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

The autumn sun shone brightly, and the locust trees in the courtyard were covered with golden leaves. A gust of wind blew, and the fine leaves swirled and drifted up, landing on the clothes drying in the sun and on the rim of the clay pot that Xiulan was carrying. She was standing under the eaves of her house, carefully adding a brick to the lid of the clay pot, letting the flames lick the bottom of the pot slowly and steadily. The fragrance of herbs mixed with the faint smell of smoke quietly permeated the courtyard.

"Sister Xiulan, are you decocting the medicine?" Huizhen walked through the yard carrying a washbasin. She glanced at the bubbling medicine in the clay pot, smiled, and stopped. "Zhou Ye gave you this prescription. You've been decocting and taking it every day on time. You're really dedicated."

Xiulan turned around, a faint smile on her face. Her complexion was much better than a few days ago, and the gloom in her eyes had mostly dissipated. "That's right. We finally have something to look forward to, so we have to follow it carefully. Zhou Ye said that this medicine needs to be decocted slowly to be effective. I decoct it once every morning and reheat it again every evening. Although it tastes bitter, I feel at ease."

Just then, Guifen returned carrying a vegetable basket. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she smelled the aroma of herbs and came over with a smile, saying, "This herbal scent smells so authentic! Sister Xiulan, have you felt any better after drinking it for the past few days?"

"You know what," Xiulan touched her cheek, "I used to feel weak all over and couldn't sleep well at night, but after drinking it for five or six days, I feel more energetic and can sleep through the night."

"That's wonderful!" Guifen clapped her hands. "It means this prescription works. If things continue like this, we're sure to have good news soon. When that happens, we'll have to have a big celebration!"

Xiulan blushed slightly at her words, but felt a sweet warmth in her heart, nodding repeatedly, "Thank you for your kind words, thank you for your kind words."

As the group was talking, Jia Zhangshi returned from outside carrying an empty basket. As she passed by, she sniffed the air and glanced at the clay pot. She said sarcastically, "Hmph, drinking this bitter liquid every day, I don't even know if it's effective. Some people are just so stubborn. Not only is it a waste of effort, but it also fills the yard with the smell of medicine, making people feel uneasy."

Huizhen frowned, about to retort, but Xiulan stopped her. Xiulan looked at Jia Zhangshi and said calmly, "Jia Zhangshi, I'm drinking this medicine myself, it hasn't bothered you in any way. Besides, the herbal medicine smells better than the smell of some people spreading rumors everywhere."

Jia Zhangshi was taken aback, feeling a little embarrassed. She pouted and said, "I was just saying it casually, why are you so upset? It's like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a kind heart." With that, she sullenly slung her basket over her shoulder and went back to the west wing.

Guifen watched her retreating figure and whispered to Xiulan, "Xiulan, don't take it to heart. She just can't stand seeing others do well. You should focus on taking care of your health. Once you have a child, let's see what she can say then."

Xiulan smiled and said, "I know it's not worth getting angry with her. Right now, I just hope I can get better soon; I don't care about anything else."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Huizhen and Guifen went about their business, while Xiulan tended the clay pot, watching the medicinal broth bubbling away, feeling a sense of peace. These days, not only was her health slowly improving, but the relationships among the neighbors in the courtyard seemed to have become warmer. Zhou Ye would occasionally dry herbs in the yard, and if anyone had a headache or fever, he would casually offer some advice and simple remedies. Gradually, everyone in the courtyard came to realize that Zhou Ye was not only skilled in calligraphy and painting, but also truly adept at herbal medicine, and they held him in even higher esteem.

Meanwhile, Zhou Ye took advantage of a free afternoon to visit the Beiping cultural relics receiving point. The person in charge of the receiving point highly praised the several restored Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain pieces that had been transferred last time. He specifically told him that the Beiping Cultural Relics Protection Committee had been officially established and that someone would be sent to meet with him in a few days to discuss the subsequent transfer of cultural relics.

"Mr. Zhou, your restoration skills are truly amazing," the person in charge said, holding a blue and white lotus-patterned vase with great admiration. "This vase was severely damaged before, with peeling glaze and cracks in the body. We consulted several master craftsmen, but none of them were confident in restoring it. With your help, it looks brand new and has completely preserved its original charm. It's truly remarkable."

Zhou Ye smiled and said modestly, "It's just a family heirloom skill; practice makes perfect. It's my honor to be able to contribute to the protection of cultural relics in our country."

He knew that with the establishment of the Cultural Relics Protection Committee, the subsequent handover process would be more standardized and better protect those national treasures from being coveted. But at the same time, he also sensed a potential danger—the antique dealer who had inquired about the situation last time didn't seem to have given up. When he used his spiritual sense to investigate, he vaguely sensed unfamiliar auras lingering near the receiving point, clearly there for the cultural relics.

Before leaving the receiving point, Zhou Ye deliberately took a detour through several alleys to make sure no one was following him before returning to the courtyard house. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Xiao Cao leading several children in playing hopscotch in the corner of the wall, including He Yuzhu and He Yushui.

"Brother, you're back!" Xiaocao's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she ran over quickly. "Aunt Xiulan's medicine is almost ready. She was just asking about you, saying she wanted to wait for you to come back so she could ask if the prescription needed to be adjusted."

Zhou Ye nodded, his gaze sweeping over the children in the yard. He Yuzhu was protecting his younger sister, preventing the other children from bullying her. Even at such a young age, he showed a fierce protectiveness, somewhat like his father, He Daqing. He looked away and said to Xiaocao, "I'll go check on Aunt Xiulan."

As Zhou Ye entered the courtyard, Xiulan had just finished decocting the medicine and was filtering the liquid with gauze. Seeing him come in, she quickly stopped what she was doing: "Zhou Ye, you're finally back! I was just about to look for you. I've been taking this medicine for six days now, and I feel much better. I wanted to ask if you wanted to adjust the prescription?"

Zhou Ye stepped forward, gesturing for Xiulan to extend her hand. He placed his fingertips on her wrist, a wisp of spiritual energy subtly penetrating her. Sensing that her blood and qi were flowing more smoothly than before, and that her stagnant liver qi had dissipated somewhat, he nodded: "Auntie, your constitution is improving. The prescription doesn't need adjustment; just continue taking it at the previous dosage. As I said before, don't overthink things, and keep a cheerful mood; it will be more helpful for conception."

"Okay, I'll listen to you!" Xiulan quickly agreed, her smile becoming even more genuine. "Thank you so much, Zhou Ye. If it weren't for you, I don't know how long I would have been worrying."

"Auntie, you're too kind," Zhou Ye smiled. "We're all neighbors, it's only right that we help each other out. In half a month, I'll take your pulse again and see if we need to change the prescription."

Just then, Yi Zhonghai returned from outside, carrying a cloth bag. Seeing Zhou Ye, he quickly greeted him with a smile: "Zhou Ye, thank you so much! I passed by the supply and marketing cooperative today and bought you some pastries. Please have a taste. They're nothing special, just a small token of my appreciation."

Zhou Ye quickly declined, "Uncle Yi, you're too kind. It's nothing. Please keep the pastries for yourself; I have everything I need."

"Just take it!" Yi Zhonghai stuffed the cloth bag into his hand. "You've helped Xiulan so much, we feel really bad about it. These pastries are for you and Xiaocao. The children are growing, so they should eat more good food."

Xiulan, who was standing nearby, also urged, "Zhou Ye, just accept it. Otherwise, we won't feel at ease."

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Zhou Ye had no choice but to accept: "Then I thank Uncle Yi and Aunt Yi."

A relieved smile spread across Yi Zhonghai's face. He knew that Zhou Ye had not only helped Xiulan recover, but had also brought hope to the couple. These past few days, seeing his wife's smiles grow brighter, a great weight had been lifted from his heart, and he felt immensely grateful to Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye returned to the east wing, handed the pastries to Xiao Cao, and then thought of the unusual activity near the cultural relics receiving point. He sat down at the table, tapping his fingertips on the surface, his brow furrowed slightly. It seemed that protecting national treasures in peacetime was no easier than in wartime; those who coveted the national treasures had never given up. However, with the ties of the neighbors in the courtyard as cover, the cultural relics protection committee as his support, and his Golden Core strength and spatial abilities, he was confident he could handle any danger he encountered.

As the sunlight gradually slanted westward outside the window, the aroma of medicine and the sweet scent of pastries mingled in the courtyard, accompanied by the laughter of children. Looking at this peaceful scene, Zhou Ye secretly resolved not only to protect the national treasures but also to preserve the warmth and life within this courtyard, ensuring that this hard-won peace could last forever. Meanwhile, Xiulan's health was gradually improving, which strengthened the bonds between neighbors in the courtyard, laying a more solid foundation for his future efforts to protect the treasures.