Courtyard House: Starting with handing over the keys, the state helps me abuse birds.

He Yuzhu stood there, looking at Xie Weihong who was squatting on the ground trembling, his heart pounding in his throat.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

No, I can't get too excited. What if someone notices something's wrong?

What if this is just a dream, and I wake up back in that hell?

He pinched his thigh.

pain.

It really hurts.

Not a dream.

He looked around again; everything seemed so real.

Sunlight, noise, the fragrance of old locust trees in the air, and the distant sound of pigeon whistles.

He touched his leg. His right leg was strong and powerful, and he stood steadily.

In her previous life, Xie Weihong had broken her leg, causing her to walk with a limp. Although it was later reattached, it would ache terribly on rainy days.

But now, it's perfectly fine.

He Yuzhu slowly clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, using the pain to keep himself awake.

But he knew in his heart that he couldn't act rashly now.

He remembered very clearly that Xie Weihong's transformation in his previous life occurred tonight.

That night, Xie Weihong hanged herself. The next day, she was like a completely different person and didn't recognize anyone.

Later, the fool suddenly had a breakthrough and became incredibly strong, trampling them all under his feet.

If he rushes up now and kills Xie Weihong, will it trigger something prematurely?

What if that change wasn't caused by hanging, but by some other reason?

He needs to figure this out.

He Yuzhu composed himself and walked towards Xie Weihong.

He wanted to get closer and observe carefully, to see what was so special about Xie Weihong.

As he got closer, he could still hear Yi Zhonghai cursing.

"You little brat, your parents are dead, this compensation belongs to the government, do you think it's yours alone? We're making you hand it over for your own good, so you won't squander it! Look at you, everything you eat and wear is provided by the government. Without us, you would have starved to death long ago!"

Xie Weihong shrank her neck, her voice barely audible, "But...but that's mine...it was left to me by my parents..."

"Yours?" Yi Zhonghai slapped her again, the sharp sound echoing as Xie Weihong's face turned to the side, leaving a red handprint. "You eat and live in the hospital, don't you have to pay? The water you use, the coal you burn, all of that costs money! It's all deducted from your pension! The rest is yours, but do you have any left? You've already spent it all!"

Xie Weihong covered her face, not daring to utter a sound, tears streaming down her face.

Liu Haizhong chimed in, "That old man is right! This kid needs to be taught a lesson. If we don't teach him a lesson, he won't know who's in charge here! If you ask me, we should just take back his room and make him sleep in the woodshed. Let's see how he'll have the nerve to stay here!"

While cracking melon seeds, Jia Zhangshi said casually, "There are still a few pieces of furniture in his room. If we move them out and sell them, they can last for a few days. The bed board is made of red pine; it's worth a few bucks. And there's that watch his parents left behind; I heard it's a good one."

He Yuzhu stood to the side, looking down at Xie Weihong who was squatting on the ground.

thin.

So thin.

Her neck was as thin as a hemp stalk, her shoulders were pitifully narrow, and her whole body was huddled up in a ball.

Is this the demon who trampled them underfoot in their past life?

A complex feeling welled up in He Yuzhu's heart—a mix of pride, contempt, and a hint of inexplicable...fear?

Just then, he suddenly heard a voice.

"I was wrong... Please stop hitting me... Please, please stop hitting me..."

The voice was very soft, as if it came from a very far place, or as if it rang directly in his mind.

He Yuzhu was stunned.

He looked at Xie Weihong's mouth—her lips were tightly closed, pressed into a thin line, and she didn't move at all.

But the sound continued.

"It hurts...it hurts so much...I'm so scared...Why are they hitting me...What did I do wrong...I just wanted to keep the things my parents left me...those are what they left me..."

He Yuzhu's pupils suddenly contracted.

These are... Xie Weihong's true feelings?

He could hear Xie Weihong's inner thoughts.

He tentatively took another step forward, and the voice became clearer.

"I miss my mom... Mom, where are you... I miss you so much..."

He Yuzhu's heart raced again.

What's going on?

Can being reborn grant one the ability to read minds?

He looked at Yi Zhonghai again, trying to hear what Yi Zhonghai was thinking. But he couldn't hear anything, only Yi Zhonghai's cursing and swearing.

He looked at Liu Haizhong again, but still couldn't hear anything.

Only Xie Weihong.

He could only hear Xie Weihong's innermost thoughts.

He Yuzhu narrowed his eyes and stared at Xie Weihong, who was squatting on the ground.

This kid definitely has something going on.

He remembered Xie Weihong from his past life, that cold, powerful person who tormented them like dogs.

That Xie Weihong wouldn't have any such fears. The way she looked at them was like she was looking at a pile of garbage.

And what about Xie Weihong?

Was he genuinely scared, or was he faking it?

He Yuzhu squatted down and looked closer.

Xie Weihong felt someone approaching and trembled even more violently.

He Yuzhu heard that voice again.

"Please don't hit me...please don't hit me..."

He Yuzhu's lips slowly parted into a smile.

it is true.

This kid is genuinely scared.

That makes things easier.

He stood up, turned to Yi Zhonghai, and said, "Uncle, I think this kid needs a good beating. Let's leave it at that for today and let him go home and think it over. If he still doesn't pay by tomorrow, we can deal with him then."

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback, not expecting Sha Zhu to say that. But then he thought about it and realized Sha Zhu was right. What if he really ran away if pushed too far? Who would pay him back if he ran away?

"Fine, whatever you say." Yi Zhonghai kicked Xie Weihong. "Go back now, we'll settle the score with you tomorrow! Remember, if you don't have the money by tomorrow, you'll be in big trouble!"

Xie Weihong felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She scrambled to her feet and ran, staggering into her room and slamming the door shut. The door wobbled and almost fell off.

He Yuzhu stared at the dilapidated wooden door, his eyes narrowing into slits.

tonight.

It's tonight.

He was determined to find out exactly how Xie Weihong had changed.

For the rest of the time, He Yuzhu wandered around the yard.

He dared not get too close to Xie Weihong, for fear of alerting her, nor dared he go too far, for fear of missing something.

He sat under the old locust tree in the middle courtyard, pretending to enjoy the shade, but his eyes were always fixed on the door of Xie Weihong's room.

There was no movement inside the house.

Xie Weihong didn't come out, and no one went in either.

He Yuzhu waited and waited until the sun began to set, until the sky was ablaze with red clouds, until the people in the courtyard started cooking, eating, collecting their dishes, and closing the door.

Jia Zhangshi walked past him with her rice bowl in her hand, muttering, "Silly Zhu, why didn't you cook today? I was waiting to eat your braised pork."

He Yuzhu was taken aback, then remembered that at this time in his previous life, he was working in the cafeteria and cooking for the people in the compound every day when he came back. But now, how could he possibly have the mind to cook?

"I'm not feeling well today, I'm not doing it," he said dismissively.

Jia Zhangshi pursed her lips, picked up her bowl, and went back into her room.

He Yuzhu continued to wait.

It was completely dark.

The moon rose, its cool light spilling into the courtyard, bathing everything in a silvery-white glow. A few barks echoed in the distance, while insects chirped nearby in the grass.

The people in the courtyard gradually turned off their lights, and silence fell over the surroundings.

He Yuzhu stood up from under the locust tree, stretched his numb legs, and quietly crept to the window of Xie Weihong's house.

The room was lit by a dim light, and through the paper window, a thin figure could be seen sitting motionless on the edge of the bed.

He Yuzhu squatted under the window, listening intently.

Suppressed sobs could be heard coming from inside the room.

It was intermittent and very soft, as if afraid of being overheard.

He Yuzhu sneered inwardly.

Cry, cry all you want, there will be a time for you to cry later.

He waited a while longer, and suddenly heard noises coming from inside the room: the sound of chairs being moved and the sound of things being rummaged through.

He peered inside and saw Xie Weihong pull a rope out of the cabinet.

rope.

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up.

Hang yourself!

He was really going to hang himself!

He Yuzhu quickly shrank back and quietly followed.

Xie Weihong opened the door and crept furtively into the backyard. He walked very slowly, as if each step required all his strength.

The moonlight shone on his face, making it appear deathly pale. His eyes were red and swollen, and there were still tear stains on his face.

He Yuzhu hid behind the woodpile, his eyes fixed on his every move.

Xie Weihong walked to the old locust tree in the backyard and stopped.

He threw the rope up several times before it finally got on.

I tied a tight knot, then tugged on it to make sure it was secure.

Then he moved two bricks, placed them under his feet, and put the rope around his neck.

He Yuzhu looked at him, muttering to himself:

"Put it in...yes, put it in...die quickly...die quickly...if you die, no one will become stronger."

Xie Weihong stood on the bricks, trembling all over. The moonlight shone on his face, and tears streamed down his cheeks, glistening in the moonlight.

Then, he closed his eyes and kicked the brick away.

The rope suddenly tightened.

He Yuzhu's heart also jumped.

Die quickly! Die quickly! Quickly—

Just then.

"Snapped!"

The rope broke.

Xie Weihong fell heavily to the ground. He was dazed and confused, lying on the ground panting and coughing violently.

He Yuzhu's eyes widened.

The ground where Xie Weihong was lying suddenly collapsed.

With a muffled "boom," Xie Weihong sank halfway into the hole, dust billowing up and making him cough.

He Yuzhu was startled and almost cried out.

He covered his mouth and continued watching.

Xie Weihong struggled to get up and looked back at the collapsed pit.

The pit wasn't big, only about the size of a washbasin, but something inside seemed to be reflecting light.

The moonlight shone in, and you could see a rusty iron box buried at the bottom of the pit.

Xie Weihong stared blankly at the pit, then slowly reached out and pried the metal box out. He opened the box and took something out.

It is a book.

The old cover, its material indiscernible, gleamed faintly in the moonlight. There were a few words on the cover that He Yuzhu didn't recognize, but the book itself was clearly no ordinary item.

He Yuzhu's heart suddenly started pounding.

book!

So that's how it is!

Xie Weihong became stronger in her previous life because of this book!

He no longer bothered to hide, and rushed out from behind the woodpile, snatching the book from Xie Weihong's hand.

"Give it to me!"

Xie Weihong was pushed to the ground by him, looking at him in horror: "Idiot... idiot Brother Zhu..."

He Yuzhu looked down at the book in his hands. There were several ancient seal characters on the cover, crooked and winding, and he didn't recognize any of them.

But touching this book, you can feel a warm sensation seeping into your body, rising from your lower abdomen to the top of your head, making you feel warm all over.

nice one!

It's definitely a great product!

"This is mine..." Xie Weihong said weakly, reaching out to take it back, her fingers trembling in the air.

He Yuzhu kicked him away, sending him rolling twice on the ground.

"Yours? Do you deserve it? A piece of trash like you doesn't deserve to own something like that!"

He tucked the book into his coat pocket and turned to run.

Behind her, Xie Weihong lay on the ground, sobbing, her cries particularly mournful in the quiet night.

He Yuzhu ran back to his room in one breath, bolted the door behind him, and leaned against it, panting heavily. His heart was pounding in his chest, as if it would jump out of his throat.

He took out the book and read it carefully by the moonlight.

He didn't recognize any of the four large characters on the cover, written in a crooked seal script.

But inside, there are pictures and people, little figures in various poses.

He could barely make out some of the densely packed small characters next to him.

"Sink your Qi to the Dantian... Focus your mind on the Yongquan point (Kidney 1)... Guide the Qi into your body..."

Martial arts manual!

It must be a martial arts manual!

He Yuzhu's hands were trembling.

In her past life, Xie Weihong became a powerful person through this!

That cold-blooded devil, the one who tortured them like dogs, transformed himself from a piece of trash into a demon through this book!

Now that this book is in his hands, he will be the one to become stronger!

He can do it too!

He can become that strong!

He Yuzhu took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, hands on his knees, eyes closed, following the posture depicted on the first page, and tried to breathe as instructed by the words.

"Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale..."

At first, I didn't feel anything, only the sound of my own heartbeat.

He didn't give up and kept trying.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly felt a warm current rising in his lower abdomen, very faint, like a thin thread, traveling up his body.

He Yuzhu was startled.

It really works!

He continued to guide the heat flow through his body, following the instructions in the book.

The heat flow grew stronger, from a thin thread to the thickness of a little finger, slowly flowing through the meridians. Wherever it passed, it felt warm and cozy, like soaking in hot water.

After an unknown amount of time, he felt his body brimming with power, enough to kill a bull with a single punch.

He opened his eyes and looked at his hands.

Moonlight streamed through the window paper, illuminating his hand. His hand seemed to glow faintly, and something seemed to be flowing beneath his skin.

He stood up and lightly punched the wall.

"boom!"

A fist-sized hole appeared in the wall, bricks shattered and dust fell everywhere. The whole wall shook, and a few wisps of dust fell from the roof beams.

He Yuzhu stared at the hole for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! I did it! I did it!"

He laughed so hard he could hardly breathe, and tears streamed down his face.

Wasn't Xie Weihong from my past life the one who bullied them using this method?

He could jump four meters long and send someone flying with a single punch. Now he has that too! He can do it too!

He turned around and punched the wall again.

"boom!"

Another hole.

Another punch.

"boom!"

A third hole appeared in the wall, and the entire wall was on the verge of collapse.

He Yuzhu stopped, panting, and looked at his fist.

There wasn't a single scratch on his fist; the skin was perfectly intact, not even red.

That's power!

This is the power he has always dreamed of!

Tomorrow—no, right now—he's going to find Xie Weihong and crush him under his feet! He'll make him taste what it's like to be bullied! He'll make him kneel on the ground begging for mercy!

But after taking just one step, he stopped.

wrong.

We can't rush things now.

He wasn't familiar with the book yet, and didn't know what level of mastery was considered impressive. What if Xie Weihong had some other tricks up her sleeve? What if the book held secrets he was unaware of?

hold on.

Practice for a few more days.

It's not too late to deal with him when he becomes as strong as Xie Weihong in his previous life, or even stronger.

When the time comes, he will make Xie Weihong kneel in front of him, kowtow and call him grandpa!

He Yuzhu sat back on the bed and continued to flip through the book.

The next page contained more complex postures and breathing techniques. He practiced them and felt the heat flow growing stronger and faster throughout his body.

The heat flowed up my spine, and when it reached the back of my head, it felt like something exploded in my brain.

A bright future lay before us.

He saw his meridians, like a glowing net, covering his entire body. The heat flowed within this net, faster and stronger.

He was so engrossed in it that he completely forgot about time.

The moon outside the window slowly sank in the west, and the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn. The rooster began to crow, and the sounds of early risers talking drifted from afar.

He Yuzhu opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

He exhaled a breath that shot out like a white arrow, traveling more than three feet away and lingering for a long time.

He mastered three pages in one night.

He stood up and stretched. He felt light as a feather, walking as if on cotton, yet filled with explosive power. He stomped his foot lightly, and the ground trembled.

He walked up to the mirror and looked at the person in it.

His face was radiant, his eyes were bright and piercing, and there seemed to be light flowing deep within his pupils. He looked like he had been reborn, completely different from the silly Zhu from yesterday.

He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power.

"Xie Weihong..." he muttered to himself, a ferocious smile spreading across his lips. "The day I master this technique will be your death day. What you gave me, I will repay tenfold. What you owe me, I will make you pay with your life."

He turned and looked out the window.

It's almost dawn.

A new day, a new life.

He Yuzhu is finally going to turn things around!