boyutpedia Chapter 409: What virtue do I, an old woman, have...
Chapter 409: What virtue do I, an old woman, have...
The guerrillas that Tang Zhangshan had arranged to rescue Zhao Fugui's mother rushed non-stop towards the county town. Along the way, they were cautious and vigilant. As they approached the county town, they saw from afar the sandbag machine gun bunkers at the city gate, where Japanese machine gunners were waiting in formation. The bodies of the people who had been shot were lying in the open ground in front of the city gate, and a few crows flapped their wings and flew away from the parapet.
Seeing this tragic scene, the team members' anger suddenly ignited. Their eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and their hands unconsciously clenched their weapons, their knuckles turning white from the force. Captain Zhang Ping gritted his teeth and shouted in a low voice, "The Japanese were too brutal. We must avenge this blood debt! But saving lives is the most important thing now. Calm down!" The team members took a deep breath and suppressed their anger.
Zhang Ping narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the situation near the city gate, his brows knitted into the shape of a "川" character. After a moment's thought, he gathered his team together and whispered, "A head-on charge won't work. The enemy's firepower is too strong. Let's do this..." As Zhang Ping spoke, he gestured his battle plan on the ground with a branch.
Team member Li Ming was responsible for going around to the west of the county town and using firecrackers and empty oil drums to create a noise to attract the attention of the Japanese troops. The rest of the team, led by Zhang Ping, took advantage of the gap when the Japanese troops were attracted to the gate and approached the city gate through the bushes on the side.
Li Ming, as planned, lit firecrackers in the west. The crackling sound was particularly piercing in the silent air. Hearing the noise, the Japanese soldiers turned their heads to the west, and the machine gunners also turned their guns in that direction. Seeing this, Zhang Ping waved his hand and led his team to move quickly towards the city gate, bending over.
They crouched down, their steps light and quick, and soon arrived not far from the city gate. But just then, a Japanese patrol suddenly appeared from around the corner. Zhang Ping reacted quickly, rushing forward, covering the patrolman's mouth, and stabbing his dagger into his chest. The patrolman struggled a few times, then fell silent.
After dispatching the patrol, the team continued their advance. When they reached the city gate, Zhang Ping noticed that while most of the Japanese troops' attention had been diverted westward, several soldiers were still stationed near the sandbag bunkers. He signaled to the team members nearby, and the two of them quietly circled behind the bunkers and launched a sudden attack, quickly dispatching the few Japanese soldiers.
Then, the team rushed into the city gate and quickly moved through the intricate streets according to the address provided by Zhao Fugui. Along the way, they tried their best to avoid Japanese patrols and quietly eliminated any isolated Japanese soldiers they encountered.
Finally, they arrived at Zhao Fugui's mother's residence. As soon as they reached the door, they heard the sounds of beatings and scolding from the Japanese soldiers inside. Zhang Ping made a gesture, and the team members immediately understood. They formed groups of three and guarded the front and back doors respectively. Zhang Ping kicked the door open, and before the three Japanese soldiers inside could react, they were silently killed by the team members with daggers.
Zhang Ping walked quickly to Zhao Fugui's mother and whispered, "Auntie, we are from the guerrillas. Zhao Fugui has turned from evil to good and revolted on the battlefield today. He's afraid the Japanese will harm you, so he sent us here to take you out." Zhao's mother wiped the blood from her mouth excitedly, her eyes red. "How could an old woman like me deserve to let you children risk your lives to save me..."
Zhang Ping looked at the blood at the corner of Zhao's mother's mouth, feeling distressed and angry, and hurriedly said: "Auntie, don't say anything first. It must be those devils who did it. We will definitely help you get it back! Come out with us first, Fugui is still waiting for you outside." Team member Xiao Li quickly took out a clean cloth from the bag and gently handed it to Zhang Ping. Zhang Ping took the cloth and carefully helped Zhao's mother wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth.
When Zhao's mother was helped up, she frowned slightly in pain. Zhang Ping then noticed that she was also injured on her leg. He squatted down to check and found that although the wound was not deep, it was already a little inflamed and swollen because it had not been treated. Zhang Ping turned to Li Tianyi and said, "Quick, bring us the anti-inflammatory drugs and bandages we brought." Li Tianyi quickly searched for them and quickly handed them to Zhang Ping. Zhang Ping gently helped Zhao's mother clean the wound, apply medicine, and bandage it. While bandaging, he comforted her, "Auntie, bear with it, it will be fine soon. When we get out, we will find a doctor to take a good look at you."
At this time, there was a burst of dense footsteps and shouts in Japanese outside the house. Team member Wang Baoguo shouted nervously at the door: "Captain, there are more than a dozen Japanese military police coming this way!"
Zhang Ping's heart suddenly tightened. He quickly scanned the room and found that only a narrow passage connected to the inner room. The space was cramped and not conducive to maneuvering. He quickly weighed the pros and cons and whispered an order: "Everyone, listen up! We can't fight hard in this room. It's too narrow and we'll be surrounded. We need to get out of here quickly."
He dashed over to the bodies of the three Japanese soldiers he had previously eliminated, crouched down, and expertly groped them with his hands. He soon pulled out six grenades, clutching them tightly in his hands. He then ran to the corner of the house, lifted a wooden ladder, and laboriously placed it against the wall. He quickly climbed up and successfully reached the roof.
At this moment, the footsteps of the Japanese military police were getting closer, and the noisy shouting was becoming clearer. Zhang Ping lay on the edge of the roof, his eyes fixed on the door, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, and his hands tightly grasped the grenade.
Finally, the Japanese military police arrived at the door, and the squad leader was about to give the order to break in. Zhang Ping took a deep breath, decisively pulled the grenade safety pin, and knocked the grenade hard on the stone pressing down the tiles on the roof. Then, he swung his arms quickly and threw the grenades down continuously.
"Boom, boom, boom!" A violent explosion erupted instantly, flames shot up into the sky, and smoke filled the air. The grenade exploded among the Japanese military police, sending several flying on the spot, their limbs scattering everywhere. Those who survived were dazed and some fell to the ground, groaning in pain; others quickly hid in the corners of the houses.
Taking advantage of the confusion among the Japanese military police, Zhang Ping shouted to the inside of the house: "Quick, retreat from the back door now!" After shouting, he fired a few more shots at the Japanese military police, suppressing the enemy's counterattack and buying time for the team members and Zhao's mother to evacuate.