Chapter 36

"Wait, what are you carrying on your waist? All guns? How do you have so many guns, and they're all Browning! Take them all off!" Liu Zhenwei saw that Hu Hao had four guns hanging on his waist, all seemingly Brownings, and quickly said.

Hu Hao ignored him, put down his clothes, and said to the doctor,

"Here, this is German-made, a good gun. No one will notice it when it's hidden in your clothes. This one is for you as a token of gratitude. There are seven bullets inside, keep them well. If anyone dares to take them from you, tell me, and I'll deal with them!" Hu Hao glanced at the political commissar and then followed the nurse who was pushing Colonel Zhang to the ward.

The attending doctor, holding the gun, didn't know what to do. He wanted a gun, as having one was necessary for survival these days, but with Liu Zhenwei, the political commissar, and the hospital director present, he wasn't sure whether to accept it or not.

"Cough, cough, you can keep it," Liu Zhenwei said and followed Hu Hao. Xiaoxin, with a quick turn of her eyes, also followed.

After arriving by Er Lengzi's side, they helped the nurse lift Colonel Zhang onto the bed.

"I say, why is it so cold here? My brother is running a fever, and you only have such thin blankets. What if he gets chilled? Change to a room with heating," Hu Hao said after placing his brother down and feeling the room was a bit chilly.

"What are you talking about? All the wards in the hospital are like this. Our base is surrounded by the Japanese, so it's already good to have blankets. What's heating?" Xiaoxin said.

"Oh, there's no heating, then forget it. Can the hospital start a fire?" Hu Hao asked Xiaoxin.

"Do you want to burn down the hospital!" Xiaoxin said irritably.

"Why can't you start a fire? What if my brother gets chilled? Will the hospital be responsible?" Hu Hao said discontentedly.

"Nonsense, no one has ever been chilled in our hospital," Xiaoxin said.

"What if my brother gets chilled?" Hu Hao asked, unwilling to let it go.

"You have so many 'what ifs.' Why don't you 'what if' the Japanese come and get you?" Xiaoxin put her hands on her hips and shouted loudly.

"The Japanese can't get me, I'm lucky enough not to go after them," Hu Hao said.

"You just brag!" Xiaoxin said, "Hey, Er Lengzi, let's talk about something!"

Xiaoxin leaned in close to Hu Hao and said,

"What is it? Stay away from me. If you have something to say, say it. Don't try to curry favor for nothing. As the old saying goes, 'If someone curries favor for nothing, it's either a thief or a cheat!'" Hu Hao said.

"You!" Xiaoxin was so angry she wanted to hit someone.

"Give me a gun, I don't have one," Xiaoxin said straightforwardly.

"Why should I? I barely got them, and you think I'll just give them to you?" Hu Hao said.

"If you give me a gun, I'll take good care of your brother, ensuring he recovers quickly and doesn't get chilled or starved," Xiaoxin said.

"Really?" Hu Hao asked.

"Really!" Xiaoxin nodded firmly.

"Then I'll entrust my brother to you. If he doesn't recover quickly, I'll hold you responsible," Hu Hao continued.

Xiaoxin nodded firmly after hearing this.

"Alright, here, take good care of my brother. If he wants to eat something, get it for him. If you don't have it, tell me, and I'll get it," Hu Hao took a gun from his waist and gave it to Xiaoxin. Xiaoxin was so happy she didn't know what to do with herself.

"By the way, do you know how to use a gun?" Hu Hao asked, a bit worried.

"Do you want me to test it on your head? Hmph, we've been trained," Xiaoxin said, "Bullets? There can't be many, right?" Xiaoxin opened the magazine to check the bullets.

"Oh, I don't have many either," Hu Hao said, reaching into his bag to find bullets. They were from the Japanese lieutenant general. Hu Hao found eight and handed them to Xiaoxin.

Liu Zhenwei and the hospital director were closely watching the gun in Xiaoxin's hand. If it weren't for Er Lengzi, they would have tried to take it. After all, it was a good gun, and having such a gun for self-defense was very safe.

"Er Lengzi, if someone tries to take my gun, will you help me?" Xiaoxin asked.

"Don't worry, if anyone tries to take your gun, I'll deal with them," Hu Hao looked at Liu Zhenwei and the hospital director, making them feel very uncomfortable.

"Hehe, that's fine. I'll go out first and get some food for your brother," Xiaoxin said happily and left with the gun.

Hu Hao turned around and saw that Colonel Zhang was still unconscious, his face pale and his lips slightly blue. He said to the soldier beside him,

"Stay here and watch over my brother. I'll go get a coat, we can't let him get chilled."

"Oh, right, don't let them touch my brother's things," Hu Hao specifically told the soldier before leaving, leaving Liu Zhenwei and the hospital director speechless.

After Hu Hao left, Liu Zhenwei asked the soldier,

"Is he really from your regiment?"

"Yes, but he used to be a fool. I heard he was injured saving our colonel during the Long March. Our colonel has always kept him by his side. He only recently recovered, but he doesn't remember anything from before and only listens to our colonel, not to anyone else," the soldier said.

"No wonder, I thought he looked familiar. His name is Hu Hao, right?" Liu Zhenwei said.

"Yes, do you know him?" the soldier asked.

"I know him, how could I not? I was the political commissar of the regiment. They were both in our regiment. Hu Hao used to be very smart, from the same place as your colonel. Your colonel took good care of him. During the Long March, when the Japanese planes attacked, Hu Hao threw himself on top of your colonel to save him, getting shot in the head. We were going to leave him with a local family, but your colonel refused and carried him all the way to Yan'an, over a thousand miles," Liu Zhenwei said.

"Ah! Over a thousand miles! No wonder Er Lengzi only listens to our colonel. He only listens to our colonel, not to anyone else," the soldier said.

Liu Zhenwei looked at Colonel Zhang and said, "Little Zhang will wake up in about two hours. Take good care of him. I'll come back in the afternoon."

Just as he finished speaking, Hu Hao came in with several coats. He threw them to the foot of the bed, picked one up and covered Colonel Zhang's upper body, another for his feet, and another in the middle, ensuring no cold air could get through. He still had one left, which he gave to the soldier,

"Put this on first, remember to return it to my brother. It's a gift from me to him."

"Oh," the soldier put the coat on, and indeed, the ward was a bit cold.

At this moment, Xiaoxin came in and saw the coats covering Colonel Zhang.

"Er Lengzi, why so many coats?"

"I got them from the Japanese," Hu Hao said proudly.

"Can you give me one? I get cold at night," Xiaoxin said.

"I gave them to my brother. I'll give you one next time," Hu Hao said.

"Your brother doesn't need so many coats. It might make it hard for him to breathe and isn't good for his wounds," Xiaoxin said.

"Oh, then this one is for you," Hu Hao said, picking up the coat in the middle and giving it to Xiaoxin.