The Life of a Son-in-Law in a Courtyard House

It took a long time to get through on the phone.

Yang Dalin heard Qi Desheng's slightly distorted voice shout, "Brother Sheng, it's me, Yang Dalin!"

"Hey, Dalinzi, are you alright? When are you coming back?"

"I'm fine, Sheng-ge. Have Tian-ge and the others gone back? Are all the team members safe?"

"It's alright, they've all returned safely, they just got back."

When are you coming back?

"I don't know either, it might take a few more days. When it's almost time to get off work this afternoon, go to the entrance of our station and find Ma San, my little brother. Ask him to tell my family that I'm fine and will be going back in a few days."

"Okay, I got it. Be careful over there."

"Okay, I got it, Sheng-ge. Say hello to my sister-in-law and Grandpa and Grandma Gong."

I'll go back and wish them a Happy New Year.

"Okay, I got it. Hang up now, my throat hurts from all this talking on the phone."

"Okay, goodbye."

A phone call made Yang Dalin homesick.

After making the call, Yang Dalin feigned a pitiful state, his eyes reddening as he asked, "Two leaders, when can I go home?"

The two big shots exchanged a glance. This was a sixteen-year-old kid, no, he was only seventeen after the New Year.

He was originally an orphan, but he received help from a group of kind people.

They recognized each other as aunt, sisters, and cousins.

It's normal to feel homesick.

They could only comfort him, saying, "We'll figure it out as soon as possible, and you can take the train back in a few days."

I'll reimburse your train ticket.

Don't worry.

Yang Dalin's acting skills are quite good; he fooled two leaders again.

Then I went back to my room.

Keep lying flat.

The two leaders even found him a novel to read.

That made him a little more comfortable.

The next day, the two leaders found out what had happened to the mother and child.

Yang Dalin didn't want to listen at first, but the two leaders insisted on telling him, so that he wouldn't look at them with strange eyes. Yang Dalin couldn't refuse their hospitality and listened for a while.

It turns out that the mother and son used to live a good life. Their husband was a good-for-nothing in the village who often went out and messed around.

I learned some Russian language from the Russians before.

When our relationship with the Russians was good a while ago, his man benefited a lot.

The mother and son are doing alright.

Who knew that their relationship would suddenly sour, and her husband couldn't handle the change in circumstances and disappeared, probably going back with the Russians.

The villagers didn't know, but they certainly didn't like them.

It was another year of famine, and things were very difficult for this mother and son.

The villagers all stayed away from them.

Their kidnapping was partly the idea of ​​the man who escaped.

They wanted to take the mother and child abroad to live a better life.

Someone told the mother and son this as soon as they entered enemy territory.

While they were locked in the basement cell, her husband did not appear; he must have gone out on a mission.

However, the mother and son ate and slept well during their time in the basement, and were quite content.

For this mother and son, they didn't care about any ideology or whether it was Soviet revisionism.

As long as they, their child, and their husband can live together and have enough to eat and wear, that's fine.

The woman had heard her man mention some methods of tracking people using hunting dogs.

So, unwilling to suffer back in China, she threw away strips of her underwear on the way.

Traces were also left at several campsites.

She believed her man would bring people to catch up with them.

They were caught on the second day of their escape, probably because of them.

Yang Dalin recalled the day he was caught by the pursuers. Among the dozens of people he killed with his car, there seemed to be one person with black hair and black eyes. Could he be that woman's husband?

That's very possible.

Since there were no survivors anyway, Yang Dalin was too lazy to say anything more.

This mother and child are both pitiful and hateful; there's no way to describe them.

There will be many more people like this in the future.

I'm too lazy to care.

They can only blame their bad luck for having such a father.

This mother and child are unlikely to be sentenced to death.

But I estimate that we won't have any good days for the next twenty years.

This woman is somewhat like Wang Manyin's wife, Lan Hua, who is loyal and devoted, but also foolish enough to not distinguish between friend and foe.

It's pitiful that she met the wrong person, and it's hateful that she wanted to take everyone down with her just to make her family happy.

Sigh, Yang Dalin would have been better off not listening; listening to it made him feel quite uncomfortable.

Yang Dalin didn't ask how the others were doing.

Yang Dalin concluded by saying, "Boss, to be honest, these people are innocent victims. They've been missing for so long, and who knows what they'll say when they get back."

I said that if possible, and unless they revealed anything confidential, they should all be transferred out of the area, otherwise they won't be able to make a living in the future.

If someone spills our secrets, then we'll deal with it as it comes.

After all, there are two soldiers among them.

Yang Dalin knew that it seemed certain they would never be able to return to their original units.

Even if they didn't say anything.

One of the leaders spoke up, "Hmm, that's a good idea."

We've read all the interrogation records you brought back. They're all in ordinary jobs, so they don't have much to say.

The two soldiers behaved very well and did not utter a single word.

Don't worry, we will take good care of them.

We'll go over the details; they need to stay a while.

You can leave tomorrow.

"How about you consider joining our department, Xiao Yang?"

Yang Dalin shook his head: "Forget it, boss, you guys are too strict here. I still prefer driving."

Seeing the disappointment on the faces of the two leaders, and thinking of the war next year, Yang Dalin added, "Leaders, although I cannot join your department, my patriotism remains unchanged. Whenever I need help, I will do my duty without hesitation."

I've heard that things aren't very stable in the southwest.

If there's an opportunity, could I trouble the two leaders with a favor?

One of the leaders asked, "What is it?"

Yang Dalin said, "If there is a possibility of a bigger conflict over there, I would like to be temporarily transferred."

I want to go to the battlefield myself.

I hope the two leaders will consider my situation and grant my request.

The two leaders were taken aback upon hearing this.

Well, kid, you're not joining their secret department, but you're thinking of going straight into battle, huh?

There have been several clashes over there, and it's been reported in China as well.

And who knows, a fight might actually break out.

I just don't know if this kid figured it out on his own, or how he found out.

If this kid can figure it out himself, then he really has a great strategic vision.

The leader with the longer face and a more serious expression asked him, "Xiao Yang, how did you figure that out?"

Yang Dalin chuckled and said, "What's the big deal? It's just like two kids fighting."

If a kid is always causing trouble, and you let him have his way once or twice, he'll really go too far. Shouldn't you give him a good beating to teach him a lesson?

I think we've been putting up with this for too long, it's time to clean things up.

So I pleaded on behalf of the two leaders.

If there's an opportunity, please temporarily transfer me to the battlefield so I can personally fight the enemy and serve my country.

The long-faced leader patted Yang Dalin on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Good lad, you're a good comrade. Aren't you afraid?"

The real battlefield is different; with thousands of cannons firing simultaneously, danger lurks everywhere.

Yang Dalin smiled and said, "Boss, I wasn't afraid when I went to the Russians' place!"

What's so scary about it?

"Didn't I kill quite a few of them too?"