Chapter 9 Toshiro Diary (7)

We had a fantastic view in the morning mist.The beauty is simply indescribable. Elegant watchtowers and city walls float in the water.The willows growing in the water beside the city wall add a kind of style.In particular, the fiery red sun hangs on the treetops, and the river is shining brightly, the scenery is too beautiful to behold.The infantry guns equipped on the large speedboat spit out flames and hit the city wall.One shot, two shots, three shots, but the solid city wall remained motionless.A few minutes later, the residents of Hengshui County, who were probably afraid of the bombardment, lined up on the city wall waving the sun flags they had made, expressing their submission.

The bombardment was stopped and we continued to move forward, but it was difficult for our ship to pass the low stone arch bridge erected on the river. We had no choice but to wait for the engineering team to blow up the bridge.At this time, an order was given to let us cook.While we were cooking, a local resident came over. I gave him fifty renminbi to buy sugar, but he only bought a little.That shop is outside the city. There, I discovered something terrible.There were many soldiers plundering goods, and the shopkeepers and clerks stood by the door and watched them with mournful faces.I don't need to negotiate the price of sugar anymore.

We, who have been reckless and blind, have become unscrupulous-this is the right of the soldiers of the victorious country.First of all, I have to pay back my fifty dollars!I opened the owner's drawer, and the fifty bills were still there. Looked around like a hungry wolf, thinking about looting something.First is granulated sugar.The raisins taste good, so I grabbed another box of raisins.Canned food is fine too. A flashlight is also needed.Cigarettes are not good at all.Throw away the Chinese rice in Xian County and replace it with glutinous rice.With granulated sugar, flour must taste better.Heck, there are also leather gloves, which you can't do without in winter.Take less of these things, just take two pairs.Sheepskin is also needed when sleeping outdoors.

Just as I was about to go out with these things that were too much to carry, a corporal from the managerial department of the brigade headquarters came over, and he roared, "Who allowed you to take it away?" I walked over slowly.The other soldiers walked out the door with their things carelessly.I can't answer this question. "Did you pay? If not, pay as soon as you like." I took out a coin from my pocket and handed it to the clerk.The clerk was probably annoyed and tossed the coin back to me.But I forced it into the clerk's hand and ran out.On the broad river bank, the comrades-in-arms of the unit are waiting for me, Santa Claus.They yelled here, and yelled there, all marveling at the amount of loot.Two or three comrades-in-arms came back with something. Our team really has enough food.

We often complained because we couldn't eat. This time we tried our best to get food, but we couldn't finish it. In the end, we couldn't even transport the leftovers.We ate until we felt like throwing up, stuffing our stomachs like hell.Eat raisins, eat preserved fruit, eat canned food, eat rice cake balls, eat deep-fried pancakes, until we loosen our belts.We said: "This is not looting, it is expropriation. It is the expropriation that the victor's army must take." Somehow, the word "plunder" makes people feel sad, but the word "expropriation" does not feel sinful.

Suddenly there was a "boom", and the engineers blew up the bridge. When it was getting dark, it rained heavily, and the sugar and flour all flowed away with the muddy water.Try to bring the food allowed by the departure order to board the boat. After going forward for a while, the armored boat stopped at the place where the explosion was difficult, and went back in desperation, tied the boat and started camping. The next day, I ate glutinous rice dumpling dipped in jam, smoked a cigarette, and dipped my hands in the water, praising the beautiful scenery. The mood was like enjoying the scenery on a cruise ship.At around five o'clock in the afternoon, I arrived at a place in front of Xinhe County.There is the enemy's grain and grass warehouse there, and the two enemy soldiers guarding the warehouse are taking a nap.

One is a big soldier, and the other is a young man who looks like a student soldier.Both men carried a considerable amount of banknotes.The interpreter interrogated them.The soldiers were full of hatred, burning their faces with cigarettes and stabbing them with bayonets.Second Lieutenant Nishihara raised his saber and slashed at one of them. The saber was cut crookedly and the enemy soldier was not killed.Another was killed by a translator's pistol.The ensign looked as if he was very interested in killing people.So far, he has hacked to death many possibly innocent civilians, although it is said to be a test knife.There are rice and snacks in the granary, and the snacks are all with sugar, which is very delicious.

Order our unit to be responsible for carrying the ammunition, so we left the squadron, and now we have to catch up with the squadron in a hurry.Dear Engineer Corps Chief Yokoyama Jun reminded me: "Hey, Dong-jun! The flood is too big, be careful!" From the landing site to the village just now, more than 200 meters away, they were completely submerged in water.I tried my best to walk in such a big flood, but it was not easy to walk 200 meters.Some places are deep, some places are muddy and sticky to your feet, not to mention that it is really difficult to move your body with backpacks and ammunition boxes.The muddy water overflowed from the waist to the chest.The sugar and cigarettes I managed to get were all soaked in muddy water, but I couldn't care about these things at this time.Carrying backpack, gun on left shoulder, ammo box on right shoulder with stick and man in front.When the people in front dodged, the people behind followed; when the people behind stood firm, the people in front were in a dilemma.If your feet get stuck in the mud, you won't be able to take them off.Anyway, it took more than an hour to come here, and the ammunition box was finally free from damp.The same thing came out of our mouths—"Bastard! What the hell!" I don't know how to express my feelings better.

However, the difficulties of the flood did not end there.The great flood of Noah's Ark era awaits us.Yokoyama Jun's advice has become a harsh fact.Passing through the village, there appeared a vast expanse of flood, almost suspicious of being the sea.Seeing this scene, thinking about the hard work just now, the whole person is about to collapse.It was dusk and we couldn't figure out the direction of the troops. The twelve of us watched the flood helplessly and smoked cigarettes helplessly. Boundless floods, heavy ammunition, unknown directions, attacks by remnants of the enemy, the coming of night, too few people on our side, etc., when I think of these, I feel nervous and restless.

After finally recruiting six locals, we decided to let them carry ammunition. One of them was an old man in his seventies who had suffered a stroke. He walked unsteadily and seemed useless. It was pitiful, but this was not the time for sympathy.Such patients carry the heavy ammunition of other countries' armies and are forced to follow others in the dark flood, and they don't know where they will end up.This is the misery and pity of the people of the defeated countries. The old man fell down several times and begged us to let him go, but we refused to listen.He finally collapsed on the ground, motionless and began to cry.After we beat and kicked him, we commanded him like a god to pick up his backpack.He was supposed to carry ammunition, but since he was a patient, he was asked to carry a backpack.We got him a cane, not out of pity, but to keep him from dying or collapsing in agony.Judging from his condition, it was estimated that he would die during the long, flooded trek.Why are we so cruel?This is because the aversion to great pain makes us inhumane, and after carrying a pack and ammunition once, we are also in danger.

Twelve comrades began to swim forward.It was completely dark.We stepped on the ground, emerged from the water, staggered, groped, and we walked quietly.Inch by inch, the dying body of Shiro Toshiro's child began to convulse, ushering in his last breath, and the god of death covered his body. Ah, the old man was stabbed. The soldier who assassinated the old man was really a vicious soldier. The old man groaned, he spurted out his own bright red old life with his own blood, and at the same time spurted out the red life of the child he wanted to keep alive. Thirty dozen corpses were stacked on top of each other horribly. Killing Industry! We are loyal employees of this industry. Death scattered bones everywhere. Where the bones were sown, shoots sprouted.The buds grow regardless of day and night, spring, summer, autumn and winter. The cruel and hideous killing is over.We move on. At around eight o'clock in the evening, we arrived at Baichikou. I heard the sound of "Long Lu's guns. At last the enemy was met and a battle took place.However, our squadron is a reserve team and still did not participate in the battle, and the ammunition has not been reduced at all.On the slightly dim road, the communications soldiers kept making phone calls.He said that the fighting had already begun 100 meters ahead, and our army also suffered several casualties.We sat together on one side of the road.Although this is the rear, there is no peace for a moment. When there is a crisis in a certain position of the friendly army on the line of fire, we must immediately send reinforcements.While waiting for the opportunity, the higher-ups sent us some extremely precious food: a toffee and a dried squid leg. This precious food is divided between two people.We didn't do it because it was too expensive.A toffee and a dried squid leg, two people do not know how to share. A piece of toffee and a dried squid leg that might be dismissed in the mainland are extremely precious here. I heard that these things are still shipped by air. I put the toffee and dried squid legs into my mouth, chewing relish while feeling deeply grateful. Every day of excessive fatigue requires the body to replenish sugar, and this is the time when even a grain of sugar is wanted. The only toffee is ridiculous but rare. There was fierce fighting on the line of fire, and after it was completely dark, the gunfire gradually fell down, and then stopped abruptly after a few rings from time to time. The dark neutron bombs were aimless, so the shooting stopped. In this way, the darkness brought a rest to the fighting, and we decided to sleep on the road. The day's sweat was on our backs, and as the temperature dropped, we started to feel chills.Just when we couldn't sleep and were shaking, he ordered us to cook. We enter the house. In order not to let the cooking fire expose the target, we can only cook in a room with the door closed. There is a well in the street.Many soldiers used the only well, and the water was pumped up with a rotary handle, and only a little at a time, and the line for fetching water was very long.Even so, we still insist on washing the lunch boxes with leftovers a few times, and then use the lunch boxes to wash the rice. This is because we still have the habit of living in the interior, or we still have the habit of cleaning. In fact, the time for this kind of cleaning habit is no longer necessary. Some of us have not completely shaken off the habit in the interior and are not used to life in the field. Amidst the smog, we finally finished our meal.Noguchi seemed to have found something, and he took out the candy.After hearing his report, we flew out like an electric shock, and went to a store to see that a big jar was full of brown candy. At this time, several dirty black hands have reached into the jar.As I put the candy in my mouth, I thought of an old man I saw when I was a child. He sold this kind of sour, fluffy candy on a stick.The store probably also sold cigarettes, and there were empty packs of cigarettes scattered around the floor, but I didn't see a single one.Tobacco and sugar, I have no luck with both. On the twelfth, at seven o'clock in the morning, we served as the flag guard team and set off to attack Ningjin City.They lined up with the headquarters of the alliance and advanced in the sorghum field. At this time, bullets flew "swoosh" from the right.We immediately dispersed and moved on. The plane came and circled above us as if looking for a place to land.After circling two or three times, it landed beautifully with a soft sound.The squad leader ordered us to see if it was an enemy plane or one of our own.We approached the plane, thinking in our hearts that it must belong to us, but with some curiosity, we wanted to know who was on board. The staff officer of the Artillery Section got off the plane, and after meeting with the regimental captain, he jumped on the plane again.The enemy's bullets are still passing over our heads.The coolies crawled on the ground dragging the tin ammunition box out of fear. The bullet hit the iron box in front of the team leader, Corporal Takema, and the bullet detonated several bullets inside, and it also stayed inside.Captain Takema miraculously saved his life. He said that this ammunition box was his savior and he wanted to take it back as a souvenir. The squadron leader was also full of emotions. He said: "Okay! I will go through the formalities for you." In the face of the enemy's intensive shooting, the infantry artillery began to show off.The flag bearer held the military flag tightly and marched forward energetically. Our shelling finally overwhelmed the enemy's shooting. The regiment lined up again. Our team was 300 meters in front of the headquarters, and we staggered forward along the wheel marks of the gun carriage.Twenty or thirty minutes later, the shadow of Ning Jincheng appeared in front of Gaoliangshou. Thinking of being close to Ningjin City, I felt that a pleasant rest seemed to be waiting for us, so I couldn't help but quicken my pace, but suddenly, enemy bullets whizzed over.We dispersed in a hurry again, trampling down the sorghum stalks.Bullets seem to be flying from three directions, we are surrounded by enemies, what should we do?We must break out of the encirclement as soon as possible.Passing through the sorghum field, we came to a grand road as wide as six rooms (a unit of measurement in Japan, one room is about 1.8 meters). This may be the enemy's military road.On both sides of the road are deep trenches, most of which are used by the enemy to come and go. No matter how the enemy shoots, we don't return a single shot, because we can't find the shadow of the enemy. Judging from the sound of bullets, the enemy may have shot here from a distance of four to five hundred meters or more. The order let us camp in a small village near Ningjin City.I took the sentinel to the front house where the headquarters was.There must be a sentry at the entrance of the headquarters.Closed the entrance gate of the outpost tightly, we ate the dinner brought from the unit while burning the fire, and talked about the sea and the sky. "Dong!" At this time, a Chinese man about twenty years old was brought in by the sentry on guard.Among the soldiers, no one talked about Mr. so-and-so corporal, Mr. so-and-so corporal commander, and Mr. so-and-so chief of post.Even active-duty soldiers call him by his first name, such as "Hengshan Jun". "What's up?" "This guy was wandering around the path next to the headquarters, I caught him." "A spy?" "Maybe." "The face is quite delicate, maybe it's a student army." The sentry kicked the young man. "Hey, close the door and keep the fire out," I said to the sentinel, and searched the young man's arms, but found nothing suspicious.I slapped him casually. "Give me a good look at him. I'll call the interpreter, and the sentinel is on guard!" The Sentinel and I went outside.After checking the paths the young man wandered, I called for an interpreter. The young man replied to the interpreter that he was the treasurer of a pawnshop more than forty miles ahead.However, we do not believe that the shopkeeper of the pawnshop more than forty miles away has any reason to come to this place where the war is fought, and they all say that he is a crippled enemy.He said he didn't expect that there was a war here, and he came to Ningjin to do business. Regardless of his excuses, we've decided to treat him as either an enemy or a plainclothes detective.The off-duty sentries said that he was tied to a post with a thick rope and stood there overnight. I said, it's understandable to hate enemy soldiers, but some people are recruited by force, and it's their turn to see the King of Hades tomorrow, forget it, let him sit down tonight.So, he was tied to a post.The young man closed his eyes without saying a word, as if immersed in memories.He may be thinking about his life like tomorrow's morning dew, thinking about his parents and hometown.Dew-like tears flowed from his closed eyes.I wanted to kick him, but seeing his poor crystal tears, I couldn't lift my boots up again. At this time, I was deeply saddened that I did not know Chinese.Leaving aside this young man, we killed hundreds of innocent people because of our language barrier. Language barriers lead to misunderstandings, which lead to anger and eventually to murder.We sometimes sprinkle some ghost money on the killed farmers, ranging from several thousand yuan.The amount printed on Mingqian is very large, and there are many drawers in the store, with "Namo Amitabha" written on it.