Siheyuan: Reborn Silly Pillar, Taking Control of the Entire Courtyard

"Silly Zhuzi, I'm just teasing you!" Chen Lanxiang was amused by her son's nervous look, but then her smile faded and her eyes sharpened. "But from now on, when you see people in that courtyard, especially that mean old woman, you'd better take a detour."

She knew perfectly well that Jia Laonian was an honest man, but he couldn't resist marrying a troublemaker. As for Jia Dongxu, he was purely corrupted by his mother, with a petty and narrow-minded nature, just like his father—cunning and wicked.

"Okay, Mother." He Yuzhu replied with her head drooping, then turned and went into the cramped kitchen.

On the stove were two chipped, rough porcelain bowls. He scooped out two bowls of steaming hot water, and carefully took a spoonful of brown sugar from a small, well-hidden jar in the corner, dissolving it into one of the bowls. That brown sugar was brought back by He Daqing last time he came back; it was very precious, and Chen Lanxiang usually couldn't bear to eat it.

"Mother, drink it while it's hot." He handed the sweet soup to Chen Lanxiang on the kang (heated brick bed).

Chen Lanxiang looked at the bowl of steaming brown sugar water and raised an eyebrow: "Where are you? Why are you only carrying one bowl?"

"I'm not thirsty. Besides, I'm too old to compete with you for your sweet soup." He Yuzhu scratched his head, looking rather simple-minded.

"How old are you?" Chen Lanxiang laughed and scolded, poking him on the forehead. "You're so small, you've barely passed your father's waist, you're not even fully grown yet, what are you trying to prove you're an adult?"

"Brown sugar is so precious, and you're still weak, so you should have some to nourish yourself." He Yuzhu shoved the bowl into her hands, leaving no room for refusal.

"Hey, this little rascal is getting more and more sensible." Chen Lanxiang felt incredibly warm inside. She picked up the bowl, took a delicious sip, and the sweetness instantly spread from the tip of her tongue to the bottom of her heart.

Seeing the wrinkles on his mother's face smooth out, He Yuzhu turned around and picked up his bowl of plain water. He wasn't actually thirsty, but the weather in December was just too cold, and holding the bowl would warm his hands.

His palms were slightly red from the heat of the bowl's rim, and the warmth crept up his veins. He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his eyes somewhat unfocused—no one knew that inside this ten-year-old body lay a soul from the modern world.

He was waiting, waiting for the "golden finger" that only he could see to refresh.

I haven't even looked at the reward for yesterday's corpse disposal task in detail, plus I missed the midnight check-in last night after falling asleep... I wonder what kind of trouble the system will cause this time.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, the familiar mechanical voice rang in my head.

[Ding! Check-in successful!]

[Congratulations, host, you have received: 5 feet of high-quality cotton cloth, 10 thickened diaper rings, and 1 can of imported malted milk powder.]

He Yuzhu's lips twitched, and he almost dropped the bowl in his hand.

Is there something wrong with this broken system? Why are all these diapers and baby formula coming up? Doesn't it know he's a man? Or does the system think his newborn sister, He Yushui, is the real protagonist?

He subconsciously glanced towards the end of the kang (a heated brick bed), where his wrinkled little sister was sleeping. Although she was his sister, he didn't really feel anything for the little one now. Instead, the jar of malted milk powder caught his eye—this was a good thing. In this era, it was a luxury that only high-ranking officials could afford, much more precious than brown sugar.

Suppressing the urge to complain, he switched to the task panel.

Side Quest: Clean up the battlefield.

Status: Completed.

【奖励发放：白朗宁M1911手枪×1（含满配弹匣2个，备用弹药50发）、技能书《枪械精通（初级）》×1、神秘线索×1。】

Upon seeing the word "handgun," He Yuzhu's eyes lit up instantly!

This is the treatment a time traveler should receive! Forget about sugar diapers; in this chaotic world, only the gun in your hand is your lifeline! And those skill books are a godsend, saving him so much hard work.

He could even picture the weighty feel of the Browning in his hand, a symbol of power.

But what is that "mysterious clue"?

He wasn't in a hurry to learn firearms skills—after all, the excruciating pain he felt when learning cooking was still fresh in his mind, and he didn't want to suddenly fall asleep in broad daylight and arouse his mother's suspicion.

Suppressing the intense urge to immediately pull out the gun and play with it, he silently said, "Check the details of the clues."

A line of small, scarlet text appeared on my retina:

[Urgent Intelligence: No. 25, Black Sesame Alley. Target: Feng Deshui (codename: Rabbit, defector). Supplies: Two boxes of penicillin, one military shortwave radio (Note: The radio is a decoy used by the Special Higher Police; danger level: high). Time limit: 72 hours.]

He Yuzhu gasped.

Penicillin! That's a life-saving drug more expensive than gold these days! And a radio station... This clearly involves the struggle between the underground party and the Special Higher Police.

Although he was only ten years old, he knew he couldn't get involved in this mess. If he were exposed, not only would he be doomed, but his mother and sister would be finished too.

But... if those two boxes of penicillin could reach those who truly need them, how many lives could they save? Or, how many resources could they buy for his survival?

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the window.

My father, He Daqing, has been acting mysteriously these past few days. He says he's going to work as a chef, but who knows if he's using his culinary skills as a cover to work for those traitors and Japanese devils? The waters here run very deep.

"Zhu'er? Zhu'er! What are you daydreaming about? You're about to crush the bowl!"

Chen Lanxiang's exclamation pulled He Yuzhu back to reality from his reverie.

"Ah? It's nothing, Mom, I was just... just thinking about something." He Yuzhu hurriedly covered up, putting down the bowl in her hand.

Chen Lanxiang put down the empty bowl and affectionately patted his head: "What are you thinking about? Are you hungry? Mom will go make you some food right away. Remember, it's dangerous outside, so don't wander around aimlessly."

"Yes, I'll listen to Mother." He Yuzhu nodded obediently, but her heart was pounding like a frightened rabbit.

He had to investigate this lead. But he absolutely couldn't go now; he had to wait until nightfall, until it was quiet and still…

He Yuzhu was somewhat absent-minded all morning.

One moment my mind is filled with the cold Browning sword, the next it's the two boxes of penicillin in Black Sesame Alley.

Jia Dongxu from next door came over to play pinball with him, calling him several times, but he just gave him perfunctory replies.

"Tch, what are you pretending to be?" Jia Dongxu, feeling rebuffed, pouted and ran home to complain to his mother, "Mom, He Yuzhu is ignoring me. He must look down on us!"

After lunch, the snow fell even harder.

A series of cheerful footsteps came from the courtyard gate, and Xu Damao, that kid, ran in with a rosy face and his nose as red as an apple from the cold.

"Brother Zhu! Brother Zhu! Come out and build a snowman!"

He Yuzhu initially wanted to refuse; his mind was preoccupied with mission clues, and he had no interest in playing with a child. However, looking at Xu Damao's expectant eyes and his pitiful appearance with snot almost freezing out, his heart softened, and he put on his cotton-padded coat and went out.

The yard was a vast expanse of white, with snow reaching above ankle height.

Two teenagers were rolling snowballs. Xu Damao chattered like a little sparrow: "Brother Zhu, let's give the snowman a carrot nose and a tattered straw hat. Doesn't it look like that deaf old lady in the yard?"

He Yuzhu's hands didn't stop, but a thought popped into his head.

Xu Damao, he seemed so innocent and carefree when he was a child, how did he grow up to be such a hated and repulsive person? Environment really can change a person.

"Brother Zhu, have you heard?" Xu Damao asked in a low voice as he built a snowman. "Your dad had an accident yesterday, and my mom went to the factory to inquire. She heard that all the managers there knew about it, but none of them dared to do anything! They were all cowering, afraid of getting into trouble."

He Yuzhu's hand suddenly stopped moving, and the snowball in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

He recalled the details from the original story.

If Chen Lanxiang hadn't been lucky enough to survive, would the people in this courtyard have just watched the He family fall apart? What was Yi Zhonghai, who usually spouts righteousness and morality, the man who calls himself "Grandpa," doing at that time? He was probably plotting how to seize the He family's assets.

"Hey, these people, they're all talk and no action." Xu Damao curled his lip, looking disdainful. "Only my dad was thinking of bringing some rice to your house, but my mom stopped him. She said, these days, it's better to avoid trouble."

Looking at Xu Damao, who hadn't yet gone astray, He Yuzhu felt a mix of emotions.

This courtyard house, on the surface, appears harmonious, but in reality, it's a place of cold-heartedness and indifference, where everyone only cares about their own business. Even little Xu Damao understood that these neighbors couldn't be trusted.

"Brother Zhu, what's wrong with you? Why is your face so dark?" Xu Damao was startled by his gaze and shrank back.

"It's okay." He Yuzhu took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and bent down to pick up the snowball. "The snow has melted, and my hands are cold."

Looking at Xu Damao, he suddenly felt that although this kid would be a villain in the future, he wasn't too bad for now, at least he was better than those hypocrites in the courtyard.

As the sun sets, the afterglow is like blood.

The heavy snowfall finally stopped, and the biting wind howled through the alley, whipping up the snow on the ground and slapping against the dilapidated window frames, making a "whooshing" sound, as if it were crying.

Familiar footsteps and voices came from the courtyard gate.

The factory has closed for the day.

He Yuzhu raised his head, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, staring intently at the doorway.

This was the first time he had seen the "old men" in the courtyard since he transmigrated here.

Yi Zhonghai was the first to enter.

He was dressed in faded work clothes, his hair styled in the slicked-back, traitorous style typical of that era, slicked back with oil. His face showed signs of fatigue, but his eyes revealed a shrewdness and calculation. At this moment, he did not yet possess the dignified and respected demeanor he would later become; instead, he appeared somewhat mercenary and sleazy.

He Yuzhu looked at his hairstyle and felt a wave of nausea. Was this the man who called himself "Grandpa of the Courtyard"? He didn't look like a good person at all.

Following closely behind was Jia Dongxu's father, Jia Laonian.

This man was in his thirties, but he sported a comical bowl cut and had a face full of wrinkles, making him look at least ten years older than his actual age. He hunched his shoulders, carrying a half-full bag of flour, his eyes darting around, appearing honest and timid, as if afraid of offending someone.

Looking at these two people who would profoundly influence his fate in the future—one hypocritical and treacherous, the other cowardly and incompetent—He Yuzhu's lips curled into a barely perceptible sneer.

The drama in this courtyard house is about to begin. And he will never again be used as a pawn or made a fool of by these people, like the original owner of this body.