All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

"Dad, don't underestimate this plaster. It's the most amazing plaster I've ever seen. It's effective for backaches, rheumatic pain, and various shoulder aches and pains. It works instantly and even has therapeutic effects. For years, I relied on painkillers for my backaches. Last month, I tried using one, and it actually cured me! I've been using it for a month now, and my back doesn't ache anymore, and my legs don't hurt either. I personally tested it before I dared to give it to you. I heard it's a secret recipe from the imperial court in mainland China, and it really does have its miraculous effects. Your rheumatism hasn't gotten better, so I brought some back for you to try!"

Guo Laosan's words infuriated Guo Laojun, who immediately reprimanded him.

"Third brother, have you lost your mind? You dare to give Dad this mainland quack medicine? What if something happens? Can you take responsibility?"

Guo Laoda's exasperation made Guo Laosan somewhat unhappy as well. Just as he was about to retort, he saw the old man open his eyes, reach out and take the plaster from Guo Laosan's hand.

This scene startled Guo Laoda, who hurriedly stepped forward to take it back, but Old Master Guo glared at him, causing Guo Laoda to stop abruptly. He could only watch as the old man picked up the plaster, held it to his nose, and smelled it.

The old man closed his eyes and carefully smelled the plaster on his hand. After smelling it for a long time, a strange look appeared between his brows. He smelled it again carefully, uncertainly, and finally his brows relaxed, and a look of joy appeared.

Seeing the old man's expression, everyone around him looked puzzled, even Guo Laosan was a little confused.

The old man finally tossed the plaster to Guo Laosan before slowly speaking.

"Put the tape on both legs for me. I didn't expect this to be the real thing. It brings back so many memories!"

This left everyone puzzled. Seeing that the old man had already stretched out his leg, Guo Laosan hurriedly asked.

"Dad, you actually believe in this kind of nonsense? Your health isn't good to begin with, what if you get further agitated..."

Before Guo Laoda could finish speaking, the old man glared at him and scolded him.

"You don't know anything!"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. Guo Laoda dared not say another word and could only watch as the old man stretched out his leg, allowing Guo Laosan to roll up his trouser leg and prepare to tear off the plaster in his hand to apply it.

Looking at the trembling thighs, the thin, bony thighs, and the age spots on them, it seemed as if they were telling the story of how this body had reached its end. Guo Laosan felt a strange emotion welling up inside him. Thinking back to the old man's powerful slaps and fists back then, he never imagined that in just over ten years, things would turn out like this. He could only sigh silently in his heart.

Guo Laosan tore open the plaster and slowly applied it to the old man's groin. The old man looked down at it, then slowly closed his eyes. After a long while, he let out a comfortable sigh and then stretched out his other leg.

Seeing the old man's expression, Guo Laosan immediately knew that the plaster was really effective. His eyes lit up with joy, and he took out another plaster from his backpack and applied it to the old man again.

This scene shocked even Guo Laoda, who was standing to the side. Could this plaster really be that magical?

Amazing, he soon saw it. After Guo Laosan applied a patch to each of the old man's feet, only two minutes later, the old man's forehead began to sweat, and his complexion became rosy. The old man also showed a rare smile and said to Guo Laosan.

"Zhenyuan, you did a great job. Help me outside. I feel so strong in my legs now. I haven't felt like this in a long time. It's really good, really good!"

The old man spoke with some emotion, leaving the others somewhat bewildered, especially Guo, who couldn't believe it at all. The old man had been in a wheelchair for almost two years. It wasn't that he couldn't walk, but his legs would ache and he would get sick whenever he tried to walk. Painkillers didn't work, and the doctor had advised him to let nature take its course and just spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Unexpectedly, the old man now said he wanted to get up and leave, which shocked everyone!

When Guo Laosan heard the old man say this, he immediately smiled. Although there had been many estrangements between father and son in the past, they were still biological father and son. Seeing that his father was about to be buried, he was happy to be able to make him more comfortable.

Guo Laosan carefully stepped forward to support the old man, and Guo Laoda quickly followed suit, gently supporting the old man on the other side. The two gently helped the old man up, and his legs trembled slightly before stabilizing. He then took a few steps and slowly walked forward. After walking a few steps, he was completely steady and slowly walked towards the gate.

As soon as they arrived at the gate, it was pushed open. Guo Lao Er, who was outside, was about to walk in when he saw Guo Lao Da and Guo Lao San, each on one side, helping the old man walk out.

Guo Lao Er was stunned when he saw this scene. Then a surge of anger rose in his heart. His anger was not because his father was suddenly able to walk, but because his eldest and third sons were supporting him on one side. If they let the old man walk out like this, how would the other guests view him?

Family ties among the wealthy are far weaker than those among ordinary families, especially now that the old man has not yet chosen a successor. This situation ignited a nameless rage in Guo Lao Er's heart. He disregarded everything else and rushed forward, shouting at Guo Lao San.

"Zhenyuan, let me help Dad. You go outside and greet the guests; the banquet is about to begin!"

Guo Lao Er's words startled Guo Lao San. He had no intention of getting involved in the fight between his eldest and second eldest brothers, so he could only sigh helplessly and was about to let go when he saw the old man snort, raise his head, and scold Guo Lao Er.

"You're always thinking of crooked ways. Do you think I'm legless or unable to walk? Everyone's rushing to fawn over you. Do you think I don't know? Get out, all of you! Boss, you get out too!"

These words made Guo Lao Da and Guo Lao Er blush. Guo Lao Er quickly withdrew his hand, while Guo Lao Da was in a dilemma. Then, the old man shook off his hand and helped the old man out the door by Guo Lao San.

Guo Lao Da and Guo Lao Er behind them exchanged a glance and snorted. Their expressions were a mixture of emotions. Looking at Guo Lao San's back, Guo Lao Da's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and then he strode out.

Guo Lao Er was no pushover either. Seeing that the old man's third son, whom he had always disliked, had suddenly gained the old man's favor, there must be something he didn't know about, and it had just happened.

He then looked around and immediately saw the middle-aged butler who had just walked out of the door. His face lit up with joy, and he quickly went forward and pulled the butler into the suite.

At this moment, Liu Feng, who was far away in a rural area on the outskirts of Guangzhou, could never have imagined that his plaster would cause a butterfly effect, reigniting the feud between a wealthy family in the city. Nor could he have imagined that this butterfly effect would accelerate his path to wealth.

Chapter Thirteen: Comrades' Gathering

A magical plaster sparked a different kind of idea in the three Guo brothers, who were far away in the port city.

Although Guo Laoda (eldest brother) originally had little wariness of Lao San (third brother), the sudden favor he received from the old man made him realize the danger.

The third brother's investment in mainland China was in Shenzhen. The eldest brother's first thought was to send someone to Shenzhen to find the source of the plaster. Whether it was to please the old man or for other purposes, he couldn't let his two brothers have any other opportunities.

Seeing that the old man's health was deteriorating day by day, I knew that my identity as his successor could not be compromised in any further way.

Guo Laoda sent people to Pengcheng to gather information that very day. Almost simultaneously, Guo Lao Er's men also set off, even faster than Guo Laoda's, because he had already contacted his friends in Pengcheng to start gathering information.

The fact that the two brothers have been fighting for so many years means that they are of one mind and have almost the same thoughts. As the disadvantaged one, Guo the Second is even more eager to find something that can please the old man.

Guo Laosan, who actually brought the plaster, was completely unaware of his two older brothers' actions, or perhaps he knew but didn't care.

At the old man's birthday banquet, Guo Laosan helped his father appear before the guests. The old man looked at Guo Laosan with kindness, which made Guo Laosan the center of attention. This scene surprised many people.

Previously, it was almost certain that Guo Laosan was an abandoned son of the Guo family, but his sudden improvement in relations with the old man has caused a great deal of discussion among many people and families closely related to the Guo family.

The world of the wealthy is a deep and complex place. The old man, who is now the de facto ruler, still controls more than 50% of the group's shares. This is a huge fortune, enough to turn brothers against each other and cause them to kill each other.

But what does all this have to do with Liu Feng?

He is still proceeding according to his plan, and now he is generating a monthly profit of more than 20,000 yuan. In 1982, this amount of money would have been enough for him to live the life he wanted.

The new factory and warehouse are under construction. He occasionally goes to inspect them every day, then strolls around the pharmacy, and finally goes home to cook and take care of He Xiaoping. The couple is living a very warm and cozy life.

This world was the most carefree world he had ever lived in. He had no unattainable dreams, no worries about the necessities of life, and no concerns for his parents. He could simply live his own life with his wife, and he lived a comfortable and carefree life.

He had just received a notification from Mao Chengcheng that day, saying that he had received an invitation to a reunion of comrades-in-arms. Mao Chengcheng wanted Liu Feng to attend with him. Liu Feng originally wanted to refuse, since he was not from Guangdong Province and naturally did not want to force himself to join in the fun at this regional comrades-in-arms reunion.

However, Mao Chengcheng said that many of his comrades who work in Guangdong Province will also attend. It doesn't necessarily have to be from Guangdong Province. The main gathering will be for comrades who participated in the Nanhou Campaign. It is said that the gathering was organized by several comrades who were quite influential in the army back then. They are now working in Guangdong Province and wanted to take this opportunity to get together.

From 1979 to 1982, many people had been assigned to work in local areas, and many of them were assigned to work in government agencies. Moreover, many of them came from well-connected families and now that they were in government agencies, they had a lot of influence. Mao Chengcheng's idea was that Liu Feng would develop his career in Guangdong Province in the future, so it was important to build good relationships with these comrades-in-arms now so that it would save a lot of trouble later.

When Liu Feng heard this, he felt that it made a lot of sense. The camaraderie of this era was a very special kind of emotion. The kind of emotion that comes from going through life and death together is ultimately different from ordinary friendships. Many people will stay in touch for a lifetime.

However, no relationship can withstand the test of time and reality. As the gap between their social statuses widens, they will have less and less contact. Some people with a certain social standing will gradually build their own high-end circles, while some who are not doing well will eventually fade into obscurity.

In reality, my uncle was probably one of those people who didn't do well. When he was young, he attended several reunions with his comrades-in-arms, took many group photos, and like Liu Feng in the movie, he went to the martyrs' graves alone to toast and reminisce about the past. But as time went by, the comrades-in-arms he kept in touch with eventually lost contact. That's reality.

Liu Feng didn't bring He Xiaoping along, mainly because she was newly pregnant and he was afraid of upsetting the baby. The two rode bicycles for more than two hours and stopped in front of a hotel in the city center. At this time, the area around the hotel was already full of bicycles and jeeps. Judging from this, there must have been quite a few people there today. So many jeeps indicated the status of some people at this gathering. This was in 1982.

As soon as the two got out of the car, they saw a jeep parked not far away. Two men in military uniforms got out of the jeep. Just as the two were about to enter the hotel, they ran into Mao Chengcheng and Liu Feng. Liu Feng was not wearing a military uniform, but Mao Chengcheng was. Seeing Mao Chengcheng's uniform, the two men smiled and walked towards them.

Liu Feng didn't know the two men, but since they were here for the gathering, they must be comrades-in-arms. The two men saluted each other, and Liu Feng and Mao Chengcheng returned the salute. The men introduced themselves, and they were indeed comrades-in-arms. Their status was clearly much higher than Liu Feng and Mao Chengcheng's; one had been a regimental chief of staff, and the other was even higher, a division-level officer.

Liu Feng only identified himself as the company commander of the transport company, without revealing his status as a combat hero. Mao Chengcheng was even less of a figure to be reckoned with; he was just an ordinary veteran. The group didn't know each other to begin with, and now the difference in their identities was quite obvious. The two greeted each other with smiles and then entered the hotel one after the other.

Mao Chengcheng and Liu Feng exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. This was reality.

The two followed him into the hotel. There was a registration desk at the hotel entrance. Liu Feng didn't have an invitation, but he had a comrade-in-arms to verify his identity, so he went straight in.

Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, the two discovered that there were indeed quite a few people present. More than thirty tables were already set up, each with a fruit platter. There were already over a hundred people inside, creating a lively atmosphere. Judging from the scale of the event, it was a very large-scale event.

Most of the people inside were wearing military uniforms. Liu Feng stood out because he wasn't wearing one. He had wanted to wear one, but when he found his uniform a few days ago, he discovered that a rat had chewed a small hole in it, right in the chest area. He figured it was better to wear civilian clothes than to wear tattered clothes.

However, there were also some who weren't wearing military uniforms. But those people were mostly surrounded by a large group of people, their faces glowing with health as they chatted with the crowd, clearly indicating that they were not ordinary individuals.

The arrival of Liu Feng and Mao Chengcheng did not cause any reaction. Liu Feng, a disabled soldier, could see at least a dozen people at a glance.

Liu Feng didn't see any familiar faces in the crowd, which was normal. Back then, Liu Feng started in the cultural troupe, then the logging company, and later the transportation company. Most of the soldiers were from other provinces and mostly came from rural areas. It's estimated that not many of them could be assigned to a big city like Guangzhou.

As for the cultural troupe, most of the comrades had special identities. After the troupe disbanded, they were basically scattered to different places. The female soldiers in the cultural troupe were all exceptionally beautiful and had excellent figures. Coupled with their family backgrounds, they were destined to marry into good families. There were also quite a few like Lin Dingding who went abroad directly. The differences between people often become apparent quickly in society.

Liu Feng and Mao Chengcheng discreetly chose an empty table to sit down. Liu Feng casually picked up an orange from the fruit plate, peeled it, and ate it, while casually looking around.

It seems today's gathering was a failure. If it were a small gathering, everyone would have had a chance to chat, but with so many people, they'll most likely just be background figures.

However, the atmosphere is still quite good. Everyone is laughing and talking a lot. They've only been out of the military for a year or two, and they still miss many things about the army. The thing they talk about most is the war between the Southern and Northern Armies.

If Liu Feng were to stand up now and recount his deeds, he would surely become the center of attention, because he had already seen several war heroes in military uniforms with medals pinned to their chests. Each of them was surrounded by a large crowd, and as they listened to the stories, their faces were filled with sighs and flushed.

Liu Feng wasn't very interested in those boasts. For him, the Southern Monkey War was just an ordinary experience from his memory, nothing to brag about.

Mao Chengcheng, who was standing next to Liu Feng, knew Liu Feng's personality and didn't try to persuade him. As the crowd gradually increased, he found a fellow villager, and the two chatted happily. The atmosphere was quite harmonious. Liu Feng just quietly ate his oranges. In his opinion, this was fine.

This is what a reunion of comrades-in-arms should be like. Now, most of the conversations are about the war and interesting stories about life in the military. But in a few years, when everyone gets together again, the conversation will probably be more about work and status. By then, the differences in their status will have made them gradually lose common ground.

Soon, Liu Feng's table was full. Everyone shook hands with smiles and introduced themselves. Everyone spoke to Liu Feng with pity about his disabled left hand. Liu Feng chatted with everyone casually for a few minutes and did not feel embarrassed.

Finally, a man in military uniform at the front table walked to the front desk, picked up the microphone provided by the hotel, and then said "hello, hello" twice with a smile. After the microphone picked up a clear voice, he coughed twice and called out to everyone.

"Dear comrades, welcome to this reunion. First of all, I would like to thank our comrades 'So-and-so' for their organization and support, which has made it possible for us to gather together again. Yesterday, we were adorned with honors; today, we have new identities and are embarking on a new journey in life... Looking back, it all seems like yesterday, vivid in my mind..."

The comrade on stage delivered a passionate speech, which drew thunderous applause from the audience when he got to the emotional parts. Liu Feng, who only had one hand, couldn't clap, so he just smiled and looked at the stage. Mao Chengcheng, who was standing next to him, was also very excited and was filled with emotion as he recalled the past.

After the speeches by the comrades on stage, several more comrades came up to the stage, including combat heroes and people of extraordinary status. The atmosphere in the hall remained high, and the applause from the crowd was thunderous, clearly indicating that the gathering was a great success.

Finally, when several comrades in military uniforms came up on stage, everyone turned to look at them. These were the organizers of this reunion. They were all well-known figures in the military. They first saluted everyone, and everyone returned the salute.

One of them picked up the microphone and said in a heavy voice.

"I am very gratified to see so many comrades gathered here today, and to see that you have not forgotten your original aspirations. It shows that you have not forgotten our camaraderie and the years we spent together. This reunion is of extraordinary significance."

Today I want to share some heartfelt words with my comrades. After I retired from the military, I was assigned to the personnel bureau. Due to the demands of my work, I've met many comrades in the past two years. Many of them have come to me with various difficulties in their lives, and I've been powerless to help them. This has made me feel very guilty.

Lao Zhou and I discussed that we should do something more meaningful, so we organized this comrades-in-arms gathering. Lao Zhou and I decided to propose an initiative to establish a mutual aid platform for soldiers, hoping that comrades with the means can help more comrades from families facing difficulties and in need.

If anyone is interested later, please contact us. I hope that these reunions can continue in the future, and that our camaraderie can endure. I propose that we hold a reunion every three years. What do you all think?

The speech on stage quickly received a response from the audience. It was clear that everyone was quite interested in this mutual aid platform. After all, most of the comrades who were able to attend this gathering of veterans were doing quite well and had jobs.

Mao Chengcheng was also invited because he had been presenting himself as a plaster shop owner for the past year.

This year, when I went out to do business, it was basically Mao Chengcheng who showed up. Although he only sold medicated plasters and his reputation wasn't very good, he was still considered to have achieved some success.

The people who organized this gathering, given their status, would not refuse the other's proposal, regardless of the intentions of those below them.

Soon, the topic of discussion at the gathering gradually shifted to suggestions and opinions on mutual aid. Someone suggested organizing a donation drive, where everyone could contribute what they felt was appropriate. This suggestion received a lot of support. Ultimately, money is the most tangible thing to do; with money, the mutual aid platform can continue to operate better.

To avoid making everyone feel awkward, donations were not made publicly on stage. Instead, several tables were quickly set up next to the venue, and a few organizers were there with pens and notebooks to record donations. People could go directly to register their donations.

As soon as the tables were set up, a man in military uniform strode forward from the crowd, walked to a table, took out a wad of banknotes from his pocket, and respectfully placed the banknotes on the table.

At this moment, almost everyone in the hall turned their attention to the man, who had clearly set a good precedent.

However, when Mao Chengcheng and Liu Feng saw the man, their expressions changed simultaneously, because they knew him.

This person was Wang Linsheng.

Wang Linsheng's appearance here surprised both of them. Mao Chengcheng even sat up straight, clearly very surprised.

Wang Linsheng had retired from the army in 1977 or 1988 and had never participated in the war. In principle, he did not meet the requirements for this reunion of comrades-in-arms. He did not expect that the other party would appear here.

However, that's obviously not the point. For someone like Wang Linsheng, this reunion of comrades-in-arms is undoubtedly a great social opportunity, as there are quite a few comrades-in-arms with unusual backgrounds among them.