The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 629 Rest and Recuperation (Two-in-One Chapter)

There was no toasting or drinking, and certainly no talk of drinking a thousand cups when you meet a bosom friend.

The meal was finished in an astonishingly short time.

After Hu Biao shouted, "Eat and drink well, everyone!" all that could be seen in the room was people holding Japanese pork kidney lunchboxes and shoveling food into their mouths.

Regardless of age, gender, or whether they were time travelers or natives, everyone reacted in the same way, as if they were all starving ghosts reincarnated.

Actually, if you think about it for a moment, such a scene is quite normal.

Since Hu Biao and his companions transmigrated here, they have not only gone hungry for three or four meals in three days, but also for staple foods such as rice and noodles, which they had long been accustomed to.

The situation for Xie Laoyan and the others was even worse than that for Hu Biao and his group.

In addition, these stews were made by Hu Biao himself. Not only was his cooking skill good, but he also put in 20 cans of Japanese beef, each weighing 150 grams.

How can these people resist such delicious food?

Not long after, the rice, made from one pound of rice per person, along with a stew of six cabbages and eight radishes, was all eaten up.

There wasn't even a drop of soup left in the bowl.

Even the three bottles of liquor on each table were divided among everyone, with each person receiving a little over an ounce, which they then finished in just a few gulps.

Then, after spending many days in the old forest, everyone was exhausted. After a hearty meal and feeling warm all over, drowsiness washed over them like a tide.

With a loud "Ah!", Hu Biao yawned heavily, wishing he could immediately lie down on the warm kang, cover his head with the Japanese overcoat, and sleep soundly for a long time.

However, driven by the responsibilities he bore and the caution he had developed from long-term battles with the Japanese, he mustered his spirits.

He pulled out most of a pack of "Aurora" brand cigarettes he had seized from the Japanese soldiers' corpses, and gave one to himself and the other four men, including Xie Laoyan. After lighting one and taking two deep drags to refresh themselves, he finally asked some crucial questions:
"Thank you, sir! We are exhausted and plan to rest here for two or three days."

But we just wiped out a Japanese punitive expedition. What if the Japanese soldiers smell us coming and trap us in the village?

When asked, Xie Laoyan did not answer immediately. Instead, he first emphasized somewhat embarrassedly, "Commander Hu, I am only 35 years old this year."

It wasn't to avoid the Japanese punitive expedition that I looked a few years older. I had been wandering around in the old forest every day and hadn't washed, shaved, or combed my hair for several days.

"I really don't deserve to be called 'Grandpa' by your title. I'll take the liberty of saying that from now on, you can just call me 'Brother'."

"Good heavens! You don't just look a few years older, I'd believe you if you said you looked 20 years older," Hu Biao and the others couldn't help but think to themselves.

However, along with this came a growing respect for people like Xie Laoyan.

After taking a few puffs of his cigarette, Xie Laoyan finally answered Hu Biao's question:

"Commander Hu, you and your officers can rest assured and take a break. There should be nothing to worry about. Judging from the personal rations you captured, this Japanese punitive expedition only set off today."

It would take at least four or five days before the Japanese soldiers in the city, having not received any news of them, sent people to search along the road and eventually find this place.

"We're not telling you you need to rest; we're all planning to stay here for two or three days before leaving."

Upon hearing the above explanation, Hu Biao and the other time travelers, whether novices or novices, all breathed a sigh of relief.

It's a little embarrassing to admit, but if they don't get a proper rest for a couple of days, they really won't be able to hold on much longer.

Hu Biao yawned again, then forced himself to stay awake and asked:
"Thank you, Brother Xie! We've been wandering around in the woods for a while, and we're all a bit confused. We don't know where we are or what day it is. You all know, right?"

This time, the question was posed by Li Tongfu, the man who had examined the Japanese soldier's toes.

He said, "This is Kaoshantun in Heli County. As for the date, it should be the 22nd day of the 12th lunar month of the Xin Si year. Tomorrow is the Little New Year."

The words had barely faded when another KL warrior named Ma Qianli objected: "No! Li Daye, you're mistaken. Today should be the 21st of the twelfth lunar month, and the day after tomorrow is the Little New Year."

After they finished speaking, the two began to argue about the specific date.

Xie Laoyan and the other two then joined in, each supporting a different version of events.

Faced with the above scene, Hu Biao and most of the time travelers looked at each other, completely dumbfounded.

It's not that I'm criticizing these people for probably getting lost in the old forest and not being able to remember the exact time, but rather that they've never even heard of the place name Heli County.

As modern people, we have no idea about this traditional sexagenary cycle system of reckoning years.

Therefore, they had no idea which year the Xin Si year was, so asking was pointless.

Fortunately, there was someone sensible in the group, namely 803, a fellow Northeasterner sitting next to Hu Biao. After thinking for a moment, he quietly explained:

"I remember now! Heli County was a county that was temporarily separated from the puppet state of Manchukuo, which was supported by the Japanese.

The specific location should be Tangyuan County, which is under Jiamusi; the old forest we wandered in before is the Lesser Khingan Mountains, no wonder it took us so long to get out.

As for which year the Xin Si year is, I don't know either, but let me check.

After saying that, 803 got up from the kang (a heated brick bed), walked to the corner of the house, and picked out his own backpack from the pile of backpacks there.

After searching for a while, I found a yellowed book that looked quite old.

Good heavens! It's actually a perpetual calendar.

With a "pui" sound, 803 spit some saliva on his fingertips, then looked down and started flipping through the pages, quickly finding the relevant content.

But after seeing something or thinking about something, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

Fortunately, because he kept his head down, no one else saw this rapid change in expression.

It was precisely because of this that 803 managed to suppress the shock in his heart, quickly adjust his facial expression, and look up at Hu Biao, speaking in a calm tone:
"I think I drank too much hot water. Now I feel like my stomach is full of water. You damn bastard, do you want to go out and relieve yourself together? It would be good to have someone to keep you company."

Upon hearing such an outrageous request, Hu Biao instinctively wanted to refuse.

His kidneys are perfectly fine, so he doesn't need to go to the toilet so frequently. 803 has completely come to the wrong person. If he wanted to find someone, he should have asked Mr. Nanze, Xufeng, or even AT, those married men.

When he saw 803 blinking at him suspiciously twice, he immediately knew something was wrong and agreed on the spot.

Then, a man wearing a Japanese army overcoat went out.

Just as he stepped outside, a gust of cold wind blew in, and Hu Biao immediately shivered violently.

Damn it! If it weren't for the way 803 was acting, clearly having something important to say, he probably would have retreated back into the house on the spot.

So, the two of them arrived at a dry toilet, and Hu Biao hurriedly asked, "What's going on? Tell us quickly so we can go back inside. It's freezing here."

But 803's reply made Hu Biao forget all about hurrying back to warm up:

According to Li Tongfu and others, today should be February 6th or 7th of the 2st year of the Republic of China, which is 42nd year.

If I remember correctly, on February 12th, General Zhao from KL in Northeast China was killed in a sneak attack by a traitor during an assault on the Japanese garrison at Wutonghe.

The General Zhao of Northeast KL naturally refers to the famous Zhao Shangzhi.

For modern people, the General Yang from Northeast China is probably more familiar, and many people may not have even heard of this General Zhao.

Hu Biao and others, who were constantly studying the history of the War of Resistance Against Japan, knew that General Zhao was a great predecessor who was no less than General Yang.

He was also one of the founders of KL in Northeast China, and was known as "Yang in the South and Zhao in the North" and "Lion of the North" with General Yang.

He was a major threat that the Japanese hated to the core. While lamenting, "Small Manchuria, but a huge Zhao Shangzhi," they offered an astonishing bounty:
An ounce of bone is worth an ounce of gold, an ounce of flesh and blood is worth an ounce of silver.

In short, if they hadn't encountered this, it would have been fine. But since they've come here and encountered this situation, they must make sure General Zhao avoids such a crisis.

After pondering for a moment, Hu Biao asked a very crucial question:

"How far is it from here to the place where General Zhao was shot by the traitor, that is, the Wutong River?"

803's habit of wandering around during holidays in the modern world and climbing mountains came in handy again. He pondered for a while based on his memory.

The answer was given: "If you take the highway, it should be around 150 kilometers. But if you take a mountain path, I don't know. You'll have to ask Xie Laoyan and the others."

Hearing this, Hu Biao breathed a sigh of relief.

Even according to Li Tongfu and others, the latest day is February 7th, which is 5 days before General Zhao's sacrifice.

They could rest for two or three days before setting off again, which would still give them plenty of time. However, this two or three days of rest was very important to them; because rescuing people was easy, but the difficulty lay in the possibility of their identities being exposed after the rescue, which would mean facing the Japanese devils' relentless pursuit.

If they weren't mentally and physically strong enough, they really wouldn't have much confidence in escaping alive.

If we fail to save people and instead cause trouble for the ancestors of KL, that would be terrible.

"I understand about this. Now go back and get some rest and sleep. We'll set off to rescue people early in the morning of the 10th, the day after tomorrow. Three days should be enough time to travel."

I'll take the opportunity to tell everyone about this before we set off.

803 nodded heavily, also looking relaxed.

He is indeed a native of Northeast China, but after these past few days of arduous work in the forest, he is also exhausted and longs to rest for two or three days.

Having put their worries aside, the two returned to the house.

Addressing a room full of yawning people who looked drowsy, Hu Biao began to give instructions:

"Including today, I've decided to rest here for three days to recover my energy and strength. Since everything is alright, everyone can get some rest now."

There are only three large kang beds here, which is definitely not enough for so many people to sleep on.

How about this? The women will sleep in one room, the KL guys in another, and the newbies in another; the rest of you can go and tidy up the slightly dilapidated house in the next yard, and plug up the holes in the roof and windows. It will still be habitable.

Oh, right! Before you rest, Xiao Cui, you and 803 should go and treat Lao Yan and the others' injuries.

Use whatever medicine is needed; don't be reluctant to use it.

In addition, until tomorrow morning, I, AT, Black Star, Doctor, Chaozi, Huang Adi, Wizard, Mo Shuiyan, Xiao Henan, Lao Ma, Lao San, Zhi Xiang and others will be on guard duty in pairs, with each shift lasting two hours.

When changing shifts, remember to add some wood to the stove to make sure the room and the kang (heated brick bed) are warm enough.

"You consumptive devil, you're in my group. Let's start now."

After saying that, Hu Biao picked up a pair of size 41 shoes and went out, intending to wash them clean with snow while on guard duty and dry them by the stove later.

What else? If my delicate girlfriend were to develop smelly feet, wouldn't that be a terrible thing...?

******
When Hu Biao woke up again, it was already bright outside the window.

I glanced at my watch and saw that it was already 9:02 a.m. the next day.

Good heavens! He remembered that after he finished his sentry duty yesterday, it was only a little past 5 p.m., even though it was completely dark.

That means I slept for almost 16 hours straight.

But I slept so well that night. As our ancestors said, the best way to maintain health is to sleep.

When Hu Biao sat up from the kang (a heated brick bed), stretched while wearing a military overcoat, he still felt a bit sluggish, but his condition was much better than yesterday.

Just then, a head popped out from the doorway; it was Mina, Mina's cheap sister-in-law.

Upon seeing Hu Biao, the girl exclaimed with delight, "Brother-in-law! You're finally awake! Everyone's waiting for you to make breakfast."

"You guys can be lazy to death, but if I sleep until noon, are you going to just starve forever?" Hu Biao muttered under his breath.

However, she still got up and walked towards the kitchen.

It's all because he knows that while many people on the team can make breakfast, it's not easy to make something delicious with limited ingredients.

So, it's time for him to really show off his specialty, "Northeastern corn porridge".

Sure enough, when the belated breakfast finally began, even without adding any sugar, Hu Biao's corn porridge was still soft, sticky, and smooth, with the rich aroma of grains and a hint of sweetness.

In addition, there were some steamed buns made from two kinds of flour and some pickled vegetable shreds that were seized from those traitors yesterday.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on everyone's foreheads, making them feel even better.

Even Xie Laoyan and the others, whose wounds had been retreated and bandaged yesterday, and who had been injected with valuable anti-inflammatory drugs such as penicillin, were much more relaxed and able to move around today...

After breakfast, everyone except Nana either continued to catch up on sleep or entertained themselves with the captured chess pieces, playing cards, and other games.

Or he would chat idly with Xie Laoyan and others, exchanging only a few words.

They might boil water to wash themselves and their clothes, or they might be busy with other things in their room.

Just like in the modern world, they entered a hibernation state of eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating.

So, on the 7th day after they arrived, there wasn't much to say.

Firstly, the medical staff from both Team 803 and Xiao Cui took this opportunity to conduct a physical examination for everyone and found that everyone had frostbite of varying degrees.

Old K and the thug were the most seriously injured; if they weren't careful, their toes would be completely frostbitten and they would have to have their limbs amputated.

Secondly, Zanana is actually the most resistant to the cold among the team members, and is currently in the best condition; after breakfast, she was bored, so she took her bow and arrows and went out.

When they returned around 1 or 2 pm, they were carrying a wolf weighing 60 or 70 pounds.

This added a big pot of steaming wolf meat hot pot to this Lunar New Year's Eve in northern China.

Thirdly, taking advantage of the free time today, Hu Biao and the others found out about the six remaining newcomers and their general situation, and thus completely accepted them.

Today, after a difficult trek through the Lesser Khingan Mountains, we have come into contact with the ancestors of Northeast China.

He personally witnessed Hu Biao and his men kill more than thirty traitors and Japanese soldiers. Now, those naked corpses are frozen stiff in the snow at the entrance of the village.

These people not only fully accepted the reality of time travel, but also knew the difficulties and risks involved, so the information they provided should be largely credible.

Code name: Frost, which is Sun Shuang mentioned earlier.

Standing at 196 cm tall but weighing only 67 kg, he is both tall and thin, so the nickname "slender stick" has almost already been reserved for him.

However, although this guy is skinny, he has muscles in his bones and is quite strong.

A 5-year veteran of the PLA, he won third place in a divisional competition and participated in the 93 Great Lunar Reconnaissance.

He has systematically studied communications, including radar relay and wired radio, and is proficient in Morse code; he is a capable fighter with a wealth of professional skills, making him a highly sought-after talent for the team.

The only problem is that Annie often finds this guy secretly staring at her, so if she's not mistaken, he's a simp?
Code name: Awei, and also a fellow Hunan native of Hu Biao and Xu Feng.

He graduated from a prestigious 985 university in China with a degree in metallurgical engineering. In the modern world, he works for a steel company and has extensive theoretical knowledge in metallurgy.

Maybe it's because I sit in the office for too long, anyway, my physical condition is just average.

Even so, everyone was still quite happy to have such a member join them; after all, during the Republic of China era, we were far behind in the steel industry.

If this guy could find an opportunity to pass on his skills to our Party, it would undoubtedly play a huge role.

The prerequisite is that he performs well enough to satisfy Hu Biao and the others during the upcoming time travel, and they are willing to accept him into the team.

Code name: Dongzi, a ride-hailing driver in the modern world. He was originally a senior executive of a company, but was laid off after the age of 35 and has been unable to find a decent job since.

He's said to be good at programming, and he seems rather honest and simple, or perhaps he's been beaten down by society to the point of being honest enough.

Code name: Taro, a junior at a university majoring in instrumentation.

Wearing thick glasses and somewhat short and stout, he has the air of a typical STEM guy; however, he himself admits that people shouldn't have too high expectations for his professional knowledge.

Because he was a terrible student, he would hide in his dorm playing video games all day, and he would fail at least half of his courses every semester.

Code name: Tony, around 20 years old, rather thin, is an apprentice at a barbershop in Hangzhou.

What are your personal special skills? I'm not sure if washing, dyeing, and styling hair count?

Code name: Xiaobai, that is, the older female newcomer, 36 years old, whose profession in the modern world is indeed a live streamer, the kind that skirts the edge.

The Mongolian people, specifically those from Hulunbuir, are known for their excellent resistance to cold and strong physical constitution...

(End of this chapter)