After letting go of the bandit Ma Sanshun and his party, in view of the fact that the Japanese puppet army was sweeping in this generation, Yang Chenghu decided to temporarily change the route, abandon the official road and go into the mountains to take the mountain road.

At the same time, Yang Chenghu sent two soldiers back to deliver a message to the second company and the regimental headquarters, asking them to strengthen their vigilance and be careful of a sudden sweep that the Japanese puppet army might launch.

After secretly walking through the green gauze tent for half a day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, Yang Chenghu and Zhao Shixun finally arrived at the outskirts of Zhengjiapo Village with the spy company and the seventh company.

After arriving at the outskirts of the village, Zhao Shixun did not rush into the village, but first disguised himself and went to the nearby reconnaissance company.

Zhengjiapo Village is located near the official road into Jiangxian County, where more than 80 villagers live. There are also several neighbouring natural villages in the vicinity, but most of them are small and only a dozen families live.

The location of the stronghold in Zhengjiapo Village is very tricky, and the stronghold is built on the top of a hill more than 200 meters high in the northeast corner of the village. Due to the small size of the summit, the trees around it have been cut down, and the fact that there are no other mountains within a few kilometers of the surrounding area, this stronghold can not only block off the official road that was killed, but also provide a clear view of the surrounding area for several kilometers.

Between Zhengjiapo Village and the stronghold, there is a three-mile mountain road connecting it, and the straight-line distance between the stronghold and the village is within one kilometer. Although the village cannot be completely blocked within range of fire, long-range shooting is also very threatening if the fire is intensive.

After leading Qiao Zhuang to dress up and reconnoiter around, Yang Chenghu and Zhao Shixun returned to the mountains where the troops were stationed to converge. At this time, the spy company and the seventh company were hiding on a mountain ridge southeast of the stronghold in Zhengjiapo Village.

Squatting down and spreading out the map, Zhao Shixun pointed to several locations on the map, looked at Yang Chenghu and said in a deep voice:

"The buildings in the village are arranged in a north-south direction, and there is nothing around it that shelters pedestrians except for scattered trees. Therefore, if you want to enter the village without being eye-catching, you must not enter the village too many people, and you must have casual clothes. The stronghold is located on the southeast side of the village on the hill, accompanied only by a path up the hill. I took a look, and the stronghold was surrounded by steep slopes and was bare, so it would be difficult to sneak attack. ”

Hearing this, Yang Chenghu glanced at the other party. Pointing to the location of the village, he said:

"The view of this stronghold is very good, and if you don't take the stronghold, you will definitely be seen when you enter the village during the day. The firepower configuration on the stronghold is unknown, but the light machine guns are not afraid, but they are afraid that there are heavy machine guns on the stronghold. ”

Yang Chenghu added a few words and expressed his doubts. The village was less than two miles away from the stronghold in a straight line, and once heavy machine guns opened fire from above, it would be difficult for people entering the village to come out.

Hearing this, Zhao Shixun touched his chin.

"In that case, I will enter the village again at dusk. In this way, even if there is an accident, it will be difficult for the puppet army in the stronghold to see the situation in the village. Heavy machine guns were also scrapped. ”

"Yes, as you said, we'll enter the village before dark."

Yang Chenghu nodded and agreed to postpone the action until dusk.

"Are all your troops scattered?"

Speaking of this, Zhao Shixun raised his head and looked into the distance and asked seriously.

"Ever since he learned from Ma Sanshun and the others in the morning that the devils had swept the Flying Tiger Mountain, Zhao Shixun has been worried about the whereabouts of this Japanese puppet army. The location of Feihu Mountain is less than 20 miles southeast of Zhengjiapo Village, and it stands to reason that the devils will withdraw from the mountain early after they succeed, and their position should have left this area at this time. But if you are not afraid of accidents, you are afraid of what happens, if these devils suddenly appear from behind Zhao Shixun and them, it will be really bad. ”

Therefore, everyone is cautious along the way. After arriving at Zhengjiapo, Zhao Shixun suggested that Yang Chenghu scatter half of his troops and scatter them to a location a few miles away to set up guard posts to prevent a sudden attack by the Japanese puppet army.

"Don't worry, I've sent the third and fourth platoons out in shifts. You don't have to worry about the vigilance, you just think about how to go into the village to pick up people. ”

Regarding Zhao Shixun's doubts, Yang Chenghu naturally knew it. No matter how you say it, you are also a veteran of old wars, and you don't need to be reminded of these things.

"Okay, then I'll stop talking nonsense. Promptly at half past six in the afternoon, after which I will personally take two men and my guide into the village, and if nothing else, I will leave the village within an hour, and we will meet here by then. ”

……

As the sun sets, the golden light disappears from the mountains to the west, burning the clouds in the sky red. As the sky gets late, the small village at the foot of the mountain gradually fills with smoke, and the villagers return to the village one after another after a busy day, and the two of them return in groups of three, telling each other about the day's hard work and hope.

In the ridges in the south of Zhengjiapo Village, four mountain men carried a few bundles of firewood on their backs, and walked quietly towards the village with their heads down.

"Yo ......, isn't this Da Zhuang Da Da Da Where have you been these days, I see that your mother-in-law and children are busy working in the field. ”

Seeing that someone he knew was shouting at him, the guide who walked in front of Zhao Shixun hurriedly responded with a smile:

"Besides, my second uncle who lives in Hengqu County brought a message, saying that my second aunt is gone, why don't I go back to help send the old man, I just rushed back today."

When the visitor heard this, he looked bitter, shook his head and said:

"Alas...... it's good to be able to send it when people die these days, you don't see how many dry bones there are in the mountains. Da Zhuang and his father, go back quickly, yesterday the puppet army came to collect food again, and each family asked for 100 catties, I heard that your family was cut off. Let's go back and check it out! ”

Hearing that the puppet army was coming to collect food again, the guide's face changed again and again, and the steps under his feet also became faster. Zhao Shixun hurriedly followed.

Not long after approaching the village, Zhao Shixun and the others came to the courtyard of a farmhouse.

The gardens of the mountain people are very large, and there are all kinds of vegetables and firewood piled up in them. Seeing someone enter the yard, a twelve- or thirteen-year-old half-year-old ran out of the house, shouting as he ran: "Mother! Grandmother! My dad is back! My dad is back!"

Seeing someone running over, the guide immediately put on a smiling face, threw away the dry firewood on his back, and hugged the half-sized boy who rushed over with a smile.

"Da Zhuang, I miss my father. Have you helped your mother work these days? ”

"Help, I've been diligent these days, and grandma has been praising me for being sensible. Hey....... ”

"Dad, who are these people?"

"Oh, these are my father's friends, called uncle."

"Uncle...... Uncle. ”

Hearing this, Zhao Shixun touched this raw half-sized child, took out a wild fruit picked in the mountains from his pocket and put it in the half-sized child's hand.

"Thank you......."

"This kid, go and help Daddy put all this firewood in the backyard."

Just then, a woman in her early thirties came out of the house. The woman appears to be cooking, holding a rolling pin in her hand. When she saw the guide, her sallow face was immediately full of joy.

"Daddy, you're back. These are ....... ”

"Let's go, let's go inside."

……

After entering the house, the guide arranged for Zhao Shixun and the three of them to sit down and rest, while he and his mother-in-law left the house.

After a while, the woman came in with a few plates of pickles and a large bowl of tortillas.

"Brothers, eat something. The summer grain has almost been robbed by the devils, there is really nothing else, comrades let's make do with some food first. ”

Looking at the cornmeal nest in front of him, which obviously had a lot of wheat bran in it, Zhao Shixun's face changed again and again. The big pillar and the black baby around him were really hungry, and when they saw this, they quickly picked up one and ate it.

"Mother's ......, it's so hard, it's a little too much wheat bran! It seems that the people here really have no food left. ”

Da Zhu raised the kettle and drank a few big sips, swallowed the nest stuck in his throat with difficulty, patted his chest, and said with a stiff face.

"Squad leader, you can't eat this wheat bran nest, the cornmeal is dry, and you have to eat it in small bites of water or soup before you can swallow it after mixing it with wheat bran.

This thing was a ...... that my family used to eat when they were hit by disasters. ”

"Well...... I'm dripping mom! There's too much wheat bran! When you swallow it, your throat is like a knife! ”

swallowed hard, and Heiwa frowned when she looked at the nest in her hand.

At this moment, the guide and the half-sized man opened the curtain and helped a blood-stained Eighth Route Army to walk in.

Seeing the comer, Zhao Shixun hurriedly brought the other party over and asked him to sit on the edge of the kang.

"Are you Staff Officer Xue?"

When the wounded Eighth Route Army heard this, he raised his head and leaned against the wall, revealing a handsome face as white as a play. He lifted the glasses on his nose, looked at Zhao Shixun and Da Zhu in front of him and asked weakly:

"Are you Captain Lei's subordinates?"

"Well, from our vanguard group, are you Xue Liqun?"

Hearing this, the man glanced at Zhao Shixun and the three of them suspiciously, and coughed lightly.

"Ahem...... I am. Why haven't I seen the three of you? ”

"It's normal that you haven't seen it, and we've just arrived at the Pioneer Regiment. I am Zhao Shixun, the commander of the seventh company directly under the Pioneer Regiment, and the two of them are my subordinates. ”

"Oh...... just the three of you came to save me?"

When Xue Liqun heard this, he looked at Zhao Shixun in a little surprise, and suddenly asked in a deep voice.

"That's not it, our people are all outside to answer us, and we are the only ones who enter the village. How are the injuries on your body, do you need to be treated urgently, I brought medicine. ”

I saw that the other party had a thick rag tied around his right shoulder, and it seemed that blood was still oozing inside. Zhao Shixun took out the bandage he was carrying, and prepared to treat Xue Liqun's wounds.

"Oh...... it's out of the way, the fellow has already helped me with herbs. It's a penetrating injury, it's not a big deal, just go back and let the doctor at the regiment headquarters deal with it. You didn't encounter the Japanese puppet army when you came here, did you? ”

"There was a stronghold on the way here, but the devil didn't see it. You take a break, I'll make a stretcher, and we'll leave the village in twenty minutes. ”

"Good ......."

Hearing this, Staff Officer Xue nodded, closed his eyes and rested against the wall.

…… To be continued.