〈The Reissued Youth〉8
31. Crisis in the Cherry Blossom Garden
After more than a year of planning and construction, the Tsai family's old traditional sanheyuan courtyard house was finally transformed into one of the rare Japanese-style garden guesthouses on Xiaoliuqiu Island.
On the day of the grand opening, sunlight poured into the courtyard, filtering through the wooden corridors and illuminating the carefully crafted stone lanterns, the miniature rock garden with its flowing stream, and the shadows cast by the cherry blossom trees. A faint fragrance of fresh timber filled the air, blending with soft Japanese music, making visitors feel as though they had stepped into a small inn in one of Japan's ancient capitals.
Inside and outside the guesthouse, the place buzzed with people. Tsai Shih-nan's classmates, neighbors, relatives, and local friends all came to offer their congratulations. They wandered between the garden and the guest rooms, admiring this new guesthouse that combined traditional aesthetics with modern design. Standing in the center of the courtyard, Chang Ya-hui, dressed in an elegant Japanese-style outfit, introduced the design concept of the guesthouse to the visitors. Looking at every brick and beam she had helped plan, a satisfied smile spread across her face. This was not only the Tsai family's business—it was also the fruit of her own hard work and dedication.
Just then, a familiar voice came from the entrance.
"Shih-fen!"
Tsai Shih-fen turned around and saw Yu Szu-hai, Yu Su-ru, and Li Ming-te walking in, each carrying a gift.
She smiled as she walked toward them.
"You made it!"
Yu Su-ru looked around, her eyes sparkling.
"Shih-fen, this place is really beautiful!"
She ran her hand along the wooden railing before looking toward the little bridge and flowing stream in the garden.
"So who designed all this? The whole place has such wonderful character."
Tsai Shih-fen laughed and deliberately kept them guessing.
"The designer is right here!"
She reached out and pulled over Chang Ya-hui, who had just happened to walk by.
"Let me introduce her. This is our future sister-in-law, Sister Ya-hui."
Chang Ya-hui froze for a moment, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Shih-fen, don't say things like that."
She turned to Yu Su-ru and the others and greeted them with a polite smile.
"Hello. Welcome. Please enjoy looking around."
Tsai Shih-fen smiled.
"They're all my friends. I'll show them around."
Just as the group was about to head toward the backyard, Tsai Shih-nan happened to walk over from the opposite side.
His eyes fell upon Yu Szu-hai.
In an instant, the calm expression on his face froze.
Although today was the grand opening of the guesthouse, surrounded by relatives and friends, and he had no desire to spoil the festive atmosphere, the moment he saw Yu Szu-hai, a deep sense of wariness rose within him that he simply could not shake off.
He walked up to the three of them without a smile.
Yu Szu-hai stepped forward first, wearing a sincere smile.
"Hello, Brother Tsai. Congratulations on your new house."
Tsai Shih-nan glanced at him.
"I don't want to argue with you today."
He paused, his gaze turning stern.
"But I hope you'll stop pestering my sister."
The smile on Yu Szu-hai's face stiffened for a moment. He scratched the back of his head helplessly.
"Brother Tsai, don't be like that. I've changed."
He spoke earnestly.
"I haven't been buying Mark Six lottery bets anymore."
Standing beside him, Yu Su-ru hurriedly spoke up for her brother.
"It's true, Brother Tsai."
She looked at Tsai Shih-nan, hoping to ease the hostility between the two men.
"My brother promised me he'd stop gambling on the Mark Six lottery, and he really has kept his promise."
Yet Tsai Shih-nan's attitude did not soften.
"That's your business."
He fixed his eyes on Yu Szu-hai.
"Anyway, stay away from my sister. Otherwise, I won't let you off."
The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
Yu Szu-hai and Tsai Shih-fen exchanged a glance.
Helplessness filled Tsai Shih-fen's eyes. She knew her brother's prejudice against Yu Szu-hai ran too deep to change anytime soon.
Li Ming-te could no longer stand it. Frowning, he was just about to speak.
"Hey, you Tsai, don't push it too—"
Before he could finish, Yu Su-ru immediately reached out and grabbed his arm.
She gently shook her head.
"A-te, today is their special day."
Li Ming-te swallowed his anger and forced himself to leave the rest of his words unsaid.
32. The Crisis in the Cherry Blossom Garden (Continued)
On the other side, Chang Ya-hui gently tugged at Tsai Shih-nan's sleeve.
She said nothing. With only a glance, she reminded him that today was not the right occasion for another confrontation.
Tsai Shih-nan remained silent for a moment.
Seeing the situation, Tsai Shih-fen quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
"All right, that's enough!" she said with a smile. "Let me show you the backyard. There's another beautiful garden back there."
With that, she hurriedly led Yu Szu-hai and the other two away.
When they reached the backyard of the guesthouse, Yu Su-ru suddenly stopped.
She narrowed her eyes and looked into the distance.
"Brother..."
She pointed toward the outer edge of the guesthouse.
"It's those three thugs again."
Yu Szu-hai followed the direction of her finger.
There, not far away, Black Dog, Bull, and Shifty Eyes were hiding, furtively peeking toward the guesthouse. Judging by their expressions, they had obviously not come to offer congratulations.
Yu Szu-hai's face darkened.
"Those three look as sneaky as ever," he said quietly. "It doesn't look like they're just passing by."
He turned to Li Ming-te.
"A-te, let's go take a look."
Li Ming-te nodded.
The two of them walked toward the three men.
From a distance, Black Dog spotted Yu Szu-hai and Li Ming-te approaching, and his expression changed instantly.
"Damn! It's Yu Szu-hai."
He slapped Bull and Shifty Eyes on the shoulder.
The three exchanged glances. Without saying another word, they immediately turned around and hurried away, eventually breaking into a jog before disappearing into the crowd.
Yu Szu-hai and Li Ming-te remained where they were, watching the three men's backs without giving chase.
After a moment of silence, Yu Szu-hai frowned.
"A-te, I don't think those three came here just to watch the excitement."
His expression became grave.
"I think they may be planning to make a move against the Tsai family."
Li Ming-te froze.
"Boss, do you really think Black Dog and the others would dare to pull something like that?"
Yu Szu-hai looked toward the guesthouse.
"When we get back, gather a few reliable brothers."
"Split them into several teams and have them patrol around the Tsai family's place."
He lowered his voice.
"Bring crossbows, spear guns, and walkie-talkies. If anything unusual happens, notify me immediately."
Li Ming-te looked puzzled.
"Boss..."
He could not help asking,
"After the way Tsai Shih-nan treats you, you're still going to help him?"
Yu Szu-hai fell silent.
His gaze passed over the courtyard and settled on Tsai Shih-fen, who was busy greeting the guests.
After a long moment, he spoke softly.
"I don't want to see Shih-fen get hurt."
Li Ming-te looked at his boss.
After a while, he nodded.
"All right. That reason, I can accept."
In the distance, cheerful voices still echoed through the Japanese garden.
No one knew that beyond this newly completed and beautiful guesthouse, an approaching crisis had already begun to creep closer in silence.
33. A Deal in the Darkness
The sea breeze swept through the streets by the harbor at night.
The lights illuminating the exterior of the European-style hotel still shone brightly, making it appear to be a peaceful and luxurious resort.
Yet inside the hotel's office, the atmosphere was unusually heavy.
Chu Fu-liang sat behind his large desk, holding a cup of coffee while gazing coldly out the window.
Spread across the desk were the hotel's operating reports and information on several newly opened guesthouses nearby.
Among them, the file on the Tsai family's Japanese-style guesthouse had been specially circled.
To him, it was not merely another new guesthouse—it was a competitor that had already begun threatening his business.
The office door opened.
Black Dog, Bull, and Shifty Eyes walked in.
Unlike their usual arrogant manner, all three looked somewhat uneasy.
Without getting up, Chu Fu-liang merely raised his eyes and glanced at them.
"Well?"
"How did your observation go?"
Black Dog walked to the desk and answered in a low voice.
"Boss... we've got a bit of a problem."
He paused, his face darkening.
"Talk about enemies crossing paths. Near the Tsai family's guesthouse, we ran into Yu Szu-hai and his followers."
Chu Fu-liang frowned slightly and set down his coffee cup.
"Yu Szu-hai?"
"What was he doing there?"
Standing beside him, Shifty Eyes spoke cautiously.
"Boss... judging from what we saw... Yu Szu-hai seems to be very close to the Tsai family."
Chu Fu-liang remained silent for a moment.
His fingers tapped lightly on the desktop as his expression gradually grew darker.
Originally, he had only intended to deal with the Tsai family's guesthouse.
He had no desire to involve any other factions.
"The ones I told you to deal with were the Tsai family."
He looked up, his voice turning stern.
"I didn't tell you to provoke Yu Szu-hai."
Black Dog's face immediately showed his resentment.
He clenched his fists.
"But, Boss... back on the streets of Donggang, it was those brothers who humiliated us in front of everyone."
"We still haven't settled that score..."
Before he could finish, Chu Fu-liang raised a hand to stop him.
"I know."
Leaning back in his chair, he looked at Black Dog coldly.
"I know they taught you a lesson."
"But Yu Szu-hai isn't an ordinary man."
His voice grew low.
"The Yu family has influence in Donggang, and they also have strong connections within the Fishermen's Association."
"In this town, very few gang leaders would dare provoke them casually."
He paused, his eyes becoming even sharper.
"So swallow your pride."
"Don't ruin my plan over a personal grudge."
Although Black Dog was unwilling to accept it, he knew Chu Fu-liang was telling the truth.
He lowered his head.
"All right, Boss."
"So... when do you want us to make our move?"
The office fell silent for several seconds.
Chu Fu-liang stood up and walked to the window.
Through the glass, he gazed into the darkness beyond.
The sea breeze was growing stronger, and waves crashed steadily against the shore.
A cold smile slowly appeared on his lips.
"Within the next few days."
He spoke slowly.
"Choose a windy night."
"The stronger the wind, the easier it will be to cover our tracks."
He turned to face the three men.
"Remember."
"When you make your move, be quick and efficient."
"Don't leave behind any trouble."
Black Dog, Bull, and Shifty Eyes exchanged glances before silently nodding.
The office fell into silence once again.
Outside, the night wind howled.
A crisis aimed at the Tsai family's guesthouse was drawing closer, one step at a time.
34. Crisis in the Dark of Night
Night had grown deep.
A salty sea breeze drifted in from the shores of Xiaoliuqiu, passing through the bamboo grove and poplar trees in the courtyard of the Tsai family's Japanese-style guesthouse, producing wave after wave of low, rustling whispers. Beneath the moonlight, the newly completed guesthouse appeared exceptionally peaceful. Its wooden corridors, stone lanterns, and meticulously trimmed flowers and shrubs reflected a scene of perfect tranquility.
Yet, in a dark corner outside the backyard, three shadowy figures were quietly drawing near.
Black Dog, Bull, and Shifty Eyes were dressed in dark clothing. In their hands they carried metal cans filled with gasoline, along with several torches they had prepared in advance. They lowered their footsteps, avoiding the garden lights as they crept toward the wall one step at a time.
Black Dog stopped and glanced back at the other two.
"Be careful," he whispered. "Tonight we'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget. Just don't make too much noise."
Bull nodded.
Shifty Eyes craned his neck to peer into the guesthouse, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
What the three of them did not know was that, hidden not far from the guesthouse, several pairs of eyes had already fixed upon them.
Following Yu Szu-hai's orders, Li Ming-te and two of his men were taking turns patrolling around the Tsai family's property.
The moment he spotted the three suspicious figures approaching the guesthouse, he immediately became alert.
He picked up his walkie-talkie and spoke in a low voice.
"Attention. Three suspicious individuals are approaching the backyard. Get ready to move."
The men on the other end responded at once.
Li Ming-te tightened his grip on his weapon, his eyes cold and unwavering.
He had long expected that Black Dog and his companions would never let the matter rest.
He simply had not expected them to dare target the Tsai family.
By then, Black Dog and the other two had reached the wall.
They poured gasoline over the torches, and the pungent smell of fuel instantly spread through the air.
Black Dog pulled out a lighter and ignited one of the torches.
Orange flames danced in the darkness.
Watching the burning fire, Shifty Eyes chuckled quietly.
"Let's see how they're going to stay in business after this."
Black Dog said nothing.
He merely raised the torch, preparing to throw it into the courtyard.
At that very instant—
Whoosh!
A sharp whistle split the night sky.
Black Dog felt a sudden burst of excruciating pain shoot through his hand.
The next second, a short bolt pierced straight through his palm, pinning his hand in midair.
"AAAHHH—!"
Black Dog let out a bloodcurdling scream.
The torch instantly fell from his hand.
Immediately afterward, another bolt shot through the darkness and struck Shifty Eyes squarely through the elbow.
"My hand! My hand!"
Shifty Eyes collapsed to his knees in agony, both hands trembling as he clutched the wound. His face turned deathly pale in an instant.
The torches that had been meant for the guesthouse fell onto the ground instead.
Their flames flickered in the night wind, illuminating the terrified faces of the three men.
The piercing screams awakened everyone inside the guesthouse.
In his room, Tsai Shih-nan's eyes flew open.
"What happened?"
He sprang out of bed, threw on a jacket, grabbed a long wooden staff leaning against the wall, and hurried toward the backyard.
Inside the house, Chiu Hsiu-tuan, Tsai Shih-fen, and several guests were also awakened by the commotion.
They opened their doors one after another and poked their heads outside.
Looking into the confusion beyond the darkness, Chiu Hsiu-tuan frowned and asked nervously,
"Who on earth is making all that racket in the middle of the night?"
Realizing that they had been exposed, Black Dog and the others abandoned all thought of helping their injured companions and turned to flee.
But after only a few steps, they found Li Ming-te and two of his men standing directly in their path.
Holding a crossbow, Li Ming-te blocked their escape, his expression icy.
"Stop!"
he shouted sternly.
"Raise your hands! Otherwise, the next bolt won't be aimed at your hand."
The three men froze.
Facing the people before them, they knew there was no escape.
Grinding his teeth against the searing pain in his hand, Black Dog slowly raised both hands.
Shifty Eyes leaned weakly against Bull, his face pale from blood loss.
The three huddled together, no longer daring to resist.
Not far away, Tsai Shih-nan stood at the entrance of the courtyard, silently watching everything unfold.
His expression was complicated.
He had always believed Yu Szu-hai was nothing more than an unreliable young drifter who could never be trusted.
Yet when Tsai Shih-nan had rejected him the most, Yu Szu-hai had secretly sent men to protect the Tsai family.
And on this night, the sharp hostility that had long existed between the two men began, ever so slightly, to change.
35. The Truth Behind the Flames
The fierce sea wind continued to blow through the late night.
Outside the courtyard of the Tsai family's Japanese-style guesthouse, the fallen torches still burned, their flames flickering uneasily in the darkness.
Li Ming-te and two of his men, armed with crossbows and spear guns, completely surrounded Black Dog, Bull, and Shifty Eyes.
One had a bolt through his palm.
Another bled from a wound in his elbow.
The arrogance they had displayed earlier had completely vanished.
They could only stand there miserably, not daring to make another move.
At that moment, Tsai Shih-nan came striding out from the backyard, gripping his long wooden staff.
When he saw the two burning torches on the ground and the gasoline cans giving off their pungent odor, his face immediately darkened.
"Who dares do something like this?"
he shouted angrily, glaring at the three men.
"You actually dared come to my home and set it on fire!"
Black Dog and the others lowered their heads without answering.
They had intended to destroy the Tsai family's guesthouse under cover of darkness.
Instead, not only had their plan failed, they had fallen into Yu Szu-hai's hands.
Now they dared not utter a single word.
Standing beside them, Li Ming-te looked at the three men coldly and pointed toward Black Dog.
"These are the three."
His voice was full of contempt.
"These are the same three who harassed your sister on the streets of Donggang before."
"It was Boss Szu-hai and I who taught them a lesson that day."
Hearing this, Tsai Shih-nan frowned deeply.
His grip on the wooden staff tightened unconsciously.
He stepped closer to the three men and asked in a low voice,
"Speak."
"Who ordered you to come here and commit arson?"
Black Dog clenched his teeth.
His eyes shifted away, avoiding Tsai Shih-nan's gaze.
Bull and Shifty Eyes also remained silent.
Although terrified, it was obvious someone behind the scenes had ordered them never to reveal the real mastermind.
Just as the tense silence dragged on, hurried footsteps approached from the distance.
Yu Szu-hai arrived with several of his men.
He glanced at the subdued trio before looking toward the gasoline cans and torches on the ground.
His face darkened.
"So my guess was right."
Yu Szu-hai said coldly,
"These three gutter rats really came to burn down the Tsai family's house."
He turned to his men.
"Tie them up and take them to the police station."
Several of his men immediately took out ropes and bound Black Dog, Bull, and Shifty Eyes.
Meanwhile, two others bent down and picked up the burning torches to prevent the fire from spreading again.
Standing nearby, Tsai Shih-nan watched Yu Szu-hai handle everything with practiced efficiency.
Although he felt grateful, a trace of doubt still lingered in his heart.
He turned toward Yu Szu-hai.
"Szu-hai..."
He paused, his voice still guarded.
"How did you know these three were coming to burn down my guesthouse?"
Yu Szu-hai looked at Tsai Shih-nan.
After a brief silence, he slowly answered,
"Brother Tsai, on the day your guesthouse opened, I noticed these three sneaking around near your place."
He pointed toward Black Dog and the others in the distance.
"At first, I thought they were only planning to steal something, so I stationed some men nearby to keep watch."
He glanced at the gasoline cans on the ground and sighed.
"I never imagined they'd actually try to burn your house down."
"They really must have borrowed courage from Heaven."
Tsai Shih-nan's expression changed slightly after hearing his explanation.
Yet in the next instant, as though another thought had crossed his mind, his gaze became complicated once again.
"Oh?"
He stared directly at Yu Szu-hai.
"So you've been secretly keeping my guesthouse under surveillance all this time?"
There was obvious displeasure in his voice.
Yu Szu-hai was momentarily stunned.
He quickly waved his hands in explanation.
"Brother Tsai, you've misunderstood."
He wore a sincere expression.
"I meant no harm."
After a brief pause, he glanced toward Tsai Shih-fen, who stood not far away.
"I just..."
"I just didn't want to see Shih-fen get hurt."
Following his gaze, Tsai Shih-nan looked toward his younger sister.
Under the moonlight, she stood behind the crowd, her face filled with worry.
At that moment, memories of his long-standing prejudice against Yu Szu-hai suddenly resurfaced.
He had always believed this man would one day bring harm to his sister.
Yet tonight, the truth before his eyes shook that conviction for the very first time.
The man he had always kept outside his door had protected the Tsai family at their moment of greatest danger.
The sea breeze swept through the courtyard.
Amid the flickering firelight, Tsai Shih-nan began, for the first time, to see Yu Szu-hai in a different light.
