Resistance against Japan: Starting with the local militia

Chapter 11 Encountering Robbers on the Road

On a mountain road some distance from Taiyuan City, two simply dressed girls were driving a horse-drawn carriage along the road.

"Sister, when do you think we'll be able to get to Yan'an?" Chu Xin asked as they chatted.

"It will still be some time; we haven't crossed the Yellow River yet," Chu Yu replied.

"I long to reach Yan'an as soon as possible and join the revolution," Chu Xin said with anticipation.

"We'll go to Linfen first, where we'll meet up with the organization. Then the organization will make arrangements for us to go to Yan'an. The route to Yan'an is not safe recently; the Nationalist government is still targeting us," Chu Yu said.

"Those damned reactionaries! The Japanese have already occupied our three northeastern provinces, but instead of fighting the Japanese, they choose to fight us!" Chu Xin said angrily.

“Who says otherwise?” Chu Yu sighed.

"Let's not think about it anymore, let's hurry on our way," Chu Yu said.

.......

"Boss, is it okay for us to rob people in Xiangyuan County? It's said that the bandits of Qinglong Village here have been wiped out by the local militia. Qinglong Village is much larger than our Black Fox Village."

"Li Ergou, look at you, so timid. What are you afraid of?" said Hu Han, a bandit leader.

"Do you know why we came here to rob? It's because the bandits of Qinglong Village were wiped out, so I brought you here to rob them."

"We'll fire a shot and move on to another location. How will they know who we are?"

“The local officials can’t control the bandits next door, understand?” Hu Han said smugly, thinking to himself, “I’m a genius.”

"Boss, you're brilliant! You truly deserve to be called the leader." Hu Han's bandits all fawned over him.

"Boss, a carriage has arrived," someone ran over and said.

"Alright, business's here. Brothers, get ready, let's rob them!" Hu Han whispered.

Chu Yu was driving the carriage, while Chu Xin was lazily lying in the carriage. Suddenly, Chu Yu saw a group of people rush out of the forest, surrounding them from the front and back, looking like they were robbing someone.

Chu Yu was startled and tried to drive the carriage away quickly, but was stopped by the group of people.

Hu Han, holding a gun, shouted, "Stop the car! This is a robbery! Hand over all the money! You think you can run away, you little punk?"

Seeing this, Chu Yu thought to herself, "Oh no, we've encountered bandits." Chu Xin, who was resting in the carriage, heard the shouts outside and hurriedly came out as well.

"Sister, have we encountered bandits?" Chu Xin asked fearfully, clinging to Chu Yu's arm.

"Don't be afraid, Chu Xin. We'll hand over the money; it's better to lose money than to suffer a greater disaster," Chu Yu comforted her softly.

"Heroes, please don't hurt us. We'll give you all the money," Chu Yu said, her voice trembling.

"Hey, I didn't expect this unexpected bonus. I didn't know you two were actually young women." Hu Han only realized this when he got closer. The two people surrounded were actually girls, and quite pretty at that.

"Brothers, good news! These two are actually women! We've caught them red-handed! This time, we'll rob them of their money and their bodies!" Hu Han shouted.

"Rob the women! Rob the women!" the bandits below shouted.

Upon hearing this, Chu Yu's face turned pale instantly.

"Brothers, the chief was just looking for a wife to take as his own, and this girl has delivered herself to our doorstep. We must rob her, we have to rob her."

"If I give these two female students to the boss and make him happy, I might just become a junior manager myself."

"When I become the head of the household, I won't treat you all badly; I'll make sure you eat and drink well."

"Besides, what if the boss gets tired of playing around? Maybe he can give a few of us brothers a turn, let us have some fun too." Hu Han's face revealed a lewd expression.

"Brothers, let me tell you, don't be clumsy or hurt me. These are our prized possessions for promotion," the bandit leader warned.

"I understand, boss."

The Chu Yu sisters, trembling in the crowd, looked on with a hint of despair when they heard that the bandits hadn't said that.

The bandit leader taunted, "Ladies, please come with me. We brothers are counting on you two for our livelihood."

"Li Ergou, get the rope and tie these two girls up!" Hu Han shouted.

Upon hearing this, Chu Yu was so frightened that she hurriedly took out a knife from her bag, held it in both hands, and shouted at the bandits, "Don't come any closer! Help! Is anyone there?"

"Help, help."

The pitiful cries for help from the Chu sisters echoed through the mountains and forests.

"Go ahead and scream, even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you. Just come with us obediently." Hu Han approached the two of them step by step.

As Hu Han approached, Chu Yu and Chu Xin's legs trembled uncontrollably.

"Give it to me." Taking advantage of Chu Yu's inattention, Hu Han quickly stepped forward and snatched the knife from Chu Yu's hand.

He wasn't afraid that the two girls' knives would pose any threat to him; his main concern was that they might act like some kind of heroic heroine and end their own lives with a single stab, leaving him with nothing but wasted effort.

Seeing that her only weapon, the knife, had been taken away, Chu Yu could no longer hold on. She collapsed to the ground and hugged Chu Xin, bursting into tears and beginning to despair.

.......

After completing the arms deal, Tang Weiguo and his men lingered in Taiyuan for two more days. Before leaving, Tang Weiguo kept a close eye on the reconnaissance soldiers, instructing them to keep a close watch on the arms and to ensure nothing went wrong.

These days, it's so easy for people to get taken advantage of, especially in such a large arms deal. It's not that people are afraid of thieves stealing from them, but they are also afraid of thieves eyeing them.

The soldiers who came with Tang Weiguo this time were all elite reconnaissance soldiers, and Tang Weiguo felt very reassured to entrust this mission to them.

After finishing their business in Taiyuan City, Tang Weiguo and his group left the city and headed towards Tangjia Town.

"Commander, it sounds like someone is calling for help up ahead," Tang Xiaohu suddenly said on the way back. Tang Weiguo gestured for everyone to stop, and upon listening carefully, they indeed heard someone calling for help ahead, and the voice sounded like a girl's.

"Everyone, stay alert and hide your weapons. Let's go check what's going on," Tang Weiguo instructed.

After saying that, Tang Weiguo and his companions slowly approached on horseback.

When Tang Weiguo got closer, he saw dozens of men surrounding a carriage. Two girls were crying and shouting for help beside the carriage, their voices filled with misery. In contrast, the men were laughing loudly.

"Commander, have we been robbed by bandits?" Tang Xiaohu said, looking at the scene before him.

“It looks like we’ve run into them. We should at least lend a hand and save the two girls. You two should follow my lead,” Tang Weiguo said.

"Yes, Commander." Tang Xiaohu and Niu Dali, who were standing next to Tang Weiguo, were already eager to try. They hadn't fought in a while and these two warmongers were itching to get their hands dirty.