Courtyard House: My Time Travel is a Bit Too Strong

In the 50s, Beijing was a newly established capital city, and the entire city, like a newly sprouted poplar, exuded a vigorous upward momentum.

After a century of trials and tribulations, the people's faces still bear the marks of sallow complexion, with high cheekbones, slightly sunken eyes, worn-out sleeves, and trousers that are too short.

But those eyes—they were so bright they were almost scorching! Like a newly lit ember in a stove, flickering but burning intensely.

No. 96 Nanluoguxiang is a two-courtyard siheyuan with blue bricks and gray tiles, and a low-hanging lintel.

Lin Quan slowly opened his eyes in a daze, his eyelids feeling as heavy as if they were weighed down by two pieces of iron.

His gaze swept across the scene, and he was first taken aback, then a mixture of surprise and bewilderment rose in his eyes, like a bird that had just left its nest, flapping its wings as it surveyed this unfamiliar world.

"Where am I...?"

"Didn't I...get into trouble?"

Swah——

Before the thought could even settle, a surge of heat rushed into his mind, as if someone had shoved an entire history book into his temples and was stirring it violently!

"hiss--!"

Lin Quan gritted his teeth, cold sweat instantly soaking his back, and the veins on his forehead bulged as if they were about to jump out of his skin.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he didn't feel any pain even when his nails dug into his palms. He only felt a buzzing in his head, as if a thousand gongs were striking in unison inside his skull.

After a long while, he slowly loosened his fist, the veins receding inch by inch, and his breathing gradually became even.

"I...traveled back to the 1950s? Right after the founding of the People's Republic of China?"

Once the information was settled, the truth came to light—he really came back, not in a dream, not in a hallucination, but standing firmly on the blue brick ground of 1950!

What's even more chilling is that this isn't the history textbook he's familiar with, but a parallel world where countless old movies and TV series have quietly blended into reality.

The core of history remains unchanged—the founding ceremony still took place in Tiananmen Square, and the red flag still flies; the great figures are still the same, their voices and smiles unchanged.

But if you look closely at the neighborhood, the shadows will appear: the 95th courtyard next door is a place where both the powerful and the corrupt hide out!

Yi Zhonghai, the "Lord of Morality," can make black appear as underglaze red with his words.

Liu Haizhong, a character known for his filial piety, smiles as he hands you a bowl of soup, but then turns around and makes you swallow a mouthful of bitterness...

"Hiss... thank goodness I live in number 96, not number 95!"

Thinking of those cunning old foxes who hide their daggers behind their smiles, Lin Quan's Adam's apple bobbed, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and a hint of relief at surviving a close call flashed in his eyes.

Although he has memories of two lifetimes, in his previous life he was just an idle person who was just passing the time, and in this life his predecessor was an honest and ordinary young man.

Even if he had the future trends and strategies for the next few decades in his mind, if he were to actually play the game in the No. 95 courtyard, he probably wouldn't even have time to warm up the first piece before being taken away along with the chessboard.

He didn't want to fight, didn't want to get involved, and didn't care about that little bit of empty fame and fortune.

Fortunately, fate left us a way out.

His parents were no ordinary people; they were martyrs who fell in the final gunfire of the Liberation War.

Now, he holds this identity, and it's not just a hollow title; it's a solid talisman!

In this era, the words "children of martyrs" carry more weight than a steel seal and are hotter than an official stamp—as long as he doesn't take the initiative to overturn the table, no one will dare to throw dirty water on his head, no matter how turbulent the future may be.

Having figured this out, Lin Quan's tense shoulders finally relaxed a little.

He then calmed down and looked around:

The elm wood bed frame gleamed with a warm patina, and new plain paper was pasted on the window frame. A few tender grasses sprouted from the cracks in the blue bricks in the corner of the wall, swaying gently in the wind.

He sat up, bent down, and dragged a heavy camphor wood box out from under the bed.

This box contains all his possessions from his entire life.

Lifting the lid of the box, on top of it was a stack of brand-new RMB banknotes—one fen, two fen, five fen, ten yuan, five yuan, and one yuan, neatly stacked.

He counted it three times: exactly one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven pieces.

Doesn't sound like much? But right now, a city worker's monthly salary is only around forty yuan. That amount of money is enough to buy half a hutong!

Two small ebony boxes were pressed down at the bottom of the box.

Inside the box were silver coins wrapped tightly in oil paper, stacked like soldiers in a line.

In the other box lay the property deed and a small bundle of gold bars—no more, no less, a hundred bars, each one gleaming and heavy enough to be easily held.

Finally, there was a small, lotus-root-colored silk pouch, carefully wrapped with fine linen thread.

Lin Quan paused, the smile on his face gradually faded, and a faint frown quietly appeared between his brows.

He untied the silk thread and unfolded the silk cloth—two things lay quietly inside: an old pocket watch worn smooth and shiny, and a small, yellowed photograph.

In the photo, a man and a woman stand side by side, wearing faded military uniforms, their smiles as pure as a spring stream.

Two heavy First-Class Merit Medals, and in total, there are as many as twelve Second-Class and Third-Class Merit Medals!

Lin Quan stared at them, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he wanted to speak, but he swallowed the words back.

My eyes welled up with tears, and my vision became slightly moist.

"well……"

After a long while, he let out a soft sigh, moving so gently as if afraid of disturbing something, and carefully put the medals into the wooden box one by one.

These are not just for show.

It is both an unyielding glory and a solid life-saving charm!

He glanced at the old wooden box again—not to mention the small croakers and silver dollars stored away, just that thick stack of banknotes, totaling more than 1,800 yuan, was enough for him to live comfortably for many years.

He took a few deep breaths, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and a smile returned to his face. He couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"With this wealth, even if we just lay at home basking in the sun every day, we could easily weather the storm until the reform and opening up!"

Reborn into this era, Lin Quan has no desire to continue fighting tooth and nail.

Right now, he has only one thought in his mind: Lie down! Lie down completely!

He casually pulled out a wad of cash, about a hundred yuan, and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he closed the large wooden box as before and pushed it back into the corner.

After finishing all that, he strolled out of the yard and walked around his own property, carefully examining the place where he would settle down and make a living.

This courtyard is nominally called a "two-entrance siheyuan" (courtyard house with two courtyards), but it was actually forcibly separated from courtyard number 95!

Lin Quan flipped through his past life's memories—not only the No. 96 courtyard where he lived, but also the No. 94 and No. 95 next door, were originally one family, a magnificent five-courtyard prince's mansion.

After being split and divided several times, it became the three independent courtyards we see today.

After walking around, although some parts of the walls were peeling and the beams were slightly rotten, the overall structure was solid, without any collapses or leaks, and the foundation was reliable.

With just a few experienced craftsmen to tidy it up, its former grandeur will immediately be restored.

However, Lin Quan has no intention of making any repairs at the moment.

Others may be confused, but he knows it perfectly well: these days, poverty is a talisman, while wealth is a death warrant.

If you flaunt your wealth even slightly, trouble will come knocking on your door before you can even catch your breath!

Even with his medals of honor, he couldn't withstand the malice of those who were blinded by greed.

Especially those people in the neighboring No. 95 compound—they're all sweet-talking but ruthless, they'll take the meat without spitting out the scraps, and they'll only target the weak.

Once they set their sights on you, the consequences will be dire!

Once she made up her mind, Lin Quan turned and walked towards the kitchen.

The kitchen, no bigger than the palm of your hand, is fully equipped with pots, pans, and utensils, and the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar are neatly arranged.

The rice jar was empty, the flour sack was flat, with only a small half-bag of cornmeal, a few handfuls of stale rice, three eggs, two cabbages, and a few potatoes left.

Meat? Forget about a shadow, I didn't even see a speck of oil!

Glug... glug glug...

Just as I was thinking of going to buy some grain, my stomach started rumbling.

Lin Quan glanced at the stove, then simply waved his hand, locked the door, and walked out.

"Kobayashi, are you going out?"

Just as I stepped out of the gate, a greeting came from the gate of the neighboring No. 95 courtyard.

He looked up and saw a man in his early thirties, pale and thin, leaning against the door frame. His cheekbones were high and his eyes revealed a shrewd and calculating look.

A name flashed through Lin Quan's mind instantly: Yan Bugui!

That's right, it was none other than "Third Uncle" Yan Bugui, who would even approach a passing manure cart to taste its saltiness!

However, he is not yet a "Third Master" and the courtyard house has not yet established the rules for a master.

"Yes, we're almost out of food at home. I'll go to the grain store to buy some."

"Uncle Yan, you're busy, I'll be going now!"

He nodded in response, and before he finished speaking, he quickened his pace, nimbly turned the corner, and shook off the person behind him.

Lin Quan knew very well that although Yan Bugui was not as stingy and mean as he would become later, one should still be wary of others.

He never intended to get involved with the group in courtyard number 95 from beginning to end.

Whether it's lukewarm water or boiling oil, stay as far away as you can!

Yan Bugui watched Lin Quan's hurried departure, his brows furrowed, and he muttered under his breath:

"What's wrong with this kid? He runs faster than a rabbit, like he's being chased by a wolf..."

Meanwhile, Lin Quan walked quite a distance out of the courtyard before finally stopping, letting out a long sigh of relief.

"Let's grab something to eat first, then head to the food depot..."

He turned into a narrow alley based on his memory, found a small restaurant full of local flavor, quickly ordered a meat dish, a vegetable dish, and a soup, and started eating as soon as he picked up his bowl.

To everyone's surprise, the hot meal cost less than two yuan when the bill came!

Cheap, fucking cheap!

Lin Quan was stunned for a moment, his chopsticks hanging in mid-air, feeling somewhat at a loss—the prices were like they had been stolen from a dream.

"Huh?!"

As Lin Quan walked along, pondering where the grain store was, a sudden thought struck him, and he abruptly stopped.

He looked down at the back of his right hand—where a strange birthmark had appeared out of nowhere, its outline distinct, shaped like an ancient mirror.

With its slightly dark bronze color and deep, mottled bronze patterns, it looks exactly like an old bronze mirror!

His pupils contracted sharply, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment—he recognized the mark!

It was this that I clutched in my palm before I died in my previous life!

That's right, these mirror marks are actually formed from the bronze mirror itself!

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Lin Quan closed his eyes and gasped for breath, sweat beading on his forehead, managing to suppress the surging emotions in his chest.

He quickly scanned his surroundings, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he immediately turned around and strode away, his figure soon disappearing into the street corner.

Before long, he was standing in front of an old grain shop diagonally opposite Nanluoguxiang.

"Young man, what would you like to buy?"

As soon as the curtain was lifted, an apprentice wearing a blue headscarf came forward, his voice clear and bright.

At this time, the People's Republic of China had just been established, and the public-private partnership had not yet been implemented. In the grain shops, the shopkeeper sat at the counter, and below him were all diligent apprentices.

"One hundred catties of rice and one hundred catties of wheat flour."

Lin Quan spoke quickly and decisively, then paused and added, "Let's buy another twenty catties of peanut oil and calculate the total."

"Rice and wheat flour are both 15 cents per pound, so 200 pounds would cost exactly 30 yuan."

"Peanut oil costs 80 cents a pound, 20 pounds costs 16 yuan."

Snap, snap, snap—

Behind the counter, the old shopkeeper muttered to himself as he moved the abacus beads, making a series of crisp sounds as his fingers flew like butterflies.