Courtyard House: Ten-year-old Master Zhu reorganizes the entire courtyard

September.

Beiping.

The autumn heat wave is really fierce.

The sun was blazing down like a blazing fire, scorching the leaves of the old locust trees in the alley, while the cicadas were howling at the top of their lungs, making everyone feel like they were about to explode.

At the entrance of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, the two seals still stand out conspicuously. They flap loudly in the wind, as if slapping someone's face.

At the alley entrance, another jeep arrived.

With a creak.

The car door opened, and the first thing to emerge was a pair of leather shoes polished so brightly they reflected a person's image—Section Chief Ma's shoes.

With each step, dust seemed to scatter to the side as if it were dirtier.

This time, instead of street thugs following behind, there were two men with briefcases and round glasses, seemingly refined scoundrels. The official document in their hands, stamped with a red seal, looked like something no good.

"Come out, everyone! Come out, everyone!"

Section Chief Ma tapped the screen wall with his walking stick. The sound wasn't loud, but the sinister energy he exuded could seep into a person's bones.

"The matter of the review of enemy and puppet assets in the compound must be resolved today!"

The people in the courtyard had been on edge for the past few days, and as soon as they heard the commotion, they all rushed out.

Jia Zhangshi ran incredibly fast, like a wildcat smelling fish, her triangular eyes gleaming with a green light.

"Sir! My dear sir! You've finally arrived!"

Jia Zhangshi, with her hoarse voice, wished the whole of Beiping could hear her.

"I told you this house was illegitimate! Where did He Daqing, that lousy cook, get the money to buy such a big yard? The Japanese must have hidden things in here!"

Yi Zhonghai stood in the crowd, his deep frown lines so deep they could trap flies. He twirled two iron trolleys in his hands, his mind racing with calculations: if the He family really fell, the Central Court would likely be in a completely different state.

Section Chief Ma didn't even glance at Jia Zhangshi before walking straight towards the main house in the central courtyard.

Fang Wenlin was already waiting there.

He wore a faded white long gown, his hair was neatly combed, and his scholarly demeanor was completely different from that of Section Chief Ma's aggressive and domineering manner; they were from two completely different worlds.

"Section Chief Ma, we meet again." Fang Wenlin cupped his hands in a nonchalant manner.

Don't give me that.

Section Chief Ma used the official letter as a brick and slammed it directly into Fang Wenlin's chest.

"Orders have been issued! Any entity with unclear property rights or unexplained funding sources is to be confiscated! Understand?"

He pointed his walking stick at Fang Wenlin's nose, spitting almost as he spoke: "Mr. Fang, you're just a poor schoolteacher. Can you afford these three main rooms even if you teach your whole life? Huh?"

"Tell me! Were you just a front man for the anti-government elements?!"

This statement caused an uproar.

The neighbors buzzed with excitement. If this hat were to be put on, not only would they lose their house, but they'd also be forced to eat cornbread.

Fang Wenlin didn't get angry.

The official letter was left to fall to the ground.

He slowly and methodically pulled an oilcloth package from his sleeve, layer upon layer, as if peeling away some precious treasure.

"Section Chief Ma, there needs to be a reason to label someone."

He spread out a stack of yellowed papers one by one on the stone table.

That's where time stands.

"The red deed from the fifth year of the Republic of China, the official seal is still there. These are tax receipts from previous years, from the Beiyang period to now, not a single one missing. As for the money..." Fang Wenlin pushed up his glasses, "The documents for my father's division of the family property, and the sales deed for the hundred acres of land in our hometown, are all here. I am poor, but my ancestors left behind a few bricks that can be exchanged for food. Section Chief Ma, you are free to take these and check them."

Section Chief Ma picked up the receipts and flipped through them one by one, his face twitching with each step.

These procedures are so damn complete, it's like they were prepared specifically for today.

"Hmph, even receipts can be forged!" Section Chief Ma slammed the paper on the table, throwing a tantrum. "What era are we in? If I say you have a problem, then you have a problem! Men, clear this room out..."

"Let's see which dares to make a move!"

A sharp shout, though silent, pierced everyone's ears like an awl.

It came from the backyard.

The crowd parted to make way for them.

笃.

笃.

笃.

The deaf old woman's cane tapped repeatedly on the bluestone slab, and also on people's hearts.

He Yuzhu helped her up.

Today, the old lady wore a dark red satin jacket that she had kept at the bottom of her trunk. Her hair was neatly combed. The patina on the dragon head of her cane had been worn away, but the two characters engraved on it would make any knowledgeable person shudder—"Alliance."

Section Chief Ma was taken aback by this aura, narrowing his eyes: "Where did this old codger come from? Obstructing official business, looking for death?"

The deaf old woman walked up to him, not even bothering to lift her eyelids, and slammed her cane heavily on the blue brick.

"This yard belongs to my man."

The old lady's voice was like icicles in the twelfth lunar month.

"Mr. Fang is my distant nephew. He handled the paperwork, so the family's roots are with me. The He family used to be tenants, but Mr. Fang bought the property so that this old man like me would have a place to live."

"Your man?" Section Chief Ma scoffed. "Which temple's bodhisattva is he from?"

"A clay Buddha?"

The old lady laughed, but there was no warmth in her laughter; it was full of ice shards.

"My husband's surname is Long. Back when he was following Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Guangzhou to make revolution, your father was probably still playing in the mud. This stick," she said, holding the end of her cane horizontally, "was issued by the Grand Marshal's Mansion, and it has a number. If you don't believe me, take it back and have your superior, that guy surnamed Li, check the records in Nanjing!"

Section Chief Ma's face turned pale and then flushed.

These days, anything can be fake, but if this is true... even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare touch the widow of a "veteran" martyr who is associated with the founding father of the nation.

Just then, Lin Wanqiu, carrying a first-aid kit, squeezed in through the gate as if she had planned it all along.

"Excuse me, please make way."

Lin Wanqiu squeezed into the circle, looking "surprised".

"Oh dear, what are you doing? Ma'am, you can't get angry. Your heart... I'm the doctor in this area. If anything happens to you here, who will take responsibility?"

Her shout completely changed the nature of the matter.

The confiscation of smuggled property has escalated into a situation where officials are forcing the people to rebel, and they are even trying to drive revolutionary families to their deaths.

Section Chief Ma, now you're truly stuck on the tiger's back.

Arrest them? I wouldn't dare.

Leave? Where would I put my face? What about the money?

Xu Fugui, who had been listless on the sidelines, suddenly came to life.

He was like a slippery eel, sliding right up to Section Chief Ma with a smile so thick it could smear three pounds of oil off his face.

A thick envelope slipped silently from his sleeve into Section Chief Ma's hand.

"Section Chief Ma, Brother Ma, please grant me this favor, please grant me this favor."

Xu Fugui pulled him aside, his voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum.

"Misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding! This old lady... is really not someone to mess with. If we stab her, it won't look good for Commissioner Li either, will it? The He family has cooked for the Japanese, but that's just to make a living. If a knife is held to your throat, who would dare not go? This is just a small token. You and your brothers can have a cup of tea to calm down."

Xu Fugui's steps were delivered steadily and comfortably.

Section Chief Ma squeezed the thickness of the envelope, his anger subsiding by about 70-80%. He glanced at the deaf old woman who looked like a god, and then remembered Commissioner Li's instructions before he left: "Things are tense in Nanjing lately, don't cause any trouble."

"Ahem!"

Section Chief Ma cleared his throat, his official tone returning.

"Since the old lady is acting as guarantor, and the paperwork seems legitimate, we need to verify this further! That's all for today! Remove the seal... Don't disturb the old lady's rest!"

With a wave of his hand, he led his men away, tails between their legs.

Jia Zhangshi was completely stunned. Her mouth was agape, like a frog out of water, and she couldn't catch her breath for a long time.

How could a traitor's house, which was a foregone conclusion, just... just disappear like that?

Yi Zhonghai took a deep look at the deaf old lady, then shifted his gaze to the ten-year-old boy beside her who hadn't uttered a sound from beginning to end, but whose calm gaze was unsettling—He Yuzhu.

A chill ran up his spine.

What kind of powerful force is hidden beneath the surface of the He family's influence?

The crowd dispersed.

He Yuzhu helped the old lady back to the backyard. As they passed Xu Fugui, he said, "Uncle Xu, I'll remember this favor. I'll send you the money later."

Xu Fugui shuddered, quickly waved his hand, and lowered his voice even further: "Don't say that! In the future... just have your father put in a good word for me with Commissioner Li."

Back inside, He Yuzhu poured a glass of water for the old lady.

The old lady held the cup, her hands still trembling. That last splurge had been a desperate attempt.

"Zhu Zi, we've gotten through this hurdle, but the root of the problem hasn't been eradicated. Behind that Ma guy is that Commissioner Li, and that knife is hanging over us all the time."

"I know."

He Yuzhu's gaze was cast out the window, across the courtyard wall, as if it had been fixed on someone.

"Grandma, don't worry."

"This knife."

"Not only will it break, I'll break it into eight pieces."