As soon as Tiegang left with the cavalry battalion, Xu Rui immediately called Wang Husheng to him.
"Old Wang, hurry up," Xu Rui said, "call the civilians immediately to load the supplies into trucks and transport them away."
"What are you talking about?" Wang Husheng said blankly, "Old Xu, didn't you let me slow down yesterday?"
"Yesterday was yesterday, and now is now." Xu Rui did not explain too much to Wang Husheng, and said directly, "Hurry, gather the civilians, and the supplies must be transported before noon today."
"There's really nothing we can do about you." Wang Husheng walked away confused.
At noon, Wang Husheng recruited 2,000 civilians and more than 2,000 wheelbarrows from the town and a dozen large villages nearby, and promised to load all 200 tons of supplies for the 18th Division.
More than two thousand civilians soon embarked on the journey north again carrying 200 tons of supplies.
Xu Rui called Wan Zhongshan to him again and said, "Lao Wan, you take the 1st Squadron and escort the supplies north."
It is actually not that far from Dameishan to Linhuaiguan, and the Dameishan Independent Brigade has already been attacked along the way, so there is no need to worry about being attacked by the Japs. However, you still need to beware of attacks by bandits and Huidaomen armed forces. In addition to Dameei In mountainous areas, the Huidaomen armed forces in surrounding counties and towns have not yet been cleared.
It would be a joke if the Huidaomen in any county or town were armed to rob the supplies.
"Captain, hasn't Xiang Tianhu already sent Iron Steel's cavalry battalion over?" Wan Zhongshan asked in confusion, "Why do you still need us to send troops to escort you?"
Xu Rui rolled his eyes when he heard this. Tell me, why are you so honest
Xu Rui said angrily: "Didn't Tiegang's cavalry battalion help us go to Dong Village for counter-mopping up?"
"Can't we just wait for them to come back?" Wan Zhongshan scratched his head, still a little confused, "Calculate the time, they should be back in a few hours, it shouldn't be less than two or three hours, right?"
Xu Rui became angry and shouted: "Go if you are told, why is there so much nonsense?"
"This is such a serious matter, why did everything go so well?" Wan Zhongshan was still confused, but seeing that Xu Rui was so angry, he didn't dare to say anything more and hurriedly summoned the troops and went out.
Just after Wan Zhongshan left, Xu Rui asked Sai Hongfu to send a telegram to the 18th Division to borrow troops.
The telegram said: The Dameishan base area was raided by the Japanese gendarmerie in Pukou. Since the Japanese raiding force was mainly motorized infantry and cavalry, which were highly mobile, the Dameishan Independent Brigade was exhausted, so it wanted to ask the cavalry battalion to stay temporarily to coordinate operations. , of course, Xu Rui also repeatedly promised that the cavalry battalion will be returned to the establishment after the counter-mopping up.
At the end of the telegram, Xu Rui also added a special sentence: Let Xiang Tianhu make up a telegram to Tiegang, so that Tiegang can stay in Dameishan in peace and quiet to fight against the raids.
(Dividing line)
Xu Rui's telegram soon arrived at Linhuaiguan.
At this time, Xiang Tianhu was studying the suspicious movements of the Japanese in front of the map. When he looked up, he saw Chief of Staff Yan Yuhui suddenly walking in with a strange look on his face.
Seeing Yan Yuhui's expression, Xiang Tianhu asked: "Chief of Staff, what's wrong with you? Are you suffering from hemorrhoids?"
"Master, what you said is serious." Yan Yuhui shook his head and said angrily, "You'd better take a look at this first."
After saying that, Yan Yuhui handed over the telegram in his hand, and Xiang Tianhu took it blankly, but only glanced at it, and his eyes immediately widened.
"Okay, why is this kid so happy? I only lent him 100 tons of supplies, and he directly gave me 200 tons. It turns out that he and I are laying an ambush here!" Xiang Tianhu slapped the telegram on the table and said angrily, " Damn it, this kid really knows how to reach out at the right time. How dare I not borrow troops from me at this time?"
A staff officer next to him said: "If I don't borrow the master's seat, my reputation will not be good."
"It's not just a bad reputation?" another staff officer said, "If the master dares not to borrow it, he will dare to withhold supplies and refuse to give them. Who makes our 18th Division ask for it from him?"
"Oh, who says it's not the case? Those who eat people are soft-mouthed and their hands are short-handed."
Yan Yuhui shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's not just a matter of borrowing."
"It's not just a matter of borrowing?" Xiang Tianhu was stunned for a moment and said blankly, "Chief of Staff, what do you mean?"
Yan Yuhui smiled bitterly and said: "Master, don't you think that Xu Rui used his 200, oh no, 300 tons to make a deal with his 300 tons of supplies?"
"Buy or sell?" Xiang Tianhu was stunned, obviously he hadn't reacted yet.
A staff officer next to him came to his senses and said horrified: "Does Xu Rui still dare to use the cavalry battalion to deduct supplies?"
"Can't you?" Another staff officer was also horrified and shouted, "The cavalry battalion is the darling of our division!"
"How dare he!" After hearing this, Xiang Tianhu finally reacted and immediately shouted, "How dare he attack my cavalry battalion? Give them both the courage!"
It is true to say that Tiegang's cavalry battalion is Xiang Tianhu's treasure. The establishment of more than three hundred and nearly four hundred cavalry has never been short of personnel. Whenever one is lost, Xiang Tianhu will immediately change. The replenishment of moves is in place, and the people added to the cavalry battalion are not new recruits, but all veterans.
Where did these cavalry come from, you ask
Don't forget that the 59th Army has a cavalry brigade!
Guarding a cavalry brigade, Xiang Tianhu is still worried about not being able to recruit veterans who are good at cavalry combat
Just because Xiang Tianhu was always poaching, the cavalry brigade commander had sued Xiang Tianhu several times in front of Zhang Zizhong, but Xiang Tianhu didn't care at all. If you sue you, I will poach mine.
Just because of this matter, the cavalry brigade commander Yao Jingchuan had already severed ties with Xiang Tianhu.
Yan Yuhui chuckled and said, "Master, now you know how uncomfortable it feels to be poached, right?"
Xiang Tianhu was at a loss for words. He had always been the only one poaching others, but now it was finally his turn to poach someone else's corner, and a whole cavalry battalion was involved in the poaching. Wasn't this a thorn in his side
A staff officer exclaimed: "Xu Rui will really seize the cavalry battalion and not return it, right?"
"No?" Yan Yuhui shook his head and said, "Just wait and see whether Xu Rui can do it or not?"
Although he only had a few contacts with Xu Rui, Yan Yuhui could already tell that this guy was a coward.
Another staff officer said: "If he does this, isn't he afraid of causing friction between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party? Even if he dares, the senior officials of the New Fourth Army and the Yan'an side will not sit idly by and watch, right?"
"Friction?" Yan Yuhui asked, "What friction is there? I'm just happy that our 18th Division borrowed supplies from them, but we don't want them to borrow some cavalry from our 18th Division? Besides, they didn't say they wouldn't return it. Everyone has said that when the counter-mopping up is over, the cavalry battalion will be returned to the camp immediately. Even if we want to complain to the top, we can't find a reason."
The staff officer then said: "When the sweep is over, there is no reason for Xu Rui to hold back the cavalry battalion, right?"
"Wait until the sweep is over?" Yan Yuhui chuckled and said, "When the sweep is over, the war of resistance will be won."
Xiang Tianhu shouted: "Damn it, isn't this Liu Bei's borrowing money from Jingzhou? Did he borrow it or not pay it back? It's a big loss, it's a big loss, I've suffered a big loss this time. If I had known this, I shouldn't have let it go yesterday. Go to Gangzi's cavalry camp, damn, it's really like hunting geese all day long, but in the end, the geese peck you blind."
Yan Yuhui asked: "Master, will this telegram be replenished or not?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Several staff officers shook their heads at the same time.
"It's okay if we don't make up for this telegram, and the cavalry battalion can be restored soon." Yan Yuhui shook his head and said, "It's just that the materials borrowed by the commander from Xu Rui will be gone."
"Damn it, are you going to kill me?" Xiang Tianhu slapped the military cap on his head on the table, scratched his bare head with his big hand like a cattail leaf fan, and roared, "Make up, right now Send a telegram to the cavalry battalion, and let Gangzi stay in Damei Mountain to counter-mopping up with peace of mind. When the battle is over, I will go to Damei Mountain in person and say to Xu Rui, humph, he will obediently return the cavalry battalion when the time comes. I, that’s it, if you don’t want to pay it back, hum.”
He sneered twice and showed a ferocious look on Xiang Tianhu's face.
Yan Yuhui immediately returned to the communications office and sent a telegram back to the Dameishan Independent Brigade.
(Dividing line)
Damei Mountain area.
As the sun set, Tiegang returned with more than 300 officers and soldiers from the cavalry battalion, dusty and tired.
The battle that day was actually very easy. There was actually only one squad of Japs who came to raid Dongcun, and the rest were newly formed puppet troops. As a result, the cavalry battalion wiped out a squad of Japs with just one charge. , the remaining platoon of puppet troops immediately surrendered, and there was no real battle at all.
In terms of casualties, only two soldiers of the cavalry battalion were slightly injured.
So for the cavalry battalion, it was just a trip out.
There were still ten miles away from Shaqiao Gang, and Tiegang saw Xu Rui waiting on the road early.
Seeing Xu Rui personally greeting him from ten miles away, Tiegang quickly got off his horse, stepped forward and said, "Brother Xu Rui, you are too polite. It's just a dozen or so Japs. What a big deal."
"It should, it should." Xu Rui held Tiegang's hand and said repeatedly, "Gangzi, you have helped us a lot. If not for your cavalry battalion, when our independent brigade rushes over, Dongcun's The villagers must have finished causing trouble to the little devil a long time ago. If nothing else, I blame you for saving so many villagers in Dongcun, and I should welcome you."
However, Tiegang still remembered his errand and said: "By the way, brother Xu Rui, have the supplies been packed? Look, it's getting late. The master is still waiting over there. I think we'll leave now." .”
Xu Rui laughed loudly and said, "Gangzi, the supplies have been sent away long ago."
"Really?" Tiegang was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately said, "In this case, we won't go back to Meizhen..."
Tiegang was about to say goodbye, but Xu Rui said first: "Brother Gangzi, don't leave in a hurry. Our Dameishan base is facing a large-scale raid by the Japanese. The situation is very dangerous and we urgently need your cavalry battalion to stay to help. You also saw what happened in Dong Village today. If your cavalry battalion hadn't been there, the consequences would have been disastrous."
Tie Gang said: "Brother Xu Rui, it's not that we don't want to stay, but there is no order from the master..."
Xu Rui took out the telegram signed by Xiang Tianhu and said with a smile: "Brother Gangzi, look, Brother Xiang has already sent a telegram to your cavalry battalion." (To be continued.)