The brothers in the guerrilla army had just won a victory in the counter-encirclement and suppression campaign against the Japanese. At this moment, their morale was very high. When the order to mobilize was passed, the whole camp was excited, gearing up for a big fight.
In a short period of time, the Third Guerrilla Detachment has transformed from a loosely disciplined ragtag into a strong force that dares to fight.
Now the Third Guerrilla not only consists of grassroots officers composed of passionate and loyal veterans, but also recruits who have gone through the baptism of blood, and they have all grown into resolute and resolute patriots.
Although the counter-encirclement and suppression battle ended less than a week ago and the brothers were still very tired, when they heard that another battle was about to begin, many wounded soldiers resolutely asked to return to the team regardless of their injuries.
The brothers who were resting couldn't sit still anymore, and they polished their guns and sharpened their knives one after another. The guns were polished until they were shiny, and the bayonets shone with a cold light.
Some companies immediately started pre-war adaptability training after being mobilized for combat. The wind was freezing on the training field outside the village, and the shouts of killing shook the sky.
Quartermaster Sun Zhong kept his feet firmly on the ground, busy distributing ammunition to the brothers and preparing dry food and other logistical supplies.
The women's committees of each village also took active action, trying to mend the brothers' torn clothes and trousers before they went off to the expedition, provide them with insoles, and make new shoes for them.
Yang Ling knew that this winter offensive would last three or four months. Once their team was pulled out, they would not be able to help themselves and must obey the orders of their superiors to fight.
Therefore, he also asked the brothers to be fully prepared. After all, they might not be able to come for a while, so they must be mentally prepared for a protracted battle.
Although the villagers know that there will be casualties in war, after all, many villages have sacrificed their lives in the past few days, and the first seven days have not passed yet.
But standing in the face of the nation's righteousness, they did not stop their children from going off to fight against the Japanese. Instead, they silently packed their luggage and sent their relatives to the battlefield to fight against the Japanese and defend their country.
After the combat mobilization order was issued, after two days of intensive preparations, all the preparations for the brothers' expedition were in place.
All wounded soldiers were left in the base area to recuperate, and the militia teams in each village were trained intensively. Under the command of deputy captain Zhang Liechen, they were responsible for the security of the base area when the main guerrillas attacked.
The brothers who went on the expedition were accompanied by Wang Huzi's 1st Guerrilla Battalion, Wu Changqing's 2nd Guerrilla Battalion and directly affiliated guard platoons, health teams, propaganda teams, and military supplies and supplies teams.
Anyway, except for the large number of Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Qinghe Town, the rest of the Japanese and puppet troops are at least dozens of miles away in the surrounding areas. There will be no danger in the base area for the time being.
At dawn, the brothers rushed to the training ground outside the village to assemble amid the loud bugles. Teams of officers and soldiers were neatly dressed, with their bayonets polished.
Villagers from Shiliba Village arrived early carrying bamboo baskets, dustpans, and clay pots outside the training ground in Xiaowangzhuang, surrounded by a sea of people.
After all, the current main force of the Third Guerrilla Detachment are young people recruited from local villages, and almost every household has someone serving as a soldier in the guerrilla group.
Therefore, these villagers came here early to send their children to the war, and to send their own young soldiers to fight the enemy.
"You look so energetic."
The villagers crowded on the edge of the training ground, tiptoeing to look for their children. Looking at the energetic officers and soldiers, they couldn't help but nod their heads.
"I hope they can get rid of all those damn beasts this time."
"We can definitely drive them away. There are only a few of them. Look at our army, which has nearly a thousand people."
...
The villagers were talking a lot. Seeing these groups of officers and soldiers gathering from all over the country, they felt at ease and confident in their hearts for no reason.
The brothers from the two battalions plus the guard platoon and some of the baggage and miscellaneous personnel. In addition to the brothers who stayed in the base area to guard and deal with casualties, the number of troops sent out for the expedition was 950, including six companies of combat soldiers.
A platoon.
The brothers stood upright in the open space of the training ground, neatly arranged as if cut by a knife. Behind their dark and determined faces was a burning patriotism.
Yang Ling and all the officers were also wearing neat and straight military uniforms, with armed belts hanging diagonally from their shoulders to their waists.
There are short guns loaded with bullets in the cowhide holsters. They all look majestic, and their serious expressions don't look angry or intimidating.
The ancient stone mill became Yang Ling's point of reference. He jumped up and stood firm, facing the assembled officers and soldiers.
When the folks standing on the edge of the training ground saw where Yang Ling was standing condescendingly, they all shut up and looked at him.
At this moment, except for the howling cold wind, the huge training ground was silent, and an invisible pressure filled the air all around.
"Brothers, do you know what we are going to do today?"
Yang Ling withdrew from the strong bodies of his brothers, and his sonorous and powerful voice rang in their ears.
"Kill the devil——"
More than 900 brothers shouted in unison, the sound was as heavy and powerful as the earth, making people's ears buzz.
"Yes, we are going to kill the Japanese!" Yang Ling waved his powerful arms and spoke with a fierce murderous intent.
"The little Japs invaded my country, slaughtered my brothers and sisters, and burned down my home. Today we are going to kill the Japs and slaughter these beasts! We will pay homage to the motherland under our feet!"
"They laugh at us as the sick men of East Asia, so today, we will use knives, guns and bullets to tell the little devils that we Chinese are not easy to bully, and let them see the iron bones of our Chinese men!"
Yang Ling's words were so powerful that they rang in the ears of every brother. The blood in the brothers' chests surged, and they wished they could fly away and fight the little Japanese right now.
"Tell me, are you afraid?!"
"Kill all the Japanese pirates and never fight back if they win!"
The brothers' answers were equally sonorous and powerful, and they were the strongest voices from their hearts.
"Are you willing to risk your life to defend your homeland, the fellow villagers behind you, and the motherland you step on?!"
"I'd rather die without regrets!"
A low roar came from the throats of the brothers. This sound penetrated the cold wind and pierced the sky, and echoed throughout the land of China.
"Well, let's go and kill each other happily, and we won't retaliate if we don't win!"
"Kill-kill-kill-"
Yang Ling pulled out the shell gun from his waist, turned on the safety, fired into the sky and ordered: "Let's go!"
The heavily armed brothers turned around in unison, and drove out of the training ground one by one with firm steps, heading straight for Qinghe Town, the target of the attack.
Both sides of the road were already crowded with folks from northern Jiangsu from all over the country. Watching their own soldiers rushing to the battlefield, their eyes filled with tears and they shouted the names of their children loudly.
They stuffed the only hard-boiled eggs, dried meat, peanuts, etc. they had into the hands of the guerrilla officers and soldiers, and shouted loudly: "Fight the Japanese soldiers well."
These poor villagers, who usually lacked food and clothing, saw their children carrying guns and going to the battlefield. Although their eyes were red and swollen from crying and they were running after the team, they still resisted speaking to persuade them to stay.
They had suffered persecution by the Japanese and puppet troops and knew that it was an honor for their children to fight against the Japanese. Although they knew that their life or death would be uncertain, they still resolutely supported them in fighting against the Japanese.
During the several-year war of resistance behind enemy lines, the people of northern Jiangsu actively supported the troops in fighting the Japanese under difficult conditions, provided money and food, and suffered heavy casualties. They deserve to be remembered.
Battalion Commander Wang Huzi was walking on one side of the team. Facing these tearful people seeing off the soldiers, he felt uncomfortable. They had gone on countless expeditions, and each time they were met with mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
"You have to fight the Japanese carefully." Two pairs of newly made cloth shoes were stuffed into Wang Huzi's hands, and a clear voice came.
Wang Huzi looked up and saw a girl wearing ragged clothes and a ponytail standing shyly next to the crowd, squirming around. He recognized it as the girl next door to his residence.
"Don't worry, I will do it!"
Wang Huzi raised his hand and saluted, made a promise, then turned around and strode towards the battlefield, his pace becoming firmer than ever before.