Lies often become facts. The difference between them and real facts is that they become facts after the fact because the liar wants to cover up the lie. Facts have already happened and are then described; lies are first described and then fabricated. Therefore, the fabricated lies are also facts, but they are just described in advance.
The house of Widow Sun's parents in Xinghua Village collapsed. This was a lie made up by Class 9 in order to leave the Independent Regiment. Now, Class 9 also wants to make up for this lie. Of course, it is impossible to tear it down and rebuild it. At least they have to discuss it with Widow Sun. Even if they can just help her build a sheepfold, it will be fine as long as it can prove that Class 9 has indeed been there.
After trading with the Second Company in the barren mountains, Class Nine parted ways with them. The Second Company had to take a small path in the valley and take the things buried there with them before returning to the Independent Regiment, while Class Nine had to go directly to Xinghua Village to find some work to do at Widow Sun's parents' home.
Every time she walked a distance, the little girl would take out the half box of candy from her bag, sniff it carefully for a while, then repack it and complain: "It's too evil, the bastards in the second company are really evil, they actually count the bullets according to the number of candies, one bullet for each candy, how can I eat this! Fox, I told you no, why didn't you listen?"
Hu Yi walked with his head down, ignoring the little girl's complaints. Even for the Japanese, this was a luxury item, Morinaga candy. When the 67th Army captured this thing on the battlefield, they fought hard to get it. They could use it to bribe their superiors and to visit prostitutes without having to pay, because this thing could not be bought with money. One bullet for a piece of Morinaga candy, in Hu Yi's mind, this price was too cheap. The lifestyle of the Eighth Route Army was completely different from that of the old army, which determined that this thing could only be regarded as candy, which was not a bad thing, at least it restored its original value.
Hu Yi didn't respond, but Luo Fugui couldn't stay idle. He picked up the tail of Xiao Hongying's words: "Stinky girl, you just don't know how to appreciate the blessings you have. As the saying goes, food is the most important thing for the people! Boss Hu, this is called following the will of heaven and the will of the people. You are a truly good leader, don't you understand?"
"Eat, eat, eat. All you do is eat. There were two cans of beef at noon, and you ate one by yourself. Now I'm going to make you vomit it out!"
"You guys eat slowly, who can you blame?"
Xiao Hongying and Luo Fugui started bickering with each other, when they suddenly noticed that Hu Yi in front of them suddenly stopped. The two stopped talking, tilted their heads and looked forward again. In the distance ahead, they saw Ma Liang running back hurriedly.
Ma Liang rushed to Hu Yi in one breath and said breathlessly: "Brother, the devil, I saw the devil!"
Hu Yi could not help but frowned deeply and asked in a deep voice: "How many are there? How far away are they? Which direction are they heading?"
"Too many to count. Behind the ridge ahead, just like us, heading towards Xinghua Village."
How could there be devils here? Puzzled, Hu Yi immediately led the ninth squad to quickly run to the ridge ahead and climbed up the ridge in secret.
Facing the afterglow of the setting sun, a long team was winding its way through the valley on the west side of the ridge, with a shining plaster flag interspersed at regular intervals.
"Oh my god, why are there so many? Did they fall from the sky?" The scene in the valley was so eye-opening that Luo Fugui almost fell to the ground.
Hu Yi carefully looked at the size of the team in the distance below the mountain. There were nearly a thousand Japanese soldiers in a battalion, and several hundred puppet soldiers. It was probably a battalion. He finally understood that they were the ones he encountered in the nameless village. He couldn't help but whispered, "The ghosts are still there!"
Ma Liang looked at the team below and felt familiar: "Brother, are you saying, it's them?" Seeing Hu Yi nod, he asked anxiously: "Are they coming for the independent regiment again? Then, let's go back to Dabeizhuang and report it?"
Hu Yi's eyes were still fixed on the valley below, and he asked Ma Liang, "How far is it to Xinghua Village?"
"About thirty miles."
Hu Yi thought that Xinghua Village was to the west of Dabei Village, and this valley meandered northward and led directly to Xinghua Village. If the Japanese already knew that the Independent Regiment was in Dabei Village, then they should not continue to go north, but should leave the valley, turn northeast, and head straight for Dabei Village. Seeing that the team below was still moving slowly, it meant that they did not know where the Independent Regiment was, and perhaps they just came here on impulse.
Hu Yi guessed correctly. This was the suppression force that set out from Meixian. They suppressed Black Wind Mountain and destroyed Wuming Village. After being broken away from the Second Company, they began to wander around in the mountains, but never found any trace of the Eighth Route Army. So they changed their purpose of the suppression and began to rob villages and burn villages, looting everywhere, and accidentally came to the north. Today, their destination is Xinghua Village.
"They probably don't know the location of the independent regiment yet, but they will probably go to Xinghua Village." Hu Yi directly stated his judgment, and then immediately issued an order: "Carry the girl on the mule, and the rest of you go back to Dabei Village and report the situation to the regiment. Hurry!"
Ma Liang was stunned: "Brother, what about you?"
Hu Yi handed the barrel of the machine gun on his waist to Ma Liang, then put the Type 38 rifle on his back and tightened it, and while retreating down the ridge, he replied, "I'm going to Xinghua Village."
Xinghua Village was only 30 miles away from Dabei Village. It had been developed into a part of the base by the independent regiment. There were women's federations and militias. If it was attacked by the devils, the end would be a massacre, not just the food stolen from the villages that were unaware of the situation. Therefore, we had to get ahead of the devils and notify Xinghua Village to evacuate.
Ma Liang understood Hu Yi's idea, nodded, and led the nine squads down the hillside, running northeast. Hu Yi ran along the back of the ridge towards Xinghua Village in the north.
When the last bit of afterglow of the setting sun disappeared in the sky, Xinghua Village at the foot of the mountain appeared in Hu Yi's sight. Hu Yi covered his ribs with his right hand, gasping for breath, his back was completely soaked with sweat, and he continued to run hard. Running in the mountains and running on flat roads are two different things. Hu Yi's tough body almost turned into a drowned chicken.
Suddenly two people jumped out from the side, one of them holding a musket: "Stop! Who are you?"
It was obvious that this was a militia on guard. Hu Yi finally stopped, resting his hands on his knees, and took a few deep breaths before raising his head: "Hu Yi from the Independent Regiment. The Japanese are coming, go and notify the villagers to evacuate. Quick!"
"What!" The two militiamen were shocked. One of them immediately said to the other, "Go and report to Captain Hao. Quick!" Then he ran to Hu Yi and helped him up: "How is it? Do you need my help?"
Hu Yi waved his hand: "It's okay, I'll be fine after a rest. By the way, who is Captain Hao?"
Xinghua Village has a militia team, and the leader must be the captain, so who is this company commander? Hu Yi was puzzled and asked casually.
"It's the third company commander of your independent regiment, Hao Ping."
Hu Yi was puzzled: "Why is he here?"
"The third company came to our Xinghua Village this afternoon to collect food supplies. They just loaded the food and are still in the village."
Oh, Hu Yi finally understood and nodded, then he heard the militiaman add: "Secretary Su is here too, to guide the work of the Women's Federation. He just passed by here and went to Shuxia Village in the southwest."
Plop—
Hu Yi finally fell down...