The Courtyard House: The Little Red Devil Returning from the Peninsula

After the First Battalion took control of the crossroads, the street fighting pushed westward from the north gate.

Old Zhou divided the three battalions into three groups. The first battalion went through the houses on the left wing, the second battalion went in through the alley on the right wing, and the third battalion pushed forward from the center.

The three groups advanced in alternating cover, each group separated by the distance of a courtyard. If any group was pinned down by Japanese fire, the other two groups would attack from the flanks.

The First Battalion was pinned down on the first street on the left flank.

The Japanese army set up three firing positions on the rooftops on both sides of the street. A light machine gun was positioned in a second-floor window, its field of fire covering the entire street. Infantrymen on the rooftops on both sides threw grenades down.

The battalion commander lay prone behind a low wall, firing a long burst from his pistol. The bullet struck a second-floor window, blowing a piece of the frame off. The Japanese soldiers retreated, then poked their heads out from the other side of the window.

"Too much firepower."

He glanced in his direction. The machine gunner from the first battalion had mounted his machine gun on the low wall and was firing in a fan-shaped pattern towards the window. The bullets hit the wall but didn't penetrate.

The Japanese army used blue bricks. Blue bricks are harder than earthen walls.

Old Zhou ran up from behind.

"How is it?"

"There are three firing positions on the roof. We can't advance."

Old Zhou looked up at the roof. A Japanese soldier's leather helmet flashed briefly behind the tiles.

"Bring up two grenade launchers."

"The grenade launcher is behind us."

"Have someone carry it."

The battalion commander sent two messengers down to the scene.

Old Zhou didn't leave. He crouched behind the low wall, staring at the roof. The Japanese soldier's leather helmet flashed again.

He gripped the wooden case of the Mauser pistol tighter.

"I'll keep watch here. You go and activate the grenade launcher."

The battalion commander rolled out from behind the low wall.

Zhao Weiguo wasn't on the street ahead. Ten minutes later, he and communications soldier Zhou Yuan climbed up the two-story building on the northeast corner of the intersection.

The small building was abandoned by the Japanese army. The Japanese heavy machine gun on the roof was damaged by the explosion, its barrel askew. There was a Japanese soldier's body on the stairs, killed by the demolition team of the First Battalion. Zhao Weiguo walked around the body and went up to the roof.

Zhou Yuan followed behind him, carrying a radio transceiver on his back.

From the rooftop, you can see the western half of the city.

Zhao Weiguo looked through binoculars.

Several plumes of smoke rose from the west of the city. Below them, Japanese soldiers in leather helmets could be seen running. The Japanese were retreating.

He moved the camera westward.

Old county government office.

The roof of the old county government office was visible through the smoke and dust. The antenna mast on the roof was still there. Next to the antenna mast were two flagpoles, the colors of the flags on them were indistinct, but one of them was the Japanese flag.

There were several sandbag fortifications at the entrance of the old county government office. Japanese troops were being mobilized behind the fortifications.

The prison was located to the west of the old county government office, near the city wall.

The prison roof was flat, lower than the surrounding houses. There were no antennas on the roof. There were no Japanese soldiers on the roof either.

Zhao Weiguo adjusted the focus of the binoculars towards the prison courtyard.

There were four Japanese soldiers in the courtyard. Three were standing guard at the gate, and one was patrolling inside the courtyard.

He pulled the camera back in.

Japanese troops were seen retreating from various directions towards the old county government office. The retreating Japanese soldiers carried sandbags, ammunition boxes, and wounded soldiers.

They are reducing their troop strength.

The target to the west of the courtyard is the prison, and the target to the northeast is the ammunition depot. The three form a triangle.

The Japanese army was determined to hold these three points at all costs.

"Zhou Yuan."

Zhou Yuan peeked out from the corner of the wall.

"Messenger. Go find Old Zhou. Tell him the Japanese are retreating. Tell him not to rush. Just hold the block."

Zhou Yuan ran down the stairs.

Zhao Weiguo did not come downstairs.

He waited on the roof for ten minutes.

For ten minutes, the gunfire ahead never stopped. The rattling of light machine guns and the muffled thuds of grenades alternated. The Japanese were holding out, but their resistance was growing weaker and weaker.

A messenger ran up from the bottom of the building.

"Commander, the First Battalion has advanced into the first street on the left flank. Grenade launchers have destroyed the rooftop firing positions."

What about casualties?

Three dead. Five seriously wounded.

"knew."

The messenger went down.

Zhao Weiguo raised the binoculars again.

He saw more smoke coming from the west of the city.

The messenger came up again.

"Commander. Commander Ding's messenger has arrived."

"Let him come up."

Ding Wei's messenger ran up the stairs. His uniform was covered in dust, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Commander Ding told me to tell the commander that reinforcements have been sent out of the city from Taiyuan. They're being transported by truck. They should reach Shiqiao before dawn."

"Where's the explosives at Ishibashi?"

"It's already buried. But blowing up the bridge requires waiting for the Japanese troops to cross first."

"Where is Kong Jie's position?"

"Commander Kong's new Second Regiment has already arrived at its positions on both sides of Yangshuling Mountain."

Zhao Weiguo mentally calculated the time.

It was 5 a.m., half an hour before dawn. It would take the Japanese army's vehicles more than an hour to reach Shiqiao.

If Ding Wei's bridge-blowing can buy two hours of time, Kong Jie's Yangshuling can buy two more hours, and the third line of defense can buy two more hours.

At most four hours.

"Tell Commander Ding that after blowing up the bridge, send someone to Yangshuling to meet Kong Jie."

"Yes."

The messenger ran down.

Zhao Weiguo came down from the rooftop.

There is a house that was bombed and collapsed at the street corner of the intersection.

The backyard of the house was empty. There was a half-collapsed mud wall in the yard, with an entrance at its base. The entrance was covered with a stone slab, covered with soil and grass.

Zhao Weiguo squatted down next to the entrance and tried to pry at the edge of the stone slab with his fingers. The slab didn't budge.

The monk squatted down next to him.

"Is this a sewer?"

"Hmm. Gardenia touched it a few days ago. This leads to the prison."

The monk lowered his head and took a sniff.

"Smelly."

"It stinks worse down there than up there."

Gardenia came around from behind the courtyard wall. Her face was covered in dirt, and there was a scratch on her nose.

"I've been down there. The pipe is narrow but passable. There are two turns in the middle. After the third turn, turn left, and you'll reach the prison's outhouse."

Did the Japanese army use this section of the pipeline?

"The outhouse was used by the Japanese army. There was no one inside the pipes, but Japanese soldiers patrolled the ground above them."

"What frequency?"

"One trip every five minutes. Four Japanese soldiers and a dog."

Zhao Weiguo thought for a moment.

How long does it take to get to the outhouse after going down the sewer?

"Fifteen minutes. Crawling."

Can you stand upright inside a pipe?

"No. The highest point is 1.3 meters."

Zhao Weiguo glanced at Zhi Zi. Zhi Zi was small, so this kind of place was indeed suitable for her.

"Zhou Yuan."

Zhou Yuan ran over.

"The messenger went to find Old Zhou. Tell him the Japanese are consolidating their forces at three locations: the old county government office, the prison, and the ammunition depot. I'll lead a detachment to infiltrate the prison area through the sewers. Tell him to surround the county government office on three sides and not rush to attack. Wait for my signal."

"Yes."

"Also, tell him not to use cannons when besieging the county government office. If it collapses, I won't be able to get in."

"Yes."

Zhou Yuan ran down.

Zhao Weiguo pulled out his pistol from his waist, took out the magazine to check it, and then put it back in.

"Monk. Come with me."

The monk remained silent.

"Gardenia, you lead the way."

Gardenia nodded.

She walked to the stone slab, squatted down, and reached her hand into the gap between the slab and the earthen wall. The slab was pried up slightly, and she pushed it with her shoulder. The slab flipped to one side, revealing a dark hole. Below the hole was a stone staircase, covered with a layer of shiny, sticky liquid.

A foul odor wafted out of the cave entrance.

The monk wrinkled his nose.

"Damn it."

"Be patient."

Gardenia went down first. She leaned half her body into the opening, her foot slipping on the step. She steadied herself and continued inside.

The monk went down second. He held the machete in his mouth and braced himself against the stone wall with both hands.

Zhao Weiguo was the last.

He put the stone slab back on. After that, the light in the cave was completely gone.

black.

Complete, utter darkness, where nothing can be seen.

The air was stuffy, smelly, and damp. A cool breeze blew in from the front, carrying the distinctive sour, rotten smell of the sewers.

"Stay close."

Gardenia's voice came from the front. Her voice echoed for a moment in the pipe.

Zhao Weiguo crawled forward, feeling his way along the pipe wall. The wall was made of stone, and moss grew in the cracks, making it slippery and impossible to grip. His knees and palms pressed against the wet stones, and his trousers were soaked within seconds.

The pipe was very narrow. There were only a few inches between the shoulders and the pipe wall.

He crawled forward.

After climbing several dozen meters, Zhi Zi's voice came from ahead.

"stop."

Zhao Weiguo stopped.

There was a sound above my head.

The sound of leather boots on stones. And the sound of dog paws scraping across the stone slabs. The sound of dog paws scraping across the stone slabs was sharper than the sound of human footsteps.

The sound passed overhead. It's gone.

"wait."

The sound of gardenias.

Zhao Weiguo squatted inside the pipe. The air inside made it hard for him to breathe. He covered his nose with his hand.

One minute.

Two minutes.

three minutes.

"Walk."

The sound disappeared.

Zhao Weiguo continued climbing.

The direction of the pipe changed. One bend. And then another bend. Gardenia led the way, her breathing clearly audible through the pipe.

"Third turn. Turn left."

After the third turn, Gardenia paused for a moment.

"arrive."

Zhao Weiguo heard her push something away. A ray of light shone in from the front.

The gardenia crawled out of the hole.

Zhao Weiguo followed behind her.

The entrance to the tunnel was next to the outhouse in the backyard of the prison. The outhouse was open-air, and the walls were only half a person's height. Next to the outhouse was an earthen wall. On the other side of the earthen wall was the prison yard.

Zhao Weiguo emerged from the cave entrance. He first squatted down against the wall without moving.

He first scanned the courtyard with his eyes.

There were four Japanese soldiers in the courtyard.

Three people stood guard at the gate. One person wandered around the yard.

The three Japanese soldiers on guard duty carried guns and kept their eyes on the outside of the courtyard. The Japanese soldier walking around was drawing something on the muddy ground of the courtyard with a wooden stick on which he was carrying a string of objects.

The prison door was open. It was pitch black inside.

Zhao Weiguo glanced at his position.

The base of the wall was ten paces from the prison door.

The three Japanese soldiers on guard had their backs to him.

"Monk."

The monk squatted beside him. His machete did not reflect light in the darkness.

"You come up from the left. Gardenia comes up from the right. I'll come up from the middle."

"Before we start, I'll count down. Three, two, one."

"Yes."

The monk and Zhizi groped along the wall to both sides.

Zhao Weiguo touched the handle of the Mauser pistol.

The three Japanese soldiers on guard duty were unaware of what was happening.

He counted.

three.

two.

One.

The monk lunged out from the left. His machete slashed across the neck of the first Japanese soldier. Before the soldier could even scream, blood gushed from his neck, and he collapsed to the ground.

Zhi Zi fired a shot from the right with her pistol. The second Japanese soldier was shot in the chest and fell onto the sandbag.

Zhao Weiguo fired two shots from his Mauser pistol at the third Japanese soldier. The first shot hit his shoulder, and the second hit his chest.

The three Japanese soldiers on guard fell to the ground in a second.

The Japanese soldier wandering around the courtyard dropped his wooden stick and tried to crawl into the prison cell.

Zhao Weiguo fired a second shot into his leg. The Japanese soldier fell to the ground, his gun falling from his hand.

"Don't move."

Zhao Weiguo walked over and pointed his pistol at his head.

The Japanese soldier stopped moving. His hand rested on the grenade at his waist.

Take your hand away.

The Japanese soldiers didn't listen. He was going to pull.

Zhao Weiguo fired a shot. The Japanese soldier hadn't even pulled the pin on his grenade before he fell.

The prison doors were open.

Zhao Weiguo glanced into the room through the door.

Inside the door was a large hall. On either side of the hall were rows of wooden railings. Behind the railings were prison cells. There were people in the cells.

There was a shadowy figure moving behind the wooden railing.

Gardenia.

"exist."

"Watch over the yard."

"Yes."

Zhao Weiguo walked into the lobby.

The monk followed behind him, blood dripping from his cleaver onto the ground.

The lobby was dark. There was an oil lamp on the wall, the wick of which was almost burned out, and the flame was only the size of a fingernail.

Zhao Weiguo walked to the nearest row of wooden railings. Behind the railings were more than a dozen people imprisoned. They were wearing tattered cotton-padded coats, and their faces were covered in dirt. When they saw Zhao Weiguo in his Eighth Route Army uniform, one of them opened his mouth to shout.

Zhao Weiguo shook his head.

The man shut his mouth.

Zhao Weiguo walked along the wooden railing to the back. The cells were one after another, each holding one or two people.

The innermost room.

A private room.

A person was sitting behind the railing.

The man leaned against the wall. His face was deathly pale. His clothes at the waist were soaked with blood, which had dried and turned into a hard, dark red crust. His hair was down, obscuring half of his face.

She looked up.

It was Yang Xiuqin.

Zhao Weiguo looked at her. He remembered the way she squatted next to the wounded soldiers in the cave dwelling at Baimaling.

She saw Zhao Weiguo and her lips moved slightly.

"Commander."

Zhao Weiguo holstered his pistol back on his waist. He picked up a piece of grenade handle that the Japanese had left behind and used the tip of the handle to pry open the cell lock.

The lock is made of iron. The lock cylinder was pried open.

He exerted force.

It's locked.

He pushed open the railing gate, went inside, and squatted down in front of Yang Xiuqin.

Where is the injury?

"waist."

"bayonet?"

"Um."

Zhao Weiguo reached out and lifted her clothes a little. The wound was below her left rib, the bayonet cut about three fingers wide. The edges of the wound were white, and no more blood was flowing out.

"I'll carry you out."

Yang Xiuqin did not move.

She looked at Zhao Weiguo.

"My medical kit. They took my medical kit. It's at the regimental headquarters."

Zhao Weiguo looked at her.

"Okay. I'll bring it to you tomorrow."

He turned to the monk.

"Carry her on your back."