The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 576 Count Me In (Two-in-One Chapter)
The signal flare that Hu Biao fired into the air was naturally a retreat signal to the sniper units at the front.

Upon seeing this signal, the 1800-strong blocking force immediately began to retreat rapidly according to the original plan.

And you know what? The Japanese reaction speed was really impressive.

Within just over five minutes, upon hearing the tremendous commotion from the ambush tanks, the number of Japanese patrols, sentries, and troops encamped nearby who rushed to the scene had already reached over a thousand.

Among them were quite a few Japanese soldiers who wore only a loincloth and a belt with a bullet box hanging from it.

They were clearly awakened from their sleep, grabbed their weapons and ammunition, and came to provide support. Their initiative was simply perfect.

Unfortunately, this unorganized spontaneous support proved quite ineffective against the firepower of the light and heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and even mortars that the blocking forces had already deployed.

These Japanese soldiers who rushed over were indeed fast.

Not only were they unable to break through the defensive line to support the 13th Tank Regiment, but they also suffered hundreds of casualties.

The Japanese advanced smoothly throughout the operation, capturing C Sand City, the core of the 9th War Zone, in just over ten days after the start of the battle.

It could be said that he was at the height of his pride and arrogance, and had never suffered such a great loss before.

Seeing that the sniper unit was beginning to retreat, they immediately followed the retreating Nationalist army blocking force at the behest of some officers and veterans.

Da was determined to hold onto these guys until more troops arrived.

They were determined to surround and annihilate them.

However, they had only chased for a distance of about a mile when suddenly fierce firepower erupted from the ruins near the south of the city, attacking them and killing or wounding more than a hundred of them on the spot.

That was the fortified defensive position that Hu Biao and a group of his men had set up, and it was now in full force.

After Hu Biao and his men held off the enemy on the ruins for another three or four minutes, another signal flare was fired into the sky from behind.

This signal indicates that by this time, the rest of the personnel have successfully withdrawn from C Sand City, and the first group to leave the city has also established a temporary blocking line outside the city.

Therefore, Hu Biao and his men could run away without worry, as they would be met by someone as soon as they got out of the city.

It seems that with such alternating ambushes and cover, after two or three more times, the people who participated in tonight's 'tooth extraction' operation will be able to escape completely.

However, soon after, Hu Biao and his men were pleasantly surprised to find that they no longer needed to carry out two or three more alternating ambushes and cover attacks.

By the time Hu Biao and his men hastily withdrew from C City, the number of Japanese soldiers chasing them had already exceeded two thousand.

However, during their pursuit, several people were killed or injured when they triggered the makeshift explosive traps made by Hu Biao and his men with grenades.

More importantly, these pursuers witnessed the devastation suffered by the 13th Tank Regiment.

They saw the incredibly powerful steel tank force they remembered; those mighty tanks were either burning or had become twisted wreckage.

Not far from these wrecked tanks lay one after another accompanying infantrymen.

To think that such a powerful armored vehicle force could suffer such a devastating blow in just five or six minutes, one has to wonder just how powerful the Nationalist army that launched the attack must be.

The pursuing Japanese soldiers instinctively slowed their pace.

When they caught up to the edge of the city, the pitch-black surroundings outside seemed like a giant beast opening its jaws, waiting for them to devour it.

These Japanese pursuers stopped completely, not even daring to chase them out of the city.

Seven or eight minutes later, it became clear that the Japanese soldiers didn't dare to chase after them and could only keep firing from a distance.

Hu Biao, who was crouching in a dry ditch, preparing to continue blocking the Japanese, first spat out a mouthful of saliva.

He scoffed dismissively, "They don't even dare to chase after us. That's all the Japanese devils are good for."

He then got up and strode back, calling out to the others, "Let's go! Back to our respective unit bases. If we're fast enough, we can all get a few hours of rest."

At Hu Biao's call, both the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment and the 74th Army personnel quickly followed.

Although the previous battles were short, Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment's extremely fierce fighting style left a very deep impression on the 74th Army and won them over.

The complex feelings of gratitude for being saved and some resentment that the 74th Army had when they first met had completely disappeared.

All that remained was simple gratitude and admiration.

Under such circumstances, Zhang Lingfu was deeply shocked by the impact on his values ​​and his emotions were in turmoil, so he did not say a word.

Excited by the tremendous victory, Li Hanqing quickly caught up with Hu Biao and couldn't help but ask:
"Commander Hu, tonight's 'tooth extraction' operation went smoothly. Now that the Japanese 13th Tank Regiment has been annihilated, the other units still have a small number of tanks and armored vehicles, but they are no match for us."

So after daybreak, we can begin the pursuit and encirclement of the retreating Japanese troops, right?

Upon hearing this, Hu Biao shook his head and offered the following explanation:
"Not yet. We need to see how effective the actions of other friendly forces, and even the local forces in various counties of Xiangbei, are tonight."

Although the Japanese have been severely depleted in terms of morale, manpower, and ammunition, they have not yet been completely exhausted.

In addition, some friendly forces will also be unable to reach the designated area tomorrow.

Therefore, we must further damage the roads, bridges, and wells on which the Japanese troops return to Wuhan; only when the Japanese are struggling to return and are at their weakest will it be our opportunity to strike.

If that doesn't work, it's better to let them leave than to take force.

That's right! In Hu Biao's real plan, the extent of damage to the roads was not as bad as it had been the previous few nights.

Blow up the bridges and dig the roads into a landscape full of craters, just enough to make the Japanese supply trucks move at a snail's pace.

His real plan was to dig the road to a degree that would make it difficult for the Japanese infantry to walk.

In this way, the stingy Japanese soldiers would take the armored vehicles, artillery, and trucks they were carrying back to Wuhan.

The only option was to have the infantry repair the roads and fill in all the large pits and broken sections.

With such a massive undertaking, wouldn't these Japanese devils be exhausted to death?

In addition, sniper rifles, artillery shells, and landmines must be provided to the Japanese soldiers; in this way, the Japanese soldiers can march more than thirty miles a day, and Hu Biao would be willing to buy a block of tofu and smash his head against it.

It seems that if they continue for three days, the morale, spirit, and physical strength of the Japanese soldiers should be exhausted to the limit, and that will be the time for them to make their move.

However, achieving the above results involves a very crucial issue:

The project of completely destroying the highway was too large, and the manpower of some friendly forces was not enough; therefore, it was necessary to mobilize a large number of villagers along the route and get them involved.

However, after the start of this major battle, the villagers along the route had already fled to avoid the clutches of the Japanese invaders.

They ran away and hid in some remote wilderness and forests.

Organizing and mobilizing them, risking being killed by Japanese patrols, to sabotage the roads became a very troublesome issue.

Don't count on the government's staff in various counties, or the virtuous and wealthy people.

It's not that they lack the patriotism to serve their country; it's simply a matter of insufficient ability.

Therefore, Hu Biao and his comrades still placed their main hopes on the secret workers of our Party; if our Party cannot do it, then absolutely no one else can.

As early as when they were training troops in Xinning, they had already contacted comrades from the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China to take charge of and handle this matter.

Even so, the difficulty is truly astonishing.

Hu Biao was still somewhat unsure whether the Party could fulfill its requirements tonight.

While Hu Biao was worrying, a dense crowd was already busy on the road from C Shacheng to Yueyang City.

Countless people from Hunan Province, carrying dry rations and tools, threw themselves into this great undertaking.

They toiled tirelessly, their hands and shoulders raw and worn, and some even sacrificed their lives, all for a simple goal: to capture as many of these invaders as possible.

To be more specific, let's rewind a bit and focus our attention on a 17-year-old boy, around dusk.

Through the experiences of this young man, we can witness firsthand what happened on a night in early October of the thirtieth year of the Republic of China...

******
It was evening, in a place called Goose-shaped Mountain in the Xiangyin area.

If this were set in a modern world 84 years later, it would be a provincial-level forest park, with abundant trees and vegetation, and numerous birds and animals, making it an excellent place for people from the surrounding area to enjoy nature.

In 1941, it was naturally an even more remote and secluded place.

That's why, when they heard that the Japanese soldiers were coming,

The entire village of Xiajia, where Xia Haibo lived, fled here with their meager belongings, helping the elderly and children to hide.

There's nothing we can do! Even though it's been several years since the last time the Japanese attacked C-Sha City.

But the villagers still remember the atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders in northern Hunan. No matter how old the women were, from little girls as young as eight or nine to old women in their sixties or seventies, none of them escaped once they were encountered by the Japanese soldiers; they were all raped.

Even in their Xiajia Village, there was a disheveled, smelly, and mentally ill woman who fell victim to the Japanese devils.

She later became pregnant, but ultimately died during childbirth along with her unborn child; Xia Haibo still remembers the screams of the madwoman on the night of delivery very clearly.

The men's situation is better, but only slightly better.

Being beaten and scolded was commonplace. Many people were simply passing by the Japanese soldiers when they were shot dead by bored Japanese soldiers on the roadside.

They don't treat people like human beings at all; they're not even as good as cattle or horses.

Other acts of looting, such as stealing money, grain, and even chickens, ducks, cattle, and horses, were things the Japanese soldiers had to do wherever they went.

Under such circumstances, no one dared to stay at home any longer; along the way the Japanese advanced, everyone, whether in towns or villages a little closer to the road, fled without exception.

Before an opportunity arrived that would drastically change the course of Xia Haibo's life, he was sleeping on some hay.

Or perhaps it's about closing your eyes to rest, hoping to reduce some activity in this way.

This way, the two bowls of wild vegetable porridge he drank at four o'clock in the afternoon could be digested a little later, so that he wouldn't wake up hungry in the middle of the night and feel extremely hungry.

During this time of resting with his eyes closed, the 17-year-old boy kept cursing the damned Japanese devils in his heart.

You should know that although they had already harvested a season of early rice in the summer, a considerable portion of it was handed over as various taxes, leaving them with very little grain at home.

We're just waiting for the late rice harvest so we can have a few days of plenty to eat.

Just as the late rice harvest was about to begin, the Japanese invaders came knocking on the door.

As a result, who would dare to stay home to harvest rice? After all, not only would the Japanese soldiers steal the harvested rice, but there was also the risk of being stabbed or shot to death by them.

However, when the family of six fled to Goose Mountain, they brought with them all their food, which amounted to less than 20 kilograms of unpolished rice.

This small amount of food is meant to feed the whole family.

They had no idea when the Japanese would leave, or whether they could be driven out.

So these days, Xia Haibo's family has had to eat sparingly, having two meals a day, each person eating two bowls of thin porridge with lots of wild vegetables, and hardly any rice grains.

They were starving, barely clinging to life.

As for hunting in the mountains for food, the birds and beasts there are actually quite clever. The commotion caused by so many people coming to hide has long since made them disappear to who knows where.

Going hunting not only yields little catch, but also depletes more energy and leaves you terribly hungry.

Xia Haibo was just a teenager, the kind of boy who could eat his father out of house and home. He ate two bowls of wild vegetable porridge every meal, which would be completely digested in the time it took to urinate.

Xia Haibo naturally hated the Japanese soldiers who had brought him to this state.

That is, my father injured his back while working in his early years and can no longer do too much heavy work.

I am the eldest child in my family, with one younger brother and two younger sisters. The oldest is only 12 years old, and the youngest is only 2 and a half years old. If I don't help with chores at home, they might all starve to death.

Xia Haibo had already gone to C Shacheng to join the army and followed Commander Xue to fight the Japanese...

As the 17-year-old's thoughts were racing, a sudden commotion arose.

Xia Haibo originally didn't want to bother with it, thinking it was just a commotion caused by someone being lucky enough to catch a rabbit, making everyone envious.

But after faintly hearing voices saying "Tao Yazi is back" and "Brother Tao, how did you find this place?", the boy immediately sprang up from the hay.

For most people in almost every village, there are one or two capable people in their eyes and in their mouths.

Tao Yazi, whose real name is Xia Haitao, is undoubtedly a capable person in their Xiajia Village.

Because Tao Yazi had completed junior high school at a modern school in the county town, making him one of the most educated people in Xiajia Village, second only to a certain old scholar.

After finishing middle school, Xia Haitao did not stay in Xiajia Village to make a living by farming. Instead, he went to work in a factory in Shacheng. He worked as an apprentice for the first two years, and now it seems that he has become a master.

A month's wages are more than what they earn from farming for a year.

He's someone who's capable of marrying a city girl and settling down in the city in the future.

Nowadays, all the young people in the village are hoping to follow Xia Haitao to the factory as apprentices, hoping to become workers and settle down in the city in the future.

Every time Xia Haitao returns, he is greeted by everyone.

This naturally included Xia Haibo, since Xia Haitao was, by definition, his cousin who was still within five years of his birth.

After Xia Haibo squeezed into the crowd, he found that the situation was a little different this time, because Xia Haitao did not come back alone; there were two other people with him.

One of them was in his forties, wearing glasses and a long gown, clearly dressed as a schoolteacher; the other was about the same age as Xia Haitao, and just by looking at his hands you could tell he often did heavy work.

Judging from Xia Haitao's reaction, the schoolteacher was the leader among the three.

So even if the Japanese have now entered C City, and Xia Haitao wants to go back to his hometown to hide for a while, why did he bring these two people with him?

Xia Haibo's doubts did not last long.

Seeing that not only all two hundred people from Xiajia Village had gathered, but also many people from the two surrounding villages were looking around.

Realizing that time was running out, the schoolteacher immediately got straight to the point and shouted:
"Fellow villagers, let me introduce myself. My name is Lao Li, and I am a member of the Hunan Provincial Committee of our Party."

I've come here today for only one thing: the Japanese encountered Hu Biao and Commander Hu of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment at the foot of C Sha City and suffered a major defeat.

I'm afraid that starting tomorrow, I'll have to slink back to Wuhan.

But we didn't invite them to be our guests. They've committed countless atrocities, from murder to arson, and they can come and go as they please. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Fellow villagers of Xiajia Village and other villages, are you willing to let the Japanese devils escape so easily?

"No way! I wish I could drink the blood of the Japanese and eat their flesh. Even if it costs me my life, I absolutely cannot let the Japanese escape so easily."

No sooner had the words left his lips than a man in his thirties, whom Xia Haibo called Uncle Mantang, roared.

When he shouted those words, Uncle Mantang clenched his fists and his eyes turned bloodshot.

The reason for this was that when the Japanese attacked Shacheng last time, they passed through Xiangyin, and he was the only one of his family of five who escaped from the Japanese guns.

Even so, he was shot in the calf while fleeing, and after the gunshot wound healed, he became a cripple. He wanted to join the army to fight the Japanese, but the Nationalist army did not want him.

Now that he's heard there's a chance for revenge, how can he possibly hold back?

In fact, it wasn't just Xia Haibo and Uncle Mantang who hated the Japanese. Every single one of the hundreds of people present harbored deep hatred for the Japanese and didn't want them to escape so easily.

Soon after, everyone started shouting "No way!"

Only Xia Haibo, though young, was quite clever. As soon as the shouting subsided, he asked a crucial question:

"Old Li, although we wish the Japanese devils would all die out immediately."

But I've heard that it takes several of Commander Xue's soldiers to defeat a single Japanese soldier; we common folk at most have a few homemade guns, we can't possibly fight the Japanese either.”

Old Li waved his hand and said loudly:

"Don't worry, everyone! You don't need to fight the Japanese head-on."

All they had to do was bring hoes, carrying poles, and baskets, and completely dig up the roads the Japanese soldiers could take back, demolish all the bridges, and block up all the wells.

The goal is to slow down the Japanese advance and make it difficult for them to get a drink of clean water. Other tasks will naturally be handled by Commander Hu and Commander Xue.

Oh, right! Anyone who wants to go tonight, sign up immediately. Commander Hu promised to give each person five jin of rice every day afterwards.

We didn't have time to bring rice today, but Xia Haitao is from here, so let him be our guarantor.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Haitao raised an arm high and loudly guaranteed, "I guarantee this. If you don't receive your rice within a month, just come find me."

If the people present were asked to fight the Japanese, many might hesitate, but if they only lost digging and carrying soil, there wouldn't be any problem at all.

It was Xia Haibo's uncle again who spoke first:
“Count me in. I don’t need the rice. As long as I can kill these Japanese devils, I’d give my worthless life to Commander Hu. How could I possibly have the nerve to take his rice?”

Then, countless voices of agreement arose, all expressing their willingness to help that night.

This included Xia Haibo, a 17-year-old boy who loudly proclaimed, "Count me in! I don't want rice either!"

At that moment, he felt an indescribable surge of heat in his heart and an inexplicable burst of energy throughout his body; he even forgot about being hungry...

(End of this chapter)