Industry began in 1937

January 20, 1938, early morning, Yuanzhuang River Valley, South Road.

The cold wind was like a knife, sweeping across the withered grass and exposed rocks.

Zhang Xianyue wrapped his tattered cotton coat tightly around himself and lay down behind a shady snow slope, his breath instantly freezing into frost.

Behind and to his sides, the soldiers of the advance detachment, like old pine trees with deep roots, blended into the gray-white mountain rocks.

They had been lying in wait there for half the night, their hands and feet numb with cold, but their eyes were fixed on the winding mountain road in the valley below, through the grass and cracks in the rocks.

That place was a must-pass route for the Japanese army's southern column.

The road surface is relatively flat, but the mountains on both sides suddenly narrow here, forming a natural choke point.

For the past few days, the guerrilla brothers have "helped" dig the road into a pit and crater, and buried a lot of "gifts" in several key locations.

The soldiers carried wooden-handled grenades, still smelling of smoke from the blacksmith's shop in Gouzi Village, in their arms, their bayonets gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light in the hazy morning light.

"They're here." The observer beside him exhaled a soft breath through his almost frozen lips.

Zhang Xianyue slowly moved the telescope.

At the eastern mouth of the valley, shadowy figures began to appear, growing denser and denser, like a murky, yellowish-brown mudslide slowly flowing into the narrow river channel.

Leading the way were dozens of timid puppet soldiers, firing wildly into the air to bolster their courage, conducting futile reconnaissance with firepower.

Behind them was the Japanese army, their khaki uniforms forming a continuous line, their helmets and bayonets reflecting a cold metallic luster in the dim morning light. In the middle of the column, the outlines of mules and horses carrying infantry guns and ammunition were vaguely discernible.

A rough estimate suggests there are at least a thousand people.

The cacophony of footsteps, horses' hooves, and the short, sharp shouts of Japanese officers, mixed with the clamor of the puppet troops, shattered the deathly silence of the valley in the early morning.

The enemy was clearly less wary of this relatively easy route, and their formation was fairly compact because the road was wide enough. But precisely because of this, they had little room to turn around and maneuver if attacked.

The vanguard of puppet troops unwittingly stepped over the first "ditch-made" landmine tripwire area, which had been carefully disguised by the guerrillas, without realizing it.

Zhang Xianyue's heartbeat was steady and strong. The cold earth seemed to have absorbed the burning heat of impending battle, leaving only extreme calm.

He silently estimated the distance of the enemy's main force, especially the supply trains carrying infantry guns and the commanders, to the most dangerous part of the ambush zone.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the mournful whistling of the cold wind brushing past one's ears.

On that day, the army, with its glaring Japanese flag and several mules that appeared to be carrying radios and maps, slowly moved to the narrowest part of the valley, where the slopes on both sides were as steep as if cut by a knife, under the escort of guards.

Zhang Xianyue's narrowed eyes suddenly snapped open, and his right hand, which had been pressed against the cold ground, swung down sharply!

"beat!"

"Boom! Boom—!!!"

Almost at the same moment he swung his arm down, multiple "ditch-made" pull-activated landmines that had been pre-buried on the road and at the foot of the slopes on both sides were simultaneously detonated!

The muffled, thunderous explosions reverberated violently throughout the valley!

A blinding flash of fire and thick black smoke instantly shot into the sky from the front middle section of the Japanese army column, engulfing soldiers, mules, horses, and weapons!

Broken limbs, torn uniforms, weapon parts, and fragments of wooden crates flew wildly in the smoke!

The piercing screams, so shrill they were inhuman, the desperate neighing of frightened mules and horses, and the shouts and curses of panicked Japanese and puppet soldiers suddenly erupted, shattering the silence of the morning!

"Fire! Give it your all!" Zhang Xianyue's roar was drowned out by the sudden burst of gunfire, like a storm!

"Da da da da—!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

*Snap!*

On both sides of the hillside, it seemed as if flames were spewing from behind every stone! The crossfire of machine guns and rifles, like the scythe of death, swept down on the Japanese and puppet troops who were dazed and huddled together by the landmines!

Bullets pierced flesh, struck rocks, and looted equipment with sickening thuds and clangs.

But this is just the beginning!

Almost at the same moment the gunshots rang out, hundreds of wooden-handled grenades were hurled by the ambushers with their frozen but hate-filled arms!

Those "iron lumps" carrying the warmth and hope of the villagers of Gouzi Village drew deadly arcs, with a slight hissing exhaust sound, and fell into the enemy ranks, which were even more chaotic due to the explosion and sudden attack, and where the soldiers instinctively sought cover but had nowhere to hide!

"Boom! Boom boom boom—!!!"

More frequent and intense explosions echoed through the valley!

The pre-fabricated fragmentation tank design now demonstrated its terrifying lethality; each burst of fire was accompanied by an even more agonizing scream and the sound of bodies collapsing.

Fragments radiated outwards, mercilessly tearing apart the thin winter clothes and flesh and blood.

The narrow valley became a death trap. The Japanese and puppet troops, caught between a rock and a hard place, stumbled around like headless flies, constantly being knocked down by flying shrapnel and bullets.

"Baka! Enemy attack! Take control of the position!"

"Machine guns! Machine gun team! Suppress the hill on the left!"

"Medic! Over here!"

The shouts of the Japanese officers sounded weak and futile amidst the explosions and gunfire.

Just as a hastily erected Type 92 heavy machine gun began to fire, it was covered by several grenades accurately dropped from the high slope on the side. The machine gunner and assistant gunner fell silently into a pool of blood.

The battle was intense and brutal, but it did not last long.

The Eighth Route Army's ambush had an absolute advantage in terrain and initiative, and the first concentrated combat application of "gouzi-made" landmines and grenades in narrow terrain caused instantaneous chaos and casualties far exceeding expectations.

The Japanese and puppet troops abandoned hundreds of corpses and wounded soldiers, as well as several mules carrying important supplies. Under the desperate urging of officers at all levels, they were unable to organize even a few effective counterattacks and retreated in disarray back the way they came, their formation completely collapsed.

Zhang Xianyue did not order his troops to pursue.

He calmly observed the enemy's retreat and direction, and quickly gave the order: "First and second platoons, monitor the enemy, guard against enemy artillery counterattacks and infantry counter-offensives! Third platoon, rescue the wounded, clean up the battlefield, and collect all usable weapons and ammunition, especially the Japanese rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers! Move quickly; you must withdraw from the battlefield within five minutes and move to reserve position number two!"

The well-trained soldiers acted swiftly.

The fallen and wounded comrades were carefully carried off the battlefield, and the weapons abandoned by the Japanese army, especially the intact Type 92 heavy machine gun and several grenade launchers, were collected as if they were treasures.

The whole process was fast but orderly.

The Japanese have suffered a loss, they won't just retreat like that, we must be wary of them launching a counterattack.

As Zhang Xianyue led his troops away from the ambush position, which had just been spewing death, and disappeared into the denser forests behind, the first light of dawn was just breaking in the east.

The lingering smell of gunpowder and blood in the cold air signaled that the Xingxi Anti-Japanese Base Area had launched its first major offensive against the Japanese army, beginning with a bloody and resounding first shot fired at Yuanzhuang River on the southern route.

The news quickly spread to Jiangshui, Mazhai River, and to the hearts of all the soldiers and civilians who were on high alert.