Chapter 13: "The Japanese slaves have not been exterminated, how can we have a home?"

  Taiping sent the town mayor to the hospital gate. Taiping: "Mayor, you've had a hard day today too."

  Town head: "The two old brothers have finally recognized each other, I'm relieved too. Oh right, almost forgot." The town head took out a newspaper from his pocket, "This year is the 60th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan, there's a speech by the General Secretary on this paper. Let me read it to him while he's still clear-headed. History cannot be denied."

  Tai Ping took over the newspaper: "Ah, ah, thank you so much."

  Town head: "Don't send it anymore, go back quickly."

  Tai Ping: "Then you take your time."

  Tai Ping saw the town head off at the hospital gate.

  Tai Ping turned back and shouted towards the kitchen: "Qiang Jun, is the tea ready?"

  "Alright, let's send it in."

  Tai Ping went back into her father's room.

  Qin Zhiyong pulled Gu Changsheng's hand and sat on the bed, trembling: "...... You're old too."

  Tai Ping walked in and saw the two old men chatting, didn't want to disturb them, so he sat down beside them and started reading the newspaper.

  "We've all grown old."

  Qiang Jun carried a pot of tea and came in, pouring tea for the two old men.

  "Gu Changsheng looked at Qiang Jun: "Qiang Jun, are you still reading books?"

  Tai Ping hastily replied: "At university."

  "Gu Changshuan: 'What major did you study?'"

  Qiang Jun glanced at Qin Zhiyong and whispered: "Japanese."

  Qin Zhiyong snorted.

  "What plans do you have from now on?"

  Qiang Jun looked at his grandfather again and hesitated before answering: After graduating, I'm thinking of going to Japan for further studies.

  Qin Zhiyong suddenly picked up the crutch by the bed and hit Qiang Jun, cursing: "Beat you, a dog traitor!"

  Qiang Jun was so scared that he rushed to run out of the house, Tai Ping hurried up to persuade him, Qin Zhiyong pushed away Tai Ping and chased after Qiang Jun with a stick, while Tai Ping and Gu Changsheng also ran out.

  In the courtyard, Qiang Jun was chased by Qin Zhiyong and ran all over the yard.

  Qiang Jun shouted loudly: "Mom, mom, grandpa is hitting people again! Hurry up and save me!"

  Tai Ping's wife heard the noise and rushed out, saw this scene, anxious and at a loss.

  Jiang Jun ran back and shouted at Qin Zhiyong: "You old counter-revolutionary only know how to beat people and scold people!"

  Qin Zhiyong panted and stood up: "I'll still fight against the devils!"

  Qiang Jun also stood up: "Whoever acknowledges it? You will fight a civil war!"

  Qin Zhi's courage was like thunder, and he raised his crutch again to chase and beat: "You little rabbit, what do you know!"

  Tai Ping grabbed his father's arm: "Dad, don't run anymore, be careful not to fall."

  Tai Ping and Gu Zhangyu helped Qin Zhiyong sit down on a stool in the yard, panting heavily.

  Tai Ping held a newspaper in his hand: "Qiang Jun! Come here!"

  The army is approaching cautiously and quietly.

  Tai Ping handed him a newspaper and pointed to a paragraph at the top: "Read this to your grandfather!"

  Qiang Jun took over the newspaper in a daze and looked at the title.

  HEADLINE ON FRONT PAGE OF NEWSPAPER READS: SPEECH BY HU JINTAO AT COMMEMORATION CEREMONY FOR 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHINA'S VICTORY IN WAR AGAINST JAPANESE AGGRESSION AND WORLD ANTI-FASCIST WAR

  "...In the magnificent national war of resistance, all Chinese people were united as one, with a common goal and determination. All parties, ethnic groups, classes, strata, and organizations joined forces to resist the enemy and overcome the national crisis. Inside and outside the Great Wall, in the south and north of the Yangtze River, anti-Japanese beacons were lit everywhere. The Chinese Nationalist Party and the Communist Party of China led the anti-Japanese armies, respectively shouldering the tasks of fighting on the front lines and behind enemy lines, forming a strategic posture of jointly resisting Japanese aggression. The front-line battlefield, with the Nationalist army as the main force, organized a series of major battles, especially in the early stages of national resistance, such as the Battle of Shanghai, the Battle of Xinkou, the Battle of Xuzhou, and the Battle of Wuhan, which dealt heavy blows to the Japanese military..."

  Qin Zhiyong's eyes widened, he stood up and stumbled to Qiang Jun's side, incoherently saying: "In the newspaper... Is it really said like that? Is it the main body? The front line of the battlefield?"

  Qiang Jun nodded.

  Qin Zhiyong snatched the newspaper and held it close to his eyes, narrowing them as he carefully read. Everyone gathered around Qin Zhiyong, silently watching him.

  Qin Zhiyong finished reading and handed the newspaper to Gu Changgui, tears streaming down his face. He wiped away the tears on his face, but they kept flowing again.

  Suddenly, Qin Zhiyong stood up and stumbled into his own room.

  Tai Ping wanted to follow him in, but was held back by Gu Changshou: "Let him stay for a while."

  When everyone was at a loss, Qin Zhiyong came out of the house with his waist straight, wearing a clean Zhongshan suit, slanting a wine gourd on his back, buckling his belt, leaning on a crutch with one hand and pulling Gu Changshuo with the other: "Shuanger, let's go!"

  "Where are you going?"

  Qin Zhiyong: "Go tell them..."

  Qin Zhiyong pulled Gu Changsheng towards the gate of the courtyard, and Gu Changsheng handed the newspaper to Qiang Jun.

  Tai Ping's wife pulled Tai Ping and asked: "Where are you two brothers going?"

  Tai Ping gazed at the backs of Qin Zhiyong and Gu Changyu: "Up in the mountains, where else can we go?"

  Qiang Jun picked up the newspaper and sat down in a bamboo chair, reading it seriously.

  Gu Changshuo walked with Qin Zhiyong towards the village outside, Gu Changshuo: "Brother Zhiyong, have you been doing well in recent years?"

  "Alright, alright!"

  At this time, a 7 or 8-year-old boy with a red scarf ran over and jumped up to ask Qin Zhiyong: "Grandpa!"

  Qin Zhiyong smiled and nodded: "Good, good."

  Qin Zhiyong gazed at the little boy's receding back, muttering to himself: "The villagers have been good to me, and now the kids don't throw stones at me either."

  Gu Changsheng nodded sympathetically.

  Qin Zhiyong looked at Gu Changsheng: "Changsheng, I never thought I could live so long. Thinking of those brothers who have passed away, I am content!"

  Gu Changsheng: "Yes, I often dream of them too."

  Qin Zhiyong: "Zhuangzi, I'm ill now and can't recall many things or people, but I know they're all there."

  Qin Zhiyong pointed to the top of the distant arched mountain, and Gu Changshou looked up at the top of the mountain.

  Qin Zhiyong grasped Gu Zhang's hand: "Let's go! Go take a look at them!"

  Two old men supported each other as they walked towards the foot of the mountain.

  Qiang Jun put down the newspaper and thought of a summer over ten years ago. His grandfather was wearing shorts, sitting in a bamboo chair in the yard, sunbathing. At that time, Qiang Jun, who was only 12 or 13 years old, saw the scars on his grandfather's thighs and asked: "Grandfather, where did this come from?"

  Grandpa proudly said: "The scars left from fighting against Japanese devils back then, those years..."

  "Grandpa, you're still talking about fighting the devils? Weren't you guys just fighting internal wars? How could you have fought against the Japanese devils? You're deceiving people!"

  Grandfather listened and silently stood up, leaning on his cane and walked into his own small hut.

  Qiang Jun picked up the newspaper again and continued reading.

  The top of the bow-shaped mountain, autumn wind rustling.

  Qin Zhiyong and Gu Zhangyu supported each other, carrying a wine gourd and an old walking stick, stumbling up the mountain peak, with autumn wind blowing their sparse white hair into disarray.

  Qin Zhiyong stood on the mountaintop, gazing at the Eagle-shaped Mountain in the distance. He took down his wine gourd and took a sip himself before handing it to Gu Changshuo with trembling hands, saying: "Take a drink, our hometown's wine."

  Gu Changjie took over the wine gourd, his eyes fixed on Qin Zhiyong's slightly trembling hand.

  Qin Zhiyong saw Gu Zhangyang looking at his hand, he unnaturally smiled and opened his trembling fingers, then clenched them again: "Always shaking, can't control it. But even if I'm shaking, Zhangyang, do you believe me? If you give me a Hanyang rifle now, I can still shoot!"

  Gu Changshuan nodded vigorously: "Believe! I believe!"

  Gu Changshuan raised the wine gourd and took a big swig. He looked at the gourd and said with certainty, "This is Old Yang's."

  Qin Zhiyong nodded: "It's Old Yang's, do you still remember?"

  Gu Changshuan handed the gourd to Qin Zhiyong: "Want to forget, can't forget! And Lao Cao, Er Guizi, Huang Xintian, Sun Canmou, do you still remember them?"

  Qin Zhiyong: "I can't remember their names, but their faces, the way they looked when they sacrificed themselves, keep flashing before my eyes."

  Qin Zhiyong raised the gourd and took another big gulp, looking around at the surrounding mountains, shouting with a torn heart: "Brothers! You can close your eyes now!"

  Winter 1941

  Old Yang crouched in front of the wall root of the hut, holding a wine gourd and taking a sip of wine. He took out a cloth package from his clothes and opened it, counting the banknotes inside one by one. After finishing, he carefully wrapped them up with the cloth and put them back into his bosom. Then he raised the gourd again and took another sip.

  The wall of the barracks was written with slogans: "Celebrate the great victory of Xiangbei!", "Hunan is the graveyard of Japanese pirates!", "Three things that soldiers forget: leaving home forgets wife, leaving the border forgets family, going to war forgets oneself."

  Sun's advisor hastily walked by and saw Old Yang, saying as he walked: "Old Yang, you're secretly drinking again?"

  Lao Yang hastily stood up, somewhat embarrassed: "Commander Lian, the devils have been driven back to the north bank of Xinwai River by us, I'm delighted!"

  "Ah, you're rejoicing too early! Do you think from now on you can put away your swords and guns and let your horses graze in the southern mountains?"

  Old Yang was shocked: "How dare the devils attack Changsha again?"

  Sun Zong looked down at the words on the wall: "The enemy will not be willing to fail, Old Yang, there will still be a fierce battle waiting for us."

  Director Sun finished speaking and hastily walked out, Old Yang was a bit anxious, chasing after Director Sun: "Director Sun, when Director Feng was here, he said that after this battle, he would let me go home..."

  Sun stopped in his tracks and looked at Old Yang: "Thinking of taking a wife?"

  Old Yang smiled awkwardly.

  "Sun's advisor: "I still want to get married!" Sun's advisor pointed at the slogan on the wall, "Take a good look at what's written on the wall - 'Three things soldiers forget'!"

  Old Yang: "Company Commander, I've almost forgotten what it's like to be with a woman."

  Sun's advisor burst out laughing and turned to leave, Old Yang followed behind him, pleading: "Commander Lian, I'm almost 40 this year, at this age in our hometown I can already be a grandfather, please let me go..."

  Sun stopped in his tracks and looked at Old Yang with a hint of surprise: "You're still under forty? You've got a few more years left."

  Old Yang: "Ah......"

  Sun's advisor turned and left.

  Lao Yang was getting anxious and rushed towards Sun's back: "Feng Lianzhang had promised me!"

  Sun's advisor turned a deaf ear: "Feng Lianzhang agreed to it, go find Feng Lianzhang."

  Old Yang cried and laughed: "Where can I go to find it?"

  Sun Zi walked a long way out and looked up at the sky, letting out a long sigh: "The Japanese pirates have not been exterminated, how can we go home?"

  Old Yang looked dejectedly at the receding back of Sun's advisor for a while, then turned around and walked into the kitchen with no energy.

  Old Yang weakly shouted: "Little Cow!"

  No one answered.

  Old Yang: "Where has this little calf run off to?"

  Old Yang picked up a bucket of water and poured it into the pot, starting to boil water for cooking.

  Old Yang pulled the bellows while muttering to himself in a half-believing tone: "Can it be that the little devils still haven't given up? What's going on at home..."

  The Japanese devils will not die, at this moment, in the dense forest of Xiangbei Mountain, a special operations unit of the Japanese army is advancing, quietly following behind a reconnaissance platoon of the National Army.

  The scouting team arrived at the edge of a cliff, and Chen, the leader of the scouting team, looked around and asked Qin Ermei, the Tujia girl who was leading them, "Ermei, is this road correct?"

  Tan Er pointed at the cliff: "Chen Pai Chang, from this cliff down, after crossing that river, there is a small road leading to Changsha."

  Chen Pai-chang looked at Qin Ermei with deep feeling: "Ermei, come back to Changsha with me?"

  Tan Er's face turned red as she nodded shyly.

  At this moment, dozens of black muzzles quietly emerged from the bushes, pointing at the soldiers in the reconnaissance squad.

  Chen Pai-chang looked down at the cliff and ordered the soldiers: "Undo your puttees and tie them together into a rope."

  Suddenly a voice shouting in Japanese came from the thicket: "Yamai! Get down!"

  Tan Er quickly fell to the ground.

  Immediately afterwards, a dense burst of gunfire came, the gunfire stopped, Tan Ermei stood up, patted the dust on her body, looked at the fallen reconnaissance squad soldiers, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

  Emerging from the thicket was Captain Makino of the Japanese Special Service Troop, followed by Staff Officer Yoshimura.

  Yoshimura rushed in front of Ting Ermei and warmly hugged her: "Sister, I was really worried that you wouldn't hear my shout."

  Yoshimura Masami looked up at her brother with a mischievous glint in her eye: "If you can't even recognize your own brother's voice, then you deserve to be beaten to death."

  Heavily injured Chen Pai Chang lay on the ground, slightly opening his eyes to see Tan Er Mei embracing a Japanese officer and conversing in Japanese.

  Makino walked over with a smile: "Brother and sister meet, the feelings are true and sincere! Yoshimura Sanbo, you have such an excellent younger sister, it's really enviable!"

  "Report to the captain! I destroyed their radio, they didn't get a chance to send out the intel on our troop deployment, it's still in their platoon leader's bag."

  Makino nodded in satisfaction: "Good, brave and wise, truly worthy of being 'The Flower of the Empire'!"

  Ya Mei ran to Chen Pai Chang's side and squatted down to take off the briefcase on his back.

  Chen Pai-chang suddenly jumped up and hugged Ya Mei, and the two rolled down the cliff together.

  It happened too suddenly, Yoshimura stared blankly as his sister disappeared at the edge of the cliff, he wailed "Yamemi---" and rushed towards the cliff like a madman, being tightly held back by Makino.

  Makino and Kichijiro rushed to the edge of the cliff, where they saw Chen lying on a rock at the river's edge below, while Yumi had fallen into the river and was being swept away by the rapid current.

  Makino: "Yoshimura, take a squad and go around the cliff to gather intel and find Yami!"

  Yoshimura agreed and, without saluting, took off with a squad of soldiers.

  Yoshimura waved his hand and disappeared into the dense forest with his troops...

  The team leader, Dong, was pacing back and forth in front of the map sand table with a worried look on his face, while Sun's advisor watched him.

  Comrade Dong stood up and looked at the sand table: "Why haven't we received any news from Comrade Chen's squad yet."

  "According to the intelligence gathered from previous reconnaissance, the enemy's troops have been moving frequently in recent days. They are concentrating a large number of soldiers in northern Hunan and northern Jiangxi, and forcibly recruiting civilians to build roads everywhere."

  Comrade Dong nodded: "It seems that the enemy may launch another attack on Changsha in the near future." He turned to the communications soldier: "Continue calling them!"

  "Yes!"

  To prevent the Japanese army from advancing, all highways in northern Hunan had been destroyed by local people. The potholed roads were filled with muddy water. At this time, the Japanese army was driving local villagers to repair the highway.

  Changshan and villagers carried bamboo baskets full of sand and gravel, walking hard on the muddy road.

  Iwai and Kuroda walked through the muddy ground, their boots covered in mud. Shichi-oyaji followed closely behind them, carrying a small sun flag.

  Iwai: "...... In response to the South China Front Army's capture of Hong Kong, General Anan has decided to launch another attack on Changsha. The highway to Changsha must be repaired as soon as possible!"

  Kuroda Tatsuaki: "Yes!"

  Kuroda turned around and ordered Seventh Uncle in unskilled Chinese: "Hurry up!"

  Seventh Uncle bowed repeatedly to Kuroda: "Ah, ah!"

  Seventh Uncle shouted at Minfu: "Everyone, let's put in a bit more effort!"

  An elderly villager was overwhelmed and fell to the ground, a Japanese soldier rushed forward, using his rifle butt to violently strike the old man, beating him until his head was bleeding.

  A young villager took advantage of the opportunity to escape, and Kuroda pulled out a handgun and shot him dead.

  Changshan was terrified.

  Several trucks carrying heavy loads came over, and the villagers gave way. One of the vehicles got stuck in the mud, its wheels spinning futilely as it was unable to move forward.

  Changshan busily beckoned to the villagers: "Come on, everyone push the car out together!"

  Seventh Uncle and some villagers pushed the cart forward.

  Changshan shouted loudly: "One! Two! Three!"

  The wheels were still spinning in the mud, Changshan took off his cotton-padded jacket and put it under the wheel, waving his arms and shouting: "One! Two! Three!"

  The truck was finally pushed out and drove back on the road, the Japanese soldiers in the truck compartment gave Zhangshan a thumbs up. Zhangshan picked up his cotton-padded jacket and put it on, a villager spat at Zhangshan's back.

  Iwai looked at Nagayama and nodded in satisfaction. Shichi-oyaji pointed to Nagayama and introduced him to Iwai, "His name is Ko Nagayama, a very good citizen."

  He patted Ryosuke's shoulder and said in not-so-fluent Chinese: "You, very good! Friend of the Imperial Army!"

  Changshan was at a loss and rubbed his hands together. Qi Shu reminded him on the side: "Quickly kowtow and thank Tai Jun!"

  Nagayama bowed clumsily to Iwai.

  The team leader. Sun's advisor walked up to the soldier on duty: "Still can't get in touch?"

  The operator shook his head.

  Comrade Dong walked up to Comrade Sun: "We can't wait any longer, the reconnaissance team's situation is looking grim. The division commander has ordered us to reorganize a reconnaissance team, with you in charge, to infiltrate deep into enemy territory, gather intelligence on the enemy's battle plan and troop deployment, and if possible, capture a valuable prisoner."

  "Right! But where can we go to find people? All the experienced old soldiers are almost dead."

  Director Dong: "I think Qin Zhiyong is quite clever."

  "Sun's advisor: 'He won't be a soldier for many days.'"

  Comrade Dong was somewhat impatient: "I don't have anywhere to go to find people for you now, this battle has exhausted even my special operations company. Go to the company and pick a few old soldiers, train them again, and set off as soon as possible."

  Sun's advisor reluctantly said: "Yes."

  Comrade Dong's prediction was correct, the scouting party has been completely wiped out.

  Yoshimura led the troops, after a difficult journey, finally found Chen's body. He took off the briefcase from Chen's body, took out the documents inside and looked at them before putting them back in the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. With a sorrowful gaze at the flowing river water, he muttered to himself: "Yamei, where are you? Are you still alive? I must find you!"

  Yoshimura kicked Chen's long corpse into the river with one foot and ordered the soldiers: "Walk along the river!"