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

Lin Yang squatted down and took out a brand-new, bright red five-star flag from his pocket.

"Pillar," Lin Yang called out in a low voice.

"Here!" He Yuzhu wiped away his tears and strode forward.

"Brothers, be careful. Collect the remains of the martyrs and wrap them in red flags."

Although Lin Yang's voice was soft, it carried an incomparably solemn and sacred feeling.

"Let's take them back to China. Let them see the new China they risked their lives to protect!"

"yes!"

He Yuzhu and his soldiers jumped into the trench. They moved with extreme gentleness, as if afraid of waking their sleeping comrades. They used their canteens to fetch clean water and slowly washed away the dirt from the bones.

Then, using bright red flags, they carefully wrapped up the remains of these martyrs, one by one.

The entire afternoon.

More than one hundred remains of martyrs were neatly placed in specially made wooden crates. Each crate was covered with a five-star red flag.

As the sun sets, the afterglow is like blood.

Lin Yang stood in front of these wooden crates, his posture as upright as a pine tree.

"Everyone has it!"

Lin Yang suddenly turned around, facing the direction of his motherland, and let out a roar that shook the mountains and rivers.

"salute!!!"

Swish!

On the high ground, all the soldiers raised their right hands in unison.

"Fire a gun! To send off our comrades!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The crisp sound of rifles rang out continuously over Changjin Lake, a solace to the heroic souls who rest there.

"Rise up! Go home!"

With red eyes, the soldiers carried the heavy wooden crates.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, this team, carrying endless sorrow and glory, embarked on its journey back to its motherland.

……

Late autumn, 1953.

Qianmen Railway Station in Beijing.

A military train adorned with red ribbons slowly pulled into the station.

On the platform, military music played in unison, and the crowds were immense. Young Pioneers waved flowers, and tens of thousands of citizens spontaneously flocked to welcome these most beloved people.

The moment Lin Yang, dressed in his crisp general's uniform, stepped off the train with steady steps.

A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.

"Welcome back, heroes of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army!"

"Salute to the most beloved people!"

Lin Yang returned the salute, but his gaze was urgently searching for the figure that haunted his dreams in the surging sea of ​​people.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on the edge of the platform.

Tian Yu, dressed in a clean Lenin suit and clutching a handkerchief tightly in her hand, was standing on tiptoe, desperately searching through the crowd.

Three years had passed, and Tian Yu had become a little thinner, but her gentle eyes now held a newfound resilience and composure born of the passage of time.

"Tian Yu!"

Lin Yang no longer cared about his general's dignity. He strode through the crowd and ran towards his wife.

Upon hearing that familiar, deeply ingrained voice, Tian Yu trembled and abruptly turned her head.

When she saw the man she had been longing for standing unharmed in front of her, the handkerchief slipped silently from her hand.

"Yoko!"

Tian Yu rushed forward without hesitation and plunged into Lin Yang's broad embrace.

Lin Yang held her tightly, his arms so strong it felt like he wanted to meld her into his body. He rested his chin on Tian Yu's hair and took a deep breath of the faint jasmine scent emanating from her.

This fragrance was his greatest motivation to live through countless days and nights filled with the smoke of battle.

"I'm back. Honey, I'm back alive." Lin Yang's voice was a little hoarse.

Tian Yu buried her face in his chest, and tears instantly streamed down her face, soaking the military medals on Lin Yang's chest.

"It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back..." Tian Yu sobbed uncontrollably, clutching Lin Yang's clothes tightly with both hands, afraid that this was just a dream and that if she let go, he would disappear from the battlefield again.

Not far away, Lin Fan, who had been promoted to deputy director of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, held his wife Ding Qiunan's hand and watched this scene quietly, his eyes also reddening.

"Brother, sister-in-law." Lin Yang released Tian Yu, walked up to Lin Fan, and gave his older brother a firm hug.

"Yangzi, you've suffered so much." Lin Fan patted his younger brother's back, his voice choked with emotion.

"We're all family, no need for formalities. Let's go home!"

……

Yuquanshan Military Region Compound, Building No. 6, Class A.

As night fell, the autumn breeze outside the window carried a hint of coolness.

But the bedroom on the second floor was bathed in spring sunshine, warm and cozy.

The heavy curtains were drawn tightly shut, and the orange lamp cast a soft glow.

Lin Yang, shirtless, leaned against the headboard. Besides the old scars, his body bore several new shrapnel wounds. Each scar was a medal of honor.

Tian Yu tenderly stroked the scars with her fingertips, tears streaming down her face.

"Does it still hurt?" Tian Yu's voice was soft and sweet, but tinged with a sob.

Lin Yang grabbed her mischievous little hand, kissed it, and a wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. But if you keep touching me like that, I can't guarantee that other places might start to hurt."

Tian Yu's cheeks instantly flushed red, and she gave him a playful glare: "You, even as such a high-ranking official, are still so irresponsible."

Lin Yang laughed and suddenly flipped over, pinning Tian Yu beneath him.

His deep gaze was like two burning flames, fixed intently on his wife's beautiful face.

"On the battlefield, I was on the verge of death every day. What kept me alive was the desire to win as soon as possible and come back to see you."

Lin Yang's voice became low and hoarse, exuding an irresistible domineering yet deep affection.

"Wife, it's been three years. Tonight, you have to make it up to me."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Yang lowered his head and kissed those two soft red lips deeply.

Tian Yu closed her eyes, passionately responding to her husband's demands. All her longing, worries, and fears vanished in the heat of their kisses.

Inside the room, only heavy breathing and blush-inducing murmurs remained.

Long drought meets rain.

This night was destined to be a sleepless one.

……

The next morning.

When the people of Beijing were just waking up from their sleep.

No. 95, Nanluoguxiang.

The early autumn morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the alley was quiet.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the heavy, powerful thud of military boots.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The footsteps carried a unique rhythm honed from scavenging among the dead, each step seemingly pounding on one's heartbeat, exuding a suffocating, chilling aura.

The gate of the courtyard house was pushed open.

A young officer, dressed in a crisp Type 50 officer's uniform, with platoon leader's insignia on his shoulders and a Type 54 pistol at his waist, strode across the threshold.

He was tall and imposing, like an iron tower. A long shrapnel scar on his left cheek did not mar his features; instead, it added a fierce, beast-like quality to his appearance.