I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

As they spoke, it was time for the parade that Kobayashi Kazuhito had mentioned. Early that morning, Kobayashi Kazuhito gathered ninety-eight Japanese soldiers and three hundred and sixty puppet troops in the military police compound. Fully armed and swaggering, they set off from the military police station and began their parade throughout the county!

"Damn it! What's wrong with those Japanese devils? Why aren't they out setting up defensive fortifications? What are they doing wandering around the county town?"

"It's like an old sow strolling down the street! Trying to show off to us common folk!"

"What's there to pretend with us common folk? If you're so capable, why don't you dare show off to the Mo Dao Regiment? I heard the Mo Dao Regiment has already taken back Qili Township in Xiahou Town! And the Japanese haven't dared to utter a sound!"

"I think the Japanese devils are really done for this time! They've launched so many attacks, but the Mo Dao Regiment has managed to drive them back one after another! I wonder when they'll be able to reach the county town!"

"It's a demonstration! I heard those traitors are all terrified that the Mo Dao Regiment will come after them and settle scores. Nobody dares to be a puppet army anymore!"

"Where did these bastards come from?"

"Those detective dogs have changed! The former puppet troops are either dead or have fled. These people were forcibly dragged in by the Japanese to fill the ranks!"

"Huh? Really? Aren't the detective dogs afraid of dying out like the puppet troops in front of them?"

"Who can say for sure! Anyway, I think the Japanese are helpless against the Mo Dao Regiment! I heard that many Japanese have died, but haven't you seen that there are only about a hundred Japanese soldiers marching around?"

"Haha, good riddance! It's good that all the Japanese devils are dead!"

……

Anyone with eyes can see that these Japanese devils are at their last gasp, and their so-called demonstrations are nothing more than a show to scare the people! As for the results, well, let's just say they're laughable!

……

At the Donglaishun Restaurant, Li Dadi and his three companions, along with two other sisters they had rescued from the iron mine, Zhu Ya'e and Zhang Guihua, were cleaning up the premises. With Man Cang's support, they had taken over the restaurant and planned to use it as a base for intelligence work.

"Manager, what do you think of these dishes? These are the dishes that my brothers love most when we sisters are at home!" Zhang Guihua said, pointing to several dishes on the table.

These two sisters have been cooking for everyone in the village for the past six months, preparing all sorts of dishes to keep the men well-fed and satisfied. Their culinary skills have improved by leaps and bounds! They were sent to take charge of cooking when they decided to open a restaurant in the county town.

"Not bad, not bad! Just as good as the restaurants in town! These are all the dishes we have. As soon as we open, business will definitely be booming!" Li Dadi praised after trying a couple of bites of each dish.

"You two have really improved your cooking skills! Alright, alright, now the four of us sisters are reunited, and no one can bully us anymore!" As she spoke, Diezi glanced at Li Dadi and Gou Mao, her meaning quite clear!

"Dish! I have a problem with what you're saying! Tell me, in the past six months, when have we ever not bullied me at the market? If I bullied you the way you bullied me, wouldn't you have kicked me to the South River by now?" Dog Hair said aggrievedly.

"Hahaha, brother, you've suffered!" Li Dadi laughed heartily at Gou Mao's complaints!

"What are you laughing at? The commander made you the manager and you think you're the manager now? Let me tell you, don't even think about bullying us!" Wang Chunhua yelled at him, annoyed by his happy smile.

"Hahaha, brother, you've suffered too! Come on, let's have a drink, we're brothers in misfortune!" Now it was Dog Hair's turn to gloat.

"Hehehehe, from now on, we'll be the boss ladies in this shop, and you two will be the waiters! Understand?" Diezi declared decisively.

"..." The two brothers looked at each other, their expressions utterly utterly hopeless!

……

In the former office of Inoue Masao in the former military police compound of Xiahou Town, the room was now filled with all the surviving landlords and wealthy landowners from the two townships. They were said to be "surviving" because those who had committed numerous evils and were rich but heartless had already been imprisoned and were awaiting trial the next day! Those sitting here were all landlords and nouveau riche who hadn't committed any major offenses.

"Everyone! I've been operating in Xiahou Town for many years and have dealt with many people, so I'll speak frankly!"

"I'm sure you're all aware of the current situation. On behalf of the Mo Dao Group, I've established a chamber of commerce to temporarily manage administrative affairs in both locations. I've called you all here today to discuss the land issue. As per the Mo Dao Group's requirements, the land you hold will be returned to the village collective and then distributed to the villagers for rent based on their population. As you've all heard, those who have committed numerous atrocities and colluded with the Japanese have had their property confiscated and their land seized."

"The reason we haven't forcibly confiscated your land is because you've all done good deeds and haven't done anything too outrageous. We've called you all here today in the hope that you'll voluntarily hand over your land so that the poor people can cultivate it."

"Of course, we won't let you hand over your land for nothing. You can exchange it for shops in the markets of both places based on the amount of land you own. You can go from being landlords to merchants, and you might become even richer than you are now in no time!" Zhang Youcai said to the landlords in an orderly manner.

"This...land for shops? Are there that many shops in two markets? Besides, what would we need shops for? In this chaos of war, who has the heart to do business?" said the landlord Bai Xiaoren in frustration.

"Yes! We all make a living by collecting rent, how would we know how to run a business?"

"How risky is it to do business! There are wars everywhere, how can you make money in such chaos?"

"With so few people in just two townships, what kind of business could possibly support a whole family?"

"That's right! Having land in hand is the safest thing to do!"

……

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone started discussing it. In short, no one was willing to give up their land in exchange for shops.

"Gentlemen! How could I not know your concerns! But have you all considered how much harvest you have had during the year or so that the Japanese have occupied these two places? The land is yours, but what about the grain you grew? How much of it has been plundered by the Japanese? And how much has been eaten by desperate refugees?"

"I think everyone knows the situation! This war-torn land is not your asset, but a death trap! Only by distributing the land and letting the refugees take care of it can we ensure their safety! Don't you all think that makes sense?"

"After the Japanese are driven out, the world will change! Farming can only guarantee that you won't starve, and you should be able to eat and dress warmly. But it will be difficult to live the high and mighty life you used to have! Once people have land, who will be willing to work as a farmhand for your family? If you have too much land, can you farm it all by yourselves?"

"On the contrary, doing business will allow you to continue living a life of luxury!"

"Yes, business is definitely tough right now with war and chaos everywhere! But it's precisely because of this chaos that supplies are scarce everywhere! As long as we manufacture the goods and ship them out, making money is a sure thing!"