The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 531 Just Like Young Students (Part Two) (Bonus Chapter for 2022……8072)

Perhaps it was because the memory of meeting Hu Biao and Commander Hu for the first time was too vivid and exciting.

This time, the centenarian, Mr. Jiang Jinqiao, seemed to remain silent for an especially long time.

At least twenty minutes had passed, and just as the reporters were about to ask if the old man wanted to rest before continuing the interview, he finally spoke again…

When Commander Hu and his men arrived at the city gate, they all stopped.

Because County Magistrate Hou, along with a group of local dignitaries and gentry, had been waiting there early on, the two sides exchanged pleasantries upon meeting.

Because they were too far away, I couldn't hear what they were saying.

However, seeing County Chief Hou and others, these big shots who usually hold their noses up to the sky, now fawning over Commander Hu and his men like lackeys.

However, Hu Tuanzuo and the others were quite polite, showing no signs of being superior.

During this process, security teams and police officers patrolled back and forth. If they saw anyone making a loud noise, they would immediately hit them with the butt of their guns or with their batons.

Despite tens of thousands of people gathering at the North Gate, it was surprisingly quiet.
After exchanging pleasantries, County Magistrate Hou stepped aside and raised his hand, seemingly inviting Commander Hu and his entourage into the city, perhaps even to the county government office for a good meal and a performance.

After all, while I was waiting for someone, I had already heard about it from the discussions among the people around me.

Early in the morning, Zhang, the best chef in the county, and the best Qi opera troupe arrived at the county government office with their costumes and got to work.

It's only natural that Commander Hu, who left his hometown at a young age, would enjoy a good meal and listen to some opera when he finally returns.

But after all this fuss, it's unclear when we'll find out if Commander Hu wants to recruit people, how many, and what kind of people he wants to recruit.

Thinking about all this, I couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Fortunately, at that moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Grandpa Hu, are you back this time to recruit soldiers and feed them?"

The moment the words were spoken, it was as if a hornet's nest had been stirred up.

Countless people were shouting that they wanted to join the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, follow Commander Hu to fight the Japanese, and get promoted and make a fortune.

Even I couldn't help but mimic the lines from the play.

He proclaimed in a refined, scholarly tone, "I dare to die for Commander Hu!"

Amidst the deafening shouts, Commander Hu suddenly stopped and raised his hands to signal everyone to be quiet.

After everyone stopped making noise, he quickly glanced around and seemed to have an idea in mind; he took a tin megaphone from a minor security officer who was maintaining his post.

Then, after gesturing to Commander Zha, he charged forward.

He rushed up to Commander Zha and jumped up, using Commander Zha's hands for leverage, and his body leaped high into the air; finally, he only needed to extend one hand for a little leverage, and his whole body flipped up to the four or five-meter-high North Gate.

Standing atop the city gate tower, Commander Hu raised a tin megaphone and began to speak.

The voice carried far: "That's right! I've noticed that the Japanese have been making large-scale movements recently, and I'm afraid they're going to use force against Hunan Province again. So, I really did come back to my hometown this time to recruit soldiers."

They need at least a reinforced regiment. Its designation? It should be: the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, Hunan Province Supplementary Regiment.

I was overjoyed to finally hear that Commander Hu was recruiting soldiers, but before I could even raise my hand to sign up, Commander Hu shouted again:

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all my fellow villagers for their trust and strong support; however, there are some things I need to make clear to you beforehand, so that you may not regret it later."

You only see my glory today, but have you ever thought about the process of "one general's success built on the bones of ten thousand"?

Not to mention that if I, Hu Biao, had been even slightly unlucky over the years, I would probably have died countless times by now.

Speaking of my brothers, during the Battle of Shanghai, only a handful of men from a company, a battalion, and a regiment survived.

The situation was better in Tengxian and Taierzhuang, but only two or three out of ten people survived; the situation was not much different in northwestern Shanxi and southern Guangxi.

So before you sign up, my brothers from my hometown, have you all thought carefully about whether you want to make a living on the battlefield, a job that requires risking your lives?

I don't know where I got the courage from, but I raised my hand and shouted the answer:
"Commander Hu, we are the descendants of the Hunan Army. We are tough and resilient. We are not afraid of dying on the battlefield, but we are afraid of not even having the chance to fight to the death."

They can only starve to death, die of disease, or die of poverty in bed.

If I die at the hands of the Japanese, I'll blame my bad luck; I won't blame anyone else.

The words had barely faded when the Yao man next to me, whom I was prepared to beat the crap out of later, also started shouting:
"Commander Hu, we Yao people also want to join your army and earn a living. These past two years have been a severe drought; people are starving to death. Rather than starve, we'd rather fight alongside you and find a way to survive. I just want to ask, if we serve you, will the Yao people be bullied by the Han people in the army?"

Upon hearing this, Commander Hu's expression became extremely serious, and he solemnly made a promise in front of everyone:
"What's wrong with the Yao people? In my heart, no matter if you are Han, Yao, Miao, Dong, Zhuang, or any other ethnic group, you are all a member of the Chinese nation."

"Once you join my Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, you are my brothers in arms, Hu Biao; anyone who dares to bully you will be dealt with according to military law."

Upon hearing this, the Yao man beside him looked delighted, but before he could say anything more...

Xu Heming, the student who had broken up the fight earlier, spoke up again.

Instead of asking any questions or expressing any desire to join, he loudly recited some strange text:

"I am originally from Funan, and I sing and write Funan songs..."

China is now Greece, and Funan is now Sparta...

Only the people of Funan are truly wise; the future of China depends entirely on you…

"If China were to perish, it would only be if all the people of Fuzhou were to die..."

At that time, I had only attended a private school for two years and had not even finished learning the Thousand Character Classic. How could I have known that the strange content above was actually Mr. Yang Du's "Song of Hunan Youth"?

Xu Heming's accent was so strong that he pronounced "Hunan" as "Funan".

However, this is a minor matter. The important thing is that as Xu Heming recited it, I vaguely understood some principles:
Times have changed! This is no longer the time when the predecessors of the Xiang Army fought bandits for fame and fortune; back then, no matter what, it was just a family fighting each other, and at most, someone else became emperor.

But things are different now. These inhuman foreign enemies, the Japanese devils, have invaded China, intending to seize our land and make us work like cattle for them.

In this way, even if it wasn't for promotion or wealth, it seemed that one had to risk their life to fight the Japanese.

Xu Heming recited the entire 1384-character "Song of Hunan Youth" in one breath without missing a single word, and the scene immediately fell into a deathly silence.

A minute or two later, some voices rang out, saying, "Make way, Master Jiang is here."

Upon hearing the name 'Master Jiang', a look of respect involuntarily appeared on my face.

Because he was not only a scholar who passed the imperial examination in the late Qing Dynasty, but also dedicated his life to running schools in Xinning. His family lived a very poor life, but he benefited countless students.

He was one of the most respected people in Xinning at the time, and everyone respectfully called him Master.

With his grandson's help, Master Jiang emerged from the crowd and arrived at the city gate.

He raised his head, cupped his hands, and solemnly promised Commander Hu: "Commander Hu, you can rest assured that although we, the people of Xinning, live in a remote and impoverished area, we know the importance of protecting our home and country."

You can just lead them to fight the Japanese. Even if you wipe them all out, it will be a worthy death for the country and the people.

No matter how many times the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment and the Hunan Provincial Supplementary Regiment have been wiped out, each time we will rebuild them by selling everything we own, until we completely drive the Japanese invaders out of our great China.

By the end, the old man was shouting, "I am a native of Xinning, I will tell Commander Hu whether he can do it."

"We can do it. No matter how many times we destroy them, we'll rebuild them until we completely drive out the Japanese pirates!" I shouted along with the others.

The sound was enormous, probably audible from ten miles away; amidst this deafening shout, I don't know why, but my heart felt as if it were ablaze.

Amidst these sounds, Commander Hu and his companions solemnly bowed, and we all returned the bow.

Subsequently, Commander Hu promised that they would discuss the recruitment matters and standards with County Magistrate Hou, as well as various dignitaries and gentry, and that they would begin recruiting soldiers that afternoon before heading to the city.

The onlookers dispersed at this point.

At this point, I glanced at the Yao man and lost all interest in continuing the fight. Instead, I felt a strange sense of closeness to him.

After thinking for a while, he said to him and Xu Heming, "Are you hungry? I have a few cents left, I'll treat you to a bowl of rice noodles."

The two of them agreed without hesitation.

And so, I had my first meal together with two of my closest comrades in the army.

After hearing this, the reporter, who had been listening quietly, finally asked, "So, are these two elderly people still alive?"

The centenarian on the screen shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness...

(End of this chapter)