Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

"Your forty-fifth birthday is in a few days. Old Zhao (Zhao Gang) called yesterday, saying he wanted to give you a proper celebration. Don't cause any trouble at this important time."

Upon hearing the word "birthday," Li Yunlong's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yeah! It's my birthday! This is a perfect opportunity to drink!"

As Li Yunlong rubbed his hands together, a young yet unusually composed face suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Xiuqin, Monk! We have a great benefactor in this city of Beijing whom we haven't met yet!" Li Yunlong said excitedly.

Xiuqin was taken aback for a moment, then realized what she meant, and a grateful smile appeared on her face: "You mean... Brother Lin Yang?"

"Who else could it be but him!" Li Yunlong laughed heartily. "That kid became a deputy division commander at nineteen, even more impressive than I was back in the day! I heard he transferred to the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill as a secretary. Damn it, he gave up a perfectly good position as a commander to run a bunch of blacksmiths. This commander is really good at giving orders!"

Upon hearing Lin Yang's name, Wei Heshang's eyes lit up: "Commander, I haven't seen Deputy Division Commander Lin in ages! He's the one who saved my life!"

Li Yunlong waved his hand and shouted, "Monk! Go, change into civilian clothes! Take off your military uniforms. Today we're going on a clandestine visit to see our old comrade-in-arms! And while we're at it, we'll invite him over for my birthday celebration in a few days!"

Xiuqin quickly reminded him, "Old Li, don't act like a military commander when you go. Brother Lin is a local cadre now, so be mindful of your image."

"I know, I know! If I wear civilian clothes, who would recognize me as a division commander?"

After half an hour.

A jeep without military license plates was parked outside the entrance of Nanluoguxiang Hutong.

Li Yunlong was wearing a slightly oversized coarse cotton-padded jacket and a worn-out felt hat. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, making him look exactly like an old farmer who had just come to the city.

Following behind him was Monk Wei, who had also changed into a black jacket and shorts. Although he deliberately concealed his aura, his towering figure and the sharp glint in his eyes from time to time still made him someone not to be underestimated.

Besides Wei Heshang, two other guards, also in plainclothes, followed at a distance.

"Commander, this alley is really winding. Where exactly is number 95?" Wei Heshang asked, looking around.

"What are you calling me, Commander! Call me Shopkeeper! Or Old Li!" Li Yunlong slapped Wei Heshang on the back of the head. "You little brat, you can't keep your mouth shut. If you reveal your identity, I'll hold you responsible!"

"Yes, shopkeeper." Monk Wei scratched his head, looking aggrieved.

The two walked along the bluestone path, and as they walked, Li Yunlong took in the local customs and atmosphere of Beijing.

"Look at the people, although life is still a bit tough, at least they have smiles on their faces now, and they don't have to live in fear of the Japanese planes anymore. We've truly conquered this land!" Li Yunlong said with emotion.

Before long, they arrived at the gate of the courtyard house at No. 95.

The mottled red-painted gate was wide open, and the sounds of daily life emanated from inside.

"This should be it. Let's go in and look around." Li Yunlong strode over the high threshold.

The courtyard of the siheyuan at this time.

Jia Zhangshi was carrying a basin of dirty water from washing her feet, cursing as she walked out of the house.

A few days ago, Lin Yang's bodyguard pointed a gun at her head, which not only scared her so much that she wet her pants, but also forced her to wash Lin Fan's clothes for several days. Jia Zhangshi's anger had been simmering for a long time.

She didn't dare to provoke Lin Yang, but in the courtyard, she was still that domineering shrew.

"Damn the Lin family! They're childless bastards! Aren't they afraid of choking on meat?" Madam Jia cursed under her breath as she carried the basin of water outside.

Because she was in a hurry and her mind was full of scheming against others, she didn't pay attention to where she was going.

Li Yunlong, who had just entered the Intermediate People's Court, was looking around for Lin Yang's residence when he suddenly bumped into a fat figure.

"Ouch!"

Jia Zhangshi exclaimed in surprise, and the basin of water in her hands slipped from her grasp.

With a "whoosh"!

Half a basin of dirty water, stained with mud and smelling of feet, was poured directly onto the hem of Li Yunlong's coarse cotton-padded jacket.

Li Yunlong frowned and took half a step back. Although he wasn't splashed, his shoes and trouser legs were still soaked.

Before Li Yunlong could speak, Jia Zhangshi's raspy voice boomed out.

"You blind bastard! Are you blind?! Can't you watch where you're going?!"

When Jia Zhangshi saw that the person who bumped into her was an old man wearing a tattered cotton-padded coat and a worn-out felt hat, looking just like a vagrant, the anger in her heart instantly found an outlet.

With her hands on her hips, she launched into a rapid-fire tirade of abuse: "Where did this beggar come from! Daring to come to our compound to beg for food! And you even dared to bump into me! You spilled my water, can you afford to pay for it?! Get out of here right now!"

Li Yunlong was stunned.

He spent his life on the battlefield, fighting from the Dabie Mountains to northwestern Shanxi, and then crossing the Yangtze River. What kind of battles hadn't he seen?

But he had never actually met anyone who dared to point at Li Yunlong's nose and call him a "blind beggar"!

Let alone an old woman, even a Japanese colonel back then would be so scared that he would wet his pants when he saw him!

"Why are you speaking so rudely, sister-in-law?" Li Yunlong said, suppressing his anger and frowning. "You were the one who carried the water and walked right into this mess without looking where you were going, how can you turn around and blame me?"

"Pah!" Jia Zhangshi spat a mouthful of phlegm at Li Yunlong's feet, her arrogance reaching its peak. "I walk however I want in my own yard! You poor beggar, how dare you talk back? Believe me or not, I'll call someone to beat you out!"

Standing behind Li Yunlong, Wei Heshang's eyes widened instantly when he heard the old woman dare to insult his commander like that, and a violent killing intent burst out from his body!

"court death!"

Like an enraged tiger descending the mountain, Monk Wei strode up to Jia Zhangshi.

Jia Zhangshi felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and a suffocating sense of oppression washed over her. She hadn't even realized what was happening.

"Snapped!"

A crisp, teeth-grinding sound!

With a whooshing sound, Monk Wei's large, fan-like hand slapped hard across Madam Jia's fat face.

Although Monk Wei held back his strength in that slap, it was still a devastating blow to an ordinary old woman.

Jia Zhangshi's nearly 200-pound body was whipped off the ground like a kite with a broken string, spinning 360 degrees in mid-air before crashing heavily onto the hard bluestone slab with a "bang".

"puff!"

Jia Zhangshi spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with two newly replaced dentures. Her vision went black; she was completely stunned by the blow and couldn't even scream. She just lay on the ground, convulsing in pain.