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

Return to the north entrance of Panjiayuan Street.

He Yuzhu suddenly stopped and stood still.

Xu Damao was licking his lips, savoring the aroma of the fried liver, when he saw him stop. He tilted his head in confusion, his little eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Brother Zhu, why are we stopping? Aren't we going home to cook for Auntie?"

"What's the rush?"

He Yuzhu tugged at his arm, glanced at the Mitsui & Co. across the street, and smirked. "Come on, I'll take you to get some good drinks."

Before Xu Damao could react, He Yuzhu pulled him into an inconspicuous grocery store on the side of the street.

The shop was small, with shelves displaying tobacco, alcohol, candy, tea, needles and thread, and some canned goods with foreign labels. The air was filled with the smell of soy sauce and tobacco.

The shop owner, an old man wearing a melon-shaped hat, was sitting behind the counter puffing on his pipe. Seeing someone enter, he glanced up and asked, "What do you want to buy?"

"Boss, do you have Arctic Ocean soda?" He Yuzhu got straight to the point.

"have."

The old man exhaled a smoke ring, held up one finger, and said, "One silver coin a bottle, no bargaining. Make it clear beforehand, you have to return the bottle after you finish it, and you'll get your three-copper-coin deposit back. If you lose it, the deposit is non-refundable."

"Okay, two bottles, please."

He Yuzhu took out two silver coins and slapped them on the counter. "We'll just drink at the entrance, we won't take up your space."

"Here you go."

The old man put away the money, pulled out two glass bottles of Beibingyang soda from under the counter, and handed over two bottle openers. "Go sit by the wall and drink it, but don't spill the soda on my doorstep."

This grocery store was in an excellent location, right across the street from the Mitsui Trading Company, with a clear view of everything happening in front of the company.

The two brothers squatted by the wall in front of the shop, carrying soda. He Yuzhu used a bottle opener to pry open the bottle cap with a "pop," and a burst of orange-flavored bubbles, carrying a faint sweet fragrance, flowed out.

"Here, drink slowly." He handed a bottle to Xu Damao.

Xu Damao took the soda and carefully took a sip.

The cool liquid slid down my throat, and the sweet and sour taste exploded in my mouth instantly.

His eyes lit up instantly, and he couldn't help but gulp down two more mouthfuls, letting out a burp with a distinct orange flavor before excitedly exclaiming, "Wow! Brother Zhu, this is so delicious! It's orange flavored! Much sweeter than the orange juice my mom makes! Last time I asked my dad for some, he said it was some kind of foreign stuff, very expensive, and absolutely refused to buy it for me!"

"Look at your pathetic self."

He Yuzhu glanced at him with a smile, took a sip himself, but his brows furrowed slightly.

The taste of this soda was far less intense than that of later generations. The orange flavor was so weak it tasted like it had been diluted with water, and it wasn't very fizzy. It tasted a bit like sugar water that had been left flat.

But then he thought about what era we live in, and how lucky he was to be able to drink this stuff, and he felt relieved.

He sipped his soda while glancing at the street from the corner of his eye, seemingly lost in thought, but his attention was actually focused on the Mitsui & Co. building across the street.

The main gate of the trading company was a heavy solid wood door, and two security guards in black uniforms stood at the entrance, with batons at their waists and vigilant expressions.

There weren't many people coming and going. Most of them were Japanese people wearing suits and slicked-back hair, or Japanese women wearing kimonos. Occasionally, a few people in Kuomintang military uniforms would come and go, and they seemed to be there to discuss business.

He Yuzhu thought to himself: This Mitsui & Co. looks like a tough nut to crack. Although there aren't many guards, there must be a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Trying to sneak in and make a move without anyone noticing would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Just as he was pondering a solution, he caught a glimpse of several figures across the street from the corner of his eye.

They were several men dressed as beggars, wearing tattered clothes, squatting in the corner of the wall in front of the foreign firm, seemingly sunbathing, but their eyes kept glancing at him and Xu Damao.

He Yuzhu glanced up without making a sound, and the people immediately lowered their heads, either pretending to scratch an itch or moving to avoid his gaze.

interesting.

He Yuzhu's lips curled into a cold smile.

Panjiayuan Street is a mixed bag of people. He and Xu Damao, two teenagers, spend money like water, buying candied hawthorns and fried liver, and now they're drinking Beibingyang soda. It's no wonder they attract attention.

I just don't know if these people are street thugs or petty thieves.

He continued drinking his soda without making a sound, secretly observing the people's movements while keeping an eye on the patrolling police officers on the street.

About twenty minutes later, a group of two patrol officers carrying batons walked slowly from the street corner. When they reached the entrance of the Mitsui & Co. building, they nodded to the security guard at the entrance, chatted for a few words, and then continued walking.

"One train every twenty minutes..."

He Yuzhu noted the time in his mind, then looked at the sky. The sun was already setting in the west, and there were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the street.

"They definitely won't be this frequent at night. It's too cold, and the patrol officers are probably all hiding in their posts warming themselves by the fire. I just don't know if the regular patrol teams will come at night; that's the real problem."

He wondered if he should come back that night to find out about the trading company's nighttime security arrangements.

"belch--"

Xu Damao, who was next to him, let out a loud burp. His soda was almost empty, and he was clutching the empty bottle in his hand. However, his eyes were fixed on the half-full bottle of soda that He Yuzhu was holding, and his throat moved involuntarily.

"You little brat, you can still drink?"

He Yuzhu was amused by him and raised the bottle in his hand.

"I just finished a big bowl of fried liver and then drank a bottle of soda. Be careful not to burst your stomach."

"I won't drink it."

Xu Damao quickly shook his head, his little hands gripping the empty bottle tightly, but his eyes were still fixed on the half-empty bottle of soda. "I'm just looking... Brother Zhu, this soda is really delicious. It's the first time I've ever had it in my life."

"Alright, you little rascal with big eyes and a small belly." He Yuzhu smiled helplessly and handed him the remaining half bottle.

"Here, have some. Don't drool over it. Remember, if you follow me, you'll have your share of good food and drink. This soda will be nothing to you."

"Really?" Xu Damao's eyes lit up. He took the soda, but didn't drink it all at once. He just sipped it slowly, as if savoring some delicacy.

"Why would I lie to you?" He Yuzhu's heart softened when she saw his expression.

"Let's finish this bottle and go back. If we don't go back soon, your aunt will worry; we still need to go back and cook for her tonight."

"Uh-huh!"

Xu Damao nodded vigorously, finished the rest of his soda in a few gulps, and hugged the two empty bottles to his chest.

"Brother Zhu, let's return the bottle quickly! Three copper coins are still money; we can buy three candies!"

He Yuzhu was amused by his greedy little act, so he took the empty bottle into the general store and returned six copper coins.

The two brothers carried a few copper coins and slowly walked back.

As soon as He Yuzhu left Panjiayuan Street and turned into a relatively quiet alley, his pace slowed down.

He keenly sensed that several malicious gazes were following him, along with the sound of light footsteps; it wasn't just one person.

Xu Damao was happily counting the copper coins in his hand, unaware of anything amiss. Only when He Yuzhu pulled him into a narrower alley did he ask in confusion, "Brother Zhu, why are we going this way? This isn't the way home, is it? I remember going east is the way home."

"Shh-"

He Yuzhu suddenly lowered her voice, covered his mouth with her hand, pulled him behind her, and glanced warily at the empty alley. "Don't talk, we're being watched."

"what?"

Xu Damao trembled with fright. He was about to shout when He Yuzhu covered his mouth with his hand, and he could only make a "woo-woo" sound. His eyes were wide open, and he tried to turn around in terror.

"Don't look back!"

He Yuzhu's voice carried a hint of sternness, "Follow me, don't stop walking, just act like nothing's wrong."

Xu Damao was so frightened that tears almost welled up in his eyes. He nodded hurriedly, clutching He Yuzhu's clothes tightly, his small body trembling, and he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

The alley was deep, with high walls on both sides. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs covered with moss, which creaked when you walked on them.

The footsteps behind them grew closer and faster; clearly, those people were getting impatient and were preparing to make their move.

"This is it!"

He Yuzhu suddenly stopped and glanced at the empty alley ahead. He knew he couldn't escape; the other side outnumbered them, and the two of them were too small to outrun adults.

He took a deep breath, turned around abruptly, and shielded Xu Damao behind him.

At the alley entrance, four or five men dressed in different ways blocked the way. The leader was a man with a thick beard, holding a wooden stick in his hand, and wearing a sinister smile on his face.

The group following behind included a tall, thin man, a short, fat man, and one who had a dagger hidden in his hand, his eyes filled with greed.

"Heh heh, you two little brats, trying to run?" The bearded man stopped, licked his chapped lips, and looked He Yuzhu and Xu Damao up and down.

"I've been following you since Panjiayuan, buying candied hawthorns, eating fried liver, and drinking soda. You're quite generous; look like some young master who ran away from home!"

"Big brother, stop wasting your breath on them." The tall, thin man rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming.

"Judging by their clothes, their families must be rich! We should tie them up and demand a ransom from their families; we can easily get at least several dozen silver dollars!"

"A few dozen yuan? You're so pathetic." The short, fat man curled his lip and said in a sinister tone.

"In my opinion, we should just rob them of their money! What if their family is someone we can't afford to offend? Kidnapping them would be asking for trouble! We can just take the money and run away without anyone knowing."

"Robbery? What can you do with that little bit of money?" The bearded man glared at the short, fat man, then looked at Xu Damao, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

"You don't know anything! Even if we can't afford to mess with them, we can still sell these two boys to slave traders! Kids this age, whether we send them to do hard labor or sell them to an opera troupe, we can get a lot of money! It's much more profitable than robbing them for a pittance!"

The conversation between the group was like a series of sharp knives, making Xu Damao tremble all over. He hid behind He Yuzhu, his voice trembling with sobs, and stammered as he asked.

"Zhu, Brother Zhu... what... what do we do... they're going to sell us... we... we have to run!"

"They can't escape." He Yuzhu stared at the approaching group, his eyes frighteningly calm.

"The alley is only so wide, and there are too many of them for us to outrun."

"Waaaaah..." Xu Damao panicked completely, tears streaming down his face.

"What...what should I do...I don't want to be sold into hard labor...Brother Zhu, I'm scared..."

"Don't cry!" He Yuzhu said in a low voice, patting his shoulder, but his voice was gentler.

"With me here, no one can sell you out. If a fight breaks out later, hide behind me or in a corner. Whatever you do, don't come out, understand?"

Xu Damao was so frightened that he could only nod subconsciously, "I-I know... Brother Zhu, be careful..."

Seeing that the two of them were still whispering to each other, the bearded man became impatient and raised his wooden stick to smash it at He Yuzhu.

"You little brats, trying to pull some tricks! Beat them up! Take them away!"

"superior!"

Several men rushed forward.

Just as the wooden stick was about to hit He Yuzhu on the head, he moved.

With a sudden push off the ground, his body shot out like an arrow, neither dodging nor avoiding, but instead crashing into the bearded man.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, He Yuzhu slammed his shoulder into the bearded man's chest, using his ancestral "mountain-sticking" stance.

The bearded man never expected that a teenager would dare to take the initiative to attack.

Before he could react, he was knocked backward, coughing up a mouthful of blood and crashing heavily to the ground, the wooden stick in his hand flying out of his hand.

"Big brother!"

"Damn, this kid's got some nerve!"

The remaining people were stunned for a moment when they saw this, and then became furious.

The tall, thin man shouted, "Draw your weapons! Don't fight him bare-handed!"

But He Yuzhu didn't give them a chance to pull out their weapons. After knocking the bearded man away...

Without stopping, he quickly turned around and lashed out with his right leg like a whip, whistling through the air, striking the thigh of the short, fat man closest to him.

"Snapped!"

A sharp crack followed by the short, fat man's heart-wrenching scream: "Ah! My leg!"

The short, fat man clutched his thigh and fell to the ground, writhing in pain, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead.

The remaining three people looked frightened and slowed down.

But thinking about the money they could get, they gritted their teeth and formed a fan shape to surround them.

One of the men in the black jacket stealthily drew a gleaming short knife from his waist. Taking advantage of He Yuzhu's attention being on the others, he suddenly pounced, thrusting the knife straight at He Yuzhu's chest, shouting, "Kid, die!"

"Be careful!"

Xu Damao, hiding in the corner, screamed in fright.

He Yuzhu was prepared. Hearing the sound of the wind, he suddenly turned to the side, and the short knife grazed his clothes, missing its mark.

He grabbed the other man's wrist holding the knife with a swift movement, his eyes narrowing, and he exerted force with his hand.

"Snap!"

A sickening cracking sound rang out.

"Ah—!" The man in the black coat let out a shrill scream. His short knife clattered to the ground. He clutched his deformed wrist, his face contorted in pain.

He Yuzhu kicked him away cleanly and swiftly.

In just a few seconds, three of the other men fell down. The remaining two men were so frightened that their legs went weak and they stood there, not daring to move, looking at He Yuzhu as if he were a monster.

"Go! Go! He's all alone!" the tall, thin man shouted, but dared not rush forward.

He Yuzhu sneered and charged forward. He spotted the tall, thin man's weakness and delivered a powerful punch to his stomach.

The tall, thin man collapsed to the ground, hunched over and clutching his stomach, like a shrimp that had been hit, unable to get up for a long time.

Seeing that things were not going well, the last man turned around and tried to run away.

"Trying to run away?"

He Yuzhu caught up with him in a few steps, grabbed the back of his collar, tripped him with his foot, and at the same time used his shoulder to push against his chest, throwing him hard onto the bluestone slab with a move called "Koubu Dawan Kaoxi" (扣步大缠靠胸摔).

"Bang!"

The man was dazed and confused from the fall, lying on the ground groaning.

The whole process took only a dozen seconds, and all five men were taken down.

Screams filled the alley as the bearded man struggled to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes were filled with fear as he looked at He Yuzhu, his voice trembling as he said, "This...this young master...we were blind and didn't recognize your greatness, we offended you...Please, have mercy on us this time! Tell me, what do you want? As long as you spare us, we'll do whatever you say!"

He Yuzhu dusted off his hands and walked towards him step by step, his eyes cold, as if they were made of ice.

"Spare you? When you were plotting to kidnap me and sell us to slave traders, why didn't you think about sparing us?"

The bearded man trembled with fear, quickly lowered his head, and his eyes darted around before he adopted a pitiful expression: "Young master, we were forced into this! We have elderly parents and young children to support, we simply couldn't survive, so we turned to the dark side... Please, have mercy and let us go! Or how about this, you leave your name, and we'll definitely pay you a ransom to repay your kindness in sparing our lives!"

His words seemed like a plea for mercy, but in reality, he was scheming and wanted to find out He Yuzhu's secrets.

He Yuzhu sneered inwardly, "Leave your name?"

I'll let you know who I am, and then you'll bring your men to the tenement to cause me trouble? Do you really think I'm stupid?

He has already categorized these people as "unfit to stay".

But killing someone in front of Xu Damao would definitely scare the kid into a madness, so he had to suppress his murderous intent.

"How do I know if you're telling the truth or not?" He Yuzhu glanced at him indifferently, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.

"Young master, I swear to God!"

The bearded man immediately raised his hand.

"If I utter even half a lie, may I be struck by lightning!"

Don't give me that.

He Yuzhu was too lazy to waste words with him. He bent down, picked up the short knife from the ground, and played with it in his hand. The blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

"I don't have time to play these games with you. If you want to live, hand over all your valuables. Otherwise..."

He used the tip of his knife to pry open the bearded man's chin, and the ruthlessness in his eyes sent chills down the bearded man's spine.

"I wouldn't mind bleeding you out a bit and letting you lie in this alley for a few days. Whether you survive until the patrol finds you is up to fate."