Courtyard House: Ten-year-old Master Zhu reorganizes the entire courtyard

He Yuzhu waited until midnight.

The side room door opened. Xu Damao slipped in, bringing with him a chill.

"Brother Pillar".

"You found out?" He Yuzhu sat up.

Xu Damao nodded. He was holding a piece of paper in his hand, on which a few lines of writing were crookedly made in pencil.

"Wang Kui. Deputy captain of the detective team. He lives near Xisi Archway. Every afternoon at four o'clock, he goes to the 'Juxian Teahouse' in Dashilan for half an hour after work. He's a gambler and recently owes the gambling den eighty silver dollars. The teahouse owner is his cousin."

He Yuzhu took the note and read it over.

"Is there anything else?"

"He...he likes to smoke foreign cigarettes and drink jasmine tea. He has a lover in the Eight Great Hutongs, named Little Peach Blossom," Xu Damao said. "My dad found out about her by drinking with a clerk from the detective team."

He Yuzhu noted it down.

"Well done." He took out a small yellow croaker from the system space and handed it to Xu Damao.

Xu Damao's eyes widened. He took the gold, his hands trembling.

"Brother Zhu, this...this is too much..."

"Not much," He Yuzhu said. "Keep this to yourself. Don't tell anyone, not even your parents."

"I know! I swear!" Xu Damao stuffed the gold into his pocket, then pressed it down, as if afraid it would fall out.

"Go back. Tomorrow will be the same as usual."

Xu Damao nodded and slipped out the door.

He Yuzhu lay back down on the bed. He stared at the roof beams.

Tomorrow at 4 PM, Juxian Teahouse.

He needs to prepare.

Fifty silver dollars. He had a small gold bar that could be exchanged for over a hundred dollars. But exchanging too much at once would attract attention. He decided to exchange it for thirty silver dollars in cash, plus a small gold bar—melted from the pile of jewelry in his system space.

He had two gold rings stolen from Japanese soldiers in his system. They were melted together and weighed about three qian (approximately 15 grams). They were worth twenty silver dollars.

Fifty yuan is enough.

At 3 p.m. the next day, He Yuzhu told He Daqing that he was going to the street to buy some brown sugar.

He Daqing glanced at him.

"Go back soon."

"Um."

He Yuzhu left the courtyard house. He walked around two alleys to make sure no one was following him before heading towards Dashilan.

Juxian Teahouse is located at the street corner. It's a two-story wooden building with a signboard hanging at the entrance.

He Yuzhu didn't go in. He squatted at the entrance of the alley across the street and waited.

At 4:05, a man in a black leather uniform walked into the teahouse. He was slightly overweight, with a gun holster on his waist. His face was oily, and he had a scar near his eye.

Wang Kui.

He Yuzhu waited for a few minutes, then got up and went into the teahouse.

There weren't many people in the shop. Wang Kui sat alone at a table by the window, drinking tea.

He Yuzhu walked over and sat down opposite him.

Wang Kui looked up and frowned.

"Kid, get out of here."

"Captain Wang," He Yuzhu said.

Wang Kui's expression changed. He put down his teacup.

"Who are you?"

"Here's some money." He Yuzhu pulled a cloth bag from his pocket and placed it on the table. The bag was open, revealing thirty silver dollars and the small gold bar inside.

Wang Kui stared at the money. He didn't touch it.

"What do you mean?"

"The case in Dongtangzi Hutong," He Yuzhu said in a low voice, "stop investigating it."

Wang Kui smiled. He leaned back and sized up He Yuzhu.

"Kid, do you know who died in that case? Three Japanese soldiers! You want me to stop investigating?"

"We won't get any results," He Yuzhu said. "The murderer escaped long ago. If you continue investigating, the Japanese won't be satisfied, and neither will your superiors. You might as well take the money, say the trail went cold, and coast along."

Wang Kui didn't speak. He reached out, picked up the small gold bar, and weighed it in his hand.

"Who sent you?"

"No one sent anyone," He Yuzhu said. "I came by myself."

"You?" Wang Kui laughed. "How old are you? Ten? Eleven?"

"Ten years old," He Yuzhu said, "but I wasn't the one who killed him."

"Then how do you know all this?"

"I heard that," He Yuzhu stared at him. "I also heard that Captain Wang owes the gambling den eighty silver dollars. If he can't pay it back, they'll break his arm."

Wang Kui's smile vanished.

"You're investigating me?"

"Let's help each other out," He Yuzhu said. "You take the money to pay off your debts. If the case drags on, it'll eventually fizzle out. It won't do you any harm."

Wang Kui remained silent. He looked at the money, then at He Yuzhu.

"That's not enough," he said. "Eighty dollars in gambling debts, plus bribes to my boss, it's at least a hundred."

"That'll do for now," He Yuzhu said. "If the case drags on for another month, I'll give you another fifty."

Why should I believe you?

"You don't have to believe me," He Yuzhu stood up. "Then keep investigating. See if you can find the killer."

He turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Wang Kui called out to him.

He Yuzhu turned around.

"I'll take the money." Wang Kui gathered the cloth bundle and stuffed it into his arms. "I'll stall for time. But the Japanese military police are investigating too, and I can't stop them."

"You don't need to worry about the military police," He Yuzhu said. "Just focus on your reports."

Wang Kui nodded.

He Yuzhu walked out of the teahouse.

The first step was successful.

He turned back. Just as he turned into an alley, he heard footsteps behind him.

Soon. And not just one person.

He Yuzhu didn't turn around. He quickened his pace.

"stop!"

Japanese.

He Yuzhu's heart sank. The military police?

He started running.

The person behind caught up. The sound of leather boots crunching in the snow was heavy.

He Yuzhu turned into another alley. It was narrow and cluttered with miscellaneous items. He climbed over a tattered basket and continued running.

There's a dead end ahead.

He stopped and turned around.

Three Japanese military police officers. They wore khaki overcoats and carried rifles. The one in the lead was a sergeant major with a thick beard.

"Kid, come here," Sergeant said in Japanese.

He Yuzhu stood still.

A military policeman walked over and reached out to grab him.

He Yuzhu dodged to the side. He took out the Browning pistol from his system space and pressed the muzzle against the other man's stomach.

Pull the trigger.

A muffled sound. A muffler was installed—an accessory found in the system storage.

The military policeman's eyes widened, and he fell down.

The other two military police officers hesitated for a second. They raised their guns.

He Yuzhu fired two more shots.

One shot hit the sergeant in the chest. Another shot hit the military policeman in the neck.

The two fell to the ground.

He Yuzhu went over and checked. They were all dead.

He holstered his gun. He dragged the three bodies behind a pile of debris and covered them with a tattered mat.

Then he searched the body. Identification documents, bullets, a pocket watch, and a piece of paper.

The paper was written in Chinese, but it was stamped with the seal of the military police.

"Search warrant. For He Yuzhu, 10 years old, resident of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, the suspect in the Dongtangzi Hutong attack. Arrest and interrogation approved."

He Yuzhu tore the paper into pieces.

The military police have their eyes on him. Not just suspecting, but certain.

Why?

Did he have a mole? Did Wang Kui betray him? Impossible, Wang Kui just received the money.

That's another clue. A witness? Or, is something in the system space being tracked?

He didn't have time to think.

He has to go home. Now.

He Yuzhu ran out of the alley. He took a side path, avoiding the main road. Twenty minutes later, he returned to the courtyard house.

There was no one at the door. He pushed the door open and went inside.

In the courtyard, Jia Zhangshi was washing vegetables by the sink. She saw He Yuzhu and pouted.

"Hey, Zhu Zi's back? Bought brown sugar?"

He Yuzhu ignored her and went straight back into the house.

He Daqing was stewing soup in the kitchen.

"Pillar, where's the brown sugar?"

"I forgot," He Yuzhu said. "Dad, pack your things. We're leaving tonight."

He Daqing dropped the spoon in his hand.

"What?"

"The military police are coming to arrest me," He Yuzhu said. "Now."

He Daqing's face turned deathly pale.

"You...you killed someone again?"

"Three military police," He Yuzhu said. "They came with a search warrant. We have to leave."

"Where are we going?"

"Out of the city. To the countryside. Or Baoding." He Yuzhu walked into the main room. "Mother, get up. Wear something warm. We have to go."

Chen Lanxiang sat up. She was holding He Yushui in her arms.

"Zhu Zi, what's wrong?"

"There's danger," He Yuzhu said. "Mother, trust me. Hurry."

Chen Lanxiang looked at He Daqing. He Daqing nodded.

"Listen to Zhu Zi."

They began packing. Clothes, blankets, money, food. He Yuzhu took out all the valuables from the system space and packed them into packages.

Ten minutes later, they packed up the two large bundles.

"Go through the back door," He Yuzhu said.

"The back door is locked," He Daqing said.

"Kick it away."

They walked towards the backyard. The deaf old woman's door was open. The old woman stood in the doorway.

"Pillar."

"Madam, we have to go," He Yuzhu said.

"Military police?"

"Um."

The old lady turned around and went back into the house, taking out a small cloth bag.

"Take this with you. You'll need it on the road."

He Yuzhu took it. Inside were several flatbreads and a few silver dollars.

"Madam, you..."

"I'm fine," the old woman waved her hand. "They won't dare touch me. You should leave quickly."

He Yuzhu nodded. He walked to the backyard wall and squatted down.

"Dad, step on my shoulders and flip over."

He Daqing hesitated.

"hurry up!"

He Daqing stepped onto the wall and climbed over. He Yuzhu handed over the bundle, then helped Chen Lanxiang up. He Daqing waited outside to receive it.

Finally, it was He Yuzhu's turn. He took a few steps back, ran up, pushed off the wall, grabbed the top of the wall, and flipped over.

Landing.

There's a narrow alleyway outside. Nobody's around.

"Head north," He Yuzhu said. "To Deshengmen. Out of the city."

They had only taken a few steps when they heard the sound of a car engine coming from the alley entrance.

He Yuzhu grabbed He Daqing.

"Go back."

They retreated into the shadows of the wall.

A black sedan drove into the alley and stopped at the back gate of the courtyard house. Four military police officers and two men in suits got out of the car.

Japanese.

They banged on the door.

He Yuzhu pressed himself against the wall and looked.

The back door opened. Military police rushed in.

"Let's go," He Yuzhu said in a low voice, "now."

They ran north along the alley. He Daqing carried the bundle, Chen Lanxiang held the child, and He Yuzhu brought up the rear.

I ran out of the alley and onto the main street. There weren't many people on the street, but there were a few rickshaws.

He Yuzhu waved. A car pulled up.

"Deshengmen. Quickly."

The driver hesitated, looking at their large bags and small packages, and then at He Daqing's flustered face.

"Double the fare." He Yuzhu pulled out a silver dollar.

The driver nodded.

The family got into the carriage. The driver started pulling the carriage.

He Yuzhu turned around. There was no movement in the direction of the courtyard house.

It's safe for now.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived at Deshengmen.

There were puppet troops standing guard at the city gate. Two soldiers, holding their guns, were huddled in the guard post.

He Yuzhu got out of the car. He walked over.

"Boss, let's get out of the city."

The puppet soldier glanced at him.

"Pass"

He Yuzhu pulled out two passes from his pocket—forged passes found in the system space, but the stamps were genuine.

The puppet soldiers glanced at it and waved.

"Pass."

He Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief. He beckoned, and He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang came over.

They walked out of the city gate.

Outside the city, the road was dirt, covered in snow. Villages could be seen in the distance.

"Where to now?" He Daqing asked.

"Head west," He Yuzhu said. "Let's go a bit further away first."

They walked along the road. It was getting dark. The wind was strong.

He Yushui cried. Chen Lanxiang comforted her.

He Yuzhu stopped.

"Father, take Mother and the children to that village up ahead. Find a farmhouse to stay with. I'm going back."

"What are you going back for?" He Daqing grabbed him.

"I have something to take care of," He Yuzhu said. "If the military police can't find us, they'll make things difficult for the people in the compound, especially the old ladies. I have to make them give up on us."

"What will you do?"

"I have a plan," He Yuzhu said. "You go first. I'll be back before dawn."

He Daqing stared at him.

"Pillar, don't take the risk."

"No risks," He Yuzhu said. "Wait for me."

He turned and ran back.

It was completely dark. He Yuzhu climbed over the wall into the city. He took the alleyways, avoiding the main roads.

He was going to the military police station.

The military police headquarters was located in Tieshizi Hutong. It was a gray building with sentries at the entrance.

He Yuzhu hid in the alley across the street and observed.

There were two guards at the entrance. The building was brightly lit.

He needs to create chaos. To distract them.

How is it made?

He has grenades in his system space. Japanese soldiers' melon grenades.

He took out two. He pulled the ring, counted to two, and threw them.

One was thrown towards the doorway. The other was thrown towards a car parked on the side of the building.

Boom! Boom!

Explosion sound. Flames.

The guards at the door lay down. People rushed out of the building.

He Yuzhu took the opportunity to go around to the back of the building. There was a drainpipe on the back wall. He climbed up and slipped through a second-floor window.

It's a corridor inside. No one's there.

He walked forward. The first room had a sign that read "Archives Room".

He pushed the door open. It was locked.

He took out his bayonet and pried open the lock. Click, it opened.

He went inside. The room was filled with rows of metal cabinets. He opened one and began rummaging through it.

The files for the Dongtangzi Hutong case have been found.

He pulled out the file and quickly flipped through it. Inside were several crime scene photos, a report, and his personal information—name, address, and age.

There is also an eyewitness testimony. The testimony says that the murderer was a child, wearing a blue cotton-padded jacket, and ran very fast.

Testimony signed by: Li Wangshi. Resident of Meizha Hutong.

He Yuzhu remembered it.

He tucked the file into his pocket. Then he took a small bottle of kerosene from his system space and poured it on the cabinet. He lit it.

Flames shot up.

He left the room and closed the door.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. He ducked into the next room.

Several military police officers ran over, shouting "Fire!"

He Yuzhu waited for them to pass, then climbed out of the window and slid down the drainpipe.

He landed. He ran out of the alley.

Behind them, thick smoke billowed from the military police building.

He returned to Coal Slag Alley and found Li Wangshi's house.

Knock on the door.

An old lady opened the door.

Who is it?

"They're checking the gas," He Yuzhu said.

"What?"

He Yuzhu pushed open the door and went inside. The old lady was the only one in the room.

"Did you testify for the military police this morning?" He Yuzhu asked.

The old lady's expression changed.

“Who…who are you?”

"The child you see is me," He Yuzhu said.

The old lady stepped back.

"I...I didn't see it clearly..."

"You saw it clearly," He Yuzhu said, "but if you testify, you will get my whole family killed."

"I won't say it! I won't say it!" the old lady waved her hand.

"It's too late." He Yuzhu took out ten silver dollars from his pocket and put them on the table. "Here's the money. Go to the military police station tomorrow and say you made a mistake. The murderer is an adult, wearing a mask, so you can't see his face."

The old woman stared at the money.

"You...you're really giving it to me?"

"Here you go," He Yuzhu said, "but you have to do as I say. Otherwise, I can find you."

The old lady nodded.

"I'll do it! I'll do it!"

He Yuzhu turned and left.

He walked out of the alley and headed towards Deshengmen.

He passed a phone booth. He went in, inserted coins, and dialed.

The number belonged to Juxian Teahouse—he wrote it down that afternoon.

The call was connected.

"Find Captain Wang Kui," He Yuzhu said.

I waited for a while.

"Feed?" came Wang Kui's voice.

"It's me," He Yuzhu said.

"Where...where are you? The military police are looking for you!"

"I know," He Yuzhu said. "Listen. The military police archives caught fire, and the case files from Dongtangzi Hutong are gone. The witness will change his statement tomorrow. This case can be closed."

Wang Kui remained silent.

"How did you do that?"

"Never mind that," He Yuzhu said. "Close the case. The report states that the murderer is a transient criminal who has already left Beijing. You handle things with the Japanese."

"I……"

"Add another small yellow croaker," He Yuzhu said. "See you at the usual place tomorrow at noon."

He hung up the phone.

I stepped out of the phone booth. The snow started falling again.

He Yuzhu walked towards the city gate.

That night, he killed three military policemen, burned down the archives, bribed a witness, and arranged a deal.

He was ten years old.

But he felt as if he had lived for decades.

tired.

But he can't stop.

His family is still waiting for him.

He walked out of the city gate and headed west along the dirt road.

Lights are on in the distant village.

He quickened his pace.