Zhang Baiwan Village. The confluence of the Xingzhou River and the Luan River.

At about 10 a.m. on 26 February 1933, the 117th Brigade of the 41st Army arrived at the south bank of the Xingzhou River in the west of Zhangbaiwan Village, Luanping County. The Xingzhou River originates from Fengshan in Fengning County, north of Luanping, and has abundant water. It flows 500 meters further and joins the Luan River that flows from Jingoutun Village, merges into the Luan River, and flows eastward. The intersection of the two rivers forms a large inlet, the water surface is flat, and the water sky is vast.

The Xingzhou River is here, although the water surface is not as wide as the inlet, but it flows quite rapidly, and the sound of the mighty waves can be heard far away.

Brigade Commander Ding Boting, Deputy Brigade Commander Ji Zhanwen, and Chief of Staff Zhang Yongtai studied and decided that the three main regiments, the Military Department's Special Service Regiment, the Independent Regiment, and other units were resting while walking along the way.

At this time, the special service battalion, the reconnaissance battalion, the independent battalion, and other units directly under the brigade headquarters were marching in a relatively forward place, so the brigade political training office mobilized them and asked them to increase their strength and rush to the river. When they arrived, they split up, cutting trees and building pontoon bridges on the south bank of the hill while trying to find boats, and some fighters tried to swim across. Because it was early spring, the place was still very cold, and the warriors who swam across the river tried several times.

Deputy Brigade Commander Ji Zhanwen personally came to the river, and he saw that the river was flowing very fast, and there was still a wide ice on both sides of the river, and the river was three zhang wide. He ordered all units to speed up their movements, the soldiers of the independent battalion went up the mountain to cut down trees, the soldiers of the special service battalion rushed to build pontoon bridges, and the soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion went upstream and downstream to look for ships.

While the pontoon bridge was being built forward, the soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion found a few boats in the upstream Huimin village, and they mentioned that they were troops going north to resist Japan, and when they saw that they did not take or rob, their attitude was very kind, and the villagers were still very supportive.

At this time, the three main regiments and other units that were resting while walking gradually recovered their physical strength, and they also gathered near the mouth of the river one after another, just after the pontoon bridge was built. Chief of Staff Zhang Yongtai stood by the river and commanded all regiments and units to walk on the pontoon bridge in turn and cross the river.

After the 117th Brigade crossed the Xingzhou River, it left a platoon of the special service battalion to wait for the large troops behind. The whole brigade quickly marched along the dirt road leading north to Jingoutun Village. On both sides of the road are large rice ponds, which are still old in early spring and March. The rice pond is like a book that is turned page by page in the spring cold, and Gu Zi is there to show it. The soldiers only cared about hurrying, and the commanders had no time to take a look at the spring color of the rice pond, the anti-Japanese beacon fire was tight, and every soldier's heart was on the beacon fire, how could it be described as a beacon fire?

After walking about seven or eight miles, the front villages are called Xia Zhudian Village and Shang Zhudian Village, and the road is further along the west bank of the Luan River and Xishangen to the north, and the front village is called Liujiatai Village, where the soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion have already driven. Brigadier Ding Boting and Deputy Brigadier Ji Zhanwen decided to have lunch in the area of Shangxia Pig Shop. If we go further, after passing the two villages along the Jingoutun and Luanhe rivers, we will have to force the Luanhe River, so all the officers and men must have food here to replenish their physical strength and prepare for crossing the Luanhe.

Due to the narrowness of the place, try not to trample on the farmland, the 233rd Regiment also drove to Liujiatai Village to stop, the 234th Regiment, the 235th Regiment, the Military Department Special Service Regiment, the Independent Regiment, and the units directly under the brigade stopped in turn in the area of Shangxia Pig Shop, and each cooking class buried the pot to cook and feed the horses.

The Luanhe River to Liujiatai is from the north, and when it reaches the root of Wangmao Mountain in the south of Shangxiazhudian Village, it turns to the west, and after receiving the Xingzhou River in the north of Zhangbaiwan Village, it turns to the east again. Between Shangxiazhudian Village and the Luanhe River in the south, there are large rice ponds, most of which are the fields of Liu Jingwu, a large landowner in Zhangbaiwan Village.

When the troops crossed the river at the mouth of the Xingzhou River, the villagers of Zhangbaiwan Village and the villagers of Lamadong, Dongyuan, and Xiyuan villages in the west stood by the river from a distance to watch the excitement. Someone had already told the big boss Liu Jingwu about the army. The landlord must have had money and food, and he was most afraid of being a soldier and a bandit, and he began to be very frightened when he heard this, and he remembered that in 1924 some revolutionaries wanted to carry out riots in Lamadong Village and Zhangbaiwan Village......

A subordinate came back and said that the soldiers had crossed the river and went in the direction of Jingoutun, and he was a little relieved. But thinking about it again, I got dressed and walked out of the yard to see what was going on. When he went out, he met several soldiers from the reconnaissance battalion looking for ferries, and some soldiers went to the village to buy things, and seeing that their public buying and selling was different from the previous troops, he accosted them, and learned that this unit was the vanguard of the anti-Japanese resistance in Chifeng in the north, and rushed across the Xingzhou River, the Luan River and the Yuciliang River to Chifeng.

He is also a literate and hyphenated person, he has dabbled in poetry and books since he was a child, and the Northeast was miserable by the Japanese, and the mountains and rivers were broken, he had heard about it for a long time, and he was quite concerned. When I saw that these people were anti-Japanese and dressed quite thinly, I was a little enthusiastic. When I arrived at the mouth of the river, I looked through the cracks in the people, and the soldiers hurriedly crossed the river to the north, not at all like the soldiers who passed by in the past, no matter whether it was a rice pond or a road, stepping on you did not negotiate.

He hurriedly returned home and arranged for his subordinates to hurry up and cook, as well as pork stewed vermicelli. He calculated that it was going to be noon, and these soldiers must be hungry after a long march, and they must eat at the front, so he calculated that he would say hello and hurriedly send them away.

Just as the cooking class lit a fire and prepared to put down the rice, the big housekeeper Liu Shang rushed to the pig shop with some people carrying food.

The soldiers began to see that they were carrying things and thought they were in a hurry, and the 235th Regiment had participated in the Tanglin treasure robbery, and some of the veterans were similar to bandits. They looked at these burden-bearers, and laughed at how dare these traders, fight with the soldiers? However, now that the commanders have repeatedly emphasized discipline, each regiment has set up a political training office, and there are also people from the student corps present, but they dare not make a mistake.

Just as everyone was looking at them with big eyes and small eyes, the big housekeeper Liu Shang spoke, and he arched his hand and said, "Hey, all military masters, my master Liu Jingwu and Master Liu asked me to bring you food...... Hurry up, pick a few picks forward......"

Everyone woke up like a dream, and as soon as the food box containing the food was opened, the mellow aroma of pork stewed vermicelli and white rice wafted out. I really smelled the smell of food, and the monk also jumped over the wall, and the stoves of each cooking class stopped and began to eat. This can save time for the 117 Brigade and other departments.

Zhao Wenlin, the head of the 235th regiment, hurriedly came over and expressed his gratitude to Liu Shang, the housekeeper who was also the leader. Liu Shang smiled and said: "Gentlemen, don't thank me, this is what my owner, Master Liu Jingwu, meant......"

Everyone didn't understand who Liu Jingwu was, and the second monk was a little confused. At this time, the whole brigade and the independent regiment and other units marching together had a ready-made meal, and Brigade Commander Ding Boting hurriedly came over and said some words of thanks to Liu Shang's housekeeper.

Liu Shang said: "Ladies and gentlemen, don't thank me, I'm just a housekeeper." Our old man Liu just went to the river to watch the excitement, he was a little awe-inspiring when he heard that you were an anti-Japanese team, and saw that you did not commit any crimes in the autumn, and the people and horses recognized that they should go slowly and let go without stepping on the rice pond, so they were even more respectful. You hurried north, and it was time for lunch, and you must have been hungry, so you hurried home and told your subordinates to get busy, and this was not delivered. ”

Brigadier Ding Boting, Regiment Commander Zhao Wenlin, and Regiment Commander Wang Qiang all looked at Liu Shang with a smile, and there were too many words of thanks that came to their mouths and did not say anything more. Ding Boting asked him: "Your owner's name is Liu Jingwu?" Liu Shang said: "My lord's name is Liu Jingwu, and you can see that the large fields, rice ponds and mountain trees on the side of the Luan River belong to him. When you go to resist Japan, you have to shed blood and sweat, and walk through Master Liu's territory, Master Liu has no reason not to give a meeting gift, I hope you don't forget Master Liu's support for the anti-Japanese mood......"

Ding Boting said: "Master Liu gave a meal to our department, this is not just a meal, this is the enthusiasm of the people of Rehe for my 117th Brigade and my 41st Army, and I would like to express my deep gratitude on behalf of the 117th Brigade and the Independent Regiment. All of our soldiers will take the enthusiasm of the people of Rehe as the driving force, intercept the little devils to the east of Chifeng and the north of the Liao River, and then drive the Japanese devils back to their hometowns......"

Seeing off Liu Shang and others, the 117th Brigade, the Special Service Regiment, the First Independent Regiment and other units immediately set out, passed in front of Liujiatai Village, arrived at Jingoutun, and after passing the Shaliang soldiers in the east of Jingoutun, they divided into two roads, crossed Shaliang and marched to Luanheyan Village.

There are Luan rivers along the Jingoutun and Luanhe rivers, and they have been the land of fish and rice since ancient times. Jiao Laixi, the landlord of Jingoutun Village, from him to his grandfather, was the head of the imperial grain village in the Qing Dynasty, and the land here was obtained by his wife and grandfather by the emperor and the horse race. Jiao Laixi's family also saw that the troops in front of the village were different from the previous troops, and heard that they were fighting devils, so they asked the housekeeper to prepare things to go to the labor army. The housekeeper said, "Master, it's late, they have all driven through Dongxiaosha." ”

Jiao Laixi was feeling sorry there, and the housekeeper said: "It's not too late for the master to want the labor army, they are the vanguard army, the big army is an army, and it is still behind, it's almost better......

Jingoutun and Luanhe are all small villages in front of Luanshui around the village, and the rice fields are fertile and boundless, which is very rich. The water at the mouth of the Luan River is turbulent and the river surface is very wide. The two banks are covered with sand and willows, and although the weather is cold, the river is choppy. Ding Boting was about to organize people to force the crossing, when the people of the village came and told him that the ice had not melted three miles upstream, and that they could go there to step on the ice......

Ding Boting and others thanked their fellow villagers, and the various departments drove upstream, crossed the Luanhe River smoothly, and left the Luanhe River to Yuciliang.

Sun Dianying followed the brigade over the Lahai Ridge, in the east of the Jianchang ditch gate, gathered the troops, and crossed the side ridge, and came to the village of Saddle Craftsman, the time was more than 11 o'clock in the morning of the 26th, Jia Million, the big landlord of Saddle Tun, went to the side of the road to visit the troops, and Jia Cai, the big housekeeper of Jia Million, accompanied the owner to the street. Jia Cai asked the soldiers on the side of the road: "May I ask if you are the troops who went north to resist Japan?" A soldier replied: "We are the 41st Army, and it is the north that is going to resist Japan." Jia Cai said again: "Dare to ask where your chief is?" "A soldier pointed with his hand, and there was a group of soldiers by the river between Saddle Tun Village and Luanping Street, unfolding a map and talking about something among many troops. Jia Million and the others walked there, bypassing the layers of warriors, and only when they got closer did they see that those people were older than ordinary warriors, and their dress was extraordinary, and they were estimated to be commanders.

Jia Cai stepped forward and said: "This is the rich man of Saddle Craftsman Tun Village, Master Jia Million, may I ask which one is your minister?" A staff officer said, "This is the ...... of our army commander."

Sun Dianying, Zha Fengting and the others put down the map, looked up, Director Han stood closer, and he was also quick to speak, and said: "This is Commander Sun, may I ask what is the matter outside Jia Yuan?" ”

Jia Yuanwai arched his hand and said: "Yesterday, Jia heard that your department went to Chifeng to resist the Japanese, and today I came to visit the soldiers. These days, too many troops have been crippled by the Japanese army, and too many troops have withdrawn south. There are too few troops that can engage the Japanese, and you can go against the trend and go straight to Chifeng, Jia admires it so much...... Jia is not talented, and prepared some oceans and copper for your army, and Wanwang accepted it...... At the same time, your army is also tired when you come here, I see that the soldiers are tired, so the house has prepared a meal, and it will be delivered in a while, and the soldiers will eat a bite, the further north you go, the colder the weather becomes, and you can only ban freezing when you are full......"

Sun Dianying, Zha Fengting and other chiefs saw that what he said was unreasonable and unreasonable, and they thanked themselves. At this time, Cheng Guangke of Nanwafang Village in the south of Luanping Street, and Liang Huowang, the landlord of Sandigoumen Village in the west, also came to the labor army and sent food. Jia Million took this opportunity to bid farewell to Commander Sun.

The soldiers of all departments quickly finished eating, faced the cold wind, crossed the Yak River and crossed the short street of Luanping, and headed north.

The army marched thirty miles eastward, and when it reached the pontoon bridge of the 117th Brigade in the west of Zhangbaiwan Village, the platoon left by the 117th Brigade handed over the matter with the vanguard that arrived, and then ran forward to catch up with its own troops.

The military headquarters of the 41st Army, its subordinate units and the 118th Brigade marched forward on horseback, urging the soldiers to pass the pontoon bridge in an orderly manner and go north. During this period, the 119th Brigade sent people to cross Jiangtailiang on fast horses, reporting that the 119th Brigade and other units had passed Qingshiliang and assembled in Dongying Village to ask for instructions......

After the army crossed the Xingzhou River, Sun Dianying, the commander of the British army, praised the pontoon bridge of the 117th Brigade for being well built, and convened all ministers and headquarters personnel to hold a military meeting at the confluence of the Xingzhou River and the Luan River.

Commander Sun Dianying and Deputy Commander Zha Fengting made brief speeches, mainly emphasizing some things such as marching speed, marching discipline and morale. Director Han talked a lot, mainly discussing with officers at and above the battalion and company level how to fight guerrilla warfare......

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