Chapter 29 Hard March
East Africa in March is the season of the rainy season. Amidst the rumbling thunder, heavy rain pours down. The raindrops are dense and impactful. The vegetation is sparse and the loess is exposed. On the ground, strong heavy rain washed away the soil, and in just a short while, it turned into a filthy quagmire.
The dirty rainwater gradually gathered, bypassing the grassland and high slopes, and thousands of small streams of water flowed along the depressions and ravines into the river.
The Little Rhine is no longer as calm as it used to be, and has become turbulent. The rolling river water is mixed with driftwood, weeds, and sediment in the upper reaches and is advancing rapidly along the river.
In the paddy fields of the Second Town (Lufu), the overflowing rainwater poured continuously into the river along the drainage channels. The rice was blown to and fro by the rain and strong wind, and the houses made of bricks and earth were mixed with vegetation. It seemed to be crumbling in the violent storm, roaring to lift everything visible on the land of East Africa into the sky.
This kind of storm is very common in the rainy season. In the dry season, the entire Africa is like a pool of stagnant water. The entire grassland is uninhabited for thousands of miles. Occasionally, explorers and hunters observe hundreds of animals migrating on the vast withered grassland. The African continent is in complete silence.
As soon as the rainy season arrives, the entire African continent seems to be alive, with rainwater that has been stored for more than half a year slamming the continent violently. However, the more life is faced with this terrible natural scene, the more vigorous it becomes. The dry rivers on the entire grassland became winding and intricately intertwined.
The yellow plants are replaced by new green clothes, wildebeests and antelopes are chasing the most abundant water plants in groups, hippos are having fun in the lakes, and crocodiles are wandering around waiting for opportunities.
……
Everything is full of vitality.
But this is not good news for the East African advance group that is advancing inland.
Andre, the captain of the fourth team, is sitting on a rock, holding a knife in his hand to scrape the mud on the shoe surface.
Staff Officer Zhou Wei directed his men to count the supplies: "Remember to put the food and ammunition on the top of the frame so that they don't touch the ground and get damp."
"How to put up this rainproof cloth? What to do if rainwater seeps in, everything must be arranged strictly according to the training procedures! We still have a long way to go, and we must ensure the safety of food and ammunition.”
The sudden heavy rain just now forced the advance team to stop. During the regiment's march, the team rested temporarily on a high ground.
"Zhou! Let's not leave today. Let's rest here for a day. We have been traveling for the past two weeks. The team's mental state has dropped a lot. We still need to ease the team's mood." Andre said to Zhou Wei preached.
Zhou Wei looked around and saw that the rain was a little lighter, but it was still falling. He didn’t know when it would end, so he nodded and said: "Mr. Andre, you are right, the main reason is that the time is too long. It was so tight that we chose the most unsuitable time to set off. We didn’t expect the heavy rain here to be so heavy!”
Andre said with a smile: “Seeing this rain reminds me of when I was there! During the days on the European battlefield, I was still a recruit, and it was my first time to camp out with the army. It suddenly started raining heavily in the middle of the night. In order to rush the march, our temporary rest station was in a depression. As a result, the shelter we built was soaked in water. In the pit, many of the troops did not even have dry clothes, and the next day they wore wet clothes and fought against Napoleon's army."
Zhou Wei listened to Andre's story, Napoleon Zhou. Wei has seen him in textbooks. He is indeed a hero of his generation. Andre actually participated in the anti-French war that year. But considering that Andre is about the same age, Andre did not say how old he is, but Zhou Wei deduced from Andre's appearance that he was at least fifty. "Mr. Andre, your past is indeed exciting!"
"Thank you for your compliment, Zhou. I was surprised by your performance. I went to primary school and had never seen Qing people at that time. I only saw the appearance of Qing people in the teacher's album. Our teacher said that all Chinese people He had big braids that were both male and female, and he liked to smoke opium, and he always looked depressed, "Andre recalled.
“Later I retired and was hired by the Hechingen Company and came to East Africa. They transferred my salary to my family’s bank account. That was the first time I crossed the ocean and came to This is the first time I have seen Chinese people in such a remote place."
Andre continued: "When they first got off the ship, they did have braids and were malnourished, but the first rule of the colony was. Just cut off the braids and keep their hair short. After removing the braids, they do look different, especially when they put on German military uniforms, their spirits have improved. I see that after cleaning, the Chinese look more like the black-haired Italians on the Mediterranean coast. . ”
“However, you Chinese soon changed my impression. In the early days of the East African colony, in the first town, your hard work made me realize that the Italians were not as good as you. Because Italians are so good at enjoying themselves. But at that time, I still thought that the Chinese were not as good as the Germans.”
“It wasn’t until I met you, Zhou, that I completely changed my mind. The rigorous spirit made me realize that the Chinese do not need to be compared. They are just as good as the Germans. You know, some of my former comrades, including the French and British I met, were very rude. "
Andre then expressed his thoughts: "You Chinese are just like us Prussians, born soldiers and the best farmers in the world."
After listening to Andre's words quietly, Zhou Wei said: " Mr. Andre, I want to correct something first. I have obtained a citizenship certificate issued by the Hechingen government, so I am also German, and I believe that these people in front of me will also be German in the future. A member of the empire, because our principal, Mr. Ernst, said that no matter where you come from, as long as you have a heart for Germany and are willing to fight for it your whole life, then you are an authentic 'German'."
Andre heard Zhou Wei's words and laughed loudly: "You are right, Zhou, I am narrow-minded."
......
The sky It's getting later.
In the temporary camp, the members of the advance team who had been on the road these past few days fell asleep peacefully. Even though it was still raining outside, it could not disturb the sleeping team members at all.
The sentries are vigilant on rainy nights to prevent wild animals and other dangers from intruding. Zhou Wei will come out to check the posts from time to time. Everyone can sleep, but Zhou Wei cannot. As a military academy in Hechingen For those who have received education, the education in school always reminds themselves that a qualified soldier must remember to practice it personally and do everything personally.
......
On the third day, the advance group set off on the road again after resting. The mud caused by the rain made the march extremely difficult, but they unswervingly headed towards Lake Solon (Tanganyi). Go in the direction of Lake Kakarta).
(End of this chapter)