Pursued by the Heavenly Dao, first level up in the courtyard.

"Sister-in-law, Lao He has only gone to Baocheng, it's not like he's not coming back. What if he comes back and finds that you've rented out both of our houses? What do you think he'll do?"

How could Yi Zhonghai, who had known He Daqing for many years, not know what kind of person He Daqing was?

He Daqing is selfish, lecherous, and treacherous; he is no good person.

If He Daqing truly cared about his children, he would have taken them with him even if he were to run away.

With both money and culinary skills, He Daqing was able to survive even after moving to another place with his children.

The fact that He Daqing didn't take He Yuzhu and He Yushui to Baocheng is largely due to Bai Xiumei.

Thinking of He Daqing's various actions, Zhang Cuihua felt fear. Her thoughts turned to the house in the east courtyard.

"Old Yi, we haven't seen Qin and Chu for two years, and the Qi soldiers have been missing for over a year. Could they have died out there?"

Seeing Zhang Cuihua eyeing the house in the east courtyard, Yi Zhonghai frowned. He just wanted someone to take care of him in his old age, not to cause trouble. He hadn't seen the fate of bandits and landlords with his own eyes, but he had heard many people talk about it.

"Sister-in-law, Qin Chu is no pushover. Nobody knows whether he and Qi Bing are dead or alive, or whether they will come back in the future."

Occupying someone else's house is no different from being a bandit. Yi Zhonghai, who didn't want to die, quickly told Zhang Cuihua to give up her inappropriate thoughts.

Zhang Cuihua was unwilling to give up, but then she came up with a plan and said, "Old Yi, Qi Bing's east wing has been empty for more than a year. The house is just sitting there anyway. We can help him look after the house and move in at the same time. It's a win-win situation."

Yi Zhonghai's face darkened, and he waved his hand: "That won't do. The east wing is locked. We can't just move around. If someone reports us, we could be charged with robbery and could be executed."

Jia Dongxu said, "Master, we're not occupying his house. We're just staying there temporarily. Once Qi Bing returns, we'll move out immediately and clean the house up for him."

Yi Zhonghai fell silent. He knew the Jia family's predicament and understood that Qi Bing's east wing was unoccupied, but if the Jia family were allowed to move in without permission, they would definitely make him take the blame when Qi Bing or Qin Chu returned.

Seeing Yi Zhonghai remain silent, Qin Huairu said, "We can pay the rent according to the rules. Even if Qi Bing returns, we will still pay him the full amount. Please consider this a favor to us."

Zhang Cuihua quickly chimed in, "Yes, we'll give him 10,000 yuan in rent. Even if Qi Bing comes back, he can't say anything. We'll take care of the house for him and still pay him rent."

Jia Dongxu said, "If no one lives in the house, it will deteriorate over time. If we move in, the house won't deteriorate, and we'll pay 10,000 yuan in rent every month."

Yi Zhonghai looked at the three of them and said, "It's not as simple as you think. The house in the east wing is Qi Bing's private property. He's not even here, so how can we sign a lease?"

"What's so difficult about that?" Zhang Cuihua said nonchalantly. "You are Dongxu's master and highly respected in the academy. You can testify, we'll write a written statement, and then we'll sign a supplementary agreement with Qi Bing when he returns."

Jia Dongxu nodded: "Master, you have high prestige in the courtyard. As long as you nod, no one else in the courtyard will say anything. Besides, nobody knows whether Qi Bing can come back."

Yi Zhonghai sighed and said helplessly, "I need to ask someone about renting the east courtyard."

Zhang Cuihua hurriedly said, "Old Yi, you should find someone to inquire as soon as possible. The weather is getting colder and colder, and our house is really uninhabitable. If we don't sleep on the kang at night, we will wake up from the cold."

Yi Zhonghai said a few words, then turned and went to the backyard to seek advice from the deaf old lady.

"Zhonghai, you're looking for someone to take care of you in your old age, not someone to be your nanny. Qin Chu doesn't seem simple, and Qi Bing isn't stupid. The Jia family doesn't have enough houses, it's not like yours doesn't have enough houses."

"Madam, wasn't I hoping Jia Dongxu would support me in my old age?"

"Zhonghai, a small favor is appreciated, but a large favor is resented. You helped the Jia family get a house this time, and next time they will ask you to help them find a job. The time after that, they will ask you to borrow money and grain."

"Madam, really?"

"Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu are a little better, but Zhang Cuihua is insatiable and can make a scene no matter how unreasonable she is."

"Madam, I understand."

Yi Zhonghai nodded in deep agreement. He only wanted to find someone to support him in his old age, not the entire Jia family.

Two days later, Zhang Cuihua, Jia Dongxu, and Qin Huairu went to find Yi Zhonghai again.

"Sister-in-law, Dongxu, Huairu, I've asked around. Qibing's house is private property. He's not home, so you can't move in. If you move into the east wing without his permission, it's practically the same as being a bandit."

Having already prepared his explanation, Yi Zhonghai was now completely at ease.

Zhang Cuihua said angrily, "Old Yi, you're supposed to be Dongxu's master, and you can't even handle this little thing."

Yi Zhonghai was furious, but he feigned calmness and asked, "Sister-in-law, it's not that I'm unwilling to help, but are you really willing to sacrifice yourself, Dongxu, and Huairu for the sake of the house?"

Zhang Cuihua, quick-witted, said, "Old Yi, isn't it said that the law doesn't punish the masses? There are so many houses in the east wing, can we get Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui... Xu Fugui involved, and divide up the houses in the east wing?"

Yi Zhonghai was stunned for a few seconds. He didn't expect that Zhang Cuihua knew that the law does not punish the masses, and he also didn't expect that Zhang Cuihua would actually try to get Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui and Xu Fugui to divide up the house in the east wing.

After a quick calculation, Yi Zhonghai realized that he would not benefit from this situation and would have to take responsibility if anything happened in the future. He immediately objected, saying, "Sister-in-law, if you are assigned the east wing, even if you are not executed, you will be paraded through the streets."

"Old Yi, isn't it said that the law doesn't punish everyone?"

"If a group of people steal someone else's house, they get away with it because of the principle of 'the law does not punish the masses.' But if hundreds or thousands of people come to our yard to steal our house and money, will they also be exempt from punishment because of the masses?"

"What about the fact that our house isn't big enough?"

"Your family's per capita living space already exceeds that of many people. The steel rolling mill is about to be a joint public-private enterprise. After the joint public-private enterprise is established, it may provide housing for employees who do not have enough rooms in the factory."

"Master, will the factory provide us with housing?"

"Dongxu, I said possibly. The factory might allocate housing, or it might not. There are still some empty rooms in our compound. If you're willing to buy, you can spend money to buy one or two rooms."

Zhang Cuihua would naturally not agree to pay for the house herself.

Money is hers when it's in her hands. She used the money to buy houses, and although she now owns more houses, she has less money.

After the northern part of the city entered the ice and snow season, it was so cold at night that it was hard to sleep. Zhang Cuihua, Qin Huairu, and Jia Dongxu all slept on the same kang (a heated brick bed).

The heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-like structure) is more than two meters wide and four meters long. It's spacious enough for three people to sleep in, but it's not very convenient!

Lidao Island, on the front lines.

Large-scale battles have ceased, but sporadic skirmishes continue.

In the Third Regiment where Qi Bing is located, one after another, the marksmen are rapidly transforming into snipers.

On the open ground below the hillside, many officers and soldiers were practicing the Five Techniques for Killing the Enemy.

Killing the Enemy Without Form is a bayonet killing technique created by the Qi soldiers, drawing inspiration from Xingyi Five Elements Boxing and referencing battlefield combat techniques.

The Five Killing Techniques are similar to the Breaking Edge Blade Technique; the moves are very simple, but the killing efficiency is very high.

Xia Jun's weaponry, equipment, and logistical support were far inferior to those of the coalition forces led by the United States. In battles to block and annihilate the enemy, large-scale charges often resulted in hand-to-hand combat.

Despite their tall and muscular build, the Allied soldiers' combat and bayonet-fighting abilities were just so-so.

There was once a soldier of short stature who subdued an American boxing champion in less than three minutes.

If it weren't for his comrades stopping him, that American boxing champion wouldn't have been taken prisoner; he would have been killed long ago.

Qi Bing participated in dozens of close-quarters battles, large and small, and annihilated countless enemies.

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