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

After the Bald Gang's main force marched into Beijing, the city's rules were completely changed, and the control over the streets and alleys became increasingly strict. However, Wei Yidao and his gang, hiding in the shadows, became bolder and more unscrupulous in their actions.

The reason for this is that Yi Zhonghai's "filial son" act over the past six months has been so realistic and flawless.

Every day, he served Wei Yidao tea and water, and showed him concern and care, making him feel comfortable. The old man completely let down his guard and felt from the bottom of his heart that this adopted son was honest, kind and trustworthy, completely unaware of the wolfish ambition hidden beneath this docile exterior.

Having gained his trust, Wei Yidao finally relented and allowed Yi Zhonghai to get involved in the distribution of goods. However, the old fox was still the old fox, tightly holding onto his core supply channels and buyer network, refusing to reveal a single detail.

Yi Zhonghai went along a few times, but at best he was just an assistant, helping to count goods and money. He couldn't even get close to the core connections and resources.

Even so, Yi Zhonghai still managed to secretly find out the details by handling the goods—the boxes were full of scarce military supplies, as well as a lot of foreign goods obtained from foreigners, including guns, ammunition, Western medicine, and precision instruments. As for where these things eventually ended up, he had a vague guess in his mind, but dared not investigate further.

Staring at the towering stacks of shipping containers, Yi Zhonghai's eyes blazed with greed, his ambition growing wildly. He secretly calculated that if he could seize this network of connections from Wei Yidao, he could then roam freely in Beijing. Not only would he live a life of luxury, but he could also use this power to deal with his enemies, such as He Daqing and Zhao Fengnian, one by one, and recoup all the grievances he had suffered!

While Yi Zhonghai was secretly plotting to seize power, the He family was busy with He Yuzhu's schooling.

That evening, just as the steel rolling mill's closing bell rang, He Daqing dragged his tired body into his home, his face still smelling of cooking oil from the canteen's kitchen.

Chen Lanxiang had prepared hot water early on. When her husband came in, she quickly went to greet him and took his coat. Her face was beaming with joy as she said, "Daqing, I have something important to tell you. Zhuzi's schooling has been settled. Da Mao's father has already inquired about it, and he can register at Jiaodaokou Elementary School in a while."

Chen Lanxiang thought He Daqing had no idea that the child could go to school, and was thinking of discussing it with him. But as soon as she finished speaking, He Daqing didn't even look up. While wiping his face, he casually replied, "It's enough for Zhuzi to know a few words and be able to do accounting. I'm thinking that when he's a couple of years older, I'll send him to learn cooking and inherit my skills. It's much more practical than going to school."

"He Daqing, what did you say?!"

Chen Lanxiang's face instantly darkened, her voice suddenly rose, and before He Daqing could react, she reached out and precisely twisted his ear, her knuckles applying slight force.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Honey, let go!" He Daqing winced in pain, standing on tiptoe and begging for mercy. "I just meant for Zhuzi to learn to cook! A cook's a secure job, no doubt about it!"

"Learn to cook?" Chen Lanxiang tightened her grip, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Zhu Zi is only ten years old, the perfect age for school. If you don't let him go to school, do you expect him to sell steamed buns on the street with you? I think you've lost your mind completely!"

"Gently, gently! My dear wife, your ear will fall off if you twist it any harder!" He Daqing was in so much pain that tears were almost in her eyes. She covered her ear with her hands and begged for mercy. "Whatever you say, I'll do it. I'll take Zhuzi to school, is that alright?"

"That's more like it."

Chen Lanxiang then released her grip, glared at him fiercely, straightened her clothes, and ordered in a deep voice, "When Xu Fugui gets off work, go to the backyard and ask him about the specific rules for attending school, the registration time, and what needs to be prepared. Make sure you know everything clearly, don't leave anything ambiguous."

"Okay, I'll go in a bit." He Daqing rubbed his red ears and obediently agreed, but he was still a little worried and couldn't help but ask again, "By the way, you just said that Zhuzi is going to school. With his limited knowledge, he can only start learning from the beginning of first grade at most, right?"

"Start from scratch?" Chen Lanxiang scoffed, a hint of pride in her eyes. "My son isn't suited to start from scratch. Go ask Xu Fugui if you can get Zhuzi straight into higher primary school."

"Huh? Him?" He Daqing's eyes widened instantly, his face full of disbelief. He shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Wife, you must be joking. Just a few months ago, Zhuzi couldn't read a single word. He could only do a few simple math problems like buying groceries. He couldn't even understand his elementary school textbooks. How could he possibly read them?"

In He Daqing's eyes, his son was just a naughty and unruly teenager. His reading and writing skills were just a sham, and he was simply not cut out for it.

Seeing that he didn't believe her, Chen Lanxiang straightened her back and looked at him seriously: "Don't look down on me. I know hundreds or thousands of characters, but Zhu Zi has already learned them all. Mathematics is a piece of cake for me; I can calculate faster than you."

"Really?" He Daqing was completely stunned, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.

He knew very well that Chen Lanxiang had been taught by a tutor specially hired by the old lady, and she knew far more characters than girls from ordinary families. If his son really learned all the characters she knew, he would be exceptionally intelligent.

"Of course it's true, why would I lie to you?" Chen Lanxiang nodded solemnly, her eyes full of expectations for her son.

"Could it be... that after generations of cooks in my He family, we've finally produced someone who can study?"

He Daqing instantly became excited, rubbing his hands together, the worry on his face vanished, replaced by uncontrollable joy.

The He family has been cooks for generations, and not a single one of them has ever been a scholar. If their son could study and succeed, it would be a great honor for the family.

"Whether he's academically inclined remains to be seen, but finishing primary and secondary school shouldn't be a problem," Chen Lanxiang said softly, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes. She herself didn't have the opportunity to study for more years back then; otherwise, she might have been able to pass the teacher's college entrance exam and become a teacher. Now, all her hopes are pinned on her son.

Having received confirmation, He Daqing didn't dare delay for a moment. As soon as Xu Fugui returned to the backyard, he immediately ran over there eagerly.

Xu Fugui was a righteous man and had a close relationship with the He family, so he immediately patted his chest and assured them, "Brother He, I'll take care of Zhuzi's school enrollment. There won't be any problem. However, as for him directly entering a higher grade, I need to go to the school and ask the principal. He'll most likely have to take an entrance exam, and only if he passes can he skip a grade."

He Daqing had no hope of skipping a grade, so he quickly waved his hand and said, "It's alright, it's alright. We're just grateful that the child can go to school. It doesn't matter whether he takes an exam or not. We can take it slowly."

The following evening, Xu Fugui came over to give him the good news, smiling as he said, "Brother He, it's done! Zhu Zi's enrollment is settled. The tuition is one silver dollar per semester, textbooks are extra, it's not expensive. As for the higher grades, the principal said that as long as he passes the entrance exam, he can get in as far as elementary school, let alone higher elementary school!"

He Daqing was stunned and thanked him repeatedly, his expectations for his son growing even stronger.

On August 28th, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly. He Daqing and Xu Fugui got up early and, with their two children, He Yuzhu and Xu Damao, headed straight for Jiaodaokou Elementary School. The school was bustling with people, all children and parents who had come to register for the exam; the atmosphere was lively and noisy.

The exam questions weren't difficult, and for He Yuzhu, they were a piece of cake.

He gripped his pencil and quickly finished the exam, not even bothering to check it before handing it in. Xu Damao also benefited from this, answering the questions with exceptional ease.

The results were in less than half an hour.

The principal, holding the test paper, stared wide-eyed at He Yuzhu in disbelief, and announced on the spot, "This child goes straight to sixth grade!"

Xu Damao also skipped first grade and successfully entered second grade.

Only He Yuzhu himself knew that he had deliberately restrained his strength; otherwise, he could have easily graduated from elementary school, let alone sixth grade.

More than half a year after he transmigrated, he slowly realized that the effects of that mysterious potion were far more powerful than he had imagined. Not only did it greatly improve his physical fitness, making his strength, reaction, and speed far exceed those of ordinary people, but more importantly, it enhanced his memory. He could remember everything he saw, and the knowledge in the textbooks could be firmly engraved in his mind after reading it once, making learning effortless.

Not long after, the school officially started.

He Yuzhu and Xu Damao carried their little schoolbags and went to and from school together every day. At first, they found it novel, but by September, He Yuzhu couldn't stand it anymore.

He had already finished studying the sixth-grade textbooks two weeks after the start of the semester. He was so bored in class that he felt like he was falling asleep. Sitting in the classroom felt like an eternity, and he was extremely bored.

In those days, teachers weren't nearly as responsible as they are now. Once tuition was paid, whether a child attended school depended entirely on their own initiative. If they couldn't advance to the next grade, they would have to pay more to repeat the year. Nobody would chase after a child to attend class every day.

He Yuzhu decided to give up and became the school's most notorious truant. As soon as the bell rang, he would find an opportunity to slip out of the school gate without anyone noticing.

But the truth will eventually come out.

Jia Dongxu also studied at this primary school. He was older than He Yuzhu. Because his foundation was too poor, he finally managed to get into the fourth grade through connections. He was already holding a grudge.

That day, he accidentally saw He Yuzhu skipping class and sneaking out of school. When he got home, he told his mother, Jia Zhangshi, everything.

Jia Zhangshi was a sharp-tongued and extremely jealous woman. Upon hearing these words, the fire of jealousy in her heart burned even more fiercely.

Their family scrimped and saved for half a year to scrape together enough money to send Jia Dongxu to school, but He Yuzhu, on the other hand, went straight to sixth grade as soon as he entered school, and now he dares to blatantly skip classes. Isn't this a waste of money and a waste of opportunity? Why does the He family get all the good things?

The more Jia Zhangshi thought about it, the angrier she became. Unable to contain her anger, she went to the front yard that day and started gossiping among several neighbors, her voice sharp and sarcastic, exaggerating how He Yuzhu skipped school and was not studying properly.

But the people living in the front yard were all honest and law-abiding, and they didn't like to gossip. No matter how much Jia Zhangshi talked, no one responded to her.

Unwilling to give up, Jia Zhangshi rushed to the Central Courtyard and headed straight for Yi Zhonghai's house to gossip about Li Guihua.

She didn't dare to confront Li Guihua directly; that woman was fierce and could easily resort to violence if provoked. Jia Zhangshi could only hide by the door, speaking in a low, menacing tone, but deliberately raising her voice as if she wanted the entire backyard to hear: "Zhonghai's wife, let me tell you something strange! That Zhuzi from the He family in the main house skips school every day; he's truly a good-for-nothing!"

She thought she was speaking softly, but her words clearly reached the ears of the He family. Chen Lanxiang was doing needlework in the room and heard every word. Her face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

That evening, He Yuzhu and Xu Damao had just stepped into the He family's courtyard with their schoolbags on their backs. Before they could even put their schoolbags down, Chen Lanxiang rushed out angrily. Without saying a word, she grabbed He Yuzhu's ear with one hand and precisely pulled Xu Damao, who was trying to slip away, with the other.

"Ouch! Mother!" He Yuzhu winced in pain.

"Master's wife! It hurts!" Xu Damao was so frightened that his face turned pale and his legs trembled.

Chen Lanxiang glared at the two children, her eyes wide with anger, and snapped, "You little brats, why don't you learn something new! Tell me, who taught you to skip class and skip school?"

Seeing that things were not going well, Xu Damao shook his head like a rattle drum, trying to take the opportunity to get away, but his ears were twisted and he couldn't even shake his head.

"You really don't know?" Chen Lanxiang tightened her grip slightly, her tone becoming increasingly stern.

"I...I don't know..." Xu Damao's voice trembled with fear, but he still forced himself to lie.

"Oh, so you've even learned to lie and cover for others!" Chen Lanxiang turned to He Yuzhu, "He Yuzhu, tell me yourself, did you skip class or not?"

Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, He Yuzhu decided to be straightforward and openly admit, "I ran away."

"Why?" Chen Lanxiang asked, suppressing her anger.

"I already know everything in the textbook. Staying in school is too boring. If I had known it was this easy, I would have gone straight to middle school. I shouldn't have come to elementary school," He Yuzhu said nonchalantly.

"Still in middle school? I think you've completely lost your mind!" Chen Lanxiang gritted her teeth in anger. "Take out your textbooks. I'm going to test you myself today and see what you've actually learned!"

He Yuzhu obediently took out his sixth-grade textbook from his schoolbag and handed it over. Only then did Chen Lanxiang release the two children's ears. Xu Damao was about to slip away when Chen Lanxiang shouted, "Xu Damao, you stop right there! Did I say you could leave? I'll settle the score with you after I finish testing him. You've learned to lie and cover up, haven't you?"

"Oh..." Xu Damao hung his head and obediently stood against the wall, not daring to move.

Chen Lanxiang held the textbook and tested He Yuzhu one question after another, from new words to texts, from arithmetic to word problems.

No matter what the test was about, He Yuzhu answered fluently without the slightest hesitation, and even explained things more clearly than the teacher.

Chen Lanxiang grew increasingly surprised as the test progressed. Finally, she closed the textbook, stared at her son with an extremely strange look, and remained speechless for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "You...when did you finish learning all of this?"

"After the start of the semester, I finished learning everything in about two weeks," He Yuzhu replied honestly, scratching his head.

Chen Lanxiang was speechless for a moment. She raised her hand and tapped his forehead, both angry and amused: "Then why did you even bother with elementary school! We should have sent you straight to junior high!"

"Mom, didn't you say that you can't go to junior high school without an elementary school diploma..." He Yuzhu smiled sheepishly, revealing a simple and honest expression.

"You still have the nerve to talk back?" Chen Lanxiang's face hardened again. "Skipping school is one thing, but where have you been wandering around all this time while skipping classes?"

"I didn't go anywhere, just wandered around the streets," He Yuzhu said vaguely.

"Just wandering around?" Chen Lanxiang was quite angry. "The streets are full of soldiers patrolling, it's chaotic, what's there to see? Have you gone out and caused trouble again?"

"No, no, I was just wandering around aimlessly." He Yuzhu still wore that simple smile, but he harbored a secret that no one else knew.

He wasn't just wandering around aimlessly; he was secretly scouting and gathering information.

After the surrender, a group of spies, traitors, and puppet government officials who had committed numerous atrocities were not severely punished. Instead, they were retained by spending money to bribe officials and selling intelligence, and continued to live comfortably and enjoy a life of luxury in Beijing.

He Yuzhu didn't deal with these people personally because he wanted to leave it to the Bald Party government for a public trial and to give the people an explanation. But the current outcome makes him feel extremely awkward and dissatisfied.

A while ago, he heard that there had been a series of assassinations of traitors and spies on the streets. After inquiring, he learned that it was Zhao Fengnian's underground organization that was secretly eliminating traitors and cleaning up these escapees.

He Yuzhu felt an irresistible urge to use his hands.

He also had a large number of weapons and ammunition hidden in his space. Now that the world is gradually becoming more peaceful, these things will be useless sooner or later. He might as well take this opportunity to join in eliminating the traitors, which can be regarded as getting rid of the scourge for the people and putting his mind at ease.

He couldn't tell Chen Lanxiang these secrets, so he kept them to himself. On the surface, he was still the same mischievous and school-averse He Yuzhu.

Looking at her son's innocent face, Chen Lanxiang was both angry and helpless. In the end, she couldn't bear to punish him severely, so she could only give him a stern scolding and order him not to skip class at will anymore. Even if he finished studying, he had to stay at school and was not allowed to run around outside.

Hidden in the shadows, Yi Zhonghai heard everything the He family was doing, and a sinister smile crept onto his lips.

He Yuzhu was skipping classes and He Daqing was busy making a living, which was the perfect opportunity for him to strike. He touched the dagger hidden at his waist, a ruthless glint in his eyes—he would settle accounts with Wei Yidao's network of connections and He Daqing's grudge sooner or later. This Beijing would eventually be his to call the shots.

The turmoil in the courtyard has temporarily subsided, but undercurrents are still surging. The He family's peaceful life is ultimately just a facade, and an even bigger storm is quietly brewing.