Chapter 48: Death

(...When the war is old, people become eccentric. Before a deadly battle is about to come, veterans always have a premonition; but after complaining, they will carry the gun again, and they will go to the front line even though they know they are dead... Maybe, behind the veterans' fear of death, everyone has a kind of heroism; even a kind of world-weariness that has been passed down for a long time, it is really hard to explain... Excerpted from "Grandpa's Memories of the War of Resistance")

The people of the Shao family looked at the Kuomintang army with curiosity. They rushed outside the village in the evening and occupied two small hills to repair fortifications. This Kuomintang army did not have too many tools, so they had to borrow the hoes and shovels from the farmers...? Will these Qiuba be returned? Of course, the farmers were unwilling to do so, but the problem was later solved: the battalion commander who had led the troops through here the day before took out a large ocean and pressed them to the farmers' homes. If the farm tools were damaged, they would compensate them at the price; in this way, the farmers finally lent out the farm tools.

In the evening, the battalion commander of the Kuomintang army came again. He said that if the farmers could dig out the ditches and channels in one night as he required, he would pay a sum of money, two dollars per person! So more than 100 men, women, and young men, and young men of the Shao family all ran to the top to start work.

It was dark and I couldn't even see the edges of the mountains in the distance. There were a few oil lamps on the hills here with wooden racks, and the farmers were working hard.

"The battalion commander is a good method. Otherwise, the brothers will not be able to fight until the next day, and the Japanese really come..." "Cricket" became Cao Xiaomin's guard. He and the big boy who was nicknamed "Machete" were circling around the battalion commander; rather than saying that they were responsible for protecting the commander, it was better to say that the battalion commander was worried that such a recruit ran around.

"I'm not asleep yet? Maybe I'll fight tomorrow..." Cao Xiaomin always felt a sense of uneasiness for some reason.

"Don't worry, I'm just alone and I don't have much concern if I die..." "Cricket" suddenly said deeply: "I heard from the veterans that if there are too many wars, I will have a premonition and know when to fight... Battalion Commander, this time I rushed to repair fortifications overnight, is there a fierce battle?"

"Who said it? Maybe there is nothing..." Cao Xiaomin looked at the honest man and said, "Maybe everyone will sit here for a day and go back to Suzhou again..."

"Battery Commander, don't comfort me anymore. "Qiqier" knows, and can also think of it. We came here all the way here without even touching a line of defense. The battalion commander was worried that the Japanese would penetrate from this line..." "Qiqier"'s eyes were a little confused, not knowing what he was thinking. Suddenly he said: "Actually, brothers all know that the team of Japanese we met was probably exploring the way, and there might be a large group of Japanese soldiers coming later... Really, everyone knows that this time the battalion commander was worried that this time, so he led his troops here; once such a battle starts, we will have to cover the other troops here, and no one can escape..."

Everyone knows!? Everyone guessed it!? Cao Xiaomin felt a chuckle: Everyone knew that this might be a death war, but no one dragged it down, everyone came!... The war is old and people have become spirits. Before a death war is about to come, veterans always have a premonition; but after complaining, they will carry guns and even know that it is a death, they will fill it in the front line... Maybe, behind the fear of death of the veterans, everyone has a kind of heroism; even a kind of world-weariness that has been passed on for a long time, it is really hard to explain... A memory of Grandpa's grandfather jumped out, people are the spirit of all things, who said there are only veterans, everyone felt danger in this army, but everyone came! Because of him, the battalion commander? What kind of mood would it be if most of the people here were killed in this battle - if it happened, they would die in the battle and he was still alive! Cao Xiaomin was moved again.

Under the lights in the distance, there were soldiers commanding and helping farmers to repair fortifications, working and sleeping, very calm - did everyone have a premonition that a bloody battle is about to take place!?

Zhang Jingyue ran over and jumped into the pit to report: "It is estimated that in two hours, all the fortifications will be repaired. The reconnaissance troops that came out have gone five kilometers, and there is no abnormality... It's just that there are too few weapons and ammunition. All the ammunitions were seized from the gun dealers. Looking at a lot of them, they will be sent down to fight at most a few tug-of-wars..."

"There are many new recruits, so we have to go over and arrange the tactics in detail to save ammunition; and when charging, let the new recruits throw grenades behind the enemy, don't be afraid of blowing their own people..." Cao Xiaomin, who just came from the new recruits, knew very well that he was afraid that throwing grenades would blow their own people at the beginning, and he always threw them far away...

"Don't worry, battalion commander, I'm much more cruel than you. I asked them to throw them directly into places with more people during hand-to-hand combat... I also asked them to hold the last grenade and pull out the lead and pounce into the pile of enemies..." Zhang Jingyue actually taught the craziest suicide-style fighting style in the defensive battle as a conventional tactic to the recruits! Cao Xiaomin was shocked when he heard this - don't scare the soldiers away!

"Battery Commander, don't worry, they are all ready to fight with the Japanese..." Before Zhang Jingyue finished speaking, "Cricket" interjected: "Yes, Battalion Commander, we are on the battlefield for the first time, and we won't fight, but we will fight with the Japanese. If we can't shoot well, we'll stop shooting. I took four grenades and prepared to throw three, leaving one to rush into the Japanese pile and explode..."

Equipment is inferior to humans, and training is inferior to humans. At this time, the Chinese Democratic Party soldiers used not only to waste their lives, but also to protect their country! Cao Xiaomin, who had shallow eyes, was almost moved by these soldiers and burst into tears again!

Cao Xiaomin patrols the positions, no matter the new recruits and veterans, they are all very quiet - everyone is ready to die! Some have rolled out of the dead, some have their relatives died at the hands of the Japanese, and some have seen the Japanese massacre scene... At this time, no matter what kind of experience it was, the Chinese in the trench knew that they had to die against the Japanese!

"Battery Commander!... Someone wants to see you, saying it is your subordinate..." The thin "machete" ran towards him.

In the command post, Cao Xiaomin saw two battlefield faces, two battlefield faces covered with faces covered with shrapnel, ammunition splashing and hand-to-hand injuries; in front of Cao Xiaomin were two guys who died of war and angered the King of Hell - the "half-immortal" and "claw" among the "Nine Kings of Hell" who survived on the Luodian position!

"... The company commander has become a hero. Commander Sun's orders have us responded to your troops everywhere. Only eight of us know you, so the brothers were ordered to take a squad to find you..." As soon as they met, the "Banxian" explained the reason why they appeared here.

The veterans were cunning, and Sun Yuanliang asked them to pick up Cao Xiaomin near the battlefield. These two were better, so they picked up directly to Suzhou!

There are no veterans who are not afraid of death, but the veterans are loyal! When the two of them hid in Suzhou and learned that Cao Xiaomin had actually arrived in Suzhou, they hurriedly searched. When they learned that Cao Xiaomin and his troops hurriedly moved to a mountain pass to a defense, they calculated and understood: Cao Xiaomin was blocking the gun holes in the back of the entire army! So they came, not because of military orders or responsibilities, just because their brothers chose to fight desperately, they could not watch from the side!

"Banxian" and "Crip" brought two squads of soldiers, most of which were new recruits. These new recruits had heard from the two of them that Cao Xiaomin fought against Luodian when they went to the battlefield. Shanghai counterattacked the Japanese, held on to Sihang Cang, and led the team to break through... Cao Xiaomin then realized that he was actually the idol of the new recruits in the country! In the eyes of everyone's expectation, he had to tell everyone about those tragic and more heroic battles again and again.

The atmosphere on the position was harmonious and cheerful, but this made Cao Xiaomin feel calm before the war came; he told all the soldiers with a smile, because he didn't know when these soldiers and himself would be cremated into ashes by the war. He wanted to give all those who were about to die or live a good impression; on the battlefield where they might die at any time, which commander would bear to treat his brothers fiercely?

The sky has not turned white yet, but the ridges of the hills in the distance can be seen clearly. When will the Japanese appear under the dark ups and downs? Will they all die in battle here? God knows!
Chapter completed!