Courtyard House: Home Alone

"You look somewhat familiar. Are you from the Tang family...?"

"Young master, my name is Chunxing, and these are Xiahe and Qiuju."

The head maid placed the copper basin on the ground and curtsied respectfully. "Steward Zhang said that the young master's east courtyard has been repaired and needs someone to clean and take care of it, so he sent the three of us to serve him first."

Young master, please don't look down on us. We were all handpicked from the Tang family; we're quick and efficient, and we keep our mouths shut.

Lin Yifan nodded slightly. Grandpa Zhang was always thorough in his work, and these three girls seemed alright to him. He strode towards the main room, and Chunxing quickly ran forward to lift the bamboo curtain.

Lin Yifan looked around, inside and out, and nodded in satisfaction. Then he took out two hundred-yuan notes from his pocket (space) and handed them to Chunxing.

"Chunxing, take these silver dollars. Each of you three will receive two silver dollars per month, and the rest will be used for daily household expenses."

I don't spend much time at home. There are only three of you girls here. If you need anything urgent in the yard, go next door to find Uncle He Daqing. He will help you.

"I'll see if Grandpa Zhang can find another man to come over, otherwise I'm really worried about you all."

Chunxing held the two heavy envelopes of silver dollars, her fingers trembling slightly. She had been a maid in the Tang household for three years, earning only one silver dollar a month, and being treated generously with a few coins as a reward during festivals. These two hundred silver dollars were enough for an ordinary family to live on for more than ten years.

"Young master, this...this is too much." She bit her lip, her eyes slightly reddening. "We're just three girls, it's not worth it..."

"Here you go." Lin Yifan's tone wasn't harsh, but it carried an undeniable weight. "My people, Lin Yifan's people, cannot be looked down upon. Just keep a record of daily expenses and show it to me at the end of the month. The rest you can use to buy your own clothes and shoes."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three maids' faded coarse cloth clothes: "Also, starting tomorrow, you will learn a few characters from me. I don't expect you to be able to write poetry or essays, but at least you should be able to recognize the numbers in the account book, so that no one can fool you."

Chunxing raised her head and said, "Young Master, we can recognize most characters. The butler also teaches us to read when he has time."

"Really? That's great. It seems Grandpa Tang and Uncle Zhang treat you well. Alright, you two go ahead and get busy. I'll go next door and see if Uncle He is back yet."

"Also, I have something to do tonight, so you don't need to wait for me." After saying that, he walked towards the moon gate next to him.

The moon gate was next to a side room, next to the Jia family's house. When Lin Yifan walked out of the moon gate, he took the opportunity to "look" at the Jia family's house with his spiritual power. He saw Zhang Xiaohua sitting alone by the kang table, with a mirror on the table, dressing herself up.

It's almost 5 pm now, and it'll be dark soon. Getting dressed now, haha...

However, Jia Gui has been dead for almost a year. In this era, a woman with a son only has a few options: either remarry or live a half-closed life.

Remarry? With Yi Zhonghai around, it's unlikely she'll get her way. Zhang Xiaohua is only in her early thirties now, not as overweight as she would be in later years, just slightly plump. Her eyelids haven't drooped yet, and overall she still has quite a bit of beauty.

Meanwhile, Jia Dongxu sat on a small stool by the door, watching He Yuzhu practice martial arts in the central courtyard. Ever since Lin Yifan broke his hand and Jia Gui died a few days later, ten-year-old Jia Dongxu had been hiding in the house and rarely went out.

It's probably because Lin Yifan hasn't been back for more than two months that he dared to sit at the door for some fresh air.

Lin Yifan withdrew his spiritual power, a cold smile appearing on his lips. That kid Jia Dongxu has learned his lesson; he knows to keep a low profile.

With a thought, he took out a bag from his spatial storage, which contained ten catties of flour and two white-feathered chickens. The poultry and livestock in his space were almost overflowing, so he slaughtered a lot of them and stored them in his static space.

The Japanese have been blockading the area for so long, I guess He Daqing's family doesn't have much food left.

Stepping through the moon gate, I saw the gate to the neighboring He family's courtyard was ajar. From inside came He Daqing's gruff shout: "Alright! Zhuzi, stop practicing, go wash up and get ready for dinner."

Lin Yifan walked into the central courtyard and saw five-year-old He Yuzhu practicing the Bajiquan that he had taught him. Although his stance was still immature, his waist and waist were already steady. His little fists slammed into the air with a whooshing sound, and every move was full of seriousness.

In the two months since I last saw him, the child has grown half a head taller, and his once round face has become more angular. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead in the sunlight.

"Brother Xiao Fan!"

He Yuzhu stopped his movement and saw Lin Yifan standing at the entrance of the moon gate. His eyes widened suddenly, and he ran over, almost tripping over his cloth shoes.

He rushed to Lin Yifan, tilting his head back, his eyes red-rimmed: "Brother Yifan! Where have you been? My dad said you went on a long trip and told me to practice my skills diligently and wait for your return..."

Lin Yifan reached out and ruffled his hair. The hair beneath his palm was stiff and prickly, like a little hedgehog. "He went to find my parents."

"Huh?" He Yuzhu blinked, clearly not quite understanding.

"I've found my parents," Lin Yifan explained patiently, "My mom also gave birth to a little sister for me, named Yu'an."

He Yuzhu said "Oh," seemingly understanding but not quite, but the fact that Lin Yifan was back made him jump for joy. He grabbed Lin Yifan's sleeve and pulled him into the house: "Brother Xiaofan! Come on, come inside. My dad's been home these past few days, and he's asked me several times if you're back yet."

Upon seeing Lin Yifan, Jia Dongxu, who was sitting by the door, immediately stood up, grabbed his stool, and ran into the house. Inside, Zhang Xiaohua yelled, "What's wrong with you? Were you chased by a ghost? Why are you running so fast? You knocked over my rouge box!"

Jia Dongxu shrank back, not daring to answer. He leaned the stool against the corner of the wall and peeked out through the crack in the door. Zhang Xiaohua followed him out, cursing. Following her son's gaze, she saw Lin Yifan carrying a bag as he walked into the He family's courtyard. His faded blue cotton jacket stood out conspicuously in the setting sun.

"unlucky!"

She spat under her breath, grabbed Jia Dongxu by the ear, and dragged him back into the house. "Stay away from him from now on, understand? Have you forgotten how you broke your hand?"

Jia Dongxu covered his ears, but his eyes kept darting furtively out the window. He hadn't forgotten, of course, the person who had haunted his dreams almost every night for the past two months. But the more afraid he was, the more he couldn't help but want to see—to see what the person who had broken his hand looked like now.

Upon hearing the commotion, He Daqing strode out to greet them, his rough hands hastily wiping them on his apron, his eyes slightly reddening: "Xiao Fan! Good lad, you're finally back!"

He looked Lin Yifan up and down, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment before he suddenly frowned: "You've lost weight and gotten darker. You must have suffered a lot on this trip. Come on! Come inside."

"Xiao Fan, the east wing is all repaired. I still have seventy-six silver dollars left that you gave me. I'll bring them to you in a bit."