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

He Yuzhu returned to the side room, closed the door behind him, and rubbed his frozen hands as he headed straight for the stove.

The charcoal fire in the furnace was still burning brightly, the orange-red flames licking the furnace walls, radiating a warm glow.

He moved closer, cupped his hands around the fire to warm them, and felt the heat gradually penetrate his skin, spreading through his veins to his limbs and bones, until his frozen body was completely warmed up before he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He took off his cotton-padded coat, which was damp with night dew, and lay down on the bed. With a thought, the system panel instantly appeared before his eyes.

The notification that the task was completed popped up. He glanced at it casually, and then he was struck dumb, frozen on the spot.

The reward is outrageous.

No, it's exaggerated beyond imagination.

[Mission: Please retrieve the large quantity of national treasures, antiques, and gold looted by the Mitsui & Co. at No. 1 Wangfujing Street. These items will be transported in three days! Completed!]

[Reward: Due to the presence of the treasures 'Peking Man Skull' and 'Tiger Devouring Man Wine Vessel' among the collected items, the host is rewarded with 4 times the space size. The space will be upgraded, divided into a static space and an ecological space, each half. Items within the space will not be affected during the upgrade. Host, upgrade immediately? Upgrade time: 30 days. Yes/No]

With a "whoosh," He Yuzhu sat up abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Peking Man skull?

That's a national treasure among national treasures!

There's also the Tiger-Eating-Man Wine Vessel, a legendary bronze artifact!

His heart pounded wildly, as if it were about to shatter his chest, and his mind eagerly probed into the space around him.

The space was filled with confiscated boxes, and his thoughts darted between them.

They quickly identified a unique wooden box—thicker than the others, with copper-plated edges, clearly designed to hold valuables.

He used his mind to move the wooden box to a corner, gently lifted the lid, and inside were several small brocade boxes neatly arranged.

Upon opening the first brocade box, a grayish-white skull fragment lay quietly on a velvet cushion, bearing the marks of time and weight that inspired awe.

When the second brocade box was opened, a bronze tiger devouring a human figure was revealed. The tiger's body was ferocious, with its fangs exposed, and a human figure was curled up under the tiger's mouth. The design was bizarre yet exquisite, exuding the mystery and majesty of the ancient people.

He Yuzhu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart.

Deeper into the space were several uniquely shaped bronze artifacts. Although he couldn't identify their exact origins, judging from their craftsmanship and decorations, they must all be priceless national treasures.

But the space needs to be upgraded, so it can't be used for a full thirty days. He scratched his head and looked around his empty room—a kang (heated brick bed), an old wooden box, two stools with missing legs, not even a decent piece of furniture.

Where should we put all these things we took out of the space?

He put on his cotton-padded coat, got out of bed, walked to the old wooden box, and forcefully lifted the lid.

Inside were only a few patched old clothes and a thin quilt, laid out only at the bottom of the trunk, just enough to hide things.

He took out a small wooden box from his spatial storage, filled it with one hundred silver dollars, carefully stuffed it into the bottom of the old wooden box, and then covered it with old clothes.

Milk powder is a necessity and can't be left in the upgrade space. He rummaged through the space and found a few cans of milk powder, then found a small ceramic jar and placed it in the coldest corner of the room.

Then, put the leftover pig's trotters and a basket of eggs into the jar, and took out a bag of soybeans, poured them in along the side of the jar, and piled them up layer by layer.

There were also three fresh crucian carp in the space, which were collected from the water tank of Mitsui & Co.

He remembered the copper basin he had found on the shelf of the trading company. With a thought, the copper basin appeared in his hand, still containing some water.

He put the crucian carp into a copper basin, then stuffed the basin and fish together into an earthenware jar, and added some crushed ice to the jar for better preservation.

While searching through the shelves, he found a bunch of brightly colored canned goods, all from Bald Eagle, but he couldn't recognize all the words on the labels.

He took two cans of each kind, threw them into an old wooden box, and then took out a bag of flour from his storage space. Using a coarse cloth bag he found in the trading company, he divided it into five bags, each weighing five pounds, and squeezed them next to the cans.

Browning 1911 pistols and spare magazines must be carried at all times.

He took out his pistol, checked the magazine, took out fifty bullets, put them in a wooden box, stuffed them into a compartment in an old wooden crate, covered them with his clothes, making them hidden and safe.

When He Yuzhu saw the bicycle in the space, he was in a dilemma—it was too big and too conspicuous, and there was no place to hide it in the side room. He could only put it against the corner of the wall for the time being, and put it back after the space was upgraded.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He thought it would be great if he could dig a cellar under the side room, otherwise, if anyone came in and saw this jar of things, they would have no idea where it came from.

Finally, he took twenty silver dollars and some loose change from his spatial storage and put them in his pocket for pocket money.

With everything ready, he stared at the "Yes/No" option on the panel, took a deep breath, and silently chanted, "Upgrade."

The next second, he clearly felt that the connection with the space was broken. The space that was once within reach became a chaotic mess, as if it were covered by a thick fog, and he could no longer perceive anything inside.

He withdrew his thoughts, lay back down on the earthen bed, pulled the quilt over his head, and in the darkness, his wildly beating heart slowly calmed down.

The tension and excitement of last night, coupled with the strenuous exercise, left him feeling exhausted. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, He Daqing knocked on the door, his voice booming, "Zhuzi, get up and practice your skills!"

He Yuzhu rubbed his eyes, got dressed, and went outside, only to find Xu Damao already waiting in the yard.

The child was wearing a newly made cotton-padded jacket, holding a cornbread in his hand, and was eating it with great enthusiasm. Cornbread crumbs fell down the corners of his mouth and covered his face.

"Brother Zhu, you've finally come up!" Xu Damao's eyes lit up when he saw him, his mouth still stuffed with cornbread, and his speech was unclear.

"Why are you up so early, kid?" He Yuzhu chuckled and patted his head, wiping the cornbread crumbs off his face.

"Hehe, I'm learning martial arts from Uncle He, so I have to be diligent!"

Xu Damao grinned, revealing two rows of small tiger teeth. "My mom woke me up before dawn and even boiled eggs!"

"Your mother is so clever," He Yuzhu joked.

He Daqing came out of the house with a cloth bag in his hand, which contained his training equipment.

"Alright, stop dawdling. Zhu Zi, hurry up and wash up and eat. After you finish eating, go to the backyard. I have to go to work at the factory later, or I'll get my wages docked."

"I understand, Dad," He Yuzhu replied, then turned to go to the well to wash up.

He Yuzhu splashed his face with the cold well water and instantly sobered up.

He ate two cornbread buns and drank a bowl of corn porridge with the boiled well water, then hurried to the backyard.

Xu Damao was already standing in the middle of the yard, practicing the basic stance of Tongbei Quan—his feet were shoulder-width apart, his knees were slightly bent, and his back was straight. Although his legs were still trembling slightly, his face was taut, his teeth were clenched, and he didn't move an inch.

When He Daqing saw his son coming over, he said in a deep voice, "I'll practice Tongbei Quan one more time. Watch carefully as you watch the moves and power techniques. Practice on your own after I leave, and I'll correct you when I come back tonight."

"Okay, Dad." He Yuzhu nodded, stepped aside, and stared intently at the screen.

He Daqing took a deep breath and slowly assumed a fighting stance.

He hunched his shoulders and leaned back, his movements as agile as a monkey, his attacks as fast as lightning, his fists whistling through the air, and his counterattacks were like wildfire, incredibly swift.

With steady steps, every move was powerful yet agile. After completing a set of punches, he was neither red-faced nor out of breath, and there wasn't even a bead of sweat on his forehead.

"Zhu Zi, how much have you memorized?" He Daqing asked.

"It's about five or six parts of the move; I haven't quite understood the power generation technique yet," He Yuzhu answered honestly.

"Try it once and let me see," He Daqing waved his hand.

He Yuzhu stepped forward as instructed and began to practice the moves from memory. But after only a few moves, He Daqing frowned.

Not right.

This kid showed off his Bajiquan skills before; he was very skilled and experienced, clearly a veteran who had practiced for many years.

But now, when he tries to perform Tongbei Quan, he's very stiff. The transitions between moves are not smooth, and his power generation is incorrect. He doesn't look like a trained practitioner at all; he looks like a clueless beginner.

If He Yuzhu knew what his father was thinking, he would definitely mutter to himself: Dad, you have no idea how good the system is. I don't even need to practice. The muscle memory is given to me directly. Bajiquan was given to me by the system, but I still have to learn Tongbeiquan slowly!

After finishing his set of punches, He Yuzhu scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Dad, did I do a terrible job?"

"Not bad, I've memorized the basic moves." He Daqing didn't say much, afraid of discouraging his son's enthusiasm.

"Practice on your own first. Don't force yourself when it's not going smoothly. I'll teach you the proper power techniques when you get back tonight. Incorrect movements can easily lead to injuries, so be careful."

"Understood, Dad." He Yuzhu nodded.

He Daqing turned to look at Xu Damao, where the child was staring longingly with envy, his stance crooked.

"Da Mao, you don't need to be envious."

He Daqing's tone softened somewhat.

"The set of boxing that your brother Zhuzi is practicing is too powerful for you. You can't practice it yet. Once you've mastered the basic stances, I'll teach you moves that are more suitable for you."

Xu Damao wore a bitter expression and hung his head: "I understand, Master."

But in his heart he was thinking: Does Brother Zhu still need to practice? You didn't see how he was at Mitsui & Co. last night. His skills were even better than yours!

He Daqing gave a few more instructions on the precautions for practicing, glanced at the sky, and hurriedly picked up his cloth bag: "I'm leaving first. You two practice hard and don't slack off!" After saying that, he strode out of the backyard.

About half an hour later, Zhao Cuifeng also went out to buy groceries with her basket. Before leaving, she made a point of going around to the backyard and called out loudly, "Da Mao! Listen to your brother Zhu Zi! Don't be lazy or try to slack off! Mom will cook you something delicious tonight!"

"I know, Mom!" Xu Damao shouted back.

The two brothers practiced in the yard for a while. He Yuzhu pondered the moves of Tongbei Quan repeatedly, while Xu Damao gritted his teeth and persisted in standing in the stance. Beads of sweat on his forehead streamed down his cheeks, soaking the collar of his cotton-padded jacket.

Just then, the deaf old lady's door creaked open.

The old lady, leaning on her cane, moved a small stool, slowly walked to the door and sat down, watching the two boys fussing around with a smile, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"Madam, why did you come out? It's still chilly, please go back inside!" He Yuzhu put down his fist and quickly walked over, wanting to help the old lady back inside.

"Not cold, not cold."

The old lady waved her hand, her voice loud and clear.

"Watching you young people practice so enthusiastically makes me feel all warm up too. Zhu Zi, is this your first day learning your father's Tongbei Quan?"

"No, I learned a bit of Bajiquan before, but today is the first time I'm practicing Tongbeiquan, which my father taught me," He Yuzhu answered truthfully.

"That's more like it!"

The old lady nodded, her face full of satisfaction.

"Your father used to be reluctant to teach his true skills to outsiders, but now he's willing to teach you because he sees you as his heir. Your boxing is quite impressive, even more spirited than your father was in his youth!"

"Madam, you flatter me. I'm still far from good enough," He Yuzhu said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Hehe, what haven't you seen, Madam?" The old lady laughed, her wrinkles smoothing out.

"You're a reliable and hardworking child; you're sure to amount to something. When you have time, learn to cook like your father; with both literary and martial skills, you'll be able to support the family. In a few years, your wife will help you find a beautiful wife, and your life will be perfect!"

"Madam, how old am I? How could I be thinking about such things!" He Yuzhu's face turned red instantly, and she quickly changed the subject.

Xu Damao, who was watching the commotion from the sidelines, couldn't help but interject, "Madam, what about me? Could you find me a wife too?"

The old lady glanced at him and teased him deliberately, "You? You're still a kid, you haven't even grown your hair yet, what kind of wife are you looking for? Besides, you're not even as good as your brother Zhuzi's finger, what girl would want you?"

"Oh……"

Xu Damao hung his head, looking a little deflated, but quickly raised his head again, clenching his little fists.

"I'll work hard! Once I've mastered martial arts, I'll definitely catch up with Brother Zhu!"

"Then you can wait and see, Madam."

The old lady smiled even more happily.

"Don't just talk the talk, kid. The worst thing you can do in martial arts is to be lazy and cheat. You have to be willing to endure hardship and fatigue to develop your skills."

"I know! I can definitely hold on!" Xu Damao puffed out his chest, his eyes resolute.

The old lady nodded and said nothing more. She just sat at the door, watching the two boys practice with a smile.

As the sunlight slowly rises, it filters through the branches on the courtyard wall, casting dappled shadows. The air in the courtyard is filled with the passion and vibrancy of youth.