Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

At five o'clock in the morning, before dawn, the train carrying Chen Yu slowly pulled into Beijing Station.

Although his two-day, one-night trip to Tianjin was short, it felt like a lifetime ago. Early risers were already on the platform, carrying large bags and bundles, hurrying along in the dim light. Chen Yu disembarked with the flow of people, taking a deep breath of the familiar air of Beijing—the smell of coal smoke, the aroma of fried food from breakfast stalls, and the dampness of the morning mist.

Instead of going straight back to the courtyard house, he went to a breakfast shop near Qianmen. He ordered a bowl of fried liver and two fried dough rings, and sat on a greasy bench to eat slowly, while simultaneously contacting the pseudo-human number one through his consciousness.

"I'm back. How's the situation in the yard?"

"Master, a lot has happened in the yard while you were away these past two days," the voice of Pseudo-Man Number One echoed in my mind. "Xu Damao's house was sold to a worker surnamed Wang for 350 yuan. Lou Xiao'e has moved back to her parents' home; it's said she's getting a divorce."

"What about the Jia family?"

"Jia Dongxu's wife, Zhang Xiulan, has officially moved back, but she and Jia Zhangshi are constantly at odds. Yesterday, they had another argument over a pound of meat ration coupons, which the whole courtyard could hear."

"What about Boss Li?"

"We're still looking for Zhao Tieying, but there's not much progress. However, yesterday afternoon, a man with a Tianjin accent came to the compound to inquire about you, but he was turned away by Uncle Yan Bugui."

Chen Yu's eyes narrowed. A Tianjin accent? Black Third Master's men are quick; they actually tracked them down to Beijing.

Where is Zhao Tieying?

"You're in a safe house as you arranged; it's very safe. He asked you if your trip to Tianjin went well."

"Tell him it went smoothly, and we'll meet tonight to discuss the details."

After finishing breakfast, it was just getting light. Chen Yu paid and headed towards the courtyard house, carrying his Tianjin specialties. He didn't take the main road, but instead wandered through the alleys several times, making sure no one was following him before returning to Nanluoguxiang.

The courtyard house was still not fully awake in the early morning, with only a few early-rising elderly people exercising in the yard. Yan Bugui was squatting at his doorway brushing his teeth, his mouth full of white foam. When he saw Chen Yu return, he quickly rinsed his mouth.

"Xiao Chen is back? Did your business trip go well?"

"Good morning, Uncle San." Chen Yu took out a bag of Tianjin-style fried dough twists from his bag. "I brought these for you, have a taste."

"Oh dear, I can't accept this..." Yan Bugui declined verbally, but had already taken the money. "Xiao Chen is so sensible. By the way, someone from Tianjin was looking for you yesterday. I told him you were away on a business trip and I didn't know when you'd be back."

"Thank you, Uncle. What did that person look like?"

"He's in his forties, has a dark complexion, and a scar on his left eyebrow. He speaks with a strong Tianjin accent. He said he's a distant relative, but he doesn't look like it." Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses. "Xiao Chen, be careful when you're out and about. There are all sorts of people these days."

"I've got it."

Back in his room, Chen Yu closed the door and let out a long sigh of relief. Although the house was simple, it gave him a sense of security. He first checked the room—there were no signs of disturbance, and the various traps he had set up were intact.

"System, check-in for today." Although I checked in in Tianjin yesterday, I won't miss checking in at the start of a new day.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 1 jin of meat coupons, 2 industrial vouchers, a small basic trap placement skill experience pack, and 4 yuan in cash]

Trap-setting skills? Chen Yu immediately put them to use. His mind flooded with knowledge of simple trap construction methods, mechanical principles, and camouflage techniques. Although it was only basic, it might be useful for his upcoming trip to Fragrant Hills.

He took out the three spirit-patterned pocket watches and placed them on the table. In the morning light of Beijing, the patterns on the three watches were even clearer, and when they were brought close together, they could even feel a faint attraction. Chen Yu pressed them together, and the complete topographical map reappeared—the back mountain of Xiangshan Biyun Temple, a location marked with an entrance symbol.

"Nineteen days left," Chen Yu muttered to himself. The Double Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, and today is the twentieth of the eighth lunar month, which is exactly nineteen days from now.

He put away his pocket watch and entered the small world. In just two days, he was pleasantly surprised by the changes in the small world—the medicinal herbs planted by the spiritual spring were growing well, the purple-gold grass had sprouted new seedlings half a foot tall, and several common herbs had also flowered and borne fruit, ready to be harvested.

What surprised him most was that century-old wild ginseng—after cutting off a section of its root, the remaining part, nourished by the spiritual energy of the small world, actually grew new fine roots from the cut!

"It seems that the small world has a special effect on spiritual plants," Chen Yu mused. He replanted the remaining wild ginseng and watered it with some spiritual spring water.

After leaving the small world, Chen Yu began sorting through the local specialties he had brought back from Tianjin. These included fried dough twists, fermented soybeans, nuts, and the "Goubuli" brand signboard he had bought for Qin Huairu. He set aside some to give to a few families in the hospital with whom he had good relationships: Yan Bugui, He Yuzhu, Zhang Xiulan, and Liu Yuhua and Zhou Xiaomei from the production department.

Just as I was busy, there was a knock on the door.

When I opened the door, it was He Yuzhu, holding a lunchbox: "Xiao Chen, I heard you're back? Haven't had breakfast yet? I just made some steamed buns, meat filling!"

"Brother Zhu, you're too kind. I just ate." Chen Yu took the lunchbox. "Perfect timing. I brought some fried dough twists from Tianjin. Please try them."

"Tianjin-style fried dough twists? That's a rare treat!" He Yuzhu's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he took one and started eating. "Mmm! Authentic! Xiao Chen, what's the purpose of your business trip this time...?"

"It's about the factory. I'm going to Tianjin to investigate a new method for waste disposal," Chen Yu casually made up a reason.

"Oh, work is important," He Yuzhu said between bites. "By the way, I have something to tell you—Xu Damao's house has been sold. Do you know who the buyer is?"

"I heard he's a worker surnamed Wang?"

"Yes, Wang Jianjun, from the First Steel Rolling Mill. But I feel something's not right." He Yuzhu lowered his voice. "Wang Jianjun's family owns a house in Xicheng, why would he buy one here? And after buying the house, he's never been here once. I suspect... this house isn't actually his residence."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat: "What does Brother Zhu mean...?"

"I suspect that Boss Li had someone buy it for him!" He Yuzhu said. "Xu Damao urgently needed money, and Boss Li wanted to force him to comply by controlling the house. After all, Lou Xiao'e hasn't signed the divorce papers yet, so the house is theoretically still joint property of the couple."

That's a good guess. Chen Yu nodded: "Thanks for the reminder, Brother Zhu. I'll be careful."

"Don't mention it, we're neighbors." He Yuzhu patted him on the shoulder. "By the way, how's your wedding preparation going? Just let me know if you need any help. I may not be good at much else, but I'm a fantastic cook!"

"I'll definitely have to trouble Brother Zhu then."

After seeing He Yuzhu off, Chen Yu checked his watch; it was 7:30. Time to go to work at the steel rolling mill.

He changed into a Zhongshan suit and tidied his appearance. The young man in the mirror, after his trip to Tianjin, had a more composed gaze and a more reserved demeanor. Although his cultivation at the second level of Qi Refining was not outwardly apparent, his calm and confident bearing was quite different from that of ordinary people.

Inside the steel rolling mill, Chen Yu immediately sensed a change in atmosphere upon entering the production department. His colleagues looked at him with more respect, and even the usually quiet senior technicians greeted him proactively.

"Xiao Chen is back? Did your trip to Tianjin go well?" Liu Yuhua was the first to greet him.

"Sure thing, Sister Liu. This is a Tianjin specialty I brought for you." Chen Yu handed over a bag of fried dough twists.

"Oh, you still remember us." Liu Yuhua smiled and accepted the gift. "Perfect timing, Section Chief Li is looking for you about promoting the waste utilization plan throughout the factory."

In the section chief's office, Section Chief Li was reading a document. Seeing Chen Yu enter, he put down the document and, unusually, smiled, "Xiao Chen, have a seat. Did the trip to Tianjin yield any results?"

"There are some." Chen Yu was prepared and took out a notebook. "Tianjin No. 2 Steel Rolling Mill has a waste sorting production line. Although it is rudimentary, it is very efficient. I drew a schematic diagram. If we can improve it and use it in our factory, we can reduce labor costs by 20%."

In fact, this was an idea he found in a bound volume of the journal Science, which he then simplified to suit the conditions of the time.

Section Chief Li carefully examined the diagram and nodded repeatedly: "This is good! Write a detailed plan, and I'll submit it at next week's production scheduling meeting. Also," he took a document from his drawer, "your application for the agricultural-to-non-agricultural quota has been approved by Secretary Zhang."

Chen Yu was startled and took the document. It was stamped with the red seals of the factory's Party Committee and Personnel Department, and read, "In view of Comrade Chen Yu's special contributions, we approve the application of his spouse, Comrade Qin Huairu, to change her status from agricultural to non-agricultural, and submit it to the Public Security Bureau for approval."

"Thank you, Section Chief Li!" Chen Yu said sincerely.

"You earned it yourself," Section Chief Li said seriously. "However, the approval process takes at least a month. You need to hurry up and get your marriage certificate before you can transfer your household registration."

"I understand, the wedding will be on the 15th of next month."

"Okay, let me know when the time comes, and the factory's labor union can help you with the arrangements." Section Chief Li paused for a moment, "There's one more thing—the factory is preparing to establish a technical innovation team, and you'll be the deputy leader, while I'll be the leader. Your salary will be increased by one level, to forty-two yuan per month."

Forty-two yuan! That's a high salary these days!

"I will definitely work hard and live up to the trust placed in me by my superiors."

Stepping out of the office, Chen Yu felt his steps become much lighter. His rural-to-urban residency permit had been approved, his salary had increased, and his work had reached a new level... everything was moving in a positive direction.

At lunchtime in the cafeteria, Zhou Xiaomei specially brought her lunchbox and sat down next to him: "Comrade Chen Yu, I heard you got promoted? Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Technician Zhou."

"Don't be so polite, just call me Xiaomei." Zhou Xiaomei blushed slightly. "Um... are you still going on the autumn outing to Fragrant Hills this weekend?"

"Go ahead, my fiancée will come too," Chen Yu said frankly.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhou Xiaomei's eyes, but she quickly smiled again: "That's great, it'll be a good opportunity for everyone to get to know the bride."

After finishing his meal, Chen Yu went to Workshop 3 to check on the progress of the waste utilization plan. The workers were full of energy; the simple stamping machine had been installed and debugged, and was now in trial production of gaskets. Foreman Wang saw Chen Yu and waved from afar.

"Technician Chen! You've finally arrived! Look, this machine can produce five hundred gaskets a day, which is equivalent to three workers making them by hand!"

Chen Yu checked the product quality and then looked at the waste sorting area; everything was in good order.

"Master Wang, thank you for your hard work. If we can achieve the expected results this month, the factory will give our workshop a bonus."

"Really?" The workers' eyes lit up.

"I promise."

At 3 p.m., Chen Yu asked for leave in advance and left the steel rolling mill. He was going to Qinjiacun to tell Qin Huairu the good news about her agricultural status being changed to urban status, and also to discuss the details of their wedding.

He hopped on the borrowed bicycle and headed out of town towards Qin Family Village. The autumn fields were a golden expanse, corn stalks rustled in the wind, and farmers were harvesting in the distance. Chen Yu took a deep breath; the fresh air was invigorating.

An hour later, Qin Family Village came into view. Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, several children were playing, and they curiously gathered around when they saw Chen Yu.

"Brother Chen Yu! You're here to see Sister Huai Ru again?"

"Brother Chen Yu, what's that snack in your bike basket?"

Chen Yu smiled and took out a few pieces of fruit candy from his bag, distributing them to the children: "Go tell Sister Huairu that I'm here."

The children cheered and ran into the village. A short while later, Qin Huairu emerged. Today she wore a light pink polyester shirt, dark blue trousers, and her two long braids were neatly combed, gleaming, with a shy smile on her face.

"You've arrived."

"Yes, I have something to tell you."

The two arrived at the riverbank outside the village and found a clean rock to sit on. The water was clear, and they could see small fish swimming around. In the distance, the setting sun began to slant westward, gilding the fields with a golden hue.

Chen Yu pulled out the approval document for the change of agricultural residence status from rural to urban: "Huai Ru, look at this."

Qin Huairu took it, examined it carefully, and her eyes widened: "This...this is..."

"The rural-to-urban household registration quota has been approved," Chen Yu said earnestly. "Once we get our marriage certificate, your household registration can be transferred to the city, and you'll have an urban household registration."

Qin Huairu's hands trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. In this era, changing one's rural household registration to an urban one was a momentous event, something countless rural girls dreamed of!

"Chen Yu...I...I don't know what to say..."

"You don't need to say anything." Chen Yu held her hand. "It's what I should do. We'll have the wedding on the fifteenth of next month. I'm looking for a house, and we'll settle on one soon."

Qin Huairu nodded vigorously, tears finally streaming down her face: "I'll do whatever you say..."

The two discussed some wedding details: which guests to invite, how many tables to hold, what to prepare... Chen Yu told Qin Huairu not to worry about the money, he would take care of everything.

As the sun set, Chen Yu prepared to return to the city. Qin Huairu saw him off at the village entrance, then took a small cloth bag from her bosom: "This... is for you."

Inside the cloth bag was a hand-knitted sweater, dark gray, with fine and thick stitches.

"It's getting cold, you should wear something warm."

"Thank you, I like it very much."

Chen Yu took the sweater, feeling a warmth in his heart. He pulled out a Shanghai brand women's watch—he had bought it in Tianjin yesterday; although not as expensive as a men's watch, it still cost more than sixty yuan.

"Here, take this. It'll be convenient for checking the time."

"It's too expensive..."

"You're my fiancée, that's only right."

Qin Huairu blushed as she took the watch and carefully put it on her wrist. The silver watch chain complemented her fair wrist beautifully.

"I'm leaving now. I'm going on an autumn outing to Fragrant Hills this weekend. I'll come pick you up."

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

On the way back to the city, Chen Yu was in a good mood. The wedding went smoothly, work went smoothly, and everything was on track.

But he did not forget that a tough battle was yet to come in nineteen days.

It was already dark when Chen Yu returned to the courtyard house. He had just parked his bicycle when he saw Zhang Xiulan waiting at his door.

"Xiaoyu, you're finally back!" Zhang Xiulan said anxiously. "This afternoon, a man from Tianjin came again to ask about you, and I told him you weren't back yet. But I don't think they'll let it go."

"Don't worry, Aunt Zhang, I can handle it," Chen Yu reassured her. "By the way, Xu Damao's house has been sold. Do you know who the buyer is?"

"I heard he's a worker, but I've never seen him," Zhang Xiulan said in a low voice. "However, I saw Xu Damao sneak back yesterday, wandering around the old house, as if he was looking for something."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. What was Xu Damao looking for? A copy of the secret vault map? Or...?

"Aunt Zhang, please pretend you didn't see this, and don't get involved."

"I know, I just wanted to let you know. Xiaoyu, you're getting married soon, the most important thing is for you to be safe and sound."

Back in the house, Chen Yu immediately contacted the fake man number one: "Check what Xu Damao has been up to lately, especially his trip to Fragrant Hills."

"Yes, Master. Also, Zhao Tieying asked if you would like to meet tonight."

"See you at the usual place, 10 o'clock."

At 9:50 p.m., Chen Yu arrived at Gulou Back Street. Zhao Tieying was already there, squatting in the shadows smoking. When he saw Chen Yu arrive, he stubbed out his cigarette.

"How was your trip to Tianjin?"

"Everything went smoothly." Chen Yu took out the third pocket watch. "All three are complete."

Zhao Tieying's eyes lit up. He took the pocket watch and examined it carefully, his hands trembling with excitement: "Great...great...there's hope for the continuation of our sect!"

"The map shows the secret vault is located behind Biyun Temple in Xiangshan, and it will open on the night of the Double Ninth Festival," Chen Yu said. "There are still nineteen days left."

"Nineteen days..." Zhao Tieying pondered. "That's enough time to prepare. But what about Boss Li..."

"He has already sent people to the courtyard to look for me, and the forces from Tianjin have also gotten involved." Chen Yu explained the matter of Master Hei San, "So this trip to Fragrant Hills will not be peaceful."

Zhao Tieying's eyes turned cold: "Then let them never leave. Chen Yu, what do you need me to do?"

"First, find out Boss Li's plans in Xiangshan. Second, prepare some necessary equipment—ropes, tools, and self-defense items. Third, find a few reliable people, as we may need external support later."

"I have the manpower, all old subordinates from my sect, absolutely reliable," Zhao Tieying said. "I'll prepare the equipment. As for Boss Li's arrangements... we'll have to go to Xiangshan to conduct on-site reconnaissance."

"The factory is organizing an autumn outing to Fragrant Hills this weekend, so I can go without any excuse," Chen Yu said. "You follow them secretly, and we'll split up to investigate."

"Alright!" Zhao Tieying thought for a moment, "There's one more thing—the secret vault needs to be opened during a full moon, specifically midnight (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.). Fragrant Hills will be closed at that time, so we need to find a way to get in."

"I'll handle that," Chen Yu said, already having a plan. "You just focus on preparing for the rest."

The two discussed some more details and didn't part ways until late at night.

Back in the courtyard house, Chen Yu didn't go to sleep immediately. He entered his small world and began preparing supplies for the trip to Fragrant Hills.

He needs to stock up on common elixirs such as Hemostatic and Tissue-Regenerating Powder, Heart-Clearing Powder, and Qi-Nourishing Pills. Among the intermediate-level alchemy techniques he's recently learned is a "Grain-Abstaining Pill," one of which can keep one from hunger for three days, perfect for outdoor activities. Chen Yu decides to start refining it tomorrow.

His trap-setting skills also came in handy. He designed several simple traps and warning devices that could be placed around the entrance to the secret vault to prevent surprise attacks.

Cultivation cannot be stopped. At 1.2 times the time flow rate, Chen Yu circulated the "Tai Xuan True Scripture," and spiritual energy surged through his meridians like a river. His cultivation at the second level of the Qi Refining stage had been consolidated, and he was steadily advancing towards the third level.

"Nineteen days... If I can break through to the third level, the chances of success will be much greater."

It was two in the morning when I left the small world. The courtyard was completely silent, except for the occasional bark of a dog in the distance.

Chen Yu lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, sorting through all the clues in his mind.

Marriage, work, secret vault... these three threads are intertwined, requiring him to have meticulous planning and strong execution.

But he was confident.

Because it has a system, a microcosm, and knowledge and abilities that transcend this era.

More importantly, there is someone he must protect—Qin Huairu, and a new life that is about to begin.

Outside the window, the moon gradually became full.

Nineteen days later, on the night of the full moon, everything will be revealed atop Fragrant Hills.

Chen Yu, however, was already prepared.