Courtyard House: I only wiped out 30,000 Japanese pirates

He Dajun went to the kitchen and fetched two basins of cold water. He washed himself in one basin and handed the other to Bai Ling.

After the two of them washed their faces, they opened the door. The morning sun had just risen, and traces of last night's dew still lingered on the bluestone slabs in the courtyard. There was a faint smell of coal ash in the air.

He Dajun walked ahead, leaning on a wooden cane, with Bai Ling following behind. The two of them went out of the courtyard gate together and headed towards the public toilet at the alley entrance.

This is his fixed route every morning: first go to the public toilet, then come back for breakfast, and then go to work at the factory.

Bai Ling went with him to avoid being left alone in the courtyard and being bothered by the Japanese or similar people.

After returning from the public restroom, the two went directly to He Daqing's room.

He Liu was already busy at the stove. The flames in the stove licked the bottom of the pot, and the corn porridge in the pot was bubbling and steaming, with hot air escaping from the cracks in the lid.

Sha Zhu squatted on the threshold. When he saw He Dajun come in, he shouted "Second Uncle!" in a high-pitched and bright voice.

He Dajun gently patted Sha Zhu on the head, then sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Bai Ling sat down next to him, the two of them side by side, both looking exhausted.

Both of their eyelids were a little swollen, and Bai Ling had a faint bluish tint under her eyes.

He Liushi carried the porridge pot out of the kitchen, placed it on the table, looked up at He Dajun and Bai Ling, and paused in her work.

As someone who's been through it all, she could immediately see the weariness on their faces.

He Dajun is alright. Although his eye bags are heavier than usual, he's a man, so he's got plenty of energy and can handle it.

Bai Ling was different; the bruises under her eyes, the way she looked like she hadn't woken up yet when she leaned against He Dajun.

He Liu's heart skipped a beat, and then the corners of her mouth slowly turned up.

While serving porridge to Sha Zhu, she secretly glanced at He Dajun and Bai Ling.

Bai Ling was looking down when He Dajun whispered something to her. Bai Ling turned her head to listen, and after hearing it, she smiled with her lips pursed.

He Liu turned around to continue serving porridge, her smile impossible to hide.

Thinking to myself, at this rate, Zhu Zi will soon have a younger brother or sister.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but put an extra chopstick of pickled vegetables on Bai Ling's plate, saying, "Eat more, eat more, it'll help you recover."

Bai Ling, not understanding what was going on, took the pickled vegetables and said thank you, sister-in-law.

He Liu was even happier, and the meaning in her eyes was very clear.

Bai Ling was somewhat confused. She looked up at He Liu Shi, who had already turned around to serve Sha Zhu some salted vegetables.

He Dajun picked up the bowl of porridge and slurped down a big mouthful, completely unaware of the smile on He Liu's face.

This is the information gap.

After eating breakfast, He Dajun put his bowl on the table, leaned on his wooden stick, and walked into the courtyard.

He didn't actually need the stick as a walking stick. He used it to tell everyone that he had difficulty moving around.

This is a form of self-suggestion, a way of distancing oneself from the elusive killer who appears at night.

The stone slabs in the courtyard still bore the scorch marks from the torches the night before, making them look quite disheveled.

That's how it is in chaotic times.

He Dajun cleared his throat, his voice not loud but full of energy: "Fellow workers, assemble! Let's get to work for the Imperial Army!"

One door after another opened.

Yi Zhonghai walked out of the east wing, wearing faded work clothes, his back slightly hunched, his face expressionless.

Liu Haizhong came out of the west wing, his back ramrod straight, and the flame in his eyes was still burning as he looked at He Dajun.

Last night he tried to find He Dajun, but was told that He Dajun was busy with some connections and he never got to see him.

It's so uncomfortable.

Hüwood followed behind, his lips pursed downwards.

Da Zhou, Xiao Zheng, Lao Zhang, and one after another, thirteen people gradually stood in the courtyard.

He Dajun looked at Yi Zhonghai, took two steps forward with his cane, and said in a casual tone, "Old Yi, starting today, you're in charge of calling people and taking them to the steel mill. My leg isn't fully healed yet, I can't run."

"I have other important work to do, and I'm sorry to trouble you."

Yi Zhonghai, unaware of the situation, paused for a moment, thinking that it was just asking someone to lead the way, nothing serious, and nodded.

Actually, he had no choice but to agree. He Dajun was now a favorite of Sasaki, so he had to agree whether he wanted to or not.

He turned around and began to call the workers to line up, counting the number of people to confirm that all thirteen had arrived.

Then he suddenly realized that He Dajun had made him his deputy so that he could slack off.

All that talk about a leg injury and not being able to run is just an excuse. This bastard just wants me to do all the errands for him so he can slack off.

Yi Zhonghai felt that nameless anger rise up again. He gritted his teeth, and his expression froze for a second.

A "ding" sounded in He Dajun's mind.

[Yi Zhonghai breaks through the defense; the host gains 2 points for breaking through the defense.]

He Dajun was baffled; what was wrong with Yi Zhonghai?

Just as everyone was getting ready to leave, the sound of a motorcycle sputtering came from the alley entrance.

Yesterday, that Japanese driver came by in his three-wheeled motorcycle, stopped at the alley entrance, and waved to He Dajun.

He Dajun walked over with a wooden cane, his face once again displaying a fawning smile, but he didn't get into the car immediately.

He bent down and said to the driver, "Sir, I need to wait for someone today to recruit collaborators for the Imperial Army. Could you please wait a moment?"

The Japanese driver was shocked to hear this, thinking, "Is this even possible?"

Recruiting collaborators? Isn't this lame Daxia man in charge of the workers at the steel mill? Why is he recruiting soldiers now?

He looked at He Dajun, his eyes full of disbelief. Mainly because he hadn't been informed of what Sasaki had said in the car yesterday.

He Dajun took out the temporary appointment letter from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

The Japanese driver took it and glanced at it; it was stamped with Sasaki's personal seal, and the writing was clear.

He returned the letter of appointment to He Dajun and nodded: "Okay."

Now, the way everyone in the courtyard looked at He Dajun was even more different.

This lackey even obeys the Japanese driver, who waits whenever he says so.

Just how much influence does he have in front of Sasaki?

Moreover, they have all become leaders of the puppet army.

He Dajun turned around, leaning on a wooden stick, and stood in the middle of the courtyard. His gaze swept over the faces of Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Xu Wude, and Yan Bugui, with an extremely arrogant smile on his face.

His tone carried a hint of condescension and handout: "We're all on the same side. If you want to join the puppet army, you'll be given priority. You'll get paid, you'll be fed, and the Imperial Army will even provide you with guns."

There was a moment of silence in the courtyard. Then, many people started calculating in their minds.

Joining the puppet army, aside from everything else, will greatly enhance your safety.

At least we wouldn't be arbitrarily arrested by the Japanese, our doors wouldn't be kicked down and searched in the middle of the night, and the last bit of food in our rice bins wouldn't be stolen.

Especially considering how many things were stolen during the Japanese search of my room the night before last, this contrast is even more striking.

Survival is more important than saving face; in this chaotic world, staying alive is the only true measure of success.

Even Yan Bugui, who wasn't from the steel rolling mill, was tempted.

Unexpectedly, Liu Haizhong was the first to sign up.

He stepped forward from the crowd, his back straighter than usual, and shouted, "Dajun, I'm signing up! I'm willing to join the puppet army!"

He Dajun looked at this guy with some disdain.

Liu Haizhong is obsessed with becoming an official. In the story of "Qin Man Si He Yuan", he only wanted to be an official all his life, but he never became one.

Despite his initial dislike, He Dajun did not refuse.

The main thing is to find a legitimate reason. Besides, we need manpower right now, so whether it's genuine or not, we need to set up the facade first. He nodded and said in a nonchalant tone, "Okay."

He then added, "Since it's in the same courtyard, it should naturally be given priority under the same conditions."

Looking at Liu Haizhong's impatient appearance, Yi Zhonghai felt a strong sense of crisis for some reason.

He Dajun waved to Yi Zhonghai: "Zhonghai, take everyone to the factory. I'm waiting for someone here, I'll be there later."

Yi Zhonghai responded and led the twelve workers out of the courtyard gate.

The group walked along the alley toward the steel mill. Liu Haizhong took bigger strides than usual, as if he had already put on the uniform of a puppet army.

Xu Wude followed behind him, watching his back, feeling both bitter and heartbroken.

At that moment, Yagyu Un walked over.