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

Chen Lanxiang frowned as she looked at the room piled high with rice, flour, coarse cloth, oil, salt, and several packets of pastries tightly wrapped in oil paper.

These are not things that ordinary people can just take out casually.

Without saying a word, she pulled He Yuzhu into the inner room, slammed the door shut behind her, and spoke in a low, urgent voice.

"Zhu'er, tell me the truth, how much did all this cost? I checked just a few days ago, and you don't have a single penny in your pocket. Where did you get the money to buy all this?"

He Yuzhu scratched the back of his head, chuckled, and looked completely unconcerned.

"Mom, don't worry about it. We've got the goods, so just use them with peace of mind. I'll take care of the money."

What does "having a way" mean?

Chen Lanxiang reached out and gently pinched his arm, but the force was not light at all.

"Did the money fall from the sky or come from a strong wind? You won't be able to feel at ease for a moment until you explain it clearly!"

He Yuzhu grimaced in pain, but kept his mouth tightly shut, not letting out a single word.

"Mother, please don't worry. These things weren't stolen or robbed. They came from a clean source, so please don't ask any more questions."

Chen Lanxiang stared at her son for a long time, and seeing his stubbornness, she felt both angry and helpless.

That brat's mouth is as shut as if it were welded shut; getting anything out of him is harder than climbing to heaven.

As she was figuring out how to get him to talk, she suddenly caught a glimpse of Xu Damao at the door from the corner of her eye.

The boy peeked out and then darted back in, his eyes darting around, looking like he wanted to say something but didn't dare. Several times he was about to speak, but then he swallowed his words back.

Chen Lanxiang immediately understood.

Without making a sound, she turned to He Yuzhu and waved her hand, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Alright, stop standing there and go to the kitchen to prepare lunch."

He Yuzhu paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked up at the sun outside the window and couldn't help but smile.

"Mother, what time is it? It's only a little past noon, there's still a long time before lunch. Are you delirious from hunger?"

"I'm just hungry, is that not allowed?" Chen Lanxiang raised her eyebrows, exuding a fierce and assertive air.

"Just go when I tell you to. Why are you arguing so much? Can't I even go without food?"

He Yuzhu was speechless, but then he turned around and leaned forward, staring at his mother with a curious expression.

"Mother, I noticed something—when you dealt with Zhang Ruhua outside just now, the way you raised your hand, turned around, and spoke was so clean and efficient. I thought...did you really practice martial arts?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lanxiang's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

She initially intended to brush it off with a casual remark, but looking into her son's bright, expectant eyes, she ultimately softened her tone.

"I've practiced it a little; it's a family heirloom."

Chen Lanxiang described it lightly.

"It's just that after managing the household for so many years and having you, this rascal, I haven't had a single day of peace. How could I have had time to practice martial arts? I've long since become rusty."

"You've really practiced?!" He Yuzhu's eyes widened instantly, his tone full of surprise. "What kind of martial arts did you practice? Boxing? Or leg techniques? Could you teach me? I want to learn too!"

Unable to resist his persistent advances, Chen Lanxiang uttered two words indifferently: "Tai Chi".

"Tai Chi?" He Yuzhu blurted out. "Is it Chen-style Tai Chi?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lanxiang looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with surprise: "How do you know about Chen's Tai Chi? Who told you? Was it your father, He Daqing, or the old lady in the backyard?"

He Yuzhu was prepared and just laughed it off.

"I can't remember exactly where I heard it, but I've forgotten who said it."

Chen Lanxiang stared at him for a while, but couldn't find any flaws, before waving her hand.

"Don't overthink it. First, master the Tongbei Quan that your father passed down to you. When it comes to kung fu, you can't bite off more than you can chew; you can't get fat in one bite."

Undeterred, He Yuzhu pressed on, "Does the old lady in the backyard also know kung fu?"

"She won't," Chen Lanxiang said firmly. "Our family rule is that the skills are passed down to sons, not daughters, and outsiders shouldn't even think about getting involved."

"Wait, Mother!"

He Yuzhu immediately seized on the opportunity, his face serious.

"Aren't you a woman too? How come you know Chen-style Tai Chi? That's not proper!"

This question completely annoyed Chen Lanxiang.

Her face darkened, and she reached for the feather duster by the bed, raising it to strike.

"You little brat, why are you asking so many questions? I read it several times and figured it out myself, is that not okay?"

When He Yuzhu saw that his mother was serious, he shrank back in fright, slid off the kang (a heated brick bed) in a flash, and ran away as fast as he could, all the while still trying to flatter her.

"Mother! Your aptitude is incredible! You're practically a born martial arts genius!"

"You little brat, I think you're asking for a beating!" Chen Lanxiang shouted, both angry and amused, from the doorway of the inner room.

Outsiders may not know, but she knows it in her heart.

Her Chen-style Tai Chi wasn't something she could learn by watching a few times. Rather, it was something her father secretly passed down to her, hiding it from the family, because he loved his daughter and was afraid she would be bullied in this chaotic world.

However, due to the chaos of war and the turmoil of the time, her parents disappeared without a trace, and their fate remains unknown to this day.

He Yuzhu's series of questions struck the softest and most painful spot in her heart.

Thinking of her long-lost relatives, she felt a pang of sadness and suffocation, and naturally vented her anger on her son.

He Yuzhu had only run a few steps when he realized his mother's tone was off, and his heart skipped a beat, knowing he had said too much.

He quickly stopped, turned around and walked back, standing at the door, his voice unusually gentle.

"Mother, I was just joking. Don't take it to heart. Getting angry will only make you sick. When things are more peaceful outside, I'll definitely take you back to the old village. Maybe... Grandpa and Grandma are still alive and waiting for us."

Chen Lanxiang's body trembled, her voice so low it was almost inaudible, with a barely perceptible tremor: "Really...can he come back? So many years have passed, and there hasn't been a single word from him."

"Definitely!"

He Yuzhu's tone was extremely firm.

"As long as they're alive, they'll definitely go back to their old haunts. Even if they're not there when we go, we can leave a message telling the villagers our current address. If they get even a little bit of news, how could they not come looking for us?"

Chen Lanxiang took a deep breath, her eyes slightly red, but she still refused to back down.

"What do you know about the world's affairs, you little brat? Get out of here and go cook!"

Although she was scolding him, her heart was warmed. Her son's words gave her a faint but real hope.

He Yuzhu chuckled and obediently turned and went to the kitchen.

As soon as he left, Chen Lanxiang's face immediately put on a gentle smile, and she waved to Xu Damao in the courtyard: "Damao, come here, your teacher's wife wants to say a few words to you."

Xu Damao, completely oblivious to the danger, thought his master's wife was going to praise him for being obedient. He immediately ran over, tilting his little face up with a sweet expression: "Master's wife, did you call me?"

"Da Mao."

Chen Lanxiang reached out and patted his head, her tone unusually gentle, "Is your teacher's wife usually good to you?"

"Okay!" Xu Damao nodded vigorously without hesitation. "My teacher's wife treats me even better than my own mother! She cooks delicious food for me every day, and every meal is full of oil and fat!"

These days, Xu Damao spends almost every day at the He family's house, where he is provided with three meals a day, and the food is very nutritious.

Xu Fugui and his wife felt bad and tried to give him living expenses several times, but Chen Lanxiang and He Daqing refused.

The couple had no choice but to occasionally ask someone to get some rare items from the Lou family and have Xu Damao bring them over as a tribute to his master.

He Daqing declined twice, but seeing the Xu family's sincerity, he stopped refusing, otherwise it would seem too distant.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Chen Lanxiang subtly changed the subject: "Then your master's wife will ask you something, and you must answer honestly—where did all that money and those things come from, Brother Zhuzi?"

Xu Damao's smile froze instantly.

He pursed his lips, and two words slipped out instinctively: "Bad guy..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized what he had said, quickly covered his mouth with both hands, and took a step back with his short legs, trying to run away.

This is a secret between him and Brother Zhu!

Brother Zhu repeatedly warned him not to tell anyone. If he did, Brother Zhu would definitely stop playing with him and stop bringing him treats!

But he was young, and no matter how fast he moved, he couldn't outrun Chen Lanxiang.

Chen Lanxiang reacted quickly, grabbing his ear and applying slight force.

"You brat, you don't even listen to your master's wife anymore? You dare to keep secrets from me? Tell me now! Or I'll get rough!"

Xu Damao's face contorted in pain. He tried to shake his head, but his ears were being pulled so tightly that he couldn't move them.

The more he struggled, the more pain he felt. His eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up in his eyes, on the verge of bursting into tears.

Chen Lanxiang's heart softened when she saw his pitiful appearance, and she immediately loosened her grip.

Xu Damao was freed, but he didn't dare say a word. He wiped his eyes, turned around, and ran away faster than a rabbit.

Chen Lanxiang watched his flustered back, feeling both annoyed and amused, and muttered a curse under her breath.

"Those two rascals are really tight-lipped, one of them is more secretive than the other."

Despite her cursing, she already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

He Yuzhu himself said it wasn't stealing or robbing, and Xu Damao blurted out the word "bad guy," so the answer was obvious—he probably encountered some bad guys on the road and his son took care of them, and the things were obtained from those people.

Upon thinking of this, Chen Lanxiang's heart tightened.

He Yuzhu is tough, brave, and skilled, so she feels a little more at ease with him.

But Xu Damao is still so young. If he goes out on an adventure with her, what if something really happens? How will she explain it to Xu Fugui and his wife?

"No, I have to make it clear to Zhu'er later that we absolutely cannot take Da Mao on any more dangerous trips when we go out in the future." Chen Lanxiang made up her mind to herself.

On the other side, Xu Damao ran into the kitchen with a long face. As soon as he saw He Yuzhu, he immediately recounted the whole story of how his teacher's wife had pulled his ear and interrogated him.

After saying that, he puffed out his chest, looking like he was taking credit: "Brother Zhu, I didn't say anything! I didn't say anything at all! Aren't I loyal enough!"

Looking at his bright red ears and wet eyes, He Yuzhu was both annoyed and amused, so he reached out and flicked him on the forehead.

Xu Damao let out a howl, and tears almost fell down his face.

Seeing this, He Yuzhu quickly took out two snow-white milk candies from his personal space and stuffed them into his hand.

Xu Damao's eyes widened instantly, holding the milk candy with an expression of disbelief.

"Wow! Milk candy! Brother Zhu, this...this is milk candy? Where did you get this? I've never had it before in my life!"

"You still recognize this as milk candy?" He Yuzhu asked, somewhat surprised.

"know!"

Xu Damao nodded immediately, his little face full of pride.

"Last time I went to the Lou family's main residence with my mother, I saw the young masters and ladies eating it, and it looked just like this! White and fragrant!"

"Have you ever eaten it?" He Yuzhu asked casually, hitting the nail on the head.

Xu Damao's smugness vanished instantly, his head drooped, and his voice lowered.

"Never eaten... Such precious things are not fit for us servants to eat."

Although he was young, he understood some social etiquette. Every time he went to the Lou family with his mother, seeing her humble and cautious manner made him feel inexplicably sad and vaguely inferior.

Seeing his dejected look, He Yuzhu reached out and ruffled his hair, speaking earnestly.

"What do you mean by servants? From now on, we'll be following your Brother Zhu, and we won't have to worry about anyone's opinion. We can eat as much of this candy as we want."

After saying that, he took one from Xu Damao's hand, gently unwrapped it, and held it to his lips: "Try it."

Xu Damao subconsciously opened his mouth, the milk candy entered his mouth, and a rich sweetness mixed with milky aroma instantly melted in his mouth.

His eyes lit up, and he almost jumped up with excitement: "Sweet! Brother Zhu! It's so sweet! And it smells milky too! It's delicious!"

"If it doesn't taste like milk, how can it be called milk candy?" He Yuzhu chuckled.

Xu Damao chewed a few bites, then suddenly remembered something, grabbed another milk candy, and was about to run outside.

"Brother Zhu, I'll take this to Master's wife! She's definitely never tasted such delicious candy before!"

"Go ahead." He Yuzhu nodded with a smile. "When you get home tonight, I'll get you a few more pieces so your parents can have a taste too."

"Thank you, Brother Zhu!"

Xu Damao jumped up excitedly, rushed over and hugged He Yuzhu's waist, rubbing his little head against him as if he were being affectionate.

After being released, he held the milk candy and ran into the house, shouting excitedly.

"Master's wife! Master's wife! I've brought you something delicious!"

Chen Lanxiang was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) lost in thought when she heard the sound. She looked up and saw Xu Damao running in, holding a white object.

She raised an eyebrow slightly: "Da Mao, what's this? Where did it come from?"

"Brother Zhu gave me these milk candies!" Xu Damao held them high. "Master's wife, you must try them, they're so sweet!"

"He gave it to you, you can keep it for yourself, your teacher's wife doesn't want it," Chen Lanxiang said with a smile, declining the offer.

"No, no!" Xu Damao shook his head vigorously, looking very serious. "My teacher's wife is always so good to me, so I definitely have to give you the best food first! This candy is really sweet, and it even tastes milky. You've definitely never had it before!"

As he spoke, Xu Damao imitated He Yuzhu's actions, clumsily unwrapping the candy, standing on tiptoe, and offering the candy to Chen Lanxiang's lips.

Looking into the child's clear and sincere eyes, Chen Lanxiang felt a warmth in her heart and could no longer bear to refuse.

She lowered her head slightly, opened her mouth, and let Xu Damao stuff the candy into her mouth.

The sweet milky aroma melts in your mouth, sweetening your heart.

"Master's wife, is it sweet?"

Xu Damao looked up with his little face full of anticipation.

"sweet."

Chen Lanxiang nodded gently, a smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips.

It tasted sweet in my mouth, and my heart was warmed even more.

Seeing that his teacher's wife liked it, Xu Damao chuckled and, without lingering, turned and dashed back to the kitchen to find He Yuzhu.

Chen Lanxiang sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), slowly sucking on the piece of milk candy, and muttered to herself, "This child is so impulsive, but this candy is really delicious."

She asked for a long time about where her son came from, but couldn't get any information out of him.

These foods, items, and even this rare piece of milk candy—they're clearly not things that ordinary families would casually produce.

But He Yuzhu wouldn't talk, Xu Damao wouldn't talk, and no amount of pressing her would help.

Having figured this out, Chen Lanxiang simply stopped worrying about it.

As long as her son doesn't go astray or do anything immoral, she, as his mother, chooses to believe him.

At lunchtime, He Daqing had someone bring the old lady from the backyard over as well.

A table full of food was laid out, steaming hot and fragrant. Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside it was warm and cozy.

The old lady picked up her chopsticks, but instead of eating, she looked at Chen Lanxiang.

"Lanxiang, I think I heard some noise in the front yard just now, a lot of commotion. Is something happening in the middle yard again?"

The snow was falling heavily outside, and the ground was frozen solid. The old lady was too old to move around freely, so she had to stay inside the house.

Upon hearing this, Chen Lanxiang immediately showed a hint of disdain on her face: "What else could it be? It's just that Zhang Ruhua, who has such a gossipy mouth. She saw that we brought back some things and immediately accused Zhu'er of stealing them."

"That Zhang Ruhua?"

The old lady frowned, her tone tinged with worry.

"You two...didn't suffer any losses, did you?"

"Mother, don't worry." Chen Lanxiang chuckled, looking relaxed. "She's just a shrew, thinking she can cause trouble in front of me? I'm already being lenient by not hitting her. Dealing with her is a piece of cake."

The old lady nodded, then, remembering something, lowered her voice and asked, "You... didn't really show off your skills in front of her just now, did you?"

"No," Chen Lanxiang shook her head. "I know what's going on, I just exchanged a few words with her. But Zhu'er has sharp eyes, he noticed I've practiced martial arts and kept asking me about it for a long time."

"Oh?" The old lady was somewhat surprised.

"He also said that when things are peaceful in the future, he would take me back to the old village to see it, saying that maybe my parents are still alive." Chen Lanxiang's voice softened, with a hint of barely perceptible anticipation in her tone.

After listening, the old lady sighed deeply, looked at He Yuzhu who was serving food to Xu Damao, and said with a face full of relief, "This child... is kind-hearted, filial, and a good child!"

A group of people were having a lively meal, while the cold wind howled outside the window, but the room was warm and cozy.

He Yuzhu lowered his head and ate his rice, a faint smile creeping onto his lips.

His father possessed Tongbei Quan (a style of Chinese martial arts), his mother possessed Chen-style Tai Chi, and he himself possessed a heaven-defying spatial ability. His future would only get better and better.

In his eyes, Zhang Ruhua and the troubles of the courtyard were nothing more than insignificant characters.

The world is about to change.

But He Yuzhu's good days have only just begun.