"What kind of jinx?" asked a companion at the next table.
"You don't even know what a jinx is?" the loud-voiced man asked back.
"Isn't a broom star the thing that flies in the sky at night?" His companion was puzzled.
Everyone knew it before the words were spoken. Although his companion did not explain clearly that the comet in the sky was a broom star, everyone else understood it.
In fact, as a soldier who had not received much education, he only knew about the astronomical phenomenon but did not know that it was called a comet. People called it a broom star.
A jinx is just like a crow's mouth, isn't it? They're not popular, and definitely not a symbol of good fortune or happiness.
"Bullshit, what jinx are you talking about? This is not the jinx I'm talking about. Don't you know that we have a group of jinxes in Suizhong?" The soldier, who was already a little drunk, looked down on the whole table with an arrogant attitude.
"Now that you've said that, I remember that you're not talking about those guys who came to our group last year to play around, right?" A companion next to him said with sudden realization.
"Yes! I'm talking about them!" the man with the loud voice shouted and slapped the table with his hand.
The slap he made made quite a noise, a "pop" sound that attracted the attention of the other diners and the restaurant owner.
However, when they saw that the soldiers at this table were just drunk and shouting and had no intention of fighting, they all turned their heads away.
At this time, Qian Chuan'er and Qiu Bo, who had been listening, exchanged glances again.
Although neither of them spoke, they knew that they had to stay and listen! This was because they now had reason to suspect that the "jinx" the soldiers at this table were talking about was none other than their group, headed by Shang Zhen!
It has been a year since Shang Zhen and his group retreated to Suizhou.
Logically speaking, remnants of the defeated army like them would either go looking for their original troops or be incorporated into the regiment stationed in Suizhong County. Shang Zhen and all of them, including Qian Chuan'er and Qiu Bo, were mentally prepared for this.
But what was beyond everyone's expectation was that no one knew what the regiment leader was thinking. He neither let them go nor recruited them. In the end, it was Wang Qingfeng who came forward and asked them to go to a pig house outside Suizhong County to raise pigs!
This matter is strange inside and out, but Shang Zhen and his men are completely in the dark in Sui Zhong and don't know anyone. Who can they ask why they were sent to raise pigs?
This situation makes people feel like Lin Chong in "Water Margin" was sent to a grassland to check the food and fodder!
At first, Shang Zhen and Wang Laomao tried to find someone to find out what this was all about. However, the officials here were so arrogant that no one would pay attention to them. They were met with nothing.
But at this time Shang Zhen smiled and said, just raise pigs, I think this is a good idea!
Why did Shang Zhen say this was good? Others figured it out. Here, there was food and drink, and no fighting. Yet, Shang Zhen started his intensive training every day.
As for how to raise pigs, Shang Zhen doesn't care. He just said, we can secretly raise a few for our own consumption, just don't eat those old sows!
At this point, Shang Zhen and his group of about ten people settled down here.
Of course, even though they were raising pigs and no one cared about them, Wang Qingfeng also told them when she came that they had to hand over a certain number of fat pigs to the group at the end of the year.
And just as Wang Qingfeng was leaving, she dropped a sentence with disdain, which was "this bunch of jinxes"!
When respectfully seeing off Wang Qingfeng who was covering her nose as she left the pigpen, Shang Zhen and the others were still puzzled. They were not sure whether they were the ones being talked about. After they came back, they were still wondering who that bastard was scolding when he said "jinx"?
That's how it happened.
However, since they had been living in a pig house outside the county town, they always had to deal with the subordinate units of this regiment. But once they did, people seemed to avoid them as much as possible, just like they were avoiding a jinx.
Only then did Shang Zhen and the others realize that something was wrong.
But after they discussed it, they felt that the way they were now was fine, so they were content and at ease without anyone bothering them and stopped asking.
Today, Qian Chuan'er and Qiu Bo heard someone from the group mention the unlucky star again. How could they not be curious? How did we become unlucky stars?
At this moment, the drunk and loud guy had already started talking.
"These guys were originally from the Seventh Brigade. They followed to fight the young marshal's uncles and brothers!" The man said something shocking as soon as he opened his mouth.
But just after he said this, he realized the seriousness of the matter and subconsciously covered his mouth and looked around.
At this time, Qian Chuan'er and Qiu Bo had already picked up the bowls in their hands and filled them with wine, even though there was no wine left in their bowls.
Seeing that no one noticed what he had just said, the man continued: "At that time, they went to a battalion, but they happened to run into a Japanese armored vehicle. In the end, only six people from the battalion escaped!"
This man's story immediately caused his companions to whisper in discussion. There should be hundreds of people in a battalion, but there are only six left. Isn't this battle too brutal?
However, the people at their table did not notice that Qian Chuan'er and Qiu Bo at the next table were exchanging glances again.
Oh my god, they knew it all. Wasn't there only six people left in Shang Zhen's group at that time? Even Qiu Bo hadn't joined at that time!
No need to ask, the jinx they are talking about is this group of people, so just listen carefully!
"As a result, these six people encountered a company from the Sixth Brigade on their way back.
It is said that this person disguised himself and went to Jinzhou and killed a high-ranking Japanese official!
"What kind of high-ranking official is he? How big is he? Is he a squadron leader or a team leader?" someone nearby asked.
"How the hell should I know? They themselves don't know. Don't interrupt!" said the loud man.
At this time, someone nearby, who had already noticed the interest, said, "Let Li Dashang speak, don't interrupt!"
The loud-voiced man continued, "Originally, they had performed a great service, but who would have thought that they would cause such a disaster that the Japanese would come after them without even realizing it.
They were caught off guard and were caught unawares. This time, only seven people were left in that company."
"Ah? No way? Aren't there six of them? Then only one person escaped from that company?" someone else asked.
"No, I didn't explain it clearly this time. There are only seven left in that company. Together with the first six, there are thirteen of them in total!
These thirteen people are basically the same as the current group of jinxes.
Some individuals died in the middle and some joined later, but it's basically the same.
The key point is not this matter, but the fact that there are now thirteen people in this group. These thirteen people ran back together and went to Ningyuan.
You know Liu Cheng's regiment in Ningyuan, right?" the man asked again.
The answer he got to this question was naturally "I know", because Liu Cheng's regiment later surrendered to the Japanese army, reportedly because they suffered heavy losses and had run out of ammunition.
The surrender of an organized regiment to the Japanese army was the most sensitive matter. Even if the news was blocked from above, the lower-level soldiers would also know about it through other channels.
"But this is not the key to the matter. The key to the matter is..." Having said this, the shouting man lowered his voice and looked around.
This restaurant's business is really good. Customers come and go, and there are no empty tables.
People at other tables were busy eating and drinking, but the two soldiers at the table next to them picked up their bowls again, but this time there was wine in the bowls. Qiu Bo asked for two more bowls.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, Li Dasang continued, "The key point is that when Liu Cheng's regiment hadn't done anything yet, they also wanted to break out. This group of thirteen people were used as cannon fodder in the front.
According to our thinking, those who serve as cannon fodder will just become cannon fodder, right?
But——, no!
Instead of being cannon fodder, they came back alive and kicking. Liu Cheng's regiment was gone!
Do you think these guys are rude or not?"
At this point, the loudmouth stopped talking, picked up the wine bowl and took another big sip.
What followed naturally was the discussion of his desk mates.
"It's not just an ordinary character, it's an extraordinary character!" a soldier exclaimed loudly.
But the soldier had barely finished his admiration when the loudmouth spoke again: "Don't just talk about their personalities. Have you noticed, with this group, whoever they hang out with is unlucky, right?! So, are they jinxes?"
Is this even a question? If what he said is true, then aren't these people jinxed?
But at this time, the man with the loud voice didn't know that Qian Chuan and Qiu Bo at the next table were exchanging glances again. They finally knew why their group was called "jinx"!
This also solved the mystery that had been in their minds for a long time, which was why the regiment commander only allowed them to raise pigs but did not incorporate them into the combat troops.
If we say that there are few people nowadays who are not superstitious, then the team leader is definitely superstitious. He may be using the stench of the pigpen to restrain the bad luck brought by these people!
But then a question arises. There are only about a dozen people in their group. Who could know their origins so clearly, even knowing the details!
After Qian Chuan'er and Qiu Bo looked at each other for a moment, the two big men who were sitting opposite each other at the table put their heads together, and their lips were almost touching. If you didn't know, you would think that these two men were doing something!
But at this moment, the two men uttered the same three words: "Hou Kanshan!"