Chapter 35 "Is this still Old Huang?"

  Time had come to autumn 1943.

  Wen Gongtuan female soldier Xiaoyu was walking with a backpack, excitedly running into Old Yang. Old Yang saw Xiaoyu and hurried over to ask: "Xiaoyu, where are you going?"

  Xiao Yu: "Uncle, let's go to Changde to support the troops!"

  Old Yang was somewhat worried: "I heard the devils are going to attack Changde, aren't you afraid?"

  Xiao Yu: "Don't be afraid!"

  Old Yang: "Uncle, you didn't forget what I told you last year, did you?"

  Xiao Yu smiled and asked: "What's up?"

  Old Yang: "This kid, I'm telling you again, Uncle, we absolutely cannot let the little devils capture us alive, got it?"

  "Take it easy, uncle! See you later!"

  Xiaoyu gave Old Yang a military salute, then excitedly ran towards a military truck. The soldiers of the cultural troupe were lining up to climb aboard. The leader of the cultural troupe, Old Fang, stood in front of the truck and shouted: "Xiaoyu, you're the only one left! Stop dawdling and get on the truck!"

  Xiao Yu climbed onto the carriage with the help of other warriors. Old Yang: "Old Fang, Captain Fang, I'm entrusting Xiao Yu to you, you must take good care of her."

  Lao Fang sneered: "Your Xiaoyu? When did she become yours?"

  Old Yang: "What's wrong? Can't do it?"

  Lao Fang: "Who is she to you?"

  Old Yang thought for a moment: "Who is it? - Let's just say it's my daughter."

  Lao Fang: "Don't be so shameless, you're not worthy of being compared to Old Yang!"

  Old Yang smiled and chuckled, Old Fang entered the driver's cab, waved his hand to Old Yang: "See you later, Old Yang!"

  Old Yang also waved his hand: "Good! Old Fang, be careful on the road!"

  The truck started moving, and Xiao Yu stood on the carriage waving goodbye to Old Yang, who also waved back at her.

  In the barracks at night, the lights-out signal had long been sounded, and all the soldiers had fallen asleep. Only Old Yang and Old Cao were still sitting on the bed, silently smoking. Huang Xintian, who was sleeping beside them, had already started snoring.

  Old Yang: "I heard the devils are transferring troops to Changde, it seems they're going to attack Changde."

  Lao Cao: "The devils suffered a loss when they attacked Changsha last year and don't dare to come again, so they can only go attack Changde."

  Lao Yang: "Another tough battle is coming."

  Zhou Guangren lay on the bed, covering his head with a quilt, complaining: "Stop smoking! It's choking me to death!"

  Old Cao kicked him: "How can you still think of sleeping?"

  Zhou Guangren turned over and said gruffly, "What's the point of not sleeping?"

  Old Yang: "He wants to go see his little lover in his dreams!"

  Old Cao: "Ah, that Liu Xiaoxi, don't mention it, he's quite handsome, seems to have a thing for our Er Guizi too, Hunan women are so emotional, no wonder Er Guizi always thinks about her."

  Zhou Guangren closed his eyes and smiled sweetly.

  Old Yang looked up at the sky and said with some disdain, "Compared to Little Rain, it's a bit inferior."

  Lao Cao: "Who is Xiao Yu?"

  Old Yang: "Didn't you used to be with the literature and art troupe?"

  Old Cao: "What's with the two small braids?"

  Old Yang: "It's her, fair and tender, that skin is so delicate it would ooze water if pinched."

  Old Cao scolded with a smile: "You're such an old rascal."

  Zhou Guangren opened his eyes, with a face full of anger.

  Old Yang: "Liu Xiaoxi is just a bit darker, but Xiaoyu is fair and delicate!"

  Zhou Guangren suddenly sat up and said discontentedly: "Who says Liu Xiaohui is in trouble! What are you blindly talking about!"

  Old Yang deliberately provoked him: "What's wrong with saying she's dark-skinned?"

  "It's just not going to work!"

  Lao Yang: "Liu Xiaoxi is a traitor!"

  Zhou Guangren's face turned red with anger: "It won't be black!"

  Old Yang: "What's it to you if I call her black? What's your hurry?"

  "You say she just won't do!"

  Lao Yang: "What's your relationship with her?"

  Zhou Guangren stuttered: "I-I-"

  Zhou Guangren lay down again like a deflated balloon, and Old Cao and Old Yang burst out laughing in schadenfreude.

  Old Cao smiled: "Don't be angry with him."

  Huang Xintian was woken up and muttered: "What's with Xiaoxi and Xiayu, so fair and delicate, can't even let people sleep?"

  The other warriors also woke up at this time and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  Old Yang: "None of your business, go to sleep quickly!"

  Old Cao: "Everyone's asleep, everyone's asleep."

  Lao Yang and Lao Cao were just about to lie down when Qin Zhiyong pushed open the door and came in, saying: "You're not sleeping, what are you arguing about?"

  Everyone was silent, and Old Yang sat up again: "Can't sleep."

  Qin Zhiyong whispered to Old Yang: "There will be a new task soon, and you're not resting well yet—"

  "What's the mission?"

  Zhou Guangren, Zhuozi and other warriors also sat up one after another, looking at Qin Zhiyong with tense and excited expressions.

  Qin Zhiyong scolded everyone: "All of you get down and go to sleep!"

  The warriors lay down quietly.

  Huang Xintian lay down and muttered: "Now I won't be able to sleep even more."

  Qin Zhiyong lay down beside Zhangzi, while Zhou Guangren opened his eyes, thinking about his troubles and couldn't fall asleep.

  In the barracks, a snore gradually rose. Shu zi approached Qin Zhiyong's ear and asked in a low voice: "What task is it after all?"

  The snoring suddenly stopped, Qin Zhiyong sat up in surprise, looking at the soldiers on the bed, muttering to himself: "Are these kids really asleep?"

  The snoring sound started again, Qin Zhiyong listened carefully and lay down with a peace of mind. He whispered to Shuangzi's ear: "I'm telling you..."

  The snoring suddenly stopped again, Qin Zhiyong sat up and looked at the sleeping warrior. At this moment, the snoring started again. Qin Zhiyong muttered: "It's really like seeing a ghost." He leaned in close to Shaozi's ear and just said: "We're going to be sent to blow up the enemy's oil truck..."

  Before he had finished speaking, all the soldiers on the kang sat up and asked in unison: "When? Platoon leader!

  Qin Zhiyong sat up and couldn't help but laugh: "You're all pretending to be asleep?"

  Old Yang laughed and sat up, saying: "These little guys are just sleeping, their ears are all perked up too."

  Qin Zhiyong lay down: "Everyone go to sleep, we'll talk about it again tomorrow."

  New Fourth Army guerrilla camp.

  Commander Guo was holding a map and discussing something with several guerrilla fighters.

  One of the team members shouted: "Xiaoxi is back!"

  Liu Xiaoxi ran over with a big sweat, Captain Guo handed Liu Xiaoxi a bowl of water, Liu Xiaoxi took it and drank it in one gulp.

  "Xiao Xi, don't be in a hurry, speak slowly."

  Liu Xiaoxi: "I've figured it out. The enemy's gasoline train will depart from Yunxi Station at 7 o'clock the day after tomorrow."

  Captain Guo pointed at a point on the map and said to the team member beside him: "We can arrive here around 8 o'clock."

  The team member nodded.

  The next day at dawn, Xiao Niu got up early as usual and went up the mountain with Ku Wa to cut firewood.

  A little cowherd who was picking up firewood suddenly saw several figures, and quickly pulled the hem of Xiao Niu's garment, pointing to the black shadows in the distance. Xiao Niu looked over and recognized Liu Canmou, Qin Zhiyong, Shuanzi, Old Yang, Old Cao, Huang Xintian, and Zhou Guangren. Several people were wearing casual clothes with short guns inserted at their waists, and they gradually disappeared into the morning fog before dawn...

  The calf muttered to himself: "There's another new task, what kind of task will it be? Suerwa, guess where they went?"

  Kuwa silently watched Little Cow, who stood up and said while chopping firewood: "You can't guess this."

  Bitter doll: "Go beat the devils!"

  The calf was startled and hastily stopped chopping with its knife, saying in surprise: "You spoke! Was it you who spoke?"

  Bitter doll: "The devils killed my whole family, I hate the devils."

  The calf wrapped the child in its arms: "Sourwa, I've always thought you were mute".

  Kuwa: "It was Guizi Gege who saved me."

  The calf let go of the child, tilted its head and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

  Canton-Kowloon Railway

  The sky was already bright. Liu Canmou, Qin Zhiyong, Shu Zi, Old Yang, Old Cao, Huang Xintian and Zhou Guangren had been hiding in a trench near the railway line, all dressed as villagers, with short guns at their waists. Liu Canmou took out explosives from his backpack and quietly approached the railway with Shu Zi, who was holding an engineer's shovel. The others were on guard in the trench.

  On the rails, the sentry used a pickaxe to dig open the roadbed under the rails, Liu put the explosives in, and then covered the explosives with soil, before the two quickly ran back to the trenches.

  Liu Zhong Mou handed over the detonator to Old Yang and said: "Watch my hand gesture, when I wave my hand, you blow it up."

  Old Yang took over the explosive device: "Yes."

  "Hey! It's going to be a good show soon!"

  Liu: "Qin Pai Zhang, once the enemy's oil truck explodes, we'll immediately retreat to the mountain according to plan."

  "Right! Two devils, be on guard."

  "Yes."

  Zhou Guangren lay on the edge of the trench and gazed into the distance, while the others sat in the trench resting.

  Suddenly, Zhou Guangren seemed to have discovered something: "Liu Canmou!"

  Liu: "What's going on?"

  "There is - there is a situation."

  Everyone stood up and looked over, in the distance, a group of refugees fleeing for their lives were walking along the railway tracks.

  Old Cao: "They're all just fugitives, making a big deal out of nothing."

  Old Yang scolded Zhou Guangren: "Second Ghost, don't be so startled."

  Everyone sat down again, and Liu's consultant looked at his watch on his wrist and said to Zhou Guangren: "Continue to be vigilant."

  Liu had just sat down when Zhou Guangren suddenly cried out again: "Liu!"

  Liu: "What's wrong now?"

  "Ghost... devil! Is it a devil?"

  Old Yang scolded and stood up: "Second devil, if it weren't for the devils watching, I'd take care of you!"

  Everyone stood up and looked over again, and was shocked to see three Japanese soldiers chasing a mother and daughter among the refugees along the railway. The mother and daughter were running in panic, and soon they were caught up by the Japanese soldiers. One of the soldiers raised his rifle butt and knocked down the mother, grabbed the girl's braid, and pulled her to the ground.

  The girl wailed loudly: "Mother! Save me!"

  The mother rushed over to protect her daughter and was kicked in the face by a Japanese soldier. The mother's face was covered with blood.

  The refugees all stopped, looking angrily but no one dared to come out and stop them. In the trench, everyone was indignant, Old Yang put down the detonator in his hand, pulled out a shotgun from his waist, and said to Old Cao: "Old Cao, follow me! Take down these three sons of bitches!"

  Lao Cao also pulled out his shotgun: "Up!"

  As they spoke, the two were about to climb out of the trench and charge forward when Liu's adjutant stopped them: "No way! The oil truck will arrive soon, we can't expose our target!"

  Old Yang kicked his feet in anger.

  At this time, the mother wanted to rush up again to save her daughter, but was pressed by another Japanese soldier with a bayonet. The mother knelt on the ground, knocking her head and begging: "Spare her! Spare her, she's still a child..."

  The girl was dragged on the ground by a Japanese soldier holding her braids, and she cried out in anguish: "Mother! Save me!"

  Huang Xintian tightly gripped the gun in his hand, his eyes wide with anger.

  A Japanese soldier put his rifle on the ground, one hand holding down the girl's wildly kicking legs, and the other pulling out a bayonet from his waist, prying open the girl's pants. The girl struggled desperately, kicking her legs with all her might. The Japanese soldier tried to tear off the girl's pants but was kicked in the face by the girl's wildly kicking feet.

  The Japanese soldier, enraged and humiliated, brutally slapped the girl's face, shouting: "You arrogant little thing, do you still dare to resist?" He pressed his bayonet against her eyes, cursing in Chinese, "I won't kill you, but you must listen to me."

  The girl looked at her mother who was being held at bayonet point by the Japanese soldier, and her mother gazed despairingly at her daughter, sobbing: "Child! Mother can't be without you!"

  The mother fainted. The girl stopped struggling, her face covered in tears, she closed her eyes, and her whole body shook violently. The Japanese soldier stretched out his hands, and with a "ripping" sound, tore open the girl's pants, revealing her snow-white skin.

  Three Japanese soldiers exclaimed: "Ah! Shinpaku!"

  In the trench, Zhou Guangren said with a sob: "Squad leader, Liu advisor, what to do? Can't just stand by and watch!"

  Lao Cao: "Fire and shoot?"

  Liu: "Don't fire!"

  Qin Zhiyong's eyebrows were also tightly locked, his teeth clenched, but he was also helpless.

  At this moment, in the distance, a train loaded with gasoline was puffing out white smoke and coming over...

  Two Japanese soldiers began tearing off the girl's clothes, while another Japanese soldier stood by with a leer on his face, watching with great interest.

  Huang Xintian suddenly jumped out of the trench, carrying a shotgun and walking towards the railway in big strides.

  Liu's advisor pressed his voice down: "Huang Xintian! Come back! You come back for me! I order you to come back!"

  Huang Xintian seemed not to have heard and walked forward with big strides.

  The Japanese soldier standing there suddenly saw Huang Xintian walking over with a gun, just as he was about to raise his gun, Huang Xintian quickly raised his hand and shot him dead.

  At this time, the train roared over...

  Liu Canmou looked at the train and slowly raised his right hand. Qin Zhiyong panicked: "Liu Canmou, you can't blow it up! Old Huang is still there!"

  Old Yang hugged the explosive device, nervously looking at Liu's consultant, then at Huang Xintian in the distance, his hand holding the switch trembling non-stop...

  A Japanese soldier saw Huang Xintian, quickly released the girl, raised his gun to shoot at Huang Xintian, and Huang Xintian raised his hand and shot him dead.

  At this time, the train was getting closer and closer, and Liu's hand was raised higher and higher.

  Zhou Guangren almost cried: "Liu Canmou, can't blow it up! Can't blow it up..."

  Everyone looked at Liu with pleading eyes, and Liu shouted: "Can't take care of so many!"

  Lao Cao yelled at Huang Xintian: "Old Huang, run quickly! It's going to explode!"

  The last Japanese soldier was so frightened that he didn't even have time to pick up his own gun, and he retreated in a flurry, while Huang Xintian stepped towards him step by step.

  The girl struggled to crawl towards her mother who had fainted...

  The train is coming over here.

  Liu's advisor waved his big hand and shouted: "Old Yang! Blow it up!"

  Liu's advisor shouted and then bowed down, everyone involuntarily looked at Old Yang.

  Lao Cao, Shu Zi and Zhou Guangren all shouted in unison: "Old Yang——"

  On the rails, the train is rumbling by...

  Liu's advisor didn't hear the explosion for half a day, he turned around and saw Old Yang hugging the detonator, standing there stupidly, not pressing the start button. Liu's advisor rushed over to grab the detonator from Old Yang's arms, but Old Yang hugged it tightly and knelt on the ground, begging bitterly: "Liu's advisor, no, if we blow it up, Old Huang will die, and those refugees will also die..."

  On the rails, the train was about to pass by...

  Liu's advisor reached out to press the switch of the explosive device in Old Yang's chest, but Qin Zhongyong rushed up and grabbed Liu's wrist, pushing him to the ground.

  The train roared past.

  At this time, the Japanese soldier turned around and wanted to run. Huang Xintian raised his hand and fired a shot, hitting him in the leg. The Japanese soldier fell to the ground, crawling desperately on the ground, while Huang Xintian followed behind with his gun at a steady pace...

  Liu's advisor got up from the ground, gazing at the departing train, furiously pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Qin Zhiyong, shaking with rage: "You've ruined our chance to win, I'll kill you!"

  Lao Cao, Duanzi and Zhou Guangren all simultaneously pointed their guns at Liu Canmou. Lao Cao coldly said: "You dare to fire! I'll make your head bloom!"

  "You... you want to rebel?!" Liu's advisor exclaimed in a state of utmost urgency and collapse.

  At this time, the wounded Japanese soldier was kicked into the trench by Huang Xintian, and Huang Xintian put his gun back on his waist and also jumped into the trench.

  Huang Xintian picked up the entrenching tool from the ground and walked towards the Japanese soldier. The Japanese soldier was an old soldier with a full beard, who retreated limpingly. Huang Xintian carried the entrenching tool and walked past everyone as if no one was there, step by step approaching the Japanese soldier. Suddenly, the Japanese soldier knelt down, clasped his hands together, tears streaming down his face, and begged in Chinese: "Don't, don't kill me, I have two children at home..."

  Huang Xintian raised his pickaxe and brought it down on his own head, once, twice, three times...

  Everyone slowly put down their guns and stood in the trenches, staring at Huang Xintian in shock.

  Huang Xintian rode on the Japanese soldier's body, his engineer's shovel flying up and down in his hand, making a "puchi puchi" sound, chopping more than a dozen times. The Japanese soldier's legs began to struggle and kick wildly, but now they were just weakly trembling.

  "Huang Xintian cursed as he chopped: 'All things have spirits, but that doesn't include you! You're not even as good as beasts!'"

  As he spoke, he struck down with his hoe again, and the Japanese soldier's legs twitched twice more before finally lying still.

  Huang Xintian stood up, threw the shovel to the ground, turned around, and everyone was shocked. Huang Xintian's face and body were covered with splattered blood, and he kicked the Japanese corpse hard.

  Old Cao leaned over to Old Yang's ear and whispered: "Is this still Old Huang?"

  Liu Canmou put his gun back in his waist and picked up the engineer's shovel, crawling out of the trench and walking towards the railroad tracks with a hum.

  At this time, by the railroad tracks, the girl was lying beside her mother who had just awakened. When they saw Liu Canmou approaching, the mother and daughter quickly knelt down to kowtow to him, shouting: "Benefactor!"

  Liu looked at the mother and daughter, sighed, and said to the surrounding refugees: "You'd better hurry up and leave, don't follow the railway, take the mountain path."

  Liu Canmou took out a few silver dollars from his pocket and handed them to the girl. The mother and daughter bowed their heads again, and the girl supported her mother as they crossed the railroad tracks with other refugees, heading towards the mountains.

  Liu's advisor watched as the refugees walked further and further away, then used a shovel to gently remove the dirt from the explosives, digging them up.

  In the trench, Qin Zhiyong hung his head in shame, and Old Yang comforted him: "It's okay, squad leader, when we get back I'll take responsibility, it was my fault for disobeying orders."

  Qin Zhiyong: "None of your business, I'm in charge!"

  Huang Xintian looked at everyone staring blankly at him, he glanced at the distant train and suddenly came to his senses: "The oil truck has passed? You guys... why didn't you blow up the oil truck?"

  "Get out of here!"

  Old Cao: "For your sake, I almost got blown up by Director Liu!"

  "Never mind, never mind. Let's just go back and not say anything out of turn, I'll take responsibility for this myself."

  "Impossible! We should share the burden together!"

  Lao Cao: "Right! Let's take responsibility together!"

  Old Yang sighed and said, "Stop arguing, no one can escape."

  "Even if Old Yang takes responsibility, it can't be passed on to the squad leader!"

  Old Yang cried and laughed: "You damned Jap - I'll carry what I carry, what's there to be afraid of!"

  Huang Xintian didn't react until now, looking at the departing train and anxiously saying: "Squad leader, what can we do?"

  Zhou Guangren looked at Liu Canmou who was walking over and said softly: "It's all up to Director Liu now."

  Suddenly, a loud "boom" sound came from afar, followed by continuous explosions, everyone was shocked and looked into the distance.

  In the distance, a rolling black smoke soared into the clouds. Everyone rushed to run up a hill and looked out at a distance, only to see that an oil train was ablaze, with flames shooting high into the sky, and one by one, the cars were lifted off the ground.

  Everyone cheered: "Great! Look! The enemy's oil truck has exploded!"

  Liu's face was full of doubt, and he secretly wondered: "Who could have done this?"