The Scholar in the Courtyard

Chapter 4: Samantha Parker's Tantrum

Ryan Williams already knew exactly what kind of man Thomas Carter was.

In the courtyard, Thomas Carter wore the mask of a respectable elder, but beneath that mask was a hypocrite who excelled at manipulating people through morality and public opinion. In Ryan Williams's eyes, he was even more detestable than Jason Holt, a villain who at least never pretended to be righteous.

As Thomas Carter spoke, the atmosphere in the courtyard shifted.

The crowd began murmuring among themselves. Disapproving looks came from every direction. The familiar pressure of collective judgment settled over the gathering like a heavy blanket.

Unfortunately for them, Ryan Williams wasn't the same person anymore.

He had already seen through these people.

If not for the fact that his property was here—and because surviving in this era wasn't easy—he would have left this place long ago.

Once spring arrived, he planned to leave without hesitation.

The farther away from these people, the better.

Trying to live in harmony with them?

That was like walking into a swamp and expecting not to get dirty.

The closer you got, the deeper you sank.

Sooner or later, they'd drain every drop of blood from you.

Because of that, their moral pressure meant nothing to him.

In fact, hearing their whispers almost made him laugh.

Under Thomas Carter's piercing stare, Ryan Williams simply smiled coldly.

Then he raised a hand and began unbuttoning his shirt.

The crowd froze.

One button.

Then another.

And another.

Soon, he pulled off his worn cotton jacket and dropped it onto the ground.

People exchanged confused glances.

Before anyone could react, he removed his undershirt as well.

Gasps erupted throughout the courtyard.

Even on a sunny winter afternoon, stripping down outdoors was enough to make anyone shiver.

The young women immediately covered their eyes.

"Pervert!"

Someone shouted.

Andrew Fletcher clenched his fists, ready to charge forward.

Jason Holt's eyes lit up as he stood nearby, already imagining how satisfying it would be to kick Ryan Williams while the situation was chaotic.

But the first person to move wasn't either of them.

It was Director Brooks.

She immediately stood up and hurried over.

"Ryan, what are you doing?"

"Director Brooks... look."

Ryan Williams's voice trembled.

Slowly, he turned around.

The moment everyone saw his back, the courtyard fell silent.

His skin was covered in bruises.

Dark purple marks stretched across his shoulders and back.

Some wounds were old. Others were fresh.

There were more than a dozen injuries altogether.

His arms looked no better.

The sight was shocking.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

Director Brooks's expression instantly darkened.

Who could have done this?

How much hatred did someone need to beat a child this badly?

Workshop Director Sterling could no longer remain seated.

He quickly walked over and lightly touched one of the bruises.

Ryan Williams immediately flinched from the pain.

Director Sterling's face changed.

"Put your clothes back on."

He hurriedly draped a coat over Ryan Williams's shoulders and helped him pull his padded jacket tight.

Only then did Ryan Williams stop shivering.

Director Brooks personally brought him a cup of hot water.

He accepted it with both hands and drank slowly.

At the main table, Thomas Carter and George Cooper exchanged uneasy looks.

The moment they saw those injuries, they knew things had gone terribly wrong.

Neither dared speak.

Neither dared leave.

They could only sit there stiffly and watch.

After finishing the water, Ryan Williams's eyes reddened.

"Aunt Brooks... thank you."

He tried to bow.

Director Sterling quickly stopped him.

"Aunt Brooks," Ryan Williams said softly, "my father always told me how much you helped our family."

"I didn't want to trouble you."

"I really didn't."

His voice began to crack.

"But look at me."

"If I don't get medical treatment soon, I don't even know whether I'll live to see tomorrow."

"I came here today because I truly don't have the money to see a doctor."

"If there had been any other way, I never would've chosen today of all days."

Tears rolled down his face.

Many people lowered their heads.

For the first time, some of them felt ashamed.

Director Brooks's heart ached.

What a pitiful child.

His mother was gone.

Now his father was gone too.

He was completely alone.

"You're a good boy," she said softly.

"I know."

Then she turned.

The warmth vanished from her face.

Her gaze landed directly on Thomas Carter.

The temperature around the table seemed to drop.

"Thomas Carter."

"So this is the 'minor injury' you reported?"

Her voice grew sharper with every word.

"Why wasn't this reported to the street office?"

"Why weren't the attackers punished?"

"Are you covering this up?"

"Or is this your idea of handling a problem?"

The accusations hit like thunder.

Thomas Carter and George Cooper immediately went pale.

Nobody dared speak.

Even Samantha Parker and Kevin Parker sat quietly, not daring to attract attention.

Jason Holt and the others discreetly stepped backward, creating distance between themselves and the unfolding disaster.

The three courtyard elders were nothing more than neighborhood mediators appointed by the street office.

They weren't officials.

They had no real authority.

Their positions existed only because the street office allowed it.

And that meant the street office could remove them just as easily.

George Cooper immediately stood up.

"Director Brooks, this was our mistake."

"We've been busy preparing for Kevin's wedding and neglected this matter."

"I sincerely apologize."

"It won't happen again."

His attitude couldn't have been more respectful.

The man loved authority more than anything else.

The thought of losing his position terrified him.

The third elder also quickly stood up.

"Director Brooks, our courtyard has always been recognized as an exemplary community."

"There haven't been any major incidents for years."

His concern was obvious.

An exemplary courtyard earned rewards at the end of the year.

No one wanted to lose those benefits.

Director Brooks snorted.

Then her eyes settled on Thomas Carter.

She knew him well.

Better than most.

She could already guess who had protected the people responsible.

But today wasn't the time to expose everything.

Not in front of so many witnesses.

Not with Thomas Carter's reputation and status as a senior fitter.

Still...

There would be a reckoning later.

"Ryan."

Director Brooks turned back.

"Tell me exactly what happened."

"Who did this to you?"

"Who could be cruel enough to beat someone like this?"

Before Ryan Williams could answer, a shrill wail suddenly erupted.

Everyone jumped.

Samantha Parker had finally exploded.

"Old Parker! Open your eyes and look!"

"We're being bullied!"

"A widow and her son are being bullied to death!"

She pushed her chair aside and collapsed dramatically onto the ground.

The sudden outburst stunned everyone.

Even Elysia Smith nearly lost her balance.

"You heartless people!"

"Today is my son's wedding day!"

"Why won't you leave us alone?"

"Old Parker! Come take away these people trying to destroy our family!"

She wailed and cried, pounding the ground dramatically.

Kevin Parker rushed over to help.

Unfortunately, his mother's considerable size made that nearly impossible.

Only after Elysia Smith joined him did they manage to drag her back onto a chair.

Ryan Williams watched quietly.

He had seen this kind of performance before.

But seeing it in person was something else entirely.

Every cry.

Every gesture.

Every exaggerated expression.

Samantha Parker embodied the very definition of a neighborhood shrew.

Still, Ryan Williams felt nothing.

No guilt.

No embarrassment.

No sympathy.

An old woman?

Please.

A woman barely in her forties who was better fed than most families in the courtyard?

There was nothing fragile about her.

Director Brooks merely sneered.

She had dealt with countless people like this over the years.

These tactics didn't work on her.

Unfortunately, Samantha Parker wasn't finished.

The moment she noticed Ryan Williams's cold smile, she completely lost control.

Her finger shot toward him.

"You little bastard!"

"You were born by a mother but raised by nobody!"

"You'll never have a good ending!"

The insults echoed across the courtyard.

Nearby, Thomas Carter's eyes narrowed.

The word "widow" always struck a nerve with him.

Even when it wasn't directed at him.

Samantha Parker continued.

"You think our family is easy to bully?"

"You little curse!"

"You killed your parents!"

"You'll die a miserable death!"

One insult after another.

Relentless.

Vicious.

Cruel.

Ryan Williams stood frozen.

His vision blurred.

His fists tightened.

His entire body trembled.

Then he slowly turned toward Director Sterling.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Director..."

"Did I really kill my parents?"

The entire courtyard fell silent.