Courtyard House: Starting in 1938, kill enemies and loot equipment.

In early summer, the chill of spring had finally faded from Beiping. The locust trees in the alleyways sprouted new green leaves, their swaying branches casting dappled shadows. Zhou Ye had just delivered a batch of grain to the underground party's handover point and was walking along the bluestone path towards the courtyard, carrying a small bag of sweet cakes he had just bought—a treat that Xiao Cao had been craving for days, which he wanted to surprise her with.

As Zhou Ye reached the alley entrance, he suddenly heard a familiar, hearty laugh, mixed with a few slightly hoarse words of conversation. He paused, a thought stirring in his heart, and looked in the direction of the sound. Under the old locust tree at the alley entrance stood three men. The one in the lead was tall, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, and a faint scar on his face—it was Zhao Hu, his old friend from the Hebei mountains, with whom he had protected cultural relics, a friend from whom he had lost contact!

"Zhao Hu!" Zhou Ye blurted out, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. After the victory of the War of Resistance against Japan, he had lost contact with Zhao Hu and the others, and thought he would never see them again in this lifetime. He never expected to meet them again on the streets of Beiping.

Zhao Hu turned around upon hearing the sound, and upon seeing Zhou Ye, he was first stunned, then his face broke into wild joy. He rushed over and hugged him tightly, exclaiming, "Brother Zhou Ye! It really is you! I've finally found you!" The force was so great that it almost made Zhou Ye gasp for breath.

Two men nearby also gathered around. One was a tall, thin man named Chen Shi, and the other was a sturdy, honest man named Wang Shuan. They were comrades who had gone through thick and thin with them back then, and now they were also full of excitement, their eyes filled with the joy of reunion. "Brother Zhou Ye, I never thought I would see you here!" Chen Shi patted Zhou Ye's shoulder, his voice choked with emotion.

Zhou Ye, unable to hide his turbulent emotions, patted Zhao Hu on the back and then shook hands with Chen Shi and Wang Shuan one by one: "I didn't expect it either. How did you all end up in Beiping? Where have you been all these years?"

"It's a long story!" Zhao Hu released Zhou Ye, wiped his face, and said with emotion, "After the war ended, we followed the troops to several places. Later, we received a mission to come to Beiping to assist the underground party in transporting supplies. We've been looking for you for a long time without any news. I never expected to run into you today!"

Zhou Ye felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that their journey must have been difficult. He quickly said, "This is not the place to talk. Come back to the courtyard with me, and we can talk slowly." Without waiting for a reply, he took Zhao Hu's arm and walked into the courtyard.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, the neighbors were busy at work. Yi Zhonghai was chopping firewood, Xiulan was doing needlework on the porch, and Guifen was hanging clothes to dry. When they saw Zhou Ye enter with three unfamiliar men, they all stopped what they were doing and looked over curiously.

"Uncle Yi, Aunt Guifen, let me introduce you. These are my old friends Zhao Hu, Chen Shi, and Wang Shuan. They're all family." Zhou Ye introduced them with a smile, and then said to Zhao Hu and the others, "These are the neighbors from the courtyard: Uncle Yi, Aunt Xiulan, and Aunt Guifen. They're all reliable and good people."

Zhao Hu and the others quickly cupped their hands in greeting, "Hello Uncle Yi, hello aunties! Sorry to bother you!"

Yi Zhonghai put down his axe and greeted them with a smile: "Zhou Ye's friend is our friend. Come in and have a seat, have some water!" Xiulan also stood up and quickly ushered them into the house: "Yes, it's sunny outside, come in and cool off."

Just then, the door to the east wing opened, and Xiaocao ran out upon hearing the sound. Seeing Zhou Ye, she immediately rushed over, exclaiming, "Brother! You're back!" She had just jumped into Zhou Ye's arms when she looked up and saw Zhao Hu. Her eyes lit up instantly, and after a moment of surprise, she shouted loudly, "Uncle Zhao!"

When Zhao Hu saw Xiao Cao, his smile softened even more. He bent down, picked her up, and gently stroked her head with his rough hands: "Little Xiao Cao, you still remember your uncle! You've grown so tall and handsome!"

Xiaocao hugged Zhao Hu's neck, pressed her cheek against his shoulder, and her eyes reddened with emotion: "Uncle Zhao, I miss you so much! And Uncle Chen, Uncle Wang Shuan, I miss them all!" When she was a child in the mountains, Zhao Hu and others often picked wild fruits for her and told her stories, treating her like their own daughter. She always remembered this kindness.

Chen Shi and Wang Shuan looked at Xiao Cao and couldn't help but smile: "Little Cao is still such a good girl, she still remembers us."

Seeing this scene, Zhou Ye felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He patted Zhao Hu's arm and said, "Come on, let's go inside and talk." With that, he led everyone into the east wing and asked Xiao Cao to pour water for everyone to quench their thirst.

The room was simply furnished, but clean and tidy. After everyone sat down, Zhao Hu slowly began to recount his experiences over the years. It turned out that after they were separated years ago, they joined the guerrilla force of the Jizhong Military Region and had been working behind enemy lines. This time, they came to Beiping on the assignment of the underground party organization to assist in the transfer of supplies and intelligence, and also to find Zhou Ye, hoping to use his connections in Beiping to open up a safer transportation route.

"We heard there's a 'Safeguarding Peace Association' in Beiping that keeps the underworld in check and has stabilized grain prices. We suspected it might be related to you, and we never expected it to actually be you!" Zhao Hu exclaimed. "Brother, what you've done here is truly remarkable!"

Zhou Ye smiled, offering no further explanation, but simply asked, "What exactly do you need me to do for you in Beiping this time? Just tell me, as long as it's within my power, I'll do it without hesitation."

"We need a secret transit point to store the supplies being transferred, and we also need reliable channels to deliver the supplies to the transportation lines outside the city," Zhao Hu said in a low voice. "The city is under strict martial law right now, with soldiers patrolling everywhere, making it difficult for our people to move around. I was thinking that since you have influence in the city, you might be able to help."

Zhou Ye pondered for a moment, then had an idea: "There's an abandoned warehouse in the Shou'an Society's territory. It's very well hidden and suitable as a transit point. As for the supply channels, I already have cooperation with the underground party, regularly delivering food to the front lines. Your supplies can travel with my grain carts; it's absolutely safe."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hu and the others beamed with joy. Chen Shi quickly said, "That's great! With your help, our mission will go much more smoothly!"

"We're all on the same side, no need to be polite." Zhou Ye waved his hand and then added, "But the situation in Beiping is complicated right now, so you must keep a low profile and try to stay home as much as possible. If you need anything, just let me know."

Just then, Xiaocao came in carrying several bowls of water, handing them to everyone one by one. She then grabbed Zhao Hu's hand and chattered incessantly, asking, "Uncle Zhao, where have you all been all these years? Have you encountered any danger? Have you picked any delicious wild fruits?"

Zhao Hu patiently answered her questions, his tone gentle, his eyes full of affection. The atmosphere in the room was warm and lively; old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years had endless things to say and boundless affection to share.

The sunlight outside the courtyard was perfect, casting the shadows of the locust trees onto the window paper, swaying gracefully. Yi Zhonghai had Xiulan kill a chicken, and Guifen and Huizhen also came to help, preparing some decent dishes to welcome Zhou Ye's friends. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys in the courtyard, and the aroma of food gradually filled the air, mingling with laughter and cheerful conversation, creating the warmest scene in the chaotic world.

Looking at his old friends chatting happily inside the house, at the busy neighbors in the courtyard, and at Xiaocao's cheerful figure, Zhou Ye felt a sense of peace. He knew that with the addition of Zhao Hu and the others, the subsequent work of transferring supplies and protecting cultural relics would be much easier. This courtyard house was not only his and Xiaocao's home, a haven for neighbors to support each other, but now it had also become a base for old friends to reunite and embark on their mission together.

The world remains chaotic, the storms continue, but as long as he has old friends by his side, neighbors to support him, and his original aspiration to protect others remains, Zhou Ye is fearless. He believes that as long as they work together, they can not only fulfill their mission and protect those around them, but also eventually see the day when peace arrives. And this reunion and laughter are the most precious light in these difficult times.