The soldiers laughed and said, "Platoon leader, this Japanese guy came here on horseback. Why did he push him here?"
"Why, you think I can't play with this thing," Sanbao replied: "I'll take a closer look when I get it back. It won't take long before I can ride it around. As for now, I'd better push it."
"Okay, let's push the cart." The cheerful soldiers immediately stepped forward, and several soldiers even climbed onto the cart.
They returned to the village where they were stationed, and what surprised Sanbao was that the people in the village did not come out to welcome them for their victory. On the contrary, people seemed a little panicked. Sanbao saw that some people were even carrying burdens and leading oxen.
The sheep seemed to be leaving.
"What's going on?" Sanbao was moved and surprised. He immediately asked his captain Qu Changlin to ask.
"No need to ask, these people are all timid." Qu Changlin replied directly.
"What's so scary about being timid?" Sanbao asked.
"Platoon leader Zhou, it's like this," Qu Changlin explained: "Not long ago, the neighboring village was injured by a rock rolling down the hillside when a Japs passed by. The Japs took revenge crazily. In that village, there was another
Murder and arson."
Sanbao understood that these people were afraid of revenge. Although they came here and reduced rent and interest, which made the people welcome them, they were facing life and death after all. Some people even complained against them. Some people would rather be honest.
In some lives where the Japs rule, in their view, whoever rules also pays for food. They just want a stable life. Even if the Japs come to steal food, as long as they don't resist, they can still save their lives.
Sanbao understands. It seems that the political propaganda requested by the superiors is necessary, but it seems that this will have to wait. Now what Sanbao wants to do is to prove to the villagers that as long as they are here, the Japanese will never come here to harass and plunder.
"Do you think this Japs will really come?" Sanbao asked Qu Changlin.
"It is said that yes, the Japanese are very crazy. They have never paid attention to the resistance of this generation, and the Japanese use brutal intimidation to prevent the common people from giving up resistance."
"Wouldn't that save us the trouble of looking for them?" Sanbao felt excited upon hearing this. In the past, when he and the troops were fighting against the Japanese, they had to gather around for reinforcements to attract the Japanese to ambush them, but now the Japanese came to the door on their own initiative.
"Captain Qu, there aren't any dangerous places around here where we can ambush the Japanese?" Sanbao asked.
"Yes, there are, but that's where you go into the mountains, and the Japs won't go there," Qu Changlin replied.
"You don't have to worry about it." Sanbao said immediately.
"There are several headlands near the mountain in the west, but will the Japanese go back?" Qu Changlin was still hesitant.
"Find the most dangerous place." Sanbao said.
"That's the tiger's mouth." Seeing Sanbao speaking with such confidence, Qu Changlin immediately responded.
"Gather all the soldiers in the platoon immediately." Sanbao immediately ordered.
The troops were quickly assembled. When they saw the fighting, the militiamen who had just returned from victory and those who had not participated asked to join the battle.
"Li Yong," Sanbao ordered: "Follow Captain Qu to the tiger's mouth and prepare for an ambush."
"Yes." Li Yong and Qu Changlin accepted the order.
"Shanzi, lead your squad to follow me." Sanbao continued, "Let's go and lead the Japanese to the tiger's mouth."