Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Four

When the sun sets, the tree shadows on the east slope gradually elongate, and you can feel the tree shadows slowly moving up.In the end, all the people disappeared into the shadow of the universe, leaving only the top of Wutong Mountain, reflecting a pale halo below the mountain. For half an hour they had been watching the movement of the shadows.No one spoke, there was a dead silence.Those who spoke lowered their voices.The three teams were already divided, and a few impatient peasants stood with their hands on the handles of their hoes.The captains gathered together, looked around from time to time, and waited restlessly, with a whistle hanging around the captain's neck.

A few people were biting their nails; there were murmurs of murmurs as the last rays of sunset faded over the hilltops.Huang looked up at the sky and said to everyone: Now, let's go!Each team must obey the captain's order, and the captain knows when and in which direction to go.Let's go to a hillside below and wait for it to be completely dark.The sky is clear today.There will be starlight at night, everyone must be very careful, don't be spotted by the patrol.When walking down the mountain, absolutely no sound is allowed.The captain will tell you exactly what to do. Yi Su looked longingly at James of the first team, and when the first team set off with Zhu Bada, she waved her hand.Ah Wen, who has always been very happy, began to feel a little scared at this time.Fan Shitian and Zhang Fu were in the third team, with the women.Ah Zhao was assigned to the middle team.

A few hundred yards down the hill, they came to a dirt road that was rough and dusty.Three groups of people, the distance between each other is fifty yards to seventy yards, but they can still keep in touch.They weaved up the steep hillside in the rapidly darkening dusk.The dark valley seemed to rise, engulfing them all.They kept going down and down again.Everyone no longer knows where they are going.Everyone just followed the person in front closely, walking slowly and carefully.Someone slipped and almost rolled down the hill. Fan Shitian held Lihua and Awen tightly, one on each side; Awen was terrified, trying to hold back his crying, blowing his nose from time to time, and his parents fell near this place.Ah Xue held Xiao Ya'er, and Yi Su was with Mr. Duan.

The people from the two teams in front were already out of sight.Indistinct muffled footsteps came from below.The road became narrower and narrower, so we had to walk in a single line as much as possible, and supported the cliffs beside the road. After a sharp turn, there is a steep slope. Be careful and go slowly.Mao Peng said in a low voice. This is Yanziya. If it is daytime, even though the road is not easy to walk, two or three people can still walk side by side.The cliffs lead straight down into the valley, about fifty feet deep.Because the downhill was too steep to walk, the person in front tied a rope to the trunk of a tree and slid down by grabbing the rope.When Yi Su's team arrived, the last member of the second team had just slid down the rope.

Mao Peng stopped, and someone squeezed up from behind from the darkness, and several Hailufeng fishermen slid down one by one.But the women couldn't pull the rope and slide down. Follow me.We go down the road.Mao Peng said.When Awen walked past the place where his parents fell off the cliff and died, his whole body trembled violently and wept softly, unable to restrain himself. You help him up.Ah Xue said to Zhang Fu. Zhang Fu held Ah Wen, but he could feel that the muscles of Ah Wen's whole body were trembling. Go to the cliff on the left.Fan Shitian whispered to Mr. Duan: I will follow you.

Zhang Fu supported Ah Wen who was struggling, and walked forward cautiously.A Xue and Xiao Ya'er followed behind.Mr. Duan was still wearing a raincoat because he felt very cold.Yi Su heard her father's rapid breathing. Dad, are you okay?she asked. I'm okay. A Xue's foot turned and she almost fell off the cliff. Grabbing her, Mr. Duan screamed in panic. At this moment, Mr. Duan's foot stepped on his raincoat, slipped and fell to the ground, and rolled down the cliff with his clothes and others.There was a deep sound in the valley, like a person accidentally dropping a bucket into a well.

It was so dark that Yi Su hadn't seen clearly how things happened.Fan Shitian and Lihua cried out in surprise at the same time: Ah! What happened?Fan Shitian asked. Yi Su was horrified and speechless.She couldn't believe it. Don't panic.Fan Shitian said.We'll go down and have a look. Yi Su felt her mouth dry, as if something was choked in her throat, and it seemed as if someone had grabbed her neck with hands. Holding the cliff with your hands, slowly follow me down.Fan Shitian said to Lihua, and stepped forward to support Yisu.Ashue has already gone to the front.She doesn't know what's going on.

After a few minutes, they overtook others.Someone below heard a muffled sound and started running in the dark.This kind of twilight, which is not quite dark, is sometimes more difficult to see the surrounding things than the completely dark starry night. Everything seems blurry.Someone surrounded Old Mr. Duan, Mao Peng covered the light of the flashlight with one hand, and shone on the corpse lying on the ground. Old Mr. Duan turned his face down.The force of the fall shattered his jaw, and his face was distorted beyond recognition.The blood on the beard flickered in the light of the flashlight.Blood, still pouring out of the large holes in his forehead and temples, stained the ground red.He had an odd look with his arms outstretched.

Yi Su knelt down slowly in total dizziness.She put her hands on the back of her father's head, and his head did not move at all.There was no need to turn him over to check the results.Gently she straightened her father's outstretched arms like a dull machine.Then he threw himself on the corpse, weeping uncontrollably. Don't cry, Mao Peng whispered.He was dead, and there was no use crying. He forcibly pulled up Yi Su's weak body, and Fan Shitian came to support her.She was still dazed in horror. Sorry, we have to go.Mao Peng said. Xiao Ya'er stayed aside, unable to say a word.Ah Wen was trembling all over again, Zhang Fu held him tightly.

Finally, Yi Su regained her sanity a bit, she stretched out her hand to support Xiao Ya'er and said, "Grandpa has already gone, we must go too." From that moment on, she didn't say another word, only the sound of her twitching was heard. Death, that is, is the total answer to one's hopes and fears, an absolute, unambiguous answer.Man, powerless against death, does not even have time to arrange a solemn funeral. Lihua came over, pressed Yi Su's hand silently, and walked quietly beside her. We can't let James know now.Pear Blossom said such a short sentence.Yi Su nodded.They were about two hundred yards above level ground now; they could not judge the distance because of the darkness.Under the Yanzi Cliff, it gradually enters the flat ground, the ground is rough and there are many small stones.Someone accidentally hit the tree trunk with his head.

They turned a corner and, about a thousand yards away, the lights of the patrol station cut through the darkness.Each of them looked up.They were not far from the valley in front of the patrol station.The two teams in front have stopped lightly. A shush silenced the murmur.They are waiting for time.In the dark sky, the stars began to twinkle. After about ten minutes, the searchlights came on.At first, it turned forward, backward, left, and right several times, and then turned to the Shenzhen River in the east.All eyes are focused on that light, attracted by that light. After a while, the light turned to the road, and several soldiers in uniform came towards them.Where the road turned, the patrol disappeared into the darkness.They were coming up the valley and would soon be passing below them.The searchlights came on intermittently.Then, footsteps could be heard, mixed with faint voices of conversation.Those above waited with bated breath. The searchlights were on again, illuminating the top of the hill, then sweeping across where they were; the light shone through the leaves and onto their faces.Finally, the light fell on the flat ground to their left. The patrol had already walked the uphill portion of the road. The men of the first party advanced, skirting the trees and stepping downhill through the bushes.Their eyes are now adjusted to the dark night.Looking at the past in the weak light, it was a creepy scene. Everyone had a white collar around their necks, like a group of hanged ghosts.I saw some white circles shaking, or in other words, floating up and down. The searchlights were turning again, alternating light and darkness. The first team had reached the road, crossed the road, and disappeared behind the rocks and bushes on the opposite side of the road, and now even the white circle was invisible.Huang believes that the first team has entered the ambush site.He stood up, and with a gesture, the second team followed him.This is the team with the strongest firepower, and the three rifles form the center of the sniper.Many wore hoods, as well as weapons. Pass the word on: wait a minute, there will be gunshots up the road uphill.However, we did not shoot until the whistle was heard.When going down, hold each other's hands. Slowly, they move down.Every time the searchlights were turned in their direction, they didn't move.At this time, there was only the rustling of leaves in the silence.Occasionally a small stone rolled down the valley, but no sound was heard fifty yards away. They moved forward again, and the road was relatively smooth.Everyone dispersed and hid behind the big rock, ready to attack.They're on this side of the road.A small brook gurgled through the bottom of the valley. Ah Zhao remembers the story of Guan Gong's death in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.When Guan Gong was passing through a pass, a rope across the mountain passage tripped his horse's foot and died.Ah Zhao asked him to go to the opposite side of the road.He hopped lightly across, tied a turban to a tree, tried it out, then slipped back and hid in a ravine below the road. Women and children, you stay here, Mao Peng said in a low voice: Let's go down, there are two men here with you, don't make a sound. Five minutes later, a sharp cry tore through the silence of the night.It looked like someone had been stabbed in the back.The sound came from the uphill side of the road.Another scream of the dying followed, and then a gunshot. The searchlights shone down the road, and the patrol team rushed out of the house, with two police dogs running ahead.The patrol station was full of shouts.Seven or eight people rushed to the valley.Another scream, the wail of a dying man. A police dog ran ahead vigorously.Fan Shitian opened his iron box, and the police dog ran straight over without paying attention, perhaps too fast, without smelling the tiger dung.As it ran, it barked loudly.The second police dog smelled something, stood still and kept barking.However, when he saw the first police dog running ahead, he followed suit, looking around cautiously with a confused look. There was a faint cry for help from the hillside, and police dogs barked frantically.Suddenly, the voices of people and the barking of dogs stopped.It's a person, maybe a dog, dead. The patrol running uphill was now passing below them. kill!Huang gave an order, and a group of black figures jumped out of the darkness and rushed towards the patrol. Ah Zhao is very happy about his unique skill.He tugged on the cord of his turban and shook it up and down.As soon as he saw a soldier running in front of him, he pulled up the rope and shouted: "Fall!"The soldier fell to the ground. The whistle sounded, then three shots were fired from the patrol station, and the searchlights suddenly went out.The earth was pitch black.James and Zhu Bada had already circled around to the patrol station from the far end.In the darkness, they came out of their hiding place. Yi Su and others were at a high place when they heard a series of grenade explosions.Nearby, there was the sound of metal clashing, the scream of being strangled, and the sound of dying. Then, there was silence. On the right, intermittent flashlights flashed, followed by several gunshots that disappeared into the night, like painful throbbing, dragging a long tail, rippling in the mountains. On the high slope of the road, two flashlights slowly moved over. The task of the people there was to lure the enemy. Huang shone a flashlight on the road, where the dead and wounded lay on the ground.Some had their arms outstretched, their rifles on one side.Seven or eight soldiers were strangled, stabbed to death, or knocked unconscious.A few people with white handkerchiefs around their necks sat on the ground blankly. It's probably over.Huang said, wiping his face with his dirty hands. All this happened in four or five minutes. He whistled three times, and several flashlight beams moved in the middle. James didn't show up.Below is the place where the first team ambush, only three or four enemies were killed or injured. Zhao, get up!Stop stumbling people.Huang ordered him. Ah Zhao, reluctantly, slowly crawled out of the ravine.His face was covered in mud and he made a grimace. Most of the patrolmen were dead, some still had black hoods around their necks.Among the refugees, some were injured.The soldiers were so overwhelmed by the unexpected attack that they had little chance of meeting it. Among the casualties were the two police dogs.One was strangled to death, and the other, terrified and flustered, ran around until it lay on the ground, motionless in fright.Someone shot it in the head. The two at the top of the road approached.Huang asked them: Why did you shoot just now? A soldier shot at us from the other side, and we fired back. Huang didn't understand why James and Zhu Bada didn't come with others.They helped several injured people to their feet, one with a limp, and put their arms on two shoulders. Fan Shitian returned to the place where the women rested.He kept the flashlight on arbitrarily, and within half a minute, the power was gone. It's passed.he said briefly. Did you see James?Yi Su asked. No, he's down near the patrol station. Yi Su held his chest with both hands, as if to help himself breathe. They go down now.Fan Shitian said. The two children, A Wen and Xiao Ya'er, snuggled together, looking at Fan Shitian in horror. How can I help?Yi Su asked. No.We take no prisoners. When are we going down?Pear Blossom asked. Wait a minute.Hear three more whistles before going down. The group of people walked down, and when they reached the level ground, James jumped out from the shadows. Hello!he called out. Where is Zhu Bada? He was shot black.I had to drag him to a safe place.Be careful, there may be an ambush nearby. The light of the flashlight went off automatically.James led them to the curb thirty feet away. You spread out and keep going.Keep your eyes wide open for an ambush.Wait for me when you get to the patrol station.Huang said. Huang knelt down and shone the flashlight on Zhu Bada.Zhu Bada was lying on the ground, with two small holes on his back, his shirt was soaked in blood, but he still had his breath. James stood behind Huang and leaned forward. At that time, there was a gunshot, James said, and I immediately fell to the ground. It was like the sound of a carbine. I saw Zhu Bada running towards me with his arms outstretched, and fell to the ground crookedly. They slowly carried Zhu Bada to the patrol station.Huang whispered: We have to hurry up.The sound of these grenade explosions can be heard as far away as Linma Pit.I want to send people to guard the road from Linmakeng, and we are going to cross the river. Zhu Bada didn't make a sound at all, not even a painful moan or expression.His life is rapidly disappearing.They laid him gently on the ground near the patrol station, his hands cold and bloodied, and he died. The last few soldiers saw a large group of people approaching overwhelmingly, and fled in all directions.Someone took a flashlight and saw two figures in the rice field, carrying guns, staggering and fleeing in panic. The woman on the top heard three whistles, got up and walked down.Zhang Fu hugged Ah Wen, another man carried Xiao Ya'er on his back, Li Hua and Yi Su followed behind them, holding hands.Several times, Isu's knees felt weak, half out of fear, half out of worry about James. On the road in front of the patrol station, James ran towards him. Isu couldn't see him, but he saw them. Yisu, Yisu!he shouted. I'm here, James! She felt something go down her throat.She wanted to run, but couldn't. Are you okay?James came up to her and asked her.She felt James' hands wrap around her, and she broke down, crying. They walked over to the patrol station, and she was almost completely paralyzed on top of James. My dad is dead!she says. real?when?Why didn't you tell me? I don't want to disturb your emotions. By the time they got to the patrol station, most of them had already left.A hundred yards away is the border. There are two farmhouses nearby, without lights.If the people in the farm had heard gunshots and explosions just now, they would rather hide at home and sleep. They were more casual now, men and women, in many small groups and set out for the river.Zhang Fu and a man from Hailufeng had already dropped off their children. Across the river, it is a quiet night.Huang sent six men up the river to guard the way from the right. They brought big scissors, ready to cut the barbed wire.A fisherman took a rope and tied it to both sides of the river as a yardstick. The depth of the river varies with the seasons and tides.The depth in the middle of the river can submerge a man's neck.The rope was thrown across the river and tied at one end to a concrete pillar.The banks are sloping and the surface is smooth and flat. Is everyone here?asked Huang. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep breath. That's it, we lost two people.After counting the number of people, he said. Let injured people, women, and children go first.Others, swim, dive, or wade through, as you please.After crossing the river, everyone is on their own.Everyone spread out, try to find a good place to take cover, and hide until dawn.I wish you all the best of luck! There were murmurs of gratitude from the crowd. Get your plastic bags out and put things you don't want to get wet in.Fan Shitian said to the women. James pulled out his pistol, which, he remembered, had two bullets left in it.He also put a box of matches in his pocket, but there were no more cigarettes. Can I have a cigarette or two?When crossing the border, I need cigarettes.He said to Huang. Huang handed him two cigarettes. bring it on.James knelt down and said to Isu: I will carry you across the river first, and then come back to carry the pear blossoms. James walked forward slowly, holding on to the rope with one hand.Then, I came back to carry pear blossoms.Three women who had taken vows of chastity were already happily swimming across the river. When they reached the middle of the river, Lihua put her arms around James' neck and said, "Don't forget, we will treat you to dinner tomorrow night." where? We will come to you.We have your address. Better call me on 333200. On the other side of the river, James turned, put Pear Blossom on the slope of the embankment, and pushed her hips up. Thanks.Ewha said. James sat resting on the bank, the water trickling down his shirt and dripping at the crook of his elbow.Fan Shitian also arched his back and sat on the ground, completely forgetting that he was drenched all over.Crossing the river made him so excited that he wanted to think about all this.Crossing this river has always been their dream; now that the dream has come true, he finds everything too unbelievable.Time seemed to stand still, and so did his thoughts.There is no doubt that a great thing has been accomplished, but what a great thing it is that words cannot express. James and Isu sat together, and Esu leaned on his shoulder, feeling a little melancholy.In one hour, so much happened.She felt the heat of James' breath, and she reached out to touch his hands and legs, as if to confirm that they were indeed sitting on the embankment together, and not in a dream. Azhao stood beside Lihua, kicking the dirt with his feet, and at the same time narrated to Awen his masterpiece on the road. He was almost regretful that things had passed so quickly.Lihua was comforting Ah Wen, trying to stop his tears, telling him that they are safe now and they have arrived in Hong Kong. Suddenly, Ah Zhao asked, "Where's Little Ya'er?"He looked at Yi Su and asked again: Where's Xiao Ya'er? Isu and James stood up at the same time. He is not with you? No. There was panic on their faces.When we crossed the river, everything was chaotic.It turned out that a Hailufeng fisherman who brought Xiao Ya'er to another group of people because he was going to watch the upper reaches of the river. James immediately took out the plastic bag in which his pistol was wrapped, and prepared to cross the river. I will go with you.Ah Zhao said. They jumped in and swam out, and James drew his pistol. Little Bud!They shouted in the dark.you there? Fifty yards away, a child's voice came, calling: Ah Zhao!The child was crying in the dark, running towards them. Ah Zhao went forward to welcome her. Little bud, here I come.While shouting, he turned to Ah Zhao!Ah Zhao!Running in that direction, shouting loudly. Just then there were shots fired up the river, and James raised his gun.In the dark bushes, there was the sound of scuffling and chasing footsteps, and the sound was getting closer.The desperate cry of a man echoed in the darkness. James hid behind a tree.A soldier, running towards the river, fired randomly into the darkness.James didn't open the gun, he was afraid of shooting one of his own. Ah Zhao pulled Xiao Ya'er and ran towards the river. Lie down!James said to the two children. The sound of heavy footsteps chasing and running in the woods came closer. When it was dark, there was a dying scream, and several Hailufeng fishermen were chasing the patrolling soldiers. A soldier was thirty feet away firing wildly into the river. James pulled the trigger, missed, and fired again, his last bullet.Someone fired a shot from behind him at the same time.The running soldier returned a shot that brushed his shoulder.The soldier fell heavily to the ground, his rifle falling to the ground. James saw Zhang Fu running up from a distance, and chopped the soldier's chest with a hoe. After a while, James asked: Is there any more? Probably not, we took out four in the dark.A surprise win! OK, let's go!James said to Ah Zhao. Ah Zhao pulled Xiao Ya'er and ran away. Huang came out from the dark and asked: Are you injured? James just touched his shoulder, which was a little wet. Nothing serious.he answered. Several able-bodied Hailufeng fishermen arrived, and one of them was killed at the first shot.There had been a patrol of five soldiers coming down the river from upriver; four of them had been hacked, and the last had just fallen to the ground. Ah Zhao, holding Xiao Ya'er in one arm, paddling with the other hand.When he reached the river bank, he pushed Xiao Ya'er up.Yi Su, Fan Shitian and Lihua were already waiting on the shore, both shocked and frightened.When the gunshot sounded just now, they all lay down on the dirt together.They looked at Ah Zhao, held Xiao Ya'er in one hand, and swam across the river.Fan Shitian reached out to drag Xiao Ya'er ashore, Yi Su ran forward and hugged Xiao Ya'er tightly. never mind!cried James from across the river, and threw himself into the water. Yi Su felt a splitting headache; she heard her heart beating like a drum beating. Ah Xue was also waiting for Zhang Fu by the river, while twisting her wet clothes.She kept her eyes on the opposite bank as the last of the men swam across.This group of defenders was already on the river bank, jumping into the water one by one.Ashe stood up, ran to the river, stared into the darkness with wide eyes.As soon as someone came ashore, she called: Zhang Fu. Yes, finally Zhang Fu came ashore.He stamped his feet and dropped the water from his body, his lips trembling with cold. Zhang Fu, I am here.Ashe said. oh!is you!In the darkness, Ah Xue felt that his voice was so pleasant. He looked up at the dark night sky and shook his head, as if marveling at the magic of the universe.Then, he looked down and saw the woman standing beside him.He patted her on the shoulder, took a deep breath, tightened his stomach, then sighed deeply and said: Oh Ash, we are free!As long as I have you, I am content. Huang climbed up to the bank, and he didn't bother to take the rope tied to the river bank.The Communist Party patrols would not come to chase them, Mao Peng stood quietly by the river waiting for him. Huang passed in front of James and said: Are you still leaving? No, let's wait a little longer. I think it's probably all right, there aren't many British patrols here.Moreover, there are mountains all around. Then, goodbye!James waved in the dark, and Fan Shitian and Lihua also waved to Huang.Yi Su is too tired and needs to rest for a while. goodbye!thank you for your help. Huang didn't go far, then turned back and returned James' watch.He said: Here, your watch!Almost forgot. It doesn't matter.Keep it as a souvenir. Watch out for the Gorkmen.You may hit a few miles. I will be careful. Come on, get your hands under my shirt and take off my bra, Esel said to James, at least my bra is still clean. According to what she said, James undid her bra and pulled it out from under the clothes, and Esu used it to bandage his wound. Hey, what a bandage?James smiled. After a while, Fan Shitian shouted: Zhao, let's go.We have to reach a village before daylight.