Courtyard House: A Veteran Returns Home and Becomes a Father

Su Mo kept Zhang Baoguo's words in mind, but didn't take them too seriously.

The Black Tiger Gang, a group of thugs and hooligans, didn't even deserve his attention.

He wouldn't bother with them as long as they didn't bother him or his family.

The sun was shining brightly in the afternoon.

Su Mo leaned leisurely against the rattan chair in the mailroom, holding a purple clay teapot in one hand and flipping through today's newspaper with the other, occasionally using the pipe tamper to gently press the tobacco in the bowl.

This life is more comfortable than being a teacher.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a clear, slightly reproachful voice rang out from the doorway.

"Uncle Su, sleeping during work hours will result in a deduction from your salary."

Su Mo opened his eyes and saw Xia Wanqing standing prettily at the door, with a little one holding onto her clothes beside her.

It was his beloved daughter, Su Nian.

"dad!"

When Niannian saw Su Mo, she immediately broke free from her mother's hand and rushed over like a little butterfly.

"Oh, my little darling." Su Mo scooped his daughter into his arms and gave her a big kiss on her rosy cheeks. "Why are you here?"

"Mom said Dad works hard, so we brought you something delicious." Niannian took an aluminum lunchbox from her mother like a treasure, opened the lid, and an enticing aroma of meat wafted out instantly.

Inside the lunchbox were several pieces of braised pork, stewed until tender and flavorful.

Su Mo felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that his wife cared about him.

He picked up a piece of meat and fed it to his daughter, but the little one shook her head: "Daddy eat, this is something Mommy made especially for you."

Xia Wanqing watched the father and daughter's affectionate interaction, her eyes almost overflowing with tenderness. She stepped forward and naturally straightened Su Mo's slightly crooked collar, saying softly, "Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold. I'll take Niannian for a walk around the neighborhood, and we'll go home together after you get off work."

The heartwarming scene of the family of three made several young police officers in the police station, who were secretly watching, green with envy.

"See that? Not only is that guy handsome, but his wife is as beautiful as an angel."

"My daughter is absolutely adorable, she's a true winner in life!"

Just then, a piercing shout broke the silence.

"You shameless old fool! I'll ask you one more time, are you going to hand over that picture or not?!"

Across from the police station, several shady-looking young men were seen surrounding an elderly, white-haired shop owner in front of an antique store.

The one leading the group was none other than the scoundrel who had wet his pants in fear of Su Mo yesterday.

Today he brought seven or eight henchmen, all of them fierce-looking, who completely blocked the small antique shop.

The shop owner, a thin old man, was trembling with fear, but he stubbornly insisted, "I don't know what kind of picture you're talking about! I don't have any here!"

"Nothing?" The thug sneered, grabbing the boss by the collar and lifting him up. "Old man, let me tell you, the Black Tiger Gang has limited patience. I'll give you three more seconds. If you don't hand it over, I'll tear this lousy shop down today!"

-

Inside the police station, several young police officers witnessed this scene and were immediately filled with righteous indignation. They grabbed their batons and were about to rush out.

"stop!"

Director Zhao Weiguo stopped them in time, his face grave.

"Chief, they're bullying people in broad daylight, we can't just ignore it!" a young police officer said urgently.

"How do we deal with them?" Zhao Weiguo sighed. "They're only threatening us verbally right now, they haven't done anything yet. As soon as we leave, they disperse. But as soon as we're gone, they'll come back. These kinds of thugs are the most troublesome."

This is the dilemma of law enforcement in this era: without causing substantial harm, it is difficult to convict.

But then, an accident happened.

Seeing that the boss was stubborn, the scoundrel lost his patience and slapped him hard across the face.

The boss was old and couldn't withstand the impact. He stumbled and fell to the ground, bumping right into Xia Wanqing, who was leading Niannian to watch the commotion.

"Ouch!"

Xia Wanqing stumbled from the impact, and Niannian in her arms burst into tears.

"Damn it, who is it? Are they blind?!"

When a thug saw Xia Wanqing blocking his way, he cursed and tried to push her aside.

It was this push.

"Snap!"

A crisp, teeth-grinding cracking sound rang out clearly.

The thug's wrist bent backward at a bizarre angle, ninety degrees.

"ah--!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, instantly echoed throughout the entire street.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Su Mo had appeared behind the thug without anyone noticing. One hand was still gripping the thug's wrist, while the other hand steadily protected Xia Wanqing and Niannian.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes seemed to burn with two balls of hellfire, cold, violent, and filled with an aura of destruction.

"Who the hell are you?!"

When the leader of the hooligans saw Su Mo, he was first stunned, and then the fear of being dominated yesterday surged into his heart. But relying on his numbers, he still shouted fiercely but was actually weak.

Su Mo ignored him.

He released his grip, and the thug with the broken wrist collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud, writhing in pain.

Su Mo gently patted his frightened daughter and softly said to Xia Wanqing, "Take Niannian back inside and wait for me."

"Su Mo..." Xia Wanqing looked at his cold profile and felt a little worried.

"Go." Su Mo's voice left no room for argument.

Xia Wanqing had no choice but to carry her daughter and quickly walk back to the hair salon, anxiously watching the outside through the window.

Su Mo slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the remaining seven or eight thugs as if he were looking at a group of dead men.

"Which hand did you try to use to touch my wife?"

His calm tone sent chills down the spines of all the thugs present, making them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

"Brothers! Charge at him shoulder to shoulder! Cripple him!" the hooligan roared, mustering his courage.

Seven or eight men pulled out machetes and steel pipes and charged at Su Mo while roaring.

Zhao Weiguo and the others at the police station were on tenterhooks.

"Quickly! Go and provide support!"

However, as soon as they rushed to the door, they witnessed a scene they would never forget.

There was no fierce fighting, no back-and-forth exchanges.

It was a one-sided, crushing massacre.

Su Mo's movements were as fast as a ghost.

Bajiquan, the Mountain-Pulling Strike!

Just as a thug rushed in front of him, he slammed him hard with his shoulder. The man was sent flying backward, coughing up blood, as if hit by a speeding truck; the sound of his ribs collapsing was clearly audible.

Bajiquan, Iron Mountain Collapse!

Su Mo twisted his body and delivered an elbow strike, hitting another thug squarely in the chin. The man's head snapped back at a horrific angle, his neck fractured, and he died instantly.

Bajiquan, the King of Hell's Three-Point Hand!

Su Mo formed his fingers into a claw and struck the third thug's chest three times with lightning speed. The thug's movements froze instantly, his expression hardened, and then he collapsed limply, his heart shattered by the internal force.

……

It all happened in less than ten seconds.

Seven or eight burly men wielding weapons all fell to the ground.

With severed arms and legs, and shattered bones, they lay on the ground like tattered sacks, howling in agony, unable to get up again.

The entire street was deathly silent.

Only the leader of the hooligans remained, standing there dumbfounded.

The machete in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter, his legs trembled as if he were dancing, and his crotch was once again soaked.

Su Mo walked slowly towards him, step by step.

Every step felt like stepping on his heart.

"You...you stay away...you're not human...you're a devil..." the hooligan screamed incoherently, then turned to run away.

Su Mo's figure flashed and appeared in front of him, grabbing his neck and lifting him up with one hand.

"I'll ask you one more time, what map are you looking for?" Su Mo's voice was icy cold.

"I'll talk...I'll talk..." Under the threat of death, the hooligan's mental defenses completely collapsed. "It's...it's a treasure map! A...a treasure map left behind by a prince from the previous dynasty! Legend has it...it's hidden in some old house in South Tongluo Lane..."

Treasure map?

Su Mo raised an eyebrow slightly.

-

He looked at the scoundrel in his hand and slammed him to the ground like trash.

"Get out. If I see you again, it won't be as simple as just cutting off your arms and legs."

The thugs, as if granted a pardon, scrambled away from the scene, supporting each other in a disheveled state.

Only then did Zhao Weiguo and the police officers from the local police station rush out as if they had just woken up from a dream.

Looking at the thugs howling on the ground, and then at Su Mo standing there without even catching his breath, as if he had just casually swatted a few flies, their eyes were filled with nothing but endless awe and fear.

Is this...is this even human?

This is clearly a god of death who has walked out of hell!

Su Mo ignored them and went straight to the hair salon, where he pulled Xia Wanqing and Niannian, who were still shivering, into his arms.

-

"It's alright now."

Feeling the familiar and warm scent emanating from her husband, Xia Wanqing's anxious heart finally settled down.

She looked up at her husband's still calm face and felt an unprecedented sense of security.

As long as he's there, the sky won't fall down.

Su Mo, holding his wife and daughter, looked past everyone else towards the direction of No. 95, South Tongluo Lane, his eyes becoming deep.

A treasure map belonging to a prince of the previous dynasty?

This city of Beijing seems even more bustling than I imagined.