Making it a fait accompli

The matchmaker, seething with anger, stomped heavily on the bluestone path of the courtyard, each step filled with resentment.

She made more than a dozen trips to arrange the marriage between the Jia and Qin families.

He spent a lot of his own money on round-trip transportation alone, without gaining any benefit and instead losing a lot of money.

He had hoped to bring the two parties together, gain a good reputation, and earn some matchmaking money, but in the end, he ended up pleasing neither side.

The Qin family complained that the Jia family was stingy, while the Jia family complained that the Qin family was asking for too much money, and both sides vented their anger on her, the middleman.

The matchmaker grew angrier and angrier, her cheeks puffed out, and finally, she angrily flicked her sleeves and left the courtyard without looking back.

He kept muttering to himself, "I'm never taking on those two families' troubles again; it's a waste of effort!"

Ever since the matchmaker stormed off, neither the Jia family nor the Qin family has taken the initiative to contact her again.

But this seemingly doomed marriage was like a red string tied to a dead end, with 108 knots tied in a dead end.

It's all tangled up, impossible to untangle or break free of, as if it were all preordained.

Seeing that the marriage proposal was not progressing, Jia Dongxu was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and he was restless all day long.

He was single-mindedly focused on marrying Qin Huairu; he didn't even look at other girls.

To raise enough money for the marriage proposal, he shamelessly sought out his colleagues at the factory and familiar neighbors in the alley.

After much pleading and cajoling, and countless kind words, I finally managed to scrape together a sum of money.

As soon as he got the money, Jia Dongxu didn't dare to waste a moment. He immediately dressed in a decent set of clothes and headed straight for Qin Family Village.

He had only one thought in his mind: to quickly finalize the marriage and marry Qin Huairu.

The Qin family had been waiting at home for Jia Dongxu to arrive, their hearts filled with both anticipation and a touch of skepticism.

When Jia Dongxu walked into the house, the Qin family members looked up and breathed a sigh of relief.

This young man is tall and handsome, with regular features and a very good appearance. His looks are indeed impeccable.

Now that things have dragged on for so long, they don't have the energy to be picky anymore.

The group secretly thought to themselves that although the matchmaker was not a fair person, she hadn't fooled them this time.

If a matchmaker dared to falsify information, she would be ruining her own livelihood and reputation in the surrounding area, so she would never dare to do that.

Qin Huairu's mother looked Jia Dongxu up and down several times, and the more she looked, the more satisfied she became. She then stopped beating around the bush.

He put on a stern face and got straight to the point, stating his own requirements.

"Dongxu, if you want to marry Huairu from our family, you must give ten yuan as a bride price, not a penny less."

"In addition to that, our family also needs to buy a brand new sewing machine. That's the bottom line, no discussion."

From the moment Jia Dongxu entered the Qin family's gate, his gaze remained fixed on Qin Huairu, unable to look away.

Qin Huairu stood to the side, her eyebrows curved, occasionally casting a few gentle, flirtatious glances at Jia Dongxu.

Her eyes were watery, with a hint of shyness and a seductive charm, which made Jia Dongxu's heart flutter.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Huairu called out softly and sweetly, "Brother Dongxu, Brother Dongxu..."

These calls, sweet and soft, went straight into Jia Dongxu's bones.

Jia Dongxu was instantly mesmerized, feeling as if he were floating in mid-air, his bones feeling several ounces lighter.

My mind went blank. I didn't think carefully about the bride price and the sewing machine at all, and agreed without a second thought.

He patted his chest and said confidently, "Auntie, don't worry, I'll agree to the ten yuan dowry and the sewing machine!"

"I'll definitely gather the money as soon as possible and marry Huairu in style!"

When Jia Dongxu left the Qin family's house, he was still immersed in the sweetness of the moment, his face full of smiles.

He held Qin Huairu's hand, his eyes gentle yet firm, and softly instructed, "Huairu, wait for me at home."

"It won't be long before I come to marry you in style, and I definitely won't keep you waiting too long."

Qin Huairu raised her head, a sweet smile blooming on her face, a faint blush rising on her cheeks, and nodded obediently.

Seeing that made Jia Dongxu's heart surge with excitement, filled with the joy of about to marry his beautiful bride.

But when he left Qin Family Village and walked alone on the country dirt road...

A cool breeze blew, and Jia Dongxu's drowsy mind gradually cleared up, his heart skipped a beat.

Only then did he belatedly realize that the sewing machines he had promised were no small sum.

How much does a sewing machine actually cost?

The more Jia Dongxu thought about it, the more panicked he became, and his steps grew heavy. The joy he had felt earlier vanished in an instant.

His heart pounded, and the smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by deep sorrow.

Returning to the courtyard house with trepidation, Jia Dongxu dared not hide anything.

As soon as she entered the door, she told Jia Zhangshi and Jia Laonian everything about the betrothal gifts and sewing machine she had promised the Qin family when she proposed marriage.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's eyes widened instantly, and her face changed drastically.

Immediately afterwards, she plopped down on the ground, slapped her thighs with both hands, and began to wail loudly.

"My God! Jia Dongxu, you spendthrift, you utter spendthrift!"

"Waaaaah... What sins did I commit in my past life to deserve such a foolish son like you in this one!"

"Are you so bewitched by that vixen that you can't even tell east from west!"

"You immediately agreed to a dowry of ten yuan and also wanted to buy a sewing machine. You're going to bankrupt your mother!"

Looking at Jia Zhangshi, who was throwing a tantrum and crying, Jia Dongxu was filled with confusion and couldn't help but retort.

"Mom, it's just a sewing machine, why are you making such a fuss?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi cried even harder and pointed at Jia Dongxu's nose, cursing him.

"You make it sound so easy! A sewing machine? Go ask around the hutongs of Beijing, how many families can afford one!"

"That's a truly rare item, ridiculously expensive. Do you know how much it costs?"

"I think you've been bewitched by that woman. Let me tell you, you might as well not go through with this marriage!"

"Huh?" Jia Dongxu was so shocked by these words that his eyes widened instantly, his face filled with disbelief.

He never expected his mother to tell him not to get married, and he stood there stunned for a moment.

After remaining silent all along, Jia Laonian finally spoke slowly as he watched the mother and son arguing.

He took a puff of his pipe, his brow furrowed, and said in a heavy tone, "Honey, go and inquire about the price of sewing machines in the alley tomorrow."

During this time, Jia Dongxu was absent-minded and unable to concentrate on his work. As his father, he saw this and was very worried.

Today, Jia Dongxu didn't go to work at the factory at all. It was only after he found out that he rushed to the factory to ask for leave for his son.

If Jia Dongxu continues like this, forget about getting married, he'll even lose his secure job at the factory.

Upon hearing Jia Laonian's words, Jia Zhangshi immediately flew into a rage and turned to yell at him.

"What?! Old Man Jia, you actually support your son's wasteful spending? Have you lost your mind?!"

"I already found out; the dowry for a girl in the village is at most three or five yuan, that's the most!"

"Our family will offer a dowry of ten yuan. The Qin family will gain a lot of face and prestige in the whole village!"

"Now they're even pushing their luck, wanting a sewing machine? I think they're obsessed with money, it's just wishful thinking!"

Jia Zhangshi was a notorious miser in the courtyard, always trying to stretch every penny in half.

She even tried to squeeze out the money the matchmaker had given her for running errands, not wanting to give her a single penny more.

Asking her to come up with ten yuan as a bride price and spend a lot of money on a sewing machine would be like taking her life.

Looking at Jia Zhangshi's tantrum and unreasonable behavior, Jia Laonian sighed helplessly, his tone pleading.

"Sigh... Dongxu is our only son. Are you really going to just watch our Jia family line die out?"

"If we can't find wives, the Jia family line will end!"

Madam Jia, her face full of indignation, retorted loudly, "Nonsense! Without Qin Huairu, my son can't find a wife?"

"There are plenty of girls in Beijing, many better than Qin Huairu. Why do you insist on marrying her?"

Upon hearing that his mother wanted to call off the engagement, Jia Dongxu immediately became anxious, stepped forward, and said firmly.

"Mother, I'm going to marry Huairu. I've already promised her, and a gentleman's word is his bond; I can't go back on my word!"

Looking at her stubborn son, Jia Zhangshi trembled with anger and pointed at Jia Dongxu, cursing him.

"If you're so capable, then figure out how to buy a sewing machine yourself and get married yourself. I won't give you a single penny!"

"I won't touch a single penny of the money in the house, so forget about it!"

Seeing that his mother's attitude was firm and she showed no sign of backing down, Jia Dongxu gritted his teeth and blurted out.

"Then I'll go borrow money from outside. Even if I have to borrow, I'm determined to marry Huairu!"

When Jia Zhangshi heard that her son was going to borrow money, she was heartbroken and sat on the ground crying her heart out.

"Waaaah... Why am I so unlucky to have such a troublesome son!"

"I raised you with so much care, changing your diapers and all that trouble, and you haven't even gotten married yet, and you've already completely forgotten your mother!"

"You've forgotten your mother after getting married! You're going to drive me crazy!"

Jia Zhangshi already had a very loud voice, and this wail was so powerful that it carried throughout the entire courtyard.

Not only the neighbors next door, but even the families in the front yard were peeking through the hanging flower gate at the Jia family's house.

Everyone wore expressions of curiosity, whispering among themselves, eager to know what had happened to the Jia family.

Before long, the women in the front yard could no longer contain their gossip.

They all came out of their own homes and gathered at the door of the neighbor's house next to Jia's, grabbing people and starting to gossip.

This inquiry uncovered the biggest gossip about the courtyard house recently.

When everyone learned that Jia Dongxu was not only going to marry a girl from the countryside, but also wanted to spend a lot of money to buy a sewing machine as a betrothal gift.

You know, even marrying a girl from the city wouldn't cost this much; this is absolutely unprecedented.

When I visited the Rulai Courtyard in Qinhuai, it happened to be lunchtime.

The family living in the back house happened to run into Qin Huairu and saw her clearly.

Surrounded by several women asking questions, he immediately launched into a vivid and detailed account.

"You didn't see it with your own eyes. Although that girl comes from the countryside, she has a very seductive face, she's incredibly alluring!"

Upon hearing this, the woman next to her immediately became interested and quickly asked, "Really? Is it really as beautiful as you say?"

"Among the girls around here, apart from Yu Xiaoman from the Central Courtyard, there shouldn't be anyone who can compare, right?"

Another woman spoke up, her face full of confusion: "Xiaoman? That girl is still young, is she prettier than Xiaoman?"

The woman who spoke first shook her head, her eyes filled with a meaningful look, and lowered her voice as she spoke.

"She may not be as pretty as Xiaoman, but she has other advantages, like a great figure."

As she spoke, she deliberately gestured to her chest and buttocks, making a suggestive gesture.

The women around them suddenly realized what was going on, their eyes wide with understanding, as if they had stumbled upon some juicy gossip.

Everyone chatted excitedly, their faces beaming with gossip.

Madam Jia sat in the room wailing, but her ears were constantly listening to the sounds outside.

Hearing the murmurs coming from the doorway, mostly gossiping about their own family, she immediately stopped crying.

She hastily wiped away her tears and snot with her sleeve, not even bothering to tidy her messy hair.

Slipping on his cloth shoes, he stormed out of the house in a huff.

She stood at her own doorway, hands on her hips, and sternly reprimanded the women standing there.

"What are you all doing, sneaking around my doorstep instead of staying home?"

The women were caught red-handed and were a little flustered, so they quickly put on a smiling face and said something.

"It's nothing, we're just chatting here since we've got nothing else to do."

Madam Jia, her face full of anger, retorted, "Isn't the front yard big enough for you all to sit and chat?"

"Why do they have to gather in front of my house and gossip like that? What are they up to!"

The women knew how formidable Jia Zhangshi was and didn't want to have a direct confrontation with her, so they quickly smiled and said ingratiatingly.

"We're done chatting, we're done chatting, let's go now, let's go now, hehe."

Having already gotten their fill of gossip, they didn't want to linger and provoke Jia Zhangshi any further, so they turned and quickly left.

As Jia Zhangshi watched them leave, she spat out a curse and muttered something with a look of disgust on her face.

"Hmph, a bunch of gossipy old women who do nothing but stir up trouble all day long, they have nothing better to do!"

The women didn't bother arguing with her and hurried back to the front yard.

Everyone knows that Jia Zhangshi is not only sharp-tongued, but also ruthless in her actions.

With her long fingernails, if she scratched someone, she could tear off a piece of flesh. No one dared to provoke her easily.

Despite her fierce complaints, Jia Zhangshi ultimately didn't inquire about the price of the sewing machine.

She made up her mind that no matter how much it cost, she wouldn't pay it, and decided to avoid seeing it altogether.

But Jia Dongxu couldn't sit still. In order to marry Qin Huairu, he went out and inquired everywhere.

When he found out, he was stunned and felt a chill run down his spine.

The cheapest sewing machine on the market is the domestically made Shanghai brand, which costs a full 100 yuan.

Jia Dongxu works in a factory and earns only sixteen yuan a month. One hundred yuan is equivalent to more than half a year's salary for him.

With his abilities, saving up that much money would be an impossible task.

Jia Dongxu returned home dejectedly and told his family the truth about the price of the sewing machine.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi became even more adamant about not buying it, refusing to budge an inch.

Jia Dongxu has been working for so long, but he spends money extravagantly and has never saved up this much money.

With nowhere else to turn, Jia Dongxu had no choice but to seek help from his father, Jia Laonian.

Old Jia sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), puffing on his pipe one cigarette after another, the smoke almost obscuring his face.

He knew perfectly well that he had no money at all, and that he handed over his entire monthly salary to Jia Zhangshi without missing a single penny.

He had to ask Jia Zhangshi for cigarettes and alcohol every day, and he didn't have a penny of pocket money except for his meal tickets.

He had no money to help his son and could only sigh helplessly, unable to say a word.

Seeing that his father was also powerless, Jia Dongxu gritted his teeth and made a bold decision.

The next morning, as soon as he arrived at the factory, he shamelessly started borrowing money from all sides.

He went through every single colleague in the factory who he knew or had spoken to, leaving no one out.

Not only that, he even went to the factory office and asked the manager for an advance on several months' wages.

At first, Jia Dongxu's colleagues were unwilling to lend him money.

Everyone knew his character and was aware of Jia Zhangshi's stinginess, so they were worried that the money would be wasted if it was lent out.

However, it was later learned that Jia Laonian did not object to his son borrowing money, and Jia Dongxu even wrote a proper IOU.

His colleagues then relented and lent him money in small increments, one or two yuan at a time.

Of all his colleagues, the one who lent him the most money was Jia Dongxu's mentor, Master Feng.

Master Feng lent him twenty yuan directly, which was equivalent to returning all the money Jia Dongxu had paid to become an apprentice.

When Master Feng lent money to Jia Dongxu, he had already made up his mind.

He had no intention of getting the money back after lending it out, considering it a complete severance of the master-disciple relationship.

He would no longer care about his apprentice Jia Dongxu and would let him fend for himself.

Jia Dongxu wrote the IOU and handed it to Master Feng, but Master Feng didn't even look at it and returned it to him directly.

Jia Dongxu was filled with gratitude, thinking that his master was genuinely helping him, but little did he know that his master had already given up on him.

But he didn't expect that Jia Laonian would stop him on his way home from get off work and give him this IOU.

Without saying a word, Jia Laonian took all the IOUs from Jia Dongxu and carefully put them away.

Looking at the money he had collected, Jia Dongxu was filled with joy and hummed a little tune all the way home.

His happy appearance prompted Madam Jia to ask him several times what had happened.

But the Jia father and son were very tight-lipped, and no matter how much Jia Zhangshi asked, they didn't reveal a single word.

The next day, as soon as Jia Zhangshi opened the door, she was completely stunned by the scene before her.

A brand-new Shanghai brand sewing machine is sitting peacefully in my yard.

Jia Zhangshi reacted instantly, immediately sat on the ground, and began to throw a tantrum, rolling around on the ground and wailing loudly.

No matter how much she cried and screamed, Jia Dongxu held onto the sewing machine tightly and refused to let her return it.

They even took the initiative to remove the outer packaging of the sewing machine, making it clear that the sewing machine could not be returned.

Jia Zhangshi was both angry and anxious, and kept asking Jia Dongxu where the money to buy the sewing machine came from.

Upon learning that the money was borrowed and advanced by her son, she turned around and pointed at Jia Laonian's nose, cursing him loudly.

She scolded him, the father, for not disciplining his son, letting him run wild, and even helping him to hide things from her, the mother.

They said that the father and son were completely out of control and didn't respect her at all.

After cursing and making a scene for a long time, Jia Zhangshi finally had no choice but to utter a harsh remark.

"I won't concern myself with a single penny of these borrowed funds; you'll have to figure out how to pay them back yourself!"

"Also, you can't give your family a single penny less each month, not a single penny less!"

Even so, the sewing machine has already been bought, and Qin Huairu, that "vixen," is someone she must marry and then thoroughly train.

Madam Jia was seething with anger, and in order to finalize the marriage as soon as possible, she decided not to contact the previous matchmaker again.

He found a new matchmaker he knew well and generously gave her two yuan as a delivery fee.

The matchmaker immediately went to Qin Family Village and finalized the marriage.

The Qin family was still somewhat uneasy and suggested that they go to the courtyard house in person to see the Jia family's circumstances and to see the sewing machine with their own eyes.

This time, Madam Jia was very generous and didn't hesitate at all, leading the Qin family back to the courtyard house directly.

The Qin family saw that the Jia family was relatively well-off, and that the brand-new sewing machine was indeed placed in the yard.

With all her concerns dispelled, she immediately finalized the marriage with the Jia family, setting the wedding date for December 1st.

A wedding is a big event, so naturally, the neighbors in the courtyard house should be invited to a banquet to make it a lively occasion.

However, the Jia family did not expect that sending out the wedding invitations would result in a rebuff.

The old lady of the courtyard directly declared that no one in the central courtyard was allowed to attend the Jia family's wedding banquet.

He bluntly stated that he didn't need the Jia family's food and didn't care about their banquet.

The old lady had already made her stance clear, and the Xu family followed suit, saying they wouldn't attend the wedding banquet no matter what.

They didn't even offer a single penny as a gift, completely severing ties with the Jia family.

Jia Zhangshi originally planned to use the wedding banquet money to make a good recovery and pay back part of the borrowed money.

As a result, none of the well-off families in the courtyard came, and they didn't receive a single penny of gift money.

She was so angry she almost vomited blood on the spot, and spent her days cursing and swearing in the yard, but never thought about the reason.

She had previously spread rumors and caused trouble everywhere for her son, ruining He Yuzhu's reputation terribly.

The neighbors in the entire courtyard had long been dissatisfied with her, so who would want to support her?

Driven by curiosity, Xu Damao secretly went to take a look at Qin Huairu.

Now that he has Yu Xiaoman by his side, Qin Huairu doesn't seem that amazing anymore.

Seeing that Jia Dongxu had successfully married a beautiful wife, she was filled with jealousy and couldn't help but mutter a curse under her breath.

"What incredible luck!"

His words had two meanings.

Firstly, it is acknowledged that Qin Huairu is indeed beautiful, with a figure and appearance that are impeccable.

Secondly, he was angry that he had sabotaged things for so long, yet Jia Dongxu still managed to get married smoothly and marry a beautiful wife, and he was filled with resentment.

The Jia family's wedding banquet was a farce, and the story spread like wildfire throughout the courtyard.

He Daqing already had conflicts with the Jia family, so naturally he couldn't lower himself to cook for their wedding banquet.

Having no other choice, Jia Laonian had to spend money to hire a chef from outside to handle the wedding banquet.

The meat bought for the wedding banquet was cut in half as soon as it entered the house, and Jia Zhangshi secretly took it back to her own room.

The cook looked at the pitifully small amount of meat left and was extremely helpless. The original large meat dish had to be changed into a small meat dish.

That wasn't all. Just before the banquet started, Jia Zhangshi secretly took half a basin of vegetables from the family's vegetable washing basin and carried it home.

The chef, seeing the situation, was both amused and exasperated. In the end, he had to add a few more vegetarian dishes to barely keep the banquet going.

The Qin family members who came to attend the wedding banquet witnessed all of this and were able to fully understand Jia Zhangshi's stinginess and meanness.

Qin Huairu's mother was so angry that her face turned ashen. She immediately wanted to take her daughter back to Qin Family Village and refused to agree to the marriage.

Unfortunately, the wedding ceremony was already completed, and what's done is done; it was too late.

She could only hold Qin Huairu's hand, her eyes red, and repeatedly tell her daughter that if she suffered any grievances in the Jia family in the future, she must return to her parents' home as soon as possible.

Her family will always be her support and will never let her be bullied.

On their wedding night, the Jia family's house was filled with a great show all night long, and the noise never stopped.

The Jia and Qin families, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, argued and bickered, neither of them closing their eyes all night, and none of them got a good night's sleep.

The next morning, everyone had dark circles under their eyes and looked listless.

Jia Dongxu was so exhausted that his steps were unsteady, and he looked extremely weak.

In contrast, Qin Huairu had a rosy complexion and looked very healthy, showing no signs of fatigue.

Seeing this, Jia Zhangshi grew increasingly dissatisfied, muttering to herself, "A vixen, what a vixen!"

After Jia Dongxu and Jia Laonian went to work at the factory together, Jia Zhangshi immediately began to set rules for Qin Huairu.

They kept assigning her all sorts of housework: washing clothes, cleaning the house, cooking, washing dishes—piling all the chores inside and out on her.

In short, they didn't let Qin Huairu have a moment's rest, and were single-mindedly trying to torment their new daughter-in-law.

Qin Huairu, on the other hand, was gentle and docile, and without the slightest complaint, silently took on all the work.

In her mind, a woman's duty after marriage is to manage household chores, serve her parents-in-law, and take care of family affairs.

And so, life in the courtyard gradually returned to its former tranquility, without the previous noise.

The He family was shrouded in a somber atmosphere, with everyone constantly hoping for He Yuzhu's return home.

But as time went by, He Yuzhu had been missing for a whole year, and the hope of his survival was becoming increasingly slim.

The hearts of Lao He's family sank little by little, but they still clung to the last glimmer of hope and waited bitterly.

Now, let's return to the war-torn Korean Peninsula and set in December 1950.

He Yuzhu's unit is currently undergoing a short rest and recuperation in the Xianxing area, awaiting further instructions.

A few days later, the latest appointment from the higher authorities was officially issued.

A new political instructor was assigned to the 6th Company, and new company commanders were also assigned to the other two companies.

The soldiers who had been scattered earlier were all taken away by the new commander and re-integrated into the ranks.

The situation in the Seventh Company was somewhat special. The higher command only sent thirty new recruits, and explained that this was only the first batch of reinforcements.

The higher command specifically ordered He Yuzhu, a deputy squad leader with practical combat experience, to help guide this group of new recruits.

These new recruits received basic training to help them adapt to military life as quickly as possible and master combat skills.

When it comes to leading troops, He Yuzhu really has the ability. He has rich practical experience and his own set of methods.

But in the current situation, he is only a deputy squad leader, so it is really not proper for him to lead a group of new recruits.

What's even more troublesome is that these new recruits are all greenhorns who have just joined the army and have no combat experience whatsoever.

When they saw that He Yuzhu, who was leading the training team, was a few years younger than them, they immediately felt resentful.

Many people gossiped privately, feeling that He Yuzhu was incompetent and not worthy of leading them.

Some people even deliberately caused trouble during training, disobeying He Yuzhu's instructions and displaying a very lax attitude.

This matter didn't require He Yuzhu to handle personally at all.

Wu Wanli immediately stepped forward and, along with the two remaining veterans from the Seventh Company, dealt with the few unconvinced new recruits.

In the hearts of Wu Wanli and the other veterans, He Yuzhu had long been the one they had chosen.

When the company commander and political instructor were not around, the troops obeyed He Yuzhu's command without question.

Even when the company commander and political instructor were in the army, they would still listen to He Yuzhu's suggestions on many combat plans and let him command and execute them.

Their strength is evident to all, and there is no room for these new recruits to question it.

After calming the new recruits' resistance, He Yuzhu officially began to take over the training work.

He first conducted a detailed survey of the thirty new recruits, asking each of them about their education and special skills.

Based on each person's individual conditions, He Yuzhu divided the new recruits in this platoon into three different echelons.

All new recruits who had received some education and had a certain level of literacy were assigned to learn artillery knowledge and specialize in artillery combat.

Those strong and physically capable recruits focused on learning machine gun shooting and grenade throwing, primarily responsible for firepower output.

Those recruits who didn't have any outstanding talents and were just average in all aspects were trained as ordinary infantrymen.

Observe performance during training; if outstanding performance is demonstrated, the position will be adjusted accordingly.

The reason the higher-ups made this arrangement was that the military leadership needed to begin verifying combat achievements.

In this evaluation of combat achievements, the achievements of the 6th Army were calculated separately and not mixed with those of the troops on this side.

Fortunately, although Xiong Jie and Mei Sheng, who were injured earlier, have not fully recovered, their writing and speaking are no longer affected.

However, they are still receiving follow-up treatment in China, and it will take some time before they can submit their war merit materials.

While in a hospital in China, Xiong Jie and Mei Sheng endured their injuries and diligently completed all their war merit reports.

The materials meticulously record He Yuzhu's outstanding performance on the battlefield; every word is true and credible.

After reading the document, the superior's eyes lit up instantly, and he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

He exclaimed, "Wow, He Yuzhu is truly a rare talent in warfare! He's brave and resourceful, absolutely outstanding!"

The logistics personnel who insisted on keeping He Yuzhu in the army back then made a great contribution, and the army really found a treasure.

As for Wu Qianli, after he was wounded on the battlefield and sent down, he was immediately arranged to be transferred back to China for treatment.

His transfer was earlier than Mei Sheng and Xiong Jie's, and he returned to a hospital in China much earlier.

After conducting a thorough physical examination on Wu Qianli, the doctors in China couldn't help but complain helplessly.

"His wounds have already been treated and are healing well, why bother sending him back?"

Even so, the doctor saw that Wu Qianli's face was ashen and his body was still very weak.

They immediately arranged for him to receive a blood transfusion and developed a detailed nutritional supplement plan to help him recover.

Not long after, the staff responsible for verifying combat merits found Wu Qianli and asked him to verify the relevant information.

At this point, apart from not being able to engage in strenuous exercise, Wu Qianli was otherwise in good health.

The staff handed over the materials detailing Xiong Jie and Mei Sheng's military achievements to Wu Qianli for review.

After carefully reading through it, Wu Qianli remained silent for a moment before saying only, "The records here are not comprehensive enough."

Immediately afterwards, he picked up his pen and carefully added more details about He Yuzhu's meritorious service on the battlefield.

In particular, the two key bridge-blowing operations were described in detail, highlighting the crucial role played by He Yuzhu.

After finishing writing, Wu Qianli solemnly signed his name and pressed his fingerprint to ensure the authenticity and validity of the material.

Upon hearing the news, Yu Congrong rushed over and also signed his name on the supplementary material, serving as a witness.

This series of verifications of combat achievements and supplementary materials lasted for more than half a month.

Meanwhile, the Seventh Company's base, far away on the Korean Peninsula, has been bustling with activity lately.

The troops were gradually equipped with all kinds of living supplies and training equipment, but they lacked ammunition for combat.

However, routine basic training can be carried out normally, and the soldiers' enthusiasm for training is very high.

Soldiers from the other companies would often go to the Seventh Company's camp to chat and exchange experiences during their free time.

The soldiers of the 6th Company, in particular, had gone through several life-or-death battles with the people of the 7th Company, and their bond was exceptionally strong.

Everyone gathered together to exchange combat experiences and share battlefield insights, getting along very well.

He Yuzhu is an open and honest person who never holds back his knowledge and teaches his comrades his combat skills without reservation.

He selected the sniping techniques he had summarized and made sure they were suitable for widespread use, then taught them to the talented soldiers in his company.

At the same time, they also taught everyone the basic skills of artillery combat, improving the overall combat capability.

In addition, He Yuzhu also taught his comrades some basic Korean and English to facilitate daily communication.

Unexpectedly, this instruction directly attracted the attention of higher authorities.

The news first reached the battalion headquarters, where the leaders took it very seriously and then reported it to the regimental headquarters.

The regiment immediately issued an order to invite He Yuzhu to give a large lecture to all the soldiers in the regiment, specifically teaching them basic Korean and English.

It should be noted that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army suffered far too many losses on the Korean battlefield due to language barriers.

When marching, they could not find local people to ask for directions and could not confirm the route, which delayed their march.

When enemy prisoners are captured, effective communication is impossible, and no useful information can be extracted from them.

On the battlefield, if you shout at prisoners, they won't understand you at all and will only try to run away in fear.

It is precisely because of these problems that Professor He Yuzhu's language courses are particularly important, relieving the troops' urgent needs.

In addition to teaching language courses, He Yuzhu was also specially invited by his superiors to help communicate with enemy prisoners.

The prisoners from Western countries complained about the poor food conditions of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, and were constantly upset and unwilling to cooperate with the interrogation.

He Yuzhu, accompanied by two officers, inspected the prisoners' living quarters and food arrangements from beginning to end.

Only after comparison did the prisoners belatedly realize that the food they were eating was already the best rations among the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

After learning the truth, the prisoners no longer dared to cause trouble and gradually calmed down.

After settling down, the prisoners started having ulterior motives again, occasionally trying to find out information from He Yuzhu indirectly.

They wanted to find out the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's policies towards prisoners of war, as well as the true situation in China.

The military has clear regulations for dealing with prisoners of war, and He Yuzhu simply needs to truthfully inform them word for word according to these regulations.

However, when it came to the specific situation in China, He Yuzhu naturally wouldn't tell them the truth, cleverly avoiding the key issues.

Instead, in dealing with the prisoners, He Yuzhu remained calm and collected, gradually extracting a lot of important information.

They learned in detail about the coalition's troop organization, the combat records of each unit, and key information such as weaponry and equipment.

He Yuzhu carefully compiled the intelligence he had obtained into detailed written materials and reported them to his superiors immediately.

Although he wasn't immediately credited for this intelligence work, He Yuzhu did receive a written commendation from his superiors.

It is important to understand that intelligence is the lifeline on the battlefield. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle.

At that time, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had very little knowledge of the situation of the UN forces on the Korean Peninsula; they were almost completely in the dark.

Of course, the Allied forces also had little understanding of the situation of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

They had never heard of the unit designations of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and had no idea what the Volunteer Army was all about.

The information they obtained about the People's Liberation Army from the Kuomintang was outdated.

After numerous reorganizations, the organization and combat methods of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army have undergone tremendous changes.

In January 1951, Mei Sheng, Yu Congrong, and Wu Qianli recovered from their injuries and returned to the Seventh Company.

At the same time, the Seventh Company received further reinforcements, and the team gradually returned to its former size.

As soon as Wu Qianli returned to the Seventh Company, he immediately began to inquire about He Yuzhu's whereabouts.

It was learned that He Yuzhu had been kept in the division, but no one could say for sure what his specific position or location was.

Wu Qianli was anxious and immediately ran to the regimental headquarters, repeatedly asking the regimental commander to transfer He Yuzhu back to the Seventh Company.

But the regimental commander told him helplessly that he didn't know He Yuzhu's exact location, only that he had gone to carry out a special mission.

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianli became even more anxious and immediately went to find his superiors to demand that He Yuzhu be found.

The regimental commander couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he made phone calls one by one and asked around until he finally found out He Yuzhu's whereabouts.

It turned out that a delegation from China had come to visit and comfort the soldiers fighting on the front lines in the Korean War.

Because of his proficiency in languages, He Yuzhu was temporarily assigned by his superiors to serve as the interpreter for the delegation and to provide support.

When Wu Qianli learned that He Yuzhu was only serving as a translator and was not on the dangerous battlefield, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

They didn't press He Yuzhu for his exact location, but instead inquired about two other key matters.

First, there's the matter of He Yuzhu's future work arrangements, specifically whether he can be transferred back to the Seventh Company; second, there's the result of his combat merit assessment.

Wu Qianli knew in his heart that all the companies that participated in the blocking battle had been awarded the collective first-class merit.

There were also many places for individual first-class and second-class merit awards, and many soldiers received military merits.

Given He Yuzhu's outstanding military achievements, a first-class merit award is a certainty and there's no way he can escape it.

The only uncertainty is how many military merits he will earn and what kind of recognition he will receive.

Faced with Wu Qianli's persistent questioning, the regimental commander could only tell the truth that the final assessment of the battle merits was still under careful review by the higher authorities.

However, it is certain that He Yuzhu's personal achievements were immense, and there was more than one such achievement.

The final commendation results are not yet finalized, but the group leader has made it clear that the results will be available soon.

Wu Qianli talked to the regimental commander for a long time, repeatedly urging him to notify him as soon as the person returned.

Only after receiving confirmation from the regimental commander did Wu Qianli feel relieved enough to leave the regimental headquarters and return to the Seventh Company.

As soon as he returned to the Seventh Company, Mei Sheng, Yu Congrong, Wu Wanli, and others immediately surrounded him.

Everyone anxiously asked if they had found out any news about He Yuzhu and when he would be able to return to the company.

Everyone was eagerly anticipating seeing He Yuzhu, but Wu Qianli returned alone, leaving them feeling disappointed.

Wu Qianli reluctantly told everyone what he had found out.

When everyone learned that He Yuzhu was on a mission and would not be able to return to the team for the time being, they could only suppress their anxiety and wait silently.

In fact, there has been a vacancy for platoon leader in the Seventh Company for a long time, and no one has been appointed yet.

The higher-ups repeatedly suggested that other officers be appointed as the deputy company commander of the Seventh Company, but Wu Qianli declined them all.

Wu Qianli and Mei Sheng already had a suitable candidate in mind.

Those who haven't been through life and death with them and don't have solid combat skills are not qualified to be the deputy company commander of the Seventh Company.

They must fight tooth and nail for this position, reserving it for He Yuzhu, who has distinguished himself in battle and possesses outstanding abilities.

On the other hand, when He Yuzhu first received the task of serving as a translator for the delegation, he was also full of doubts and somewhat bewildered.

But as he followed the delegation on their mission, he gradually realized that this seemingly simple task was actually fraught with danger and was anything but simple.

The UN forces, led by the United States, were not yet adapted to the situation on the Korean battlefield and found it difficult to launch an offensive on the main battlefield.

However, the South Korean troops were very familiar with the local terrain and were skilled in operating behind enemy lines.

In the previous phase of the operation, the South Korean capital was successfully captured by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

A large number of South Korean soldiers were scattered, and some of them deliberately infiltrated behind the lines of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, causing sabotage everywhere.

They launched surprise attacks on the Volunteer Army's logistics units and disrupted transportation routes, causing considerable trouble for the Volunteer Army.

When he first received the assignment, He Yuzhu stayed true to his duty, doing a good job as a translator while also protecting the ordinary soldiers.

He didn't act rashly, but quietly followed the delegation, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

Until one unexpected event occurred, the delegation was ambushed by the enemy at their base.

And the enemy who launched the sneak attack turned out to be an old acquaintance of He Yuzhu's—the remnants of the South Korean 1st Division.

These South Korean soldiers were utterly incompetent in frontal battles and were no match for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

They could stay behind and use their skills to stage ambushes and sabotage with great ease, employing extremely despicable methods.

Under the cover of night, they disguised themselves as North Korean soldiers and quietly approached the delegation's residence.

The members of the delegation did not see through their disguise and even enthusiastically prepared a performance for them.

When the night was deep and everyone had relaxed their vigilance, the group of disguised enemies suddenly launched an attack.

Their plan was extremely malicious; they wanted to kill all the guards of the comfort delegation and kidnap the delegation to blackmail the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

But they never expected that they would encounter He Yuzhu, a battlefield killer.

When setting off on the mission, He Yuzhu left his sniper rifle with the Seventh Company.

After all, sniper rifles are too conspicuous and inconvenient to carry, especially since he has two sniper rifles, and it's inconvenient to carry both with him.

Therefore, for this trip, he only borrowed an ordinary Type 38 rifle from a new recruit and carried it on his back for self-defense.

On the night of the attack, He Yuzhu happened to go out to relieve himself and unexpectedly witnessed the enemy's reconnaissance.

The enemy approached silently, intending to catch the Chinese People's Volunteer Army off guard.

Unexpectedly, the enemy who was trying to sneak up on the outpost was discovered first by He Yuzhu and easily dealt with.

He Yuzhu immediately ordered the soldiers around him to sound the alarm, reminding everyone to prepare for battle.

He then casually picked up the Mosin-Nagant rifle that the enemy had used to disguise their identities, and also grabbed a bullet belt full of bullets.

Quickly find a suitable sniping spot, hide, and prepare to engage the enemy.

To be honest, the Mosin-Nagant rifle is indeed a good gun with excellent performance.

Unfortunately, this gun is not equipped with a scope, which limits its ability to fire at long range.

However, this attack was a close-quarters operation, so there was no need for long-range sniping.

With his superb shooting skills, He Yuzhu firmly suppressed the enemy with just this one Mosin-Nagant rifle.

Bullets kept flying, and the enemy didn't dare to show their faces. They were completely suppressed by He Yuzhu's firepower and had no chance to fight back.

The raid ended quickly; some of the enemy were annihilated on the spot, while the rest fled in panic.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army immediately dispatched troops to pursue the fleeing enemy with all its might, leaving no future trouble.

Throughout the entire battle, He Yuzhu himself did not keep count of how many enemies he had killed.

It wasn't until after the battle, when logistics personnel were tallying battlefield casualties, that they discovered this.

The number of enemies killed by He Yuzhu's Mosin-Nagant rifle alone was as many as 20.

In this battle, He Yuzhu once again single-handedly protected the safety of the delegation, making a great contribution.