Courtyard House: Home Alone

Watching He Yuzhu leave, He Daqing turned to Lin Yifan and said, "I heard you took care of Liu Haizhong at the Intermediate Court today? Well done, kid. You're young, but you've got guts."

His tone was ambiguous, neither praising nor blaming, but his eyes were sharply fixed on Lin Yifan, as if trying to discern something from his face.

Lin Yifan met He Daqing's gaze calmly and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Uncle He, it's not that I'm bold, it's just that some people have gone too far."

Aunt Qian has a tough time raising her child alone. Liu Haizhong dumped swill at her doorstep and was incredibly rude; anyone would stand for that. I just did what I was supposed to do, to let him know that not just anyone can bully people in this neighborhood.

He paused, then added, "Besides, I didn't do anything to him. I just made him apologize, clean up the mess, and set a rule for him: he'll be in charge of cleaning the yard for a year, which is his way of contributing to the community."

After listening, He Daqing remained silent for a moment, the sharpness in his eyes gradually softening, replaced by a hint of barely perceptible appreciation.

He nodded, his tone becoming more relaxed: "You're right, there should be some rules in this place. That Liu Haizhong guy, he's new here and takes advantage of his strength to act arrogantly. Someone should have taught him a lesson a long time ago."

That guy didn't really mess with me, but I've been wanting to teach him a lesson for a while now. You, kid, at least you stood up for everyone."

He patted Lin Yifan on the shoulder with considerable force, his words carrying a hint of certainty. "However, Yifan, there are all sorts of people in this courtyard. You should be more careful in the future and avoid being too impulsive. Protecting yourself is the most important thing."

Lin Yifan understood He Daqing's good intentions and nodded slightly: "I know, Uncle He, thank you for reminding me. I understand."

Seeing how sensible he was, He Daqing smiled and said, "Alright, it's getting late. You must be tired after just getting back. Get some rest. I'll take care of things for the day after tomorrow."

"Okay, Uncle He, take care." Lin Yifan saw He Daqing to the door.

Watching He Daqing's departing figure, Lin Yifan gently closed the door. He knew that He Daqing's probing and reminder just now were both expressions of concern and a form of warning.

In this courtyard house, there are no eternal enemies, nor eternal friends, only eternal interests and the rules of survival.

His actions against Liu Haizhong today were certainly driven by righteous indignation, but they also served to establish his authority. To gain a foothold here securely, one needs considerable skill and strength.

He Daqing's attitude also reflects that his actions today have left a deep impression on some people.

He used his mental power to survey the entire courtyard and found that everyone was mostly asleep. He then checked the doors and windows, slipped into the space, and communicated with the system telepathically, sending out the command to upgrade the system.

This upgrade took more than an hour, and the space area has tripled, with the range reaching a radius of more than 2000 meters.

A radius of over 2000 meters! Wow! From now on, the grenades I can throw will be as powerful as mortars! Lin Yifan was overjoyed. With such a large area, he would have a much better chance of reconnaissance or long-range attacks.

He could even accurately drop grenades into the enemy's lair before they even had a chance to react—it's exhilarating to think about.

Moreover, the expansion of his domain not only means an increase in the range of attacks, but also enhances his perception ability, so that no movement can escape his mental detection.

He drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face and slept soundly all night without even having a dream.

The next morning, Lin Yifan quickly washed up in his space and headed out of the courtyard. Along the way, the neighbors in the courtyard were exceptionally enthusiastic, their eyes filled with a sense of awe, and they all greeted him proactively.

Lin Yifan simply nodded in response; he knew this was the effect of yesterday's battle. He didn't linger in the courtyard, heading straight out the gate to check on the cellar that Master Wang had prepared in the east wing.

The door to the east courtyard was ajar. Lin Yifan pushed it open and stepped inside, a fresh, earthy scent wafting towards him. The courtyard was very clean.

He walked to the entrance of the newly built cellar, lifted the heavy wooden cover, and a chill instantly came from below.

Using the morning light, he peered down and saw that the cellar was very deep, with neat brick and stone walls, a compacted floor, and ventilation openings in the corners—a very well-designed structure.

Lin Yifan nodded in satisfaction; Master Wang's skills were indeed impeccable.

He went down the simple wooden ladder into the cellar, which was larger than he had imagined, more than enough to store his supplies.

He carefully checked the area with his mental power, confirming that there was no risk of water seepage or collapse, before climbing up with peace of mind and covering it with wooden planks.

After leaving the east courtyard, Lin Yifan went to the breakfast stall at the entrance of the alley and ordered a bowl of soy milk, five meat buns, and two fried dough sticks.

The man selling breakfast, Liu the Cripple, was almost startled: "Xiao Fan, have you not eaten for days? Don't overeat!"

"No, Uncle Liu, I'm still growing, I eat a lot," Lin Yifan said with a smile as he ate.

He finished a meat bun in a few bites and sipped his soy milk with gusto.

Liu the Cripple watched from the side, his face full of a helpless yet slightly pitying smile, and brought him a small dish of pickled vegetables: "Eat slowly, no one will take it from you."

Lin Yifan gave a mumbled reply, but his hands didn't stop moving. Soon, the five meat buns and two fried dough sticks were gone. He then picked up the bowl and drank the last bit of soy milk before putting down his chopsticks, patting his round belly, and letting out a satisfied burp.

He took some money out of his pocket and handed it to Liu the Cripple: "Uncle Liu, how much?"

Liu the Cripple waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it. You've only just gotten back, it's not easy for you. This meal is on me."

Lin Yifan insisted on stuffing the money into his hand: "No way, you're running a small business, how can I let you treat me?"

After a few words of refusal, Liu the Cripple finally accepted the money.

Lin Yifan went to the roadside, hailed a rickshaw, and headed straight for the Tang residence.

Upon arriving at the Tang residence, he paid the fare, dismissed the driver, and knocked on the gate. "Knock! Knock knock!"

Soon, the door opened from the inside, and Butler Zhang poked his head out. Seeing that it was Lin Yifan, he quickly smiled and ushered him to the side, "Young Master, please come in! The Master is having tea in the main room; he's been thinking about you a lot these past few days!"

Lin Yifan followed Lao Zhang through several courtyards. The bluestone path under their feet was spotless, and several rose bushes with buds were growing in the flowerbeds on both sides.