Under the night, the wine station. Tianlai novel. 23txt. com
There was a bonfire in the Jiuzhan Village on the opposite bank. Those were not the villagers, but the temporary garrison of the Second Company that arrived in the evening. The Jiuzhan was still on alert, with more guards and sentries, and scouts sent out in all directions that night.
On the open space of the wine station, there were two neat rows of more than twenty shadowy figures standing in military posture, holding guns. They were the second row of the ninth company.
Tian Sanqi held a torch in one hand, standing in front of the queue with his legs apart, facing the formation. The torch crackled occasionally, and the flame swayed unrestrainedly in the night wind, illuminating the expressionless profile of Tian Sanqi and the faces of the soldiers in front of him, who all faced him expressionlessly. Some were dirty, some were wrapped in bandages, and the blood was still on their uniforms.
"I've already ordered them to stop, why are you still pursuing?"
No one answered, they didn't want to answer.
The battle in the afternoon went surprisingly smoothly. Facing the long-range breakthrough attack by the first and second platoons of the ninth company, Li Yong lost more than seventy soldiers. After getting through the panic period, he failed to make the correct deployment. He did not choose to organize a counterattack, nor did he choose to rearrange to block the offensive. Instead, he issued an order to temporarily retreat to the north, resulting in a disorderly retreat. Nearly half of the more than seventy casualties were killed in the rout. If it were not for the forest, the losses would have been even greater.
After Hu Yi gave the order to stop, Tian Sanqi failed to stop his second platoon and chased them another two miles to the north, leaving the new second platoon leader completely humiliated.
"Because I'm from the Second Company? You don't agree, do you?"
Still no one answered, they had no interest in answering at all.
Tian Sanqi's eyes slowly swept across every indifferent face: "Then continue to stand! I, Tian Sanqi, came to the Ninth Company to stand! Or you can come to me, no need to fight one-on-one, as many as you want will do!"
After solemnly saying this, Tian Sanqi left. As the torches faded away, the two rows of troops gradually fell into darkness and continued to be dim.
"Are you going or not?" a soldier finally spoke.
Just as a figure stepped out of the line, there was a shout to stop them. Then a figure came to the front of the line. He didn't hold a torch or a lantern, but from the voice and the vague figure, all the soldiers knew that the person was Ma Liang.
Hu Yi asked Ma Liang to pick people to reorganize the first row. Ma Liang did not consider selecting the best, but basically used the people from his original first row, and most of the people left for Tian Sanqi were from the original second row.
No one was convinced by Tian Sanqi, but no one dared to disobey Ma Liang. It was not because they were afraid of Ma Liang, but because they respected him.
The soldiers who had stepped out of the formation hurried back, and the formation unconsciously adjusted itself in small steps, realigning itself into two lines, standing in line, ready to be reprimanded.
To their surprise, Ma Liang stood in front of them in silence for a long time, then suddenly sighed: "I was the one who buried Shi Cheng. But if I ask, who is the saddest about Shi Cheng's sacrifice? Who among you knows?"
"… "
Silence. Every soldier had his own answer, but none of them were sure. They didn't understand what the question Ma Liang asked had to do with the current situation.
"It's the mule! Not me, and not you. Remember, this is real."
After saying this, Ma Liang left. The soldiers in the second row were all stunned. There were too many questions they couldn't figure out. Mule was the saddest? How could it be possible? It was like listening to Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio! And why did Ma Liang ask such an irrelevant question? They couldn't figure it out! So the team continued to stand in the dark and didn't move.
…
Tiedan stood on the beach at night, staring at the dark and silent river. This was the beach on the east bank of the hotel.
The noise of battle, smoke, grenades, bayonets, stones, and blood continued in his mind.
At that moment, he had already decided to sacrifice himself on Baishitan. He became like a dying beast, with red eyes, grabbing the enemy and refusing to let go, until the Second Company rushed into the smokescreen like a god descending from the sky.
There is no sense of accomplishment from surviving, only endless confusion.
There were footsteps coming from behind. Tiedan turned around, recognized the person coming, and immediately turned around and saluted.
"Why are you here?"
Putting down his saluting hand, Tiedan was silent for a few seconds: "I don't know... if I am wrong. Can you... tell me?"
"You are wrong."
"… "
"You should retreat."
"But… "
"No buts. If you don't want to abandon the wounded and your captain, then continue to retreat with them."
"How is it possible..."
"Then give up on them. Do you think dying with them isn't giving up?"
Not long after, Tiedan was the only one left on the beach under the night sky, standing in the direction where the person had just left.
There were more footsteps approaching. Tiedan, who was dazed, turned his head to look at the vague figure that was getting closer and closer, then turned around again and saluted the person.
"What did he whisper to you?"
Putting down his saluting hand, Tiedan was silent for a few seconds: "I was wrong. I did something wrong."
"What a mistake!"
"… "
"Do you still have some backbone? Don't forget that you represent the First Company! The Iron First Company! Unbeatable, unchasable, and wherever you stand is a fortress!"
"But… "
"No buts! Good job! What a gun is, that's what a soldier is!"
"I… "
"Stand up straight! Your entire company is not wiped out yet!"
Tiedan tried hard to raise his head, tears rolling down the corners of his eyes, but they could not be seen in the dark night.
The visitor was finally satisfied with the tall and straight figure, and seemed not to want to say anything more, so he turned around and left.
Right or wrong, the two answers from the two visitors made Tiedan even more entangled. He waited until the sound of the receding footsteps completely disappeared before he raised his sleeves and wiped his eyes hurriedly, then faced the dark muddy river again.
At this moment, a flashlight suddenly lit up not far away, and the light beam illuminated the small stretch of beach whitely. A figure holding a flashlight walked slowly to Tiedan, raised his hand to signal Tiedan not to salute, then turned off the flashlight, sat down on the sand beside him, and fumbled for a cigarette and struck a match in the dark.
"I just went to check. He Gensheng said that your company commander should be able to hold on. There's no point in worrying. Ahem..."
"I am not worthy of acting as company commander. I am not worthy."
"Confused! Ahem... um... you shouldn't have listened to the nonsense of those two bastards."
"… "
"My words are blunt but my point is true! Don't you think about it? If they are so capable, why don't they just work together? Are they qualified? You have seen it before... They have nothing better to do than to mess with you! I am really impressed... One by one... cough..."
"But… "
"No buts! They are them and you are you, do you understand?"
"I am me?"
"Isn't it? Who else could you be if not you? Don't think about right and wrong. The Ninth Company was chased by the Japanese and wanted to jump into the river. His Second Company was almost wiped out by the Japanese. Which one is worry-free? And you have the nerve to teach you. What is right? If you think it is right, then it is right! As long as you follow your conscience and have no regrets..."
Tiedan couldn't help but salute for the third time, but the man sitting on the sofa smoking didn't notice at all, and continued to chatter towards the dark river. He seemed to be getting angrier and angrier, and he didn't stop after he turned into a complaint. He was not a competent instructor at all...