Chapter 187 I Went Mad During the Republic of China (Part 3)
When Zhou Jue returned to the mountain valley carrying a bundle of rifles and leading Erniu, who was "fully loaded," the entire valley was in an uproar.
The villagers were relieved to see Zhou Jue return unharmed. Then they saw the gleaming Type 38 rifles she was carrying on her shoulders, and Erniu following behind her, dragging a large bundle, his face full of excitement.
"Erniu! Where have you been?! We were so worried!" A middle-aged man rushed up, hugged Erniu tightly, and checked him over, his eyes reddening.
"Uncle, village chief! Uncles and aunts! This lady has killed all the Japanese devils!"
His master hadn't agreed yet, so he couldn't call her master in front of so many people; it would make him seem a bit bad. Erniu broke free from the man's embrace and, like presenting a treasure, untied the large package, revealing the military uniform, canteen, leather boots, and dry rations inside.
"These...these..."
The old village chief looked at those things, then at the rifle on Zhou Jue's shoulder, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
Zhou Jue placed the dozen or so rifles on the ground, making a series of clanging metallic sounds.
"The guns are all here, and there are some bullets too." She tossed over the captured bullet pouches as well: "That should be enough for you."
The men in the mountain valley stared wide-eyed at the guns on the ground, their eyes wide as if they were wolves that hadn't eaten for three days and three nights and had spotted a plump lamb.
Guns! These are Type 38 rifles from the Japanese! With these, we won't have to fight them anymore with hoes and pitchforks!
“Girl… this… this is really for us?” a man asked, his voice trembling.
"certainly!"
She walked over to Shuanzi, who had regained consciousness but was still weak, checked his wounds, and found that there were no signs of further deterioration and his body temperature had dropped, so she was relieved.
“My benefactor…” Shuanzi looked at Zhou Jue and struggled to get up.
"Lie still and don't move." Zhou Jue pressed him down: "You've been given a second chance at life. If you want to live longer, just stay put and rest."
She turned to the old village chief and said, “Although this place is secluded, it’s not a long-term solution. The Japanese have lost contact with a squad, and they might send a large force to search the mountains. When I came here just now, I found an even more secluded valley about three miles to the west. The entrance is narrow, but there’s a hidden world inside, and there’s a stream. It’s easy to defend and difficult to attack. You can move there.”
She not only helped them get rid of the pursuers, but also planned out their escape route.
After hearing this, the old village chief could no longer hold back and, along with the entire village, knelt down in unison with a thud.
"Young lady! You are a living Bodhisattva! Please accept our bow!"
"Get up, all of you!" Zhou Jue's voice was stern this time: "We are all Chinese people, don't kneel down so easily! If you want to repay the country, live a good life, and if you have the ability, kill more Japanese devils!"
"Yes! I must kill the Japanese devils!"
"I want one too!"
......
Led by Zhou Jue, the group found the hiding place, and then Zhou Jue took out more things from his cloth bag.
There were bags of refined salt wrapped in oil paper, bags of vacuum-sealed high-energy compressed dry food, and several bags of plump potato and corn seeds in cloth bags.
Everyone looked at the small bag as if it were a treasure trove, and took out one item after another. Although they had their own guesses, they kept them to themselves. Their benefactor had done so much for them, and they would definitely keep the secret for him!
"If you eat this food sparingly, it should last you for a while. Find a place to plant these seeds; potatoes and corn are easy to grow and have high yields, so you won't starve to death."
She also left behind a medical kit containing various commonly used wound medicines, anti-inflammatory drugs, fever reducers, and a "Simple Wound Treatment Manual," which used the simplest pictures and words to teach them how to clean, disinfect, and bandage wounds.
After doing all this, she clapped her hands and prepared to leave.
"Alright, I've given you everything and shown you the way. Now it's up to you."
"Sister, are you leaving?" Erniu panicked upon hearing this and grabbed Zhou Jue's sleeve. "Take me with you! I'll do anything for you! I'll do anything!"
“Yes, young lady!” the old village chief hurriedly said, “It’s too dangerous for you to be out there alone. Why don’t you stay here, we…”
“I have more important things to do.” Zhou Jue interrupted him, looking at Er Niu with a serious expression: “You’ll only be a burden to me if you follow me.”
These words were direct and hurtful. Erniu's face turned pale instantly, his eyes reddened, and he was about to shed tears again.
“But,” Zhou Jue changed the subject, pressing down on Er Niu’s shoulder and squeezing it hard. Beneath his thin shoulders were bones that were hard for his age: “You can do more here than you can with me.”
She pointed to the gun on his body and the villagers with their guns, then pointed to the elderly, children, sick and disabled: "Do you see? They need protection, they need your protection."
“From today onwards, you are no longer that little brat who only knows how to cry and want revenge.” Zhou Jue’s voice was not loud, but every word struck Er Niu’s heart clearly.
"I gave you the gun so you could protect them, not so you could rush out and die alone. What you need to do is train with the other young people in the village who are like you, who want to kill the Japanese and dare to kill them. Practice during the day and study at night, hone your marksmanship, and use your brains. First, learn how to protect yourself and your families, and then think about how to kill the Japanese."
"Your strength may be small, but as long as you live, as long as your guns are still firing, the Japanese devils will never get a good night's sleep on these mountains!"
"A single spark can start a prairie fire. You are the first spark I ignited here."
Looking at Erniu's eyes, which were gradually brightening, Zhou Jue asked, word by word, "Erniu, can you do it?"
Erniu stared blankly at Zhou Jue, seeing the expectation in her eyes. In that instant, he seemed to have grown up. He released his grip on Zhou Jue's clothes, took a step back, straightened his small chest, and with all his might, answered loudly:
"Yes! Sister! I can definitely do it!"
He didn't cry anymore, nor did he try to stop him.
Zhou Juexin nodded with relief, then looked at the old village chief and said, "Old folks, take care."
"Don't worry, young lady! We'll all listen to you!" The old village chief nodded solemnly.
Zhou Jue said no more, turned around, and strode away into the sunset.
Erniu and all the villagers stood at the entrance of the mountain pass, watching her go.
Only after her figure completely disappeared from sight did Erniu suddenly turn around, grip his gun tightly, and shout in his childish yet incredibly determined voice, "From today onwards, I will practice shooting! To kill the Japanese devils!"
...
After leaving the mountain pass, Zhou Jue had the system set a concealment talisman for the pass and marked the villagers' presence. This way, the Japanese could not find them, but they could find their way back after leaving.
After finishing all that, Zhou Jue didn't rest for a moment. As darkness fell, she moved through the night as if it were flat ground.
With just over six days left until July 7th, she had to make the most of every second.
The list in the brown paper bag unfolded slowly in her mind like a complex map. She needed to find a crucial link, a reliable contact, to deliver the intelligence and supplies she had to those who needed them most, in the fastest and safest way.
According to the research and analysis of Chief Zhang and the experts, in the Hebei region in July of the 26th year of the Republic of China, there was only one "contact person" who was most likely and most trustworthy to her.
His code name was "Old K".
He was the head of the underground intelligence network in the Hebei region and one of our most important pawns planted in the heart of the enemy.
However, historical records about "Old K" are vague, only stating that he operated within Beiping (Beijing) and held a very high and highly secretive position. Finding him in the vast city of Beiping within just a few days would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
As Zhou Jue swiftly traversed the mountains and forests, his mind raced. Going directly to Beiping City was definitely not an option; the area was too vast, and searching one by one would take forever.
You must first find the external organizations and work your way up through them to have the fastest chance of getting in touch with "Old K".
She opened the map that Commander Zhang had given her; it was a hand-drawn map that marked several secret contact points of our side in the Hebei region at that time.
The closest contact point to her current location was over 100 kilometers away, in a small town called "Majiapuzi." The code for the contact point and the method of rendezvous were clearly written next to it.
"Let's go here."
Zhou Jue set his goal and quickened his pace.
However, just as she crossed a mountain and prepared to travel through the night, the Listening to the Sea Fang hanging on her chest suddenly caught a very faint voice that made her stop in her tracks.
The sound was intermittent, like a candle flickering in the wind.
Water...water...
It hurts...it hurts so much...
[Cannot...sleep...mission...intelligence...must...be sent out...]
Old K...Beiping...in danger...
Zhou Jue's pupils suddenly contracted.
Old K?!
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