Chapter 32 "When I was little, he carried me on his back every day"

  Heavy rain and snow together.

  Qin Zhiyong and his group were walking on the muddy road, Huang Xintian was carrying a child and slipping one step at a time in front, the child was wearing Huang Xintian's jacket, Huang Xintian slipped and fell to one knee in the mud, Old Yang quickly handed the machine gun to Old Cao, ran over to hug the child from Huang Xintian's back, but was pushed away by Huang Xintian, who shouted: "Get out!"

  Qin Zhiyong waved his hand at Old Yang, and Huang Xitian continued to walk forward with the child on his back. The scene of the small island slowly falling down kept appearing before his eyes.

  At this time, Liu Canmou and Shuāng Zǐ led the troops along the small road. Suddenly, Shuāng Zǐ discovered a few figures in front of him and hastily shouted: "Liu Canmou, there's something going on!"

  Liu's advisor drew his gun: "Take cover!"

  Everyone quickly hid, and as the figure in front walked closer and closer, Zhangzi recognized that it was Qin Zhiyong walking in front. He exclaimed: "Brother Zhiyong! Liu Canmou, it's Qin Paichang and his men!"

  "It's them!"

  Liu Canmou and Zhuozi stood up, walking towards Qin Zhiyong. Qin Zhiyong and the others also saw Liu Canmou and Zhuozi, everyone ran towards each other, embracing together.

  Qin Zhiyong hugged the wooden stake: "Are all the wounds healed?"

  "Alright."

  Qin Zhiyong sorrowfully told Liu: "Captain Dong has died for his country."

  Liu's advisor was taken aback, his eyes dimming...

  The little island lay in the muddy water, with a pool of blood beneath him. The cold rain and snow hit his pale face, he slowly opened his eyes, struggled to turn over, and crawled forward on the muddy ground, leaving behind a trail of bloody mud...

  Changsha, National Army Garrison.

  The warriors are sitting in front of the temporary stage, watching the performance of the cultural troupe. Above the stage hangs a banner that reads: Celebrating the third great victory of Xiangbei!

  Lao Yang, Lao Cao, Shu Zi and Zhou Guangren were also sitting among the soldiers below the stage, watching the performance.

  On stage, the male and female soldiers of the cultural work team are singing "The March of the Big Knives".

  Old Yang pointed to a female soldier in the first row and praised Old Cao beside him, saying: "Look at that little girl with two small braids in the first row, she's really beautiful! So white and tender, you can squeeze out water."

  Old Cao scolded with a smile: "You're such an old rascal, didn't someone make shoes for you?"

  Zhuāngzi and Zhou Guoren both burst out laughing.

  At this time, Qin Zhiyong walked over and patted Duanzi's shoulder, saying in a low voice: "Duanzi, come out for a moment, I have something to say to you."

  Zhuāngzi got up and walked out, Lao Yang, Lao Cao, and Zhou Guangren all exchanged a tense glance, Lao Yang gave Zhou Guangren a signal with his eyes, Zhou Guangren nodded in understanding and also stood up to follow him out.

  Dingzi followed Qin Zhiyong to a deserted place, Zhou Guangren followed far behind, secretly watching.

  Baozi followed behind Qin Zhiyong and asked in confusion: "What's going on with this long line?"

  Qin Zhiyong stopped in his tracks, turned around and looked at Shuanzi, silent for a long time.

  "Hey, what's wrong, Zhìyǒng? What's going on?" Suddenly laughed and said, "You're not thinking of asking me to return Dongmei to you, haha! If that's the case, then forget it, I'm going back to watch TV."

  Qin Zhiyong's expression turned serious: "Changshan is your cousin?"

  "Right."

  Qin Zhiyong didn't know how to start speaking.

  "What's wrong?"

  Qin Zhiyong hesitated for a moment, then plucked up his courage and said: "I... killed him..."

  "Zhuangzi was stunned and couldn't believe it: 'What are you talking about, Zhīyǒng? What kind of joke is this?!'"

  Qin Zhiyong: "I'm telling the truth, I wasn't joking. I killed him, I didn't know he was your aunt's son."

  Zhou Guangren hid behind a tree in the distance, nervously watching the two people. At this time, Old Yang and Old Cao also rushed over.

  Lao Cao asked anxiously: "How is it? Didn't fight, did you?"

  Zhou Guangren shook his head: "Still talking about it."

  Old Yang: "If a fight breaks out, you guys hold down the stumps for me."

  Old Cao: "Don't be silly, Old Yang, Shuangzi is a sensible person."

  Several people looked anxiously at two people who were talking in the distance.

  "......Zhuāngzi, if you hate me, just hit me twice! The situation was urgent at the time..."

  "Never mind, Pai Chang, I understand."

  Qin Zhiyong: "Zhuangzi, if you want to cry, then go ahead and cry!"

  Duanzi lifted his head and gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with tears: "When I was young, he carried me on his back every day, I grew up on his back. Auntie only had this one son, whatever good food there was, she would save it for me..."

  Tears burst forth from Cong's eyes.

  Qin Zhiyong: "Zhuangzi, I owe you an apology, I owe your aunt an apology..."

  "Zongzi wiped away his tears and let out a deep sigh: 'I never thought he would become like this, how did he change...'"

  "Zongzi turned around and walked away silently, after a few steps he stopped and said: 'Zhìyǒng brother, if I die in battle one day, you must take care of them for me.'"

  Guo Zi finished speaking and left, Qin Zhiyong nodded silently towards Guo Zi's back.

  Old Yang let out a sigh of relief: "Nothing's wrong anymore, let's go."

  Lao Cao: "I told you nothing's wrong, let's keep watching."

  Old Yang: "I won't watch anymore, I'll go take a look at Xiao Niu in the cooking class."

  Lao Cao sneered: "Is it because of Little Cow's mother?"

  Lao Cao finished speaking and burst out laughing together with Zhou Guangren.

  Old Yang also smiled: "Get out of here. By the way, you two remember, no one will provoke Old Huang for a while."

  Old Cao hurriedly said to him: "You just don't provoke him."

  Zhou Guangren smiled: "Yes, Old Yang, it's just you always stimulating him."

  Old Yang: "A gourd head, I won't provoke him."

  The three of them walked away laughing and chatting.

  In the distance, the stage faintly echoed with the sound of a chorus:

  “……

  Rise up, brothers, it's time! We counterattack against Japanese bandits.

  They forcibly occupy our territory and massacre women and children.

  We defended Jinghu, fought a great battle in Kaifeng, Nanxun line, Xianjingzhong, Zhanggushan, blood stained red.

  We are the people's armed forces, the vanguard against Japanese aggression!

  People's armed forces, vanguard of anti-Japanese resistance!

  ……”

  At this time, Huang Xintian was alone in the camp, facing the small mud Buddha on the wall of the Buddhist shrine, burning incense and worshiping, while still reciting mantras in the Tujia language. After finishing the mantra, he picked up a bottle of wine, poured some on the ground, and then gulped down the rest.

  Old Yang walked into the kitchen, Little Cow was cooking, and the Miao boy who had been rescued by Qin Zhiyong and others sat in front of the stove, adding firewood to the fire.

  Old Yang shouted: "Little calf!"

  The calf turned around and saw it was Old Yang, happily rushing into Old Yang's arms, shouting: "Uncle, I've missed you!"

  Old Yang warmly hugged Little Niu: "I miss you too!"

  Old Yang caught sight of the Miao child sitting quietly in front of the stove, he let go of the calf and walked to the stove, stroking the Miao child's head. The child lifted his soot-blackened face, looked at Old Yang, and smiled.

  Calves: "He rarely smiles and doesn't talk, I call him bitter doll."

  Old Yang: "He's really a poor child! You must take good care of him."

  The calf nodded seriously.

  The young daughter-in-law carried a pole with two buckets of water and came in, saw Old Yang, and was both surprised and delighted: "Uncle is back!"

  Lao Yang: "I'm here, let's take a look at you guys."

  Old Yang helped Little Cow Girl pour water from the bucket into the vat.

  "Uncle, can I come with you to fight the devils this time?"

  Old Yang laughed: "Everyone goes to fight the devils, who cooks?"

  The little cowherd girl picked up a towel to wipe Xiaowa's face. At this time, the female soldier of the cultural work team with two small braids ran in and said to Old Yang in Sichuan dialect: "Uncle, have some water!"

  Old Yang's eyes lit up and he hastily scooped a ladle of water from the bucket to hand over to the female soldier, who took it and drank it in one gulp.

  Old Yang: "Your singing is great!"

  The female soldier wiped her mouth: "Thank you, uncle!"

  The female soldier handed the water scoop back to Old Yang. Old Yang: "Little sister, what's your name?"

  "My name is Xiaoyu, uncle."

  Old Yang took over the water scoop and said discontentedly: "Don't keep calling me Uncle, I'm not your uncle!"

  The young cowherd girl looked at Xiaoyu in surprise: "Miss, how old are you? You're already out here being a soldier?"

  "It's been sixteen years."

  The little cowherd girl looked at her with pity: "You're so young and you've already joined the army, don't your parents miss you?"

  Xiao Yu silently lowered her head, and after a while, she raised it again, with tears in her eyes.

  Xiao Yu: "They're all gone... The devils bombed Chongqing and they suffocated in the tunnel... I joined the army to avenge them!"

  Lao Yang and Xiao Niang were both silent for a moment. Lao Yang changed the subject: "Will you often come to perform?"

  Xiao Yu became excited again: "We will! We often perform at the front lines!"

  Old Yang: "It's dangerous to perform on the front line! Don't run into devils, they're vicious."

  Xiao Yu said carelessly: "I'm not afraid! Goodbye Uncle and Auntie!"

  Xiao Yu finished speaking and turned to leave, but Old Yang grabbed her: "Little sister, Uncle has something to tell you. If you really encounter devils, it's better to die than be caught by them, understand?"

  Xiaoyu nodded solemnly: "I understand."

  After finishing speaking, he waved his hand at Old Yang and Little Niang, and ran out quickly.

  Qin Zhiyong, Old Cao and Zhou Guangren walked towards their barracks with smiles on their faces.

  "Hey, Old Yang has run off somewhere again!"

  Zhou Guangren hastily said: "Go to the cooking class."

  Qin Zhiyong: "Has Little Bull gone?"

  Old Cao: "Look at Little Cow's mother!"

  Three people walked into the barracks with loud laughter. Inside, Huang Xintian, who was already drunk, was dancing wildly to a Tujia funeral dance, singing as he danced:

  “……

  No one can escape the end of their life.

  Even with spirit, it is still not solid.

  Like plum blossoms struck by lightning

  Like tender flowers being swayed by the wind.

  Forget it, forget it, just forget it.

  Life is like a spring grass.

  Ordinary spring grass, who doesn't age?

  The green is high and the blue is higher.

  ……”

  The three people stopped talking and laughing, silently staring at Huang Xintian.

  In the yard of Changshan's home, Changshan's wife and daughter-in-law, who was wearing mourning clothes, were feeding Taiping, while Dongmei walked out of the house with a hatchet and rope.

  Dongmei said to Changshan Niang: "Auntie, I'm going up the mountain to cut firewood."

  Changshan Niang: "Come back early."

  Dongmei walked out of the hospital gate, and Changshan's wife muttered a curse at Dongmei's back: "A jinx!"

  Dongmei stood outside the courtyard, and the voices of Zhangshan's wife and daughter-in-law came out:

  Changshan Niang: "What's the point of scolding her?"

  Changshan's wife: "Since she entered the house, our family has never been at peace. If it weren't for her instigating Zhangzi to join the army, would all these things have happened? Changshan wouldn't..."

  Changshan's daughter-in-law burst into tears, and Dongmei quietly walked out of the village.

  On the mountain, Dongmei was struggling to cut branches with a hatchet. She was about to tie up the cut branches with a rope when she suddenly saw a Japanese soldier lying in the bushes, covered in blood and filth. Frightened, she turned around and ran, not stopping until she was far away. Only then did she remember that she had left her hatchet behind. She cautiously returned, picked up the hatchet, and took another look at the soldier. He looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was the Japanese soldier who had sent Longshan's wife back home.

  At this time, Xiaodaos hand moved slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Dongmei, who tore off a piece of her own clothes to bandage his wound.

  Dongmei saw Xiaodaowake up and immediately said with gestures: "I'll... send you back?"

  The little island showed a terrified look in his eyes and shouted in Chinese: "No - no return! Don't kill people! No! No return!"

  Japanese military base.

  These past few days, Iwai has been very anxious. Shima has been missing for several days, and there is no sign of him being alive or dead. How can this be reported? He called Kuroda and asked, "Hasn't Shima been found yet?"

  Kuroda replied sorrowfully: "Several groups of people have been sent to look for him, but he has not been found."

  Iwai: "Keep searching! We have to find it!"

  Kuroda: "Yes."

  Kuroda Kunitugu stepped down, his shoulder wrapped in a bandage, but the real wound was in his heart. The pain of losing his brother was indescribable. He muttered to himself over and over again: "Little Island, where are you? How can I explain this to your mother?"

  Kuroda sat down by the well outside the barracks, gazing thoughtfully at the distant high mountains...

  At this time, Xiao Dao was on Dong Mei's back. Dong Mei carried him and walked into a cave, putting Xiao Dao down.

  Xiao Dao looked at Dong Mei: "Thank you, sister."

  Dongmei: "Are you hungry?"

  The little island shook its head in confusion, and Dongmei made eating motions while speaking: "Belly... hungry?"

  Xiao Dao nodded in agreement. Dong Mei continued gesturing: "Then you... wait here."

  Xiao Dao nodded again, and Dong Mei hastily walked out of the cave.

  Changshan's wife was sitting in the courtyard, sewing a child's clothes. Dongmei returned with empty hands and hurried footsteps, saw Changshan's wife, hesitated for a moment, then entered the kitchen. Changshan's wife gave her a cold look, then lowered her head to continue sewing.

  Dongmei came out of the kitchen, carrying a bundle wrapped in cloth, and hurriedly walked out of the yard.

  Changshan's daughter-in-law looked at Dongmei's back, then glanced around the yard, and hurriedly followed her out of the yard, seeing Dongmei hastily walking towards the village.

  Changshan's daughter-in-law was full of puzzlement on her face.

  Dongmei returned to the cave and applied the herbal medicine she had brought to Xiaodao's wound, re-bandaging it with clean cloth. She also changed him into a set of clean clothes.

  Xiao Dao was eating roasted sweet potatoes while looking at Dong Mei. Dong Mei lifted her head and saw Xiao Dao staring at her, feeling a bit embarrassed.

  Winter Plum: "Don't you want to return to your unit?"

  "No - I escaped from there - if I go back - they'll shoot me."

  Dongmei: "Then you... want... to go where?"

  Kojima understood and smiled wryly, gazing eastward. He muttered to himself in Japanese: "Hometown, Japan."

  Dongmei shook her head, indicating she didn't understand. Xiaodao looked at Dongmei and smiled happily.

  As the sun sets in the west, Qin Zhiyong walks out of his tent and sees Shuozhuo sitting alone under a tree. Qin Zhiyong approaches him and says: "Shuozhuo, I'm giving you three days off, go back and see your aunt, leave tomorrow."

  Guo Zi stood up and nodded.

  "Be careful on the road, hurry up and come back quickly."

  "Yes."

  Qin Zhiyong: "Shall we go for a walk?"

  "Good."

  Two people walked side by side in the sunset, chatting...

  At night, in the barracks, the soldiers had already fallen asleep. Only Old Yang and Old Cao were still sitting on the kang, eating a plate of peanuts and drinking wine.

  Lao Cao asked in a low voice: "Have you seen Niu Niang?"

  Old Yang: "I see."

  Old Cao: "What's all the fuss about?"

  Old Yang: "Nothing to say."

  Old Cao: "How can you have nothing to say?!"

  Lao Yang: "What do you want to hear?"

  Old Cao couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  Lao Yang took a sip of wine and let out a long sigh: "I don't even know if I can make it to tomorrow, what's the point of talking about that. The Japanese devils haven't been eliminated yet, how can we talk about family?"

  Lao Cao: "What does it mean?"

  Old Yang looked at Old Cao with disdain: "You, Old Cao, only know how to fire a machine gun, nothing else."

  Lao Cao: "As long as you can shoot a machine gun, what's the point of understanding so much?"

  Zhou Guangren, who was lying on one side, took over: "Old Yang, that's because you haven't met the person you really like."

  Lao Yang looked at Zhou Guangren with a silent and sorrowful expression.

  Old Cao scolded: "You two devils, don't spout nonsense."

  Zhou Guangren crawled beside Old Cao: "Hey, Old Cao, have you ever liked anyone?"

  Lao Cao was somewhat inexplicably puzzled: "What's meant by 'like'?"

  "It's all in your heart, always thinking about her, always missing her, and wondering what she's doing now."

  Old Cao said seriously: "There is, really have, what I've been thinking about and remembering in my heart all the time, is it Old Yang?"

  Old Cao hugged Old Yang's shoulder, suppressing his voice, and chuckled, Old Yang was amused by Old Cao and laughed scoldingly: "Get out of here."

  Zhou Guangren sighed: "It's really impossible to communicate with you guys."

  Old Yang: "Second Ghost, are you thinking of Liu Xiaoxi again?"

  Zhou Guangren sat up and said with great dissatisfaction: "How many times have I told you! You pig brain, my name is not Er Guizi!"

  Old Yang pretended to have just remembered: "Ah, right, right, I forgot again, sorry about that Second Ghost - what was your name again?"

  Zhou Guangren fell down and said in a dejected tone: "Let's just sleep."

  At this time, Huang Xintian, who was lying on one side, suddenly sat up, got down from the bed, and started sharpening his hunting knife.

  Upon hearing the sound of a knife being sharpened, Zhou Guangren sat up again and stared at Huang Xintian in shock along with Old Cao and Old Yang, the three of them looking at each other in dismay.

  "Old Huang, what are you doing sharpening your knife in the middle of the night?" asked Zhou Guangren cautiously.

  Huang Xintian raised his knife and looked at the blade, saying coldly: "Kill."