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

At the Xiahou Town market, watching the goods being snapped up, Mancang knew he had made the right move. As long as the business continued, the villagers would have work. After seeing his brothers off from the market, Mancang turned a corner and went into Li Dadi's tailor shop.

At the tailor shop, Wang Chunhua was taking measurements for two people, while Li Dadi was cutting fabric with scissors at a nearby table. Although his movements were still stiff and clumsy, there were lines drawn on the fabric, and he only needed to cut along those lines to finish the job.

"Please wait a moment, sir, it'll be ready soon!" Wang Chunhua greeted him when she saw that it was him, and then continued with her work.

Mancang nodded and sat down to watch the two busy at work with great interest. And indeed, after so much time working together, the shop really did resemble a husband-and-wife business. After a while, Li Dadi finally finished his work, and Wang Chunhua saw the two customers off. The three of them then huddled together and chatted.

"Haha, you two are working together quite well! How's it going? Are you all getting used to it? Have you made any money yet?" Mancang joked.

"Make money? No way! That two hundred yuan is long gone! Look at all these fabrics and tools, they all cost money! It's the middle of summer now, and the New Year is still a long way off. There are hardly any people making clothes, okay?" Upon hearing that making money was possible, Li Dadi shook his head vigorously, as if afraid that Mancang would ask for money!

"Hahaha, alright! I'm not really asking you for money, look at you, you miserly wretch! Tell me, what have you discovered lately?" That was his real purpose for coming here today.

"Well, nothing special was discovered. After the mass excavation site, the Japanese haven't been deployed in large numbers. They just come and go in small groups, nothing particularly noteworthy," Li Dadi said.

"Oh, right! These past few days, there's been a father and daughter being followed in and out by several Japanese soldiers. I don't know what they're doing. They're supposed to be wanted criminals, but they're not restricted in their freedom; they often buy food on the street. They're supposed to be guests, but the Japanese soldiers are following them like shadows, as if they're afraid they'll run away. It's quite strange, I can't figure it out!" Wang Chunhua added from the side.

"Oh? Who are that father and daughter? Are they Japanese soldiers?" Mancang was also taken aback. It was indeed unusual for a father and daughter to appear in the Japanese military police headquarters.

"It shouldn't be him. The man always wore a long gown and carried a leather bag; he seemed quite cultured. The woman was just a young girl of eighteen or nineteen, wearing a blue shirt, a black skirt, and leather shoes. She seemed quite familiar with the market; she could even find Old Man Hu's stinky tofu stall," Wang Chunhua explained.

"...It's not quite normal. Let's keep an eye on it and report any findings..." Man Cang was interrupted by the Japanese soldiers' shouts before he could finish speaking.

"Hey, Miss, you need to make a few clothes, hurry up!" Two Japanese soldiers led a young girl of about eighteen or nineteen into the tailor shop. The girl was wearing a blue shirt and a black skirt, and her little leather shoes were still covered in mud. It was the girl Wang Chunhua had mentioned!

"Alright! Miss, please choose your fabric over here!" The three exchanged surprised glances. Speak of the devil, and he appears! What a coincidence!

Wang Chunhua quickly got up to greet the guests, while the two grown men busied themselves at the table, secretly keeping watch and occasionally glancing at the two Japanese soldiers. The two Japanese soldiers didn't even look at them; their eyes never left the female student.

That's right, female students. The blue shirt and black skirt that Wang Chunhua mentioned were the standard attire for female college students in that era, far more innocent and pure than the gaudy beauties of later generations!

"Sister, how much is this floral print per foot?" the female student asked, touching a bolt of pink floral fabric. Her voice was clear and crisp, carrying a faint local accent, making it very endearing.

"These are 2.5 yuan per foot. If you want to make a shirt, two feet will be enough," Wang Chunhua said cautiously, afraid that the other party would slap her as soon as she heard that she was going to charge money.

"Okay, sure!" The female student showed no sign of anger and continued picking out the fabrics.

"What about this kind? We need to make two pairs of pants," the female student said, pointing to a bolt of dark blue fabric.

“This costs two yuan per foot. If you want two pairs of pants, you’ll need five feet.” Wang Chunhua relaxed a little.

“Okay! These two will do. The shirt is for me, and the pants are for the teacher. He has a 2.7-foot waist. How much fabric do you think we need? We don’t need him to come and measure his waist, right?” the female student asked crisply.

“No need, just a waist measurement is fine. If it’s 2.7 feet, you’ll need 3 feet of fabric. Miss, we need to measure your shoulder width and sleeve length for your shirt…” Wang Chunhua continued.

"Okay! Just call me Zaohua, I'm from Xiahou Town too." Zaohua said, cooperating as the other person measured her clothes.

"Okay...okay!" Wang Chunhua was still hesitant.

Soon, Wang Chunhua took the woman's measurements and arranged to pick up the clothes two days later. The woman left the shop accompanied by two Japanese soldiers. She was closely watched by the two soldiers the whole time, so she was obviously not a free person.

Jujube Blossom, what a beautiful name! Why are the Japanese soldiers targeting it like this?

Perhaps it was out of respect for the college student, but ever since that meeting, Zao Hua's image had been stuck in Man Cang's mind. Hearing that she was a local from Xiahou Town made him even more interested, and he planned to investigate her more thoroughly when he had the chance.

However, this was not his purpose in coming to town. After Zao Hua left, he sat in the shop for a while. When he saw Wu Erdan, the puppet army platoon leader, swaggering past the door, he went out and quietly followed him.

There were three people on the other side. Two soldiers surrounded Wu Erdan as they sat down in front of a wonton stall. The three of them each ordered a bowl of wontons and several baskets of steamed buns and ate slowly.

"Following the platoon leader is awesome! When the platoon leader is valued, the brothers benefit too. From now on, we'll be living the high life thanks to the platoon leader's support!" a puppet soldier flattered Wu Erdan.

"That's right! The platoon leader who led the attack on the Manchukuo Cave last time escaped death and brought back the news. It's inevitable that he'll be promoted and made a fortune by Inoue." Another puppet soldier chimed in.

"We're all brothers, we share the good times and the bad! I'll never forget my brothers when I become successful! Come on! Let's eat quickly, tonight we'll go to Zuichunlou and have some fun!" Wu Erdan was very pleased with himself.

"Good! I heard that Cao has brought in a few more women. We should go and support him!" The two puppet soldiers suddenly stood up, their eyes gleaming with lewdness!

"Boss, a bowl of wontons and two baskets of steamed buns, please!" Just then, Mancang walked into the stall, sat down at the next table, and called out to the boss.

Upon hearing the sound, Wu Erdan's expression tightened. He glanced at the table next to him without making a sound, nodded slightly to Man Cang, and continued talking about romantic matters with Wei Jun beside him.

"You guys go ahead after you finish eating, but save Little Peach Blossom for me," Wu Erdan said to his henchmen.