Courtyard House: Home Alone

The document contains a detailed record of all the Japanese strongholds, troop deployments, and weaponry he knew of in Beiping, including the activity patterns and residences of several important officials. It is written in dense, clear, and organized detail.

It seems that Wang Defa was truly terrified and dared not hide anything.

After reading it, Lin Yifan nodded in satisfaction and put the paper into his spatial storage: "Seeing how sensible you are, I will spare you from the death by a thousand cuts. I will also spare your family, but I hope they can see the situation clearly and stop colluding with the Japanese. Otherwise, your Wang family will cease to exist."

Wang Defa felt as if he had been granted a pardon, collapsing to the ground and kowtowing repeatedly: "Thank you, Mr. 'Ghost'! Thank you, Mr. 'Ghost'! I promise that my family will never dare to have any further dealings with the Japanese!"

Lin Yifan stopped looking at him and imprisoned him with a thought, deciding to deal with him outside.

After dealing with Wang Defa, Lin Yifan felt a deep sense of exhaustion wash over him. The continuous high-intensity fighting and mental concentration had taken a heavy toll on him.

He took off his clothes, lay down on the bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Lin Yifan slept exceptionally well, and didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky the next day. He stretched and felt much more refreshed.

After washing up and eating something, I came out of the space and found the courtyard unusually quiet. Most people must have gone to work, and the others probably had their own things to do.

Too lazy to go out and run around, he lit the wood-burning stove in the house, then used system points to exchange for intermediate cooking skills and a lot of seasonings.

Then he cooked dishes and steamed buns inside the house. The cooked dishes and steamed buns were put into the space warehouse. He also cooked two large pots of rice. In this way, the food in the warehouse could last for a long time.

Lin Yifan washed the pot clean, preparing to braise another pot of chicken and eggs. He had just finished killing and cleaning the six roosters in his space when he heard a knock on the door.

At first, he thought it was He Yuzhu, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was Grandpa Zhang. He quickly went to the door, opened it, and said, "Grandpa, come in quickly."

Grandpa Zhang glanced at Xu Fugui's house, then went inside, closed the door behind him, and said to Lin Yifan, "Xiao Fan, you need to be careful of that scoundrel Xu Fugui."

"What's wrong, sir?" Lin Yifan asked, feigning confusion as he looked at Grandpa Zhang.

"Not long after you left yesterday, Xu Fugui came back, and he brought someone with him. That person had a pointed mouth and a monkey-like face, and he didn't look like a good person at all."

They came out shortly after returning to the backyard and asked where you had gone.

I had just returned shortly before they came to my place, and I told them I didn't know. Later, he went to the Intermediate People's Court to find Zhu Zi, but Zhu Zi also said he didn't know.

Later, I overheard Xu Fugui telling that person from behind the gatepost to go back and tell the steward that you might have gone to your master's house again. He said he would inform them as soon as you returned.

He lowered his voice after that, and I didn't hear him clearly. I only saw the weasel-faced guy nod repeatedly, and the two of them glanced furtively at your house several times before leaving.

At this point, Grandpa Zhang lowered his voice and patted Lin Yifan's arm, "You'd better be careful. Xu Fugui is narrow-minded and can't stand seeing others do well. Now he's hooked up with someone of dubious character. Who knows what kind of trouble he might cause?"

Lin Yifan's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm, gratefully saying to Grandpa Zhang, "Thank you, sir. I understand. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

He knew in his heart that Xu Fugui was desperate and had probably been provoked by his warning yesterday. He wanted to find some other force to deal with him. Judging from what Grandpa Zhang had just said, he probably still sought out Lou Zhenhua.

Haha, I hope Lou Zhenhua is a smart man, otherwise! I'll have you put your valuables in a different bag.

That man with the pointed face and monkey-like cheeks is most likely someone they sent to identify the place.

Seeing that Lin Yifan had taken his advice to heart, Grandpa Zhang was relieved. He then gave Lin Yifan a few more instructions, such as "Be careful in everything" and "Lock the doors and windows at night," before leaving Lin Yifan's house.

After seeing Grandpa Zhang off, Lin Yifan's calm expression faded, and his eyes sharpened. Xu Fugui, he really doesn't know what's good for him. It seems keeping him around will only bring trouble.

He walked to the stove, his eyes flickering as he looked at the cleaned chicken in the basin. Now that Xu Fugui had started, he needed to be prepared too. He couldn't just passively wait for someone to come to him.

Without further hesitation, Lin Yifan placed the prepared chicken and eggs into a large pot, added various braising spices, and began braising. The rich aroma of the braising sauce quickly filled the air.

Lin Yifan stored all the braised goods into his spatial storage.

In a little while, the people who work outside will be back. I wonder if Xu Fugui will bring people back today. It seems I should give them a chance so that I can resolve the trouble sooner.

Thinking of this, he closed the door and walked towards the central courtyard. Upon arriving, he saw He Yuzhu practicing his boxing.

Every move he made was powerful and impressive. Seeing Lin Yifan approach, He Yuzhu stopped his punches, wiped his sweat, and laughed, "Brother Fan, you've finally shown up! Where did you run off to yesterday?"

Lin Yifan walked over and mumbled, "I didn't go anywhere, just chatted with a few friends. Zhu Zi, you need to balance work and rest when you're practicing boxing. Take a proper rest when you need to, or you'll easily injure yourself."

He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow: "I know, Brother Fan. By the way, that bastard Xu Fugui was acting suspiciously yesterday. He even came looking for you and asked where you were."

Lin Yifan exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes slightly cold: "Oh? What does he want with me?"

He Yuzhu curled his lip: "Who knows? It was obviously going to be bad news. I snapped at him and told him to get to the point or get lost. That guy even brought someone with him and wanted to fight me, but then my father happened to come back."

I gave him a good scolding, but he got a cold shoulder and left dejectedly. Fanzi, you'd better watch out for him; I have a feeling he's up to something."

Lin Yifan nodded: "I know, thanks, Zhuzi."

He knew that if Lou Zhenhua really got involved, things wouldn't be so simple. That so-called butler, since he could maintain a foothold in the Lou household, must have a special relationship with Lou Zhenhua.

Lin Yifan's lips curled into a cold smile. Lou Zhenhua? He was nothing more than a nouveau riche in Beiping who was adept at navigating social circles and made his fortune by exploiting the people. As for his donations to the Communist Party, that was merely an investment for him.

Does he really think that having a few stinking coins and a few thugs means he can control everything in Beiping? He even dared to eliminate the Japanese, so why would he be afraid of a mere Lou Zhenhua?

Lin Yifan's eyes narrowed. No matter who it was, anyone who dared to block his path would only face death! What he needed to do now was to observe the situation and wait for Xu Fugui and the people behind him to come knocking on his door, and then... wipe them all out in one fell swoop!

Now that this game has begun, it must be led by him and ended by him.