Chapter 3: The Grass Bag is Not Actually a Grass Bag (Part 2)

  "Zhao family from the east of the river?" Yuan Shijiang slapped the table and said: "Haha, it can be said that a big flood has washed away the Dragon King Temple. The Zhao family from the east of the river has always had business dealings with my father, you... you are the one who is known as the widow Cui, the living widow. I and your husband Yuan Feng have been childhood friends."

  Liu Cuicui's face turned red as she said, "Officer, don't make fun of me."

  Yuan Shijiang choked back a laugh and said, "No joke, huh?" He pointed at the child beside Cui Guafu and asked, "Is this your son with Yuan Feng? He's grown so big already."

  Liu Cuicui quickly pulled out her son who was hiding behind her and said, "That's right, his name is Zhao Zhongde, Dezi, hurry up and call him Dage."

  Yuan Shijiang smiled and said: "Hmm, not bad, a burst of clever energy, just like his old man when he was young, haha."

  Lang Yiwu saw the two of them getting close, and he coughed loudly on the side. Yuan Shijiang suddenly came to his senses, wasn't this a trial? He cleared his throat, put on a stern face and said: "Cough, familiar people treat each other as familiar, I'm telling you, sister-in-law, how could you go be a spy for the Japanese devils? Don't you see the current situation?"

  Lang Yiweng almost vomited blood when he heard Yuan Shijiang ask this: So as long as the situation improves, you can be a spy?

  Liu Cuicui met an acquaintance and naturally poured out her grievances, saying: "He's so big (even the way he addresses us has changed), it's unjust, we're just a widow and orphan, how could we possibly be spies?"

  Yuan Shijiang pressed on: "You really aren't a Japanese spy."

  Liu Cuicui said: "Really isn't."

  "Really isn't it?"

  Liu Cuicui said: "Absolutely not."

  Yuan Shijiang smiled and said, "It's good that it's not. You go sit down over there and have a cup of tea first, I'll send someone to take you home later."

  Liu Cuicui sweetly said "thank you, big brother", a nearby soldier quickly brought over a chair, and Liu Cuicui took her son to sit down beside him.

  Lang Yiwu couldn't bear it anymore and reminded him: "Your Honor!"

  "I didn't expect you to turn around and scold me, saying: 'It's not that I'm saying you're wrong, but what you said earlier was quite forced, I don't even know what you want to do. She's just a housewife, how can she be a spy? And what's wrong with the kid going to Dongyang School? Let me tell you, I also went to a Japanese middle school, and many of our officials have gone to Japanese military schools, are they all spies?"

  Lang Yiwu had read quite a few books and was usually able to speak eloquently, but when he encountered someone like Yuan Shijiang, he really didn't know what to do. Moreover, after careful consideration, the reason for his arrest wasn't very sufficient either. However, he couldn't help feeling resentful, and since the other person's military rank was higher than his own, he could only swallow his anger and remain silent.

  After Liu Cuicui sat down, she made a strong eye contact with Cheng Ziqiang, meaning: I'm fine, you'd better get yourself cleaned up too. Cheng Ziqiang understood immediately and opened his mouth to say: "Colonel, actually we are not spies of the Japanese."

  Yuan Shijiang saw Cheng Ziqiang's sword-like eyebrows and was directly addressed as "Shao Xiao", which he found interesting, because ordinary people usually called military personnel "Lao Zong" and military officers "Zhang Guan", but rarely directly called them by their rank. So he turned to ask Lang Yiweng: "What's the story with these people?"

  Lang Yiweng said: "At that time, we were catching deserters. As a result, two guns were found on them, one was self-made and the other was Browning. Take another look at his rough appearance, although our Huaxia allows some people to legally own firearms, how can he afford these two good guns with this appearance? So I think their identities are very suspicious."

  Cui Liu saw that the situation was unfavorable, just as she was about to speak, Cheng Ziqiang stopped her with a single glance. At this time, Yuan Shijiang asked again: "Don't say I'm not reasonable as an official, but you have to talk to me clearly about this matter."

  Cheng Ziqiang said: "Captain, my name is Cheng Ziqiang, and everyone calls me Kuli Qiang. This gun was seized from the Japanese bandits when we left the city. At that time, the Japanese were killing people and setting fires in the city, and we really couldn't stay there anymore. We gathered dozens of people and rushed out together, dispersing only after leaving the city."

  Yuan Shijiang nodded and said: "If this is true, then you are also a real man..."

  He hadn't finished speaking when the grass-headed snake beside Cheng Zi Qiang hastily said: "Officer, it's true. If we didn't have these two guns to boost our courage, we really wouldn't have been able to come out."

  Lang Yiwu saw Yuan Shijiang's eyes seemed to have come alive again, and he quickly said: "Officer, don't listen to their sweet talk," he pointed at the man with a sly face next to Cheng Ziqiang and said: "Not to mention others, just talking about him, one of my superiors knows him, his name is Cao Tou She, an old soldier who has been through many battles, he's good at delaying and making excuses, this kind of person will do anything for money."

  That grass head snake almost jumped up and said: "I am an old soldier, no fake, but this time I am officially retired, personally approved by Old General Feng!"

  Lang Yiwu coldly smiled and said: "Then I'll just say that this lieutenant was personally appointed by the great president himself, even if it's a lie, I'm not afraid of getting tongue-tied."

  The grass head snake raised its hand and said: "Sunzi deceived you, I want to deceive people into thundering five thunders."

  Lang Yiweng said: "Even if heaven strikes you with six thunderbolts, it's still not enough."

  Yuan Shijiang slapped the table and said: "Alright, alright! You've all confused me with your arguing! Grasshead Snake, what's going on? Tell me!"

  "Ah, that was two years ago, before Old General Feng passed away. Our unit was on patrol and I accidentally dozed off while standing guard. The officer who caught me was someone who never liked me, and he took my rifle straight to Old General Feng. At the time, Old General Feng was practicing his calligraphy, so he asked what was going on. The officer told him, and when Old General Feng heard, he got furious and said: 'Although we're in a peaceful era now, those Japanese devils are still eyeing us covetously. As soldiers, we can't afford to slack off or make mistakes that could harm the military. This is a capital offense!' I was in big trouble then, and two guards came over to drag me away. But just as they were halfway through dragging me, Old General Feng said: 'Wait! Matters of life and death require a written order. We must follow the law now.'"

  Then he dragged me back, asked my name, and I watched as the old general wrote my name with a brush, the reason for punishment, decided to shoot... but when writing this word "shoot", it took half a day to put down the pen. Then he glared at me, scolded: "You lucky kid!" Tore up that handwritten order. Another one was written, with my name, reason for punishment, decided to give 100 military sticks... But this stick character also didn't go down for half a day. After wasting another quarter of an hour, the old general got angry again, tore up this handwritten order as well, then came down and kicked me saying: "Get out of here!"

  I had just returned from the Ghost Gate Pass and was still in a daze, so I stupidly asked: "General, where am I going?"

  The old man said: "Wherever you come from, roll back there! I'm annoyed when I see you. Don't let me see you again!"

  "I thought about it and realized I came from home, so I went back home. Sir, this is a proper retirement."

  The grass-headed snake's words had barely fallen when Yuan Shijiang burst out laughing, Lang Yiwu was taken aback at first, but then couldn't help turning his face away to stifle a laugh. The others didn't dare laugh loudly, and could only lower their heads and force themselves to endure it, because everyone knew one thing: the old general from the four eastern provinces was an uneducated man who didn't recognize many characters, and although he liked to write a few lines of calligraphy in his later years, his learning hadn't made much progress. When the old general wrote the military order, he might have accidentally written a wrong character, so he changed it to one hundred military sticks, but then forgot how to write the character for "stick", and had no choice but to let the grass-headed snake "roll". This grass-headed snake really had exceptionally good luck.