Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 227 Encountering a Stubborn Man at Shichahai

In winter, Shichahai Lake is frozen into a huge white jade plate. On the ice, figures move about, weaving and darting across the surface. The continuous hissing sound of ice skates cutting through the ice is like the buzzing of bees.

Seeing this lively scene, Xiao Qi excitedly kicked her legs in his arms and whimpered, wishing she could rush down immediately.

"Lin San," Lin Yan turned and asked, "Are there any ice skates for sale around here? Like the ones they're wearing." He pointed to the people speeding across the ice.

Lin San quickly replied, "Young Master, please wait here a moment. I'll go see if there are any shops or stalls for rent nearby." He paused, then asked, "What shoe size do you wear?"

Shoe size? Lin Yan was taken aback. According to US sizing, it should be between size 45 and 46. And are ice skate sizes the same as regular shoes? He subconsciously contacted Charles in his mind: "Charles, what are the standards for choosing ice skate sizes?"

"Young master, as far as I know, when choosing ice skates, especially for beginners or those prioritizing comfort, it's essential to try them on in person at the store. This involves multiple factors such as foot shape, fit, and ankle support, and there's no one-size-fits-all formula."

Lin Yan's enthusiasm immediately waned. He wasn't particularly interested in skating to begin with; he simply wanted to bring Xiao Qi to experience the atmosphere. Having to go through all that trouble to find and try on skates seemed a bit too much.

"Forget it, Lin San," he called out to Lin San, who was about to turn and leave, and waved his hand. "I'm not looking anymore. Anyway, I don't really like skating, so let Xiao Qi just 'slide' around on the ice and have some fun."

He put Xiaoqi down, took the leash, and carefully led it to the edge of the ice. Xiaoqi tentatively placed one front paw on the smooth ice; the cold touch made it flinch, but soon its innate curiosity and liveliness took over. It began to clumsily glide and spin on the ice with its four little paws, occasionally slipping and falling on its bottom because it couldn't maintain its balance, but it would immediately get up happily and continue, making excited "woof woof" sounds, having a great time.

Lin Yan stood on the shore, watching Xiao Qi frolic and enduring the stares of passersby.

Several girls, dressed in floral cotton-padded jackets and colorful scarves, with bold and lively personalities, were skating hand in hand, their eyes occasionally drifting towards Lin Yan. They whispered to each other for a while, then giggled. Finally, two of the girls, their faces flushed, were pushed by their companions and awkwardly but courageously skated up to Lin Yan.

"Comrade...," a girl with braided pigtails mustered her courage and spoke shyly, "Want to go ice skating together? We can take you."

Lin Yan was intently watching Xiao Qi clumsily slide around on the ice when he heard this. He looked up, shook his head politely but distantly, and said, "Thank you, but no need. I don't know how to play, and I don't have any skates."

The girls were somewhat disappointed, but they didn't give up. They skated a short distance away, then huddled together to discuss it for a while. A few minutes later, they returned, this time with one of the girls carrying a pair of worn-out ice skates, which she slapped onto the ice in front of Lin Yan.

"Comrade, we've borrowed a pair for you! Now we can play together, right?" The girl's face showed anticipation and a hint of pride.

Lin Yan looked at the ice skates.

Sticky!

Filthy!

I feel nauseous!

A chill ran down his spine. He frowned, losing all patience for his perfunctory manner. He gave Lin San a look, bent down to pick up Xiao Qi who had just run back, and turned to leave the overly "enthusiastic" area.

Lin San immediately understood, stepped forward, and stood in front of the girls, a polite but undeniable smile on his face: "Ladies, thank you for your kindness. However, my younger brother really can't ice skate and is shy, so he won't disturb your enjoyment."

The girls felt a surge of humiliation; this was undoubtedly a slap in the face. Just as they were feeling utterly humiliated, seven or eight young men in old military overcoats, on ice skates, suddenly surrounded them.

"What's going on?" asked the tall young man in the lead, frowning.

The girls muttered a few words in a low voice, pointing at Lin Yan's retreating figure as he carried the dog away.

The young men immediately erupted in anger.

"Hey! What's this? What's the meaning of this?" The tall young man raised his voice and shouted at Lin Yan's back, his tone extremely unfriendly. "Looking down on us, huh? We kindly lent you our shoes, and you're complaining about us?"

Several people nearby chimed in:

"Exactly! Dressed all high and mighty, what's with the attitude!"

"You look down on working people, don't you?"

Hearing the commotion behind him, Lin Yan didn't even bother to turn around. He gently stroked the restless Xiao Qi in his arms and whispered soothingly, "It's okay, Xiao Qi, let's find a quieter place to play."

He couldn't be bothered with these hormone-fueled young men trying to get attention from the girls. Today was mainly about spending time with Xiao Qi, and he didn't want these unimportant people to spoil the little guy's rare good mood; he hadn't spent much time with him in a long time. He carried Xiao Qi and headed straight for a more secluded, less crowded corner of the ice rink.

Lin San looked at the persistent young men with a cold gaze. Seeing that Lin Yan had already carried Xiao Qi away, he loosened his clenched fist. Too lazy to waste any more words with these people, he nimbly weaved through the crowd and chased after Lin Yan.

Yang Weidong, Wang Jianguo, and the other seven or eight young men, along with Zhou Xiaoning and a few other girls, felt a surge of resentment. These children of the General Staff compound, who always gave them preferential treatment when playing or skating in this area? They had never been treated this way before.

That kid's clothes make him look like a capitalist's brat. How dare he be so arrogant?

"Damn, that's too arrogant!" Yang Weidong spat. "Chase after them! I want to see who they are!"

"That's right, Dong-ge, we can't just let this go! Look how angry Xiaoning is!" Wang Jianguo fanned the flames from the side.

Zhou Xiaoning bit her lip, watching Lin Yan's departing figure with a complex expression, but mostly with anger at being humiliated.

In an instant, seven or eight young men, accompanied by four girls, zipped off on their ice skates and aggressively chased after Lin Yan towards the secluded corner where he had left. This drew sidelong glances from the surrounding skaters, who wondered who was going to be unlucky enough to have run into these "little devils."

Lin Yan put Xiao Qi down in a relatively quiet corner of the ice rink to continue playing. Behind him came a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps and the noise of ice skates scraping the ice.

He frowned slightly. Was this never going to end?

"Hey! You in front! Stop right there!" Yang Weidong's voice was clearly angry and particularly jarring in the cold air.

Lin Yan slowly turned around, his gaze calm as a group of people, led by Yang Weidong, swarmed around him, blocking him at the edge of the ice rink. Zhou Xiaoning stood beside Yang Weidong, her pretty face frosty, her eyes fixed on Lin Yan, filled with resentment and scrutiny. Wang Jianguo and Li Yuanchao stood on either side, like two gatekeepers, while others, such as Sun Hongjun and Zhao Shuguang, spread out in a semi-circle, their expressions unfriendly.

"Kid, why are you running?" Yang Weidong crossed his arms, chin slightly raised, and asked in his usual condescending tone, "You look down on us brothers, and you look down on the women, don't you?"

Before Lin Yan could speak, Xiao Qi sensed the hostility from the other party, and let out two low growls at Yang Weidong and the others, baring its little milk teeth.

A shadowy figure stepped forward, grabbing Xiaoqi by the scruff of her neck. "Ha, and she's got a capitalist's lapdog with her!" Wang Jianguo sneered.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his neck and tightened sharply. Those around him saw veins bulging on his face, his complexion turning as red as a pig's liver. A pair of handsome eyes stared at him. "Put...Xiao...Qi...down, or I'll break your neck!" The next second, he completely lost the ability to breathe. Several hands were pulling down on Lin Yan's arms, but his arms did not budge. Until Wang Jianguo released his hand holding Xiao Qi, he felt like a dying fish, lying on the ground, greedily breathing in air, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Lin Yan took out a white handkerchief from his coat pocket, wiped his hands with disgust, then threw the handkerchief at Wang Jianguo's face and turned to leave!

This time, none of the people behind them dared to move, none spoke, and none chased after them!