Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

On the open ground of the Taiji Space's anode side, boxes were piled up like mountains.

He Damin stood before the boxes, his expression calm. Having undergone a marrow cleansing and memory fusion, he had now fully adapted to this identity—both the thirteen-year-old boy He Damin who had returned from the brink of death, and Ling Yun, the world-dominating assassin from his previous life.

"It's time to take inventory."

He originally planned to open each box and count them one by one, but then he thought, "Doesn't it have soul power?"

With a slight thought, a pale golden soul slowly floated out from the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head. The solidified spirit, as lifelike as a real person, hovered in mid-air, its soul power spreading out like a tide, instantly enveloping all the boxes.

Soul Scan!

This is not about seeing with your eyes, but about "perceiving" with your soul. The shape, material, and quantity of the items in each box are clearly presented in your soul's perception.

First is gold.

The entire camphor wood chest was heavy, with each opening feeling substantial. His spiritual power penetrated the lid, and He Damin "saw" the neatly stacked gold bars inside.

800 large yellow croakers, each weighing 312.5 grams.

3200 small yellow croakers, each weighing 31.25 grams.

A simple calculation shows that there are over 800 jin of gold alone! According to the gold price at that time, this was an astronomical fortune.

"Those little devils...they really do a thorough search." He Damin's eyes were icy.

Next came the silver dollars. Fifteen boxes, each containing about ten thousand dollars, totaling nearly two hundred thousand silver dollars. This did not include loose silver pieces and ingots.

The jewelry and jadeite were packed into eight boxes, mostly ornaments and decorative items, many still stained with blood—clearly stolen from wealthy families. There were even more ancient books, paintings, porcelain, and jade artifacts, filling thirty boxes in total, many still bearing museum seals.

Then came weaponry.

3800 Type 38 rifles, 80 light machine guns, and 36 heavy machine guns. The ammunition was countless, at least several million rounds. Grenade launchers, mortars, and Type 92 infantry guns were piled in a corner; He Damin was too lazy to count them—they weren't needed for the time being.

"I've achieved financial freedom." He Damin withdrew his soul, a cold smile playing on his lips.

But this is not enough.

Wealth is merely a tool; power is the foundation. What he needs now is to quickly increase his strength, and then... make those Japanese devils pay the price.

But before that, we need to settle down and find our elder brother, He Daqing.

Outside Zhengyang Gate, Chen's Silk Shop.

The shopkeeper was an elderly man in his fifties, wearing reading glasses, and was fiddling with an abacus. Hearing the curtain rustle, he looked up and saw a boy of about thirteen years old entering, wearing an ill-fitting old cotton-padded jacket, but with clear and sharp eyes.

"Young man, do you want to buy fabric or have clothes made?" the shopkeeper asked politely.

He Damin glanced at the fabrics in the store and pointed to a dark gray Zhongshan suit hanging behind the counter: "Do you have one that I can wear?"

The shopkeeper was taken aback. These days, people wearing Zhongshan suits were either government officials or school teachers. Why would a kid want this?

But he still got up and took off the clothes: "Young man, try this on, it's the smallest size in the store."

He Damin took the clothes and went into the fitting room. He came out a moment later, and the shopkeeper's eyes lit up.

After undergoing the marrow cleansing and purification process, He Damin had grown to about 1.5 meters tall. Although still rather thin, he had an upright posture and a composed demeanor. Wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit, he even exuded a mature air for his age.

"It fits perfectly, twelve silver dollars," the shopkeeper quoted.

This price wasn't cheap; it was enough for an ordinary family's expenses for two or three months. But He Damin didn't haggle. He took out twelve silver dollars from his pocket and placed them on the counter—the money came from the Taiji Space; they were all ordinary silver dollars, nothing special.

The shopkeeper took the money and asked with a smile, "Young man, who are you going to see?"

"I'm going to see my elder brother," He Damin replied calmly, turning and leaving the shop.

Walking down the street, he felt a real difference. Well-fitting clothes were not only warm, but more importantly, they weren't so conspicuous—the clothes he had worn before, taken from a Japanese warehouse, were thick, but the style was clearly Japanese, something anyone in the know could easily spot.

It was a little past three in the afternoon, and light snow was falling. But He Damin didn't feel the cold—his body, after undergoing marrow cleansing, had a much higher resistance to cold than ordinary people.

He turned into an alley, found a deserted corner, and took out a cloth bag from his Taiji Space. Inside the bag were two old clothes, wrapped around twelve small yellow croakers—each weighing 31.25 grams, enough to buy a small courtyard in Beiping.

"I'll go see my older brother first." He Damin carried a cloth bag and walked towards Nanluoguxiang.

Nanluoguxiang is a famous hutong area in Beiping (Beijing), characterized by its blue bricks, gray tiles, and ancient trees. Despite the difficult times, it still retains the flavor of old Beiping.

Courtyard No. 95 is a standard three-section siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). The paint on the main gate is peeling, and the carved patterns on the lintel are blurred, but the overall structure is intact. Two stone lions squat at the entrance, one of which is missing half an ear.

He Damin stood in front of the door and took a deep breath.

It's been a full ten years.

Ten years ago, my father took my eighteen-year-old brother, He Daqing, away from our hometown, saying they were going to Beiping (Beijing) to make their fortune. At that time, He Damin was only three years old. He only remembered that his brother carried a blue cloth bundle on his back, looked back at him at the village entrance, and said, "Little brother, once I've established myself in Beiping, I'll bring you over."

This wait lasted ten years. His father later ran off with Widow Cai, leaving him all alone. Only he knew the hardships he had endured during those years.

But He Damin didn't resent his brother—in chaotic times, it was difficult enough to take care of oneself. Besides, he now had a new identity and new power.

"I hope you still recognize me." He Damin raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came a clear and pleasant young woman's voice from inside.

The door opened a crack, revealing a pretty face. The woman was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with gentle eyes and fair skin. She wore a trendy updo, a blue cotton-padded jacket with white flowers, and was holding a four- or five-year-old boy in her arms.

The boy, with his chubby face and big, curious eyes, was staring outside.

He Damin was shocked—this was Xiao Yuzhu! He knew that he had once possessed the body of the five-year-old child but failed!

But he remained outwardly calm and politely asked, "Excuse me, does He Daqing live here?"

The woman sized him up for a few moments: "You are...?"

"I am his younger brother, He Damin."

The woman froze, scrutinizing He Damin from head to toe. A look of delight flashed in her eyes. "You're Damin? Come in, come in! I'm your sister-in-law, Lü Bingxin, and this is your nephew, Yuzhu. Daqing often talks about you!"

The door opened fully, and Lü Bingxin warmly ushered He Damin into the courtyard. Little Yuzhu, nestled in her mother's arms, stared curiously at this unfamiliar uncle.

He Damin followed Lü Bingxin into the courtyard.

This is a typical three-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), housing seven or eight families. In the middle of the courtyard stands an old locust tree, beneath which sits a stone table and benches. At that moment, a man in his thirties was sweeping snow in the courtyard. Seeing Lü Bingxin bring people in, he stopped and looked her over.

"Brother Yi, this is Da Qing's younger brother, he's from our hometown," Lü Bingxin introduced.

The man nodded, a kind smile on his face: "Great news, brothers reunited. I'm Yi Zhonghai, I live in the central courtyard."

Yi Zhonghai! He Damin's heart skipped a beat. This was the future "Moral Venerable" old man. Yi Zhonghai was only about thirty years old now, and he looked honest and kind.

"Hello, Brother Yi." He Damin greeted him politely.

"Alright, come inside quickly, it's cold outside," Yi Zhonghai said with a smile.

Lü Bingxin led He Damin to the main house. There were three main rooms, and He Daqing's family lived in the two rooms on the east side. The room was simply furnished but clean. There was a kang (a heated brick bed) by the window, covered with clean blue-printed cotton quilts. There was a wardrobe and a cupboard in the corner, a teapot and teacups on the table, and several New Year pictures on the wall.

"It's warm sitting on the kang." Lü Bingxin placed Xiaoyuzhu on the kang, then turned to pour water. "Yuzhu, call him Uncle."

Little Yuzhu blinked her eyes and called out in a childish voice, "Uncle."

He Damin's heart softened, and he pulled out an oil paper package from his pocket. Inside were several pieces of milk candy he had taken from the Taiji Space—also from the Japanese warehouse. He peeled off a piece and handed it to Xiao Yuzhu: "Have some candy."

Xiao Yuzhu looked at his mother, and seeing Lü Bingxin nod, he took the candy and put it in his mouth, his eyes immediately narrowing into crescent moons.

"This child." Lü Bingxin smiled, poured He Damin a bowl of hot water, "Damin, how did you find this place? How have you been these past years?"

He Damin took the bowl and said briefly, "Father is gone. I came here by asking around. Sister-in-law, when is my brother coming back?"

"It'll be around seven or eight o'clock in the evening. He's in charge of cooking at Fengzeyuan, he's very busy," said Lü Bingxin, bringing out a plate of fried peanuts. "Have something to eat first, your sister-in-law will cook you something delicious tonight."

Just then, footsteps came from outside the door.

A fat man in his late twenties lifted the curtain and came in, his belly protruding, holding a purple clay teapot in his hand, looking every bit the part of an official.

"Little Lü, I heard that Master He's family has some relatives visiting?" the fat man asked as he entered, glancing at He Damin.

"Master Liu, this is Daqing's younger brother, Damin," Lü Bingxin introduced. "Damin, this is Master Liu Haizhong from the backyard, who works at Lou's Steel Rolling Mill."

Liu Haizhong! He Damin knew immediately that this was the future ambitious second uncle. Liu Haizhong was only in his twenties, but he was already puffing out his belly and putting on airs.

"Hello, Master Liu," He Damin greeted politely.

Liu Haizhong grunted in agreement, then looked He Damin up and down with an air of superiority: "Where are you from? Do you have a place to stay? There are no vacancies in the compound."

These words were quite blunt, and Lü Bingxin's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

He Damin smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Master Liu. I just came to visit you, brother. I don't live here."

"That's good." Liu Haizhong nodded, exchanged a few more casual words, and then turned and left.

Lu Bingxin said in a low voice, "Don't take it to heart. That's just how he is; he always puts on airs."

"It's nothing," He Damin smiled nonchalantly.

Then a few more people came to visit. Xu Wude from the backyard brought his three-year-old son, Xu Damao—this child had always been bright-eyed and shrewd. Jia Youcai from the middle courtyard brought his eight-year-old son, Jia Dongxu—this child seemed honest, hiding behind his father and secretly observing He Damin.

He Damin responded to each person with neither servility nor arrogance. He observed these "old acquaintances" in their youth with a cold eye, secretly memorizing their appearances.

Yi Zhonghai's wife also arrived; she was a woman in her late twenties, kind-looking but with a shrewd glint in her eyes. Old Mrs. Long from the back house also came over, leaning on her cane—this old lady was only in her fifties, in good health, and quite respected in the courtyard.

He Damin discovered that the courtyard house was not yet occupied by Yan Bugui's family, and Suanpanjing had not moved in yet. The relationships within the courtyard were relatively simple, but some clues were already emerging.

At 7:30 p.m., footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard gate.

"Bingxin, Yuzhu, I'm back!" a rough voice rang out.

The curtain was lifted, and a man in his late twenties entered. He was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing an apron and still smelling of cooking oil. He had a square face and thick, dark eyebrows; it was He Daqing.

"Great Qing, look who's here." Lü Bingxin went up to him and took the cloth bag from his hand.

He Daqing then noticed He Damin sitting by the kang (a heated brick bed) and was stunned.

Before me stood a boy of about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a well-fitting Zhongshan suit, sitting upright with a calm gaze. That face... I could vaguely see a resemblance to his childhood self, yet it was completely different.

"You are..." He Daqing hesitated.

"Brother, it's me, Damin." He Damin stood up.

He Daqing stared wide-eyed, looking him up and down, his lips trembling: "Damin? You...you've grown so much? Ten...ten years..."

He strode forward, hugged He Damin tightly, and said in a choked voice, "Little brother... I'm so sorry. I promised to pick you up, but it's been ten years..."

He Damin stiffened for a moment, but quickly relaxed. He could feel He Daqing's sincerity; this older brother truly cared about him, his younger brother.

As an orphan in his past life, he had never experienced familial love. At this moment, a slight tremor stirred within him.

"Brother, I'm fine." He Damin patted He Daqing on the back.

He Daqing released him, rubbed his eyes, and looked him over carefully: "You've grown taller and stronger. But your complexion... you must have suffered a lot on the journey. Where's Father? Why didn't he come?"

He Damin was silent for a moment, then calmly said, "My father left with Widow Cai, leaving me alone at home. Later, the village was attacked by bandits, and I escaped, begging all the way to Beiping."

He didn't say that He Xi might be dead—that kind of person, it would be better if he died.

He Daqing clenched his fists, his face ashen: "Father...how could he do this! Widow Cai...that vile woman!"

"It's all in the past," He Damin said calmly. "I'm doing just fine now, aren't I?"

Lü Bingxin wiped away her tears. Little Yuzhu seemed to sense the tense atmosphere and crawled to He Daqing's legs: "Dad, don't cry."

He Daqing picked up his son, looked at his younger brother, and took a deep breath: "Yes, it's all in the past. Now we brothers are reunited, and I'll take care of you from now on!"

Yi Zhonghai's wife said from outside the door, "Daqing, it's a joyous occasion for brothers to reunite. Let's make something nice tonight. I have a piece of cured meat; take it."

"Thank you, Sister-in-law Yi!" He Daqing said.

Lü Bingxin hurried to the kitchen to get busy. He Daqing pressed He Damin down onto the kang (heated brick bed), then sat opposite him, his eyes still red: "Little brother, tell me, how have you been all these years?"

He Damin briefly recounted his experiences along the way—of course, he omitted things like the Tai Chi Space, the Marrow Cleansing Pill, and the theft of the warehouse, only saying that he had met kind people who helped him along the way, which led him to Beiping.

He Daqing felt heartbroken upon hearing this: "You've suffered so much... From now on, you'll live here, and I'll take care of you!"

"Brother, I have something to discuss with you," He Damin changed the subject.

"What is it? Tell me," He Daqing said immediately.

He Damin took the twelve small yellow croakers out of the cloth bag and placed them on the kang table.

The golden light shone brightly under the oil lamp.

He Daqing gasped, "This...this is..."

"Little yellow croaker, twelve pieces," He Damin said calmly. "I want to buy a courtyard house nearby, a detached house. Brother, you know a lot about Beijing, can you help me inquire about it?"

He Daqing stared wide-eyed at the gold bars, then at his younger brother, his mind a little blank.

Where does a thirteen-year-old get so much money? And why does he want to buy a yard?

"Damin, you...you have this money..."

"Don't worry, I came from nowhere." He Damin interrupted him, "I saved a rich man on the road, and this is his reward. We'll talk about the details later. First, help me find a house."

He Daqing swallowed hard, stared at the gold bars for a long time, and finally nodded: "Okay, I'll help you. But you have to keep this money safe and don't let anyone know."

"I know." He Damin put away the gold bars. "Brother, there's something else."

"you say."

"I want to learn to cook," He Damin said, looking at He Daqing. "You teach me."

He Daqing was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Alright! I'll teach you! Our He family's skills must not be lost! Tomorrow I'll take you to Fengzeyuan Restaurant, and we'll start by learning how to cut and prepare the ingredients!"

Outside the door, Lü Bingxin brought in dishes. Seeing the two brothers chatting happily, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

Four dishes and a soup were laid out on the kang table: stir-fried cured pork with cabbage, stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar, scrambled eggs with scallions, cold shredded radish salad, and a steaming bowl of cornmeal porridge. In those days, this was already a sumptuous meal.

"Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law," He Damin said.

"We're family, no need for formalities," Lü Bingxin said with a smile as she served him porridge. "Eat up, while it's hot."

Xiao Yuzhu sat in He Daqing's lap, eating porridge by herself with a small spoon, occasionally stealing glances at the new uncle.

He Damin picked up the bowl and took a sip of porridge. The hot porridge warmed him, spreading from his stomach throughout his body.

He looked at the family of three before him—the honest and kind older brother, the gentle and virtuous sister-in-law, and the lively and energetic nephew. This was... family.

In his past life, he was all alone; in this life, he finally has someone to care about.

But it is precisely because of these concerns that he is even more determined to protect his family.

Those who secretly plotted against her, those who might harm Lü Bingxin, those demons and monsters in the courtyard...

He will not allow the tragedy of his past life to repeat itself.

The snow was still falling outside the window, but the room was warm and cozy.

He Damin ate his meal while listening to He Daqing recount his experiences in Beijing over the years, occasionally interjecting a few words. Lü Bingxin listened with a smile, frequently serving food to her husband and brother.

Warm and peaceful.