Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

After Kong Jie hung up the phone, Liu Yuheng put the receiver back on the phone, sat up straight, glanced at the phone on the table, and then picked up the receiver again.

My finger paused on the dial pad for a moment, and my mind raced.

There have been many things happening in the southwest lately. In his previous letters, Li Yunlong mentioned that the border frictions have never stopped. The Indians are constantly harassing those mountain passes and outposts, putting a lot of pressure on the military.

If you call him at this time, Li Yunlong will most likely be wandering around some front line again.

But he couldn't wait any longer to deal with the grain issue. Although Kong Jie had agreed to help find a solution, the Northeast itself was also short of grain, and he wasn't sure how much could be spared.

Having more channels means having more options. Li Yunlong's situation in the southwest is special, and he might be able to free up some resources.

He cranked the handset and spoke a number into the receiver. The call was transferred several times, and after nearly five minutes, a buzzing sound came through the receiver, followed by a somewhat gruff voice: "Hey? Who is this?"

Liu Yuheng switched the microphone to his other ear and announced his name: "Old Li, it's me, Liu Yuheng."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Li Yunlong's voice suddenly rose half an octave: "Old Liu? What the hell made you call me? What happened?"

Before Liu Yuheng could reply, Li Yunlong's tone suddenly tightened, his voice carrying an unusual urgency: "Has something happened to Lao Zhao? You said last time he was troubled, and I haven't had a chance to call him again. How is he doing?"

Liu Yuheng quickly interrupted him, his tone calm: "No, no, Lao Zhao is fine. He's doing normally at work. I saw him a while ago, he's perfectly fine. Don't scare yourself."

The breathing on the other end of the phone slowed down, and Li Yunlong's voice returned to its usual tone: "That's good. I thought something had happened when you called so suddenly. So, what's wrong? You, Liu Yuheng, wouldn't call me if nothing was wrong."

Liu Yuheng chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and said with a deliberately relaxed tone, "Old Li, I've come to you for help. I'm in trouble, so I've come to ask my older brother for assistance."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Li Yunlong's loud laughter came through the receiver. He said, "You, Liu Yuheng! You've finally met your match! Back in northwestern Shanxi, in such terrible conditions, you didn't utter a single word. Now you're coming to me for help, it must be something serious. Tell me, if I can help, I certainly will. When have I ever been ambiguous with you?"

Liu Yuheng waited until his laughter subsided before his tone became more serious: "Old Li, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you. I'm facing a severe food shortage here. I've exhausted all available channels, but it's still not enough. If you can spare some surplus food in the southwest, please give me some. Any amount is welcome; I'm not picky."

There was silence for several seconds on the other end of the phone. Liu Yuheng could hear Li Yunlong's breathing, heavy and even, as if he was calculating something in his mind.

After a long pause, Li Yunlong finally spoke: "Old Liu, to be honest, I've known for a while that food supplies would be tight. In the latter half of last year, I started having the military logistics department keep an eye on things, taking a little bit from the regular supplies each month and storing it in the warehouse. The amount isn't large, but it should be enough for emergencies."

"To be honest, I originally had another purpose for collecting these things. Do you remember the prediction you made to me a few years ago? There was bound to be a major conflict in the Southwest sooner or later."

"Since I arrived here, the Indians have been constantly stirring up trouble. Today they build a sentry post on the mountain, tomorrow they bury a boundary marker in the valley. Everyone in the army is holding their breath. The higher-ups are currently telling us to endure it as much as possible and not escalate things proactively, but if that day really comes, we can't afford to be without some reserves. That's why I've been saving up."

After hearing these words, Liu Yuheng was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing on the other end of the phone.

"Old Li, I knew you weren't a good boy. You're still the same in the Southwest. A proper army commander, but you're still secretly hoarding your own supplies. I knew you back in Northwest Shanxi. When you were a regimental commander, you kept the captured canned goods from your superiors. When you were a division commander, you intercepted supplies from the logistics department and kept some for yourself. Now you're an army commander in the Southwest, and you haven't changed your old ways."

Li Yunlong snorted at his rebuke on the other end of the phone, then raised his voice again: "Go to hell! I call this being prepared! What do you know, Liu Yuheng? Going into battle without any food supplies? That's suicide! I'm saving these things so that if a real war breaks out, the troops won't be going into battle hungry."

"You think I'm doing this for myself? I eat in the army every day, sharing the same pot as the soldiers. Ask them, when have I ever had any special treatment?"

"Alright, alright, I'll thank you." Liu Yuheng smiled and took over the conversation, his tone filled with sincere gratitude. "Old Li, no matter what, your efforts in collecting these things have been a great help to me. Thank you in advance."

"No need for thanks, it's too formal between us brothers. But Lao Liu, there's something I need to make clear to you."

Li Yunlong's tone became more serious: "Things are different now than when we were fighting. Back in northwestern Shanxi, we ate from the same pot. What was mine was yours, and if I gave it to you, you gave it to you, and nobody could say anything. But it's different now. There's a difference between the military and civilian sectors, and the allocation of supplies has to go through proper procedures."

"No matter how much I hoard it, it's still military supplies, and I can't just send it to civilians. Even if I'm willing to give it away, the military region's logistics department needs a basis for it, otherwise no one can bear the responsibility if something goes wrong."

Liu Yuheng immediately took over the conversation, his tone crisp and decisive: "Don't worry, I'll handle the formalities. I'll have someone go through the procedures right away, and your military region will approve what needs to be approved and report what needs to be reported, without missing a single step. If any link in the process gets stuck, I'll personally go to Political Commissar Nie to handle this matter, after all, there are still people in the Science and Technology Commission who are going hungry."

Hearing this, Li Yunlong's tone softened: "That's fine then. Once your paperwork is done, I can ship the goods anytime. But you have to hurry, the situation in the army is getting more and more difficult, and I can't keep this batch of supplies for long. The higher-ups are demanding a reduction in inventory, and once the order comes down, this batch of supplies will have to be centrally allocated by the main warehouse, and then my word won't count anymore."

Liu Yuheng replied, "Understood, I'll do it as soon as possible. It will take me three to five days at most to have the paperwork processed."

He paused, a hint of teasing in his voice, as if recalling something amusing: "Old Li, back when you were in Shanxi, it was so difficult for me to get anything. Your stinginess was legendary throughout the entire brigade. It's rare for you to be so generous this time, and I've really seized the opportunity."

Li Yunlong cursed on the other end of the phone, "You son of a bitch! Do you want the grain or not? Fine, don't take it!"

Liu Yuheng laughed heartily twice, then quickly stopped talking: "Yes, yes, of course I'll take it. You've been so generous, Old Li, how could I not give you face? Alright, let's get down to business. I'll have someone take care of the paperwork, and I'll let you know when it's all done."

The two laughed simultaneously on the phone, their laughter, though separated by more than a thousand kilometers, rekindled their old friendship.

After laughing, Li Yunlong seemed to remember something, and his tone became serious again: "By the way, Lao Liu, how's Lao Zhao doing? You said last time that he was troubled, and judging from his personality, when he gets upset, it's no small matter. If he really can't stand it, he should be transferred sooner rather than later. You mentioned to me last time that you wanted him to come to the Southwest; I've reserved a place for him here."