Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

At this moment, the butler returned carrying a heavy sandalwood box, gently placed it on the coffee table, and opened it.

A faint golden light rippled. Twelve rectangular gold bars were neatly arranged, with five small yellow fish beside them, all golden, heavy, and possessing the unique texture of metal.

Zhao Pingan picked up one, weighed it in his hand, and carefully examined the markings on it to confirm that it was correct.

He no longer stood on ceremony, picking up the gold bars one by one. He seemed to put them into his backpack, but in reality, they were instantly exchanged and entered into the system space upon contact.

[Detected as pure gold, weighing 312.5 grams. Would you like to redeem?]

"Yes," Zhao Ping'an silently replied.

[Exchange successful. You have received 300000 system currency points.]

With the start-up capital secured, Zhao Ping'an had an idea. He kept three large yellow croakers and five small yellow croakers, and exchanged the rest for...

270 million system coins! Even though Zhao Ping'an was somewhat prepared, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

Then I remembered that I had already redeemed the large yellow croaker, so my backpack was empty. I quickly redeemed a few cans of luncheon meat and put them in my backpack.

After the transaction was completed, Lou Bancheng's smile became much more genuine:

"Platoon Leader Zhao, as mentioned earlier, I'll be acting as your agent to sell this batch of medicine. We'll get it through the proper channels as soon as possible."

If the selling price is higher than what was calculated earlier, how should I hand over the excess to Platoon Leader Zhao?

Zhao Pingan slung his now-empty backpack over his shoulder and thought for a moment:

"My unit is stationed in Wayaocun, in the western suburbs. Mr. Lou can send someone there to find me."

If I am not present, or if the situation is urgent, you can also seek out Zhao Baoguo, the regimental commander of the 3rd Regiment of the 101st Division stationed at the West Gate, and give him my name. He will then find a way to contact me.

Of course, if Boss Lou needs help, he can come to me anytime. I can't guarantee much, but as long as we're in the right, with more than twenty men armed, we can still lend a hand.

By the way, if things get urgent, Boss Lou can also go to Commander Zhao Baoguo of the 3rd Regiment. He's my brother's sworn brother.

I'll let you know when I get back.

"Alright, I've got it." Lou Bancheng nodded, then added,

"It's almost noon now. Platoon Leader Zhao, you've come a long way and must be tired. Why don't you stay at my humble abode for a simple meal before you leave? Let me do my part as your host."

"Mr. Lou, I appreciate your kind offer." Zhao Ping'an cupped his hands in greeting, his face displaying just the right amount of helplessness and urgency.

"But my unit has just withdrawn from the front, and supplies have been delayed, so the brothers are still hungry."

Now that we've exchanged these yellow and white items, we need to hurry and buy some food and clothing to send back to our camp as soon as possible.

My brothers are still waiting for me; I'll bother Mr. Lou another day.

This statement is reasonable and highlights the speaker's concern for his subordinates.

Lou Bancheng did not insist on keeping Zhao Ping'an any longer. He personally escorted Zhao Ping'an to the living room door, and then arranged for the butler to bring some food. He watched as Zhao Ping'an met up with the soldiers waiting outside the door.

"Platoon Leader Zhao, take care on your journey. We'll meet again someday." Lou Bancheng stood on the steps, cupping his hands in farewell.

"Until we meet again, Boss Lou, please wait." Zhao Ping'an returned the greeting, then led his men and turned to walk into the increasingly dense snow.

After leaving the Lou residence for a while, Liu Dazhu couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Platoon leader, did we... really get the money?"

Zhao Ping'an touched the seemingly empty backpack on his shoulder, his eyes reflecting the snow, yet shining even brighter than the snow itself:

"Okay. Let's go get some food first, then buy medicine, grain, coal... so the brothers can have a good meal and warm up."

"By the way, Zhuzi, Shuanzi, you take a few men with you, and take these food and canned goods back with you first."

As Zhao Ping'an spoke, he took the backpack from Da Zhu and first put the food Lou Bancheng had given him into it. Then he took out the luncheon meat cans he had just exchanged from his own backpack and put them into the backpack as well.

"Zhu Zi, I'll teach you how to open a can. Remember to be careful, these cans are very sharp, don't get hurt."

Zhao Ping'an opened the last can and demonstrated it to the group. He then had Zhu Zi open another can to confirm that he knew how to do it.

"You guys divide these two up. Eat them all so you have the energy to go back. Remember, if anyone tries to steal from you, don't hesitate, just shoot them!"

"Yes, platoon leader, if they dare to steal it, shoot them!" Zhu Zi and the others shouted.

However, their eyes never left the two cans of luncheon meat. Fortunately, Zhao Ping'an usually treated his brothers well, so the group didn't fight over them.

"Alright, let's find a place and get something to eat first." Seeing Dazhu and the other kids from the 3rd Regiment staring intently at the can of luncheon meat, Zhao Ping'an shook his head.

He casually "patted" open the door of a house, herded the family of five into the woodshed, and Zhao Ping'an, along with about twenty soldiers, squeezed into the main room, which was less than twenty square meters.

Zhao Ping'an kept "taking out" the luncheon meat cans that the system had just redeemed from his backpack.

Each can of food weighs 340 grams, and Zhao Pingan exchanged 100 more cans.

Fortunately, the soldiers were all focused on the canned food they were given, and as soon as they got it, they opened it and wolfed it down.

No one questioned how Zhao Ping'an could fit so many cans in his backpack.

"Those who have finished eating, go boil some water so everyone can drink some hot water to warm themselves up. Also, everyone should have one piece first, don't be greedy, it's not that we don't want to give you any."

This stuff is oily; eating too much of it can easily give you diarrhea. I don't have any diarrhea medicine on hand; I don't want to die from diarrhea right after eating a full meal.

Seeing the soldiers wolfing down their food and still staring at him, Zhao Ping'an had to scold them a few times before the soldiers finally broke into sheepish grins.

Give each of the guides from the 3rd Regiment two extra cans of food and have him invite Zhao Baoguo to the courtyard to discuss something.

After the guide left, Zhao Ping'an pulled over his personal guard, Dazhu, and handed him a large bottle of medicine. This was five boxes of oral penicillin V potassium tablets that Zhao Ping'an had just exchanged.

Each box contains 20 tablets, totaling 25 system coins. The system directly packaged them into a glass bottle, speaking in a low voice.

"Dazhu, take this bottle of medicine. When you get back with Shuanzi and the others, give each of the brothers who are lying down two pills."

Remember, you can throw away the canned food and other treats, but you can't throw away this medicine. Also, this is something only you can know about; you can't even tell my brother, understand?

"Platoon leader, what's this?" As a personal guard, Da Zhu was naturally not stupid.

"Don't ask. Knowing too much won't do you any good. You'll know once my brother and I finish talking. Let's go back and rescue the brothers first." Zhao Ping'an didn't explain further.

"Yes, platoon leader. I'll take the men back now. I'm afraid the brothers won't be able to hold on." Having received the answer, Dazhu didn't care about the canned food he hadn't finished eating.

"Alright, go ahead." Zhao Ping'an didn't stop him, watching Dazhu leave in a hurry with Zhuzi, Shuanzi, and seven or eight other people.

After the soldiers finished eating, Zhao Ping'an was thinking about what to do next.

"Ping An, you were looking for me?" With a sound coming from the courtyard, Zhao Baoguo arrived with his personal guards.