Chapter 4: The Road Sees Injustice
"Run quickly, the little devils are coming, planes and cannons, run as soon as you see them."
"Little devil is coming, big girls, girls hurry up and hide"
"Little ghosts are evil spirits that specifically target and eat the hearts of infants."
When it comes to "9·18", that is the national shame of the Chinese people, due to Chiang Kai-shek's non-resistance policy. General Zhang Xueliang, with the title of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the National Revolutionary Army at the time, handed over his father's hard-won Northeast China to the Japanese Kwantung Army in just two short months. Afterwards, under the nationwide criticism and Chiang Kai-shek's soft and hard tactics, he left for Europe and America with a sullen face, claiming to be traveling to clear his mind, but actually avoiding public opinion's condemnation.
In this regard, on the one hand, it stepped up its military pressure on China, and on the other hand, it also launched the so-called "North China Autonomy".
July 6, 1935, Nanjing government leader He Yingqin and Japanese Tianjin garrison commander Mei Zhenbiao signed the traitorous "He-Mei Agreement", which stipulated: abolition of KMT organizations within Hebei province, withdrawal of central army from Hebei province, suppression of all anti-Japanese groups and activities.
But this is still far from enough to satisfy the militaristic appetite of Japan.
They carefully planned and finally launched the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937. That afternoon, the Japanese army's 3rd battalion, 8th regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Qing Shui Jielang, conducted exercises in front of Longwang Temple on the east bank of Yongding River. The exercise site was only over 1,000 meters away from the barracks of Chinese troops guarding Lugou Bridge. At around 11 o'clock, the Japanese army claimed that a soldier had gone missing during the exercise and demanded to enter Wanping City for a search. How could the Japanese army lose someone inside the city while exercising outside? This was clearly a deliberate provocation. The Japanese army's request was rejected by Chinese troops stationed there, and the Japanese army immediately surrounded Wanping County and fired warning shots. Later, more than 500 people from the battalion were deployed, bringing six large cannons to launch an attack.
The shocking "July 7" incident broke out at home and abroad, opening the prelude to China's eight-year War of Resistance against Japan.
Due to the long-planned militarism of Japan and its strong national strength, advanced weaponry, and the long-term disunity and poor equipment of the Nationalist Army, the Central Army and local armies fought separately. Under the intense artillery fire of the Japanese army, although a batch of stubbornly resistant generals and famous anti-Japanese generals emerged one after another, such as Tong Linge, Zhao Dengyu, and Ji Xingwen, North China still fell under the attack of the Japanese army, with Datong, Zhangjiakou, Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, Handan...
Japan's invasion of China has aroused the Chinese people's boundless indignation, with the country in peril, and the national united front against Japan initiated by China is gradually taking shape.
China's status is entirely its own making, won through struggle and supported by the people.
It has been so since the founding of the Communist Party in 1921, during the first KMT-CPC cooperation, after "4.12", after the decision to take power by force at the "8.7" meeting, after five encirclement campaigns, during the Long March, and after the Xi'an Incident.
July 8, 1937, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued a call to all Chinese compatriots, government and army to unite and form a national united front, an iron Great Wall against Japanese aggression.
On the 15th, **Zhongyang handed over the "Declaration of Cooperation between China and the Communist Party" to the Kuomintang**, proactively proposing specific suggestions such as abolishing the Soviet government and reorganizing the Red Army into the National Revolutionary Army.
On July 17, Chiang Kai-shek delivered a speech at Lushan, emphasizing that China's sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be broken.
July 23, **Central Committee issues "Second Declaration against Imperialist Invasion of Northern China"**;
July 29th, Chiang Kai-shek issued a declaration to all soldiers in the anti-war army; peace is hopeless, and we can only fight to the end.
On August 22, the National Government officially announced: The original Northwest main force Red Army, led by China, was reorganized into the "Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army", with Zhu De and Peng Dehuai as the commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief respectively. Under its jurisdiction were the 115th Division, 120th Division, and 129th Division. Among them, the 115th Division had the strongest combat effectiveness, and its core strength was the elite of the Zhu-Mao Red Army - the First Army Corps of the First Front Red Army, with "Red Eagle" as the division commander.
On October 12, the Military Affairs Committee of the National Government announced that the Red Army and guerrilla forces in 14 counties of 8 provinces in the south would be reorganized into the New Fourth Army of the National Revolutionary Army, with Ye Ting as the army commander and Xiang Ying as the deputy army commander.
"Let go, let go"
A woman's shrill cry triggered a commotion.
Two devils wore steel helmets, carried 38-style rifles on their shoulders, with bayonets extended, shining brightly in the sun. They surrounded a woman who was breastfeeding, saying something in Japanese.
Suddenly, one of them, who was a bit older and probably just over twenty years old, reached out with his hand to touch the woman's chest. This made the breastfeeding woman both embarrassed and angry, holding her child in one arm and fending off the evil claw with the other.
"Your big white, my look, won't hurt you"
Japanese soldiers with a smile on their faces, although they were stopped by hand, still smiled and spoke Chinese very awkwardly.
"Go home and see your mom!"
Upon hearing this, another short fellow said something to the older one and burst out laughing loudly.
This is Song Village on the outskirts of Ju County. A small team of Japanese soldiers, divided into pairs, carried out a search mission in the village. After searching this household and not finding their target, two devils eyed the woman who was breastfeeding her child in the inner room with ill intent, flirting with each other sentence by sentence.
Suddenly, a robust man rushed in with sweat all over his face, probably having heard the woman's cry and hurried over, holding a kitchen knife.
"Big pillar, you're back." The woman saw her husband and immediately stood up.
The man called Da Zhuang didn't bother to comfort her, instead he went forward and pushed the shoulder of the devil who was teasing his own daughter. The devil wasn't prepared and was pushed back several steps. At the same time, Da Zhuang swiftly swung up a kitchen knife.
Another devil, seeing this situation, suddenly raised his gun and aimed at Dazhu.
"You dare to attack the Imperial Army? You're dead! Dead!"
The baby who was originally asleep suddenly wailed and cried out loud. The woman, seeing this situation, was also frightened to the point of losing her composure.
The tall foreign devil, having regained his composure from the earlier commotion, said a few words to his companion, Musuri, with an evil glint in his eye.
Although they didn't share a language, the expression was clear. Da Zhu saw the enemy soldier being overly familiar with his woman and got angry, he grabbed the woman and pulled her away.
Is it that easy?
The short ghost's dagger thrust out fiercely.
Dà zhù yī shēng dà jiào, lìng yī zhī shǒu zhōng de cài dāo kǎn le shàng qù. Xiǎo guǐ zǐ méi xiǎng dào, nǎo dài yī shǎn, jiān bèi bèi cài dāo kǎn zhòng.
Bang! The tall devil had fired his gun.
The big pillar suddenly fell down.
Looking at the man lying in a pool of blood, the woman rushed to his body like a madman.
"Big pillar, big pillar..."
Upon hearing the gunshot, a small group of devils quickly ran into the courtyard, armed to the teeth, thinking that their companions had been ambushed here.
What was seen was a short and stout Japanese devil with blood flowing from his shoulder, his face twisted in pain, a young Chinese man lying in a pool of blood.
Upon hearing the gunshot, many fellow villagers also rushed over. Everyone saw that the originally robust and vigorous pillar was gone in an instant. Then they saw the little devils holding guns, and immediately understood what had happened. They burst into furious curses at once.
At this time, a Japanese soldier who looked like the squad leader asked the short ghost several questions, then his face turned iron blue, and he quickly walked in front of the tall one, without saying a word, slap slap slap, several slaps were given.
Then he drew his pistol and spoke a few words in a low voice to a thin Chinese man wearing a calabash hat.
The man who seemed to be translating cleared his throat and loudly said:
"Fellow villagers, the Imperial Army has come here for the sake of Greater East Asia Co-prosperity, to bring you food and drink. Due to a misunderstanding, Daizhu was mistakenly injured by the Imperial Army. To show our apology, we will leave some money and goods for his family and children. Everyone please disperse and return home."
Upon hearing this, the villagers began to curse in a loud and clear manner:
"A life is worth so little"
"The devils are not human, they're beasts, killing people everywhere"
"How can this widow and orphan survive?"
Dozens of villagers blocked the small team of devils, facing the gleaming bayonets and gun muzzles, they demanded an explanation.
The leading devils saw this situation and roared a few times. The machine gunner pulled the trigger, and all the devils raised their guns.
The two sides confronted each other.
Suddenly, a young man emerged from the crowd of angry people, tall and slender, with somewhat tattered clothes. He walked up to the translator and pointed at his nose:
"Are you Chinese?"
The young man with a sword-like brow and a square face looked at him with a hint of surprise, "Yes, what's up?"
"Are you still speaking human language? A life for a life, the devils will kill your old man, leave two copper coins, are you willing?"
The villagers all responded in agreement when they heard the young man's words:
"Right, Hanjian!"
"Guessing is just being disowned by one's parents, and then becoming a Han dynasty official!"
Translation: Seething with rage, he grabbed the young man's collar:
"You're going to get yourself killed, looking like that, you're definitely not a farmer. Be honest with me, what do you do? You must be..."
The young man was not afraid, looking into his eyes said.
"I originally didn't believe that Chinese people would become traitors, but this time we've all opened our eyes. If being scolded as a 'Hanjian' makes one a ***, then wouldn't all Chinese people be ***?"
Everyone did not recognize this young man, but seeing him being bold and meticulous, cleverer than others, followed by pointing at Han Jian and scolding.
He translated the situation and let go of his hand, walked quickly to the squad leader's side, bowed first, bent over and said something urgently.
The captain listened and listened, and the smile that had been piled up on his face suddenly scattered. He pointed to the young man with one hand and said something.
Two Japanese soldiers stepped forward, their bayonets gleaming as they pointed at him.
The captain spoke into the dog's ear and translated again, then ran back to the villagers and pointed at the young man, saying loudly.
"Fellow villagers, none of you know him, I'll tell you, he's from the guerrilla squad. The imperial army says they want to take him back to the county town for interrogation."
Who is this young man? After entering the prison of the Japanese devils, how did he cleverly escape and bring out a shocking secret?
"Northbound and Southbound" serialized original publication, search for "Northbound and Southbound" to share. If you have better suggestions, please let me know in time, I'm grateful; if you think it's worth sharing, don't forget to cast your precious vote, because your support and encouragement are my greatest motivation for future creation. QQ394915357 More wonderful stories invite you to happy sharing, because of you, my friend.
