It was around nine o'clock in the morning on August 22, 1940.
Zhou Weihan held a telegram in his hand. This was Xing Zhiguo's report on the casualties. He had already reported the evacuation of Japanese aircraft before this.
Faced with the bombing by Japanese aircraft this time, the local troops led by Xing Zhiguo suffered more than 700 casualties, which was more casualties than in the Battle of Handan.
What is reported is a series of numbers, but behind them are living lives.
Only those who have experienced it know the horror of it.
Throughout the battles of the Eighth Route Army, even if the battle was won, the sacrificed soldiers were only hastily buried in order to move faster.
In order to avoid destruction by the Japanese army, they did not dare to leave even a piece of inscription on it. They could only mark it and leave it to be dealt with in the future.
In most cases, the soldiers could only expose their bodies in the wilderness without even a place to shelter them. After the war, many nearby people couldn't bear that their children would end up like this, so they secretly found a place to bury them.
It was said that we would deal with it later, but during the Anti-Japanese War, there were constant big battles and small battles, and countless soldiers died. Those buried today may be killed by the enemy tomorrow.
Zhou Weihan was stunned and didn't know what he was thinking. Zhao Gang hesitated for a long time and said, "Old Zhou, how can there be no battle without casualties? In these years, we have fought against the enemy, and have we not lost many comrades?"
"We are all fighting with the little devils with our heads in our belts. We live a life of today and no tomorrow. You always laugh at me for being a white-faced scholar. Don't you understand the principle of not being in charge of troops?" Zhao Gang
The political commissar showed his subjective initiative and stepped forward to comfort him.
However, he changed from his previous docile demeanor, and his words were full of iron-blooded coldness.
"Old Zhao, I really can't believe these words came out of your mouth!" Zhou Weihan said in surprise.
"Well, people will become tired and numb after experiencing too much and seeing too much. But we are commanders. Even if we are numb for a moment or feel discouraged for a short time, this is normal.
, but after all, we must not forget the ideals in our hearts, we still have more things to do!" Zhao Gang said with a resolute expression.
"Old Zhao, you are right!" Zhou Weihan suddenly understood.
There is no need to say more, the two of them spend a lot of time together, and one sentence is enough to explain everything.
Zhou Weihan couldn't help but sigh that he was lucky to have a comrade like Zhao Gang by his side who would always advise and warn him when necessary.
Most of the introductions of revolutionary martyrs in later generations are just a text, briefly describing their resume and military exploits.
But who knows, revolutionary martyrs may also have moments of difficulty, and there may also be times when the revolution fails and they act decadently.
Revolutionary martyrs are also human beings. Faced with today's collapsing situation and changes that have not happened in thousands of years, they are also confused in their hearts, but in the end, faith defeats confusion.
"Only those with great ambitions dare to teach the sun and the moon to change the sky!" Zhou Weihan thought silently in his heart, brushing aside his previous dejection and cheering up again.
In a mountain depression in Yongping, north of Handan, Xing Zhiguo's troops were resting here.
A man about the same age as Zhou Weihan, wearing the uniform of the Eighth Route Army, walked quickly through the bushes under the escort of the accompanying guards and walked quickly towards the place where the troops were resting.
The soldier in charge of security quickly ran to Xing Zhiguo to report. Xing Zhiguo immediately stood up and looked where he came from.
"Comrade Xing Zhiguo, you are finally here. I am very worried about you!" The man walked quickly to Xing Zhiguo and held Xing Zhiguo's right hand tightly.
"Commander Gui, when he came here, he encountered a Japanese plane and suffered many casualties. He had to deal with the wounded, so time was wasted!" Xing Zhiguo explained.
Brigadier Gui of the New Ninth Brigade saw that Xing Zhiguo was not in a high mood and said, "I also saw it just now. Many soldiers were defeated. You came out in a hurry, so you must not have brought any medicine. It just so happened that I was at the little devil's place in the past two days.
A lot of drugs were seized!”
"Guard!"
"arrive!"
"Go and notify the health team to come over and bandage and treat the injuries of the brother troops!" Brigadier Gui said loudly.
Xing Zhiguo wanted to say something after hearing this, but was interrupted by Brigadier Gui: "Zhou Weihan has given you to my command, then you must obey my orders. I don't want to hear any other nonsense!"
When the local troops set off, Zhou Weihan was equipped with a health team, but unfortunately, a bomb from a Japanese aircraft fell near the hiding place of the health team, and all members of the health team died.
Xing Zhiguo was not a pedantic person and nodded seriously.
"Handan City was captured?" Brigadier Rao Shigui had already learned the result of the battle from the telegram, but he couldn't help but ask in person.
"We defeated them. It took less than an hour to wipe out the enemies who were stubbornly resisting in the city!" Xing Zhiguo said.
"Good guys, it's amazing that your independent detachment defeated Handan City so easily!" Brigadier Gui was shocked after hearing this. He secretly compared the Xinjiu Brigade with the independent detachment, but he never moved.
He had the idea of attacking a Japanese stronghold.
"Commander Gui, what is the situation near Yongping now?" Xing Zhiguo brought up the topic.
"Haha, thanks to your big move, the Japanese troops were originally huddled in the city, and our New Ninth Brigade really couldn't do anything to them. But today, the little devils from the nearby counties have made some movements, intending to gather at Linming Pass in the south of Yongping County.
Going south, more than 4,000 of our troops were divided into three groups, targeting the Japanese troops in Jize, Quzhou, and Yongping respectively. Now they are at war with the Japanese troops!"
"I don't have the confidence to fight on the execution platform, but you are here and it is still possible to capture Yongping and Linmingguan stations! We can't let your independent detachment stand out!" Brigadier Gui said with a smile.
"Then what to do with the soldiers I brought!"
"Don't be impatient. You should take some rest during the day and join our troops in the evening!"
The words are divided into two parts.
Zhou Weihan and Zhao Gang entered Handan City here. The materials in the city were plundered, and most of them were shipped away in the first two transportations.
Many fellow villagers saw that they were going back with empty cars, so they targeted the stools, bed planks, and door panels of the Japanese military garrison. They even went so far as to clear out the bricks from the blown-up city walls piece by piece and load them into cars.
"This is really a good use of everything!" Zhao Gang said with emotion.
In this era, in the countryside, even landlords can buy a few brick houses made of blue bricks. It is very good for ordinary families to have an adobe house.
"I think this is feasible. It just so happens that we will deploy a defense system for Yamawang Mountain in the future. Necessary gun towers and bunkers are indispensable!"
"Monk, go tell Jing Dagang to blow up several buildings and city walls in the Japanese garrison in Xicheng and pick out the intact green bricks!" Zhou Weihan said.
"Old Zhou, you really pluck out your hair when the goose plucks out your hair, but leave the skin when the beast leaves!" Zhao Gang shook his head and said with a smile.
"Hehe, even if I have a bone, I can squeeze out two ounces of oil. Besides, it can cause some trouble for the little devil, and it can also delay the time of the raids in the future!"
