Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

A short while later.

Several large pots were set up in the courtyard in the middle of the village.

The villagers heard that the Eighth Route Army had won a battle.

We captured some of the Japanese soldiers' canned food and decided to give it to the soldiers as an extra meal.

They all volunteered to come and help.

Several elderly women helped start the fire and cook, while several elderly men helped carry firewood and chop vegetables.

The courtyard was bustling with activity, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys and water bubbling away in the pots.

Zhao Wenlong, along with several soldiers, carried out the captured canned goods.

Canned beef, canned fish, canned fruit—the boxes were opened one by one and poured into the large pot.

The canned beef was poured into a pot and stewed with cabbage and glass noodles, filling the entire village with its aroma.

Pour the canned fish into a pot and cook it with tofu. The aroma is so enticing that it makes your mouth water.

The canned fruit cans can be opened directly.

Each person was given several pieces; they were sweet and cool, and the soldiers ate them with great relish.

Li Yunlong stood in the courtyard.

Watching the soldiers eat with gusto, their mouths greasy and their faces beaming with joy.

"Brothers, eat more!"

"Only when we're well-fed will we have the strength to fight the Japanese!"

"yes!"

The soldiers answered in unison, their voices filled with excitement.

Zhou Tianyang squatted on the edge of the threshing ground.

Holding a bowl of stew, I ate it slowly.

The beef was stewed until very tender, melting in your mouth.

The cabbage and glass noodles soaked up the broth, making them incredibly flavorful.

He hadn't eaten anything this good in a long time.

No, it's because the original owner of this body hadn't eaten anything this good in a long time.

When we were in the 772nd Regiment, we drank corn porridge and ate pickled vegetables every day, without a drop of oil.

Now things are much better; we have canned beef, rice, and canned fruit.

The lives of the soldiers.

Finally, we can make some improvements.

Li Yunlong walked over to him with the bowl in his hand, squatted down, and ate heartily.

"Zhou Xiaogui, don't you think it would be great if we could live like this every day?"

Zhou Tianyang smiled.

"Yes."

He looked up at the stars in the sky.

"Once we drive the Japanese devils away, we can live a good life every day."

Li Yunlong nodded.

The two remained silent for a while before continuing their meal.

On the threshing ground, the soldiers were still eating heartily.

After half an hour.

After the soldiers had eaten and drunk their fill, they went back to rest.

The village returned to tranquility.

Li Yunlong held the bowl, finished the last sip of soup, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

He stood up, looked at Zhou Tianyang, and his eyes gleamed.

"Zhou Xiaogui, come on in and have a seat."

Zhou Tianyang put down the bowl and stood up with him.

The two walked into the courtyard one after the other.

Li Yunlong lived next door to Zhou Tianyang in a mud-brick house.

The room was simply furnished with a wooden bed, a crooked table, and two broken chairs.

Li Yunlong walked to the bedside and pulled a bundle out from under the bed.

He untied the bundle, revealing an old military water bottle, clearly quite old.

He unscrewed the lid, held it to his nose, and smelled it, a smile appearing on his face.

"There's only half a bottle left."

He muttered something and handed the kettle to Zhou Tianyang, waving it around.

"Sweet potato fritters, good stuff."

"I've been holding back on drinking, but now that we've won the battle, let's finish it off."

Zhou Tianyang looked at the kettle and smiled.

"Old Li, you've been hiding such a treasure?"

"Nonsense, I'm not a monk, why wouldn't I have a drink?"

Li Yunlong plopped down in the chair.

They put the kettle on the table, then took out two jars from their bundles and placed one in front of each person.

He unscrewed the kettle lid, poured half a tub for Zhou Tianyang, and then poured half a tub for himself.

The sweet potato liquor was somewhat cloudy, but it had a strong sweet potato aroma that filled the room.

Zhou Tianyang picked up the jar and took a sip.

The liquor was very strong, spicy on the palate, and burned all the way down the throat to the stomach.

He coughed and squinted.

Li Yunlong also took a sip, smacked his lips, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

"Good wine, good wine."

He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

"Damn it, these days, being able to drink a sip of sweet potato liquor is the greatest pleasure."

Zhou Tianyang took another sip.

This time it didn't feel as strong; the wine melted on the tip of my tongue, carrying a rough sweetness.

"Old Li, where did you get this wine?"

"It was given to me by a villager when I passed through a village last year."

Li Yunlong picked up the jar and took another sip.

"The villager said that his son was also in our unit and died fighting the Japanese."

"They insisted on giving me all the wine they had left at home."

"I said no, but he insisted, so I had no choice but to accept it."

His tone was calm.

But there was something indescribable in his eyes.

Zhou Tianyang didn't say anything, but just took another sip.

The two remained silent for a while, then each held their own jar and drank from it, sip by sip.

Half a pot of sweet potato liquor was quickly emptied.

Li Yunlong put down the jar.

He took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, struck a match, lit it, and took a deep drag.

Smoke swirled in the dim light, his face appearing and disappearing in the mist.

"Zhou Xiaogui, what are your plans next?"

His voice wasn't loud, but he asked very seriously.

Zhou Tianyang held the jar, not in a hurry to answer.

He thought for a moment and then placed the jar on the table.

He gestured with his hand on the table.

"I plan to find a village to serve as the base for the new Second Regiment."

"What kind of village?"

"Ideally, it should be a place that is backed by mountains, secluded, and easy to defend but difficult to attack."

Zhou Tianyang tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"There can't be too many Japanese soldiers around, but there can't be none either."

"Ideally, it should be a small Japanese stronghold nearby."

"For example, a squad's outpost, or even a company's outpost."

Li Yunlong squinted and nodded.

"You mean, we should develop our troops while fighting the Japanese?"

"right."

Zhou Tianyang's voice was very steady.

"Although we have some resources now, our troops are not yet truly mobilized."

"The new Second Regiment is now just a company of veterans."

"This number of men isn't enough for a major battle, but they're fine for small-scale engagements."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"My idea is to first settle down at the base, and then start recruiting soldiers."

"If there are small Japanese strongholds around, we can fight; if we fight, we can capture spoils; and if we capture spoils, we can develop."

"This is a cycle."

Li Yunlong took a drag of his cigarette but said nothing.

He was just staring at the desktop, clearly deep in thought.

You have a point.

He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"What we lack most right now is not guns, not bullets, but people."

"With people around, everything becomes easier."

"Without anyone, it's all for nothing."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

"Yes, it's people."

"A company of veterans, at most more than 120 people."

"Recruit some more new soldiers, at least enough to form a battalion, then it will look like a proper unit."

"A battalion?"

Li Yunlong looked up at him.

"Do you think you can raise a battalion under the current conditions?"

"able."

Zhou Tianyang spoke with absolute certainty.

"Each of our regiments now has four hundred guns, including two hundred and fifty Type 38 rifles, all of them brand new."

"They also have bullets, grenades, machine guns, everything."

"Under these conditions, we could mobilize not just one battalion, but two battalions."

Li Yunlong's eyes lit up.

"Damn it, you're right."

He slapped his thigh.

"We're not like we were back when we had nothing."

"With guns and provisions, why worry about nobody coming?"

He stood up excitedly, paced around the room a couple of times, and then turned to look at Zhou Tianyang.

"It's the same on my side. The new regiment also has about four hundred guns. We don't lack equipment, but we lack men."

"As long as we can recruit people, it won't be long before we can assemble a battalion."

"Therefore, the location of the base is crucial."

Zhou Tianyang took over the conversation.

"Once the location is chosen, recruiting soldiers will go smoothly."

"If the location of the garrison is not chosen well, the people will not dare to come, and it will be difficult to recruit soldiers."

Li Yunlong nodded and walked back to the table to sit down.

He stubbed out his cigarette on the edge of the table.

He reached into the box next to him, pulled out a map, and spread it on the table.

It was a hand-drawn topographic map of southeastern Shanxi.

The mountains, rivers, villages, and outposts are clearly marked on the map.

This was brought out by Li Yunlong from the 772nd Regiment.

He cherishes her dearly, taking her everywhere he goes.

"Come on, take a look."