He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

On the morning of Lunar New Year's Eve, the air was filled with the smell of firecracker debris and a faint scent of gunpowder, finally bringing a touch of the festive atmosphere. He Yuyang had just finished helping He Daqing put up the Spring Festival couplets and was about to go back inside to help his mother make dumplings when Zhou Zhengguo's apprentice, Xiao Li, rushed over, his face filled with urgency: "Uncle He, Brother He, my master sent me to call you to the grain shop, saying there's something urgent."

He Daqing was taken aback: "What urgent matter could the grain shop have during the Lunar New Year?"

"It seems there's a problem with the accounts," Xiao Li said, panting. "The accountant, Mr. Liu, said the numbers don't match up and asked Uncle He to go over and check them."

He Yuyang's heart skipped a beat. His father had only been working at the grain shop for three days, and just two days ago he said everything was going smoothly. How could there be an accounting problem on New Year's Eve? He glanced at Xiao Li's anxious expression and then thought of Yi Zhonghai's always fake smile. He vaguely felt that this matter was not simple.

"Dad, I'll go with you." He Yuyang picked up his cotton-padded coat. "I'll also go and wish Master Zhou a Happy New Year."

He Daqing didn't think much of it and nodded: "Okay, this will also let you get acquainted with the place."

The mother and son exchanged a few words of advice, "Go early and come back early," and He Yuyang followed his father and Xiao Li toward the grain shop. The streets were nearly deserted; occasionally, a few children would run by carrying candied hawthorns, their laughter dispelling some of the gloom of the chaotic world. But He Yuyang's unease grew stronger; he felt as if a pair of eyes were watching them from the shadows.

The grain shop was located on the main street at the entrance of the alley. It wasn't large, but it was kept clean. The shopkeeper, surnamed Huang, was Zhou Zhengguo's distant cousin and usually seemed quite amiable. At this moment, however, two clerks stood at the shop's entrance, their faces grim. When they saw He Daqing arrive, they merely nodded, without offering their usual greeting.

"Uncle He, this way please." Xiao Li led them to the backyard, where the accounting office was located in a small hut.

As soon as I entered, I heard a shrill voice shouting, "It must be him! Who else could it be? He's only been here three days and something's already gone wrong. If he didn't embezzle, what else could it be?"

The speaker was a thin, elderly man wearing reading glasses and holding an account book in his hand; he was none other than Mr. Liu, the accountant. Seeing He Daqing enter, he immediately slammed the account book on the table and pointed at He Daqing's nose: "He Daqing, you tell me yourself, five jin of flour are missing from this account. Did you take it?"

He Daqing was bewildered: "Mr. Liu, what do you mean by that? I've only been working here for three days, and I haven't even touched the door of the granary yet. How could there be a shortage of flour?"

"Didn't you touch it?" Mr. Liu sneered, flipping open the ledger. "Look, the fifty catties of flour that went into storage the day before yesterday, forty-two catties were left yesterday, and today we checked and there are only thirty-seven catties left! You were in charge of cleaning the backyard during this time, so if you didn't take it, who did?"

"I didn't even go near the granary when I was cleaning!" He Daqing said anxiously, his face turning red. "Besides, the granary is locked, and the key is with Manager Huang. How am I supposed to get it?"

"Who knows if you picked the lock when no one was looking?" Mr. Liu retorted, his neck stiff. "I think you're just a thief. You used to take all sorts of bribes when you were the manager at the restaurant, and now that you're at the grain shop, you haven't changed your ways!"

This not only framed someone but also brought up old grievances, clearly a deliberate attempt to cause trouble. He Yuyang stood aside, coldly observing Mr. Liu—the old man's eyes flickered, and his hand unconsciously clenched his sleeve as he spoke, clearly indicating he had something to hide. Looking at the account book again, the handwriting was crooked, especially the words "forty-two catties," the ink was fresher than the rest, obviously altered later.

"Mr. Liu," He Yuyang suddenly spoke, his voice calm, "Could I take a look at the account books?"

Mr. Liu was taken aback, then glared at him: "What are you looking at, you brat? Do you even know anything about accounting?"

"I want to learn even if I don't understand." He Yuyang ignored his sarcasm, walked straight to the table, picked up the ledger and flipped through it. Sure enough, the inventory record from the day before yesterday was clearly written as fifty catties of white flour, but yesterday's inventory count had obvious signs of alteration. The original "thirty-seven catties" had been changed to "forty-two catties", and the ink was not yet dry.

"Mr. Liu," He Yuyang pointed to the altered area, "you changed these words, didn't you? The ink isn't even dry yet."

Mr. Liu's face paled, but he forced himself to remain calm: "What does a child know? I just misremembered and corrected it."

"Did you misremember?" He Yuyang smiled and pulled a small notebook from his pocket—it was an account book template he had taken from his spatial storage. It clearly recorded the details of incoming and outgoing goods, with even the date, the person in charge, and the quantity clearly marked. "Before my father came, Master Zhou was worried that he wouldn't remember the rules, so he specially gave him an account book template and asked him to record what he handled every day. Look, in my father's records for these three days, he hasn't touched any white flour at all."

He handed the notebook to Manager Huang, who had just come in: "Manager Huang, take a look. My father keeps track of the time every day after he finishes cleaning. Yesterday afternoon, when he was cleaning the backyard, Mr. Liu, you were loitering at the entrance of the granary. Both of the shop assistants can testify to this."

Manager Huang took the notebook, his brows furrowing more and more as he read it. He looked up at his two employees, one of whom immediately nodded: "That's right, Manager. Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Liu did stand at the granary entrance for quite a while and asked me if the locks on the granary were secure."

Mr. Liu's face turned pale instantly, and his lips trembled as he stammered, "You...you're lying! When did I..."

"Mr. Liu," He Yuyang interrupted him, her eyes turning cold, "you didn't actually lose five jin of flour; you only lost thirty-seven jin to begin with, didn't you? You deliberately altered the accounts to frame my father and get rid of him. But why did you do that? Was someone instructing you?"

The last sentence struck Mr. Liu like a hammer blow. He stumbled back, crashing into the wall, the account book falling to the ground. This reaction was, without a doubt, an admission of guilt.

Manager Huang's face darkened. Although he was the manager of the grain shop, Mr. Liu was a distant relative of his, and he usually turned a blind eye to it. He never expected that this old man would dare to tamper with the accounts and even try to frame the person introduced by Zhou Zhengguo.

"Old Liu," Manager Huang's voice was filled with anger, "tell me the truth, what exactly happened? Did you take those five catties of flour?"

Mr. Liu slumped to the ground, muttering, "It wasn't me... it was... someone made me do it..."

"Who?" He Yuyang pressed.

Mr. Liu opened his mouth, glanced at the door, but ultimately didn't say anything. He just waved his hand and said, "Don't ask anymore... It was my fault. I shouldn't have changed the accounts, and I shouldn't have framed Master He..."

He Yuyang had a good idea of ​​what was going on. Mr. Liu dared not say, but it was most likely Yi Zhonghai. After all, his father's presence at the grain shop was due to Zhou Zhengguo's influence, and Yi Zhonghai had always seen Zhou Zhengguo as a thorn in his side, wanting to use this opportunity to sabotage his father's job and, incidentally, cause trouble for Zhou Zhengguo.

"Manager Huang," He Yuyang looked at Manager Huang, "this matter is ultimately an internal affair of the grain shop. Since Mr. Liu has admitted his mistake and my father hasn't suffered any substantial losses, let's just let it go. It's the New Year, and it wouldn't look good if we made a big fuss about it."

Manager Huang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "You're so sensible. Old Liu, I won't pursue this matter today, but I'm afraid you can't keep your job as an accountant. Pack your things and leave."

Mr. Liu sighed, struggled to his feet, and silently began packing his things. He Daqing was still somewhat dazed by this scene until He Yuyang pulled him back to his senses.

"Manager Huang, I'm sorry for causing you trouble." He Daqing said somewhat apologetically.

"I'm the one who should apologize," Manager Huang said with a wry smile. "I'm sorry you had to suffer. Don't worry, just do your job at this grain shop diligently. With me here, no one will be able to bully you again."

Emerging from the grain shop, He Daqing finally breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest: "That really scared me to death. How could Old Liu frame someone like that?"

"Dad, there are all kinds of people in this world." He Yuyang looked at the snowflakes falling on the street. "Some people can't stand seeing others do well and are always trying to trip them up. In the future, you need to be more careful at the grain shop, especially with the accounts. Remember to keep a clear record every day so that no one has any leverage against you."

"I understand." He Daqing nodded, looking at his son with a complicated expression. "Yangyang, I owe you a lot today. Without you, I would be in deep trouble."

"No need for thanks, we're family." He Yuyang smiled. "Come on, let's go home and make dumplings, Mom must be getting impatient."

The father and son were walking home when, nearing the alley entrance, they saw Yi Zhonghai standing under an old locust tree, talking to a man in a cotton-padded coat. The man had his back to them, so they couldn't see his face, but the smug smile on Yi Zhonghai's face was clearly visible. Seeing them approach, Yi Zhonghai immediately stopped smiling and put on a concerned expression: "Daqing, why are you so late? What happened?"

"It's nothing," He Yuyang said first, her eyes coldly fixed on Yi Zhonghai. "It's just that the accountant at the grain shop made a mistake in the accounts, but it's been resolved. Why isn't Master Yi going home for the New Year? Why is he here enjoying the scenery?"

Yi Zhonghai's smile froze for a moment: "I was just talking to a friend. It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright. Go home quickly, your family must be getting worried."

He Yuyang ignored him and pulled his father straight into the alley. He could feel Yi Zhonghai's gaze behind him piercing like needles, but he didn't care. Some contests were only just beginning.

When they got home, Liu Yan and He Yuzhu were waiting for them to eat dumplings. Seeing them return, He Yuzhu immediately exclaimed, "Dad, brother, why are you so late? The dumplings are almost cold!"

"Something came up and I was held up." He Daqing smiled as he sat down, picked up a dumpling, and popped it into his mouth. "So delicious! Homemade dumplings are the best."

Liu Yan glanced at He Yuyang, and seeing that he looked to indicate that everything was alright, she didn't ask any further questions. She simply put a dumpling into He Daqing's bowl and said, "Eat quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

At the dinner table, He Yuyang briefly recounted the grain shop incident, omitting Yi Zhonghai's involvement and only stating that Mr. Liu himself had embezzled the flour and was trying to frame his father. Liu Yan frowned as she listened: "How can people be so wicked? They can't even keep quiet during the New Year."

"Mom, don't worry," He Yuyang comforted her. "It's been resolved, and this won't happen again."

He Yuzhu, however, was fuming: "That old man is too wicked! If I ever run into him, I'll definitely give him a few punches!"

"Alright, let's eat." He Daqing tapped his head. "Stop waving swords and guns all day."

The family chatted and laughed, the earlier unpleasantness gradually dissipating. Outside the window, firecrackers went off one after another, and fireworks bloomed in the night sky, illuminating the courtyard. Looking at his family's smiling faces, He Yuyang secretly vowed that no matter how much scheming and difficulties he encountered, he would protect this warmth and ensure that his family could live a peaceful and stable life.

In the afternoon, He Yuyang went to pay New Year's respects to Zhou Zhengguo and mentioned the grain shop incident. After listening, Zhou Zhengguo snorted coldly, "I knew that old bastard Yi Zhonghai wouldn't behave himself. He's ostensibly targeting your father, but he's actually trying to embarrass me."

"Master, please don't be angry," He Yuyang advised. "Now that Mr. Liu has been kicked out and Manager Huang has also expressed his opinion, everything should be fine from now on."

"You can't be too careful," Zhou Zhengguo said, looking at him. "Yi Zhonghai has been operating in this alley for decades. He has a wide network of connections and is cunning. You and your son have to be extra careful in the grain shop. If anything goes wrong again, don't hesitate to come to me."

"I understand, thank you, Master."

After leaving Zhou Zhengguo's place, He Yuyang went to Grandpa Wang's house. The old man was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) cutting paper snowflakes. When he saw him come in, he greeted him with a smile, "Yangyang's here? Come and sit down. I just cooked some dumplings and saved a bowl for you."

"No, Uncle Wang, I just ate at home." He Yuyang sat down and helped the old man tidy up the paper-cut window decorations. "Happy New Year to you, and wishing you a peaceful and healthy year."

"Good, good." Grandpa Wang smiled broadly. "I also wish your parents good health and your younger brother a safe and healthy growth."

The two chatted for a while, then Grandpa Wang suddenly lowered his voice: "Yangyang, this morning I saw Yi Zhonghai whispering with Mr. Liu from the grain shop at the alley entrance, and I felt something was off. Later I heard that Mr. Liu was kicked out. Could it be related to him?"

He Yuyang's heart skipped a beat; he hadn't expected Grandpa Wang to have seen it. He nodded: "It's most likely him. But it's alright, we're prepared."

"That's good." Old Wang sighed. "That old man looks like a good person, but he's actually full of bad intentions. He tricked my son once when he was still alive. It's a story that brings tears to my eyes."

He Yuyang didn't press for details, but listened silently. He knew that this alley was rife with grudges and schemes, and his family had been drawn into the center of this vortex.

As evening fell, every household had pasted up the character "福" (fortune) and hung lanterns. The alley was filled with a festive atmosphere, and children ran around carrying lanterns, their laughter echoing throughout the alley. He Yuyang stood at the gate of her courtyard, watching this lively scene, yet her heart remained calm.

He knew this calm was only temporary. Yi Zhonghai's scheme had failed, and he certainly wouldn't let it go easily; more trouble would follow. But he wasn't afraid. With the support of his family, the care of Zhou Zhengguo, the supplies in his spatial storage, and his own strength, he was confident he could weather any storm.

"Brother, firecrackers are going off!" He Yuzhu ran over with a string of small firecrackers, his face full of excitement.

"Be careful." He Yuyang took the match and lit the fuse for him.

"Crackling and popping—" The sound of firecrackers rang out, dispelling the winter chill and seemingly clearing away the gloom in the air. He Yuyang looked at her younger brother's excited smiling face and the warm light shining from inside the house, a smile appearing on her lips.

A new year has begun. No matter how many thorns lie ahead, he will lead his family, step by step, with unwavering determination. Because he knows that his family is his strongest support and the light he must protect.