Chapter 61

At night, the four people slept in the room where Hu Hao used to be confined, with a big fire in the middle to keep warm.

In the morning, when Hu Hao and the three others returned to Colonel Zhang's courtyard, they found that Colonel Zhang had not come back yet. So he said to the three of them, "You wait here. I'll go find my brother and see how they plan to arrange for you."

Hu Hao then went to the regiment headquarters. When he went in, he saw several people sleeping, including Colonel Zhang, the political commissar, and two battalion commanders.

Seeing that they were all sleeping soundly, Hu Hao went to the kitchen and found that no soldiers had come to eat breakfast early in the morning.

"Xiao Liu, Xiao Liu, where are you!" Hu Hao shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Here, here," Squad Leader Xiao Liu, wearing an apron, ran over.

"What's up, Er Lengzi?" Xiao Liu asked.

"Where is everyone? Why isn't anyone eating breakfast!" Hu Hao asked.

"They are all sleeping. The second and third battalions were moving supplies until 4 o'clock yesterday, and the first battalion is still watching the Japanese!" Xiao Liu said.

"That's why no one came to eat. The people at the regiment headquarters are still sleeping soundly!" Hu Hao said.

"Right, breakfast was prepared early, but no one came to eat. I guess they'll just have lunch when they wake up!" Xiao Liu said.

"Alright, if they don't eat, I will. Give me more steamed buns and whatever else you have, and send it to my courtyard later!" Hu Hao said, then turned and left.

When he got back to the courtyard, he found the three of them still lying on the kang bed, having just returned from the confinement room and fallen asleep again. They slept more than he did, damn it! He had to get up early to get them food, and they just slept!

"Get up, all of you! If you don't get up, I'll set the house on fire!" Hu Hao shouted loudly.

"Ah!" The first to wake up was Houzi. Houzi was already scared of Hu Hao, so his first reaction was to get up quickly, or he would definitely get beaten. Daxiong and Chen Yundie also groggily got out of bed.

"Er Lengzi, what's wrong with you so early in the morning!" Chen Yundie rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Damn it, I'm the one who usually sleeps in. When did it become your turn?" Hu Hao said, then lay down on the kang bed and said, "Go to the living room and wait. Someone will bring you food later. If anyone dares to disturb my sleep, I'll kill them!" He then covered himself with his blanket.

The three of them looked at Hu Hao in shock. Did sleeping in have a turn?

"Get out!" Hu Hao shouted when he saw them still standing there. "Right, leave some for me, don't eat it all. If you eat it all, I'll beat you until you vomit!" He then turned over and closed his eyes to sleep.

Houzi was the first to run out, and the other two followed.

"Isn't he being unreasonable? Who could sleep well in the confinement room last night?" Chen Yundie said.

"Isn't it your fault? If it weren't for you, we would have slept on this kang bed, which would have been much more comfortable. Now, we're all sore from sleeping in that confinement room!" Houzi said.

"Say that again, and I'll go wake up Er Lengzi and tell him you're bad-mouthing him. See if he doesn't beat you up!" Chen Yundie threatened Houzi.

"Alright, you're the boss, alright? I don't have a father in the Eighth Route Army!" Houzi said.

"Brother, our father has been dead for so many years. How could he be in the Eighth Route Army!" Daxiong said.

"How can you two be brothers and be so different!" Chen Yundie pointed at them in disbelief.

"Why not? You see things and get surprised. I'm going to sleep on the table. Otherwise, I won't have any energy," Houzi stretched and said.

In less than three minutes, all three of them were sleeping on the table. The kitchen staff brought breakfast and, seeing that they were all still sleeping, put the food on a stool in the living room without waking them up.

By 10 o'clock in the morning, Colonel Zhang and the others woke up. They asked if there were any new developments with the first battalion and learned that the Japanese had left a company behind, while the rest had returned to Taiyuan early in the morning. There was nothing to worry about now.

"Hmm, it seems the Japanese have big plans! They didn't attack us, so they must be preparing for the next offensive!" Colonel Zhang thought aloud.

After a while, seeing that there was nothing urgent at the regiment headquarters, Colonel Zhang went to his courtyard. As soon as he entered, he saw the three of them still sleeping on the table. He frowned and went into the inner room, where he found Hu Hao lying on the kang bed alone. Last night, he had slept on the floor at the regiment headquarters, thinking the four of them would occupy the kang bed. Now, only Hu Hao was on the kang bed, while the other three were sleeping on the table outside. Colonel Zhang undid his belt.

Hu Hao was lucky. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Colonel Zhang looking at him angrily, unbuttoning his belt. He quickly stood up and hid inside.

"Brother, what are you doing? Beating me so early in the morning? I didn't do anything wrong today!" Hu Hao shouted.

"You didn't do anything? Last night, I made a bed on the floor at the regiment headquarters to give you all a place to sleep. You, on the other hand, took the whole kang bed for yourself and made the other three sleep on the table outside. You have some nerve, making your brother sleep on the floor!" Colonel Zhang said.

"Brother, brother, listen to me. It's not what you think. I chased them out this morning because they were sleeping in. I didn't know they would still sleep outside. I really didn't take the whole kang bed last night," Hu Hao said.

"Really?" Colonel Zhang asked, standing by the edge of the kang bed.

"Really, if you don't believe me, ask them!" Hu Hao said, then shouted, "The three of you outside, get in here! If you don't, I'll break your legs!"

The three of them had actually woken up when Hu Hao started talking but didn't dare come in. Now, with Hu Hao's shout, they all came in and stood in a line.

"What's going on with you three? Did you sleep here last night, and did Er Lengzi chase you out this morning?" Colonel Zhang asked the three of them.

All three shook their heads. Hu Hao and Colonel Zhang's faces turned black. Hu Hao's face turned black because the three of them didn't help him explain, and Colonel Zhang's face turned black because he thought Hu Hao was lying.

"You little brat, you dare to lie to me!" Colonel Zhang said, then rushed onto the kang bed.