Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

Chapter 19: False Accusation Leads to Capture; Wood Chopping Shocks the Entire Courtyard

Since the house renovation began, Lei Aniu and his apprentice have been skilled and efficient, and the construction has progressed exceptionally smoothly. For several days in a row, those with ulterior motives in the courtyard, fearing Sun Jingyuan's previous tough attitude, did not dare to come and cause trouble. The courtyard was unusually quiet, which saved Sun Jingyuan a lot of trouble.

During the day, Sun Jingyuan holds a clinic at the steel rolling mill. Relying on the medical skills of the "Mysterious Pivot Medical Classic" stolen by the All-Heavens Thief System, he treats various illnesses for the employees and is highly recognized by the factory leaders and colleagues. After returning to the hospital in the evening, he takes advantage of his spare time to use the top-level craftsmanship of the "Record of Heavenly Craftsmanship" stolen by the system to polish golden nanmu wood and make a complete set of furniture in the yard. His movements are skillful and smooth, and his work efficiency is extremely high. He does not need anyone else to help him.

Although everyone in the courtyard was filled with jealousy and scheming, whenever Sun Jingyuan started making furniture, almost half the residents would gather around to watch. Each person had their own thoughts, their eyes glued to the rare wood and the finished pieces. Even the deaf old lady, who rarely went out and stayed indoors all year round, would slowly waddle over, leaning on her carved dragon-head cane, and squeeze to the front of the crowd. Her cloudy eyes would be fixed on the wood in Sun Jingyuan's hands, her gaze filled with a greedy determination to possess it.

"I initially thought Master Sun was just casually trying out his skills, but I never expected him to be so amazing!" Sha Zhu stood to the side with his arms crossed, looking at the polished, warm-textured solid wood bed and the complete set of tables and chairs in the yard, he was speechless with amazement. "The craftsmanship is even better than the master craftsmen in the state-owned furniture factory. It feels smooth and lustrous to the touch, without a single burr. It's incredible!"

Yan Bugui leaned closer, his fingertips lightly tracing the edge of the solid wood bed. His eyes gleamed as he examined the furniture, scrutinizing it for a while before finally speaking, "Jingyuan, your craftsmanship is truly exceptional. Not only is it sturdy and durable, but it also has a remarkably pleasing appearance. I see this wide, low wooden chair next to you has a novel design; I've never seen anything like it around here. What's it called?"

Sun Jingyuan didn't even look up, steadily pushing the wood plane forward, creating shavings of even thickness, and said in a flat tone: "Sofa."

He was too lazy to explain the origin of the design to this group of people, nor was it necessary to waste his breath on it. After responding with just two words, he continued to work, completely ignoring the discussions and stares from those around him.

"sofa?"

The moment those two words were uttered, the onlookers erupted in a frenzy. Their eyes widened as they stared at the unfinished wooden chair, their gazes filled with shock and envy. Those like Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, who had access to factory leaders, had seen similar items in Director Yang Xugang's office and knew they were rare sights even for ordinary people. Sun Jingyuan's use of Phoebe zhennan wood to create it only fueled their jealousy.

The deaf old woman in the crowd had her eyes fixed on the few remaining pieces of Phoebe zhennan wood at Sun Jingyuan's feet. She had long coveted the wood, intending to use it for her own coffin. Seeing that Sun Jingyuan was about to use the wood, she felt a pang of heartache and her whole body tensed up. She couldn't help but cough twice and give Yi Zhonghai beside her an urgent look.

Yi Zhonghai instantly understood, subtly shifting to a corner of the crowd. He then gave Jia Zhangshi a sinister look, signaling the others to come and plot. Jia Zhangshi understood, using the pretext of adjusting her clothes to quietly slip into the corner. Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui followed closely behind, and the group huddled together, whispering their schemes.

"Once this is done, I must choose that set of wardrobes first, and no one can take it from me!" Jia Zhangshi said in a low voice, her greed barely concealed, her tone exceptionally forceful.

"Nonsense! I've had my eye on that solid wood bed for a long time. It looks impressive and is durable. It should rightfully be mine!" Liu Haizhong said with a straight face, taking a step forward as if he was determined to get it.

"That set of tables and chairs is mine. It'll be perfect for entertaining guests at home. Let's not ruin our harmony!" Yan Bugui quickly chimed in, his mind racing with calculations, afraid he wouldn't get any benefit out of it.

"Stop arguing!" Yi Zhonghai frowned and said in a deep voice to calm the restless group. "There's no point in arguing about this now. The most important thing is to bring down Sun Jingyuan. Once he's down, all the timber and furniture can stay in the yard. We can then distribute them slowly, and everyone will benefit."

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that it made sense, and they all nodded in agreement, ceasing their scramble and instead discussing their next move.

Jia Zhangshi, being impatient, immediately pressed, "Then where exactly do we report him? Should we go directly to the neighborhood committee office?"

"Go to the steel rolling mill and find Director Yang Xugang!" Yi Zhonghai said in a low voice with a sinister look in his eyes. "Going to the street office is too risky. If the staff take a fancy to these rare items, they might confiscate them directly, and we'll end up with nothing. But he's an employee of the steel rolling mill. If we report him to the factory, they'll only handle it internally. As long as we confirm the so-called 'crime,' they'll definitely make him regret it. Then these good things will naturally fall into our hands."

After hearing this, Madam Jia nodded repeatedly, a sinister smile spreading across her face. She could no longer contain herself. While everyone was still gathered around Sun Jingyuan watching the commotion, she shrank back and quietly slipped out of the courtyard, hurrying towards the steel mill.

Before long, Jia Zhangshi arrived at the gate of the steel rolling mill. The security guards on duty immediately stopped her, their tone polite yet firm: "Ma'am, you can't just come and go as you please in the factory area. Who are you looking for? What's the matter?"

"I want to find the highest leader in your factory! I want to report! I want to report the bad elements in your factory!" Jia Zhangshi shouted, her neck stiff, but she refused to say who she was reporting, appearing both mysterious and arrogant.

The security guards exchanged bewildered glances, finding the old woman's behavior utterly baffling, yet they dared not neglect her and could only patiently inquire again. However, Jia Zhangshi refused to cooperate, instead standing at the factory gate with her hands on her hips, shouting and attracting the attention of workers entering and leaving the factory, who stopped to watch and point.

Just then, a black sedan slowly drove out of the factory area. Jia Zhangshi's eyes lit up. She was convinced that it was a car belonging to a factory leader. Without thinking, she rushed forward and spread her arms to block the front of the car.

The driver was startled and slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching against the pavement. Caught off guard, Yang Xugang in the back seat slammed his forehead against the back of the front seat, immediately frowning in displeasure.

"What happened?" Yang Xugang rubbed his forehead, pushed open the car door and got out, his tone filled with anger.

The driver quickly stepped forward to explain, "Factory manager, this old lady suddenly rushed out and stopped the car; I wasn't expecting it."

"Boss! I've finally seen you!" Jia Zhangshi rushed to the car, pounded on the car door, and shouted anxiously.

Yang Xugang's face was cold, his gaze fixed on Jia Zhangshi, and his tone indifferent: "What exactly do you want by stopping the carriage and causing trouble?"

"I'm reporting you! There's a bad element hiding in your factory, it's Sun Jingyuan from the infirmary!" Jia Zhangshi shouted at the top of her lungs, completely disregarding the stares of those around her. "He's using his connections to run rampant in the yard, monopolizing three side rooms, spending a fortune on unauthorized renovations and buying rare wood to make furniture. He lives a life more luxurious than any capitalist, and the source of his money is absolutely illicit!"

Upon hearing this, the security staff around them all changed their expressions. Repairing the house and purchasing rare timber was no small amount in those days, and they all tensed up instantly, waiting for the factory manager's instructions.

Yang Xugang remained calm, showing no sign of panic. He simply looked at Jia Zhangshi and asked, "Is there some personal grudge between you and him?"

"Of course!" Madam Jia blurted out without hesitation, her voice filled with resentment. "How dare he, a young man, monopolize such a spacious room while our family of four is crammed into this tiny space? He's the one who's taking more than his share! He's constantly targeting us, a widow and her child, bullying us in the courtyard. He has absolutely no regard for neighborly relations. You, leader, must severely punish such a scoundrel!"

As Jia Zhangshi spoke, she became more and more agitated, spitting as she spoke. She fabricated all her usual jealousy and resentment into accusations against Sun Jingyuan, hoping that the factory would punish Sun Jingyuan so that she could take the opportunity to gain benefits.

"I understand now." Yang Xugang's face suddenly turned cold. He slammed his hand on the table beside him and shouted sharply, "There is indeed a 'bad element' in our factory, but it's definitely not Dr. Sun Jingyuan, it's you, you old woman who maliciously framed and spread rumors!"

Jia Zhangshi froze on the spot, her face filled with astonishment. Before she could react, Yang Xugang continued his stern rebuke: "Dr. Sun Jingyuan is a highly skilled doctor and an indispensable medical backbone of the factory. All his assets are of clean origin and verifiable; there is absolutely no violation of regulations! You, for your own personal grudge, came to the factory area to maliciously make false accusations, tarnish the reputation of an outstanding employee, and disrupt the factory's order. Your intentions are despicable!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Xugang directly ordered the security staff beside him: "Detain her, interrogate her carefully, find out who is behind this, and show no leniency!"

"Yes, Factory Director!" Several security personnel immediately responded, grabbing Jia Zhangshi, who was still shouting, and taking her away for interrogation.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Sun Jingyuan was completely unaware of what was happening at the steel rolling mill. He picked up his axe, aimed at the last few pieces of golden nanmu wood at his feet, and prepared to cut the wood to build the last wardrobe.

The deaf old woman in the crowd, seeing Sun Jingyuan about to split the coffin wood she had her eye on, trembled with anxiety and could no longer hide. She urgently shouted to Yi Zhonghai.

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai immediately strode forward, reached out to stop Sun Jingyuan's axe from falling, and said in a pretentious manner, "Sun Jingyuan, stop. This is the deaf old lady in the courtyard. She can be considered an elder in the courtyard. Come and meet her."

Sun Jingyuan stopped what he was doing, looked up at Yi Zhonghai, and said in a cold tone: "She is an elder you respect, but she has nothing to do with me. I have no need to see her."

These words completely enraged the deaf old woman. She trembled with anger, raised her dragon-headed cane, and struck Sun Jingyuan hard while cursing him incessantly.

Sun Jingyuan reacted quickly, lightly hooking his foot to grab the spare axe beside him and holding it firmly in front of him. His tone was icy: "This place is full of woodworking tools, it's very dangerous. Don't cause trouble here. If you get hurt, you'll have to bear the consequences."

"I'll see if you dare touch me!" The deaf old woman, emboldened, raised her cane and lunged at Sun Jingyuan again.

Sun Jingyuan no longer held back. He gently swung his axe at the cane, and with a crisp "crack," the sturdy dragon-head cane was instantly cleaved in two and fell to the ground.

"Sun Jingyuan, how dare you damage the artifacts of the elderly and lay a hand on your elders! This is outrageous!" Yi Zhonghai immediately jumped out and righteously rebuked Sun Jingyuan, attempting to stand on the moral high ground to condemn him.

"She attacked first, I was just defending myself, how can you say it was excessive?" Sun Jingyuan glanced coldly at Yi Zhonghai, his tone full of disdain. "She's allowed to act wildly, but I'm not allowed to defend myself? There's no such logic in the world."

Having said that, Sun Jingyuan, too lazy to argue with the group any longer, turned around, raised his axe, aimed at the golden nanmu wood beneath his feet, and swung it down fiercely. The thick wood split open with a crack, revealing clear and beautiful grain patterns.

The deaf old woman watched as the coffin wood she had longed for was split open, and she let out a heart-wrenching scream. Her vision went black, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this, the onlookers were all terrified and fell silent. No one dared to step forward and say another word. Their eyes were full of fear and apprehension as they looked at Sun Jingyuan.