Courtyard House: Home Alone

He could almost see the scene of panic and chaos when the Japanese troops in Beiping learned of this news tomorrow morning. They would be left with no soldiers to defend the city. Starting tomorrow, the Japanese soldiers in the city should retreat to their camps and wait for reinforcements.

"Beiping is safe for now," Lin Yifan murmured to himself, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deep weariness.

He determined his direction and sped towards the city. He needed to find a place to rest briefly and conserve his strength for the potentially larger storm to come.

Soon, he arrived near the city gate, then flashed into the space, washed up in the small river in the space, changed into clean clothes, and then crawled into bed.

He didn't sleep well; the constant tension in his subconscious made him feel as if he could hear the roar of gunfire and the cries of his compatriots even in his dreams.

In just three or four hours, Lin Yifan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze instantly regaining its usual clarity and sharpness, and his previous fatigue receded like a receding tide.

His thoughts lingered in the space; it was already broad daylight outside. "I should go out and see what's going on." Lin Yifan got up, quickly washed up, and walked out of the space toward the city gate.

Upon arriving at the gate, he discovered that none of the Japanese soldiers and puppet troops who had been guarding the gate were there. "Wow," he thought, "the Japanese have let their guard down?" He followed the crowd into the city.

After walking only a few steps, they saw a large crowd gathered on the street ahead, with many people talking amongst themselves, their faces showing a mixture of surprise and barely concealed excitement.

Lin Yifan's heart stirred, and he stepped forward, listening intently.

A vegetable farmer carrying a load on a shoulder pole said in a low voice, but with barely suppressed excitement, "Have you heard? Something seems to have happened at the Japanese barracks in the west and east of the city last night!"

An older woman carrying a basket nearby quickly asked, "What happened? Tell me quickly!"

The vegetable farmer looked around before continuing mysteriously, "I can't really explain the specifics, but it was quite noisy in the middle of the night!"

"There were explosions and gunshots again, like thunder! I just came from the west gate of the city and saw the Japanese barracks over there, billowing black smoke, you could see it from far away, it looked like it had been burning for most of the night!"

"It's not just the west side of the city! I have a relative who farms in the eastern suburbs. He ran back to the city before dawn and said that the Japanese camp in the eastern suburbs was also bombed, and a lot of people died!"

Another voice chimed in, equally excited. "Really? How big of a commotion was that? Who did it? Did our army fight back?"

"I don't know! I haven't heard of any large troops coming! But whoever did it, they're heroes! Those damned Japanese devils deserved their retribution long ago!"

A chorus of agreement arose from the crowd; the pent-up resentment and hatred seemed to find an outlet at this moment.

Although the situation was still unclear, news of the incident at the Japanese military camp spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Beiping, bringing a faint but hopeful glimmer of light to the city shrouded in white terror.

Lin Yifan listened to the discussions without showing any emotion. He knew this was just the beginning. He calmly walked through the crowd and continued towards the city center.

Along the way, he noticed that the atmosphere on the street was indeed different from usual.

Although the Japanese patrols still existed, their numbers had decreased significantly, and the soldiers' faces were less arrogant and domineering than before, showing more vigilance and unease, with even a hint of fear in their eyes.

Some of the puppet troops who used to be so arrogant and domineering were much more restrained at this moment, walking by with their heads down and not daring to scold the people as they used to.

Clearly, the series of "clean-up" operations had caused great shock and panic among the Japanese and puppet troops in Beiping.

They may not yet know exactly what happened, but the fact that two major detachments outside the city were attacked at the same time is no coincidence and is enough to terrify them.

Lin Yifan found a teahouse that looked fairly clean and went inside.

The teahouse was already quite full of customers, gathered in twos and threes, discussing the events that had occurred at the military camp outside the city the previous night.

Various speculations and rumors flew around. Some said that a large force had come, some said that it was the guerrillas who did it, and some even said that Guan Yu had appeared and come to deal with these Japanese devils.

Lin Yifan found a seat by the window, ordered a pot of tea, and slowly sipped it while observing everything around him with a cold eye.

He could sense that although the people dared not say it out loud, the barely suppressed excitement and anticipation in their eyes was undeniable.

The brutal rule of the Japanese invaders had already caused unbearable suffering to the people of this city. Last night's news was like a boulder thrown into a stagnant pond, creating ripples.

"The New Year is just around the corner. So many Japanese soldiers have died outside. I wonder if this New Year will be any better?" The voices at the next table caught Lin Yifan's attention, and he raised an eyebrow.

I almost forgot that Chinese New Year is just around the corner. I wonder if my parents will send someone to look for me during the holiday. Maybe I should go back to Nanluoguxiang to check, just in case someone comes looking for me, so I don't end up empty-handed.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, the conversation between two people at another table caught Lin Yifan's attention again.

"Brother Tang, have you received Wang Kui'an's invitation?" a man in a traditional Chinese jacket asked the fat man opposite him.

The fat man stuffed a piece of pastry into his mouth and mumbled, "Do you think that bastard would let this opportunity to rip us off pass by? Otherwise, he wouldn't be celebrating his sixty-fifth father's birthday. By the way, Boss Liu, how much are you planning to... how much are you planning to give away this time?"

Boss Liu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked somewhat helpless: "How much more can I give? Last time it was his mother's birthday, I gave her twenty silver dollars."

"It's his father's birthday this time, so I have to pay this much. Otherwise, knowing Wang Kuian's personality, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause me. You know, my shop is near the South Market, and his men 'inspect' it every few days. I can't afford to be bothered."

After listening, the fat man swallowed the pastry in his mouth and clicked his tongue: "Who says otherwise! My silk shop was fined fifty dollars last month for 'hoarding and speculation,' and I haven't recovered yet."

However, I heard that he also invited members of the Imperial Army to this birthday banquet?

Boss Liu looked around and lowered his voice, "That's right. I heard Major Sato will be there in person. Wang Kuian is determined to curry favor with the Japanese. We can only suffer along with him."

"Of course! I heard he invited quite a few people this time; he booked the entire Hongbinlou restaurant. And this time..."

This will allow him to make a fortune. Just the money from the gifts alone will probably make him a rich man.

We businessmen are truly suffering! We have to be wary of bandits, deal with these traitors and lackeys, and those high and mighty Japanese devils. When will this ever end?

The fat man sighed repeatedly, his face full of sorrow.