A few hundred meters away from the wall of the He family's Daji Village, the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army armed with various tools and the villagers who spontaneously came to help dug trenches in the frozen and hard ground.

Throughout the ages, the side defending the city has always had to take advantage of the side that fought against the city. Especially in the era of cold weapons, when guns and cannons had not yet been invented, the soldiers who lined up on their backs and relied on the bows and arrows on the city walls to fight from a distance could almost resist several times their own siege army.

Turning his head to look at the wall of the He family's Daji village behind him, which was almost covered by heavy snow, the old man Niu who was in charge of Niujiao Village gasped heavily, and shouted to Zhong Youtian, who was waving a pickaxe not far from him: "Boss...... Comrade, I'm afraid it won't work? The weather was very cold, and it snowed heavily for several days, and the place was already frozen! We went out and dug here for a long time, and we dug out a few holes the size of chicken nests, and we couldn't hide people at all! You have to think about it individually! ”

Zhong Youtian, who was also panting heavily, was already tired and sweating, just stopped the pickaxe in his hand, and immediately called the cold wind that poured in from the collar to blow a spirit: "Uncle Niu, on this cold day, it is not suitable to break the ground." But the devil is about to fight when he speaks, if you don't hurry up and repair the trenches, the devil's artillery will cover it all at once, and how many people will have to smash it inside! I can only go out and do it with all my might! ”

Looking around at the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army who were digging trenches on the frozen soil and the strong men in Niujiao Village, the old man Niu shook his head with some regret: "There are too few of us, or ...... Old man, I can still have a stupid way, maybe I can make the work of digging a ditch easier, and I can do the work? ”

With his eyes widened, Zhong Youtian wrapped the old cotton robe on his body tightly, and at the same time opened his voice and shouted in the wind and snow: "Uncle Niu, what do you always do?" Let's talk about it? ”

Returning to the direction of the He family's big gathering behind him, Niu Laohan also shouted loudly: "If there are still thousands of strong men, they don't need to crowd here to help, and they won't be able to do it anyway...... Tell them to go to the nearby mountains and forests behind the He family's big gathering to cut wood. It doesn't matter what kind of firewood it is, pile it up and burn it! The frozen soil is baked, and it will be much easier for us to dig it! ”

His eyes suddenly lit up, but Zhong Youtian immediately shook his head gloomily: "Uncle Niu, where did we get so many people...... Besides, in this cold and freezing weather, there is no firewood like a mountain, and this frozen soil can't be baked at all......"

Squinting his eyes, Niu Laohan looked at the refugees who kept stumbling along the road and approached the He family's Daji, and slammed the shovel in his hand to the ground: "What's the matter, I'll try it!" ”

Wrapped tightly in the shabby cotton robe on his body, the old man with white hair was almost pushed by the wind, trotted all the way into the He family Daji, blocked the gate of the He family Daji, and shouted to the refugees who approached the He family Daji one after another: "I am Niu Lao Han from Niujiao Village, Gongnan County, and there are familiar villagers who stand up and listen to my Niu Lao Han!" ”

After shouting several times, among the exhausted crowd of refugees, an old man who was also a few years old finally stopped beside Niu Laohan, and shouted at Niu Laohan in a hoarse voice: "Old man, your village is also called a devil scourge?" Why are you still staying in this big set? After another half of the day's work, I'm afraid that the devil will be killed! Aren't you going to lead your people away quickly? ”

looked at the old man who answered his words, and the old man Niu helped the old man who was exhausted and looked crumbling: "You Dayang Village is also ......"

Nodding heavily, the exhausted old man turned his head with difficulty and pointed to the refugees who had walked into the He family's Daji one after another: "Not only did we fight Dayang Village, Sanshuizhuang, Xiaodouling, and the rattan craftsman village under Xiaodouling have also suffered from the scourge of little devils. Brother, our villages, this time it can be regarded as hurting people! Along the way, there are 100 fewer who freeze to death and starve to death. There are more than 20 people who have been scattered, and I am afraid that this snowy weather will ........"

Sighing helplessly, Niu Laohan hurriedly shouted to the old man in charge of Dayang Village: "Greet the people in your village, they have all gone to the He family's big set, then it can be regarded as saved!" The Eighth Route Army boiled soup and distributed dry food at the Zhaimen at the other end of Hejia Daji, and walked a few steps over to drink hot soup, and a life may be saved! ”

Nodding tiredly, the old man in charge of Dayang Village replied in a hoarse voice: "This time, I really lost those eight roads!" The devil drove the villagers in dozens of villages to run in the direction of Qingle County, and the slower ones were dead...... If it weren't for the captain Yan of the Eighth Route Army in Gongnan County, who led his men and horses to stop the devils behind us, I'm afraid it would be our villages...... I can't live a few people! ”

Stretching out his hand and pointing at the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army who were desperately digging trenches in the wind and snow outside the He family's big set, Niu Laohan replied in a dry voice: "Right now, those Eighth Route Army who are following Captain Yan all the way are busy digging trenches outside, planning to fight with the devils who are chasing after them!" They have few people, and this place is also called so cold in the snow that they can't dig it at all! I'm not afraid to tell you clearly, I boasted in front of the Eighth Route Army, and I wanted to help them recruit some strong men to go to the mountains and forests behind Hejia Daji to cut wood and burn the land. Right now, there is one strong man in my Niujiao Village, and they are all helping the Eighth Route Army, what do you say in Dayang Village? Do you give me a good word? ”

After only a slight hesitation, the old man in charge of Dayang Village had already turned around suddenly, and shouted to the refugees who were slowly passing behind him: "Go to a few people with faster legs and feet, and invite the heads of Sanshuizhuang, Xiaodouling and Rattan Village to come and talk!" The men in Dayang Village who have passed fifteen and have not yet reached sixty have all gathered over! Bring everything that has a chopping wood in your hand, and if you can't find a guy, you can borrow it from someone who is looking for relatives and friends in the big gathering! ”

Listening to the loud shouting of the old man in charge of Dayang Village, a half-grown man who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old suddenly came to the old man's side: "Third uncle and grandfather, what are you doing to find someone to chop firewood at this stall?" Do you want to make a fire and cook? ”

slapped the top of the half-sized child's head, and the old man in charge of Dayang Village shouted: "What time is it?" Just know how to eat?! People risk their lives to protect us, but we can't eat and wipe it clean and turn around and leave! We can't help in the war, we can't be left behind! The second family, the gathered men, you lead the chopping wood, carrying, your daughter-in-law is also a neat and capable, ask him to control the old and young women and children in the village, and keep passing the He family Daji, to the outside of the village gate at the end of the He family Daji, listen to the Eighth Route Army dispatch shouting! ”

With more and more people standing at the gate of the village of Hejia Daji, gradually gathered in the refugees of Hejia Daji, more and more strong men were shouted and gathered together, and after drinking a bowl of thin multigrain soup at the gate of the other end of Hejia Daji, he rushed into the mountains and forests near Hejia Daji with all kinds of guys who could chop wood.

It was freezing cold, and many dead trees were already frozen to the point of breaking apart. The swarming men often only swung their axes and slashed them, and the dead trees fell with a bang. Whenever a dead tree falls, the half-grown children, who have been waiting aside and are accustomed to mountain work, immediately rush up, quickly cut off the branches on the dead tree with the firewood knife in their hands, and then bundle the cut firewood and send it to the side of the road to pile up.

Although there were not many carts transporting firewood, but with the help of the thick snow covering the land, the craftsmen in the rattan village made huge snow plows out of the dry rattan and arm-thick branches found in the woods. It doesn't matter how much effort it takes, two strong men can drag a snow plow full of firewood and run fast!

Among the women and children who also passed through the He family's big gathering, some wooden boxes or planks and other objects were also unloaded to the side of the road, and then sent to the location where the trenches were being dug in empty carts or carts. The villagers of Tujia Village, who were in charge of guiding the fleeing villagers, stood on the side of the road in the wind and snow, shouting hoarsely one by one: "Follow the direction of the road pointed out!" Two miles apart, there are people standing on the side of the road to guide the way, the grain in hand is in a hurry to eat, and there is a soup pot set up twenty miles apart, and the multigrain and wild vegetable soup with salt is set, and there is a bowl when you see people! ”

"We all help each other a little bit! The old man and the child walked wrapped in the crowd, and the weak body took turns to sit in the big car! It's all up here, be a little more careful, and don't make any more mistakes! ”

wiped a handful of cold snow water on his face, stood beside the big stove lined up on the side of the road, and took care of the chestnut groups of fleeing villagers, looked at the two streams of people on the road that gradually became distinct, and let out a long sigh of concern with some concern, turned his head to Li Jiashun, who was standing beside him, and said in a hoarse voice: "This time this meeting, it can be regarded as a trick!" 20,000 people came and went in this snowy day...... There are almost two divisions of men and horses! Don't talk about the side, one person drinks saliva, and then he can drink a river! Commander, I'm afraid that the little food that our large army has on their backs will be exhausted in the second half of today? What can the rest of the villagers who fled to the Daji family do? ”

Turning his head to look at the dozens of cauldrons lined up along the side of the road, Li Jiashun also frowned, and sighed helplessly: "There is nothing left of the little family foundation that the army has stored in Tujia Village, and all of them have been moved." Even the villagers in Tujia Village have even out their own rations, and all kinds of edible dried wild vegetables and salt have all been transported here! If you can't do it......"

Seeing Li Jiashun's gaze on the He family's Daji not far away, the chestnut group gritted his teeth and shouted fiercely: "Commander, don't worry about this matter, leave it to me!" Obviously, there is food in the house, but I can grit my teeth and watch the villagers starve to death...... Such a trader must be regarded as a profiteer! Pack them up, let's not be sorry! ”

Glancing at the chestnut group with a hint of ruthlessness on his face, Li Jiashun shouted in a low voice: "When we came to the ground in southern Hebei, the higher-level leaders clearly explained that we must unite the anti-Japanese forces in all aspects and strive for more people to join the anti-Japanese struggle!" There are some simple and crude methods, we can't use them! ”

"But these folks in front of us are not the anti-Japanese forces that we should unite?! Watching them starve to death and freeze to death....... Commander, we want to unite, but most of the anti-Japanese forces! Aren't these folks in front of you the majority?! ”

“...... I don't know the truth better than you? But....... Old chestnut, you and I will enter the He family market again, and let's go to the merchants in the He family market to do work and strive for ......"

Before the words fell, the flow of people coming and going in the direction of the He family's Daji Zhaimen was suddenly chaotic, and several big cars rushed from the road left by the two streams of people, and rushed to Li Jiashun and the chestnut group in the blink of an eye.

Jumping down from the cart that hit the head, the rich man He, who had been stumbling on the snow several times one after another, barely waited to stand firm, and had already hurriedly shouted to Li Jiashun and the chestnut group: "Commander Li, Captain Li, in my He family's granary, there are only two or three thousand catties of grain left!" I'll make two more trips later, and I'll get them all here......"

Before the rich man finished speaking, Li Jiashun had already taken a big step forward, and his hands tightly held the rich man's slap: "Master He...... Lao He, you have done the villagers a great favor! ”