Chapter 231: 231, Captain Ren Xiaosu

Disdain it as you may, but since everyone unanimously asked Old Master Hu Shuo to help write the Spring Festival couplets, and he's already done so, wouldn't it be a great embarrassment if you don't put them up now?

After all, these Spring Festival couplets are merely an expression of hopes for the New Year; as long as they bring joy.

A simple wooden house has been built, and to keep it warm, everyone helped strip and wash the wolf pelts from the prey they brought, nailing them outside once dried to prevent drafts.

Once the house was built, Ren Xiaosu and Li Qingzheng drove a truck to the market, picking up Wang Fugui, Yan Liuyuan, and Jiang Wu. But this time, Hu Shuo stopped them: "The area outside the market is different now; going to pick them up at this time might cause problems. Wait two more days before you go."

Ren Xiaosu was taken aback: "What's happened?"

"The Li family has lost a combat brigade," Hu Shuo explained.

Everyone was stunned: "A combat brigade has thousands of people—how can they just be lost?"

Hu Shuo chuckled: "Indeed, they just vanished. Now the entire 108 Garrisons are under strict lockdown, with trenches dug. If you go now, even if you get into the market, you won't be able to leave."

Ren Xiaosu frowned: "What can we do?"

"Wait a day," Hu Shuo smiled: "I'll handle this."

Ren Xiaosu didn't say more, wanting to see how Hu Shuo would resolve it.

In the following days, as the New Year approached, Hu Shuo spoke less and less.

Everyone often saw him sitting on the cliff beside the outpost all day, doing nothing but staring into the distance.

Ren Xiaosu walked to his side and suddenly asked, "Are you thinking of your family?"

Hu Shuo ignored him, so Ren Xiaosu asked again, "Besides that grandson, do you have no other relatives?"

Hu Shuo glanced at him: "No, why do you ask?"

"I see you're always so melancholy," Ren Xiaosu said worriedly, "If you don't mind, let's become sworn brothers. I have a younger brother too—we could imitate the Peach Garden Oath..."

"Get lost," Hu Shuo snapped irritably, "Who's taking advantage of whom here? My grandson is older than you!"

Ren Xiaosu sighed, "With the New Year coming, won't he come to spend it with you?"

"He has more important matters to attend to," Hu Shuo replied.

In that moment, Ren Xiaosu suddenly realized Hu Shuo might be planning something significant, and that grandson was crucial to the plan: "Wait, is your grandson surnamed Li?"

Hu Shuo gave a half-smile: "There are many Lis—what do you mean?"

Ren Xiaosu was stunned; he should have realized this earlier. If the grandson was the one he suspected, many of Hu Shuo's actions made sense.

...

The next morning, an off-road vehicle drove up from the mountain below. Ren Xiaosu guessed it was another visitor for Hu Shuo.

But two officers stepped out of the car, carrying two sets of extra military uniforms. Hu Shuo, sitting in the courtyard, pointed at Ren Xiaosu and Li Qingzheng: "Give these to them."

Ren Xiaosu was puzzled: "What's this?"

"You want to enter and leave the market, you'll need to wear this," Hu Shuo said.

"This is the Li family's regular army uniform," Ren Xiaosu exclaimed in shock, "But won't they check IDs? If caught, we'd be in serious trouble!"

Yet the two officers said, "We're prepared."

As they spoke, they handed Ren Xiaosu a blue booklet. Upon opening it, he found it was a Li family officer's ID—with a serial number, official seal, and even his own photo.

He didn't know when someone had secretly taken his picture!

Hu Shuo laughed, "The negatives have been destroyed. Don't worry about this. The number is real, the rank of captain is real, everything is real. You're now my subordinate, and no one will question you. Though I doubt anyone would dare check our combat sequence—normal soldiers are quite afraid of our Special Reconnaissance Corps."

Ren Xiaosu fell silent. This old man's influence in the Li family was too great. For many, the coveted identity of a Li family regular soldier was like a small gift in his hands.

Moreover, giving him this identity must have another purpose. How could this old fox do unnecessary things? Rather than go through the trouble of getting military status, why not just send someone to fetch Xiao Yu and the others?

Ren Xiaosu asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid I'll use this identity for other purposes?"

Hu Shuo chuckled, "You? What could you possibly do?"

After lunch that day, Ren Xiaosu and Li Qingzheng drove out, both wearing Li family military uniforms. Li Qingzheng beamed, "So I'm a Li family regular soldier now? Can we enter the garrison?"

"Is that all you want?" Ren Xiaosu asked curiously.

Li Qingzheng laughed without hesitation, "Who wouldn't want to enter the garrison? I heard the garrison never locks its doors at night—no thieves either."

"Perhaps you'll be disappointed," Ren Xiaosu gazed out the window, "I think the garrison isn't that great. The market is actually more comfortable."

Li Qingzheng retorted, "I don't believe that—you're surely lying. Anyway, the fortune teller said that if I meet a benefactor, I'll enter the garrison. I trust that."

Ren Xiaosu smiled but said nothing. Better to trust oneself than a fortune teller.

At the market checkpoint, when the two presented their IDs, the guards only saw the words "Military Special Reconnaissance Corps" and their faces paled. They quickly let Ren Xiaosu and Li Qingzheng pass.

Wang Fugui and the others had already packed their belongings, waiting for Ren Xiaosu.

When Ren Xiaosu had said he would take them to the outpost for the New Year, no one doubted his ability. Now that he had truly come to fetch them, the whole family carried large and small packages, looking as if they were going on a countryside outing—completely out of place with the tense atmosphere in the market...

The shopkeeper next door, seeing Ren Xiaosu's military uniform, froze: "How did you become a Li family soldier? Last time you were still a private militia soldier?"

At that time, she had looked down on Ren Xiaosu's private militia status. After all, her boyfriend was a genuine Li family regular soldier.

She knew how hard it was to join the Li family's regular army. These days, Wang Fugui's grocery store next to hers had caused her business to plummet. Previously, others had begged her to buy things, but now Wang Fugui dealt with everyone amiably, and people naturally preferred to shop there.

So every day, watching Wang Fugui's side bustling with activity, she grew more irritated.

Just as Ren Xiaosu and Yan Liuyuan were packing, this shopkeeper sneaked off to the military camp stationed outside the market.