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

The old mine map is not the way.

Those three thin lines on the paper have been obsolete for over a decade. There's not a single word on the diagram indicating which section was flooded, which section collapsed, or how many supports remained.

Two old miners went in first to explore.

Master Guo and Master Chen carried only an oil lamp, a hemp rope, and two pieces of chalk. An hour later, the two emerged from the abandoned mine entrance, their cotton-padded jackets covered in wet coal sludge at the elbows. Master Guo placed the lamp on the ground; the wick was already glowing red.

"The western path is no good; the water is waist-deep. The middle section is completely collapsed. The eastern path is passable, but you have to climb the first mile, and then there's a section with knee-deep water."

"What about ventilation?" Zhao Weiguo asked.

"There was an old ventilation opening, half-blocked. We had to clear it first. The oil lamp had been lowered twice inside; no one could run away."

"Staff?"

"Rotten. It'll keep falling down after the cannon fire."

The monk listened from the side, taking off his hat and putting it back on.

How many people can get in?

"Twenty heads. Any more than that, and it'll be hard to even turn around."

"How long does it take to go round trip?"

"Empty-handed, almost three hours. Carrying explosives, let's say four. If it collapses inside, no one can predict the outcome."

Zhao Weiguo looked at the monk.

"Twenty people. Not a single position can be missing, and not a single one can be added."

The monk put his hat back on properly.

"I'll go."

"If you go, who will lead the special operations team?"

"Cao Xiaoman can handle it."

"Cao Xiaoman is an engineer, not a special operations soldier."

The monk swallowed his words, then spat them out.

"Then I'll go too. I'll delegate the special operations to my deputy. I won't feel comfortable leaving the work below without me."

Zhao Weiguo looked at him for a while.

"Okay. You lead the way, Wang Donglai will be in charge of the demolition. Once we're down there, you'll listen to him."

The monk smacked his lips.

"I should listen to him? I'm eight years older than him."

"He knows more than you do."

The monk stopped arguing. He turned to look at Wang Donglai—twenty-four years old, not very tall, and his shoulders looked even narrower with the explosive pack on his back. Wang Donglai was squatting on the ground checking the wires, detonators, time-delay detonators, and spare fuses. After checking them once, he asked Cao Xiaoman to check them again.

"Electrically detonated fuses aren't always reliable," Wang Donglai said. "Water accumulation can damage the wires."

The monk asked, "What if it breaks?"

Wang Donglai patted the spare bag.

"Eleven minutes of fuse. Enough for us to climb out a bit."

"Just one paragraph?"

"You want to escape underground?"

The monk didn't urge him any further.

The team took attendance on the spot.

Five demolition experts, led by Wang Donglai. Four engineers, including Cao Xiaoman. Four special operations soldiers and four guards. Master Guo and Master Chen led the way. The last one was a monk.

The twenty task cards were put into a cloth bag and then returned to the individuals one by one. Zhao Gang stamped the back of the list and told everyone to put their fingerprints on it.

The monk scanned the list.

"Bring them all back."

Zhao Gang didn't agree with him.

"Once we get back, we'll check them one by one. If anyone's name is missing, it has to be included."

Wang Donglai stuffed the task card into his inner pocket. He stood up and nodded to the monk.

"Squad leader, listen to me."

"Alright." The monk picked up the straw and said, "If you tell me to go east, I won't go west. But if you tell me to dive into the water, I'll curse you first before I dive in."

Wang Donglai smiled but didn't reply. He turned around to inspect the explosive charge, touching each fuse repeatedly.

Before midnight, Old Zhou fired the first shot.

The two damaged mountain guns have been towed away for repairs, and the rotatable guns are being deployed in groups at their new positions. Shells are being fired only at the machine gun positions on either side and the road, avoiding the old mine shafts. Mortar shells are running low, so the artillery crews are deliberately extending their intervals, firing three rounds at a time before reloading with two more.

Duan Peng led two battalions to maneuver in the direction of Shibalipu, forcing the enemy to leave their remaining reserves on the ground. Zhi Zi guarded the radio station; the enemy's main station was still transmitting, requesting railway reinforcements and urging the rear guard at Heisonggou to clear the way. The telegram made no mention of underground surveillance.

Twenty people entered from the abandoned mine entrance, three miles away.

The first section was so low that he couldn't even lift his shoulders. The explosive charge rubbed against his back as he moved forward, the metal buckle making a dull thud when it hit the stone. The monk climbed quickly, and when he looked back and saw that the others had spread out, he was about to urge them on when Master Guo grabbed his trouser leg.

"The light is too low."

The oil lamp flame shrank to the size of a soybean.

The people in front stopped, and those behind stopped too. No one spoke; only the sounds of clothes brushing against the coal face and water dripping from the cracks in the rocks could be heard. The engineers used short shovels to clear the ventilation holes, passing handfuls of excavated coal sludge back. Only after the lights were turned back on did Master Guo allow them to leave.

"Down there, being one step ahead can suffocate the people behind you."

The monk nodded. He didn't urge him a second time, no matter how slow things got.

The section with knee-deep water was even colder.

Cao Xiaoman lost his footing and half his body sank. The guard next to him grabbed his shoulder strap, but the explosive pack hit the rock wall. Wang Donglai stopped and checked the cap again to make sure it wasn't cracked before putting the pack back on his back.

The monk stood in the water for a while; the water was above his knees, and it was so cold that his teeth ached.

"Damn, this water is colder than the snow outside."

Wang Donglai didn't even turn his head as he walked ahead.

"Don't stand there. Walk. Your legs will get stiff if you stand for too long."

More than three hours had passed when the group reached the bottom of the old mine.

Footsteps could be heard overhead. Someone pushed a chair, the phone rang twice, and the generator coughed intermittently. There was an old concrete base between the coal seam and the ground.

When Wang Donglai drilled the first test hole, the drill bit hit a hard surface before going in very deep.

He pressed his ear to listen, then shook his head.

"It's right below the base. When it explodes, the blast will spread to both sides, preventing the house from collapsing completely."

The monk asked, "Where should we change to?"

Wang Donglai climbed down the alley wall a dozen steps and then drilled a second hole. Coal fragments fell down, and there was a hollow sound behind the hole.

"here."

The three groups of explosives were placed separately.

One group was positioned at the command post base, another near the communications room, and a third close to the generator foundation. The demolition team was stuffing explosives, filling in mud, and wiring, while the engineers reinforced the escape route. Master Guo stared at the old wooden beams overhead; with each tremor, dust fell from the beams.

Ground artillery fire ceased for a while.

The only sound in the mine tunnel was the generator.

When the appointed time arrived, the three mountain guns opened fire almost simultaneously.

Wang Donglai pressed the electric ignition switch.

There was no movement.

He pressed it again.

Still not.

The monk stared at him.

"Is the cable broken?"

Wang Donglai picked up the test wire; the copper wire was wet.

"The section with water accumulation is leaking electricity. Use backup."

He cut the wire and connected an eleven-minute time-delay detonator. After pressing the cap down, he struck a match. The first match was extinguished by the moisture, but the second one lit the fuse.

Tiny sparks drilled into the pipeline.

"Walk."

Retreat is slower than invading.

Everyone moved out in reverse order, with the guards going first and the demolition team last. The artillery fire shook the old support structure, causing pieces of wood to fall. Just as the column passed the knee-deep water, a wooden beam collapsed from behind, pinning the calf of the soldier at the back of the column.

The man cried out, his voice muffled by the coal wall.

The monk and Cao Xiaoman climbed back, lifting the beam with the log only half a hand's breadth off the ground. Wang Donglai used his shoulder to brace against another cracked beam next to them, temporarily preventing the stones above from falling.

"Drag him away!"

Cao Xiaoman grabbed the wounded man around the waist and pulled him out. The boot was stuck under the beam, and the monk couldn't pull it out. He used a knife to cut open the boot and dragged the man and his socks out through the narrow gap.

Master Guo was counting the hours ahead.

"Only two or three minutes left!"

Wang Donglai relaxed his shoulders, and the wooden beam sank a bit. He felt the direction of the fuse, confirmed that the fire had passed, and turned to chase after it.

The first explosion was muffled underground.

On the ground, the old mine building at Liujiapo suddenly jolted. Window frames, antennas, and half a wall flew off together. The second set of explosives followed, and the area where the communications room was located caved in. A third explosion came from below the generator, and a gust of wind rushed in from the mine tunnel, extinguishing all the oil lamps.

Everyone lay prone in the water.

The rear support structure broke one after another.

The section where Wang Donglai was first hit by falling rocks, and then the entire roof collapsed. The monk heard someone shout, but when he turned around, he only found his hands covered in coal dust and broken wood.

"Wang Donglai!"

There was no response after the landslide.

The monk tried to crawl back, but Master Guo grabbed his waist.

"We can't go back! It's going to collapse again!"

"The person is still inside!"

"You'll just be buried there anyway!"

The monk struggled twice but couldn't break free. Master Guo's grip was so tight that his fingernails dug into the monk's cotton-padded jacket.

The second collapse occurred just a few steps away. Coal dust spewed out from the crack, completely sealing off the next section.

The team could only climb outwards.

When the nineteen men emerged from the cave, it was already dawn.

The monk emerged last, his face covered in black mud. He stood at the cave entrance, counting the people from beginning to end, then counting them again.

nineteen.

The injured person on Cao Xiaoman's leg is still alive, though their foot was crushed. The others have abrasions, coughing, and frostbite, and that's about it.

The monk poured the retrieved task tokens out of his bag.

Wang Donglai's area is not there.

He reached into his clothes and pulled out a wooden plaque covered in coal dust. During the rescue before the collapse, Wang Donglai had tucked it into his collar; neither of them had a chance to speak.

The monk held the wooden plaque in his hand for a long time.

Cao Xiaoman walked over and glanced at the sign.

"Class monitor..."

"Don't speak."

The monk tucked the wooden sign back into his clothes, squatted at the cave entrance, and faced the direction of the collapse.

The ground battle did not end immediately due to the explosion.

Zhi Zi first confirmed that the enemy's main radio station was silent, and then the other two radios also went down. The First Regiment lost unified command, and the reactions varied from place to place. One battalion retreated to Heisonggou and ran into the roadblock battalion; another battalion retreated to Liujiapo and continued to resist; several companies held their positions and did not receive any orders to surrender or retreat.

Zhao Weiguo ordered the process to proceed.

Old Zhou moved the artillery fire from the old minehouse to the retreat route, and Duan Peng led his troops to cut the position into sections. After each section was captured, the infantry stopped to collect the wounded, escort prisoners, and replenish ammunition, preventing the rear guard from crowding into the gap.

The captured radio was set up, and the translator called out to the lost squadron. While the first group of over two hundred men laid down their weapons, another squadron was still firing from the ravine.

Before noon, the core position of Liujiapo was cut into four pieces.

At 3 PM, the last organized resistance ended. Small groups of Japanese troops still managed to sneak into the mountains, and the cavalry stopped at the designated clearing line. Those whose bodies were not seen could not be recorded in the death column.

They kept calculating at the five tables until dark.

The First Regiment actually deployed approximately 3,800 men. About 2,700 were confirmed dead, 1,000 were captured, and about 100 escaped. The regiment's organizational structure was destroyed, but the escaped individuals were still required to provide intelligence to local authorities for continued pursuit.

Our army suffered 174 dead and 496 wounded in the entire campaign.

The 86 dead and 231 wounded from the previous phase have already been recorded. An additional 88 dead and 265 wounded have been added since then. Wang Donglai is counted among the 88; we cannot add one more.

Four infantry guns, either intact or repairable, a batch of mortars and grenade launchers, and fifteen ammunition wagons were captured. Only six wagons were immediately usable; the rest had to be towed back for repairs. Food and ammunition were only enough to supply the front lines for three days, far from being fully stocked.

During the final stage, the number of troops deployed for the four-column campaign reached 50,000.

The official strength remains at 15,500. 14,500 are undergoing training and replenishment. 8,000 are local armed forces. 12,000 are supporting friendly forces and those working on external lines.

Additional troops were deployed to guard the outer lines, clear the mountain roads, transport the wounded, and watch over the mining areas and military supply depots. Liujiapo could not accommodate 50,000 people, nor could it accommodate 50,000 people rushing up this slope.

When the monk arrived at the regimental headquarters, he placed the mission card on the table.

"One less."

Zhao Weiguo did not ask about the results of the battle first.

"name."

"Wang Donglai. Twenty-four. Demolitionist."

Zhao Gang opened the list of casualties, found the line among the newly added 88 people, and rechecked the mission list, the number of people entering the cave, and the number of people leaving the cave.

The sacrifice has been confirmed.

The body has not yet been retrieved.

Unregistered missing persons.

The engineers sealed off the abandoned mine entrance, planning to organize a search after the secondary collapse stabilized. A wooden sign was erected at the entrance, indicating the time of the collapse, the underground location, and Wang Donglai's name.

Zhao Weiguo wrote two lines of comments on the cover of the battle report.

The initial report is for 174 casualties.

Another report came in that the First Regiment had been destroyed.

The monk put Wang Donglai's task card back into his clothes and went to guard the cave entrance for the rest of the night.

The wind was blowing down from Liujiapo, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't light a cigarette.

He struck seven or eight matches, but the last one was blown out by the wind as soon as it sparked. The monk put the matchbox back in his pocket and decided not to light it anymore. He just squatted there, watching the frost build up layer by layer on the wooden sign at the entrance of the cave.

The three characters "Wang Donglai" on the wooden sign were repeatedly rubbed by his fingers, and the ink had become somewhat blurred.

Cao Xiaoman walked over and squatted down next to him.

"Squad leader, he...he handed you the mission card at the end, was it because he wanted you to bring him out?"

The monk didn't answer. He gripped the wooden plaque tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"When he handed it to me," the monk whispered, "he said something."

"What did you say?"

The monk thought for a moment, then picked up the straw.

He said, 'Squad leader, the fuse is on.'"

Cao Xiaoman didn't ask any more questions.

The two men squatted at the entrance of the cave, looking at the wooden sign. Layers of frost had formed, covering the three characters "Wang Donglai".

The monk reached out and wiped off the frost, but it frostped up again, so he wiped it off again.

Even after wiping until dawn, the frost still hadn't formed.

He stopped wiping.