The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

Wang Yuan was immersed in joy when he heard this and looked up, saying, "Yes! That's right! With yours, we have five Type 38 rifles now! Four old-style rifles, and I'm the one using the Mauser C96."

Zhou Jindong nodded and began to offer his suggestions: "The Japanese Type 38 rifles have a long range and are accurate, and we have a surplus of the corresponding ammunition. The old rifles are too outdated, have a short range, and are difficult to obtain ammunition from."

What I mean is, gather all the Type 38 rifles in the team and give them to the best marksman! The rest can use machetes, spears, and broadswords to hold them off for now.

He glanced at the team members and patiently explained, "I know many of you think you know how to use a gun. But using a gun well and using a gun skillfully are two different things!"

Especially now that bullets are precious, they must be used wisely. Only by equipping the best gunmen with the best guns can we kill more Japanese soldiers and seize more weapons from them!

By then, everyone will have a gun!

Wang Yuan slapped his thigh and said, "Yes! Absolutely right! Jin Dong, your brain has really clicked after that fall! You think it through better than I have! Let's do it this way!"

He immediately turned around and called out names: "Erniu! Quanzi! Shitou! Brother Zhang!... You guys are all skilled hunters, and you... you... you guys, step forward!"

Soon, ten team members, including Wang Yuan and Zhou Jindong, stepped forward.

The two Type 38 rifles that Zhou Jindong had just handed over were immediately given to Sun Erniu and Wang Quan, who were recognized as the best marksmen.

The two Type 38 rifles that were originally in good condition were given to Wang Lei, nicknamed "Stone," and Zhang Fang, the oldest member of the team.

Each person was given ten bullets.

Wang Yuan was still holding his Mauser pistol.

The four old-fashioned rifles were assigned to four other team members who were also quite good at shooting.

The remaining team members continued to use melee weapons such as broadswords.

Once the weapons were distributed, the atmosphere immediately changed.

The team members who received their new guns were filled with excitement, rubbing them repeatedly, while those who hadn't received theirs were also full of anticipation.

"Brother Yuan," Zhou Jindong said, weighing the gun in his hand, "Now that we have weapons, we can't just guard the cave and wait for the Japanese to search."

We must take the initiative and bite the Japanese devils, at least to see if we can lure them to other places.

After all, it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you.

I was thinking, I'll take a few men down the mountain, patrol the outskirts of town, see if there are any lone groups of Japanese soldiers, or maybe we can set up a scout, make some noise, and maybe even bring back some extra cash."

Wang Yuan's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly, "Great idea! I'll go with you! It'll be a good opportunity to see just how capable you really are!"

He was extremely curious about how Zhou Jindong had killed three Japanese soldiers.

They say girls change a lot as they grow up, but Zhou Jindong seems to have changed even more this week!

He turned and called out two names: "Erniu, Quanzi! You two come with me! The rest of you, stay and guard the cave! Brother Zhang, you're in charge of leading the team! Keep a close watch on the cave entrance! If anything happens, immediately send someone to the old locust tree at the east end of town to report!"

"OK!"

"no problem!"

"Leave it to me!"

The crowd responded in unison.

Zhou Jindong also exchanged a few words with his father, handed the red-tasseled spear in his hand to the other man to keep for self-defense, and picked up the Type 38 rifle himself.

He was about to leave when his father, Zhou Yannian, stopped him. Zhou Yannian called him aside, whispered a few words in his ear, and then took out two small porcelain bottles from his pocket and handed them to Zhou Jindong.

Finally, Dr. Zhou looked his son up and down before patting him on the shoulder and telling him to go ahead and do it.

Zhou Jindong turned and took two steps forward, then, as if remembering something, turned back to one of the remaining guerrilla members and said, "Haozi, Haoye, when did you join the guerrillas? You're always wandering around town, you know the area well, come down with me!"

Su Hao, who had been standing timidly at the back of the crowd, was taken aback when he heard this. He seemed not to have expected Zhou Jindong to call him, so he involuntarily looked up at Wang Yuan beside him.

Wang Yuan was also surprised that Zhou Jindong would suddenly call Su Hao along. When it comes to familiarity with the area, no one here can compare to him!

However, considering that Su Hao had been very proactive recently, and that he might have some strengths that Zhou Jindong had taken a liking to but hadn't noticed, he nodded in agreement.

He couldn't help but think to himself, "Sure enough, my eyes are always right. Not only did I discover Dongzi's talent from a young age, but I also single-handedly saved that scumbag Su Hao. A prodigal son returning home is more precious than gold!"

Seeing that Wang Yuan didn't object, Su Hao hurriedly agreed, "Okay! Brother Dong, then I'll go with you."

Just call me Haozi. I used to be ignorant and even led a group to block the old man's pharmacy. But now I'm striving for improvement, otherwise I wouldn't have joined our guerrilla team!

"You're so kind, just ignore me and let it go! I've truly reformed, you can ask Brother Yuan if you don't believe me!"

As Wang Yuan led the way out of the cave, he said, "Right, right! This kid used to be a good-for-nothing, just a local hoodlum! But he realized his mistakes much earlier than you."

Moreover, they were particularly good at gathering information, and on several occasions they found out the Japanese army's movements in advance, allowing our guerrillas to evade the Japanese army's searches.

Even this raid was thanks to the information obtained by this kid. We could have made a small fortune, but instead, the Japanese devils raided our base!

Su Hao quickly nodded and bowed, saying, "It's all thanks to Brother Yuan's leadership! Of course, now with Brother Dong, our guerrilla force is even stronger, and we'll definitely be able to unleash our full potential and beat those Japanese devils to a pulp!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jindong merely glanced at Su Hao and Wang Yuan with a slightly strange look, without saying anything more.

Soon, Zhou Jindong, Wang Yuan, Sun Erniu, Wang Quan, and Su Hao, a group of five, pushed aside the vines at the entrance of the cave and crawled out.

Wang Yuan gestured, indicating that everyone should follow Zhou Jindong.

Zhou Jindong didn't say anything, but tightened the Type 38 rifle on his shoulder and looked down at the snow-covered hillside and the faint outline of Dongzhai Town in the distance.

Instead of taking the usual path down the mountain, he turned and disappeared into a thicket of mixed trees with overgrown branches.

The snow in the forest was even deeper, reaching above knee-deep in many places, making progress difficult, but the advantage was that there were almost no footprints, making it less likely to be spotted.

"Dongzi, this road is too difficult to walk on, isn't it? Why go through such a big detour? Do you think the Japanese devils know the terrain better than us?" Wang Yuanshen followed along, his steps uneven, and complained in a low voice.

"Difficult paths are safer." Zhou Jindong didn't turn his head. "The Japanese are definitely watching the main road up the mountain. This path is secluded and densely forested, which will help us avoid any spies they might have planted."

He used the barrel of his gun to clear away the dead branches blocking his path, moving lightly and quietly as much as possible.

Sun Erniu and Wang Quan, each carrying their newly acquired Type 38 rifles, followed cautiously behind, imitating Zhou Jindong's manner of carefully placing their feet.

Su Hao lagged behind, his neck hunched, his eyes darting around, glancing back every now and then.

"Brother Yuan is right, Brother Dong, the snow is too deep. It's difficult for anyone to come here. The Japanese devils definitely won't go through here!" Su Hao's voice was a little ingratiating as he quietly echoed Wang Yuan.

Zhou Jindong paused for a moment, but without turning around, he said calmly, "Save your energy and focus on walking. If you want to kill Japanese devils, you can't even endure this little bit of hardship?"

These words left Su Hao speechless for a moment, and he awkwardly shut his mouth.

Wang Yuan grinned, said nothing more, and just stared more intently at his feet.

The five walked silently through the woods, the only sounds being the crunch of snow underfoot and the occasional soft rustling of branches being parted.

It took them twice as long as usual to get around to the north of Dongzhai Town.

The terrain here is slightly higher, offering a panoramic view of most of the town.

They lay prone behind a snow-covered embankment, cautiously peering down.

The sight in the town made everyone want to rush in immediately.