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

He Yuzhu stood under the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley, his fingertips gently stroking the light blue system panel in his mind, and a line of clear text slowly appeared.

[Long-term mission: Eliminate traitors. Mission requirements: Eliminate traitors and lackeys who have collaborated with the Japanese invaders. Mission rewards: Randomly distributed, with no fixed upper limit.]

Upon seeing these words, He Yuzhu's lips curled into a knowing smile. He had been harboring a burning desire to eliminate traitors, and now the system was even offering a reward—it was a win-win situation.

However, plans can't keep up with changes. Before the formal operation to eliminate the traitors could even begin, he inadvertently saved members of the Rabbit Party twice.

The first time was in a secluded alley in the western part of the city. Three agents in short-sleeved shirts were punching and kicking a young man, who was clutching a cloth bag tightly in his arms, refusing to let go even at the cost of his life. He Yuzhu happened to be passing by and, relying on his brute strength, quickly beat the agents away with a few punches and kicks, hiding the man in a safe house he had found in advance.

The second incident occurred near the city gate, where a female comrade was being questioned by puppet troops. Just as she was about to be exposed, He Yuzhu deliberately knocked over a vegetable stall next to her to create chaos and took the opportunity to take her away.

Neither of the two attacks was earth-shattering, but both were fraught with danger. And the system kept its promise, each time sending a reward notification with a "ding" sound afterward.

[Ding! Successfully covered the comrade's escape from danger. Reward: Junior high school Chinese language course knowledge has been automatically stored in the host's mind.]

[Ding! Assisted in the relocation of important personnel. Reward: Junior High School Algebra Course Knowledge Introductory, automatically activated.]

He Yuzhu was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up.

The reward isn't money or weapons, but rather having high school curriculum knowledge directly crammed into your brain? That's more practical than anything else!

He's studying now, but he knows perfectly well that the world is in chaos. He could be studying peacefully today, but tomorrow war might break out. He doesn't have the patience to sit quietly in the classroom and waste several years of his life from the first year of junior high to the third.

Besides, in a few years it will be 1950, and the world will change drastically. At that time, you can take the entrance exam for a vocational school and graduate with a cadre status. That's the proper way out.

As for going to university or becoming a scientist or engineer? He Yuzhu didn't even consider it. He was restless and couldn't sit still for long periods; those highly technical jobs were simply not for him. With this system's help, he could directly catch up on all his junior high school knowledge, get his diploma ahead of time, and then take the vocational school entrance exam—a one-step process that saved him time and effort.

Having made up his mind, He Yuzhu kept the system task in mind.

While attending school, he secretly kept an eye out for traitors, ready to eliminate them whenever he had the chance.

Each time an anti-traitor mission is completed, the system will randomly teach a junior high school course.

Chinese, civics, English, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, history, geography, biology, physics, chemistry... one subject after another, like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, slowly filling his knowledge base.

By the time all the junior high school courses had been taught, the year was already drawing to a close.

In January 1946, a cold wind swirled with withered leaves over the courtyard, and the school officially began its winter vacation.

Final exams are unavoidable, of course.

Many students in the class looked worried and stayed up late studying, afraid of failing and being scolded by their parents. Only He Yuzhu was very calm. He had already mastered the knowledge instilled by the system and answered questions smoothly without the slightest panic.

On the day the results came out, he got a mediocre ranking, not outstanding, but definitely not bad either, which was just in line with his usual unassuming personality.

As soon as the news reached the courtyard, Jia Dongxu couldn't sit still.

Last time, he heard from his mother, Jia Zhangshi, that He Yuzhu had been scolded by He Daqing when he got home, and he was secretly delighted, just waiting to see He Yuzhu make a fool of himself. This time, as soon as he heard that the results were coming out, he dashed to the door of He Yuzhu's classroom, peering over the door frame, his eyes fixed on the report card, wishing he could find a string of red crosses on it.

He was already calculating in his mind: if He Yuzhu failed, he would go back and instigate his mother to gossip about He Yuzhu at the He family's door, making sure He Yuzhu had a bad New Year.

But reality slapped him hard in the face.

On the report card, every subject after He Yuzhu's name was a passing grade, and several subjects even scored above 70. There were none of the failing grades he had expected.

Jia Dongxu's expectant expression froze instantly, and he felt a sour, bitter feeling in his heart.

The reason he stared at He Yuzhu like that was, frankly, jealousy.

He was an outsider at school. He was several years older than his classmates, his family was dirt poor, and he was timid. He would only shrink back when something happened and never dared to stand up for his classmates. Naturally, no one wanted to be friends with him.

In contrast, He Yuzhu would take Xu Damao with him to and from school whenever he wasn't out on business, and they were inseparable.

Xu Damao used to be Jia Dongxu's little follower, but now he sticks to He Yuzhu all day long. Jia Dongxu sees this and hates it in his heart.

What made him even more envious was that Xu Damao thrived in the school.

He was sweet-talking and quick-witted, and he would often bring back snacks like peanuts and candy from home to share with his classmates, quickly winning over a group of friends. Even without He Yuzhu by his side, the walk home from school was always lively, with a bunch of people surrounding him.

Xu Damao also liked to brag to his classmates, saying that he had an older brother who was in a higher grade, and that if anyone dared to bully him, his brother would stand up for him.

To make it look like a show, he even dragged He Yuzhu to his class to show his face.

In the past six months, He Yuzhu has grown taller and stronger, reaching about 1.4 meters in height. With broad shoulders and a strong build, he exudes an aura that makes him seem unapproachable.

The group of teenagers who played with Xu Damao immediately changed their tune upon seeing He Yuzhu's imposing manner, calling Xu Damao "Brother Zhu".

He Yuzhu just smiled faintly at this, not taking it to heart at all.

How could he have time to play house with a bunch of kids? Xu Damao and the others can handle their own minor squabbles. If they can't, there are teachers to help. It's not his place to get involved.

Besides completing system tasks and preparing for final exams, He Yuzhu didn't forget his personal space.

The fishpond and vegetable garden inside were the foundation of his livelihood.

He didn't know how to fish, nor did he have any secret bait, so he simply got a fishing net and went to the small river outside the city to catch fish.

Regardless of size or type of fish, including crucian carp and common carp, they were all thrown into the fishpond in the space.

Anyway, the flow of time inside the space is ten times that of the outside world, so the fish grow very fast. In addition, the space itself provides plenty of fish food, so he doesn't need to worry about it at all.

As for the silt and algae in the fishpond, he never bothered with them.

Ever since he filled the fishpond with water, these things have grown automatically. Moreover, every time he harvests corn, sorghum, or straw, a portion of it always mysteriously disappears, presumably because the space automatically converts it into fertilizer for the fishpond, killing two birds with one stone.

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu was also busy in the vegetable garden.

He bought all kinds of vegetable seeds available on the market, including green beans, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, spinach, chives, and celery, and planted them round after round.

The static space has an excellent preservation effect; vegetables picked from the ground will remain fresh and juicy no matter how long they are kept, and you don't have to worry about them spoiling no matter how much you store.

He didn't grow much grain, though.

The grain stored in his space had long since piled up into a small mountain, enough to feed him for several years. As for raising chickens, ducks, and pigs, he found it too troublesome, dirty, and tiring. He secretly thought that if the system rewarded him with a fully automated farm someday, so he wouldn't have to put in any effort, then he might consider it.

He Yuzhu is not short of money now.

When I have nothing to do, I go out and wander around the streets. If I see someone slaughtering pork, mutton, chicken, or duck, I buy a batch and store it directly in my space.

He had everything from fresh and chilled meats, dried goods, grains and oils to cloth. Even if the supply from outside suddenly stopped, he could live comfortably for several years.

As the year draws to a close, the atmosphere in the courtyard is much more lively than last year.

This time last year, the Japanese devils were still running rampant in the city, and every household was tightening their belts, unable to even afford a bowl of white flour. Now that the Japanese have surrendered, life has finally become a little easier.

He Daqing, by working as a cook in the canteen and taking advantage of the purchasing convenience, managed to bring back a lot of flour, pork, and vermicelli, filling half the room with New Year's goods.

Xu Fugui also specially sent a lot of good things as a tribute to his master He Yuzhu, since Xu Damao had received a lot of care from He Yuzhu.

Yi Zhonghai also had a very successful year. He found a godfather from somewhere and got in touch with the right people. He not only had a job that paid for him, but also had special channels to buy things. He bought new furniture for his home and even bought several kilograms of meat to prepare for a good New Year.

Meanwhile, Jia Laonian's wages had also risen to eight silver dollars.

With the Japanese invaders' looting gone, the city's markets gradually recovered, and more vendors selling chicken, duck, fish, and meat appeared, with prices that were fairly reasonable. Even though the Jia family was poor, they still managed to buy two catties of meat for the New Year, along with a chicken and a fish, filling the house with the long-lost aroma of meat.

The other residents in the courtyard are all doing a little better.

Xu Fugui had visited once and mentioned in casual conversation that several families in the courtyard might be moving away to other places to make a living.

He Yuzhu didn't pay any attention to it; people coming and going was a normal occurrence.

But there was one person he had secretly taken notice of—Zhao Fengnian in the front yard.

This engineer, Zhao, works in a factory. He doesn't talk much and looks refined, but he always seems a bit unfathomable.

Before the school holiday even started, Zhao Fengnian took leave and left Beijing without a word. Nobody knew where he went.

He didn't return until the very end of the year, when every household was putting up Spring Festival couplets and hanging lanterns.

Moreover, he didn't come back alone.

Behind him followed a slender young woman with delicate features.

As soon as they entered the courtyard house, chaos erupted.

The neighbors all gathered around, their eyes darting curiously over Zhao Fengnian and the young woman.

"Hey, Engineer Zhao, where did you bring this beautiful young lady back?" Jia Zhangshi, always eager for a good chatterbox, grabbed Zhao Fengnian's arm, her smile suggestive. "Is it time for you to get married?"

Zhao Fengnian's face flushed red instantly, from his cheeks to his ears, even his neck turned purple. He waved his hands helplessly, "Old Jia's wife, don't talk nonsense! I, Old Zhao, have a wife back in my hometown. This is my cousin from the countryside, who came to the city to stay with me!"

"Cousin?" Madam Jia narrowed her eyes, her tone becoming even more exaggerated. "Isn't that a double blessing? I think you're just hiding it, too embarrassed to say it!"

"Go away, go away!" Zhao Fengnian stamped his feet in frustration. "I can't explain it to you. I need to go to the backyard to find the old lady!"

"Is she really not your new daughter-in-law?" Several other women from the front yard also gathered around, bombarding her with questions.

"It really is my cousin! Stop making wild guesses!"

Zhao Fengnian was surrounded by a group of women and couldn't defend himself. He simply grabbed the young woman and, with his head down, went into the central courtyard.

As soon as they entered the Intermediate People's Court, they were stopped again by Chen Lanxiang and Li Guihua.

Two middle-aged women looked the girl up and down. The girl lowered her head, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her face flushed red, redder than a monkey's bottom, and she didn't dare to say a word.

It took Zhao Fengnian a lot of explaining before he could barely explain the girl's identity.

Chen Lanxiang nodded and led the two towards the backyard, but she was secretly on guard.

Fortunately, Zhao Cuifeng stayed home to rest during her pregnancy and didn't come out to join the fun, otherwise she would have been questioned again.

Zhao Fengnian sought out the old lady in the backyard for a simple purpose—to rent a house.

It doesn't need to be big, just a small side room will do. It's for short-term rental; I'll leave after the Chinese New Year.

The houses in the front yard were already full, so we had to find a place in the middle yard.

The old lady sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), fiddling with her prayer beads, her eyes narrowed. She didn't immediately agree, but instead looked up at the girl who had been keeping her head down and silent.

"Young lady, where are you from?"

Zhao Fengnian quickly answered, "Auntie, she's my cousin, she's from Shanxi!"

"I didn't ask you." The old lady's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "Young man of the Zhao family, let the young lady speak for herself."

Zhao Fengnian choked and dared not interrupt.

The girl raised her head, looked at the old lady, then at Zhao Fengnian, hesitated for a long time, and then spoke timidly with a heavy accent: "Auntie...I'm from Shantou."

As soon as she said that, the old lady frowned instantly.

She's lived most of her life, traveled all over the country, and heard all kinds of accents. This isn't Shanxi dialect at all; the intonation is clearly from Shaanxi!

The old woman's face remained impassive, still smiling, but her eyes sharpened: "Your accent doesn't sound like it's from Shanxi, it sounds more like it's from Shaanxi, doesn't it?"

Zhao Fengnian's forehead broke out in a cold sweat, which trickled down his temples.

He instinctively took a step forward, blocking the girl's path, his voice slightly flustered: "Auntie, you really are from Shanxi! From Fenglingdu, which borders Shaanxi. The accent is similar, so it's not surprising!"

The old woman ignored him and continued staring at the girl, asking, "Young lady, who else is in your family? What is your relationship with the Zhao family boy?"

"There's no one at home... no one's home." The girl's voice was even softer as she tried to speak in broken Mandarin, "He's my cousin."

The old woman remained silent, her gaze sweeping over the girl, her eyes seemingly able to see right through her.

The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly became oppressive. Chen Lanxiang quietly moved closer to the old lady, her fingers clenching tightly.

What kind of place is Shaanxi?

That's the Rabbit Party's stronghold!

If this girl came from that side, her identity is not simple. If she gets involved, the whole courtyard will be implicated.

The old lady was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "You have a decent appearance. Tell me, what brings you to Beijing?"

Zhao Fengnian couldn't help but interrupt, "Auntie, I'm helping my cousin find a husband. We'll send her off to get married after the New Year!"

"Young Master Zhao." The old lady's face darkened slightly, and her tone turned colder. "I didn't ask you. If you keep interrupting like this, I won't rent this house, and we don't need to talk anymore."

Zhao Fengnian trembled in fright and quickly lowered his head: "Yes, yes, ma'am, I won't say anything, I won't say anything..."

It wasn't that he couldn't find anywhere else to stay; it was just that after thinking it over, this courtyard house was the safest place in the entire city of Beijing.

Although the front yard was chaotic, the families in the middle and back yards were law-abiding, tight-lipped, and didn't cause trouble or meddle in other people's business. He observed for several months before finally deciding to bring the person here.

But he didn't expect the old lady to have such a sharp eye; she picked up on his lie in just a few words.

He Yuzhu stood under the corridor not far away, taking in the whole scene, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

He had already guessed some of Zhao Fengnian's little scheme.

Combining this with the Rabbit Party comrades he had saved before, He Yuzhu instantly understood—this girl was not a cousin from Shanxi at all, nor was she here to get married; most likely, she was a comrade from northern Shaanxi.

Zhao Fengnian is risking his life to protect his own people.

He Yuzhu didn't say anything, but silently stepped aside.

He had no grudge against Zhao Fengnian, and besides, the other party was doing legitimate business.

As long as it doesn't affect the courtyard house or interfere with his affairs, he's happy to turn a blind eye.

The old lady looked at Zhao Fengnian, who was covered in sweat, and then at the uneasy girl. After a long silence, she finally slowly opened her mouth.

"I can rent you a small room, the rent isn't much."

The old lady paused, her gaze sweeping over the two of them sternly. "But let me make this clear—once you enter my courtyard, behave properly. Don't do anything messy, and especially don't cause trouble for the courtyard. Otherwise, don't say I'm an old woman who doesn't show mercy."

Zhao Fengnian felt as if he had been granted a pardon, bowing repeatedly: "Thank you, ma'am! Thank you, ma'am! We will definitely behave ourselves and never cause trouble!"

The girl also bowed slightly, her voice barely audible: "Thank you... thank you, ma'am."

The old lady waved her hand, signaling Chen Lanxiang to take them to tidy up the room.

Chen Lanxiang led the two towards the side room. Zhao Fengnian supported the girl, walking hurriedly, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

After the two had walked away, the old lady sighed softly and looked at He Yuzhu standing under the eaves with a meaningful look in her eyes.

He Yuzhu nodded slightly, indicating that he understood and would not say anything more.

The old lady nodded, closed her eyes again, twirled her prayer beads, and said nothing more.

The liveliness in the courtyard gradually faded away, and the cold wind continued to howl, but everyone harbored their own secrets.

He Yuzhu turned around and went back into his room, closed the door, and his consciousness once again entered a still space.

The fish in the fishpond are plump and fresh, the vegetables in the vegetable garden are lush and green, and the corner is piled high with grains and meat.

In his mind, the system panel floated quietly. He had collected all the junior high school courses, the mission to eliminate traitors was still ongoing, and new rewards were waiting for him to unlock.

As the year draws to a close, Beijing appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are stirring beneath the surface.