Chapter 62

  Back to the mountain stronghold, it was already deep in the night. This trip had 152 people, and 67 returned, not a single person from the artillery company and machine gun company came back. Wang Jinlong and others received the report, and went down the mountain to welcome them, only to see that everyone's clothes were tattered, their bodies covered in blood, each and every one of them wounded.

  Seeing Wang Jinlong, Xiao Ming forced a smile and said: "Big brother, we're back..."

  "Brother, don't say anything else, just come back!" Wang Jindong's nose turned sour as he hugged Xiao Ming's shoulder. Xiao Ming couldn't help but hum a sound, and only then did he realize that he was injured. Wang Jindong hastily ordered the military doctor to rush over and dress everyone's wounds.

  After cleaning up, Xiao Ming faintly said to Lü Jizong "Those few people are handed over to you", and then rushed back into the room. For three consecutive days, he did not go out, even when Wang Jinlong came to call him, he only responded with a few words.

  To avoid stimulating the emotions of the returning warriors, Wang Jinlong ordered: No one is allowed to ask them about the battle situation! Lü Jizong disregarded Wang Jinlong's ban and asked the communication soldiers he had sent out. Until someone with red eyes told him: That child burned the codebook before charging, smashed the radio station, pulled the hand grenade on his body, and perished together with the Japanese army!

  Lü Jizong sighed and slowly calmed down. However, it's not good for Xiao Ming to be like this either. Lü Jizong didn't dare to see him now, so he thought of his own sister.

  Xiao Ming was lying on the bed smoking, when he heard a light knock at the door. He coughed twice and said, "Come in, the door isn't closed!" The door creaked open, and Lü Jiying appeared in the doorway.

  Xiao Ming was taken aback, threw away his cigarette butt, jumped down from the bed, and said while putting on his shoes: "This is Miss Lü, how did you come here? Come in and sit...". Then he saw that his room was filled with smoke and cigarette butts all over the floor. He scratched his head, feeling embarrassed, and said: "Is there something going on? This room is too messy, let's go out and talk!"

  "General Xiao, don't be polite, I'm not here for anything important, just came to see you!" The man in front of him looked haggard, with a stubble and wisps of white hair at his temples, Lu Jiying's heart couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

  "Thank you, Lü Niang! It's just a minor injury, it's already healed. This... hmm, where's Little Moon? Why didn't this girl come..."

  "Is it really okay?" Lü Jiying asked back, her clear eyes staring straight at Xiao Ming.

  Xiao Ming's heart skipped a beat, and then he burst out laughing: "A clay pot will eventually break if it doesn't leave the well, and a general will inevitably die on the battlefield! Alright, that's perfect!"

  "That's good! Don't you go take a look at your brother?" Lü Jiying smiled.

  "Alright! Or... will you go with me?" Xiao Ming asked casually, anyway this way he couldn't see his face turning red.

  "No!" Lü Jiying shook her head, seeing Xiao Ming look a bit embarrassed, she couldn't help but smile, "I don't want to go out with a sloppy man like you!"

  "Then wait for me a while!" Xiao Ming was overjoyed, just about to leave, when he suddenly turned his head and asked again: "Can you tell me why it is that every time at this hour, you appear?"

  After all, being educated, Lyu Jiaying didn't show any embarrassment at all, and said straightforwardly: "Because I'm a woman, I know what kind of man should be in a woman's heart..."

  The battle finally ended, with heavy casualties, and withdrew from the mountainous area, handing over the initiative to the Japanese. The Japanese army breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and began to deal with the resistance forces within the occupied zone.

  Lü Jizong has been communicating with the Japanese military doctor for two days, but he eats and drinks as usual, refusing to cooperate. For the time being, there is nothing that can be done about him. However, according to the nurse, the doctor's name is Kinjiro Kimura, a workaholic.

  "Kimura? I wonder if he has anything to do with that old man Kimura Naoki!" Xiao Ming came over, interested. "Old Lü, you'd better keep an eye on those nurses, they're not reliable, be careful they don't go find the Japanese again, Master said, 'It's hard to deal with petty people and women!'"

  "Lao Xiao, what do you mean by this?" Lin Xiuying asked with a smile. "Is this a veiled attack, a sidelong blow, or a scathing criticism?"

  "You... you're that little man!" Xiao Ming said helplessly. After going around the back mountain with Lü Jiying, the soldiers' spirits had clearly improved a lot, and they started to make jokes with them, but Xiao Ming felt that their eyes seemed to be carrying knives, which made him feel uncomfortable all over, so he found an excuse and quickly escaped back to the mountain stronghold!

  At the time of wheat harvest, the Japanese army increased its troops around Feihu Mountain, making it almost impossible for Feihu Fort to take action, and a large amount of grain fell into the hands of the Japanese army. Xiao Ming then realized that Feihu Fort had become the focus of the Japanese army's attention, and ordered Ma Liu and others to go to each regiment to select people, hurry up training, in case the enemy would attack Feihu Fort at any time!

  Lü Jizong came to the hall with two telegrams, beaming with joy, saying that the superior had issued a commendation order for Feihu Fort, and also brought a thank-you letter from the commander of the 15th Army, thanking Feihu Fort for helping them break through the siege.

  "Lao Lü, from now on, just mention things orally to your grandmother, what you're holding is a telegram, it's like a death warrant! " Xiao Ming was still frightened, afraid that Lü Jizong would make another move.

  "Come on, Old Lü, give us something real for once, stop just giving empty praise! Didn't that thing last time fall through again?" Wang Jindong said with disdain.

  "No, the list has already been submitted to the higher-ups. They said they would report it to the authorities and provide compensation for the martyrs, and our people will take care of it personally. After all, we saved the lives of 5,000 or 6,000 people this time!" Lü Jizong was very happy. "The commander of the 15th Army also said that they would provide additional subsidies equivalent to three years' worth of a soldier's salary!"

  "I would rather give them thirty years of military pay to exchange for the lives of my brothers!" Xiao Ming sighed gloomily.

  "Lao Xiao, don't worry about it for now, just think about how to deal with the current situation! These Japanese people have their eyes on us, who knows when they'll strike, we should make preparations early!" Lin Xiuying said anxiously.

  "It's also this little devil who regards us as a thorn in his side, and must get rid of us to feel at ease. If not careful, he will soon take action against us!" Lü Jizong echoed.

  "That has to wait until autumn! Now is the time when the grass is deep and the forest is dense, the Japanese won't come for nothing! Besides, they have more important things to do, it's not something that can be thought of in a short while!" Xiao Ming stretched his waist, "Old Lü, let's go take a look at that Wood Village military doctor, if he doesn't cooperate again, we'll hand him over to Ma Liu!"

  Dr. Kimura and four nurses were locked in two rooms at the hospital on the back hill, guarded by two soldiers. Lü Jizū told Xiao Ming that among these nurses, except for one Japanese, the rest were all Chinese.

  "Kimagi Jiro?" Xiao Ming looked up and down at the Japanese military doctor in front of him, "Can you speak Chinese?"

  When he saw Xiao Ming, Kimura Jiro was extremely angry. It was this Chinese who had tied him up and brought him here. As for the Imperial Army major, it didn't take much thought to know what kind of outcome there would be! However, this man had a murderous aura on his face, and at first glance, he was definitely not someone easy to talk to. He let out a heavy hum from his nose, which served as an answer.

  "Do you know Naoki Kimura?" Xiao Ming asked casually, noticing that the two men's builds and appearances were somewhat similar.

  Kimura Jiro was taken aback and remained silent for a while before slowly saying, "Do you know my older brother?"

  "I told you, you two brothers are very alike! What's Kimura doing now?" Xiao Ming smiled.

  "My older brother has returned to our country and is now in the reserve!" Mura rarely mentioned the war to his younger brother, and Mura Jiro only knew that his older brother had been here before, but didn't know how this person in front of him knew him.

  "It's a pity to go and prepare for reserve duty, who knows when you'll be pulled out again as cannon fodder!" Xiao Ming said with some regret. "However, your brother is a true soldier, if it weren't for this war, we might have become good friends!"

  Kimura Jiro has admired his brother since he was a child. As for the reason of Kimura's failure, he attributed it to his brother not being humble enough. The one in front of him is probably the biggest pusher for his brother's punishment! He coldly said: "You didn't come here to reminisce about old times, did you?"

  "Yes, I just want you to cooperate with us and treat the wounds of our warriors. Isn't this a doctor's duty?" Xiao Ming smiled at Mugenjiro.

  "Absolutely not!" Kijuro Kimura's attitude was resolute. "We are enemies, and doing so would undoubtedly be a betrayal!"

  "You're a doctor, and doctors only face patients, no enemies! " Xiao Ming said with a smile, "Isn't there a nurse who is also Japanese over there? If you feel lonely, you can first get along with them. Don't worry, after the war ends, I'll send you back to your country and even give you a resettlement fee!"

  "Shut up! You're not allowed to insult my character! Don't even think about it!" shouted Kimura Jirō, waving his hand excitedly.

  "Insult?" Xiao Ming suddenly smiled with ill intent, "To be honest, we are bandits, not regular soldiers, and don't understand what this treaty or those rules are. But you have to admit, we've been quite polite to you. According to the ways of those Japanese beasts, your compatriot should be lying outside right now. You should think about her!"

  "Despicable! How could you...!" Mura suddenly lost his spirit, he had seen the atrocities of the Japanese army before, and he was also ashamed of such behavior, Xiao Ming was right!

  "Moreover, the Japanese have already cut off our food supply. If you still refuse to cooperate, starting from tomorrow, I will first cut off that Japanese girl's food supply and let you see whether a person would sell their own dignity just to fill their belly!" Xiao Ming glared at Mukai Jiro with narrowed eyes.

  "Let me think for a moment..." Kimitaro Kimura's face twitched several times, and his tone relaxed.

  "Alright, but those people under me don't have much patience!" Xiao Ming suddenly sighed, "I'd rather hope that you can be a responsible person like your brother!"

  The Japanese garrison has a new commander, who is an expert on China. After taking office, he launched a campaign to strengthen security, first defeating the enemy's main force with a large army, and then using small units to sweep and clear each area, seizing food and supplies, capturing able-bodied men, and creating many no-man's lands in order to cut off contact between the military and civilians.

  The Japanese army was determined to starve the Flying Tigers' lair, and during the autumn harvest, they surrounded the Flying Tiger Mountain again, leaving it completely isolated. Xiao Ming had issued a ban on wine, and his set of winemaking equipment had stopped working since last year's autumn grain harvest. The current enemy is very cunning, and the Flying Tigers have tried several times to go down the mountain to plunder supplies, but all ended in failure. Xiao Ming was worried, although the food could support them for a year or so, if the time dragged on, no one would be able to bear it.

  A man without long-term worries must have short-term troubles. Xiao Ming was calculating how to make a big fortune, while others were also plotting against the Flying Tiger Fort.

  "Hmm, that's not a bad idea!" The commander-in-chief of the North China garrison was browsing through the Japanese army's combat records against the Flying Tigers, and Kimura Naoki's combat plan caught his attention, although Kimura thought that if they were not careful, it would provoke the Flying Tigers to retaliate wildly.

  "Then, a new round of battle will start from this strange team!"