Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 145 So many underhanded tricks, let me show you what's what. I'm back in Beijing!
He Yuzhu was awakened from his sleep by the sound of artillery fire outside. "Boom boom boom," "Boom boom boom," all of them were 105mm or larger cannons.

The tunnel shook violently, and dirt rained down from above.

Looking up at his wrist, He Yuzhu saw it was only a little past 5 o'clock. He wondered, "When did the enemy become so diligent?"

"Staff Officer He, are you alright?"

At this moment, Zhang Zhongfa ran over and looked at He Yuzhu, who was in a daze.

"It's alright, it's alright, is this cannon going out this early every day?"

"Yeah, sometimes we even fight in the middle of the night, and each call lasts at least half an hour. Did you guys guard the tunnels like this before?"

"No, they also shelled, but both sides had their own positions. It wasn't like your side, fighting so fiercely for a hilltop."

"You'll get used to it after a while."

"What do you all do during the day? You can't get out of here under fire, can you?"

"Keep digging the tunnel."

"Still digging?"

"Of course, the enemy will blow up the tunnel entrances, so many of the tunnels that were dug out before will be unusable."

"Then assign me a task!"

"Okay, then I'll call over some good marksmen, and you can give them a talk first?"

"no problem."

The shelling lasted for more than an hour, and then planes came and dropped several bombs. He Yuzhu felt the whole mountain shake a few times from the bombing.

He Yuzhu was explaining gun maintenance when a young soldier ran over.

"Officer He, Officer He, hurry! The enemy is releasing poison gas this way."

He Yuzhu was completely bewildered; there was even poisonous smoke.

"Officer He, Officer He, hurry, it will be too late if we wait any longer."

The other soldiers who were listening to the lecture came over and pulled He Yuzhu away. He Yuzhu snapped out of his daze and ran with the soldiers.

After running past a fork in the road, the soldiers made sure there was no one behind them, and then they started to seal the entrance to the cave with things like wood and cotton blankets. Once they had blocked it enough, they started to fill it with soil.

As soon as the area was sealed off, He Yuzhu heard several muffled 'bang bang bang' sounds.

"Quickly, the No. 2 entrance has been destroyed. Keep retreating inside."

As I ran, I heard muffled "thump thump thump" sounds again.

“Entrance No. 5 has also collapsed. Hurry up and go to the newly dug tunnel.”

He Yuzhu ran alongside the soldiers until most of them squeezed into a tunnel. Only a faint ray of light shone through a fist-sized opening in the tunnel.

New tunnel entrances are usually not made too big, otherwise the enemy will discover them. When needed, they can be easily breached. Of course, they are not opened on mountaintops, as they are easily destroyed by bombs.

With over fifty people in the small cave, the air inside was getting thinner and thinner, and everyone was drowsy, including He Yuzhu. Although he was strong, he still needed to breathe. Suddenly, a voice woke everyone up.

"Company commander, the enemy has started building fortifications outside!" A soldier from an observation post ran over.

"Get up, get up! The smoke over there should have cleared up. Go check it out. The rest of you, go dig open the backup tunnel."

"Yes."

The soldiers got up one after another and ran towards several cave entrances. He Yuzhu noticed that each soldier carried an entrenching tool, which showed how frequently it was used.

He Yuzhu was somewhat lost and didn't know where to go. Zhang Zhongfa walked over and said, "Staff Officer He, come with me to familiarize yourself with our tunnels."

"it is good."

He Yuzhu followed the 8th Company Commander and toured all the tunnels, including those whose entrances had been blown up and those that were still being excavated.

The tunnels were like a spider web, leading in all directions. If He Yuzhu hadn't had a superhuman memory, he wouldn't have been able to remember where he was. He couldn't even tell which way was which down there. He didn't know how the soldiers remembered it.

Zhang Zhongfa told him that today was unlucky because the enemy had bombed many places; otherwise, they would have found their own places in squads. It was too dangerous for dozens of people to be together like this.

If the enemy finds the ventilation shaft and lets in a cloud of poisonous smoke, we'll all be wiped out.

Of course, toxic smoke is only one method; there will also be burning and smoking. If this place weren't so far from water, there would probably be flooding as well.

Of course, there is also a special case: if the two sides dig together, they will basically be throwing grenades at each other.

This situation is rare, but it cannot be ruled out. The bald eagles dig on the surface, and although they are digging holes, they are not deep. However, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army digs everywhere, so it is inevitable that they will run into each other.

After finishing his rounds, He Yuzhu joined the digging team, and Zhang Zhongfa looked at him with a smile.

After finally getting through dinner and it getting dark, He Yuzhu ran to ask if they could go out and carry out their mission. They had been tormented by the enemy during the day and needed to find them tonight.

The 8th Company Commander said that they needed to conduct reconnaissance first, because the enemy's firing positions and hidden tunnels were definitely different from yesterday's.

He Yuzhu said he would go, but the 8th Company Commander thought about it and still didn't agree. He Yuzhu had only come up last night. Although he had fought a battle, it was just a slope, and he was not familiar with other places at all.

Around 8 p.m., several soldiers filed out of the tunnel and then lay prone on the hillside to observe the enemy's newly added firing positions.

Around nine o'clock, the soldiers returned one after another and reported the reconnaissance situation. The company commander began to assign tasks, and the soldiers were to attack the various firing points in small groups.

There were eight groups in total, one of which was led by He Yuzhu.

The area he was assigned to was the same area he had fought in the day before, and most of the guards were also assigned to that area.

Around 10:00 AM, all was quiet outside. The soldiers launched their attack from several tunnel entrances, and the battle began around 10:30 AM.

He Yuzhu and his team had already arrived at the designated location, but they had been waiting because they were afraid that attacking too early would affect the attacks from other directions.

Gunfire erupted elsewhere, and the enemy began firing tracer rounds. Before the enemy's machine guns even opened fire, He Yuzhu's gun went off first.

The machine gunner was killed, and the enemy's rifles opened fire, but the soldiers suppressed them.

After the main gunner was killed, someone on the enemy side immediately took over, but the machine gun went silent again after only two long bursts of fire.

Then He Yuzhu saw the bazooka, and the soldier carrying the bazooka had barely peeked out when he was shot in the head.

The enemy started throwing grenades, but the distance was too far, and they could only hit the hillside in front of He Yu and his men.

"Quick, quick, move, move!" He Yu shouted.

The soldiers followed him and retreated to the side. In the smoke and dust, the enemy's machine guns opened fire, and their rifles fired as well. Then a rocket hit the spot where they had just been lying down.

'Bang!' He Yuzhu killed the machine gunner again. This time, no one dared to touch the machine gun; they had encountered a sniper.

After firing the first shot, He Yuzhu took a grenade, pulled the pin, and threw it up the slope. To the astonishment of the soldiers and the enemy, the grenade flew 70 meters uphill and blew the machine gun away.

This isn't a melon grenade, but a grenade provided by the polar bear, the kind with a wooden handle, otherwise it wouldn't be able to be thrown that far.

Then came the second, then the third, and He Yuzhu led his soldiers in a crouching charge.

He Yuzhu kept firing his gun as they moved, and when they reached a suitable distance, he unleashed a barrage of cantaloupe grenades until no one fired from that firing point anymore.

Because the enemy fought quite fiercely yesterday, they must have added more men. He Yuzhu roughly calculated that there must be at least one squad, whereas there were only 5 people at this point yesterday.

After quickly clearing the battlefield, He Yuzhu asked the soldiers for a few wooden-handled grenades, picked up his bazooka, randomly designated a soldier as the ammunition handler, and they ran towards the next firing point.

He hadn't run far when He Yuzhu stopped, half-squatted down, and shouted, "Load!"

The ammunition handlers frantically loaded He Yuzhu with rockets, and with a 'whoosh,' a burst of fire erupted on the hillside eighty meters away.

After a burst of gunfire, the enemy machine gun opened fire again.

"Keep going, don't panic, the others cover for you."

"Yes."

The ammunition handler was much more composed this time than last time. It was his first time using it on the battlefield before. He had learned it before, but that was before fighting. He was a little nervous just now.

"Da da da" 'Bang bang bang'

With a "whoosh," another burst of fire erupted from the same spot, and the machine gun at that location fell completely silent.

Several figures rushed over quickly, firing their guns, not far below that location.

He Yuzhu knew that no help was needed here, so he turned around and shouted, "Follow me."

He grabbed the bazooka and ran. After running less than fifty meters, he did the same thing again, taking out another firing point. The last one in this direction had already been destroyed.

He Yuzhu then led his men to charge towards the mountaintop; the lower part was just a firing point, the upper part was the real battleground.

While running, He Yuzhu fired his bazooka three times in succession. At first, the soldiers did not know what he was firing. When the explosions appeared and people and guns flew in the air, the soldiers realized that it was a hidden machine gun of the enemy.

One of the soldiers was alert and ran back a bit to ask the other soldiers if they had seen a bazooka, hoping to get more rockets. He actually managed to get a bag of ammunition.

After the first ammunition handler ran out of rockets, he followed behind He Yuzhu and helped him reload. His technique was a little rusty, but he was fast, having just learned how to do it.

"Go tell the people behind you to carry any mortars they see."

"Yes." The first ammunition handler turned and ran.

That thing is useless in the tunnels, and it's rarely used in nighttime counterattacks, so nobody carries it. After fighting for so many days, no one picks it up; it just falls off after the battle ends.

Luckily, the soldier actually found it. He also looked around to see if there were any rockets, since the ones in this spot should have been taken earlier, but there weren't any.

"Someone come and help me carry the shells."

"Do you know how to fight or what?"

“I don’t have anyone who can, Staff Officer He. That guy’s 40mm gun was pretty accurate, wasn’t it? He’s the one who sent me back to find it.”

"Ah, Staff Officer He can even fire artillery?"

"Probably, you've all seen how badly they were shot. Enough talk, let's get to help."

"Okay." Someone immediately came to help.

Then they went to search the next location, this time carrying all the artillery shells and rockets. By the time they reached He Yuzhu, He Yuzhu had just run out of rockets.

"Who would use this bazooka?"

"Is Staff Officer He the one you have? I know how to use the 40-fire weapon."

"Okay, you continue clearing out the enemy's heavy firepower. A few men come with me carrying shells."

"Yes."

The artillery wasn't firing uphill, but downhill, because the enemy had just fired tracer rounds, and He Yuzhu saw movement downhill—enemy reinforcements were coming up.

Tracer rounds were launched into the air again. The enemy, who was planning to ambush from behind, was stunned by the sudden barrage of shells. Three rapid-fire rounds were fired.

As they searched for artillery positions, they were met with precise rapid-fire rifle fire, wiping out half of the company's strength.

The remaining lieutenant called for fire support, but was scolded by the artillerymen, who said they had heavy artillery and there were their own men on the mountain, so how could they fight back?
There was nothing the lieutenant could do but call the battalion headquarters to send a mortar, but before he could even finish giving his coordinates, his head was split open.

The bald eagle soldiers were initially willing to press on despite their initial hesitation, as they had the sergeant major in command. However, they hadn't gone far when the sergeant major also passed out, forcing them to retreat in a sorry state.

The fighting on the mountaintop was also fierce. At first, the enemy was buying time because they had reinforcements, but when they realized that reinforcements were not coming, they fought desperately.

Those who survived to this point in the 8th Company were no pushovers. With the addition of He Yuzhu's precise firepower, the hilltop position was captured half an hour later.

When cleaning up the battlefield, He Yuzhu asked that priority be given to collecting items such as gas masks and flamethrowers, and the 8th Company Commander agreed.

However, the group of soldiers who followed He Yuzhu began to collect rockets, artillery shells, bazookas, and mortars.

This thing really depends on who uses it. Today they've seen what a true king of soldiers is—an all-around infantryman.

The only thing missing is a machine gun. On a battlefield like this, they felt that a machine gun wouldn't be as lethal as a sniper rifle in He Yuzhu's hands.

The battlefield was quickly cleared, and then the 8th Company Commander ordered a rapid retreat back to the tunnels.

They had barely entered the tunnel when artillery fire came in quick succession, because the enemy below told the artillery that there was no more gunfire on the mountain and they couldn't make contact, so it must have fallen.

It's unclear how many rounds of bombing they were subjected to. After the bombing, the 8th Company sent out reconnaissance posts, and the enemy didn't send anyone up again that night.

The 8th Company Commander also chatted with He Yuzhu for a while, saying that he had underestimated him and that if it weren't for his fire support tonight, there would have been many casualties today.

He Yuzhu made a polite remark, but was immediately rebuffed.

"I will remember your contribution. You don't need to be modest. I will reconsider your arrangements for tomorrow night's attack."

"Yes."

The next day, as usual, was met with artillery fire, followed by the enemy rushing up to bomb the tunnels.

At the entrance of a tunnel, the enemy released poisonous smoke. He Yuzhu ordered his men to wear gas masks and carry flamethrowers to set the area ablaze. Not only did the poisonous smoke roll back in, but many people outside were burned to death or injured.

That wasn't all; they were hit by several grenades, and then the enemy changed tactics, using flamethrowers, which burned for a long time, burning at least two cans of gasoline.

Unfortunately, the tunnels were all winding, and the soldiers had already retreated to the back.

After the fire, the enemy tried to blow up the cave entrance. Several more grenades were thrown out, and the enemy suffered casualties. Unwilling to give up, the battle at the cave entrance went back and forth several times. Finally, the enemy, who had suffered losses, used a bazooka to bomb the cave entrance and finally managed to blow it up.

This new approach seemed to have enlightened the soldiers, who began to study how to modify the tunnel entrances during their rest periods, how to prevent fire and smoke, and how to enable their side to attack the enemy.

He Yuzhu learned some things from watching the tunnel warfare, and the soldiers carried them forward.

When they fought for the hilltop again that night, they managed to bring back the protective plates for the heavy machine gun, and they also brought back a lot of equipment used by the enemy to build fortifications.

Of course, the battle for the hilltop was fierce. Even with He Yuzhu there, he couldn't solve all the problems. The enemy had reinforced their positions and deployed mortars to the foot of the hill. Of the more than forty men who went out, only a little over thirty returned. The 8th Company Commander was used to it and told He Yuzhu not to take it too seriously, that he had already done a good job.

The next few days were filled with constant fighting, dodging artillery fire, and fighting again. The 8th Company Commander also listened to He Yuzhu's advice: since the enemy wanted to take back the position during the day, they should do their best to kill as many enemies as possible.

Without the fierce fighting for position, the 8th Company suffered far fewer casualties.

1952年10月30日21时，597.9高地受到了炮火打击，剩余的二十来个战士（实际为8人，总不能主角来了一点都不变吧。）在坑道里欢呼。

"We're about to launch a counterattack."

After the artillery barrage subsided, intense gunfire erupted outside. This time, the 8th Company didn't rush out; their own bullets didn't discriminate.

Once the soldiers observing from the tunnel entrance made contact with their own men, the 8th Company launched a full-scale attack, and together with the counter-offensive 7th Company, they captured the position in one fell swoop.

The counterattack was only temporary. Then the 8th and 7th companies switched positions. The soldiers of the 8th company were reluctant to go down, but the 7th company commander said it was the army commander's order, so they went down.

Of course, before leaving, he gave a thorough introduction to the tunnels, which greatly impressed the men of the 7th Company. The 7th Company Commander told the 8th Company Commander to take these valuable experiences back and tell the higher-ups, as the fighting in other places was also fierce and they needed these experiences.

He Yuzhu did not leave the front line. He was the only one in the 8th Company who was still alive, which surprised others. He killed the most enemies and fought the hardest, but he was unharmed.

He Yuzhu stayed for another reason: he could save lives. All the soldiers in the 8th Company could attest to this, because they were all the ones who had been saved.

From November 1st to 4th, the enemy's counterattack was fierce, and the fighting on Hill 597.9 was extremely brutal. Day and night, the fighting continued almost constantly except for artillery bombardment.

The number of personnel in the 7th Company was also decreasing. On November 5th, a unit of the 12th Army took over the defense of Shangganling, and He Yuzhu withdrew from the position with the 7th Company.

This time he wasn't completely injured; he was hit in two places, but fortunately neither was a vital spot. In addition, his physical condition was extraordinary, so he was unharmed.

But he looked rather pitiful, with one injury to his thigh and another to his shoulder. He was limping and had a sling on his shoulder, which was already affecting his combat ability. Otherwise, he would have requested to continue fighting.

The commanders of the 15th Army met with him and awarded him a medal. His achievements were corroborated by two companies, and he was awarded a special merit.

Since the 15th Army was to withdraw for rest and reorganization, He Yuzhu knew that the 15th Army would probably not fight any more battles, so he expressed his intention to return to China.

The commander agreed. He was only temporarily transferred, and he couldn't stop him from returning to his old unit.

He Yuzhu's journey back to China was not smooth sailing. As the war progressed, the enemy began to employ unconventional tactics, such as attacking convoys and rear hospitals, marking important military facilities, and guiding aircraft to bomb them. Of course, these were all things that South Korean soldiers did, not American soldiers.

He Yuzhu didn't know if he had run out of luck or what, but he was basically hit by everyone. Of course, he was injured and didn't have that exaggerated fighting power.

However, he still saved many people, but he was injured again. This time he was unlucky; he suffered a penetrating wound to his right chest, which damaged his lung. He had to be carried back to China.

If he hadn't given the doctor anesthesia during the surgery, he would have had to undergo the procedure like Guan Yu, who scraped the bone to remove poison.

Then his first aid kit was confiscated by the hospital. Of course, they left him a few vials of antibiotics, and most of the food in the kit was requisitioned by the hospital and given to the wounded. He Yuzhu didn't care, since he wouldn't need it after returning to China.

However, when the hospital staff saw his medals and certificates, they were still filled with respect. He was a first-class combat hero and had received the special merit award more than once. How many enemies must he have killed?

The doctor and nurse who took his things were a little embarrassed and apologized to him. He Yuzhu said it was okay and that they should leave them for those who needed them.

He was seriously injured this time and was so confused that he didn't know how many times the vehicle changed. By the time He Yuzhu felt that he was no longer being jostled in the vehicle, he had already arrived at a military hospital in Dandong.

When I woke up, I found out it was already December 10th, and it was almost 1953.

He hadn't looked at the control panel in a long time; he hadn't checked the daily check-in or the tasks. Now that he had some time, he took a serious look at it.

[Host: He Yuzhu]

Age: 17 (Birthday: February 28, 1935)

[Height 185CM]

【Weight 75KG】

[Physical Ability: 18.5/28.5 (Severely injured, maximum value 30)]

Skills: Bajiquan (Max Level), Liuheqiang (Max Level), Pistol Shooting (Advanced), Artillery (Advanced), Culinary Arts (Advanced - Sichuan Cuisine, Shandong Cuisine, Halal Cuisine), Monkey Tongbeiquan (Advanced), Cherry Blossom Language (Beginner), English (Advanced), Korean (Advanced), Lockpicking (Advanced), Sniping (Advanced), Car Driving (Advanced), Motorcycle Driving (Advanced), Small Ship Driving (Advanced), Aircraft Driving (Advanced), Tank Driving (Advanced), Tracking and Counter-Tracking (Advanced), Motor Vehicle Repair (Beginner), Photography (Advanced)

[System Space: 5,000 cubic meters + 3,000 cubic meters (due to the host's absence from the battlefield, the cumulative rewards for four battles + the Battle of Shangganling have been changed to space rewards) (constant, space is indestructible and matter is immortal, cannot contain living beings), 2,000 square meters of ecological space, 1 mu of fishpond, half a mu of livestock pen (annual contract reward), half a mu of poultry pen (annual contract reward)]

[Items: Several]

[Check-in progress: Changed to annual check-in.]

Task: [None]

He Yuzhu was delighted to see the changes in the space. After all these years, it had finally come to fruition. The space was indeed practical.

He glanced at the contents of the space. Not to mention the gold and silver jewelry, a lot of the weapons had been used up, but he didn't care now. What would he need so much for when he returned to China?

He also collected a lot of random things. Even though he didn't collect much on the battlefield, he still managed to get a bunch of watches, pens, and some spoils of war from the Bald Eagles in the European theater, not to mention liquor, cigars, compressed biscuits, and canned food.

After more than two years of fighting, he was actually a bit tired. The hospital had already helped him contact the 27th Army, which was currently stationed around Shanghai.

They definitely wanted him to recover from his injuries and return to the army, but He Yuzhu wanted to go home. He went to East China, and he didn't know when he would be able to go home again.

So he had to leave the military due to his injury. When he felt better, he called the 27th Army and mentioned his thoughts.

Of course, he was coughing so much on the phone, it sounded like his lungs were about to come out, and the answer he got was to wait for news.

Actually, the 27th Army wanted to confirm whether He Yuzhu had made any new contributions in the 15th Army, but He Yuzhu's own words didn't count.

Another thing is to confirm with the hospital the extent of He Yuzhu's injuries. He Yuzhu was indeed seriously injured, so it's normal for him to have some aftereffects.

During the wait, He Yuzhu received calls from Wu Qianli and others, who were trying to persuade him. He Yuzhu coughed as he spoke, and eventually they stopped trying to persuade him.

All we could do was suggest that He Yuzhu return to the army once he felt better, and we even left him an address.

Another point is about demobilization. Wu Qianli said he would help He Yuzhu get a higher rank. He's just a small company commander. If he gets to civilian life, he'll be demoted by half a rank. What can he do then?
Although they didn't know the details, they had heard some things: some of their comrades had been discharged due to injuries, and their treatment was quite different.

After New Year's Day in 1953, He Yuzhu received a definite answer: the army had agreed to his transfer to civilian work. However, the 27th Army was too far away to handle the formalities, so the logistics department of the Northeast Military Region in Andong could help him with them. His rank was also raised by half a grade to deputy battalion level. The army handled this as a kind of compensation.

Waiting to be discharged from the hospital and then to complete the formalities, He Yuzhu finally received his demobilization certificate, military merit certificate, a letter of introduction, and 500 yuan (allowance, war merit award, and injury subsidy) on January 31.

Meanwhile, the logistics department also provided him with a full set of new recruit equipment, because the outfit he wore back was simply unusable. If He Yuzhu were to wear that outfit back, who knows how the locals would treat him?

He Yuzhu carried his luggage and headed to the station. When he got to the ticket window, the staff saw that he had come from the Korean Peninsula battlefield and registered him directly, granting him a free ticket, but he could only travel to Shenyang.

He Yuzhu found a secluded spot and filled his military satchel with food. The journey had been quite long, so why deprive himself of food? This wasn't a battlefield.

I waited in the waiting room for ages before finally boarding the train that evening.

After a bumpy ten-hour train ride, he arrived in Shenyang and received the same treatment when buying his ticket. Moreover, the people at the train station looked at him with deep respect.

The journey from Shenyang to Beijing takes 30 hours, but it's much better than sitting in a stuffy freight car, and a thousand times better than a battlefield in freezing cold.

After getting off the train, He Yuzhu emptied his military satchel. After leaving the station, he found a secluded corner and came out with two more military backpacks in his hands, the kind of large backpacks that Bald Eagle carries.

It was full of canned goods, candy, chocolate, and a few watches and the like.

Standing in the square in front of the station, he shouted, "Beijing, I'm back!"

When passersby saw that they were soldiers, they immediately assumed that they had returned from the north and were not surprised.

After leaving the square, He Yu hailed a rickshaw and said, "Driver, 95 Nanluoguxiang."

"okay!"

"Comrade PLA soldier, did you come back from the northern battlefield?"

"Ok!"

"Is the bald eagle powerful?"

"That's fine then," He Yuzhu said, unwilling to elaborate.

"Are you back to visit relatives or...?"

He Yuzhu ignored him, and the rickshaw driver wisely didn't ask any further questions.

When they arrived at the place, He Yuzhu took out a large black ten, but the clerk said he couldn't make change. He Yuzhu was quite helpless and could only ask the clerk to wait at the door.

Standing in front of Guangliang's gate, He Yuzhu felt as if he had been in another world. Two years had passed, but it felt like twenty.

Just then, someone came out and was taken aback when they saw him in military uniform.

He Yuzhu had become much darker and his skin was much rougher. He had even grown a beard. Coupled with his military uniform, people who came out looked at him for a long time and then exclaimed "Oh my god!" before running back.

He ran and shouted, "He Yuzhu from the Intermediate People's Court is back! He Yuzhu from the Intermediate People's Court is back!"

He Yuzhu was stunned by her sudden reaction. "What's going on? Wasn't that Yan Bugui's wife, Yang Ruihua? Is there any need to be so surprised?"

Upon entering the gate, a group of people were seen standing in front of the screen wall.

The one at the very front is none other than Jia Zhangshi.

"Pillar, Pillar, is that really you? Weren't you missing?"

"Yes, didn't you go missing on the battlefield? They even said you deserted!" These were the questions asked by Liu Haizhong's wife.

“Yeah, Zhu Zi, where did you go?” Yang Ruihua asked as well.

He Yuzhu didn't want to pay attention to them. After looking around, he noticed a young woman who seemed familiar, but he didn't recognize her.

There are also Liu Guangqi, Liu Guangtian, Yan Jiecheng, and a few other young men. The men in the compound should all be at work.

Seeing that he didn't speak, everyone was about to ask again when a woman's voice, trembling with sobs, came: "Zhu Zi, where are you? Is it really my Zhu Zi who has returned?"

He Yuzhu felt a lump in his throat when he heard that voice; it was so familiar—it was his mother, Chen Lanxiang's voice.

As the crowd parted, Chen Lanxiang stood at the entrance of the hanging flower gate, tears streaming down her face, with He Yushui beside her, also in tears.

"Brother, brother, you're finally back! Waaaaah! They all said you were dead."

He Yushui strode over and grabbed He Yuzhu's leg.

“Mother, I’m back,” He Yuzhu said, choking back tears.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. I was so worried about you."

Chen Lanxiang also came over and looked He Yuzhu up and down to see if he was missing anything, and even touched his dark face.

"Where is the pillar? Where is my eldest grandson? Please let this old lady see him!" A frail and urgent voice came from inside the courtyard.

“Go ahead, your wife has been worried sick about you these past two years.” Chen Lanxiang gave him a push.

He Yuzhu strode towards the hanging flower gate, with He Yushui, the pendant, always hanging on him.

Upon seeing the old lady with red eyes inside the hanging flower gate, He Yuzhu called out, "Madam, I'm back."

"It really is my pillar, sob sob sob." The old lady couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down her face.

The two people supporting the old lady were Xu Damao and Xiaoman, and behind them followed a little shadow, which was none other than Xu Xiaoman. Xu Damao and Xiaoman were also in tears.

They all shouted, "Brother Zhu, you're back!"

"Hey, I'm back!"

Xu Xiaoman is still young and doesn't understand much.

"Shouldn't we be happy that Brother Zhu is back?" the little girl thought.

But seeing everyone else crying, she wondered if she should cry too. She tried hard to squeeze out some tears, but failed, and her expression looked incredibly strange.

There was another person standing at the moon gate in the middle and back courtyards, Zhao Cuifeng, but she didn't come over. However, she looked like she had wiped away tears.

The people in the front yard hadn't left yet, and the rickshaw drivers waiting outside couldn't wait any longer. When they went into the yard, they were surprised to see such a large scene.

However, he still called out to He Yuzhu, "Comrade PLA soldier, could you please pay the fare first?"

This ruined the whole atmosphere. He Yuzhu smiled awkwardly and said, "Right away, right away. I'm sorry to delay your delivery."

"it's okay no problem."

He Yuzhu looked at Chen Lanxiang, who was busy at home and didn't have any money on her.

Xu Damao, with his shrewd eyes, let go of the old lady's hand and ran over to ask, "How much, sir?"

"Two and a half cents."

"Here you go!" Xu Damao pulled out a bunch of small bills from his pocket, counted out 25 cents.

"Perfect timing, thank you!" The rickshaw driver took the money and walked out of the yard. He was really not used to this situation.

"Everyone, disperse, it's freezing cold," Chen Lanxiang called out to the crowd in the front yard, but they still didn't leave.

Then he said to He Yuzhu, "Zhuzi, stop standing there and hurry home!"

"Yes, let's go home, let's go home. It's cold outside, let's talk when we get home," the old lady said. People from the front yard walked towards their homes in twos and threes, talking amongst themselves as they went.

"Brother Zhu, let me help you carry these," Xu Damao said hurriedly when he saw He Yuzhu carrying two large backpacks.

"Okay, it's not light!" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Don't underestimate me, I've gained some strength in the last two years," Xu Damao replied with a smile. However, when he took the bag from He Yuzhu, he felt a sudden weight in his hand and almost dropped it.

He thought to himself, "This bag must weigh almost fifty pounds. My goodness, how has Brother Zhu been training these past two years?"

Xiaoman supported the old lady the whole time, but occasionally stole a glance at He Yuzhu. The old lady patted her hand and whispered, "If you want to look, then look openly. You can look at it slowly when you get back."

Xiaoman's face flushed red instantly, while the old lady's face broke into wrinkles from smiling.

　Thank you to readers Junheci and Su Pingfan for the generous donations! Thank you for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)