War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1981 Wedding Wine
"Bang! Bang!"

At the bridgehead, with the last two shots rang out, Wei Ran emptied all the bullets from his three Mauser pistols and used up all the magazines in Kowloon.

These bullets weren't just used up by him alone. He, along with Gaolianggan, Wenlaoga, and even Fenghuotou, also took on the ammunition consumption of Guoguanggun, Brother Lü, and some other soldiers around them who had Mauser pistols.

After several rounds of inter-provincial support, the only bullets they had left were the captured Japanese rifle bullets.

But at this point, they had not yet repelled the Japanese army's second attack!
"Kill! Killing one is enough! Killing two is a bonus! Brothers! Charge together!"

In the torrential rain, Feng Huotou, his eyes bloodshot with rage, let out a loud shout. Wen Laoga and the others around him immediately joined him, some carrying rifles with bayonets, others wielding broadswords, charging towards the Japanese soldiers without regard for their own lives.

"Jiro! Why is your wife standing naked in the back?"

Just as they were about to run into the Japanese again, Wei Ran suddenly shouted out in Japanese with great emotion.

The sudden roar had a significant effect; a considerable number of the Japanese soldiers charging towards them instinctively turned around to look behind them.

"puff!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wei Ran thrust the rifle he was holding forward with a sudden thrust, the bayonet, which resembled a screwdriver, cleanly and decisively piercing the chest of the distracted Japanese soldier opposite him.

As he drew his gun and stepped back, Wei Ran rested the barrel of his rifle on the shoulder of the Japanese soldier, almost touching his ear, and pulled the trigger at a nearby Japanese soldier who had realized he had been tricked.

"boom!"

Accompanied by the sound of gunfire and the mist formed by rainwater shattered by the shockwave from the gun barrel, the bullet tore open the neck of one Japanese soldier and then spun around and smashed into the face of another.

Wei Ran did not stop or change his rifle. He simply pushed aside the Japanese soldier whose lung had been pierced, and while Wen Laoga was knocking away a Japanese soldier's bayonet, he charged forward desperately, stabbing the bayonet of his rifle into the man's chest. Then, while retreating, he loaded the rifle with another bullet.

"boom!"

With another gunshot, Wei Ran, after once again achieving a close-range kill by shooting two targets, simply released the rifle that was already empty of bullets, picked up a Type 38 rifle, and continued charging forward.

This time, he helped the sorghum stalk beside him deflect the bayonet thrusting at him from the opposite side, and the latter, just like before, thrust forward with his Type 38 rifle, plunging the bayonet into the Japanese soldier's chest.

"careful!"

As Brother Lü shouted, he swung his broadsword upwards, knocking away a bayonet.

In the torrential rain, the bayonet narrowly grazed the chest of a sorghum stalk, slicing through the soaked winter uniform and revealing the water-soaked cotton underneath, but luckily it didn't damage the sorghum stalk in the slightest.

"puff!"

But at that moment, a bayonet was plunged into Brother Lü's stomach.

"Fuck your mother!"

With a roar, Guo Guanggun slashed at the Japanese soldier's shoulder with his broadsword, severing one of the soldier's forelimbs.

"what--!"

The Japanese soldier on the other side let out a scream, but at the same time, another Japanese soldier on the other side pulled out a Mauser pistol and aimed it at Feng Huotou, who was standing right next to him!

"boom!"

Wen Laoga pulled the trigger of his Type 38 rifle before the enemy could react, killing the Japanese soldier in the chest at close range.

"Pick up the gun!"

Before Wen Laoga could finish speaking, he had already thrust the gun in his hand forward.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

Just then, Brother Lü, whose abdomen had been pierced by a bayonet, pulled out the bayonet and charged at the Japanese soldiers opposite him with his gun held horizontally and a crazy expression on his face!

"puff!"

This man, no longer young, allowed bayonets to pierce his stomach, his thigh, and even his chest one after another, but he gritted his teeth and used all his strength to push the horizontally positioned rifle, using it to forcefully push down the three-headed Japanese soldier opposite him—using his own life as motivation.

"Puff puff!"

Gao Lianggan and Wei Ran immediately finished off two of them with their knives, while Guo Guanggun, who was a little later, slashed the third Japanese soldier squarely on the forehead.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

At this critical moment, Feng Huotou finally picked up the Japanese Mauser pistol and pulled the trigger at the Japanese soldier who was right in front of him.

After firing four shots in quick succession, emptying the last bullets in the three pistol boxes, Feng Huotou immediately rushed towards the Japanese soldier's corpse to search for spare ammunition. Wei Ran and the others followed Wen Laoga on either side, cooperating with the surrounding soldiers to continue the advance.

As for Brother Lü...
They don't have time to even glance at him now.

"laugh!"

Just as Feng Huotou finally pulled out a magazine and loaded it into the stolen Mauser pistol, Wei Ran was stabbed in the arm by a bayonet from the opposite side.

"puff!"

Wei Ran gripped the butt of the gun with one hand and thrust it forward, piercing the opponent's neck with the bayonet. He then pulled back and swung his arm violently, tearing his pierced left arm from the opponent's bayonet.

With his injured left hand, he grabbed the soaked gun strap, wrapped it around his arm, and tightened it. At the same time that Wei Ran and Feng Huo Tou pulled the trigger, he raised his gun again to create an opportunity for Wen Lao Ga to kill the enemy.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After five consecutive gunshots, the lagging Feng Huotou threw away his Mauser pistol, grabbed a Type 38 rifle, and charged forward.

However, at that moment, a bayonet also pierced Gao Lianggan's thigh. As the Japanese soldier pulled out his bayonet and twisted his gun, Gao Lianggan screamed and fell onto the mottled, slippery stone road.

Fortunately, at that moment, the Japanese second wave of attack was repelled. Wei Ran and Guo Guanggun immediately grabbed the sorghum stalks that were bleeding from their thigh wounds and began to retreat desperately before the Japanese grenade launchers and artillery shells came at them and before the enemy's machine guns opened fire.

"boom!"

Almost immediately after they jumped into the trenches, which were nearly flooded with rainwater, Japanese artillery shells came flying in.

"Move him away! Move him away quickly! He's bleeding from an artery! He needs stitches! Find a doctor who knows how to stitch!"

Ignoring the penetrating wound in his arm, Wei Ran carried the bleeding sorghum stalk from his thigh to the stretcher on the other side of the trench, shouting to "Mr. Huo" as he did so. He was especially determined to ensure that the sorghum stalk's thigh did not remain submerged in the trench's floodwaters, or he would surely die from infection.

"I know!"

Mr. Gao shouted in response, and at the same time, he and his companions lifted up the sorghum stalks and ran towards the city.

"Do you need bandages?!" Wen Laoga asked loudly.

"No need!" Wei Ran said, having already untied the Nine Dragons Belt that was empty of bullets, and then took off his water-soaked military uniform and threw it aside, tightening the belt around the wound on his arm.

Although his wound was penetrating, the bleeding was not severe. Based on his experience, he judged that the aorta and vein should not have been damaged.

"How do we fight the next wave?" Chef Feng asked worriedly.

Fight with your life on the line

As Guo Guanggun spoke, he placed aside the hand-held flower mechanism that he had picked up from Brother Lü when he had just retreated.

"We have to fight to the death."

As Wen Laoga spoke, he also took off his winter uniform.

"I was also planning to drink a glass of wine at the wedding of Shouxian and Yimo."

Feng, the cook, muttered with regret, and like Wei Ran and Wen Laoga, took off his old military uniform, revealing the light clothes made of summer cloth underneath.

"I was planning to have you be the head chef when they held their banquet, and have Brother Wei take some pictures of the two kids."

Wen Laoga shook his head regretfully, "Forget it, if we can't drive away the Japanese, we won't be able to drink the wedding wine either. Brother Wei, it seems our bet is going to fall through."

"It won't turn yellow"

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already taken out his portable wine flask. "Let's drink the wedding wine in advance."

"boom!"

Just then, a shell hit a spot not far from them, splashing up a lot of mud and water mist.

"Look, even the Japanese soldiers are setting off firecrackers for the groom."

"Then let's have our wedding feast early today!"

As another shell slammed into the surrounding area, Wen Laoga pulled out his wine gourd from his pocket, unscrewed it, and cheerfully announced, "Today is my son Shouxian's wedding feast, drink mine! I'll drink first!"

"boom!"

With another cannon shot, Wen Laoga tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, then handed the wine gourd to Feng Huotou.

"boom!"

Amidst the ongoing sounds of gunfire, Chef Feng took a large gulp of wine and then handed the wine gourd to Wei Ran.

As he downed a mouthful of strong liquor, the Japanese artillery fire ceased, and shouts of battle reached his ears through the rain.

"Now that we've had the wedding feast, we brothers should at least write a bill for the kids to make up for the joy!"

Guo Guanggun tilted his head back and drank the last mouthful of wine from the gourd. When he returned the gourd to Wen Laoga, he had already grabbed the Type 38 rifle beside him. "I'll write down the lives of 10 Japanese devils!"

“Then I’ll write 20, and I’ll pay for Gaolianggan’s share.”

As Wei Ran spoke, he also picked up the rifle left behind by the sorghum stalks, aimed at the shadowy figures in the rain, and pulled the trigger.

"Then I'll write 10 too!"

As he spoke, Feng Huotou picked up the Type 38 rifle he had retrieved.

Amidst the chaotic gunfire, Wei Ran emptied his gun before the Japanese soldiers reached the grenade throwing range. Then, together with the soldiers around him, he took a grenade from the few remaining ones in the grenade box, pulled the pin, and threw it out.

"kill!"

No sooner had the grenade explosions ended than desperate screams echoed from the trenches, which were soaked with rain and mud.

Amidst the roar, Wei Ran, wielding the Type 38 rifle he had just retrieved, charged out of the trench once more.

This time, however, he didn't even have time to collide with the Japanese soldiers. A bullet pierced his thigh, and he rolled and fell into the mud. He could only tighten his belt around his thigh to save himself while watching the battlefield in the rain.

Because of the rain and the darkness of night, he couldn't see who the fallen soldiers were, or whether any of them were "guests" who had just attended a wedding.

But soon, he saw Mr. Huo rushing past him on a stretcher, and he also saw Zhao Shouxian running towards the front line.

Despite the dizziness caused by blood loss, Wei Ran struggled to stand up again and again without success. In despair, he saw Mr. Huo and his companion carrying Feng Huotou towards the city, and Mr. Wen Laoga being carried back by Zhao Shouxian with difficulty.

Finally, as Wei Ran lost more and more blood, his vision went black and he completely lost consciousness.

When he slowly awoke again, the first thing he saw was the window paper fluttering slightly in the sound of cannon fire outside the city.

He struggled to turn his head and look around. He was lying on a wooden bed. The wound on his leg had been bandaged. The aroma of chicken soup with medicinal fragrance wafted from the casserole on the stove not far from the door.

After much recollection, he remembered that he and Wen Laoga had once drunk this kind of chicken soup in the ward that Zhao Shouxian's parents were in charge of, which was barely a cave dwelling, on the battlefield of Xifengkou.

What's the name of this soup again?
Just as his thoughts began to wander, Yi Mo walked in carrying something and went to a table not far away.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Shouxian also came in, and the two, who looked like a perfect couple, busied themselves around the table.

When he tried to turn his head again, he saw Feng Huotou and Wen Laoga lying on another bed, as well as Gaolianggan'er, who had been sent back earlier.

Whether it's good or bad, there's no Guo Guanggun here.

Just then, accompanied by a series of coughs, Wei Ran looked at Wen Laoga not far away, and Zhao Shouxian and Yi Mo immediately ran to Wen Laoga's bedside.

However, the blood that spilled from Wen Laoga's mouth, accompanied by coughing, made Wei Ran realize that something was wrong, and it also made Zhao Shouxian and Yi Mo panic. It also made Feng Huotou, who seemed to have woken up as well, struggle to get up.

Wei Ran was also unable to get up at this moment. All he could do was take out the Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera from his metal notebook, and after some difficult adjustments, he aimed the lens at Wen Laoga and the two children.

But at this moment, Wen Laoga was speechless. All he could do was gently touch the heads of the two children kneeling by the bed as Wei Ran pressed the shutter button again and again, and then he pointed with difficulty to his chest and then to Feng Huotou.

As Zhao Shouxian and Yimo nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down their faces, Wen Laoga's face broke into a bright and cheerful smile.

Immediately afterwards, he clenched his fist slightly towards Zhao Shouxian with difficulty, and tremblingly extended his little finger. He even glanced at Wei Ran hastily when Zhao Shouxian, who was crying his eyes out, hooked his little finger with his own. Then he looked at Zhao Shouxian apologetically. He probably wouldn't be able to fulfill the promise he made to Zhao Shouxian under the Great Wall back then.

"Father! Father!"

Amidst Zhao Shouxian and Yi Mo's hoarse cries, and at the moment Wei Ran pressed the shutter again, Wen Laoga's hand limply rested on the window, yet it still tightly hooked onto Zhao Shouxian's little finger, refusing to let go.

Just then, Guo Guanggun, his head wrapped in gauze, limped in, supported by Mr. Huo and his female student. He then stumbled and sat down by the door, leaning against the door frame and covering his eyes with his hand, which was also wrapped in gauze. But he couldn't stop the overwhelming, helpless humiliation and guilt that welled up inside him.

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　　(End of this chapter)