A courtyard house; Li Yunlong, a subordinate of the deputy director of Harbin Military Engineering I

The day after the wedding, Zhang Renfeng led his bride, Zhang Xiyue, to his elder brother's house.

Before we even reached the courtyard, we could hear Liu Haizhong talking animatedly.

"Master, if you ask me, this is how he should fight this first battle!"

It's just like the headquarters of the Zhiji.

You know what, they actually know a lot about it.

This is the true nature of the Chinese nation!

Once they awaken, everyone becomes a war god.

However, after being enslaved by the Qing Dynasty for hundreds of years, their fighting spirit gradually faded. Now, more than a year after the founding of the nation, coupled with a series of victories against a 17-nation coalition, the people have finally realized: "Wow! Were we really that powerful?"

This is the true state of ordinary people today.

Moreover, the district government organized the people to tighten their belts, and the streets were filled with government officials, workers, and fried noodles.

Zhang Yulin stood at the entrance of the courtyard, resting her chin on her hand and looking around. She had heard long ago that her second uncle and aunt were coming, and she was so excited that she hadn't slept all night.

Upon seeing her second uncle and aunt through the curtained door, along with her second uncle's bodyguard, Sun Bing, her eyes lit up, and she immediately jumped up, "Ha, second uncle, second aunt~"

Zhang Xiyue was the typical "married into the family" type, squatting down to pick up the adorable child. But as soon as she squatted down, she immediately realized, "Oh no! That bastard Zhang Renfeng tormented me too much last night."

With a wry smile, she reached out her hand, "Renfeng, help me up quickly."

Zhang Renfeng patted Yulin's head, then pulled Xiyue up and whispered, "I told you not to squat, not to squat..."

"Okay, stop talking, you have a child." Zhang Xiyue blushed immediately.

Hearing the commotion outside, the people inside the courtyard all rushed out.

Leading the way was Zhang Guilin, who stood at the door and called out "Second Uncle and Second Aunt" in a tone full of youthful energy.

Behind him followed He Daqing, Jia Gui, He Yuzhu, Jia Zhangshi, He Yushui, Liu Haizhong, Yan Fugui, a huge crowd that completely blocked the entrance to the courtyard.

Anyone among these people who attended the wedding banquet a few days ago knows that the spectacle they witnessed that night is something they can brag about for a lifetime.

Looking at Zhang Renfeng and Zhang Xiyue now, their eyes were filled with an indescribable sense of awe—this was no ordinary neighbor's second uncle.

This person clearly ate at the same table as those important figures who appeared on the front page of newspapers.

Zhang Xiyue casually glanced around, then turned and waved to Sun Bing: "Comrade Sun Bing, please distribute the wedding candy and cigarettes to everyone."

Sun Bing snapped to attention, grabbed a bulging cloth bag from the car, and walked into the crowd. Each man had two cigarettes, and each woman and child had a handful of candy. He Daqing took two cigarettes, sniffed them, and grinned broadly, "Wow, Daqianmen! Uncle's got quite the style!"

Zhang Rende and Mu Xiuhua then emerged from the courtyard. Zhang Rende had specially changed into a clean Zhongshan suit today, and his hair was neatly combed. A smile spread across his face from his eyebrows to the corners of his mouth.

He saw Zhang Xiyue standing next to his younger brother, gentle and graceful, and the weight in his heart was finally lifted.

He stepped forward, rubbed his hands together, and spoke with a warm tone:

"west Yue, come in and sit down. Your sister-in-law got up early this morning and has been busy preparing several dishes, just waiting for you to come."

Zhang Xiyue softly called out, "Big Brother." Then she turned to Mu Xiuhua beside her and said, "Sister-in-law, thank you for your hard work."

Mu Xiuhua quickly waved her hand: "It's no trouble at all, we're family, why are you being so formal? Come in, it's cold outside."

The group entered the courtyard, where three tables had already been set up.

The women's table was bustling with activity. Jia Zhangshi sat next to Mu Xiuhua, peeling peanuts while glancing towards the main table.

She has a quirk: she can't hold back when she sees something new or interesting. Her words just keep flowing out like water from a leaky pipe.

She watched Zhang Xiyue sit next to Zhang Renfeng, gently serving him food, and couldn't help but click her tongue: "Wow, our second uncle is really something, marrying the mayor's daughter, what a stroke of luck!"

The moment the word "climb" was uttered, Jia Gui, who was sitting next to her, moved.

He put down his chopsticks, reached out and covered Jia Zhangshi's mouth with one hand, and grabbed her arm with the other, half-dragging and half-pulling her up from her seat.

Jia Zhangshi struggled, making muffled noises, but Jia Gui's hands were like iron clamps, preventing her from saying the rest of her words.

He grinned at Zhang Renfeng and said, "Second Uncle, you guys eat. I have some family matters to take care of."

Without waiting for anyone's reaction, he tucked Jia Zhangshi under his arm and dragged her outside with long strides.

Zhang Renfeng's hand, holding the wine glass, froze in mid-air. He turned to look at Zhang Rende, both amused and exasperated.

Zhang Rende waved his hand: "Never mind her, that woman has no sense of propriety. Let Jia Gui teach her a lesson."

Everyone knows that Jia Zhangshi is lucky if her legs aren't broken in today's beating!

Seeing this, Liu Haizhong quietly got up and slipped out, catching up with Jia Dongxu at the gate of the courtyard: "Dongxu, hurry up and stop your dad! You know how sharp your mom's mouth is, if this keeps up, someone could die. If you can't stop him, I'll help you stop him later."

Jia Dongxu's face turned pale, and he ran out as fast as he could.

Liu Haizhong returned to his seat, raised his glass to Zhang Renfeng, and, whether from drinking too much or genuine emotion, put down his glass, wiped his mouth, and suddenly sighed:

"Second Uncle, to tell you the truth, I actually have a third uncle named Liu Guoqing. He studied at Yenching University in his early years and participated in student movements. Later, he was captured by the Japanese and never came back. If he were still alive, he would probably only be around thirty years old this year."

He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice: "Unfortunately, I still don't understand whether he was a communist or a white person back then."

Zhang Renfeng put down his chopsticks and looked at Liu Haizhong seriously: "Regardless of whether he's red or white, as long as he fought against the Japanese for the sake of the people, he's a good man. Our country has suffered too much humiliation over the past few centuries. Anyone who can stand up and resist is a hero. As for your third uncle, just remember him as a person; nothing else matters."

After listening, Liu Haizhong's eyes reddened a little. He picked up the bowl, took a big gulp of wine, and didn't say anything more.

Zhang Rende chimed in, changing the subject: "By the way, Renfeng, did you know? Yi Zhonghai is doing quite well in Guangxi Province."

Zhang Renfeng became interested: "Oh? How so?"

"He wrote back. He said that the old Chinese medicine doctor's prescription really worked, and his wife, Gao Cuilan, also went south last month to accompany him for treatment. Zhonghai is not only getting medical treatment now, but also helping the military sub-district repair weapons in Baise. With the skill of a fitter, you won't starve anywhere."

"He's not a bad person at heart, he's just too self-centered and always puts himself first. Once he got to Guangxi Province, the environment was different, and he became more adaptable."

Zhang Renfeng nodded: "That's good."

Yan Fugui sat beside him, listening intently. The more he listened, the more he felt that Zhang Rende's words were directed at him.

He quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, Old Yi is a really good person. He's always eager to help anyone in the neighborhood who's having a hard time. Take the deaf old lady in the backyard, for example. She's all alone, and Gao Cuilan has been taking care of her all these years. She doesn't ask for anything in return."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Renfeng glanced at Yan Fugui, and his opinion of Yi Zhonghai did indeed change somewhat.

When he was in Guangxi Province, he didn't have a deep impression of Yi Zhonghai. He just thought that Yi was a smooth and worldly man who always left room for maneuver in his words and deeds.

But after hearing what his elder brother and Yan Fugui said, it's clear that Yi Zhonghai and his wife really put in a lot of effort in taking care of the deaf old lady.

As they were talking, a few more people walked in through the gate of the courtyard.

The one leading the group was a middle-aged man in his thirties, his face showing signs of travel weariness and apology.

Behind him was a woman in her early thirties, holding Xu Damao's hand, and two young girls with matching red hair ties.

Zhang Rende stood up and went to greet him: "Oh, Fugui! You're back?"

The visitor was Xu Fugui, a resident of the west wing of the backyard, who lived across the hall from Liu Haizhong.

He drives for Lou Zhenhua, the boss of Lou's Steel Rolling Mill, and occasionally does fieldwork. He went to Shanghai with Boss Lou a while ago and just returned last night.

He saw Zhang Renfeng and Zhang Xiyue sitting at the main table, so he quickly took two steps forward, his back slightly bent, his face full of smiles:

"This must be my second uncle and aunt, right? Oh dear, I rushed as fast as I could, but I still missed the wedding! My apologies!"

He turned around and waved to the people behind him, "Quickly, come over and greet Second Grandpa and Second Grandma."

Xu Damao was the first to jump over, shouting, "Hello, Second Grandpa! Hello, Second Grandma!"

The two little girls following behind were timid. The older sister was named Xu Wanting, and the younger sister was named Xu Xian'er. They imitated Xu Damao and greeted him in a clear voice, "Hello, Second Grandpa and Second Grandma!"

Zhang Xiyue laughed at the repeated calls of "Second Grandma," and she reached out to tug at Zhang Renfeng's sleeve: "Renfeng, did you hear that? I'm a grandma now."

She took out a few pieces of candy from her pocket and handed them to the three children, saying, "Here, Grandma will give you candy." After saying that, she couldn't help but laugh so hard she bent over.

Zhang Renfeng chuckled, glanced at the exquisite gift box Xu Fugui was carrying, and casually took it from him, handing it to Zhang Rende:

"You're so kind, Fu Gui. Come, come, sit down and have a drink. Sun Bing, bring another bowl and chopsticks."

...

That evening, unable to resist Zhang Renfeng's request, Zhang Xiyue, her face flushed, cooperated and worked until the wee hours of the morning.

As expected, the next day was no different...

They overslept again!

Zhang Xiyue roared in a low voice and slapped Zhang Renfeng's smooth buttocks hard.

"Zhang Renfeng, you big bastard! It's your homecoming day today, and look at you!"