Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

Widow Li, the deaf old woman's wife, was hunched over, wiping the corners of the wardrobe with a rag.

His movements seemed swift, but his eyes kept glancing around the various corners of the room.

A thin layer of dust had accumulated at the bottom of the wardrobe. Widow Li reached out to wipe it, but her fingertips touched a hard object.

A thought struck her, and she carefully parted the pile of old clothes on top, revealing a thread-bound book with a badly worn cover.

The cover is dark red, with the words "Manchu Etiquette Manual" written in gold lettering. Although the lettering has yellowed, its original exquisiteness is still evident.

"Manchus?" Widow Li murmured to herself. She had long heard that the Manchus were the nobles of the past, with many rules and a large family fortune.

This deaf old woman looks like an ordinary, lonely elderly person. How could she have such a manual?

Just as she was lost in thought, she heard the "thump-thump" sound of a cane hitting the ground at the door.

Widow Li panicked, her hand trembled, and the handbook in her arms almost fell to the ground.

In her haste to put the booklet back, she accidentally knocked over the basin of water at her feet, splashing water all over the floor and wetting her trouser legs.

The deaf old woman pushed open the door and happened to witness this scene.

Her gaze fell on the handbook in Widow Li's hand, her face instantly turned gloomy, and a barely perceptible hint of wariness flashed in her eyes.

"Auntie... this manual?" Widow Li stammered.

The deaf old woman didn't immediately react. She slowly walked up to Widow Li, held out her hand, and said, "Give it to me."

Widow Li dared not disobey and quickly handed over the manual.

The deaf old woman took the handbook, a meaningful sneer curling at the corner of her lips: "I'll keep my secrets hidden, and you keep yours hidden too."

After saying that, she tucked the manual tightly into her bosom and turned to leave.

Widow Li was left standing there, stunned, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

"Could she have discovered something?" Widow Li wondered to herself.

Her identity was special from the start. She escaped from the mountains and lived in anonymity, hoping to live a peaceful life.

But now, she seems to have discovered the deaf old woman's secret and has been subtly warned by her, which makes her increasingly uneasy.

But beyond the unease, there was even more curiosity and greed.

Since the deaf old woman had the Manchu handbook, her identity must be extraordinary, and she might be hiding many valuable treasures.

Widow Li composed herself and scanned the room again.

For the next half day, Widow Li pretended to clean while secretly searching the house.

She searched everywhere she could hide things: under the bed, behind the cabinet, in the crevices of the wall.

Persistence pays off; in a hidden corner behind the wardrobe, she found a small tin box, about the size of a palm.

The box was black, with a small brass lock hanging on it. The lock body was engraved with intricate patterns, making it look very exquisite.

Widow Li stared at the lock, and the more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.

She suddenly remembered that when she was with the chief on the mountain, there was an identical lock hanging on the chief's treasure chest!

The head of the gang said that this was a lock exclusively for Manchu nobles, and the keys were specially made so that ordinary people could not open it.

"They really are Manchus! And their status isn't low either!" Widow Li thought with great joy.

This little tin box might contain gold, silver, or jewelry, or something even more valuable.

She suppressed the urge to pry open the box immediately, carefully put it back in its place, covered it with other things, and pretended that she hadn't noticed anything.

She knew that now was not the time to alert the enemy.

The deaf old woman is meticulous and highly vigilant, and given that her identity may not be simple, taking any rash action would only bring trouble upon herself.

On the other side, the deaf old woman, carrying the "Manchu Etiquette Handbook," walked out of the courtyard.

She didn't go far, but instead turned into a dilapidated courtyard house deep in the alley.

This courtyard house looks like it has been abandoned for a long time. The walls are mottled and the entrance is overgrown with weeds, so it is obvious that no one lives there.

The deaf old woman looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, knocked on the door three times with her cane, paused, and then knocked twice more.

After a while, the door quietly opened a crack from the inside, and a middle-aged man in a black short jacket peeked out. He looked around warily, and only after confirming that no one was there did he help the deaf old woman inside.

No one could have imagined that this dilapidated courtyard house would contain such a hidden paradise.

The weeds in the yard had been cleared away, the ground was paved with smooth bluestone slabs, and red lanterns hung under the eaves.

The room was adorned with carvings of dragons and phoenixes, the rosewood tables and chairs were polished to a shine, the walls were hung with calligraphy and paintings by famous people, and the shelves were filled with various exquisite porcelain pieces, all of which were clearly very valuable.

A middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe sat on a grand chair in the main room, holding a cup of tea in his hand, and slowly took a sip.

Seeing the deaf old woman enter, he slightly raised his eyes and said, "What brings you here, sir?"

After the deaf old woman sat down, she said, "You don't come here unless you have a reason. I've found a new woman to serve me, named Widow Li. She's a refugee from famine."

"But I always felt something was off about her. Yesterday I accidentally saw her reading my book, and she could actually read it."

"As you know, most of the women who flee famine are illiterate. How could she know how to read? I suspect her background is not simple, and I would like you to help me investigate her origins."

The middle-aged man put down his teacup, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and said thoughtfully, "Oh? Is that so? Okay, I'll look into it for you. But, as you know, I always charge a fee for my services."

The deaf old woman was prepared. She took out a small cloth bag from her bosom, placed it on the table, and opened it to find two small, golden-yellow croakers inside. "This is a deposit. There will be a greater reward after the matter is settled."

The middle-aged man glanced at the small yellow croaker, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, and nodded: "Don't worry, I'll give you an answer within three days."

The deaf old woman stood up, said "Thank you for your trouble," and then turned to leave.

At this point, the middle-aged man said, "Why don't you just get rid of them? Knowing your personality, you wouldn't leave anyone alive in this situation."

"Hmph! Times have changed. Getting rid of it will only bring trouble upon yourself."

"Let me give you a piece of advice: keep a low profile. Look at your house; if anyone comes in, none of you will escape responsibility."

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Grandma, you're overthinking it. I have people all over Beijing now."

The deaf old woman shook her head and left.

Back at the courtyard house, as soon as I entered, I saw Widow Li cleaning the house, her brows covered in sweat.

Upon seeing the deaf old woman return, Widow Li quickly stopped what she was doing, stood up, and respectfully greeted her, "Auntie, you're back."

Looking at her like this, the deaf old woman said calmly, "From now on, call me 'old lady,' not 'auntie.'"

Widow Li was taken aback for a moment, then quickly nodded: "Yes, old lady."

The deaf old woman didn't say anything more and went straight back into the house with her cane.

She sat in the room, pondering in her mind what exactly Widow Li's identity was.

If there's a problem, you can only deal with it; if there's no problem, such a clever person can be quite useful.