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

Noodle soup is simply wheat flour mixed into a paste, with some wild vegetables added, and cooked into a soup. For people in those days, it was already quite a treat; it was only served to rare guests. Normally, being able to eat enough corn porridge to fill one's stomach was considered good.

"No, we don't have much time. Could you please help us find some clean clothes and a donkey cart? We need to go to the market to buy some things," Zhao Mancang said, making his request.

"Auntie, don't trouble yourself. I'll come out to see you and Xiaobao again next time I have the chance," Diezi said, pulling Xiaobao into her arms. She knew she couldn't delay too long; if the Japanese and traitors found out, it would implicate the whole family.

The toddler, who was just over a year old and had just learned to walk, had been nestled in his grandmother's arms since the two of them came in. When he saw a pretty young woman pulling him, he didn't cry or fuss; he just stared at the two of them intently.

"Alright, the clothes for Heiwa are all readily available, they're just a bit worn out. If you don't mind, you can take them. The only donkey cart is at the mule farm in the east of the village. Don't worry, wait for his grandfather to come back and ask him." As she spoke, the old woman went into the house and found some clean clothes to bring out.

"Okay! Thank you so much. These clothes are all fine. We'll go find Uncle Mule and chat with him ourselves, so we won't wait for you, sir. Take care!" Zhao Mancang said as he took the stack of clothes.

"Have a meal before you go? His grandfather will be back soon," the aunt said warmly.

"Next time! I'll definitely stay for dinner next time!" Zhao Mancang said as he walked out.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stay longer, but looking at the old man and the child, and thinking about their future, he couldn't bear it. Life has three great tragedies: losing a father early, a spouse in middle age, and a child in old age. This family had suffered two of them, and to make matters worse, they were living in such a messed-up era. If the timing weren't so unfortunate, Zhao Mancang would have loved to take this whole family with him.

But I'm already struggling to make ends meet, and taking this whole family with me would only hurt them!

After saying goodbye to the grandmother and grandson, the two left the village, which remained quiet. They arrived at the mule farm the old woman had mentioned and could hear the braying of a donkey from afar.

"Rain~ Rain rain rain~~~"

"What are you yelling about? With war raging everywhere, you'll get slaughtered by the Japanese if you go out! Stay in your enclosure, you have food and drink, what more do you want?" a middle-aged man shouted, his voice filled with boundless hatred.

"Is Uncle Mule home? This is Diezi from Chenjia Village." It was Diezi again who knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Hey, plate! Come in, the door's unlocked." A man's voice rang out, and an old man in his fifties stood up and limped over to greet him.

"Uncle Mule, your leg seems to be getting worse! Haven't you had someone take a look?" Diezi asked, looking at Uncle Mule's limp.

"What are you still looking at? If it weren't for this lame leg, the Japanese would have captured him long ago and made him a laborer! Who is this?" Uncle Mule asked Zhao Mancang.

"Uncle Mule, I'm Heiwa's partner. I had the chance to come out and see the old folks and children today. We need to go to the market to buy some things, and we'd like to buy your donkey cart. What do you think?" Seeing that Uncle Mule had escaped being conscripted by the Japanese because of his lameness, Zhao Mancang sighed again. This was a real-life example of how oppressive government is more ferocious than a tiger!

"Heiwa? Wasn't Heiwa captured and forced to work as a miner?" Uncle Mule asked, puzzled.

“Yes! We all work in the mine. I was assigned to come out and buy some things, and also to look after his elderly parents and children…” Zhao Mancang explained.

"Huh?... Is that even possible? The Japanese really trust you to come out?" Uncle Mule was clearly not someone to be fooled.

"How could that be! My brother's at the mine too! If I don't get back on time, he'll be in big trouble!"

"Alas... what a pitiful child. Those Japanese devils are truly inhuman!" Uncle Mule believed most of it and sighed with a face full of helplessness.

"Fine! If you want to use it, take it. I'll never be able to drive a cart again with this leg on me!" Uncle Mule said dejectedly.

"Alright! Here are two silver dollars. Take care, sir!" Zhao Mancang said, stuffing the two silver dollars into the other man's hand.

"This...this is too much..." His donkey and cart wouldn't have sold for even a silver dollar before, and with the Japanese here, they'd become worthless. Who would take a donkey out and get caught by the Japanese? Wouldn't they just take it away, kill it, and eat it?!

"Just take it, it's all the Japanese's money anyway, don't be polite with them. We have other things to do, so we'll be leaving now." With that, he went to the donkey shed, led the donkey, and tried to hitch it to the cart. But after fiddling with it for a long time, he just couldn't get it to work. The donkey wouldn't listen to him at all, standing in front of the cart shaft without moving, staring with its stubborn donkey eyes.

"Haha, this is a stubborn donkey! Just feed it some food." Uncle Mule said, handing Zhao Mancang a handful of grass.

"Alright!" Later generations would say that he was stubborn as a donkey. When this guy got strong, he wouldn't budge no matter what you did, and you'd have to coax him like a child.

"That's just how donkeys are. If you feed them enough, they'll listen to you. You'll understand once you get to know them better. The mountain road here is uneven, so please walk slowly," Uncle Mule said, helping them hitch up the donkey cart and seeing them off at the door.

"Okay! Take good care of yourself, we're leaving now!" Zhao Mancang said goodbye to the old man, and asked for some clean clothes before leaving.

Back at the village entrance, everyone was getting impatient waiting there, and they all craned their necks to check every now and then.

"You're back! You're finally back! Why are you in a donkey cart?" Da Zhao and his companion asked as they approached, leading the donkey cart.

“It’s not safe here. Carrying our stuff will make us too conspicuous. Let’s load everything onto the car and disguise it so we can deal with any Japanese soldiers or traitors we encounter. Which way do we go?” Zhao Mancang asked, unfamiliar with the area.

“We discussed this when you went out. We can get out of the mountains by following the path through this village. There’s a Japanese checkpoint near Qiliping Township. Once we get past the checkpoint, we’ll be safe!” Tiger said.

“North of Qiliping Township, there’s a bandit stronghold called Tianma Village. The bandits all fled after the Japanese came. If you don’t have a better place to go, you can stay there temporarily,” Da Zhao suggested.

"Tianma Village? I know Tianma Village. A few years ago, that gang of bandits was really rampant. They even came to our Zhao Village to cause trouble. In the end, the clan chief led the village's swordsmen and drove them away!" Third Master said.

“Alright! Let’s go to Tianma Village, but we need to figure out how to get through this checkpoint. Are there any Japanese soldiers there?” Zhao Mancang asked.

"Normally, it's always the puppet troops on duty; there are no Japanese soldiers," Da Zhao said.

"Alright! Then there shouldn't be any major problems. I'll have to trouble the four of you to cooperate!" Zhao Mancang said to the four girls.

“No problem! We’re already past our prime…” the girl with the ponytail said.

"Ah?...No need, no need, it's not that complicated!..." Zhao Mancang quickly explained, "Let's leave the village first, and then find a river to wash off the clothes of the Japanese soldiers and their collaborators..."

Soon the group was on their way again. They passed through the village, washed themselves clean in a stream, and Diezi even got scissors to cut everyone's hair. They then changed into Japanese soldiers' and puppet army uniforms and swaggered out of the mountains. Surprisingly, these guys, used to seeing Japanese soldiers, actually put on a pretty convincing act!