Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

Late summer and early autumn of 1954.

The weather in Beijing is like a child's face, changing in an instant. Just a few days ago it was sunny and bright, but these past few days a chilling autumn wind has suddenly swept through, swirling fallen leaves all over the alleyways.

This chilling atmosphere wasn't just confined to the weather; it silently spread to every corner of Beijing.

With the full implementation of the country's first Five-Year Plan, the rectification of the economic sector has entered a critical phase. In order to regulate market order and crack down on illegal activities such as hoarding and tax evasion by some unscrupulous merchants, strict rectification documents were issued from above.

This was originally a good thing that would benefit the country and its people.

However, during the implementation process, there are always some ambitious individuals who are eager for quick success and instant benefits and want to climb up by stepping on others' bones. Taking advantage of this trend, they start to make a big fuss.

In Dongcheng District, in front of a magnificent detached villa.

Night fell, and autumn rain continued.

"Bang bang bang!"

The sound of violent banging on the door shattered the tranquility of the night.

Lou Zhenhua, dressed in pajamas and wearing a coat, walked down from the second floor with a furrowed brow. His wife, Lou Tanshi, followed behind him, her face pale.

"Who is it? It's the middle of the night." The Lou family's servants nervously opened the large iron gate to the courtyard.

The door had barely opened a crack when a dozen uniformed, cold-faced clerks rushed in like wolves.

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The leader was a director named Wang Qiang. He had triangular eyes, high cheekbones, and a sinister and greedy look in his eyes.

"Lou Zhenhua! Your crimes have been exposed! Come with us!" Wang Qiang shouted loudly, standing directly at the bottom of the steps without even entering the door.

Lou Zhenhua's heart skipped a beat, but being a man of the world, he suppressed his panic and said in a deep voice, "Director Wang, what do you mean? I, Lou, have already donated all my shares in the steel rolling mill to the state, and I've also donated most of my family's assets. The higher-ups personally labeled me a 'red capitalist.' I've always been a law-abiding citizen; where have I committed any wrongdoing?"

"Stop using your past titles to intimidate others!"

Wang Qiang sneered, took a document out of his briefcase, and waved it in front of Lou Zhenhua.

"Someone has reported that when you were running the steel rolling mill, you secretly transferred a large amount of foreign exchange overseas! Moreover, there are unreported gold and contraband hidden in your basement! This is typical capitalist double-dealing, and it's a deception of the country!"

"You're talking nonsense!" Lou Tan shouted anxiously. "All our family's assets have been inventoried by the Ministry of Heavy Industry and the Military Control Commission! Where would we get overseas assets from!"

"Whether it exists or not, you'll find out by checking!"

Wang Qiang ignored all explanations and abruptly waved his hand, yelling, "Search them! Take them away!"

Several clerks immediately stepped forward, grabbed Lou Zhenhua's arms tightly on either side, and roughly dragged him out the door.

"Master! Let him go! You can't just arrest people like this!" Lou Tanshi rushed forward to pull him away, but was ruthlessly pushed down into the cold rain by a clerk.

"mom!"

At the top of the stairs on the second floor, Lou Xiao'e, wearing a nightgown, ran down barefoot. Seeing her father being forcibly put into a jeep and her mother lying in the mud, she was terrified and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Xiao'e! Don't come any closer!"

As Lou Zhenhua was being shoved into the car, he clung desperately to the frame, yelling at his daughter, "Go to Yuquan Mountain! Go find your godfather! Only he can save our family!"

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Qiang kicked Lou Zhenhua in the leg and slammed the car door shut.

The jeep roared away into the rainy night, leaving the Lou family compound in a mess.

Lou Xiao'e helped her mother up from the ground, her whole body trembling. Looking at the dark, rainy night outside, only one name remained in her mind.

Lin Yang.

That tall, aloof man, like a god.

"Mom, wait for me at home, I'm on my way to the military compound!"

Lou Xiao'e didn't even have time to change her clothes. She just threw on a raincoat, pushed open the door, and plunged into the cold, biting autumn rain.

……

Yuquanshan Military Region Compound.

Two o'clock in the morning.

Amidst the wind and rain, two heavily armed guards vigilantly watched the movements outside the gate from their post at the entrance of the compound.

Suddenly, a petite figure stumbled out of the rain.

Lou Xiao'e was soaked to the bone, her hair plastered to her face, and the hem of her raincoat was covered in mud. She didn't know how she had run more than ten kilometers of night road. She had lost one of her shoes, and her fair soles were cut by stones, with blood mixed with rainwater flowing onto the asphalt road.

But she couldn't feel any pain; all she felt was endless fear.

"Halt! Military restricted area, approach strictly prohibited!"

The guards immediately raised their guns and shouted to stop them.

Lou Xiao'e knelt down in front of the guard post with a thud, gripping the iron railings tightly with both hands, and cried her heart out.

"Comrade, please, let me in! I need to see Minister Lin Yang! I'm his goddaughter, something terrible has happened to my family! Please, please let me see him!"

The guard frowned slightly as he looked at the disheveled girl. Minister Lin's name was renowned throughout this compound.

"Get up first, I'll make a call to verify." A guard turned around and picked up the internal phone in the guard booth.

Building No. 6, Class A.

The secure phone by the bedside suddenly rang.

Lin Yang was a light sleeper, and he opened his eyes abruptly as soon as the phone rang. He glanced at Tian Yu and Xiao Jianguo, who were fast asleep beside him, and quickly picked up the receiver.

"Feed".

"Reporting to Commander Lin! There's a girl named Lou Xiao'e outside the gate. She says she's your goddaughter, covered in blood, crying and wanting to see you!"

Lin Yang's eyes instantly sharpened.

Lou Xiao'e? Coming to the compound in the middle of the night?

"Have her wait at the gate; I'll send someone to pick her up right away."

Lin Yang hung up the phone and quickly put on his clothes.

Tian Yu was also woken up, rubbing her eyes as she sat up: "Yangzi, what's wrong?"

"Xiao'e is in trouble. She's over there at the gate." Lin Yang put on his coat and strode out.

Five minutes later.

Xiao Li drove his jeep and picked up Lou Xiao'e, who was shivering from the cold, and took her back to Building No. 6, Class A.

As soon as she entered the room, Lou Xiao'e saw Lin Yang, and her tense nerves completely broke down. She collapsed at Lin Yang's feet, hugged his legs, and burst into tears.

"Godfather! Help! My dad's been arrested! They say he's a representative of capitalists, that he's hiding gold, and they're going to lock him up and execute him!"

Tian Yu quickly grabbed a dry towel, tenderly draped it over Lou Xiao'e, helped her sit down on the sofa, and brought her a cup of hot water.

"Xiao'e, don't cry, tell me slowly, what happened?" Tian Yu comforted her gently.

Lin Yang sat on the sofa opposite him, his face ashen.

He listened as Lou Xiao'e recounted the events of the night in fits and starts. When he heard that the person who led the arrests was a director named "Wang Qiang," a chilling glint flashed in Lin Yang's eyes.

"This is utter nonsense!"

Lin Yang slammed his hand on the coffee table, causing the water in the teacups to splash out.