The duel took place in front of Commander Zhao's grave. Hundreds of villagers from Yezhuyu, dozens of cadres and staff from the county and township governments, as well as comrades from the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and a dozen elderly men and women from the Japanese delegation gathered around.
Watch from the sidelines.
Not only were there living people watching, Ono Jun's skeleton and Commander Zhao's heroic spirit were silently watching this duel that spanned the century and was seventy years late.
The tachi used by Hashimoto Takayoshi is a family heirloom sword. His grandfather once used this sword in the Russo-Japanese War. His father also used this sword when he was the guard captain of the South Manchuria Railway Co., Ltd., and later this sword was used.
He passed the precious sword named Tachibana Maru to Long Yi, and traveled with him to the Chinese battlefield, beheading anti-Japanese elements one after another. Commander Zhao died under this sword.
Ono Kozo looked solemn, and took out sake and white silk to help his adoptive father wipe the tachibana pills. The clear wine flowed through the blade, and the round droplets rolled down the sharp blade. Hashimoto Takayoshi's face showed a sacred look.
Wiping the knife again and again with white silk, he chanted a Japanese ditty with a sad tone in his throat. The group of Japanese looked at their elders with reverence and remained silent.
Hashimoto, who was already nearly a hundred years old, miraculously stood up and walked a few steady steps. Ono Kosaku helped him take off his suit, took off his tie, rolled up his cuffs, and devoutly helped him take off his suit.
A white cloth belt with a rising sun on his forehead was tied to his forehead. Old Hashimoto held a gleaming sword in one hand and stood upright, letting the mountain wind blow his clothes. His expression was impassioned. At this moment, he seemed to have returned to seventy years ago.
, he is still a high-spirited military police captain, wearing a yellow woolen military uniform, white gloves, yellow riding boots, and a blue sword belt, majestic and heroic.
Over there, Lao Cheng took off his bare sheepskin jacket, revealing a close-fitting white cloth shirt, a large black belt around his waist, crotchless pants and black cloth shoes. He made a mark with a big knife in his hand, red silk flying, tiger
The tiger gives birth to the wind, and there was a sudden burst of applause from below.
A burst of exciting singing rang out, "The broadsword is slashing at the heads of the Japanese. Brothers armed across the country, the day of the war of resistance has come!" Liu Ziguang led the crowd in singing. At this time, he had completely reduced himself to a spectator.
It's not that he doesn't want to take action, but he feels that this duel belongs to the old man and he should not and is not qualified to intervene.
With the singing, there seemed to be a fire burning in the hearts of every Chinese person present. Some young people from the county and township governments also sang along. Only Secretary Zhang and Deputy County Magistrate Tang showed displeasure.
They were the center of attention and were ignored in this situation. However, they had no choice but to suppress their anger and think about how to deal with the aftermath.
When the duel began, the lame Hashimoto Takayoshi did not behave like a disabled person at all, nor even like an old man who was nearly a hundred years old. Instead, he looked like a crazy devil. He held up his samurai sword with both hands, like he was
Like our comrades in Fengtian, Marco Polo Bridge, Nanjing, Changsha, Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, they rushed towards their opponents with a fearless attitude.
Old Chengtou's majesty remained the same as before. He shouted loudly and swung his sword to meet him. The two swords collided with each other. The stainless steel samurai sword made by a Japanese master that had been passed down for hundreds of years and the ghost sword made by a rough blacksmith shop in the mountains were rubbed together.
There were countless dazzling sparks, and the onlookers exclaimed in amazement. This was not a scene in a movie, but a real cold weapon duel.
Hashimoto, who has been in a wheelchair all year round, has long been chaffed. After several rounds of stormy attacks, he was a little exhausted. He was panting while holding Tachibanamaru, and there was a used syringe in his shirt pocket. No one knew it.
, Old Hashimoto’s power came from a shot of drugs he secretly injected just now.
The struggle of a dying beast is dangerous and fatal, but after all, it cannot defeat an experienced old hunter, not to mention the wild boar in the mountains, let alone an old man. After making Hashimoto gasp for breath, Old Cheng turned his head and knocked the back of his knife on Hashimoto.
On his wrist, Tachibana Maru came out and was caught in his hand, holding both swords at the same time: "Hashimoto, surrender!"
Hashimoto yelled: "Baga!" He still pounced on him. Old Cheng passed him by and lightly slashed his chest with the captured Japanese sword. Then the two stood with their backs facing each other, and there was silence around them.
.
The white shirt on Hashimoto's chest was cut open. He who looked like a devil just now became extremely calm at this moment. He changed from the war-mad Major Hashimoto to the familiar Mr. Hashimoto.
He asked calmly: "Cheng Sang, I know you shot me in the head, but you shot me in the thigh instead?"
Old Chengtou said: "I lost your egg and then hit you in the head with that shot, but it hit your leg by mistake. A coward like you who kills women and children is not worthy of being a man."
Hashimoto Takayoshi suddenly understood and bowed slightly: "Ariado, I understand." Then a bloody arrow shot out of his chest, and he knelt on the ground, facing Commander Zhao's tombstone, and his facial features began to slowly stiffen.
Hashimoto died, in the hands of the old guerrillas, in front of the enemy who had haunted him all his life.
Ono Kozo knelt down with a plop and burst into tears. Other Japanese people also knelt down, but the Chinese people present were silent and had their own thoughts. Lao Chengtou killed a Japanese friend. This is a criminal case involving foreign countries.
, the blame comes down from above, and no one from the leaders to the onlookers can escape the blame.
…
Without saying a word, Secretary Zhang turned around and left with the county leadership team. Only Township Chief Gao and the county public security director were left at the scene to deal with the aftermath. The police from the county bureau wanted to cuff Lao Chengtou and take him away.
They are also willing to submit to the law, but the folks in Yezhuyu disagree. It is only natural to kill people to repay debts and pay back money. If Old Chengtou should pay for Hashimoto's life, what about the hundreds of lives that Hashimoto owed previously?
What to do? Could it be said that it was just written off?
The comrades of the County Public Security Bureau could not convince these legally illiterate people even if they tried to convince them, and they did not dare to take them away by force. However, they saw a dozen strong boys among the villagers with fierce looks on their faces and holding wooden sticks and shovels in their hands.
Four people, two small cannons, really don't have the guts to act so arrogant.
Surprisingly, Ono Kozo did not take Hashimoto's body away. Instead, he knelt in front of Lao Cheng and kowtowed politely, saying, "Please take good care of my father's body." When he heard the translation
, everyone’s eyes were about to pop out. What did the Japanese want to do? Leave the corpse of the old Japanese behind and not worry that the village dogs would dig it up?
Old Chengtou solemnly nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, go back. I won't mess with the body, so I will bury him in front of Commander Zhao's grave."
Ono Gengzao kowtowed again, and then put the skeleton of his biological father Ono Jun into a plastic bag and carried it away. After getting assurance from Lao Chengtou, the county police also left Yezhuyu. The small mountain village that had been noisy for a day finally returned to calm.
The dusty memories were awakened. The villagers solemnly set up a table in front of the grave of their slaughtered ancestors, served wine, food and three sticks of incense to pay homage to the deceased. At the same time, they also placed the body of Hashimoto Takayoshi in front of the memorial table. Old Chengtou
Holding a bowl of strong wine, I burst into tears: "Master, mother, eldest, Gouwa, Tongsuo, Xiuxiu, today I have avenged you!"
After saying that, he spilled a bowl of wine on the ground, and all the villagers began to cry. Liu Ziguang and others stood solemnly, and they all stepped forward to offer a bowl of wine to their ancestors. This was a rare patriotic education. The young men
He no longer laughed and joked and spoke foul language, but his eyes were solemn and his behavior was decent. He seemed to be still immersed in Mr. Cheng's shocking feat of killing Japanese pirates.
Liu Ziguang said to Old Chengtou: "Don't worry, old man, I will take care of everything."
Old Chengtou said with a free and easy smile: "I have a clear conscience. I don't care what happens in the township or county. Anyway, the great revenge of the villagers and Commander Zhao has been avenged. Even if I die, I will have the honor to see them."
Some people suggested that Hashimoto's body should be thrown to wild dogs, and that Gou Ri's head should be chopped off and placed on the altar table in front of Commander Zhao's grave. However, Old Chengtou just said lightly: "When a person dies,
That's it, I promised not to mess with the corpse, and I can't keep my word."
As a result, everyone's respect for old Chengtou deepened.
Without further ado, Liu Ziguang led his brothers to go out overnight and return to Jiangbei City to help contact friends from the media and the judiciary. They rushed to Tianjie Township first, and then drove to the county seat. On the winding mountain road, they saw more than ten roads on the opposite side.
The beam of light shone over them, and when they met, they realized it was a police car from the county police, and a green truck filled with armed police officers with live ammunition.
"No, they are going to arrest Mr. Cheng!" Zhuo Li slammed on the brakes and stopped on the side of the road. He was about to turn the steering wheel and go back, but was stopped by Liu Ziguang.
"What do you want to do?"
"Go back and save people!"
"Look clearly, this is the armed police, a whole car full of Bayi bars! How can we save just a few of us! Even if we are rescued, what can we do? Are we going to let the old man follow you around the world?"
Zhuo Li hammered the steering wheel bitterly and said, "Then just watch them arrest him?"
Liu Ziguang said: "The old man works openly and aboveboard. He is upright and is not afraid of slanting shadows. I have to challenge him to the sky to see who can't hold on."
…
Returning to Jiangbei overnight, Liu Ziguang took inventory of his network, but sadly found that few of them were really useful. Jiang Xueqing was just a celebrity on the city's TV station, and Li Wan was just a developer in a small place, with nothing more in his hands.
There are only tens of millions of working capital. Song Jianfeng is a business-oriented person who is very strict in enforcing the law. There is no hope of finding him. Mayor Zhou is now Director Zhou and is no longer useful. The only reliable person is Deputy Commander Luo of the Military Region.
, but that was Uncle Guo’s relationship, and he still couldn’t speak.
The next day, Liu Ziguang arranged for a lawyer and then called Zhou Wen. Zhou Wen said that the police came to the mountain last night and detained Lao Chengtou, who was now in the county detention center. Lao Hashimoto's body was also taken to the county hospital for treatment.
An autopsy has been carried out, and expert teams from the Provincial Public Security Department and the Municipal Public Security Bureau are on the way.
Liu Ziguang said: "Zhou Wen, please help me think of a way to save this old anti-Japanese hero no matter what."
Zhou Wen said: "It's hard, he killed a foreigner, and people from the provincial government got involved. That's not the most fatal thing."
Liu Ziguang asked: "What is the most terrible thing?"
Zhou Wen sighed: "By doing this, he slapped Secretary Zhang in the face in public. No matter what the court's decision is, old Chengtou will never want to spend his old age in peace. You may not have heard of Secretary Zhang's famous saying, who asked him to
If you are uncomfortable for a while, he will make anyone uncomfortable for a lifetime."
Liu Ziguang said: "Who does he think he is? The Empress Dowager Cixi has the capital to say such things. What qualifications does he, a mere county magistrate, have to say such cruel words."
Zhou Wen smiled bitterly and said: "In Nantai County, Secretary Zhang's authority is greater than that of Empress Dowager Cixi."