Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

The rough mat on the kang (heated brick bed) hurt his back. He Yuzhu stared wide-eyed at the familiar crack on the roof beam. His right arm still ached faintly; the struggle that night in the brick kiln and the thrashing in the flue had transformed into a throbbing pain that seeped into his bones.

I'm tired, but I can't fall asleep.

One thing kept replaying in my mind: 100 million points, the battlefield of the Korean War.

There hadn't been any fighting yet, but he knew it was coming soon. The words on the radio, the tone of the newspapers, and the processions walking through the streets all spoke of unrest in the north.

To join the army, one must be old enough. Sixteen is barely close to being a male, a fact easily detected during a physical exam. He needs to be seventeen, at least according to his file.

With a slight thought, a ghostly blue light curtain unfolded in the darkness. The shop page lit up a bit, revealing several new items available for exchange after completing the first stage of the mission.

He quickly scanned the list, his gaze settling on a gleaming silver icon:

[Item: Household Registration Record Modification Sticker (Disposable)]

[Type: Special Consumable]

[Effect: Allows modification of partial information in a paper household registration or archive. The effect is contemporary and difficult to detect using conventional methods. Only effective once.]

[Limitations: Only numbers, single words, or short phrases can be modified. Records cannot be created out of thin air or drastically altered.]

Price: 3000 points

[Note: Interference with administrative records is at your own risk.]

Three thousand points.

He Yuzhu's eyes twitched. This meant he had sacrificed all the hard work he had put in over the past three days. Without it, he wouldn't even have been eligible to sign up.

换。

[Exchange confirmed. 3000 equivalent points consumed.]

A blurry image of a manila envelope has appeared in my inventory, labeled "Modification Attachment (To be used)".

The price has been paid, and the goods are in hand. The next step is to use them.

He needed to find a place—his household registration page was in the archives of the subdistrict office. That was a government place, not a vegetable market; he needed to plan, seize the opportunity, and have cover.

The next day, He Yuzhu didn't go to Fengzeyuan. He changed into a clean shirt and went into the street office. There weren't many people there; a middle-aged female clerk wearing arm sleeves was yawning at the window.

"Comrade, what's the recruitment process?" He Yuzhu leaned closer, his face showing the curiosity that a young man should have.

"Wait for the district's notification; the street office will post a notice. Applicants must be of age and in good health, and must voluntarily apply, subject to background checks." The female clerk glanced at him. "You look quite young."

"I'm seventeen, or eighteen by the traditional Chinese age reckoning."

"That depends on your birth date on your household registration." She waved her hand. "Go back and wait for our notification. Focus on getting stronger first."

He Yuzhu thanked him and glanced at the inner room of the office—a door with a wooden sign that read "Archives Room".

There's no chance during the day; we'll have to wait until night.

For the next two days, he did light work at Fengzeyuan while keeping an eye on the neighborhood committee's schedule. At night, he "passed by" several times, scanning the area with a reconnaissance map. Within a radius of 100 meters, only the old gatekeeper's light was visible in the small gatehouse; he went to bed early.

We can get started now.

That night, the clouds were thick and the moon was dim. He Yuzhu changed into dark old clothes, smeared soot on his face, and wrapped the soles of his shoes in cloth. He carried the "correction note" and a thin piece of iron he had ground from kitchen scraps in his pocket.

He slipped out of the courtyard and crept towards the neighborhood office like a shadow. The reconnaissance map was on, and there was no sign of anyone around.

The wall wasn't high, and broken glass was stuck in its top. There was a crooked locust tree to the side, its branches stretching into the yard. He endured the discomfort in his right arm, climbed up, and scaled the wall to his feet.

The archives room had an old-fashioned wooden door with an iron lock. He took out a metal piece and inserted it into the keyhole, fiddling with it. He wasn't an expert, but he had handled machinery in his past life and knew a thing or two. Two or three minutes later, the lock spring clicked softly.

opened.

He slipped inside and closed the door behind him. Only a faint light filtered through the high window into the darkness, and the smell of paper dust filled the air. After a moment, he found the cabinet labeled "Resident Registration (Nanluoguxiang Area)".

He pulled out the file folder containing "He Yuzhu" and walked to the window. On the yellowed household registration page, written in calligraphy: Date of birth - 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934).

He took out the correction sheet. A translucent sheet of paper was gently placed over the "Date of Birth" field.

The thin paper softened slightly, like water seeping into sand. The ink below began to change subtly, the horizontal stroke of the character "three" slowly extending until it finally settled into the corresponding writing of "twenty-two"—the Gregorian calendar year 1933.

The ink and the old marks on the paper blend together seamlessly.

He then ran his fingers over the blank space for "Former Names," thinking of "He Weiguo." Three neat characters in regular script appeared in his mind.

The edited post turned to ashes and vanished into the dust.

It became.

He Yuzhu exhaled softly, put the household registration page back in its place. He didn't leave immediately.

We can't just target his case. We need to create some chaos.

He opened the cabinet next to him, pulled out several documents with different names, scrambled the papers inside, and stuffed them back in haphazardly. He then rummaged through the drawer and threw the stationery and old stamps onto the floor. Finally, he left the door latch partially detached.

On the reconnaissance map, the old gatekeeper's dot didn't move.

He slipped out the door, left the lock loosely on the door, and climbed over the wall the way he came to leave.

He didn't stop until he was about a hundred meters away, in the shadows, leaning against a brick wall to let his heartbeat slowly calm down. His undershirt was soaked with sweat, and the wind was chilly. The wound on his right arm throbbed again.

But the weight of age has been lifted. He Yuzhu is now seventeen years old (born in 1933) according to the records, and his former name was He Weiguo.

The next afternoon, when he returned to the courtyard house, he overheard several older women whispering:

"A thief broke into the neighborhood office last night!"

"What's missing?"

"No money was lost, but the archives were ransacked; I guess they couldn't find the money."

"Director Wang was so angry that he said he would increase night patrols..."

He Yuzhu walked past with his head down, as if he hadn't heard.

The alteration should be categorized under that "invalid theft" case; no one would bother to check the birth year of an ordinary resident.

A screen of light appeared before my eyes, displaying a line of dark red text:

[Warning: The host has used unconventional methods to tamper with administrative records. This behavior carries a high risk in the current timeline. Once exposed, it may lead to identity verification, legal repercussions, and a chain of consequences.]

[Based on this high-risk operation and the host's current survival pressure, limited-time compensation is provided.]

The exchange price for the item "Basic Constitution Enhancement Potion (Beginner)" has been temporarily adjusted to 750 points (original price 1500).

[Limited time offer: 72 hours.]

The warning was expected, but the half-price compensation was unexpected. 750 points.

He Yuzhu looked at the balance: 9873.

Should we replace it or not?

The physical prowess of a former elite soldier was too tempting for anything to come. But losing nearly a tenth of his points...

He recalled the life-or-death struggle in the brick kiln, the suffocation in the flue, and the hail of bullets on the future battlefield.

It's been changed.

[Exchange for "Basic Constitution Enhancement Potion (Beginner)" for 750 points.]

Balance: 9123

The item has been delivered to your system space. Please use it in a safe environment.

A sealed glass tube, glowing with a bluish-purple light, lay quietly in the system space.

He Yuzhu snapped out of his daze; it was already dark outside the window.

The age has been changed, and the enhancement potion has been obtained. The next step is to wait for the conscription notice to be posted.

Before that, he needed to allow the name "He Weiguo" and the soon-to-be-changed physique to undergo an "adaptation" process that would not arouse suspicion.

You have to take things one step at a time, and fill in the potholes one by one.