Arduous March

In East Africa, March was the season when the rains arrived. Amid rolling thunder, torrential rain poured down. The dense, forceful drops battered the sparsely vegetated ground, where yellow earth lay exposed. The fierce downpour scoured the soil, and in no time at all, the land became a filthy mud pit.

The murky rainwater gradually gathered, winding around grasslands and high slopes. Thousands upon thousands of tiny streams flowed through hollows and gullies, converging into the rivers.

The Little Rhine River was no longer as calm as before. It became surging and turbulent, its rolling waters carrying driftwood, weeds, and Silt and Sand from upstream as they raced down the riverbed.

In the rice paddies of Second Town (Lufu), overflowing rainwater poured endlessly into the river through drainage channels. The rice was beaten crooked and flattened by rain and gales. Houses built from plants, bricks, and earth looked ready to collapse amid the raging wind and rain, as though the storm were roaring to fling everything visible across East Africa into the sky.

Such storms, as if heaven and earth had joined forces, were common during the rainy season. During the dry season, all of Africa resembled a pool of stagnant water. For thousands of miles across the grasslands, there was not a soul in sight. Only occasionally did explorers and hunters observe hundreds or thousands of animals migrating across the boundless, withered yellow plains. The entire African continent was deathly silent.

Once the rainy season arrived, the entire African continent seemed to come alive, savagely lashing the land with rainwater stored up for more than half a year. Yet the more life faced such terrifying natural spectacles, the more vigorously it flourished. Dry riverbeds across the grasslands became winding and twisting, crisscrossing in tangled patterns.

Withered yellow plants donned new green clothes. Wildebeests and antelopes traveled in herds, chasing the richest water and grass. Hippos frolicked in the lakes, while crocodiles roamed about, waiting quietly for their chance.

All things overflowed with vibrant life.

But for the East African advance party pushing inland, this was not good news.

Andre, captain of the Fourth Team, sat steadily atop a rock, using a small knife to scrape the mud plastered across his boots.

Staff officer Zhou Wei directed his men to inventory the supplies. "Remember to put the food and ammunition on top of the cart frames. Don't let them touch the ground and get damp."

"How was this rainproof cloth set up? What if rainwater seeps through? Everything must be arranged strictly according to the procedures from training! We still have a long road ahead, and we must ensure the safety of the food and ammunition."

The sudden torrential rain had forced the advance party to halt its march. The group temporarily rested on a stretch of high ground.

"Zhou! We should not travel any farther today. Let's rest here for a day first. We've been rushing along for the past two weeks, and the men's mental state has declined considerably. We should ease their spirits a little," Andre said to Zhou Wei.

Zhou Wei looked around. The rain had weakened somewhat, but it was still falling, and there was no telling when it would end. He nodded. "Mr. Andre, you're right. The main problem is that time was too tight, forcing us to set out at the most unsuitable time. I never expected the rain here to be this heavy!"

Andre chuckled. "Seeing this rain reminds me of my days on the European battlefield. Back then, I was still a new recruit. The first time I camped in the field with the army, a heavy rain suddenly started in the middle of the night. We had been preparing for a forced march, so our temporary camp had been set up in a low-lying area. The shelters we built were all soaked in puddles. Many men in the unit did not even have a dry change of clothes, and the next day, we fought Napoleon's army in dripping wet uniforms."

As Zhou Wei listened to Andre's story, he recalled that he had seen Napoleon in textbooks. He truly had been a hero of his generation. Andre had actually taken part in the war against France back then. But on second thought, Andre's age seemed about right. Andre had never said how old he was, but judging from his appearance, Zhou Wei estimated that he was at least over fifty.

"Mr. Andre, your past was truly remarkable!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Zhou. But it is your performance that has surprised me. I attended elementary school, and back then I had never seen anyone from Qing China. I had only seen what people from Qing China looked like in the teacher's illustrated books. Our teacher said that Chinese people all wore huge braids, that men and women were impossible to tell apart, and that they liked smoking opium, always looking listless and dispirited," Andre recalled.

"Later, after I retired from the army, Hechingen Company hired me and sent me to East Africa. They deposited my wages into my family's bank account. That was my first time crossing the seas and coming to such a distant place, and also my first time seeing Chinese people."

Andre continued, "When they had first disembarked from the ships, they truly all wore braids and were malnourished. But the first rule in the colony was to cut off the braids and keep short hair. After those braids were gone, they really looked different. Especially after putting on Germany's military uniforms, their spirit and bearing improved greatly. Once they were cleaned up, I thought the Chinese looked more like dark-haired Italians from the Mediterranean coast."

"But soon, you Chinese changed my impression again. During the early days of the East African colony, in First Town, your diligence and hard work made me realize that Italians could not compare with you, because Italians were far too good at enjoying themselves. Still, at that time, I believed Chinese people could not compare with Germans."

"Not until I met you, Zhou, did I completely change my previous views. Your learning and culture, your rigorous spirit, made me realize that Chinese people need not be compared with anyone. They are as outstanding as us Germans. You should know that some of my former comrades, including the French and British I have met, were all very crude."

Andre went on to voice his thoughts. "You Chinese are just like us Prussians: born soldiers and the finest farmers in the world."

After quietly listening to Andre's words, Zhou Wei said, "Mr. Andre, I must first correct one point. I have already received a citizenship certificate issued by the Hechingen government, so I am also German. And I believe the people before us will likewise become part of the German Empire in the future. Because our principal, Lord Ernst, once said that no matter where you come from, as long as your heart faces Germany and you are willing to strive for it your entire life, then you are a true German."

Hearing Zhou Wei's words, Andre burst into laughter. "You are absolutely right, Zhou. I was narrow-minded."

The sky gradually darkened.

Inside the temporary camp, the advance party members, who had been traveling nonstop these past few days, peacefully sank into dreams. Even though rain still fell outside, it did not disturb the deeply sleeping men in the slightest.

The sentries remained vigilant through the rainy night, guarding against wild animals and other dangers breaking in. Zhou Wei came out from time to time to inspect the posts. Everyone else could sleep, but Zhou Wei could not. As someone educated at Hechingen Military Academy, he constantly remembered the school's teachings: lead by example and personally attend to every matter—principles a qualified soldier had to keep firmly in mind.

On the third day, having completed their rest, the advance party set out once more. The mud caused by the rain made the march exceptionally difficult, but they pressed forward unwaveringly toward Lake Tanganyika.