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

Seeing that Jia Laonian was adamant in his attitude and had twice bluntly rejected his offer of help, Yi Zhonghai realized that Jia had refused.

He immediately understood—if he went any further, the cowardly old man would only realize his ulterior motives, and he would only make things worse.

There's no room for negotiation now that things have been said this far.

Yi Zhonghai could only suppress his inner scheming, force a smile, cup his hands and said, "Since you insist on not helping, Lao Jia, then I won't stay any longer. You and your family should get some rest. If you encounter any difficulties later, just call me anytime."

After saying that, he turned around, lifted his foot, and walked steadily out of the Jia family's house, gently closing the old wooden door behind him.

His movements seemed casual, but a hint of barely perceptible anger and resentment was hidden in his eyes.

The moment Yi Zhonghai stepped out of the Jia family's doorstep, he suddenly stopped and turned to the side.

He gazed intently at the doors and windows of the He family across the street, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions: fear of He Daqing's abilities, envy of the He family's peaceful life, and jealousy of Sha Zhu for getting something good out of nowhere.

There was also a trace of resentment hidden deep within, accumulated from previous losses. These emotions mixed together, making his face frighteningly gloomy.

After gazing intently for a moment, Yi Zhonghai withdrew his gaze, flicked his sleeves, and walked straight toward his own courtyard, his back view appearing particularly cold in the night.

Pushing open the door to his own room, he saw his wife, Li Guihua, sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing shoe soles.

Seeing him return, she immediately put down her needlework and looked up with concern, asking, "Husband, what exactly happened at the Jia family's place? I heard quite a commotion next door. Did you go in and find out what happened?"

Yi Zhonghai took off his coat and threw it on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), waving his hand impatiently.

"What else could have happened? During the day, Jia Zhangshi's accusation that Sha Zhu stole something caused a big fuss. The deaf old lady in the backyard said that she would have to send him to live in the back room of the first courtyard as an apology to the He family."

Upon hearing this, Li Guihua paused, the awl in her hand twitching, a disdainful smirk playing on her lips.

"Ah? It really was the old lady who said that? That Jia Zhangshi brought it on herself! She's always been greedy and gluttonous, causing trouble everywhere. This time she's met her match, and she deserves to be punished!"

"Alright, keep it to yourself. Don't go around making a fuss, or you'll get yourself into trouble." Yi Zhonghai sat down on the kang table, his tone commanding.

"Go, get me a pot of wine and a handful of peanuts. I'm feeling really upset, I need some wine to cheer myself up."

As Li Guihua got up and walked towards the cupboard, she muttered, "Why do you suddenly want to drink again? We just finished dinner not long ago. Aren't you afraid of harming your health by drinking too much?"

While complaining, he deftly found a wine pot and a porcelain bowl, grabbed a handful of fragrant roasted peanuts, put them on a plate, and presented them to Yi Zhonghai.

On the other side, inside the Jia family's house, as soon as Yi Zhonghai's footsteps disappeared at the alley entrance, Jia Zhangshi immediately flew into a rage, jumped up from the kang (a heated brick bed), and pointed at Jia Laonian's nose while yelling.

"Old Jia, what exactly are you up to? Yi Zhonghai offered to plead for us just now, but you refused time and time again. Are you crazy? If we could avoid moving the house, why would we suffer like this!"

Her voice was shrill and sharp, and her spittle splattered all over Jia Laonian's face. Her hair was disheveled again from excitement, and there was no trace of the humility she had shown when she was begging for help.

Enraged by her nagging, Jia Laonian slammed his hand on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), then slammed his pipe on the table, shouting angrily, "You stupid old woman, what do you know! All you do is yell! Who is Yi Zhonghai? Is he genuinely helping? Does he have that much influence to persuade a deaf old lady? Even if he does have that much influence, how are we going to repay this debt of gratitude?"

"It's just a matter of saying a few words. It's not a huge favor. I can repay it by doing him some chores when I have time!"

Jia Zhangshi remained unconvinced, standing with her hands on her hips and her neck stiff as she retorted. In her eyes, no favors were more important than not having to live in a dilapidated house.

"You don't know anything! Do you think favors are so easy to repay?" Old Jia was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at his opponent. He picked up his pipe, lit it, took a deep drag, and then exhaled a smoke ring.

"That old bastard Yi Zhonghai is more cunning than a honeycomb briquette. He's come up to us like this, who knows if he's after Dongxu. He might sell us out, and we'll be counting the money for him!"

"Why can't we pay him back? Is he going to eat our whole family's food?"

Madam Jia persisted in pressing the issue, insisting that she really didn't want to go to that damp and dark room without even a proper window.

Old Jia, completely losing his patience with her pestering, waved his hand dismissively and yelled impatiently, "Alright! Stop your nagging and go get a basin of water to wash your face. Look at yourself, disheveled and looking like a madwoman, a disgrace!"

Madam Jia pursed her lips, still refusing to move. She took a step forward and lowered her voice, pressing, "Why am I in such a hurry? I'm just asking you, is it really absolutely necessary for our family to move? Isn't there any other way?"

"Not moving? If we don't move, our whole family will be completely kicked out of the courtyard by the old lady and end up on the streets!" Old Jia pointed at her nose, exasperated.

"It's all because of you, you troublemaker! Greedy and wicked, you insisted on framing Sha Zhu for stealing, and now you've caused a huge disaster, are you scared yet? The factory does have dormitories, but they're huge communal rooms, dozens of people crammed into one, filthy and messy. If you want to live there, I won't stop you!"

These words struck a nerve with Jia Zhangshi. She immediately wilted, her head drooping, all her previous arrogance gone. She muttered, "I'm not going to live in that lousy dormitory, it's filthy."

After a moment of silence, she raised her head again, clinging to her last glimmer of hope, and said, "When you go to pick up the keys to the back house tomorrow, make sure you choose two rooms with good lighting and clean walls. Don't pick those dilapidated rooms with collapsed corners!"

"Okay, okay!"

Old Jia responded in a muffled voice, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.

"Go wash up and stop bothering me!"

Seeing that things had come to this point and there was nothing that could be done, Jia Zhangshi could only reluctantly turn around and shuffle out of the inner room, muttering curses under her breath about Sha Zhu, He Daqing, and the deaf old lady, her voice full of resentment.

All of this was observed by a figure not far away.

Yi Zhonghai's entire trip to the Jia family was witnessed by He Daqing, who was returning from the backyard after delivering the goods.

He Daqing paused, then slipped into the shadows of the hanging flower gate, holding his breath until Yi Zhonghai entered his house before slowly emerging.

He stood in the night, staring at the tightly closed doors of the Yi family's house, his face as cold as ice.

He spat angrily on the ground and muttered, "Pah! Like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—it's up to no good!"

Having spent many years mingling in the streets, He Daqing was always accurate in judging people. He knew without a doubt that Yi Zhonghai's late-night visit to the Jia family was definitely not out of kindness to mediate a fight. He was more likely plotting to take advantage of them and scheme against them, perhaps even targeting his own family members.

However, he couldn't be bothered with it. As long as Yi Zhonghai didn't mess with him or covet his things, he wouldn't bother with the dirty business in the courtyard.

He Daqing shook his arm, turned around and went back to his house, casually closing the door to shut out the darkness in the yard.

Inside the house, his wife, Chen Lanxiang, was clearing away the dishes. Seeing his pale face, she casually asked, "Why did you take so long? Have you settled the old lady in the backyard?"

"She's all settled in. The old lady ate the snacks we brought and has already gone to bed."

He Daqing pulled up a stool and sat down, then recounted everything he had just seen.

"When I came back just now, I saw that old bastard Yi Zhonghai go into the Jia family and stay there for a long time before coming out. His face was still gloomy, so he definitely didn't have anything good in mind."

Chen Lanxiang paused in wiping the table, then said calmly, "Why bother with so much? Let's just live our own lives. As long as they don't mess with us, let them do whatever they want."

"I didn't intend to interfere, but I just felt uneasy about it and kept nagging about it."

He Daqing picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a bowl of water, and gulped down most of it.

"Yi Zhonghai is too cunning. He's always been against me. Who knows who he's plotting against this time? We have to be careful."

"Alright, you've had a long day, and you still have time to worry about these trivial family matters."

After Chen Lanxiang finished clearing away the dishes, she walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder.

"Instead of wasting your time, you might as well teach Zhu Zi more about our family's cooking skills and pass them on to him as soon as possible so that he can have a way to make a living in the future."

Mentioning his son, Shazhu, He Daqing's expression softened considerably. He sighed and said, "Most of the dishes on my recipes require high-quality ingredients. These days, there are too many restrictions, and it's impossible to get good ingredients. I can't really develop real skills. I'm thinking that in a couple of years when things are more stable, I'll send Zhuzi out to learn authentic Sichuan and Shandong cuisine, to find a famous master to teach him. That way, he'll have a proper teacher and be able to establish himself in the factory."

"Zhuzi is still so young, I'm worried about him going out to learn his craft." Chen Lanxiang looked at the silly Zhuzi sitting to the side with heartache and shook her head.

"Things aren't peaceful outside right now, there's war and chaos. Let's wait a few years and see. Let him stay with us for now."

"That makes sense. I'm just thinking about it." He Daqing nodded, agreeing with his wife.

Silly Zhu sat quietly to the side, but his mind was in turmoil.

He was reborn and knew clearly what sordid things would happen in this courtyard house in the future. That old bastard Yi Zhonghai, even though Jia Laonian is still alive and well, has already started to plot against Jia Dongxu, wanting to use Jia Dongxu as a tool for retirement. He really has a good plan.

He secretly wondered: Should he try to get Dr. Lin to come over and examine Yi Zhonghai's wife, Li Guihua?

Perhaps we can expose Yi Zhonghai's infertility, put an end to his hopes, and avoid some subsequent troubles.

Just as he was lost in thought, He Daqing's voice suddenly came from beside him, pulling him back to reality.

"Zhu Zi, what are you spacing out for? I've called you several times and you haven't responded. Where did your soul go?"

He Daqing looked at his son, who was lost in thought, and felt both amused and exasperated.

Sha Zhu suddenly snapped out of his daze, blinked, and feigned ignorance, asking, "Huh? Dad, what did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly."

"You little rascal, all you ever think about is nonsense."

He Daqing reached out and gently patted Sha Zhu's little head with a light touch, full of affection.

"We were just talking about sending you out to learn a trade, and you just drifted off into your own thoughts."

Sha Zhu scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting around, and then blurted out the excuse he had already prepared.

"Father, Mother, I don't want to learn a trade first. I want to ask when I can go to school?"

"What's wrong, kid? You suddenly want to study?" He Daqing was a little surprised and raised an eyebrow.

"Of course!" Sha Zhu puffed out his little chest and said in a serious tone.

"If I don't read and write, I won't be able to understand any of our family's recipes. Am I supposed to be blind for the rest of my life? I'll never be able to master cooking!"

These words were reasonable, and He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang exchanged a glance, both agreeing with their son's reasoning.

Chen Lanxiang immediately smiled and nodded: "It's good to be able to read, Mother will teach you! It's just recognizing a few words, Mother can do it. If Mother can't teach you, go to the backyard and find the deaf old lady. She was educated when she was young, knows many words, and is good at accounting. Let her teach you, it will definitely be no problem."

"Okay! It's settled then!"

Sha Zhu immediately beamed with joy, secretly pleased with himself. He had finally found a plausible excuse to learn to read; otherwise, his parents would definitely suspect him if he could read out of thin air.

Seeing his son's enthusiasm, He Daqing was also pleased. He waved his hand and said, "Then I'll bring you some paper and pens when I get off work tomorrow. I'll also go to the supply and marketing cooperative to see if I can get you two elementary school textbooks so you can study hard."

"Thank you, Dad! You're so kind!" Sha Zhu immediately cheered and rushed over to hug He Daqing's arm.

"Don't be too happy yet," Chen Lanxiang said earnestly, her smile fading.

"This is something you have to learn yourself. If you don't study hard and try to be lazy, your mother will punish you with a ruler, and she won't let you off easily!"

"I know, Mom! I promise I'll study hard, learn characters every day, and never be lazy!" Sha Zhu immediately raised his little hand and made a solemn promise.

"By the way, when you're studying, invite Xu Damao from next door too. The two of you can study together, have company, and encourage each other," He Daqing added.

"No problem! I've got it covered!" Sha Zhu patted his chest and agreed, grinning broadly.

The family chatted noisily for another half hour before Sha Zhu yawned, got up, and went back to his side room.

As soon as the door closed, the sleepiness on Sha Zhu's face vanished instantly, and his eyes sharpened. He immediately focused his mind, entered his own ecological space, and checked the potatoes and soybeans he had planted earlier.

Upon seeing this, his eyes lit up and his heart was filled with joy—the potatoes and soybeans had already sprouted tender green shoots and were growing vigorously, clearly the result of being nourished by fertile soil.

He immediately set to work, cutting the sprouted potatoes into small pieces and carefully planting them twice more in the space, then watering them.

Then, his consciousness entered a static space and began searching through the supplies he had previously collected from the trading company, hoping to find any seeds of other crops.

After searching for a long time, they found all kinds of cloth, grains, oils, canned goods, and guns piled up, but they couldn't find any vegetable seeds. Instead, they found a large pile of plump raw peanuts.

Sha Zhu's eyes lit up, and he immediately took out the peanuts, cleared out half an acre of land in the ecological space, and planted them all.

Just as he withdrew his consciousness from the ecological space, a blinding red light suddenly appeared before his eyes, and a virtual panel appeared out of thin air. The red light kept flashing and emitting a rapid alarm sound, which frightened Sha Zhu so much that his whole body stiffened.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly focused his attention, carefully examining the panel from beginning to end. Finally, he found the problem in the taskbar.

Urgent mission: The enemy's 1855th unit is assembling and withdrawing tonight. Annihilating more than 90% of its members will be considered a mission success.

Penalty for mission failure: Randomly lose one spatial ability and randomly forget one of the host's skills.

Countdown: 4 hours

Silly Zhu was completely stunned, and couldn't help but curse inwardly, "What the hell?! Are you kidding me?! Are you trying to use me as Superman?!"

He never expected that the system would issue such a deadly mission with penalties, and it was a mission to annihilate enemy forces. The difficulty was simply insane, and the consequences of failure were something he could not bear.

Despite his complaints, Sha Zhu knew that the system task was irresistible and he had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.

He took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time in the dim light of the oil lamp; it was exactly eight o'clock in the evening.

Tonight is destined to be sleepless; I'll be busy.

He wasn't in a hurry to go out. Everyone in the courtyard was still asleep, and if he went out rashly, he would definitely be discovered and arouse unnecessary suspicion.

Moreover, he knew nothing about this Unit 1855. Since the system marked it as an emergency mission, they must be extremely vicious, and he had to be fully prepared.

Sha Zhu took a deep breath and began organizing his equipment in the space.

The mission is clearly to deal with troops, who will certainly be numerous and have considerable firepower. A single pistol will not suffice; heavy firepower is necessary.

He searched through the space for a moment, and six completely black GrW34 mortars instantly appeared before his eyes. The markings on the mortars were clearly visible. After the military training enhanced by the system in his sleep, Sha Zhu recognized at a glance that these were large-caliber mortars with great power.

Then look at the sixty shells piled up next to it, neatly stacked.

Sha Zhu finally breathed a sigh of relief. With these six mortars and sixty shells, they were more than enough to deal with an entire army.

He took out a mortar from his spatial storage, placed it on the ground, and carefully examined it by the light of an oil lamp. He meticulously inspected the barrel, carriage, and sight, leaving no part unchecked—pre-battle equipment inspection was crucial for survival, and no carelessness was allowed.

All six mortars have been inspected and are in good condition with no malfunctions.

He then checked each of the sixty shells one by one, confirming that the fuses were intact and the ammunition was plentiful, before he was completely relieved.

I glanced at my pocket watch again; it was already 9:25 p.m.

Sha Zhu walked to the window, gently pulled open a gap in the curtains, and looked out—the Jia family's lights were off, there was no sound from his own house, and the windows of the Yi family next door were completely dark. The entire courtyard was asleep, with only a few insect chirps echoing in the night.

The time has come.

Sha Zhu turned around and blew out the oil lamp, plunging the room into darkness. He quietly opened the door, peeked out to look around, and, making sure no one was watching, slipped out of the house, gently closed the door behind him, locked the latch, and like a cat in the dark, silently slipped out of the courtyard.

He navigated the alleyways with practiced ease and arrived at the quiet main road. Just as Sha Zhu was about to release the bicycle from his spatial storage, he suddenly realized that the Temple of Heaven was a long way from here, and riding a bicycle would be too slow; he definitely wouldn't make it in time for the mission.

He immediately changed his mind, found a set of enemy military uniform in the space, and quickly put it on.

The military uniform was too big, so he took out a bayonet from his spatial storage and neatly cut off the excess sleeves and trouser legs. After a simple alteration, it fit perfectly.

Then, he took out an old-fashioned bicycle without a crossbeam from his spatial storage, rode it to the most secluded corner of the main road, and after confirming that there was no one around, he put the bicycle away with a thought and took out a two-wheeled military motorcycle instead.

He crouched down and gently pulled the starter lever. A loud "putt-putt-putt" sound rang out, and the engine successfully started.

Sha Zhu gripped the clutch, shifted into gear, and because he was too short, he had to tiptoe to support himself on the ground before jumping up onto the motorcycle seat. His small body on the huge military motorcycle looked particularly comical, like a monkey riding a bicycle.