Courtyard House: A Veteran Returns Home and Becomes a Father

After lunch, the courtyard was quiet.

The master's wife went to rest, and the master also went back to his room for a nap. Xia Wanqing coaxed her daughter Niannian to take a nap as well.

Su Mo moved a rattan chair and leisurely lay down under the locust tree in the yard.

With a thought, a set of exquisite pipe tools appeared out of thin air beside him.

It was a classic Dunhill briar billiards pipe, its bowl smooth and its lines flowing. Next to it was a tin of his privately owned top-quality Larssen pipe grass and a set of Yixing teaware.

He slowly filled the straw, lit it, took a shallow puff, felt the fragrant smoke swirling in his mouth, and then slowly exhaled.

This long-lost peace and tranquility allowed Su Mo to completely relax his nerves, which had been tense for five years.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the locust trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground, creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere.

But before he could even savor the second taste of his cigarette, someone started banging on the courtyard gate.

Who is it?

Su Mo frowned slightly, annoyed. Who was the fool who had to bother him at this time?

"Boss! Boss! It's us!"

Two rough yet familiar voices came from outside the door.

Upon hearing this, Su Mo's displeasure instantly turned into a helpless state of being both amused and exasperated.

He got up and opened the door. Two young men in casual clothes stood outside, but their posture was still ramrod straight.

One was skinny, with eyes that darted around, nicknamed "Monkey".

The other one was as strong as an ox, with a simple and honest face, and was named "Erniu" (Second Ox).

These two men were his sworn brothers who had survived countless battles alongside him on the Korean battlefield.

The monkey was holding two ropes, at the other end of which were two shiny black, spirited puppies.

It was a Doberman puppy.

The two little ones were about three or four months old. Their ears hadn't been cut yet and were drooping, but their bodies were already taking shape, with smooth muscle lines. Their eyes were wary and curious. When they saw Su Mo, a stranger, they made low growling sounds.

"Boss, the dog you wanted is here!" Erniu said in a deep voice, his honest face full of smiles.

"The breed is absolutely top-notch. Both parents were captured military dogs from the US military. A genuine military dog ​​prospect!" Monkey patted his chest proudly.

Su Mo looked at the two energetic little guys and nodded in satisfaction.

He let the two into the courtyard and then closed the door behind him.

"Alright, stop fooling around," Su Mo said with a laugh. "Come in and sit down."

As soon as the monkey entered the yard, it looked around. When it saw the clothes of the women and children hanging on the clothesline, it immediately came closer, winking and making faces.

"Wow, bro, you've only been back a few days and you've already got a mistress? And a kid too? Where's your wife? Let us meet her!"

"Get lost." Su Mo kicked him irritably. "Your sister-in-law and niece are taking a nap, keep your voice down."

Erniu squatted down, grinned, and patted the heads of the two little Dobermans. The two little guys immediately nuzzled his palms affectionately with their heads.

"Boss, why are you still living in someone else's yard? Where's your big yard?" Erniu asked in confusion.

"The new courtyard is under construction, so you'll be staying with my master for now," Su Mo explained, then quietly took out two packs of Daqianmen cigarettes from his spatial storage and tossed them to them.

"Take it and smoke it."

The monkey took the cigarette, his eyes lighting up, but then quickly put it in his pocket. He pulled out half a crumpled pack of cigarette butts from his own pocket, lit one, and then asked with a serious expression, "Boss, we've all heard that you... you're really not going back to the army? You're going to be a gatekeeper at some police station?"

His tone was full of regret and incomprehension.

In their hearts, Su Mo was an invincible god, a born king of soldiers, how could he be doing the job of guarding the gate?

Su Mo knew they would ask, so he leaned back in his rattan chair, lit his pipe again, and looked somewhat "weathered" and "tired".

"There's no going back." He sighed. "My head is pounding like thunder every day, I can't sleep. The doctor said it's something like... post-traumatic stress disorder, I need to rest. Besides, I have a wife and kids now, I've had enough of that fighting and killing."

He had already mastered this rhetoric.

Monkey and Erniu exchanged a glance and fell silent.

They had witnessed Su Mo's bloodlust on the battlefield and knew how many injuries he had suffered.

They believed this explanation to a great extent.

"Then... then if you need anything, just let us know!" Erniu patted his chest and assured them, "Although we're still in the team, we can still get out without any problem."

"Alright, I know you mean well." Su Mo smiled. "By the way, how much is this dog? I'll give it to you."

"Boss, you're being too polite!" the monkey immediately objected. "Two little puppies, what are they worth? This is our gift to you! With these two guards, we'll feel more at ease."

"Exactly!" Erniu nodded in agreement.

Knowing their temperaments, Su Mo didn't insist any further.

He crouched down and carefully examined the two Doberman puppies.

The little ones seemed to sense that he meant them no harm, so they stopped growling and just tilted their heads to look at him curiously, their bright black eyes full of intelligence.

"From now on, one of you will be called 'Sky Pillar' and the other 'Pillar'." Su Mo stroked their heads and casually gave them two names.

Optimus Prime, easy to remember.

Just then, the curtain of the main room was lifted, and the clerk, Su Hanlin, walked out with his hands behind his back.

He had been woken up by the commotion outside, but he didn't rush out.

When Monkey and Erniu saw the old man, they immediately stood up straight and instinctively gave a military salute.

They could sense that this seemingly ordinary old man possessed a powerful aura that made their hearts tremble.

"Master," Su Mo greeted him with a smile.

Su Hanlin ignored him and focused his sharp eyes on the two little Dobermans.

He circled the puppy twice, pinching its skeleton here and looking at its paws there, before finally nodding.

"Hmm, he's a promising talent." Su Hanlin said calmly. "He has a well-proportioned physique and bright eyes. With proper training, he can be of great use in the future."

After saying that, he glanced at Monkey and Erniu again, said nothing, and turned back into the house.

But both Monkey and Erniu felt a cold sweat break out on their backs.

The old man's glance just now seemed to see right through them, inside and out.

"Boss, who is this...?" the monkey asked in a low voice.

"My advisor," Su Mo said casually.

The monkey and Erniu were filled with awe.

What kind of person must the advisor be to be able to teach a prodigy like Su Mo?

I can't even imagine it.

The two stayed a while longer, catching up on the latest developments in the military, before getting up to say goodbye as lunch break was about to end.

"Alright, you guys should go back now, don't break the rules." Su Mo saw them to the door.

"Boss, take care! Let me know if you need anything!"

"Okay, get lost."

After seeing the two off, Su Mo closed the courtyard gate.

In the yard, only he and two Doberman puppies remained, curiously observing their new surroundings.

Optimus Prime and Pillar, sitting on either side of him, looked up at him with their little heads tilted back, their tails wagging like two small fans.

Su Mo smiled, took out two fresh meat bones from his spatial storage, and tossed them to them.

With these two little ones, even when I'm not home, Wanqing and Niannian's safety will be more guaranteed.

As for those beasts in the neighboring courtyard number 95...

Su Mo's eyes turned cold.

Once we move there, it'll be a good opportunity for Optimus Prime and Pillar to hone their courage.

He was eager to see what kind of expressions Jia Zhangshi and her ilk would have when faced with two vicious dogs protecting their master.