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

Sun Zhiqiang became completely obedient.

He Yuzhu's days at school became unusually quiet. No one dared to cause him any more trouble. The once arrogant "Young Master Sun" now avoided him whenever he saw him, and if their eyes met, he would force out a smile that was more like a grimace.

This intelligence network from within the fake police station, though still unstable, has been successfully established.

He Yuzhu wasn't satisfied with that. One nail wasn't enough; he needed a net.

This net must be woven starting from the most inconspicuous place.

With the pocket money given to him by the organization and the little savings he had left from reselling supplies, he didn't buy new clothes, but instead bought a bag of White Rabbit milk candy and a few old books he could find on the market. The books were a mixed bag, including fragments of "Water Margin" and geographical notes introducing local customs and products.

He observed the class for a long time.

Apart from students like Sun Zhiqiang, who came from official families, most of the students came from ordinary or even impoverished backgrounds. Two students in particular caught He Yuzhu's attention.

There was a boy named Zhang Ming, tall and thin, wearing glasses with worn-out lenses and patched clothes, but always clean. He was the most diligent student in the class, quiet and reserved, but with a light in his eyes. His father was a track maintenance worker on the railway.

The other one was named Li Qiang. He wasn't tall, but he was very strong and had a straightforward personality. He couldn't stand Sun Zhiqiang bullying others and wanted to stand up for him several times, but his companions held him back. His family owned a small grocery store, so he was well-informed.

He Yuzhu chose to start with them.

During the break, instead of sitting in his seat reading as usual, he went to Zhang Ming's desk.

Zhang Ming was engrossed in solving an arithmetic problem, his brow furrowed.

He Yuzhu peeled open a White Rabbit milk candy and handed it over.

The aroma of milk candy instantly filled the air. Zhang Ming looked up, stunned, staring at the candy in front of him, then at He Yuzhu, his face a mixture of confusion and wariness. In this era, a piece of candy was a luxury.

"I'll treat you to a meal." He Yuzhu's tone was very calm, as if he were talking about something trivial.

"I...I don't want to." Zhang Ming waved his hands repeatedly, his face turning red.

He Yuzhu didn't say anything, but simply stuffed the candy into his hand, then turned around and went back to his seat.

Zhang Ming held the warm candy in his hand, his palms sweating. He hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he couldn't bear to eat it and carefully put it into his pocket.

After school, He Yuzhu found Li Qiang again.

Li Qiang was helping out at his family's shop, idly fiddling with his abacus.

He Yuzhu went in and placed the tattered copy of "Water Margin" on the counter.

"This is for you."

Li Qiang's eyes widened: "Give it to me? Why?"

"I see you enjoy listening to storytelling," He Yuzhu said. "This book is more entertaining than any storyteller could tell."

After saying that, he left without giving Li Qiang a chance to refuse.

For the next week, He Yuzhu gave Zhang Ming a piece of candy every day and occasionally discussed some difficult problems in his studies with him. He would also bring Li Qiang some interesting books or magazines from time to time and listen to him tell about the interesting things happening on the street.

A bag of candy was quickly finished, and several books were worn out from being read so many times.

Zhang Ming and Li Qiang, two classmates who had previously had no connection with him, became his only friends after class. They no longer looked at him with strange eyes, but treated him as a trustworthy partner.

The time is almost right.

One afternoon, the three of them gathered in a corner of the school’s backyard.

"I heard from my dad that the price of rice in the city has gone up again," Li Qiang sighed. "If this continues, many people won't have enough to eat."

"The Japanese and those officials don't care about our lives." Zhang Ming adjusted his glasses, his voice tinged with resentment. "My father said that the railway was transporting the best flour and rice, all of which were sent to the Japanese."

He Yuzhu looked at them, knowing that his earlier guidance had worked. He said casually, "Things won't stay like this forever. I heard from an elder that the Germans have already lost in Europe, and the Japanese won't be able to cause trouble for much longer."

This message was allowed to circulate within the organization to boost morale.

Zhang Ming and Li Qiang's eyes lit up at the same time.

"Really?"

"Of course it's true." He Yuzhu's tone was very certain. "So, we need to keep our eyes wide open and see clearly what's happening around us. Maybe some of the small things we see will come in very handy later."

He didn't explain it very clearly, but both boys nodded thoughtfully.

Three days after this conversation, Zhang Ming caught up with He Yuzhu on his way home from school and mysteriously pulled him aside.

"Yuzhu, I have something to tell you." Zhang Ming's face showed a mixture of nervousness and excitement. "You absolutely mustn't tell anyone."

"you say."

"Last night, my dad and his work team were working overtime, and I went to deliver food to him. I saw... I saw a freight train stopped on the special line. The Japanese were guarding it very tightly, with sentries every three or five steps." Zhang Ming lowered his voice. "Later, I saw them bring in two carriages from the back and attach them. Those two carriages were completely enclosed 'box cars,' without even a window, and they were locked from the outside. My dad said that in all his years working on the railway, he had never seen such a large-scale operation."

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat.

A sealed freight car? Heavily guarded?

This is by no means an ordinary shipment.

"When does the train leave? Where is it going?" he immediately asked.

"My dad told me that it left at midnight, heading towards Tianjin. The Japanese soldiers guarding the train were very tight-lipped; my dad and his men questioned them for a long time, but they couldn't get a single word out of them."

He Yuzhu's mind raced.

It's too late; if we report it now, the organization won't have time to intercept it. However, the intelligence itself is of immense value.

"Zhang Ming, you did a great job." He Yuzhu patted him on the shoulder, his expression serious. "Remember, don't mention this to anyone except me. Just pretend it never happened."

"I understand!" Zhang Ming nodded emphatically. Being able to help He Yuzhu made him feel an unprecedented sense of pride.

After saying goodbye to Zhang Ming, He Yuzhu didn't go home. Instead, he went to a secret mailbox he had arranged with the organization. He wrote a note using coded language, detailing the train's time, characteristics, security situation, and destination, and then slipped it inside.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief after doing all this.

Although he didn't know what was inside those two boxcars, he knew that his net had caught its first fish.

Two days later, Lin Wanqiu replied to him through emergency contact channels.

The reply was simple: "Intelligence received, of immense value. Preliminary verification indicates the vehicle likely contained a batch of precious artifacts stolen by the Japanese army from the Forbidden City, intended for repatriation. Although interception was impossible, it has been documented, providing crucial clues for future recovery. Comrade 'Apprentice,' you've done a great job."

After reading the note, He Yuzhu burned it to ashes.

He looked up at the sky, where the setting sun was a vibrant red.

An intelligence network woven from teenagers, candy, and old books has quietly begun to unfold. Though still immature, it has already demonstrated its power. And this is only the beginning.