Courtyard House: A Veteran Returns Home and Becomes a Father

The atmosphere at the temporary command post in Xichuan City was so oppressive it was almost palpable.

The glow of the lantern cast flickering shadows on the bullet-riddled walls, each face etched with heaviness. The officers of the 335th Regiment sat in a circle, silent, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, mingled with a sense of defeatist sorrow.

News of former regimental commander Fan Tianyu's serious injuries and subsequent transfer to the garrison had spread throughout the entire regiment. The joy of victory was completely washed away, replaced by uncertainty and anxiety about the future. The soldiers had lost their beloved commander, like sheep without their leader.

The telegram from the division headquarters announcing an urgent promotion made the already oppressive atmosphere even more subtle.

Su Mo, acting leader.

A young man of only twenty-four years old (he was underage when he joined the army in 45, so he lied about his age by two years, and was actually 22 years old), a battalion commander who had just proven himself with a high-stakes surprise attack, now had to shoulder the responsibility of more than two thousand men in the entire regiment.

Inside the command post, Battalion Commander Zhang Shan kept his head down, constantly rubbing a worn-out pencil with his rough fingers.

He was a veteran of the Red Army, and he had crawled out of piles of corpses more times than Su Mo had eaten salt.

He admitted that Su Mo's judgment was miraculous, but war is not something that can be won by luck once or twice.

In his opinion, Su Mo's tactics were too risky, practically dancing on the edge of a knife. He felt extremely uneasy about letting him command the entire regiment.

Political Commissar Wang Wei was even more worried. He had just returned from the wounded soldiers' camp, and the soldiers' tragic condition was heartbreaking.

Fan Tianyu's serious injury caused the morale of the entire regiment to plummet, with cries and oppressive silence filling the air. At this moment, what was needed most was stability, not a young commander who loved taking risks.

"cough."

Su Mo cleared his throat, breaking the suffocating silence.

He stood up, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone present. These were the backbone of the regiment, seasoned veterans, but at this moment, their eyes were filled with doubt, sorrow, and confusion.

"I know what everyone is thinking." Su Mo's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Commander Fan is seriously injured, and everyone is saddened. So am I."

He paused, his tone heavy: "But brothers, we are soldiers! A soldier's duty is to obey orders, to fight! Not to sigh and complain here, much less to blame fate!"

Battalion Commander Zhang Shan raised his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with a stubbornness: "Commander Su... the troops are currently demoralized, there are many wounded, and ammunition and food are almost gone. I suggest that we immediately switch to defense, hold Xichuan, and await further instructions from the division headquarters."

His words were immediately echoed by many people.

"Yes, we can't fight anymore, the soldiers have reached their limit."

"Let's rest first; taking care of the wounded is the most important thing."

Su Mo did not refute, but listened quietly. Only after everyone had finished speaking did he slowly open his mouth.

"I understand everyone's concerns. The wounded need to be treated, people need to be fed, and the battle must continue!"

He didn't say anything more, but turned around and strode out of the command post.

"What is he going to do?" The cadres looked at each other in bewilderment.

Su Mo thought to himself: The things I collected on the way here can finally come in handy.

Su Mo did not answer them, but went straight to the most chaotic and sorrowful place in the city—the temporary wounded soldiers' camp.

The so-called wounded soldiers' camp was nothing more than a few civilian houses whose roofs had been blown off by artillery fire. Dozens of wounded soldiers lay or sat on the ground, which was covered with a thin layer of straw mixed with blood and dirt. The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood, sweat, and herbs.

The military doctors and medics were working hard, but medicines were in short supply and bandages were almost used up. They could only watch helplessly as some seriously wounded soldiers slowly lost their lives amidst painful groans.

Su Mo's appearance silenced the previously noisy wounded soldiers' camp for a moment.

The soldiers looked at the excessively young acting regimental commander with complicated expressions.

A young soldier, his arm blown off, was in excruciating pain, his face covered in cold sweat, his teeth grinding together. He saw Su Mo and weakly grimaced, "Commander, I...I wonder if I can ever go home to see my mother?"

Su Mo walked to his side, squatted down, and gently patted his uninjured shoulder, her voice firm yet warm: "Yes! I promise, I'll make sure you get home alive!"

After saying that, he stood up and whispered an order to the guards behind him: "Go, bring over all the 'specially supplied medicines' that our camp brought! Leave nothing behind!"

The guard hesitated for a moment, but immediately stood at attention: "Yes, sir!"

Soon, several bodyguards brought over a few inconspicuous wooden crates.

Su Mo personally opened the box, inside which were neatly stacked rows of modern emergency supplies that he had taken out from his personal space.

"What...is this?" The medic leaned closer, looking at the bottles and jars he had never seen before, his eyes full of confusion. There were white powders in clear plastic bottles, syringes sealed in glass tubes, and individually packaged white strips of cloth with a sticky coating.

"Yunnan Baiyao, for quick hemostasis. Penicillin, to prevent infection. This is a band-aid, just apply it directly to small wounds." Su-Mo explained as he picked up a bottle of "Yunnan Baiyao" and walked over to the one-armed warrior.

He unscrewed the bottle cap and sprinkled the white powder evenly onto the soldier's bloody wounds.

A miracle happened.

The wound, which was still bleeding, stopped bleeding almost instantly! The pain on the soldier's face also visibly subsided.

"No...it doesn't hurt anymore?" The soldier opened his eyes wide in disbelief as he felt the cool sensation coming from his wound.

The entire wounded soldiers' camp was in an uproar!

"A miracle drug! This is a miracle drug!"

"My God, the bleeding has really stopped!"

The medic was so excited that his hands trembled. He picked up a vial of penicillin, staring at the cold glint of the needle under the lantern light, his voice trembling: "Commander, this...this is really medicine?"

"Yes. It's specifically for the seriously injured." Su Mo said succinctly. "The method of use is very simple: intramuscular injection. Remember, a skin test must be performed before use."

He patiently taught the military medics how to use these advanced medicines. The powerful effects of penicillin were immediate; many soldiers with persistent high fevers due to infection stabilized quickly after injection. Those seemingly ordinary bandages also greatly improved the efficiency of treating minor wounds.

Seeing that the wounded were relieved of their pain, Su Mo knew that his first spark had been ignited.

He didn't stop, and led his men towards the soldiers' encampment.

After a night of forced march and a fierce battle, the soldiers were starving. They ate dry, hard fried noodles with icy snow water, shivering from the cold, their faces full of exhaustion.

"Comrades, you've worked hard!" Su Mo's voice rang out in the cold wind.

The soldiers all raised their heads.

"We've won a battle, how can we just eat fried noodles?" Su Mo smiled and ordered his guards again, "Go, distribute the 'comfort gifts' specially approved by the division headquarters to everyone! Let the brothers have a good meal!"

Several more large wooden crates were carried up.

The moment the box was opened, all the soldiers stared in disbelief.

Neatly arranged are golden compressed biscuits, beef jerky emitting an enticing aroma, and even rows of dark brown chocolates wrapped in oil paper!

These things, let alone eating them, most of them had never even seen them before!

"My goodness, what's this? It smells so good!" A new recruit picked up a piece of beef jerky, his mouth watering.

"Silly boy, this is beef jerky! I've seen it in the city, it's ridiculously expensive!" An old soldier recognized it and his eyes lit up.

"And what's this, that dark thing?"

"Chocolate! It's great for replenishing energy!" Su Mo picked up a piece, broke it open, and handed it to the soldiers beside him. "Have a taste! There's plenty!"

A soldier carefully put a small piece of chocolate into his mouth. The sweet and rich flavor instantly exploded on his taste buds, and he squinted his eyes in pleasure: "Sweet! Fuckily sweet!"

Although the compressed biscuits didn't taste great, they were extremely high in calories; one bite and your stomach would instantly feel warm. Beef jerky, on the other hand, provided a long-awaited meaty flavor and saltiness, almost bringing tears to the soldiers' eyes.

The gloom of defeat and the torment of hunger were quickly dispelled by the high-calorie food and special medicine. Smiles returned to the soldiers' faces, and their gazes toward Su Mo transformed from initial suspicion into heartfelt gratitude and trust.

That evening, the temporary command held another operational meeting.

With the help of food and medicine, the cadres looked much better, but disagreements remained regarding the next steps.

"Commander, although the morale of the troops has recovered somewhat, they are exhausted from continuous combat and are not fit to fight again. I still insist on my previous opinion: hold Xichuan and switch to defense." Battalion Commander Zhang Shan remained stubborn.

Political Commissar Wang Wei nodded in agreement: "Old Zhang is right. We are completely in the dark about the enemy situation around us. It would be too risky to launch an attack rashly. We must wait for orders from the division headquarters."

"Wait?" Su Mo walked to the map, his eyes sharp. "Wait until the enemy reacts and surrounds us?"

He picked up a twig and drew several circles on the map.

"Gentlemen, capturing Xichuan was indeed a remarkable achievement. But it also turned us into sitting ducks, completely exposed to the enemy's guns!"

"I've studied American combat tactics; they prioritize overwhelming firepower and flanking maneuvers. Now that our position has been exposed, I'm certain that by dawn tomorrow at the latest, enemy reconnaissance planes will be overhead. Then will come a deluge of artillery fire and encirclement from all sides!"

Su Mo's voice was firm and resolute, carrying an undeniable confidence.

"Holding onto Xichuan now is tantamount to waiting to die!"

Zhang Shan frowned and retorted, "So you mean... retreat? We just took this position with the blood of our soldiers, and we're just going to give it up like this?"

"Of course not, we're not giving up!" Su Mo slammed his branch down on the map. "On the contrary, we're going to take the initiative!"

He pointed to a mountainous area northeast of Xichuan, his voice suddenly rising: "This is Feihu Mountain! It's the vital passage from Xichuan to the north, and also the only way for the enemy's reinforcements! As long as we can seize this place before the enemy and build a defensive line, we can pin all the enemy forces heading north down here!"

"This is too risky!" Political Commissar Wang Wei immediately objected. "We know nothing about the terrain of Flying Tiger Mountain, nor do we know how many enemy reinforcements there are. What if we run headlong into their encirclement?"

"Political Commissar, warfare is all about deception! It's all about information asymmetry and timing!" Su Mo turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "The enemy thinks we'll hold Xichuan, but they'll never imagine that we'll do the opposite and take the initiative to seize Feihu Mountain! This is our opportunity!"

He took a deep breath and began to elaborate on his battle plan.

"The First Battalion, as the main attacking force, will depart at midnight tonight, lightly equipped, and rush to the main peak of Flying Tiger Mountain. We must establish the first line of defense on the main peak before 5:00 AM tomorrow! I will personally lead the team!"

"The Second Battalion, as the reserve force, will carry all heavy weapons and surplus ammunition and follow up to build fire support points on both flanks of Flying Tiger Mountain."

"The Third Battalion will leave one company behind to guard the prisoners and the wounded. The rest of the troops will construct a second line of defense behind Flying Tiger Mountain and be responsible for the security of our rear!"

"Report the battle plan to the Volunteer Army Headquarters."

"The communications platoon must maintain contact with each battalion every half hour and report the battle situation to me at any time!"

His plan was extremely meticulous, from troop deployment and firepower configuration to logistical support, and even contingency plans for all possible unexpected situations.

In the entire command center, only Su Mo's clear and logical voice echoed.

The veteran officers, who had initially been full of doubts, were now completely engrossed in the conversation. Their expressions shifted from disdain to surprise, then to solemnity, and finally to profound shock.

Many of the tactical terms and concepts Su Mo used were unfamiliar to them, yet they could clearly sense the rigor and terrifying nature of the plan. This was no longer a war; it was like dissecting the war with the precision of a scalpel!

When Su Mo finished speaking the last word, the command center fell silent.

After a long silence, Battalion Commander Zhang Shan slowly stood up. He looked at Su Mo, his eyes no longer filled with doubt, only with sincere admiration. He gave Su Mo a solemn military salute.

"Acting Commander! My battalion will resolutely carry out your orders! We guarantee to capture the main peak of Flying Tiger Mountain before 5:00 AM!"

"The Second Battalion guarantees the mission will be accomplished!"

"The Third Battalion guarantees the mission will be accomplished!"

All the cadres stood up, saluted in unison, their voices loud and clear, filled with a resolute air.

Su Mo returned the greeting, his eyes sharp.

"very good!"

He walked up to the crowd, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across each person's face.

"Now, I command!"

"The entire regiment must unconditionally obey orders! During combat, anyone who flinchs, deserts, or leaks military secrets, regardless of rank, will be executed on the spot!"

"Our 335th Regiment has no cowards! Commander Fan's blood cannot be shed in vain, and the brothers who sacrificed their lives cannot die for nothing! In this battle, we will show the might of the 335th Regiment! We will show the backbone of the Chinese soldiers!"

"Did you understand?!"

"Understood!"

Inside the cave, the roar shook the dust off the stone walls.