Siheyuan: At the beginning, I can integrate everything!

In the winter of 1958, the cold wind in Beijing felt like a knife scraping against people's faces.

A thin layer of snow still covered the blue bricks and gray tiles of Nanluoguxiang.

Two figures, one tall and one short, stood in front of the gate of the Hongxing Courtyard.

The eldest is Director Wang of the Nanluoguxiang Subdistrict Office.

The smaller one was a five-year-old boy wearing an old cotton-padded jacket, his little face red from the cold.

The boy's name is Zhang Huaimin.

At this moment, he was tightly clutching a heavy old plaque with gold lettering on a black background with his small, frozen hands.

The plaque bears the four large characters "厚德载物" (Hou De Zai Wu), and it is an heirloom of the Zhang family.

Looking at the vermilion gate before him, a deep look, completely out of character for his age, flashed in Zhang Huaimin's clear eyes.

No one knows that inside the body of this five-year-old child is the soul of a double PhD from the 21st century.

Three days ago, he unexpectedly traveled to the world of "Birds in the Courtyard".

Even worse, he became a marginal character who didn't exist in the original work at all.

His father, Zhang Dashan, was the head of the security department at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

He heroically sacrificed his life in a fight against enemy agents a few days ago to protect state property in the factory.

After his mother died young, five-year-old Zhang Huaimin suddenly became a helpless orphan of a martyr.

"Huaimin, don't be afraid."

Director Wang patted Zhang Huaimin's head tenderly.

"Your father is a national hero, a meritorious official."

"From now on, this Hongxing Courtyard will be your home. The neighbors in the courtyard are all good people and will take care of you like their own grandson."

Hearing this, Zhang Huaimin sneered inwardly.

nice guy?

This whole yard is full of hordes of rabid beasts who will devour people without spitting out the bones.

However, he still pretended to be well-behaved and innocent on the surface.

He nodded vigorously and said in a childish voice, "Thank you, Director Wang. I will be good."

Director Wang sighed, took Zhang Huaimin's little hand, and stepped over the high threshold of the courtyard house.

It was the weekend.

Everyone in the compound is resting at home.

When they saw Director Wang leading the Zhang family's son back, the neighbors in the front and middle yards all poked their heads out.

The third uncle in the front yard, Yan Bugui, was watering the flowers with a broken watering can.

His small eyes, hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses, darted around Zhang Huaimin.

Yan Bugui was a shrewd calculus expert.

He had already started calculating in his mind: Zhang Dashan died in the line of duty, the steel rolling mill should at least pay him several hundred yuan in compensation, right?

This money is currently in the hands of this little kid.

If we can squeeze some money out of this five-year-old, we'll have enough cornmeal for the rest of the year.

Upon entering the central courtyard, the atmosphere became even more eerie.

Sitting by the water trough in the middle courtyard was an obese old woman with a face full of fat.

It was none other than Jia Zhangshi, the notorious tough nut in the compound.

Jia Zhangshi was holding an awl for sewing shoe soles, doing needlework while spitting out sunflower seed shells.

Seeing Zhang Huaimin approach, Jia Zhangshi's triangular eyes suddenly rolled.

She pursed her thick lips and muttered something offensive.

"Pah! What a short-lived wretch, a cursed lone star!"

"He killed his mother at birth, and now he's killed his father too."

"Bringing this little jinx back to our yard, aren't you afraid it will disrupt the feng shui of our compound!"

Jia Zhangshi's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone to hear.

Director Wang frowned and glared fiercely at Jia Zhangshi.

"Jia Zhangshi! What nonsense are you spouting? Comrade Zhang Dashan is a martyr!"

Jia Zhangshi shrank back in fright, not daring to argue with the director of the street office.

But her gaze was fixed on the bulging pocket on Zhang Huaimin's chest.

Inside was a 500 yuan cash compensation payment that the steel mill had just issued yesterday.

To Jia Zhangshi, this was like a piece of fatty meat exuding an enticing aroma.

What does a five-year-old know about money?

Madam Jia was already plotting how to swindle this huge sum of money into her own hands.

Not only money, she also had her eye on the plaque Zhang Huaimin was holding.

That plaque looks like fine mahogany; if you chopped it up and burned it as firewood, it would last at least half a month.

Just then, the curtain of the main room in the middle courtyard was lifted.

An elderly man named Yi Zhonghai, wearing a worn-out military overcoat and carrying an enamel mug with the words "Model Worker" printed in red, slowly walked out.

"Oh, Director Wang, why did you come in person? Thank you for your trouble."

Yi Zhonghai greeted him with a broad smile and in an official tone.

He walked up to Zhang Huaimin, bent down, and put on a kind and compassionate expression.

"Huaimin was such a pitiful child. Dashan's death was so tragic."

"Don't worry, Director Wang, I'm just an old man in this compound."

"As long as I'm here, everyone in our facility, young and old, will treat Huaimin like their own grandson and protect him from any injustice!"

Yi Zhonghai's words were righteous and resounding.

The neighbors all nodded in agreement, praising the old man for his high level of awareness.

But when Zhang Huaimin looked up at Yi Zhonghai's old face, he felt nauseous.

This old man who has no descendants is most skilled at moral blackmail.

Zhang Huaimin noticed that Yi Zhonghai's gaze didn't linger on him for long while he was speaking.

His gaze kept drifting towards the east wing of the central courtyard, seemingly unintentionally.

That was Zhang Huaimin's home.

Two spacious and bright tile-roofed houses facing south!

In the extremely tight housing situation of Beijing, two large brick houses are practically a gold mine.

Yi Zhonghai knew exactly what was going on.

A five-year-old child occupies two large rooms and five hundred yuan.

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

As long as Yi Zhonghai takes over Zhang Huaimin under the guise of "taking care of orphans".

Ultimately, isn't it Yi Zhonghai who gets to decide the house and the money?

These beasts in the yard, each with their own ulterior motives, have already treated five-year-old Zhang Huaimin like fish on a chopping board.

Zhang Huaimin bit his lip, standing alone in the middle of the courtyard.

It seems they have truly become lambs to the slaughter.

however.

Just as Yi Zhonghai was putting on an act, and Jia Zhangshi was drooling greedily.

A cold, mechanical electronic notification suddenly echoed in the depths of Zhang Huaimin's mind!

[Ding! Host has officially entered the courtyard house!]

[Malice detected from the surrounding area, a whole yard full of beasts; conditions triggered!]

[Congratulations, host! The All Things Fusion System has been successfully bound!]

Zhang Huaimin's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes lit up instantly.

As a transmigrator, he certainly knew what the system meant!

The cheat code, which was three days late, has finally arrived!

This system is an all-encompassing fusion system. The host only needs to come into contact with any object or concept to randomly fuse its core characteristics.

[Ding! System binding detected for the first time. A super newbie gift pack is being issued!]

[Gift Pack Contents: Basic Longevity Turtle Trait, Indestructible Body (Toddler Version)]

[Would the host like to fuse immediately?]

Zhang Huaimin didn't hesitate for even a second.

He stood still, silently and decisively chanting in his mind: "Merge immediately!"

The voice just fell.

An indescribable, scorching warmth suddenly erupted from his heart.

This warm current, like a flood bursting its banks, surged wildly through every part of my body.

Zhang Huaimin felt the winter chill completely dissipate in an instant.

From deep within his bones came a series of tiny crackling sounds that only he could hear.

Her face, which had been somewhat sallow due to malnutrition, instantly became rosy and plump.

His delicate skin even seemed to shimmer with a faint, jade-like sheen.

[The basic longevity tortoise traits have been successfully fused! The host's lifespan has been greatly increased, his blood and energy are like a dragon's, and he is free from all diseases!]

[The Indestructible Body (Childhood Version) fusion is successful! The host's bone density and muscle strength have been reorganized, granting immunity to conventional blunt force physical damage and providing a 100% force reflection effect!]

Just two seconds.

The system upgrade was completed quietly.

Zhang Huaimin quietly clenched his small fist.

On the surface, he was still that delicate, fragile five-year-old toddler.

But only he himself knew the terrifying power contained within that small body.

If anyone dares to lay a hand on him now, the recoil force of his indestructible body will definitely let them know what cruelty is.

With this nuclear-level trump card, Zhang Huaimin finally felt relieved.

He looked up, a naive smile playing on his lips.

He wanted to see who in this compound would dare to touch the "tiger's" backside first.

Director Wang did not notice anything unusual about Zhang Huaimin.

She took Yi Zhonghai's hand again and gave him a few more words of advice.

The policy regarding the orphans of martyrs and the supervisory attitude of the street office were sternly reiterated.

Yi Zhonghai naturally nodded and bowed repeatedly in agreement.

After giving his instructions, Director Wang hurriedly pushed his old-fashioned bicycle away because he had an urgent meeting at the street office.

As Director Wang's figure disappeared around the corner of the alley.

The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly became subtle.

Yi Zhonghai, who had been wearing a fake smile, suddenly became serious. He put his hands behind his back, slowly turned around and went back to his room, seemingly planning his next move.

But Jia Zhangshi, standing by the water trough in the middle courtyard, couldn't wait even a second longer.

Director Wang had just stepped out the door.

Jia Zhangshi immediately put down the shoe soles she was sewing.

On her fleshy face, she forced out a fake smile that looked worse than crying.

Then, she casually picked up a large, chipped bowl from the side.

With his short, fat legs, he walked straight toward Zhang Huaimin, who stood alone under the eaves...