He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

On a late autumn afternoon, there was a rare moment of warm sunshine. Golden rays filtered through the bare branches of the old locust tree, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone slabs of the courtyard and dispelling some of the chill. He Yuyang was helping his mother air out the quilts, hanging the old cotton quilt with several patches on the rope in the yard so that the sun could thoroughly dry it and kill any dampness.

He Yuzhu chased after the dust motes in the light and shadow, running until he was covered in sweat, his little face flushed, showing no sign of cold.

"Zhu Zi, slow down, don't fall." Liu Yan stood at the door, sewing shoe soles in her hands, and reminded her with a smile. After this period of conditioning with spiritual spring water and improved diet, her complexion had improved a lot, her cough had basically healed, and she spoke with much more confidence.

He Yuyang glanced back at his mother, feeling a warmth in his heart. Although life was simple and frugal, he was content with such peaceful moments.

Just then, the door to the east wing creaked open, and Yan Bugui, wearing a faded long gown and toying with a bunch of keys, slowly walked out. He was twenty-five years old and worked as a teacher at a nearby primary school. He wore thin-rimmed glasses and looked refined, but in reality, he was shrewd and calculating, able to stretch every penny. Behind his back, everyone in the courtyard called him "Old Yan the West."

Yan Bugui's gaze swept around the courtyard, finally landing on the He family mother and son. He put on a seemingly kind smile and walked towards Liu Yan.

"Sister-in-law He, are you busy?" His voice carried a hint of deliberate intimacy.

Liu Yan looked up, put down her work, and replied with a smile, "Oh, it's Instructor Yan. Nothing to do, just sewing a pair of shoe soles. What are you doing here...?"

"Oh, my soy sauce bottle is empty. I wanted to come and ask if you have any extra soy sauce? I'd like to borrow some. My husband will bring it to you later." Yan Bugui said, but his eyes seemed to be hooked as he glanced at the He family's window, as if trying to look inside.

He Yuyang's heart skipped a beat. Yan Bugui's family had just bought the soy sauce yesterday, and his third aunt had been telling his mother that morning that Yan Bugui had haggled with the grocery store owner for ages to save a single copper coin. His coming to borrow soy sauce now was clearly a pretext.

He subtly moved closer to his mother, his eyes warily fixed on Yan Bugui. He remembered that in the original story, Yan Bugui was a complete egoist who loved to pry into the backgrounds of other families. Whenever someone had something to gain, Yan Bugui would be the first to rush over and try to take advantage of them.

Liu Yan didn't think much of it and stood up, saying, "Yes, I'll go get it for you."

"Oh, thank you so much, Sister He. It's just a little bit, enough for cooking." Yan Bugui said politely, but he didn't move his feet. He remained standing in the same spot, his gaze seemingly casually falling on the cotton quilt hanging on the rope. "This quilt is well dried in the sun. It will definitely be warm to cover yourself with at night."

"Yes, it's getting cold, so we need to bask in the sun to warm up," Liu Yan replied as she went inside to get some soy sauce.

Only He Yuyang, He Yuzhu, and Yan Bugui remained in the courtyard. He Yuzhu looked curiously at the keychain in Yan Bugui's hand and reached out to touch it.

"Zhu Zi, come back." He Yu Yang grabbed her younger brother and said to Yan Bu Gui, "Uncle Yan, do you need to see my mother?"

Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses, looked at He Yuyang, and his smile deepened: "Nothing much, just catching up with your mother. By the way, Yangyang, how's your dad doing at the restaurant lately? I heard a distinguished guest came and specifically requested Tan family cuisine. Is your dad in charge of cooking?"

"They're here." He Yuyang sneered inwardly. Sure enough, they've come about his father's matter. Everyone in the courtyard knew his father was the head chef at the restaurant, but Tan family cuisine was official cuisine, rarely served. When it was served, it was always for distinguished guests, and a generous reward was guaranteed. Yan Bugui had heard rumors and come to investigate.

"My dad's doing fine." He Yuyang pretended not to understand the deeper meaning in his words and said in a flat tone, "He's very busy every day, leaving early and coming home late, and he's so tired that he can't straighten his back when he gets back."

"Oh? Is that so?" Yan Bugui drawled, a barely perceptible hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes. "Being a head chef is tough, but... the pay must be pretty good, right? I've heard that Tan family cuisine is meticulous and time-consuming to prepare, so the manager must be giving out generous bonuses, right?"

As he spoke, he moved closer to the door of the He family's house, seemingly trying to peek through the crack in the door.

He Yuyang saw through his thoughts and deliberately raised his voice, making sure it was clear enough for his mother inside the house and the neighbors who might be nearby to hear: "Uncle Yan, you don't know, my dad's wages are barely enough to feed our family! Grain is so expensive now, a liter of rice has gone up by several copper coins. My mother has to be very careful with the money every day just to keep my brother and me from going hungry."

He paused, noticing the slight change in Yan Bugui's expression, and continued, "Guess what? The scraps of meat my father brought back last time were leftovers from a customer. The shopkeeper saw how hard my father worked and gave them to him as a reward. My father didn't eat a single bite himself; he brought them all back to nourish my mother, saying that it wasn't easy for her to raise us two."

He spoke these words with sincerity and childlike innocence, yet he also clearly explained the family's "predicament"—his father was a chef, but he didn't earn much money, the family was struggling financially, and even scraps of meat were a rare treat.

Yan Bugui's smile froze for a moment, and his eyes behind his glasses narrowed. He hadn't expected this eight-year-old child to be so tactful, shutting down all the information he wanted to get out of him in just a few words.

At this moment, Liu Yan came out with a small bowl of soy sauce. She happened to hear He Yuyang's words, and her heart stirred slightly. She glanced at her son and then handed the soy sauce to Yan Bugui: "Teacher Yan, take this."

"Oh, thank you, Sister-in-law He." Yan Bugui took the bowl of soy sauce, but his thoughts were interrupted by He Yuyang's words. He had originally heard that He Daqing had cooked Tan family dishes and received a lot of reward money, so he thought he would come and see if he could borrow something or get a meal. He did not expect that the He family was still in such a difficult situation.

Had he misheard? Or was the child deliberately saying it to him? Yan Bugui wondered to himself.

He Yuyang noticed his hesitation and decided to add fuel to the fire by deliberately shouting loudly into the house, "Mom! Uncle Yan is here to borrow soy sauce. Do we have any left? Oh, and Uncle Yan also asked if we had any flour, wanting to borrow some! I told Uncle Yan that we only have enough coarse grain flour left in the jar for tomorrow morning, which my dad bought with his wages. We have to be careful with it so we can last until the next payday!"

His voice was loud and clear, and not only Yan Bugui could hear it clearly, but even the third aunt in the west wing and Yi Zhonghai in the middle courtyard could vaguely hear the noise and looked out through the crack in the door.

Yan Bugui's face flushed red instantly, and he was also somewhat annoyed. He had never said he wanted to borrow flour, but this kid had made it up out of thin air, and said it so loudly, as if he wanted everyone in the hospital to know that he had come to "borrow" something! Wasn't this blatantly trying to frame him?

"Hey, Yangyang, what nonsense are you talking about?" Yan Bugui quickly waved his hand and explained to Liu Yan, "I didn't say I wanted to borrow flour, I just wanted to ask... ask if you have enough flour, that's all."

Liu Yan also frowned and looked at He Yuyang: "Yangyang, don't talk nonsense. Teacher Yan didn't say anything about borrowing flour." She turned to Yan Bugui and said apologetically, "This child is young and doesn't know any better. Teacher Yan, please don't take it to heart."

"It's alright, it's alright, he's just a kid." Yan Bugui said it was alright, but in his heart he cursed He Yuyang several times. This kid looks unremarkable, but he's quite cunning. If he dares to mention borrowing things again after what he just said, he'll really be seen as a petty person who takes advantage of others in distress, and if word gets out, he, as a teacher, will lose face.

He glanced at the tightly closed door of the He family's house, knowing that he wouldn't be able to find out anything today. Staying any longer would only make him look foolish, and he might even be laughed at by the people in the courtyard.

"Well, Sister He, I'm going back now. I'll have my husband bring you the money for the soy sauce later," Yan Bugui said somewhat awkwardly, picking up the bowl of soy sauce and heading to leave.

"No need, no need, it's just a little soy sauce, why would I charge you?" Liu Yan said politely.

"Yes, yes, one thing at a time." Yan Bugui said, turning around and walking towards the east wing. His steps were much faster than when he came, and even the keychain in his hand jingled. When he reached his own door, he couldn't help but turn back and glare at He Yuyang, only to find that the boy was talking to He Yuzhu with his head down, not looking at him at all, as if his words just now were unintentional.

Yan Bugui snorted and pushed open the door to enter the room, his mind in turmoil.

Something's not right with He Yuyang!

This child used to be quiet and reserved, avoiding people whenever he saw them. How come he's suddenly become so eloquent today? Moreover, he speaks clearly and logically, cutting off the words he wants to say. It's clearly intentional!

And what about He Daqing? Did he really not make any money, or did he hide it? The reward money for Tan Family Cuisine should not have been less than what he asked for, so how come he couldn't even "borrow" some flour?

Yan Bugui sat in the armchair in the room, tapping his fingers on the table, his brows furrowed. He felt there was definitely something fishy going on, but He Yuyang's words were so tight and loud that everyone in the courtyard heard them. Even if he had suspicions, he couldn't go and investigate further, otherwise he would only get himself into trouble.

"This kid's got a tight tongue, like a little adult," Yan Bugui muttered to himself, secretly making a mental note of this. He wanted to see if the He family was really as poor as He Yuyang had claimed.

Outside the courtyard, the He family mother and son breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Yan Bugui's figure disappear into the east wing.

Liu Yan pulled He Yuyang aside and whispered, "Yangyang, how did you know Instructor Yan came to borrow flour?"

"I guessed it." He Yuyang looked up at her mother. "Last time, Aunt Yan said that her family was almost out of flour and that she wanted to borrow some from someone. He came to borrow soy sauce just now, probably to take the opportunity to see if we had any leftover food."

He paused, then said seriously, "Mother, we can't let others know too much about our family's situation. You know Uncle Yan, he's a real schemer. If he finds out we have some surplus grain, he'll definitely come to borrow from us every day, and he might not even pay it back."

Liu Yan paused for a moment, then nodded. She wasn't stupid, just that she didn't usually think things through. After her son's comment, she realized what he meant. Yan Bugui's gaze had indeed been strange; he kept glancing into the house. It wasn't as simple as just borrowing soy sauce.

"You're so thoughtful." Liu Yan patted her son's head, feeling a little emotional. This child is becoming more and more sensible, considering things even more thoroughly than she does.

"Mom, if anyone from the neighborhood comes asking about Dad or wants to borrow anything, just say we're broke and have nothing," He Yuyang said softly. "It'll save us trouble."

"Okay, whatever you say," Liu Yan replied with a smile. She was increasingly convinced that her eldest son was reliable; with him around, it seemed like there was nothing to fear.

He Yuzhu ran over and tugged at He Yuyang's sleeve: "Brother, why is Uncle Yan unhappy? Did he get angry because I tried to touch his keychain?"

"No," He Yuyang said with a smile, rubbing her younger brother's head. "Uncle Yan is in a hurry to go home and cook for Aunt Yan. Come on, let's continue airing the quilts."

He turned around, picked up a bamboo pole from the corner, and gently patted the quilt to shake out the dust. Sunlight shone on the quilt, giving it a faint, warm scent that felt comforting.

That brief exchange, though without bloodshed, was nonetheless fraught with tension. He Yuyang knew this was just the beginning. Everyone in the courtyard had their own agendas, and similar tests would only increase in the future.

But he wasn't afraid.

He has memories of the future, knows everyone's personality and schemes; he has enough caution and patience to protect the family's secrets; and he is determined to protect his family.

Just like before, we met each challenge head-on, using the most inconspicuous methods to defuse each test and scheme.

He looked towards the central courtyard. Yi Zhonghai's door was tightly closed, but he could sense that someone had been listening behind that door when Yan Bugui was talking to them. This "old man" in the courtyard, seemingly fair and selfless, actually had his own agenda, especially when it came to his father and brother; he had never had good intentions.

And then there's Madam Jia Zhang in the west wing. Although she didn't come out today, given her personality, she must have heard the commotion just now, and who knows what she's plotting in her mind.

He Yuyang let out a soft sigh. This courtyard house was truly a battlefield without gunfire.

"Brother, look! There are pigeons in the sky!" He Yuzhu pointed to the sky and shouted excitedly.

He Yuyang looked up and saw several gray pigeons circling leisurely above the courtyard. He smiled slightly, and the heaviness in his heart dissipated considerably.

No matter how much scheming and strife there is in this courtyard, he will protect the peace that belongs to their family. Just like the sunlight, though weak, it can always pierce through the gloom and bring warmth and hope.

He lowered his head and continued to pat the blanket, each pat forceful, as if he wanted to scatter all his unease and scheming in the sunlight.

The afternoon sun gradually slanted westward, casting a long, long shadow on the bluestone slab, resolute and steady.