He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The heavy snow fell for three days.

Looking out, the entire position was covered by a thick blanket of snow, stretching as far as the eye could see. The snow was knee-deep, and each step made a crisp "crunch" sound, as if one were biting into countless tiny ice shards. He Yuyang was huddled in a makeshift foxhole, wearing a tattered military overcoat covered in mud and snow, but even this couldn't ward off the biting cold—a thin layer of frost had already formed on the surface! When he exhaled, his breath instantly turned into a thick cloud of white mist, rising up and being quickly blown away by the fierce, howling north wind…

He Yuyang squinted slightly, straining to see through the swirling snow towards the opposite mountain ridge: on the distant ridge, several American heavy tanks were slowly but steadily advancing; their massive, heavy bodies left two deep and shallow, winding tracks in the deep snow, like the tongues of black snakes, which gleamed with a chilling light under the hazy sky.

"Deputy Brigade Commander, have something to eat." Communications officer Xiao Chen crawled over carrying a package of oiled paper, his hands trembling from the cold as he opened it. Inside were several sharply angled compressed biscuits. "This is... 'special supplies'?"

Curiosity gleamed in his eyes. These biscuits were "brought back from the division headquarters" by He Yuyang last night. They were heavier than ordinary compressed biscuits, and when broken open, you could see fine oil droplets. They also had a faint wheat aroma. The ordinary biscuits distributed the day before yesterday had long been eaten up. Now the soldiers were chewing on frozen cornbread, which was so hard it could break their teeth when bitten.

He Yuyang nodded, picked up a biscuit, and popped it into his mouth. As the biscuit melted between his teeth, a warm energy flowed down his throat, even bringing some feeling back to his frozen fingers. These were high-calorie compressed biscuits produced in his spatial storage, made from wheat irrigated with spiritual spring water, ground into powder, and mixed with condensed milk and chopped nuts—satisfying and warming—of course, to outsiders, it could only be described as a "new type of supply specially approved by the division headquarters."

"Eat sparingly, two pieces per person per day." He pushed the oil paper package to Xiao Chen, "Let the squad leaders come and collect it, and tell the brothers that it was made overnight from the rear, so that they will have the strength to win the battle after eating it."

Xiao Chen nodded vigorously, clutching the biscuit like a precious treasure, almost slipping as he got up. He Yuyang watched his retreating figure, stuffed another biscuit into her mouth, and looked towards the barbed wire in the distance—behind that was the American artillery position. Yesterday's bombing had blown up half of the second platoon's bunker, and the deputy platoon leader and three soldiers hadn't had time to evacuate.

The snow started falling again, lightly, but stinging like grains of salt on the face. He Yuyang touched the booklet in his arms; the words "Snow Camouflage Manual" on the cover were blurred by the snow. He had received it as a "check-in" reward last week. It contained detailed instructions on how to use pine branches, snow blocks, and straw ropes to camouflage individual cover, how to use the reflection of the snow to determine the enemy's position, and even the treatment of footprints.

Yesterday, he copied the key points from the manual onto cigarette pack paper and distributed them to the squad leaders. Just now, during observation, he noticed that the soldiers in the third platoon had covered the top of their bunkers with a layer of pine needles and piled up irregular mounds of snow, which, from a distance, almost blended into the surrounding snow slopes—a method that would have been unthinkable before.

"Deputy Brigade Commander! The American troops have moved!" the observation post shouted from a high vantage point, the voice distorted by the wind.

He Yuyang immediately lay down on the snow and raised his binoculars. On the opposite ridge, a dozen tanks began to crawl, followed by a dark mass of infantry, their helmets gleaming coldly in the snow like a swarm of crawling beetles. Their objective was clear—to take this small hill, less than 300 meters high, and open up a supply route to the division headquarters.

"On your marks!" He Yuyang ordered in a low voice, his voice transmitted to each squad through the throat microphone. "Remember the camouflage points. Do not fire without my order!"

The position fell silent instantly, save for the soft rustling of snowflakes falling on the camouflage netting. The soldiers huddled in their bunkers, their rifles wrapped in white cloth, their hats pulled low, revealing only their eyes fixed intently ahead. He Yuyang counted; the Americans had brought at least a battalion, along with six flamethrower tanks—they intended a swift victory.

The sound of tank tracks grinding through the snow grew closer, shaking the frozen ground beneath his feet. He Yuyang could see the white breath of the American infantry, hear them shouting slogans in English, and even make out the insignia on the chest of the leading officer. He gripped the grenade tightly in his hand, the fuse ring on his finger, the sweat on his palms quickly freezing into ice.

"Five hundred meters away... four hundred meters away..." The observation post's voice was tense.

He Yuyang stared at the advance troops of the American forces, who were advancing unprepared on an open snowfield. According to the manual, open snowfields were the best locations for ambushes, maximizing the effectiveness of grenades and submachine guns.

"Three hundred meters!"

"beat!"

He Yuyang suddenly stood up and threw the grenade in his hand. Almost at the same time, the soldiers hidden behind the snow slope rose up one after another, and grenades flew through the snow sky like black birds, smashing into the American troops. Explosions rang out one after another, and clouds of black and red smoke exploded in the snow, mixing with the flying snow and turning the American formation into a mess.

"Charge!" He Yuyang picked up his submachine gun and charged forward through the knee-deep snow. His camouflage uniform was covered in pine branches and snow, making him look like a moving snowdrift as he ran. Behind him, the soldiers followed, the rat-a-tat-tat of their submachine guns echoing through the snow valley.

The American troops clearly hadn't expected so many people to be hiding behind the snow slope. In their panic, they set up machine guns and opened fire, bullets splattering across the snow in strings of icy shards. He Yuyang suddenly fell to the ground, rolling into a shell crater. Following the instructions in the manual, he kicked his footprints behind him to make them look messy, then grabbed a handful of snow and smeared it on his helmet—so that from the air, it would look like a naturally formed snowdrift.

"Left! Machine gunner!" he shouted in the direction of the second squad leader, pointing to the location where the American soldiers had set up their machine guns. The second squad leader understood, gave a hand gesture, and two soldiers, carrying explosive packs, used the snowdrifts for cover and slipped forward like eels.

When the explosions rang out again, the American machine guns fell silent. He Yuyang seized the opportunity to get up and used his submachine gun to sweep down two American soldiers who were trying to retreat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a snowdrift suddenly move and immediately rolled behind a pine tree next to it—a bullet grazed his helmet, hit the tree trunk, and sent up a spray of wood chips.

He was a US military sniper.

He Yuyang took a deep breath and, following the instructions in the manual, extended the rifle through the gaps in the pine branches, tied a branch wrapped in white cloth to the butt, and slowly raised it. Sure enough, a faint light flashed on the opposite hillside—the sniper had fired.

In that instant, he had already lunged towards the other side of the snow ditch, sliding down the slope and rolling twice upon landing, just behind the sniper. The American sniper was still pulling the bolt when He Yuyang pounced on him and smashed him on the back of the head with the butt of his rifle.

"Done!" he panted, pulling off the sniper's ghillie suit and putting it on himself. The suit was made of white linen and cotton, with strips of fabric sewn on, making it almost invisible in the snow—much better than the makeshift camouflage they had made.

"Deputy Brigade Commander! American tanks are coming!" Xiao Chen's voice was choked with tears.

He Yuyang looked up and saw three flamethrower tanks rolling over the barbed wire, their cannons spewing orange-red flames. Wherever they passed, the pine forest instantly turned into a wall of fire, and the snow sizzled and steamed. The second platoon's position had already fallen, and several soldiers, their bodies ablaze, rushed out of the wall of fire, only to collapse in the snow after a few steps.

His eyes reddened. He pulled out the last two grenades, bit off the fuses, and threw them under the tank tracks. With a "boom," the front tank track was blown off, and the tank came to a crooked stop in the snow, its cannon still futilely spewing flames.

"Retreat to the second line of defense!" He Yuyang shouted, "Use smoke grenades for cover!"

The soldiers threw out smoke grenades, and a grayish-white smoke screen quickly spread. He Yuyang fought and retreated, when something hit his back, causing a burning pain. He didn't pay attention to it, only knowing that he had to keep the American troops here until dark—the division's reinforcements wouldn't arrive until tomorrow.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, covering the bloodstains and spent shell casings. The position changed hands repeatedly, and the two sides engaged in a tug-of-war in the snow. Sometimes, during bayonet charges, the soldiers' eyelashes would freeze together, yet they would still grip their guns tightly. He Yuyang's "special supplies" played a crucial role; although the soldiers were exhausted, they maintained their strength. In contrast, the American soldiers' lips turned purple from the cold, and their momentum for the charge grew weaker and weaker.

As darkness fell, the American troops finally withdrew. The battlefield was so quiet that only the sound of wind and snow could be heard. He Yuyang leaned against the broken wall and noticed that his overcoat had been torn open by shrapnel, and the blood had frozen into a hard lump. He took out the last piece of compressed biscuit, broke it in half, and handed it to Xiao Chen next to him—Xiao Chen's arm was burned, but he was still humming an off-key military song.

"Deputy Brigade Commander, have we held the line?" Xiao Chen's voice was uncertain.

"We held out!" He Yuyang shouted excitedly, stuffing a biscuit into the mouth of his comrade next to him. "Great! Reinforcements will arrive tomorrow. We've successfully exceeded our mission objectives!"

He gazed at the swirling snowflakes falling from the sky, his thoughts drifting away. Suddenly, he recalled a letter he had received not long ago from afar—Xu Xiuli had mentioned that the southern cities were already covered in thick snow, with even the streets of Nanluoguxiang submerged up to their ankles. Young children were happily trudging through the snow to school, wearing warm cotton shoes with insoles sewn by their mothers—it must have felt incredibly comfortable and cozy.

Thinking of this, He Yuyang subconsciously reached out and touched the manual he was clutching tightly in his pocket. Images of the brave soldiers who had fought alongside him and held their ground flashed through his mind. It was precisely because of their concerted efforts, relying on limited resources and unwavering perseverance, that they were able to survive in such harsh conditions and ultimately achieve victory in this battle.

At this moment, facing this vast expanse of snow, He Yuyang deeply felt that behind these swirling snowflakes lay countless people's fervent desire for a peaceful life and their beautiful hopes and expectations for the future...

At dawn the next day, as the first rays of sunlight appeared, the reinforcements finally arrived at their destination. However, the sight before them left them speechless and deeply moved! The once impregnable snow slope fortifications had been severely damaged, with most of them sheared away by intense artillery fire. Yet, the bright red five-starred flag still flew high above them, as if proclaiming to the world that their heroic and fearless fighting spirit would never fade!

Looking around, one could see groups of soldiers, clad in thick cotton-padded coats, huddled together, fast asleep in the icy, biting snow. They clutched their unfinished compressed rations, seemingly unforgettable even in their dreams, their commitment to their posts and mission unwavering. Not far away, beside a large rock, He Yuyang leaned quietly, gently cradling a letter to his family. The letter was soaked through by the snow and stained with traces of blood, but the neat handwriting was still clearly legible through the blemishes: "Don't worry, victory is assured." These four simple words overflowed with deep affection and endless longing.

Before long, the commendation order from the division headquarters arrived swiftly like a spring breeze. He Yuyang was awarded the Second Class Merit Citation, a weighty honor he truly deserved! Overjoyed, he carefully pinned the medal, a symbol of his outstanding service, to the inside of his worn-out military overcoat. Then, he walked to a dilapidated mirror, examining himself for a long time before slowly removing it and placing it with utmost care deep into his pocket. For He Yuyang, this was more than just an ordinary medal; it was a precious gift, a symbol of honor, to bring him home to see his parents, his beloved, and his closest friends!

The heavy snowfall finally stopped, the sky gradually cleared, and a golden sun peeked out from behind the clouds, bathing the entire earth in a silvery-white light. He Yuyang, wearing a tattered cotton coat and worn-out military boots, stood steadily atop a towering rock above the position, gazing into the distance at the rolling mountains. Those peaks, as if draped in a pure white, soft, thick blanket, appeared exceptionally holy and solemn.

At this moment, He Yuyang was filled with mixed emotions. Although this fierce and brutal battle had achieved a partial victory, he knew that the road ahead was still long and fraught with danger. However, as long as his brave and fearless brothers had even a sliver of strength and faith, they would surely overcome all difficulties and obstacles and drive out those vicious wolves and tigers who were trying to seize the motherland's territory!

A biting wind howled past, relentlessly piercing through the trenches, carrying with it the pungent scent of pine needles. He Yuyang huddled in a corner, shivering, as he laboriously pulled a hard, compressed biscuit from his pocket. He carefully broke it into small pieces, then put them in his mouth and slowly chewed. Each bite felt like savoring the most delicious food in the world, but in reality, only a dry, tasteless flavor filled his mouth.

At this moment, He Yuyang's thoughts had already drifted far away. He secretly wondered what kind of precious treasure he would receive the next "sign-in." Perhaps this time he could obtain an advanced scope that could greatly improve the hit rate of artillery shells; or perhaps a magical ointment that could quickly heal the soldiers' tormenting frostbite? In any case, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would never give up. Because for these soldiers mired in the quagmire of war, any small change could be a life-or-death turning point.

However, faced with the harsh reality and an uncertain fate, He Yuyang knew the immense responsibility he bore. He secretly vowed to do everything in his power to lead his brothers safely back to their hometown. Even if the road ahead was fraught with thorns and dangers, he would never back down!