Courtyard House: Home Alone

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long shadow of him. After experiencing this series of changes, this small figure seemed to have gained a composure and resilience beyond his years.

He knew that this was only a temporary calm; the searches by the Japanese and their collaborators would not stop, and the scheming within the courtyard would not disappear.

He must be more careful and grow up faster, kill so many Japanese soldiers that they dare not go out on the streets, make traitors dare not raise their heads, and completely extinguish the thoughts of those with evil intentions!

Back inside, he didn't turn on the lights, but sat quietly in the darkness, his mind racing as he considered a solution. There was food and water in the space, enough to survive for a short time, but he couldn't hide forever.

He needed information, he needed to understand the situation outside, and he needed to find a way to make a living and even accumulate strength.

However, we need to be cautious for the next few days. This is the first time we've sold supplies, and we haven't considered everything comprehensively. We need to wait until the Japanese lift the martial law and curfew before we can go out to familiarize ourselves with the environment and conduct reconnaissance.

For the next two days, Lin Yifan spent almost all his time in his own space, except for having dinner at He Daqing's house once.

He practiced Bajiquan continuously in the space, trying to fully integrate his increased power, his body, and Bajiquan to achieve the state of unity between man and fist.

The flow of time inside the space is different from that outside. One day outside is equivalent to ten days inside the space, which gives him ample time to practice.

He practiced the Bajiquan moves over and over again, starting with the most basic "stance training," practicing stances, punches, and kicks, striving for standard and precision in every movement.

Sweat soaked his clothes, trickled down his cheeks, and dripped onto the solid ground in the space, splashing up tiny specks of dust.

When he was thirsty, he drank from the spiritual spring; when he was hungry, he ate the braised pork and rice he had prepared in his space. These past two days, he had made a large pot of braised pork in his space again.

The system instills the moves of Bajiquan, but that is only theoretical. To truly master it, one needs to practice it thousands upon thousands of times.

Lin Yifan could clearly feel that as he practiced more, his body coordination improved, his control over his strength became more precise, and the sound of the airflow generated by his punches became louder and louder.

Besides practicing his boxing skills, he also began to organize the supplies in the space, categorizing and putting away food, water, and medicine, while also taking stock of the weapons and ammunition seized from the Japanese and traitors.

These were his tools for self-defense and even counterattack in the future. He carefully wiped each gun, the cold metallic touch giving him a sense of security.

He knew that weapons alone weren't enough; he also needed precise shooting skills, which was the focus of his learning and practice. However, he could only practice this outside the city after the Japanese lifted martial law and curfew.

On the third day, it wasn't the Japanese knocking on the door in the courtyard this time. It was a manager from Lou's Steel Rolling Mill who came to knock on the door early in the morning. He came to inform the people in the courtyard who worked at the steel rolling mill to go back to the factory to resume work.

Next, Hongbinlou, where He Daqing was the head chef, also sent someone to call him, saying that the Japanese had lifted martial law and the restaurant would resume normal business from today.

Lin Yifan watched the situation outside from his room, thinking to himself, "Martial law has finally been lifted." Although he was safe in the space these past few days, it felt like being isolated from the world, which made him very uncomfortable.

Now that's great, I can finally go out and see what's going on outside, and maybe look for some opportunities.

He didn't go out immediately, but first washed up quickly inside and changed into a clean coarse cloth jacket. He had seized this jacket from a Japanese general store; although simple in style, it was sturdy and durable.

With everything ready, Lin Yifan locked the door and went to the deaf old woman's door. He knocked, and the old woman's slightly hoarse voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"Grandma Long, it's me, Yifan," Lin Yifan replied softly.

The door creaked open, and the deaf old woman was sitting at the table smoking a pipe. Seeing him, a hint of surprise flashed in her cloudy eyes: "It's you. What's up?"

Lin Yifan stood at the door and bowed slightly, saying, "Grandma Long, the martial law has been lifted. I was thinking of going to visit my relatives outside the city to see if my parents have gone there yet, so I wanted to let you know."

He didn't know if he had any relatives or where they were, but wasn't that just an excuse?

The deaf old woman put down her pipe, looked him up and down, and seeing that he was dressed neatly and his eyes were clear, unlike his previous timid demeanor, she nodded: "Hmm, you're going outside the city? With war raging, the roads aren't safe. Do you, a mere teenager, know the way?"

She paused, then added, "The area outside the city is not like the city. There are many Japanese soldiers and bandits there, so you have to be careful." Although there wasn't much concern in her tone, it also lacked the usual distance.

Lin Yifan's heart stirred slightly. Although this deaf old woman was deep in thought, she wasn't entirely cold-blooded. He said respectfully, "Thank you for your concern, Grandma Long. I remember the general direction and will be careful. It's just that... I'll be gone for at least two or three days, and possibly five or six days. If anything happens in the courtyard, please bear with me, Grandma Long."

His words were both polite and a test, as he wanted to see how the deaf old woman would react to him as a "potential elderly person to care for."

The deaf old woman took a deep drag on her pipe, her voice muffled by the swirling smoke: "Go ahead, what could possibly happen in the courtyard? Be careful out there on your own."

As she spoke, she pulled out a few crumpled small bills from under the kang mat and handed them over, saying, "Take these, buy some dry food and water on the way."

Lin Yifan stared at the few small bills, momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected the deaf old woman to give him money. It wasn't much, but at this moment, it was a token of her goodwill, or rather, a gesture.

He accepted the money with both hands without hesitation and said earnestly, "Thank you, Grandma Long. I'll remember this money and return it to you when I get back."

"Go on, go on," the deaf old woman waved her hand impatiently, "come back soon."

Lin Yifan bowed again, then turned and left. As he walked out of the courtyard house, there were already a few pedestrians in the alley, most of them hurrying along, their faces showing the weariness of surviving a disaster and the uncertainty about the future.

Occasionally, you can see a few beggars on the roadside, dressed in tattered clothes, with sallow and emaciated faces, stretching out their withered hands to beg from passersby, their eyes numb.

The air was thick with the smell of coal smoke and rotten food—this was the atmosphere of Beiping, real and cruel.

Lin Yifan didn't stop and walked along the familiar street. When he arrived at Andingmen, the puppet soldiers and Japanese soldiers at the city gate glanced at him casually because he was a child, and then let him out.

Upon arriving outside the city, the air was much fresher than inside, carrying the scent of earth and grass. Lin Yifan took a deep breath, feeling the tightness in his chest dissipate considerably.