The Courtyard House: The Little Red Devil Returning from the Peninsula

Zhou Shichang ripped the rag out of the man's mouth.

The man's mouth split open, spitting out a mouthful of bloody foam mixed with mud, but his eyes were fixed on Zhao Weiguo's face.

"Baka..."

Old Xu raised his hand and slapped her.

Snapped.

The man's face was tilted to one side, and his teeth made a crisp sound.

"In Beiping, keep your tongue to yourself."

Zhou Shichang crouched down and pressed the muzzle of his gun against the man's chin.

"Where did they come from? Who sent them?"

The man kept his mouth tightly shut, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

Zhao Weiguo's eyes turned cold.

"Hold his chin down."

Li Shuanzi was stunned for a moment, then immediately stepped forward and used two thick fingers to pin down the man's cheek.

Panic finally showed in the man's eyes, and he withdrew his tongue.

Zhao Weiguo reached out and pried a black wax pellet from beside his back molars. The wax coating was soaked with blood and stuck to his fingertip, emitting a bitter almond smell.

Zhou Shichang's expression changed.

"poison?"

"Cyanide."

Zhao Weiguo tossed the wax pellet into the broken bowl by the door, then looked at the other two.

"Pry open their mouths. Their back molars."

Old Xu cursed, pressing his knee down on the second man's chest, and using the scabbard to pry open his mouth. The man desperately twisted his head, letting out a muffled roar like a wild beast.

He Yuzhu poked half his head out from under He Daqing's arm, his face as white as flour.

"Did they also have drugs hidden in their mouths?"

He Daqing quickly covered his eyes.

"Don't look."

He Yuzhu pried open his father's fingers.

"I'll just take a look."

"After watching, I wet the bed at night."

Zhao Weiguo did not turn around.

"Let him see."

He Daqing stopped.

Zhao Weiguo picked out the second wax pellet and threw it into the bowl, making a sound like a pebble falling into a well.

"Remember, the Japanese devils not only kill people with knives, they also kill themselves with their teeth. If you encounter such a person, pry open their mouth first."

He Yuzhu swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the broken bowl.

"I've got it."

Inside the house, Jia Zhangshi cried and cursed.

"What a disaster! How did a Japanese spy get into our compound! Zhao boy, don't drag us down with you!"

Zhou Shichang suddenly turned his face.

"Shut up!"

The Jia family's window slammed shut, the paper window still trembling.

Yan Bugui stood at the door, wearing a cotton-padded coat, his legs pressed tightly together.

"Commander Zhou, this matter... should we report it to the police? We ordinary folks can't afford to take this responsibility."

Zhou Shichang sneered.

"Shots have already been fired; the patrol officers should be arriving soon."

"The police are coming; he'll be gone by tomorrow."

Yan Bugui's lips trembled.

"Then, what should we do?"

"Send it to the 29th Army's garrison."

Zhou Shichang stood up, his gun still pointed at the three men.

"Not a single one can be lost alive."

Zhao Weiguo bent down and picked up the cloth bag from the ground; the broken knife and the can shell were still inside. He pulled a thin piece of paper from the first agent's lapel; the paper was sealed with wax and hidden in the inner lining.

There were no Chinese characters written on the paper, only a few alley lines and a few dots.

Old Xu came over.

"What the heck?"

Zhao Weiguo spread the paper out on the door panel and pressed his fingertip against a dot.

"Number 95 Courtyard".

Zhou Shichang's brow bone drooped down.

Zhao Weiguo then selected two more places.

"The coal shop at the east entrance. The inn to the west. And here—near the 29th Army's temporary armory."

Li Shuanzi gasped.

"They raided the armory?"

Zhou Shichang kicked the first spy in the stomach.

The man curled up, his forehead hitting the blue brick, but he still gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Zhao Weiguo looked at the pencil marks on the edge of the map.

"They're not here for the canned meat. They're with you tonight to watch the knives."

Zhou Shichang slowly turned his head and looked at the newly repaired broadswords on the table.

The oil lamp went out, but the blade still revealed a few streaks of cold white light in the snow.

Old Xu hugged the knife even tighter.

"Damn it, they've got their eyes on this place."

Yi Zhonghai stood at the back of the crowd, his face ashen. He saw the map in Zhao Weiguo's hand and his mouth moved slightly.

"Wei Guo, have they been watching you for a while now?"

Zhao Weiguo folded up the blueprints and handed them to Zhou Shichang.

"It's confirmed now."

The courtyard was so quiet that you could hear the ice cracking around the water tank.

Zhou Shichang stuffed the blueprints into his pocket.

"Old Xu, tie him up. Shuanzi, go and call two brothers to come around from the east entrance, not through the main street."

"Yes."

Li Shuanzi dragged his gun as he walked out.

Zhao Weiguo raised his hand to stop him.

"Don't go from the east entrance."

Li Shuanzi paused in his steps.

Zhou Shichang, look over here.

Zhao Weiguo pointed to the location of the coal mine on the map.

"The east entrance is a spot they've scouted. Go south from your doorway, climb over the back wall of the tofu shop, and knock three times short and two times long. Don't give your name."

Li Shuanzi looked at Zhou Shichang.

Zhou Shichang gritted his teeth.

"Listen to him."

Li Shuanzi nodded, turned around, and disappeared into the dark alley.

Old Xu pulled a rope from his waist and tied the hands of the three spies behind their backs. The first spy suddenly looked up, his gaze passing over Zhou Shichang and landing on Zhao Weiguo, a bloody smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Zhao Weiguo picked up the small pistol from the ground and smashed the butt down on his jaw.

Click.

The man's laughter stopped abruptly.

Old Xu's eyelids twitched.

"You really went too far."

Zhao Weiguo put the gun back on the cloth.

"Leave your mouth to ask questions, but leave your teeth to bite."