Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

Liu Yuheng nodded in agreement, said goodbye to Minister Song, and was about to turn around and walk towards the parking lot when he heard familiar footsteps behind him.

"Little Liu!"

Liu Yuheng turned around and saw the old brigade commander walking out of the auditorium, his overcoat draped over his arm, his steps unhurried. Liu Yuheng quickly took a few steps to greet him: "Old Commander! I'll bring Qingwan to visit you in a couple of days."

The old brigade commander waved his hand, smiled, and looked him up and down. "Alright, your older sister was just talking about you the other day, saying that you haven't come to see her since you got married to Xiao Yao. When you have some free time in a few days, bring Xiao Yao over for a visit. You don't need to bring anything, just come."

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. It's New Year's Eve, hurry home." After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, turned around and walked in another direction. His steps were steady, and he soon merged into the crowd.

Liu Yuheng stood there for a moment, watching them go, before turning and quickly walking towards the parking lot. The driver had already started the car; the black Volga was parked on the side of the road, its body gleaming calmly in the winter afternoon sun.

Liu Yuheng bent down and sat in the back seat, said "Go home" to the driver, and the car drove smoothly out of the compound.

When the car came to a stop at the entrance of the North City compound, Liu Yuheng opened the car door and happened to see three figures walking out from a side road next to the small building.

Liu Erhe walked at the front, clutching a crumpled movie ticket in his hand, his face showing the lingering satisfaction of having just watched a great film.

Liu Tingting followed beside him, gesturing as she walked, as if she were arguing with Liu Er about a scene from a movie.

Liu Yixuan was holding Liu Tingting's hand. His little face was flushed from the cold wind, but his eyes were bright and sparkling, clearly indicating that he hadn't had enough of looking at her.

Liu Yuheng closed the car door and called out to the three of them, "Where did you go?"

Hearing the sound, Liu Erhe looked up and saw Liu Yuheng standing at the entrance of the small building. He immediately grinned and said, "Brother! You're back!"

He rushed up, brushed off the chill, and said, "We went to see a movie. We just finished watching 'Reconnaissance Across the River,' it was so good! The part where the scout disguised himself and infiltrated the enemy command post, wow..."

Liu Tingting rolled her eyes: "Second brother, you've said it three times already. You said it the whole way back, and you were still saying it when we got home."

Liu Yixuan looked up and stretched out his little hand to Liu Yuheng, calling out "Uncle" in a mumbled voice. Liu Yuheng bent down, picked up the little guy, and bounced him around, feeling the warmth in his arms. He said, "Let's go home," and pushed open the door of the small building with Liu Yixuan in his arms.

As soon as the door opened, the warmth from the room rushed out, instantly enveloping the chill on the people inside.

The living room was bustling with activity. Yao Qingwan and Liang Fangfang were chatting on the sofa, huddled together, whispering and occasionally letting out soft laughter. Liu Shuanzhu and Liang Cheng sat facing each other on either side of the coffee table, a chess game in progress on the board. They were each holding a piece, their brows furrowed, as if they had reached the most crucial moment. Wang Xiuhe and Liang's mother were busy in the kitchen, the sound of the rolling pin on the cutting board mingling with the hushed conversation of the two women.

Upon seeing Liu Yuheng carrying Liu Yixuan in, everyone in the room stood up.

Liu Yuheng quickly waved to everyone, put Liu Yixuan down, patted the little guy's shoulder and told him to go play with Liu Tingting. Then he said to everyone, "Sit down, everyone, don't stand. Uncle Liang, please sit and play chess, don't stop just because I'm back." As he spoke, he turned to the kitchen and called out, "Auntie, you go about your business, don't worry about me."

Liang Cheng sat back down on the stool, but his focus on the chessboard wasn't as strong as before. Liu Shuanzhu glanced at Liang Cheng, smiled, and pushed the chessboard forward: "Alright, this game is a draw for me, let's stop here."

Liang Cheng nodded with a sigh of relief and quickly put the chess pieces back into the box.

Liu Yuheng took off his coat and hung it by the door, picked up his briefcase from the shoe cabinet, and walked towards the closed study at the end of the corridor. He pushed open the study door, placed the briefcase on the desk, gathered up the scattered documents on the table, locked them in a drawer, and then turned and left.

When they returned to the living room, Liu Shuanzhu and Liang Cheng had already put away the chessboard and moved to the coffee table next to them to sit and drink tea.

Liu Shuanzhu picked up his enamel mug, took a sip, looked up at Liu Yuheng, and asked with a hint of concern, "Are you busy tomorrow?"

Liu Yuheng sat down on the sofa, leaned back, and sighed, "Busy. There's an event tomorrow morning, and I guess I have other plans for the afternoon. I probably won't be completely free until the day after tomorrow. But I still have to visit the old chief the day after tomorrow; we made an appointment beforehand."

Hearing their conversation, Wang Xiuhe frowned and said with dissatisfaction, "They don't even let people rest on the first day of the Lunar New Year? Being an official must be exhausting."

She then put down the dumpling wrappers she was holding, dusted off her hands, and asked Liu Yuheng, "Have you eaten yet? Did you have lunch at the ministry?"

Liu Yuheng was leaning back on the sofa. Hearing this, he shook his head with a wry smile: "I only drank alcohol and tea at noon and didn't eat much. My stomach feels empty now, and I'm actually a bit hungry."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuhe immediately felt sorry for Liu Yuheng and stood up to walk towards the kitchen. "That's perfect. The dumplings are just finished. I'll cook some for you. They're filled with chives and pork, and they're very fresh." As she reached the kitchen door, she turned back to look at Liu Yuheng, her tone filled with undisguised concern. "Sit down and rest for a while. You'll be done in a bit."

Mother Liang also put down what she was doing and followed into the kitchen: "I'll lend a hand, the two of us will get it done faster."

Water was quickly added to the pot on the stove, and the lid was put on to wait for it to boil. Wang Xiuhe picked up a tray of plump white dumplings from the cutting board and pushed them one by one down the side of the pot. The boiling water churned, and the dumplings floated up and down in the pot, emitting a fragrant aroma.

Liu Shuanzhu also stood up and waved to Liang Cheng: "Old Liang, let's go get a few more dishes. We'll eat sooner or later anyway, so let's start our family reunion dinner early tonight."

Liang Cheng responded, rolled up his sleeves, and followed him into the kitchen. Soon, the sound of a cleaver chopping on the cutting board rang out.

Liu Yuheng leaned back on the sofa and let out a long sigh. He turned to look at Yao Qingwan, his gaze sweeping over her face and slightly protruding belly. His tone carried a hint of casual concern: "How are you feeling? Have you been feeling unwell today?"

Yao Qingwan was leaning against the sofa cushions talking to Liang Fangfang when she heard this. She turned around, smiled, and shook her head: "What could possibly be wrong with me? It's still a long way from giving birth. My sister-in-law is seven months pregnant and can still sit up perfectly well. Don't make such a fuss all the time. I'm perfectly healthy."

Liang Fangfang smiled and chimed in, and Liu Yuheng nodded in relief.