Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

Chapter 787 Young People's Ambition 12

Qin Huairu stood in the middle of the yard, her brows furrowed tightly, her face filled with worry. Her voice was filled with anxiety and uneasiness as she spoke eagerly, "What should we do? We can't just sit there and wait. Think about it, if they really are up to something behind the scenes, the conflicts that are already simmering in this yard might erupt again like a volcano. By then, there would be no peace in this yard, no one would be able to live a good life, and the relationship between neighbors would become even worse. Maybe there would even be some kind of unmanageable chaos."

After hearing what Qin Huairu said, Liu Pingan did not respond immediately. Instead, he lowered his head slightly and fell into deep thought. His eyes were focused and deep, and his brain was working rapidly, thinking about how to deal with it. After a while, he slowly raised his head, his eyes revealing determination and calmness, and said: "Don't worry, let's think about it carefully. At present, we don't know much about their background, so we can't act blindly. I plan to find a suitable opportunity to follow them and see who they usually contact and where they go. Maybe in this process, we can find some hidden clues and find evidence of their behind-the-scenes tricks. Then we can target the problem and solve it."

The next day, before daybreak, with only the faintest glimmer of dawn in the east, Liu Ping'an rose early. He dressed quietly, afraid to make any noise and wake his family. After a quick wash, he quietly left the house and entered the courtyard, his eyes fixed on the door of the new family. A moment later, the man of the house opened the door and stepped out. Seeing this, Liu Ping'an perked up and, like a nimble cheetah, followed silently.

After the man left the yard, he hurriedly turned left and right, weaving through the narrow streets. His figure looked a little mysterious in the dim morning light. Liu Ping'an followed carefully, not daring to take his eyes off the man for a moment, while keeping a certain distance to avoid being discovered. Sometimes he hid in the corner, sometimes he used the trees on the roadside as a cover, and he took every step very carefully. As the man walked into a remote alley, the alley was filled with a damp smell, the walls were covered with moss, and the ground was bumpy. Liu Ping'an's heart also lifted up, he knew that the more remote the place, the more likely it was to hide unknown secrets. He stared at the man's back more intently, for fear that he would lose him accidentally.

At the end of the alley, in a corner forgotten by time, overgrown with weeds and carelessly discarded garbage, a putrid stench emanated. A dilapidated house stood alone, its walls brittle and brittle, large swathes of paint peeling off, revealing the gray bricks beneath. The roof tiles were incomplete, some even showing large holes, as if telling of the vicissitudes of time and the erosion of wind and rain. The glass in the windows was shattered, leaving only a few fragments that swayed in the wind, making a clanging sound.

The man hurried toward the dilapidated house. He reached the door and gently pushed open the rickety wooden door, which creaked harshly, as if the house were groaning in pain. Then, he disappeared through the door. A moment later, a fierce argument erupted from the house. The sound was sharp and piercing, echoing in the quiet alley, and Liu Ping'an's heart suddenly tightened.

Liu Ping'an felt a pang of unease, realizing there must be some hidden secret hidden within. So, crouching low, he approached the house with light, swift steps. With each step, he carefully observed his surroundings, fearing even the slightest noise would alert the occupants. When he reached the house, he found a gap in the window just wide enough for him to peer inside. Like a nimble monkey, he crouched down, pressed his eyes against the crack, and peered inside through the narrow space.

The room was dimly lit and filled with a pungent odor of cigarettes and sweat. In addition to the new male owner who had just walked in, there were several other people sitting or standing around the room. One of them was a man with a face full of flesh, and his build was as sturdy and strong as a small mountain. His face was full of ferocity, his eyebrows were tightly knitted together like two angry caterpillars, and his eyes were as big as copper bells, as if they were about to spit fire. He was shouting at the new male owner, "Why are you so useless? I asked you to do something in the yard, and you couldn't even do it. Do you know how much thought, manpower and material resources we have put into this plan? If this continues, our plan will be ruined. Then, we will all be in trouble!" His voice shook the dust in the room.

The newly arrived man lowered his head, his body trembling slightly like a frightened bird. His hands rubbed the corners of his clothes nervously, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and slid down his cheeks. He said hesitantly, "Brother, there's nothing I can do. The people in that yard seem to be quite united. They gather together all day long, inseparable. I really can't find an opportunity to take action. I also want to complete the task you assigned me, but this situation is really beyond my ability." His voice gradually became weaker and weaker, and in the end it was almost inaudible.

After hearing the timid response of the new male owner, the man with a face full of flesh raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing an extremely sinister and sarcastic sneer. The laughter was like the cry of a night owl, echoing in the dim and tense room, making people feel creepy. He slammed the table next to him, and the shabby table was hit with a loud "bang", and the miscellaneous items on the table jumped along with it. "Unity? Humph!" He said viciously, his voice sharp and piercing, as if a sharp knife cut through the silence, "I don't believe they can stay united forever. There is no group in this world that cannot be broken up. As long as our methods are cruel and ruthless enough, are we afraid that we can't find their flaws?"

His gaze was like an icy dagger, piercing the newly arrived man, filled with threats and pressure. "You, find another way to intensify the conflict between them. No matter what means, overt or covert, you must first cause chaos among them. If you fail to complete the task..." He paused deliberately, the sneer on his face growing stronger, and his eyes revealed a chilling ferocity. "You'll be in trouble. When the time comes, don't blame me for being ruthless. What I hate most is people who don't do their job well." His voice was low and sinister, as if it came from the depths of hell, making the newly arrived man shudder and tremble even more violently.

At this moment, Liu Ping'an, who had been hiding outside the window and had heard everything clearly through the crack, was startled, like a flash of lightning across the dark night sky. His eyes widened, his face filled with shock and anger. It turned out that someone was indeed behind this, orchestrating a conspiracy to destroy the peace and harmony of the courtyard. He knew the seriousness of the matter and dared not delay. Like a nimble rabbit, he quietly and cautiously left the dilapidated house. He was extremely cautious with every step, afraid to make any sound and alert those with evil intentions in the house.

After returning to the courtyard, Liu Pingan didn't bother to rest and went straight to Qin Huairu. Qin Huairu saw Liu Pingan's solemn expression and suddenly felt an ominous premonition in her heart. She hurried forward and asked anxiously: "Pingan, what's wrong? You look so bad, did something happen?"

Liu Pingan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and then told Qin Huairu everything he had heard in the dilapidated house. After hearing this, Qin Huairu's face flushed with anger, her hands clenched into fists, and her eyes burned with anger. "These people are so hateful!" She gritted her teeth and said, her voice trembling with anger. "They actually want to destroy the harmony of our courtyard. We have always been united in our courtyard. We help each other, just like a family. Why do they want to disrupt our lives? Pingan, what should we do? We can't let them succeed like this!"

Liu Ping'an looked at Qin Huairu's angry and anxious expression, his eyes revealing determination and confidence. He patted Qin Huairu's shoulder gently and comforted her: "Don't worry, we can't lose our composure. We can't let them succeed. First of all, let's tell the people in the yard about this matter and let everyone be vigilant. Only when everyone knows about this can we guard against their conspiracy together. Then, we will think of a way to turn the tables on them. Don't they want to intensify the conflict between us? Then we will pretend to fall into the trap and let them think that their plan has succeeded. When they relax their vigilance, we will expose their conspiracy in one fell swoop and let them suffer the consequences." Liu Ping'an's tone was firm and powerful, as if he had already seen the scene where those bad guys were punished.

Qin Huairu raised her head slightly, her eyes revealing determination and eagerness. She nodded vigorously, shaking her head up and down quite a bit, as if this would make her resolve more firm. Then she said, "Okay, let's do it. I completely agree with your idea. This is indeed the most feasible solution at the moment. But..." She changed her tone, a hint of worry appeared on her face, and her brows furrowed slightly. "How do we tell the people in the courtyard about this? This is no small matter. If it is not handled properly, it will easily cause unnecessary trouble. If we reveal this matter directly, it will be like throwing a big stone into a calm lake, which will definitely stir up a thousand waves. By then, not only might it alert the evildoer and make him wary, but it might also cause panic and chaos among the others in the courtyard. That would be more harm than good."

Liu Ping'an narrowed his eyes slightly, his right hand unconsciously touched his chin, his fingers gently stroking the stubble on his chin, and he fell into deep thought. After a long moment, he slowly opened his eyes, nodded, and said, "Yes, you have a point. We must indeed proceed with caution and not act rashly. So, I've come up with an idea. Let's first call a meeting of the three elders. These three elders are highly respected figures in our courtyard. Uncle Yi is a veteran of the courtyard. He is upright and kind, and handles matters impartially and selflessly. Everyone respects him. Uncle Liu, although he is usually a little arrogant, he can always distinguish right from wrong in critical moments and contributes to the harmony and stability of the courtyard. Uncle Yan is famous for his meticulousness, carefulness, and thorough consideration. Let's explain the situation to them in detail, so that they understand the ins and outs and the seriousness of the matter. After all, they have prestige in the courtyard, and everyone is willing to listen to what they say. With their help and advice, handling this matter will definitely be much easier. It's like having a group of capable military advisors behind the scenes to give us advice, and we will feel more confident."

Liu Ping'an paused briefly, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and continued, "Then have the three uncles step forward and, in a more tactful way, indirectly remind everyone that there might be some restless people in the courtyard recently, making small moves. For example, while chatting in the courtyard, they could casually mention that they've heard that some places are not very peaceful recently, so that everyone will have a general idea and be more vigilant. This way, everyone can be on guard without arousing the suspicion of the new family who moved in. If we go after them directly, they will easily be aware of our intentions. If they become desperate and do something even more extreme, it will be troublesome."

Qin Huairu's eyes became brighter and brighter as she listened to Liu Ping'an's words. The worried look on her face gradually dissipated, and she showed a relieved smile. She thought this was a very good idea, and quickly said, "Okay, I'll go and invite the three uncles over. Time is running out, and we have to arrange things as soon as possible to avoid more trouble." After that, she hurriedly got up and walked towards the three uncles' homes with light steps.

Soon, Qin Huairu brought three uncles, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui, to Liu Ping'an's house. Uncle Yi, wearing a faded Mao suit, walked in with steady steps, his hands behind his back, a kind smile on his face. Uncle Liu, with his slightly plump belly, put his hands behind his back, looking majestic. Uncle Yan, wearing a pair of reading glasses and holding his precious abacus, followed slowly behind. As soon as the three uncles entered the house, they found a place to sit, waiting for Liu Ping'an and Qin Huairu to explain the situation.

Liu Ping'an told the three uncles everything he had heard about following the newly moved-in family and in the dilapidated house. Yi Zhonghai frowned and said seriously, "These people are so mean. We have finally achieved the harmonious atmosphere in our courtyard. We can't let them destroy it. Ping'an, you're right. We have to use their tactics against us."

Liu Haizhong puffed out his chest and said, "That's right, we can't be afraid of them. I want to see what tricks they can play. But, how do we actually do this?"

Yan Bugui pushed his glasses and rolled his eyes. "In my opinion, we can pretend that we don't know about their conspiracy, and then deliberately create some minor conflicts to make them think that there has been an internal conflict in our courtyard. When they relax their vigilance and reveal more flaws, we can catch them all in one fell swoop."