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

The principle of "slap and then sweet" is well understood by Guoben Zhengci, who has dealt with these traitors for many years. He uses both carrot and stick to keep these lackeys and traitors firmly under his control! As for the traitors' increasingly rampant exploitation and oppression of the people, what does that have to do with them? If they're so capable, why don't they become traitors and oppress others themselves!

"Yes, yes! Thank you so much for your guidance, Lord Kokuben! We, father and son, will never forget your kindness and will work even harder to serve you!" The father and son quickly said with gratitude.

"Haha! Good job! Keep it up! Become a pillar of society like your father and make greater contributions to the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere!" Kunimoto Masaji patted the young master of the Zheng family on the shoulder with great enjoyment and encouraged him.

"Yes! I'll definitely do my best!" Young Master Zheng quickly replied. "Your Excellency, could you tell me which place it might be? That way we can make preparations in advance."

"Haha, it's in a neighboring province to the north, we'll talk about which county later. It's not far, so it won't stop you from going home to carry on the family line!" Kunimoto Masaji said with a hearty laugh.

"Hey! Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Kunimoto!" Young Master Zheng quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude. Although it was a bit far, as Kunimoto Masaji said, it wouldn't interfere with continuing the family line. Maybe the profits there would be even greater! The area around Xiangcheng County had been occupied by the Japanese for many years, and the traitors had already exploited it countless times. It was all dried up long ago!

"Enjoy your time at home. It won't be long before we leave our hometown to conquer new fields. I'm really looking forward to it!" said Masaji Kunimoto, full of anticipation.

Since arriving here three years ago to manage local affairs, he has made a fortune, earning quite a bit from antiques and porcelain. However, being away from the front lines of combat always leaves him with a strange emptiness. It's truly a pity that such an excellent imperial soldier cannot fight on the battlefield!

The war zone headquarters has already announced a westward expansion, with Xiangcheng County at the forefront! He had already contacted Colonel Tatsuo Shida, who was leading the western expedition, through his connections and requested to join the battle. Moreover, he was very confident that he could be the one to turn the tide! The defeats on multiple battlefields had already placed an unbearable burden on the homeland. If he could win this western expedition, he would become a famous general recorded in history, which was far more tempting than any amount of money!

Soon the butler returned with several beautiful women, and the four of them went into the side room and began a new round of revelry!

Shunzi, hiding behind the main house, overheard the conversation of the people inside. Seeing that there was no more movement in the front hall, he quietly slipped back along the wall to the work room. Everything went smoothly, and no one noticed him. After briefly recounting what he had heard to Lao Yao, the two fell silent. Such ambiguous information could not be sent back. The time, number of people, weapons and equipment, marching route, and even the composition of the command structure all had to be confirmed precisely to ensure that their years of training were not in vain.

Despite the agonizing wait, they couldn't put down their work. Twenty-odd pounds of old cotton would keep them busy for a while! Judging from the housekeeper and his wife's condition, they would suffer if they were delayed, not to mention that they needed to fluff eight ounces and eight ounces of cotton from half a pound of cotton!

"Boom boom boom..."

The cotton-fluffing bow kept making noise, and Shunzi also started twisting on the wooden disc. The familiar movements made the two of them sing the song "Cotton Fluffing" without realizing it.

"Fluffing cotton, fluffing cotton, half a pound of cotton fluffed into eight ounces and eighty centimeters! Old cotton turned into new cotton, and when the cotton is fluffed well, that girl will get married!..."

And you know what? Cotton carding is really a stress-relieving job. Once the two of you are engrossed in the work, you can hum a little tune and leave all your worries behind. It's just a matter of humming!

This singing immediately enlivened the entire courtyard. The servants and maids hummed along while working. These people, who usually only listened to operas, couldn't contain themselves when they heard such a catchy and relatable tune!

Everyone has a heart that yearns for beauty. When you encounter a piece of music or a poem by chance, you will be captivated and unable to stop!

"Yoshi! That's a good piece! Was it played by one of your people? Call them over to join in the fun!" Kunimoto Masaji walked out, looking quite refreshed, and said to the Zheng family father and son. Perhaps it was the music, but this time they actually lasted several minutes longer than usual!

"Ah? Good, good! I'll call him over right away!" Old Zheng had no idea who was singing, but in his own courtyard, he figured it was just some servant humming something random. Since the matriarch liked it, what was wrong with calling him over to perform a song for her? Winning the matriarch's favor was a wonderful thing!

Soon, the old steward personally led the uncle and nephew carefully to the front hall. Upon seeing the two Japanese soldiers, the old steward quickly apologized: "Sir, sir, it was these two cotton fluffers who disturbed you with their noise. I brought them over!"

"You two, why aren't you kneeling down to the Japanese chieftain?!" the old steward shouted sternly at the uncle and nephew.

The uncle and nephew exchanged a determined look. "We kneel before heaven and earth, before our parents—how could we possibly kneel before the Japanese devils? If word got back, our comrades would laugh us to death!"

"No, no, no, you two sang very well! I liked it very much!" Kunimoto Masaji quickly explained when he saw that the butler had misunderstood.

"You may leave!" Old Zheng waved to the butler, telling him to get out of there.

"You two aren't locals, are you? Was that the song you just sang?" Old Zheng asked kindly.

"Yes, yes, yes, we were just humming to ourselves while we were working!..." the youngest said timidly.

"Hehe, don't be afraid! You sang very well, and the two officers liked it very much! This is a reward for you!" Old Man Zheng took out two silver dollars and handed them to the two men.

"Ah?... Thank you, sir!" The youngest son quickly stepped forward to take the silver dollar and said.

"Hehe, the Japanese soldiers really enjoyed your performance. Please sing another song for them!" Old Man Zheng said, looking at the two of them.

"...Here?..." the youngest child asked, looking at the luxurious hall with a puzzled expression.

"Can't you?"

"...Okay, okay, let's go get the tools..." It's fine, but the place is a bit small. What if we break some furniture? Will they have to pay for it?

Well, let's be careful! We can barely manage to use our strength in this area.

"Then hurry up! Don't keep the Japanese officer waiting!" Old Zheng urged. He wasn't afraid they'd escape while they were in his own courtyard.

Soon the uncle and nephew carried the large bow into the front hall, looking very careful as if they were afraid of bumping into a piece of furniture.

"I wonder which song the master and the two ladies would like to hear?" We've already sung "Cotton Fluffing," and it wouldn't be good if we sang it again and upset them, since we've already taken the money!

"You know any other songs? Okay, let's just play a cheerful one!" Kunimoto Masaji said with delight when he heard the two of them say that.

"Let's pick what you're good at! If you sing well, the master will reward you!" Old Man Zheng said generously.

Since the last time I sang a song and took down the Japanese airport, I've been learning a lot from storytellers over the past few years. It's always good to have more skills, and here I am putting them to use again today!