Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 143 Joined the Organization (Please subscribe to help me climb the charts, there's a super long chapter coming up later)
The destruction of the heavy artillery positions, while not changing the overall situation of the battlefield, significantly reduced the losses of the troops crossing the river.

After the 8th Division headquarters was notified, the 7th Company was given a new mission: to delay the enemy's escape along the way. This time it was not a death order. The 8th Division had been weakened in the Battle of Shuimen Bridge, and now it was mostly composed of new recruits who lacked the awareness of veterans and could not withstand a desperate battle.

That made things easier. The 7th Company, using camouflage, launched a surprise attack on a South Korean army battalion. Upon engaging in combat and seeing the 7th Company's superior firepower, the South Koreans turned tail and fled, abandoning trucks and supplies.

The 7th Company found some landmines in their supplies, and also replenished some artillery shells and rockets. He Yuzhu even asked them to bring a few empty gasoline cans.

The new recruits were all confused. Yu Congrong sidled up to He Yuzhu and said slyly, "Heartless cannon?"

"Shh!"

"Hey, do you think the company commander and political instructor can't see what you're up to? We're not going to light a campfire."

"Get more explosives."

"I understand. I didn't expect the deputy company commander to know even this."

When Wu Qianli and Mei Sheng saw He Yuzhu using this thing, they exchanged a glance and saw a strange look in each other's eyes. They hadn't used this thing in a long time.

The landmine was planted at a major intersection for north-south traffic.

The Seventh Company set up a sentry post about one kilometer north of the intersection, while most of its troops waited for the enemy to arrive at their positions on the mountain.

Instead of the Bald Eagle and South Korea, a flock of people wearing black berets and flat-topped cylindrical hats arrived.

The 7th Company had never seen such attire before. He Yuzhu stopped them and asked a few questions. They were a battalion from the 27th British Brigade.

Then he quietly told Wu Qianli and the others. Wu Wanli said, "Where is Britain? No wonder the equipment is different. That hat is really unique."

"Is it easy to fight?" Yu Congrong asked.

"You'll know once you've fought it. Just take action when the landmines go off up ahead."

"Okay, I'll go and inform them right away."

Only one platoon remained at the outpost. Since He Yuzhu's platoon had a lot of artillery, Yu Congrong's fire support platoon was below them. As for Wu Wanli, he was lectured by Mei Sheng for leaving He Yuzhu behind and being told that even orders were not allowed.

He was only able to leave after He Yuzhu stopped him, and then he followed He Yuzhu.

With this checkpoint, the enemy indeed lowered their guard and continued on their way with great ease. It wasn't until the landmines in front of them exploded that the enemy realized they had been tricked.

But before they could turn around, they were bombarded with shells, rockets, and bullets.

This British battalion was also stubborn. Although you couldn't tell how many Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers there were from their firepower, their battalion had more than 800 men.

The British battalion commander immediately ordered a company to take out the outpost, while the rest of the troops launched a fierce attack on the 7th Company on the mountain.

How could He Yuzhu and Yu Congrong possibly wait for the enemy on the highway, with no cover whatsoever?

That British company, after charging through, was met with "large-caliber artillery" from the mountain's artillery platoon. Two 5-kilogram explosive charges were launched onto the road. Before the enemy even understood what was happening, within a 20-meter radius of the two explosive charges' impact point, there were no British soldiers left standing.

The British company commander was hit by the first shot, and a platoon leader below him shouted: "Heavy artillery! The enemy has heavy artillery! Retreat!"

His shout and movement caught He Yuzhu's eye, and he was hit in the head with a single shot.

The British soldiers turned and ran, but while coming was easy, leaving was not so easy, as the light and heavy machine guns on the mountain had already been arranged.

"suddenly"

"Da da da"

Less than a platoon of the company managed to escape. On the 7th Company's side, Wu Qianli waited for the enemy's small-scale group to charge before ordering the firing of the 'large-caliber artillery'.

The effect was predictable; the enemy was completely stunned by the explosion, because the people who were hit were in such a terrible state.

However, the 7th Company had limited explosives, and they ran out after two rounds. The enemy began to retaliate fiercely, and the battle lasted from late at night until almost dawn. When the familiar shouts of battle came from afar, Britain fled.

The 7th Company did want to give chase, but what came first was a unit of the Bald Eagles, about a regiment, and the 7th Company began to block them.

The battle raged until dawn, with most of the enemy remaining, while the rest fled in disarray.

Interestingly, He Yuzhu captured a British prisoner, a lieutenant named Orian Trench, who told He Yuzhu that he had a title and should be treated as he deserved.

After being disciplined by He Yuzhu, he was tied to the back of the Seventh Company during the battle. After witnessing the ferocity and ruthlessness of the Seventh Company, he dared not utter a sound.

However, he was genuinely grateful to He Yuzhu for capturing him, as only a third of their battalion eventually returned to Britain alive.

The Seventh Company lost half its strength in this battle, mostly new recruits. The 8th Division, which had fought before at Zhaoyang River, didn't perform very well in the infiltration and division mission. There was no other way; there were just too many new recruits.

Furthermore, since the enemy had gained an understanding of the tactics of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, the 7th Company was subsequently assigned mostly reconnaissance missions.

From June onwards, the 8th Division's mission became to garrison a certain area along the 38th parallel north. The 7th Company received personnel replenishment, but it no longer engaged in forward assaults; instead, it turned into tunnel warfare.

This really frustrated the soldiers of the 7th Company. During the day, they were bombarded by planes and artillery and could only hide in rat holes. Even if they managed to retake the position at night, they had to give it up again during the day.

After discussing it with Wu Qianli and Mei Sheng, He Yuzhu decided to continue digging. Soon, the entire mountain of the Seventh Company's position was almost completely dug through. Going out at night was not only about seizing positions, but also about looting supplies.

The Volunteer Army's supply lines were bombed every day, and supplies could not be delivered, so they had to be self-sufficient. The Seventh Company had more reserves, including what He Yuzhu had secretly taken out at the beginning of the tunnel warfare, as well as what the Seventh Company had captured before.

As tunnel warfare began, enemy canteens, buckets, and other supplies were prioritized over weapons and ammunition under He Yuzhu's orders.

The soldiers were puzzled. He Yuzhu couldn't explain it, but Wu Qianli and Mei Sheng chose to believe it and reported it. The higher-ups gave a brief notification but didn't take it too seriously.

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu wasn't idle. He had been leading people to learn sniping, and their sporadic victories were quite significant.

Other units did send people to learn, but they lacked sniper rifles. They selected the best of the best, and all the ones who came were top-notch marksmen. What can a group of sharpshooters do together? They compete in killing the enemy, of course.

A few days later, the group was convinced. At first, they used the excuse that He Yuzhu's gun was better than theirs, but after He Yuzhu changed his gun, they were completely convinced.

They couldn't do anything like camouflage, relocation after killing the enemy, or the angle of firing.

The soldiers of this era are also formidable; they study diligently, and even if they can't get a perfect score, they still strive to be excellent.

Once this group of people returns, the enemy on the other side will be in trouble. They will have to guard against sniper fire day and night. The enemy has also set up tin cans, barbed wire, searchlights, and tracer rounds on their positions, which are essential.

However, this peaceful period was not long before it was disrupted. In mid-July, the division headquarters called and asked He Yuzhu to go and support other units, where snipers from the White Eagles had appeared.

He Yuzhu didn't bring anyone with him. Wu Wanli, the observer who had been trained to a near-complete degree, originally wanted to go, but He Yuzhu refused. He would bring his own men if it were a large-scale operation, as it would be relatively safer for him to be the sniper.

This trip lasted for over a month. After taking down the enemy sniper squad, He Yuzhu was left behind for training. The best thing on the battlefield is, of course, real combat. After a lot of fighting, He Yuzhu returned with another first-class merit.

By September, the rains had stopped, and the situation worsened. The tunnels began to run out of water, and the water collection point was occupied by the Bald Eagles' troops, who set up a stronghold there.

The logistics troops that were sending water and food to the front lines suffered heavy losses. On his way back, He Yuzhu helped the brother units several times by clearing out enemy strongholds so that supplies could be delivered.

Back at the regiment, they arrived just in time for a wave of supplies being delivered, and He Yuzhu personally led the team to deliver them back.

"You're finally back, kid! How many enemies did you take down this time?" Wu Qianli gave him a big hug as soon as they met.

"Okay."

"Not bad. The news of your meritorious service has already come back. You earned a first-class merit by sniping, and you don't even know what your allies call you." "Huh? I haven't heard anything about that."

"The Smiling Killer".

"what?"

"Who told you to always have a smiling face and be so kind to your comrades, but you're really ruthless to the enemy, leaving no survivors under your gun."

"Hehe, that's a bit of an exaggeration. We've had some that we didn't kill."

"That's because you can't be killed. You deliberately lured the enemy, and I didn't know that." Wu Qianli punched He Yuzhu.

"You still understand me."

"Come on, the instructor has been waiting anxiously for you to come back."

"What's wrong? Is it urgent?"

"You will know when you go."

Once the two entered the company headquarters inside the tunnel, Mei Sheng gave him a big hug.

"Good lad, everyone else who stays here gets thin, they all eat the same food, how come you're so strong?"

"There are rewards for killing enemies, and I've eaten plenty of canned food."

"Stop talking nonsense. Did you bring it back or not? You can't keep it all to yourself."

"Yes, yes." He Yuzhu took off his large backpack and started rummaging through it.

"Hey, did you steal the enemy's supplies?" Mei Sheng and Wu Qianli exclaimed, looking at the pile of canned goods, biscuits, candy, and other items on the table made of ammunition boxes.

"We accumulated little by little, and also took care of a few enemy strongholds along the way. Since you guys eat fried noodles every day, I brought them back."

"It has to be you! The wounded are short of nutrition, and now they're taken care of. You, as the part-time quartermaster, should really show off your skills." Mei Sheng gave a thumbs up.

"No problem." The tunnel's ventilation system is very good, making it basically a smokeless stove. It can be used to cook, but the fuel is a bit scarce. Most of it is reserved for boiling water, as too many soldiers get diarrhea from drinking water from outside, so they rarely cook.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yu Congrong arrived, and naturally, there were hugs and fistfists. However, He Yuzhu didn't suffer any losses; Yu Congrong's face was contorted in pain.

Afterwards, He Yuzhu went back to his platoon to check the situation. Several men had been killed, due to a surprise attack from the other side.

Then he slung his gun over his shoulder and came out of the tunnel. He wanted to use the gun to tell the enemy on the other side that he was back and that the area should be quiet.

As a result, the enemy was driven back to their own tunnels. He Yuzhu brought back some water and other things, and also blew up several enemy tunnel entrances.

The enemy's tunnels weren't as extensive as those dug by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. The shallower tunnel entrance collapsed, and it's almost as if they were buried alive.

When He Yuzhu returned, he cooked a stew, whatever he had on hand, and the soldiers ate it with great relish.

The next day, the planes focused their attention on their hilltop, bombarding it with napalm and heavy bombs. However, the enemy on the other side quieted down because many of them had died the night before, some of whom had suffocated to death in horrific ways.

The fighting lasted until the spring of 1952. The 8th Division was ordered to withdraw to the Wonsan and Hamhung areas for rest and reorganization. The troops were exhausted after six months of fighting.

After returning home, He Yuzhu was able to relax for a rare time, but after only a few days, Mei Sheng gave him a task: to write an application.

Now that he's a deputy company commander, shouldn't he be asked to advance? He Yuzhu didn't have time before because he was on the front lines, but now that he has time, this matter has been put on the agenda.

The introducers, Wu Qianli and Mei Sheng, as well as Xiong Jie, who knew the news, also came to join in the fun. This guy was from the unit that fought the Han River battle in 1951. However, the 7th Company had already set off by then, and the two companies never met again. When he was teaching sniping, he originally wanted to go and see the 7th Company, but the newly arrived political instructor of the 6th Company wouldn't let him. How could the commander of the position leave the position?

He came back to rest and recuperate, and after arranging his work, he came to the 7th Company. He was accompanied by the veterans from the 6th Company who fought in the Battle of Shuimen Bridge.

From a distance, Xiong Jie's loud voice could be heard from outside the 7th Company headquarters.

"Are there any survivors left? And no one has come out to greet us."

"You old bastard, you're still alive? You don't need us to welcome you."

"Hahahaha!"

"Hey, Old Xiong, your leg is all healed. Come on, walk around a bit and let me show you." He Yuzhu also came out.

"Go away, you have no manners! How dare you call me Old Xiong?" Xiong Jie said, but his smile only grew wider.

"What? I'm a deputy company commander now, can't I call you Company Commander Old Bear?"

"Hahaha, I've missed you so much!" Xiong Jie gave He Yuzhu a bear hug right away.

Are you sure you want me, and not just want to get something from me?

“We don’t even lack what we have now, we have a whole bunch of Russian equipment.”

“It’s not like nobody doesn’t have one,” Wu Qianli said.

"I heard that Zhu Zi is going to join the Party?"

"They can't be proactive and make progress? You think they're like you, struggling to write an application? They wrote several thousand words."

"That's right, how can I compare to him? He's a vocational school graduate, while I only went to a literacy class. How can we be the same? Did I even submit my education?"

"What, you want to help take a look?"

"Hehe, I'd like to have my name registered too. How about it, count me in as an introducer?"

"So that's what they were waiting for, Meisheng, Meisheng, someone's trying to steal your matchmaking business."

"Oh, so you're here. I thought you went to the troupe. Where's your application?" Xiong Jie said, looking at Mei Sheng who had come out.

"You old bear, you still have such a short temper. I'm looking at Zhu Zi's application right now, why don't we take a look together?"

"No need, just let me leave my name on it. Hehe."

"You two are really something, making guests wait outside when they come in."

"Yes, yes, let's go inside and talk, let's go inside and talk." Wu Qianli pulled Xiong Jie directly into the company headquarters.

At noon, He Yuzhu let Xiong Jie taste his cooking. There was no meat, but there was canned stew, hot and sour cabbage, shredded potatoes, and local pickled vegetables. Yu Congrong and Wu Wanli were also called over.

Everyone enjoyed the meal, and they all said that the first thing they would do after returning to China was to have He Yuzhu cook a proper meal, since these dishes didn't really showcase his skills.

He Yuzhu naturally agreed.

The application was approved very quickly; it really was a promotion and Party membership on the spot.

He Yuzhu seemed a little dazed when he stood under the Party flag and took the oath.

(End of this chapter)