War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1605: The Seeds of the First Guerrilla Team

In the mine, the clay stove burning all night long continued to emit a warm and dim light, as well as a fairly pleasant aroma of pine resin.

By the fire, four wounded men slept head to head and feet to feet in a square on the thick pine needles.

In a corner of the wounded square, Wei Ran was sleeping soundly with his head resting on the saddle.

In another corner not far away, a little girl named Yang Shiyi was measuring the body temperature of four sleeping injured people one by one.

This was the task assigned to her by Wei Ran. In addition, she was also responsible for feeding the four wounded soldiers.

Between the other two "corners", Hu Bazhi was, with the help of Miss Hongxia, using the mule skins he had previously stripped from the Japanese camp and the materials at hand to sew the boots that were essential for this cold winter.

Across a mine tunnel, in the "living room" where three large animals stood, the eldest daughter of the Sun family was holding an axe, chopping the firewood brought back from outside carefully.

At the entrance of the mine, the second daughter of the Sun family hid behind the door, and looked at the situation outside vigilantly through a specially poked observation window.

It was already the afternoon of the second day after Wei Ran and others returned. The snow outside the mine had stopped before dawn, but the wind was getting stronger and stronger, and the temperature outside was getting lower and lower.

In the morning, when Wei Ran, Hu Bazhi and the four girls went out to chop firewood, they could see from afar a pack of wolves driving a severely injured roe deer into the Wolf Trough.

This mine is undoubtedly a good place to spend the winter. Given the fierce reputation that the wolves outside have accumulated over the years, no one would be so bored as to come here and wander around.

Even because of the prey that the wolves drove into Langcaozigou and froze to death, as long as they took a little risk, the people hiding here would probably not be so worried about food.

But even so, the people hiding in the mine were still worried and couldn't calm down at all.

They were not worried about wolves getting in, nor were they too worried about whether there were any Japanese devils in the bandit's lair across several ridges.

What worried them was not only the missing Mr. Cui, but also the four wounded, especially Zhao Jinyu's injury.

After all, there was a cut in his abdomen by the bullet. Although the cut was not big, there was still a risk of infection, especially since his high fever had not subsided.

"Ah!"

In the quiet mine tunnel, Yang Shiyi couldn't help sneezing, then continued to shake the thermometer needle that had just been taken out of Zhao Jinyu's armpit, and clamped it under Tian Xiaohu's armpit.

"Wake you up?"

Seeing Wei Ran yawning and getting up, Yang Shiyi immediately asked apologetically.

"It's okay"

Wei Ran waved his hand, "Is it still burning?"

"Fever, 38 degrees."

Yang Shiyi said this worriedly as she folded a freshly washed towel and placed it on Zhao Jinyu's forehead.

He moved closer, turned on the flashlight and looked at Zhao Jinyu's face. Wei Ran calmed himself down and made himself completely sober. Then he carefully opened the bandage on his abdominal wound and moved closer to smell it.

Fortunately, the wound did not emit any bad smell, which made him feel somewhat relieved.

"Shiyi, you take the next step." Wei Ran took a step back, pointed the flashlight at the wound on Zhao Jinyu's abdomen and said.

"it is good"

However, Yang Shiyi, who was only fifteen or sixteen years old, was exceptionally calm. After washing her hands carefully, she opened the medical kit.

"Seeing that Wei Ran was not going to say anything, Yang Shiyi immediately picked up a bottle of iodine and a small enamel tray, poured a small amount of iodine into it, picked up a small piece of cotton wool with tweezers, dipped it in iodine and carefully smeared it on the sutured wound on Zhao Jinyu's abdomen and the surrounding area.

Wei Ran taught her these when he changed the dressings for Zhao Jinyu and others before going to bed. She even treated Zhao Jinyu and Tian Xiaohu's wounds personally.

After operating again after a few hours, the little girl's movements had become much more skillful, which made Wei Ran particularly satisfied.

As he watched, Yang Shiyi carefully applied iodine around the wound and deiodinated it, then carefully covered it with a thin layer of dressing, sprinkled some sulfa powder around it, and then re-bandaged it.

"Well done. Change the dressings on the other two wounds and the other injured." Wei Ran encouraged in time.

Hearing this, Yang Shiyi nodded immediately and continued to work under the beam of Wei Ran's flashlight.

"Can Brother Jin Yu survive?" Tian Xiaohu asked at this time.

"Yes, definitely."

While Wei Ran was speaking, he pulled out the thermometer from the other person's armpit and took a look next to the lamp. Fortunately, Tian Xiaohu did not have a fever.

"Do we have enough medicine?" Tian Xiaohu continued to ask.

“enough”

Wei Ran still answered confidently, "We have three or four Japanese medical kits, and the medicine inside."

"I'm afraid there's not enough medicine in there?"

Tian Xiaohu asked back before Wei Ran finished speaking, "We have four injured patients now. Even if we have four medicine boxes, how long can they last?"

Before Wei Ran could say anything, Tian Xiaohu continued to ask, "There are three large animals outside, and the daily fodder is not enough. How many days can they last?"

After a moment of silence, Wei Ran put the thermometer back into the medicine box and said, "Squad Leader Xiaohu, if you have something to say, just say it."

“The sick are a burden”

Tian Xiaohu glanced at Yang Shiyi who was changing the dressing for Zhao Jinyu, then looked away and continued, "Zhao Jinyu is a burden, I am a burden, and the two of Brother Shen, including the three big animals that don't work, are all burdens. It's getting colder day by day, and so many burdens will drag you to death."

"You can't say that"

Hu Bazhi, who was working not far away, said, "It's just a few mouths and a few big animals. How can I let you go hungry?"

"Where's the medicine?"

Tian Xiaohu asked, "Brother Hu is a hunter. He can catch prey to fill his stomach. Can you find life-saving medicine?"

"At worst, I can just drive my mule to get a doctor tonight!" Hu Bazhi said, "I know."

"You know shit!"

Tian Xiaohu said unhappily, "Where are you going to invite them? The villagers in the surrounding villages have been driven into the human circle by the devils. Go to the city?

"Let's not talk about whether they dare to come, aren't you afraid of attracting the Japanese? When the time comes, with so many of us, how many of us do you think can escape?"

"What's the plan, squad leader Xiaohu?"

Wei Ran looked at the other person straight and asked. He could see that this overly young squad leader probably already had some ideas.

"Before leaving, Captain Zhao slipped me a letter."

As Tian Xiaohu spoke, he reached into his arms with difficulty, took out an envelope and handed it to Wei Ran.

He took the envelope and saw the words "My little sister Jinlan" written on it with a brush. In addition, there was a string of Mongolian characters that he couldn't understand. Looking at one side of the envelope, it was not sealed at all, and the letter inside could be seen directly.

"The captain told me that if we couldn't find Commander Zhao, we should find a place to hide those things and return quickly.

If I can’t find them when I go back, I’ll just find a place to hibernate. If.”

"If what? Tell me?" Hu Bazhi couldn't help but urge.

"If we are at a dead end and don't know what to do next, just give this letter to Brother Jin Yu and then follow his arrangements." Tian Xiaohu said gritting his teeth.

For a moment, the cave fell into silence. No matter whether it was the shrewd Wei Ran, Hu Bazhi who pursed his lips, or even Yang Shiyi, everyone had realized something.

"Brother Wei, you can read, open the letter and take a look," Tian Xiaohu sighed, "I guess the captain wants to get us out of the way."

"Why?" Hu Bazhi asked in confusion, and his tone was filled with resentment of not being trusted.

"What?"

The wounded soldier named Shen sighed, "In order to keep us alive, what else can we do? Brother Wei, open the letter quickly and see what the captain wrote."

After a slight hesitation, Wei Ran took out the letter from the envelope in his hand and unfolded it.

The letter consisted of only three yellowed sheets of paper. The first two sheets were written with strings of Mongolian characters that he could not understand.

On the last piece of paper, there were lines of traditional Chinese characters written on it.

"I don't understand the first two pages," Wei Ran said after a pause, "Let me read the content on the last page."

"Read it, read it quickly." Tian Xiaohu urged.

"comrades"

Wei Ran cleared his throat which had become hoarse for some reason, "Since the beginning of winter, the situation of the anti-Japanese struggle has become increasingly severe, and our anti-Japanese fighters have reached the most dangerous moment.

By the time you see this letter, I have already moved with my comrades in the First Guerrilla Team and are ready to continue the guerrilla struggle.

Before we set off, I have handed the flag of the first team to Comrade Zhao Jinyu for safekeeping. Next, your task is to protect the flag and also protect yourself.

By next spring, if I and other comrades in the First Team are dead, you will be responsible for re-establishing the First Guerrilla Team, with Comrade Tian Xiaohu as the team leader. The other comrades will be appointed by Captain Tian Xiaohu based on the circumstances.

Remember, you are not deserters, you are the seeds of the First Guerrilla Squadron. I have reported this decision to Commander Zhao in the name of the captain of the First Guerrilla Squadron. As long as you are here and the flag is here, the First Guerrilla Squadron will be here.

Protect the flag, protect yourself, and protect the letters left by everyone. This is your most important task in the coming winter.

I have another letter for my sister Jinlan. If Jinyu doesn't survive, you can take the letter to Shanxi to find my sister and ask for help as her family member."

After reading the few words on the letter, Wei Ran glanced at the address written at the end and the red seal with "Zhao Jinge Yin" written on it. After a little thought, he folded the letter and the two Mongolian family letters in their original order and put them back into the envelope.

"What should we do now?" Wei Ran asked after returning the envelope to Tian Xiaohu.

"This is asking us to be deserters!" Another wounded soldier clenched his fists. Wei Ran already knew that his last name was Li, a very common last name in the later generations. "What else?"

The wounded soldier surnamed Shen was particularly calm, "We are not deserters, can we still hold guns and fight the Japanese?"

"you"

"If we go back, we will cause trouble for the captain and his men."

Tian Xiaohu also clenched his fists when he said this, "Even if I go to the commander, I will still be a burden.

But we are not useless. Since the captain wants us to be seeds, we must survive no matter what, at least until the beginning of next spring!"

"Little squad leader, tell me, what should we do?" asked the wounded man named Shen.

“I have to ask you first.”

As Tian Xiaohu spoke, he looked at Wei Ran, Hu Bazhi, Hongxia who was still busy not far away, and Yang Shiyi who was changing the bandages for the wounded. "Are you willing to listen to the arrangements of me, the acting squad leader, or do you want to establish your own faction?"

"We listen to you!" Miss Hongxia made the decision without thinking, "As long as we can beat the Japanese, we will listen to you."

"That's right!" Yang Shiyi also echoed.

"We will listen to you too! Right, Brother Wei?" After making the decision, Hu Bazhi did not forget to ask Wei Ran.

"I want to hear your thoughts before making a decision," Wei Ran said calmly but seriously.

"Brother Shen, Brother Li and I will stay here."

Tian Xiaohu said, "Brother Wei, you and Brother Hu, take Sister Hongxia and the other four, take Brother Jinyu, and the flag and the letter, and go seek refuge with his second sister."

"This is not okay!"

Miss Hongxia, who had just said she would follow Tian Xiaohu's arrangements, was the first to regret it, "I won't leave. I'll stay and take care of you."

"I won't leave either!" said Yang Shiyi.

"We won't leave either," said the eldest daughter of the Sun family who came back with an armful of firewood.

"If you want to go, let's go together. If you want to stay, let's stay together." Hu Bazhi said with a frown.

"There were only three large animals and three sleds."

Tian Xiaohu asked, "How can we leave? Can we leave these white mountains and black waters and reach Fengtian? Can we reach Shanxi?"

"But we can't leave you three here!" Hu Bazhi said.

"I'm the squad leader, I have the final say in this matter!" Tian Xiaohu said, and he took out the Nagant revolver from his arms and put it against his chin before anyone could react.

"What are you going to do?!" Hu Bazhi immediately panicked.

"Let you go, if you want..."

"You shoot me"

Wei Ran interrupted Tian Xiaohu's threat, and at the same time he pulled out his box gun, lowered the nose, and pointed the muzzle at the top of Zhao Jinyu's head, "I used up so many medicines to save you. If you dare to commit suicide, if any of you dare to commit suicide, as long as you dare to fire the first shot, I will kill the rest.

I won’t even let go of the big animals outside, and then I’ll kill myself. Anyway, I’ve always wanted to try to see if I can die by shooting myself in the head.”

Hearing this, Tian Xiaohu froze for a moment, and then he saw that both Hu Bazhi and Hongxia took out their weapons and pressed them against his forehead.

Sighing helplessly, Tian Xiaohu said in despair, "With so many of us, there's no way we can escape together."

“Maybe I have a solution.”

Just when the situation was at a stalemate, Yang Shiyi, who had just changed the medicine for the injured Brother Shen, suddenly spoke.

"You? What do you have in mind?" Wei Ran asked decisively as he put the box gun into his arms.

Yang Shiyi also looked at the people around her. After a slight hesitation, she rolled up her sleeves to show a table wrapped in red cloth on her wrist and said, "This agate bracelet is a treasure passed down from my mother's family. My mother often told me that if I could escape from the bandit's den, I would go to Bingcheng to find my uncle and show him this bracelet."

"Your uncle"

"He does fur and mountain goods business in Bingcheng. His name is Yang Jibin."

Yang Shiyi paused, "I have never met him, but my mother said that as long as he sees this bracelet, he will definitely help me."

At this point, Yang Shiyi muttered, "I just don't know if he's still alive."

Seeing everyone looking at each other in bewilderment, the little girl continued, "My mother has told me the address of my grandmother's house countless times, I'm sure I can find it.

I promise, as long as we find him, as long as my uncle is still alive, he will definitely help us, whether we hide him or go to Shanxi, I think it won’t be a big problem. "

"What does squad leader Xiaohu mean?"

Wei Ran helped to change the subject, "Three sleds and 10 people, I don't think it will be a big problem."

"The difficulty lies in running out of this mountain."

Hu Bazhi said after careful consideration, "As long as we can avoid the Japanese and run away, even if no one helps us, we can still get through by begging for food along the way."

“No need to beg for food”

Hongxia pointed to one of the mines and said, "That young master Cao left behind quite a bit of wealth."

“Wait two more days”

After a long silence, Tian Xiaohu gritted his teeth and made a decision, "If Brother Cui doesn't come back in two days, we will leave together!"

"Then it's settled"

Wei Ran agreed before anyone else spoke, "Miss Hongxia, please take me to see the family fortune left by Master Cao. This poor family has a rich road. We are people who eat and drink. We can't really go to Shanxi to beg for food. That will take forever."

"I'll take you there right away!"

As Miss Hongxia spoke, she had already put down the pair of boots she was almost finishing, picked up an oil lamp, and went into a mine with Wei Ran.

"Brother Shen and Brother Li also drafted a draft."

As Wei Ran stood up, he said, "When I come back, I will write a letter to your families and take a photo of you and send it back together."

The wounded soldier surnamed Shen was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a bright smile, "That's great, I have to think carefully about what to write."

"Let's go too"

Wei Ran didn't notice Tian Xiaohu's reluctant look under the dim light, and followed Miss Hongxia into the low mine.

"Brother Wei, can you please write a letter for me and Miss Sun later?" Miss Hongxia asked as she led the way.

"Okay, I'll help you write it later." Wei Ran agreed readily.

"Can you take a picture of us too?" Miss Hongxia asked expectantly.

"Yes, of course." Wei Ran responded with a smile.

"That's great!" Miss Hongxia said happily, "I've never taken a photo before."

"I remember you know martial arts?" Wei Ran asked, changing the subject.

"How many tricks do you know?"

Miss Hongxia said carelessly, "I learned it from my brother. He used to learn the Chuizi kick from a master. He can crack a stone tablet with one kick. I can't do that. I can only break a brick."

"That's right."

Wei Ran twitched his lips and followed the other party into another forked mine.

This mine is not very big. After drilling in, it is only three meters deep and about one and a half meters high.

But at the end of the mine, there were several wooden boxes, and on the surrounding walls, there were several brass carbide lamps hanging.

Holding the oil lamp, Wei Ran continued to walk inside and looked at each box one by one.

This first box is filled with tin boxes. You don't even need to open them. Just by the faint smell of urine, you can tell that these tin boxes are filled with opium paste.

Looking at the second wooden box, there were more than twenty Bagman submachine guns produced by Dagu Factory placed next to each other. The gaps between the guns were filled with 50-round magazines.

Obviously, although this young master Cao was a bit of a jerk when sitting on someone, he still had the "fear of insufficient firepower" that the Chinese people only realized years later. Putting aside his character, young master Cao was undoubtedly a down-to-earth person who advocated firepower coverage.

Finally, he looked at the third box. In addition to the silver dollars, there were also several boxes of Mauser pistol bullets and a large glass jar of calcium carbide.

"Master Cao has made thorough preparations."

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already picked up a few silver dollars and a few boxes of bullets and asked Miss Hongxia to take them. He himself took the jar of calcium carbide and a few calcium carbide lamps and walked out.

As for those fancy machines, they are used to escape, and it is really inconvenient to hold them.

Returning to Tian Xiaohu and the others along the same route, Wei Ran lit up all the calcium carbide lamps he brought back without hesitation, and the dim mine became brighter than ever before.

"Everyone, should we take pictures first or write letters first?" Wei Ran asked as he took out the camera under the cover of his Japanese backpack.

"Take a picture! Let's take a picture first!" Miss Hongxia said impatiently.

"Then let's listen to Sister Hongxia. Let's take a photo first." The wounded soldier named Shen looked at his comrade next to him, and accepted Miss Hongxia's decision with a smile.

"Let's take a picture first!" Wei Ran said as he adjusted the camera in his hand very seriously.