Old Lady Yu tiptoed into Courtyard No. 44. The courtyards in this neighborhood all had similar layouts, so she was quite familiar with the place. She pushed open the gate, and as expected, it wasn't locked.
These days, it was rare for people to lock their main gates. She felt quite smug about her clever planning. Quietly stepping into the courtyard, it was eerily silent. At this hour—deep in the night—there was no way anyone was still wandering around outside.
She patted her chest, confident and unafraid.
She glanced around, locating the Zhuang family's house. But their window wasn't hanging any laundry; she frowned slightly, feeling a bit annoyed. However, she wasn't necessarily aiming to steal from the Zhuangs. Her eyes landed on the clothesline in the courtyard, where Wang Xiangxiu's family had hung their laundry.
