Chapter 32: The Han Village Massacre (Part 1)

  Han Village is located in the southeast of Wu'an. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, this mountain village with only over 80 households became a frequent place for anti-Japanese party and government personnel and troops to stay. The village established organizations such as the Peasant Anti-Japanese Salvation Association, the Women's Anti-Japanese Salvation Association, and the Children's Team, and all men, women, old and young in the village were involved in the anti-Japanese struggle.

  In the mountains a few miles away from Han Village, a guerrilla force was stationed. In addition to training in combat skills and learning culture, they also taught the villagers how to avoid loss of life and property during enemy sweeps. The guerrillas helped the villagers with spring planting and autumn harvesting, and hid grain and supplies in underground tunnels. With the help of the guerrillas, Han Village set up an observation post on a high ground outside the village to monitor the enemy's movements and issue warnings to the villagers in advance. A special person was assigned to guard the post, shaking a white flag left and right when encountering the enemy, reminding the villagers to retreat in time; in case of emergency, they would fire a warning shot, and the villagers would immediately retreat and hide upon hearing the gunshot.

  The guerrilla team and the villagers had a very deep affection, and several people in the village voluntarily joined the guerrilla team. In order to support the guerrilla team's fight against the devils' sweep, the women in the village also actively made military shoes for them, and volunteered to make military uniforms, socks, and leggings for the guerrilla team. Without dye, they used pagoda tree leaves and dry grass ash as dyes, and dyed the woven military uniforms and leggings into green or gray.

  Huang Yu-kai and his group, who were escorting the five leaders of Yan'an through this place, had their advance scouts make contact with the local organization. When they found out that they were regular members of the Eighth Route Army, the villagers of Han Village warmly welcomed Huang Yu-kai and his group into the village. They brought out the best things to entertain them, treating them like their own family. Huang Yu-kai and his group stayed in Han Village for one night. The next day at dawn, they left this place and continued to move forward towards their destination.

  These kind-hearted villagers still did not know that a great disaster was about to befall this quiet mountain village. After seeing off Huang Yuke and the others, the villagers went about their daily routines as usual, some going down to the fields to work, others staying at home weaving cloth, making military shoes and uniforms. The quiet mountain village would occasionally ring out with song, as one or another villager sang folk tunes. Such a beautiful scene was truly like a paradise on earth; if it weren't for the invasion of the devils, how wonderful it would be! But then, a gunshot shattered this peaceful scene.

  "The devils are coming! The devils are coming!", Yang Changzhi, a militia on duty outside the village, discovered that the devil's truck was speeding towards the village and immediately fired a warning shot. The militiamen in the village heard the gunfire and hastily rang the alarm bell.

  The whole village was in an uproar, the villagers working in the fields rushed into the village, while those in the village quickly gathered their belongings and retreated to the outskirts.

  "Countrymen! The devils are coming! Withdraw quickly!", the comrades of the women's association took on the task of evacuating the masses. The children of the children's association withdrew from the village very quickly under the leadership of the team leader.

  Some people had not yet evacuated the village when the devils' trucks arrived outside the village, and the devils' soldiers quickly surrounded the entire village.

  "Hurry! Get everyone out of here!", Lieutenant Kuroda ordered his soldiers.

  The villagers had not expected the devils to arrive so quickly, and before they could even enter their homes, the devils' main force arrived. In the past, the devils at the outpost were no match for them, and their speed was not very fast, with advance warnings allowing them to withdraw from the village in a leisurely manner. This time was different from the past, as the devils who came were from the county town and were not the devils from the outpost. After surrounding the village, they began to drive the villagers out of their homes one by one to the open area on the east side of the village.

  Many people were surrounded by the devils before they could retreat, and several comrades of the women's association were busy evacuating the crowd and failed to withdraw from the village in time. Several clever villagers hid and escaped the devils' search. Except for those who escaped from the village, most people were blocked in the village by the devils.

  The villagers were all driven out, and the devil's translator Hou walked out, "Fellow villagers! Don't be afraid! The Imperial Army won't seize food! Today we just want to ask you some questions!"

  "Countrymen! If you tell us where the Eighth Route Army is, the Imperial Army will reward you!", Hou's interpreter shouted. He attempted to lure the villagers with money to clarify Huang Yucai's whereabouts. After waiting for a while and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, the devil's Kuroda squadron leader shouted loudly at Hou's interpreter.

  "Bastard! Tell them to hand over the Eighth Route Army immediately, or else kill every last one of them!" As soon as Hóu translated this, Hei Zé flew into a rage, and he hastily nodded and bowed repeatedly, saying "yes".

  "Villagers! Everyone has seen it, Hei Ze is furious. If you don't hand over the Eighth Route Army's people here, everyone will die!", Hou translated threateningly.

  "Officer! I am the village chief here! What can you say to me? We are all good people here, no Eighth Route Army!" Han Qinglin, the old village chief of Hanzhuang, came out.

  "Finally, someone who's willing to talk! Old fellow! Tell the Imperial Army, where are the Eighth Route Army?", Hou translated and grabbed the old village chief's collar.

  "Officer! What are you talking about! Our village doesn't have any Eighth Route Army at all!", the old village chief tried to deceive Hou.

  "You old thing! Don't give face, don't want face, the imperial army will kill everyone here if they get anxious, speak quickly!", but Hou's translation was not so easy to fool. Seeing him yelling like a mad dog, the old village chief didn't bother to deal with him anymore.

  "Say it or not!", Hou's translator immediately became angry and embarrassed, grabbed the old village chief's clothes, and slapped him several times. The poor old village chief, at such an advanced age, was beaten by this scoundrel until two of his teeth fell out.

  The crowd below saw the old village chief being beaten, and they immediately got angry, shouting to rush over to save the village chief. However, the devils' machine guns drove the villagers back again. The devils' machine guns swept in front of the crowd's feet, forcing the villagers to retreat.

  "You old thing! You still dare to talk back!", Hou Yi translated, muttering and cursing. If looks could kill, Hou Yi would have died countless times already.

  "Officer! There really isn't any Eighth Route Army here!", the old village chief said with a trembling body.

  "It seems you won't shed tears until you see the coffin! Let me tell you the truth, your village's Er Gouzi has already reported all the Eighth Route Army's activities in your village to the Imperial Army. You'd better give up now!" Hou Fan said with great impatience.

  "Is it Han Erdouzi?" the village chief asked in puzzlement. Isn't this child from our own village? How could he possibly go and inform the devils? The old village chief thought of this and looked around at the crowd.

  At this moment, the villagers of Han Village finally knew why this time the devils were different from before, they didn't rob food or things, but only asked them to hand over the Eighth Route Army. It turned out that it was because of the letter sent by this Korean dog! In their hearts, they couldn't help but wonder how this Korean dog had contacted the devils, wasn't he in the village?

  "De Bao big brother! Is it really your second dog son who went to inform on us?", a villager next to De Bao asked. This De Bao is the father of that Er Gouzi (Second Dog) mentioned by Hou.

  "I'm also unclear, how did this happen? How could Second Dog go and deliver a message to the devils?", Han Debao was also confused.

  "Second Dog! Come out quickly! After receiving the imperial army's reward money, you don't want to do things for the imperial army anymore?" Hou Fan shouted in a strange and awkward tone towards his back.

  At this time, a dark and thin boy was pushed out from the devils' team by the devilish soldier. He glanced at his fellow villagers with fear, then quickly lowered his head.

  "You've all seen it, haven't you? What else do you have to say? Hand over the Eighth Route Army quickly!" Hou shouted, his face twisted in a mixture of anger and cruelty. Seeing that no one was willing to confess, this scoundrel once again laid hands on the old village chief. He punched and kicked the old man until he fell unconscious.