Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

Chapter 15 Stealing Treasures from All Heavens and Obtaining an Inheritance: The Golden Phoebe Wood

After finalizing the house repairs and timber arrangements with Lei Aniu the previous day, Sun Jingyuan returned to his house, tidied up briefly, and went to rest. As the night deepened and the entire courtyard fell asleep, the mechanical notification sound of the Thief System suddenly rang in his mind, triggering the reward for stealing from all realms without warning.

[The Thief System has triggered a random theft across multiple realms. Targets: Low-Martial Ancient Realm Library Secret Realm, Craftsman's Divine Mansion]

[Theft successful! Obtained inheritance rewards: the complete "Xuan Shu Medical Classic" and the complete "Tian Gong Zao Wu Record"]

[Theft successful! Rewards obtained: Premium grain and vegetable seed set, rare wood maintenance recipe]

Sun Jingyuan's heart stirred, and he immediately chose to learn two of the inheritances.

The next second, a vast and profound body of medical knowledge flooded his mind, from observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation to the diagnosis and treatment of difficult and complicated diseases, from meridian regulation to the combination of prescriptions, all of which were imprinted deep in his memory, a hundred times more thorough than ordinary medical books. Immediately afterwards, the skills of craftsmanship followed one after another, from the overall structure and layout of houses to the mortise and tenon joints and furniture carvings, every detail was crystal clear, as if he were a master craftsman who had been immersed in the craft for decades.

Having obtained two top-tier inheritances, Sun Jingyuan felt incredibly confident, but he didn't linger. He withdrew his consciousness from the system, rested peacefully for the night, and didn't indulge in any unnecessary daydreams.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, the courtyard was awakened by a commotion.

Lei Aniu, accompanied by four sturdy craftsmen, carried peeled and polished logs of wood, steadily entering the courtyard and heading straight for the west wing where Sun Jingyuan lived. The wood had a warm, smooth texture and flowing grain; when the sunlight shone on it, it subtly gleamed, clearly not an ordinary material.

The residents in the courtyard were already bored, and seeing this, they all gathered around. In no time, the middle and back courtyards were full of people, all craning their necks to look, their eyes full of curiosity and envy.

"My goodness, so much good timber, it must have cost a fortune!" Auntie Er touched the edge of the timber and couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

"It looks heavy. I've never seen anything like this in my life," the third aunt chimed in, her eyes fixed on the wood.

Yi Zhonghai stood in front of the crowd with his hands behind his back, his face gloomy, his eyes filled with jealousy as he stared at the timber: "Sun Jingyuan has only been in the factory for a short time, where did he get the capital to purchase such good timber? It must have come from an illegitimate source."

Liu Haizhong immediately chimed in, his tone sarcastic: "That's right, an ordinary worker couldn't afford that much even if he saved every penny. Maybe he got involved in some shady business."

Yan Bugui squinted, his fingers flying across the table in secret, calculating with increasing alarm: "This timber looks precious, it must cost at least several hundred. This kid is far too extravagant."

As everyone was discussing, the deaf old lady, who rarely went out, slowly walked to the wood with her cane. After only one glance, she said, "This is Phoebe zhennan wood, the imperial wood used in the palace in the past. A single piece is worth a lot. This batch must be worth over a thousand yuan."

One sentence instantly silenced the noisy courtyard.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, gasped, and their gazes toward the timber completely changed, transforming from envy into naked greed and jealousy.

"Over a thousand yuan?" Yan Bugui's throat tightened, and he almost lost his balance. "Grandma, are you sure you're not mistaken? This wood is that valuable?"

"I've lived my whole life, how could I be wrong?" The deaf old woman glanced at him, her tone flat. "The pillars of the Hall of Supreme Harmony were all made of this material in the past. It was also essential for the coffins used in the emperor's burial. It's a truly rare item."

The crowd erupted in chaos, their gazes toward Sun Jingyuan's house filled with complex emotions—shock, envy, and an undisguised scheming.

Jia Zhangshi was the first to lose her temper, shouting in a shrill voice, "That little beast is definitely making money through dishonest means! Let's go to the neighborhood committee to report him and confiscate all this timber!"

"Yes! We must report him!" Liu Haizhong immediately chimed in. He had long disliked Sun Jingyuan and was eager to bring him down.

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, lowered his voice, and said with a mysterious expression, "Reporting him now would be too easy on him. Let's wait until he's made the wood into furniture before we take action. If something really happens to him then, whoever gets the house and the furniture inside can keep it."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu instantly realized his mistake, slapping his thigh and exclaiming, "Grandpa really thinks ahead! Once the furniture is finished, we can pick the fruit—it's a sure thing!"

The deaf old woman spoke slowly, her tone revealing her thoughts: "Don't turn it all into furniture, leave some material, it will still be useful."

Yi Zhonghai immediately understood and nodded with a smile: "Don't worry, Ancestor, I know what I'm doing."

Liu Haizhong frowned and muttered under his breath, "What if the house application doesn't go through? What about the furniture?"

Madam Jia rolled her eyes and said disdainfully, "Are you stupid? If he really goes in, can't we move the furniture ourselves? Are we going to leave it for someone else?"

The group exchanged glances, their minds in sync, all concealing their schemes. They pretended to be watching the spectacle, but in reality, they were waiting to see Sun Jingyuan suffer.

In the crowd, He Yushui looked utterly bewildered, while Qin Huairu's face turned pale, and she felt a chill run down her spine. Watching this group openly plot against Sun Jingyuan, she felt incredibly uncomfortable, yet dared not speak up to stop them, and could only silently shrink back.

At this moment, Sun Jingyuan pushed open the door and came out, completely unaware of the filthy thoughts of the people in the courtyard. Even if he knew, he would only scoff and not take it to heart at all.

He walked up to Lei Aniu, took out a neat stack of banknotes, and handed them over: "Count the money carefully and keep it safe."

"Thank you so much, Master Sun!" Lei Aniu was overjoyed. He carefully put the money away from his body. This job not only paid well, but also included a fifty-dollar referral fee, which was equivalent to two months' salary for him.

Sun Jingyuan patted him on the shoulder, said nothing more, pushed the Forever 28-inch bicycle at the gate of the courtyard, and went straight out of the courtyard.

When Yi Zhonghai and the others in the courtyard saw him come out, they all turned their faces away, looking uneasy, afraid that their scheming eyes would be seen through.

Sun Jingyuan completely ignored the group and rode his bicycle straight to the supply and marketing cooperative. In less than half an hour, he returned on his bicycle with a brand-new set of carpentry tools tied to the back seat—a plane, chisel, ink line, and carpenter's square, all of them top quality.

Yan Bugui was the first to come over, staring at the tools with a look of surprise: "Master Sun, are you going to make the furniture yourself?"

"Well, I'm just killing time anyway, might as well give it a try," Sun Jingyuan replied casually.

"Absolutely not!" Yan Bugui stamped his feet anxiously. "This is precious Phoebe zhennan wood, extremely valuable. If you're not skilled enough and ruin the wood, it would be a complete waste!"

Yi Zhonghai quickly joined in, feigning concern: "Yes, I know a skilled old carpenter. I'll introduce you to him; he'll make sure it's beautiful. Don't try to do it yourself."

He was very shrewd, waiting to take advantage of the finished furniture, and he was determined not to let Sun Jingyuan ruin the wood.

Madam Jia also squeezed in, shouting in a shrill voice, "You little beast, don't you dare do anything reckless! This is such good wood, if you ruin it, you'll regret it!"

"It's my wood, I can use it however I want. If it burns, it's none of your business. You don't need to worry about it." Sun Jingyuan's face darkened, his tone full of impatience, and he pushed the cart toward the yard.

He had only taken two steps when Jia Dongxu suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Sun Jingyuan, you can't treat things like this!" Jia Dongxu said, his neck stiff, his eyes darting around, but his tone was deliberately forceful.

Sun Jingyuan abruptly shook off his hand and said coldly, "Let go, don't push your luck."

"I won't let you waste this good timber!" Jia Dongxu, taking advantage of the large number of people in the yard, stubbornly blocked their way.

"What's it to you if I ruin my things?" Sun Jingyuan raised an eyebrow and retorted sarcastically. "Are you struggling to make ends meet and trying to take my wood?"

These words struck a nerve with Jia Dongxu. His face flushed red, and he snapped angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting! I was just trying to give you some advice!"

"Kindness? I think he has ulterior motives." Sun Jingyuan was too lazy to waste words with him and took a step to walk around him.

Seeing this, Jia Dongxu reached out to stop him again, but Sun Jingyuan blurted out, "If you keep stopping me, are you hiding some other dirty thoughts?"

The moment these words were spoken, the entire room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu was both ashamed and angry. Her cheeks turned red, and she covered her face and ran back into the house, too ashamed to stay any longer.

"Sun Jingyuan! Watch your mouth!" Jia Dongxu completely lost it. These words, spoken in front of the entire hospital, were like a slap in the face. He clenched his fists, his eyes red, and charged at Sun Jingyuan.

Sun Jingyuan remained calm, neither dodging nor flinching. He reached out and grabbed Jia Dongxu's hair, tripped him lightly with his foot, and with a little force, pinned Jia Dongxu to the ground, rendering him unable to move.

"You little beast! How dare you hit my son! I'll fight you to the death!" Upon seeing this, Madam Jia pounced on Sun Jingyuan like a madwoman, baring her teeth and claws as she tried to scratch him.

Sun Jingyuan held Jia Dongxu down, freed one foot, and gently hooked it. Jia Zhangshi lost her balance and screamed as she fell forward. He dodged to the side, and Jia Zhangshi landed solidly on Jia Dongxu's back, almost making her son vomit blood.

The mother and child were lying on the ground, howling in pain. People in the yard watched this farce, wanting to laugh but not daring to. The scene was quite comical.

Sun Jingyuan released his grip, dusted himself off, and said calmly, "It was a slip of the tongue just now. Let's just let it go and not make a fuss about it."

"Let it go? No way!" Jia Dongxu, pinned beneath him, yelled at the top of his lungs, "You humiliated me and hit my mother! This needs an explanation!"

Jia Zhangshi, clinging to her son's back, screamed, "Pay up! You have to pay up! If it's less than ten yuan, this isn't over! I'm going to the neighborhood committee right now to report you, and you won't be able to stay in Beijing!"

"Yes! Pay up! Ten dollars, not a penny less!" Jia Dongxu shouted, his eyes full of greed. He wanted to use this incident to extort a large sum of money from Sun Jingyuan.

The surrounding neighbors were all watching, and Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong and others stood aside, waiting to see Sun Jingyuan back down, secretly pleased with themselves.

Sun Jingyuan scoffed, pulled out a Daqianmen cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a puff, and said in a cold and forceful tone, "No money, but I'm ready to fight."

"You and your son started by stopping me, and then you started causing trouble. If this really escalates to the neighborhood committee, we'll have a proper discussion. Let's see if your tantrums and attempts to extort money are justified, or if my actions were justified in self-defense."

"If you really make a big fuss, it will be your Jia family that loses face. Then the whole courtyard will know that you and your son are jealous of my timber and are deliberately trying to extort money. Let's see how you will face people in the courtyard after that."

His tone was calm, yet every word was forceful, and his gaze swept over Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi, carrying an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Jia Zhangshi felt uneasy under his gaze, and her shouts immediately subsided; Jia Dongxu turned pale and couldn't utter a word for a long time, his previous arrogance completely gone.

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai and the others knew that if they continued to make trouble, they would not gain any advantage and would only cause more trouble. So they all quietly retreated and pretended that it was none of their business.

Sun Jingyuan was too lazy to waste any more time with the mother and son. He pushed the cart and went straight into his courtyard, closed the gate, and completely shut out the noise from outside.

Madam Jia and Jia Dongxu lay on the ground, staring at the tightly closed courtyard gate, filled with anger and resentment. However, they dared not utter any more harsh words and could only slink to their feet and, under the watchful eyes of everyone in the courtyard, return to their house in a disheveled state.

The onlookers dispersed when the farce ended. Although their scheming hadn't died down, they no longer dared to provoke Sun Jingyuan easily.