Chapter 1381 The Second Generation of the Colony (First Update, Please Subscribe)
Full mobilization!
I don't know how many people were affected by the conscription order. Some were cheering, some were sad, but most of them were positive and enthusiastic.
Especially in the African colonies, the descendants of the samurai families in the four provinces of Japan joined the army one after another. They always called themselves the "Imperial Samurai Swordsmen" and of course hoped to serve the empire in this war and become a competent imperial samurai, just like their fathers had conquered Africa for the empire.
Besides them, the East African mixed-race people called "Coffee" were more eager to fight. Their fathers were Japanese civilians and their mothers were local aboriginals. Compared with those from samurai families, their skin color was darker and the traces of aboriginals in their appearance made them feel a little inferior. Therefore, they were more eager to make a difference on the battlefield and realize their own value. Of course, what was more important was to get recognition from the outside world.
At Guangyang No. 3 Middle School in the Tanganyika Colony, students here are now the same as students in other places. They also talk about the war and how to serve the country.
For these young people, there is nothing more important than this. Even the timid ones will pretend to be very brave and talk passionately about the war, how to serve the country, and how to kill the enemy on the battlefield.
"Hey! Long live, long live...Haha! I can go to the front line and serve His Majesty the Emperor!"
Suddenly, an excited shout came from the door of the classroom. Some students who were taking a lunch break in their seats were awakened by the loud voice. They saw a guy rushing in from the door of the classroom. As soon as he entered the classroom, he started yelling inside.
Xu Liqiang was woken up and when he looked up, he saw a tall, mixed-race boy with curly hair, slightly dark skin and a big mouth running towards them with his head shaking.
Seeing him coming towards him and throwing his sweaty body on his desk, Xu Liqiang said unhappily.
"Honjo, what's going on? Everyone is resting!"
"ah!"
Xu Liqiang's reminder made the excited Honjo Shigeru bow quickly.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm just so happy."
The reason why Benzhuang treated him with great respect was not only because Xu Liqiang was a Chinese whose ancestral home was in Shandong, but also because his father worked on the Xu family’s farm.
"Eighteen years old! Eighteen years old! Haha, I went to the military service office and asked - as long as you are eighteen years old, you can sign up for military service on your own, without having to wait for conscription..."
After saying this, Honjo Shigeru held his head high and spoke.
"Haha, I'm already eighteen years old! Look..."
As he spoke, Honjo Shigeru showed a piece of paper to everyone - a enlistment notice.
"Oh! My God... It's really a draft notice, Honjo... You, you are a soldier of the Empire!"
For a moment, the class was filled with surprises, and people looked at the notice in Honjo's hand with envy.
"Haha, yes, report in two days, classmates..."
Benzhuang Fanlizheng said:
"From now on, I am a soldier of the Empire. Haha, I finally have the opportunity to serve the Empire! I will be loyal to His Majesty the Emperor..."
Looking at the smug Honjo, Xu Liqiang couldn't help but feel a little envious of this guy.
I envy a mixed-race person...really.
Like most of the students in the class, Honjo's fathers all came from various parts of Japan. They were either farm supervisors, small business owners or workers in enterprises. Most of their mothers were from Tanganyika. There was no other way. Japanese women would marry Ming people if they had the chance. At worst, they would marry a samurai. No one wanted to marry an ordinary Japanese man. In their opinion, Japanese men were not only short, but also had a coarse appearance. They were not as tall as Ming men, nor as handsome and passionate as Ming men. In a word, Japanese men... Japanese women would not marry them.
However, in African colonies, Japanese men are very popular in the eyes of indigenous women. In the past twenty years, tens of millions of Japanese men have worked as laborers in African colonies. While they have been sweating for the empire's colonial construction, they have also found love - marrying local people.
Honjo...is just one of the millions of East African mixed-race people in the African colonies.
"Oh, you're so lucky!"
Standing up, Xu Liqiang said.
"Well, let's all come to my house tonight and have a bonfire party to see Honjo off."
"real!"
Honjo Shigeru looked at Xu Liqiang with a look of surprise, his excitement evident in his words.
"Of course, you are going to the front line to serve your country. It is only natural for your classmates to see you off, don't you think?"
As soon as Xu Liqiang finished speaking, there was an immediate echo in the classroom. No matter whether they were Ming people, Japanese or mixed-race, at this moment, they were all sincerely happy for Benzhuang. Some classmates even patted Benzhuang and said.
"After you conquer England, you must find a white woman to be your wife. Then, your children will definitely have white skin!"
"Oh, I want to, too, but I hope the white girl will like me!"
"Haha, what's the point of saying it or not? Just let those British devils understand what the privilege of the victor is!"
Laughter rang out in the classroom. For these teenagers, they are always so frank and unpretentious...
That night, on the lawn in the backyard of the Xu family farm, the bonfire illuminated the night sky red. On the grill beside the bonfire, large pieces of beef were dripping with oil. The long table was filled with all kinds of delicacies and fruits. While several black maids were busy, the teenagers gathered around the bonfire, laughing. The bonfire illuminated everyone's face red. In addition to the boys, there were also a dozen girls.
Everyone was chatting happily and drinking beer, which was not too strong. The cold beer was perfect with the barbecue. The flames of the bonfire made crackling sounds and sparks flew in and out. Everyone was talking and laughing easily, as if the fire had made them think deeply. The girls kept preparing food.
Honjo Shigeru, who was holding a glass of beer, saw the guitar next to Xu Liqiang. He squatted down, thought for a long time, and suddenly said to him.
"Can I try it?"
"What's wrong with that?"
After handing the guitar to Benjo, Xu Liqiang watched him play the guitar for a few times and tune it. Then Benjo started playing the guitar, and a hoarse voice rang out along with the brisk melody.
"The grassland was covered with mist, and the moon appeared above the clouds, illuminating the quiet tombstone. The pale tombstone in the night protected the sleeping hero, and the departed heroic soul rested here..."
When Honjo sang "In the Wilderness of Africa", the students also sang along. This song was composed to commemorate the soldiers who died during the expedition to Africa. The song itself is very beautiful and has a touch of melancholy.
"The wind quietly blows away the mist in the wilderness of Africa. Rest in peace, warriors! Empire, can you hear the sound of their fighting?..."
His classmates also sang along with him. The singing and the slightly gloomy melody echoed in the night sky, and sparks splashed around the teenagers, just like fireflies.
"...Sleep, heroes of the empire, proud warriors of the empire! Fall for the empire, sacrifice for the empire."
That night, Xu Liqiang and his classmates were all drunk. The teenagers sang and cheered in front of the bonfire. They danced around the bonfire and jumped around in it.
Everyone was singing, everyone was laughing, and everyone thought this was the happiest day of their lives.
Looking at Honjo Shigeru surrounded by the crowd, Xu Liqiang thought of his father, the farm supervisor, and asked his father to take care of him. Well, he could ask his mother, a tall Chaga woman who gave birth to five children for the Honjo family, to come to the farm to help...
Looking at the laughing classmates, Xu Liqiang, who had been recording the scene with his camera, said.
"Everyone come over here and take a group photo."
"Okay!"
Soon the teenagers squeezed into two rows. Xu Liqiang handed the camera to his sister and asked her to take a group photo. He never thought that this class would leave him with not only memories but also this photo. This was their last group photo.
Because it was at night, the photo was not clear enough, and even a little blurry. Later, there were fewer and fewer people in this photo. Many boys in the class had just grown up and joined the army...
Time will fade away memories, but today, for these young people, everything that happened tonight will be their eternal memory...
The old group is down, so I created a new book club group: 739209015. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss and deduce the plot together.
(End of this chapter)
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