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

"You should be content."

The deaf old lady shifted her body and leaned against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a large, rough porcelain bowl filled with freshly poured hot tea.

She blew on the tea leaves floating on the water and said slowly.

"Back in the Qing Dynasty, we didn't let you two go hungry; now Zhuzi isn't acting recklessly anymore and knows how to care for people. What more do you want? Today, thanks to you, this old lady can also get a sip of fish soup, which is great."

Chen Lanxiang looked down at her daughter in her arms, a smile playing on her lips: "Of course, I'll get you a big bowl in a bit."

"No, a small bowl will do."

The old lady waved her hand, but her eyes glanced towards the pot of fish soup.

"That was specially bought by Zhu Zi to help you produce milk. You're weak, you need to nourish yourself."

She paused, her cloudy eyes narrowing slightly, as if she were pondering something.

"It's strange, you know... how come this child suddenly seems like a completely different person? He even knows about things like crucian carp helping with lactation, he never knew any of these things before!"

"I guess I startled him the day I gave birth to the Rain Water."

Chen Lanxiang gently patted her daughter's swaddling clothes, her eyes full of love.

"This child is a late bloomer, who knows? Just like his father, it was only after I gave birth to Zhu'er that he slowly settled down and learned to take care of the family."

"That's true."

The old lady nodded and sighed.

"Life always gets better and better. I'm happy for you, Grandma."

"yes……"

Chen Lanxiang looked at He Yushui, who was as beautiful as a porcelain doll, in her arms, and spoke as softly as a feather.

Hopefully things will get better.

Outside the window, the cold wind howled.

Jia Zhangshi was braving the wind to go out and fetch water.

She was wearing a cotton-padded coat with several patches, carrying a chipped bucket, and looked very reluctant.

As soon as I arrived at the Intermediate Court, a rich and delicious aroma of fish soup wafted into my nose.

The aroma was so enticing, it made my stomach rumble.

Jia Zhangshi stopped abruptly, sniffed hard, and her already long face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Pah! He's just burning money!"

She spat on the ground, the sound not loud, but full of resentment.

"Making fish soup in broad daylight, who are you trying to show off to? Do you really think you're some kind of wealthy family?"

She carried the bucket and walked angrily towards the sink, dragging it on the ground with a loud clanging sound.

Inside the house, Jia Dongxu was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). Hearing his mother's grumbling, he felt inexplicably irritated.

In the past, whenever the He family cooked something delicious, his "good brother" He Yuzhu would definitely try his best to bring him a bowl or secretly slip him two pieces of meat.

But now...

Through the hole in the window paper, he looked at the tightly closed door of the He family's house, then looked down at his empty palms, his eyes filled with disappointment and a hint of barely perceptible resentment.

After washing the vegetables, Jia Zhangshi returned with the basin and saw her son looking listless and distracted.

Her anger flared up instantly.

"Snapped!"

A loud slap landed squarely on the back of Jia Dongxu's head.

"Ouch!"

Jia Dongxu winced in pain and sat up abruptly.

"What's wrong?"

Jia Zhangshi stood with her hands on her hips, spitting as she spoke.

"You feel bad watching others eat fish? And you're even blaming your mother? If it weren't for me, would you be where you are today?"

"No, no... Mother, how could I dare?"

Jia Dongxu covered the back of his head and quickly forced a smile, but in his heart he cursed his mother a thousand times.

If that old hag hadn't gone to the He family early the day before yesterday to make a scene and anger He Yuzhu, Zhuzi definitely wouldn't be ignoring him like this now.

They used to be so obedient, doing whatever they were told. Now, they don't even give you a smile.

If He Yuzhu knew what Jia Dongxu was thinking, he would definitely rush over and point his finger at him to tell him.

"You're overthinking it! I was naive before, but I'm not naive anymore!"

The He family enjoyed their lunch together happily.

The milky white crucian carp soup, sprinkled with chopped green onions, has an irresistible aroma.

The deaf old lady took a sip, squinted her eyes, and nodded repeatedly.

"Delicious! So delicious! Zhu Zi, did your father teach you this cooking skill?"

"Madam, I've only seen my father do it a few times."

He Yuzhu answered with a smile while clearing away the dishes.

"This is the first time I've cooked this myself. I just happened to be lucky, and it turned out pretty good."

"Wow!" The old lady's eyes lit up, and she gave a thumbs up. "My grandson is really talented! When your father comes back, I'll definitely talk to him and ask him to teach you properly. If you learn it all, I'll be in for a treat—your father is always busy outside and never has time to cook for me."

"Alright, ma'am, I've got your back."

He Yuzhu chuckled inwardly: This old lady is indeed a glutton.

"Me too! Me too!"

Xu Damao, who was standing to the side, got anxious and raised his little hand, shouting as his face turned bright red.

"Brother Zhu, don't forget me! I'll have my dad bring back some good stuff from the factory, and you can cook it for me!"

"You said it yourself." He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing him.

"If you don't bring anything nice, don't even think about entering my house, let alone getting a free meal."

"Just you wait and see!"

Xu Damao patted his chest and made a solemn promise.

"My dad loves me so much!"

"Alright, Pillar."

Chen Lanxiang interrupted them with a smile.

"Stop teasing him. These days, it's not easy to get good food. If he brings it all to our house, what will Xu Damao's family eat?"

"It's alright, ma'am!"

Xu Damao's eyes darted around, and his quick wit kicked in.

"Brother Zhu has finished cooking. I'll take some back for my parents. Wouldn't that be perfect for both of us?"

"You're quite clever."

Chen Lanxiang smiled and poked his forehead.

"You've got all the benefits from both sides."

"That's right! Who do you think I am, Xu Damao? I'm the smartest!" Xu Damao proudly raised his head, then felt a gaze fall on him.

He glanced furtively at He Yuzhu, who was looking at him with a half-smile, and immediately chickened out. He chuckled and changed his tune, saying, "Of course... I definitely can't compare to Brother Zhu. Brother Zhu is the smartest!"

As soon as he said that, a hearty laugh rang out in the room.

This kid's ability to read people is truly amazing.

After the meal, He Yuzhu helped the deaf old lady back to her room to rest.

When he returned, he told Xu Damao to wait in the side room: "Go play in the side room for a while, I'll wash the dishes and then I'll come find you."

He added some more coal to the stove, put the rice porridge he had made for He Yushui on a low flame to simmer, and then turned and went into the main room.

When Chen Lanxiang saw that he had finished his work, the smile on her face vanished instantly, and she stared at him with a stern expression and sharp eyes.

"Tell me, where did you go all day?"

This is the start of the interrogation.

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat; he knew he couldn't avoid it.

He chuckled, leaned closer to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and said mysteriously, "Mom, I won't tell you where I went yet, I got you some good stuff!"

"Oh?"

Chen Lanxiang's curiosity was piqued, and her tense face relaxed slightly.

"You've certainly gotten your hands on some good stuff. Come here, tell your mother, what treasure did you get your hands on?"

"milk powder!"

He Yuzhu lowered his voice and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Imported baby formula! Isn't it good stuff?"

Chen Lanxiang's face changed instantly.

"What?!"

She sat up abruptly, her voice rising eight octaves.

"Hey kid, come here right now! You got cocky? Tell me honestly, where did you get this stuff?"

"I'm not going over there." He Yuzhu took two steps back, covering his ears warily.

"Mom, you're trying to pinch my ear again."

"Hmph! I'll remember this debt and settle it with you later."

Chen Lanxiang glared at him, her tone still stern, "Don't try to change the subject. Tell me, where did the stuff come from? Where did you get the money to buy the formula? Didn't you say you gave all the money to Dr. Lin?"

I found it when I went out.

He Yuzhu took out the brocade money bag he had prepared beforehand from his pocket and handed it over.

"Found it?"

Chen Lanxiang took the money pouch, opened it, and found it empty except for a few scraps of paper. "Are you kidding me?"

"I really found it."

He Yuzhu looked serious, his eyes clear.

"I found a money bag on the roadside with twenty silver dollars inside. I used the money to buy milk powder and a baby bottle, and the rest... I used to buy fish and food."

He spoke with such conviction, his smug expression suggesting he was truly blessed with incredible luck.

Chen Lanxiang rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Not a single word my son uttered was true.

Where can you find twenty dollars on the street?

What a coincidence!

But this kid is very tight-lipped; you can't get anything out of him no matter how hard you ask.

She has just given birth and it's inconvenient for her to get out of bed; she also doesn't have the strength to deal with him.

"Where are the things?"

She took a deep breath and changed the subject.

"I hid inside the snowman in the front yard."

He Yuzhu pointed out the window.

"When my dad comes back, I'll have him go get it. The place is hidden; no one will ever guess it."

Chen Lanxiang stared at him for a full half minute, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Suddenly, she asked, "Are you really my Zhu'er?"

The voice was very soft, but carried a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

In the past, if my son had gotten something this good, I would have swaggered into the yard and shown it off, wanting everyone in the yard to know.

But now...

He became more composed, more meticulous, and even a little...

Slippery.

He Yuzhu was startled, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Have we been discovered?

He quickly adjusted his expression, a signature goofy grin spreading across his face, and scratched his head.

"Mother, if I'm not your pillar, then who am I? Have you gotten confused from your postpartum confinement?"

"Alright..." Chen Lanxiang waved her hand, as if dispelling some bad thoughts. "Go find Da Mao to play. When your dad comes back, tell him which snowman he hid."

She did consider other possibilities.

Too many strange things have happened these past few days.

But this boy in front of me, though he has changed a lot, still has that simple and honest quality, and the way he speaks, that is clearly my son.

I'm probably overthinking it.

"Then you rest, Mother. I'm going out. Call me if you need anything."

He Yuzhu felt as if he had been granted a pardon and turned to walk out.

"Go on, go on." Chen Lanxiang watched his retreating figure, feeling inexplicably irritated.

This kid is getting harder and harder to manage.

Like a slippery eel, it's impossible to get a hold of it.

Back to the side room.

Xu Damao was pacing around the room, feeling bored, when he saw He Yuzhu come in. His eyes lit up, and he pulled a small cloth bag out of his pocket as if it were a treasure.

"Brother Zhu! Let's play with slingshots!"

He untied the cloth bag and poured out a handful of iron beads the size of soybeans. They rolled on the table with a "clattering" sound, shiny and heavy.

He Yuzhu clicked his tongue: "Xu Damao's father is too careless. Isn't he afraid that this kid will blind someone by randomly hitting them with iron beads?"

"Okay." He nodded. "I was just thinking of getting some exercise. Let's go to the front yard and see if we can catch a few sparrows to roast for dinner."

"Great! Shall we go now?" Xu Damao was so excited he almost jumped up.

"I'm a little tired after running around all morning."

He Yuzhu plopped down on the bed, stretched, and said, "Let's rest for a while and get some rest before we go."

"All right……"

Xu Damao's mood instantly plummeted, like a deflated balloon.

He Yuzhu endured Xu Damao's constant nagging and dozed off for about half an hour.

I just can't take it anymore.

This kid was like a fly, buzzing incessantly in my ear.

He sat up abruptly.

"Walk!"

He led the elated Xu Damao out the door.

I first went to the kitchen and got some millet and corn stubble.

Chen Lanxiang instructed from inside the house, "Don't run too far. Just play in the yard. Don't go outside! It's dangerous outside!"

"Yes, Mother!"

forecourt.

He Yuzhu found a sheltered spot and scattered a handful of millet and a handful of corn stubble on the snow.

Then, they led Xu Damao to squat in the shadows under the eaves, holding their breath and waiting.

Xu Damao was so excited that he kept whispering, "Brother Zhu, why isn't Que'er here yet? Why isn't she here? Did she smell our scent and run away?"

He Yuzhu was driven crazy by his noise.

He raised his hand and gave Xu Damao a hard slap on the neck.

"Do you still want to eat roasted sparrow? If you do, shut up! If you say another word, the sparrow will really run away!"

"Okay... I understand."

Xu Damao covered the back of his head, pouted, and stared intently at the pile of grain in the middle of the yard.

Before long, a few sparrows landed on the courtyard wall, chirped a few times, and tentatively flew down.

They landed on the snow, looked around warily, and only when they saw no movement did they begin to peck at the rice.

"Here it comes!"

Xu Damao pointed excitedly, and was about to stand up when He Yuzhu grabbed him and pressed him down.

"Don't move!" He Yuzhu whispered.

Just then, several more sparrows flew down, growing bolder and bolder, hopping and skipping around trying to grab the food.

Xu Damao could no longer hold back. He suddenly stood up, pulled back his slingshot, and fired: "Take this!"

"Bang!"

The pebble missed the sparrow, but landed on the water vat next to it.

Startled, the sparrows all took flight with a whoosh, circling twice above the yard and chirping as if mocking them.

"Oh no! He got away!" Xu Damao stamped his feet in frustration. "It's all your fault, Brother Zhu! He wouldn't let me hit him!"

He Yuzhu rolled her eyes: "It's clearly your own fault for losing your temper, and you're blaming me?"