Courtyard House: Home Alone

Watching Lin Yifan's departing figure, Zhao Gang and Li Yunlong exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement and anticipation in each other's eyes.

The two had been working together for quite some time, and Zhao Gang could tell what the other was thinking just by looking into his eyes. He knew that Li Yunlong had his eye on Lin Yifan.

"Hey Lao Li, are you trying to recruit people into our unit again?" Zhao Gang smiled helplessly, his tone knowing.

Li Yunlong chuckled, not bothering to hide his feelings: "Old Zhao, wouldn't it be a waste to leave such a precious gem unused? Think about it, with Brother Yifan around, who are we afraid of in the future? We could wipe out an entire Japanese regiment!"

Zhao Gang pondered for a moment and said, "That's true, but Comrade Lin Yifan is someone that headquarters specifically requested to be treated well, so we still have to follow headquarters' arrangements. However, since he's now in our regiment, we really should treat him well and not neglect a hero."

Li Yunlong patted his chest and assured him, "Of course! I, Old Li, may not have many other skills, but I'm absolutely loyal to my brothers! Tomorrow, I'll have the monk bring out the roast chicken he brought for you, and also that jar of sweet potato liquor I've been saving, to give Brother Yifan a proper welcome!"

Zhao Gang shook his head helplessly. He was already used to Li Yunlong's nature of "wanting to pocket any treasure he saw".

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. You left the team without permission this time, and even took a monk deep into the county town. What if something goes wrong? How am I supposed to explain this to headquarters?" Zhao Gang's tone became more serious.

Li Yunlong's smile faded a bit, and he scratched his head: "Hehe, nothing's wrong, and we even brought Brother Yifan back. That's a great achievement!"

Besides, I'm doing this for the sake of our Independent Regiment. Think about it, with a master like Brother Yifan, our battles will be much easier! You didn't see that, it was over 400 meters! Every shot was deadly, and the speed was incredible..."

Zhao Gang sighed: "You know... Headquarters' orders are for us to properly receive Comrade Lin Yifan and then escort him to headquarters. As for whether he stays or leaves, that's a matter for headquarters to decide; we can't make decisions on our own."

Li Yunlong pursed his lips, but knew that Zhao Gang was right, so he stopped dwelling on the topic and excitedly recounted how he had just taken down the Japanese stronghold, especially Lin Yifan's incredible skills and the precision with which he used grenades, which amazed Zhao Gang.

The two exchanged opinions on recent regimental affairs and the surrounding enemy situation, and did not rest until late at night. At this time, Lin Yifan lay on the simple but clean earthen bed, listening to the occasional chirping of insects outside the window and the coughing of sentries in the distance, his mind filled with many thoughts.

Arriving in this war-torn era, encountering troublesome characters like Yi Zhonghai, Jia Gui, and Liu Haizhong, as well as people like Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang, perhaps it truly was fate's arrangement.

He didn't know where his future lay, but he understood that right now, he needed to do something for them, for this land that had suffered so much, and for these indomitable people.

The moonlight outside the window shone through the window frame and spilled onto the ground, creating a serene atmosphere.

Lin Yifan slept very soundly until the monk came to call him for dinner. Lin Yifan answered and quickly got up from the kang (a heated brick bed). After washing up briefly in the villager's courtyard, he picked up his bundle and followed the monk to the headquarters of the Independent Regiment.

It was called the regimental headquarters, but it was actually just a small courtyard belonging to a wealthy man. After the Japanese came, the wealthy man's family all fled, leaving only this small courtyard behind.

Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang were already waiting in the courtyard. When they saw Lin Yifan arrive,

Li Yunlong immediately grinned and said, "Brother Yifan, you're finally awake! How did you sleep last night? Are you used to this earthen bed?"

Zhao Gang nodded gently: "Comrade Lin Yifan, did you rest well? Please have a seat. The cooks have just finished cooking. It's all grain grown in our base area. Please have a taste."

A square table was set up in the courtyard, with bowls and chopsticks already laid out on it, along with a plate of shredded roast chicken, a dish of dark pickled vegetables, and a basket of golden-yellow cornbread, exuding the simple aroma of grain.

Lin Yifan put the package aside, took out a roast chicken and a braised pork knuckle from it, and handed them to the monk. "Brother Wei, could you please ask the cook to cut them up?"

After saying that, he sat down at the table and said, "It's fine. Thank you for your concern, Commander and Political Commissar. This earthen bed is very warm. I slept soundly, otherwise I wouldn't have slept until this late at night."

Li Yunlong's eyes lit up as he stared at the roast chicken and pork knuckle Lin Yifan had taken out. He swallowed hard and said, "Hey! Brother Yifan, you've hidden something good in this package! If I'd known you had this treasure, I should have opened that jar of sweet potato liquor earlier last night!"

Without any hesitation, he picked up a golden-yellow cornbread, broke it in half, added a piece of pickled vegetable, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it heartily.

He mumbled incoherently, "Our base area is in harsh conditions. We don't usually get to eat such good food. We only get to have some meat during festivals or after a great victory. This roast chicken and pork knuckle you brought is really a treat for us!"

Zhao Gang added with a smile, "Yes, Comrade Lin Yifan, you're too kind. It's our greatest honor that you came to our Independent Regiment. How could we let you spend so much money?"

Lin Yifan waved his hand: "Political Commissar, please don't say that. It's just a small token of our appreciation. We've been so grateful for the care and attention from the Regiment Commander and Brother Wei yesterday and today. This is nothing. Besides, food tastes better when we're all eating together."

Wei Heshang quickly brought out the sliced ​​roast chicken and pork knuckle, the aroma even stronger. Li Yunlong picked up a chicken leg and handed it to Lin Yifan: "Here, Yifan, try this. You're still growing, eat more. This roast chicken is a specialty of Laiyuan!"

Lin Yifan didn't stand on ceremony, took the meat and took a bite. The meat was firm and fragrant, indeed quite good.

The three of them ate and chatted, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Li Yunlong enthusiastically recounted some interesting stories from the regiment and the recent battles, while Zhao Gang occasionally asked Lin Yifan about his past experiences, but Lin Yifan only briefly touched on them without going into details.

The meal was lively and enjoyable, and Lin Yifan also felt the simple and pure camaraderie among the soldiers of the Independent Regiment.

After the meal, the monk cleaned the table and poured everyone a bowl of water. Lin Yifan moved his bowl closer to himself, glanced at Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang, and asked, "Commander, Political Commissar, how many personnel and equipment does your Independent Regiment have now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong put down the rough porcelain bowl in his hand, his smile faded slightly, and his brows furrowed a little, with a hint of helplessness and emotion: "Speaking of this, sigh, our Independent Regiment, although it is a regiment, is far inferior to those main force regiments!"

Previously at Cangyun Ridge, although we wiped out the Sakata Regiment and seized a lot of things, we also suffered heavy casualties.

Later, they fought several more battles with the Japanese in Laiyuan and Lingqiu, suffering heavy losses as well. Now, all they have left are a little over a thousand men who can still carry guns.