The Courtyard House: He Yuzhu Returns with Boundless Hatred for Revenge

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu's dinner was almost ready: braised pork, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and a few steamed buns. It looked simple, but it made He Yushui's mouth water.

He had secretly taken these ingredients from the factory today when no one was looking and put them directly into his spatial storage.

This space came with his rebirth. Strangely enough, He Yuzhu pondered, it was probably similar to a blessing or reward bestowed by the Heavenly Dao after one has transcended tribulation and attained enlightenment. The space wasn't large, only about ten square meters. Besides storage space, it also contained a spring with crystal-clear water. He Yuzhu had tried it; the water tasted incredibly sweet, and drinking it made him feel much more energetic. He guessed that this spring water was definitely not ordinary.

Today, while cooking, he decided to try out the effects of this spiritual spring.

Sure enough, after adding a little spiritual spring water, He Yuzhu noticed the difference. The aroma of the braised pork instantly became more intense, and a special scent that instantly made one feel comfortable was released.

"Rain, dinner's ready!" He Yuzhu called out.

He Yushui had been waiting for a while. Hearing her brother call her, she immediately ran in. She had already wiped the table clean and set the table. She even poured her brother a small glass of wine. Then she hurriedly went to help He Yuzhu serve the dishes.

There weren't many dishes, but for that era, it was considered quite good. Didn't you see the aroma of the braised pork wafting out, and already hear Bang Geng's cries and Jia Zhangshi's curses?

"Sit down and eat," He Yuzhu said, sitting down first and picking up his chopsticks.

He Yushui didn't move, her eyes fixed on the braised pork, waiting for her brother to pick it up first. This was the rule, and also a habit she had developed over the years.

He Yuzhu saw through her little scheme and directly picked up a large piece and put it in her bowl: "Eat up, you'll get plenty to eat in the future."

"Thank you, brother." He Yushui quickly picked up the piece of meat and put it in her mouth. As soon as the meat entered her mouth, she was immediately delighted.

This meat is so delicious.

Tender and flavorful, rich yet not greasy, the aroma filled her nostrils. He Yushui closed her eyes, her face full of satisfaction. She chewed slowly, afraid that if she chewed too fast, it would be gone. This was the first time in over a month that she had eaten such substantial meat. Although there was meat in the lunchboxes He Yuzhu had brought back before, most of it went to the Jia family's mouths, and she only managed to pick up the scraps at most.

"Is it good?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Delicious!" He Yushui nodded vigorously, her eyes reddening. "Brother, this is the best meat I've ever eaten."

Looking at his sister's state, He Yuzhu felt a pang of sadness. In his past life, he had wronged Yushui too much. In this life, he would do his best to make it up to her. Of course, that was on the condition that she didn't repeat the mistakes of her past life.

"Then eat more." He Yuzhu put another piece on her plate and started eating himself.

This meat is indeed delicious, and the effects of the spiritual spring water are even more pronounced than he expected. It seems he can add some of this to his cooking from now on.

He Yushui ate with great relish, taking a bite of meat and a bite of steamed bun, a smile on her face. She hadn't been this happy in a long time. She also ate several bites of cabbage, which was crisp, sour, and refreshing.

"Brother, are we going to eat like this every day from now on?" He Yushui asked softly.

"Yeah, as long as you study hard and keep the house tidy, I promise you'll eat well and be full."

He Yushui quickly nodded: "Don't worry, brother, I'll take care of all the housework from now on."

"Also," He Yuzhu put down his wine glass, looking at his sister, "from now on, if anyone in this courtyard, including Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai, asks about our family, you must say you don't know. No matter what they ask you for, you can't give it to them. If I find out you've been nosy, or even given them a single grain of rice, your brother will be angry, and the consequences will be severe. You'll be living with them from now on. Understand?"

He Yushui was stunned for a moment. Although she didn't quite understand why, she knew that she was now living off He Yuzhu's food and supplies, so she nodded without hesitation: "Understood."

"Good boy." He Yuzhu rarely showed a smile.

I was eating when I heard a knock on the door.

"Zhu Zi, are you home?" It was Yi Zhonghai's voice.

He Yuzhu paused with his chopsticks, then let out a cold laugh. Here it comes. He knew that after today's commotion, Yi Zhonghai wouldn't be able to sit still.

"Rain, keep eating." He Yuzhu stood up. "Remember what I just said."

He Yushui nodded obediently and lowered her head to eat, but her ears were perked up.

He Yuzhu walked to the door and opened it.

Yi Zhonghai's expression was not good at this moment. This fool Zhu had actually bolted the door. He had instinctively tried to push it in, but couldn't. It was outrageous. He clearly didn't take him seriously.

Throughout the entire courtyard, Yi Zhonghai would knock on the door and ask for permission before entering any house, even Jia Dongxu's. He was the only exception; he could enter He Yuzhu's house whenever he wanted. Now, seeing the door closed, he still looked angry. Frankly, he had never respected He Yuzhu, and didn't even consider him a human being.

"Master Yi, we're having dinner at home. What brings you here?" He Yuzhu asked in a calm tone.

"Shazhu, is this your manners? You don't even call me 'Grandpa' anymore?" The lackey Jia Dongxu was the first to attack.

Yi Zhonghai's face was now quite grim. This Sha Zhu was indeed up to something today. A change in address might seem insignificant, but it was actually a big problem. It was a blatant challenge to his authority, and he had to act swiftly to suppress this rebellious man.

"What nonsense about 'Grandpa'? My He family doesn't have an elder like that. Besides, in this new China, everyone addresses each other as 'comrade.' I called him 'Master Yi' out of respect for his working class and his status as a sixth-level fitter. How did that become 'ill-mannered' in your mouth?" From the very first day of his rebirth, He Yuzhu had no intention of giving anyone in this courtyard a friendly look. What did someone who had died once care about? Plus, with his martial arts and spatial abilities, he really had nothing to fear. These people were nothing more than using moral blackmail, manipulating public opinion, and threatening his reputation—these tricks had absolutely no effect on the current He Yuzhu. He was still the strongest in the entire courtyard in terms of martial arts, and he was willing to risk his life. If he wasn't thinking about how to torment these beasts to death, he could have simply closed the door and ignored them.

Jia Dongxu was clearly taken aback and wanted to say something more, but Yi Zhonghai waved him off.

Yi Zhonghai forced a smile: "Zhu Zi, we have something to discuss with you today. This isn't the place to talk, let's go inside."

After Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, he tried to lead Jia Dongxu inside, but found that He Yuzhu was blocking the doorway with his entire body, not moving an inch.

"Master Yi, Yushui is eating inside, so it's best not to disturb them. Just say what you need to say here." He Yuzhu's voice was extremely cold, devoid of any warmth.

Yi Zhonghai's face instantly darkened, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. For so many years, he had been the undisputed ruler of the courtyard house; when had anyone ever blocked his way like this? Especially not this silly Zhu, whom he had always considered his prized possession!

"He Yuzhu, what kind of attitude is this?" Yi Zhonghai's voice rose several decibels. "I heard from Yan Bugui today that you spoke to him very rudely, not even calling him 'Third Uncle' anymore. I thought it might be a misunderstanding, but now it seems you really have no manners!"

He Yuzhu looked at him expressionlessly and did not reply.

"Look at yourself now, what kind of behavior is this?" Yi Zhonghai continued, "I'm the eldest man in this courtyard, your elder. Logically, if I wanted to enter your house, you should have respectfully invited me in, not turned me away at the door. Before your father, He Daqing, passed away, he specifically entrusted me to take care of you and your siblings. How can you treat me like this? How can you face your father?"

"How come I didn't know He Daqing asked you to take care of us when he left?" He Yuzhu said calmly. "Didn't he just run away without a word? He didn't leave anything behind. I supported myself and my sister by carrying heavy loads. Even if you occasionally gave us some cornbread to tide us over, Master Yi, don't forget how much I've spent helping your apprentice's family over the years. These boxed lunches alone are enough to repay the favor you did back then."

Yi Zhonghai was speechless after being refuted, and his gaze toward He Yuzhu became even more hostile.