Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

The sky was just beginning to lighten. He Yuzhu leaned against the doorframe of the west wing, his eyes fixed on the tightly closed door of the east wing opposite, his face expressionless.

He didn't go to Fengzeyuan. He barely slept a wink in the latter half of the night, the eerie blue screen in his mind opening and closing repeatedly as he weighed the fifty points for "Elementary Combat Mastery." The knowledge had been poured in, as if he were born with it, but his body was still malnourished and needed time to adapt.

More importantly, he had to wait for someone.

In their past life, this was today. He Daqing—their father—slipped away with everything he could from the house and ran off to Baoding with the White Widow without a word. When he and Yushui woke up, the house was just an empty shell, with the neighbors' eyes filled with a mixture of pity and amusement.

This time, it won't work.

squeak-

The door opposite opened a crack. He Daqing squeezed out sideways, a bulging gray cloth bundle slung over his back. He looked around furtively, his hand inside his coat, a gesture that immediately caught He Yuzhu's eye: a small piece of cardboard peeking out from the corner of the inside pocket of his cotton-padded jacket—a train ticket.

He Daqing tiptoed toward the hanging flower gate, but as soon as he stepped over the threshold, he froze.

He Yuzhu, who had appeared out of nowhere, was standing in the shadows inside the hanging flower gate, blocking his way. The sixteen-year-old boy, who had grown to be almost as tall as He Daqing, just stood there straight, not saying a word, just watching.

He Daqing's face twitched. He subconsciously tried to cover the thing in his arms tightly, his voice weak, but he forced a fatherly air: "Zhuzi? You...didn't go to work?"

"I've taken leave." He Yuzhu's voice was flat, his gaze falling on the bulge in his chest. "Dad, are you going on a long trip? Your luggage is quite heavy, and you're carrying... a train ticket? To Baoding?"

He Daqing's face changed instantly, his panic mixed with anger at being exposed: "What nonsense are you spouting! I... went out to take care of some business, children shouldn't meddle in adult matters!"

"Getting something done?" He Yuzhu took a small step forward, stepping from the shadows into the cool morning light. A chilling smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Going to Baoding to ask that Aunt Bai for a favor, right? How long are you planning to stay? A year, two years, or... maybe you're not coming back?"

"You!" He Daqing was completely enraged. Shame turned into fury, and he raised his hand to slap He Yuzhu across the face. "You've gone too far! How dare you talk to your father like that!"

The hand moved with a gust of wind, and He Yuzhu could even see the rough lines and chapped skin on He Daqing's palm. In his past life, he had taken this slap, keeping his head down and not daring to utter a sound. In this life…

He Yuzhu didn't retreat. His right hand shot out like lightning—not to block, but with a flick of his wrist, his five fingers gripped the wrist of He Daqing as he swung it down. The movement was small, even light, but He Daqing's strength vanished instantly. His arm froze in mid-air, unable to be pushed down no matter what he did.

The grappling techniques in the beginner's combat mastery section are sufficient to deal with an ordinary person who hasn't been trained.

He Daqing froze, struggling to break free, but couldn't. He stared, as if he didn't recognize his son. He Yuzhu's hand was like an iron clamp, gripping his wrist painfully.

"Father," He Yuzhu's voice remained calm, his eyes dark and unfathomable, "just talk, don't lay a hand on me."

"Brother! Father!"

From inside came Yushui's tearful cries. The little girl was awakened and ran out barefoot. Seeing the scene at the door, she burst into tears.

As soon as he started crying, the other doors in the courtyard started rattling.

First, they went to Yi Zhonghai's house, the main house. The door was half open, and Yi Zhonghai came out wearing an overcoat, his face bearing his usual steady yet scrutinizing expression: "What's going on with your father so early in the morning, Zhuzi? Talk it out, let go, what kind of behavior is this?" He was a respected figure in the courtyard, and his words always had a conciliatory tone.

Then came Liu Haizhong's house in the front yard. Liu Haizhong, his overweight body swaying, came over, holding an enamel mug and frowning: "He Yuzhu! How could you lay a hand on your father? Don't you have any manners!" He was considered a respected figure in the yard and loved to maintain appearances.

Several other households in the courtyard poked their heads out. Jia Zhangshi's mean face was faintly visible behind the window, while Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses and watched from a distance without getting close.

He Yuzhu glanced around, his grip still tight, and pulled He Daqing a step further into the open space of the courtyard, making sure everyone could see clearly. He Daqing couldn't break free, his face turning a deep purplish-red.

"Uncle Yi, Uncle Liu, all the neighbors are here," He Yuzhu said, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "It's not that I want to cause trouble. Everyone, please be the judge."

He pointed with his free finger at the bundle in He Daqing's arms and the train ticket peeking out: "My father, He Daqing, is going to abandon us siblings today and run off to Baoding with someone else. The tickets are already bought."

A low hum suddenly filled the courtyard. These days, abandoning one's family and children to run off with another woman is the most shameful thing.

Yi Zhonghai frowned deeply: "The Qing Dynasty, is there such a thing?"

Liu Haizhong slammed the jar down: "Nonsense! He Daqing, isn't this just reckless behavior?!"

He Daqing, his face flushed red, roared, "You're talking nonsense! I...I have something to do! What do you know, you little brat!"

"What's up?" He Yuzhu sneered, tightening his grip. He Daqing winced in pain, his other hand involuntarily loosening its hold on the bundle. He Yuzhu reacted swiftly, his free hand yanking the bundle open.

wow-

Things were scattered all over the floor. A few pieces of slightly worn clothing, a flat metal box, and a small bag wrapped in a handkerchief.

He Yuzhu released He Daqing, bent down to pick up the iron box, and opened it in front of everyone. Inside were neatly stacked banknotes, some old and some newly issued RMB, a considerable amount. He then picked up the handkerchief pouch and unfolded it—a fine silver bracelet lay inside, gleaming warmly in the morning light.

The courtyard quieted down for a moment.

"This money," He Yuzhu held up the iron box, "was left by my mother when she passed away. She said it was a pension for me and Yushui to use in case of emergencies and for our schooling. Even though things have been tough for us all these years, my sister and I have only eaten cornbread and pickled vegetables, and we haven't touched a single penny." He turned his gaze to He Daqing, "Dad, you're a good cook. You earn enough to eat and drink at the steel mill canteen, even enough to help the widow Bai. You're eyeing this money too?"

He then held up the bracelet: "This bracelet was left to my mother by my grandmother. Before she passed away, my mother gave it to me, saying it would be Yushui's dowry when she grew up. You want to take this with you too?"

He Daqing's face turned from red to white, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word. The gazes of the surrounding neighbors felt like needles pricking him.

He Yuzhu placed the things on the windowsill beside him, patted non-existent dust off his hands, looked at He Daqing, and his tone finally changed—not with anger, but with a cold, resolute calm:

"Father, I've come to this point, and I've made it clear."

"If you want to leave, go find your own path, I won't stop you. Everyone has their own ambitions, and you can't force things."

"But," he paused, emphasizing each word, "you have to keep the money my mother left behind, the bracelet my grandmother left behind. These aren't yours, they belong to me and Yushui."

"Besides," he pointed to Yushui, who was still sobbing, "Yushui is only five years old, and I'm sixteen, not even an adult yet. If you leave today, that's abandonment. The neighborhood committee and the Women's Federation should handle that. Add to that the fact that you stole my mother's belongings, how about we go to the police station and talk to them? Stealing a family member's belongings isn't cheap; I wonder if that'll be enough to get you jail time?"

"boom--"

Something seemed to explode in He Daqing's mind; his face turned completely ashen, devoid of any color. His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground if he hadn't been leaning against the doorframe. Go to the neighborhood committee? Go to the police station? Go to jail? These words struck his heart like a sledgehammer. He had originally planned to leave quietly, hoping things would fade with time; who would have imagined his son would expose him so openly and even sue him?

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong fell silent. Yi Zhonghai looked at He Yuzhu with complicated emotions, then at the limp He Daqing, sighed, and said nothing more. Liu Haizhong opened his mouth, wanting to say something like "family scandals should not be aired in public," but looking at the money and bracelet, and He Yuzhu's overly calm face, he swallowed his words.

He Yuzhu didn't press further and waited quietly.

After a long while, He Daqing seemed to catch his breath, his voice dry and hoarse: "...The money, the bracelet...take it." He shakily pulled out the train ticket from his pocket, and stuffed it into his bundle along with a few pieces of his own clothing that had fallen to the ground. He didn't dare to look at anything else.

"From now on," He Daqing said, his head bowed, his voice muffled, "...I will pretend I never gave birth to you, and you... will pretend you never had a father like me." After saying that, he picked up the now deflated bundle, staggered through the hanging flower gate, and left without looking back. His hurried figure quickly disappeared into the alleyway.

The courtyard was silent. Only the rain continued to sob softly.

He Yuzhu walked over, squatted down, hugged his sister and gently patted her back: "Don't cry, Yushui, your brother is here." Then he stood up, picked up the money and bracelet on the windowsill, and nodded to the neighbors in the courtyard, especially Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong.

"Uncle Yi, Uncle Liu, and all the uncles and aunts," he said, his tone returning to normal, even carrying a hint of apology befitting his age, "I'm sorry for disturbing everyone so early in the morning. This little family matter has made you all laugh. From now on, I'll have to rely on all of you neighbors to help out with the rain."

They spoke politely and maintained a proper attitude, but after what had just happened, no one dared to treat him like an ordinary teenager anymore. Yi Zhonghai gave him a deep look and nodded: "Zhuzi, things won't be easy from now on... If you have any difficulties, just say so." Liu Haizhong gave a vague reply, picked up the jar, and turned to go back into the house.

Those who had come to watch the spectacle all retreated and closed the door. But what happened today was destined to become the most talked-about topic around the stove and under the trees in the courtyard for a long time to come.

He Yuzhu led Yushui back to the west wing. After closing the door, he carefully put away the iron box and bracelet. Yushui leaned against him and whispered, "Brother, Father...does he not want us anymore?"

He Yuzhu patted her head: "Yushui, I'm here for you. From now on, I'll take good care of you."

He walked to the window and looked in the direction where He Daqing had disappeared. The feigned apology in his eyes had vanished without a trace.

It's good that they're gone. Cleanliness is restored.

With a thought, a dark blue light screen unfolded before his eyes. The main quest "Iron-Blooded Foundation" still hung high in the sky. His points balance remained at 9990, untouched since he exchanged for White Mask and Combat Knowledge last night.

A few scattered sounds came from outside the courtyard; a new day had begun. A new day for He Yuzhu had also begun. Intercepting He Daqing's elopement was only the first step. Next, he had to use this system, use the memories of this second life, to carve out a real path to survival for himself and his sister in this rapidly advancing era, before facing the unattainable 100 million points, and even further away, the illusory image of "a separate page in the family tree."

The road ahead is still long.