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

Saturday evening, as dusk settled, Chen Yu stood in his room in the courtyard house, performing a final check of his equipment.

The miniature camera was in the inner pocket of his jacket, the film already loaded; three hemostatic and tissue-regenerating pills and two calming pills were wrapped in oil paper and placed in his trouser pocket; the protective jade pendant was worn close to his body; the hands of the Shanghai watch on his wrist pointed to 6:40—one hour and twenty minutes before the trading time.

"System, check-in for today." Although today is not a weekly or monthly check-in, I can't miss the daily check-in.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 5 jin of grain coupons, 1 industrial voucher, a small basic reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance skills experience pack, and 5 yuan in cash]

Reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance skills? Perfect timing! Chen Yu immediately used them, and his mind was flooded with knowledge of tracking techniques, covert observation, and trace erasure. Although they were only basic, they would be of great benefit to tonight's operation.

He changed into a dark blue work uniform, with a slightly worn black jacket over it, and on his feet were the soft, silent cloth shoes Qin Huairu had given him. Finally, he put on a liberation cap, pulling the brim down to cover half his face.

Before leaving, he glanced out the window. The Jia family's lights were already on, and Jia Zhangshi was scolding Banggeng in a shrill, piercing voice. Xu Damao's house was dark; he must have already left. The Liu Haizhong family's house in the backyard was also quiet.

"Master, Xu Damao left ten minutes ago, heading east." The voice of Pseudo-Man No. 1 rang in his mind—this was a new function that Chen Yu had recently discovered, allowing him to communicate remotely with Pseudo-Man through consciousness, with a distance not exceeding three miles.

"Where's Liu Haizhong?"

"They left five minutes ago, carrying a cloth bag. They should have separated and met up at the local temple."

"What about the Hong Kong businessmen?"

"It has been confirmed that the Hong Kong businessman surnamed Li checked into the Qianmen Guesthouse this afternoon, left at 6:30 pm, and took a tricycle towards the east of the city."

Everything was under control. Chen Yu took a deep breath and pushed open the door to go out.

Instead of using the main gate, he went around to the back wall of the courtyard and nimbly scaled it—a move his post-marrow cleansing body made effortless. He landed silently, quickly disappearing into the night.

The Land God Temple in the east of the city is about five miles away from Nanluoguxiang. It is a temple that has long been abandoned. After the liberation, feudal superstition was abolished and the statues in the temple were smashed. Few people usually go there, and it has become a place for homeless people and stray cats to live.

Chen Yu didn't go directly to the local temple, but stopped in a grove of trees about half a mile away. The grove was on higher ground, offering a panoramic view of the temple.

As night deepened, the moon was obscured by clouds, with only a few scattered stars visible. The outline of the earth god temple loomed in the darkness, its dilapidated buildings resembling a crouching behemoth.

With his spiritual eye activated, Chen Yu's vision was enhanced several times over. He could clearly see the situation at the temple entrance: overgrown weeds, broken walls and ruins, and a creaking door in the night wind.

At exactly seven o'clock, the first figure appeared—it was Xu Damao. He looked around furtively, and only after confirming that no one was around did he push open the broken door and enter the temple.

Five minutes later, Liu Haizhong arrived. This old man was wearing an inconspicuous gray outfit today, and he was carrying a bulging cloth bag, which should contain cultural relics.

The two entered the main hall of the temple and lit a kerosene lamp. The dim yellow light shone through the broken window, standing out conspicuously in the night.

Chen Yu approached silently and crouched behind a broken wall twenty meters away from the temple. His spiritual eye and reconnaissance skills allowed him to clearly observe the situation inside the temple without being detected.

Inside the hall, Xu Damao paced anxiously: "Why hasn't Boss Li arrived yet?"

"What's the rush? We agreed on 7:30, there's still a quarter of an hour." Liu Haizhong was relatively calm, but his tightly gripped cloth bag betrayed his nervousness.

"There's a lot of stuff this time, what if..." Xu Damao hadn't finished speaking when footsteps came from outside.

The two immediately shut up and looked warily toward the door.

A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit and wearing glasses pushed open the door and entered, followed by a burly follower. The middle-aged man was about forty years old, with a refined face but sharp eyes—he was none other than Mr. Li, a Hong Kong businessman.

"Boss Li, you've arrived!" Xu Damao hurriedly went to greet him.

Boss Li nodded, his gaze falling on the cloth bag in Liu Haizhong's hand: "Did you bring the things?"

"I brought it, I brought it!" Liu Haizhong carefully opened the cloth bag and took out the artifacts one by one, placing them on the broken offering table.

Under the kerosene lamp, the artifacts gleamed with an alluring luster: a Ming Dynasty blue and white plum vase with a warm glaze and exquisite patterns; three Qing Dynasty Qianlong Tongbao coins in excellent condition; a Qing Dynasty landscape painting, though somewhat damaged, was indeed an authentic work; and several jade pieces and small porcelain items.

Boss Li put on white gloves and picked up a magnifying glass to examine the object carefully. His attendant stood guard at the door, vigilantly watching for any movement outside.

"The blue-and-white plum vase is nice, made in the imperial kiln, but it's a pity there are signs of repair on the rim," Mr. Li commented as he looked at the vase. "The Qianlong Tongbao coin is in good condition, but there are many surviving examples, so its value is generally average. This painting... is a copy by Wang Hui. Although it's a copy, the era is correct, so it's not bad."

He commented on each item one by one, and Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong nodded repeatedly, clearly knowing nothing about this professional knowledge.

Chen Yu observed clearly from outside and simultaneously took continuous photos with a miniature camera—this camera performed far better than expected in low light, and could clearly capture everyone's face and the artifacts on the table even through a broken window.

"Name your price." After looking at everything, Boss Li took off his glasses.

Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong exchanged a glance, and Xu Damao held up five fingers: "Boss Li, these add up to... five hundred yuan."

"Too expensive." Boss Li shook his head. "The plum vase is at most 150, the painting is 80, the coins are 20, and the other odds and ends are 100. That's 350 in total."

"Boss Li, this plum vase is from the official kiln!" Liu Haizhong exclaimed anxiously.

"A restored official kiln piece." Boss Li wouldn't budge an inch. "Three hundred and fifty, take it or leave it, I'm leaving."

Xu Damao gritted his teeth: "Four hundred! At least four hundred!"

After haggling for a while, the two finally settled on a price of 380 yuan. Boss Li took a leather bag from his attendant and began counting the money.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

A loud shout suddenly came from outside the temple gate: "Don't move! Police!"

Seven or eight figures rushed out of the darkness and instantly surrounded the earth god temple. The leader was a policeman in his thirties, holding a pistol, while the others behind him carried flashlights and batons.

"We're doomed!" Xu Damao's face turned ashen, and he almost dropped the artifact in his hand.

Liu Haizhong's legs went weak, and he sat down on the ground with a thud.

Boss Li, however, remained relatively calm, quickly closed his briefcase, and gave his attendant a wink.

Police stormed into the temple, their flashlight beams blinding everyone: "Don't move! Put the things down!"

Chen Yu, hiding behind the wall, was also startled. Why were the police here? Was it a coincidence or...?

He immediately thought of two possibilities: either Boss Li or Xu Damao were being watched, or someone had reported them.

"Comrade, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!" Xu Damao tried to remain calm. "We were just... just having a get-together with friends, looking at old things..."

"A gathering? A gathering in a deserted temple late at night?" the policeman sneered. "Someone reported you for trafficking cultural relics! Take them all away!"

Several police officers stepped forward and subdued Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong. Boss Li's entourage tried to resist but were subdued by the police with batons.

Mr. Li was quite cooperative, proactively extending his hand: "Comrade, I'm a businessman from Hong Kong, with all the legal documentation. These are artworks I acquired, and I have invoices."

"We'll discuss this further once we get an invoice from the bureau!" The police remained unmoved.

Chen Yu saw everything clearly from outside, and his mind raced. The situation had changed, and he needed to adjust his previous plans.

Just as the police were about to take the person away, another unexpected event occurred!

A dark figure suddenly darted in through the back window of the temple, moving with incredible speed, and lunged straight at the artifacts on the offering table!

"Who goes there!" The police reacted quickly, raising their guns and aiming.

But the shadowy figure was faster, grabbing the Qing Dynasty landscape painting and a jade thumb ring, and turning to run towards the back window.

"Bang!" The police fired, but the shadowy figure moved strangely, and the bullet grazed past it.

Chen Yu saw it clearly from behind the wall—the dark figure was the mysterious man who appeared in the courtyard every night! It turned out his target was the cultural relics!

A dark figure leaped out of the back window and quickly disappeared into the night. Two police officers gave chase, but clearly couldn't catch up—the figure's speed far exceeded that of an ordinary person.

Chen Yu's heart stirred, and he used his spiritual eye technique to lock onto the direction the black shadow was fleeing, silently following after it.

The shadowy figure was clearly familiar with the terrain, moving freely through the dilapidated alleyways. Chen Yu kept his distance and followed behind; his body, refreshed after the marrow cleansing and nourished by spiritual energy, made tracking effortless.

After chasing for about a mile, the dark figure stopped in front of an abandoned brick kiln. Moonlight shone through gaps in the clouds, illuminating the man's face.

Chen Yu hid behind a broken wall twenty meters away. His spiritual eye technique allowed him to clearly see the man's face—a man around thirty years old with an ordinary face but sharp, eagle-like eyes. Most notably, he had a shallow scar on his left cheek.

Scarface looked around warily, and only entered the brick kiln after confirming that no one was following him.

After waiting a moment and confirming it was safe, Chen Yu quietly approached. The interior of the brick kiln was quite large, with a small bonfire burning in the center, its light illuminating the surroundings.

Scarface was examining the artifacts he had acquired by the firelight. He unfolded the landscape painting, examined it carefully, and then picked up the jade thumb ring to look at it in the light.

"Not this...not this either..." he muttered to himself, his tone filled with disappointment.

Chen Yu wondered: What is this person looking for? He risked everything to snatch cultural relics right under the noses of the police, it seems he wasn't after money, but rather looking for something specific.

Scarface carefully put away the two artifacts, then pulled out a notebook from his pocket and began writing something by the firelight. Chen Yuling focused her vision and could barely make out the contents of the notebook—names, addresses, and strange symbols.

"Three more items...we must find them before them..." Scarface muttered to himself in a low voice, but Chen Yu, with his keen hearing, heard him clearly.

After finishing recording, Scarface extinguished the campfire and prepared to leave. Chen Yu quickly retreated and hid in the shadows.

Scarface emerged from the brick kiln and disappeared back into the night. This time, Chen Yu didn't follow—he had already obtained an important clue, and continuing to follow might expose him.

He took a detour back to the courtyard house, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

Tonight's events are incredibly complicated: Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong were caught red-handed trafficking in cultural relics; the identity of Hong Kong businessman Boss Li is suspicious; the mysterious scarred man is also searching for cultural relics, and seems to be looking for something specific...

The water in this courtyard was indeed unfathomably deep.

It was 11 p.m. when Chen Yu returned to the courtyard. The courtyard was quiet, but Chen Yu noticed that the lights were still on in Liu Haizhong's house, and he could faintly hear his second aunt's suppressed sobs.

The lights were off in Xu Damao's house, but the sounds of rummaging through drawers and cabinets could be heard—it must be Lou Xiao'e packing her things in preparation for her husband's arrest.

Chen Yu quietly climbed over the wall back into the house, closed the door, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Although tonight's plans were disrupted, the gains were considerable. Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong have been caught this time, at least they can have some peace and quiet for a while. More importantly, he obtained crucial evidence and also discovered clues about the mysterious scarred man.

Entering the miniature world, he took out the film from the miniature camera and carefully put it away. This roll of film was extremely valuable and could come in very handy at a crucial moment.

The purple-gold grass beside the spiritual spring has grown taller under the nourishment of spiritual energy, and its flower buds are about to bloom. Chen Yu estimates that it will be ready to be harvested in another ten days.

He then checked the medicinal herbs he had planted earlier, and they were all growing well. In particular, the seedling from the wild ginseng had already sprouted two tender leaves.

After exiting the small world, Chen Yu lay on the bed, recalling every detail of the night.

What is Scarface looking for? Why is it among the cultural relics? Where did Xu Damao get those cultural relics from?

A series of questions swirled in Chen Yu's mind. He vaguely sensed that a much larger secret might be hidden behind these clues.

The next day was Sunday, and the courtyard was in an uproar.

Early in the morning, Director Wang from the neighborhood office arrived and convened a general meeting of the entire staff with a serious expression.

"Dear neighbors, a major incident occurred last night!" Director Wang's voice was grave. "Comrades Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong from our compound were caught red-handed by the police for trafficking in cultural relics! They are both currently detained at the station and undergoing investigation!"

The courtyard erupted in uproar.

"Trading cultural relics? That's a serious crime!"

"No wonder Xu Damao has been spending so lavishly lately; he's made his fortune through ill-gotten gains!"

"Liu Haizhong is still the second uncle, how could he do something like this?"

Madam Jia, however, gloated, "Serves them right! They've always been so cocky!"

Director Wang continued, "This matter is egregious in nature and has had an extremely negative impact! The street party committee has decided to temporarily remove Comrade Liu Haizhong's second uncle from his post. As for Xu Damao's family... Comrade Lou Xiao'e, you must cooperate with the public security organs in their investigation and clearly state everything you know."

Lou Xiao'e sat in the corner, her eyes red and swollen, head bowed in silence. She hadn't slept a wink last night, worried about her husband and resentful of his lack of ambition.

"Furthermore," Director Wang said, looking at everyone, "if anyone knows of any other illegal activities by Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong, they should report it to the local street office or the police immediately. Failure to report such information is also a form of accountability!"

After the meeting, the courtyard was abuzz with discussion. Liu Haizhong's house was locked, and neither his second aunt nor his two sons showed up. Lou Xiao'e hurried home, clearly to attend to some matters.

He Yuzhu leaned closer to Chen Yu and whispered, "Little Chen, you have to admit, Xu Damao is incredibly audacious! Selling cultural relics—that's a crime punishable by death!"

"You reap what you sow," Chen Yu said calmly.

"But it's strange," He Yuzhu scratched his head, "how did the police know so accurately? Who reported it?"

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. This was also the question he had last night. Was it Scarface who reported it? Or was it someone else?

At noon, Chen Yu went to Qin Family Village to tell Qin Huairu's family the good news about his promotion and transfer.

"Technician assistant? That's a cadre position!" Qin's father was both surprised and delighted. "Xiao Chen, you've really made it big!"

Mother Qin beamed from ear to ear: "Good, good, good! I knew Xiao Chen was going to amount to something!"

Qin Huairu looked at Chen Yu, her eyes filled with pride and tenderness. She handed him a cloth bag: "These are some new clothes I made. Try them on and see if they fit."

Inside the bag was a dark blue Zhongshan suit, made of thick fabric with fine stitches, clearly the result of considerable effort.

"It fits perfectly, thank you," Chen Yu said, touched, after trying it on.

"The wedding date..." Qin Huairu blushed, "My parents said the fifteenth of next month is an auspicious day, what do you think..."

It's the 15th of next month, so there are 23 days left. Time is a bit tight, but Chen Yu is confident he can manage it well.

"Okay, let's do it on the fifteenth of next month." He held Qin Huairu's hand. "I'll make sure you have a grand and glorious wedding."

Qin Huairu blushed even more, but did not pull her hand away.

After having lunch at the Qin family's house, Chen Yu returned to Beijing. He didn't go straight back to the courtyard house, but instead went to the neighborhood office to find Director Wang.

"Director Wang, I'd like to ask about housing." Chen Yu cut to the chase. "I'm getting married next month, and the house I'm currently living in is government-owned, so it's not suitable for long-term residence. What do you think..."

Director Wang thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Chen, housing is indeed tight right now. However... Xu Damao's family might be moving out. Lou Xiao'e came to see me today, saying she's planning to go back to her parents' house. If she really moves out, then we can arrange a house for you."

Xu Damao's house? Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. That house was in the middle courtyard, with two rooms and a small kitchen, much better than where he lived now.

"However, this will have to wait until Xu Damao's case is resolved," Director Wang added, "and the neighborhood committee also needs to study and decide."

"I understand, thank you, Director Wang."

Leaving the neighborhood office, Chen Yu had mixed feelings. Moving into Xu Damao's house would be ideal, of course. But that would mean becoming neighbors with the Jia family...and there would be no shortage of trouble.

However, he wasn't afraid of trouble. In this courtyard house, he was no longer a pushover to be bullied.

Back in the courtyard, Chen Yu sensed something was wrong. A crowd had gathered in front of the Jia family's house, and Jia Zhangshi was sitting on the ground, wailing.

"My life is so miserable! My daughter-in-law ran away! I don't have money for my grandson's schooling! How am I supposed to live like this!"

Chen Yu learned that Jia Dongxu's wife—Bang Geng's mother—had taken her youngest daughter back to her parents' home this morning because she couldn't stand Jia Zhangshi's harassment and the family's poverty, and said she wanted a divorce.

The Jia family was truly in chaos now. Jia Dongxu squatted by the door, burying his head in his hands and remaining silent. Banggeng wailed loudly beside him.

Yi Zhonghai tried to persuade her, "Sister-in-law, get up quickly. Dongxu's wife is just going back to her parents' home for a few days. She'll come back once she's calmed down."

"Go back? What do you mean, go back! She just looks down on us because we're poor!" Jia Zhangshi cried even harder. "It's all because of certain people! If someone hadn't framed Dongxu for writing a self-criticism, he wouldn't have been targeted by his superiors, and his salary wouldn't have been cut!"

These words again pointed the finger at Chen Yu.

People in the courtyard looked at Chen Yu with complicated expressions.

Chen Yu sneered, about to speak, when He Yuzhu spoke first: "Aunt Jia, you're wrong. Jia Dongxu wrote the self-criticism because he falsely accused Chen Yu; he brought it upon himself! How can you blame others?"

"Exactly!" Yan Bugui chimed in, "Sister-in-law, you have to be reasonable. What does your family's business have to do with Xiao Chen?"

Seeing that no one was supporting her, Jia Zhangshi's wailing gradually subsided, but her eyes became even more resentful.

Chen Yu ignored him and turned to go back inside. He closed the door and entered his small world to cultivate.

Too much happened today; he needs time to sort things out.

With Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong imprisoned, the power dynamics within the courtyard house are about to shift. The Jia family is embroiled in internal strife and shouldn't have the energy to cause trouble in the short term. The housing issue is being resolved, and a wedding date has been set...

Everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.

But Chen Yu knew that the real trouble might have just begun.

What exactly is Scarface looking for?

Will that Hong Kong businessman, Mr. Li, retaliate?

Will Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong implicate others?

These are all issues that he needs to prepare for in advance.

After finishing his cultivation, Chen Yu exited the small world. It was already late, and the courtyard quieted down.

He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, pondering his next move.

Tomorrow is Monday, and I need to report to the production department. New position, new challenges.

But before that, he had one more thing to do—check the journal *Science* he had checked in on the previous day to see if there were any technologies that could be used in the steel rolling mill.

Although this era is backward, it is the perfect time to make a name for oneself.

And he, Chen Yu, is destined to leave his mark on this era.

The moonlight outside the window was like water; it was another restless night.

But Chen Yu was ready to face all the challenges.