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

In the courtyard of the Xiahou Town Chamber of Commerce, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Youcai, along with Mancang's parents, sat upright in the main room of the backyard. On the table sat a small red wooden box with a large, eye-catching "double happiness" character on it.

"Grandpa, Madam, please rest assured, Zaohua and I are truly in love. We will support each other and grow old together happily!" Mancang said, a little nervously. Even though they were already quite familiar with each other, formally proposing to her parents still made him quite excited!

That's right, it's a marriage proposal! After returning from bombing the airport, Zao Hua had given him such obvious hints that he couldn't let the girl wait in vain, could he? After discussing it with his parents, he prepared 1,001 silver dollars and went to propose marriage.

"Don't worry, old boss. My wife and I only have one son, Mancang. Zaohua will be like our own daughter. Our whole family will treat her well and won't let her suffer any injustice!" Mancang's father quickly stated.

“Yes, sister-in-law, everyone is living in Tianma Village now, and everyone loves the two kids. It’s good to let them be together sooner so they can hold their grandchildren sooner, right?” Mancang’s mother added.

"Hahaha, you've done such a big thing, why are you so reserved today? Tell me, how are you going to treat my daughter well?" Zhang Youcai sighed as he looked at Zhao Mancang, who seemed a little nervous.

“This…Isn’t it because I was afraid you two wouldn’t agree?…Don’t worry about Zaohua, I will truly love her and will never take a concubine in my life…” Mancang was interrupted by the old man before he could finish speaking.

"You little brat, you want to take a concubine?" Zhang Youcai was displeased when he heard this. "I've only married one wife in my whole life, and you're thinking of taking a concubine!"

What are you thinking?

"You brat, how dare you talk like that? What do you mean by taking a concubine? In the past generations of the Zhao family, who has ever taken a concubine? Take it back right now!" Mancang's father scolded.

"..." Man Cang was inwardly miserable! I clearly said I would never take a concubine, okay? How did it become that I was going to take a concubine in your mouths? You're usually so good at talking nonsense, what's wrong with you today?

Zao Hua, Zhang Jingya, and Zhou Xingge hid in their room, chuckling to themselves. "Why did you bring up taking a concubine? Serves you right!"

After the initial awkwardness, Mancang pleaded with the old man until he calmed down, believing that the old man was merely expressing his opinion and not actually intending to take a concubine. However, the old man didn't agree to let them get married immediately, as it wasn't appropriate for Zaohua's brother to be fighting on the front lines while his sister was celebrating a grand wedding at home. Nevertheless, the marriage was considered agreed upon; the two sets of parents had a meal together to finalize the engagement, and the wedding would be held after the war ended.

……

"The caravan is back!"

"They're back, Manxiang!"

"The shopkeepers are all back!"

Just as the two families were having dinner together, Manxiang and his family returned in a grand procession. Upon hearing that Mancang was engaged, Manxiang rushed in carrying a box!

"Brother! Brother! You got engaged, but you had to wait for me! Luckily I made it in time!"

"..." Everyone was speechless. These two brothers are too good! Are they going to get engaged together too?

"What are you holding in your hand?" Mancang touched his nose and quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, these are gifts for all the sisters-in-law and Jingya! These are specialties from Shaanxi, very precious!" Saying this, she quickly opened the box, took out three purple and green jade pendants, and handed them to Mancang like treasures.

"Hmm! Qinling purple jade! Very nice! The Maitreya Buddha pendant would be very suitable for a young lady to wear." As he spoke, he directly presented a pendant to Zao Hua.

Huh? Does it have to be this smooth? I bought it with my own money, okay?

"Hmm! It's so pretty, both purple and green! I really like it!" Zao Hua took the pendant, looked at it for a while, and then put it around her neck. She clearly really liked it.

"Jingya, this is for you!" Manxiang quickly took another pendant and handed it to Zhang Jingya, who was standing to the side.

"You're still thoughtful!" Zhang Jingya was delighted and, mimicking Zao Hua's gesture, took the pendant and put it on. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? Sit down and eat first!"

"No!" she said, sitting down smoothly next to Zhang Jingya and starting to eat, completely unaware that this was someone else's engagement party!

The meal was very lively, and Manxiang recounted his experiences from the trip, which broadened everyone's horizons and made them envious.

"Jingya, Pigeon, I've found the lead plate printing press you wanted! Your newspaper can start now!" Manxiang said excitedly.

"Printing press? Opening a newspaper? What's going on? Are you two going back to your old ways?" Mancang asked the group with a puzzled look.

“Haha, yes! Jingya and I discussed that now that the Mo Dao Group has its own territory, we should reopen the newspaper! The people in both towns are working hard to improve their lives, so we should promote it! Maybe it will attract even more people to join us!” Zhou Xingge said.

“Great! Opening a newspaper is great! It can not only publicize our policies, but also the achievements of the Mo Dao Regiment! It will be an encouragement to the entire War of Resistance! I support you!” Zhang Youcai was the first to express his support before Mancang could even comment.

“Brother, I also think the newspaper should be opened. We’ve won so many battles, the people should know about it long ago! People living in dire straits can see some hope, right?” Manxiang agreed.

"Then let's open it! Not just in our little corner of the world, but let the towns and even the county know about our achievements! This is a good thing, I fully support it!" Man Cang suddenly had a flash of inspiration and agreed.

The power of the media is undeniable! Not only can it be used for propaganda, but a small newspaper can also be a powerful weapon in the fight against the Japanese invaders. If used properly, it can be just as effective as guns and cannons!

"I knew you would support us! Don't worry, we will definitely run the newspaper well and never bring shame to the Mo Dao Group!" Zhou Xingge said.

“Yes! But we need to ask you for someone; Zao Hua has to work with us!” Zhang Jingya said.

"I agree!" Zao Hua declared before Man Cang could even speak.

"Did you already discuss this beforehand?" Mancang asked the three girls.

“Yes! What else do you doubt?” Zao Hua affirmed.

"..." Man Cang was speechless. They had already discussed it all before telling me. This was acting first and informing me later! No way! I have to assert my authority as the husband right after we're engaged!

"Have you decided on a name for the newspaper? How about 'Base Area'?"

……

And you know what? The three girls were quite efficient. The first newspaper was printed on the fifth day after they returned with a full box! The first newspaper was incredibly inspiring, recounting the major battles fought by the Mo Dao Regiment. Its publication generated a strong response among the people! Their admiration for the Mo Dao Regiment deepened, and the militia in each village trained even harder!

Regarding the name of the newspaper, the three women accepted Mancang's suggestion and named it "Base Area," which became widely circulated among the people!