The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 287 Let's Do It (Bonus Chapter 510 for the Emergence of the Erotic Photographer)

On the first day of the journey, around 11:30 pm.

Even though it wasn't the first time he'd drunk water from Zhangjiayu, after putting down a water bottle, Hu Biao still couldn't help but frown deeply, struggling to swallow the mouthful of water.

After considering other possibilities, his brows furrowed even more deeply.

No other reason than that! Through conversations with Zhang Youcai, the unreliable landlord, and Zhang Baozhu, the old man, during meals, Hu Biao and his companions learned more about the local situation.

These circumstances can only be described as quite pessimistic.

For example, in Zhangjiayu, or in the entire Pingding County, or even in the northwestern Shanxi region, except for a few places, most places are now severely short of water.

In the vast Zhangjiayu village, there is only one old well in the middle of the village.

The old well has a relatively abundant water supply, which can basically guarantee drinking water for people and livestock even in years of severe drought, but the taste is rather indescribable.

Specifically, it didn't look clear enough and had a strong earthy taste; even Xiao Cui, the nurse, suspected there might be parasites in it.

However, the other water source was in a mountain valley eight or nine miles away, so even if it was terrible, we could only boil it and drink it with a heavy heart.

It is precisely because of the lack of water that the fields surrounding Zhangjiayu Village have no concept of irrigation and are completely dependent on the weather.

Therefore, apart from a small amount of wheat, they mostly grow cold-resistant crops such as corn, sorghum, beans, millet, and sweet potatoes.

As for livestock, apart from one or two old hens per household, the rest of the households just let sheep graze.

Because the grass and water were not plentiful, these sheep were also very thin.

Even with their best efforts, Zhangjiayu and the surrounding villages could barely keep from starving after a year of hard work.

Even a landlord like Zhang Youcai wouldn't dare to eat his fill when it wasn't time to work.

In short, choosing Northwest Shanxi and Zhangjiayu as the starting point for the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment was indeed quite advantageous.

The relatively weak strength of the Japanese forces made it easier for them to get through the period when the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment was newly established and at its weakest.

Soldiers recruited in such places are also more likely to endure hardship and be more hardworking.

However, the conditions here are far too harsh, and there are too many unexpected problems to deal with, such as eating and clothing.

Just as Hu Biao was feeling troubled, Zanana walked over and shook her head at him.

Seeing this, Hu Biao became increasingly agitated.

That was when Zanana had already set up the antenna and started calling for half an hour at the agreed time and on the agreed frequency using that old-fashioned radio.

But there was no response from Annie, and we had no idea what was going on with them...

Taking a deep breath, Hu Biao suppressed his agitation and addressed the group of men and women who were transmigrating in the cave:
"Stop arguing! Let's discuss what to do next."

After the voices faded, everyone except the shaman who was on watch for the first half of the night was no longer in the cave. They all took off their shoes and got onto the kang (heated brick bed).

Suddenly enveloped in a strong stench of foot odor, Mina, the cheap sister-in-law, felt like the sky was falling.

Xiao Cui, who was standing nearby, felt a growing difficulty breathing.

The current scene occurred after a late dinner, when it was already 10 p.m.

After discussing it, Hu Biao and Zhao Zheng decided to allocate the two cave dwellings that Zhang Youcai's family had given up.

Zhao Zheng lived in that smaller cave dwelling with his subordinate cadres and logistics personnel.

The larger cave dwellings were where Hu Biao and the other time travelers stayed; they'd make do for tonight, and consider the issue of the three girls having their own accommodations tomorrow.
If that were all, Mina wouldn't think much of it.

Because there was a long earthen bed in this large cave dwelling, all thirteen of them could squeeze in.

There's no need to worry about the differences between men and women; it's just a matter of dealing with one night. The key is that Zanana will be sleeping between them and a group of men.

Although Zanana has a pretty face, her large frame makes her a perfect human screen.

I reckon the men sitting next to her will have to keep at least half a meter away before they feel comfortable sleeping there.
What Mina never expected was that these rough men, finding fetching water too troublesome, wouldn't even wash their feet, which was quite a problem. *****
"Before we go to sleep, Mute, take the warehouse manager and Little Henan to fetch a few buckets of water. Everyone should wash their stinky feet! It's okay for the men to hurt each other, the important thing is that there are a few girls here."

If the smoke causes something serious, it would be embarrassing to tell others.

Zanana seemed completely oblivious to her sister-in-law, who had stuffed a cloth into her nose, and to Xiao Cui, whose eyes were stinging from the fumes.

Hu Biao used this sentence as the opening remark of the meeting.

After the taciturn Lao Yu nodded to indicate that he understood, Hu Biao began to explain his initial considerations one by one, hoping to discuss them with everyone and reach a consensus:
“Other people’s new officials always make a splash when they take office, and I think our Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment is new here, so we should also make some noise.”

We need to let the people of Zhangjiayu and Pingding County know how powerful our Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment is, so that we can recruit soldiers in the future.

So in the next few days, I thought about finding some Japanese soldiers, or perhaps puppet troops or bandits, and going on a big heist.

First, to establish a formidable reputation; second, to incidentally resolve the issues of money, provisions, and weapons.

It should be noted that the puppet army in Shanxi Province actually existed long before the establishment of the Wang Jingwei regime.

Since the fall of Taiyuan last year, in order to consolidate their rule, the Japanese began to support and utilize local traitors, and established puppet army organizations such as the Xingya Yellow Army.

As things have developed to this point, every county town has its own puppet army.

In response to Hu Biao's statement, Van Gogh offered his own suggestion: "Let's just go and do a job with the Japanese. Our Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment is good at fighting elite troops, but not so good at fighting puppet troops and bandits."

“Alright, let’s scout ahead for the next few days and see if there are any small Japanese units stationed outside the city or even outside. We’ll take them out then.” Hu Biao finalized the decision.

In the following period, everyone reached a preliminary consensus on some other issues.

In terms of weaponry and equipment, the primary focus was on weapons captured in battle. As the old saying goes, "If we don't have guns or cannons, the enemy will make them for us."

On the other hand, relying solely on seizures is not a viable solution.

For long-term development, the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment must also initially establish its own equipment manufacturing system.

Long-term plans can be discussed later; the short-term goal is to at least have the ability to reload bullets, repair firearms, and manufacture some landmines, artillery shells, and grenades.

After discussing it, it was decided that Chaozi and Wizard would be primarily responsible for these tasks.

If the two of them are too busy, they can bring in other transmigrators to help.

Mr. Nanze, an experienced practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and Xiaocui, a novice nurse, are tasked with setting up the field hospital and medical team.

Mina is temporarily in charge of the radio station and also assists Hu Biao with some advisory work.

The remaining transmigrators were responsible for recruiting, training, and fighting new soldiers; after all, in a region where multiple forces were intertwined, combat strength was the most important thing.

The main tasks, as well as other logistical and publicity work, were handed over to Zhao Zheng and his group.

Because in the current environment, it's fair to say that no one is doing better than them.

This impromptu meeting ultimately ended at 1 a.m.

Because they all had a lot to do early the next morning, the group of men quickly washed their feet and then fell asleep.

That's not entirely true! Because both Hu Biao and Mina had insomnia.

Hu Biao tossed and turned, wondering where Annie was and if she was in danger, otherwise why hadn't he contacted her by radio at the agreed time?
There's also the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, which, under the bald-headed principal, has the structure of a Class B infantry regiment.

Given their past practice of publishing information in newspapers, it shouldn't be too difficult to ask them for equipment and military pay now. The key is how to transport it over.

Where are the nearest Central Army troops? It seems to be in the Zhongtiao Mountains, which is four or five hundred kilometers away. I don't know if asking Yan Xishan for equipment is a reliable idea.

All these problems kept Hu Biao awake at all.

Mina, on the other hand, was kept awake by the constant snoring; she finally managed to drift off to sleep just before dawn, exhausted.

Before falling asleep, a strange thought suddenly popped into her head: "Hu Biao, that cheap brother-in-law, doesn't seem to snore when he's asleep..."

(End of this chapter)