The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 402 A Special Funeral (Two Chapters Combined)

When a voice shouting in English, "Hey buddy! Wake up!" rang in my ears, and I felt someone pushing me.

Andrei, the Russian military observer, opened his eyes with considerable difficulty.

The next second, he could feel his head, as if someone had hit it hard with a stick many times, and it hurt so much that it felt like it was going to split open.

In addition, he felt completely weak and listless.

All of this combined left him feeling incredibly bad and frustrated after being woken up.

When he realized that the person calling out to and shoving him was none other than Bill Eulton, that guy from Uncle Sam's house, his mood worsened.

If he weren't so tired and exhausted, and might not be able to beat his opponent, he would have really intended to throw a punch at him.

There was no other way! Since the Nationalist army achieved a great victory at Kunlun Pass last night, Hu Biao and his men did have a late-night snack to celebrate.

However, due to the arrival of Commander Bai and others, the original plan to celebrate with drinks was abandoned.

Andrei, being an outsider, had no such concerns whatsoever.

Especially knowing that the Subei Independent Regiment would be taking a break in the next few days and would not participate in any combat.

This meant that he no longer had to fulfill his duty of watching the game, so he immediately indulged in a hearty meal.

Although this was his first time in Guangxi Province, and it was only after arriving here that he came across the liquor that Annie had mentioned, called "Guangxi Briefcase".

But that didn't stop Andrei, the Russian, from becoming obsessed with this treasure in a short time.

The only problem is that when you drink this 'Guangxi Briefcase', it's like a charming angel; the taste is so wonderful.

The next day, especially when you've just woken up, it feels like a demon, making you feel incredibly uncomfortable.

But after he got through that unpleasant feeling, whenever he had the chance to drink a little at night, Andrei would have no resistance and would drink a lot again.

After shaking his head vigorously, Andrei began to complain to the person who had come in English:

"Damn it! Don't you know that Hu and his troops don't have to fight today? It's a rare time for them to rest and recuperate, and we can get a good night's sleep?"

I hope you can give me a sufficiently reasonable reason not to knock your teeth out.

“By the Lord Jesus! You Russians are just too violent,” Bill Eulton exclaimed.

Seeing that Andrei's expression was becoming increasingly strange, he finally revealed the real reason:
"I woke you up because Hu and the others are about to hold a special funeral. Believe me! If you miss it, Andrei, you will regret it for a long time."

After staring blankly for about ten seconds, Andrei got out of bed, muttering to himself:

"Okay! You're right, thanks buddy."

The key to this dramatic change in the Russian military observer was that during his period of blank staring, he recalled a piece of news he had heard while drinking the previous night.

General Du Yuming of the Fifth Army of the National Revolutionary Army planned to bury the officers and soldiers who died in battle under his command at Kunlun Pass.

Furthermore, a large monument will be built to commemorate those who bravely died in this fierce and tragic battle.

Although Andrei did not know much about the National Revolutionary Army's Fifth Army.

It was only after following the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment to the Kunlun Pass battlefield that I heard about their battles from other people.

But even just hearing these things was enough for him to have a deep respect for the soldiers of the Fifth Army, considering them a group of brave soldiers.

Andrei really didn't want to miss the grand funeral that would be held for them.

But soon after, he realized that the situation was not as he had thought at all...

Yes! The special funeral that Bill Eulton described was not what Andre had anticipated at all; or rather, it wasn't even a funeral for a person.

To be more specific, that is, after Andrei hurriedly got up.

To appear more dignified at such a large funeral, he not only washed his face but also changed into a clean uniform.

He even took the time to shave off his somewhat messy beard.

Then, with a solemn expression, he followed Bill Eulton to find Hu Biao and the others, and almost coughed up blood on the spot.

He saw Hu Biao and the others, who had also changed into neat military uniforms, surrounding the carcass of an old ox.

Therefore, the special funeral held today is not for the officers and soldiers of the Fifth Army who died in battle, but merely for a cow.

For a moment, Andrei felt that the thinking of these Chinese people was so strange, that they might even have some problems.

Although he had also heard stories about this old yellow ox named 'Big Yellow'.

For example, its former male owner, Zhou Asheng, was a soldier under Hu's command. Two years ago, he died heroically in Shanghai during the Battle of Shanghai, a battle known in China as the Battle of Songhu.

Two years later, its young owner, Zhou Yaozu, rejoined his father's former unit and became an underage soldier under Hu.

This old ox was brought by Zhou Yaozu when he joined the army.

During yesterday's daytime battle, this old ox died from exhaustion while trying to pull a fighter jet that had made an emergency landing up a hillside that was easy for it to take off and rejoin the battle.

It was precisely because of its contribution that the fighter jet was able to take off again, playing a crucial role in the battle.

Overall, Andrei acknowledged that what happened to the old ox was a rather touching story.

But he still couldn't understand why they had to hold a funeral for the cow and bury it.
Because the locals in Guangxi province all appear to be severely malnourished, especially lacking in meat; so much so that field mice, snakes, frogs, small birds, and various insects are considered delicacies in their diet.

Compared to those bizarre foods that I almost threw up when I was invited to taste them, this old ox must have at least two or three hundred kilograms of beef.

So, shouldn't the Chinese, who suffer from severe food shortages, eat this beef?
Andrei originally wanted to ask someone what was going on regarding this huge question.

As a result, upon seeing the hundreds of Chinese people gathered there besides him and Bill Eulton, including Hu and his companions, all of whom wore indescribably serious expressions.

The question that was on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back down, and he decided to just watch and not say anything.

It was precisely because of this that Andrei witnessed, in the years that followed, a truly unique funeral that, even in his old age, would still fill him with deep sorrow when he spoke of it to his descendants…

At 9:36 a.m., a soldier who looked to be at least fifty years old, acting as the master of ceremonies, began the funeral by uttering a long, drawn-out "Start the funeral procession."

Because he was too thin, Zhou Yaozu, a boy who looked only twelve or thirteen and a half years old, walked in front carrying a white cloth banner.

Behind him, there were eight people: Hu Biao, Hei Xing, AT, Lao Ma, Bo Shu, Annie, Mina, and Xiao Henan.

These were all lieutenant colonels and majors, core members of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, who were carrying a large frame woven from bamboo.

On the shelf was the corpse of that old yellow ox, with a paper white flower tied to its head and a white sheet covering its body.

In addition, there were thugs, thugs, guards, and many officers from the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, who surrounded the shelf, seemingly ready to be replaced at any time.

Throughout this process, none of these people displayed any expression that suggested they would lower their status by carrying the carcass of a bull; instead, they exuded an indescribable solemnity.

What followed was a long trek that lasted five or six hours.

The funeral procession traveled for more than 20 kilometers until it reached the outside of an old, dilapidated village, where it finally stopped.

Despite feeling unwell from a hangover and having missed breakfast and lunch, Andrei didn't complain at all.

There's no other reason than that along the way, men and women dressed in rural attire kept joining this group.

They were wearing patched clothes, but it was definitely their most presentable outfit, and their faces wore expressions of profound solemnity.

Before joining the group, they would usually light a string of firecrackers by the roadside, holding bowls of the familiar "Guangxi briefcases," fresh melons, vegetables, and flowers.

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the "Guangxi briefcase" will be scattered on the ground.

Fresh vegetables and fruits were laid out by the roadside as offerings. Flowers were thrown onto bamboo frames, and before long, the old ox's carcass was covered with a profusion of brightly blooming wildflowers.

From a distance, it looks like a small hill made up of wildflowers.

Faced with all this, Zhou Yaozu, a boy who was only a teenager, would bow to them, and they would solemnly return the bow before joining the funeral procession.

The number of people in the funeral procession gradually increased from the initial five or six hundred to one thousand, and then to one thousand five hundred.

When they arrived at a cemetery outside the village, the number of people had exceeded three thousand.

Andrei was quite certain that there was no religious element involved in the process, yet he felt an atmosphere that was even more solemn and sacred than religion itself.

It even plunged his soul into an indescribable state of immersion.

All of this greatly shocked Andrei, and deepened his doubts. It was just burying a cow, so why was there such an atmosphere?

This question was finally answered after arriving at the cemetery.

Because he finally gleaned some useful information from the whispers of the farmers around him: this cemetery was actually the family cemetery of Zhou Yaozu and his family, which, in Chinese terms, should be called the ancestral graves.

The ancestors of the Zhou family are buried here, along with the clothes of his father, who died in battle in Shanghai.

The old ox's body would be buried next to that cenotaph.

Burying the old yellow ox "Dahuang" here signifies that Zhou Yaozu and his family have come to regard it as their own family member, as a member of their clan.

Hu Biao and his comrades also regarded it as one of their soldiers.

I ask you! Who would eat their own family members? What officer would eat their own soldiers? What soldier would eat their own comrades?

Therefore, this funeral is not strange at all; on the contrary, it is the right thing to do.

And so, the old ox's body was placed into the grave. As the burial officially began, 20 soldiers raised their rifles and fired into the air.

The 20 soldiers correspond to the fact that Dahuang lived for a total of 20 years.

Amidst the loud gunfire, Hu Biao and all the soldiers saluted solemnly, while the Zhou family members knelt down, and the other farmers bowed deeply.

At the same time, Bill Yulton walked up to Andrei and spoke in a very emotional tone, in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"In Shen's words, no other nation in the world has such a profound affection for its own cattle as the Chinese."

Culturally, the ox symbolizes traditional virtues such as diligence, perseverance, and dedication.

In daily life, cattle are the best and most important companions in every family, members of the family; they would rather go hungry themselves than let their cattle go hungry.

Andrei seemed to understand the above passage, yet he also seemed to understand nothing at all.

However, he was certain of one thing: although his Chinese was getting better and better, he still knew too little about this nation with its long history and splendid civilization.

A people with such a long and rich heritage can never be conquered.

For a small, second-rate industrial nation like Japan to try and annex them while the nation is weak is nothing but wishful thinking...

******
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the 28th year of the Republic of China has passed.

On the first day of the new year in the 29th year of the Republic of China, around 2 p.m., in front of the north gate of the ancient city wall of Nanning, namely Ying'en Gate.

Wearing a Japanese military cap on his head and a Japanese-style plaster armband on his left arm, Old Yu was clearly a traitor.

While bowing and scraping, he repeatedly made these sounds towards the Japanese officers not far in front of him:
"The second officer from the left, move a little closer, okay! That's it."

The first officer on the right, please puff out your chest a little. Excellent, you look so imposing!

After making these adjustments, Lao Yu pressed the shutter, and with a 'click', the expressions of these Japanese soldiers were captured on the film.

After putting away his camera, Lao Yu, with a fawning expression, spoke to the Japanese soldiers in broken Japanese:

"Please rest assured, gentlemen, I will get the photos developed as soon as I get back tonight and send them to you tomorrow."

Please trust my photography skills, and with the imposing presence of your troops, you'll definitely be satisfied with the photos.

Upon hearing this, the Japanese officers immediately showed expressions of extreme satisfaction.

One of the sergeants, who was in the lead, even put an arm around Lao Yu's shoulder and patted him affectionately, saying something very admiring as he did so:

"Your Majesty, you are truly the Empire's best friend. If you encounter any trouble in the future, feel free to come to me, Miki."

Alright! Since you have other interview assignments, we won't bother you any longer. If there's a chance, I'll treat you to drinks—our Empire's sake.

During this process, Lao Yu, who was a head taller than the Japanese soldier, even bowed and bent down so that the short man could easily reach out and pat his shoulder.

That display of being a die-hard traitor only made the Japanese soldiers more and more satisfied.

However, these smug Japanese soldiers failed to notice a detail: out of their sight, Old Yu, with his head bowed, had an indescribable ruthlessness in his eyes.

And in his heart, he cursed and muttered to himself:

"You little devils, no need to thank grandpa! This photo will be your last portrait, and it'll definitely be one you're satisfied with..."

So, since the 20th of last month, Lao Yu and Lao Tai have led more than a hundred brothers from the reconnaissance company.

With the help of our Party comrades, they infiltrated Nanning City, and about ten days have passed since then; in these ten days, they have achieved quite good results.

As for Lao Yu, firstly, with the help of our Party, the issue of his identity was resolved.

Then, relying on his relatively reliable identity and using a batch of goods as a means of communication, Lao Yu successfully infiltrated the puppet regime established by the Japanese three days after they entered the city.

He even managed to get a minor supervisor position in the maintenance committee.

Finally, they established a newspaper called "South China News" under the name of the maintenance committee.

He was the editor-in-chief, reporter, and general helper all rolled into one; the main content was to exaggerate the Japanese to the point of exaggeration.

Without a doubt! This approach is quite novel.

With this newspaper, Lao Yu could use the pretext of an interview to wander around the city and take photos of the Japanese soldiers for free.

To others, Lao Yu was a traitor who wasted a lot of film trying to please the Japanese, a disgrace to the literary world.

In fact, Lao Yu had two plans behind this approach:

First, he would always carry two cameras with him when he went out. One was an ordinary camera, and the other was Hu Biao's strange Leica camera.

Every time I took pictures of the Japanese soldiers, I used the same Leica camera.

Given the strange nature of this thing, Lao Yu had the confidence to mutter to himself about the contents of the 'funeral portrait'.

In the past few days, he had taken photos of hundreds of Japanese soldiers, the lowest rank being a corporal and the highest being a lieutenant colonel.

Even if they haven't gotten into trouble yet, they'll definitely be in big trouble once they start fighting.

It was only because the newspaper was of such low quality that Lao Yu couldn't find an opportunity; otherwise, he would have liked to sneak into the Japanese command post set up in the Xiyuan Hotel and take a picture of the two enemy leaders, Ando Rikichi and Imamura Hitoshi.

What happens next will certainly be quite delightful to see.

Secondly, he was able to capture the defensive fortifications that the Japanese were currently building inside and outside the city while filming them.

These photos would be delivered to Hu Biao and his comrades every one or two days through our Party comrades.

Therefore, Hu Biao and his men were very familiar with the Japanese defenses inside and outside Nanning city...

(End of this chapter)