The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 617 Forget about Science (6,500 words)
Early in the morning of the 13th day of the rest period, the Hu family slaughtered a large, fat pig that they had originally planned to use for the New Year for Annie.

Just as Aunt Hu had said, the sauce made with fresh pork that was still warm and a small amount of offal was exceptionally delicious.

With the addition of bone broth and meat sauce, two ounces of rice noodles made up a large bowl, and Annie ate a pound and a half of it.

Well! Annie was originally thinking that she should eat less to maintain her image in front of Mr. and Mrs. Hu.

Later, remembering that he had even slaughtered a pig earlier, he simply ate his fill, bowl after bowl, until he was thoroughly satisfied.

Starting from a little after 3 p.m., all of Old Hu's relatives, including his aunts and uncles, came over one after another.

This is because, in rural areas of western Hunan, after slaughtering a pig, it is customary to invite relatives and friends over to eat "blood tofu soup".

Blood curd soup is a dish similar to the Northeastern Chinese stew made with pork.

The only difference is that the blood sausage in the pork stew has been replaced with small pieces of pig's blood, and the vermicelli and other side dishes have been removed.

There are vegetables like cabbage available, but in the recent trend in Xinning, a large pot is placed on a stove, and the food is heated and eaten at the same time.

When they've almost finished eating, they'll put all sorts of green vegetables in to blanch and eat.

At such an important moment, it was naturally Mr. Hu who personally cooked.

During his last time travel, Hu Biao had already mastered the entire Hunan cuisine; after making a large pot of blood tofu soup, everyone was completely satisfied.

I'm now completely convinced that this guy really did open a big restaurant in the capital.

On the other hand, these relatives of the Hu family were naturally there to visit Hu Biao's girlfriend.

Just like how all of Old An's relatives were very curious about what kind of boyfriend Annie, the little princess of the family, would eventually find.

Hu Biao's relatives were also curious about what kind of girlfriend this young man, who had been missing for several years after accumulating a mountain of debt, had suddenly brought back after making it big.

Of course! If Hu Biao could help their children or lend them some money, that would be an even better outcome.

So the situation that Hu Biao encountered in Shanghai is now being faced by Annie.

Hu Biao then took Annie's place and introduced his relatives one by one.

The difference is that, compared to Hu Biao's extremely troubled situation at the time, Annie, who has strong interpersonal skills, felt no pressure at all.

Not only did they easily remember the names of all their relatives, but they also learned about their family relationships, where they worked, and so on.

They quickly found topics that interested each other, and the two hit it off immediately.

Anyway, after finishing the blood soup and meat meal, all of Old Hu's relatives had reached a consensus: Old Hu's family had really struck it rich this time.

Hu Biao suddenly had a stroke of good luck, opened a huge restaurant, and made a lot of money.

Having a girlfriend who's as beautiful as a female celebrity is actually a minor thing.

Because they had seen some young people around them who, after getting lucky, earned millions or tens of millions of dollars in just one or two years.

But after he had money and got a beautiful girlfriend...

A large portion of them spend their days indulging in extravagance and waste money like water, quickly squandering all the money they've earned.

Instead, he ended up with a mountain of debt and couldn't hold onto his wealth.

However, within a few hours, they were able to ascertain that Hu Biao did not need to worry about losing his family business.

That guy's girlfriend is quite virtuous. As the old saying goes, "A virtuous wife is a blessing even Hua Tuo (a legendary Chinese physician) cannot cure." No, it should be, "A virtuous wife is a blessing even a man will not suffer misfortune."

If there has to be something that makes them feel dissatisfied.

Annie didn't marry into the family, but now she can be the head of the household in Old Hu's family.

If they wanted their children to work at Hu Biao's restaurant in the capital, there would be no problem; Annie promised to give them special training and to prioritize their talents if they were capable enough.

Given time, they will be able to settle down and establish a career in the capital.

But if you want to borrow money, it's no use talking to Hu Biao, or even Hu's parents. All three of them say that Annie is in charge of the money in the Hu family now, and they don't have the final say.

Then, looking at Annie's smiling face, the relatives realized they didn't know what to say...

On the 14th and 15th days of the rest period, Hu Biao fulfilled his promise to Annie during the daytime hours of the previous time travel.

I drove with Annie and we had a good time exploring the Langshan Scenic Area in Xinning.

Although Langshan Scenic Area is not very well-known, it was selected as a World Heritage Site more than a decade ago and became a national 5A-level tourist attraction.

The scenery of the Danxia landform is naturally excellent, especially when you ride a bamboo raft down the river among the mountains, with endless beautiful views on both banks.

After two days, Annie had a great time.

As for why it's during the day? That's a really bad question.

Two young people who had never had that kind of life before, after years of being celibate, suddenly experienced it and immediately became very close.

Often, a casual glance can reveal a spark.

By evening, no one would be in the mood to wander around elsewhere.

Even when the two were hiking in the scenic area during the day, if it weren't for the fact that it was during the National Day holiday and the scenic area was full of tourists, they would have been planning to find a secluded place to cool off.

Even if they ultimately couldn't find a place to cool off in the scenic area, the two would drive along a side road during their layover on the way to the next attraction.

Try it out carefully. Hu Biao just bought a Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It's best not to use the off-road mode.

As for what the Mercedes-Benz G-Class's off-road mode is, well, those who know, know...

On the 16th day of their rest period, which was also the last day the two of them stayed in their hometown, they wanted to spend more time with their families as they were returning to the capital city early the next morning.

Throughout the entire day, Hu Biao and Annie did not wander off.

I stayed home quietly, chatting with my parents, and we talked about how we'd demolish the old house and then spend a million or two to build a small country villa.

And a month or two later, the two elders and Annie's parents will find a time to meet in the capital to discuss when to get engaged and married.

Otherwise? Mr. Lu said that dating without the intention of marriage is just being a scoundrel.

And so, we encountered something worth mentioning.

After lunch, just as Hu Biao and Annie were about to go upstairs to their bedroom for a nap, several elderly people with the surname Hu from the village, including Old Man Hu, suddenly walked into their house together.

After Annie, with her keen eye, helped Aunt Hu pour tea for the people and served them fruit and melon seeds.

Instead of his usual joking demeanor, Old Hu took a rather solemn look and pulled out a thick, old family genealogy book from a faux leather briefcase.

He said to Hu's father and Hu Biao, "Ever since the Hu family's ancestral hall was demolished..."

More than 200 people with the surname Hu in Hujia Village want to worship their ancestors, but they haven't been able to find a suitable place for years. A few of us older folks discussed it and decided it wasn't a good idea.

Therefore, we plan to have each family contribute some money to rebuild the ancestral hall and also to compile a new family genealogy.

There's no hard and fast rule about how much each household will contribute; everyone can contribute what they can afford. However, a monument will be erected to record how much each family donated.

Seeing his father's eyes light up immediately after hearing the above statement, Hu Biao knew what was going on.

There was no other way! During the years I was lying low, my dad heard countless gossips and I lost face a lot. Now that I have the ability, of course I have to pick it up again.

After pondering for a moment, he offered what he considered a suitable amount:
"The elders believe that rebuilding the Hu family ancestral hall is a great thing, and our family would definitely support it wholeheartedly."

Okay then! I don't have much ability to do this, but please give me an account number later, and I'll transfer 200,000 yuan into it immediately as a token of our family's appreciation.

According to calculations by Hu Laoguanzi and others, since they don't plan to build a large ancestral hall, a few hundred thousand yuan would be enough, including the cost of compiling the genealogy.

Their first stop was Hu Biao's family, and they solved about 20% of the problems there, which was a great start and naturally brought them great joy.

He immediately showered Hu's parents with compliments, making them feel quite proud and causing them to beam with joy.

This situation persisted until Hu's father lost the Hu family genealogy during the Cultural Revolution.

He picked up the old family genealogy brought by Old Hu and others, and began to flip through it with great interest. He accidentally came across a page with not much content.

After reading the content above, I couldn't help but start complaining:

"To live a proper life at home, you need to have a family genealogy book."

Before naming your child, it's good to do some research to avoid having the same name as someone from the older generation; you can see that there was also an older person named Hu Biao during the Republic of China era.

Wow! He was a guerrilla commander and the head of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, and he made great contributions during the War of Resistance Against Japan.

I knew about this all along, how could I dare to give my son the same name? With all the messes he's made, how dare he call himself Hu Biao?

As soon as Hu's father finished speaking, Hu's mother leaned over for a look and said, "What a coincidence! This old man named Hu Biao's wife also has the surname An."

The above complaints, especially the statement "This kid doesn't even deserve to be called Hu Biao," reached my ears.

Hu Biao's face immediately darkened, while Annie couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He thought to himself, "It's no use! Even if you, Father Hu, make Hu Biao call himself Hu Gou Dan, the same name will still appear on this page of the old family genealogy..."

******
On the 16th day of their rest period, Hu Biao and Annie felt that they hadn't had enough time in their hometown in Hunan Province and wished they could stay for another ten days or half a month to get through it.

But then I think about how Deyuelou's hot pot base and braised food packets are almost all used up.

After realizing that things might get out of control if they didn't go back soon, they had no choice but to head back.

Even leaving a day later is not an option, because if we leave tomorrow, Hu Biao's G-Class license plate will be restricted from driving. Believe me, we won't even be able to enter the city center.

Early in the morning, after having breakfast, Hu Biao and Annie set off in their G-Wagon, which had been emptied at home but was now fully loaded again.

In the trunk and back seat, there were many local specialties from my hometown, such as chicken, duck, pork, free-range eggs, and oranges. There were even fifty kilograms of rice and about ten heads of Chinese cabbage.

All of these local specialties from their hometown were forcibly packed into the car by Hu's parents, as if they were trying to empty the Hu family's house.

Hu Biao originally refused to accept the rice and cabbage, as the extra fuel cost would have bought several times more.

However, despite his parents' insistence, Hu Biao's refusal had no effect.

In Hu's father's words: "Doesn't rice in the capital city cost money?"
No matter how good the cabbages in the capital are, none can taste as good as the ones he grows; Old Hu's cabbages are grown without any chemical fertilizers, but are carefully irrigated with plenty of farmyard manure.

Thus, Hu Biao, who had been home for a few days, was just like most young people in Hunan Province.

He went home for only a few days before leaving again to work hard in a foreign land.

Even though he was a native of Hunan Province, Hu Biao had long been used to the fact that for him and his friends, the coming-of-age ceremony was just a ticket to go out and work.

However, in the rearview mirror, I saw my parents standing in the yard seeing me off, waving continuously at the back of the car.

And then there are the memories of my dad, who was always so strong and powerful when he slapped himself, but now his back is slightly hunched; and my mom, who was always so energetic, now has some gray hair at her temples.

She couldn't help but sniffle, and her eyes inexplicably turned a little red.

Upon seeing this, Annie, in the passenger seat, reached out a hand and tidied Hu Biao's hair behind his ear.

At the same time, he suggested, "After I go back, I'll go look at houses and buy a bigger duplex. Once it's renovated, I can bring my uncle and aunt over to live with me."

Oh, right! After they arrive, take them to a major hospital for a thorough medical check-up.

"Okay, I'll do as the boss lady says. My mom has told me many times that from now on, my daughter-in-law will be in charge of everything in the Hu family."

Hu Biao, whose mood had clearly improved, gave this answer.

At 2:31 a.m. that night, Hu Biao and Annie finally returned to the Deyuelou flagship store in Panjiayuan.

The journey was approximately 1800 kilometers, and it took the two of them nearly 20 hours, taking turns driving, not because of traffic jams.

The two of them simply made a detour to Lingjiao Village in Tiantang Town, Ningyuan County, in the neighboring Lengshuijiang region after setting off, and had lunch there...

"Grandma, have a couple more bites! This is your favorite pork bone and chicken soup rice noodles, I specially went to town to buy it."

A middle-aged woman, looking at the rice noodles in front of her that she had only touched a few times, offered this advice to the centenarian woman who was lying on a bamboo recliner under the eaves, resting with her eyes closed.

After saying that, thinking about how the old lady's spirits and appetite had been getting worse lately, and how her body might not be able to hold on for much longer, she couldn't help but tear up.

Perhaps sensing her granddaughter-in-law's sorrow, Yin Jinhua opened her eyes.

In an unusually carefree tone, he began to say, "My dear granddaughter-in-law, don't be sad!"

No one can escape death. I was born in the second year of the Republic of China, and I am 113 years old today. They say that it is rare for a person to live to 70, and I am almost an old monster at this age.

Besides! Compared to my brothers who fought the Japanese back then, I've lived several lifetimes longer than them. Even if I die right now, it's still a huge gain.

These past few days, I've been dreaming about your grandfather frequently, and also about many of my comrades who fought alongside me against the Japanese invaders. It seems like we'll be reunited with them soon.

In the end, Yin Jinhua chuckled, her expression radiating a carefree indifference to life and death.

The flower, though carefully observing, still had a hint of sadness in its eyes, which flashed by in a very short time; after that, it closed its eyes again and fell into memories.

That's right! This Silver Flower is none other than the captain of Annie's personal guard during her last time travel.

Therefore, in the distant memories that resurfaced in Yin Jinhua's mind, she couldn't help but recall the various things that happened after the attack on Xiangyin County.

In the final, fierce hand-to-hand battle with the Japanese 6th Division, Yin Jinhua was seriously wounded.

Although he survived thanks to the best efforts of the military doctors from the 803rd and 74th Armies, he spent nearly half a year in the hospital recovering from his injuries before being discharged.

As a result, she and her husband missed the opportunity to return to Xinning City with the main force of the Hunan Provincial Supplementary Regiment of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

During the time she was recovering in the hospital, many things also happened in Zhonghua.

For example, in the southeast corner of Xiangyin City, the 9th War Zone used tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers' heads to build a very spectacular Jingguan (a mound of skulls).

On the day of its completion, the principal flew over again and held a grand ceremony on the mound of Jingguan to commemorate the spirits of the compatriots who died unjustly in Nanjing.

More than 200,000 soldiers and civilians spontaneously came to participate that day.

The mourning ceremony was filled with the deafening cries of more than 200,000 people, mourning the compatriots who had died tragically at the hands of the Japanese invaders in cities and villages such as Nanjing, Shanghai, Wuhu, and Taiyuan.

Chinese soldiers who died in countless battles against the Japanese invaders.

Secondly, they were crying for themselves, for they had encountered such a disastrous year.

After crying, they not only felt much better, but their resolve to resist the Japanese invasion was strengthened.

No other reason than that! The scene before them greatly boosted their confidence. The Japanese soldiers also had heads on their necks; cutting off their heads would mean certain death.

So if the Japanese dare to come, they dare to bury them, and then another Jingguan (a mound of corpses) like this can be built.

Furthermore! After Hu Biao and others left, the battle of Yichang City continued for more than two months.

It lasted until January 3, 1, when it came to an end. The Battle of C-Sha, in which Hu Biao and his group had previously traveled through time, was also officially declared over by the Nationalist government.

Unfortunately, Yichang City still could not be captured at this time.

The reason for this was that the Japanese had just suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of C City and could no longer bear the loss of Yichang City.

Therefore, at all costs, a large number of troops and weapons were dispatched to support Yichang City.

The two sides fought several more battles, and after suffering casualties on both sides, Commander Chen of the 6th War Zone ultimately failed to achieve his goal and could not change this regrettable history.

Luckily! On December 7, 12, the Japanese still managed to launch a surprise attack on Uncle Sam's house.

As in history, the soldiers suffered heavy losses in the surprise attack.

So when China and Uncle Sam's family officially became allies on January 1st, the battle in which Hu Biao and his men participated, with its brilliant results, became the Allied forces' first victory in the Pacific War.

This not only earned China widespread praise from the Allied powers, but the principal also earned the title of Commander of the Allied Forces' China Theater.

Of course! None of the above are that important for silver chrysanthemum.

Importantly, after recovering from her injuries and being discharged from the hospital, she originally intended to go to Xinning to join the Hunan branch of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

However, after half a year, there was still no news from Commander Hu, Chief of Staff An, and other officers; just then, a battalion commander from Commander Xue's guard regiment, with whom she had fought, came forward to personally recruit her and her husband.

They also promised that as long as Commander Hu and his men had news, the two of them could leave whenever they wanted.

Yin Jinhua and her husband subsequently became official military officers, working under Commander Xue until the defeat of the Japanese and the start of the war between the two parties.

Perhaps influenced by their time with Anne, the couple no longer wanted to get involved in this internal conflict.

After discussing it privately, they secretly left the Nationalist army one moonlit night.

The two first lived in Chenxi area of ​​Hunan Province for a period of time, and later Yin Jinhua followed her husband back to his hometown in Ningyuan County, Lengshuijiang.

For the next eighty-odd years, this woman from the Central Plains Province never left this place again.

In the span of those eighty-odd years, this former heroine on the battlefield against the Japanese became an ordinary peasant woman.

She laid down her weapons and farmed the land, herded cattle, raised pigs, chickens, and ducks, and built and managed her family with her husband.

They gradually built a new house and accumulated some wealth; they also had children, who grew up and they arranged for him to get married.

Then the child had a grandson, and she became a grandmother.

In the early 90s, her husband and son passed away before her. Yin Jinhua, who was already in her seventies, could only start living with her grandson.

Fortunately, her grandson and granddaughter-in-law, and even her other nephews and nieces, are all very filial, which allows her to have a good old age.

Throughout those decades, she never spoke to outsiders about the time when she joined the army to fight the Japanese invaders during the most perilous period for the country and the nation.

He even followed Chief of Staff An and personally killed seven Japanese soldiers in Xiangyin City.

One year, she went to the hospital because she was feeling unwell. When she rolled up her sleeves, the doctor saw that her arm had knife wounds and gunshot wounds, which led to the report to the police, and that's how the outside world learned about her deeds.

Subsequently, he received a minimum living allowance and a subsidy for centenarians.

In short, she asked herself if her life had been both glorious and mundane, and that the pain of losing her husband and son in her old age seemed insignificant compared to the tragedies of the war years.

Just as she told her granddaughter-in-law, even if she were to die now, it would be a huge gain.

Lately, I've been dreaming about my husband and former comrades-in-arms frequently, and knowing that my days are probably numbered, I still feel a little regretful.

Because she remembered that before she was sent to the hospital that day, Chief of Staff An said he would come to see her.

However, she waited for over eighty years, but Commander Hu and Chief of Staff An never came, which was her greatest regret.

Just as she was feeling a little down, she suddenly opened her eyes and was pleasantly surprised to see a young couple standing in her yard with smiles on their faces.

Although neither of them was wearing military uniforms, she didn't know why they still looked so young.

However, she was absolutely certain of one thing: it must be Commander Hu and Chief of Staff An; they really had come to see her.

That day, in a farmhouse courtyard in Ningyuan, Hu Biao personally cooked a table full of dishes; after eating the meal, the old heroine Yin Jinhua felt much better.

I'm afraid I could live for many more years without any problems.

Hu Biao and Annie were equally convinced of this point.

Don't talk to them about science; they believe in the good fortune that allows the old heroine to live on and see more of this prosperous world on behalf of her fallen brothers...

(End of this chapter)