Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Don't touch my parents!

"Huh? Wasn't I telling the truth?"

He Daqing immediately put on an innocent look.

"Hehe!" He Yuzhu couldn't help but chuckle as he watched his parents bickering.

The family chatted and laughed, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

After laughing and joking for a while, He Daqing realized something was amiss.

Surprisingly, He Yuzhu never took the initiative to ask about the Jia family.

So he brought it up, and He Yuzhu immediately looked puzzled.

"I haven't heard anything about it. Has something happened to the Jia family?"

He Daqing glanced at Chen Shuxiang subconsciously first.

Seeing his wife nod slightly to indicate that he could speak, he said yes.

He Daqing then told his son the whole story.

The Jia family not only came to compensate the family, but also bowed their heads and apologized.

Moreover, after returning home, there was a fight among my own family members.

He Yuzhu was not surprised at all by losing money.

But he was surprised to hear that Jia Zhangshi had been beaten by Jia Laonian.

"Did they really hit him? How hard was it? Was it serious?"

He Yuzhu quickly asked the question he was most concerned about.

"You're quite the inquisitive kid, always asking about these things."

"Judging from the noise, it must have been a pretty bad beating. Jia Zhangshi was screaming terribly."

He Daqing answered with a smile.

"Alright, alright, you two are like gossipy old women, always talking about this stuff."

Chen Shuxiang glared helplessly at the father and son, stopping the conversation.

The father and son exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

Then, He Daqing frowned and asked He Yuzhu with concern.

Ask him if there's any danger or safety in what he's been doing lately.

He Yuzhu naturally insisted that nothing was wrong and that he was absolutely safe.

But He Daqing was unwilling to believe it so easily; he still couldn't let it go.

He then asked if he wanted to come along.

After all, he's an adult, and having him around is a good way to look after someone.

He Yuzhu refused on the spot, saying that he was young and most people would not be on guard.

If He Daqing goes along, the other party will definitely be on guard, making things more difficult.

He Daqing knew very well that his son was stubborn and once he made up his mind, nothing could change it.

Besides, He Yuzhu always goes out during the day, and he himself has to work during the day, so he can't keep an eye on him at all.

After thinking it over, all he could do was repeatedly tell his son not to go there unless absolutely necessary.

He Yuzhu readily agreed, chatted with his father for a few more minutes, and then turned and went back to the side room.

His mother had been coaxing the little girl all day and was exhausted, sitting to the side yawning incessantly.

After He Yuzhu left, He Daqing turned to Chen Shuxiang and instructed her:

"Honey, please keep a close eye on Zhuzi during the day, and don't let him run around and cause trouble."

"How can I control him? I can't even leave the courtyard now."

"Besides, your son is very determined now, I can't control him."

"Then you should keep nagging him; he listens to you the most."

"I've already said everything I needed to say. This child knows what's going on and is sensible."

"I'll try my best to keep him from going out too much. Things will be fine once I'm out of confinement and feeling better."

"That's true. We've raised our son for ten years, and we haven't even had a chance to enjoy the blessings he brings."

"But it's that little girl, Yu Shui, who's benefiting from her brother's fame first."

"Don't talk nonsense. My son saved both my and my son's lives."

"How can you say you didn't enjoy his blessings?"

"Okay, okay, I misspoke."

He Daqing quickly smiled apologetically and even pretended to pat his mouth lightly.

After returning to the side room, He Yuzhu quickly washed up and lay down on the bed.

Lying in bed tossing and turning, feeling bored, he mentally summoned the system panel.

The moment his eyes fell on the task bar, he almost jumped out of bed.

[Mission: Please retrieve the large number of national treasures, antiques and gold hidden inside the Mitsui & Co. building at No. 1 Wangfujing Street.]

This batch of supplies will be transferred out of the country in three days!

For He Yuzhu, Wangfujing Street of that era was only a very vague impression.

All he knew was that the area was densely populated with shops lining the streets, making it exceptionally lively and bustling.

The Japanese patrol teams and the black-skinned police officers from the puppet police station also frequently patrolled and roamed around that area.

He Yuzhu couldn't help but click his tongue repeatedly; the difficulty of this task was far too great, far beyond ordinary difficulty.

If you make a commotion in a remote, deserted place, even if you manage to escape successfully, no one may be able to notice it in time.

In a bustling area like Wangfujing, pursuers could probably arrive at the scene within three to five minutes.

If they were even less lucky, the patrol team might be waiting outside the door and could rush in and surround them on the spot.

What should he do? He tried to communicate with the system using his consciousness, asking if he could abandon the mission.

Soon, the system gave a cold and curt reply.

[If the host abandons this mission, no more missions or clues will be refreshed until peace is restored!]

He Yuzhu couldn't help but curse inwardly. This damn system was clearly forcing him to bite the bullet and go through with it.

He was torn between two options, but finally gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

I've decided to go to Wangfujing tomorrow to check things out first; I need to get a clear picture of the situation there before making any further decisions.

If all else fails, just abandon the mission; at worst, wait until the Japanese devils are gone.

It's perfectly acceptable to simply be a carefree street urchin and slowly seek other opportunities.

That night, He Yuzhu tossed and turned in bed, finally managing to fall asleep in the latter half of the night.

My mind was racing with thoughts of how to complete this difficult task.

The next morning, he stayed in bed and refused to get up.

When He Daqing called him from outside, he answered casually, and then drifted off to sleep again.

Finally, he was abruptly awakened by Xu Damao's loud banging on the door.

With dark circles under her eyes, she walked out of the room listlessly.

Hey Zhuzi, what happened to your eyes? Why are your eye circles so dark?

Ugh... Ah! He Yuzhu stretched out a big yawn, feeling like all his bones were falling apart.

He subconsciously checked his daily sign-in rewards.

Check-in successful:

One first aid kit (containing a hemostatic bandage, sulfonamide powder, and three morphine injections).

Cherry Blossom Language Proficiency (Beginner), Lockpicking Proficiency (Advanced).

One mini flashlight and one set of professional lock-picking tools.

After seeing these rewards, He Yuzhu couldn't help but curse inwardly again.

The system was clearly afraid he wouldn't be able to complete the mission, so it forcefully shoved a powerful supply into his hands.

They even prepared first-aid kits and medicines. Were they afraid that something might happen to him during the mission?

After a long while in a daze, he slowly came back to his senses and looked at Xu Damao.

What did you just say? I didn't hear you.

I said, "Brother Zhu, why are your eyes so dark? Did you get up in the middle of the night to clean the coal stove?"

Stop talking nonsense. I just didn't sleep well last night.

He Yuzhu flicked Xu Damao on the forehead and said irritably.

"Oh, so that's why you're like this—you didn't sleep well." Xu Damao chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head.

Why did you come so early today?

My mom went out to run errands early this morning, and I was bored at home, so I came over to visit you.

Have you had breakfast yet?

I've already eaten. Brother Zhu, you should go wash up and then have breakfast.

Why are you rushing me like this? I didn't do anything to you.

I didn't do anything. After you finish breakfast, we can go out and play together, right?

"Okay. By the way, do you have any old clothes at home?"

"Is this my dad's? Brother Zhu, what do you need these old clothes for?"

"I'm asking about yourself. Do you wear any old, even slightly worn, clothes?"

"There should be some... Brother Zhu, are you going to wear them yourself? You definitely can't fit into my clothes, right?" Xu Damao looked up at He Yuzhu, who was half a head taller than him, and asked with some doubt.

"Go back and look for it carefully first, and I'll tell you what to do later," He Yuzhu said casually.

"Okay, I'll go back and find it right away!" Xu Damao had barely finished speaking when he turned around and ran off in a flash.

The moment Xu Damao blocked He Yuzhu at his doorstep, He Yuzhu knew in his heart that he wouldn't be able to go out alone today.

Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble this kid would cause.

However, before taking him out, you must give him a good talking-to, or even a half-threatening warning.

If this kid can't control his mouth, he can forget about going out to play with me again.

While eating breakfast, He Yuzhu told his mother, Chen Shuxiang, that he planned to go out today.

Chen Shuxiang casually asked him what he was going to do, and he only said that he wanted to go to the market to see if he could find someone selling fresh fish.

Chen Shuxiang was silent for a moment, then looked up at him and asked softly, "Are you planning to take Da Mao out with you?"

"If you have a way to keep him at home, that would be best. I know that taking him out is inconvenient and can easily cause trouble."

Unexpectedly, Xu Damao, who had just reached the door, overheard these words and immediately became displeased.

"Brother Zhu, where are you going? You can't leave me alone!"

He Yuzhu helplessly shrugged at Chen Shuxiang, who glared at him angrily.

But when she turned around and saw Xu Damao walking into the room, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Xu Damao was wearing an old cotton-padded jacket and trousers that were too short in both the legs and sleeves and covered with layers of patches.

He was wearing a tattered felt hat that looked like it came from some unknown year.

His appearance was so comical that it made people want to laugh.

"Da Mao, why are you dressed like this?"

"Brother Zhu asked me earlier if I had any old clothes, so I found them and wore them. I came here specifically to show them to him."

"Pfft! You're such an obedient child!"

"Of course, Brother Zhu must have something important to do, otherwise he wouldn't have specifically asked me to find this outfit to wear."

"Zhu Zi, you sent Da Mao to find some old clothes, so you've decided to take him out with you, right?"

"Yeah, this kid is really too troublesome. We can't get rid of him no matter what we do with him."

"Aren't you afraid that when your Aunt Xu comes back and finds out, she'll give you a good spanking? Da Mao is her precious darling."

"I absolutely won't tell my mother!" Xu Damao raised his little head and solemnly promised.