An extraordinary life journey through old Beijing courtyard houses

Jiang Baobin scratched his head: What's wrong with you? How rude!

Then I thought: Shouldn't I call her "Miss" instead of "Auntie"?

Sigh, this girl is really hard to deal with!

This guy rubbed his butt, then went over and picked up all the swords and knives.

He muttered to himself, "Well, all that work was for nothing, that little wench."

"You came in all flustered and impatient right away, you don't understand my good intentions at all."

"Of course, we should compare swords and blades; any improvement should be based on martial arts skills that involve killing."

"Otherwise, are you going to kill someone with your fists? That's too much trouble!"

Like my swift sword, a single thrust forward pierces the enemy's heart, beyond even the salvation of a god.

The truth has finally come out; that's why this guy is so unhappy about not using a weapon.

Because he was better at wielding a swift sword than fists and feet.

Back at the Liu family home.

Perhaps worried about something going wrong, Liu Decai got up early, which was unusual for him.

Jiang Baobin gestured towards the inner room.

Liu Decai smiled and nodded, indicating that the person had returned.

He then lowered his voice and asked, "Are you alright?"

Jiang Baobin shook his head and said in a low voice, "I lost."

Liu Decai patted him on the shoulder with a broad smile:

It's okay to lose; even if you can win, you should still lose, otherwise you're just a fool.

The two exchanged a knowing smile.

Jiang Baobin then took his leave.

Of course, one should know when to stop while one is ahead; Liu Ling'er is quite unique.

Trying to push your luck will ultimately backfire.

Liu Decai escorted him a long way and gave him a great deal of encouragement.

It's clear that Lao Liu has high hopes for him.

When Liu Decai returned home, Liu Ling'er, after changing her clothes, asked him directly:

"Dad, did he mention which famous teacher he studied under? I want to go and meet him."

Liu Decai shook his head: "I've never heard him mention it. He probably didn't have a teacher; he practiced on his own."

Liu Ling'er frowned: "Impossible! How could I possibly have achieved that level of skill?"

"Then next time I see him, I'll ask him for you."

Liu Decai tried to persuade him, "I think it's best if you ask him yourself."

"You both like martial arts, so you can talk about the same thing."

"Binzi actually has a very good personality. He is smart and honest."

"Once you get to know him, you'll know how good his character is."

This kind of person is honest? Has good character? It's utterly ridiculous.

They have shifty eyes and a smirking face; they're just annoying to look at!

Liu Ling'er didn't want to listen anymore and got up to cook.

Even so, Lao Liu was especially happy today.

He personally cut off a small half of the pork knuckle that Jiang Baobin had just presented to him, and happily poured himself a drink.

Old Liu felt there was a great chance this time.

The worst thing between a man and a woman is not having any contact. Once you make contact, you're halfway to success.

Especially when you encounter someone as shrewd as Jiang Baobin.

Each and every matter was handled so beautifully.

He went from being a poor boy to becoming rich in a short period of time.

What does this show? It means the young man is quite capable!

Although my daughter is a bit of a handful, as the old saying goes, even a good woman can be won over by a persistent man. With that guy's skills, he definitely has a chance!

It would be wonderful to hold my grandson next year.

"Sizzle—ha!" Thinking of something enjoyable, Old Liu took another satisfying sip...

Jiang Baobin usually spends his time in the freight yard reading books while keeping an eye on the piles of goods.

Recently, he has suddenly become fascinated with classic literary works.

Isn't this a sign of chaos in the world? There are many good books now available, such as the "X Plum" and "X Group" that he has been longing for.

Wow! I've learned a lot!

The ancients really knew how to have fun.

He would only go out under the guise of a reporter if there was a big commotion outside.

For example, large-scale celebrations held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City.

The purpose was to reward 8000 newly recruited soldiers.

It was during Jiang Baobin's trip into the mountains that the Kuomintang began recruiting new members in every neighborhood of the city.

But it's easy to avoid becoming cannon fodder: just pay a "redemption fee" to avoid disaster, and you can even bargain.

The government also asked ordinary citizens to make donations to comfort the families of those who were conscripted.

Wow, they've really scraped off layer after layer!

The people have become numb.

However, these 8000 people were lucky and were liberated peacefully.

Otherwise, with the current strength of the PLA, a single charge would wipe out tens of thousands of troops.

Walking outside, Jiang Baobin's deepest impression was the sheer number of soldiers.

Jingshan Park is now garrisoned by the Kuomintang army and is no longer open to the public.

The same situation also occurred in parks and palaces such as the Forbidden City, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and Beihai Park.

Soldiers, soldiers, soldiers everywhere!

Goodness, more than 20 people flooded in at once.

After the public spaces were filled, they occupied a large number of private houses.

In order to build defensive fortifications and a temporary airport, some houses were also demolished.

Even the hundreds of ancient trees in the Temple of Heaven were not spared and became victims of the airport construction!

The compensation given to ordinary people is barely enough to make ends meet.

Because prices in Beiping had skyrocketed, that little money couldn't buy any necessities at all.

Aside from military mobilization, the most common sight in Beiping was people moving.

After years of propaganda by the Kuomintang, wealthy people and foreigners have developed a deeply ingrained perception—

Once the city falls, it means destruction, confiscation of property, and abuse!

The previous train service disruptions and the occupation of Nanyuan Airport had left them feeling hopeless.

To view death as one's inevitable end.

However, with the emergency completion of the Dongdan (now Dongdan Park) and Tiantan airports.

This made them ecstatic, and at the same time, they resolved to do everything in their power to escape!

The airline officials were surrounded—

Whether through legitimate procedures or by using fraudulent means.

Those who were able to obtain an American visa were quickly considered first-class passengers;

Those granted entry into Hong Kong were referred to as second-class passengers;

Those who had no choice but to flee to a small island were the third-class passengers.

Jiang Baobin watched the farce from afar, taking some photos to document it, and that was about it.

He can't even leave Beiping now, and can only sigh at how wonderful it is to have a vast and open world...

On the way back, when passing through Dong'an Market, there were ordinary merchants.

This place also attracts many people who are selling their property.

They were supposedly prominent people who were fleeing to the south.

However, the plane didn't allow them to bring too much stuff, so they had to sell it.

Some of them were so cheap it was outrageous.

Although Jiang Baobin didn't meet him, he heard from other merchants—

You could buy a car for 1000 gold yuan (equivalent to about 20 US dollars at the time)...

Even at such a low price, few people are interested in these luxury items.

The rich and powerful are all focused on running away, leaving the poor behind who can afford to buy but can't afford to support them.

This thing "drinks oil"!

Now, let alone the oil we give it to drink, because of the power outage, we can barely even afford to light lamp oil at home!

Jiang Baobin couldn't resist the urge to buy, so he bought several bicycles and sewing machines.

It's incredibly cheap! You won't find this kind of deal again.

His thinking is quite far-reaching—he wants to get married, right? And Da Ya will get married someday...