After a night of heavy rain, the rivers swelled and the fields were filled with muddy water. The rain washed away the long-lasting gunpowder smoke, and the air became fresh again, making people feel refreshed.
Last night, Yang Ling and the others arrived in the small mountain village at the foot of Mahuiling in the rain. They were warmly received by the villagers, and the brothers finally had a hot meal and a good night's sleep.
Days of high-intensity fighting had left Yang Ling tense. It was already dawn after he woke up, and his overall condition had recovered somewhat.
He pushed open the carved wooden window, and the fresh air mixed with the earthy smell rushed towards him, instantly refreshing his mood.
Yang Ling and several guards stayed at the home of an elder named Liu last night. The other brothers also stayed in other homes in the village and received warm hospitality from the villagers.
"Vice-General, Uncle Liu asked us to come over for dinner."
Seeing Yang Ling wake up, guard Huzi came over with a gun. After washing his dirty face, he felt much better.
Yang Ling waved to the guard Hu Zi and said, "Hu Zi, come here. You go and notify several company and platoon leaders and ask them to temporarily borrow all the private money saved by the brothers and give them food money later."
"Vice-General, Uncle Liu and the others have already promised to treat us to food." Huzi was a little confused about Yang Ling's order, and complained: "Besides, it's just one or two meals, so there's no need to pay for it, right?"
"Why should we eat and drink for free the food that others have worked so hard to grow? If every troop comes over to have a meal, we will all deprive them of food. What do you want them to eat?" Yang Ling lectured Hu angrily.
son.
Seeing that Huzi was still hesitating, Yang Ling urged: "Stop dilly-dallying and do as I say."
"Yes!" Guard Huzi then turned around and ran out the door.
A night of heavy rain made the mountains look like they had been soaked in water, and the roads were muddy. Because the Japanese troops were equipped with a large number of heavy weapons, they would not be able to defeat them for a while. Yang Ling breathed a sigh of relief, and the brothers could finally rest.
When Yang Ling left the main room, the elder Liu and his family were busy putting food on the table. The bowls and chopsticks were already placed on the Eight Immortals table. When he saw Yang Ling coming, the old man Liu hurriedly came over.
"Sir Yang, did you get used to your sleep last night? We in the backcountry are not as good as those in the city. Please take care of us, sir." Elder Liu Xing was as polite as ever.
"Mr. Liu, you are so polite. We are all soldiers fighting in the war. We are not so particular. We have been living in the open these days. I finally got a good sleep last night. I have to thank you, Mr. Liu, for your hospitality."
Seeing that Yang Ling was so polite, Mr. Liu also enthusiastically invited Yang Ling to take a seat: "Sir Yang, you're welcome. Come take a seat and we'll talk while we eat."
Yang Ling walked towards the Eight Immortals Table. Four or five plates of side dishes and two roast chickens were already placed on the Eight Immortals Table. Although the food was delicious, Yang Ling frowned.
"Mr. Liu, it's enough to fill my stomach with simple meals. How can I bear this?" Yang Ling also knew that the life of farmers was difficult, and they lived frugally on weekdays, but only during holidays would they be willing to eat meat.
When he and others arrived, Mr. Liu stewed meat and killed chickens. Such warm hospitality made Yang Ling feel embarrassed. If he had known this, he shouldn't have stayed here last night. This was not for the villagers.
Cause trouble?
"Sir Yang, you have gone through life and death on the battlefield to kill the Japanese. We in the mountains can't provide you with anything good to entertain you, just some simple food. Please don't dislike it."
Seeing the warm invitation from Mr. Liu and his family, Yang Ling helplessly shook his head: "Thank you very much, Mr. Liu."
Yang Ling waved to several guards and said, "Come over and eat together."
After hearing Yang Ling's words, several guard brothers also came to sit down one after another. Those who had been hungry and full on the battlefield moved their index fingers when they saw the table full of food.
Yang Ling turned to look at the Liu family members who were still busy in the room, and said to Mr. Liu: "Mr. Liu, let's all come out to eat together. We can't eat so much food."
"Mr. Yang, let's eat first. Don't worry about them. After they've packed up, there's still food in the pot." Although Mr. Liu spoke casually, there was a feeling of loneliness on his face that was hard to conceal.
"Uncle Liu, what are you packing for? Are you going to visit relatives?" A guard brother asked puzzledly as he watched the Liu family's eldest son move the packages out of the house and put them on the bullock cart to secure them.
Mr. Liu sighed helplessly: "To be fair to the boss, the army sent us a notice early in the morning, saying that the Japanese were about to attack, and asked the whole village to take refuge in De'an..."
After hearing what Uncle Liu said, the brother who asked the question was stunned, and even the brother who was eating with a bowl fell silent.
If they could defeat the Japanese in Ruichang County, maybe the people in this village wouldn't have to flee. Thinking of this, it felt like something was blocking their throats, making them feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
Yang Ling also sighed slightly, turned around and said, "Mr. Liu, it's the incompetence of our troops that makes you feel wronged."
"Sir Yang, please stop saying that. These days, I have seen many bosses being carried down after being bombed with arms and legs missing. I know you have tried your best. You have been through life and death. We are old and cannot go into battle to kill the enemy. This
It doesn’t matter if you go out and take shelter for a few days.”
Mr. Liu began to wipe his tears as he spoke. He had lived here all his life. Although he said he would go away for a few days, who knew when he would be able to come back.
Although the food on the table was sumptuous, Yang Ling and the others found it hard to swallow the food when they thought that these hospitable villagers would become refugees far away from home due to the arrival of the Japanese. They wished they could kill all the Japanese now.
However, the little Japs were fierce and fierce, with powerful weapons and equipment, and they were so easy to kill. Yang Ling wanted to say a few words to comfort Mr. Liu, but it was difficult for him to say the words.
Yang Ling and the others ate breakfast in a hurry, and the guard Hu Zi also came back from outside. Yang Ling learned from Hu Zi's mouth that the brothers who lived in different houses were well entertained.
Facing these simple and enthusiastic villagers, Yang Ling's heart was filled with emotion. When the nation was suffering, they were not the only soldiers fighting bloody battles on the front lines to defend the country.
Thousands of people are also working silently. The army is fighting at the front, they are donating money and food from behind, and they have even organized countless teams to go to the front to cook, carry stretchers and take care of the wounded.
Yang Ling thought about the retreat of their troops, the large area of occupied land, and the implication that these villagers had to leave their homes, and he felt a strong sense of guilt in his heart. They had failed to live up to the expectations of thousands of people.
The troops had already assembled in the open space in the village after breakfast. The brothers who had eaten and drank enough had regained some energy and stood there in silence.
But when I saw the expressions of the villagers who were hurriedly packing their things and preparing to evacuate, some were sympathetic, some were angry at the Japanese, and some were filled with guilt, the team was silent.
Yang Ling delivered the silver coins collected from the brothers to the villagers, thanking them for their warm hospitality, which made the villagers extremely surprised and moved.
"Sir, what's the matter with this? It's just a meal, how can I collect money?" Seeing the two silver coins pushed over, some villagers hurriedly waved their hands and declined.
"Auntie, on behalf of the brothers of the 301st Regiment, I would like to thank you. Although the money is not much, it is also a thoughtful gesture from the brothers. Please accept it quickly."
The money collected by the brothers was sent to the hands of the villagers one after another. The villagers who were about to leave their homes looked at the officers and soldiers standing in line in ragged clothes, and felt mixed in their hearts.
"We will work hard to kill the enemy on the battlefield and let all the villagers return home as soon as possible!" Yang Ling raised his hand and saluted the villagers with a military salute.
The brothers followed suit and raised their hands in salute one after another, shouting in unison: "I will survive if the country is destroyed! I swear to the death that I will not be a slave to the country's subjugation!"
Seeing these scarred officers and soldiers with dirty and tattered uniforms saluting them, the villagers who were about to leave their homes had tears in their eyes and mixed emotions. Some of them couldn't help crying.
"Don't cry, what are you crying for? Let's go, let's all go. There are bosses fighting the Japanese here, and we will come back one day." The elders in the village shouted while wiping their tears.
The oxcart loaded with parcels creaked across the muddy road. The villagers carried the parcels on their backs and walked away from their hometown step by step with tears in their eyes. Looking at these reluctant people, the brothers' hearts were tightly squeezed.
Holding his fists, he vowed to drive the Japanese out of China.