Iron Blooded Cavalry sodu
The next morning, before dawn, Zhang's wife took the last bit of white flour and baked several large pancakes. She also stuffed dozens of cornmeal flatbreads, two bottles of wine, and some salt into a sack until it was packed to the brim, weighing about twenty kilograms. As she worked, she secretly wiped away tears.
Ma Qianan had also arrived early and was quietly watching from the side, lowering his head in silence.
Zhang Xiaohua was burning fire in front of the stove, occasionally turning her head to glance at Ma Qian'an, filled with unease.
"Lengzi brother, you're doing something big, I won't stop you. You must come back safely, it's a pity that I'm a girl, otherwise I would follow you."
Zhang Fugui was smoking in the inner room, heard Zhang Xiaohua's words, and coughed heavily, "Hei-tu, Xiaohua, what are you talking about? Don't drag your brother down."
Everyone fell silent again.
After breakfast, Ma Qian'an bid farewell to Zhang Danni and Zhang Xiaohua, who were reluctant to part with him, and followed Zhang Fugui towards the village entrance.
The village of Bao'an has a curfew at night and no one is allowed to go out. The gate will only be opened at around 8 o'clock in the morning.
Police officer Li Ziqiang yawned and opened the gate, only to see Ma Qian'an and Zhang Fugui walking towards the gate. He also saw that Ma Qian'an was carrying a bundle on his back.
"Hey, Old Zhang, where are you going?" Li Ziqiang asked as usual.
Zhang Fugui took two steps forward, handed over a self-made dry tobacco roll, and smiled: "Hehe, I'm not leaving, come to see off Dalangzi."
Li Ziqiang waved his hand, not taking the cigarette. "What's with this old broken thing? Are you trying to bribe me? I don't accept bribes." He said it very seriously, but his eyes had already landed on Ma Qian'an's bundle on his back. "Dagengzi, you've been back for over a month since you ran away from home, why haven't I seen you showing some filial piety to me? You're making money and marrying a wife, don't you know how to be dutiful? Show some respect to me, or else someone will run off with your wife."
"I'll show respect to your mother, I'll show respect." Ma Qian'an cursed and scolded as he walked up and gave Li Ziqiang a loud slap. Last night, after listening to his wife's gossip, Ma Qian'an found out that this Li Ziqiang was actually his childhood playmate, and they had gotten along well after growing up, so the two of them would often bicker back and forth, and he wasn't afraid of him.
"I'm going to kill you." Li Ziqiang's face turned red with rage, and he made a move as if to go back into the house to grab his gun.
"I'll make you collapse, I'll make you collapse." Ma Qianan gave a bear hug and slammed Li Ziqiang to the ground.
Li Ziqiang yelled "Ah yo! Ah yo!" and refused to get up from the ground, saying "I'm hurt, I'm hurt. Pay for my medical expenses."
Ma Qian squatted down, pulled out a five-jiao bill, and waved it around. "Don't pretend anymore, this five jiao is for you to buy some wine to wipe your face, I was sick for over half a month when I came back and you didn't even come to see me, what kind of brother are you?"
Li Ziqiang snatched the banknote and stood up with a whoosh, "Enough, brother, your brain must have been kicked by a donkey. I went to your house during Chinese New Year, but you and your wife were nowhere to be found, what kind of mess were you two getting into?"
Ma Qian looked at Zhang Fugui with a bit of embarrassment. Zhang Fugui smiled and quickly mediated, "Alright, alright, big brother, don't mention second brother, he's just a bird brain."
"What are you doing? Still running errands? Have you opened a pass?" Li Ziqiang asked.
"It's open, the boss is quite dark, he asked me for a dollar, who told you I'm running errands? I don't do things that can get my head chopped off." Ma Qianan glared. Since 1933, when the Japanese occupied Suifenhe, large-scale smuggling activities have basically disappeared, but there are still sporadic activities, with extremely high risks and huge profits.
"Still deceiving your brother? The old donkey from the village saw you in Suifen River last year, and you're still cheating me? How much did you earn last year? Tell your brother about it. If it's a good earning, I won't do this broken job either. Why not run away together?"
Damn it, bad luck. Ma Qianan cursed in a low voice, "It's not running away, it's at that seam, you understand? Those with big guts steal goods from the old Mao and bring them over, our boss just buys some goods, doesn't break the law, does he? You damn well don't listen to rumors and spread them around blindly, I'm not done with you."
"Gotcha! I was just kidding, look at you getting all scared." Li Ziqiang said nonchalantly.
"Although it's a patchwork, our boss earns quite a bit, but you can't do it, do you know who our boss is?"
"What's wrong with you? Still just one nose and two eyes, what can you do?"
"Listen, don't spout nonsense. Our boss has a big backer from the Kaito organization. If you dare to speak recklessly, our boss can have you killed like squashing an ant. Got it?"
"Go ahead, virtue is in action, who cares what others say, how do you know I can't do it?" Li Ziqiang was not convinced, "If you can do it, why can't I?"
"Are you kidding me? You dare to kill someone? We all make a living on the edge of a knife, and you go and leave nothing for others to eat. What's wrong with you?" Ma Qian'an sneered at Li Ziqiang.
"Killing people, who dares to be like that? Just the other day I was participating in the siege of Red Beard, it was freezing and snowy, I'm exhausted."
"Have you killed someone?" Ma Qian's eyebrows jumped.
"Running like a rabbit, can't catch up even if you chase, what's the point?" Li Ziqiang was discouraged. "That big-headed bandit just ran away." Li Ziqiang raised his arms high above his head and waved them, "He was so fast, in the blink of an eye he left us behind. But I heard that at Dàdōnggōu, two were killed, said to be Yang Jingyu's bodyguards, out foraging for food, and they even had Yang Jingyu's seal with them. Be careful, don't run into them." Li Ziqiang wasn't too bad, showing some concern for Ma Qian'an.
Zhang Fugui listened, slightly narrowed his eyes and glanced at Ma Qian'an, turned his head to look at the sky, and said: "Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and go to the county to find your gang."
Ma Qian'an said goodbye to Li Ziqiang with a smile, and Zhang Fugui followed him out. The two walked silently for a while, and then Zhang Fugui asked: "Lengzi, haven't you met Yang Jingyu before?"
Ma Qian stood still, turned his face and stared at Zhang Fugui, "Old man, you asked me but I won't say, you guess it yourself, it doesn't count."
Zhang Fugui was stunned, stretched out his hand and slapped Ma Qian'an, scolding: "You little rascal, as soon as you fart, I know what kind of shit you're pulling. You still dare to play tricks on me? If you can't do it, hurry back, I'll take you to hide in the mountains, did you hear?"
Ma Qian'an knew that the old man was genuinely concerned about him, and his eyes became slightly moist. Zhang Fugui also looked a bit downcast, "Don't work so hard just to make ends meet, cough, what am I even saying? You're brave, if I were younger, I'd want to do something too... those RB people are really not good stuff. Alright, that's all for now, take care!" The old man tightly hugged Ma Qian'an and then let him go, turning his back and waving goodbye, "Go, don't make your father and me lose face, and also, don't forget Xiaohua."
Ma Qian'an watched Zhang Fugui's somewhat stumbling figure, bit his lip, and turned around to walk forward with big strides.
This time, the mountain is high and the road is far; this time, it's icy sky and snowy land; this time, we're surrounded by enemies; this time, it's a forest of guns and rain of bullets; this time, we'll throw our heads, shed hot blood, and charge forward without turning back.
Ma Qian's move was made with unwavering determination and fervent passion.
