Chapter 120 Return to Duanjiaao
The task assigned by the brigade commander did not need to be executed immediately, but left everyone with a week of preparation time.
At the same time, troops from the rear are also needed to take over Linyuan County and Shiquan County.
This week is also a time for everyone to rest and help the New Second Regiment and the Pioneer Regiment set up the troops.
……
After temporarily handing over the troops to Zhangye for management.
Qin Yangming took several assault platoon soldiers, led by Duan Peng, and rode on horseback with some things toward a valley east of Shiquan County.
As Qin Yangming and his companions got closer to their destination, Duan Peng, who was following Qin Yangming, also began to get nervous.
"Duan Peng, we're almost home, why are you so nervous?"
Seeing Duan Peng's nervous look, Qin Yangming smiled and joked, "Are you worried that your family will urge you to get married quickly?"
"Don't worry, it's not the New Year yet."
"No, Captain, I am just nervous..."
"I have been with you for more than a year, and I have not been back to my hometown. I don't know what the situation is like at home."
That’s right, Qin Yangming’s destination is Duan Peng’s hometown, Duanjiaao!
When Qin Yangming left Duanjiaao, eighteen people from Duanjiaao followed Qin Yangming and joined the Eighth Route Army.
Later, more than ten people from Duanjiaao joined the Eighth Route Army and entered the vanguard camp.
Because people in Duanjiaao have the habit of practicing martial arts, the soldiers coming out of Duanjiaao are basically the elite of each company.
Fifteen of them even joined the assault platoon.
But in war, bullets don't care whether you are elite or not.
Especially when charging, each company would select elite soldiers to form a commando team to lead the charge.
The contributions of commando soldiers are greater than those of other ordinary soldiers, but at the same time, their casualties are also high.
Thirty-seven people entered the pioneer camp.
Following the vanguard battalion, we fought from southeastern Shanxi to northwest Shanxi, and then from northwest Shanxi back to southeastern Shanxi.
Thirty-seven people, thirty-two sacrificed.
Only five Duanjiaao soldiers led by Duan Peng were left in the assault platoon.
It's not just Duan Peng who feels nostalgic for his hometown.
Qin Yangming also didn't know how to face the villagers in Duanjiaao.
However, among the more than 200 people in Duanjiaao, more than 30 joined the Vanguard Camp. It can be said that basically all the suitable young and strong people in the Duanjiaao tribe have joined the Vanguard Camp.
But now only five people have returned.
And he was about to take the remaining five people to carry out a more dangerous mission...
Go deep behind enemy lines and launch a decapitation operation...
It's easy to say, but difficult to execute.
In Qin Yangming's previous life, the previous world overlord also organized a special forces team to capture a pirate leader.
As a result, not only did they fail to complete the mission, but the special forces were almost completely killed in the siege by pirates.
But now Qin Yangming's assault platoon soldiers are not as strong as the special forces of the former world overlord, and they are even less well-equipped.
Although the Japanese in Taiyuan are not as well-equipped as the pirates, their quality is enough to surpass those unorganized pirates who fight on their own.
……
After Qin Yangming brought Duan Peng and others into Duanjiaao, the village chief of Duanjiaao, who had received the information, was leading his men to the village entrance to welcome Qin Yangming.
"Platoon Leader Qin, were you fighting in Shiquan County a few days ago?"
"Platoon Leader Qin, I killed a Japanese soldier two days ago and seized a gun. Can I go with you to fight the Japanese soldiers?"
"Platoon Leader Qin, is my brother back? I want to switch with him. He stays at home while I go fight the Japanese. He has been following you for a year. It's my turn now."
"Platoon Leader Qin, Platoon Leader Qin, how is my third child?
Was the Third Brother afraid during the battle?"
"Platoon Leader Qin, can you help me take this winter coat back to my child?
I make a new dress for my baby every year. This is what I made for him last year, but before I could ask someone to send it to him, you moved it.”
"Platoon Leader Qin, where is my brother?
Will my brother come?"
"Platoon Leader Qin, Platoon Leader Qin, isn't my husband here?"
"Son, son, come here, let me see you, you've become stronger..."
"Come on, tell Dad, how many Japanese soldiers did you kill with Platoon Leader Qin?
Boy, let me tell you, I killed a Japanese soldier with a hoe a few days ago, don't embarrass me."
"Duan Peng, Duan Peng..."
Before Qin Yangming and his companions entered the village, they were surrounded by villagers.
One villager after another kept asking Qin Yangming about news of their relatives.
Those Duanjiaao soldiers who came back with them were also surrounded by their relatives and asked questions.
The village chief of Duanjiaao also arrived at the entrance of the village. He looked at the large cart covered with canvas that Qin Yangming and others were pulling behind them.
Village Chief Duan looked at the soldiers who came with Qin Yangming and saw that they were all people who came out of Duanjiaao, as well as the vague outline of the pottery jar on the cart and the expressions of Qin Yangming and others.
It seemed as if he had guessed something in his heart.
Seeing that the soldier who came with Qin Yangming did not have his own children, Village Chief Duan's body shook, but he did not fall to the ground with the help of his eldest grandson.
"Hey, Master, Brother Duan Peng is back, why isn't my father back?"
"Didn't my father write last time saying that he and Brother Duan Peng were in the same platoon?"
Village Chief Duan, who was standing by, listened to what his grandson said and whispered, "Your father may have returned home a long time ago."
"Everyone be quiet!"
Village Chief Duan shouted loudly, and with his prestige he intimidated the noisy villagers.
Village Chief Duan shook off his eldest grandson's arm that was supporting him and walked towards Qin Yangming.
The villagers nearby made way for him: "Uncle Duan, please slow down, slow down, little Niu Dan, hold on to your grandfather, he fell down two months ago..."
"Uncle Twelve, your cane, your cane!"
Qin Yangming looked at Village Chief Duan who was walking towards him, sighed in his heart and walked forward.
"Platoon Leader Qin, are there any of our men who left Duanjiaao who stopped advancing when they encountered the enemy?"
Qin Yangming, who was about to speak, heard Village Chief Duan asking him a question and then he answered first.
"Everyone who left Duanjiaao fought bravely, and no one retreated when facing the Japanese invaders."
"Hahaha, Chief, isn't it useless for you to ask this question?
There are no cowards among us in Duanjiaao. "
"Platoon Leader Qin, I don't know, I don't know if my son is brave in battle?
Have you achieved any military exploits?"
Listening to Village Chief Duan's question, Qin Yangming instantly realized that the other party knew the purpose of his visit.
Looking at the expectation in the other's dim eyes, Qin Yangming took out a Japanese major's sword and handed it to Village Chief Duan with both hands and said.
"Your son fought bravely. He was the first to charge into the enemy's formation on horseback, beheaded the general and captured the flag.
This is the sword of the Japanese officer your son killed..."
Everyone listened to the conversation between the village chief and Qin Yangming, looked at the village chief's hunched body, and the apologetic look on Qin Yangming's face, and understood the purpose of Qin Yangming and others coming here this time...
"All the soldiers who left Duanjiaao and joined our Eighth Route Army are great!"
"Not one of them is a coward!"
"Twelve of them had killed Japanese lieutenant-level officers!
The rest of them killed at least ten devils!"
"They either died under the Japanese artillery fire or fell on the way to the charge..."
"Everyone, when I left, I promised that I would take them home personally!"
"Today, I will send them back to Duanjiaao!"
As Qin Yangming finished his words, Duan Peng, who was behind him, lifted the lid of the cart that had been covered.
I saw thirty pottery jars neatly arranged on the cart.
There is a piece of white paper pasted on each pottery jar, on which is written the name of the soldier in the jar, his military achievements, where he died, and how he died.
Next to the cart, a woman holding a cotton jacket looked at the words written on the outermost can on the cart:
Duan Chenghu, eighteen years old, died in the battle of Qinghe County, killing twelve enemies and was awarded the second-class individual merit!
The old lady looked at the name on the pottery jar and sat down on the ground trembling.
"Mother, mother...brother, brother..."
"Why cry!
Look at your elder brother, he killed twelve devils, it's worth it!"
……
After seeing the ashes, Duanjiaao no longer had the initial enthusiasm he had, and a hint of sadness permeated the whole village.
But no one in Duanjiaao blamed Qin Yangming.
Early the next morning, when Qin Yangming and others were preparing to leave, the villagers of Duanjiaao gathered again and surrounded Qin Yangming and others.
Many of the villagers were carrying a package in their hands or on their backs...
"Platoon Leader Duan, look, I have another son..."
"Platoon Leader Duan, I have a son now. I can follow you to the battlefield!"
"Platoon Leader Duan, last year you said I was not old enough and did not allow me to go to the battlefield.
I am sixteen years old this year, and I have a younger brother at home. I want to avenge my elder brother!"
"Platoon Leader Duan, my son is eighteen years old. Let him go with you to avenge his father!"
"Duan Peng, talk to your platoon leader and ask him to let me join the Eighth Route Army..."
In this situation, Qin Yangming didn't know what he should do.
He first thought that the villagers in Duanjiaaodu might blame him or even scold him... or they might hope that their relatives who were still in the army could come back.
But the current situation was indeed something Qin Yangming had not expected...
(End of this chapter)
