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

Liu Yuheng led Xiao Li and Liang Cheng and his wife out of the east wing. Liang Cheng and his wife walked in front, while Liu Yuheng and Xiao Li followed behind.

Liu Shuanzhu and Wang Xiuhe saw them off at the door. Liu Erhe stood on the steps with his arm around Liang Fangfang's shoulder. Liu Tingting leaned half her body out from the door frame. Liu Yixuan reached out his little hand in Liang Fangfang's arms and grabbed at Liu Yuheng, calling out "Big Brother".

Night had fallen in the courtyard, and a cold wind blew, stirring up the fine snowflakes on the ground. Liu Yuheng glanced back at the family standing at the door of the east wing, waved his hand, and then turned and strode towards the alley entrance.

Liang Cheng and his wife followed behind, watching Liu Yuheng's retreating figure, feeling somewhat nervous and restrained. In their minds, Liu Yuheng was a high-ranking official, a military commander, someone different from them.

The car stopped at the entrance of the alley. Xiao Li got into the driver's seat first, started the engine, and the warm air blew out of the vents, dispelling the chill in the car. Liu Yuheng opened the back door and waited for Liang Cheng and his wife to get in before getting in himself. The car slowly drove out of Nanluoguxiang and onto the main road.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, most people are at home eating their New Year's Eve dinner around the stove, and there are almost no pedestrians on the streets.

The car stopped at the entrance of an ordinary alley. Liang Cheng looked out the window; it was his alley. He opened the car door, got out, and then turned back to the car, saying, "Yuheng, thank you so much for your help today."

Liu Yuheng waved his hand: "No trouble at all. Happy New Year, Master Liang. Let's get together again next year."

Liang Cheng's wife also got out of the car and waved to the car from the alley entrance. Liu Yuheng nodded to them, Xiao Li put the car back in gear, turned it around, and drove towards the north of the city.

In the rearview mirror, the figures of Liang Cheng and his wife grew smaller and smaller, becoming two blurry black dots under the streetlights, before being completely swallowed by the night. Liu Yuheng leaned back in his seat and let out a long sigh.

The car drove smoothly through the night, passing through familiar alleys and intersections, heading towards that gray brick building.

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, before dawn, Liu Yuheng woke up. He turned over, glanced at his watch on the bedside table, and saw it was not yet seven o'clock. He had to pay his respects to his old superior today, and he couldn't be late. If he was late, there would be people coming and going in the compound, and he would have to exchange pleasantries with everyone he met, which would waste time.

He got up, washed up, and put on his military uniform. Xiao Li had already driven the car to the door, the engine humming softly, emitting white steam in the cold morning wind.

"Let's go, let's go to courtyard number 2 first."

The streets were a bit more lively than last night. Some people were walking along the road carrying gifts, some were standing at their doorways chatting in new clothes, and some children in red cotton-padded jackets were running around in the alleys, clutching small firecrackers they hadn't finished setting off, occasionally throwing one out with a crisp bang.

The old brigade commander lived in a large compound in the west of the city. The compound was much larger than Liu Yuheng's, and the house was more impressive.

Xiao Li parked the car at the entrance, Liu Yuheng showed his identification, and the sentry saluted and let him pass.

The old brigade commander's door was wide open, and there were many footprints on the steps, indicating that several groups of people had come and gone that morning. When Liu Yuheng entered the courtyard, the old brigade commander was standing on the steps and spotted Liu Yuheng immediately.

"Yu Heng is here? Come in, come in quickly!"

Liu Yuheng quickened his pace, stopped in front of the old brigade commander, and raised his hand in a standard military salute: "Old commander, Happy New Year! I wish you a Happy New Year!"

"Alright, alright, Happy New Year! Don't stand here, come in and sit down, it's cold outside."

Liu Yuheng followed the old brigade commander into the house.

The old brigade commander's wife came out of the inner room, carrying a pot of hot tea. When she saw Liu Yuheng, she smiled gently and said, "Yuheng, you've arrived? Please sit down, the tea is freshly brewed."

"Happy New Year, Big Sister!" Liu Yuheng hurriedly called out, took the teacup handed to him by his older sister, held it with both hands, and sat down on the sofa.

"Your army has fought well in the past few years. I've read the battle reports; the fighting was excellent, the tactics were flexible, and the casualties were well controlled. Your army has won several key battles."

Liu Yuheng smiled and quickly replied, his tone carrying a hint of the cleverness he had when he was under the old brigade commander: "Old commander, isn't this because you taught me so well back then?"

Upon hearing this, the old brigade commander gestured twice with his hand, his face deliberately serious: "Don't flatter me. You think I taught you well? I taught you so much, and all you learned was to smuggle spoils of war, is that it?"

Liu Yuheng looked somewhat aggrieved and spread his hands: "Old commander, you're wronging me! I've never done such a thing! Everything our army captures in battle is handed over; we haven't kept a single thing. You know I'm a very disciplined person."

The old brigade commander snorted: "You follow the rules? You bunch of kids have all been corrupted by that idiot Li Yunlong."

Liu Yuheng laughed, his eyes narrowing as he laughed: "Old Commander, I don't agree with what you said. Li Yunlong is Li Yunlong, and I am me. I'm not like him. He's blatantly pocketing money, but I'm too timid to do that."

"Dare not?" The old brigade commander pointed at him and laughed. "You're not brave enough to do it openly, but you're shrewder than anyone else when it comes to doing it secretly. You think I don't know? How much of the supplies your army captured in Korea were secretly kept and not reported?"

Liu Yuheng's smile froze for a moment, then he chuckled twice: "Old Commander, you mean those chocolates? Those are really small things, not worth much money. I figured the soldiers could just eat them..."

"Alright, alright, stop pretending." The old brigade commander waved his hand, his serious expression finally crumbling, and he burst into laughter.

"You bunch of kids, after hanging out with that blockhead Li Yunlong for so long, you've all become incredibly cunning. But that's good, you wouldn't survive on the battlefield if you weren't cunning."

Liu Yuheng also laughed, and the two laughed for a while, completely relaxing the atmosphere.

"Yuheng, I have something important to tell you." The old brigade commander's tone softened. "What's your decision? Would you like to come over here?"

Liu Yuheng paused for a moment, then put down his teacup: "Old Chief, I'm still not clear on what's going on here..."