Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

The train arrived at a station in Yunnan Province on the evening of December 16.

Zhao Pingan got off the bus, and there were two people standing on the platform.

One was Zhao Dongliang's bodyguard, whom he recognized. The other was a middle-aged man dressed in Yi ethnic clothing, who appeared to be a person of status.

The bodyguard came up to him: "Minister Zhao, you must be tired from your journey."

Zhao Ping'an nodded: "Where's my older brother?"

"The commander is preparing for the wedding at the garrison and sent me to pick you up. This is the butler from the Azhuo family, here to greet our distinguished guest."

The middle-aged man bowed and said in broken Chinese, "It is an honor for our Azhuo family to have Minister Zhao here."

Zhao Ping'an was stunned for a moment, then he understood.

Ah Zhuo's family must be the bride's family.

It took almost two hours to get from the station to my accommodation.

On the way, the butler gave a brief explanation of the situation.

The bride was the daughter of the chieftain of the Azhuo family, named Azhuo Ayi, and she worked in the county's education department.

Zhao Dongliang met her when he went to work at the procuratorate six months ago. As they spent more time together, they gradually developed feelings for each other.

"The commander is a good man," the steward said. "Our chieftain is very satisfied."

Zhao Ping'an listened without saying a word.

What he was thinking was: This time, my older brother is quite quick to act.

By the time the car arrived at the camp, it was already dark. In the distance, we could see a cluster of lights, and the courtyard was bustling with people.

Zhao Dongliang stood at the door waiting.

He had gotten a bit tanned after a few months, but he was in great spirits, wearing a new outfit and grinning from ear to ear.

Zhao Pingan got out of the car, and the two looked at each other and smiled.

Zhao Dongliang immediately gave him a bear hug.

"Ping An, you've finally arrived!"

Zhao Ping'an patted him on the back: "Big brother, congratulations."

Zhao Dongliang let go of him and chuckled twice.

Zhao Pingan lowered his voice and asked, "When I came in July, you didn't let me know at all."

Zhao Dongliang scratched his head: "Back then, it was still far from certain. Besides, you were so busy, how could I possibly keep up with your updates?"

"How did you meet?" Although he already knew, Zhao Ping'an still asked Zhao Dongliang again.

Zhao Dongliang said, "She works in the county's education department. I met her when I went to inspect their work. After a while..."

He paused, then smiled.

Zhao Pingan smiled too.

"Okay, whatever makes you happy. The leader asked me to pass on a message that the organization wishes you a happy marriage. This is a wedding gift from the leader to you." Zhao Ping'an said, taking out a pen case and handing it to Zhao Dongliang.

Zhao Dongliang nodded and pulled Zhao Ping'an into the house.

"Come inside, your sister-in-law is inside."

Inside the house, Azhuo Ayi was talking with several female relatives.

The moment Zhao Ping'an saw her, he knew what was going on.

She appeared to be around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, dressed in a traditional Yi wedding gown, adorned with silver ornaments in her head. Her features were delicate and refined, and her demeanor graceful. She possessed a gentle, flowing charm, yet also a vivacity that set her apart from most women of her time. Clearly, she had grown up in comfort and privilege, if not extravagantly well-off, and obviously had received a classical education.

Zhao Ping'an couldn't help but inwardly applaud his elder brother's discerning eye.

Now that the brothers have these identities, their living conditions will naturally be good.

Moreover, with the advancement of its comprehensive industrialization process, the domestic standard of living will soon improve rapidly.

Reaching the same standard of living as in the 90s within 10 years is not difficult.

If his sister-in-law really didn't have a high level of education, not to mention their daily communication, if his older brother had to teach her things, then life would be difficult...

Upon seeing Zhao Ping'an enter, she stood up and gave a slight bow.

"Minister Zhao, you must be tired from your journey."

Zhao Ping'an quickly waved his hand: "Sister-in-law, don't be so polite, just call me Ping'an. We're all family, there's no need to be so formal."

Ayi smiled and stepped aside to let the two brothers talk.

Zhao Dongliang glanced at Zhao Ping'an, his eyes asking: How is it?

Zhao Ping'an nodded and gave Zhao Dongliang a thumbs up.

Zhao Dongliang nodded, looking proud, as if to say: Then you see.

December 18th, the 24th day of the 11th lunar month, is an auspicious day for marriage.

The wedding was held in the courtyard of the military base. The courtyard was bustling with activity as soon as it was light.

The Yi people, dressed in their festive best, played the lusheng (a traditional reed pipe instrument) and danced, turning the entire courtyard into a sea of ​​joy.

Zhao Ping'an stood aside, watching all of this.

The bride, Azhuo Ayi, wore a full set of Yi ethnic wedding attire, a silver crown on her head, and was adorned with silver ornaments that jingled as she walked.

Zhao Dongliang, dressed in a new Zhongshan suit, stood next to her, looking somewhat reserved, but beaming with joy.

An elder of the Yi ethnic group presided over the wedding, singing an ancient blessing song. The melodious singing brought silence to everyone present.

Zhao Ping'an couldn't understand the lyrics, but he could understand the blessings in the melody.

The wedding lasted for most of the day. There were toasts, singing, dancing, and a feast…

Zhao Ping'an was forced to drink several glasses of wine, and his face turned red.

In the evening, after the guests had left, Zhao Ping'an and Zhao Dongliang sat in the courtyard, gazing at the stars.

Zhao Dongliang suddenly said, "Ping An, thank you."

Zhao Ping'an looked at him.

Zhao Dongliang said, "If it weren't for you, I'd still be a soldier under Commander Fu. I wouldn't be where I am today."

Zhao Pingan shook his head.

"It's your good fortune, brother. You earned your success on the battlefield with real swords and spears. I only provided some weapons and equipment. You were the one who risked your life."

"Hey, why bring that up? But speaking of the battlefield, I have to thank you, Ping An, on behalf of all my former brothers. Whether you were in the army or retired, you're doing well, especially with the grain and animal husbandry you promoted. Now, when you write to me, you're always praising it. We eat our fill every day, not necessarily meat every meal, but at least we have meat dishes. We even get to treat ourselves to something nice every week. We all joined the army back then just to have a meal, didn't we? I never imagined that my brother Zhao Ping An, Zhao Dongliang's brother, would be so capable, quietly resolving such a big issue..." Zhao Dongliang was clearly a little drunk.

Zhao Ping'an quickly changed the subject, asking, "How is things at your family home, sister-in-law?"

There are things that can be done but not said, and even if they can be said, they can only be said decades later after future generations have made their judgment.

Zhao Dongliang nodded: "Azhuo's family is very prestigious among the Yi people. Everyone is satisfied with this marriage. But most importantly, your brother here, a rough and unrefined fellow, really admires her gentle nature."

Zhao Ping'an hummed in agreement and raised his wine glass. "That's good. Now let's see how much you love your wife, brother, and when you'll have a little nephew."

"Hey, it'll be soon. Just wait, I'll bring you good news in less than a year." Zhao Dongliang raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Alright then, brother, hurry up and go to the bridal chamber. The wedding night is priceless, don't stay here with me." Zhao Ping'an laughed, getting up first and pulling Zhao Dongliang towards the bridal chamber...

December 21st, the third day after the wedding.

Early in the morning, Zhao Dongliang knocked on Zhao Ping'an's door.

"Ping An, come with me somewhere today."

Zhao Ping'an wasn't fully awake yet: "Where to?"

Zhao Dongliang said, "It's a military training ground."

Zhao Pingan was stunned for a moment.

Zhao Dongliang said, "The jungle warfare training outline you gave us has been used by the troops for half a year. Since you're here, could you take a look and tell me how the training is going?"

Zhao Ping'an understood.

This means he's been sent to "inspect" him.

The training ground is located in the mountains, 20 kilometers away from the base.

After driving for more than an hour, we stopped in a valley. We were surrounded by dense forests, the air was humid, and birds and insects chirped all around.

Zhao Dongliang led Zhao Ping'an to a high point, took out binoculars, and looked down.

In the valley, a group of soldiers are training.

They were dressed in camouflage and moved silently through the woods.

They would disperse, then regroup, then lie in wait, then launch a surprise attack. Their movements were clean and efficient, their teamwork impeccable.

Zhao Dongliang said, "This is jungle infiltration training. It's based on your syllabus."

Zhao Ping'an nodded without saying anything.

After watching for a while, another group of soldiers began shooting practice.

Gunfire echoed through the valley. It wasn't indiscriminate spray, but precise bursts. One target, one shot. Two targets, two shots.

Zhao Dongliang said, "Live-fire training is conducted three times a week. There's plenty of ammunition."

Zhao Pingan asked, "How's the hit rate?"

Zhao Dongliang said, "Within 200 meters, the hit rate is over 90%."

Zhao Ping'an nodded; this level was quite high.

After watching for a whole morning, Zhao Dongliang asked, "How is it?"

Zhao Pingan thought for a moment.

"Brother, I haven't led troops much, but from my perspective, I've basically practiced everything in the syllabus."

Zhao Dongliang waited for him to continue.

Zhao Ping'an said, "The coordination could be a bit better. In the previous group, three people were a beat too slow when they split up and were spotted by the 'enemy'."

Zhao Dongliang nodded and made a note of it.

Zhao Pingan added, "The shooting accuracy is good. But there aren't only targets within 200 meters in the jungle. Long-range sniping training needs to be strengthened. Especially since I've seen that it's all mechanical sights now, and our weapons will be upgraded in the future. I remember we gave you a batch of scopes, didn't we? Don't keep them to yourself, distribute them all and use them. If they break, we can apply for more. Now we can make our own. We need to familiarize ourselves with the equipment. Don't let the good stuff be distributed to us in actual combat, but we haven't practiced using it beforehand, and we won't know how to use it."

Zhao Dongliang nodded again.

Zhao Ping'an looked at him.

"However, brother, your unit is well-trained. Better than I expected."

Zhao Dongliang smiled.

"With your syllabus and enough ammunition, if they still can't train well, then it's not a problem with the soldiers."

"Big brother, practice hard. You'll need this skill sooner or later," Zhao Ping'an said. The two brothers exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

On December 23, Zhao Ping'an was to leave.

On the platform, Zhao Dongliang and Ayi came to see him off.

Zhao Pingan shook hands with Zhao Dongliang.

"Brother, do a good job. Sister-in-law, please take good care of my brother. If he needs anything, just let me know. I have a lot of new products here. I can buy them through my own channels and send them to you. Please don't be shy."

Zhao Ping'an instructed his sister-in-law that the final gift he would give her this time was a complete set of home appliances that were ready for mass production. Of course, the gifts he would give her were the new products that he could redeem through the system.

Air conditioner, refrigerator, freezer, water heater, washing machine, dishwasher, range hood, electric fan, hair dryer, electric kettle, and so on. The reason for having an extra freezer is to cater to Zhao Dongliang's hobby. He likes to entertain guests and treats acquaintances whenever they come over. An extra freezer can store more meat.

Zhao Ping'an even secretly gave his sister-in-law 30 million yuan in cash (the first set of RMB, which was later exchanged at a rate of 1:10000, equivalent to 3000 yuan) from a portion of his unused salary. He repeatedly instructed her to stock up on things, and that when his brother entertained people, it was on his behalf...

Ayi nodded. "Ping An, don't worry, I will."

Zhao Dongliang said, "Drive carefully. If you have time during the Spring Festival, come here so our family can celebrate together."

Zhao Pingan smiled and waved.

"New Year's? I have to be on duty in Beiping during the New Year. Let's wait until my little nephew's one-month celebration next year."

As the train departed, Zhao Ping'an watched the two people waving goodbye on the platform.

Another thought arose in my mind.

"I really should find someone."