BSI Chapter 21 Qiu Yan burns the camp
Chapter 21 Qiu Yan burns the camp
The night was as dark as ink, and the sound of the tide mixed with Zhang Xiuwu's harsh words made everyone's hearts heavy.
"Brother Chen, those natives were so hateful! If we hadn't run fast and disappeared into the depths of the forest, none of us would have survived!" Feng Qinlan gritted her teeth, her fists clenched until they turned white, and the hatred in her voice was almost overflowing.
She had cut her hair short to ear length, and her left shoulder was wrapped in thick burlap, with dark red blood seeping through.
Chen Feng's face was gloomy. He stepped forward and gently took the iron pot off her back, comforting her, "Don't rush, tell me slowly and clearly what happened."
Zhang Xiuwu slumped to the ground and slowly said, "Early this morning, eighteen of us set off from the village with the grain we had collected, and everything went smoothly. But when we were almost in the forest, we suddenly ran into the Balangai tribe! There were more than thirty of them, and they had more than ten guns. It looked like they were going to rob another village. We just happened to run into them."
Feng Qinlan sat down next to him, her voice trembling slightly: "In the first round of gunfire, two of our brothers fell. Xiuwu immediately led his men to return fire, but the enemy had too many guns. The gunfire was incessant, and two more fell in the blink of an eye. Seeing that the natives were about to charge, we had no choice but to turn and flee into the woods."
"The enemy isn't chasing us?" Chen Feng asked, gesturing for Qian Biao to quickly prepare food with his men.
Feng Qinlan shook her head: "They didn't chase after them! I think they had other targets."
"Could it be heading straight for your village?" Chen Feng's heart tightened, and he quickly asked.
"Probably... not." Feng Qinlan's tone was uncertain.
Zhang Xiuwu, having caught his breath, continued, "Our village was almost burned down, there's nothing left to steal."
"That's good!"
Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "Did you see what model of firearms they were using?"
"Model number?" Zhang Xiuwu asked, his eyes filled with doubt.
Chen Feng took the Springfield M1861 from his back, then pointed to the Mauser 1893 in Zhang Xiuwu's hand and asked, "Are these the two types?"
Zhang Xiuwu paused for a moment, looked up and thought for a while before saying, "Both types exist, but most are the kind of rifle you're carrying."
"Understood!"
Chen Feng nodded slightly, having already made his judgment.
The supporters behind the Balangai tribe are most likely the Independence Army.
The Spanish did not equip themselves with the Springfield M1861, and the Americans would not provide weapons to such small tribes. Only those who had fought the Spanish for several years and captured a mixed group of independent troops would possess both types of firearms.
Just then, the aroma of corn porridge wafted through the air; the meal was ready.
Chen Feng led Zhang Xiuwu and the others to the campfire. Qian Biao immediately brought over a rough wooden bowl containing a thick corn porridge and a lump of oily fat.
"Brother Chen, this is pork." Feng Qinlan remembered that Chen Feng was very concerned about monkey meat.
Chen Feng blew on the bowl and sighed, "Thank you for your hard work."
Zhangjia Village had just been plundered by the Balangai tribe, and supplies were already extremely scarce. It was truly remarkable that they could still produce pork!
Feng Qinlan forced a smile and lowered her voice: "This pig was fed by my parents. They originally planned to use it for my wedding at the end of the year... but now it's no longer needed. Since no one is taking care of it, we might as well kill it to nourish everyone."
"Why aren't you getting married?" Chen Feng picked up his bowl and took a sip of corn porridge.
"Ugh!"
Feng Qinlan lowered her eyes, sighed softly, and remained silent.
Zhang Xiuwu shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth and said in a low voice, "Sister Feng was supposed to marry my cousin, but he was seriously injured by the local tribesmen of Balangai last time, and he didn't make it yesterday and passed away."
Squad leader Kong Yunfei was drinking gruel when he heard this and slammed the bowl to the ground with a "bang," his eyes wide with rage: "These damned natives are inhuman! General, let's go and wipe out the Balangai tribe right now to avenge Miss Feng and our fallen brothers!"
Squad leader Tian Gang shook his head, his expression grave: "General, I think we need to be more cautious. The Balangai tribe must have someone supporting them to be able to acquire so many firearms. A reckless attack might lead to losses."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a soldier chimed in, "Most of us don't know how to use guns. Those natives are numerous and powerful, and they've even allied with other tribes. In my opinion, we should go to Corregidor Island and join the American forces first. We can come back and take revenge once we've honed our skills."
"Bullshit!" Chu Xiongxing stood up abruptly, retorting sharply, "The Americans give us guns and money, hoping we'll fight for them! Now that we're running away at the first sign of trouble, do you think the US military will take us in? They'll just treat us like trash!"
The soldier wanted to argue, but when he looked up and saw Chen Feng's gloomy face, he swallowed his words and lowered his head dejectedly.
"To hell with the bumpkins! I've wanted to take them down for ages!" Kong Yunfei slapped his thigh and stood up, his voice booming, "Before, we had no guns or cannons, so we could only endure it. Now that we have guns and knives, what are we afraid of!"
"Yes! All the indigenous people should be killed! My sister was only twelve years old when she was violated by the indigenous people."
"My uncle was robbed while delivering goods in town last month, and he was beaten to death!"
"Kill all these scum!"
"They dared to steal our Free Army's food and kill our brothers. We swear we will not rest until we avenge them!"
"I'll go first."
......
Before Chen Feng could speak, the soldiers were already filled with righteous indignation, each with red eyes recounting their deep-seated hatred for the local people.
Those who had not directly suffered persecution from the indigenous people, seeing this scene, no one dared to mention "defecting to the US military" anymore.
Zhang Xiuwu already harbored deep hatred for the indigenous people, and this atmosphere provoked him so much that he smashed the wooden bowl against the rocks with a "bang," shattering it instantly.
He suddenly knelt down before Chen Feng, his forehead pressed against the sand: "Brother Chen, please help me avenge myself! I want to kill all the natives of the Balangai tribe. Today, I'll sell you this hundred-plus jin of my flesh, and you can do whatever you want with me!"
Feng Qinlan knelt down as well, tears streaming down her face, and choked out, "Brother Chen, please avenge us! From now on, I'm willing to serve you like a slave to repay your great kindness!"
"Get up." Chen Feng put down the wooden bowl, stood up, and reached out to help them up.
"Brother Chen, I won't get up unless you agree!" Zhang Xiuwu knelt on the ground and refused to move.
"I didn't say I wouldn't help." Chen Feng lifted Zhang Xiuwu up with a little force, then turned to look at everyone present: "Everyone, eat and drink your fill tonight, and get some rest. Tomorrow morning, Tian Gang and Kong Yunfei will each lead a group of men to scout out the movements of the Balangai tribe. We must find out their troop deployment and our marching route."
He paused, then continued to order: "The rest of you stay at the camp, organize your weapons and ammunition, and practice shooting with the experienced brothers. Make sure you master the use of firearms as soon as possible."
"yes!"
Tian Gang and Kong Yunfei stood up straight and responded loudly.
After dinner, the soldiers, exhausted from two days and two nights of work, quickly fell into a deep sleep, leaving only the sound of snoring around the campfire.
Chen Feng could only fight off his sleepiness, pick up the cloth bag containing US dollars, get up and walk up the nearby hill to take over the sentry's duty.
Feng Qinlan followed behind, carrying the newly acquired Springfield M1861 rifle on her right shoulder.
"Are you really sure you want to join our Free Army?" Chen Feng asked, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth as he surveyed the distant hills.
Feng Qinlan nodded vigorously: "I've thought it through! I'll do anything as long as I can wipe out the Balangai tribe."
"Ugh!"
Chen Feng glanced at her; her frail body was filled with hatred, as if she were about to unleash boundless power at any moment.
He pondered for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Then you'll stay by my side for now and be in charge of military supplies and logistics. Think about it, see if you can find some cloth to make a decent set of uniforms for the soldiers."