Siheyuan: Reborn Silly Pillar, Taking Control of the Entire Courtyard

He Daqing frowned deeply, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and handed the heavy blue cloth bundle in his arms to He Yuzhu.

His tone left no room for argument: "Take it and look carefully."

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly reached out to catch it, his feet springing back as if they had springs, taking three steps backward until his back was almost touching the wall.

He looked down at the bulging bundle in his arms, his nose almost touching it—the fabric underneath was stiff, and he knew without a doubt that it was a glass baby bottle prepared for his younger sister.

This thing is very precious; even a slight bump or scratch will cause problems.

If it really falls into the snow and breaks, not only will my sister be useless, but my father will definitely skin him alive, and who knows what those gossipy people in the yard will say about him.

He instinctively hugged the bundle tighter to his chest, glancing warily around, afraid someone might come closer.

The snow in the courtyard hadn't completely melted yet, and it crunched underfoot.

Seeing He Daqing's stance, Yi Zhonghai put his hands in front of him and leaned forward slightly, clearly indicating that he was going to get serious.

Panic ensued, and her voice rose eight octaves: "The Qing Dynasty! The Qing Dynasty! Please don't attack! It's all a misunderstanding! A complete and utter misunderstanding!"

As he spoke, he shrank back, almost slipping on his feet.

"I really don't have any other intentions. I just know you're very capable and well-connected in the restaurant, and I wanted you to help the neighbors make some extra money so that everyone can have some meat during the New Year..."

"You've got your mother's head all wrong!"

He Daqing showed no mercy, spitting almost onto Yi Zhonghai's face.

What he hated most in his life was someone trying to steal his job. The ingredients in the restaurant belonged to the government, and touching them was considered stealing. It was obvious that Yi Zhonghai wanted to push him into a fire pit.

Before he finished speaking, He Daqing stepped forward with his left foot, grabbed Yi Zhonghai's wrist with his right hand, and twisted his waist, using 80% of his strength.

Yi Zhonghai felt a surge of brute force, his arm was clamped as if by iron clamps and he couldn't move, and his center of gravity instantly lost its balance.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, snowflakes splashed up half a foot high.

Yi Zhonghai fell flat on his back in the snow.

He slammed the back of his head on the frozen ground, wincing in pain. The kitchen knife slipped from his hand with a clang, sliding a long distance across the snow before finally stopping at Jia Laonian's feet.

He Daqing clapped his hands, turned to look at Jia Laonian who was huddled to the side, and a half-smile appeared on his lips.

His eyes, however, were as cold as ice: "Heh heh, old Nian, you're thinking the same thing as Yi Zhonghai? You want me to 'take' something from the restaurant?"

Jia Laonian shuddered in fright, pulled his neck back, and waved his hands in front of him like a rattle drum, his voice trembling.

"No, no, no... Brother Qing, I didn't mean that!"

He glanced at Yi Zhonghai on the ground, then quickly lowered his head again.

"Don't take anything from that restaurant where you work, it's taboo... If, if you can really buy it through legitimate channels, then buy me some... just some fish, my son has been asking for it for days."

"fish?"

He Daqing frowned, wondering to himself – he hadn’t been handling any fish these past few days, so why would Jia Laonian suddenly bring this up?

He suddenly turned his head to look at He Yuzhu, and saw his son standing there with a simple and honest smile on his face, but his eyes were somewhat evasive.

He Daqing immediately understood and cursed under his breath.

That little rascal is getting more and more capable; he even dares to make promises to others in private.

He crouched down and stretched out his hand.

He gently patted Yi Zhonghai's face, which was red from the cold, a few times. The force was not great, but it carried a strong warning. His voice was low, but every word was clear.

"See that? That's how Old Nian should act when asking for help. Doesn't he know what manners are?"

Yi Zhonghai lay on the snow, his back icy cold and his cheeks burning, a mixture of pain and embarrassment.

He gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, and replied sullenly with his head down, "I understand... I understand."

No one saw that his hands, hanging by his sides, had quietly clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.

The kitchen knife was not far from him, the snow reflecting off its blade, giving it a cold, sharp look.

A deep hatred surged in his eyes. He had completely lost face after being humiliated by He Daqing in front of the entire hospital today.

He remembered this humiliation, especially in front of a younger generation like He Yuzhu.

But He Daqing didn't take his thoughts seriously at all.

He had been traveling the world for many years and knew all sorts of people, but Yi Zhonghai was not even worth his attention.

What Yi Zhonghai didn't see was that the doors to both the east and west wing rooms were quietly ajar.

In the east wing.

Yi Li peeked through the crack in the door, her brows furrowed, but she didn't dare come out to offer any advice—her husband had been unreasonable first, and he was only suffering because of his own actions; it wouldn't be appropriate for her to say anything.

In the west wing, Madam Jia, carrying a stick, huddled together with her son, their eyes full of amusement and a gloating smile on their lips—it wasn't her husband who had been taken down, so even if the sky fell, it wasn't her problem; she just wanted the courtyard to be in chaos.

"Pillar, let's go home."

He Daqing stood up, brushed the snow off his clothes, and regained his calm tone.

"Eh!"

He Yuzhu responded crisply and quickly followed behind her father.

She walked briskly into her own house in the central courtyard, carefully protecting the bundle in her arms.

Only then did Jia Laonian dare to step forward and carefully help Yi Zhonghai up.

She patted the snow off him and whispered, "Zhonghai, you were too impulsive today. Who is He Daqing? He's a worldly man who's not easily swayed by force. Your approach won't work on him at all."

Yi Zhonghai brushed the snow off his body, his voice so low that only Jia Laonian could hear it, his tone full of resentment and bitterness.

"It's nothing..." He glanced in the direction where He Daqing and his son had left, a sinister glint in his eyes.

"We'll see. He's just a lousy cook, isn't he? He'll get his comeuppance eventually."

"Let's go back, it's terribly cold." Old Jia sighed and pulled Yi Zhonghai into the house.

As soon as I opened the door, a warm and cozy feeling greeted me.

Chen Lanxiang was sitting on the edge of the kang doing needlework when she heard the noise. She immediately put down her work and came over, her face full of worry.

"I heard a commotion in the yard, it was pretty loud. What happened? They didn't really fight, did they? Are you two hurt?"

He Daqing plopped down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), casually took off his hat and threw it aside, then waved his hand.

"It's nothing, a small matter. That bastard Yi Zhonghai wanted me to get him some meat from the restaurant. You know how precious meat is these days. The ingredients in restaurants are all accounted for; taking even a little bit is considered stealing. Do you think I'd tolerate his bad habit?"

Chen Lanxiang frowned, walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), sat down, and said thoughtfully.

"It seems our family's meals have been too eye-catching these past few days, which is why they've got their eye on us. We should just ignore them from now on to avoid trouble."

"Eat and drink as you please, why are you afraid of them?"

As He Daqing spoke, he took off his cotton-padded jacket, revealing a blue cloth jacket underneath.

"How can a cook go hungry? Besides, you're still in your postpartum period, which is exactly when you need to nourish your body. You can't deprive yourself of food. If you ruin your health, it could be a lifelong problem."

That's true, but it's still better to keep a low profile.

Chen Lanxiang sighed softly.

"With so many people and eyes in the courtyard, it's inevitable that some will be envious."

"What's there to be afraid of?" He Daqing scoffed, his tone tinged with disdain.

"If anyone dares to mess with us, we can just have the old lady kick them all out—it's just rent, right? It's not like we can't afford it. Look at that Jia Zhangshi, she's cunning, lazy, greedy, and slippery, all she knows is how to take advantage of others; and that Yi Zhonghai, I didn't think much of him before, but now it seems he's no good either, his mind is full of scheming."

"You go and tell her, I'm not going to tell the old lady about this."

Chen Lanxiang shook her head.

"The old lady only has this one courtyard, and she doesn't have any other way to make money, so she has to rely on renting out rooms to make a living. She's also afraid that if the courtyard is left empty for too long, no one will take care of it and it will all go bad."

He Daqing lit a cigarette, took a drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke. He lowered his voice, sounding somewhat puzzled.

"Do you think... the old lady might have secretly sold the house to a few families? Otherwise, why would she be so lenient with them?"

"Really?"

Chen Lanxiang was stunned, her eyes filled with surprise.

"I haven't seen any brokers around lately. If it's a house sale, shouldn't someone from a broker be there to witness it?"

"Hmm, I'll ask the old lady tomorrow."

He Daqing nodded and tapped his cigarette butt on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"If you're not family, living in the same courtyard will only bring trouble. You'll see each other all the time, and there will be nothing but gossip and disputes."

"Well... there's nothing we can do about it."

Chen Lanxiang sighed.

"This is the only property the old lady owns. Without rent, how will she manage to live in the future?"

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

He Daqing's gaze fell on He Yuzhu.

Seeing him standing in the middle of the room, his eyes wandering as if he were lost in thought, I reached out and pointed at him.

"I'm talking to you, Zhuzi! From now on, be more careful at home, protect your mother and sister, and don't let outsiders bully them."

"what?"

He Yuzhu suddenly came to his senses, his face immediately showing a bewildered expression as he scratched his head.

"Father, how old am I? I need someone to protect me, how can I protect Mother and my sister?"

"You little brat! You dare play dumb with me!"

He Daqing raised his hand, as if to strike.

"Your Majesty! Don't hit the child!"

Chen Lanxiang quickly stopped him and grabbed his arm.

"Eh..."

He Daqing's hand froze in mid-air before he helplessly lowered it, his face full of dejection.

"I really can't control your son anymore. His Bajiquan is even better than mine. I sparred with him the other day, and even with all my strength, I barely managed to beat him by half a move. And then there's all this stuff he brought back..."

He pointed to the bundle in He Yuzhu's arms, and He Yuzhu quickly handed it over.

He Daqing took the bundle, placed it on the kang table, and carefully opened it.

Once the blue cloth bundle was lifted, the contents inside were revealed.

A clear glass baby bottle, a shiny metal milk powder can, a large bag of brown sugar, and several stacks of clean, soft diapers were neatly arranged inside.

He Daqing's expression instantly became quite interesting, turning from green to red, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He knew how valuable these things were, especially the glass baby bottles and formula. These days, even money couldn't guarantee you could buy them. His son's ability to get his hands on such nice things surprised him, but also made him feel a little uneasy.

Chen Lanxiang first looked at He Yuzhu, her eyes full of surprise, then her gaze fell on the things on the kang table, and a smile gradually bloomed on her face, her eyes full of undisguised pride.

But soon, she straightened her face and stared sharply at He Yuzhu.

"Zhu'er, tell me honestly, where did you get all these skills? And where did you get all these things? Are you still the Zhu'er your mother knows?"

He Yuzhu blinked, and his signature goofy smile immediately appeared on his face, his tone carrying a hint of grievance and probing.

"Mother, if I'm not your son, then who am I? You and Father... are you hiding something from me? Could I be someone you picked up from outside?"

As he spoke, the smile on his face slowly disappeared, and he reached out as if to wipe away tears, looking pitiful.

Chen Lanxiang couldn't bear to hear these words. Her heart ached, and tears instantly streamed down her face, her voice choked with sobs.

"My silly Zhu'er, how could you think like that? You are flesh of my flesh, born from my ten months of pregnancy with great difficulty. How could you be someone I picked up?"

When He Daqing saw his wife crying, he immediately became anxious and slapped He Yuzhu hard across the neck.

He yelled, "You little brat! Can't you speak properly? What nonsense are you spouting! You are my own son, He Daqing's own flesh and blood, crawled out of your mother's belly! You'd better apologize to your mother right now!"

He Yuzhu clutched his neck, but showed no sign of pain; instead, a sly smile appeared on his face.

He jogged a few steps, leaped onto the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and threw himself into Chen Lanxiang's arms, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

He Daqing tried to stop him, but it was too late.

He could only watch helplessly as his son snuggled into his wife's arms.

"Mother! I am your Zhu'er! How can you doubt that I am not your son?"

He Yuzhu buried his head in Chen Lanxiang's arms, his voice carrying a deliberately feigned sob.

"Mom, are you not going to let me go? Waaah... I only have you and Dad left..."

"Waaaah... My Zhu'er... Mother didn't mean it that way..."

Chen Lanxiang hugged her son tightly, and her tears fell even harder.

"Mother is just scared... Mother is scared that something unclean has possessed you, which is why you've become so different... Waaah..."

The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried, their tears soaking their clothes.

He Daqing stood by the kang (a heated brick bed), completely stunned.

He originally wanted his son to apologize to his wife, but somehow it turned into the mother and son hugging and crying.

This kid is getting better and better at understanding his mother's thoughts.

After crying for a long time, Chen Lanxiang gradually stopped crying.

She suddenly reached out and grabbed He Yuzhu's ear, applying slight pressure.

"You little brat!"

She gave a sharp rebuke, her tone tinged with reproach and helplessness.

"You think you're so great, daring to lie to your mother's tears? Stop pretending to cry and tell me what really happened! If you dare to make up another story, I'll give you a good spanking today!"

He Yuzhu immediately frowned, put on a pitiful look, and rubbed his ear which had been pinched so hard.

"Mom! Mom! It hurts! It hurts so much! Please let go... I'll talk, I'll talk, okay? Please let go, you're going to pull my ears off!"

"Hmph! That's more like it."

Chen Lanxiang released her grip, but still glared at him with a warning look in her eyes.

"Speak up. If you dare to tell a single lie, see how I deal with you."

He Yuzhu rubbed his ears and slowly sat up from Chen Lanxiang's arms, his face still bearing traces of wet tears, his voice full of grievance.

"Mother... I don't know what happened. The day you gave birth to Yushui, weren't you in a lot of pain? You told me to go find my father and bring him back. When I went out, it was dark and the road was slippery. I accidentally slipped and fell, and my head hit a rock. I passed out on the spot."

He paused, his eyes becoming somewhat lost, as if recalling the scene at that time.

"In a daze, I seemed to see an old man with a white beard, dressed in ancient costume, floating in front of me. He reached out and gently tapped my head, and I felt a buzzing in my head. Then he stuffed a sweet candy into my mouth, and as soon as I swallowed it, my whole body felt warm. Finally, he said to me, 'The doctor in Dongtangzi Hutong can save your mother.'"

He looked at Chen Lanxiang with sincere eyes.

"When I woke up, I felt full of energy. Things that I couldn't lift before, I could now lift with a light lift of my hand. Then I did as the old man said and went to Dongtangzi Hutong. I actually found a clinic and invited the doctor over."

"and then?"

Chen Lanxiang stared intently at him, not wanting to miss a single detail.

"What's with your martial arts skills and all these things? Don't tell me that old man taught you those too, gave them to you?"