Section Sixteen

  One flower blooms with many heads, each representing one branch.

  The undulating Yimeng mountainous area is dotted with hills and ridges everywhere.

  In such a mountainous area, it's not just hiding a small team of dozens of people, even hiding thousands of troops is a trivial matter. Just find a small valley at random, and dozens of people will disappear without a trace. Even if you are familiar with the terrain in this area, you can't find them anywhere, let alone outsiders.

  Similarly, the simple and unadorned mountains also nurtured the simple mountain people with rich food.

  However, not everyone can enjoy this rich food. There are many toxins among them, perhaps its appearance is beautiful, perhaps it looks delicious, but if you are not a native of this land, this may be the reason for your death. This is probably the legend that one side of the water and soil nourishes one side of the people. The guerrilla can come and go freely in this area, eating wherever they go, but others cannot.

  Where there is oppression, there is resistance.

  In the mountains within a hundred miles, several guerrilla teams were hiding. They had dozens of people, dozens of guns, and were active in this hilly area, occasionally giving the devils a ruthless blow; or they had only a dozen or so people, a few guns, or even just one gun, and some cold weapons, but under the leadership of the underground party organization, they carried out a series of struggles against the enemy, making the enemy exhausted and unable to cope.

  Due to the limitations of their armaments, they could not launch large-scale offensives against the enemy, but they had their own advantages, that is, familiarity with the terrain. Every time a large force attacked or defended, they would use their intelligence to create the illusion that they were the main force of the Eighth Route Army, causing the devils and puppet troops to misjudge, thereby creating opportunities for the Eighth Route Army to heavily defeat the devils or withdraw safely.

  Yi County Guerrilla is a general term for several guerrilla teams. In fact, there are about five or six guerrilla teams, all using this "number". Because the superior did not give a clear statement, only encouraged the establishment of guerrilla teams to carry out the struggle against the enemy, and then several teams were established. But the superior did not give everyone a clear explanation, just let everyone expand the struggle in the name of subordinate units of Yi County District Team. So everyone thinks they are the orthodox district team, regardless of how many people and guns they have, all self-proclaimed "Yi County Guerrilla".

  Among these guerrilla groups, the largest had more than thirty people, over ten 38-style rifles, and the rest were just big knives, long spears, and bird guns. The smallest had about ten people, with only one handgun - a "ten-son connection", and the rest had two bird guns and big knives. After all, big knives and long spears can still be solved by finding an ironworker yourself. Of course, there was no lack of the guerrilla group's unified secret weapon: iron bucket and firecracker.

  Lü Liang's guerrilla team had only about ten people, with only two old rifles and two bird guns. The rest were just big knives and long spears. As the oldest member of the team, Lü Liang was in charge of logistics, equivalent to a cook in a regular army unit. He cooked meals for everyone, prepared food, and did chores. At that time, there were no high expectations or requirements for cooks, such as national certification or health permits. As long as he could cook edible food, it was enough. Due to his age and the fact that these young people were around the same age as his children, Lü Liang naturally treated them like his own kids, transferring all his paternal love to them. Similarly, what you put in is what you get out. These young people had come to regard Lü Liang as their elder, sharing with him their joys and sorrows, listening to his opinions, and unknowingly, Lü Liang took on the role of a mentor.

  It's been over two years since Lü Liang followed this small guerrilla team. Since parting with his old companion more than two years ago, he didn't know if his companion was still alive or not. Although Lü Liang usually had a cheerful expression, people who knew him understood that when he had nothing to do and was idle, Old Lü would often sit alone in a corner, silently thinking about his troubles.

  To be honest, Lü Liang also participated in several larger-scale battles with his small guerrilla team. Let's not mention others, just the June 1st Big Sweep, this small guerrilla team also participated in actual combat, although they only fired two shots and then retreated, but what could they do, they had too little ammunition. However, when they were retreating, they hung their iron bucket on a tree, put a string of firecrackers inside, and when the firecrackers exploded, it sounded like machine gun fire from a distance.

  I heard that a district team was established near Liu Town, which is reorganized from the Eighth Route Army. Now the superiors are calling on us to get close to them and join their team. If we really succeed, maybe I can see my two sons again. Thinking of his children, Old Lü's face showed a proud expression. Both children are in the Eighth Route Army, and one is said to be a platoon leader, making the old man proud.

  A few days later, their small guerrilla squad entered the defensive zone of the Mong County District Team.

  The captain of the Second Dog District warmly welcomed them and promised to incorporate all of them into combat troops, which made everyone overjoyed.

  Because everyone except Lao Lü was a sturdy young man, so the leader of the Second Dog District immediately took a liking to them. Seeing that Lao Lü's body was still quite robust and that everyone was particularly affectionate towards him, they decided to keep him as well, not sending him to the militia team.

  The small guerrilla team was incorporated into the 1263rd branch team and followed everyone for training.

  Due to Old Lü's relatively advanced age and cooking skills, he was directly assigned to the culinary squad and became a new recruit. The guerrilla team members were all incorporated into the troops, which can be considered a promotion, so everyone was thrilled. When each person received their brand-new Type 38 rifle, morale soared, training enthusiasm reached an unprecedented high, and other soldiers followed suit, sparking a ** in training.

  In their spare time from training, everyone also engages in production. The small teams that stay behind help the villagers of the base area with weeding, fertilizing and tending to crops.

  Of course, the cooking team stayed in the base and did not follow everyone on patrol.

  It's almost time to cook dinner, Old Lü is walking on the small path with a tobacco pouch around his neck and a pole of clear water on his shoulder. There is a mountain spring near the campsite, which is the source of drinking water and cooking water for the troops.

  It's been two or three days since I arrived here. Old Lü has already fully integrated himself into this small unit and the environment here.

  When he walked through a small patch of soybean fields, he saw a small village. Next to the small village was a small yard. Through the fence surrounding the wall of the yard, he saw an old man sitting in the yard with a kind face, next to him was a young man wearing camouflage uniform and holding a shotgun, the two people were chatting while pulling vegetables from the garden.

  He stood on the small road, the tobacco pouch in his mouth had already fallen to the ground, but he was oblivious, as if stunned.

  Is it really her? How did she get here? And who is that child next to her?

  The elephant was like a spiritual response, warmly pulling the household's dry mother with Li Tie, suddenly turning its head to one side and looking out of the courtyard. This look also stunned there, the bean horn in hand also fell to the ground.

  Li Tie followed the gaze of his mother-in-law and saw an older man on the small path outside the courtyard, wearing tattered clothes but with a Eighth Route Army hat on his head, indicating that he was a soldier of the Eighth Route Army, carrying a pole with two buckets of water, standing still in the same spot.

  "Old man?"

  The old nun took a step forward with trembling legs.

  Li Tie hastily supported his mother-in-law as they walked out of the courtyard. Due to her excitement, she almost entirely leaned on Li Tie's body.

  Old Lü's head outside, threw down the water bucket, and rushed over in three strides that were almost two.

  "Son of a bitch, it's really you."

  "Old man, I'm watching you."

  She rushed into Lao Lü's arms at once, and tears flowed down her thin face uncontrollably.

  Lao Lü's eyes were also brimming with tears, and it seemed like they would fall at any moment.

  "Old man, I've really seen you again!"

  "Son of a... I really didn't expect to see you here."

  Li Tie helped Old Lü to support his mother-in-law into the house, quietly went out of the door, wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes, gently closed the door, walked to the outside of the courtyard, picked up the water bucket, put it on his shoulder and headed towards the kitchen.

  In the small cottage, Dang Niang sat on the edge of the bed, tightly holding Lao Lv's hand.

  "Son, how have you been all these years? How did you end up here?"

  The husband and wife who have been reunited after a long separation have endless words to say and infinite longing phrases to express.

  The dry mother brought herself to beg for food in this area, ran into Li Tie, and recognized Li Tie as her adopted son. Li Tie taught her how to find food, and later told Lao Lü about the events that had transpired since bringing her here.

  When he heard that Li Tie was his own godson, Old Lü's mouth opened wide. Who is Li Tie? According to the land, no one may not know Er Gou District Captain, but no one does not know Li Tie.

  Don't look at Li Tie as just a small team leader, but every time there are guerrilla teams joining the district team, everyone must be selected by Li Tie first, and then other teams can select people.

  But his own guerrilla team didn't quite live up to expectations, and in the end, not a single one of them made it into Li Tie's squad.

  Don't look at the four small teams with the least number of people, but no one dares to provoke them.

  Not one person with a handgun, one submachine gun, just something in the pocket, take out any kind of thing, you can't eat or walk away! That's quite a sinister thing.

  It's no wonder, Li Tie doesn't care about your physical strength, he just gives you a piece of paper with a few questions on it. If he likes you, he'll ask you to answer a few more questions. If your answers satisfy him, he'll let you join the Fourth Squad. But if not, then you can go wherever you want. Let's talk about those questions. One of them was: what would you do if you were caught by the devils? What would you do? Wouldn't you rather die than surrender? It's not like it needs to be asked! But Li Tie wasn't satisfied and said "you're not suitable to be my soldier" and had him beaten up. Not willing to die, does that mean you'd surrender to the devils? I really don't understand.

  The sky gradually darkened, and Li Tie came back.

  Carrying a food box, also coming were the Er Gou district team leader and Zhang team leader, Lin instructor and several former guerrilla team comrades. They held in their hands either a few cans or an article of clothing, although old, but washed very clean. Zhang team leader had somehow managed to get hold of a bottle of wine.

  A few people entered the yard.

  Seeing several leaders from the base arrived, Old Lü and his wife hurriedly came out of the house to greet them.

  The captain of the Er Gou district team held Old Lü's hand, "Comrade Old Lü, congratulations on your reunion with your wife. If it weren't for Little Li saying so, we really wouldn't have known."

  Lao Lü's hands were shaking with excitement, his lips also trembling, and he couldn't say a word.

  The hostess hurriedly invited everyone to sit down. The room was too small to accommodate everyone, so they sat down casually in the courtyard.

  Li Tie laid out the dishes he had specially gone to the cooking class to stir-fry, Er Gou district team leader opened a few cans, everyone sat in a circle, because there were no wine glasses, a bottle of wine was passed around in everyone's hands, and they took turns drinking.

  Everyone congratulated Lao Lü and Li Tie at the same time, wishing them a family reunion. Under everyone's gaze, Li Tie toasted to Lao Lü and formally became his godson.

  Until the moon is above the treetops, everyone will return with a happy and contented heart.