Courtyard House: He Yuzhu started in 1948

"Trust Brother Dazhuang, he won't harm us."

He Yuzhu didn't offer any further explanation. He was only guessing about Tian Zhuang's identity, and telling Tian Zao wouldn't be of much use. Her brain was relatively simple, and letting her know too much would only harm her.

Tian Zao chose to believe He Yuzhu, since he believed his own brother, so she believed him too.

The courtyard wasn't large; when the lights were turned on, all the weapons and equipment inside—grenades, MP18s, and corresponding ammunition—were prepared according to He Yuzhu's requirements.

There were also shovels, pickaxes, and a map next to it.

The map of Han Qingkui's house shows a red line drawn from below Han Qingkui's bedroom in the backyard, which connects to the courtyard at the foot of He Yuzhu's house.

Wow... you've already given me the solution.

They even prepared the tools for digging tunnels.

He Yuzhu wasn't interested in digging a tunnel to assassinate Han Qingkui, but this guy named Han Qingkui must be quite rich, right?

He Yuzhu felt that if everything went smoothly, it would be even better to gain both people and money.

But if there's no opportunity, as long as the person is good.

Looking at the lines on the map, Tian Zao asked suspiciously, "Does my brother mean we should dig a tunnel to sneak into Han Qingkui's house and then kill him?"

That's what I mean.

He Yuzhu didn't tell Tian Zao about making a fortune, but said, "However, there are always unexpected things. Let's dig a tunnel here as a preparation. Gangdan... Brother Dazhuang's map is very good. We just need to make sure we don't dig off course. But we also need to try to find out where Han Qingkui is. If digging a tunnel doesn't work, then we'll use the backup plan."

"become!"

Tian Zao agreed without hesitation. Both tasks were within her capabilities and she could handle them with ease: "Shunzi is an expert at gathering information, and Dayong is a walking map. He knows every alley in the city like the back of his hand. It would be appropriate to have him and Dayong go out to the streets to inquire about information."

"Can."

He Yuzhu nodded, agreeing with Tian Zao's dislike, but still reminded her, "Be careful."

Don't worry.

……

He Yuzhu told Tian Zao to have her brothers move to this courtyard and work carefully, making sure not to make too much noise.

"clear."

Concerned about whether he could successfully take revenge, Tian Zao was particularly careful: "When digging the tunnel, I had to keep quiet. I poured water on it to loosen the soil, and tried not to use a pickaxe. I piled the excavated soil in the yard and didn't take it outside."

"clever!"

He Yuzhu gave a thumbs up, "Not bad, lady, a repeat offender?"

Tian Zao said embarrassedly, "What do you mean by a habitual offender? I just got some food for the brothers to fill their stomachs."

"You guys get to work, don't rush it, take your time."

He Yuzhu told Tian Zao the planned time, "If we don't let him live through the New Year, then we've succeeded."

"clear!"

It'll only take about two months!

We've endured this for the past few years, so we can wait these two months too!

He Yuzhu still has work to do in the school kitchen, so he can't keep an eye on things all the time, but... Gangdan has already arranged all of this, so it's impossible that there are no preventative measures.

Trust Steel Egg!

Just as He Yuzhu had predicted, in the house next to this one, Tian Zhuang sat by the wall, listening to the two men's plan. He was very satisfied with He Yuzhu's actions, and even more satisfied with He Yuzhu himself.

He may look simple and clumsy, but he's actually quite shrewd and calculating. Someone like him would be perfect for taking care of his younger sister.

Tian Zhuang didn't need his sister's partner to be very successful; he just wanted her to stay by his sister's side peacefully.

He Yuzhu and Tian Zao worked all night, telling Tian Zao everything they could think of that needed attention, and making sure she remembered it well before they felt at ease.

He took out about ten silver dollars from his pocket and stuffed them into Tian Zao's hand: "Take this money. If I don't come, find a place to buy some food. Remember... don't take any risks."

"I still have money."

Tian Zao didn't want to accept the money, but He Yuzhu insisted, so she didn't refuse anymore. He Yuzhu had helped her so much that Tian Zao didn't know how to repay him.

Every day after finishing cooking at school, He Yuzhu would deliver meals to Tian Zao and the others. There happened to be a pot in the courtyard, so he would cook there every few days.

That day, Han Qingkui, the neighbor, smelled a delicious aroma at home and couldn't help but exclaim, "What's that smell? It smells so good!"

"It's from the neighboring yard."

The clerk, who was well aware of the surrounding situation, said, "A few days ago, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics arrested quite a few people, and the people in the neighboring courtyard escaped. This courtyard now belongs to the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. There are always some children coming and going from there; I don't know what they're doing."

"grass!"

Upon hearing the name of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, Han Qingkui immediately lost interest.

Although he was a local tyrant in Beiping, there were people even more wicked than him. What kind of organization was the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics? He dared not provoke them!

Forget it, it doesn't matter to him how fragrant it is.

He Yuzhu was unaware that the aroma of his cooking almost gave them away. If Tian Zhuang hadn't chosen this special courtyard, they probably would have been exposed.

Tian Zao and his team acted quickly; before the last day of 48 even arrived, the tunnel had already been dug into Han Qingkui's yard.

He Yuzhu gestured for them to slow down, prioritizing safety. Tian Zao agreed and obediently followed He Yuzhu's instructions, intending to reduce the number of people in the courtyard to avoid being discovered by Han Qingkui.

That day, He Yuzhu went to work early in the morning, and Jia Zhangshi came with him. However, after entering the school gate, He Yuzhu was called to a meeting by Zhang Tianyong.

Upon arrival, He Yuzhu discovered that not only Zhang Tianyong and Lü Qinghuan were present, but also Wang Xizhong, Du Jian, Tong Jigang, Zhao Pingguo, and other students who were usually progressive in their thinking.

Wow~ This includes all the progressive young people in the entire Fifth Middle School.

He Yuzhu couldn't help but become serious; it seemed that today's discussion was about something important.

Lü Qinghuan remained silent, while Zhang Tianyong spoke on their behalf: "Comrades and students, let me first report to you on the significant combat achievements we have made on the battlefield..."

The Jinan Campaign, the Northwest Winter Campaign, the Liaoshen Campaign, and other campaigns across the country have all made significant progress. The students listened with great excitement. Even though He Yuzhu had traveled back in time, as a person of this era, he felt the great era he was experiencing and couldn't help but tremble with excitement.

"Victory has been heard throughout the country, but Beijing is different. It is an ancient city with a rich history and culture, and it cannot be easily destroyed. Now the army is outside the city, implementing a strategy of isolation without encirclement and encirclement without attack, trying to persuade the 500,000 Kuomintang troops to lay down their arms and surrender. Now several cities..."

After explaining the current situation, Zhang Tianyong stood up and said firmly, "Our staff has now entered Beiping and is conducting persuasion work. I believe that as a part of it, we should do something to make the Kuomintang government in Beiping hear our voices, to let them know that laying down their arms and surrendering is the inevitable trend and the expectation of all the people of Beiping!"