……

At this moment, the entire courtyard was like a stagnant pool that had been stagnant for decades, smashed to pieces by a falling rock.

The waves rippled out from Li Jianguo's door, spreading outwards and crashing into the cracks of every window and door, leaving you no choice but to catch them.

The light in the Jia family's house was smoky and yellowish.

What was originally a bright and airy space formed by combining three rooms has now been reduced to just two. Furniture and belongings are crammed in, and you have to squeeze sideways to get from the main room to the inner room. Children's diapers and adults' sweaty shirts are piled haphazardly in the corners, and the air smells sour and musty, as if something is rotting inside, making your head throb with pain.

Madam Jia sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, the fat on her face trembling.

Clutching a rag, she slammed it to the ground, her eyes bloodshot as she stared in the direction of the Li family's house. Her gaze was like a scorched hook, as if she wanted to tear a piece of flesh from someone's body.

"What the hell!" she sneered, her voice so shrill it could pierce eardrums. "You really think you're something special? Bah!"

He suddenly twisted his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Jia Dongxu, who was cowering in the corner.

"Jia Dongxu, you good-for-nothing! Just like your deadbeat father, you can't even handle a little brat. What good are you, my daughter? Even a dog knows to bark at people!"

Jia Dongxu shrank back, embarrassed, and his lips trembled as he tried to argue, "Mom, what you're saying... you didn't get the better end of the deal either..."

"Bullshit!" Madam Jia jumped up, grabbed the broom handle from the kang (heated brick bed), and hurled it at him. "You dare talk back? I've never had a single good day since I married into your Jia family, just endless humiliation! And that so-called engineer, bah! I've lived this long and never felt so stifled!"

The broom struck Jia Dongxu and bounced to the ground. He dared not dodge, enduring the blow, his face turning pale and then flushed.

Before Jia Zhangshi's cursing had stopped, she turned her attention to Qin Huairu, who was quietly tidying up the dishes by the stove.

"And you! What's the use of marrying such a jinx? She can't lift a finger, can't even feed a child! Look at the meat other people cook, and then look at what you've made? Pig swill!"

Qin Huairu's hand trembled, and the bowl clattered against the edge of the stove. She lowered her head, her eyes red-rimmed, tears welling up, but she bit her lip hard, refusing to let them fall. Her mother-in-law's scolding was like a dull knife, cutting into her heart again and again, drawing no blood, but causing excruciating pain.

Banggeng sat on a small stool, broke the cornbread in his hand into pieces, slammed it onto the table, and yelled at the top of his lungs, "I don't want to eat this! I want to eat meat! Grandma, I want to eat meat!"

The child's cries and the woman's curses mingled together, pushing the oppressive and suffocating atmosphere of the cramped room to its absolute limit.