Volume 1, Chapter 7: Taken to the Station

The first light of dawn emerged.

The First Elder returned home, looking weary and travel-worn. His wife had long since prepared a meal, waiting quietly for his arrival. As soon as he stepped through the threshold and took off his coat, Yi Zhonghai felt suddenly aged.

"How did things go with Zhuzi and the old lady?" his wife asked as she set the table.

Yi Zhonghai’s expression was bitter and haggard. "I’ve inquired. Even if we obtain a letter of forgiveness, Zhuzi will still have to spend at least half a month in the labor camp, and it will leave him with a criminal record."

His wife froze at the news. A moment later, she regained her composure and asked, "What about the old lady? Surely she doesn't have to go to a labor camp for half a month, too? She only wanted to see Zhuzi find a wife and have children."

Irritated, the First Elder downed a bowl of thin porridge before answering slowly, "It’s no use. I checked—the old lady will also have to go to the labor camp. Her situation is complicated; it’s hard to say."

A wave of pity washed over his wife. She had always treated the old lady like her own mother and Zhuzi like her own son. Now, Su Jianshe was actually sending her "mother" and "child" to a labor camp.

"That cursed Su Jianshe, it’s all his fault! If it weren't for him, the old lady and Zhuzi wouldn't be going to a labor camp!" she cried out. "He’s a real ingrate! I even held him when he was a baby and helped his family back in the day!"

As she raged, she felt a sudden urge to rush out of the house and scream at Su Jianshe’s door. But her husband grabbed her arm tightly, his face full of anxiety.

"Keep your voice down! I just told you, that’s only if we can get a letter of forgiveness! The old lady and Zhuzi are in real trouble this time. If we don’t get that letter, they’re looking at ten or eight years, maybe even a firing squad," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "The most important thing now is to find Su Jianshe and Chu Yan and get their forgiveness; only then is there a chance for them to come back."

"Then we’ll go and demand it! I don’t believe those two brats would dare refuse us!" she shouted, her voice shrill, drawing curious neighbors to peer out of their homes.

Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table and barked at her, "Su Jianshe is a man who won't be swayed by soft or hard tactics. Since he dared to call the police, he was already prepared for a clean break! Even though I’m the head of this compound, my influence doesn't count for much now."

He sighed, grabbed his coat, and added, "You go ahead and eat. I have to go to the hospital."

"Why are you going to the hospital?" his wife asked, confused.

"Jia Dongxu is my apprentice, after all. As his master, I must go see him. Besides, I found out that Su Jianshe is there taking care of his sister right now."

With that, Yi Zhonghai hurried toward the hospital, his steps unsteady enough that he nearly stumbled. Passing the Jia household, he glanced inside and saw Bangeng curled up on the bed through a gap in the window.

"Sigh, how did it come to this? Su Jianshe, that drunkard... no, that animal—how did he become like this?"

***

On the other side, Chu Yan had no intention of staying in the hospital for long. As morning broke, she felt she was in no further danger and looked at Su Jianshe, saying softly, "Brother Jianshe, let’s go home. There’s no need to waste money at the hospital."

She tugged at his sleeve, acting a bit spoiled. "I feel much stronger now, and the doctor said I can just rest at home."

It wasn't that Chu Yan was being difficult; the family was truly strapped for cash. Since their mother passed away, her brother had struggled to keep the household afloat despite his drinking. Hospital bills were piling up, and they couldn't afford to stay.

Looking at the well-behaved Chu Yan, Su Jianshe felt a mix of heartache and relief. "Alright, brother will listen to you. Once Dr. Liu finishes the check-up, we’ll head out if everything is fine!"

"Great!" Chu Yan cheered.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Jianshe, how is Chu Yan?"

Su Jianshe didn't turn around, but his brows furrowed. "Yi Zhonghai, what are you doing here?"

Yi Zhonghai noticed that Su Jianshe had dropped the honorific "Elder," but he smoothed his expression and held up the apples he had brought, smiling. "Just here to see how Chu Yan is doing. I brought some apples." He set the fruit down and closed the door behind him.

Chu Yan nervously clutched her brother’s sleeve, and Su Jianshe patted her hand to reassure her. "People don't go to a temple unless they have a prayer. Speak up—what is it?"

As an elder, Yi Zhonghai was annoyed by the lack of respect, but he held his tongue; he needed that letter of forgiveness. "Jianshe, we are neighbors who see each other every day. Although the old lady made a mistake, she is quite elderly..."

"Could you write a letter of forgiveness to pardon the old lady and Zhuzi so they can return?" he pleaded, quickly adding, "The old lady is a martyr's relative and receives government support; it really wouldn't look good if she were sent to a labor camp! And Zhuzi has always been helpful—he even stepped up when your family held the funeral. Why not just forgive them?"

A mocking sneer crossed Su Jianshe's face. He was about to rebuke the shameless man before him, but he felt his sister gently pinch his hand.

He turned to see her looking distressed. Su Jianshe sighed internally. It didn't seem right to let the two villains who hurt his innocent sister live comfortably in a labor camp. If you hurt my sister, I’ll make sure you live worse than pigs and dogs. Is that too much to ask?

Thinking this, Su Jianshe narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Fine, I can give you the letter of forgiveness. We do live in the same compound, after all. But I want some compensation. That’s not too much, is it?"

Yi Zhonghai was overjoyed and patted Su Jianshe on the shoulder. "Not too much, not too much! I’ll handle it. I’ll make Zhuzi compensate you ten yuan, and I’ll have him send it right over! Jianshe, I know you didn't mean any harm..."

Ten yuan? Was he trying to dismiss a beggar?

The mockery in Su Jianshe's eyes deepened. "Five thousand. Zhuzi and the old lady must compensate me five thousand total, and then I’ll write the letter!"

"Five thousand!?" Yi Zhonghai was stunned, his jaw dropping.

Five thousand yuan! In this day and age, those with a net worth of ten thousand were few and far between. This kid was asking for an astronomical sum! Even with his monthly salary of ninety-nine yuan, paying that would bankrupt him. Zhuzi was penniless, and the old lady lived only on subsidies.

Yi Zhonghai’s expression darkened. He was seething with rage but forced himself to suppress it. "Su Jianshe, we are neighbors..."

He hesitated, but Su Jianshe’s expression shifted instantly. The smile vanished, replaced by a cold, resolute look. "Either five thousand yuan for the letter, or Zhuzi and that old hag go to prison! They dared to touch my sister. I truly want those two animals to pay the price! Five thousand is me showing mercy."

Seeing the resolve in his eyes, Yi Zhonghai hesitated. He cursed Su Jianshe in his heart, but he couldn't argue, as the fault lay with the old lady and Zhuzi. Yet he was unwilling to accept this, knowing that Zhuzi and the old lady had no money. If he didn't want to see them in prison, he would have to foot the bill himself.

Considering that he viewed Zhuzi as a son and his future retirement plan, and that the old lady was the spiritual pillar of the compound, he gritted his teeth. "Fine, I agree!"

He would rather pay the money than see them lose their freedom. He could worry about the debt later.

Yi Zhonghai left, heavy-hearted, to visit the prison—after all, he couldn't pay the compensation without the authority to do so. Su Jianshe dismissed the man’s retreating back with a look of disdain and, not wanting to linger in the hospital, packed up to go home.

After returning and eating dinner, they washed up and went to bed. His sister, weak as she was, soon fell asleep. Su Jianshe reflected on the day’s events, feeling that no novel could truly capture the absurdity of this "Compound of Beasts." Fortunately, he had read the original story and knew their true colors, or his sister would have been in grave danger!

He slept soundly. The next morning, a prompt echoed: "Ding! Host, would you like to sign in?"

"Sign in!"

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have received five cases of 'Yi' brand instant noodles. Please claim your reward!"

As the system voice faded, Su Jianshe felt a weight in his arms. Five cases of bright red instant noodle boxes were stacked higher than his head.

"Instant noodles... even if one might grow tired of them in the future, they’re a treat right now. My sister and I haven't eaten; I’ll cook a few packs for breakfast!"

He started a fire. Soon, the compound began to fill with the smell of cooking smoke. Most families, however, were only having pickles, cornmeal buns, and thin, watery porridge.

It was an era of extreme scarcity. Even in the capital, this was the reality.

With his sister still sleeping, Su Jianshe boiled some water and opened the noodle packs. He decided on four cakes of noodles and the seasoning packets. "Xiaoyan can have one and a half; the rest should be enough for me."

As the noodles hit the pot, a rich, savory aroma permeated the air, quickly drifting throughout the entire compound. Everyone caught the scent, and their cornmeal buns and pickles suddenly became hard to swallow.

At the Jia house, Mrs. Jia was already shouting for food, her dissatisfaction with Qin Huairu clear. Jia Dongxu looked pale and equally famished. Qin Huairu brought out the heated buns and pickles with a look of grievance.

"Why is it pickles again? I want meat!" Bangeng threw a tantrum on the floor.

"Bangeng, every family in the compound is eating buns and pickles. Be good, and when I get my salary, we’ll have something better!"

Bangeng was about to protest when he stopped. "Sniff... so fragrant! What is that smell? It’s even more tempting than meat!"

His mouth began to water. Mrs. Jia, Bangeng, and Jia Dongxu all dropped their chopsticks, drawn by the scent. Mrs. Jia’s face wobbled as she drooled. "That fragrance... it’s better than meat! Whose house is cooking?"

Bangeng didn't care where it came from; he just rolled on the floor. "I want to eat it! I want to eat it!"

Mrs. Jia glared at Qin Huairu. "Qin Huairu, what are you standing there for? Didn't you hear Bangeng? Go get some! Bangeng is growing, and Dongxu needs to build his strength!"

Jia Dongxu complained as well, "What kind of mother are you? Go!"

Qin Huairu, also tempted by the smell, thought, *Who in this compound doesn't know our family is struggling? If I ask for some, they’ll surely agree.* She picked up a bowl and headed toward the scent, with Bangeng secretly following behind.

Soon, others in the compound began to emerge, searching for the source of the aroma, which was far more intoxicating than Zhuzi’s stir-fried meat. When Qin Huairu and the others found the source, they were shocked to see it was Su Jianshe’s home.

Qin Huairu felt awkward, but the temptation was too strong.

Meanwhile, Chu Yan had woken up and was drawn by the scent. "What is that? It smells better than meat. Who is cooking?"

She walked toward the kitchen, the scent growing stronger. When she pushed open the door, she saw Su Jianshe lifting the lid off a bowl.

"Brother, what are you making?" she asked curiously.

Su Jianshe turned and smiled, handing her a bowl. The broth was oily and savory, with vegetables floating on top. Chu Yan’s eyes lit up with joy.

"System-made, truly extraordinary! Even the instant noodles are delicious—rich flavor, chewy texture! I can't wait to see what I get next time!" Su Jianshe thought.

"Xiaoyan, try it. How is brother’s cooking?"

Chu Yan took the bowl, her eyes welling up with tears of gratitude. She took a bite and felt like she was tasting the finest delicacy in the world. As she ate, Su Jianshe watched with a doting smile. The kitchen was filled with the warmth of 'home.'

However, there were always those who didn't know their place. A loud, rude banging on the door echoed, and Su Jianshe’s brow furrowed.

"I hope Su Jianshe doesn't eat it all—leave some for Bangeng!"

Outside, the persistent knocking continued, ruining the peaceful morning. Su Jianshe felt a surge of anger. "What is wrong with these people? Can't a person eat a meal in peace?"

Chu Yan put down her chopsticks, looking toward the door with concern.