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

A low, mournful horn sounded in the distance.

It wasn't the whistle of the Japanese army, nor the bugle call from Wanping City, but rather something rolling in from the direction of Changxindian, carrying the smell of iron and blood.

The deputy battalion commander suddenly looked up.

"That is..."

Zhao Weiguo did not answer.

He stared at the system panel, and suddenly a patch of green dots lit up in the northwest direction of the blue tactical line.

Friendly signal detection

[Direction: Changxindian-Lugouqiao Highway]

[Size: Battalion level]

[Distance: Approximately 1200 meters]

[Estimated arrival time: 8-10 minutes]

Outside the city, the Japanese officer holding the sword also heard the bugle call. He turned to look west of the bridge, his expression changed, and he shouted a series of urgent orders.

The Japanese infantry on the east side of the bridge stopped.

It wasn't a retreat, but rather a reorganization of formation—the front-row skirmishers lowered their bodies, the grenade launcher group in the middle was re-set up, and the heavy machine guns at the rear turned their muzzles to the northwest.

They are preparing to repel reinforcements.

When the garrison soldier surnamed Meng saw this, his throat tightened.

"Are they going to call for reinforcements?"

Zhao Weiguo nodded.

"Reinforcements are still on their way and haven't been deployed yet. The Japanese want to launch a preemptive strike while they are still establishing a foothold."

Old Xu tried to stand up, supporting himself with sandbags.

"Then let's..."

"Let's shoot them in the back."

Zhao Weiguo turned to look at the deputy battalion commander.

How many people are still able to move?

The deputy battalion commander glanced at the city wall.

The wounded soldiers leaned against the gatehouse, their bandages soaked through. Fewer than thirty soldiers were still able to stand, and half of their rifle magazines were empty.

"Twenty-seven of them can fire."

"That's enough."

Zhao Weiguo pointed to the Type 92 heavy machine gun outside the city.

"They turned their guns northwest, exposing their lower backs. The machine gunners took out the assistant gunner and ammunition handlers, the riflemen took out the grenade launcher team, and they saved the grenades."

The deputy battalion commander's throat bobbed.

"With our limited firepower..."

"We don't need to defeat them."

Zhao Weiguo looked in the direction where the green dots were rapidly approaching.

"Just let them panic for thirty seconds."

Outside the city, the figures of reinforcements have already appeared at the end of the highway.

They weren't skirmishers; they were a standard marching column. At the very front was a platoon of infantrymen carrying Hanyang rifles, followed by two Czech-made light machine guns, and then a mortar squad. Their uniforms were the gray cotton-padded coats of the 29th Army, and the number on their shoulder straps flashed in the morning light—219th Regiment.

A Japanese officer raised his sword.

The heavy machine gun muzzle was pressed towards the road.

Just then.

On the city wall, Zhao Weiguo suddenly swung his hand downwards.

"beat!"

Two Czech-made light machine guns opened fire simultaneously, their muzzles not pointing forward, but angled towards the lower backs of the Japanese soldiers east of the bridge.

Da da da!

The assistant gunner had just picked up the ammunition tray when his shoulder exploded, and he crashed into the heavy machine gun. The ammunition handler tried to cover for him, but the Type 38 rifles of the Meng-surname garrison opened fire.

Snapped!

The ammunition handler collapsed onto the ammunition box.

Just as the grenade launcher team adjusted its angle, a volley of rifles from the city wall fired in bursts.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

Three of the four gunners fell.

The Japanese troops' formation immediately fell into disarray.

The officer turned his head and saw the sudden burst of fire from the city wall; his face turned ashen. He roared something, trying to push the formation back down.

It's too late.

On the highway, the 219th Regiment has already deployed.

The infantrymen in the front rank lay prone, two light machine guns were set up, and the mortar crew began rangefinding. A major, holding a Mauser pistol, spoke in a voice as loud as thunder.

"Fire! Activate the firepower of the garrison at Wanping!"

Boom!

The first mortar shell landed next to the dilapidated house on the east side of the bridge, exploding into a cloud of black smoke.

The Japanese army was thrown into complete chaos.

The enemy pressed down on the city walls, reinforcements attacked from behind, the heavy machine guns in the middle fell silent, and the grenade launcher squads were scattered. The officer held up his sword and was still shouting, but the formation had already broken.

The deputy battalion commander lay prone behind the battlements, watching the retreating Japanese troops, and let out a laugh.

"They've cancelled! Those bastards have cancelled!"

A roar erupted from the city wall.

"Reinforcements have arrived!"

"They've driven them back!"

Zhao Weiguo did not shout along.

He stared at the Japanese officer.

The officer was still standing, his sword still raised, but his eyes were already looking further east across the bridge—where another group of Japanese soldiers was pressing in from the direction of Fengtai.

Not a squadron.

It's a large team.

Zhao Weiguo's gaze darkened.

"It's not over yet."

The deputy battalion commander turned his head.

"What?"

Zhao Weiguo pointed to the dust rising in the direction of Fengtai.

"They also have reserves."

On the highway, the major of the 219th Regiment also saw it. He raised his binoculars, his expression changed, and he immediately roared.

"All troops! Construct fortifications on the spot! Prepare to engage the enemy!"

On the city wall, a telephone operator climbed up the steps, still clutching the receiver cord in his hand.

"Battalion Deputy! Telegram from Beiping! Commander Song orders the garrison at Wanping to hold their positions and cooperate with the 219th Regiment to repel the Japanese!"

The deputy battalion commander glanced at the remaining ammunition.

The ammunition box is empty.

There are only two grenades left.

Only half of the ammunition plates for the two light machine guns remained.

He turned to look at Zhao Weiguo.

"Mr. Zhao..."

Zhao Weiguo stood up and looked at the Japanese troops regrouping outside the city.

"Give the brothers water, reload their ammunition, and bandage their wounds."

He paused, then added.

"The reinforcements brought ammunition. Have them send up a batch first."

The deputy battalion commander nodded, then turned and roared.

"Telephone operator! Tell the reinforcements that Wanping is short of ammunition! Have them send bullets and grenades first!"

Outside the city, dust was getting closer and closer from the direction of Fengtai.

Zhao Weiguo looked at the dust cloud and pressed his fingers against the pistol at his waist.

The gun is still there.

The person is still alive.

The city still stands.

Then we can still fight.