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

The sudden noise outside the courtyard, like a sharp iron awl, pierced the tranquility of the courtyard at night, instantly waking everyone in the He family.

He Daqing was fast asleep when the shouts from outside the window made him frown. He hastily threw on a patched gray cotton-padded jacket, slipped on his cotton shoes, and went out the door.

The moment her foot stepped out the door, a gust of cold wind, carrying with it Li Guihua's heart-wrenching cries, crashed down upon her: "Help! Someone, please help me!"

The cry, sharp and desperate, carried far through the quiet alley, drawing many residents to peer out of their windows.

He Daqing rubbed his sleepy eyes, glanced at the large crowd gathered in front of the Yi family's house, and hesitated for a moment before walking over. Looking at Li Guihua, who was slumped on the ground sobbing, he asked in a deep voice, "Zhonghai's family, what are you howling about in the middle of the night? What happened? Why are you calling for help?"

Li Guihua's hair was disheveled, and her face was covered in tears and ashes, making her look extremely wretched.

Hearing He Daqing's voice, she felt as if she had grasped the last straw. She suddenly raised her head, and her tears flowed even more fiercely.

"Waaaaah... Brother He, my husband has been beaten! He's covered in blood and he's about to die! Brother Jia said you know a reliable doctor, please have mercy and save my Zhonghai!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she bent her knees and was about to kowtow to He Daqing.

He Daqing was disgusted by Yi Zhonghai's despicable deeds and didn't want to get involved in this trouble at all. Seeing this, he quickly dodged to the side, saying hurriedly, "No, no, no! Let's talk this out, why are you kneeling!"

Just as he stepped aside, a deep and powerful female voice suddenly came from behind him: "Great Qing, get out of the way."

Before He Daqing could react, he was gently pushed aside by a force. His wife, Chen Lanxiang, wearing a thick coat, quickly came out and swiftly helped Li Guihua, who was kneeling halfway down, to her feet.

"Sister-in-law He, please persuade Brother He to help us!"

Li Guihua couldn't kneel down, so she could only cling tightly to Chen Lanxiang's arm, her body trembling uncontrollably. She wiped away her tears and pleaded, her voice choked with sobs, barely able to utter a complete sentence.

Chen Lanxiang patted the back of her hand and gently comforted her, "Don't panic. Crying won't solve anything. She's injured like this. Let's assess the situation first."

After speaking, he turned to look at He Daqing.

"Da Qing, you've practiced martial arts and know a bit about sprains and bruises. Go and check on Yi Zhonghai's injuries to see how serious they are."

He Daqing was a hundred times unwilling, but since his wife had spoken, and so many eyes were watching in the yard, he couldn't very well refuse her directly. Besides, martial artists naturally have a bit of compassion, so he could only bite the bullet and agree, "Okay, I'll go take a look."

He knew perfectly well that if Yi Zhonghai hadn't been at odds with the He family, Li Guihua wouldn't have had to lower herself to kneel down and beg for help.

Seeing this, Chen Lanxiang gently comforted Li Guihua for a few more minutes. As soon as she turned around, she saw her son He Yuzhu huddled behind the door, peeking around and looking into the crowd at the Yi family's door.

Chen Lanxiang's face darkened, and she scolded, "Zhuzi! What are you doing peeking around there? Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? What are you doing, causing all this trouble!"

He Yuzhu was caught red-handed by his mother, and he quickly ran over, scratching his head and grinning.

"Mother, I was woken up by the noise outside, so I came out to see what was going on. I was just curious."

"What's so interesting about it? It's all bloody and gory in there. It's bad luck for kids to see, and it might even leave them traumatized!"

Chen Lanxiang was afraid that her son would be frightened by the bloody scene, so she spoke more sternly.

"This is none of your business, go back inside!"

"Alright, Mom, I'll go back inside and watch over my sister. I promise she won't run around."

He Yuzhu knew his mother's temper; she meant what she said. He immediately agreed and ran into the house.

"Go on, close the door properly." Chen Lanxiang waved her hand, and only breathed a sigh of relief after watching her son's figure disappear behind the door.

This scene caught Jia Zhangshi's eye. She glanced at He Yuzhu, who had been sent back, and then looked at her son Jia Dongxu, who was watching the commotion in the crowd. She was immediately furious.

She rushed forward, took three steps at a time, stretched out her rough fingers, grabbed Jia Dongxu's ear, and pulled him forcefully toward her door.

"Ouch! That hurts! Why are you twisting my ear!" Jia Dongxu winced in pain and struggled incessantly.

"What are you doing? I told you not to come out and cause trouble!"

Jia Zhangshi's voice was high-pitched and loud, as if she was afraid that others wouldn't hear her.

"It's all fighting and killing in here, blood is everywhere, and the evil aura is incredibly strong! You're just a young lad; if you run into that evil aura and get into trouble, I'd like to see who cares!"

As soon as she said this, the neighbors present all frowned and glared angrily at Jia Zhangshi.

This is hardly the way to educate a son.

It's clearly a reference to the Yi family, a curse wishing bad luck upon everyone in the courtyard!

The light was dim at night, and Jia Zhangshi didn't see anyone's expressions at all. Even if she had, given her tantrum-throwing nature, she wouldn't have taken it to heart. She still grabbed Jia Dongxu's ear and went back to her own house, cursing and swearing.

He Daqing ignored Jia Zhangshi's farce and pushed through the crowd into the Yi family's house.

A dim oil lamp was lit in the room, casting a faint light. Yi Zhonghai lay on the earthen bed, covered in blood, barely breathing, curled up in a ball, looking like he was on the verge of death.

He Daqing squatted down, gently touched Yi Zhonghai's arm and shoulder, and checked his injuries. His brows furrowed more and more as he shook his head repeatedly.

This guy is only alive because he's incredibly lucky! He has several visible fractures, and his body is covered in bone cracks and abrasions, especially his arms, which are swollen and look like the result of him desperately protecting his head.

The most horrifying sight was Yi Zhonghai's groin, a bloody mess with a pungent stench. He Daqing only glanced at it before looking closer, inwardly marveling: What kind of ruthless character has this kid offended? To be so ruthless, trying to kill him!

After checking his injuries, He Daqing got up and walked out of the Yi family's house. Li Guihua immediately rushed over, grabbed his arm, and asked in a trembling voice.

"Brother He, how is my Zhonghai? How badly is he injured? Can you treat him?"

He Daqing sighed and said honestly, "My skills are only so basic; I can only treat minor injuries. His injuries are too severe for me to handle. We need to get a professional doctor here immediately, or someone might die!"

Chen Lanxiang stood aside, pondering in her mind. What if the man went out to fetch a doctor in the middle of the night, when the roads were dark and dangerous?

She wasn't that foolish to let her husband take risks for an outsider with whom her family had a grudge.

So she casually asked, "Are there any doctors around here who can treat this kind of serious injury? It's too dangerous to walk at night if it's too far away."

"There's an old doctor in Qianyuan Temple Alley who specializes in treating sprains and bruises. His medical skills are renowned in this area," He Daqing said after thinking for a moment.

Upon hearing that there was hope, Li Guihua became excited again and was about to kneel down on the ground once more.

"Brother He, please make this trip and fetch the doctor for me! I will never forget your immense kindness. I kowtow to you in gratitude!"

Chen Lanxiang reacted quickly and grabbed her again, her mind in turmoil for a moment.

After all, it's a human life at stake. If we just stand by and watch someone die, the He family won't be able to maintain their standing in the community.

She gritted her teeth and looked at He Daqing: "Since the doctor doesn't live too far, Daqing, why don't you go and invite the doctor over?"

He Daqing didn't agree immediately; he was still hesitant. Just then, a clear male voice came from behind the crowd.

"Brother He, let me go with you. The road is difficult to travel at night. If two people go together, we can look out for each other and lend a hand if anything happens."

He Daqing turned around and saw that the speaker was Zhao Fengnian, who had just moved into the courtyard not long ago.

The man was dressed in a clean Zhongshan suit and looked refined and cultured, like a well-read scholar. People in the compound said he was an engineer who had attended university and had a very gentle and scholarly appearance.

For some reason, when He Daqing first met Zhao Fengnian, he sensed a faint but dangerous aura emanating from him. It was the intuition that a martial artist had developed over many years. This young man, who looked like a scholar, was definitely not simple.

Despite his doubts, it was always good to have someone with him, so He Daqing immediately nodded: "Okay, then I'll trouble you. Let's go."

Zhao Fengnian smiled and followed He Daqing out of the courtyard. When they passed the door of his own house, he made an excuse to go back and get a coat. He quickly slipped into the house, pulled out a hidden pistol from a box under the bed, tucked it behind his waist, and covered it with his coat.

He knew in his heart that even if He Daqing didn't go, he had to go to see the doctor.

Although Yi Zhonghai's injury was partly his own fault, upon closer examination, he was also partly responsible. He couldn't just stand by and watch a life slip away right under his nose.

After He Daqing and Zhao Fengnian left, the men in the courtyard began to chase people away. The women of each family were all sent back to their houses, leaving only a few young and strong men in the Yi family courtyard to help take care of things.

Li Guihua also returned to the Yi family home. She stayed by Yi Zhonghai's side, afraid that her husband would be thirsty and need water. To put it more bluntly, if Yi Zhonghai really breathed his last, she would be there to accompany him on his final journey.

Sitting on the cold earthen bed, Li Guihua looked at Yi Zhonghai's blood-stained crotch, and tears instantly welled up and streamed down her face.

She and Yi Zhonghai had been married for many years but had never been able to have a child, which made them the laughing stock in the neighborhood. She could only hope to conceive by taking medication, hoping for that one in ten thousand chance.

But now that Yi Zhonghai is so badly injured and that place is destroyed, he can forget about having children again in this lifetime. The Yi family is going to be wiped out completely!

The thought of having no descendants caused Li Guihua's heart to ache as if it were being cut by a knife, and she lay on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) crying her heart out.

Time passed by, and after about forty minutes, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

He Daqing and Zhao Fengnian, one on each side, helped an elderly doctor with gray hair and a goatee, and they quickly walked into the courtyard.

The old doctor, carrying his medicine kit, looked somewhat displeased. Being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night would make anyone unhappy, but hearing that it was a matter of life and death, he had no choice but to come along.

The crowd quickly made way for him, and the old doctor entered the Yi family's house. He glanced at Yi Zhonghai on the kang (a heated brick bed) and immediately said in a deep voice, "All the women should leave. Leave two strong men to help."

Li Guihua was reluctant to leave, but He Daqing and Zhao Fengnian persuaded her to go out, leaving only the old doctor and two helpers in the room.

The old doctor put down his medicine box and instructed, "Take off all his clothes; I need to examine his injuries carefully."

Soon, Yi Zhonghai was stripped naked, and his injuries were on full display for everyone to see.

Especially the skin, which was swollen and mangled, like a smashed purple eggplant, with flesh and blood stuck together, a truly gruesome sight.

The men in the room gasped in shock, their backs drenched in cold sweat.

What kind of deep-seated hatred or resentment could drive someone to such a cruel act? They're pushing someone to the brink of despair!

Even the experienced doctor, who was used to seeing seriously injured patients, couldn't help but widen his eyes and show a shocked expression.

However, having practiced medicine for many years, he was very composed and quickly calmed himself down. He took out his medical tools and carefully examined Yi Zhonghai's injuries.

Then, he picked up a thin wooden stick and gently poked at the wound.

After the examination, the old doctor looked troubled, shook his head repeatedly, and said helplessly, "His fractures and cuts, though serious, can heal with proper care and rest for three to five months. But the injury to his lower body has already damaged the root cause; it's too severe. My medical skills are too limited, and I simply cannot handle it!"

These words struck like a bolt from the blue. Upon hearing this, the neighbors outside looked at the Yi family's house with a completely different expression – some sympathy, some regret, and a hint of schadenfreude.

Li Guihua heard everything clearly outside the house. She rushed into the house like a madwoman and knelt down in front of the old doctor with a thud, her forehead hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Doctor! Please, have mercy and save my husband! He can't be left like this! If you can cure him, I'll serve you like a slave, I'll repay your immense kindness with my life!"

The old doctor had seen many such heart-wrenching scenes. Although he felt sympathy, he couldn't risk his medical skills. He said in a stern voice, displeased, "Help her up! I will never refuse to treat illnesses I can, but I simply cannot treat injuries I cannot! If I force myself to treat her and make her worse, and then you blame me, who will I, with my old bones, complain to?"

People nearby rushed forward and helped Li Guihua up.

Li Guihua was unwilling to give up. She grabbed the old doctor's sleeve and cried, "Doctor, do you know any doctors who can treat this injury? Please tell me, I'll risk my life to get a doctor here!"

The old doctor shook his head and sighed.

"In our area, there's only one doctor who's skilled at treating this kind of injury, but he was taken away by those scoundrels a long time ago to treat their high-ranking officials. Nobody knows whether he's alive or dead. Even if I told you his name, you couldn't get him to come!"

"ah?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Guihua felt all her strength drain away instantly. Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, someone nearby caught her in time, preventing her from falling.

Her face was ashen, her eyes vacant, and she muttered to herself, "The family line is dead... the family line is really dead..."

Seeing her emotional breakdown, Zhao Fengnian quickly tried to smooth things over, saying to the old doctor, "Doctor, since there's nothing we can do about the lower body injury for now, let's treat the more serious injuries first. If we delay any longer, it could be life-threatening. Those fractures and cuts can't be delayed either!"

The old doctor nodded: "You're right, let's save his life first. I'll treat his external injuries now. You two stay and help. He Daqing, after I'm done, you and this young man must get me home safely. It's the middle of the night, and it's not safe on the road."

"Of course, doctor, don't worry, we will definitely send you back safely." He Daqing quickly replied.

The old doctor waved his hand, dismissing all the irrelevant people in the room, leaving only Jia Laonian and Zhao Fengnian to help.

Knowing that he would need to lend a hand later, He Daqing quietly stayed in the outer room to wait.

Li Guihua was in a daze and in very poor condition. Staying at the Yi family's house would not only be of no help, but would also cause trouble. So Chen Lanxiang helped her back to the He family's house and let her sit on the kang (a heated brick bed) to rest.

Inside the room, the senior doctor treated the wound skillfully and quickly, disinfecting, setting the bone, applying medicine, and bandaging. The whole process took more than an hour.

After treating all the external injuries, the old doctor was sweating profusely. He took out several packets of common external injury medicine from his medicine box, placed them on the table, and then wrote a prescription, which he handed to the person outside.

"Apply these wound medicines on time. Tomorrow morning, take the prescription to the pharmacy to get the medicine, brew it, and give it to the patient. Remember, the patient's injuries are too severe, and they are very prone to fever. Once they develop a fever, you must immediately use cold water towels to lower their temperature. If the fever doesn't go down, they might die from the fever. Keep a close eye on them."

After giving all the instructions, the old doctor was about to get up and go home. Zhao Fengnian hurriedly ran out to call He Daqing. He Daqing went back into the house to get his things, and when he came out again, he had a gleaming cleaver tucked into his waistband. When going out at night, one should always be wary of others, and carrying a cleaver can also give one courage.

Over here, Jia Laonian relayed the old doctor's instructions to Li Guihua word for word, comforted her a few more times, and told her to call out to the front yard if she needed anything, and that they would come at any time. After saying that, he turned around and went back to his own house.