Chapter 12 Toshiro Diary (10)

On the morning of the 18th, I washed my dirty clothes by the well next to the inner side of the city wall, and wiped my tired body that hadn't bathed for a long time.This was the first time in more than a month that Mu Yu's face was also black, and his hands were also black, with dirt falling off one by one.The toes were swollen and sore from the daily march.A dozen or so ducks swam in the small pond, three of which were brine to satisfy our stomachs. In the city, I saw the leaflet "A Letter to the People from All walks of life" issued by the enemy's 29th Army, and I copied it down.

The Twenty-ninth Army of the Army warns the public from all walks of life Fathers and compatriots from all walks of life: The brutal Japanese aggressors have now resolutely launched an all-out war against us in China. The location is not only Hebei and Chahar. I hope that all important cities and towns in Chacha have discovered that this is simply an extraordinary move to swallow up our country and destroy our nation. We in China have been bullied by the Japanese everywhere in recent decades, and have suffered from the Japanese everywhere!The psychology of our pursuit of peace had to embark on the road of scorched earth resistance.

The start of this war was in the middle of the night of July 7th. The Japanese troops stationed in Fengtai illegally performed exercises near the Marco Polo Bridge, and under the pretext that a soldier was missing, suddenly attacked my army stationed at the Marco Polo Bridge!Our 29th Army, in order to protect the survival of the nation, to protect the lives and properties of tens of thousands of fathers and brothers in North China, to defend the territorial sovereignty of the motherland and to perform our sacred duties, from the night of July 7th... to On July 27th, we continued to fight the Japanese invaders. We resisted the enemy with a regiment of officers and soldiers, and we fought against the Japanese army of 3,000 for more than 20 days. We sacrificed heroically.The spirit of fighting one after another and not fearing death made the enemy tremble with fear.

Our temporary abandonment of Pingjin is completely a change of strategy. When the opportunity comes, we can regain it immediately.However, where the Japanese invaders occupy, our compatriots will immediately live an inhuman life!Now, with blood and tears, I would like to report to you the following brutal and inhuman acts of the Japanese invaders!The Japanese invaders stationed everywhere, and most of the young women were raped! There was no escape.The owner of a fruit shop in Tianjin, because he reported to the Japanese army the place where our army’s guns were hidden, was suspected by the Japanese army and cut off his arms and shot all his staff. Many business people in the nearby area were affected!

In the west of Beiping, I retreated the infantry and killed one of the enemy patrols. Yu Kou fled to the police station in embarrassment and killed all our peaceful policemen. The reason is that our police did not notify in advance!These few things are just a few percent of simple evil deeds, and there are countless inhumane and unnatural actions. Pity our compatriots under the iron hoof, being ravaged by them!Let it be slaughtered!Some shameless people reported to us where the weapons were hidden, but they were killed because of this, which affected our relatives and neighbors.This proves that even if you try your best to win the favor of the Japanese invaders, you still cannot avoid the bad luck of being a ghost under the knife.

fellow countrymen!Today, the only way to survive is to unite the army and the people to fight against each other... and so on. Army Twenty-ninth Army Command In the afternoon, the order came down again. "The 109th Regiment of the 19th Brigade will switch defenses with the 107th Regiment tomorrow and return to Ningjin City." We are puzzled.What does it mean to back off?Is the war over?We have been moving forward non-stop until today, why should we go backward?If the war ended here, it would be too simple.Something must have happened next. On October 19th, at seven o'clock in the morning, we set off from Nanhe.Soon we came to the wetland where Jun Hengshan and his team had worked. The land was dry, and the donkeys buried in the mud and watching us pass sadly had all fallen to the ground and died.When we passed here before, they sent us with a look of begging to go with us, hoping to save them, but at this moment, they have died and turned into cold corpses.

One day has passed, and a new day has come.At 6:20 in the morning, we left the village and headed for the desert.The waves of the sand dunes were ups and downs, one after another, the 109th and 107th regiments came endlessly like a big snake.Artillery, cavalry, infantry, and heavy soldiers stirred up dust all the way.The appearance of the cavalry galloping from the opposite side of the dunes is as mighty and majestic as the warriors in the movie. The veterans had steamed yams, we had cigarettes.We are hungry, but they are full. "Hey, uncle, how about exchanging cigarettes for yams?"

There were such cries everywhere, and the exchange began. The sun was scorching, and the dunes were steaming. We rested on the dunes and started chatting with veterans.There is only one well where we rest.This well is probably prepared for travelers passing through the long sand dunes. Someone is turning the waterwheel, which is a slender, hanging waterwheel.The well water is clear and sparkles like crystal.I ran over. "Dong! What are you doing!" At this moment, the captain of the warrant officer yelled, and I had no choice but to turn around hopelessly. I am very dissatisfied, how can the water in the desert be poisonous?

go ahead!A hundred meters ahead, there is a wide sand dune with grass growing on it. There was a military horse lying there in the grass.The warhorse, which was no longer functioning due to overwork, was abandoned, and I knew it had struggled to get onto the grass.The military horse is still alive, and it lifts its long neck from time to time, watching the passing team with a beautiful and touching feeling of farewell.The horse must be begging to walk with us, must be mourning the loss of his life. What looked like weeds was the branches soldiers used to shade their beloved horses from fatigue.The soldiers forgot their fatigue and ran to the distance to fold these branches to express their love.

A military horse that has exhausted all its strength for the sake of the motherland! You crossed the sea for your beloved motherland, Japan, and came to the northern part of China thousands of miles away. You ran until your iron hoofs were worn out, worked until your heart stopped beating, and worked until your last breath.You and the master who loves you are far apart, Yin and Yang are separated, your master will not forget the pain of leaving you in the desert, and your master will pray for you to rest in peace in heaven. Your master is not inferior to you, he is stepping on the waves of sand, he loves you, and he has no other choice.

I can't help but imagine the reluctance of the soldiers who ran to the distance to break branches to shade you. We move on, leaving behind the steeds that will die in the shade of the branches full of precious sympathy.Tangshan City (currently Longyao County, in 1937 there were two counties, Longping and Yaoshan, and the seat of Yaoshan County was Tangshan City.) Appeared on the left.Dead horses bitten by wild dogs lay scattered on the sand dunes.After a while, along the west side of the long Yangshu Avenue, there is a wide and large shallow river with clear water.Stepping on the sand at the bottom of the river and crossing the river, the hot feet were cooled by the cold river water, and I felt indescribably comfortable.The reserve divisions who came to defend Nanhe City came one after another.On the left is a gentle hill that reminds one of a ski resort, of snow, of winter in a distant homeland.At the end of the gentle hills are rocky mountains.Choking the dust across the valley, then resting.I was ordered to take part in the camp, so I had to march in a hurry to go ahead of the troops. Second Lieutenant Nishihara was the commander of the camp, and we passed the second brigade and moved forward.We are very tired, but we still try our best to keep moving forward.Walk hard with one heart and one mind, and forget all the excessive fatigue.Just want to go.No, I didn't even think about leaving, I just kept going forward desperately. When it was getting dark, we began to feel hungry and thirsty.Pull some cabbage and radish and continue walking.The soldiers of the machine gun team and I couldn't bear the hunger and thirst, so we ran to the well in the field, where there were buckets hanging for people to fetch water at any time.We untied the ropes and fetched water, but the water was so dirty, muddy, that we had to dump it, and we were almost weeping with regret. Walking along the winding field path towards a village, the farmer came over with two buckets of clean water.We dipped our faces in the pail and drank like hungry babies.The baby wakes up.I took out the steamed buns I made when I set off from Nanwa from my backpack, and finally filled my stomach. We were strictly forbidden to conscript coolies, as it was disrespectful and gave the impression of lack of ambition.But we feel that fighting is fundamental, and marching should cooperate with fighting, which should allow us to reduce fatigue and use our strength in fighting. Second Lieutenant Nishihara said, "We still have to go for a long time. The squadron leader needs training, just this time." He agreed with us to conscript coolies. This sentence is a famous saying for us, a happy saying. I hired a young man of eighteen or nineteen to carry the backpack for me.The team of half coolies and half soldiers started walking desperately again.When the sun was completely dark, I shouted to the youth: ... hurry up! "Urge him to hurry up. The moon came out, reflecting the vast and turbulent earth. No one spoke, and everyone walked forward in silence. The moon cast our shadows on the ground. At around ten o'clock, we finally arrived at our destination—a village.I was so tired that I could barely feel my feet were still on my body, my body seemed to be falling apart.However, we immediately looked for iron pots and oil for lighting, and started to build a bonfire. This was not so much the task of the campers, as it was out of deep friendship with our comrades.I was lying alone in the dormitory, waiting for the arrival of my comrades by the fire.Not a single villager. They knew in advance that we were coming and all fled.No matter how much I waited, the troops did not arrive, so I had no choice but to go to the dormitory of the squadron headquarters.While eating dinner, the second lieutenant yelled loudly: "It's on fire. The house on fire was assigned to my unit as a dormitory. I started the fire for my comrades in arms. I forgot my physical fatigue and hurried to dig a well." The water put out the fire. The troops we were anxiously waiting for have not arrived after a long time.I won't be camping somewhere.So we fell asleep too.But the fleas were crawling around, which made us toss and turn and couldn't sleep.I couldn't sleep with even one flea, I couldn't do anything about it.We lay down at one o'clock in the morning. In the morning, the fog shrouded the land, and it was impossible to see clearly from a few meters away. There probably was a spring near Ningjin City.A huge red sun rose from the morning mist.We walked at a leisurely pace, because we always felt that we were ahead of the main force.But when the morning mist cleared, we were startled to find a large force advancing all around us. The camp of our squadron is in Nanlouxia Village near Ningjin City.When we arrived at Nanlouxia Village, the headquarters of the brigade issued an emergency order: requisitioning vegetables is strictly prohibited.Because limited items must be uniformly controlled and rationed.The division gathered in Ningjin City and decided to rest for ten days. Our team and the dormitories of the second team were allocated in a large private house.Kinoshita arrived at some point and was waiting for us.Whenever there was a battle, he was left behind; as soon as he was stationed, he returned to the unit.No matter what happens in the future, the ten-day rest cannot but be said to be an indescribably happy event.We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. We don't have the concept of tomorrow in our concept, and we only think about what is in front of us today.Never in my previous career have I felt rest so deeply as in battle. It might be wiser for us to think about how to grasp the situation we are in now rather than thinking about what will happen in the future.What will happen in the future, as long as we are not staff officers, we can do nothing.That is, whether you agree or not, what is supposed to come will come, and it will order you to obey.In short, since it is not something that can be changed by one's own will, it is better not to think about it. Having said that, we are still curious about what will happen tomorrow.This curiosity does not prevent us from enjoying our time today. Don't think about what may happen in the next moment, but just savor and capture the mood of that moment, this is a happy person. When we arrived at the dormitory, we first arranged sleeping places, then toilets, and then made a cooking duty schedule. The people on duty had to use limited food to make meals that suit everyone's different tastes.The food requisition team entered the uninhabited houses and brought back even a handful of wheat flour.The squadron set a time for going to bed and waking up.There was a China horse in a corner of our dormitory, probably left behind by the owner when he fled.At night, strange things happened. Kinoshita was always relaxed, so he was on duty at night.We were all so tired that we fell asleep.Suddenly, the cry of "Something went wrong! It's terrible" woke us up. He rushed out to see that Kinoshita was holding the strong and heavy door panel of the door and calling. "What happened?" "There's something weird." "Then you'll be fine if you hold the door? You bastard!" "Where?" "In the corner over there." "Where is the horse?" "Go to the mountain to see." When I went to the suspicious corner Kinoshita mentioned, there was nothing suspicious at all.Only the horse moved once or twice.It turned out that Kinoshita screamed when he heard the sound of the horse moving.What an asshole.People scolded him, but he wasn't ashamed at all. After we rested here for ten days, we heard that we were going to Shanghai.It is said that the enemy in Shanghai used new chemical weapons such as poisonous gas.To this end, we have to carry out targeted training every day. The field post office also opened and began to allow us to mail things.This is the first time I have written a letter since I set off from Tianjin.Kenichi Sasaki wrote me a letter with newspaper clippings.The content of the newspaper clipping was about the dagger my mother gave me when I went out to fight. My mother told me at that time that if I was caught by the enemy, I would use this dagger to commit suicide.The title of the report is "Nangong is still alive today".This is really embarrassing.Taking this kind of thing as a virtue and writing it into the report is really disgusting. Maybe some people like to be written about like this, but I am definitely in the category of people who hate being written like this, and I look down on people who like to make a fuss about writing this kind of content-people who want to have fun!Our actions are not material for posthumous good talks.Sasaki said: "After reading this report, I am more courageous, and I am determined to work harder." He seemed to be a man who liked that sort of thing, the sort of thing that country goofy people like.He also knew that Fujiwara Heitaro was the captain of the transport team.Kakimoto wrote to me, and I am grateful for his friendship. His letter stated that my father learned about the soldiers fighting through the newspapers and told Shigeichi and Hatsue with tears in his eyes. I felt that I finally met my long-lost friend and father, and my thoughts gradually turned from my father to the mountains and rivers of my hometown. I wrote letters non-stop from morning to night, to Sasaki, to Nakagaki Tokuya, Kaki Futo, Saito Ryoji, to my parents, sister, Heitaro brother, to Tsuchida Sanshirō, Shitoto Risaburo, and so on. One day, it was my turn to cook. Each of us is only given three hemi per day.One big and three hemi can only eat half full in the army, and there is nothing to do if you are hungry.We must come up with a way to fill our stomachs and save food.The team members have been in a bad mood lately.Insufficient food has become the source of discord among comrades-in-arms, and everyone is in a bad mood.The cries of hunger, theft, suspicion, violence, slights, and evil-heartedness, were infested. Comrades who used to be united by friendship, mutual assistance and smiles are now full of suspicion, greed, selfishness and distrust due to the lack of food. I did not know that want of food made the hearts of men so base and vile.It looked like several hungry wolves greedily staring at the only piece of meat together. Although eating three meals a day will never cause people to starve to death, it is always like feeding a whale with sardines.Sufficient food and clothing, and then know etiquette, this sentence is absolutely true.If noble beauties and well-spoken high-class women were to starve, they would probably be like this too. If you go hungry for a day or two and know you'll be full on the third day, then it's okay to be hungry at all.But they have been hungry for a long time, and it is the same now, and they don't know when this situation will continue in the future, so it is forgiveable to expose some animal nature.Some sympathy should be given before contemptuous of their behavior. That being said, I couldn't help but feel disgusted to be in such an unpleasant atmosphere.The hotbed of this unhappiness is the gluttonous, suspicious and jealous Private First Class Noguchi, Senior Private Kameguchi, and Captain Nishimoto. The three of them almost quarreled to the point of spitting.Our team has some requisitioned wheat flour, and I plan to make them into rice balls, but too much water was put in and it didn’t make it well. Still can't do it well.When I cook, I don't know whether to put the soy sauce or the vegetables first. Thinking about the scene of my grandmother cooking fish in my hometown, I can't remember which one to put first.I don't know how much water to put in for cooking.Several times, no, often, it was either cooked into hard rice or gruel. Today's rice dumplings are not ready either.This led to a quarrel between me and Captain Nishimoto.He was the one who randomly ordered me to cook.I angrily argued that I was born and I didn't mean to. From that day on, I resolved never to cook again.Unpleasant domestic chores are simply too much of a nuisance. That greed brings an intolerable silence, almost unbelievable, that governs the relationships among men here more powerfully than dangerous bullets and strenuous marches. The team leader went to each unit one by one, asking if there was anything delicious to eat. At this time, he heard Gu Shan's waiter complain about a headache, so he reprimanded him, "You've eaten too much!" Every morning and evening, we roll rolls in the narrow aisle next to the big, dark gate, and Captain Uchiyama often said something like this: "I I will never die. No matter who among you, if you die in battle, I will definitely visit your grave. I firmly believe that I will not die." This kind of cliché, I don’t know how many times I have said it, and I have said it for how many days. I think I've said too much. When I was on duty in the squadron office after I waited in Songban, a trumpeter said to me: "The enemy we encountered this time has all kinds of weapons. I heard that we will not be able to go back alive. Now, Shanghai is fighting very badly." , Said that our army died a lot in battle. Although the only ones fighting us were the enemies in Shanghai and North Manchuria, but this time I knew that I would not survive, so I sent all the money back to China."