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

As night fell, the wind outside the dilapidated temple grew stronger, whipping up the withered leaves on the ground and making a "whooshing" sound, like the whispers of ghosts. Inside the temple, the candlelight was dim, and the flickering light cast shadows on numb or tired faces. The air was filled with sweat, dust, and a faint musty smell.

Zhou Ye leaned against the cold wall, his eyes slightly closed, but his ears were constantly listening for any sounds around him. He could clearly hear the breathing of He Daqing and his wife, as well as Zhou Xiaocao's soft murmurs, clearly indicating that she had been frightened during the day and was having trouble sleeping. He quietly moved closer to his sister, took off his coat, and covered her with it, his movements gentle, afraid of waking her.

Just then, a slight noise came from the entrance of the dilapidated temple, as if someone was cautiously peeking in. Zhou Ye instantly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, staring intently at the entrance, his right hand instinctively gripping the military knife at his waist.

A small, thin figure squeezed through the crack in the door. It was about seven or eight years old, dressed in tattered clothes, patched upon patched. Its hair was messy and covered in dust, and its face was so dark that its features were obscured. Only its eyes shone brightly in the dim light, carrying a hint of wariness and fear.

The child held a broken, empty bowl in his hand. He tiptoed in, his gaze sweeping around the dilapidated temple before finally settling on the bundle He Daqing had placed to the side. He swallowed hard, seemingly hesitant to approach.

Zhou Ye remained silent, simply observing him quietly. The child looked like a beggar; he must have been starving to sneak into the dilapidated temple in the middle of the night looking for food.

"Who's there?" He Daqing was startled awake by the noise and shouted alertly, instinctively shielding Lü Bingxin behind him.

The child trembled with fear, quickly hiding behind a pillar, clutching the broken bowl tightly with both hands, his body shaking, too afraid to speak.

Lu Bingxin also woke up. When she saw the child's appearance, a trace of pity flashed in her eyes. She said softly to He Daqing, "Daqing, don't frighten the child. He looks so pitiful."

Zhou Ye stood up and slowly walked to the child, trying to keep his tone gentle: "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The child raised his head, glanced timidly at Zhou Ye, then quickly lowered his head again and whispered, "I...I'm called Little Stone, I'm a beggar, I...I'm hungry, I want to find something to eat."

Looking at his emaciated appearance, Zhou Ye felt a pang of pity. In such chaotic times, there were too many children like him, homeless and forced to beg for a living; it was a miracle they even survived.

He took out an ear of corn from his system space and handed it to Little Stone: "Here, eat it."

Little Stone paused for a moment, looked up at Zhou Ye in disbelief, then glanced at the corn in his hand, swallowed hard, but didn't take it immediately, clearly afraid of being tricked.

"Don't worry, it's not poisonous," Zhou Ye smiled and stuffed the corn into his hand. "Eat up, fill your stomach."

Little Stone took the corn as if it were a lifeline, quickly peeled off the husk, and began to gnaw on it, eating so greedily that he almost choked.

Lü Bingxin walked over and handed Xiao Shitou a pot of water: "Eat slowly, don't choke, drink some water."

Little Stone took the water bottle, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and finally recovered. He gave Lü Bingxin a grateful smile, revealing two rows of uneven teeth.

"Thank you, Auntie, thank you, Brother."

Zhou Ye looked at him, and a thought suddenly occurred to him. Little Stone was a beggar who had been wandering around Beiping for years. He must know a lot of information, such as where the Japanese and puppet troops patrolled, where the traitors' strongholds were, where to find work, and where it was safe to stay. This information was crucial for them to establish themselves in Beiping.

"Little Stone," Zhou Ye asked, "how long have you been in Beiping? Do you know where the Japanese and puppet troops patrol? And where can you find work?"

Little Stone paused in his corn-eating, looked up at Zhou Ye, and asked, "Brother, are you asking about the Japanese and their puppet troops? And about finding work?"

Zhou Ye nodded: "Yes, we are refugees who came here to find work and settle down in Beiping, but we are afraid of encountering Japanese soldiers and puppet troops, so we wanted to ask you."

Little Stone thought for a moment and said, "I've been in Beiping for two years, so I'm quite familiar with this place. The Japanese and puppet troops usually patrol near the city gates, commercial streets, and around the Japanese strongholds, especially at night, when the patrols are even more rigorous. As for work, there are many places in the vegetable market and restaurants in the south of the city that need helpers, and there are also docks in the west of the city that need porters. However, the work is quite tiring, the wages are not high, and it is easy to be bullied by local thugs."

Zhou Ye had an idea. He Daqing was a cook at the vegetable market and restaurants, so he might be able to find work there. Although the docks were tiring, the wages were relatively higher, so he might as well give it a try. He could earn money and gather information at the same time.

"Do you know where there's a safe place to stay? Preferably somewhere cheap, as we don't have much money," Lu Bingxin asked. Her biggest concern was finding a place to stay, since she couldn't keep living in a dilapidated temple with a child.

Little Stone thought for a moment and said, "There's a shantytown in the south of the city where refugees and poor people live. The rent is relatively cheap, but the environment is a bit bad, and it's a mixed bag with a lot of thugs. There's also Nanluoguxiang in the east of the city, where there are many courtyard houses. Some of them rent out rooms. The environment is better than the shantytown, and it's relatively safer, but the rent is a bit more expensive."

Nanluoguxiang? Courtyard house?

Zhou Ye was overjoyed. He remembered that in the original owner's memories, the courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang was indeed a good choice. Although the rent was a bit expensive, the environment was good and relatively safe. Moreover, it wasn't too far from the commercial street and the vegetable market, making it convenient for He Daqing to find work. Most importantly, that was where he would settle down in the future, and where he would meet the people in the courtyard house.

"Thank you, Little Stone. The information you provided is very useful to us," Zhou Ye said, then took out two ears of corn and a steamed bun from his system space and handed them to Little Stone. "These are for you. Take them. If you get hungry in the future, you can come here to find us."

Little Stone accepted the corn and steamed buns, his eyes filled with gratitude. He bowed deeply to Zhou Ye and Lü Bingxin, saying, "Thank you, big brother! Thank you, auntie! You are such kind people! I will remember you!"

After saying that, he took the corn and steamed buns, carefully withdrew from the dilapidated temple, and disappeared into the night.

He Daqing watched Xiao Shitou's retreating figure and sighed, "That child is truly pitiful."

Lü Bingxin nodded in agreement: "Yes, it's not easy to survive in chaotic times."

Zhou Ye looked at them and said, "Uncle He, Aunt Lü, I think Nanluoguxiang, which Xiao Shitou mentioned, is quite nice. Although the rent is a bit expensive, the environment is good, it's relatively safe, and it's close to the commercial street and the vegetable market. It'll also be convenient for Brother He to find work. Let's go to Nanluoguxiang tomorrow and see if we can find a suitable courtyard house to rent out."

He Daqing and Lü Bingxin exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Brother Zhou, you're in charge," He Daqing said. "We're new here and don't know where to go, so we'll definitely listen to you."

Lü Bingxin added, "Yes, as long as the children are safe and have a stable place to live, it doesn't matter if it's a little expensive. We'll just be frugal with the money."

Zhou Ye nodded, already having made up his mind. Tomorrow, he would first go to Nanluoguxiang to find a place to stay. After settling in, he would have He Daqing go to the vegetable market and restaurants to find a job as a cook. He himself would go to the docks to make money, gather information about the Japanese and traitors, accumulate merit points, and upgrade the system and farm space.

Night deepened, and silence returned to the dilapidated temple. Zhou Ye leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and his mind raced, calculating his future plans. He knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy; Beiping was like a giant whirlpool, full of danger and opportunity, but he was prepared. No matter what difficulties he encountered, he would face them head-on, protect those around him, and walk his path of revenge.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Ye woke up He Daqing and his wife, along with their two children. After a quick tidy-up and some food, they set off towards Nanluoguxiang.

In the early morning in Beiping, the streets were already bustling with pedestrians, and vendors were setting up their stalls, their shouts rising and falling, creating a lively atmosphere. Zhou Ye and his group attracted a lot of attention as they walked down the street, especially He Daqing and his wife with their two children, and the faint aura of menace emanating from Zhou Ye, which caused passersby to give way.

Zhou Ye paid no attention to this, but cautiously observed his surroundings to avoid unnecessary trouble. He knew that in a place like Beiping, keeping a low profile was the best policy.

After walking for about an hour, they finally arrived at Nanluoguxiang. The streets here were much cleaner than other places, with quaint courtyards on both sides, their walls covered with vines, exuding a touch of elegance. There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and most of them were well-dressed, a stark contrast to the shantytowns in the south of the city.

Zhou Ye led He Daqing and his wife as they slowly walked along the street, looking for any signs advertising rental properties.

"Brother Zhou, look, there's a courtyard house over there, and it looks like there's a 'For Rent' sign on the door," said Lü Bingxin, pointing to a courtyard house not far away.

Zhou Ye looked in the direction she pointed and saw a red paper pasted on the entrance of the courtyard house with the words "House for Rent" written on it in large characters. Below that, there was a line of smaller characters listing the number of rooms available for rent and contact information.

"Let's go take a look," Zhou Ye said, leading the group toward the courtyard house.

Arriving at the entrance of the courtyard house, Zhou Ye raised his hand and knocked on the brass ring on the gate.

"Knock knock knock!"

Not long after, the door opened a crack, and an elderly woman, who looked to be in her sixties, peeked out, scrutinizing Zhou Ye and his group with a wary look in her eyes: "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Hello, sir," Zhou Ye said gently, cupping his hands in greeting. "We've come here as refugees and are looking for a place to stay in Beiping. We saw your rental notice here, so we came to ask."

The old lady looked them up and down. Seeing that although they were dressed simply, they were clean and tidy, and Zhou Ye's eyes were open and honest, not like a bad person, her vigilance lessened. She opened the gate and let them in: "Come in, let's talk in the yard."

The group followed the old lady into the courtyard. The courtyard was not large, but it was clean and tidy. There was a small garden in the middle with a few flowers and plants, which looked very elegant. The courtyard was divided into four wing rooms: east, west, south, and north. The north wing room looked like the main house, which was probably where the old lady lived. The east, west, and south wing rooms were all empty.

"How many rooms do you want to rent? How long do you plan to rent them?" the old lady asked, sitting on a stone bench in the yard.

"Grandpa, we'd like to rent two rooms," Zhou Ye said. "There are four of us, including my sister, so two rooms should be enough. As for how long, we'd like to rent long-term, at least a year."

The old lady nodded and said, "Two rooms are fine. The south wing and the west wing are both empty; you can choose one. The rent is two silver dollars per room per month, so two rooms would be four silver dollars. The deposit is ten silver dollars. What do you think?"

Four silver dollars a month was indeed not cheap for them, given that they didn't have much money. He Daqing and Lü Bingxin exchanged a glance, both hesitant.

Zhou Ye thought for a moment. Although four silver dollars was expensive, the environment here was good and relatively safe. Moreover, a long-term rental would allow his sister and He Daqing's family to settle down, so it was worth it. He took out fourteen silver dollars from his system space and handed them to the old lady: "Grandma, this is the deposit and the first month's rent. Please count it."

The old lady took the silver dollars, counted them, nodded in satisfaction, and handed Zhou Ye a key: "These are the keys to the south and west wing rooms. You can tidy them up yourselves. The water and firewood in the yard are provided free of charge, so feel free to use them. Also, you must keep the yard clean and tidy, and don't make loud noise or cause trouble, otherwise I won't rent it to you anymore."

"Don't worry, sir, we will definitely follow the rules," Zhou Ye said, taking the keys.

The old lady nodded, said nothing more, and turned back to the north wing.

Zhou Ye took the key and opened the doors to the south and west wing rooms. The rooms weren't large, but they were clean, containing simple furniture such as beds, tables, and chairs. Although some of it was old, it was still usable.

"Uncle He, Aunt Lü, you should stay in the south wing; it gets better lighting there," Zhou Ye said. "My sister and I will stay in the west wing."

He Daqing and Lü Bingxin quickly expressed their gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Zhou."

Everyone began tidying up the room, putting away their bundles, making the beds, and cleaning. Lü Bingxin was skillful and quickly tidied the room up, even taking a cloth from her bundle and spreading it on the table, making the room look much cozier.

After tidying up the room, it was almost noon. Zhou Ye looked at the newly renovated room and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, they had a stable place to stay in Beiping City, and his sister and He Daqing's family no longer had to live in the dilapidated temple.

"Uncle He, you guys tidy up at home first. I'm going out for a bit," Zhou Ye said. "I'm going to the city to check things out and see if there's any suitable work."

He Daqing nodded: "Brother Zhou, go ahead, be careful on the road."

Lu Bingxin also reminded him, "Brother Zhou, go and come back soon, and be careful."

Zhou Ye responded, turned and walked out of the courtyard, heading towards the commercial street. He knew that he still needed to forge his own path step by step, and gathering information and accumulating strength were his most pressing tasks.

The sun shone brightly in Beiping, the streets bustling with life, but Zhou Ye knew how much darkness and danger lurked behind this prosperity. His eyes were resolute, his steps steady, as he moved step by step towards his goal. He believed that as long as he persevered, he would surely carve out his own place in this chaotic world of blood and fire!