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

Yao Qingwan noticed the elderly couple's hesitant expressions, as if they wanted to hear but were too embarrassed to ask, and continued, "To be honest, I was quite nervous too. I went as Yu Heng's family member, with the old brigade commander's wife and a few others. Many of them came from the war years, some even fought on the battlefield themselves, and many were qualified to participate in the parade." She chuckled as she spoke, "Standing among them, I felt like I had infiltrated, only benefiting from Yu Heng's presence."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuhe immediately stopped and turned to look at Yao Qingwan, her tone becoming more serious: "Qingwan, don't say that. What do you mean by 'taking advantage'? Yuheng married you, so you're a member of our Liu family. The fact that you could attend such a big event with him is your ability and your good fortune. Our family is fortunate to have a daughter-in-law like you; it's a blessing from our ancestors."

Yao Qingwan felt a little embarrassed by what she said, lowered her head slightly, and said softly, "Mother, you flatter me," but the smile on her lips still revealed the warmth in her heart.

Liu Yixuan, led by Liang Fangfang, couldn't understand what the adults were saying, but seeing his grandmother, mother, and aunt all smiling, he grinned too, revealing a row of tiny teeth. Yao Qingwan gently pinched his cheek, and the group continued walking, chatting and laughing, their steps much lighter than before.

The supply and marketing cooperative wasn't far from the compound; it took about ten minutes to walk there. Several saleswomen wearing blue aprons were tidying the shelves behind the counter. Seeing Yao Qingwan enter with her entourage, one of the older women greeted her with a smile, "Comrade Yao, you've arrived?"

Yao Qingwan smiled and said that guests had come to her house and she had come to buy some vegetables and meat. The saleswoman greeted her warmly and helped them weigh out several pounds of pork, a fish, some fresh vegetables, and also packed a bag of dried black fungus and a small jar of lard.

Liu Shuanzhu looked at the vegetables, then at the condiments on the shelf, and asked the salesperson to add a bottle of soy sauce and a few pieces of tofu.

Several people carried large and small bags back home. On the way back, Liu Shuanzhu's steps were much more relaxed than when he came. Perhaps it was because he had something to do with the groceries in his hands, so he was less nervous. Wang Xiuhe walked beside Yao Qingwan, chatting with her about everyday things, asking her a few questions about her work, and then asking about her parents' health.

Yao Qingwan answered each question in a natural and friendly tone, as if they were a family who had known each other for a long time.

When they reached the door of the small building, Liu Shuanzhu paused, straightened his collar, switched the groceries he was carrying to his other hand, took a deep breath, and then pushed open the door. Wang Xiuhe followed behind him, her steps becoming a little more steady.

After entering the house, Liu Shuanzhu quickly greeted the people in the living room before heading straight into the kitchen. He deftly tied on an apron and began sorting the groceries he had just bought. Wang Xiuhe and Yao Qingwan followed him in. Liang Fangfang put Liu Yixuan on the living room carpet to play by himself and then rolled up her sleeves to help in the kitchen.

For a moment, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of chopping vegetables, sizzling oil, and several people discussing cooking methods in hushed tones, creating a lively, homely atmosphere.

Not long after, the sound of bicycle pedaling came from the doorway, followed by Liu Tingting's shout: "Brother! We're here!"

Liu Erhe pushed open the door and walked in, his forehead damp with a light sheen of sweat from cycling. Behind him followed Liu Tingting, who had been looking around curiously as soon as she entered. She first looked around the living room with curiosity, then saw Li Yunlong and the other two sitting on the sofa. She shrank back a little embarrassedly, but her eyes couldn't help but linger on the star insignia on their epaulets.

Liu Yuheng waved to her: "Tingting, you've come at the right time. Go and watch Yixuan play, make sure he doesn't get hurt."

Liu Tingting responded, ran to the edge of the carpet, squatted down, picked up a toy, and handed it to Liu Yixuan. The little guy was quite affectionate towards his aunt, reached out and took the toy, and mumbled "Auntie."

Liu Erhe sat down on the single sofa next to him, poured himself a glass of water, and listened quietly to the conversation.

Li Yunlong sat on the sofa, holding a cup of tea, and turned to Liu Yuheng: "Old Liu, what do you think? Should I head southwest or northwest?"

Liu Yuheng put down his teacup, leaned back on the sofa, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "That depends on what you want to do. If you want to live a peaceful life and retire, then it doesn't matter where you are. But I know you, Li Yunlong, are not that kind of person. If you still want to fight, and want to have some real skills that you can use, then there is a difference between these two places."

Li Yunlong leaned forward slightly, his gaze unusually focused: "Go on."

Liu Yuheng held his teacup and thought for a while before analyzing, "In the Northwest, once you cross Outer Mongolia, it's all Big Brother's territory. Just like what Lao Ding said in his paper, even if our relationship with Big Brother changes in the future, the conflicts in the Northwest will mostly be small-scale and won't cause any major upheavals. Besides, no matter what, the two sides are still in the same camp, so the possibility of a real war is not high. So going to the Northwest is safe, but there's no guarantee of fighting."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "But the southwest is different. Annam and India to the west seem peaceful now, but the border can't stay peaceful forever. The terrain there is complex, and it's close to the intersection of several countries, making it easy for friction to occur. In addition, Chiang Kai-shek's remnants are entrenched outside the southwestern border, and they occasionally come to harass us. So the pressure in the southwest will be much greater, and the possibility of war is much higher."

Li Yunlong's eyes lit up, as if he had found the direction he was looking for.

Liu Yuheng raised his hand, gesturing for me to finish: "But there's something I need to remind you. This isn't an era of large-scale war anymore. The country is focused on development, and diplomacy emphasizes peaceful coexistence. In the southwest, we must exercise restraint where necessary, and resolve issues through diplomatic means whenever possible. I know your temper, Commander Li, and I'm afraid that if those people outside stir things up, you won't be able to control your temper and might cause a major incident."

Hearing this, Li Yunlong remained silent for a few seconds, then, unusually, didn't jump up to retort as he usually did: "Don't worry, I'm not that greenhorn I was back in Shanxi anymore. I studied at the academy for a few years; I may not have learned much else, but I do understand the importance of self-control." As he spoke, his tone shifted, carrying a fierceness reminiscent of his battle days, "However, if the other side really goes too far, I'm not afraid to fight. As long as we win the battle and avenge our defeat, I'll accept being dismissed from my post without a second thought."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Liu Yuheng shook his head, a helpless bitter smile playing on his lips. Just as he was about to say something more, Wang Xiuhe poked half her body out of the kitchen doorway and called out, "Alright, alright, the dishes are all on the table! You guys stop talking and start eating!"