Courtyard House: My Time Travel is a Bit Too Strong

Sha Zhu was sixteen or seventeen, the age when he was most concerned about his reputation, and even his ears were burning with embarrassment.

"Come in first and we'll talk."

Lin Quan sighed silently, stepped aside, and gently raised his hand towards the two of them.

He walked through the hall and courtyard to the backyard, then turned to Chen Xueru and said:

"You sit with them for a while and chat—I'll go to the kitchen and get something to eat."

In the kitchen, he glanced at the mirror space and searched through the storage, but couldn't find a single soul beast less than a thousand years old.

Left with no other choice, they could only take a small piece of the thousand-year-old soul beast's leg meat, barely managing to cut off less than an ounce.

The pot was simmering over a roaring fire, and the aroma of rice mixed with the essence of the soul beasts rose up. In no time, a large pot of thick meat porridge was served steaming hot.

Lin Quan set out the bowls and chopsticks, then waved to the two children: "Have some porridge while it's hot to fill your stomachs."

Glug glug...

He Yushui's stomach rumbled again, and her little nose twitched as the aroma of meat filled her nostrils, making her swallow hard.

Even Sha Zhu quietly straightened his back, and his belly started growling again.

Lin Quan caught a glimpse of this and feigned a stern face: "What are you staring at the bowl for? Hurry up and eat!"

Before the words were even finished, the brother and sister, no longer caring about being shy, grabbed their spoons and started drinking heartily.

In just a few minutes, the entire pot of porridge was gone.

Because it contained the essence of a thousand-year-old soul beast, even a tiny bit of it generated heat that flowed like a stream into the sea, quietly spreading throughout the body.

The two people's pale cheeks gradually regained color, and their fingertips were no longer cold.

Lin Quan nodded silently, then turned to He Yushui and frowned, saying, "Xue Ru, take her to wash her face and change into clean clothes."

"Rain, come here, let your sister help you wash up."

Chen Xueru stood up in response, took the little girl's hand, and whispered to her as they went to the bathroom.

After watching their figures disappear through the moon gate, Lin Quan turned his gaze back to Sha Zhu.

"Quan... Quan-ge..."

Sha Zhu's lips trembled slightly, his eyes were lowered and he dared not look up, his voice was as soft as a whisper.

Seeing the boy's dejected appearance, Lin Quan curled his lip, his tone revealing a hint of impatience: "First, wipe those dishes on the stove clean..."

"Hey, hey, hey... I'll get it done right away! I'll get it done right away!"

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu felt as if his heels had been burned by fire, and he suddenly snapped back to reality.

He rushed to the kitchen in a flurry, shoveling the bowls, chopsticks, and spoons that his brother and sister had just used into the basin, the dishcloth flying everywhere, the basin clattering loudly.

Ten minutes later, he shuffled back into the yard, his back ramrod straight, his fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the seams of his pants, his voice weak: "Quan... Brother Quan, it's all... all washed up."

"sit."

Lin Quan's gaze fell heavily on him. He didn't speak, but simply raised his hand and gently pointed towards the stone bench.

Sha Zhu dared not be negligent and immediately bent down to sit, not daring to let even the tip of his buttocks touch the seat.

Seeing his hunched shoulders, stooped back, and darting eyes, Lin Quan didn't rush to speak. Instead, he picked up the purple clay teapot, poured boiling water into the tea, and filled two steaming cups.

Once the aroma of the tea had dissipated, he picked up the cup, blew away the foam, and said calmly, "Tell me everything in detail these past few days."

Sha Zhu's Adam's apple bobbed, his fist clenched tightly, his nails almost digging into his palm, and a sinister light flashed in his eyes.

He didn't beat around the bush; he gritted his teeth and told the whole story from beginning to end, without omitting a single word.

After listening, Lin Quan finally felt more at ease.

In fact, Lin Quan had a premonition before He Daqing left—this person would eventually withdraw.

But only after hearing it from Sha Zhu did I realize how decisive and ruthless that guy was when he left!

Before leaving, apart from Lin Quan vaguely sensing something was going on, the group of beasts in human skin in the neighboring courtyard all pretended to be deaf and dumb, and not one of them knew anything!

Of course, Lin Quan knew perfectly well who was secretly watching him and who was plotting against him.

The Celestial Venerable who recites the "Tao Te Ching" all day long, and the deaf old woman who has been hard of hearing for decades but whose hearing becomes sharp at crucial moments, could not possibly be kept in the dark.

Pushing the line a little deeper—He Daqing was probably driven to a dead end by someone who had his life force in his grasp.

As for himself, he was not necessarily entirely passive; on the contrary, he took advantage of the situation and went with the flow, simply leaving!

I won't get involved in those complicated details behind the scenes.

Lin Quan paused, then changed the subject, cutting straight to the point: "So, how do you plan to live from now on?"

"I...I..."

Sha Zhu opened his mouth, but his tongue got tied, and he couldn't utter a coherent sentence for a long time.

at a loss.

At this moment, he felt empty inside, like a stove that had been emptied out, leaving only ashes.

Lin Quan stared at him for a few seconds, sighed silently, and suddenly asked, "How's your cooking coming along?"

Sha Zhu didn't hide anything and nodded honestly: "A while ago, when Brother Quan got married, I... could barely be considered to have graduated from my apprenticeship."

Lin Quan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He paused for a moment, then slowly put down his teacup, the porcelain bottom tapping softly on the stone table.

"Alright... since you call me brother, I'll cover for you this time."

"I knew He Daqing was going to leave before he even set off."

"Normally, before he left, he should have made sure you and Yushui were taken care of properly and explained everything clearly..."

Lin Quan paused, glanced at Sha Zhu, and continued:

"But he just packed his bags and ran away without saying a word—something must have gone wrong, forcing him to flee."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu's face flushed red, and his voice suddenly rose: "No...impossible! Yu Shui and I rushed to Baoding to find him, why is he hiding from us?!"

"To see you?"

Lin Quan suddenly chuckled, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Who told you he really didn't see you?"

"Who else could it be but the White Widow? Who?!"

Sha Zhu's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes widened as if he had been struck by lightning.

This kid is usually honest and straightforward, but he's not stupid.

Lin Quan's bump sent a jolt through him, as if a thread had suddenly snapped.

But where was the loose end of the thread, where was the break? He couldn't pinpoint it or say for a moment.

At this moment, Lin Quan sneered, his words clear and distinct: "Who told you to go to Baoding? Who gave you the address?"

All you saw was the White Widow; you didn't see He Daqing himself at all!

Don't just think about how cold he is to you—think about how much he cares for Xiaoyushui. Can he really just leave without any reason?

In this game of chess, who is pushing you, who is blocking you, and who is stirring things up from behind?

"Among those people in your courtyard, which are human and which are ghosts—you decide for yourself."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Quan shut his mouth and didn't say another word.

Sha Zhu stood frozen in place, his lips slightly parted, his voice trembling, and he subconsciously muttered:

"A deaf old woman... an old man... a white widow... He Daqing..."

His mind was buzzing, and he couldn't make sense of anything.

Perhaps the thought had already surfaced in his mind, but he subconsciously clenched his fists, unwilling to admit it.

"From now on, think things through before you act, instead of just talking."

Lin Quan paused, then suddenly changed the subject:

"Once the light rain stops, I'll go with you to the steel rolling mill."