Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 418 Household Registration
"I also happened to meet the instructor when I went to Yangqu."

Then, He Yuanchao gave a brief account of his encounter with Li Hongtao.

Guo Boquan sighed after hearing this.

“Sometimes life is really interesting. If he hadn’t been transferred before he went to North Korea, he would probably be a division commander by now, instead of just a deputy regimental commander.”

He Yuanchao disagreed with the old squad leader's words, took a sip of water, put down the cup, and said:

"Old Sergeant, you can't say that. On the battlefield, swords and bullets have no eyes. Who knows if you'll go there alive or come back alive? I still break out in a cold sweat when I think about the casualties in our regiment back then!"

"Yes!"

Guo Boquan's face also turned serious after hearing He Yuanchao's words.

“Back then, the first thing I did after every battle was to tally the casualties. After doing it so many times, I became numb to it. Some comrades had just joined the fight a few days before they were gone. Looking at their cold corpses, sometimes I wondered if I would be next…”

He Yuanchao was a time traveler after the war. Although he did not experience it firsthand, when Guo Boquan mentioned it, countless battlefield scenes flashed through his mind. Looking at the severed limbs, he seemed to have returned to that era of flying cannons and the smell of gunpowder everywhere.

Guo Boquan didn't notice that He Yuanchao was distracted and continued talking to himself.

"As for you, I don't know what you were thinking. You gave up a perfectly good position as the regimental commander's bodyguard and insisted on going to the front-line combat troops. When I heard you were assigned to a company, I was completely stunned. With your dull and stubborn personality, I was really afraid you wouldn't survive..."

Guo Boquan spoke for a long time but He Yuanchao didn't react at all. Then he noticed that He Yuanchao was staring straight at the water glass in front of him, seemingly lost in thought. He immediately raised his voice and said:
"Support Korea! Support Korea!"

Hearing Guo Boquan's greeting, He Yuanchao snapped out of his daze.

"What's wrong, old squad leader?"

So you didn't hear a single word I said?

Guo Boquan glared at He Yuanchao with annoyance and said, "I just asked you why you went to the front-line combat troops back then."

Upon hearing this, He Yuanchao did not mention that it was the old commander's decision, but vaguely said, "In that kind of situation, what was the difference between the regimental headquarters and the front-line troops? Rather than being on edge around the old commander all day, it would be more enjoyable to charge into battle on the front lines."

"This is something only a fool like you could do."

Guo Boquan nodded and then asked, "By the way, what were you thinking about just now? You seemed so engrossed in your thoughts."

He Yuanchao was still immersed in the war scenes he had just seen. Upon hearing this, he replied without thinking, "I think of those comrades who sacrificed their lives."

This topic was somewhat heavy. Guo Boquan remained silent for a while before picking up a cigarette from the table, tossing one to He Yuanchao, and lighting one for himself, saying:

“You’re right, kid. Compared to those who sacrificed themselves, being alive is better than anything else. Those of us who survived unharmed should be grateful.”

After saying this, Guo Boquan fell silent again, and He Yuanchao also stopped talking, and the room immediately became quiet.

After finishing his cigarette, Guo Boquan's mood improved somewhat, and he spoke first:

"Instructor Li, please tell me the specifics of the situation, Yuanchao."

He Yuanchao stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table and was about to speak when Guo Boquan waved his hand and said first, "Never mind, let me call someone over and ask them!"

Without saying goodbye to He Yuanchao, he got up and left the office.

He Yuanchao didn't mind. He got up, took a water glass, poured himself a glass of water, sat back down in his chair, and sipped it slowly.

Guo Boquan returned to the office not long after he left, about six or seven minutes later, accompanied by a man in his thirties, chatting and laughing. After a brief introduction, Guo Boquan cut to the chase:

"Zhijun just told you that the matter of our instructor was asked by Yuanchao. He knows more about the details than I do, so he told you."

The man named Zhijun seemed to be a man of influence. After hearing Guo Boquan's words, he smiled generously at He Yuanchao sitting next to him and said:

“Guo and I are good buddies, and you are his comrade-in-arms. We’re practically family. If you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll help you without hesitation.”

He Yuanchao knew that Zhijun and Guo Boquan had a good relationship, so he didn't stand on ceremony and told them about Li Hongtao's situation in detail.

After listening, Zhijun didn't reply immediately. He smoked a cigarette and pondered for a moment before saying, "Your comrade's situation is very similar to mine. It shouldn't be difficult to get it done, but the key is whether his wife's household registration is still in Beijing?"

Upon hearing Zhijun's words, He Yuanchao looked troubled.

He only knew that Li Hongtao's wife was from Beijing and had accompanied the army to Yangqu, but he had never asked whether her household registration was still in Beijing.

Guo Boquan had spent some time with He Yuanchao and knew him somewhat. Seeing his expression, he immediately guessed what was going on and picked up where Zhijun left off:

"If Zhijun's wife's household registration is not in Beijing, can this matter still be handled? What are the chances of her being transferred and resettled in Beijing?"

After hearing Guo Boquan ask the question he wanted to ask, He Yuanchao looked at Zhijun and waited for his reply.

Seeing that Guo Boquan and He Yuanchao were both looking at him, Zhijun didn't keep them in suspense and said truthfully:

"Finding someone might be able to help, but it will be very troublesome."

After saying this, Zhijun turned to look at He Yuanchao and said, "Brother Yuanchao, I think you'd better ask your instructor. If his wife's household registration is still in Beijing, then this matter will be easier to handle. It will also be easier for me to talk to my uncle, saving me trouble."

He Yuanchao nodded upon hearing this, then looked at Guo Boquan and said:

"Old squad leader, can you make long-distance calls from here?"

"Who are you looking down on?"

Guo Boquan understood what He Yuanchao meant, and glared at him, saying, "If a restaurant as big as ours can't make long-distance calls, people will laugh their heads off."

As they were talking, he pushed a black telephone from the desk in front of He Yuanchao.

He Yuanchao didn't stand on ceremony; as soon as the call connected, he gave the contact information for Li Hongtao's unit.

Guo Boquan was clearly concerned about his old comrade-in-arms' affairs, and while He Yuanchao was on the phone, he spoke well of Li Hongtao.

“Zhijun’s matter is about my old comrade-in-arms. You must take it seriously. Regardless of whether your household registration is in Beijing or not, you must do your best.”

Upon hearing this, Zhijun laughed and said, "Brother Guo, look at what you're saying. With our relationship, I'll definitely do it if it's possible."

While the two were talking, He Yuanchao had already connected with Li Hongtao on the phone.

Upon hearing that it was He Yuanchao on the other end of the phone, Li Hongtao was very happy and joked, "What's wrong, Yuanchao? Did you miss me as soon as you got back to Beijing?"

He Yuanchao was preoccupied with the household registration issue and had no time for jokes. He cut to the chase and asked, "Instructor, I have a question for you. Is your wife's household registration in Beijing or in Yangqu with the army?"

(End of this chapter)