Huanggang is located at the junction of Ping, Tianjin and Hebei, and belongs to the Sanjia area. Although it is a county seat in name, its economic level is not as good as that of a wealthy town.
Huanggang is surrounded by mountains, and you have to walk a long mountain road to get in and out of the county. The transportation is inconvenient, which directly leads to economic backwardness.
It can be said that poverty is the biggest characteristic of Huanggang.
It is precisely because of this that both the former county brigade and the current Dagu detachment are willing to use this place as a military base.
If the national army wants to attack, the various baggage vehicles of the large army will consume a lot of time on the rugged and difficult mountain roads.
In order to avoid being raided by the enemy, the Dagu detachment did not enter the city. Instead, it was stationed in Shiqiao Village on the outskirts and temporarily requisitioned the village office as the team headquarters.
…………
"Su San left Hongdong County and walked in front of the street. I didn't say anything. I felt miserable. The gentlemen who passed by listened to my words. Which one of them will go to Nanjing to pass the message to my Sanlang, saying that Su San will be killed.
If you turn into a dog or a horse in the next life, I will repay you..."
Cao Yunfei closed his eyes slightly, sat on an imperial chair, and gently beat the music with his hands.
"Report!"
"Enter!"
Gu Maimai walked in excitedly, approached Cao Yunfei, and whispered: "Captain, the political commissar isn't here?"
Cao Yunfei opened his eyes, glanced at Gu Xiaomai, and said, "If you have something to say, you have to fart!"
"Look what this is!" Gu Xiaomai unbuttoned his clothes and carefully took out a record from his arms. The cover of the record had the three characters "Mei Lanfang" printed on it.
Cao Yunfei's eyes lit up, and he quickly reached out to take it, looked over it over and over, and said, "Where did you get it?"
Gu Xiaomai said: "Datou Zhao's house has a gramophone. I just went there..."
"The political commissar has repeatedly issued orders not to harass the people, and not to take any needles or threads from their homes. Are your ears stuffed with chicken feathers?" Cao Yunfei's face darkened and he scolded sternly.
Gu Xiaomai explained: "Captain, Datou Zhao is not a common man, he is a bully landlord."
"Landlord?"
"Last time I borrowed food, you went to Zhao Datou's house in person. You saw how grand his house was, with the big courtyard wall and the big iron gate..." "Well... that's what happened, I'll give it back to him
I made an IOU."
"You even pressed the button on your hands."
Cao Yunfei thought for a while and said, "Have you paid for this record?"
"Give it. Zhao Datou insisted and said no. I told him that if the People's Army doesn't take a stitch from the people, I will leave if I just put down the money." Gumai said righteously.
Cao Yunfei nodded and said: "That's right. We are regular troops, not bandits who rob homes. We will have nothing to do in the future. Just stop hanging around in people's homes!"
"Yes." Gumai gave a military salute.
Cao Yunfei thought for a while and said: "When it comes to borrowing grain...wheat, go and fetch me the camels."
Gumai smiled and said: "You forgot, Luotuo followed the political commissar to the Independence Regiment."
Cao Yunfei slapped his forehead and said repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, Luo Tuo has gone to the Independent Regiment... Let's do this, you go and handle this matter."
"What's the matter?"
"It's still a matter of borrowing grain. You go and inform the big households in the village that we will pay three times the price this time so that they can prepare in advance."
"yes!"
"You must have a good attitude. Salute before you speak and salute when you leave. Do you understand?"
"clear."
The sky is clear and blue outside, and today is a rare sunny day.
"Mahogany comb with big needle and foreign thread, red hairpin with jelly bean hairpin..."
A salesman shook his rattle and shouted a word or two from time to time.
The items in the seller's cart are numerous and interesting, including colorful candies and various bits and pieces of daily necessities. In a rural area where supplies are scarce, it is no less than a mobile department store.
The salesman walked to the village hall, put down his pick under a big tree, squatted down and lit a cigarette, squinting his eyes and taking a few puffs.
Gu Maimai came out of the village office and saw the vendor's stall at a glance, and asked from a distance: "Fellow, do you have any cigarettes?"
The salesman stood up, nodded and bowed and said: "Boss, I'm sorry, I don't sell cigarettes."
Gumaimai carried his rifle and turned around and walked north along a trail. He was going to the Bao Zhang's house. The Bao Zhang lived behind the village office.
The salesman picked up his pick and followed slowly behind him.
Hearing the sound of the rattle, Gumai looked back and said, "Fellow, there are not many houses here. You go south, there are more people there."
The salesman turned around and looked, then walked a few steps and said, "Boss, are there any leather goods in the village?"
"Don't be boss, boss, you can call me comrade..." Gu Xiaomai was halfway through his words when he was suddenly startled.
The salesman looked at him with a smile, but there was a cold light in his eyes.
"What...did you just say?"
"Are there any fur goods in the village?"
"What leather do you want?"
"The best is the goatskin from Huluyu."
"Who are you……"
"Mr. Wu, I'll take care of it for you," the salesman said in a low voice.
Gu Xiaomai's heart was beating fast. He thought that Wu Jingrong would not send someone to contact him after such a long time, but he never thought that he would come anyway.
"Come with me!" Gumaimai had no choice but to take the salesman to a secluded place.
The salesman put down the pick, squatted down and said, "You squat down too and pretend to pick the goods."
Gu Maimai had no experience in this area. Following the salesman's instructions, the two of them squatted down with the picks between them.
"Hello, Comrade Gumai." The salesman said with a smile.
Gumai looked around nervously and said, "What do you want from me?"
"Where do Cao Yunfei and Bao Changyi live?"
"Village Hall."
"Which room?"
"Captain Cao lives in the east room, and Political Commissar Bao lives in the west room."
"Are there guards?"
"There must be."
"Several people?"
"Six...why do you ask this?"
The salesman said coldly: "You only need to answer the questions. Don't ask questions you shouldn't!"
Gu Xiaomai was not stupid either. He frowned and thought for a while, then asked tentatively: "You... want to assassinate Captain Cao?"
The salesman was speechless and looked at Gumai with a calm expression.
Gumai suddenly stood up and said, "I'm telling you, it's absolutely not possible!"
"Squat down!"
"Captain Cao is kind to me. If you want to touch him, you won't be able to get past me..."
The salesman interrupted and said, "If Cao Yunfei knew that you had become a traitor in Jing County, what would he do to you?"
Gumaimai was speechless, then slowly knelt down and said, "The six guards all live in the west wing."
"Is there no sentry at the door?"
"No."
"Did you get that gramophone back?"
"Bring it back."
“Does the village government have electricity?”
"The village received electricity last year."
"very good……"
The salesman smiled and said: "Don't worry, if you lend me some courage, I wouldn't dare to assassinate Cao Yunfei."
Gumai said in astonishment: "Then what do you mean by those words?"
"Testing."
"What are you trying to test?"
"Test you to see if you are lying."
"So...you all know about the situation in the village hall?"
"certainly."
Gu Xiaomai was puzzled. How could they know so clearly about the situation in the village office? Could this salesman be bragging?
Two women walked up from a distance, apparently here to buy goods.
"You go back first... In addition, if you shake the rattle three times in a row, you will be invited to meet, do you understand?" The salesman held up the rattle and demonstrated once.
"I know." Gumai said listlessly.
Seeing Gumai continue walking north, the salesman asked, "Where are you going?"
Gumai stopped, turned around and said, "Bao Zhang's family."
The salesman's eyes flashed and he said, "Why are you going to the Bao Zhang's house?"