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

The next morning, the two brothers got up early to go to work, pulling their rickshaw through Longya Lane. Seeing that the two Japanese soldiers had already changed shifts, they went to the entrance of another hotel to wait for work. The Japanese soldiers were staying in this hotel, having booked four rooms on the second floor for more than a month.

After observing the entrance for a while and finding nothing amiss, the two parked their rickshaw and entered the inn. The landlady on duty was probably still asleep; the counter was empty. The two quickly went upstairs, and upon entering the corridor, they saw two rooms on the right side of the stairs with their doors open. From one of the rooms, they could hear the noise of Japanese soldiers.

"Yoshi! The Chinese fried dough sticks are so delicious! I've been craving them ever since I smelled the aroma wafting from the yard!"

"Haha, don't you miss the pretty girls inside more?"

"So, Daisy! After you finish eating, go find the pretty girl and get some work done!"

"Haha, don't forget we're on a mission. Looking for girls will get you punished!"

"Baka! When will this end? I want to find a pretty girl!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The Japanese soldiers spouted nonsense with impunity, and the other passengers dared not speak out against them, keeping their doors and windows tightly shut in many rooms.

The two brothers exchanged a glance and quietly approached the room. Since everyone was eating in one room, it would save them the trouble of dealing with each person individually.

"Hey! Keep your voices down! There are still people sleeping and haven't gotten up yet!" The two men stepped out of the room and said as they arrived at the door and saw the Japanese soldiers eating happily.

"That's right! Those Japanese devils have no manners at all; even eating fried dough sticks can't shut them up!" Mancang chimed in with a curse.

The four Japanese soldiers inside were stunned. Having lived here for so long, with the same routine every day, who would dare to stand up and utter a single word of dissent? Why did two hotheads suddenly appear today? And two Chinese coachmen at that? Aren't they afraid of losing their lives?

"Baka!..." A Japanese soldier, with half a fried dough stick still in his mouth, opened his mouth to shout, but before the dough stick could hit the ground, a whooshing sound was heard.

"Shhhhhhh!"

The two men simultaneously raised one hand, and something shot out from their sleeves. A sharp pain shot through their chests, their consciousness blurred, and they collapsed to the ground. Their three companions were then also struck and slumped down beside them…

Having landed a successful blow, the two men slipped into the house, closed the door, and checked each of the four corpses. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that all four Japanese soldiers had been shot in vital areas. They pulled out the arrows and searched the four men, finding four pistols on their bodies and tucking them into their waistbands. Only after confirming that the Japanese soldiers were completely dead did they lock the door and leave.

No wonder they're so stingy. To get through the checkpoint, they only brought hidden darts this time, and each dart only has two arrows. If they don't die in one shot, they'll be at a disadvantage! Retrieving the arrows won't affect their continued use, and each person can carry two pistols to deal with emergencies.

Downstairs, they found the counter still empty. After leaving the hotel, they quickly got into their rickshaws and headed towards the Song family courtyard.

One man went to the front gate and the other to the back gate. Taking advantage of the Japanese soldiers' inattention, they silently fired two hidden arrows. Once they were sure the Japanese soldiers were dead, they quickly loaded the two corpses onto a rickshaw and pulled it into the courtyard. The movements were swift and efficient, without disturbing the nearby residents.

"Ah!..." The lady screamed in fright when she saw the Japanese soldiers' corpses, then quickly hugged her two children and trembled.

"Don't be afraid! These two are Jiamo's students. Let's go out with them quickly," the old man comforted the woman.

"Grandpa, where are we going?" the little boy asked in a clear voice, poking his head out from under the woman.

"Let's take the train to find Daddy! Does Xiaoming miss Daddy?" the old man said, stroking the child's head.

"Yes! Will I be able to find Dad if I follow my two older brothers?" the child asked, still uneasy.

“Yes! Follow your two older brothers and you’ll find your father! Xiaoming and your sister, you need to be good, understand?” the old man said patiently.

"Okay, Xiaoming, be a good boy!" The little boy was still a little scared as he looked at his busy older brother.

As they spoke, the two brothers had already collected their spoils, hidden the four corpses in the woodshed, cleaned the rickshaw, put two boxes on it, and invited the family to get in.

"Let's go!" Mancang and the old man exchanged a glance and said.

"Let's go! Let me close the doors!" With that, the old man closed the doors of each room one by one, gazed deeply at the old courtyard, picked up the little boy, and got into the car, his eyes filled with indescribable loneliness.

The lady was also very reluctant to part with the little girl, and tears streamed down her face as she held her.

"They'll come back..." Manxiang silently offered this advice, picked up the cart, and left the yard. The old man even closed the yard gate behind him.

"Grandpa, aren't we going to lock it?" the little boy asked.

"I won't lock it. It doesn't matter whether it's locked or not when no one's home!" the old man said softly.

Two rickshaws headed towards the train station, and the grandfather and grandson kept glancing back...

It takes nearly an hour to walk from Longya Lane to the train station. The two ran forward one after the other, occasionally looking back to check the situation behind them, and only when they were sure that no one was following them did they start running and blend into the crowd.

Perhaps the Japanese soldiers hadn't discovered the bodies yet, and the expected chase didn't happen. The group smoothly entered the waiting room to await the train's arrival. The two little ones even played rock-paper-scissors in the aisle, drawing envy from those around them.

Perhaps only innocent children can play without a care in the world these days!

"Borrow it!"

Just as the family was watching the two children play, a man dressed in a gray-brown shirt and wearing a black skullcap walked past them, gently pushed the little boy aside, and slipped into the men's restroom.

This outfit makes him look like a rickshaw driver; apart from his slightly worn clothes, he looks almost exactly like the two brothers!

The woman quickly pulled the little boy into her arms, gently rubbing his head and whispering words of comfort.

"Don't be afraid, Xiaoming, that uncle was just passing by." She gently patted the child's arm. As the woman's hand passed through the child's shirt pocket, she felt something brush against it; reaching in, she pulled out a roll of film!

"This……"

Mancang quickly took the film and tucked it into his clothes, signaling her to be quiet. He and Manxiang, who was beside the old man, exchanged a glance and simultaneously removed their melon-shaped hats!

Just then, a squad of Japanese soldiers rushed into the carriage and fired a shot at the roof without saying a word!

"boom!"

"Everyone, cover your heads and squat down! Quickly!"

"what!……"

"ah!……"

Screams of women and children immediately erupted in the waiting room, and people quickly left their seats, crouching on the ground, trembling.

"Baka! Keep quiet and don't shout!" The Japanese soldier shouted in a deep voice, raising his gun. One group of Japanese soldiers had already spread out and pointed their guns at the crowd, while another group of Japanese soldiers walked into the crowd and began to check each person one by one.

The Japanese soldiers were clearly looking for someone, scrutinizing everyone's face very carefully, not letting go of either men or women, and even removing hats for a thorough examination.