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

He Yuzhu stood in the shadows of the corner, watching the sparrows that had just landed and were startled into flight. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and a dark line appeared on his forehead.

He turned his head sharply, staring intently at the culprit beside him, and rebuked him in a low voice through gritted teeth.

"Xu Damao! Are you a crow? Your mouth can't stop talking! Those fat ones were scared away by your yell!"

Xu Damao was startled by He Yuzhu's fierce appearance. He subconsciously shrank his neck, slumped his shoulders, and put on an expression of great injustice. His voice was barely audible.

"Okay... I won't say anything anymore. Brother Zhu, don't be angry, I just wanted to cheer you on."

"Go for it? You're just making things worse for me!"

He Yuzhu took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly, but his eyes remained sharp.

"If you want to come along, keep your mouth shut. Don't make such a fuss, like you've never seen anything like this before."

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely shut up."

Seeing that He Yuzhu had calmed down, Xu Damao nodded hurriedly like a chick pecking at rice, covered his mouth tightly with both hands, and stared at He Yuzhu cautiously through his fingers with his big, round eyes wide open.

Seeing his comical yet nervous appearance, He Yuzhu's anger vanished instantly, and his lips twitched involuntarily; he almost burst out laughing.

This kid, though a bit shrewd, has a rather amusing, ingratiating look on his face.

In fact, with He Yuzhu's current skills, there are simpler and more direct ways to catch a few sparrows, such as catching them directly with his hands or using a net.

But his purpose today wasn't simply to eat. He wanted to take this opportunity to practice his slingshot skills—after all, in this day and age, having a handy tool would provide an extra layer of protection should any unexpected situations arise.

However, although the original owner was a reckless person, he had never actually used a slingshot as a "hidden weapon".

Although He Yuzhu had theoretical knowledge in his mind and knew how to aim and exert force, his body had no muscle memory.

Asking him to fight something that flies in the sky right now is pure wishful thinking; there's absolutely no chance of success.

So he could only patiently scatter a handful of rice and wait for the little guys to fall.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a few bolder sparrows tentatively landed on the snow.

They looked around warily, and seeing that there was nothing happening, they began to hop and peck at the grains of rice on the ground, their little heads bobbing up and down, which was quite adorable.

"Here you are." He Yuzhu's eyes narrowed, and his previously lazy demeanor instantly vanished.

He slowly raised the slingshot, steadily supporting the frame with his left hand and skillfully gripping the leather pouch with his right. He took a deep breath and pulled the rubber band.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

The mud pellet flew out like a meteor, but landed precisely on the snow next to the sparrow, splashing up a small amount of snow.

It's off-center, a full half-foot off-center.

The sparrows all flew away in a flash.

Xu Damao watched anxiously from the sidelines, his feet shuffling on the ground, his hands outstretched, almost ready to snatch the slingshot and use it himself, but he didn't dare to move because of He Yuzhu's imposing presence.

He Yuzhu was not discouraged and refilled the mud balls.

"Slap!" "Slap!" "Slap!"

After firing five or six shots in a row, the mud pellets left small pits on the snow.

Gradually, He Yuzhu felt his arm becoming less stiff. He adjusted his breathing, trying to steady his arm, aligning his gaze, pocket, and target in a straight line.

"Now!"

"Snapped!"

This time, the mud ball, accompanied by a whooshing sound, accurately hit its target.

Before a sparrow could even utter a cry of pain, it flapped its wings and rolled off the snow, twitching twice before going still.

"I got it! I got it!" Xu Damao was so excited he almost jumped up. He yelled and was about to rush over to pick it up when He Yuzhu grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't move!" He Yuzhu whispered, gesturing for him to look at the sky. "Wait. There are still some that haven't flown far; don't startle them."

Xu Damao then realized what was happening, quickly covered his mouth, and stared wide-eyed at the sparrows that were still circling and hesitating.

With his first success, He Yuzhu completely regained his touch.

He became more and more accurate with each shot, almost never missing a target.

He Yuzhu knew that this was not just the result of his practice, but also the effect of the "Pistol Mastery" skill in his mind. Although the weapon had changed, the principles of aiming, firing, and breathing control remained the same, and his muscles were rapidly adapting to this new way of generating power.

Another sparrow landed with a thud.

Then, another one.

Soon, the mud balls in the pocket were used up, and the rice scattered on the ground was almost eaten.

He Yuzhu looked down and counted his spoils. Five plump sparrows were lying on the snow.

"Good, a good start."

He Yuzhu nodded in satisfaction.

He took out a paper packet from his pocket and scattered rice in a circle on the snow again.

Xu Damao then scurried over, carefully picked up the sparrow from the ground, his face beaming with joy, and his mouth never stopped praising it:

"Brother Zhu, you're amazing! You're even better at using a slingshot than Uncle Erda's silly Zhu... no, even better than Uncle Erda!"

"Brother Zhu, don't these sparrows smell especially good when roasted? I can smell them."

"You'll know when it's cooked," He Yuzhu replied with a smile as he loaded the food.

"How much longer are we going to play?" Xu Damao asked impatiently, tucking the sparrow into his pocket. "I'm starving."

"There should be at least twenty or thirty," He Yuzhu said, weighing the slingshot in his hand and looking at the treetops in the distance. "This little bit of meat is just enough to fill a tooth gap, but we have to make sure our mother and sister have a good meal."

"Oh! Let's hurry up and fight! Let's try to take down thirty of them!" Xu Damao perked up immediately when he heard that he could have a good meal.

"What's the rush? They haven't even landed yet, why are you hitting thin air?" He Yuzhu glanced at him, then suddenly remembered something, "By the way, can you count? Did you count them correctly when you were picking them up? How many are there now?"

"Of course!"

Xu Damao puffed out his chest, looking proud.

"I counted them one by one, there's absolutely no mistake—five in total!"

In the following rounds, He Yuzhu's touch was incredibly hot.

The slingshot seemed to come alive in his hands; every time he drew the bow and released it, a sparrow would fall.

Xu Damao was the busiest person. He ran around in the snow, picking up birds and helping He Yuzhu pass mud balls. His cotton-padded coat was stuffed full of his spoils.

When he had killed the twenty-eighth one, He Yuzhu looked at the sky and then at the few mud balls left in his pocket, and raised his hand to stop.

"That's enough for today."

Xu Damao was holding two sparrows in his hand. Upon hearing this, a hint of regret appeared on his face, but he was more excited.

He couldn't hold all the pieces in his hands, so his eyes darted around and he reached out to unbutton his cotton-padded coat, seemingly wanting to take it off and use the front panel to hold it.

"You dare to take one off and see what happens!" He Yuzhu was quick-witted and swift, giving him a sharp rap on the forehead.

"If you want to have a high fever and be lying in bed drinking bitter medicine tomorrow, then go ahead and take your clothes off!"

"Ouch!" Xu Damao rubbed his forehead, muttering aggrievedly, "Then... how am I going to carry all these sparrows back? My hands are already full."

"You're so stupid."

He Yuzhu rolled her eyes at him, pointed towards the central courtyard, and said, "Go back and get a bundle wrapper, hurry up!"

"Okay! I'm off!"

Xu Damao responded and turned to run towards the central courtyard, faster than a rabbit.

Xu Damao ran incredibly fast, rushing straight into the He family's courtyard without even turning towards his own door.

Inside the house, Chen Lanxiang was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), gently patting He Yushui's back to lull her to sleep.

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, she looked up and saw only Xu Damao running in, panting. Her heart tightened immediately, and she quickly put down what she was doing to go and meet him.

"Da Mao? Why are you the only one back? Where's your brother Zhu Zi? Is he alright?"

"Brother Zhu is in the front yard! He's alright!" Xu Damao, his face flushed and neck red from running, asked anxiously between breaths, "Auntie, where's the blue checkered bundle Brother Zhu used to pack his things at noon? Give it to me quickly!"

"Look, isn't it placed by the kang (heated brick bed)?"

Chen Lanxiang pointed to the end of the kang (a heated brick bed), her doubts growing.

"What do you need the wrapping cloth for? Where's the pillar?"

"hey-hey."

Xu Damao grabbed the bundle, his face beaming with joy, and leaned close to Chen Lanxiang, speaking mysteriously.

"Auntie, Zhu Zi and I caught a lot of sparrows! Zhu Zi said he'll roast them for me later! They'll smell so good!"

"Look at what you two are capable of."

Chen Lanxiang was amused by him and reached out to tidy his hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

"How much is 'a lot'? Don't mean just two or three, right? That wouldn't even be enough to fill a tooth gap."

In Chen Lanxiang's memory, although her son was tough, he had never been taught how to play with a slingshot, even though he had pestered his father, He Daqing, for help.

She estimated that she would be lucky to take down two or three.

"Two or three?"

Xu Damao's eyes widened, his face full of disdain. Then he puffed out his little chest, held up two fingers, and proudly announced.

"Twenty-eight! Auntie, a full twenty-eight! I counted them one by one, there's no mistake! They were all shot down by Brother Zhu!"

"What?"

Chen Lanxiang's smile froze instantly. She stood there, stunned, staring at Xu Damao in disbelief.

"So many? All shot from the pillars? And with your crappy slingshot?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Absolutely true!"

Xu Damao nodded vigorously, his hands crumpling the bundle in his fists.

"Auntie, I'll go now! I'll tell you the details when I get back!"

After saying that, Xu Damao turned and ran, afraid that if he was too late, the sparrow would escape with its long legs.

"This child..."

Chen Lanxiang stared at his retreating figure for a long while, then slowly smiled, her eyes filled with a gratified smile.

My son seems to be getting more and more successful.

He Yuzhu did not go back to the front yard.

He leaned against the wall, twirling a slingshot in his hand, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily.

There are many people and eyes in this courtyard, especially Jia Zhangshi in the backyard. Her nose is sharper than a dog's. Who knows if she will smell something and sneak over?

"Brother Zhu! Brother Zhu! The bundle is here!"

Xu Damao's loud and boisterous voice came from afar, breaking the tranquility of the front yard.

"Keep your voice down!" He Yuzhu frowned, quickly stepped forward, and slapped him on the back of the head. "Are you trying to make sure everyone in the yard knows we shot the birds? Trying to attract food?"

"What good will knowing do?"

Xu Damao covered his head, looking unconvinced, but he still subconsciously lowered his voice.

"It'll be good for them to see how tough we two brothers are! So that no one will bully us in the future."

"Alright, enough nonsense." He Yuzhu took the bundle wrapping. "Hurry up and pack it."

The two brothers quickly picked up the sparrows from the snow one by one and put them into their bundles.

Just as he finished tying up his bundle and was about to turn back to the central courtyard, a familiar figure blocked his way at the hanging flower gate.

Jia Zhangshi was standing at her own door, holding a large cabbage in her hand, pretending to be picking vegetables.

But her triangular eyes weren't looking at the vegetable leaves at all; instead, they were fixed on the bulging bundle in He Yuzhu's hand, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Upon seeing the two boys enter, Jia Zhangshi immediately dropped the cabbage she was holding, forced a fake smile onto her face, and swayed her plump body as she came forward to greet them.

"Hey, isn't this Da Mao? Why are you running so fast?"

Her gaze swept over the bundle, her tone so warm it gave me goosebumps.

"Da Mao, what good stuff is in your bundle? It's bulging. Come on, let me help you carry it. Look how tired you are."

As she spoke, she reached out, trying to snatch the bundle.

He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold, and he cursed inwardly.

It's like my wish came true.

That old woman has a really good nose.

He subtly stepped to the side, blocking Xu Damao's path, shielding the bundle behind him, and coldly stared at Jia Zhangshi.

"Aunt Jia, what we're taking isn't really your business, is it? You should worry about the cabbages in your hands."

"How can you talk like that, child?"

Jia Zhangshi's hand froze in mid-air, and the smile on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a harsh expression.

With her hands on her hips, she shouted in a shrill voice, "What do you mean it has nothing to do with me? We live in the same courtyard, we're family! I'm just worried you might take things outside and cause trouble!"

"We're shooting birds in our own backyard, what trouble have we gotten ourselves into?" He Yuzhu retorted without backing down.

"If you have nothing else to do, please go back. Don't block the way."

"No!"

Jia Zhangshi got into a tantrum and took two steps forward, trying to get around He Yuzhu to look at the bundle.

"You mean you can just hunt birds? That black dog caused quite a stir the other night. What if you took something you shouldn't and brought the police? I need to check!"

As she spoke, she reached out to tear at He Yuzhu's arm.

He Yuzhu's eyes flashed with a sharp look, and with a flick of his wrist, he slapped her hand away. The force was so great that Jia Zhangshi staggered two steps before regaining her balance.

Just then, the door of the Yi family next door creaked open halfway.

Yi Li peeked out, seemingly wanting to come out and see what was going on, but when she saw Jia Zhang's fierce and menacing appearance, and then looked at He Yuzhu's cold expression, her eyes flickered, and in the end she didn't dare to step out.

After all, she couldn't afford to offend that shrew, Jia Zhangshi.

Just as the stalemate was at hand, Chen Lanxiang's strong voice suddenly came from inside the He family's house:

"Zhang Ruhua! Have you no shame? Trying to steal my son's things in broad daylight?"

Although Chen Lanxiang has not fully recovered, her voice has not diminished at all.

She heard everything clearly from inside the house; this Jia Zhangshi simply couldn't stand seeing others do well.

"I...I'm doing this for the good of the child, and for the good of our yard, isn't I?"

Jia Zhangshi was embarrassed when Chen Lanxiang called her by name, but she stubbornly defended herself.

"I was just asking..."

"Pah!" Chen Lanxiang spat fiercely inside the room.

"I know exactly what kind of kids my sons, Zhuzi and Damao, are! It's none of your business, an outsider! If you dare take another step forward, believe me, I'll get down on the ground right now and tear your mouth apart!"

Chen Lanxiang's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last bit of arrogance in Jia Zhangshi's mind.

She knew that Chen Lanxiang was also a feisty person, and if things really got out of hand, she wouldn't come out on top either.

"If you don't want me to see it, then you don't want me to see it..." Jia Zhangshi reluctantly withdrew her hand, trying to save face.

"I've been trying to be kind, but it's been misunderstood. Just you wait and see."

"Zhu Zi!" Chen Lanxiang called out, her tone becoming much gentler.

"Aren't you taking Damao home yet? It's so cold outside, what if he catches a cold?"

"Hey! Mom! I'm coming right back!"

He Yuzhu responded, without even glancing at Jia Zhangshi again, and, holding Xu Damao's hand, walked proudly towards the He family home.

Jia Zhangshi stood there, her triangular eyes fixed on He Yuzhu's back, especially the bundle, her gaze filled with greed and jealousy.

As Xu Damao passed by Jia Zhangshi, he deliberately turned back, made a big face at her, and stuck out his tongue: "Hehehe! You stingy little thing, drinking cold water!"

"You little brat!"

Madam Jia was so angry that she trembled all over. She raised her hand to hit him, which frightened Xu Damao so much that he shrank his neck and scurried into the He family's gate like a frightened little mouse.

Caught off guard by the half-open door of the Yi family's house, Jia Zhangshi, with nowhere to vent her anger, glared fiercely at the door and shrieked:

"What are you looking at! What's so interesting! Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

"Bang!"

The door to the Yi family's house was instantly slammed shut, leaving not a single crack.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Jia Zhangshi felt bored and glared fiercely at the He family's gate, muttering, "I hope you all eat yourselves to death! I wish I could choke you to death!"

She picked up the cabbage from the ground, turned around angrily, and went into the house.

The leaves of that cabbage were frozen solid; what was there to pick out?

She was just putting on an act, squatting there waiting for her prey to come to her.

Back inside, looking at the bowl of bland boiled cabbage on the table, Jia Zhangshi's anger flared even more.

She needs to have a good talk with Lao Jia. He Yuzhu is becoming more and more capable. She needs to find a way to get some benefits out of him.

As soon as He Yuzhu entered the house, he turned around and closed the door.

He asked Xu Damao to take the sparrows to the kitchen, while he went into the inner room.

Seeing Chen Lanxiang leaning against the headboard, He Yuzhu's face instantly broke into his signature sly grin. He gave Chen Lanxiang a thumbs-up: "Mom, you're amazing! That roar just now was like a shrew's roar, overflowing with domineering power! You're the best!"

As he spoke, he made a "first" gesture.

"Get lost!"

Chen Lanxiang was amused by him and scolded him with a smile.

"You little brat, you've just gotten back and you're already making fun of your mother? Go wash your hands and clean up your sparrows, or the house will smell."

"Alright! Just you wait and see, tonight you'll get to taste my cooking!"

He Yuzhu imitated the way he did on stage, bowing to Chen Lanxiang, which made Chen Lanxiang laugh heartily.

"You brat."

Chen Lanxiang shook her head with a smile, but her eyes were full of doting affection.

"I wonder where he learned this glib tongue from."

He Yuzhu chuckled, said nothing more, turned around and dashed out of the inner room, heading straight for the kitchen.

I have to show off my skills tonight!