Courtyard House: Starting in 1938, kill enemies and loot equipment.

While the morning dew still clung to the rose petals in the courtyard, Zhou Ye had already walked out of the east wing carrying an old wooden box. Inside the box, lined with cotton soaked in the spring water, were three damaged cultural relics awaiting restoration—these were items he had brought back from the receiving point the day before: a fragment of a Tang Dynasty tri-colored camel, a piece of Song Dynasty Ru ware porcelain, and a Ming Dynasty handwritten book, all precious items that had been inadvertently damaged during the Japanese army's smuggling.

"Xiao Ye, are you going to the receiving point again?" The deaf old lady sat on the porch, holding a string of sour dates in her hand. When she saw him leaving, she called out to him, "Be careful on the road, don't overwork yourself. I'll have Yu Zhu save some food for you when you come back at noon."

Zhou Ye stopped and turned around, smiling, "Thank you, Grandma. I'll try to come back as soon as possible." He quietly transferred a wisp of spiritual energy through his fingertips, which spread along the old woman's wrist to her whole body, helping to unblock her meridians. The old woman's spirits had improved a lot recently, and with the nourishment of the spiritual spring and the conditioning of spiritual energy, her cough had decreased significantly.

As they passed the central courtyard, He Daqing was squatting by the well washing vegetables. Seeing Zhou Ye's wooden box, he asked curiously, "What treasures are in here? You're going to be a connoisseur of antiquities, aren't you?"

"I just help repair some old things to make a living," Zhou Ye replied with a smile, without stopping. "Uncle He, if I'm not back for lunch, let Xiao Cao come to your house for a free meal."

"Go ahead and don't worry!" He Daqing's voice boomed. "Your auntie is stewing pork ribs today; she'll definitely save a big bowl for Xiaocao!"

Just as he stepped out of the alley, he saw Xu Wude riding up on an old bicycle, with Xu Damao sitting on the back, projector parts hanging from the handlebars. "Zhou Ye, going to the receiving point?" Xu Wude stopped the bicycle. "I heard from Damao last night that Xiaocao is going to take her graduation exam early? That's really something."

"Thanks to Uncle Xu for taking care of her," Zhou Ye nodded. "She's just lucky; she knows all the answers to the questions."

"What good luck? It's being smart!" Xu Damao jumped off the back seat and sidled up to Zhou Ye. "Sister Xiaocao said she'll teach me arithmetic when she gets into junior high. Brother Zhou Ye, can you teach me how to fix things too? I want to learn a trade from you."

Zhou Ye ruffled his hair: "When you study hard and get into a higher grade, I'll teach you." Xu Damao cheered and skipped away with Xu Wude.

In the courtyard of the temporary cultural relics receiving point in Beiping, Old Li was looking at a pile of damaged cultural relics with a headache. When he saw Zhou Ye come in, he hurriedly went up to him: "Brother Zhou, you've finally come! These few pieces were just recovered from the public last night. They were so badly damaged that several restoration shops dared not take them. Can you see if you can repair them?"

Zhou Ye put down the wooden box and walked to the table—on the table was a Qing Dynasty cloisonné enamel porcelain vase, with a long crack in its body and most of the glaze peeled off; there was also a Northern Wei Dynasty stone Buddha head, its face incomplete and its clothing torn. He gently ran his fingertips along the crack in the porcelain vase, his spiritual sense quietly probing in, feeling the texture of the objects, and he had already made up his mind.

"We can give it a try, but it will take some effort." Zhou Ye took out the tools from the wooden box and then took out a small porcelain bottle from his cloth bag—it contained a repair ointment made from "Fossilized Grass" from the Space Farm mixed with spiritual spring water. "This is my family's ancestral repair ointment. It can mend cracks and nourish the glaze."

He first cleaned the enamel porcelain bottle thoroughly, then used a fine needle to evenly fill the cracks with repair paste. Next, he circulated the *Taiyan Golden Elixir Technique*, condensing an extremely fine wisp of spiritual energy at his fingertips. He carefully guided the paste to adhere to the cracks, then used the spiritual energy to slowly nourish the areas where the glaze had peeled off. The herbal paste possessed the remarkable ability to repair objects and restore color, and with the precise control of the Golden Elixir's spiritual energy, the cracks on the porcelain bottle healed at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. The peeled glaze gradually became warm and lustrous. In less than an hour, the originally damaged porcelain bottle was restored to its original state, without even a trace of repair.

Old Li stared in disbelief, reaching out to touch it, but afraid of breaking it. He exclaimed repeatedly, "Brother Zhou, your craftsmanship is truly amazing! If this porcelain vase hadn't been repaired, it would have been nothing more than fragments. Now it looks brand new!"

Zhou Ye smiled and picked up the Northern Wei stone Buddha head again: "This stone Buddha needs to be polished with fine sandstone that has been soaked in spiritual spring water, and then the defects need to be filled with condensed fat grass ointment. However, it will take some time. I will take it back to the courtyard to repair it first, and then send it to you tomorrow."

Old Li nodded quickly: "Okay! Okay! Do whatever is convenient for you, thank you for your trouble."

Just then, a young man in a Zhongshan suit walked in, holding a document in his hand, looking hurried: "Director Li, we've received a notice from above that the Beiping Cultural Relics Protection Committee will be established next week. They will send people to receive all the restored cultural relics, and they will also select a group of outstanding individuals in cultural relics protection. I think Mr. Zhou would be very suitable!"

Zhou Ye's heart skipped a beat—the establishment of the Cultural Relics Protection Committee presented the perfect opportunity for him to gradually hand over the national treasures. He calmly said, "I wouldn't call myself an outstanding individual; I just want to do my part to help preserve these national treasures."

The young man smiled and said, "Mr. Zhou is too modest. Everyone has seen your skill and contributions. By the way, there's something else. Recently, some suspicious people have been loitering around the receiving point, claiming they want to buy cultural relics. Their behavior is very suspicious, so please be careful."

Zhou Ye's eyes sharpened, and he nodded, saying, "Thank you for the reminder. I will be careful."

It was already noon when they left the receiving point. Zhou Ye didn't go straight back to the courtyard house, but instead went around to the general store at the alley entrance and bought some pork ribs, vegetables and noodles. He had learned through the heart-to-heart connection last night that Xiao Cao wanted to eat the noodles he made, and He Daqing's family had stewed pork ribs, so they could have a lively meal together.

When Zhou Ye returned to the courtyard, the air was filled with a delicious aroma. He Daqing was standing in front of the stove, stir-frying vegetables, while his wife sat beside him, holding their daughter, Xiaoyushui. Seeing Zhou Ye return, she smiled and said, "You're finally back! Xiaocao just got out of school and was talking about you."

Xiao Cao ran out of the east wing, her braids still damp with dew: "Brother, you're back! My graduation exam results are in, and I'm first in the whole school! The teacher said I can go straight to junior high!" She ran to Zhou Ye's side, and her eyes lit up when she saw the ribs and flour in his hand. "Brother, are you making noodles?"

"Yes, this is to celebrate your success." Zhou Ye nodded with a smile, put the stone Buddha head into the east wing, and handed the ribs to He Daqing. "Uncle He, let's stew them together. We'll have a lively time in the courtyard tonight."

"That's wonderful!" He Daqing grinned from ear to ear. "I'll go add firewood right away and make a winter melon and pork rib soup!"

As Jia Zhangshi squatted in the corner of the courtyard picking vegetables, she heard this and said sourly, "Oh, are you going to throw a big banquet? Zhou Ye, you're really getting more and more capable now, repairing cultural relics and celebrating your sister's success. Unlike our Dongxu, who only got a mediocre grade in the exam, he's too ashamed to show his face."

Zhou Ye ignored her, pulled Xiaocao into the house, closed the door, and said through the telepathic connection: "There are suspicious people near the receiving point looking for cultural relics. Be careful at school and don't reveal your abilities. If strangers ask about your family, just say you don't know."

Xiao Cao nodded, her eyes resolute: "Brother, I understand. I think I saw two strangers at the alley entrance just now, staring at our yard. Could it be them?"

Zhou Ye's heart sank, and his spiritual sense instantly spread out, covering the alleys around the courtyard. Sure enough, there were two men in long robes at the alley entrance, looking around furtively. They exuded an aura of greed and did not seem like remnants of the Japanese army, but rather like antique dealers.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Zhou Ye reassured her. "You go out and help Aunt He watch the children, I'll prepare the noodles."

Xiao Cao stepped out of the room and saw He Yuzhu squatting on the ground playing marbles. She walked over and said with a smile, "Yuzhu, don't just play. Your dad is busy at the stove. Go help him light the fire." She was two years older than He Yuzhu and spoke with the composure of an older sister. She reached out and helped him gather the marbles scattered on the ground. "When you're done, I'll play a couple more rounds with you."

He Yuzhu looked up at her, grinned, and readily replied, "Okay, Sister Xiaocao!" He then skipped and hopped towards the stove, not forgetting to turn back and call out, "Sister Xiaocao, don't forget!"

Zhou Ye was preparing noodles inside, kneading the dough with spiritual spring water, and picking some fresh vegetables and tomatoes from the space farm—the ingredients nourished by the spiritual spring were exceptionally tender, and the noodles were even more chewy. He had just put the noodles into the pot when he heard a knock at the courtyard gate. Jia Zhangshi got up to open the door and, seeing two men in long robes at the entrance, frowned and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Zhou Ye's home?" one of the men asked, glancing around. "We're in the antique business, and we've heard that Mr. Zhou has quite a few good items. We'd like to talk to him about a collaboration."

Jia Zhangshi's eyes lit up, and she quickly called out, "Zhou Ye, someone wants to do business with you!"

Zhou Ye came out of the house carrying a bowl of noodles, his face expressionless: "I don't deal in antiques. You've come to the wrong person."

The two men exchanged a glance and said, unwilling to give up, "Mr. Zhou, don't be modest. We've already inquired. You've restored quite a few national treasures at the cultural relics receiving point, so you must have some good stuff on hand. As long as you're willing to sell, the price is negotiable."

Zhou Ye put down his noodles and walked step by step toward the door, his aura gradually turning cold: "I said, no means no. If you don't leave, I'll call the police."

The men's expressions changed. Seeing the coldness in Zhou Ye's eyes, they dared not linger and left, cursing under their breath. Madam Jia muttered to herself, "What fools! They wouldn't even take money that was offered to them. No wonder they can only live in the east wing."

Zhou Ye didn't bother arguing with her and turned to go inside. He Daqing came in carrying a bowl of pork rib soup, smiling as he said, "Don't stoop to her level. This kind of antique dealer should be kicked out."

At dinner time, the people in the courtyard rarely gathered together. Xu Wude and Master Li from the front courtyard, He Daqing and his family and Jia Fugui and his wife from the middle courtyard, and the deaf old lady, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong from the back courtyard all sat around the stone table in the middle courtyard. On the table were winter melon and pork rib soup, stir-fried greens, tomato and egg noodles, and braised beef made by Zhou Ye.

The deaf old lady picked up a piece of beef, put it in her mouth, and nodded repeatedly: "Xiao Ye's cooking is absolutely amazing, even better than what you get in restaurants."

Yi Zhonghai put down his chopsticks, looked at Zhou Ye, and said, "Xiao Ye, I heard you're helping the receiving point restore cultural relics. That's a good deed. If you need any help in the future, just ask. Everyone in the institute will support you."

Liu Haizhong chimed in, "Yes, protecting national treasures is a big deal. Although we don't understand cultural relics, if outsiders cause trouble, we will definitely stand up for you."

Zhou Ye felt a warmth in his heart and stood up to pour tea for the elders: "Thank you, Uncle Yi, Uncle Liu, Uncle Xu, Uncle Li, Uncle Jia, and Uncle He. I will need your help in the future. Today, I would also like to take this opportunity to celebrate Xiaocao's successful admission to junior high school. I hope she will study hard and contribute to the country in the future."

Xiao Cao stood up, picked up her teacup, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Grandma, and thank you all, uncles and aunts, for taking care of me. I will definitely study hard!" She glanced at He Yuzhu and added, "If Yuzhu has any questions about his studies in the future, he can come and ask me. I'm two years older than him, so I can help tutor him."

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly, "Great! Sister Xiaocao, I always do poorly on math tests, I'll be counting on you from now on!"

The courtyard was filled with laughter and chatter. Although Jia Zhangshi still wanted to say a few sarcastic remarks, she kept quiet and started eating, looking at the table full of delicious food. Little Yushui, nestled in He's wife's arms, grabbed a piece of noodles, eating with noodles all over her face, which made everyone laugh. Jia Dongxu, three years older than Xiaocao, also came over and said, "Xiaocao, when you go to junior high, you have to tell us how difficult the junior high homework is." Xiaocao smiled and agreed, then gave Xu Damao and Liu Guangqi a few more words of advice on studying hard, looking every bit the leader of the children in the courtyard.

As night deepened, the neighbors gradually dispersed. Zhou Ye and Xiao Cao cleaned up the dishes and returned to the east wing. Zhou Ye closed the door, took out the Northern Wei stone Buddha head, and continued restoring it. Xiao Cao sat beside him, handing him tools, and said through their telepathic connection, "Brother, will those antique dealers come again today?"

"Most likely," Zhou Ye said while polishing the stone Buddha with fine sandstone. "Since they've set their sights on the receiving point, they won't give up easily. But it's alright, I've already set up a warning system outside the courtyard with my spiritual sense. As long as they get close, I'll be able to detect it."

He conjured spiritual energy at his fingertips and used the creamy herbal paste to fill the damaged areas of the stone Buddha. The spiritual energy slowly nourished it, gradually clarifying the Buddha's facial features and smoothing the lines of its clothing. Little Grass, watching the Buddha being restored, whispered, "Brother, once the cultural relics protection committee is established, can we hand over all the national treasures in our space?"

"Yes," Zhou Ye nodded, his eyes firm, "but we have to take it slowly. We can't hand over too much at once to avoid causing unnecessary trouble. We'll repair these damaged cultural relics first, and then gradually transfer them back to the country, so that these national treasures can return to the embrace of the nation step by step."

Moonlight streamed through the windowpane, illuminating the stone Buddha under restoration and the faces of the brother and sister. In the courtyard, the occasional cough of the deaf old woman and He Yuzhu's sleep-talking filled the air, a testament to the tranquility of a peaceful era.

Zhou Ye knew that the appearance of the antique dealers was just a small episode on the road to protecting the treasures. There might be more challenges in the future, but as long as he and his sister worked together to keep the secret of the golden finger, the warmth of the courtyard house, and the greater national righteousness in their hearts, they would surely be able to keep these national treasures safe and sound, and let the Chinese cultural heritage continue to be passed down in peacetime.

He put down his tools, looked at the stone Buddha that was almost fully restored, and said to Xiaocao, "Go to sleep early. Tomorrow we still need to take the stone Buddha to the receiving point. Things will get better from now on."

Little Grass nodded, lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed), and quickly fell asleep. Zhou Ye sat by the kang, looking at his younger sister's sleeping face, then at the neatly stacked national treasures in the system space, his eyes filled with hope. The night sky over Beiping was sparkling with stars, and the story of protecting treasures and safeguarding their homeland continued to move towards a bright future in this courtyard filled with the smoke of cooking fires.