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

It rained in Jiaojie Town last night.

Two deep ruts, filled with muddy water, had been carved into the dirt road in front of the teahouse by cart wheels. A mule cart was stuck in the middle of the street; the driver had propped it up with half a door panel, and the mule was straining, but the wheels were just spinning in the mud.

The monk glanced at it but didn't stop.

Two men in short jackets stood outside the teahouse, their shoes muddy and their waists bulging. Seeing Zhao Weiguo and his group approach, one of them gave a wink to the doorway.

Old Zhou took off his wet straw hat and shook it twice.

"The place you chose is certainly lively."

Before entering, Zhao Weiguo had looked at the stairs, the back door, and the two windows facing the street. There were no guests on the second floor. Outside the back door was a narrow alley, at the entrance of which two horses were tethered.

Chu Yunfei sat at a square table by the window.

The tea had gone cold, leaving a half-circle of tea stains on the rim of the cup. He was neatly dressed, his sword resting beside him, and a few specks of mud on his sleeves. Sun Ming stood behind him, his gaze first falling on the monk's waist, then moving to Old Zhou's legs, lingering for a short while.

The monk recognized him and snorted.

Sun Ming did not answer.

Chu Yunfei stood up, first clasped his hands in a fist salute, then extended his hand.

"Commander Zhao, I've long admired your name."

Zhao Weiguo shook hands with him.

Chu Yunfei's palms were broad, with calluses on the base of his thumb. Chu Yunfei also felt the gun calluses on Zhao Weiguo's palms, and the machine oil that hadn't been washed off between his fingers.

How old is Commander Zhao this year?

Seventeen.

Chu Yunfei looked at him for a while, then sat back down.

"When I was seventeen, I was still thinking about going to military school."

"I was seventeen, and we were in dire need of steel and coal."

Chu Yunfei chuckled but didn't reply. He picked up his teacup, noticed it was cold, frowned, but still took a sip.

Old Zhou placed his straw hat at his feet. Sun Ming poured tea for both of them, but the tea was no longer hot, and neither of them asked for it to be replaced.

The monk stopped behind Zhao Weiguo, his eyes not on the tea, but on the holster at Sun Ming's waist. Sun Ming noticed and moved the holster back half an inch. The monk's lips twitched, but he didn't speak.

Two mining area maps were placed on the table.

Chu Yunfei's drawing was detailed, marking the villages and towns on the south side, the mine police dormitory, and the railway branch line. Zhao Weiguo's drawing only showed the North Mountain Road, abandoned mine tracks, blockhouses, and a few high points that would be used this time, with a note in the corner saying "three days ago."

Chu Yunfei's picture has "Yesterday" written in the corner.

The two images were not immediately stitched together.

"Everyone outside says Commander Zhao has 30,000 men under his command." Chu Yunfei picked up his tea but didn't drink it. "A regiment, 30,000 men. In all my years of leading troops, I've never seen a regiment like that."

"You haven't seen it, and neither have I."

Chu Yunfei's brows twitched.

Zhao Weiguo placed a thin ledger on the table, only turning to the page that was meant to be shown to others.

"The Independent Regiment officially has 15,500 men. 7,500 are undergoing training and replenishment, 4,500 are from local armed forces, and 2,500 are from neighboring allies. All four combined in one battle, totaling 30,000."

"Official number?"

"Independent Regiment. Down to the battalion level. Main force and reserves, withdrawn after battle."

"Of the 7,500 who are undergoing training, how many will actually make it to the front lines?"

"It depends on the mission. Guarding the road with a gun is not the same as attacking a pillbox."

Chu Yunfei didn't pursue the total number any further, but instead asked about the grain and ammunition.

Zhao Weiguo reported a seven-day baseline. Battalions entering the mining area were allocated two days for personal support and five days for rear-area transport; mountain artillery shells were calculated separately, and stretchers and medicine could not be added from the training personnel. After listening, Chu Yunfei told Sun Ming to break down the numbers for the 358th Regiment as well. Of the 8,000 li (approximately 4,500 kilometers), after deducting those guarding the garrison, protecting transport, treating the wounded, and replenishing supplies, only two battalions could travel the southern route. Whether the artillery company could accompany them depended on the muddy roads and the mules and horses.

"It's easy to make numbers seem big," Chu Yunfei said.

"When you're hungry, numbers don't replace food."

Chu Yunfei then took a sip of the herbal tea.

"The 358th Regiment actually has about 8,000 men," he said. "We need to keep people stationed there, keep people for transportation, and the wounded, sick, and reinforcements can't go up the mountain with guns. On this side of the mining area, I can take at most two battalions, plus an artillery unit and an engineer unit."

"How long will it take to arrive?"

"Check the road first. If the muddy road to the south isn't dry yet, the blasting should be delayed."

Zhao Weiguo nodded, neither pressuring him with the threat of 30,000 men nor questioning where the rest of the 358th Regiment was located.

The monk, who was listening from behind, couldn't help but interject.

"What can two battalions do?"

Sun Ming turned his head, his gaze turning cold.

Whether it's enough or not isn't up to you to decide.

The monk raised his chin.

"I wasn't talking to you."

Old Zhou coughed. The monk shut up, but his eyes didn't leave Sun Ming.

Chu Yunfei pressed his hand on the corner of his drawing.

"You have 30,000 people you can mobilize, why are you coming to me?"

"We need men for the North Mountain Road, the train station, and the blockhouse. The villages and towns to the south are within your defense zone. If my men go there, the miners' families will hide first, and then the mine police will use this as an excuse to arrest people arbitrarily, adding another layer to the fighting."

"And coal and iron."

"have."

"Commander Zhao didn't try to cover it up."

"The military plant is short of coking coal and iron ore. You're short of those too."

Chu Yunfei chuckled.

"I thought you would talk about the cause of resisting Japan first."

"The Japanese devils want to guard the mines and also take the coal and iron. Driving them away is a matter of righteousness, but also of principle."

Chu Yunfei stopped laughing. He pushed his map forward half a foot.

Sun Ming took out a reconnaissance record from the document bag; the edges of the paper were still damp.

"Yesterday's report: There are two mine police dormitories and one granary in the villages and towns to the south. The family registration book may be at the mine office. Not all railway police are stationed in the mining area; the fastest reinforcements are on the southern branch line."

"How fast?" Zhao Weiguo asked.

"About two hours."

"Which station are you exiting from?"

Sun Ming gave the station name and pointed out a road.

The monk stood behind Zhao Weiguo and glanced at Sun Ming. The location Sun Ming pointed to was three miles away from the fork in the road that the Independent Regiment's scouts had noted down three days earlier.

Zhao Weiguo spread out another record.

"Our men spotted two telephone sentries three days ago. One was at the North Mountain pass, and the other near the old mining tracks. If the troops on the other side of the railway arrive in two hours, someone needs to send a message out first."

Chu Yunfei asked, "Commander Zhao doesn't trust my men?"

"The dates are different. A sentry post can be added or removed every three days. Both reports need to be verified."

Chu Yunfei tapped his finger on the rim of the cup.

How to perform the nuclear test?

"Each team will send out one group tonight. They will only inspect telephone lines, junctions, and vehicles; they will not enter the mining area. They will return and exchange results, recording the source and time of their findings."

Sun Ming lowered his head and wrote it down.

Old Zhou hadn't said a word until now, when he tapped Beishan Road with his pipe.

"If there's a new sentry post here, the artillery pieces won't be able to pass during the day. And if they try to pass at night, the wheels wrapped in cloth will rattle."

Chu Yunfei looked at his left leg.

"Brother Zhou, have you been there?"

"I walked this path when I was young. Now my legs aren't what they used to be, so I can only look at pictures."

After he finished speaking, he put his pipe away without deciding on the artillery route for Zhao Weiguo. Sun Ming, however, added a small mark beside the North Mountain Road.

Chu Yunfei glanced at the two records, then reached out and pushed the two diagrams together. The North Mountain Road connected to the mining tracks, and the villages and towns to the south were also marked. The papers were of different sizes, with a crease pressed into the middle.

"Why didn't you mark this area to the west?" he asked.

"Abandoned mine shafts, prone to collapses. Vehicles can't pass, but small groups of people can manage to find a way around."

"My men didn't get in."

"My men only reached the wellhead."

"Then let's treat it as unknown."

Zhao Weiguo took a pencil and drew a circle in that area, without filling in the number of enemy troops.

Suddenly, the sound of a whip cracking rang out from outside the window.

The mule cart that had been stuck in the middle of the street was now blocked by two grain carts. The more anxious the driver became, the more the mule veered towards the ditch, and the axle of the cart was already bent.

Zhao Weiguo tilted his head slightly towards the monk.

"Clear the road."

As the monk went downstairs, Sun Ming looked out the window.

That's not your car.

Zhao Weiguo put down the pencil.

"It's blocking this road."

The monk and two others shoved the entire door panel under the wheel, then found stones to cushion the rear wheel. The driver was still whipping the mule when the monk snatched the whip away.

"If you keep smoking, it'll only go further down the path."

The driver hesitated for a moment, then let go. The monk threw the whip back onto the cart, braced his shoulder against the shaft, and shouted "Go!" The mule suddenly jerked, and the wheels crawled out of the ditch.

When the monk returned, his sleeves were covered in mud.

As he passed Sun Ming, he said, "Your men should watch the road, not just the guns. Next time the artillery piece gets stuck here, you won't be able to get it out."

Sun Ming's expression was not good.

"This road is under the jurisdiction of the town government."

"The town hall is also making the cannons carry out?"

Old Zhou coughed. The monk shut up and sat down by the door to wipe the mud.

Chu Yunfei held the cup of cold tea and turned his gaze back from the window.

"Two battalions' worth of artillery and provisions cannot be transported via this route."

Sun Ming noted this down as well.

The conversation then turned to the miners.

The mine's south side office kept a family register, detailing how many people were in each family, which alley they lived in, and how much grain they owed—all in the hands of the mine police. If the Japanese army used this register to arrest people before their retreat, even if the miners were willing to lead the way, they wouldn't dare to move.

"The villages and towns on the south side are mine," Chu Yunfei said. "First, take the mine police dormitories, the granary, and the registration books. We don't need the artillery in the villages."

"Mining police surrendered their weapons and registered them separately."

"Resist with guns?"

"Those who have acted as enemies, arrested people, stolen food, or killed people, will be tried separately."

Chu Yunfei nodded.

"The North Mountain Road and the mining railway station are yours. Mark the gun emplacements in advance; they cannot cross the first row of houses on the south side."

"Send Duan Peng to the station. Old Zhou on the northern front will watch the artillery. Once reinforcements arrive, whichever side encounters them first should report it. No enemy troops are allowed to remain hidden for the other side."

What if your men cross the villages and towns to the south?

"Give us advance notice. No entry without prior notice."

"My people are the same."

The discussion on how to divide coal and iron was even slower.

Chu Yunfei refused to calculate the quantity based on who was standing at the warehouse entrance, and Zhao Weiguo also refused to accept dividing the reserves according to what was written on the map. Finally, it was decided that coal would be weighed, and iron ore would be verified based on wagons, storage yards, and samples taken. Stone powder, moisture, and quantities already transferred would all be deducted. Equipment would be inspected by knowledgeable personnel; battalion commanders were not allowed to report results based on a single machine.

Labor, casualties, transportation, and follow-up defense should each be recorded separately. Then the accounts will be distributed at the end.

"What's the number?" Chu Yunfei asked.

"Each uses their own."

"Where are the orders?"

"Each department should operate independently. Only the objectives, deadlines, boundaries, and review results should be unified."

Chu Yunfei pushed the teacup away.

"The 358th Regiment will not be included in your Independent Regiment's roster."

"My notebook can't contain your story."

This time, Chu Yunfei really laughed.

The monk, who was standing by the door, heard this and muttered something.

"It's fine if I can't write it all down. I was already finding it too crowded."

Sun Ming glanced at him but didn't reply.

When the meeting ended, the two diagrams were separated again. On the one each of them took back, there was an extra pencil line.

Chu Yunfei needed to re-verify the availability of two battalions, seven days' worth of rations and ammunition, and whether the artillery could cross the muddy road. Zhao Weiguo also needed to go back and verify how many battalions of the 30,000 men could enter the mining area, how many vehicles could transport the wounded, and how many stretchers could be used for transport along the North Mountain Road.

Neither side issued an order to move from the teahouse. The start time, communication signals, friendly fire identification, and internal orders would all depend on the reconnaissance results from tonight. Chu Yunfei took a map with the northern route marked, while Zhao Weiguo took one with the addition of the miners' family registration point.

While Sun Ming was putting away the map, the monk was still picking at the dry mud on his cuffs.

The two exchanged a glance, and neither of them mentioned the town hall again.

That evening, the Independent Regiment and the 358th Regiment each sent out a reconnaissance team.

Zhao Gang spread the mining area map on the table at the regimental headquarters, but his first question wasn't about how much coal there was.

Where should the health station be located?

Zhao Weiguo marked a spot behind Beishan Road and enclosed the mining railway station.

"First, calculate the number of people and the route."

Duan Peng leaned over and took a look at the picture.

"Are Chu Yunfei's two battalions reliable?"

"Whether they're reliable or not depends on what happens after the war starts," Zhao Weiguo said, putting down his pencil. "Right now, we can only rely on the rules on paper."

Can rules really control people?

"You can't control everyone," Zhao Weiguo folded the map, "but those you can't control will be written on the ledger after the battle."

Duan Peng picked up the straw and stopped talking.

The line of friendly coordination on the edge of the table had just been drawn; the ink wasn't even dry yet.

Whether the cooperation will work or not, we'll only know once we get to the mining area.

Zhao Weiguo put the copy of Chu Yunfei's picture into the drawer and the key into his pocket. The invitation Chu Yunfei had handed him was still in the drawer, the words "To Commander Zhao" on the cover worn and frayed.

He didn't throw the post away. He had to keep even a single polite word from an ally for verification.

When Chu Yunfei walked out of the teahouse, it was already dark. He stood at the door and looked at the dirt road that the monk had cleared. The mule cart had already left, but two deep tracks remained in the mud ditch.

"Sun Ming."

"exist."

"Who is that monk?"

"The special operations captain of the Independent Regiment. He led sixty men to create a false trail during the battle of Jingxing."

Chu Yunfei nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He mounted his horse, took a couple of steps, and then looked back.

"Zhao Weiguo is seventeen years old," he said in a low voice. "Seventeen years old, with 30,000 men under his command, lacking steel and coal, and he's still talking to me about weighing coal and iron."

Sun Ming did not respond.

Chu Yunfei spurred his horse, and it headed south. After a few steps, he added, "This person won't be easy to deal with in the future."

Sun Ming followed behind without saying a word.

In the darkness, the sound of two horses' hooves, one after the other, gradually faded into the distance.