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

On Saturday morning, before the autumn mist had completely dissipated, Chen Yu had already completed three hours of cultivation in the small world.

As Chen Yu's cultivation technique reached the third level of Qi Refining, his movements became increasingly refined, allowing him to absorb 30% more spiritual energy with each breath. The water vapor beside the spiritual spring, drawn by the spiritual energy, formed a small vortex. Chen Yu sat within it, his robes fluttering even without wind, displaying a remarkably refined demeanor befitting a cultivator.

What surprised him most was that he suddenly comprehended a new ability during his cultivation today—not a spell unlocked by the system, but an advanced application of the Spiritual Eye Technique. When he gathered his spiritual energy in his eyes and fully unleashed his spiritual sense, his vision was able to penetrate the thin mist, clearly seeing the hazy fog slowly flowing at the edge of the small world, and he could even vaguely sense that there was a wider space beyond the fog.

"This should be the prototype of the 'Spiritual Eye Technique'," Chen Yu mused. According to the records in the "Tai Xuan True Scripture," a true Spiritual Eye Technique, when cultivated to a high level, can see through illusions, perceive obstacles, and even observe the flow of spiritual energy. He has only just entered the beginner stage, but it is enough for his needs.

"System, check-in for today," Chen Yu silently announced to himself. Today was Saturday, and although it wasn't a weekly check-in, the accumulated rewards were still important.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 1 jin of meat coupons, 3 chi of cloth coupons, a small basic infant care knowledge and skills experience pack, and 6 yuan in cash]

Infant care knowledge? Chen Yu was taken aback at first, then smiled—the system was really thoughtful, knowing he was about to become a father, it even prepared this kind of skill. He immediately used it, and knowledge of infant care, feeding basics, and common disease identification flooded his mind. Although it was only basic, it was very practical for him as he was about to become a father.

Upon exiting the mini-world, it was just past 6:30 in real time. Chen Yu had barely opened his eyes when he heard a slight retching sound coming from the kitchen.

It's Qin Huairu.

Chen Yu quickly got up and saw Qin Huairu leaning against the stove, her face pale. He walked over quickly and gently patted her back: "Feeling unwell again? Didn't I tell you to sleep a little longer?"

"I...I remembered I needed to make breakfast..." Qin Huairu gasped for breath. "It's been like this every morning for the past few days, it'll be fine in a little while..."

Chen Yu helped her sit down on a stone bench in the courtyard and poured her a glass of warm water: "This is a normal reaction in early pregnancy, called morning sickness. Don't force yourself. Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll go buy it."

"I don't want to eat anything..." Qin Huairu shook her head. "The smell of oil makes me feel nauseous..."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat, recalling a formula recorded in the intermediate-level Traditional Chinese Medicine skills—the Anti-Nausea and Pregnancy-Soothing Decoction. Its main ingredients were Amomum villosum, Atractylodes macrocephala, Citrus reticulata peel, and ginger—all common, mild, and effective herbs.

"Wait here, I'll go get you some medicine." Chen Yu returned to the house and took out medicinal herbs from his storage space. These were all herbs he had stockpiled while gathering herbs before, and they were all of good quality.

He didn't use an alchemy furnace—this ordinary medicinal soup didn't need to be so complicated. Right there in the kitchen, he slowly simmered it in a clay pot, controlling the heat to allow the medicinal properties to fully release. A faint medicinal aroma wafted out, not pungent, but rather refreshing.

Half an hour later, a bowl of amber-colored medicinal soup was ready. Chen Yu carefully carried it to the courtyard: "Huai Ru, try this, it should help."

Qin Huairu took the bowl and drank it in small sips. The medicine was slightly bitter with a sweet aftertaste, and a warm current rose up after it entered her stomach, which indeed reduced the nausea considerably.

"Much better..." she breathed a sigh of relief. "Chen Yu, how do you know all this?"

"I've studied a little traditional Chinese medicine." Chen Yu didn't elaborate. "I'll cook you a bowl every morning from now on, and with some dietary adjustments, you'll gradually get better. What do you want to eat today? I'll go buy it."

"I want something sour," Qin Huairu said softly, "hawthorn, or sour plum..."

"Okay, I'll go buy it." Chen Yu draped a coat over her shoulders. "Go back inside and lie down for a while, wait for me to come back."

At seven o'clock, Chen Yu rode his bicycle out. The alley was already bustling with life in the early morning, with queues forming in front of breakfast stalls and people hurrying to work. He bought a few freshly made sugar-coated fried dough sticks at the alley entrance, and then went to the grocery store to buy half a pound of hawthorn cake—in those days, hawthorn cake was made entirely of natural ingredients without any additives, making it perfect for pregnant women.

Just as I was about to go back, I suddenly saw a familiar figure – Yan Bugui was pushing his bicycle from the opposite side, with a net bag of vegetables hanging on the handlebars.

"Uncle, buying groceries so early?" Chen Yu greeted him.

"Little Chen!" Yan Bugui's eyes lit up when he saw him. "I was just about to look for you! Something big happened in the courtyard yesterday!"

"What is it?"

Yan Bugui looked around and lowered his voice: "Jia Zhangshi and her daughter-in-law Zhang Xiulan are fighting! They really are fighting! Zhang Xiulan pushed Jia Zhangshi and she fell over. Jia Zhangshi is sitting on the ground crying and wailing, and the whole courtyard has come out to watch the commotion!"

Chen Yu frowned: "Why?"

"It's all because of Banggeng!" Yan Bugui shook his head. "That kid Banggeng stole something again. This time it was Liu Guangtian's tuition fee from the backyard—three yuan! Zhang Xiulan wanted to discipline him, but Jia Zhangshi protected him and wouldn't let her, so the two started arguing. The argument got fiercer and fiercer, and finally they came to blows."

Where is Jia Dongxu?

"I tried to break up the fight and got scratched several times!" Yan Bugui sighed. "Little Chen, it's a good thing you moved out. That courtyard is a complete mess now. Neither the eldest nor the second eldest could handle it. In the end, it was Director Wang from the neighborhood committee who came and calmed things down."

Chen Yu seemed lost in thought. The Jia family was about to be completely thrown into chaos...

"By the way," Yan Bugui added, "Director Wang also asked about you, saying that you should go to the subdistrict office when you have time, it seems there's something good going on."

"Good news?"

"I didn't ask for details, but Director Wang was all smiles, so it shouldn't be a bad thing."

Chen Yu noted it down. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he rode his bicycle back to Beixinqiao.

In the courtyard, Qin Huairu was already up and watering the flowers. Those pots of chrysanthemums were bought by Chen Yu yesterday to add some life to the courtyard.

"Why are you up again?" Chen Yu asked after parking the car. "Didn't I tell you to rest more?"

"I can't lie here any longer, get up and move around." Qin Huairu took the hawthorn cake, took a small bite, and squinted her eyes. "Mmm, delicious..."

Seeing her eat with relish, Chen Yu's mood improved. The two sat in the courtyard eating breakfast: fried dough sticks with millet porridge—simple yet heartwarming.

"Huai Ru, let's go get our marriage certificate next Friday." Chen Yu got down to business. "We need to bring our household registration book, a letter of introduction, and take a group photo. I've already taken leave. We'll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau in the morning, and in the afternoon I'll take you to the department store to buy some new clothes."

"I don't need to buy new clothes, I have..."

"I will buy it." Chen Yu held her hand. "On the wedding day, I want you to look beautiful. I've already asked Sister Liu to help me make you a red wedding dress, made of the finest silk."

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened slightly: "Chen Yu, you're too good to me..."

"You're my wife, who else would I treat well if not you?" Chen Yu laughed. "By the way, the wedding banquet menu is finalized: six cold dishes, eight hot dishes, and one soup, with fish and meat. Brother Zhu has agreed to cook, you can rest assured about his skills."

"Comrade He Yuzhu is in charge of cooking? That's great!" Qin Huairu knew that He Yuzhu was the head chef of the steel mill canteen and was famous for his cooking skills.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Chen Yu opened the door, and Zhang Xiulan arrived, carrying a basket of things.

"Aunt Zhang, what brings you here? Come in quickly."

"I've come to see Huairu." Zhang Xiulan entered the room, put down the basket, and said, "These are the eggs we've been saving at home, and some pickled cucumbers I made—they're good for pregnant women's appetites."

"Thank you, Aunt Zhang." Qin Huairu quickly stood up.

"Sit down, don't get up." Zhang Xiulan pressed her down, carefully examining her complexion. "You look alright... Xiaoyu, is Huairu's morning sickness severe?"

"I felt a little worse this morning, but I'm much better after taking the medicine."

"That's good." Zhang Xiulan sat down on the stone bench. "Xiaoyu, there's something else I wanted to tell you today—you heard about what happened in the courtyard yesterday, right?"

"My third uncle told me."

"Sigh, that Jia Zhangshi is getting more and more outrageous." Zhang Xiulan shook her head. "When Banggeng stole money, not only did she not discipline him, but she also said that the child was 'capable'. When Zhang Xiulan tried to discipline him, she threw a tantrum. Now the whole courtyard is laughing at the Jia family."

Chen Yu remained silent. He wasn't interested in the Jia family's affairs, as long as they didn't involve him.

"However," Zhang Xiulan lowered her voice, "Jia Dongxu secretly contacted me yesterday, saying he wanted to ask you for a favor."

"You need my help?"

"Yes. He heard that you are now the deputy leader of the technical innovation team and wants to ask you to help him change workshops in the steel rolling mill—he doesn't want to work in his current workshop anymore, saying that the leaders are making things difficult for him."

Chen Yu frowned. Jia Dongxu had falsely accused him before, and now he actually had the nerve to ask for help?

"Aunt Zhang, I can't help with this. Workshop transfers are a matter for the personnel department; it's not up to me."

"I know, I'm just passing on a message," Zhang Xiulan sighed. "I also told Dongxu that you can't help him. But he's desperate right now—his work is going badly, his family is in turmoil, his wife and mother are arguing every day... I think he's almost depressed."

Chen Yu sneered inwardly. If only he had known this would happen, why did he do it in the first place?

The three chatted for a while longer about wedding preparations before Zhang Xiulan left. Before leaving, she pulled Chen Yu aside: "Xiao Yu, there's something I need to remind you. Director Wang is looking for you, probably about Xu Damao's house—it's currently vacant, and the neighborhood committee wants to reallocate it. I heard several people in the compound want it, including the Jia family."

"Does the Jia family want Xu Damao's house?"

"Hmm. Jia Zhangshi is saying everywhere that her family has too many people and there aren't enough houses, so they should be given priority in being allocated one." Zhang Xiulan pursed her lips. "I think she's eyeing that house, wanting to give it to Banggeng when he gets married in the future."

Chen Yu nodded: "I understand, thank you Aunt Zhang."

After seeing Zhang Xiulan off, Chen Yu fell into deep thought. Xu Damao's house was indeed a problem now—although Boss Li's people had been driven away, the property rights were unclear, and the neighborhood committee would definitely have to deal with it. The Jia family wanted it, and the other families wanted it too; it was going to be another struggle.

But he didn't care. As long as he wasn't involved, he'd let them make a scene.

At 10 a.m., Chen Yu rode his bicycle to the neighborhood office. Director Wang was writing documents in his office. When he saw Chen Yu arrive, he greeted him warmly, "Little Chen is here? Please have a seat!"

"Director Wang, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, that's great news!" Director Wang took a document out of his drawer. "Look, this is a notice just issued by the district—in view of your outstanding contributions to the steel rolling mill, you are hereby granted the benefits of an 'Outstanding Technical Talent.' You'll receive an extra five yuan per month, and priority in housing allocation!"

Priority housing allocation rights! Chen Yu's eyes lit up. In this era, housing is the most scarce resource. Having this right would make it much easier to upgrade to a better house in the future.

"Thank you, Director Wang!"

"Don't thank me, it's all thanks to your own hard work," Director Wang said with a smile. "Little Chen, you're now a model youth in our neighborhood! By the way, your wedding is next month, and the neighborhood office wants to show its appreciation—we'll give you a pair of thermos flasks and ten kilograms of wedding candy coupons!"

This was a real benefit. In those days, thermos flasks were practical items, and wedding candy coupons were even more sought after—you needed coupons to buy candy, and ten pounds of wedding candy coupons could save a lot of trouble.

Thank you so much!

"Of course," Director Wang said, then changed the subject. "But Xiao Chen, there's something I need to tell you—Xu Damao's house is now vacant. Several households in the compound have applied to take it, including the Jia family. You see..."

"Director Wang, I'll follow your arrangements." Chen Yu was quite tactful. "I have my own house now and won't participate in the allocation. However... that house was involved in an incident, so you need to be careful about who gets it."

"I understand what you mean." Director Wang nodded. "As for the Jia family, Jia Zhangshi comes to make trouble every day, but Zhang Xiulan told me privately that she doesn't want the house—she thinks it's unlucky. Now there are differing opinions in the courtyard; some say it should be given to the Jia family, while others say it should be given to someone who needs it more... It's a difficult situation."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. Zhang Xiulan didn't want it? That was a wise choice. Xu Damao's house was indeed unclean; living there would inevitably cause trouble.

"Director Wang, I have a suggestion," Chen Yu said after thinking for a moment. "The house can be left vacant for now, or rented out temporarily. We can allocate it according to the actual situation after things calm down. Rushing to allocate it now could easily escalate the conflict."

"Hmm, that makes sense." Director Wang said thoughtfully. "Then let's put it aside for now... By the way, Xiao Chen, if you need any help with your wedding, just let us know, the neighborhood committee will fully support you!"

"Thank you, Director Wang!"

It was already noon when Chen Yu left the neighborhood office. Instead of going straight home, he went to a pharmacy and got some more herbs for an anti-nausea and pregnancy-stabilizing decoction. Passing by the Xinhua Bookstore, he also went in and bought a copy of "Pregnancy Care Handbook"—though the content was simple, it was better than nothing.

When they returned to Beixinqiao, Qin Huairu had already prepared lunch—a simple tomato and egg noodle soup, but it looked and smelled delicious. Chen Yu noticed that after drinking the medicinal soup, her appetite had improved significantly, and she finished the bowl of noodles completely.

"I'd like to go to the courtyard house this afternoon," Chen Yu said after the meal. "I'll deliver the wedding invitations to my uncles. You rest at home; I'll be back soon."

"Go ahead, I'll finish sewing the last few stitches on my wedding dress." Qin Huairu took out the red wedding dress—on the bright red silk, she had already embroidered exquisite mandarin ducks playing in the water.

Looking at the wedding dress, Chen Yu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. In both his past and present lives, this was his first marriage, his first home, and his first time becoming a father...

"Huai Ru, thank you," he said softly.

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for agreeing to marry me."

Qin Huairu blushed and lowered her head to continue sewing, but she couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Yu arrived at the courtyard house. The courtyard was quiet; most people had gone to work. He delivered the invitations to each household—Yi Zhonghai's, Liu Haizhong's, Yan Bugui's... and finally arrived at the Jia family's house.

The Jia family's door was ajar, and the sounds of Zhang Shi cursing and Zhang Xiulan talking back could be heard inside. Chen Yu knocked on the door, there was a moment of silence inside, and then Zhang Xiulan opened the door and came out.

"Xiaoyu? What brings you here?"

"Here's an invitation." Chen Yu handed it over. "Next month on the fifteenth, it's my wedding with Huai Ru. We invite your whole family to attend."

Zhang Xiulan accepted the invitation and sighed, "I'll definitely go... Xiaoyu, the house is a mess, so I won't invite you in."

"I understand." Chen Yu nodded. "Aunt Zhang, take care of yourself and don't get too upset."

"I know..."

As Chen Yu was leaving the Jia family home, he heard Jia Zhangshi's voice again from inside: "Who is it? Is that Chen Yu? Let him in! I have something to say to him!"

Chen Yu shook his head and quickly left. He didn't want to get involved in the Jia family's mess.

When Chen Yu returned to Beixinqiao, it was still early. He entered the small world and began to make more detailed preparations for the Double Ninth Festival.

He took out the twelve flying needles and used his magic to arrange, pierce, and spin them in the air. After many practices, he can now accurately control six flying needles at the same time, expanding the attack range to eight zhang (about twenty-four meters).

"With the interference of the fireball spell, we should be able to resolve the detonation point," Chen Yu assessed his strength.

He then inspected the simple magical artifacts: warning bells, fog bombs, immobilization talismans, improved array bases... checking each item to ensure everything was in perfect working order.

Finally, he took out three spirit-patterned pocket watches. Beside the spirit spring, the patterns on the backs of the three watches automatically extended and connected, and the complete map of the secret vault reappeared. Chen Yu carefully observed it with his spiritual eye technique and discovered details on the map that he hadn't noticed before—next to the entrance symbol, there were several tiny marks, like some kind of warning.

"This is... a mechanism?" Chen Yu frowned. The entrance to the secret vault might not just be a simple stone door, but also contain protective mechanisms. This was to be expected—the legacy of Xuanzhen Daoist wouldn't be easily obtained.

He noted these details down and then withdrew from the small world.

As evening approached, Chen Yu began preparing dinner. Considering Qin Huairu's appetite, he made several light dishes: stir-fried bok choy, steamed egg custard, and leftover tomato and egg noodles from lunch.

As the two ate in the courtyard, the setting sun cast a golden glow over the yard.

"Chen Yu," Qin Huairu suddenly said, "While I was sewing my wedding dress today, I was thinking... what should we name the baby if it's a boy? And if it's a girl?"

Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "The boy's name is Chen Hao, meaning 'as bright as the sun at its zenith,' and 'upright and honorable.' The girl's name is Chen Yue, meaning 'as steadfast as the moon,' and 'gentle and beautiful.'"

"Chen Hao... Chen Yue..." Qin Huairu murmured softly, her eyes filled with tenderness, "It sounds so beautiful..."

After dinner, Chen Yu helped Qin Huairu take a walk in the courtyard. The autumn night sky was exceptionally bright, and the two stood side by side, not saying much, but their hearts were in sync.

"Chen Yu," Qin Huairu leaned on his shoulder, "after the baby is born, let's just live a simple, ordinary life as a family of three, okay?"

"Okay." Chen Yu hugged her tighter. "I promise you, I will make sure you live a good life."

As night deepened, the courtyard quieted down.

But Chen Yu knew that these peaceful days wouldn't last long.

There are thirteen days left until the Double Ninth Festival.

Thirteen days later, he will face the greatest challenge since his transmigration.

And he had to win.

For this family, for the unborn child, and for... to truly gain a foothold in this era and forge a path that belongs to me.

It was late at night, and the courtyard in Beixinqiao was warmly lit.

Meanwhile, in the distant Fragrant Hills, undercurrents are surging.