Chapter 24 "For the deceased brother..."

  On the battlefield.

  Lao Cao: "Second Ghost, you haven't said yet, what happened to Zhang Fei?"

  "Hey, don't mention it. I and the squad leader sent the prisoner there, but nobody took care of him at all! The doctor couldn't even be found, and they didn't give him any medicine."

  Lao Cao glared with his ox-like eyes: "Why didn't you give him medicine?"

  Zhou Guangren: "I heard it was a medicine control, only available for officials to use first. Sanban's Zhangshun was lying there unattended, I watched him die with my own eyes."

  "What! Should a soldier just wait for death?! Damn it!"

  "Die, a soldier's life is worthless! The lives of officials are precious! I heard that in Changsha city, the officials and their families have already evacuated. Alas! In this lifetime of mine, Zhou Guangren, all sorts of unlucky things have befallen me!"

  Lao Cao: "Dangzi was injured while blowing up a tank for you and is lying in the hospital, what bad luck!"

  "Escaping today won't help, can't escape tomorrow! To have lived through such a chaotic era, what bad luck! If my parents had given birth to me twenty years later, how wonderful that would be!"

  Lao Cao: "Born twenty years late? Then your parents could have given birth to you?"

  Zhou Guangren mused: "Twenty years later, when I came into this world, there was no war, no death, and no devils..."

  Old Cao interrupted him: "Where have all the devils gone?"

  "He's already been chased away!"

  Lao Cao: "Who was driven away?"

  Zhou Guangren still yearned for: "At that time, peaceful sunlight shone on the earth——"

  Lao Cao: "I'm asking you who chased the devils away?"

  "Who cares who ran away? That was before I was born. How would I know? Do I need to know?"

  Old Cao: "You two devils, if you all think like this, the devils will never be driven away! Cowardly devils! Just looking at your appearance during the day, if I were the squad leader, I would have shot you to death with one bullet."

  Zhou Guangren: "I won't tell you, I'll just say it's not clear." He pushed and pushed the drowsy Huang Xintian: "Hey, old Huang, let's chat for a bit, my heart is suffocating!"

  "What's wrong with you?" Huang Xintian opened his eyes and asked.

  Old Cao: "Old Huang is more stifled in his heart than you."

  Zhou Guangren didn't care about Old Cao: "Old Huang, you say we've been through thick and thin together, is it worth it?"

  "Who made us wear this military uniform? Someone has to go and fight the devils."

  Zhou Guangren: "The little devils should be beaten, but why do we have to sacrifice for the country? Don't tell me that just because we're soldiers, we have to be soldiers. At worst, I'll just shed this skin."

  Old Cao raised his machine gun and aimed at Zhou Guangren: "What did you say? You dare to repeat it! If you little brat dares to be a deserter, I'll shoot you into a sieve."

  "Who wants to be a deserter! I just think it's unfair. Who doesn't know that living is good, I don't want to die, and I haven't even married yet."

  Huang Xintian: "We fight against the devils for our descendants, don't we?"

  "Descendants? Will future generations remember us? Will they know you, Huang Xintian? So many people died, not even leaving behind a name. A truckload of new recruits came during the day to fight against the devils, but before they could even see the enemy's shadow, they were blown to pieces. Their parents are still waiting for them to return home..."

  Zhou Guangren burst into tears.

  At this time, Old Yang walked over with a wine gourd, and Huang Xintian saw Old Yang and turned his head to one side.

  Old Yang raised his gourd and took a swig of wine. Old Cao cursed with a smile, "You old drunkard, looking for wine again."

  Old Yang looked at Zhou Guangren who was crying loudly and said while drinking: "Second Ghost, who are you mourning for?"

  "Here!"

  Old Yang: "What? Give me?"

  "Give you to me, give us all."

  Old Yang irritably said: "I'm living a good life, what are you crying about?"

  "We're all going to die, we're all going to die..."

  Old Yang looked at him in confusion: "Second Ghost, what's wrong with you? Scared out of your wits?"

  Zhou Guangren's son snatched the wine gourd from Old Yang and took a big gulp: "I'm in a bad mood."

  Old Yang cried and laughed: "Why are you drinking my wine when you're in a bad mood?"

  "Alas, I was born in the wrong time..."

  Lao Yang: "What's meant by 'born out of one's time'?"

  Lao Cao smiled: "The second ghost wants to be born twenty years later."

  Old Yang: "Why is that?"

  Old Cao: "He said at that time there were no devils, he was born and could live a peaceful life."

  Old Yang: "Ahh! Everyone thinks like you, wanting to live a good life. Does China not have anyone left?! In twenty years, won't China become the world of little devils?! What peaceful life are you still living?!"

  "Then... should we go die?"

  Old Yang: "It's not asking you to go die, it's asking the little devils to die!"

  "Anyway, it's just that we didn't catch the good timing."

  Old Yang took a sip of wine: "This is not wrong, it's just that the timing was not good. But if you caught up with him, what can you do? You can only fight with the devils! Kill all the little Japanese," he glanced at Huang Xintian and raised his voice, "Regardless of whether they are male devils or female devils, kill them all! Not a single one will be left! This is called repaying blood with blood, and teeth with teeth. Is that right, Old Huang?"

  Lao Cao: "Alright, Lao Yang, stop nagging."

  Huang Xintian glared at Old Yang, but didn't say a word.

  "It's so unfair... too unfair... I haven't lived enough yet... I don't want to die... I don't want to die..."

  "Who wants to die? Nobody wants to die, but as the saying goes, those who fear death will die first, and those who don't fear death will die later. I think you should die first, die early and be reborn early."

  "It's not worth dying like this... Why do we have to die? If we really die, then so be it... But if we get blown blind or lose our legs... it's even worse than death..."

  Liu Canmoou sent Qin Zhiyong out of the team headquarters.

  Liu: "Alright, I wish you all the best!"

  Qin Zhiyong bowed respectfully to Liu's advisor and then turned around and left.

  Flames shot up into the sky near Changsha City, accompanied by intense gunfire. Soldiers stood in the trenches, gazing out and discussing among themselves.

  "Can Changsha be defended?"

  "How could we hold on?! Officer Xue said, 'Changsha is the tomb of the devils!'"

  At this time, cook soldier Xiao Niu and his wife each carried a pole with two baskets, delivering meals in batches.

  The little cow happily shouted: "The tooth sacrifice is done! The tooth sacrifice is done!"

  Everyone responded in unison:

  "The calf is here!"

  "Little cow is here! How come you're late?"

  "Is there meat?"

  "Got meat and got wine!"

  "How come it's so sumptuous?"

  "Today is New Year's Day!"

  "What? Is it New Year's today?"

  "We've been fighting for so long, we've lost track of time!"

  "Didn't the little devil say he was going to spend Chinese New Year in Changsha?"

  "Hahaha!"

  "Little cow, who is this?"

  "Mom."

  Lao Cao couldn't help but praise: "Wow! The mother and son are on the battlefield!"

  "This is what you call going into battle?!"

  The young waitress serves rice and pours wine for everyone.

  The calf saw Old Yang and happily ran over: "Uncle, I miss you so much!"

  Old Yang patted the little cow's head warmly: "Little calf, didn't you make your mother angry?"

  The calf shook its head: "No."

  The little cowherd girl smiled and interjected: "He's always nagging to go fight the devils with you guys!"

  The young ox said pitifully: "Uncle, let me follow you to fight the devils, I don't want to be a partner anymore."

  Old Yang: "You, just wait a few more years."

  Lao Cao glanced at Zhou Guangren: "Really a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers! Alright, better than the Japanese devils!"

  Zhou Guangren looked at Old Cao with dissatisfaction and said to Little Cow: "Do you think the devils are easy to deal with? The devils are formidable!"

  The young bull sneered: "Don't try to scare people, the little devil also has two shoulders and one head, if he gets shot, he'll still die, if he gets stabbed, he'll still perish!"

  Everyone praised: "Well said! Good job! Little cow."

  The young bull and his wife poured wine into each warrior's bowl, and everyone raised their bowls to toast the New Year.

  "China must win! Cheers!"

  "To victory in the War of Resistance! Cheers!"

  A sentry suddenly pointed at the battlefield in front of the position: "Look quickly!"

  Everyone stood up and looked towards the front of the formation.

  On the battlefield in front of the position, the enemy and our sides' burial teams were each flying a white flag with a red cross, collecting and burying the bodies of their respective soldiers on the battlefield.

  The warriors in the trenches suddenly fell silent, quietly watching.

  "This is our tomorrow."

  Both sides' corpse collection teams were led by a lieutenant and consisted of over a dozen local villagers. Neither side spoke, each busy flipping over the bodies, brushing off snow, identifying clothing and personal weapons, and then moving their own side's corpses to one side. Occasionally, personnel from both sides would exchange whispers, with one Chinese corpse collector holding up an amputated arm to inquire about its owner, only to be met with a shake of the head from the Japanese lieutenant, who also shook his head after being asked to take a look. The Chinese personnel had no choice but to throw the severed arm aside. Finally, both sides' personnel struggled to separate two corpses that had simultaneously stabbed each other and were still standing, before carrying them away separately.

  In the trenches, Old Cao raised his wine bowl high: "To our fallen brothers..."

  Lao Cao poured the remaining wine in his bowl onto the ground, and everyone else also poured the remaining wine in their bowls onto the ground, starting to eat silently.

  The distant gunfire grew more intense.

  Zhou Guangren took a big bite, then spat it back into the bowl, irritably put down his rice bowl, gazed at the moon in the sky and let out a deep sigh.

  Old Yang suddenly shouted in Qin Opera: "Golden Goose Beach, where the ambush was buried, fought fiercely, and only saw flames all around, burning the brothers' heads and scorching their foreheads. Today, not a single person surrendered or fled, fighting to the death for the country, without regard for life..."

  A desolate voice lingered for a long time in the quiet moonlit night...

  At this time, on the Japanese military position, the Japanese soldiers also stood in the trenches, silently watching the distant body collection team busy at work, then all hung their heads and sat down in the trenches.

  Kuroda smiled wryly: "A man's life is long enough at twenty-five."

  Xiao Dao: "If I die, then I'll be free."

  Kuroda: "Kojima, as long as I'm alive, you won't die!"

  "Really?" asked Kojima, looking at Kuroda.

  Kuroda nodded seriously.

  Qin Zhiyong stopped in his tracks as he was returning to the front line, silently watching the body collection team carry corpse after corpse past him.

  "Brothers, you go first, we will meet again."

  On the battlefield, Little Cow Girl quietly walked to Old Yang's side and took out a pair of cloth shoes: "Brother Yang, I made you a pair of shoes. Not sure if they fit or not, try them on."

  Old Yang felt a bit embarrassed, hastily put on his shoes and walked a few steps, repeatedly saying "it fits, it fits."

  After finishing speaking, he took off his shoes and tied them to his waistband. Old Cao looked at him with envy by the side.

  The calf and the girl gathered their things and walked away with a pole on their shoulders.

  The calf walked two steps and turned its head to shout at everyone: "Don't kill all the devils, leave some for me."

  Caused a burst of laughter.

  Old Yang looked at Little Cow's back and cursed with a smile: "Damn it, really attractive!"

  Old Cao went up to Old Yang: "Are you talking about Xiao Niu or his mother?"

  Old Yang gave Old Cao a white eye: "Old Cao, what do you mean?"

  Old Cao: "Don't pretend with me, why did Little Cow's mother make shoes for you?"

  Old Yang: "Is it your business? They are willing."

  Old Yang finished speaking and left, Old Cao shouted at Old Yang's back: "Let her make a pair for me too?"

  "Just wait until I'm dead."

  Lao Cao: "What's with the attitude."

  "A warrior shouted: 'The squad leader is back!'"

  Qin Zhiyong walked along the trenches and said to everyone: "Brothers, you've all worked hard!"

  "Long live our squad leader!"

  "How is Old Squad Leader Gu?"

  Qin Zhiyong: "I won't die."

  Lao Yang, Lao Cao and Huang Xintian all gathered around. Qin Zhiyong said to them: "I just came back from the team department, there is a new task."

  Lao Cao was somewhat excited: "What task?"

  Qin Zhiyong: "Go to the mountain and blow up the devils' warehouse! The day after tomorrow at dawn——" He looked down at his watch, "No, we'll set out at dawn tomorrow. Where are the two devils?"

  Old Cao shouted loudly: "Second devil!"

  Zhou Guangren, who was on the side, heard Qin Zhiyong's words and was already anxious in his heart. When he heard the shout, he hurried over.

  Qin Zhiyong: "Two devils, this time it's all up to you."

  "Ah! What do you want me to do?"

  Qin Zhiyong: "Let you disguise as a devil, sneak into the enemy's warehouse, and then think of a way to blow up the warehouse."

  Zhou Guangren took a sharp breath in, his face filled with terror: "Ah! Explode... what to use to explode..."

  Qin Zhiyong: "Dynamite, of course."

  Zhou Guangren: "Why is it me?"

  Qin Zhiyong: "You're the only one who can speak Japanese, if it were someone else they'd definitely be a traitor. Old Yang, Old Cao, and Old Huang, all come over here, let's discuss this again."

  Lao Yang, Lao Cao and Huang Xintian gathered in front of Qin Zhiyong.

  Zhou Guangren sat nervously on one side, listening intently with his ear cocked to the side, as the faint sound of their intermittent discussion drifted over.

  Huang Xintian: "......Can he do it......"

  Old Cao: "...... What's wrong? He can speak Japanese..."

  Lao Yang: "......To be honest, this is an impossible task......"

  Huang Xintian: "......Dangerous enough......"

  Old Yang: "......Who's going is not dangerous? He's safer if he goes. If we go, one word will give us away..."

  Huang Xintian: "......what if we can't break out in the end......"

  Qin Zhiyong: "......Even if I die, I must blow up the enemy's warehouse! Old Yang, do you think this will work..."

  The voice behind was getting lower and lower, Zhou Guangren really couldn't hear clearly, he wanted to stand up, but his legs were a bit disobedient.

  The next day, rescue shelter.

  Duanzi lay in bed, staring out the window, lost in thought. Qin Zhiyong walked to Duanzi's bedside and placed a few cans of food on the headboard.

  "Ah, Qiāngzhǎng, how did you come here?"

  Qin Zhiyong: "We have a new mission again, come and see you before departure."

  "Sit down quickly and have a long fart."

  Qin Zhiyong sat down beside the bed: "What are you thinking about?"

  "Nothing."

  Qin Zhiyong: "What's on your mind? Won't be, are you thinking of Dongmei?"

  "Who has the mood to think about her? Zhìyǒng brother, thanks for saving me this time."

  Qin Zhiyong: "Didn't you also save me?"

  "Guai: 'You've saved me twice, I owe you a life.'"

  Qin Zhiyong: "Really? Then how are you planning to repay me for this favor?"

  "Me..."

  "Why don't you return Dongmei to me?"

  "Then... then just let me die."

  Both of them burst out laughing.

  "Zhuangzi stopped laughing and was about to speak, but hesitated: 'Zhīyǒnggē, are you...'"

  "What?"

  "Zhuāngzi: 'Zhìyǒnggē, tell me honestly, are you still thinking of Dongmei in your heart?'"

  Duanzi stared at Qin Zhiyong with both eyes, and Qin Zhiyong avoided his inquiring gaze.

  "Zi: 'Zhì Yǒng Gē, wǒ——'"

  Translation:

  "Zi: 'Brother Zhìyǒng, I——'"

  Qin Zhiyong interrupted him: "Don't say any more, Shuazi. I've already figured it out. This is all the arrangement of heaven, the will of heaven. My emotional connection with her has come to an end. Honestly, Shuazi, this is what's in my heart."

  "Zi: 'Zhì Yǒng Gē, you promised me one thing...' "

  Translation:

  "Zi: 'Brother Zhìyǒng, you promised me one thing...'"

  Qin Zhiyong smiled: "What's up? Speak."

  "Guo Zi: 'If I die, you must go find Dong Mei...'"

  Qin Zhiyong was somewhat at a loss, he avoided the gaze of the lock, stood up and changed the subject: "Where is Captain Ma? I - I'll go take a look at him -"

  "Never mind..."

  Qin Zhiyong was taken aback: "What's wrong?"

  Zhuāng zi's eyes turned red: "The captain of the horse camp gave all the medicine to other wounded soldiers, his wound was infected, this morning...this morning he was already...carried out..."

  Qin Zhiyong was shocked, he suppressed his grief and slowly sat down.

  Inside the barracks.

  The warriors were wiping their Thompson submachine guns, making preparations for departure. Old Cao was loading bullets into the machine gun magazine, Old Yang was trying on new combat boots, and Huang Xintian was sharpening his hunting knife.

  Zhou Guangren walked into the barracks with a distracted look on his face, he sat down beside the bed board, then stood up again, and once more sat back down. Old Cao looked at him in puzzlement.

  Zhou Guangren stood up again and walked towards the door.

  Lao Cao vigilantly asked: "Second Ghost, where are you going?"

  Zhou Guangren was startled and almost fell over, stuttering: "Go... go out for a bit."

  Lao Cao: "I'm asking you where are you going?"

  Zhou Guangren discontentedly: "Go to the outhouse! What's wrong? Do you have to interfere in this too? Are you coming with me or not?"

  Old Cao laughed: "Didn't you just go? How come there's so much urine? Second Ghost, are you too nervous? Explosives are very useful, when you get back, I'll teach you how to use them."

  Zhou Guangren walked out while stuttering: G-g-good... I-I'll come back... I'll come back.

  Zhou Guangren hastily walked out of the barracks.

  Lao Cao watched Zhou Guangren's back with a wicked smile on his face.

  Old Yang: "What's the point of scaring him?"

  Lao Cao had a delighted expression: "Look at how scared this kid is."

  Old Yang gazed at his new shoes and said, "Don't scare this little guy away."

  Lao Cao: "Run?"

  Lao Cao suddenly looked out the door with some doubt.

  At this time, Zhou Guangren was sneaking around outside the barracks, hiding behind a tree. He took off his military uniform to reveal civilian clothes he had worn underneath. He threw his uniform on the ground and looked around cautiously before jumping into a nearby trench and running away in a panic...

  Relief center.

  "...... Brother Zhiyong, do you know that since Major Ma was carried out, I haven't thought about Dongmei again. Why did Major Ma leave the medicine for others? Wasn't it to let more people live and kill the devils? I don't think about Dongmei, really don't think about her. No need to think, now I'm thinking of recovering from my injuries quickly and going to kill the devils again. If we don't drive out the devils, how can we have a peaceful life? Thinking more is useless. Is this the reason, Brother Zhiyong?"

  Qin Zhiyong nodded vigorously: "Yes, if we don't drive the devils back to their lair, we Chinese people won't have a peaceful day!"

  "Really want to go with you guys!"

  Qin Zhiyong stood up: "Take care of your injuries at ease, I should go."

  "Hey, you haven't agreed with me on what I just said."

  Qin Zhiyong hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Born in troubled times, as a soldier, I will eventually die. What can I promise you?"

  Zhang Zhong strongly supported himself and gave Qin Zhiyong a military salute.

  Qin Zhiyong also slowly raised his right arm in return, then turned and walked away.

  Behind the big tree outside the barracks, Old Cao picked up Zhou Guangren's abandoned military uniform and cursed: "Damn it, he really ran away? This gutless coward can't change his nature!"

  Lao Cao looked up and saw Qin Zhiyong walking towards him, so he quickly ran over.

  Lao Cao threw Zhou Guangren's military uniform on the ground and said with a huff: "Squad leader, the two devils have escaped!"

  Qin Zhiyong was startled: "Ah! How long have we been running?"

  Old Cao: "It's been a while since he said he was going to the outhouse and never came back, and even left his clothes outside. Looks like he had planned it all along."

  "He's been scared out of his wits," Qin Zhiyong said thoughtfully. "It seems the plan needs to be revised."

  Lao Cao gritted his teeth and said: "This bastard, queue is long, I'll go catch him back!"

  Qin Zhiyong sighed: "Forget it, no time. Let's go, we'll discuss it again together."

  Two men walked towards the barracks, one in front of the other.

  In the barracks, Qin Zhiyong, Old Yang, Old Cao and Huang Xintian sat together under the oil lamp, discussing something, while other soldiers had already fallen asleep...

  The next day at dawn, soldiers in military uniforms lined up from the battlefield and walked past, while the soldiers in the trenches, who were holding shovels and pickaxes to reinforce the fortifications, stood up straight and silently watched as the troops gradually disappeared into the dense forest valley...