Public sentiment
Before long, Gong Jingyi appeared at Zhang Chenglin's window as if taking a leisurely stroll after dinner in a peaceful and prosperous era.
Since Zhang Chenglin returned from Tangshan more than half a month ago, the two have not seen each other again. He knows that Gong Jingyi resents him for "betrayal" and is also angry that he wavered.
There are just some things that can't be explained clearly.
Gong Jingyi stood beside him for a long time, as if he were looking at the moon with him, without saying a word.
As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, Gong Jingyi finally spoke before leaving: "After the war is over, remember to come to Beiping. I'll treat you to the best wine in Beiping."
Zhang Chenglin smiled faintly and added, "We won't leave until we're drunk."
*
Upon arriving in Linyi, Zhang Chenglin immediately met with the organization stationed there. The leader stationed in Linyi was Lu Mingqian, who had been Tan Yuanbo's deputy many years ago and had come to Shandong from the Sichuan-Chongqing region with Tan Yuanbo.
As a peace defense line behind the encirclement of Qingdao, Rizhao, and Weifang, the importance of Linyi is self-evident.
At this moment, as the garrison commander of Linyi, Lu Mingqian's status in Tan Yuanbo's eyes is self-evident.
"Around 11 p.m. last night, the Japanese army sent two small detachments, under the cover of Bo Lingfeng and others, to sneak across Qingdao and Rizhao and arrive in Linyi."
In Junan County, Linyi, at the headquarters of the 115th Division, Lu Mingqian stood in front of the sand table, explaining the current situation to Zhang Chenglin in a slightly fast-paced manner.
"Last night, our army successfully intercepted these two small Japanese detachments outside Linyi and strengthened the outer defenses of Linyi." Lu Mingqian said, then suddenly pointed to a Japanese piece very close to him on the sand table, his expression turning serious: "But around four o'clock this morning, a Japanese force still managed to reach Junan in Linyi from Juxian in Rizhao, and between five and six o'clock in the morning, they carried out a large-scale massacre of civilians in Junan. My men rushed to the southwest of Junan immediately. The most accurate location we have obtained so far is within the border area between Lingquan Town and Daokou Town. Our army and the Japanese army are in a stalemate."
After listening to Lu Mingqian's words, Zhang Chenglin stared at the sand table for a few seconds, his eyes narrowed, and he asked, "Did we have any news about the Japanese troops that came from Ju County?"
“No,” Lu Mingqian knew he had thought of that too, and added what he hadn’t said earlier: “We suspect that there is more than just Bo Lingfeng’s rebel army in Shandong, and even…”
"This person has more detailed and comprehensive maps of the defense deployment in various regions, as well as the authority to mobilize the deployment of various armies."
Zhang Chenglin shifted his gaze from the sand table, and the instant his eyes met Lu Mingqian's, he understood that the other man shared the same thoughts—
People in the central government.
Only people in the central government have this authority to access such classified information that even Tan Yuanbo and Zhong Shuhuai were not qualified to access.
"As per Mr. Tan's arrangement, you will lead a group to support the border area between Lingquan Town and Daokou Town. Some people will set off with you shortly and go directly there."
"Okay." Zhang Chenglin agreed and turned to walk out.
——
Lu Mingqian's men took Zhang Chenglin to the entrance of Pengling Village in Lingquan Town—further in, the East and West Gaoling had just been invaded by the Japanese army, and the local people were still putting up a stubborn resistance.
A dozen or so villagers dressed in coarse cloth shorts were waiting in the courtyard. The one leading them was a woman with a blue headscarf, her cheekbones covered in mud and ash, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.
"Commander Zhang, we are Ji Chuanying from Xigaoling Village. If you want to enter the village, we will show you the way!" The woman's voice was loud and clear. Several men behind her raised their small carts, with oil paper packages tied to the carts, and the edges of cornbread and herbs could be vaguely seen on the carts.
Looking at the wheelbarrows with mud and bloodstains on their rims, Xin Jie recalled that news of the massacre in Junan last night had already spread, and these villagers had actually come to deliver intelligence amidst swords and gunfire.
Without a moment's hesitation, Zhang Chenglin immediately divided his men into three teams: one team stayed behind to guard Pengling, another team went to guard Donggaoling, and he led a larger team to follow the local guides into the heart of Xigaoling.
Halfway there, almost as soon as they stepped into Xigaoling, they suddenly heard a burst of gunfire from ahead.
Zhang Chenglin signaled the team to take cover, and he followed Ji Chuanying into a hawthorn grove.
Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, one could see that on the stone bridge not far away, a dozen Japanese soldiers were forcing dozens of villagers into trucks at the bridgehead.
“That’s Erzhuzi from our village!” Ji Chuanying squatted down beside Zhang Chenglin, his fists clenched and trembling. Blood seeped from between his fingers, which were half-hidden under the branches and leaves. His tone revealed his unwillingness to tear those Japanese soldiers apart.
Xin Jie, who was lying in ambush at the front of the first squad, saw Zhang Chenglin's hand gesture and was about to give the order to launch a surprise attack when Ji Chuanying grabbed Zhang Chenglin's sleeve tightly.
Zhang Chenglin immediately stopped and turned to look at her.
"Sir, we've buried explosives under the bridge!" Ji Chuanying pulled a rusty tinderbox from his pocket. "I'll light it when they cross the bridge to the middle!"
Before she finished speaking, she was seen like a nimble lynx, crawling along the pile of rocks on the riverbed towards the bridge.
Zhang Chenglin's hand, which was halfway out to grab the hem of her dress, fell into emptiness after a gust of wind, and he could only watch helplessly as she slowly moved closer to the edge of the bridge.
The gunfire suddenly stopped.
The Japanese soldiers who had already climbed onto the bridge seemed to have noticed something, and kept looking down from the bridge with their bayonets pointed at them.
Zhang Chenglin stood in the hawthorn grove, watching the Japanese soldiers' movements on the bridge, his heart pounding in his chest.
Suddenly, Ji Chuanying's shout pierced the twilight again: "Comrades, blow up the bridge—!"
Then came a deafening roar as the only stone bridge leading outside collapsed amidst the flames, sending a dozen Japanese soldiers and their trucks plunging into the river.
Zhang Chenglin immediately ordered Xin Jie to lead half of his men to annihilate the remaining Japanese troops and provide cover, while he himself led the other half to jump into the river to rescue people.
When Ji Chuanying, who had choked on water, was pulled from the river, she was still tightly holding a bloodied baby in her arms.
“This is Uncle Li’s grandson from the village entrance. His parents were killed by the Japanese…” Ji Chuanying coughed up some river water and suddenly grabbed Zhang Chenglin’s sleeve. “Sir, there’s a tunnel behind Xigaoling Village where people can hide. We’ve hidden all our grain there!”
Zhang Chenglin led his men to cover the retreat of the villagers of Xigaoling, step by step, towards the safety of the area behind the village, while Xin Jie led his men to concentrate fire to cover their retreat...
Five days later.
The Japanese encirclement tightened, and Zhang Chenglin lost all contact with Lu Mingqian and Tan Yuanbo. The reinforcements and supplies were slow to arrive, the ammunition boxes were empty, and even the last grenade was given to the suicide squad.
Zhang Chenglin and Xin Jie stood on the open ground outside the tunnel, looking at the smoke billowing in the distance. The body of Deputy General Zhao Qingshan, Lu Mingqian, lay not far away, blood still seeping from the bloody hole in his chest. This morning, during the breakout, Zhao Qingshan was betrayed and identified by his most trusted subordinate, Liu Mingjun, in order to cover the villagers' retreat, and was shot seven times and died.
Perhaps it was karma, for not long after, Liu Mingjun's body was thrown into the river outside the village by the Japanese army.
"Commander Zhang, have some rice porridge." Ji Chuanying walked in carrying a chipped, rough porcelain bowl with a few grains of rice floating in it.
Several women followed behind her, some carrying herbs, others with bundles of burlap sacks in their arms.
"We cooked up the last of our rations to feed the wounded and the children," said a girl in a floral blouse, her eyes red-rimmed. Her husband had died in town the day before yesterday.
Just then, a commotion suddenly arose at the village entrance. Xin Jie grabbed his gun and was about to rush out to meet the commotion when he saw the young soldier guarding the village entrance running towards him at lightning speed.
“Sir…” The young soldier was running so fast that he was out of breath, but he still managed to say in fits and starts, “Several helicopters have arrived outside, carrying a lot of people and supplies. They said they wanted to see you, sir.”
Zhang Chenglin and Xin Jie exchanged a glance, then quickly walked outside. More than people, they needed food and ammunition.
On the spacious open space at the entrance of the village, ten helicopters were parked with a rumbling sound, next to two teams of well-trained soldiers and countless ammunition boxes.
When the team leader saw them approaching, a hint of untamed joy appeared on his already arrogant face: "Long time no see, Ah Lin."
Zhang Chenglin paused before speaking, then said, "Why is it you?"
When Zhang Chenglin saw those ten helicopters, he had a general idea of what was going on—in such a tense situation, only the richest man, Jiang Yuanxing, could mobilize ten helicopters at once.
Zhang Chenglin hadn't expected Jiang Yuanxing to send Jiang Qingju and his men personally.
After all, each party had its own high-ranking officials and influence under Jiang Yuanxing. He possessed ample and advanced military equipment and highly trained troops, and never borrowed money or supplies from any other party or faction, not even Jiang Rusu or Jiang Qingju.
This blatant favoritism, in a sense, also demonstrates their stance and attitude.
As for Jiang Qingju—Zhang Chenglin's uncle, he studied in Melbourne, strongly endorsed socialism, supported the Communist Party, and firmly believed that the Chinese people would become rich and strong under the leadership of the Communist Party as soon as possible.
The only thing he did was to make his stance very clear and firm: he did not want Zhang Chenglin to participate in the party struggle, and he mentioned this to Zhang Chenglin, Jiang Xuyin, and Jiang Yuanxing more than once.
Jiang Qingju arrived just in time, and Zhang Chenglin acted swiftly, ordering a general offensive that very night.
Jiang Qingju and Zhang Chenglin's men charged ahead carrying guns, while the civilians, led by Ji Chuanying, pushed carts through the hail of bullets. Wounded soldiers were piled on the carts, and bundles of grenades hung from the handles.
As dawn broke in the east, the last Japanese pillbox was finally blown up.
Xin Jie led his men to clean up the battlefield and settle the villagers. Zhang Chenglin and Jiang Qingju stood on the surviving hawthorn grove highland, looking at the mess in front of them in Xigaoling Village, with the sun rising in the east behind them, casting a red glow.
Soon, this place will return to its normal state, where people can live in peace and contentment, fishing, woodcutting, farming, and studying.
This battle will surely be remembered in history, not for Zhang Chenglin and Jiang Qingju, but for the brave and fearless people, for the deep bond between the army and the people, and for the people's support shown by the pushcart.
The Yimeng Red Sisters, the Yimeng Folk Songs, and the Yimeng Spirit will surely be remembered for eternity and sung by future generations for countless years to come.
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