The sound of gunfire rang out again in the mountains and forests around Minshan. The dull sound of gunfire became louder and louder, and the air was once again filled with the smell of gunpowder smoke.
In the early stage, Yang Ling and his regiment fought repeatedly with the Japanese for two days and nights. The troops suffered heavy casualties. When they withdrew from the Jinlongjing Mountains, they got a brief opportunity to rest and recuperate.
The brothers were so tired that they retreated to a dense forest to take a rest. Before the people in the cooking class could finish the meal, they were already limply holding their guns and fell asleep soundly.
The sound of gunfire was still ringing around.
"Everyone, please hurry up and get some sleep. I'm afraid we have to go up at night." The leader, Zhang Handuo, had bloodshot eyes and his words became weak.
After receiving the order from the regiment leader Zhang Handuo, the haggard and exhausted staff members of the regiment dispersed as if they had received an amnesty, and each looked for a place to sleep.
Yang Ling also found a tattered military blanket and fell asleep amidst the frequent sounds of gunfire. His nerves, which had been kept highly tense, suddenly relaxed. His whole body seemed to have collapsed. He couldn't care less about his image.
It was truly a sleepless night. When I woke up, it was already dusk, and the deep twilight was like a layer of gauze covering the surrounding mountains, exuding a hazy beauty.
The sound of gunfire in the surrounding mountains was still sparse and dense at times, but it sounded farther away. It was probably friendly forces pushing the front to the Japanese side.
From the beginning of the Battle of Songhu to the present, the brigades and regiments of the 74th Army have participated in almost every bloody battle. In successive fierce battles, the troops have become stronger and stronger, and they have become the main force of the rising star in the battle order of the National Revolutionary Army.
Many officers and soldiers were still fighting bloody battles and did not feel deeply about the changes in their status, but Yang Ling felt extremely proud in his heart for being in such a unit.
"Lieutenant, are you hungry? I'll get you some food."
When the orderly Huzi saw Yang Ling wake up, he got up and went to bring Yang Ling food.
Soon Huzi came back with a bowl of porridge made from vegetable paste and two pancakes. Yang Ling smelled the wafting fragrance and his stomach growled unsatisfactorily.
Although he is the deputy leader, he has indeed not had a decent meal in the past few days. When he was guarding the golden dragon stem, he even ran out of food. Now that he is hungry, he is holding a bowl and slurping it down in one breath.
I drank all the big bowl of gruel.
Yang Ling was indeed very hungry. After eating two bowls of porridge and four pancakes, she felt like she had strength again.
"Lieutenant, do you want me to scoop you another bowl?" Huzi stayed by the side. When he saw Yang Ling finish eating, he grabbed the bowl and went to fill it.
Yang Ling waved his hand to indicate that he was full. He looked at Huzi where the pestle was, and then he remembered to ask: "Huzi, have you eaten?"
Huzi scratched the back of his head and laughed naively: "Vice-Tuan, I've eaten five bowls..."
Hearing Huzi's words, Yang Ling smiled and joked: "It's a blessing to be able to eat. When we are full, we can fight the Japanese."
"Yes!" Huzi agreed loudly like a conditioned reflex.
"Are you guys awake yet?" Yang Ling put down the bowl and asked.
Huzi replied: "I just woke up and I am eating now."
"Okay, then go ahead and get busy."
Yang Ling stood up and stretched his aching muscles, then walked towards the tent not far away.
Before entering the tent, I heard Zhang Handuo, the leader of the group, shouting: "Bring me another bowl. I won't be hungry after this meal."
Yang Ling pursed her lips and smiled, opened the curtain and stepped in. She happened to see the group leader Zhang Handuo grabbing a piece of pancake and wolfing it down.
"Brother Yang, are you awake?" Zhang Handuo greeted Yang Ling and asked the orderly to serve him rice.
"I've just eaten." Yang Ling waved his hands repeatedly and sat down along the ammunition box.
After Yang Ling sat down, he asked Luo Heng, the regimental subordinate who was busy at the side: "How is the progress of our army's attack?"
Luo Heng, the regiment affiliated with the regiment, stopped what he was doing and replied with a frown: "Although some hills were captured, the Japanese relied on the terrain to hold on tenaciously. The attacking troops suffered heavy casualties. I'm afraid this battle won't be over in a while."
Yang Ling had already expected this. After all, the Japs were elite and highly skilled in tactics. Now they relied on mountains to fight, so it would not be easy to defeat them.
However, Yang Ling did not feel any frustration. Although the Japs were strong, their 74th Army was not weak either. They were fighting head-on. It was hard to say who would win.
"By the way, let's call the brigade headquarters and hope that the weapons, ammunition and additional troops we applied for will be allocated as soon as possible." Zhang Handuo, the regiment leader, also added at the side.
Since they entered the battle, they fought bloody battles for two days and nights, and the entire regiment suffered more than a thousand casualties. If the battle losses cannot be replenished in time, the combat effectiveness of the army will be greatly reduced, and replenishing soldiers and weapons has become the most urgent matter for their regiment at present.
"Report, regimental seat, our ammunition and new recruits have arrived." Luo Heng, affiliated with the regiment, had just turned around to make a phone call to urge us, when a guard opened the curtain and reported loudly.
Team leaders Zhang Handuo and Yang Ling looked at each other and saw happiness in each other's eyes.
"Cao Cao is here. Come on, let's go take a look." Zhang Handuo put down his rice bowl and stood up.
A group of new recruits wearing brand-new military uniforms, led by a staff officer from the brigade headquarters, arrived in the woods where Yangling and the others were hiding. They also brought a large amount of ammunition with them.
These young recruits were walking in a queue, like young girls who had just gone out, looking around full of curiosity about the new troops.
The veterans covered in blood and smoke were sitting or lying in the forest, busy minding their own business. Occasionally they would take a look at these young recruits, and soon they would close their eyes and fall asleep or lower their heads to clean their guns. They were not happy at all.
The atmosphere is a bit dull.
Every time new recruits are added, it means that a large number of veterans have sacrificed in the army in the past time. The brothers who have been together day and night are gone and replaced by unfamiliar new faces. The veterans feel uncomfortable and naturally have no intention of welcoming them.
These new recruits have arrived.
If possible, they would rather never have new recruits as long as their old brothers are alive, but the reality is cruel.
These new recruits who were replenishing battle losses felt mixed emotions in their hearts as they looked at the veterans whose uniforms were in tatters and soaked in blood. Many of the new recruits even turned pale when smelling the strong smell of blood.
After regimental commander Zhang Handuo signed the acceptance document, the brigade staff hurriedly left, leaving a large group of recruits looking around.
"Ask the company commanders of each battalion to come and pick up the recruits -" Zhang Handuo ordered the messenger and strode towards the new recruits.
Seeing the gray-faced and serious officer approaching, some people quickly raised their hands to salute, and the others followed suit and saluted hurriedly. The team suddenly became commotion, and Yang Ling shook his head.