Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

The group continued walking forward.

The night grew darker.

The fields on both sides of the road were completely swallowed by darkness.

The dirt road beneath my feet was no longer clearly visible; I could only rely on my sense of touch to walk forward on the relatively flat soil.

The team moved a little slower than before, but did not stop.

After walking for a while, Zhou Tianyang slowed down and waited for Liu Ping to catch up.

When Liu Ping walked up to him.

He turned his head to the side and spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft.

"Comrade Liu Ping, we can't enter the city tonight."

Liu Ping nodded, his tone carrying an expected calmness.

"The city gates have been closed for a long time. Even if you have identification, you can't get them open at this hour."

"That's what I think too."

Zhou Tianyang's gaze swept over the vaguely visible terrain outline ahead.

"It's not safe to walk at night after dark. Although no one was left alive in that battle, there might be other strongholds or patrols nearby."

"We need to find a place to rest for the night and figure out how to get into the city after dawn tomorrow."

Liu Ping remained silent for a few steps before speaking, his tone carrying a hint of deliberation and seriousness.

"Commander Zhou, you're in charge, so you're in charge."

"My mission is to go to Shanghai, but I'll leave the rest to you to decide how we get there."

"You have far more experience in this area than I do, and I trust you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tianyang nodded slightly and said nothing more.

He turned and walked towards the front of the group, then walked up to Ma Yong and whispered a few words to him.

Ma Yong nodded after listening.

Then he quickened his pace and walked to the front of the line, starting to look for a suitable place to spend the night.

The procession walked for another fifteen minutes.

The outlines of houses gradually appeared on both sides of the road ahead.

Some courtyards are intact, while others are reduced to half a wall with most of the roof collapsed.

It looks like there used to be quite a few families living in this area.

But most of them are now abandoned.

Ma Yong stopped ahead.

After Zhou Tianyang approached, he pointed to a courtyard not far to the left.

The courtyard wasn't large, but the walls were still there, and although the gate was half-crooked, the overall structure was still relatively intact.

There are two main rooms in the courtyard, and many of the roof tiles have fallen off.

Zhou Tianyang glanced around in the direction Ma Yong pointed, and then looked at the surrounding environment.

The courtyard was about a few dozen steps away from the roadside, separated by a patch of overgrown open space.

Behind the yard is a thicket of bushes, and beyond that is a hilly area.

In case of any emergencies.

It's easy to retreat into the bushes from behind the yard, and it's not easy to get surrounded.

"This is fine."

Zhou Tianyang withdrew his gaze and said in a low voice.

Ma Yong turned around and gestured behind him.

Several soldiers immediately crept towards the courtyard.

They climbed over the crooked gate and quickly checked the entire yard.

After confirming that there was no one inside and nothing unusual was found.

One of the soldiers leaned out of the door and gestured in Ma Yong's direction.

"Safety."

The group silently crossed the overgrown clearing and entered the courtyard one after another.

The courtyard had indeed been abandoned for a long time.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, spider webs hung in the corners of the walls, and one of the doors of the two main rooms had fallen off and was leaning against the wall.

The soldiers dispersed automatically; some went to check the interior of the main building, while others closed the door slightly again.

Someone crept up to the edge of the bushes behind the yard and set up a hidden sentry.

Ma Yong walked around the main room, and when he came out, he said to Zhou Tianyang:

"Commander, although the house is dilapidated, people can sleep on some dry straw on the floor."

"There's a well behind the yard, and the water is still usable."

Zhou Tianyang nodded and stepped into the main room.

The house was indeed dilapidated, with some rotten wood and broken tiles piled up in the corner.

The ground was fairly dry, and there were several piles of dry grass left at some point in the corner of the house.

Ma Yong and several soldiers found a few relatively flat wooden planks and laid them down, then put a pile of straw on top.

Although it's simple, it's much better than sleeping in the wild.

Zhou Tianyang sat down against the wall by the door and took a sip of water from the kettle at his waist.

He glanced up at the commotion in the courtyard; the soldiers were busy with their own tasks.

Some people were responsible for setting up mobile sentries around the yard, while others went into the next room to prepare a place to stay.

Despite the rudimentary conditions, everyone found their place.

Liu Ping sat down on the haystack in the main room and placed the wicker trunk beside him.

He bent down and pounded his legs.

She looked up and said something to Zhou Tianyang at the door, her tone tinged with emotion.

"Tonight, it's not bad to have a house with a roof."

Zhou Tianyang leaned against the door frame, his gaze falling on the open space in the courtyard illuminated by the moonlight, his tone casual.

"The road ahead is long, and having a place to shelter from the wind and rain is a good thing."

"Once we get to Shanghai, you can find any kind of room you want to sleep in."

Liu Ping chuckled but didn't reply.

A few crickets chirped outside the courtyard, but everything remained relatively calm.

after awhile.

Ma Yong walked over from the courtyard gate, squatted down next to Zhou Tianyang, and reported a few words in a low voice.

"Commander, the sentry posts have all been arranged. There are two hidden sentries at the front and back of the courtyard, taking turns on duty for one hour each."

"There's a mobile sentry post in the bushes behind the yard, and they change every two hours."

"There's nothing unusual happening nearby for the time being, so it should be safe."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

"You've worked hard, go and take a rest too."

Ma Yong responded, but did not get up immediately.

He squatted there in silence for a few seconds before asking a question.

"Commander, if things go smoothly after we enter the city tomorrow, we'll be able to leave Qufu?"

"If all goes well..."

Zhou Tianyang turned his gaze from the courtyard to Ma Yong's face.

"If something goes wrong, we'll have to switch to the backup plan."

"However, according to Wang Jinghe, that person should be reliable, and there shouldn't be any major problems."

After listening, Ma Yong didn't ask any further questions.

He walked to the corner on the other side of the main house, sat down on the haystack, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes.

In less than two minutes, his breathing became even and steady.

Zhou Tianyang sat at the door for a while longer.

He mentally reviewed the journey he had taken.

It was confirmed that no obvious vulnerabilities were left.

After confirming that everything is correct.

He snapped out of his thoughts and stood up gently.

I listened intently to the sounds coming from the courtyard from the front door of the main house, then went back inside.

I sat down near the door and closed my eyes.

The sentry posts were well-prepared tonight, with Ma Yong and his men taking turns on duty.

He can rest assured and get a few hours of rest.

There is still a long road ahead.

The night grew deeper.

The courtyard fell completely silent.

The dilapidated courtyard sank into the deepest silence, with only the wind still blowing outside the window.

Zhou Tianyang leaned against the wall, his breathing gradually calmed down, and he drifted into a light sleep.

His right hand always hung down near his waist.

Even while sleeping, he maintains the posture of being ready to draw his gun at any moment.