Chapter Twenty-Six: Sneaking Behind Enemy Lines to Rest and Prepare for Attack

Before dawn. Fang Jiren, Fang Lusheng, Zhou Qiwei and his entourage marched in a hurry and quietly came to a dry pond more than two meters deep five or six hundred meters outside the west gate of Lin'an Town, the largest town in western Hebei. At the west entrance of the town are barricades covered with barbed wire, and next to them are circular fortifications made of sandbags with a crooked machine gun erected. The searchlights on the four-story cannon tower with the sun flag turned on from time to time, illuminating the road outside the West Gate and the dark wilderness back and forth. Fang Jiren waved his hand to signal everyone to squat, and he lowered his voice and said sternly:

"You all listen to me, we will touch into Lin An Town in a while, everyone must act quickly, move lightly, and not make a little noise. Camp Commander Zhou, you send two people to go with me first, and when you hear three frogs, you immediately bring everyone over, and we will rush to the town at dawn. If you are discovered by the enemy, do not dwell on it and withdraw immediately. ”

Zhou Qiwei added: "Everyone understands and prepares to act. ”

Fang Lusheng said impatiently and disdainfully: "Alas, how troublesome it is, the little devils and the second dog in the middle of the night are still sleeping, and there are few awake." Uncle, let's have more than 30 people go in together, why bother."

Fang Jiren retorted angrily and harshly: "No! We don't know anything about the situation in the town, so what if we alarm the enemy? Don't mess around here, if you don't want to do it, you'll get out. After saying that, he turned around and led two people to the north side of the town gate quietly. When he reached the barbed wire, he used a sharp dagger to cut two wires, opened a gap more than a meter high and one meter wide, and took the rope from his satchel and tied it to a stake. Turning his head to the two soldiers behind him, he said, "One of you is on guard fifty meters to the south and the other to the north. After saying that, Fang Jiren took out a dagger from his leggings and put it in his mouth, grabbed the rope and slipped down the steep trench more than a foot deep and more than two zhang wide, waded through the sewage that was not above his knees, bent down and bowed his head, and gently walked to the opposite side of the trench with his upper body against the water, and quickly dug a row of foot holes on the steep wall of the trench from bottom to top by one foot apart, and he climbed up the trench with the foot holes, climbed to the second barbed wire fence to cut the wire, opened the gap, tied the rope, and slipped down the trench again, returned to the gap in the barbed wire outside the trench, and put away the dagger. Learned three frog calls. Five or six hundred meters away, the sentry post at the west gate of the town heard the sound of the enemy changing the guard.

Zhou Qiwei alertly led everyone to quickly come to the gap in the barbed wire and lay on the ground.

Francis said in a low voice: "When crossing the trench, everyone must be quick and light, and must not make the slightest noise, nor splash water, and must not alarm the enemy, otherwise it will be a bad thing, and our whole operation will be a failure." ”

By the faint light of a thin crescent, Francis directed the crowd through the trench smoothly and quickly, and he connected the barbed wire fences cut on both sides, restored them to their original state, untied the ropes, and put them in his satchel. Then led everyone quietly into the sleeping Lin An Town.

Everyone followed Fang Jiren to avoid the street, turned around the streets and alleys to the back door of the Yongan Inn compound, Fang Jiren handed the rifle in his hand and the big knife on his back to Fang Lusheng, jumped over, climbed over the wall, opened the back door to let everyone in, signaled everyone to squat, he saw the kitchen light and tiptoed in. The kettle on the kitchen stove was steaming, and a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy was napping on a bench next to the stove, unaware that someone had come in.

Fang Jiren squatted down, gently shook the boy's shoulders and said, "Hey, little one, don't sleep, wake up, the wolf is coming." ”

The boy opened his eyes and looked at Fang Jiren and asked in horror, "You, who are you?" ”

Franciscan gently patted the boy on the shoulder and said softly:

"Little guy, don't be afraid, I won't hurt you, I'm the owner of the inn, go and call Boss Xu to see me, I'm looking for him in a hurry, go quickly."

"Oh." The boy agreed, got up, walked out of the kitchen, and walked to the front yard.

The kung fu is not big, and Boss Xu, who is about fifty years old, followed the boy to the backyard kitchen with a nervous expression. Boss Xu was shocked when he saw that it was Fang Jiren, and said in a panic:

"Young master, young master, why are you? Why are you collecting the debt at this time? Now I can't give you a penny, huh? Why are you still wearing the hat of the Eighth Route Army? You don't want to die. A puppet army squadron leader, two squad leaders and a Japanese translator are playing mahjong in the private room, and there are five or six guards, if they see you, how can they get it, I can't explain to the master if I hurt you. ”

Fang Jiren comforted: "Uncle Xu, you don't need to be nervous, I'm not here to collect the debt, just a few two dogs what's so scary, I brought more than 30 brothers outside." ”

"Huh? What are you going to do? Don't fight here. Boss Xu stopped.

"No, no, we're here to eat, sleep, take a shower, change clothes, rest and relax, stay for a few days and leave. Uncle Xu, take the time to tell me about the situation in Lin Anzhen. Francis said.

"Huh? How many days are you, more than thirty of you, going to rest here? Isn't that okay? If the little devil finds out, it won't be beaten......"

"Uncle Xu, don't worry. Except for me, none of the thirty or so people will leave the inn for half a step, and they will definitely not let the devils find out. We'll go after eating and resting our feet. ”

Boss Xu breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this: "Oh, then this will be easy to do." Young master, you take someone to hide in the warehouse of the West Courtyard first, it's almost dawn, the two dogs should also go, I'll go and call someone to cook, and then get some bedding, you must not run around. Young master, I'm not driving you, you brought so many people, you can't stay here for a long time. ”

In the morning, the sun is shining and the breeze is blowing. Shuihe Village was busy, and women helped the Eighth Route Army wash their uniforms and bandages at the well. Under an old locust tree, several women are mending military uniforms and making military shoes. A group of children playing and frolicking under the old locust tree.

In the health team, the hygienists change the dressing and bandage the wounded.

The soldiers sharpened their guns and knives at their respective stations.

"Alas! Young master, let's wander around for a night and finally arrive at the realm. It's trapped me. Changgui drove the carriage into Shuihe Village, on which sat six soldiers of the Eighth Route Army and two Kuomintang soldiers, and Ding Ruxuan followed on a bicycle. The carriage walked into the village and met Yu Genshan, the political commissar, the chief of staff, and Staff Officer Wu, who were patrolling around the village. "Huh-" Changgui grabbed the reins and stopped the station, Ding Ruxuan also stopped his bicycle, six soldiers of the Eighth Route Army jumped out of the carriage, three soldiers raised their guns to surround Changgui, three soldiers raised their guns to surround Ding Ruxuan, one of the soldiers shouted sternly: "Don't move!" Hand over all your guns! The two Kuomintang soldiers sitting in the car were stunned when they saw this.

Seeing this scene, Yu Genshan and the others were stunned in confusion without knowing what was going on.

Ding Ruxuan smiled slightly and said lightly: "Misunderstanding, you misunderstood." ”

Staff Officer Wu asked puzzledly: "Third squad leader, what's going on?" Tell me clearly. ”

The sturdy and strong third squad leader put down his gun, stood up and saluted, and said solemnly:

"Report to the head of the group, we met this on the way to Shuihe Village last night

The two of them, they said that they were also going to Shuihe Village, and they were willing to pick us up by the way, and I felt that something was wrong at the time, and sure enough, I found a hidden weapon in the carriage, and they both may have it on them. After saying that, the third squad leader searched out machine guns, broadswords, and more than a dozen grenades from under the sacks and straw curtains on the carriage.

When everyone saw it, they couldn't help but be surprised.

Staff Officer Wu looked Ding Ruxuan and Changgui up and down and said, "You two should take out the guys on your bodies, you don't need us to do it." ”

Ding Ruxuan smiled and shook his head, took out a revolver from his waist and handed it to the soldier next to him, and the helpless Changgui reluctantly unbuttoned his shirt, pulled out two shell guns from the belt around his waist and handed them to the soldiers next to him. Ding Ruxuan looked at Yu Genshan and explained:

"Commander of the Eighth Route Army, we are not traitors, spies, or bandits, we carry guns for self-defense. What is there to make a fuss about in these days and how many guns there are in this world? Besides, if we encounter devils and traitors, we can do it for a while. ”

Yu Genshan looked at the machine guns and grenades on the carriage, looked up and down, examined Ding Ruxuan and Changgui, and also became suspicious of them, so he ordered:

"Staff Officer Wu, take these two people to the regiment headquarters and ask what is going on, if they are traitor spies, they will be severely punished! No forgiveness! ”

On the way to the regiment headquarters, some villagers took the initiative to greet Ding Ruxuan warmly and friendly, while some villagers glared angrily. The old village chief, who was about sixty years old, walked over and saw Ding Ruxuan, and couldn't help but be stunned, but stopped and greeted affectionately:

"Ouch, isn't this Young Master Ding? How did you get to our village? Oh, you're here to visit the Eighth Route Army, right? Which play are you singing today? Yu Troupe Leader, they sang with the opera troupe in a straight and round manner. Hey? Why are you and Changgui here? Why didn't so many people in the troupe come? ”

Ding Ruxuan couldn't cry or laugh: "Old village chief, I'm not here to sing today, I, I..."

Looking at the conversation between Ding Ruxuan and the old village chief, Yu Genshan, the political commissar and others were puzzled.

Morning. The south gate of Lin'an County. Nakagawa rode a tall Oriental war horse and a large group of Japanese infantry, as well as cars, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and cavalry troops into the county seat, and in the middle of the procession were men and women, Wang Fujiang, secretary of the county party committee, Zhu Shiyao, principal Zhu Shiyao, soldiers of the Eighth Route Army, and Kuomintang soldiers. The Japanese army walked on the streets of the county town with great vigor and might. People walking on the streets panicked and fled when they saw the Japanese troops marching.

In the crowd on the side of the road stood a young, beautiful, dignified and elegant young woman wearing a light blue cheongsam, carrying a cloth bag in her left arm and leading a beautiful and lovely girl about three years old in her right hand. The young woman looked at the marching Japanese soldiers, and her face showed a look of horror and some joy. The girl turned around and hugged the young woman's right leg tightly, and said in a trembling voice, "Mom, I'm afraid. ”

The young woman squatted down and hugged the girl gently, comforting softly: "Niuniu is not afraid, there is a mother, Niuniu is not afraid." Let's go home with my mother. ”

Morning. On the second floor of the front yard of Yongan Inn in Lin'an Town, in Boss Xu's office. Boss Xu was wearing a blue muslin gown, and Fang Jiren was wearing thin linen black pants and coarse white clothes, sitting across the table.

"In the past, there was only one squad of devils and two squadrons of puppet soldiers in the town, and when added together, there were more than 300 people. But after this sweep, there are constantly devil soldiers driving into the town, and they won't leave when they come, I estimate that now there are 200 little devils alone, and I heard that the puppet army will expand two more squadrons, what do you say they are going to do? Alas! We, the common people, are going to suffer again. Boss Xu whispered.

Fang Jiren frowned and said, "Uncle Xu, how do you know these things? Where did you get it, and is this information reliable? ”

Boss Xu thought for a while and said, "It should be reliable, I have relatives and fellow villagers who are soldiers in the puppet army." Besides, a few days ago, the people who maintained the association came to distribute donations and ask for food again, and according to the number of people, every one of the people in the town had to be paid, and if they were to be killed, if they did not pay them, they would be arrested and punished according to the Communist Party and the Eight Roads. Alas, the days to come will be even more difficult. ”

Fang Jiren asked again: "Uncle Xu, how is the business of the inn lately?" ”

Boss Xu glanced at the door, raised his voice and said angrily:

"Alas, don't mention it. Hou Fuping's grandson is too hateful and too bullying! Relying on the fact that he is Qian Wanlin's brother-in-law, he has been a bandit and a soldier, and he spent money to get the president of the Lin'an Town Maintenance Association, and he is tyrannical and evil in the town, and he is so bad that he is at home. On the surface, it is a maintenance club, but in fact, it is a special task force and a detective team. He forcibly took away fifty percent of the profits from the running water of our Fang family's inns, grain shops, silk villages, and large pharmacies, cut off the costs and pay taxes, and we not only did not make money but also lost money, and dozens of other businesses were also like this. He didn't even let go of brothels, big smoke houses, and casinos, and he really asked for money for anyone he saw, and if you didn't give it, he said that you were connected to the Communist Party and the Eight Roads, and if you were caught in the Japanese gendarmerie, you would be beaten to death first, and then your family would take money to ransom people. If you want to close the door, he won't let you, and you have to open the door to support you if you lose money. Young master, you brought so many people, can you think of any way, how can you rectify this hardcore traitor?! ”

Fang Jiren was furious in his heart, stood up angrily, and suddenly turned to smile again and said lightly:

"Uncle Xu, in the future, you don't have to worry about being bullied by him in fear. Hou Fuping, hum! I'm not going to let him live until tomorrow morning. Uncle Xu, you can't talk to anyone when I come to Lin'an Town this time. Also, is that little guy I saw in the kitchen at night reliable? ”

Boss Xu said: "No, I won't tell anyone, I understand." You're talking about Xiao Anzi, reliable, this kid is honest, smart, and sensible. He is the child of my fourth sister, the year before last, his father was arrested and became a puppet army, and now he is a squad leader and machine gunner, in Lin'an Town, there is no way to just eat with a mouth. Young master, are you sure that you want to rectify Hou Fuping? ”

Syllable! Fang Jiren slapped the table and said loudly: "If I want him to die, he won't live!" ”

"Who do you want to die? It's not a small tone. With a bang, Hou Fuping, dressed as a traitor, led two retinues straddling the shell gun diagonally and pushed the door in.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. Francis glared angrily. Boss Xu panicked.