Courtyard House: Home Alone

"Then eat as much as you like today."

Lin Yifan smiled and said, "After the New Year, if you want to have a meal like this again, you'll have to wait until next year. The main reason is that Uncle He's cooking skills are unmatched; you can't find this anywhere else."

"I'm in for a treat today! Putting everything else aside, I haven't seen this kind of lively atmosphere in over a decade. It's wonderful!" Chen Gongshu said, looking at the busy maids.

"Fate, that's fate. If we want to live a peaceful life, we'll probably have to wait a few more years. At the very least, we have to drive the Japanese devils away first."

I've kept all your men for you. Stay in Beiping with them until the Japanese are driven out.

Don't worry, there will be places where you can use your strengths.

"Please thank 'Ghost' for me. I'll say it again: I want to see 'Ghost's' abilities. I don't care if he's alone or in a group; I only respect the strong."

Chen Gongshu stood up, patted off non-existent dust from his coarse cloth clothes, and glanced at the busy crowd in the courtyard.

The sounds of He Daqing's knife, Han Fengzhi's laughter and scolding, and He Yuzhu chasing after Xinyi and Xiaolan all intertwined, reminding him of that December in the countryside of Hebei twenty years ago—when his father was still alive, his mother would steam rice cakes in the kitchen, and the whole yard would be filled with the sweet aroma of glutinous rice.

"Mr. Chen, please wait."

He finally said, his voice carrying a certain resolve, "But Young Master Lin, there's something I need to say upfront—if the 'Ghost' is just bluffing, if those legends are nothing but江湖戏 (jianghu xi, a term referring to a kind of江湖 ...

Lin Yifan picked up his teacup, the rising steam blurring his face: "Uncle Chen, do you know why 'Ghost' signed that agreement with the Japanese?"

Chen Gongshu shook his head.

"Killing a few Japanese soldiers or blowing up a few armories won't save the Chinese people."

Lin Yifan's voice was as soft as a snowflake falling on charcoal, "How many people are there in Beiping? More than two million. In Tianjin? More than three million. In the whole of North China? Tens of millions."

Could the Japanese invaders possibly kill them all? No, they couldn't. But if the 'Ghost' (referring to the Japanese invaders) slaughtered the area around Beiping (Beijing), what would the Japanese do?

Chen Gongshu's pupils contracted slightly. Having worked in the Military Intelligence Bureau for many years, he knew the answer to this question all too well—the "mopping-up" campaign, the "sweeping away" policy, and the "three alls" (kill all, burn all, loot all). The 300,000 men in Nanjing were the answer.

"Therefore, the primary objective of 'Ghost' is to protect the people of Beiping."

Lin Yifan put down his teacup, the porcelain bottom making a crisp sound as it touched the wooden table. "Of course, killing Japanese devils is also their main job, because there are other things besides the agreement, right? Shanghai, Tianjin... Japanese generals, traitor leaders, arms dealers—where isn't the shadow of 'Ghost' present?"

Asaka Palace…

"That happened before the agreement was reached."

Lin Yifan interrupted him, a cold smile playing on his lips. "It's also a little gift for the Japanese devils. Let them know—no one can stop 'Ghost' from killing whoever he wants; and no amount of money can buy 'Ghost's' freedom to kill."

"Young Master Lin,"

He suddenly spoke up, "I've been thinking about 'changing your way of life' for half the night."

"Station Chief Chen,"

Lin Yifan spoke, his voice half an octave lower than before, "You spent three years at the Beiping station, did you ever see the Japanese soldiers truly afraid of anything?"

Chen Gongshu remained silent. He had seen too many—cowardly traitors, timid businessmen, intellectuals afraid of implicating their families. Only the Japanese devils, those beasts with swords and wolfhounds, were always feared by others.

"The 'ghost' has terrified them," Lin Yifan said, putting down his teacup. "It's not that they're afraid of death, it's that they're afraid of not knowing who will be next."

"That's why the agreement was reached." Chen Gongshu suddenly understood something.

"No, there were also the three divisions wiped out overnight, which is why the agreement could be reached."

Lin Yifan repeated, his tone carrying a cold approval, "The Japanese aren't stupid; they can do the math. How many Japanese are there in the entire North China region?"

If the "Ghost" really makes its move, the North China Area Army will need a complete overhaul within three months. Who will replace them? Transferred from the mainland? Pulled from the Kwantung Army? They can't afford to gamble.

Therefore, they had no choice but to compromise.

As they chatted, it grew dark, and a sumptuous feast was served. The men sat at one table, and the women at another. He Yuzhu, who was seated at the women's table, pouted, looking unhappy. He figured he was the only exception for tonight's New Year's Eve dinner.

However, after dinner, when Lin Yifan suggested going out to set off firecrackers and fireworks...

He Yuzhu was the first to jump up, the brass buttons on his cotton-padded jacket clanging loudly: "Brother Xiaofan! I'll go get the firecrackers! I haven't tried that 'double-bang' tying method you taught me last time!"

"Zhu Zi," He Daqing called out from behind, "button up your cotton-padded coat first! It's the New Year, don't catch a cold!"

He Yuzhu rushed into the west wing without looking back, and a moment later rushed out carrying an oil paper package containing several strings of bright red firecrackers and dozens of firecrackers tied with thin hemp rope.

Han Fengzhi chased after him and stuffed a handful of roasted peanuts into his pocket: "Cover your ears, don't let the noise deafen you!"

A thin layer of snow had covered the courtyard, crunching underfoot. Lin Yifan took a lantern from under the eaves, its dim yellow light spreading a warm glow on the snow.

The next morning, Lin Yifan first took a walk around the courtyard and wished the elderly a Happy New Year. He also knocked on the doors of Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family to offer his New Year greetings.

Yi Zhonghai also gave him a 50-cent red envelope, while Jia Zhangshi stuffed a handful of peanuts into his pocket.

Yi Zhonghai had been keeping a close eye on Lin Yifan's situation, especially seeing Long Xiaoni openly and secretly trying to curry favor with him. Although he was very unhappy, he had no choice but to suppress his displeasure because he was powerless to do so.

However, life was still quite comfortable. Lou Zhenhua's salary from the factory alone was eight silver dollars, and now that there were no more people taking advantage of him, the couple could live well with just two silver dollars each.

Although she was also responsible for Long Xiaoni's meals, Long Xiaoni gave her more than she ate herself, and she also gave Xiaolan an extra three silver dollars a month.

In this way, he could set aside an extra two silver dollars each month to support Jia Zhangshi. The only drawback was that Jia Dongxu was getting older, and Jia Zhangshi was afraid of losing face in front of her son, so they could only meet in the communal cellar.

Lin Yifan's mental energy had "seen" it twice, but fearing it would taint him, he skipped that cellar every time he used his mental energy to scan it from then on.

After paying New Year's visits in the main courtyard, Lin Yifan returned to the east wing and went out again with three maids. They still had to rush to the Tang residence to pay their respects.

The three maids were dressed in newly made clothes and carried pastries and tea. The pastries were bought in Daoxiang Village before the New Year, and the tea was grown in their own space. Although they didn't grow much, it was enough for their daily needs.

Lin Yifan didn't drive today, mainly because it was a bit cold, and starting the car was troublesome enough. The four of them arrived at the Tang residence in no time.