Chapter Five: Same Fate, Different Ends

  Swallow, holding a torch made of tree bark, walked into Old Man's courtyard. Seeing the strange look on Firework Brother, Swallow was frightened and stood still. Was this fierce and ferocious man going to commit suicide?

  With a "bang", Huoyao Ge's toes pressed the trigger. His two hands relaxed, and the Type 38 rifle slipped to one side. Huoyao Ge fell straight down, slamming the wooden board with a loud "clang".

  The swallow walked over viciously and kicked the firework brother's butt, saying angrily: "Is it funny? Do you want to scare people to death?"

  Huo Yao Ge rubbed his butt with his hand and cried out in a strange voice: "I'm already a dead man, can't you be gentler? Do you want to kick me to death?"

  The swallow pouted and laughed: "You still have the nerve to blame me, who made you scare me? Playing with an empty gun to commit suicide, do you really think I'm a fool?"

  "Rough guy."

  "Hmph" The swallow turned her head and coldly snorted, saying: "I'm too lazy to bother with you."

  Huoyao Ge suddenly sat up and crawled closer to Yanzi. He stuck his head in front of Yanzi's chest, sniffing hard and said: "Wow, so fragrant!"

  Swallow's face turned red as she pushed away Huo Yao. She stood up and shouted viciously: "Do you want to die?"

  "What's wrong with me? I'm not a rabbit, I've lost interest in men. I'm asking if you have something to eat in your arms, I'm starving!" Huoyao Ge's stomach growled in agreement. For a modern person who lacks exercise, Huoyao Ge's battle today had already left him exhausted. Now he was truly hungry to the point of his chest sticking to his back.

  "I thought you weren't hungry, so energetic. Hey, here...". Swallow took out two roasted sweet potatoes from her bosom and tossed them to Firework Boy. She huffed and went off to find a place to sit down.

  Firework brother hastily took it in his hand, patted the dust off the sweet potato and stuffed it into his mouth without even peeling it. He didn't expect that this food he used to dislike so much now tasted so good. With a mouthful of food, he mumbled: "Delicious, thanks Swallow."

  The swallow looked at the Firework Brother's gluttonous appearance and smiled secretly. Since his parents were killed by the little devil, this was the first time he had shown a smile. He walked to the front of the Firework Brother again, squatted on the ground and whispered: "I'll follow you."

  "What?" Huo Yao pretended he hadn't heard.

  Swallow hastily said: "I followed you to fight against the devils, it was what you said yourself."

  "Is there? Oh, it seems like someone doesn't want to." Firework Brother pretends to be stupid.

  The swallow suddenly stood up and said with tears: "You just think I'm stupid, I know. Anyway, I'm just a worthless little brat."

  Looking at the wronged Yanzi, Huoyao Ge started to regret teasing him. He thought, "Yanzi's parents are both dead, and he is alone with no one to rely on. In this chaotic world, he is struggling to survive, and there are many similarities between us. Ah, we are both people who have fallen to the ends of the earth." Huoyao Ge stuttered: "T-then you should listen to me..."

  "Okay, I'll definitely listen to you." Swallow smiled while wiping away her tears.

  Fireworks brother saw Swallow so excited, but somehow felt being fooled.

  After eating the roasted sweet potato, Huo Yao lay on the wooden board and patted his belly, feeling much more comfortable. Then he asked Yanzi a question that had been on his mind for a long time: "Yanzi, why didn't the guerrilla team want you?"

  "They say I'm still a kid, but I'm already eighteen years old."

  "Really?" Firework Brother didn't believe his nonsense. Weren't there many young heroes emerging during this period? Since Swallow didn't want to say, Firework Brother also stopped asking. Moving his body to one side of the wooden board, Firework Brother patted half of the board and said: "Come on, sleep here. The wooden board can withstand the dampness from the ground. Rest well tonight, we'll have energy to set off tomorrow."

  "Where are we going?" asked Swallow curiously.

  "Go join the guerrilla team, there's strength in numbers." Firecracker Brother replied.

  "But the guerrilla force doesn't want me." The swallow was in a dilemma.

  "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll persuade them." Huoyao Ge replied drowsily.

  The swallow wanted to say something more. The firework brother was already snoring loudly. Today really exhausted him, never had such intense exercise before. The swallow waited until the firework brother fell asleep before putting out the fire and curling up into a ball to sleep on the wooden board beside him.

  The next morning, Huo Yao gave the excess firearms to the militiamen and left some bullets. He set off with Yanzi.

  Swallows led Firework Brother on the road to join the guerrilla team. March was a season of blooming flowers. The rapeseed flowers in the fields were yellow and vibrant, while the wildflowers on the mountain slopes were colorful. Firework Brother took deep breaths of the fresh air, influenced by the birds' singing, he hummed a popular song from the 80s "Big Flower Palanquin".

  "When the sun comes out, I climb the mountain slope. Climbing up that mountain slope, I want to sing a song. The sound of my song floats to my little sister's ears, hearing that song she smiles and giggles... Hug me tight, that hug, hugging makes my little sister laugh so hard she bends her waist..."

  "It sounds so good." Swallow was envying. Under the not bad singing voice of Huoyao Ge, Swallow jumped and jumped to pick a lot of wild flowers, laughing "heh heh" nonstop.

  The firework brother is dumbfounded. In his heart, he silently thought "Fairy, must be a fairy. Where can you find an old man laughing like that?"

  Two people walked together, laughing and chatting, as if they were on a spring outing. At least for the time being, they forgot their sorrow and pain.

  Lying on the soft grass, enjoying the warm sunshine. Two people are preparing to eat today's lunch, roasted sweet potatoes.

  "Hush..." Huo Yao interrupted Yan Zi's voice. Climbing to the edge of the hill, they saw two people walking down the small path along the slope. The Japanese officer asked impatiently: "Hachi, how much farther is it? I'm starving."

  The traitor next to him fanned the Japanese officer with a fan. He smiled carefully and said, "Master, don't worry, we'll be there in a little while. By then, Li Youcai will be serving you well."

  The devil officer nodded with a mouthful of saliva and said: "Yo Xi, that also depends on whether he has prepared the food. We still have to send it back to the city tonight."

  The traitor gave a thumbs up and said: "That's right, you're the left and right arm of Noda Taikun..."

  The swallow sees the devil and comes in strength, excitedly wanting to open fire.

  The conversation between the devils and the traitors caught Huoyao's interest. Holding down Yanzi's grab, he thought for a moment before asking in a low voice, "Do you know that traitor?"

  The swallow's voice was filled with hatred and resentment as he cursed in a low tone: "That is the traitor Zhang Fugui, the translator for the Japanese devils. Zhang the running dog..."

  Huo Yao's brother pulled Yan Zi aside and said seriously: "You go back to the village and call people, they must hurry here as soon as possible, just say it's to move grain."

  The swallow didn't know where to get food, but inexplicably believed Firework Brother. After saying "be careful", he ran directly towards the village.

  "Everyone can suffer from hunger a little less."