Courtyard House: Home Alone

Just then, Xu Fugui came in from the front yard carrying two cloth bags. Looking at He Yuzhu and Lin Yifan, who were covered in sweat, he raised his head and said with a mocking expression, "How's it going? Finished your monkey show?"

Lou Zhenhua felt his spring had returned after not seeing any Japanese in Beiping for some time. His driver, Xu Fugui, also stood up, as if the whole of Beiping belonged to him.

He Yuzhu was already exhausted, and upon hearing this, he flew into a rage and was about to rush forward to argue: "Who are you calling a monkey showman?"

Lin Yifan grabbed him and looked at Xu Fugui with icy eyes: "If you can't speak properly, then shut up. Your foul mouth will only stink others."

Relying on Lou Zhenhua's recent rise to power, Xu Fugui completely disregarded Lin Yifan, scoffing, "What? Did I say something wrong? You poor wretch, instead of lying down properly, you're making a ruckus in the yard. What is this if not a monkey show?"

He shook the cloth bag in his hand and deliberately raised his voice, "Unlike our Boss Lou, who just came back from the Six Nations Hotel, these are authentic Western pastries. Some people have probably never seen them in their entire lives."

As she spoke, she glanced at He Yuzhu with disdain, her contempt undisguised.

He Yuzhu's face turned red with anger as she struggled to break free from Lin Yifan's grasp. "Brother Fan, don't stop me! I'm going to make him understand why the flowers are so red today!"

"I don't understand, where does a rickshaw driver, a rich man's dog, get his sense of superiority? Western snacks, huh! They're just leftovers, what's there to show off? Especially in front of us, a seven-year-old and a five-year-old child." Lin Yifan spat on the ground.

Upon hearing Lin Yifan's words, He Yuzhu immediately realized what was going on and retorted loudly, "Exactly! You're just a driver, what's with all the swagger! Showing off the master's leftovers like a lapdog begging for a reward!"

Xu Fugui's smile froze instantly, then turned ashen. He hadn't expected Lin Yifan to be so sharp-tongued, and he certainly hadn't expected that He Yuzhu, a mere teenager, would dare to contradict him in public.

He slammed the cloth bag he was carrying onto the stone mill with a loud "bang," pointed at Lin Yifan, and roared, "Who the hell are you calling a dog? Kid, I think you're tired of living! Believe me or not, I'll get Boss Lou to kick you out of this courtyard!"

Lin Yifan's eyes turned cold, and he took a step forward, instantly enveloping Xu Fugui with an invisible pressure.

Xu Fugui felt a chill run down his spine under the man's gaze and involuntarily took a half-step back, shouting with a fierce but weak voice, "You... what do you want to do? Let me tell you, I'm Boss Lou's man! Do you think you can beat me like you beat Jia Gui?"

"Boss Lou?" Lin Yifan sneered. "In my eyes, Lou Zhenhua is not even as good as this piece of junk you have."

You'd better understand, this courtyard house doesn't belong to Lou Zhenhua, and it's none of your business to cause trouble. I'm letting you off the hook today because you're a servant, but take your things and get out!"

Lin Yifan practically squeezed out the last word, "Get out," with an undeniable air of authority.

Xu Fugui was so frightened by the coldness in his eyes that he trembled violently. He didn't dare to say another word. He hurriedly picked up the cloth bag on the millstone and slunk back to his house in the backyard. He didn't even dare to look back, for fear that Lin Yifan would really make a move.

He had heard that Jia Gui had brought two thugs to the courtyard to extort money from Lin Yifan, but Lin Yifan had given them a beating. He didn't want to lose face in the courtyard.

Watching Xu Fugui's disheveled retreating figure, He Yuzhu couldn't help but chuckle, giving Lin Yifan a thumbs up: "Brother Fan, you're amazing! You scared him away with just a few words!"

Lin Yifan withdrew his gaze, patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder, and said in a calm tone, "This kind of person is a typical example of a petty person who has gained power. The more you argue with him, the more energetic he becomes."

To deal with them, you either have to beat them into submission or overwhelm them with your presence. You're still young, so in the future, if you encounter situations like this, try not to use force, but you can't lose in terms of presence.

He Yuzhu nodded as if he understood, "I understand, Brother Fan."

"Alright, go back and rest. You have to get up early to practice tomorrow," Lin Yifan urged.

"Okay! Goodnight, Brother Fan!" He Yuzhu replied, then walked briskly back into the house.

Lin Yifan watched him go inside before turning and walking towards the front yard. The neighbors who had been peeking through the windows all ducked back, and the yard returned to its previous tranquility.

He knew that what happened today would probably become the talk of the town in the courtyard again tomorrow, but he didn't care. In this chaotic world, if you didn't want to be bullied, you had to show some real skills and toughness.

Back at Grandpa Zhang's house, the meal was already prepared. The stewed pork and cabbage with glass noodles emitted an enticing aroma, two golden poached eggs lay in the bowl, and there were two steamed buns on the side.

In an era of scarcity, such a dinner was considered a luxury.

"Eat up, Xiao Fan. You must be starving after just teaching Zhu Zi martial arts," Aunt Zhang said warmly, serving Lin Yifan a large bowl of food.

"Thank you, Auntie, you should eat too." Lin Yifan picked up the steamed bun and ate it in big bites. The warmth of the food slid down his throat, dispelling the chill of the night and relaxing his tense nerves a bit.

Grandpa Zhang took a sip of his drink, watching Lin Yifan wolf down his food, and a relieved smile appeared on his face: "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you. Eat more, it'll give you strength."

"Grandpa, have a drink too." Lin Yifan filled Grandpa Zhang's glass with wine.

"Alright, alright." Grandpa Zhang picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and smacked his lips. "Xiao Fan, you seem to have matured a lot since you came back this time, and... you've become much more composed."

Lin Yifan smiled but didn't speak. Having experienced life and death and witnessed too much darkness, it would be difficult for him not to mature.

"By the way, Xiao Fan," Grandpa Zhang seemed to remember something and asked in a low voice, "Are you only staying for a few days this time? It's so chaotic outside, why don't you... stay home a little longer?"

Lin Yifan put down his chopsticks, looking at Grandpa Zhang's worried eyes, and felt a warmth in his heart: "Grandpa, I really have a lot of things to take care of this time, so I probably won't be staying for long. But don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. I'll come back to see you and Auntie once I've taken care of everything."

Grandpa Zhang sighed, knowing that Lin Yifan had his own plans, and didn't try to persuade him any further. He simply said, "Then be careful in everything you do. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

"Yes, I understand, sir," Lin Yifan nodded in agreement.