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

"Brother-in-law! It's one thing to say such things at home, but you can't mention it outside! If someone hears it, you could be beheaded!" Seeing that Mancang was about to continue, he quickly interrupted him. This brother-in-law was too audacious!

Well! It seems this brother-in-law's mindset is deeply ingrained and unlikely to change anytime soon. Oh well, once a mindset is formed, it can't be changed in a few words. Let him learn his lesson by facing setbacks a few more times!

The two talked for a long time in the office. When they couldn't reach an agreement on their ideas, they talked about fighting the Japanese. They maintained contact and supported each other as before, and the other could come to their aid at any time if needed.

That evening, the family enjoyed a lively reunion dinner. At the old man's repeated insistence, the wedding of the eldest brother-in-law and Li Zizhen was held three days later. The newlyweds naturally followed the old man's wishes. The bride's family was far away in Leyi and certainly couldn't make it, but being both from military backgrounds, they didn't care too much about these formalities.

With the Mo Dao Regiment presiding, the wedding was undoubtedly lively and grand. Many Nationalist Army officers from the surrounding area came to offer their congratulations, and the various business owners from the Chamber of Commerce were naturally present as well. Mancang had a more thorough understanding of the current situation of the War of Resistance against Japan after talking with several officers. The entire army, whether the Central Army or the local armies, was full of confidence in achieving the final victory in the War of Resistance, a stark contrast to the fear and dread they had shown a few years ago!

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Li Dadi received orders to closely monitor the movements of the Japanese invaders, and the intelligence team immediately sprang into action! The youngest uncle and nephew, carrying their ancestral cotton bow, were dispatched to Xiangcheng County to gather intelligence. Xiangcheng County, located north of the Yangtze River, had long been occupied by the Japanese. If the Japanese wanted to attack Yudu, they had to gather in Xiangcheng, making it a hub for all sorts of information.

After these years of experience, the youngest uncle and nephew are no longer the naive and clueless people they once were. While they may appear simple-minded and honest on the surface, their eyes reveal a shrewdness that cannot be hidden. Uncle Shunzi, in particular, completely disregards the colorful crowds on the street!

"Cotton fluffing time!...Cotton fluffing!..."

"Half a pound of cotton fluff turned into eight ounces and eighty centimeters..."

The impromptu ditties that storytellers sang had a great influence; they couldn't help but utter a line or two while hawking their wares, which always attracted people's attention.

"Cotton fluffers! Can you really fluff half a pound of cotton into eight ounces and eight ounces?" An elderly woman dressed in jewels stopped the uncle and nephew on the street and asked.

"Of course! See this big guy? This is our family's heirloom cotton bow, and it's the third generation in my family!" the youngest brother said proudly, holding the cotton bow.

"Alright! You two come with me. If it's really like you said, half a pound of cotton turned into eight ounces and eight ounces, I'll give you double the price!" The old woman urged the two of them to follow her.

"Alright! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" The uncle and nephew happily agreed and followed the old woman to a very grand courtyard. With its blue bricks and tiles, two courtyards, and several maids carrying tea into the main hall, it was clearly a wealthy family's home! And it seemed some important guests were visiting; the maids were constantly bringing in trays of fruit and tea!

"Old woman, what are you doing? What are these two greenhorns doing?" An old man in a long gown called out to the three of them from afar, asking with a smug look on his face.

"These two are cotton fluffers. Isn't the young master getting married in a few days? Have them fluff some cotton to make quilts! It's all agreed that they can fluff eight ounces and eighty centimeters from half a pound of cotton! If they can't fluff it, they don't pay; if they can, they pay double!" the old woman said, looking shrewd.

"Half a pound of cotton yields eight ounces and eight ounces? That's utter nonsense! No matter how skilled you are, you can't just fluff more and more! You brainless fool, you've been fooled again!" the old man said irritably.

"You're right! Old cotton loosens up when you fluff it, and a liter of cotton can be fluffed into a bushel, so the more you fluff, the more there is!" Seeing that business was about to start, Huang Laoyao quickly stepped forward to explain.

"You're right? Fine, fine, I'll see how you manage to play more and more! You think you won't get paid if you can't play it? Well, you'd better be accurate. If you can't play it, not only will you not get paid, but you two will also get a beating! You dare to cheat the Zheng family? Don't you even know if the Zheng family would dare to cheat you?" The old man said angrily, his temper flaring.

"Don't worry, we're honest people!" the uncle and nephew quickly nodded and bowed.

"Hmph! You take them there! Make sure the scale is accurate!" the old man shouted.

"Butler, the young master wants you to go to the hall!" Just then, a maid ran up to the old man and said.

"Hmph!" The old butler snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Even a housekeeper is this powerful; it's true what they say, "It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings!" Judging from the old woman's appearance, she must be the housekeeper. If even the housekeeper is so adorned with jewels, the Zheng family must be no ordinary wealthy household!

The uncle and nephew were taken to an empty room. The housekeeper had more than 20 kilograms of cotton brought in and weighed it on the spot. Then she told them to hand it over by noon the next day and left arrogantly. She even took the scale away, as if she was afraid they would tamper with it.

"Uncle Shunzi! We've come to the right place by accident this time! This family must be a big traitor!" The youngest brother couldn't help but exclaim excitedly as only the uncle and nephew remained in the room.

"I saw it. Two Japanese soldiers are visiting in the front hall, and that father and son are standing by like lapdogs, serving them. What are they trying to achieve by acting like servants during the New Year? Are they just looking for trouble?" Shunzi said in a sullen tone.

"Those two are definitely no good. I wonder if we can get any useful information out of them..."

"You stay here and do your work while I go over and listen to what they're saying."

"Alright! Be careful, that old butler is no good!"

"Don't worry! It's just an old dog; we've seen plenty of those over the years!"

……

In the front hall, the Zheng family father and son were speaking cautiously with the two young noblemen from the military police. The old butler had just left, having been ordered by his young master to fetch two young ladies from the brothel to serve the Japanese soldiers. His obsequious manner was a stark contrast to his earlier behavior when facing the two cotton-fluffing men.

“Chairman Zheng, our friendship should begin a new chapter at the start of the new year! Don’t you agree?” Military Police officer Kunimoto Masaji said, rubbing his right thumb and forefinger together.

"Yes, yes, yes, a new year brings new beginnings. I hope Your Excellency will provide you with much guidance! These are not problems at all!" Old Master Zheng readily agreed, naturally understanding the Japanese's intentions.

Over the years, he has committed numerous atrocities under the guise of the Japanese invaders, making a considerable amount of money, but also giving a lot of bribes to the Japanese! The military police captain in front of us is a glutton; when he gets something for nothing, he doesn't care how ugly he looks when he tries to take advantage of it!

"Yoshi! Chairman Zheng is still as straightforward as ever! Excellent!" Kunimoto Masaji praised the man for his quick agreement. "This is my ninth year in China. The Imperial Japanese Army will be making a big move soon, and I'm among those who have been recruited. If we can take over a larger territory this time, you and your son will continue to work hard for me! Young Master Zheng is not young anymore; I think he's perfectly capable of being the head of a county-level maintenance association!" Kunimoto Masaji said.