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

Xu Fugui did not return.

He Yuzhu knew perfectly well that at this time, Xu Damao's father had not yet achieved the prestigious position of projectionist. He was just a purchasing agent running errands for the big boss Lou family, which was essentially a slightly higher-class servant.

As for Xu Damao's mother, she was originally a maidservant in the Lou family.

In the eyes of someone like Yi Zhonghai, who calls himself the "elder brother of the working class," this family would probably be beneath him to even look at them properly.

Yi Zhonghai stood at his own door.

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he watched He Yuzhu and Xu Damao bustling about in the snow, but his gaze involuntarily drifted, with a hint of greed, toward the warmly lit main room of the He family's house.

He and Li Chunni had been married for so many years, but she hadn't conceived, which was his biggest pain.

Seeing the He family now having both a son and a daughter, especially Chen Lanxiang who had just given birth to a daughter, envy, jealousy, and hatred grew wildly in his heart like weeds.

He wore his signature "charitable" smile, but a hint of gloom and resentment was hidden in his eyes—why could He Daqing, this rough man, have a house full of children, while he, Yi Zhonghai, was destined to have no descendants?

"Zhu Zi, busy working?"

Yi Zhonghai walked over through the snow, his feet crunching underfoot, a smile spreading across his face.

Is your dad home?

He Yuzhu was patting the snowman's chest when he heard this. He stopped, looked up, and showed a set of white teeth, looking innocent and harmless.

"Uncle Yi, my father went out. He said he was looking for something good to help my mother produce milk, and he should be back soon."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, his gaze sweeping over the snowman.

He then said meaningfully, "Your father is very thoughtful. Your mother has just given birth and is weak; she should take good care of herself."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at the main room of the He family again, as if he could see the pink baby inside through the wall. He thought to himself that if he could get He Yuzhu under his control in the future, it wouldn't be bad to have him take care of him in his old age.

Following behind, Jia Laonian, his neck hunched and his face red from the cold, leaned over and chuckled foolishly as he looked at the snowman.

"Zhu Zi, Da Mao, you guys are really good at this! This snowman looks just like the real thing. Why didn't you invite your brother Dong Xu to play with it?"

Xu Damao was using two dry tree branches as arms for the snowman.

Upon hearing this, he curled his lip, held his head high, and looked disdainful.

"Hmph, this is my and Brother Zhu's doing. Why call him? He only comes to steal things and always cries!"

He directly blocked Jia Dongxu—in his eyes, Jia Dongxu was just a tagalong, nowhere near as capable as Brother Zhu, who could tell him about the latest happenings outside.

Just then, heavy footsteps and coughs came from the courtyard gate.

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up, and he dropped the snowball he was holding and ran over: "Dad!"

He Daqing walked into the hanging flower gate with his head down, covered in snowflakes and with frost on his eyebrows. He was clutching a heavy cloth bag tightly in his hand, looking very tired.

"Hey, Zhu'er!"

When He Daqing saw his son, his tired face instantly broke into a smile. He rubbed He Yuzhu's head with his rough hands, making his hair all messy.

"Were you a good girl at home today? Did you take good care of your mother and sister?"

"I was being a good girl! I helped Mom start the fire, fetch water, and... I even chased away the flies for her!"

He Yuzhu patted his chest to claim credit, but in his heart he was thinking that in the original owner's memories, flies were indeed a rare sight in winter, but if he said that, his father would definitely be happy.

Upon seeing this, Yi Zhonghai and Jia Laonian quickly came over to greet them, but their eyes were fixed on the cloth bag.

Yi Zhonghai's gaze was like a hook, and he asked with a smile on his face.

"Great Qing, where have you been all day? What good stuff have you gotten your hands on? You look exhausted."

He Daqing waved the cloth bag in his hand, a smug look on his face.

"Oh, don't even mention it! I went to so many places, but couldn't find any fresh goat milk. But every cloud has a silver lining. I got two pig trotters from an old friend. These are great, all skin and tendons. Stew them until they're tender, and they'll help your sister-in-law produce milk. They're super nourishing!"

After saying that, he started walking home, but after a couple of steps, he seemed to suddenly remember something.

He turned around, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute to Yi Zhonghai and Jia Laonian, and said politely, "Zhonghai, Lao Jia, once your sister-in-law is out of confinement, you must come to our house for a visit and a couple of drinks. On the day she gave birth, it was all thanks to your family's help; otherwise, things would have been really difficult."

This is a polite and watertight statement, but anyone with common sense knows it's just a polite way of putting things.

Yi Zhonghai quickly waved his hand, his face righteous and awe-inspiring: "Great Qing, you're being too polite, aren't you? A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative; helping each other is only right."

Old Jia nodded repeatedly, rubbing his hands and smiling obsequiously, "Yes, yes, it's only right, it's only right."

He Daqing smiled, said nothing more, and turned to go inside.

He knew perfectly well that this was just polite talk. That day, when Chen Lanxiang had a difficult childbirth, who among the people in the courtyard truly helped? Only Xu Damao's mother was running around calling for help.

As for Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi?

One person was making sarcastic remarks from the sidelines, while the other hid inside the house, afraid of getting tainted by bad luck.

But he has to maintain appearances, otherwise it will be seen as He Daqing not knowing the rules, and people will talk behind his back.

When Xu Damao saw He Daqing return, he looked towards the door for a long time but didn't see his father. His face immediately fell, and he was a little disappointed.

He turned to He Yuzhu and said, "Brother Zhu, I'm going home. My mom should be calling me for dinner. I'll come visit you again tomorrow!"

"Okay, drive carefully, don't fall." He Yuzhu waved his hand.

"Goodbye, Brother Zhu! Goodbye, Uncle He!" Xu Damao dashed out of the hanging flower gate.

Hearing their conversation, He Daqing stopped, glanced back at the crooked snowman in the yard, then at Xu Damao who had run away, and his expression became somewhat strange.

He pulled He Yuzhu aside and asked in a low voice, "Zhu'er, why are you hanging out with that little brat from the Xu family? I remember you used to hate him the most, didn't you? That kid is so cunning."

Before He Yuzhu could answer, a strange, buzzing voice came from the side:

"Hmph, that little brat from the Xu family has no manners at all. He doesn't even greet his elders. His upbringing is terrible. And Zhu Zi too, he doesn't play with Dong Xu properly, he insists on hanging out with that bad boy. What if he goes astray? It's true that you become like those you associate with."

He Yuzhu frowned and looked in the direction of the sound.

As Yi Zhonghai pushed open his bedroom door and stepped inside, he uttered a sarcastic remark, followed by a mocking sigh, as if he genuinely cared about He Yuzhu's upbringing.

That old man is so petty!

He Yuzhu sneered inwardly.

Is he being held a grudge against because he didn't hang out with Jia Dongxu?

In the original story, Sha Zhu beats Xu Damao every day. Could it be that Yi Zhonghai was instigating this behind the scenes?

Besides, how old is Jia Dongxu now?

Yi Zhonghai had already begun grooming him as his successor?

The water here is indeed very deep.

Looking at He Daqing again, it was as if he hadn't heard Yi Zhonghai's words at all; his face remained completely expressionless.

He simply waved to He Yuzhu and said calmly, "Zhuzi, ignore the mad dog's barking and go home. Your mother is waiting for us."

After saying that, he strode into the house, his back exuding an undeniable protectiveness and domineering aura.

He Yuzhu jogged to catch up, and the father and son entered the main house one after the other.

Upon entering the room, a warm current wafted over, mixed with a faint herbal scent.

He Yuzhu couldn't wait to get to the table, staring at the cloth bag and swallowing hard, his eyes wide with excitement: "Dad, this is pig's trotters? It looks really appetizing! Will it smell especially delicious after it's stewed?"

He was really craving it.

In this body's memory, meat was a rare commodity, eaten only a few times a year, let alone such a large pig's trotter.

He Daqing put the cloth bag on the table, and while unbuttoning his cotton-padded jacket, he laughed loudly, shaking the dust off the roof.

"You little rascal, all you know is how to eat! This pig's trotter is a real pain to prepare. First, you have to singe off the hair, scrape it clean, then blanch it to remove the odor, and finally simmer it over low heat with some soybeans until the skin is split open and the meat is tender and mushy. Only then will your mother be able to produce milk."

"I want some too!" He Yuzhu clung to He Daqing's arm, whining and shaking it. "I want the skin! I want two!"

"Okay, okay, I'll save you one!"

He Daqing pinched his cheek affectionately, "Two won't do, your mother still needs to eat."

Hearing the noise from inside the room, Chen Lanxiang called out weakly, "Daqing, you're back? You must be exhausted after running around all day. Sit down and rest."

He Daqing hurriedly went into the inner room and saw his wife, who was pale-faced, and his daughter, who was sleeping soundly in her swaddling clothes, on the kang (a heated brick bed).

His eyes instantly softened, as if they could melt with tenderness: "Not tired at all. As long as you and the baby are safe and sound, it's all worth it even if I have to run around for another ten days or half a month."

"What about me!" He Yuzhu grumbled from the side, sticking his head out to join the conversation.

"Yes, yes, and our Dazhuzi too!" He Daqing laughed and hugged him into his arms. The three of them were happy and harmonious.

He Daqing took a breather, drank a cup of hot tea, and then plunged into the kitchen to get busy.

He took the iron pot off the stove, lit the firewood, and the flames roared up.

He took the two pig trotters out of the cloth bag, skewered them with chopsticks, and held them up to the flames to roast them.

"Sizzle—sizzle—"

As the flames licked, the hair on the pig's trotters was charred black, emitting a foul, burnt smell that mixed with the aroma of grease, permeating the entire kitchen and even drifting into the main house.

Chen Lanxiang, who was in the main room, couldn't stand the burnt smell. Her stomach churned, and she couldn't help but gag twice, her face turning even paler.

He Yushui, lying on the kang (heated brick bed), was probably bothered by the smell or perhaps she was hungry, when she suddenly burst into loud crying.

"Don't move, honey, I'll comfort you!" He Daqing shouted hurriedly from the kitchen after hearing the crying, but his hands didn't stop working.

"I'll be done soon, almost done! The smell is a bit strong, but bear with it! It'll be clean in no time!"

In the freezing cold, with all the doors and windows tightly shut, the smell of smoke couldn't dissipate quickly enough to protect the mother and baby from the cold wind, and it just lingered in the room.

"It's okay, you go about your business, I can tolerate it."

Despite her discomfort, Chen Lanxiang gently comforted the child, patting his back softly.

He Yuzhu looked at his younger sister, who was crying loudly with her eyes closed on the kang (a heated brick bed), her little face flushed red, and felt a little scared. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he was afraid that he would hurt her if he touched her too hard, so he could only watch her helplessly, muttering, "Don't cry, don't cry, little sister, be good, there will be something good to eat in a while."

Chen Lanxiang skillfully picked up the child, gently patted her back, and hummed an off-key lullaby.

After a while, He Yushui's crying subsided, and she started smacking her lips, looking for food, her eyes still closed.

"Daqing, stop preparing the pig's trotters for now, quickly get some rice porridge, your daughter is starving," Chen Lanxiang called out.

"Okay! Coming right away!"

He Daqing agreed and sped up his work, throwing the charred pig's trotters into the basin and starting to scrape them with a knife.

"Zhu Zi, go to the cellar and get some soybeans, and also bring up a few potatoes and cabbages. We'll stew some vegetables for dinner tonight."

Chen Lanxiang gave the instructions.

"Yes, sir!"

He Yuzhu agreed and turned to leave the house.

A gust of cold wind blew in, and he shivered.

He went to the kitchen to get a small basket and a bowl, and just as he was about to leave, his gaze fell on the door frame between the inner and outer rooms.

There isn't even a curtain here!

On such a cold day, the cold wind is blowing straight in from the kitchen and the outer room. How can my mother and sister stand it?

No wonder Mom looked so pale just now; besides morning sickness, she was probably also chilled.

He Yuzhu frowned, thinking to himself: I need to get a cotton curtain, otherwise my mother and sister will definitely get sick from the cold as they come and go.

But where would we find extra cotton? Cotton is rationed per person these days, and it's incredibly precious.

His gaze involuntarily fell on the inconspicuous broken wooden box in the corner.

His "spoils of war" from the previous night were hidden there—several Japanese soldiers' overcoats and a traitor's cotton-padded jacket.

Those things were made of thick fabric, and the cotton inside was top-quality new cotton, much better than what we used at home.

He Yuzhu's lips curled into a cold smile.

It seems the material for this curtain has been found.

Perfect, it will keep Mom and my sister warm and cozy, so they don't have to suffer from the cold wind.

As for those Japanese items, using them as door curtains is a way of making use of waste.