He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the sun finally broke free from the clouds and lazily shone on the snow in the alley, reflecting dazzling light. The snow began to melt, and water dripped from the eaves, forming small puddles on the ground, mixed with mud, which crunched underfoot.

He Yuyang was helping He Daqing clear the snow from the yard, piling it in the corner to make room. He Daqing held a broom, sweeping as he muttered, "Once this snow melts, spring will be here. I'll wait for news from Master Zhou, then I'll go work at the grain shop, and things will be a bit more stable."

"Father, don't worry, I'll go with you to take a look." He Yuyang used a wooden stick to pat the snow down. "The work at the grain shop shouldn't be too strenuous, so don't tire yourself out."

"Not tired at all, managing accounts is just about wielding a pen." He Daqing grinned from ear to ear. "Your Master Zhou is so kind; we have to remember this favor."

Just then, a commotion erupted from the alley, a mixture of children crying and women shouting. He Yuyang peeked out and saw Jia Dongxu standing in the middle of the alley, holding a small whip and lashing the snow on the ground, muttering something unintelligible.

Jia Dongxu was two years older than He Yuyang and was the only son of Jia Zhangshi. He was spoiled rotten from a young age, not only being lazy and gluttonous but also fond of gossiping. When He Daqing was the manager of the restaurant, his family always made sarcastic remarks. Now that they saw that the He family still had grain and meat even though they no longer had jobs at the restaurant, they felt even more resentful.

"Some people are really something," Jia Dongxu deliberately raised his voice, tinged with sarcasm. "Just a while ago they were crying and saying they had no work, and now they're making meat soup and eating cured meat. Anyone who didn't know better would think they'd struck it rich!"

His words were clearly directed at the He family. Several neighbors who were watching the commotion in the alley glanced at the entrance of the He family's courtyard, their eyes filled with curiosity and speculation.

He Daqing's face darkened, and he gripped the broom so tightly it cracked: "What nonsense is this kid spouting!"

"Dad, ignore him." He Yuyang pressed down on his father's arm, his eyes turning cold. "The more you pay attention to this kind of person, the more he'll jump around."

But Jia Dongxu seemed not to hear him, and instead spoke even more enthusiastically: "That's right, they have powerful backers now. Their son has become a martial arts master, and their father is about to work at the grain store. How could they possibly look down on us poor neighbors? They have to avoid us when they walk, afraid of getting tainted by our poverty!"

Those were harsh words. Openly it was jealousy, but secretly it was an attempt to ruin the He family's reputation. Butcher Zhang happened to be coming out of his house when he heard this and couldn't help but frown: "Dongxu, say less. It's the New Year; don't cause trouble."

"I caused trouble?" Jia Dongxu retorted, glaring at Butcher Zhang. "Uncle Zhang, don't be fooled by some people! Why are they living such a good life? They've probably been doing something shady!"

"What do you mean by that?" He Daqing couldn't hold back any longer, threw down the broom, and wanted to go out to argue.

"Dad!" He Yuyang grabbed him and walked out on his own.

He stood at the courtyard gate, coldly staring at Jia Dongxu without saying a word. But his gaze was like an icy ridge in the dead of winter, making Jia Dongxu feel uneasy and instinctively shrink back.

"He Yuyang, why...why are you looking at me like that?" Jia Dongxu tried to remain calm. "Did I say something wrong? Your family is..."

"It's none of your business how our family is doing." He Yuyang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of authority that left no room for argument. "My father earns his living through his skills, and my younger brother learns martial arts to stay healthy. It's all aboveboard, unlike some people who are idle all day long and just like to peek at other people's lives."

"Who are you calling idle?" Jia Dongxu exclaimed anxiously. "I...I was waiting for an opportunity!"

"An opportunity?" He Yuyang scoffed, his gaze sweeping over the candy-scratched whip in Jia Dongxu's hand—the whip was wrapped in red silk, clearly not a cheap one. "I remember a few days ago, Aunt Jia was crying in the alley, saying that two silver dollars were missing from her house, and she didn't know who had taken them to buy toys. At the time, I wondered, who would be so bold as to steal money from a family?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu's face turned deathly pale, and the whip in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. Those two silver dollars were the money he had stolen from his mother to buy the whip with the copper head at the market, along with two catties of sweet cakes, which he had devoured with gusto. He had kept this a secret, thinking no one knew, but he never expected He Yuyang to find out!

The neighbors in the alley also figured out what was going on, and their gazes towards Jia Dongxu immediately changed—there was disdain, contempt, and even a hint of schadenfreude. Jia Zhangshi was always fond of taking advantage of others; she never expected to raise a son who would steal money from the family.

"You...you're talking nonsense!" Jia Dongxu panicked, pointing at He Yuyang, "You're slandering me!"

"Whether I'm slandering you or not, you know it in your heart." He Yuyang took a step forward, looking down at him. "The copper tip on that whip is from the 'Xingsheng' brand. Two catties of sweet cakes are enough for your family to eat for three days. Jia Dongxu, if you were capable, you could have earned the money to buy these things yourself, and no one would say anything. But you stole money from your family and then came here to slander others. Don't you feel ashamed?"

Every word was like a slap across Jia Dongxu's face. His face flushed red and then turned pale, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word. The neighbors around him began to whisper, their voices low, but their eyes showed more pain than if they were cursing him.

"Alright, Yangyang, stop talking." He Daqing came out and tugged at his son's arm. "It's the New Year, don't take it to heart."

He Yuyang glanced at Jia Dongxu and saw that his head was almost buried in his chest. Knowing that his goal had been achieved, he said nothing more and turned to go back to his room.

"You just wait!" Jia Dongxu suddenly shouted, his voice trembling with tears. He picked up the whip from the ground, covered his face, and ran home. Just as he reached his courtyard gate, he bumped into Jia Zhangshi, who was carrying a basket. Seeing his state, she paused, surprised, and asked, "What's wrong? Who bullied you?"

"Nobody!" Jia Dongxu shook off his mother's hand, stormed into the house, and slammed the door shut. Jia Zhangshi, furious, jumped up and down at the door, cursing, "That little brat! He can't even give us a moment's peace during the New Year!"

The neighbors watched the commotion, but seeing it wasn't very interesting, they all dispersed. Butcher Zhang walked over to He Daqing and patted him on the shoulder: "Daqing, don't take it to heart. That kid's just jealous; he can't keep his mouth shut."

"I know," He Daqing sighed, "it just feels unlucky."

"Just ignore that kind of person," Zhang the butcher chuckled. "By the way, where's your Zhuzi? I haven't seen him out today?"

"He's at the martial arts school," He Yuyang continued. "Master Zhou said he can't slack off during the New Year, so he's making him do extra training."

"This kid has potential," Zhang the butcher nodded. "Unlike some people who just loaf around all day."

The two exchanged a few more words, and then Butcher Zhang went home. He Daqing looked at his son, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Yangyang, just now... how did you know he stole the money?"

"I went to buy brown sugar a few days ago and happened to see him buying whips at 'Xingshenghao' while he was also holding sugar cakes in his hand," He Yuyang said casually. "I found it strange at the time. The Jia family is not well-off, so where did they get the money to buy these things? Later, I heard Aunt Jia crying and I guessed it."

What he didn't say was that he had a small mirror-like magical artifact in his space that allowed him to vaguely see what was happening nearby. That day, he had intended to check if Grandpa Wang was having any trouble, but he happened to run into Jia Dongxu sneaking out of his house with a cloth bag in his hand, heading straight for the market.

"How come you're so thoughtful?" He Daqing exclaimed. "But it's also thanks to you, otherwise who knows what kind of story he would have made up about today."

"Dad, we can't be too careful." He Yuyang looked towards the direction of the Jia family deep in the alley. "Yi Zhonghai hasn't made a move yet, and now Jia Dongxu has appeared. We need to be extra vigilant."

He Daqing nodded, his expression turning serious: "I know. There aren't many people in this alley who are easy to deal with."

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu returned from the martial arts school and immediately shouted as he entered the door, "Brother, I heard that Jia Dongxu was cursing our family in the alley?"

"How did you know?" He Yuyang was cleaning his gun—it was an old-fashioned rifle that he had taken out of his spatial storage, disassembled it for maintenance, and was preparing to give it to Lao Wang and the others next time.

"That's what my fellow students at the martial arts school said," He Yuzhu said angrily. "What right does he have to insult us? I'm going to settle the score with him!"

"Sit down." He Yuyang arranged the parts, looked up at him, and said, "Is it worth getting angry with someone like this?"

"But he insulted our family!" He Yuzhu retorted.

"His mouth is his own, let him say whatever he wants." He Yuyang picked up a gun cleaning cloth and slowly wiped the barrel of the gun. "If you're capable, hone your martial arts skills so that he won't even have the right to look up to you in the future. If you're not capable, even if you beat him, you won't be able to shut him up."

He Yuzhu was stunned. Looking at his brother's focused profile, the anger in his heart gradually subsided: "Brother, you're right. I'm going to practice my skills hard and become a great hero in the future, then let's see who dares to bully our family!"

"That's right." He Yuyang smiled and handed the cleaned parts to her younger brother. "Help me put this on."

He Yuzhu took the parts and carefully assembled them. Although his movements were clumsy, he was very serious. He Yuyang watched him and nodded to himself—this child is a bit impatient, but he is sensible. With proper guidance, he will be a good person in the future.

As evening approached, Jia Zhangshi suddenly arrived at the door, carrying a cloth bag and wearing an unnatural smile: "Is Daqing at home?"

He Daqing was helping Liu Yan tend the fire in the kitchen when he heard the sound. He frowned and said, "I'm here. What's up?"

Madam Jia Zhang entered the house and put the cloth bag on the table: "It's nothing serious. It's just that Dongxu was being irresponsible the other day and talked nonsense in the alley. I've come to apologize to you."

Inside the cloth bag were a few cornbread buns, dark and gritty. Liu Yan glanced at He Yuyang and said with a smile, "Aunt Jia, the child is young and doesn't understand. There's no need for you to apologize."

"Why don't we use it?" Jia Zhangshi rubbed her hands together, her eyes glancing at the iron pot on the stove—potatoes and meat stewing inside, the aroma wafting out. "This child, I've spoiled him rotten. I'll definitely give him a good beating later! By the way, is your family stewing meat? It smells so good."

The greed in his eyes was undisguised. He Yuyang sneered inwardly, but said aloud, "Yes, it's meat that Uncle Zhang gave me a few days ago, to help my mother recover."

"Your mother is pregnant, she should eat more nourishing food." Madam Jia swallowed hard. "Unlike our family, we're almost out of whole grains, let alone meat. And Dongxu, that child, is so greedy, always asking for meat..."

Her words were ostensibly a complaint, but secretly she wanted some food. He Daqing frowned, about to speak, but was stopped by He Yuyang's look.

"Aunt Jia, every family has its difficulties." He Yuyang picked up a cornbread, broke off a small piece and tasted it. "This cornbread is quite substantial, it must have a lot of wild vegetables mixed in, right? It's good to be able to eat this in winter."

These words left Jia Zhangshi speechless. She had hoped to gain some benefits by playing the victim, but He Yuyang didn't take the bait at all and even deliberately praised her cornbread, leaving her with no way to deny it.

"Yes...yes, I mixed in some wild vegetables." Madam Jia smiled sheepishly. "Well, I just came to apologize. Since you're not angry, I'll be leaving now."

"Take care." He Yuyang got up to see her off, without mentioning that she should take the cornbread with her—it was too bulky to throw away.

As Jia Zhangshi walked to the door, she glanced back at the iron pot on the stove, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, before leaving dejectedly.

"This woman, really..." Liu Yan sighed, "She's obviously here to beg for something."

"Why bother with her?" He Yuyang threw the cornbread into the stove. "If you give her something once, she'll do it again. It'll never end."

He Daqing nodded: "You're right. Back when we worked at the restaurant, she always found excuses to ask for things. Today she'd ask for a piece of meat, tomorrow for vegetables, and if we didn't give it to her, she'd throw a tantrum."

"Keep your distance from their family in the future." He Yuyang reassembled the gun and polished it until it gleamed. "It's best to stay away from people with ulterior motives."

During dinner, the family sat around the table eating when He Yuzhu suddenly said, "Brother, Master Zhou said that in a few days he will take us to the outskirts of the city for training. He said it will help us improve our health and broaden our horizons."

"Training?" He Yuyang was taken aback. "Where to train? Is it safe?"

"They said we're going to the Western Hills, to a forest. The master said there are wild animals there, and it'll be a good way to toughen you up," He Yuzhu said excitedly. "The master even said he wants you to come along!"

He Yuyang's heart skipped a beat. Xishan? He remembered Old Wang saying that they had a secret base deep in Xishan. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to deliver supplies.

"I won't go," he said calmly. "Someone has to stay home. If you go, listen to your master and be careful."

"Oh." He Yuzhu was a little disappointed, but didn't think much of it.

He Daqing looked at his son with worry in his eyes: "Isn't it dangerous over in Xishan? I heard there are wild animals and... stragglers."

"Master Zhou will protect us," He Yuzhu patted his chest confidently. "Master Zhou is incredibly powerful; he can kill a wolf with one punch!"

"Don't listen to his bragging." He Yuyang smiled. "But Master Zhou's kung fu is indeed excellent. With him around, everything should be fine."

But in his heart, he was calculating—once He Zhu and the others went to Xishan, he could use that as an excuse to go find them and send them the medicine and ammunition from his spatial storage. A win-win situation.

At night, He Yuyang lay in bed, listening to the wind outside the window, feeling very calm. Jia Dongxu's provocation was nothing more than a minor disturbance; what he really needed to be wary of were people like Yi Zhonghai who were all smiles and daggers, as well as those Japanese wolves outside who were eyeing him covetously.

He touched the gun under his pillow; the cold metallic feel gave him a sense of security. In this chaotic world, kindness and wisdom alone are not enough; one must also have the strength to protect oneself and one's family.

Tomorrow, he needs to visit Old Wang, ask about the situation at the front, and deliver the repaired gun there. Also, he needs to remind Old Wang that there might be some activity in Xishan, and to tell them to keep an eye out.

In the darkness, He Yuyang's eyes shone with an astonishing light. He knew that the peaceful days would not last long, and he had to seize the time to accumulate more strength so that he could protect those he wanted to protect in the coming storm.

Deep in the alley, the Jia family's light was still on. Inside, Jia Zhangshi was cursing and swearing: "You little brat! Stealing money from home to buy a whip, and then you went and provoked the He family! If I hadn't been so apologetic, would they have let you off the hook?"

"Mother, I was wrong..." Jia Dongxu's voice trembled with tears, "I just couldn't stand seeing their family living such a good life..."

"What's the use of disliking them?" Madam Jia said, exasperated. "If you're so capable, go make some big money yourself! All you do is bully your own kind! Let me tell you, stay away from the He family from now on, especially that He Yuyang, he doesn't look like someone to mess with!"

"knew……"

The wind whistled through the alley, scattering these whispered words into the night. He Yuyang turned over, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Looking for trouble? Bring it on. He's waiting.