Chapter 31: "Farewell, Brothers! Resist to the End!"

  Qin Zhiyong pointed at Changshan and said to everyone: "Take him away! Withdraw!"

  Lao Yang grabbed Changshan's collar and dragged him away, but Changshan struggled and refused to go. Suddenly, he faced the direction of the village entrance, pulled out his voice and shouted: "Taigong! Taigong! Come quickly! They are here!" He also shouted in Japanese, "Tennoheika Banzai! Tennoheika Banzai!"

  Qin Zhiyong was enraged, pulled out his dagger and rushed towards Changshan, grabbed his collar, and stabbed him in the chest.

  Changshan: "Tenno Man—"

  The shouting of Changshan suddenly stopped, and his body slowly fell to the ground.

  Suddenly, a hoarse cry came from behind Qin Zhiyong: "Changshan——"

  Qin Zhiyong turned his head to look, and Changshan Niang rushed over, followed by Changshan Xifu and Dongmei. Changshan Niang and Changshan Xifu fell beside Changshan's corpse, wailing loudly.

  Qin Zhiyong couldn't help but be greatly shocked, and he stood there stupidly, stunned.

  Changshan's wife cried out: "Changshan! Open your eyes!"

  "Father ah——how can you let us mother and daughter survive like this——"

  Qiū shū and some villagers stood in the distance watching, Qiū shū wiping away tears.

  At this time, several gunshots were heard from the village entrance, and bullets flew over everyone's heads. The villagers scattered and ran away upon hearing the gunfire.

  Everyone looked up and saw that Japanese soldiers were already rushing towards here from outside the village entrance in the distance.

  "Zhìyǒng! Don't just stand there! Fall back quickly!" Commander Dong shouted anxiously.

  Qin Zhiyong was still stunned there, staring blankly at Changshan Niang.

  Changshan Niang suddenly burst into tears and rushed towards Qin Zhiyong: "Return my son to me——"

  Changshan Niang's words were cut off as she fainted and fell to the ground. Dongmei cried out and hugged Changshan Niang, "Aunt! Wake up!"

  Lao Cao carried Dong Tuanzhang on his back and ran away, with Huang Xintian and Zhou Guangren closely following behind.

  Old Yang pulled Qin Zhiyong who was still in a daze: "Hurry up!"

  Qin Zhiyong was like a dream come true, and he followed everyone to retreat outside the village.

  The Japanese troops rushing to the village entrance were Iwai's squad. Iwai waved his saber: "Hurry! We must capture them!"

  Kuroda ordered his soldiers to charge into the village.

  Changshan's daughter-in-law saw Iwai and Kuroda leading their troops over, pointing in the direction that Qin Zhiyong and the others had run off to, crying: "They ran that way!"

  Iwai glanced at Nagayama's corpse and shouted to Kuroda: "Quick! Chase!"

  Dongmei and Changshan Niang wept bitterly together.

  Qin Zhiyong and his party trudged wearily along the mountain path, Huang Xintian cut down a few thick branches with his hunting knife, made a simple stretcher, and together with Old Cao, carried Director Dong.

  Qin Zhiyong looked a bit dispirited, while Zhou Guangren and Old Yang walked behind him, whispering to each other.

  Zhou Guangren said worriedly: "How can I go back and face Laozi now?"

  Old Yang disagreed: "How can you say that? I'll kill your brother because he's a traitor."

  Zhou Guangren: "Is it that simple?"

  Old Yang: "What's so complicated? Traitors should be killed!" He then switched to a dramatic tone, "Since ancient times, 'Han traitors cannot coexist'!"

  "This isn't singing opera!"

  Old Yang: "Of course it's not singing opera! This is war, either you die or I live, no room for sentiment! If we let that little brat go and inform the devils, wouldn't we all be finished off by them?"

  Zhou Guangren nodded: "That's also true."

  Lao Cao looked around and grumbled, "We've been walking in the mountains for a whole day and night, and we can't even see any houses. If we keep going like this, we'll starve to death in these big mountains before the devils catch up with us."

  Suddenly, Old Cao saw two thatched cottages on the hillside in front of him, with smoke rising from the roof. He pointed at the cottages and exclaimed excitedly: "Look! There's a household!"

  Everyone is in high spirits. Captain Dong: "Captain Qin, go take a rest for a while and see if there's anything to eat."

  Qin Zhiyong: "Yes."

  A group of people walked towards the thatched cottage.

  In the thatched cottage lived a Miao family, with seven or eight people of all ages sitting around the fire pit. A pot was hanging over the fire pit, where rice was being cooked with a "gurgling" sound. The whole family wore tattered clothes.

  Qin Zhiyong and his group walked into the house, where a 7 or 8 year old boy sat in his mother's arms, staring at them with terror.

  Qin Zhiyong respectfully said to an old man sitting in the middle: "Old father, can we rest our feet here?"

  Everyone in the house stared at them in terror. The old man said: "We have nothing to eat, everything has been looted by you, only this little rice is left."

  Qin Zhiyong: "We are fighting against Japanese devils, not bad people."

  The old man's expression was indifferent: "I can't tell Japanese people and Chinese people apart. To us, they're all the same!"

  Old Cao blew up: "You old thing, what nonsense are you talking about?"

  "Alright, let's go."

  A group of people walked out of the thatched cottage and continued on their journey.

  Zhou Guangren complained: "I'm so hungry! It would be great if I had a boiled egg to eat. At Zhangzi Aunt's house, I didn't even get a mouthful of rice..."

  Old Yang kicked him from behind, and Zhou Guangren also realized his own mistake. Everyone's eyes turned to Qin Zhiyong.

  Qin Zhiyong walked silently in front of him alone, while Changshan Niang's heart-wrenching and lung-splitting crying voice kept echoing in his ears.

  On the hillside outside Hexi Village, Changshan's wife stood in front of Changshan's grave, with Changshan's daughter-in-law holding Taiping and Dongmei standing behind her.

  A cold wind blew a strand of white hair on top of Changshan Niang's head, and tears streaked down her face full of wrinkles.

  Seventh Uncle walked over, facing the grave, with a remorseful expression, saying: "Changshan, you didn't listen to me, insisting on going to find the Japanese, if only I had held you back!"

  Changshan Niang raised her head and looked at Qi Shu in puzzlement: "Qi Shu, why did Changshan go to find the Japanese?"

  Seventh Uncle wanted to speak but hesitated, then stuttered: "He...he wants to report...say...there's a reward..."

  In Changsha city, Zhang Zu and some lightly wounded soldiers surrounded Liu Shiming.

  "Liuzi: 'Liu Canmou, was Dong Tuanzhang captured by the devils?'"

  Liu's advisor anxiously said: "The brothers of the guard squad, along with Captain Xu, were all killed on the highway. Only Commander Dong's whereabouts are unknown, it seems like a bad omen."

  "Any news from the scouting party?"

  Liu's advisor shook his head: "Not yet. Gu, squad leader, bring a few brothers with you and follow me. We must find the regiment commander!"

  "Is!"

  Zhou Guangren and Huang Xintian carried Director Dong on their shoulders, walking with difficulty on the rugged mountain road.

  "Comrade Dong said sorrowfully: 'Two brothers, put me down and you go.'"

  Qin Zhiyong listened and rushed to the stretcher, Dong Team Leader: "Zhiyong ah, you've all done your best, don't worry about me anymore."

  Qin Zhiyong said with difficulty: "Captain, we must die together! We will carry you back to Changsha even if we die!"

  "Huang Xintian: 'Right! Captain, we must carry you back to Changsha!'"

  "Later on, you can promote us each one rank higher and pay a bit more attention to us."

  Several people heard it and burst out laughing.

  Lao Yang and Lao Cao replaced the exhausted Huang Xintian and Zhou Guangren, continuing to carry Captain Dong forward.

  Comrade Dong sighed and said: "I may never be able to return to Changsha again."

  Lao Yang suddenly panted and said: "Paichang, there is a cave!"

  Everyone looked towards the cave, Qin Zhiyong: "Go in and take a look!"

  A group of people walked towards the mountain cave.

  Night fell, and a Miao family had just finished cooking dinner when suddenly a group of Japanese soldiers burst in, pointing bayonets at them.

  The little boy hid in his mother's arms, and the woman clutched the child in terror behind her husband.

  Iwai and Kuroda walked into the house, Iwai looked around and walked to the little boy's side, gently stroking the little boy's head.

  Kuroda plopped down on the edge of the fire pit, stretching out his hands to warm them by the flames: "Ah! It's so warm!" He said, taking off his boots and socks, and sticking his feet out to warm them by the fire pit, "It feels so good!"

  Kuroda's eyes lit up as he caught sight of the woman hiding behind her husband, and he gazed at her delicate face with a sly glint in his eye. The woman's husband glared at Kuroda.

  Iwai walked up to the old man, squatted down and said in Chinese with a gentle tone: "Don't be afraid, we will sleep here, do you have food?"

  The old man glanced at the gleaming dagger, and with a quivering hand, he fished out several roasted sweet potatoes from the fire pit and handed them to Iwai, who smiled in satisfaction.

  Iwai and Kuroda wolfed down the sweet potatoes.

  The old man poured a bowl of wine from the wine jug and handed it to Iwai with great respect. Iwai asked suspiciously, "What's this?"

  Old man: "Rice wine, treat guests."

  Iwai shook his head and pushed away the wine cup, the old man's face showed displeasure. Kuroda took over the wine cup from the old man's hand, tasted a mouthful, nodded, and praised: "It's good wine! Captain."

  Kuroda drained his bowl in one gulp, and the old man nodded in satisfaction.

  Kuroda put down his wine bowl: "It's really fragrant and refreshing! Captain, although it can't compare to the wine from my hometown, being able to have a drink in this desolate mountain wilderness is not bad at all! Don't you want to try some?"

  Kuroda took the sake jug without hesitation and poured another bowl.

  Iwai said coldly, "Kuroda, don't drink too much."

  Hei Tian picked up his wine bowl again and looked at the Miao woman with a sly gaze, the woman was frightened and carried her child out of the thatched cottage.

  Hei Tian looked at the back of the Miao woman and drained the wine in his bowl in one gulp.

  Kojima sat outside the house, a woman carrying a child walked past him, Kojima made a strange face at the child, and the child turned his head to one side.

  In the cave, Captain Dong lay on the dry grass, and Zhou Guangren leaned against the wall of the cave and fell asleep.

  Comrade Dong struggled to sit up, slowly pulled out his pistol from the holster, and with all his strength used the gun butt to carve words on the stone wall of the cave...

  Outside a Miao family's thatched cottage, Hei Tian and the soldier Zhong Shan were whispering to each other.

  Kuroda, drunk and hiccuping, said: "Nakayama... that woman is really beautiful... hiccups... in the wilderness, I didn't think there would be... hiccups... such a woman!"

  Zhongshan chuckled and said: "Yes, sir, everyone who saw it drooled."

  Kuroda whispered a few words in Nakayama's ear.

  Nakayama looked embarrassed: "But Captain..."

  Kuroda whispered in his ear: "Wait until Captain falls asleep..."

  Zhongshan nodded.

  Outside the cave, Qin Zhiyong, Huang Xintian, Old Yang and Old Cao were holding wild fruits and vegetables they had collected, excitedly walking towards the cave.

  Suddenly a dull gunshot came from the cave. Qin Zhiyong and four others were shocked, rushed to the cave, and met Zhou Guangren who was running out of the cave.

  Zhou Guangren ran while crying: "Captain... Captain... He... He..."

  Qin Zhiyong stepped forward: "What's wrong, Captain?"

  Zhou Guangren burst into tears and stuttered: "He... he..."

  Qin Zhiyong didn't have time to ask questions in detail, he pushed Zhou Guangren away and ran towards the mountain cave, with others following closely behind.

  In the cave, Captain Dong lay quietly there, his head tilted to one side, still tightly clutching a pistol in his hand, blood flowing out of the bullet hole on his temple.

  Qin Zhiyong stood before Dong Tuanzhang's body, tears streaming down his face: "Tuanzhang, you shouldn't have..."

  Several others also rushed in and stood there silently, looking at Captain Dong's body.

  Suddenly, several blurry big characters on the stone wall caught everyone's attention: Farewell, brothers, fight to the end!

  Everyone lowered their heads and slowly removed their military caps...

  A woman's shrill cry of despair awakened Iwai, who had been fast asleep. He sat up with a start, pulled out his pistol and rushed out of the hut.

  Outside the thatched hut, Hei Tian and Zhong Shan were tearing at the Miao woman's clothes. The woman struggled desperately, screaming, as her child rushed over and bit down hard on Hei Tian's hand. Hei Tian kicked out with one foot, sending the child tumbling to the ground, before it scrambled up and ran off.

  The soldiers sleeping in the grass outside the hut on the small island were also awakened and sat up in surprise.

  Kuroda and Nakayama had already torn off the woman's clothes, when a child led his father to the scene. The sturdy Miao man, holding a hunting knife, rushed over, let out a loud shout, and with one swing of his knife, killed Nakayama. He then swung his knife at Kuroda, who dodged to the side, but was struck on the shoulder. Kuroda let out a blood-curdling scream. The Miao man raised his knife again to strike Kuroda, when the woman suddenly saw Iwai taking aim at her husband with his gun. She shouted loudly and rushed over to stand in front of him. A shot rang out, and the woman fell into a pool of blood. The Miao man let out a loud shout, raised his knife, and charged at Iwai. Iwai fired two more shots, killing the Miao man.

  An old Miao man ran over, shouting: "Japanese devils! Japanese devils!"

  The old man rushed at Kuroda, who raised his gun and shot him dead.

  The old man's other relatives rushed out of the thatched hut, holding knives and axes, and charged at the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese soldiers stabbed them all to death with bayonets.

  Kuroda covered his injured shoulder and turned over Nakayama's body, shouting: "Nakayama! Nakayama!"

  Kuroda sprang up like a madman, one hand covering his bleeding wound and the other holding a gun, wildly rushing about and loudly yelling: "Where's that little brat? And another little brat! Where are they? I'll kill them all! Not a single one will be left!"

  At this time, Xiao Dao was holding the little boy and crouching in the grass behind the thatched hut, with his hand tightly covering the child's mouth, and his eyes filled with fear and sadness.

  Iwai intercepted Kuroda and slapped him hard, scolding: "What's wrong with you? Can't you be more restrained at a time like this?! Assemble the troops immediately!"

  Kuroda Tatsuaki: "Yes!"

  In the thicket, Shima's hand tightly covered the little boy's mouth. A Japanese soldier's shout came from nearby: "Shima! Shima! Who has seen Shima?"

  "Another Japanese soldier's voice: 'The rifle of Kojima is here, but he himself is nowhere to be seen.'"

  "Kojima! Kojima!" came Hirota's shout again.

  Xiao Dao picked up the little boy and ran wildly into the depths of the dense forest, with more shouts coming from behind: "Xiao Dao! Xiao Dao——"

  The dawn light shines into the cave, and Comrade Dong's body is covered with withered branches. Qin Zhiyong and his comrades stand at attention in front of the body.

  Qin Zhiyong raised his hand in salute and shouted: "Salute!"

  Comrades raised their hands in unison and saluted, Qin Zhiyong: "Attention dismissed!"

  A group of people bid farewell to Captain Dong and walked out of the cave, continuing on their journey.

  Unconsciously, it was noon, and the exhausted Old Cao complained to Huang Xintian walking in front: "Old Huang, is the road you're leading correct? Why is it getting harder and harder to walk?"

  "Don't worry, Old Cao. I'm very familiar with every nook and cranny of this mountain. I've been following my grandfather to hunt since I was a kid, and I've never gotten lost. You know what 'hunting' means? It's about rules, we Tujia people have our own way of doing it, we can't just kill randomly. In winter, we don't hunt pregnant animals, in spring, we don't hunt birds that are nesting..."

  Old Yang and Old Cao both covered their ears. Old Cao almost begged: "Old Huang, brother, please don't say it!"

  Old Yang shouted: "You can't kill it, all things have spirits!"

  Lao Cao burst out laughing, and Huang Xintian turned his head and glared at them fiercely.

  Qin Zhiyong still looked worried, Old Yang looked at Qin Zhiyong's solemn and weathered face, and suddenly chuckled twice.

  Qin Zhiyong asked in surprise: "What are you laughing at?"

  Old Yang laughed and said: "Paichang, I remember what you looked like when you first joined the army. It's only been a few months, but your change is really big!"

  Qin Zhiyong smiled bleakly: "It's not even five months yet."

  Qin Zhiyong's expression became heavy again, and as he walked, he suddenly took off his military cap to cover his face and burst into silent sobs, causing everyone to panic.

  Zhou Guangren said with a sob: "Paichang, what's wrong with you?"

  Old Yang was also moved: "Paichang, you are now our mainstay, if you're like this, what should we do?"

  Old Yang also burst into tears as he spoke.

  Qin Zhiyong stopped crying, using his military cap to wipe away the tears on his face: "It's nothing, I suddenly thought of Feng Lianzhang, Sun Canmou, Dong Tuanzhang and those brothers who died, none of them were buried..."

  The group of people set off again in silence.

  Qin Zhiyong walked while looking around at his surroundings and said to Huang Xintian with a puzzled expression, "Old Huang, this place seems familiar."

  Zhou Guangren suddenly pointed at a thatched cottage on the distant hillside and shouted, "Paichang, look! That cottage seems familiar."

  Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked towards the thatched cottage.

  Old Cao: "Right, it's that hut, we've been inside."

  Old Yang: "Is that so? Didn't we end up back here again? Old Huang, what kind of route did you take us on? Is it a Tujia custom to walk in circles when driving the mountain spirits away?"

  Huang Xintian was also full of doubts. Qin Zhiyong: "Go up and take a look, then you'll know."

  Huang Xintian gave Old Yang a glance and walked towards the thatched cottage, with others following behind him.

  Huang Xintian, who was walking ahead, suddenly slowed down his pace, and a miserable scene appeared before his eyes...

  Outside the thatched hut, on the empty ground, lay a corpse with blood and flesh blurred, a Miao woman's body with clothes torn apart, her eyes still open, staring at the sky.

  Huang Xintian stood there motionless.

  Old Yang and Old Cao walked over with smiles on their faces. Old Yang said with a serious tone, "The Tujia people have many rules!"

  Old Cao smiled: "Alright, don't annoy Old Huang anymore."

  Seeing Huang Xintian standing there, Old Yang asked in surprise: "Why don't you go in?"

  Huang Xintian stared straight ahead, and everyone followed his line of sight, also stunned. Beside the corpse of a Miao woman, Huang Xintian picked up a Japanese military cap, and flames of anger burst from his eyes.

  Zhou Guangren pulled out some wild grasses and covered the woman's body with them.

  Huang Xintian looked at the corpses all over the ground and suddenly thought: "Where's the child? There was a child..."

  Huang Xintian threw away the Japanese military cap and ran in and out of the thatched hut, searching everywhere, while others also searched from house to house.

  Lao Yang kicked the Japanese military hat far away with one foot and scolded: "These beasts! If they fall into my hands, I'll skin them alive!"

  Huang Xintian came out of the thatched cottage, looked around and gritted his teeth, cursing: "Not even as good as a beast!"

  Old Yang sneered and said in a gloomy tone: "Even if we're not as good as beasts, we still have souls, so we must..."

  Old Yang suddenly found Huang Xintian staring at him with anger, and hastily swallowed the words behind him. Huang Xintian stepped closer to Old Yang step by step, and Old Yang retreated a few steps, saying nervously: "Huang Xintian, what do you want to do? If you're angry, go find the devils, don't come at me!"

  Huang Xintian's face turned iron-green as he stepped closer and closer to Old Yang, who retreated step by step.

  Zhou Guangren tried to stop Huang Xintian but was pushed down by a palm from Huang.

  At this time, Old Cao suddenly shouted: "Devil!"

  Everyone looked up and saw that on the hillside below, in a clump of grass, Xiao Dao was standing there bareheaded, without his hat, staring at them.

  Huang Xintian rushed towards Xiaoyao Island like a madman, running while drawing his hunting knife. Xiaoyao Island watched Huang Xintian charge over, not dodging or evading, standing still with a solemn expression, his eyes gleaming as he stared forward.

  Qin Zhiyong shouted loudly: "Old Huang! Huang Xintian!"

  Huang Xintian ran to the front of Xiaodao, raised his hunting knife and stabbed it into Xiaodao's abdomen. Xiaodao's body slowly fell into the grass, he stretched out his hand with a tremble, pointing to the side. Huang Xintian looked over, in the waist-deep grass, that Miao boy was sleeping soundly.

  Others also ran over, took a look at the little island that had fallen to the ground, and then looked at the sleeping child. Zhou Guangren carefully picked up the child, listened for a moment, and said, "Still asleep."

  Huang Xintian stood there stupidly, staring at the small island, his hand holding the knife trembling slightly, and the knife fell to the ground.

  Xiao Dao looked at the child in Zhou Guangren's arms, slowly closed his eyes, and a faint smile hung on the corner of his mouth...