Courtyard House: Wudang Disciple Sweeps Through the Compound

"Sisi is still too young. You don't need to do these cleaning chores."

Chen Wenqi gently stroked his little sister's soft hair and whispered to her, "You just sit here and wait for your brother."

Zhou Shuqin sat to the side, watching the children's busy little figures, a gratified smile on her face.

She then picked up her handbag, stood up, and walked towards the door; she had to rush to work at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital is not too far from the Chen family's home. At their usual walking pace, it would only take about ten minutes to get there.

"Big brother, after we clean the house, where are we going to play later?"

After tidying up the dining table and kitchen, Chen Wenzi eagerly grabbed Chen Wenqi's sleeve and asked.

"You and your sister must stay home obediently, don't run around, and don't cause trouble for Mom."

Chen Wenqi looked at his younger brother and answered earnestly.

"Big brother is going out fishing for a while. After he sells the fish and gets the money, he'll buy you and little sister your favorite candies."

Upon hearing the word "fishing," Chen Wenzi's eyes immediately lit up, and her face was filled with excitement.

He quickly grabbed Chen Wenqi's hand and said, "Brother, I want to go fishing with you too! I've never fished before!"

"Not today. I need to go and check which waters are suitable for fishing first, and get a clear picture of the situation before we proceed."

Chen Wenqi gently refused his younger brother's request and patiently explained to him.

"You have to be good. I'll definitely take you next time, and I'll teach you how to fish then."

"Alright then, I'll wait at home for my older brother to take me next time."

Although Chen Wenzi was somewhat disappointed and her lips twitched slightly downwards, she still obediently nodded and did not insist any further.

"Don't be so downcast. When your older brother isn't home, you must take good care of your younger sister."

Chen Wenqi, still worried, added a final reminder to his younger brother, "Don't let her run around alone, understand?"

"Don't worry, big brother. I will definitely keep a close eye on my sister and make sure nothing happens to her."

Chen Wenzi immediately straightened her small frame and gave a firm and serious answer.

"Brother..."

When the younger sister, Chen Wensi, heard that her older brother was going out, she quickly reached out her chubby little hand and grabbed the corner of Chen Wenqi's clothes.

Her little face was full of reluctance, and her eyes were filled with dependence on her brother.

"Sisi, be good and stay home with your second brother to look after the house."

Looking at his younger sister's adorable, porcelain-doll-like face, Chen Wenqi felt a surge of affection and spoke to her gently.

"When your older brother comes back from fishing, he'll bring you lots and lots of delicious candy, okay?"

"Brother, you must come back soon. Sisi will be waiting for you at home." The little sister's soft voice was choked with sobs, and her obedient appearance was so endearing that it broke your heart.

Chen Wenqi smiled and gently pinched his little sister's nose, soothingly saying, "Okay, I promise you, I'll come back soon to play with Sisi and Second Brother."

Then, Chen Wenqi turned around and went into his room, pulled a small iron box out from under the bed, and carefully opened the lid.

The box contained neatly stacked banknotes of 1 mao and 2 mao denominations, as well as coins of 1 fen, 2 fen, and 5 fen denominations. There were also two brand-new 1 yuan banknotes lying there, totaling 3 yuan and 87 fen.

These were all pocket money that Chen Wenqi had saved up little by little through his frugal living. Every penny was hard-earned.

Don't underestimate these three dollars and eighty-seven cents. The amount may not seem like much, but in those days of scarcity and low prices, it was a considerable sum of money, enough to buy quite a lot of things.

Chen Wenqi carefully put all the loose change in the box into his pocket, and patiently gave his younger siblings several more instructions before finally feeling relieved and walking towards the front gate.

As he passed by the central courtyard, he happened to see a fat woman with a large head and ears standing at the door of the west wing. She had a pair of triangular eyes that made people feel uncomfortable just looking at her. In her hand, she was holding a pair of old insoles that had been rubbed until they were shiny and almost had a patina. He wondered what kind of bad idea she was secretly plotting.

As soon as the fat woman saw Chen Wenqi pass by, she glared at him with her triangular eyes, her face instantly filled with a sarcastic and mean expression, and she began to mutter filthy curses.

"That damned little beast! He occupies so many houses, yet he doesn't even offer two to our Jia family. He's utterly selfish! No wonder you grew up without a father; this is the retribution you deserve!"

This overweight woman was none other than Jia Zhangshi, the notorious shrew of this courtyard house.

Chen Wenqi was subjected to such vicious insults for no reason, and an uncontrollable anger suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart.

He glared fiercely at Jia Zhangshi, showing no sign of backing down, and immediately retorted, "You old widow who killed your own husband, you'll bring misfortune upon your son and grandson sooner or later. You're destined to never have the fortune to eat four dishes in this life!"

These words were like igniting a powder keg, and Jia Zhangshi immediately erupted in anger, completely losing control of her emotions.

"You despicable little beast, how dare you curse my son! I'll scratch the skin off your face!"

Jia Zhangshi abruptly threw away the old insole in her hand and angrily pounced on Chen Wenqi. She looked exactly like a shrewish old woman throwing a tantrum, completely disregarding her dignity.

Chen Wenqi quickly took several steps back, deliberately creating a safe distance between himself and her to avoid being entangled and pestered by her.

He wasn't really afraid of this unreasonable old shrew, but he didn't want to easily reveal his true strength just yet, lest he attract unnecessary trouble.

"You little beast, if you have the guts, don't run! Stand there and confront me if you dare!" Jia Zhangshi chased after him relentlessly with her short, thick legs, but Chen Wenqi circled around her nimbly like a monkey, making sure she could never touch a single finger of his.

The old man had only chased the car for a few laps when he was already panting heavily, leaning against the wall and gasping for breath.

Her expression grew even more venomous, her eyes filled with a fierce hatred that seemed to want to devour Chen Wenqi alive, as if only tearing him to pieces could vent her anger.

"You little beast, if you dare, stand right there and don't move! I'll tear your mouth apart so you'll never be able to utter such nonsense again!" Madam Jia was trembling with rage. She was used to being a tyrant in the courtyard, and everyone in the courtyard usually had to give her a wide berth.

But to her surprise, this young man from the Chen family dared to talk back and insult her in public. This was simply outrageous!