Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 96 Reunion, Big Mouth, and a Little Card Revealed (Please Subscribe)
They went to that house and easily obtained Wang Cuiping's belongings.

To put it bluntly, they were all just looking after someone else's house. It's just that Wang Cuiping was able to enter the inner courtyard. Once the people looking after the inner courtyard left, it's hard to say what the people outside were thinking.

He Yuzhu took Wang Cuiping's small bundle and felt that it was quite heavy. He didn't know if it was left by the host or if she had returned it to Yu Zecheng.

So I asked, "Auntie, that person didn't leave you anything. How will you and your daughter survive?"

“If we keep it, it’s not like we’re losing out,” Wang Cuiping said.

There was another reason why he went with He Yuzhu: He Yuzhu's letter had worked. Yu Zecheng had also slipped a note into the gold bars: "Wait for me to come back to Luoguxiang, south of Beijing!"

Because Wang Cuiping studied with Chen Lanxiang for a while and then learned some things from Yu Zecheng, she is no longer the illiterate guerrilla captain she once was.

She didn't know why Yu Zecheng mentioned Nanluoguxiang, because she hadn't mentioned that she had ever lived in Beijing when she came. The only thing she could think of was that Lao Zhao had mentioned it to Yu Zecheng.

She would never have guessed that it was because of this young boy beside her that she struggled for so long over this note before deciding not to go back to her hometown. Even if life was difficult in Beijing, she would wait there.

Back at He Yuzhu's courtyard, Wang Cuiping became wary as soon as she saw it was unlocked.

Seeing her like this, He Yuzhu quickly said, "Auntie, Auntie, don't get agitated. There are other people in the yard, they're family."

"We're one of them. If you didn't come to Tianjin alone, who else from your family came?"

"No, no, I just took in a little girl in Tianjin. You'll see when you meet her."

"Little girl? Zhu Zi, you're only thirteen, right? Don't go astray and do anything reckless!"

"No, no, Auntie, what are you thinking?"

"Tap tap tap," He Yuzhu gently knocked on the courtyard gate and called out, "Xiaoman, I'm back!"

"Here he comes, here he comes, Brother Zhu."

Xiaoman opened the courtyard gate and was stunned to see Wang Cuiping next to He Yuzhu. Her mind was filled with thoughts like, "Why did Brother Zhu bring a woman back?"

Wang Cuiping's eyes lit up when she saw Xiaoman. "Zhuzi has good taste! The girl is beautiful. Now Sister Chen won't have to worry about not having a daughter-in-law."

"Don't just stand there, let's go inside and talk," He Yuzhu said hastily when he saw the two women looking each other up and down at the door.

"Oh, oh!" Xiaoman quickly moved aside at the doorway.

"Okay!" Wang Cuiping stepped inside.

He Yuzhu followed behind and then closed the door.

Wang Cuiping entered the courtyard and began to look around. Then she went directly to the side room and saw that the bedding was neat and there were some things that girls used. She nodded to confirm that He Yuzhu hadn't done anything wrong and that this girl lived there by herself.

This left Xiaoman completely bewildered. "Does Brother Zhuzi mean he's going to kick me out after bringing people back?"

Then her eyes reddened, and tears started falling.

"What's wrong with this child?" Wang Cuiping was also a little confused by the scene.

"I don't know, Xiaoman, what's wrong with you?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Brother Zhu, boohoo, Brother Zhu, please don't send me away. I don't eat much, I can sleep in the kitchen!"

He Yuzhu was completely baffled. What was all this about? Wang Cuiping, being a woman, had a keen sixth sense that told her the girl had misunderstood.

"Zhu Zi, you haven't introduced him to us yet!" Wang Cuiping teased with a smile.

"Come inside." They ushered Wang Cuiping into the main room.

Xiaoman clung tightly to He Yuzhu's clothes, refusing to let go, and secretly glanced at Wang Cuiping.

"You silly girl, who's trying to kick you out? This is my aunt. She's looking after your room for your own good. Hurry up and greet her."

"Hello, Auntie!" Xiaoman greeted Wang Cuiping timidly.

"Xiaoman, hello! Come over here and let Auntie take a look." Wang Cuiping waved to her.

Xiaoman looked at He Yuzhu with pleading eyes, and He Yuzhu gave her a push.

"go!"

"Oh!"

"Auntie, please don't take offense. This girl is shy around strangers. She's a bit sensitive since none of her family members have been around for a while."

“It’s alright, I was like that when I first came to the city,” Wang Cuiping said.

"You two chat, I'll go to the kitchen to prepare something." He Yuzhu wanted to give the two women some space, so he made up an excuse.

"Zhu Zi, you probably don't have any mutton here. Do you have any chili peppers? If you do, make me some oil-splashed noodles. I've been craving your noodles for a long time." Wang Cuiping still vividly remembered He Yuzhu's bowl of mutton noodles.

As for whether there was any noodles, how could a chef's family not have some noodles? On the way, He Yuzhu also told Wang Cuiping about his experiences over the past six months. Wang Cuiping listened in a daze. She had apprenticed with two masters and graduated, but she had never heard of such a thing.

"We don't have mutton, but we have mutton fat. Today we'll have noodles with minced meat sauce."

"Okay, then Auntie will wait." Knowing that He Yuzhu had worked in a halal restaurant, Wang Cuiping didn't ask any more questions. Isn't it normal to have a little mutton fat?

After He Yuzhu left, Wang Cuiping took Xiaoman's hand and started asking her questions. When she got to the sad parts, she even wiped away the little girl's tears.

When He Yu returned, the two women were already chatting and laughing, making He Yu Zhu sigh that communication between women was too simple.

"You two had a good chat?"

"Xiaoman is a child with a hard life, you must treat her well in the future."

"Auntie," Xiaoman said, blushing as she shook Wang Cuiping.

"Alright, alright, stop shaking him. If Zhu Zi bullies you in the future, tell your aunt, and I'll take care of him." Wang Cuiping gestured with her fist at He Yuzhu.

"Auntie, Brother Zhu is amazing." Xiaoman said with admiration.

"Tch, so what if he's tough? I can take care of him and he still dares to fight back? He's gone too far!" Wang Cuiping laughed and scolded.

"No, no, you guys keep chatting, I'll go roll out the dough." He Yuzhu turned and ran off.

The two women smiled at each other, and soon the aroma of meat wafted from the kitchen. Unable to resist, they both ran to the kitchen to see what was happening.

He Yuzhu stir-fried diced cured pork with mutton fat. The flavor of mutton combined with the salty aroma of cured pork created a unique taste. In fact, He Yuzhu had never made it this way before, but it was inconvenient for him to simply prepare a piece of fresh meat.

I have plenty of side dishes at home, and they'll keep well since it's getting cooler.

He Yuzhu finished cooking under the supervision of the two women. Because it smelled so good, neither of them wanted to go back and suffer, so they stayed outside the kitchen to watch over it.

He made extra noodles, just in case it wasn't enough.

Despite Wang Cuiping's morning sickness, she was perfectly fine with the smell of mutton and chili peppers.

While eating, she ate half a bowl first, and then couldn't resist eating another half bowl before stopping her chopsticks and saying, "It's so good. Auntie hasn't had a good meal lately. Zhu Zi, your cooking skills are just as good as your dad's."

"It's alright," He Yuzhu said modestly.

When Xiaoman first came back with He Yuzhu, she didn't eat much mutton. But He Yuzhu had been working at a halal restaurant, and the dishes he brought back were either beef or mutton. After so much time, she's developed a good appetite now. She ate a whole bowl of noodles, soup and all.

After dinner, Xiaoman ran to wash the dishes, while He Yuzhu started tidying up his blankets and clothes. Wang Cuiping said, "What are you doing all this fuss about?"

"The bed in the main room is big, you can sleep with Xiaoman, I'll sleep in the side room."

"My aunt is a guest; there's no reason for her to sleep in the main room."

"I'm just a little kid, it doesn't matter where I sleep, Auntie, you don't need to refuse. There are other blankets at home, in Xiaoman's room, I'll bring them over later."

"You silly child!" Wang Cuiping's eyes reddened; this was the feeling of family.

"Auntie, you can stay here with peace of mind. When we can leave the city, we'll go back to Beijing. You can still stay in our courtyard then, and my mother will have someone to talk to."

"Eh!"

Xiaoman only realized she had moved after washing the dishes. However, the bed in the side room was indeed a bit small, not enough for two people. As for sleeping with Wang Cuiping, she wasn't unhappy about it. So Wang Cuiping settled down in He Yuzhu's small courtyard. He Yuzhu would occasionally go out to get some food and supplies, and even some things to relieve morning sickness.

This made Wang Cuiping even more convinced that this child was extraordinary. When they first met outside the city, she didn't think much of it, but Old Zhao told her that this child had come to learn cooking, and to a big restaurant at that.

Why did this child leave the city?

Of course, she didn't ask directly, probably because she knew she wouldn't get the answer she wanted. It wasn't until things got more and more tense in the city that one day He Yuzhu secretly gave her a gun, just like Yu Zecheng's small pistol.

"Zhu Zi, where did you get this gun? This isn't an ordinary gun, won't they come looking for us?"

"The city is too chaotic, so I asked someone to help me get this. Now you can exchange grain for anything, Auntie. You should know how to use it, right?"

“That guy also has one; I’ve played with it,” Wang Cuiping said casually, pretending not to care about Yu Zecheng.

"That's good. The safety is on. Do you need me to teach you?"

"No need, what about you?"

“I have this.” He Yuzhu deliberately took out a Mauser pistol.

Wang Cuiping's eyes lit up; this was the weapon she wanted. She thought the small guns were just for scaring people and couldn't kill anyone.

"How about we switch?"

"Auntie, you know how to use this?"

"Yes," Wang Cuiping said subconsciously, then added, "It's enough to hold a meeting; I've seen people use it."

He Yuzhu just smiled and looked at Wang Cuiping. Wang Cuiping felt uncomfortable under his gaze and asked, "What, did I say something wrong?"

"No, I know you can use it because I know you guys use it." He Yuzhu made an eight gesture.

"How did you know? Tell me!" Wang Cuiping's body suddenly changed, and the safety of the small pistol was released with a 'click' and it was chambered with a 'click'.

He Yuzhu quickly dodged to the side. What a joke! He knew that if he couldn't give a clear explanation, Wang Cuiping might actually shoot.

"Auntie, you can't joke like that!"

"Tell me, how did you know?" Wang Cuiping realized she had gotten too agitated, put the gun on the table, and asked sternly.

"Don't get excited, you're still pregnant."

"Okay, I'm not agitated, you go ahead."

"Didn't Lao Zhao tell you that I came on the same train as him?"

"No, what does it have to do with him?"

"The relationship is extremely important," He Yuzhu said, keeping everyone in suspense.

"Stop with your nonsense, get to the point!"

"Yes, that's how it is, that's how it is."

He Yuzhu then gave a brief account of what happened on the train.

He Yuzhu made this decision after much consideration. If war breaks out, Tianjin will not be safe. Only by speaking openly can many things be handled better.

Of course, it also had the meaning of paving the way for the future after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Given his family's situation, there would definitely be some people making trouble when class status was determined. Wang Cuiping was just the first one.

If Lao Zhao can return to Beijing, that would be the second option. He doesn't want to reveal his other trump cards unless it's a matter of life and death.

There's another matter. Since we haven't been able to keep in touch by letter lately, he doesn't know what's going on in the courtyard, whether those people have moved in, or what their living conditions are like. It's better to be prepared.

"You can guess I'm from that side just based on that?"

“Of course not. Old Zhao has lived in the courtyard for over a year. He’s always been a loner. Why would he bring a cousin like you back with him?” He Yuzhu said slowly as he sat down.

"So everyone in the hospital thinks something's wrong?" Wang Cuiping became alert.

"No, I just overheard Yi Zhonghai next door talking in his sleep, muttering that he was following some old Zhao, which is why he ended up like that."

"That doesn't prove that Lao Zhao is from that side, does it?"

"Of course, the key lies with you. You married a KMT official, right? He went to the south but didn't take you with him. Doesn't that say something?"

"That doesn't prove anything!" Wang Cuiping remained defiant.

"Okay, then one last point: if you were an ordinary woman who married into the family, why wouldn't he take you with him? If even someone of his status couldn't protect you, doesn't that say something?"

"Are you... are you a little monster?" Wang Cuiping glared at He Yuzhu.

"I'm not a monster, but ever since my mother had a difficult childbirth and I was frightened, I seem to have become a little bit smarter than other children."

"You think this is just a little bit? You're more capable than most adults. If you were covered in fur, you'd be even more cunning than a monkey."

Thank you for your kind words!

"Stop being so glib, tell me. You've been pretending not to know anything before, so why did you give me a gun and expose my identity today?"

"It's nothing. I was just afraid you would ask too many questions or overthink things. This gun is for saving lives, for you and Xiaoman."

"Are you going out again?"

"Not sure, we'll see!"

"You wouldn't happen to be one of our comrades too, would you, He Yuzhu?"

"No, at my age, I should be able to join the children's corps," He Yuzhu joked.

"Bullshit, with your skills, I would have made you a vice captain in the old days."

"Oh, I didn't realize you were an official, Auntie."

"He's no official, just a guerrilla leader."

How many people are there?

"A few dozen!"

"You are this one!" He Yuzhu gave a thumbs up.

"What, do you want me to introduce you to someone?"

"Let's talk about it later, I'm still young."

"I don't believe you for a second. How could a kid get his hands on something like this?" Wang Cuiping pointed at the gun on the table.

"There must be many minor heroes who made a living, but I just didn't get to be one of them."

"Give me that big one, you can keep the small one for yourself." Wang Cuiping pointed to the Mauser pistol in He Yuzhu's hand.

"Fine, I'm not used to using it anyway." He Yuzhu put the Mauser C96 on the table and pushed it over.

"Are you sure these guns came from somewhere legitimate?" Wang Cuiping asked again, still not entirely convinced.

"Is there a problem with taking things from people's hands when they're young?" He Yuzhu spoke the truth.

"Where are they? I'm going to blow them up." Wang Cuiping suddenly stood up.

"Auntie, Auntie, don't get excited. You're still pregnant. Even if I were pregnant, I wouldn't have waited until now."

"You've killed someone?" Wang Cuiping was even more surprised.

"A person who lives a mundane life isn't a person, is he?" He Yuzhu said nonchalantly.

"That's true!" Wang Cuiping recalled the excitement she felt when she first arrived in Tianjin and saw the prisoners of war. At that time, she also wanted to rush up and shoot them with a gun.

(End of this chapter)