Chapter 135 The war on the peninsula has not yet ended, and another farce breaks out in the courtyar

The volunteer soldiers who had withdrawn ahead of time had barely stepped out of the position through the snow when a deafening explosion that shook the mountains and fields erupted behind them.

The deafening roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, sweeping over the area with scorching heat waves. The ground trembled continuously, and gravel tumbled down the hillside.

The billowing black smoke, carrying dust and wood chips, rose instantly, condensing into a huge mushroom cloud in mid-air, almost dyeing half the sky gray-black.

The strong smell of gunpowder mixed with the icy cold air rushed towards the soldiers, choking them and causing many to wince.

The soldiers instinctively stopped in their tracks, covered their ringing ears, and turned to look at the position behind them in horror, their eyes filled with shock.

If they hadn't received prior orders from their superiors, knowing that it was their comrades who had left behind detonating their own buried high explosives to destroy the position, they would have definitely mistaken it for a surprise attack by enemy heavy artillery.

The force and power of the explosion were truly terrifying, far exceeding the intensity of the 155mm howitzer bombardments they had experienced on the battlefield.

The soldiers in the team were almost all veterans who had personally experienced the Liaoshen, Huaihai and Pingjin Campaigns. Having fought in the flames of war for many years, they knew all too well the power of such explosions.

Several veterans looked at the thick smoke billowing into the sky and couldn't help but whisper among themselves, their faces still showing shock for a long time.

"My goodness, how much explosives must have been used to make such a commotion? It's terrifying."

"That's right, it's much more powerful than the enemy's heavy artillery bombardment. Luckily, it was our own people who bombed it, otherwise we would have been in big trouble."

He Yuzhu followed at the back of the group, relying on his superhuman strength to quickly traverse the mountain paths, and soon caught up with the large group that was moving slowly ahead.

But when he saw the state of the team, his tense face instantly showed a look of utter speechlessness, and his brows furrowed tightly.

The soldiers disregarded everything and carried the mortars that had already run out of ammunition and the bazooka launchers that had run out of rockets on their shoulders and backs.

The empty metal cannon barrels and firing tubes, even without ammunition, were still incredibly heavy, causing the soldiers' shoulders to turn red from the pressure, yet no one was willing to put them down.

All kinds of heavy and light machine guns were disassembled, and the gun bodies, gun mounts and ammunition boxes were sorted and firmly tied to the sleds used to transport the wounded.

The sled was already narrow, and it was already filled with seriously wounded soldiers who were unable to move. Now it was crammed with guns, making it extremely difficult for the wounded to even move.

The soldiers also collected all the equipment left behind by the last small group of enemy troops they had wiped out at the end of the position, leaving nothing behind.

From rifles and submachine guns to bullets and grenades, everything usable was strapped to the soldiers' bodies and carried on their backs.

Apart from the seriously wounded who were completely incapacitated, all the other soldiers were covered from head to toe with protective gear, resembling mobile arsenals.

The heavy equipment made the soldiers' backs bend slightly, and every step required a great deal of effort, making their march as slow as a snail's pace.

Seeing the extremely slow march, He Yuzhu was extremely anxious. He immediately rushed to the front of the column and came to Xiong Jie's side.

He reached out and grabbed the sled's handle, speaking urgently and bluntly to Xiong Jie, "Will this make us go faster? Let the soldiers throw away anything they don't need."

Xiong Jie turned to look at the soldiers beside him, their faces full of reluctance, then touched the cold guns on the sled, and shook his head with a troubled expression.

"The soldiers couldn't bear to part with these things; we fought and risked our lives to acquire them."

He Yuzhu's eyes were firm, and his tone left no room for doubt. He said in a deep voice, "If we lose them, we'll just go and rob them again. At this marching speed, we won't be able to get out of these mountains by dawn."

Looking at the gleaming weapons, Xiong Jie felt a pang of heartache and gritted his teeth as he tentatively asked, "Really lost?"

Without the slightest hesitation, He Yuzhu uttered a single word decisively: "Drop it."

Xiong Jie was still unwilling to give up. He lowered his voice and said with a hint of pleading, "Could you leave some?"

He Yuzhu pointed at the troops, detailing their current predicament, his tone becoming increasingly serious: "One and a half platoons of soldiers, plus half wounded, look at how much heavy firepower we brought? Keep the configuration of a platoon, and discard the rest."

Looking at He Yuzhu's determined eyes and then at the struggling team, Xiong Jie finally made a tough decision.

"Alright, here's the order. I hereby appoint you as the temporary commander of this team."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiong Jie closed his eyes, spread his hands, and completely relinquished his command to He Yuzhu.

Seeing this, He Yuzhu immediately urged, "Then why don't you announce it already?"

"Alright." Xiong Jie sighed helplessly, raised his hand to signal the team to stop immediately, and prepared to convey the appointment to all the soldiers.

The soldiers stopped their weary steps and looked at Xiong Jie and He Yuzhu with puzzled expressions, wondering what had happened.

Xiong Jie straightened up, cleared his throat, and shouted to all the soldiers, "Attention, all of you! Stand your ground!"

Once the group had completely quieted down, he spoke again, announcing in a loud voice: "He Yuzhu is hereby appointed as the temporary commander of this breakout team. Everyone must unconditionally obey all his orders!"

After the order was given, a murmur of discussion arose in the ranks, and the soldiers all looked at He Yuzhu with a hint of awe in their eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, He Yuzhu immediately issued his first instruction after assuming the role of temporary commander.

"All soldiers, immediately check your equipment! Discard all useless weapons that are out of ammunition or hinder the march!"

As soon as the order was given, the team erupted in chaos. The soldiers clutched their weapons tightly, their faces full of reluctance, and hesitated to take action.

An elderly veteran clung tightly to the barrel of a mortar that had fired empty shells, his knuckles turning white from the force, refusing to let go no matter what.

He Yuzhu strode up to the veteran and, without hesitation, lightly kicked the veteran's wrist, forcing him to release his grip.

Immediately afterwards, he snatched the cannon barrel from the veteran's arms, turned around and threw it swiftly into the tall grass beside him.

The veteran watched as his cherished weapon was thrown into the grass, his eyes instantly reddening, and large tears rolled down his dusty and blood-stained cheeks.

He bit his lip hard, watching He Yuzhu's back, feeling reluctant to part but daring not to disobey military orders.

He Yuzhu pretended not to see the soldiers' reluctance and tears, but he had his own plans in mind.

These weapons are treasures; how could he possibly throw them away? It's just a temporary expedient to speed up the march.

After cleaning up their equipment, the team set off again, walking briskly along the mountain path. After walking for about two miles, they found themselves surrounded by dense forests and deserted.

He Yuzhu seized the opportunity and called out to the group, "You all continue on your way. I'm going to relieve myself, and then I'll catch up with the group."

Before anyone could respond, he turned and ran quickly toward the direction where he had previously discarded his weapons, using the excuse of letting the water go to quietly turn back.

He ducked into the tall grass and deftly collected the mortar, bazooka, and light and heavy machine guns he had previously discarded into his personal storage space.

He must hide these treasures carefully and only take them out to use after he is out of danger and safe. He must not let them go to waste.

Because he needed to hide the bulky equipment, he was delayed for longer than expected, and the soldiers in the team all stopped and waited patiently.

As everyone watched the direction he left in, they all secretly speculated that He Yuzhu was reluctant to part with those weapons and had gone back to check on them.

When He Yuzhu brushed the dust off his hands and slowly returned to the group, the soldiers' gazes towards him softened considerably, and their hostility vanished completely.

Fortunately, the soldiers remembered to bring their rations, drinking water, and other supplies with them when they set off, and did not lose any food.

Everyone ate breakfast on the march, munching on dry, hard grain biscuits as they hurried along.

When thirsty, they would grab a handful of snow from the roadside and stuff it into their mouths. The icy snow water relieved their thirst and made them more alert.

The team continued their trek without stopping, from the first light of dawn until the sun was high in the sky, finally stopping to rest in a sheltered mountain hollow.

A rough calculation shows that the team walked nearly 20 kilometers of rugged mountain roads that morning.

Looking at the soldiers around him, whose faces were tired but whose backs were still straight, He Yuzhu felt a deep sense of admiration.

It should be noted that these soldiers had just engaged in a fierce battle all night without closing their eyes to rest, and their physical strength had already been exhausted to the limit.

Most of the soldiers in the team were wounded; some had been grazed by bullets, others were cut by shrapnel, and their wounds were still throbbing.

Those soldiers who were not injured had to take turns pulling sleds full of seriously wounded soldiers, trudging through gravel and braving the cold wind.

Even so, not a single person complained of hardship or fatigue, and not a single person suggested stopping to rest. They all persevered with sheer tenacity.

The soldiers leaned against the rocks in twos and threes, panting heavily, taking the time to close their eyes and rest to recover their strength.

The medics squatted beside the sled, carefully changing dressings and bandaging wounds for the seriously wounded, their movements gentle and skilled.

Just then, Wu Qianli, who had been unconscious, twitched his fingers slightly, slowly opened his heavy eyelids, and finally woke up.

As soon as he regained consciousness, he struggled to sit up, his eyes darting anxiously to the soldiers beside him. His first question was about the position.

"The position... how is our position? Have we held it?" Wu Qianli's voice was hoarse and dry, filled with exhaustion.

The soldier beside him hesitated for a moment, then spoke truthfully in a low voice, "Company commander, in order to break through the encirclement, we're abandoning the position."

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianli's eyes narrowed instantly, and he became agitated. He tried to stand up, but staggered due to his weakness.

But when he looked up and saw that the once large group of soldiers had become sparse, and that his familiar company commanders and political instructors were nowhere to be seen, he fell silent.

His eyes were slightly red, his lips were pressed into a straight line, and his heart was filled with guilt and grief. He remained silent for a long time.

After a long silence, Wu Qianli took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and gave a solemn order to the communications officer beside him.

"Quickly, get the radio and contact the division headquarters immediately to report the troop's situation."

The communications officer didn't dare to delay. He quickly took out a portable radio from his backpack, adjusted the frequency, and handed the microphone to Wu Qianli.

Holding the microphone, Wu Qianli spoke in a steady and clear voice, reporting the current position and marching direction of the troops to the division headquarters.

He then gave a detailed account of the battle on the front lines last night, the details of the breakout, and the current casualties and reductions in the troops.

On the other end of the radio, after listening to the full report, the division leaders fell into a long silence, with only the crackling of the electrical current echoing in the air.

The entire valley was silent; all the soldiers held their breath, quietly awaiting instructions from the division headquarters.

Several minutes later, the division leader's hoarse and heavy voice, filled with heartache, finally came through the radio.

"You've worked hard. Make sure Xiong Jie brings the rest of them back."

A simple instruction, yet it carried endless expectations and entrustments. Xiong Jie leaned close to the microphone and solemnly replied, "I guarantee to complete the mission!"

After the communication ended and the team took a short rest, they embarked on their journey back to the main force of the division headquarters, making arduous progress.

This small team, with its limited numbers, traversed mountains and valleys, dodging enemy activity, and it took them three whole days to finally rejoin the main force of the division.

Over the course of those three days, they traversed the deep mountains, encountering several waves of scattered South Korean and White Eagle troops.

Every time they encountered the enemy, He Yuzhu calmly commanded, using the mountainous terrain to launch ambushes, and his attacks were swift and decisive.

He led his soldiers to swift and decisive victories, annihilating the enemy cleanly and efficiently each time, and also seizing a lot of brand-new weapons and equipment. The entire battle was exhilarating and incredibly satisfying.

When they successfully returned to the division headquarters camp and took stock of the remaining troops, everyone was plunged into unspeakable grief.

Originally, there were four fully-organized companies. After days of fierce fighting and a brutal breakout, the surviving soldiers barely made up enough for a platoon.

During the breakout and sporadic fighting, Xiong Jie, who was leading the team, was once again grazed by shrapnel. Blood seeped from the wound on his arm, and his face was deathly pale.

The refined and gentle Mei Sheng was also seriously wounded, shot in the leg, and could only walk with the help of his comrades.

Because of the heavy casualties among the grassroots cadres and the extreme shortage of manpower, He Yuzhu, who was originally a seconded personnel, was directly and temporarily assigned to this division.

He held no official position; he was just an ordinary soldier. Yet, no one knew the immense contributions he made in this breakout battle.

After several days of intense marching and fierce fighting, even though He Yuzhu's physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, he eventually reached his limit.

As soon as he stepped into the camp, he could no longer hold on. He found a clean, open space, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware of what was happening.

He slept soundly until the afternoon of the next day, when he slowly opened his eyes and fully woke up.

He Yuzhu, who had just woken up, learned about the latest arrangements for the unit from his comrades.

His army had suffered heavy casualties and lost all its combat power in previous battles, and had been almost completely decimated.

The seriously injured members of the team had been transported back to China the day before for emergency treatment and recuperation.

These lightly wounded and uninjured soldiers had originally received orders to return home for rest and recuperation, but the current battlefield situation was urgent and the conditions simply did not allow it.

The higher command issued an emergency order requiring them to immediately proceed to the Hamhung area of ​​the northern peninsula for a short rest and resupply.

Upon hearing that he was to go to Xianxing for rest and recuperation, He Yuzhu immediately got up, found the military personnel in charge, and proactively explained his identity.

"Comrade, I was seconded from another army and am not a member of this division. I request to return to my original unit."

However, the person in charge shook his head helplessly and told him about the current predicament.

"Your original unit is thousands of miles away. Now the front lines are in chaos and transportation is blocked, so there is no way to send you back."

"Moreover, we have learned that you fought bravely in the breakout battle and are a true combat hero. At present, our division has suffered heavy losses and is in dire need of junior officers. We hope that you can stay."

"We will take full responsibility for coordinating matters with your original unit, so you can rest assured."

Having come this far, He Yuzhu knew he had no other choice but to nod and agree to stay.

And so, He Yuzhu, with only a dozen or so surviving soldiers remaining from his company, embarked on the journey to Xianxing.

The road to Xianxing was extremely difficult, with no vehicles available for transportation; the entire journey had to be undertaken on foot.

Along the way, during the day they had to constantly evade enemy aircraft reconnaissance and bombing, and could only travel covertly in the mountains and forests. Only at night could they travel with peace of mind.

After traveling for five or six days, they finally arrived at the Hamhung rest camp, all of them exhausted.

According to military regulations, during the rest period, troops that are short-staffed will be replenished, but their unit is in a special situation.

Several connected companies were either completely wiped out, with their company commanders and political instructors either killed or seriously wounded and hospitalized, leaving no officers in charge.

The higher authorities stated that they would wait until the original officers returned to their posts or the newly appointed company commanders and political instructors arrived before uniformly supplementing the ranks.

He Yuzhu was completely unaware that while he was fighting fiercely on the battlefield, his family back in Beijing was facing enormous trouble because of him.

Originally, this matter was not complicated. As long as the original and current units coordinated and connected well, it could be resolved properly.

Unfortunately, the battlefield situation was chaotic at the time, and there were oversights in the coordination of various links. His secondment letter was lost unexpectedly and disappeared without a trace.

Until the Fourth Campaign ended completely, his original 6th Army could not find his whereabouts and could only report him as missing on the battlefield according to procedure.

After the list of missing persons was compiled and reviewed by headquarters, a notice was issued immediately, sending news of his disappearance back to Beijing.

The Military Control Commission of Sijiu City attached great importance to the matter of missing persons on the battlefield and immediately arranged for staff to go to the He family at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang to comfort the family.

The He family also received a notification of He Yuzhu's disappearance on the battlefield, stamped with an official seal.

Holding the thin notice, Chen Lanxiang collapsed to the ground, hugging young He Yushui and crying uncontrollably.

In her heart, her son He Yuzhu was the pillar of the family. Now that she has learned of his disappearance, she feels as if the sky has completely collapsed and there is no hope left in her life.

She spent her days in tears, refusing to eat or drink, her eyes vacant, and she instantly became much more haggard and aged several years.

No sooner had the military control committee staff left than the news of the He family's troubles was distorted by the gossipy old women in the front yard.

They embellished the story, spread rumors, and distorted the news of He Yuzhu's disappearance on the battlefield into that he was a deserter, and even slandered him as a traitor who surrendered to the enemy.

Rumors swept through the entire Nanluoguxiang area like a whirlwind.

In just one day, everyone in the alley knew that the He family at No. 95 had produced a deserter who might have even defected to the enemy and become a traitor.

The stigmatizing remarks were like sharp knives, stabbing deeply into the hearts of everyone in the Ho family.

Chen Lanxiang was already immersed in grief, and upon hearing these malicious rumors, she stayed indoors all day long, her tears never ceasing.

The children in the front yard who used to play with He Yushui every day no longer wanted to associate with her after being instigated by their parents.

Even whenever He Yushui went out, the children would gather around her and shout at the top of their lungs, "The traitor's sister!"

Young He Yushui was both angry and aggrieved. With red eyes, she wrestled with the other children, but being young and weak, she was no match for the many and powerful opponents.

Every time they fought, she would be pushed to the ground, covered in dust, and run home crying.

As soon as she entered the house, she threw herself into He Daqing's arms, sobbing and choking out, "Dad, my brother isn't a deserter, he's not a traitor, sob sob sob."

He Daqing hugged his daughter tightly, his eyes red-rimmed, and comforted her in a hoarse voice, "No, my Zhuzi isn't like that, our Zhuzi is definitely not that kind of person!"

He Daqing, who used to have a fiery temper and couldn't stand the slightest grievance, could only remain silent at this moment, smoking one cigarette after another.

He knew in his heart that his son was now being slandered as a deserter and a traitor, and the He family had become the object of everyone's contempt. No matter how angry he was, he had nowhere to reason with them and could only silently endure it.

This unexpected disaster not only ruined the He family's life, but also affected those around them.

Xu Damao and Xiaoman were isolated and ostracized by their classmates at school. Everyone avoided them and pointed at them.

All of this was caused by the children in the courtyard spreading rumors about the He family to the school, which led to this situation.

Xu Damao had a fiery temper and couldn't stand the ostracism and slander from his classmates, so he immediately got into a fight with the classmate who was spreading rumors.

After the fight, the school called the parents. After learning what had happened, Xu Fugui returned home and strictly forbade Xu Damao from having any further contact with the He family.

Even when Xu Xiaohui was young, Xu Fugui instructed Zhao Cuifeng not to allow the child to set foot in the He family's house again.

Xu Damao was a hundred times unwilling, but he always believed in He Yuzhu's character and absolutely did not believe that Brother Zhu would be a deserter or a traitor.

But he doesn't have a job yet and his family supports him. He can't fight against his father's wishes, so even though he's unwilling, he can only temporarily obey his father's arrangements.

At school, the boys who had always admired Xiaoman and coveted her looks felt that their chance had come after learning about He Yuzhu's accident.

Previously, Xu Damao had always claimed that Xiaoman was his sister-in-law, and that he only recognized He Yuzhu as his elder brother in this life, and that no one would dare to easily provoke Xiaoman.

Now that He Yuzhu is in trouble, these boys have completely lost their inhibitions and have started to harass Xiaoman every day after school.

Upon learning the news, Xu Damao was furious and repeatedly ambushed and beat up these people, finally venting his anger.

He stood at the school gate, threatening all those with ill intentions: "Anyone who messes with Xiaoman again, don't blame me, Xu Damao, for being impolite. I will never let them off!"

Xu Damao's tough stance temporarily deterred those boys with ulterior motives, and Xiaoman's life finally returned to some peace.

Xiaoman had already prepared for the worst.

She secretly made up her mind that if He Yuzhu really couldn't come back, she would immediately move out of the Wang family's house and live in He Yuzhu's east wing room.

She wanted to stay and take care of Zhu Zi's parents, to care for He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang in their old age and see them off in their final days, and she would never leave the He family.

Xiaoman's deepest thoughts could not be hidden from the perceptive Wang Cuiping.

Wang Cuiping is no longer the clueless woman she was when she first arrived in Beijing. After serving as the deputy head of the investigation department for more than a year, she has met all sorts of people and experienced all kinds of things, making her exceptionally insightful in her understanding of people and events.

She and Wang Hongxia got along well and often talked about He Yuzhu, so she knew He Yuzhu's character and personality very well.

She even vaguely suspected that He Yuzhu had secretly helped the organization in his early years, but no one knew the specifics.

Looking at Xiaoman, whose eyes were red and who was full of grievances, she reached out and gently patted her shoulder, comforting her with a gentle yet firm tone.

"Xiaoman, you know your brother Zhuzi's abilities better than anyone. He just disappeared on the battlefield. Even if everyone in the world deserted, he would never do such a thing. Just focus on your studies and wait for him to come back."

With tears in her eyes and a choked voice, Xiaoman asked, "Aunt Ping, really? Will Brother Zhu really be alright? Will he come back?"

Wang Cuiping lovingly stroked Xiaoman's hair and said firmly, "Even if you don't believe me, you should believe him, right? He will never let us down."

Xiaoman could no longer hold back and threw herself into Wang Cuiping's arms, bursting into tears, releasing all the grievances and worries she had suppressed for so long.

Wang Cuiping held Xiaoman, her eyes gradually reddening, and she couldn't help but shed tears. She sighed inwardly, feeling that this situation was truly too frustrating.

Young Wang Siyu, who was standing to the side, did not understand the sorrows between adults. When she saw Xiaoman and Wang Cuiping crying, she thought that she had made them sad because she had been disobedient.

She toddled over to Wang Cuiping, tugged at her clothes, and said in a childish voice, "Mommy, don't cry. Sister, don't cry. Siyu, be good. Siyu, be good!"

Wang Cuiping quickly wiped away her tears, bent down to pick up Wang Siyu, and said gently, "Okay, okay, Mommy won't cry. Siyu is a good child."

Xiaoman quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile, not wanting young Wang Siyu to worry.

Wang Hongxia, far away in Beijing, was extremely anxious when she learned that He Yuzhu had been reported missing and falsely accused of being a deserter and traitor.

She immediately went to her former leader, Zhao Fengnian, grabbed his hand, and said urgently, "Old Zhao, please think of a way to help contact the 6th Army and ask Zhu Zi what happened. He could never be a deserter!"

Seeing Wang Hongxia's anxious expression, Zhao Fengnian immediately agreed and used all his connections to inquire about information everywhere.

He contacted his former leader and former comrades-in-arms, and after many days of searching, he finally obtained accurate information about He Yuzhu.

He immediately found Wang Hongxia and told her the truth: "Hongxia, He Yuzhu was indeed reported missing on the battlefield, but he could not possibly be a deserter."

"I learned from my comrades on the front lines that he fought extremely bravely on the battlefield and made many contributions. To say that he defected to the enemy is pure nonsense and a huge joke."

"There's one more thing. The battlefield situation has been complicated these past few months, and a large number of soldiers have gone missing. Some of them have already returned to their units. Let's wait a little longer; maybe we'll hear from him soon."

After hearing the news, Wang Hongxia felt a little relieved, but then she remembered something else and asked again.

"Since Zhu Zi performed bravely on the battlefield, why didn't the 6th Army report his merits? The 6th Army operated in the Beijing and Tianjin areas before its reorganization. I know them well. They are definitely not the kind of unit that would withhold credit from its subordinates."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fengnian's face showed a helpless yet amused expression, and he truthfully recounted the inside information he had gathered.

After hearing this, Wang Hongxia was speechless for a moment, and sighed inwardly, "Zhu Zi is really unlucky to have encountered such a thing."

After her initial emotion subsided, she took Zhao Fengnian's hand again and said firmly, "Old Zhao, you must ask someone to find Zhuzi's original company and get to the bottom of things. I need to know the truth about him!"

However, this is extremely difficult to implement.

At that time, the fighting on the front lines was still fierce, troops were frequently moved around, and communication was extremely inconvenient.

He Yuzhu's original company was not an elite assault company like the 7th Company, and it was not equipped with a dedicated radio, so it was impossible to make contact at any time.

Zhao Fengnian could only agree, promising to look for opportunities slowly and inform Wang Hongxia as soon as he had any news.

After receiving the confirmation, Wang Hongxia rushed to the He family home and informed He Daqing and his family of the situation.

Since learning of her eldest grandson He Yuzhu's disappearance, Grandma He has remained silent and withdrawn, staying indoors and refusing to communicate with anyone.

But after hearing the news brought by Wang Hongxia, the old lady finally spoke for the first time, her eyes firm and her tone resounding.

"Did you hear that? Who can say for sure what's going on at the front? Our Zhuzi isn't a coward; he would never desert or betray us!"

He Daqing sat to the side, sighed deeply, and said with a helpless expression, "We know, old lady, that's our son. We believe him one hundred percent, but outsiders don't. They only believe those rumors."

Grandma He, leaning on her cane, tapped it heavily on the ground and said in a steady tone, "Don't worry about what others say. Let's just live our own lives. If we're upright, we have nothing to fear. Just wait for Zhuzi to come back!"

Having lived most of her life, Grandma He knew the power of gossip and the saying "three men can make a tiger," but she firmly believed that her eldest grandson would not be in any danger and would definitely return safely.

She has experienced many ups and downs in her life. When the Japanese invaded China, He Yuzhu was only ten years old, but she dared to risk her life to get food for her family and help her neighbors.

Even the ruthless Japanese devils couldn't do anything to Zhu Zi back then, so how could the enemies on the peninsula today be any more ruthless than the Japanese devils of that time? She absolutely refused to believe it!

Since then, the He family has kept a completely low profile, staying indoors all day, not interacting with anyone in the courtyard, and ignoring any rumors.

The more low-key and patient the He family was, the more arrogant and domineering those with ill intentions in the front yard became, and they were extremely arrogant and domineering.

Among this group, the first to jump out and cause trouble was Jia Zhangshi, who was always greedy and mean.

At this moment, Madam Jia Zhang set her sights on the He family, not for anything else but the east wing of the central courtyard where He Yuzhu lived.

At that time, Jia Zhangshi's son, Jia Dongxu, had already turned 21 and reached the age to get married.

Since last year, Jia Zhangshi has been asking matchmakers everywhere to find a wife for her son, Jia Dongxu, hoping to find him a good wife.

Madam Jia had extremely high standards and was particularly demanding of her future daughter-in-law.

She explicitly required that the woman must be a native of Beijing and have a stable, formal job; she absolutely could not be unemployed.

In her view, with two workers, Jia Dongxu and Jia Yanguo, earning money, her family was well-off and fully entitled to choose the best girl.

After the new currency was issued, Jia Dongxu's apprentice wages, when converted, were much higher than when he used to receive silver dollars.

The Jia family's living conditions have indeed improved compared to before, which has given Jia Zhangshi the confidence to show off and criticize her daughter-in-law everywhere.

Over the course of a whole year, through matchmakers, Jia Dongxu went on several dates with girls from Beijing.

At first, when the girls heard that the Jia family had two full-time workers, they all rushed over excitedly, full of anticipation.

Jia Dongxu usually dresses up carefully, looking presentable, and his appearance is flawless, so the girls are generally satisfied with him at first glance.

But when they saw the two small, dilapidated rooms where the Jia family lived, their hearts sank instantly, and most of them directly rejected the marriage proposal after returning home.

The few who did not refuse were either unemployed, from impoverished families, or had heavy family burdens and needed to constantly subsidize their parents' families.

Madam Jia was arrogant and always thought her son was the most outstanding in the whole courtyard, so she couldn't possibly look down on these two types of girls.

The housing issue completely spurred Jia Zhangshi into action. Undeterred, she sought out even more matchmakers to continue arranging marriages for Jia Dongxu.

But the results were always the same: all the girls rejected Jia Dongxu because of the housing issue.

What's even worse is that Jia Zhangshi is stingy and mean. If a matchmaking attempt fails, she refuses to give the matchmaker a single penny, even refusing to pay for the hard work of running errands.

Over time, she offended all the matchmakers in the area, and no one was willing to introduce any potential partners to her husband, Jia Dongxu.

Just as Jia Zhangshi was losing sleep over the house, news of He Yuzhu's accident came, and she immediately had wicked thoughts.

She immediately set her sights on the spacious, bright, and exquisitely decorated east wing room in the central courtyard, the house that He Yuzhu had personally managed and lived in.

In Jia Zhangshi's view, He Yuzhu has now become a "deserter and traitor," and his fate is unknown. The He family has to keep their heads down and suffer all kinds of criticism.

Old Mrs. He, who lives in the backyard, relies entirely on the He family for support and care. To avoid trouble and live a peaceful life, she will definitely take the initiative to get rid of this house.

She secretly figured that as long as she took the initiative to ask, whether it was to rent or occupy the property, the He family wouldn't dare to refuse.

Once she made up her mind, Jia Zhangshi immediately took action, urging Jia Yanguo every day to go and talk to Old Madam He about the house.

Jia Yanguo knew that the He family was already in dire straits due to their misfortune, and he didn't want to kick them while they were down, much less offend Old Madam He.

But he couldn't withstand Jia Zhangshi's constant nagging and tantrums. Jia Zhangshi brought up her son Jia Dongxu's marriage every day, relentlessly pressuring him.

In the end, Jia Yanguo had no choice but to bite the bullet and go with Jia Zhangshi to the backyard to find Old Madam He.

As Old Madam He sat in the house, her eyes turned cold the moment she saw Jia Zhangshi and Jia Yanguo enter together. She immediately realized that the two of them were definitely up to no good.

She sat motionless, leaning on her cane, coldly watching the two men, waiting for them to speak first.

As expected, as soon as Jia Zhangshi entered the door, she greeted everyone with a smile and got straight to the point, saying things that instantly made people furious.

"Grandma, I'd like to ask you something. Could you rent us that east wing room in your courtyard?"

With a cold gaze and a firm tone, Old Mrs. He said, word by word, "That's Zhu Zi's house; no one can touch it."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a vicious expression, and she immediately uttered harsh words.

"Your eldest grandson isn't coming back. Even if he miraculously does, he'll be stuck in jail, or worse, shot. There's no point in keeping this house!"

These words completely enraged Old Mrs. He. She stood up abruptly, her eyes wide with fury, and gritted her teeth as she spat out a single word: "Get out!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the old lady swung her cane and struck Jia Zhangshi hard.

Terrified, Jia Zhangshi retreated repeatedly, dodging as she yelled and cursed, "You old hag, if you don't want to rent, fine, but you dare to hit me?"

"You just wait and see. You'll regret what happened to your eldest grandson. I want to see how long you and the He family can remain arrogant. Don't come begging to us then!"

While cursing loudly, Jia Zhangshi pulled the unwilling Jia Yanguo and turned to run outside, afraid of being hit by the old lady's cane.

Old Mrs. He was so angry that she trembled all over. Watching Jia Zhangshi's retreating figure, she suddenly threw her cane towards the door.

With a loud bang, the cane slammed heavily against the door, causing it to shake slightly.

The old woman shouted angrily, "I'll tear your rotten mouth apart!"

Madam Jia ran to the courtyard gate, still relentless, and turned back to shout at the top of her lungs, "Hmph, let's see how long you can hold out! We'll see!"

This whole scene was witnessed by Zhao Cuifeng from the Xu family next door.

Zhao Cuifeng had heard the commotion in the courtyard and wanted to go out to check, but after hesitating for a long time, she finally sighed and silently retreated, not going out to get involved.

She knew in her heart that the Jia family was mean-spirited and the He family was in trouble. If she got involved, she would definitely get into trouble. Her only choice was to protect herself.

Hearing the commotion outside, Xu Xiaohui ran to Zhao Cuifeng's side and whispered, "Mother, is that Aunt Jia from the front yard?"

Zhao Cuifeng quickly covered her daughter's mouth and whispered, "Shh, don't make a sound, don't let them hear."

Xu Xiaohui blinked and whispered, "It's true, my brother and Sister Yushui said their family is the worst. The story about Brother Zhu is just a rumor spread by Aunt Jia."

Zhao Cuifeng was wary of Jia Zhangshi's shrewish behavior, so she quickly threatened her daughter: "Don't talk about it when you go out. If she finds out, she might kidnap you and sell you."

Xu Xiaohui turned pale with fright and quickly covered her mouth with both hands, not daring to make a sound.

The fact that the Jia couple were able to storm into the Intermediate People's Court and cause trouble without anyone stopping them was not because they were unsupervised, but because the timing was perfect and they each had their own reasons.

At that time, Wang Cuiping was working overtime at her workplace and was unable to get back to the courtyard in time.

Chen Lanxiang was heartbroken and stayed at home taking care of Wang Cuiping's children. She stayed indoors all day and rarely went out.

Xiaoman and He Yushui knew that Chen Lanxiang was in a very bad mood, so they stayed at home with her to comfort her and did not go out.

He Daqing, on the other hand, was constantly pointed at and gossiped about by his colleagues in the steel rolling mill, and suffered all kinds of scorn from others.

Even the wedding and funeral catering jobs he used to rely on for a living became less and less frequent, and no one was willing to hire him anymore.

That day, he finally got a job catering a banquet, but the host deliberately lowered the price after learning that he was He Yuzhu's father.

Even though the wages were pitifully low, He Daqing did not refuse. In order to make a living, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go out to prepare the dishes.

Xu Damao has also been having a tough time lately.

Every weekend, his father, Xu Fugui, would drag him along to learn how to project movies.

At first, Xu Damao was very interested in this novel thing called showing movies and studied it very diligently.

Little did he know that Xu Fugui's reason for having him learn this craft two years early was not for his future at all.

Rather, it was to keep him by their side, to prevent him from staying in the courtyard, and to keep him from getting involved in the He family's affairs.

Xu Fugui knew that, given Xu Damao's character, He Yuzhu had treated him well, and now that the He family was in trouble, Xu Damao would definitely not sit idly by and would lend a helping hand.

Xu Fugui was timid and afraid of trouble, and didn't want his son to get involved in such troublesome matters, lest he get into trouble himself.

He kept comforting and reassuring himself: "It's not that I'm heartless, it's just that given the current situation, I can only try to protect myself. If the He family really has nowhere else to go in the future, I'll find a way to quietly lend them a hand."

Jia Zhangshi's attempt to seize He Yuzhu's house was just the beginning.

Since then, a number of people with ulterior motives have come to the He family's house to inquire about it.

Among these people were colleagues from the steel mill and large neighbors from the nearby compound; they were all harboring ill intentions.

They all believed the rumors and mistakenly thought that the east wing of the courtyard house was rented by He Yuzhu, and now that he was "gone," the house should be vacant for rent.

They figured the house was just sitting empty anyway, so they might as well rent it out to them and get some money in return.

I thought Jia Zhangshi's vicious words were already excessive enough, but I never expected that there would be even more bizarre and excessive people.

Some people don't even bother with the polite formalities of renting a house; they directly use the guise of renting to extort money from people, seize houses, and act extremely arrogantly.

Faced with these people with ill intentions who came to provoke them, the He family did not simply tolerate them.

After finishing the banquet and returning home, He Daqing was furious upon learning of what these people had done. Breaking his usual silence, he took action and dealt a severe blow to these troublemakers.

When Wang Cuiping got home from get off work, she learned that someone had come to her door to extort money from her house. She used her position to arrest the troublemakers and gave them a good talking-to.