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

He Yuzhu looked at the more than twenty sparrows on the cutting board, which were still warm from their bodies.

The task of plucking the hair alone almost drove him to the brink of collapse.

This thing is too small; it doesn't even weigh two ounces, but it has more fine downy hair than hair.

At first, He Yuzhu wanted to be more particular, so he took a pair of tweezers and patiently picked out the fine hairs sticking to the skin one by one.

But after picking out only two, he became impatient.

When will we finally find a date?

"Alright, let's use the old method."

He Yuzhu simply grabbed a sparrow by the leg and went straight to the pile of glowing red charcoal at the stove opening.

"Sizzle—"

A slight popping sound.

That was the sound of fine downy hairs instantly curling and turning black.

A faint smell of burnt hair mixed with the aroma of skin and flesh roasted at high temperature instantly filled the air.

"That's more like it."

He Yuzhu rubbed his hands together in satisfaction; this was much more efficient.

Disemboweling is a delicate task.

He Yuzhu swiftly sliced ​​open the belly with the knife in his hand.

He inserted two fingers and skillfully pulled out the internal organs with a smooth, effortless motion.

Xu Damao squatted on the small stool next to him, his eyes looking like they were on a sparrow.

He stared intently, his mouth never stopping, like a newly hatched duckling:

"Brother Zhu, is this roasted sparrow really delicious? I've only ever had boiled sparrow before, and it didn't taste like that."

"Brother Zhu, how did I do today? How many can I eat later? I think I can eat five!"

"Brother Zhu, can you hurry up? My stomach is growling, this smells so tempting."

He Yuzhu was overwhelmed by his questions, but his hands didn't stop moving.

While quickly cleaning out the internal organs, he pondered in his mind: how can we eat these twenty-odd sparrows in the most cost-effective way?

Baked them all? They're too small, only two bites each, not even enough to fill a tooth gap, and you'll still be hungry after eating them.

Finally, he made up his mind.

"Roast eight to satisfy our cravings, stew ten for soup, and hang the remaining ten outside the window to freeze, to eat tomorrow."

It's freezing cold today; leaving it outside is like a natural refrigerator, it won't break.

The cleaned sparrows, laid out on the cutting board, looked even smaller and more pitiful.

He Yuzhu found some sharpened chopsticks and strung the sparrows together, two sparrows per string.

He pulled some glowing embers from the wood-fired stove; they were red-hot and radiated heat.

I found a discarded tin box, poured in the charcoal, put on a wire mesh, and a simple barbecue grill was ready.

"Sizzle—"

As soon as the sparrow skewers were placed on the charcoal fire, the skin of the meat touched the scorching hot wire, instantly releasing oil that dripped onto the charcoal and produced a puff of smoke.

The aroma is coming out.

The burnt smell gradually dissipated, replaced by a unique, rich, and enticing aroma of meat.

This is the kind of domineering aroma that only wild game can have, and in this era of oil and meat shortages, it's simply the ultimate temptation.

Xu Damao swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down like a little meatball, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the sparrows sizzling on the shelf, wishing he could swallow them whole.

He Yuzhu unconsciously swallowed.

To be honest, he was craving it too.

Although this stuff has little meat, it's three times more flavorful than regular pork or chicken.

The enticing aroma, as if it had grown legs, wafted out of the He family's kitchen on the wind.

Inside the Jia family's house, Jia Zhangshi was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing shoe soles when her nose suddenly twitched like a dog's, her eyes narrowed instantly, and she put down her work to sniff the air.

"Roasted sparrow..."

She muttered to herself, a greedy look on her face.

"No wonder those two little bastards were acting so suspiciously, refusing to let me see anything. Turns out they were hiding this good stuff!"

She turned her head sharply and looked at Jia Dongxu, who was sitting at the table in a daze, her eyes flashing with a fierce light.

"Dongxu! Get up right now!"

"Mom, what's wrong?" Jia Dongxu was startled.

"Did you hear that? That smells like roasted sparrows!"

Jia Zhangshi pointed outside.

"It must have been that brat He Yuzhu who grilled them! Go to Old He's house and ask him for a few!"

Jia Dongxu's nose was also very sensitive; he had long been captivated by the aroma.

Upon hearing there was meat to eat, he perked up without hesitation: "Okay, Mom! I'll go right now!"

Jia Dongxu put on his shoes and happily went out the door.

But he didn't dare to go directly into the He family's house—after all, his mother had just been scolded by Chen Lanxiang, and if he went in now, he might get a beating too.

He followed the rich aroma of meat and tiptoed to the window of the He family's kitchen.

I clung to the cold windowsill, tiptoed, and peered through the holes in the window paper.

In the kitchen, Xu Damao was pacing around the grill, scratching his head in frustration.

"Brother Zhu, is it ready yet? Look, it's sizzling with oil, it must be cooked, right? My mouth is watering."

As he spoke, he actually wiped his mouth hard with his sleeve, as if afraid that his saliva would drip down and go to waste.

He Yuzhu rolled his eyes and said irritably, "You're really disgusting. What's the rush? The outside is burnt and the inside isn't cooked yet. Be careful not to get diarrhea if you eat it."

"Hehe, I just couldn't resist."

Xu Damao rubbed his hands together, his face full of flattery.

"Brother Zhu, I just want to try it, can I have the first one?"

"Okay, okay, you can have the first one."

He Yuzhu waved his hand helplessly.

Upon hearing "It's yours first" outside the window, Jia Dongxu was incredibly anxious and couldn't help but swallow hard.

The commotion alerted the people inside the house.

He Yuzhu and Xu Damao both looked out the window at the same time.

Seeing that he had been discovered, Jia Dongxu stopped hiding and leaned over the windowsill, shamelessly shouting:

"Zhu Zi, are you roasting sparrows? They smell so good! Can I have a few to try? I won't eat them for free; I'll give you some good stuff tomorrow too."

Upon hearing Jia Dongxu's voice, Xu Damao's anger flared up instantly. He jumped up, pointed at the window, and yelled:

"Jia Dongxu! What are you doing here? These are sparrows that Brother Zhu roasted for me, there's none for you! Get lost!"

"Xu Damao, are you looking for a beating?"

Jia Dongxu glared at him from outside the window, his tone arrogant, relying on his age.

"These are sparrows roasted by Zhu Zi, what's it to you? Aren't you just a freeloader too? If it weren't for Zhu Zi's kindness, you wouldn't even get a bone scrap!"

"I contributed my slingshot! I even helped pluck the feathers!"

Xu Damao puffed out his chest and retorted confidently.

"I'm being paid according to my work! Right, Brother Zhu? I can eat, right?"

"Yes," He Yuzhu said without looking up, continuing to flip through the sparrow skewers in his hand, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable certainty, "I'll give you the first one."

"Zhu Zi." Seeing that He Yuzhu didn't directly refuse, Jia Dongxu thought there was hope and quickly changed his expression.

"Look at our relationship, we grew up together, how about you guys have a taste?"

"Go get it yourself if you want to eat it."

He Yuzhu replied casually.

"There are plenty of sparrows in the snow outside. You have hands and feet, so you can make a living by doing it yourself."

"Give me a few to whet my appetite, and I'll catch more and return them to you tomorrow, even more!"

Jia Dongxu has started making empty promises.

He Yuzhu almost burst out laughing when he heard this.

This tactic...

Why do we look so familiar?

Did the Jia family's tradition of "borrowing things based on ability and not returning them based on conscience" begin to take shape at this time?

"Then you can catch it yourself tomorrow and eat it," He Yuzhu rolled her eyes.

"I only have about twenty of them in total. My mother and sister all need to eat them, and there aren't even enough for myself."

"that is!"

Xu Damao was giving him a huge boost from the sidelines.

"We don't even have enough to eat, why should we give it to you?"

"With so many of you, how come there aren't enough to eat?"

Jia Dongxu got anxious and moved forward, his face almost touching the window.

"Give me a few, and you can eat fewer of them, okay? I'm the older brother, isn't it only right that you show me some respect?"

"You have a really thick skin."

Xu Damao was also quick-witted, and he mocked without any mercy.

"Why should I give you food? Just because your skin is thicker than a city wall?"

Although Jia Dongxu had a thick skin, he still blushed and turned pale when a child several years younger than him called him out on his face.

"Xu Damao! You just wait!" Jia Dongxu threatened, enraged.

"From now on, if you ever get separated from your group in the compound, I'll beat you to a pulp!"

Although Xu Damao was stubborn, he was actually a little nervous inside.

He knew he couldn't beat Jia Dongxu, and he only dared to be so tough these past two days because of Brother Zhu's influence.

He didn't dare to talk back, and subconsciously shrank closer to He Yuzhu, seeking protection.

"What are you afraid of?"

He Yuzhu nudged Xu Damao lightly with his shoulder, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"Brother Zhu, what if I get alone? He's so much older than me, I can't beat him..." Xu Damao muttered under his breath, looking distressed.

He Yuzhu chuckled inwardly: This kid looks incredibly shrewd, but his mouth is sure to cause trouble.

Even knowing they can't win a fight, they still won't back down verbally.

"Then you should stay home and not go out," He Yuzhu teased him deliberately.

"No, Brother Zhu!"

Xu Damao became anxious.

"I don't want to be locked at home by my mom anymore, it's too boring."

"Then you can practice with me from now on."

He Yuzhu glanced at him and looked him up and down, taking in his thin frame.

"Look at your small frame, you're like a bean sprout, you'd fall over in the wind. You have to train."

"I'm not a bean sprout!"

Xu Damao got angry. Thinking of Douya's big head and thin body, he resolutely refused to do it.

"I haven't fully grown yet! Once I do, I'll definitely be stronger than Jia Dongxu!"

Jia Dongxu, sitting at the window, was itching to listen.

Those two little bastards completely ignored him, treating him like he didn't exist, and were even discussing how to beat him up.

A surge of roguish energy welled up inside Jia Dongxu, and he gritted his teeth, beginning to utter harsh words:

"Zhu Zi, you'll regret this! We'll see each other all the time in this compound. If you ever need anything and come to me for help, don't blame me for not helping!"

He Yuzhu then stopped what he was doing, looked up, and stared coldly at Jia Dongxu through the window.

His eyes were full of disdain and mockery.

"Jia Dongxu, what can you do to help me?"

He Yuzhu scoffed, his tone full of disdain.

"By the way, you actually did me a huge favor by not trying to take advantage of me. Thank you so much."

Xu Damao gave a thumbs-up in agreement.

"That's right! Jia Dongxu, the biggest help you can give us is to stop trying to take advantage of my brother Zhuzi!"

"He Yuzhu! You...you just wait!"

Jia Dongxu was so angry that he was trembling all over, pointing at He Yuzhu inside the room.

"You'll be begging me someday! Don't come crying to me then!"

"I'll be waiting."

He Yuzhu spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if he were simply saying that the weather was nice today. After saying that, he ignored him and turned back to continue roasting his sparrows.

Seeing that her son hadn't come out for a long time, Jia Zhangshi had long been impatient and stood at her door, peeking out.

I thought it would be a piece of cake, and that catching a few sparrows would be a piece of cake.

Unexpectedly, her son returned angrily, his hands empty.

"Dongxu! Where have you been? Where's the stuff?"

Jia Zhangshi went up to her and immediately began to ask questions.

Jia Dongxu was seething with anger and had nowhere to vent it, so he said irritably, "I didn't get it! That He Yuzhu is too stingy, he didn't even give me a penny!"

"You piece of trash!"

Madam Jia cursed, then her eyes darted around, realizing that her son had been rejected.

Seeing her son trembling with anger, she deliberately shouted loudly to save face, her voice so loud that it could be heard halfway through the yard:

"Dongxu! Where have you been? Are you starving or what? Why did you have to eat other people's leftovers? Tomorrow, Mom will buy two pounds of fatty pork and make dumplings for you! Let them drool! Let them show off!"

Jia Dongxu was completely baffled by his mother.

I thought to myself: Didn't you tell me to go? How come now it's my turn to eat leftovers?

Moreover, he didn't believe his mother would buy meat to make dumplings—it had only been a short time since the New Year, and the family's savings had long been gone. They hadn't seen a trace of meat in almost a month, and there wasn't much oil in the vegetables either.

This is clearly a show to save face for himself, a performance for the He family.

In the kitchen, He Yuzhu and Xu Damao exchanged a glance, both seeing a smile in each other's eyes.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He Yuzhu deliberately raised his voice and shouted out the window:

"Hey! Aunt Jia Zhang! How much meat are you planning to buy? If you're making dumplings, I think pure meat is the best! That's so fragrant!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Xu Damao also joined in the shouting.

"Pure meat is so delicious! Every bite is bursting with flavor, it's incredibly fragrant! Aunt Jia, remember to buy plenty when you go meat shopping, so you don't run out!"

"Pillar! Damao!"

Chen Lanxiang's voice suddenly came from the inner room, carrying a hint of sternness.

"Aren't your sparrows ready yet? Bring them over when they're done! Stop arguing with people!"

Although Chen Lanxiang also disliked Jia Zhangshi's attitude, she didn't want her son to stoop to the level of a shrew and go astray.

When Jia Zhangshi heard Chen Lanxiang speak, she became even more embarrassed.

She was just trying to give her son a way out; how could she actually buy meat to make dumplings? That would break her heart.

But He Yuzhu and Xu Damao's teasing clearly showed they didn't believe her, which made her unable to swallow her anger.

"He Yuzhu! You little brat! Do you think I can't afford meat?"

Jia Zhangshi shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice shrill and piercing.

"They're just a few rotten sparrows! They're filthy! I don't even want them! Dongxu, go home! Don't waste your breath on those two ill-mannered fools!"

"Hey, Aunt Jia," He Yuzhu said casually, flipping through the sparrows, his tone full of mockery.

"You're really stubborn. I'll wait and see tomorrow to see if your family really eats only meat dumplings."

The sparrows on the charcoal fire were roasted to a golden-brown sheen, and the enticing aroma of meat grew stronger, filling the entire yard.

"You...you ill-mannered thing!" Madam Jia Zhang was so angry that she trembled all over, stomped her foot hard, and pulled Jia Dongxu, who was still drooling.

"Dongxu! Let's go home! We're not eating that! Let's go home and have some cabbage soup!"

"Mom...I want to eat sparrows..."

Jia Dongxu looked back at the He family's window with lingering reluctance, only to be pinched hard by Jia Zhangshi before being dragged home with a long face.