Canteen System Assistance Notes

The master's scolding finally brought him back to his senses. Looking at the red soup boiling without any water, Wang Shunfeng's thinking ability, which had been squeezed out by his appetite, finally had some free time. This made him burp at an inopportune time. "Master Yu, tell me the truth, do you usually starve your apprentice?"

Captain Qiu acted sullen, but he was smiling and speaking in his usual gentle tone, not blaming anyone. This still caused Yu Weifu to glare at Xiao Wang, clearly blaming him for his rashness and causing trouble.

--――--―-

"But I say, this thing is really convenient. It can heat up without lighting a fire. After eating for so long, the soup in the pot is still hot." Master Yu finally turned his attention back to this novelty. "It's really good. I can eat hot food while driving. Captain Qiu, is this also made by Mr. Ba?"

After eating the wide noodles and a pot of vegetables, along with a lot of oily soup, the three of them finally felt full.

Yes, they say it's a new thing the troops are testing, but it takes up too much space and isn't very convenient to carry during marches and battles, so the central government distributed it to the convoys to try out. "It heats rice without a stove, relying on quicklime and water, so it's probably not cheap." Captain Qiu broke off the toasted naan and dropped pieces into the still-steaming broth. "I guess they just want to try it for the novelty. I heard that for the price of this box, you could buy over twenty packs of that Sanxian Yimian (Three Fresh Yimian)." After all, it's not as filling as flatbread.

"But this is pretty good, it has meat in it! Isn't it normal for it to be a bit more expensive?"

Wang Dingfeng sat off to the side. After this hearty feast, he felt himself still lingering in the afterglow of the food, unable to extricate himself. He had temporarily reached a state of great fulfillment in life. "Captain, Captain, if I could become an Eighth Route Army soldier in the future, could I eat this every day?"

"Even though I can't eat it every day, there's always a way."

"That's great!"

Xiao Wang's energy, suppressed for so long, finally returned. He jumped up from the ground and walked energetically to the dugout to the side to prepare his tent for the night. "Captain, the people at Guoju were saying before that you were bandits who blocked the Lanxin Road, beggars without guns—I think that's all bullshit!"

"How could a bandit teach me how to drive a car and haul goods? And how could a beggar give me such delicious noodles and hot pot? Hey, when I join the Eighth Route Army, I'll bring back a big box of this stuff and make my dad envious..."

—---—-—-

Captain Qiu sat by the fire, listening to Wang Shunfeng's voice fade away, dissipating in the northwest wind. Old Yu smiled apologetically at him, asking him to forgive his apprentice's recklessness. He smiled back, saying it was nothing. He stirred the toasted naan in the pot with chopsticks, watching them soak up the red oil and the broth, as if watching some floating memory.

At that time, in terms of material conditions, my comrades and I were like beggars to some extent. After crossing the grassland many times, I would burst into tears when I saw a black steamed bun half the size of a fist, as if I had seen my own father. And the group of R25 kids who blocked the Lanxin Road were not much better off.

It's only been a few years? Captain Qiu smiled and shook his head, spooning the toasted naan and some soup into the bowl. He was not going to correct Wang Shunfeng's misunderstanding. He even said that he didn't even hope that this strange mistake would ever need to be corrected - if in the future, braised pork, self-heating pots and instant noodles were readily available, there would naturally be no need for them to move people so much.

But, how long will this take?

"Report!"

Just when everyone was ready to rest after having a good meal and a few drinks, the signalman on duty came over, carrying a large radio bag. He saluted Captain Qiu briefly and handed him a microphone.

On the other hand, Lao Qiu only heard one message: "Captain, there may be enemies nearby."

Chapter 175: Overly Cautious Convoy

The Western Regions have always been a gathering place for horse bandits. Because of the harsh environment in the Western Regions, these bandits need a way to make a living or even a hide when they don't have time to "catch pigs". Therefore, most of the bandits here are organized and have a public identity. In fact, they are even local garrisons.

This was particularly evident during the Republic of China period.

The convoy had already passed Xiongguan City and entered central Gansu Province, a high-incidence area for military-related banditry. Captain Qiu, the veteran R4, was not surprised by this. He ordered Yu Weifu and Wang Shunfeng to retrieve rifles from the vehicle. After listening to the other soldiers' instructions, he hopped on the small motorcycle brought by the signalman and headed for the outskirts of the camp.

"Anything else?" he asked as he rode. "How many people are there on the other side? Where are they from? What kind of weapons are they armed with? Are they on horseback or on foot?"

"The comrades on guard duty report that the enemy is coming from the west, all on horseback. We can hear the sound of horse hooves—they're downwind and can hear it clearly—but it's too dark to tell exactly how many there are." The signalman, his face wrapped in a scarf, only revealing a single eye, pointed ahead. "There's no moon today, but judging by the torches they're lighting, there's a lot of them, probably around one or two hundred."

"Only one or two hundred?"

Old Qiu sneered, "We just passed Suzhou a few days ago. There were so many people and eyes everywhere, so the whereabouts of the convoy could not be kept secret. Whether they planned it or not, the bandits knew we were tough guys. Anyone who dared to cause trouble in this area must have a bit of foresight. How could they make people bleed?"

There are many horse bandits in the northwest, so the Eighth Route Army's convoys are always armed.

The entire convoy consisted of more than a thousand people, with more than 800 long and short guns. Because all the drivers and soldiers on the vehicles did not have to march on foot, their level of armament was even higher than that of ordinary regimental-level troops. Many old-style rifles replaced by the central government were screened and handed over to the railway protection troops. In Lao Qiu's convoy, there were also 24 "Lewis" light machine guns collected from the northwest, made into a twin-mounted style, mounted on trucks, and all loaded with 97-round aviation magazines.

Although it is not possible to achieve complete interoperability between rifle and machine gun bullets, it can still be said that the firepower is strong.

The convoy also contained four 81mm mortars captured from the Nationalist army, loaded onto Ford trucks along with their ammunition boxes. They were even equipped with a one-meter rangefinder, allowing for rapid engagement and withdrawal, resulting in exceptional mobility. With such firepower, compared to the Nationalist army at the time, no brigade would have dared to cause trouble.

But now, the horse bandits have actually set their sights on such a convoy. Do they think their lives are too long?

Old Qiu, a former R4 platoon commander, twisted the accelerator on his motorcycle, musing to himself: "Night protects the attacking forces. Our army's nighttime close combat is a traditional skill for defeating the enemy." He reasoned, applying his own perspective, and concluded that the enemy might be attempting this tactic: a rapid cavalry charge, followed by coordinated infantry assaults into our formations, negating our firepower advantage, disrupting our lines, and ultimately leading to defeat.

It's possible... The bandits capable of executing such tactics would have to be elite soldiers, practically akin to "bandits." Captain Qiu recalled the information provided by the Central Committee. Suzhou and Ganzhou were the domain of that bastard Han Yushan. The only troops capable of such tactics were his trusted 300th Brigade, so they needed to be given greater attention.

"Have you sent a report to the Central Committee?"

"Not yet, but everyone in the convoy has been notified," the operator replied. "To send shortwave messages, we need a ten-meter antenna, and it's not up yet..." "Then hurry up!"

After chasing the messenger away, Captain Qiu rode his motorcycle and soon arrived at the outer security vehicle position from the convoy camp. "Report to the commander..."

"Don't salute on the battlefield. When did you discover that?"

Jumping off his scooter, Lao Qiu stepped onto the truck bed. Just as the leading scout was about to report the situation to him, he stopped him: "Where are they now?" "Over there."

The scout immediately crouched, clinging to the lowered bulletproof barrier, and pointed into the distance. Through the telescope, he saw a line of faint lights on the northwest horizon—clearly, there were no people there, only torches held by the bandits. The outlines of horses and people were blurred in the light, making it difficult to discern their exact number.

"Really the cavalry... They didn't come over?"

"Yes, he's just hanging there in the distance. He hasn't come over, and I don't know why." The scout was also confused. "He's so carelessly holding a torch. Could it be that he has night blindness and can't see without a torch?" "Uh... He's holding a torch and hanging around from so far away?

Captain Qiu looked behind him and saw that all the campfires in the convoy had been extinguished. Except for some fluorescent sticks that would light up with a twist, the convoy had entered a blackout.

Reduce the possibility of target exposure.

Could it be that they were planning to bluff in this direction, drawing our firepower to one direction, and then the rest of the troops would launch a surprise attack from another direction under the cover of darkness?

He recalled the situations encountered in the previous R4 battles - the local warlords' forces would sometimes force local civilians to form militias, forcing them to attack our lines, consuming our ammunition and attracting our attention, and then use elite forces such as pistol teams and suicide squads to raid our positions from other places, causing heavy casualties.

No, we have to be prepared.

"Send the second reconnaissance team forward, bring a shortwave radio, and explore the surrounding area." He issued his first combat order. "If you find an enemy ambush, attack it resolutely and bravely. Reconnaissance team one should be ready to respond. The other machine gun vehicles should idle but keep their lights off. The artillery should be deployed in the center of the camp, ready to provide support at any time."

"it is good!"

Time passed in anxiety. A dozen elite soldiers from the reconnaissance team rode on small motorcycles or bicycles, left the convoy camp from the opposite side of the enemy, and disappeared into the night.

The Lewis gunner and two assistant gunners on the machine gun carrier checked the coaxial portable searchlights, and were loading bullets into the empty magazines. The troop carrier had hung the bulletproof steel plates carried under the vehicle on the side panels to provide support for aiming. The artillery soldiers set up the mortars, dug the pits, and used crowbars to open the shell boxes, grabbing the ammunition and ready to fire at a moment's notice.

Even drivers like Yu Weiguo and Wang Shunfeng picked up various firearms for self-defense in case of emergency.

Captain Qiu put on his radio headphones, put his pistol aside, loaded a four-ring rifle, and waited quietly for news. He thought over and over many possible changes and events and felt that he should be fully prepared.

"Old Qiu, there's no problem on our team. Everyone is organized."

The instructor's voice rang out in his headset, and the final stone fell. Old Qiu looked at the blurry firelight and shadows, thinking, "No matter what magical powers you have, we have them in hand now. We have the confidence and we won't be in vain!"

Finally, after a long wait, in this suffocating silence, things finally changed further.

The figures of people and horses under the firelight finally changed - they formed a loose formation and made a noise. Even through the wheels of the vehicles, everyone could feel the continuous rumble of horseshoes hitting the ground: it was like a continuous drumbeat, rolling towards the convoy from a distance.

At that moment, a few faint sounds of breaking air could be heard, and a few scattered stray bullets flew towards the convoy's guard position, hitting the steel plates with a ping-pong sound. "Here they come, here they come! Hit them, hit them!" the soldiers shouted, their voices filled with inexplicable joy and excitement. "Here they come! Here they come!"

Ah? You guys...

Lao Qiu opened his mouth wide: You guys, you guys are just going to charge right now?

Chapter 176: Overconfident Horse Bandit

Rather than being the garrison commander in Ganzhou, Han Yushan was more like a local bandit leader. Although the troops heading west in this time and space were diverted to Huinong due to advance orders and information, and those incidents were avoided, Han Yushan's notoriety remained firmly etched in the minds of all the railway protection soldiers: this fellow exploited the land in Ganzhou, illegally cut timber, dug up graves, and forcibly conscripted men. He also condoned and even encouraged his men to disguise themselves as bandits and rob people on the road. His behavior was extremely evil.

However, this kind of evil behavior actually makes some villains happy and happy, and they deeply feel that it would be better if they could enjoy this happy life for one more day.

For example, one of the small leaders of Han Yushan’s 300th Brigade, Mamigu.

This man called himself "Flying on the Grass, with good horsemanship. Although he was nominally a company commander of the 300th Brigade, he was actually 'responsible' to Han Yushan's adjutant Ma Zhaoxiang" - it turned out that he usually did not train for the war, but usually wore casual clothes, led a group of light cavalry and fast horses, and robbed merchants passing by on the Northwest Passage.

As a former bandit, Caoshang Feima Migu is not good at fighting, but he is very experienced in robbing people. When he was a bandit before, he had to worry about being "robbed" by others and robbed, or encountering government troops to rob him. Now that he has become a "government soldier" himself, he has become more and more unscrupulous - the only bad thing is that he used to be able to keep all the looted property for himself, but now he has to give half of it to his adjutant Ma Zhaoxiang.

However, as an old hand, Mamigu also has a way - that is to do more unpaid work. In addition, he has already made arrangements for the "shazi" sent by the adjutant, so he is sure that no news will leak out.

"From the east came a Party official, bringing with him the Zhongzheng 108;"

"To the west runs a horse-catcher, with a lance of 108 as his arm."

Mamigu was riding a horse, humming a tune that came from nowhere, with his 152 brave brothers. They threw away their wax and exchanged for steel guns, took off their fur hats and put on their military jackets...

"Going east to fight the Japs, you'll face death and it's hard to predict." "Ride a horse and block the road to ask for tribute, and the money will come into my pocket." Hahahaha!

The people around laughed. Recently, some troops of the Ma family army were asked by the Nationalist government to go east to fight against Japan. Mamigu was not interested at all - in his opinion, the Japanese could not invade Dongyangmi, a remote place in the northwest, and there was no need to worry about any safety issues; going out to fight against Japan was far less secure than leading a team to do "official robbery". It can even be said that at a time when the foreign aid channel for the war of resistance depends on the Northwest Highway, his "sexuality" has improved a lot.

Over a hundred and fifty of them had been wandering around Camel City this week, completing two separate missions. The contingents of mules, horses, carts, and camels were as fragile as paper under the onslaught of over a hundred cavalrymen, submitting to the slaughter without resistance.

"Mi Gu, the flying horse on the grass, did not follow the custom of the road. He simply took away all the goods, killed the men in the caravan, kidnapped the women, and sold the goods in Suzhou City. After eating and drinking, they took off their military uniforms and prepared to look for their next opponent.

And this time, it seems that a big fish has been caught.

"Did you see clearly?"

That's right! "Boss, oh no, company commander," the scout on his two horses was so excited that he even used the wrong address. "There are only twenty or so vehicles! They are all large-wheeled trucks, different from the commander's vehicles, they don't burn coal! I see the tarpaulins behind the vehicles are bulging, there must be good stuff inside!"

"Are you sure it's not a Northwest Bureau vehicle?" Mamigu asked, worried. He would have robbed any vehicle belonging to the Northwest Bureau of the Nationalist Government, but he couldn't kill too many people at the time. He had to let some go, otherwise it would be difficult to report to his superiors. Of course, more importantly, he had to avoid robbing Commander Han's own convoy. "If the flood washes away the Dragon King Temple, I'll be in trouble, and you'll be in trouble too!"

"No! Captain, it's not like that! The Northwest Bureau's cars don't look like this!" The scout was anxious, licking his lips and swearing, "If I'm wrong, let me be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!" At last, he showed a greedy smile: "Why, Captain, let's have a thousand? More than twenty cars, enough to carry goods worth thousands of yuan! If we can capture the cars, we can also go to sell northern goods... Let's do it?" "Bright!" New Era New Shareholders - Chapter 263 https://kdocs.cn/l/cncaGCrHYhAD

They say money can move people's hearts. Mamigu, who had no idea what was behind this convoy, became excited. "A convoy is not like a camel caravan. If they want to spend the night, they can only stay by the earthen wall in Camel City!" "Captain, you're wise! Before I ran back, they were heading in that direction! There's a well there, and the trucks can refuel. I guess they'll be staying there tonight!"

The scout's timely flattery greatly benefited the "flying man on the grass." He held his head high and gave a command with great complacency, "Boys, let's do this! Driving on the northwest road, they must have a few guns!" He waved his hand, "When the time comes, brothers with guns, rush out in front and charge them first, chop off a few heads! I will report to the commander who will punish those who are injured and die, and I will make sure to avenge you brothers!"

"If that group doesn't resist anymore, don't kill any more people, especially the driver," Mamigu warned. "Otherwise, we won't be able to drive away, and this round will be half in vain!"

"good!!"

"I'll listen to you, boss!"

"Ahhhhh!"

Many soldiers, or rather horse bandits, started to make a noise and waved their weapons: there were old variegated barrels, bald golden hooks, sabers and white wax sticks.

More than a hundred horses neighed and stamped their hooves, and the sound seemed extremely powerful.

"Let's go! Tonight, let's make a big splash! After we're done, we'll have some wine and meat!"

Darkness finally fell, and the bandits, lurking in the ravine a few kilometers away, taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain, finally made their move. Although the scouts assigned to monitor the convoy seemed to have lost their minds and eventually slipped away, the entire group still moved. Following the previously reported location, they wrapped their horses' hooves with straw, put on harnesses, and quietly made their way to a point about 800 meters from the earthen enclosure.

Because many in the team suffered from night blindness, Mamigu, the "Flying on the Grass," had to have torches lit to ensure the horses didn't lose their hooves. However, the cavalry, accustomed to charging in the daytime, had little ability to charge at night. After a long struggle, the team couldn't form a reliable formation, instead bumping into each other and causing much shouting and anger.

In addition, the horses tonight were a bit disobedient, digging holes, stamping their hooves, and even kicking the ground. It took these guys more than an hour.

Never mind, there's nothing happening on the other side anyway. Seeing that the formation wasn't going to work, Mamigu thought, he told everyone to spread out a bit. It would be troublesome to crowd too close together during a night attack. This area was the most suitable for overnight stays within a radius of ten miles, and it was also a common campground for passing merchants and travelers. He had led his team here several times, so he should be familiar with it.

"Go, go, go!" He blew the whistle and ordered the horses to start charging. "Charge, charge, charge!"

Chapter 177 It Can't Be Called a Battle

The dogs, who were shouting and neighing, started to make a commotion, waved their whips, gripped their horses' bellies, and charged forward.

The cavalry of the 300th Brigade was poorly equipped. Their heaviest weapon was a light machine gun following behind. Some of them carried Zhongzheng, Hanyang, and even gold hooks with polished rifling.

Some held sabers, and many more held long spears.

A long spear made of white wax.

After all, in a sense, the Ma family army at this time was the last regular army in the world still practicing lance charges - when a hundred or so war horses rushed over with shining lances, not many infantrymen in the country had the courage to fight against them. Afterwards, the cavalry could calmly fire their guns, swing their swords, or use their lances to string people through the gourds.

At least, from Mami Valley's perspective, this is the truth.

In the dark and acidic night, with the flickering firelight, he shouted slogans he didn't even know what they were, holding an "8-inch Browning", lowered his body and rushed towards the target - he was already familiar with this area, and there would be nothing to stop the cavalry's advance.

Then, a few fleeting bright spots appeared in the dark convoy ahead. Fireballs?

Just as Mamigu was stunned, the four "fire meteors" flying towards the sky suddenly slowed down, and then flashed a dazzling white light, illuminating the area four or five hundred meters in front of the convoy as if it were daylight!

The intense flash of magnesium light exploded before them, completely exposing the hundred or so charging cavalrymen. The sudden burst of light in the darkness instantly stung the eyes of many night-blind individuals, causing them to burst into tears and temporarily lose their sight. Horses, accustomed to the brightness of torches, were terrified by this light, which far exceeded the intensity of natural light. They instinctively ducked their heads, tried to dart to the side, or simply reared up, unwilling to run.

The next second, a row of bright lampposts, four or five hundred meters away, covered the disorganized cavalry, and more than a dozen chains of fire lashed out like the whips of the Black and White Impermanence.

-------one

Mamigu had no idea what "night counter-cluster tactics" or "tracer-fire" meant, but the fear of machine guns was ingrained in every Western Region bandit's instincts: they could mow down charging cavalry and infantry like grass, overturning a numerical advantage and providing a clear indicator of the enemy's strength. There were at least ten machine guns firing simultaneously on the opposing side, representing at least a regiment!

No, the commander doesn't even have that many machine guns!

He was right at the edge of a team, rushing to the back. Thanks to the night vision he gained from eating cattle and sheep offal, he could vaguely see the "small convoy" a few hundred meters away - those trucks had lowered their steel plates, with riflemen lying on them, and more than a hundred guns were firing continuously; and some trucks had two large barrels as thick as mortars, which were firing a barrage of life-reaping bullets with the help of the rotating beams of light.

The cars were scattered and spread out, forming a semicircular crescent, which in turn surrounded them in a semicircle. Mamigu alone saw at least forty or fifty of them!

What a deceitful little team!

How can a small convoy have so many machine guns?!

Damn you, you coward! You said there were only a dozen cars, but I can’t carry them anymore!

The charging cavalry was like a rolling wave crashing against a breakwater, shattering into blood-red foam that shattered on the hard surface of the Gobi Desert. Some were screaming, some were roaring, and some were shouting incoherently, "The company commander is back with the red-haired thugs! Everyone, run!"

Some people were so ferocious that they rushed forward on their horses as if they were going to die. As a result, they were shot several times in the face, fell off their horses, and were dragged away by the frightened horses. Others turned their horses around in fear and fled, but were shot in the back and fell to the ground, dead.

"Gawads! Running away now means death! Charge in, charge in!"