Chapter 38: The Burning of Dongxing Lou

In the dead of night, when all was silent, He Yuzhu rolled out of bed without a sound.

Holding his breath, he discovered his mother, Shen Guizhi, was still fast asleep, her steady breathing indicating she had not noticed his movements.

Like a nocturnal cat, he nimbly vaulted over the wall of the Siheyuan, landed silently, and then sprinted toward the direction of Dongxing Lou.

The icy night wind whipped past his ears, and his footsteps echoed sharply through the empty streets.

Arriving outside the tightly shut doors of Dongxing Lou, he did not hesitate in the slightest and quickly retrieved two buckets of gasoline from his space.

He splashed the gasoline forcefully onto the tavern's heavy wooden doors and carved window lattices, and the pungent smell of gasoline quickly permeated the air.

Afterward, he struck a match; the orange-red flame traced an arc through the air and landed precisely on the gasoline-soaked wood.

"Boom—"

The flames erupted instantly, leaping over a zhang high, greedily licking at everything and illuminating the pitch-black night sky in a sea of red.

He Yuzhu stood in the shadows not far away, the scorching heat wave rushing toward his face, a cold, sharp smile curling the corners of his mouth.

The fire was extremely fierce; the Japanese izakaya on the left and the Japanese firm on the right were soon engulfed in the sea of flames, the crackling sounds of burning signaling that they were doomed to perish tonight.

The sky gradually brightened, and the morning light began to peek through.

He Yuzhu acted as if nothing had happened, first drinking a bowl of hot stir-fried liver at the Yao stall, then heading straight for Shichahai.

At this moment, the surface of Shichahai was shrouded in thin, veil-like morning mist, and the cries of peddlers could be heard faintly in the distance.

Following the directions, he found the home of the grocery store Boss.

After a round of sharp-tongued bargaining, the lease contract was finally settled at the price of fifty Big Ocean per year.

Before long, He Daqing also arrived with his hands behind his back. He paced twice around the empty, dust-covered shop, kicked a loose brick in the corner with his foot, and reached out to touch the crooked, worm-eaten rotten cabinets in the room, his brows knitting into a knot.

"To tidy up this mess and get all the equipment ready, we'll have to throw in at least another thirty Big Ocean," He Daqing calculated, his tone heavy. "Work hard, and we can barely open the doors in five days."

He Yuzhu readily agreed and counted out the thirty Big Ocean to his father on the spot.

He Daqing took the money and added, "Those three rooms in the Houyuan, although old, are much better than that dilapidated house at 91 Hao Yuan. Once they're cleaned up, Master Chen and his daughter and I will move in."

"As long as you've all discussed it, that's fine!" He Yuzhu replied crisply.

Meanwhile, in a secluded courtyard house at Zhushikou, the atmosphere was completely different.

Zhao Datou's face was so gloomy it could drip water; he stared at the five dejected brothers before him, speaking in a hoarse voice, his tone heavy with immense grief and indignation: "The Big Brother treated me well, and now his business has all been burned down by that man surnamed Lou, and so many brothers have been lost! My heart... it feels stifled! If you have a way out, leave now; I won't stop you. For those who still want to follow me, I have one thing to say: this grudge must be avenged! Otherwise, I, Zhao Datou, will have no face to go down and see the Big Brother!"

A man with a scar on his face hesitated and said, "San Ge, we only have these five or six guns left; what are we going to use to fight them?"

Zhao Datou didn't say another word; he bent down abruptly and fished a small cloth bundle from under the kang mat. He shook it open, and ten golden, glistening little goldfish shone with an alluring luster in the dim light. "Those who fear death, get out now!" he growled. "Those who don't fear death, take this and go out on the streets to call for men! One gold bar a month; I only want those who are willing to risk their lives!"

The Daobalian's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he grabbed the gold bars: "San Ge, just watch!"

In the ward of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the smell of pungent disinfectant permeated the air.

Xu Fugui lay paralyzed on the hospital bed, his face deathly pale, both legs in thick plaster casts, unable to move.

Xu Damao stood by the bed and asked with a crying tone, "Dad, He Yuzhu said... said you instigated people to kidnap someone else's child; is it true?"

Xu Fugui shuddered violently, cold sweat instantly soaking his hospital gown, and he asked sharply in return, "What exactly did he say?! The original words!"

"... He said that you doing such wicked things is Heaven punishing you."

Xu Fugui's heart sank straight to the bottom; Lou Feng's death, his own incredibly suspicious car accident... with these events strung together, a bone-chilling coldness shot from the soles of his feet straight to his crown.

He grabbed his son's hand abruptly, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Damao! Listen to Dad! Don't go to school these next few days, just stay at home honestly! Don't step out even once!"

"Why, Dad? We're about to have exams..."

"Don't ask! If you don't want to die, listen to me!" Xu Fugui was practically roaring.

The news of He Daqing's disappearance was like a drop of cold water hitting a pot of boiling oil, instantly exploding throughout the Siheyuan.

Everyone looked at the He Yuzhu family with various guesses and strange expressions.

When He Yuzhu ran into Yan Bugui, Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses and sighed hypocritically: "Zhuzi, the pillar of your family is gone; how will the three of you live from now on!"

He Yuzhu puffed out his chest and put on a devil-may-care look: "Grandpa Yan, the sky won't fall! I'm going to drop out of school tomorrow to earn money and support the family!"

"But you're still just a child!" Yan Bugui exclaimed.

"So what if I'm a child? Can't a child support the family?" He Yuzhu retorted as if it were a matter of course.

Watching He Yuzhu's departing back, Yan Bugui curled his lips and muttered in a low voice: "Overestimating your own capabilities!"

At home, Shen Guizhi's eyes were red from crying, and she pulled at He Yuzhu: "Let me go see your dad! Are you lying to me? He wouldn't really..."

He Yuzhu quickly lowered his voice to interrupt her: "Mom! Keep your voice down! I just heard that Dongxing Lou caught fire; our five families just had a falling out with them yesterday. I suspect that Boss Ma will definitely report it to the Japanese, and maybe someone will come to investigate us soon. I'm going to send you to Dad's place tonight; you still need to keep up the act during the day."

"Dongxing Lou burned down? Good! Serves them right!" Shen Guizhi was happy at first, then grew suspicious. "But them catching fire, what does that have to do with us?"

"Mother, are you really stupid or just pretending?" He Yuzhu said with an urgent tone. "We just had a scene yesterday, and the shop burned down at night; how could they not come to investigate my dad?"

"Is it really... really that serious?" Shen Guizhi was infected by her son's nervousness, and her voice trembled too.

"Of course! I reckon someone will come to the door to investigate by tomorrow!"

The next morning, He Yuzhu didn't go out; he paced back and forth at the entrance of the compound, telling everyone he met that he was waiting for his dad to return.

Neighbors pointed and whispered behind his back, all saying that the child had been too stimulated and had gone mad.

Jia Dongxu came over, feigning concern, but the schadenfreude was all hidden in his flickering eyes.

Xu Damao was even more direct; he triumphantly circled He Yuzhu three times while whistling, mocking: "He Yuzhu, when is your family holding the funeral? I'll go eat at the feast when the time comes!"

He Yuzhu ignored him and just spat at him: "Pah! Wait to eat at your dad's funeral! Your dad didn't die this time, but he's not far from it! Who knows when he might get shot by a stray bullet!"

"That's still better than you! At least my dad still has a breath left! Your dad doesn't even have a shadow! I heard that over a hundred people died at the Martial Arts Assembly! It's possible your dad is one of them!" Xu Damao jumped and cursed.

"Get lost! If you let out another fart, I'll kill you right now!" He Yuzhu's eyes turned fierce, and he made a move as if to pounce.