Chapter 31: Working Together…

Overall, the visit to the Liugen family went quite smoothly. In fact, because both parties had clear boundaries and didn’t like to take advantage of others, Fang Dahai and Liugen quickly brushed away the awkwardness caused by years of not seeing each other. They regained a sense of neighborly closeness that had been missing for years.

“Number 36, Mao’er Hutong, right? I know that place—I used to pass by it often when delivering to the Drum Tower. In a few days, once I finish up the work at hand, I’ll come by your place and take a look.”

Now that they were feeling closer, and knowing that Fang Dahai had come to rely on He Yulan’s second uncle and was staying in a crowded courtyard house, both Liugen and his older brother Laogen had the same thought: since it was the woman’s relative who was offering support, they didn’t want Fang Dahai to feel like he was beneath others or lose face in front of the neighbors. Worse, they didn’t want others to bully him for it. So they took the initiative to visit and show some presence, just to let others know that the Fang family wasn’t without support in Beijing.

Fang Dahai was naturally grateful for the gesture. He had already planned to do something similar himself, and now Liugen had stepped up without him having to ask, sparing him the embarrassment of pleading for help. How could he not appreciate that?

“Then you must bring Yaya along when you visit. Xiangcao is about the same age—those two can be playmates.”

Fang Dahai understood social etiquette. He knew that the best way to show goodwill to a man was to connect through his wife and children.

And from the earlier interaction when Jiang Yuying (Liugen’s wife) stuffed things into their hands, it was clear that this marriage wasn’t just something thrown together because Liugen was getting older and needed to settle down. It looked like there was real affection between them—like he had truly found the one he wanted.

In that case, the new “Aunt Liugen” deserved respect and goodwill too. That little girl named Yaya should also be shown warmth and friendliness—otherwise, wouldn’t that just make people feel uncomfortable for no reason?

Sure enough, as soon as Fang Dahai said that, not only did Liugen’s whole family beam with joy, even Uncle Laogen grinned and nodded. Clearly, no matter what Laogen felt inside, family was family.

Liugen’s home in Beijing was a rental, and he only rented the east wing of the courtyard. While the house was quite spacious—comparable in size to Fang Dahai’s own three-room house—it didn’t have partitions inside. So Uncle Laogen felt it wouldn’t be proper to stay the night, especially since it was their wedding night. Even as a biological brother, he had to be considerate.

So when Fang Dahai said he was heading home, Uncle Laogen took the opportunity to leave with him—though he couldn’t resist a few more reminders on the way out.

“The weather isn’t too cold yet—if you can make the trip, go home for a bit. Let your sister-in-law at least get to know the family.”

“Yeah, I know. I was already planning to go back around mid-next month.”

It’s said that the eldest brother is like a father—not only because of the responsibility he bears, but also the respect the younger siblings are supposed to give him. In this case, both Laogen and Liugen were fulfilling their roles well.

“Mid-month? Didn’t you just say the work in your hands will be done in a few days? Wouldn’t it be better to head back at the beginning of the month? By mid-month, it’ll be the Double Ninth Festival—think how windy it gets then! You adults might be fine, but how could a child handle that?”

Look at that—just earlier he treated the child like a nobody, and now he’s worried about whether she’ll be cold. Even if he does overstep sometimes, with a big brother like this, Liugen could only take it in stride. Besides, everything he said made sense.

“I’ve got something going on at the beginning of the month. There’s a family in San Yazi Alley that’s moving out and returning to their hometown. I’m thinking of moving into their place, and they’ll be giving me an answer in the next couple of days. I have to wait for that.”

Huh? Moving? What’s this about? Wasn’t he living here just fine? Why the sudden change? And why didn’t he mention it earlier when they were inside?

“It’s not finalized yet, so I didn’t want to say anything. It just happened to come up in the conversation now. Otherwise, I would’ve waited to confirm before telling you.”

Fair enough. No point in talking about something uncertain. But moving…

“My landlord’s family ran into trouble. The old man is gravely ill, and they’re not prepared, so they’re planning to sell the house. I figure the new owner might not be so easy to deal with—and who knows if they’ll even continue renting it out. Since someone’s leaving over in San Yazi Alley, I might as well just move there.”

Uncle Laogen knew the San Yazi place—it was nearby, and he was familiar with the family. He had even been there before.

“But that courtyard is kind of small, isn’t it?”

“It is smaller. The house itself is smaller too—only about 70% the size of the east wing I’m living in now. But it’s a brick house, and the rent is the same. When you think about it, it’s not a bad deal.”

A brick house? Well, if he had the chance to move there, it would be a good upgrade. For one thing, he wouldn’t have to re-mud the clay walls every year. Plus, it looked more decent and felt more solid.

“Alright then. If you finalize it, just send me word—I’ll come help you move.”

Well now, finally Fang Dahai had a chance to get a word in. After standing at the door listening to all that, he’d practically turned into a wooden post.

“Uncle Liugen, let me offer to help too. I may not be able to lift a ton, but I can at least add some manpower.”

“Of course! Who wouldn’t use a strong young man like you if they had one around? I’m not stupid!”

These people sure had a low bar for humor.
That joke wasn’t even funny, yet Uncle Laogen burst out in hearty laughter, slapping Fang Dahai on the shoulder with a mischievous glint in his eye, as if to say, “Well, you brought that on yourself.”

Finally, after all the chatting, they could leave. Fang Dahai quickly stepped out in front, eager to get out of the filthy, chaotic alley. But perhaps due to increased activity from the Party lately, he hadn’t even gone a few blocks before his eyes landed on someone who definitely shouldn’t have been there.

Who?
Given the hints already laid out, it could only be one person—our very own Village Chief from Fortress Village, Jia Dabiao!

The moment Fang Dahai saw him, he instinctively opened his mouth to call out. But before the words left his lips, he shut his mouth tight. Not only that, he quickly took off the basket from his back and shoved it into Uncle Laogen’s hands. Then, like a switch had flipped, he went straight into stealth mode.

He pressed himself against the edge of the alley, moving in small, quiet steps toward a corner. His eyes and ears went on full alert, scanning the surroundings carefully. As he moved, he even signaled Uncle Laogen to stay quiet, making a “shush” gesture. Uncle Laogen, now equally nervous, darted behind a street corner and hid behind a laundry pole. From behind a bedsheet full of colorful patches, two eyes peeked out, watching Fang Dahai and the direction he was looking with intense focus.

A few streets ahead, at a wonton stall, Jia Dabiao appeared to be calmly eating. But judging by the speed at which he was wolfing down food, and the way he kept scanning the area out of the corners of his eyes, it was clear he was in some kind of trouble.
That’s exactly why Fang Dahai immediately went into stealth mode.

Behavior like that only meant one thing: he’d been discovered. And given Jia Dabiao’s identity, he’d likely been spotted by the JT (military police) or ZT (special agents).

Fang Dahai’s instincts weren’t wrong. As he observed the surroundings again, he spotted a suspicious man at the last street corner—an unassuming middle-aged man in a long gown, who looked completely out of place and had been pretending to shop for cheap wooden combs far too long. Meanwhile, a rickshaw was parked oddly in front of a nearby courtyard gate. Who parks blocking a gate like that? Even if the driver lived there, it was still highly improper.

Just two glances and Fang Dahai had spotted two flaws. This made him even more alert. Though this was a poor neighborhood, it was densely populated. Who knew how many more undercover agents were mixed into the crowd? It looked like Jia Dabiao was in serious trouble.

And Jia Dabiao himself clearly knew he was in deep trouble.

He wasn’t even a trained intelligence operative. It was only because Zhang Cheng had been injured and the courier line was down that the organization had urgently dispatched him. Who else could they send? He was the only one in the entire village with message-running experience. He couldn’t just send some green kid who hadn’t even been to Beijing!

But who could’ve guessed the situation in the capital had become so complex?
It wasn’t just deserters and bandits running wild—now even the intelligence network was crawling with agents. He hadn’t even reached the safehouse yet, and someone was already tailing him.

He racked his brain—Where had he slipped up? Who could possibly be interested in a rustic bumpkin like him?

What was worse, with things having escalated like this, could he even complete the mission?

Going to the safehouse? That would only expose their comrades—definitely not an option.
But if he didn’t deliver the message… The contents would be lost, and the mission would fail.
And this wasn’t some minor task—it was related to the liberation strategy for both Beijing and Tianjin.

As he sat there panicking, sweat nearly dripping from his forehead, a figure suddenly appeared nearby.
Swaggering over with a mischievous air and a cocky stride, a familiar voice rang out as the person flopped down at the adjacent table:

“Hey, old man! One bowl of wontons, no scallions!”

Wait—wasn’t this the same Brother Fang who had escorted Zhang Cheng to the village?!
Why was he here?
Why now?
Don’t call out to me! Jia Dabiao silently begged. If those tails realize we know each other, they’ll go after him too!

Jia Dabiao quickly lowered his head and subtly turned his face away, avoiding Fang Dahai’s line of sight as much as possible.

Fang Dahai didn’t make a fuss or greet him loudly. Instead, he casually grabbed a toothpick from the table, stuck it in his mouth, and muttered in a low voice—just loud enough for Jia Dabiao to hear:

“The guy by the comb stall and the rickshaw in front—they’re tailing you, right? How’d you get on their radar? Are there any more?”

What?
Fang actually noticed?
He did this on purpose—he came to help?!

Jia Dabiao didn’t think this half-grown kid could really pull off some spy-level operation, but he was grateful for the help—and he did trust Fang Dahai’s physical capabilities.
After thinking for a moment, he made a risky decision.

“No one else. Just those two. They’ve followed me for four blocks already. I think they’re trying to find out where I’m headed.”

“What’s your plan? …Hey, old man! Hurry up, I’m starving here! …You can’t run, those two don’t look easy to shake.”

“Then we take them out. You know this area, right? Are there any deserted alleys nearby? I’ll lure them in. You follow behind.”

Whoa! This old guy’s got guts!
Respect!

“There is. Head south, cross a street and turn right—there’s a dead-end alley there. Most people in that area have gone to work, so it should be empty.”

That was a place Fang Dahai had passed by earlier. As a former Jinyiwei secret agent, no matter where he went, he instinctively surveyed his surroundings, making sure he knew the terrain. This wasn’t just for cornering criminals or preventing escapes—it was also a safety measure, allowing for a quick retreat if things went south. This survival instinct had long been ingrained as a basic skill passed down through generations of Jinyiwei, trained from childhood.

This habit had helped Fang Dahai escape countless dangers back in the Ming Dynasty. So even in this world, where his physical condition wasn’t quite what it used to be, the first instinct he regained was this. Combined now with his **sharpened senses—enhanced hearing and an extraordinary sense of smell—**he had even developed the ability to judge the presence of people inside nearby houses with much greater precision.

There’s a saying: “Opportunity always favors the prepared.” And here it was again—another chance. After saving one of our Party members already, today he was about to save another. With credit like that, well, when the Liberation Army entered the city, his future would surely be more secure than most.

“That’s good. I’ll leave after I finish eating. I’ll walk as slowly as I can—stay close and don’t get spotted.”

“Relax. They’re not sharper than the beasts in the mountains, are they?”

That wasn’t necessarily true, but at this point, Jia Dabiao had no other option. He had to try.

Their voices were quiet, their heads turned away from each other. Meanwhile, Fang Dahai kept chatting boisterously with the old wonton vendor. From their body language and setting, there was no sign the two were having a secret discussion. But as any trained intelligence officer knows, paranoia is a virtue.

So just as the two finished planning, the man who had been at the comb stall slowly walked over, and the rickshaw puller subtly adjusted his position—ready to leave at any moment.

Seeing this, Jia Dabiao quickly gulped down the rest of his wontons, bent down to grab his basket (which had been serving as cover), slung it over his shoulder, and stood up to leave the stall.

At that moment, Fang Dahai’s wontons arrived. He didn’t care if they were hot—he stuffed a few into his mouth, then suddenly slammed the table, shouting at the vendor:

“Didn’t I say no scallions? No scallions! Why are they even in the filling? You did this on purpose, didn’t you?!”

“Oh, no no! I wouldn’t dare, sir! This is the only filling we have—I won’t charge you, sir. It’s on the house, alright?”

“On the house? You think I eat for free?! I’ve got money—don’t need your charity!”

As he spoke, Fang Dahai pulled out a few copper coins and tossed them onto the table with a scowl:

“What a load of bad luck. Now I have to go home and eat again. I’m out.”

His entire outburst flowed smoothly—so naturally, in fact, that even the vendors at nearby stalls didn’t sense anything off. One even ran over after he left to praise the vendor:

“You’re lucky, old man. That’s a good customer—got manners and knows how to pay!”

Fang Dahai walked away, but kept his ears tuned to everything around him. He was still alert for anyone he might’ve missed earlier. The vendor praise caught him off guard—it made him want to laugh, though the situation didn’t allow for it.

Still, as long as they weren’t part of the surveillance crew, people could say whatever they wanted.

As he walked, Fang Dahai scanned his surroundings, swaggering his way toward the location he had agreed upon with Jia Dabiao. Halfway there, he spotted Uncle Laogen still hiding behind a bedsheet. He quietly stepped closer and whispered:

“Wait here. I’m off to deal with a couple of dogs. I’ll be right back.”

Uncle Laogen wasn’t stupid. His ears weren’t deaf and his eyes weren’t blind. Even if he hadn’t fully understood everything just now, he could tell that someone Fang Dahai knew had run into trouble.

He quickly nodded and scanned the surroundings carefully. After confirming no one was nearby, he added a warning:

“Be careful. If things go south, just shout. I’ll come right away.”

What could he possibly do? A farmer or hunter, by nature, has a very different temperament.

Still, Fang Dahai couldn’t disregard the goodwill. Even if he wasn’t counting on him, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then picked up his pace and started tailing the two watchers.

At the corner before the dead-end alley, Jia Dabiao had stopped, pretending that the heel of his shoe had come loose. He leaned against the wall, tugging at his shoe while sneakily glancing behind him. Gone was his earlier calmness.

Naturally. Cooperating with someone he thought was a non-professional—someone he’d only met once—how could he not be nervous? But thankfully, things were going as planned.

The man in the long robe followed. The rickshaw puller followed. And Fang Dahai… good—he came too.

And not only that—he approached from the rooftop, moving along the walls of nearby homes. Given that, it was time to act.

Jia Dabiao suddenly picked up the pace and darted into the dead-end alley. The two pursuers, realizing they’d been made, tossed what they were carrying and took off after him.

And just as they turned the corner into the alley—!

“Ah!”

That shout came from Jia Dabiao—a signal to act.

In the same instant, Fang Dahai leapt down from the wall of a courtyard on the east side of the alley. He lunged westward, landed with a swift roll, and immediately followed them into the dead-end alley.

The moment he entered, he drew a long dagger and, without hesitation, thrust it straight ahead.