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

The next day.

As dawn broke, the roosters in Lijia Yu had not yet crowed.

Zhou Tianyang then heard footsteps outside the courtyard.

The footsteps were hurried, unlike the rhythm of soldiers on patrol.

Zhou Tianyang opened his eyes, sat up from the kang (a heated brick bed), put on his shoes, and walked to the door.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Village Chief Li stride in from the courtyard gate.

The man was over sixty years old and had a slightly hunched back.

But today I walked with a much straighter back than usual.

He was also carrying a bulging cloth bag, the contents of which were unknown.

"Village Chief Li?"

Zhou Tianyang was somewhat surprised.

"Why did you arrive so early?"

Village Chief Li strode up to Zhou Tianyang, his wrinkles crinkling into a wide smile.

He held up the cloth bag in his hand and waved it in front of Zhou Tianyang, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Commander Zhou, I didn't sleep well at all last night. I woke up before dawn."

"I couldn't stay in bed any longer, so I came to find you."

Looking at him, Zhou Tianyang felt a surge of inexplicable warmth in his heart.

This old man, who is over sixty years old, helped organize the villagers to slaughter horses, cook meat, and distribute soup yesterday. He was busy all day.

At night, I still had to go door to door to ask about joining the army, and before dawn I would get up and run to the regimental headquarters.

What does it mean for the military and the people to be one family?

Zhou Tianyang cursed inwardly.

That's fucking amazing.

What does it mean for ordinary people to trust the Eighth Route Army?

That's fucking amazing.

It's not just empty words written in documents, nor is it just a slogan shouted from the mouth.

It's a genuine and heartfelt story that brings tears to your eyes.

"Village Chief Li, please come in and have a seat."

Zhou Tianyang quickly stepped aside.

We invited Village Chief Li into the house.

Without any ceremony, Village Chief Li strode into the house, put the cloth bag on the table, and then plopped down in a chair.

He rubbed his hands together, unable to stop smiling.

Zhou Tianyang poured him a bowl of water and handed it to him.

Village Chief Li took it, gulped down two big mouthfuls, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Then he looked up at Zhou Tianyang.

"Commander Zhou, I have something to tell you."

"I visited every family in our village with children of childbearing age."

Zhou Tianyang sat opposite him, his hands on the table, listening attentively.

"Guess what?"

Village Chief Li slapped his thigh, raising his voice several decibels.

"In our village, seventeen people are willing to join the army!"

He stretched out both hands, spreading all ten fingers.

Then he bent down a few more and gestured for a long time.

"All seventeen were young men in their early twenties, strong and robust, with plenty of strength!"

Zhou Tianyang's eyes lit up slightly.

Seventeen, plus the one hundred and twenty-six people under his command, that makes one hundred and forty-three.

Although it is still far from being a regiment-sized organization.

But this is just the beginning, just the beginning for one village.

"Village Chief Li, have the families of these seventeen people all agreed?"

Zhou Tianyang asked.

"We have to agree!"

Village Chief Li nodded vigorously, his tone tinged with pride.

"Commander Zhou, the villagers in our village truly support the Eighth Route Army."

He picked up the bowl, took another sip of water, and continued speaking.

"Those young men, I don't need to persuade them, they are all willing to join the army and become Eighth Route Army soldiers."

Village Chief Li grinned as he finished speaking.

"Last night when I was going to sleep, I lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) tossing and turning and doing some calculations."

"With the seventeen people from our village and those from the surrounding villages, we can easily give you a hundred or eighty people."

As Zhou Tianyang listened, he tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.

One hundred and eighty.

Including the existing ones, there are more than two hundred people.

The framework for a battalion has been barely set up.

"Commander Zhou, let me tell you, it's not just our Lijia Yu Village."

Village Chief Li's tone became even more excited.

"Last night I went through the situation in the surrounding villages."

He stretched out his rough fingers and gestured the name on the table.

"Five miles south is Zhao Family Village, with eighty or ninety households."

"That place was poor, dirt poor, and the people lived a hard life."

"But precisely because they were poor, as long as the policies of the Eighth Route Army were effectively publicized, Zhao Jiagou could recruit at least twenty soldiers."

His finger moved northward.

"About seven or eight miles to the north is Willow Village, with forty or fifty households."

"There are many young men in that village, and they are all honest, hardworking farmers who are willing to endure hardship and are capable of doing the work."

"As long as you make it clear to them that joining the Eighth Route Army is to protect our country and fight the Japanese invaders, not to conscript men, they will definitely be willing to come."

"Willow Village can produce at least fifteen people."

The finger moved eastward again.

"About ten miles to the east, there is Stone Ridge, with about a hundred households."

"That village is bigger than our Lijia Yu, and it has more young men."

"Although we were close to the Japanese stronghold, the people were bullied badly by the Japanese because of that proximity, and they were all filled with resentment."

"If we can channel this fire onto the right path, Stone Ridge will be able to recruit more than twenty-five people."

Village Chief Li withdrew his fingers and slammed both hands on the table.

She looked up at Zhou Tianyang, her eyes full of certainty.

"Commander Zhou, you do the math: Zhao Jia Gou is twenty, Liu Shu Village is fifteen, Shi Tou Ling is twenty-five, that adds up to sixty."

"Add the seventeen from our village, and that makes almost eighty."

"This doesn't even include the other small villages."

"Those villages may be small, but we should be able to recruit a few people."

"Let's gather them, a hundred people, no more, no less."

After listening, Zhou Tianyang remained silent for a moment.

Then he stood up.

He walked up to Village Chief Li and extended his hand.

"Village Chief Li, thank you."

Village Chief Li was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up.

He grasped Zhou Tianyang's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Commander Zhou, why are you thanking me?"

His voice was a little hoarse.

"We should be thanking you."

"You led your troops to destroy Black Wind Stronghold, ridding the people of this area of ​​a great scourge."

"If you say you won't take a single needle or thread from the people, then you won't take a single needle or thread. If you say you'll protect the people, then you really will protect the people."

"If ordinary people like us don't support a team like this, who will?"

His eyes reddened again.

But this time she didn't shed tears; she just held Zhou Tianyang's hand tightly.

It's as if all the trust and gratitude are being conveyed through this handshake.

Zhou Tianyang patted the back of his hand, let go, turned around and walked back to the table to sit down.

"Village Chief Li, I'll have to trouble you to take care of the recruitment."

His tone became serious.

"But there's one thing I need to make clear to you."

Village Chief Li looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Our Eighth Route Army recruits soldiers not by conscription or forced recruitment, but entirely by voluntary participation."

Zhou Tianyang stared directly at Village Chief Li, speaking each word clearly.

"We don't hire families with only one son."

"We do not hire those with elderly family members who need care."

"Those with physical disabilities or serious illnesses will not be hired."

"Those under the age of sixteen will not be recruited."

His tone became serious.

"These are the tough challenges; not a single one can be broken."

As Village Chief Li listened, his expression changed from excitement to solemnity.

He nodded, his voice becoming more subdued.

"Commander Zhou, don't worry, I've remembered these points."

"I've asked all seventeen young men in our village."

"I only count those who have many brothers in their family, whose parents are still in good health, and who are old enough."

"I didn't take any only children, I didn't take any children under sixteen, and I didn't take any children with health problems."

Zhou Tianyang nodded, feeling half relieved.

Village Chief Li is a very reliable person.

"Village Chief Li, there's one more thing."

Zhou Tianyang stood up, walked to the door, and called out to the outside.

"Zhao Xiaohu!"

"arrive!"

A soldier in his early twenties ran over from the next room and stood at attention.

He was a squad leader in the third platoon named Zhao Xiaohu, who came from the 772nd Regiment with Zhou Tianyang.

He wasn't tall, but he was very strong.

His eyes were very bright, revealing a cleverness.