An extraordinary life journey through old Beijing courtyard houses

That's because, after careful consideration, he ultimately chose "handicrafts" as his "hobbies".

Unexpectedly, I struck gold, because "handmade" encompasses so much more.

Carpentry, weaving, shoemaking, carving, jewelry making... among them is "lock picking and key duplication".

Although his skill level was a bit lacking, even a very ordinary lock stumped Jiang Baobin for quite a while.

But even a novice is better than someone who knows nothing. Although it took a lot of effort, he managed to open the lock.

Goodness, this guy almost shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

This was his "first time stealing"!

With a wave of his hand, Four-Eyes immediately darted inside.

I didn't let the dog go inside; I just lay down on the doormat and kept watch for him.

This guy took out a pair of gloves and put them on, so he wouldn't leave fingerprints.

He had already changed his shoes; he used to wear size 40, but this time he changed them to size 42.

Since you're doing bad things, you can't be afraid of trouble; you must have counter-surveillance capabilities.

As he expected, the foreign monk drowned his sorrows in alcohol, and the stench of alcohol and snoring could be smelled from a distance in the living room.

Jiang Baobin found a few empty wine bottles and placed them under the sofa where he slept.

As soon as he gets up, he's bound to kick down one or two people, which is tantamount to calling the police.

However, it's best not to wake up, otherwise Jiang Baobin might take drastic measures.

He turned the foreign monk into the first NPC to be killed since he transmigrated!

Hmm—do we really have to do that?

This guy kept encouraging himself – it's just a bunch of numbers, nothing to be afraid of.

Dude, you've been training for so long, how come you can't even handle a zombie?

If all else fails, there's always the four-eyed guy—

"Close the door, unleash the dogs!" That fighting power is absolutely top-notch!

Referring to the layout of Elizabeth's house, Jiang Baobin quickly found the entrance to the basement.

When he went downstairs, he was completely stunned.

Holy crap! There are at least thirty bronze artifacts, and every single one of them is a masterpiece!

If that old man manages to sell all of this, the losses will be huge!

Jiang Baobin weighed it in his hand.

The heaviest one weighed over 100 kilograms, which was almost the limit that Jiang Baobin could lift.

Even the lightest one weighs over ten kilograms, no wonder Yanzi Li San wasn't interested, he really couldn't move it.

So now this trouble belongs to Jiang Baobin.

We still have to move it; it's a task assigned by the system, and we have to complete it no matter what.

Fortunately, the Sears' house was in a relatively remote location, with the Elizabethan family's house and another family nearby being the closest.

That family only includes my older brother, who is a professor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. He's very busy and rarely comes back, like today.

Therefore, Jiang Baobin simply drove his car out and, braving the cold rain, carried the bronze artifacts upstairs one trip after another.

First, they moved the big ones, and then the smaller ones were stuffed into the big ones like nesting dolls, without any regard for proper protection at that point.

Fortunately, they're all made of iron and are very sturdy.

Goodness, in the end, the entire car was crammed full.

Jiang Baobin first made an appearance at the "Western Gentlemen's Association".

He then secretly slipped out and went to the safe house he had bought near Dongsi Archway to hide his belongings.

Then, without stopping, he returned to the club.

They partied until midnight before finally returning to the villa.

Only then did the tense and exciting day come to an end.

The system did not disappoint him:

"Ding! The temporary mission 'Rescue the national treasure of China hidden by Xier in the underground floor and prevent it from ending up overseas' has been completed."

"Rewards: ① Western fencing; ② Short sword (dagger) techniques."

Wow! That's amazing skill. If I master it, I'll be Zorro!

Zorro! The undisputed hero in the hearts of countless foreigners!

"The people need Zorro!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

"Go to hell!"

This time they finally had to use weapons, and these were deadly!

Why is Jiang Baobin so afraid of Liu Ling'er? Isn't it because she always carries a broken sword?

If a girl gets carried away and kills, *snap*... that thing can really kill!

Otherwise, Jiang Baobin would really like to spar with her and see if he has improved.

Okay, Jiang Baobin admits he was a bit too eager for quick success, relying on just a few months of practice.

He wanted to compete with Liu Ling'er, who had worked hard for several years, which was just asking for trouble.

However, a year from now, well, who will be stronger or weaker is not necessarily certain.

Now there's a problem—Jiang Baobin has the skills, but he doesn't have the sword.

When he got up early the next day to practice, he could only use a stick to gesture.

Western swordsmanship is far more complex than one might imagine.

It involves: flexible and varied footwork, agile and swift movements, and techniques that conform to geometric principles...

This thing can't be used in open field battles, because encountering a gun emplacement means certain death!

It's for men to duel, for one-on-one killing, absolutely deadly!

Such complex moves cannot be learned with just a wooden stick. You might end up making a mess of it.

Therefore, he decided to go out and look around today, because he didn't believe that such a big city as Beiping didn't have a single Western sword.

The dagger is easy to find; I can just grab any foreign kitchen knife as a substitute.

At that time, Beiping was much colder than it would be in later years, at least three or four degrees colder.

Although it was only early November, the temperature at sunrise had already dropped to minus 5 degrees Celsius.

Last night's rain left a layer of glistening ice on tree trunks, withered grass, and the road surface.

Even so, Jiang Baobin was only wearing a vest and shorts.

On a felt mat, in an indescribable pose, one practices "Kundalini".

If he weren't worried about the negative impact, he would prefer to be naked so he could better absorb the essence of heaven and earth!

Okay, he admits, being naked makes him look cooler! It has nothing to do with collecting the essence of the sun and moon.

Jiang Baobin was practicing with great enthusiasm when the bespectacled man next to him, who had been lying down and showing little interest, suddenly stood up.

His eyes were fixed in the direction of Old Searle's house.

Soon, a scream of agony came from the other side, followed by the sound of things being smashed.

Clearly, the foreign monk had discovered that his house had been burgled twice, which caused him to have a mental breakdown!

Well, let's just wait and see what happens.

As expected, several cars arrived one after another half an hour later.

There were military police, police officers, and unidentified individuals who were completely covered up.

Not long after, people started walking towards the villa.

Jiang Baobin cursed inwardly, because he recognized him—it was Zhao Zhibang, his nemesis!

However, this area is indeed under the jurisdiction of the First Precinct. Isn't that just bad luck?

Jiang Baobin's appearance at this moment surprised Zhao Zhibang.

What's wrong with this kid? Wearing so little, isn't he afraid of catching a cold?

If it were me, I probably wouldn't last a minute; I'd probably wet myself from the cold.

And that pose, how did you manage to twist it like that? Did you break your leg?

But she has a really great figure! Although she's a bit thin, her curves are amazing, and she doesn't have an ounce of fat!

No wonder attracting foreign women is so desirable; if it were... tsk tsk...