Courtyard House: He Yuzhu started in 1948

The army's victory was unstoppable. To appease the people, the Kuomintang spread false information on the radio every day. But how could such false information possibly fool the people of Beiping? They had just suffered a defeat yesterday, and today it had become the talk of the town.

Good morning, Sister Chunxi.

When He Yuzhu woke up in the morning, Chunxi was already up cooking for Yi Zhonghai and his wife, along with coal and dumplings...

"Good morning, Zhu Zi."

Chunxi still wasn't used to being called Zhuzi by that name; "Young Master" was more appropriate, and it also gave her the air of a young master.

But He Yuzhu refused to comply and kept asking her to change, even resorting to threats.

You wouldn't want your brother to be unable to go to school, would you?

Chunxi then gradually changed her ways.

He Yuzhu didn't have any opinion about Chunxi having been to the Eight Great Hutongs. He had also experienced the days when "people laughed at poverty but not prostitution." Back then, it was possible to fly all over the country, right?

"Pillar, I can write my name now."

Chunxi, who was cooking, smiled brightly, and He Yuzhu's heart was suddenly stirred when he saw it.

Although he was young, he was mentally mature. As the weather got hotter, Chunxi wore thinner and thinner clothes. Although he was still wearing coarse cloth clothes, his long legs and tight pants made He Yuzhu feel a little thirsty.

Damn it, she must have practiced!

It wasn't that He Yuzhu disrespected Chunxi, but that he truly couldn't tolerate it.

They say that after three years in the army, even a sow can rival Diao Chan (a legendary beauty).

He Yuzhu's life was no different. There were few women in the tenement, and if there were, they were mostly older women. The Fifth Middle School was an all-boys school, and there were no beautiful women visiting the vegetable market or slaughterhouse.

Aside from Chunxi, He Yuzhu only had contact with two other women of similar age: Tian Zao and Li Xiulan.

Li Xiulan, Tian Zao... those are just two bean sprouts.

Chunxi, on the other hand, has matured.

I can't stand it!

He Yuzhu turned and left, deciding not to make breakfast and to let He Daqing take care of it.

Chunxi was older, and although she did odd jobs in the Eight Great Hutongs, the madam had taught her how to seduce men so that she could earn money in the future.

First, I'll shatter your self-esteem, then teach you the Jade Egg Technique, the Sitting in the Jar, and some rhetoric... She could read He Yuzhu's wolfish gaze just now.

She didn't dislike He Yuzhu's gaze.

……

"Brother Steel Egg, someone's looking for you!"

Under the overpass, at the wrestling arena.

This is the headquarters of the wrestlers. On weekdays, when they have nothing to do, the brothers practice or play around here.

Tian Zhuang was very unhappy that his peaceful sleep had been disturbed so early in the morning.

Seeing that the person who came was He Yuzhu, he became even more unhappy.

"What do you want from me?"

"I want to have a chat with you."

He Yuzhu really didn't want to see him, but now he had no choice but to bite the bullet and come: "It's about Tian Zao, Brother Gangdan."

Is it the little steel egg on the overpass?

interesting!

Tian Zhuang was very displeased when he heard He Yuzhu address him.

You dare call me "Steel Egg"?

When He Yuzhu brought up Tian Zao's matter, Tian Zhuang didn't want to dwell on it anymore, but he didn't respond either. Instead, he beckoned to He Yuzhu, "I told you to come over, but you didn't. Go to the sand and practice your wrestling!"

"..."

I knew Tian Gangdan had ill intentions.

He Yuzhu didn't want to suffer: "Brother Dazhuang, I'm a scholar."

Tian Zhuang was stunned.

This kid is so shameless?

You've never been to school, and if you went to school now, you'd just be a stew cook. What kind of scholar are you?

He Yuzhu refused to practice no matter what, so Tian Zhuang had no choice but to take him to eat braised pork.

With no one around, it's the perfect place to talk.

Suzhou-style braised pork, rich and savory, satisfies the craving; roasted and simmered meat is then stuffed inside. Even though it's considered greasy by some, one bite is enough to leave your clothes covered in oil.

This poem, which comes from "Miscellaneous Poems on Snacks in Yandu", describes the predecessor of braised pork – the imperial dish "Suzhou Braised Pork".

Lu Zhu, which was thought to be eaten only by the poor, originated in the imperial court. After being improved during the Republic of China period, it first gained fame on Nanheng Street in the southern part of the city.

Pig's head meat, pig liver, pig lungs, and pig intestines are cooked together with spices and then served with baked flatbread. It's delicious!

He Yuzhu was used to the food cooked by He Daqing, so he felt that there was a strange taste in this braised dish.

If even a large amount of spices couldn't suppress it, it must be because the pig offal wasn't cleaned properly.

He Yuzhu didn't eat the braised pork; he just chewed on a flatbread.

Tian Zhuang ignored him and said while eating, "What is it? Just say it. Speak freely."

"Zao'er wants to avenge her parents, and I didn't want her to take any risks, so I took on this task myself."

He Yuzhu revealed his purpose for coming to find Tian Zhuang again without any concealment.

Besides, there's no need to hide it. Tian Zhuang is Tian Zao's older brother, and the two siblings depend on each other for survival. Would he betray Tian Zao? "I want to ask you to get some guns. I'm still a month away from being fourteen. If I go to the ghost market to buy them, I'll probably be slaughtered like a pig. So I'm asking you to help me buy some handy weapons."

Tian Zhuang knew about this: "A gun?"

He Yuzhu nodded, and Tian Zhuang asked again, "How many do you want?"

"Two original imported submachine guns, preferably German or American made, fifty hand grenades, and five magazines of ammunition for each gun."

He Yuzhu stated his estimated number of weapons.

We'll ambush Han Qingkui, have Da Yong and his friends throw grenades, and after the grenades explode, we'll go and harvest the crops with Tian Zao, masked, and have some fun too.

What man doesn't like a gun?

He Yuzhu never played with it in his past life, but he must try it this time.

He Yuzhu actually wanted to buy some handguns and the like, but then he thought better of it. He figured he'd have to put away the guns and ammunition after the New Year, so buying guns was out of the question.

With a sharp weapon in the body, the murderous heart starts from the beginning.

It's best to avoid getting this weapon wet.

As for the price of the weapons, Da Yong and the others only heard one side of the story, saying that the black market prices were expensive... He Yuzhu couldn't afford them at all, so he had to ask Tian Zhuang for help.

While we're at it, let's find out who this older brother of Tianzao really is.

"puff!"

Tian Zhuang spat out the large intestine he had just eaten.

He Yuzhu glanced at the large intestine on the ground... and sure enough, it hadn't been cleaned properly.

Nausea!

Tian Zhuang ignored the large intestine and stared wide-eyed at He Yuzhu: "Does killing someone require so many weapons?"

"That's right, Han Qingkui is the leader of the Gelaohui (a secret society), and he's extremely ruthless. He's always surrounded by a lot of people. We're too young to beat him, so we can only rely on weapons to win."

He Yuzhu chuckled and said to Tian Zhuang, "Brother, killing Han Qingkui is too dangerous. We can't risk our lives by killing her, can we?"

You don't want to lose your sister because of this, do you?

Steel Egg Bro!

Tian Zhuang thought He Yuzhu's words made sense. He slowly ate his braised pork, picked up a piece of large intestine, and chewed it with considerable enjoyment. He glanced at He Yuzhu sideways and asked, "Do you even have the money to buy so many weapons?"

How much money can Tian Zao make from the businesses he does?

Excluding expenses, a little over one dollar a day would be the maximum, but now a genuine imported Bergman MP18 costs six hundred dollars, and even if grenades and bullets are cheap, these weapons together would cost two thousand dollars.

"no."

He Yuzhu answered honestly, but his smile held a calculating edge: "Brother, I don't have the money to buy a gun, but renting one shouldn't be that expensive, right? How about five hundred silver dollars, a flat rate?"

"..."

Rent a gun?

Tian Zhuang's eyes widened; it was the first time he had ever heard of someone wanting to rent a gun.

I'm just a wrestler, do you think I'm some kind of superhuman?

Seeing Tian Zhuang staring at him with wide eyes, He Yuzhu added, "Brother, I don't need a brand new gun, a second-hand or third-hand one is fine, as long as it doesn't jam at a crucial moment."