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

"You will lead a squad and go with Village Chief Li to recruit soldiers in various villages."

Zhou Tianyang looked at him, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"The mission was to protect Village Chief Li's safety, assist him in publicizing the Eighth Route Army's policies, and register the information of those who signed up."

"Remember, when speaking to ordinary people, you must be kind and gentle. You cannot put on airs, act aggressively, or force them."

"Did you understand?"

"I understand!"

Zhao Xiaohu stood at attention and saluted, his voice loud and clear.

Zhou Tianyang then looked at Village Chief Li.

"Village Chief Li, Zhao Xiaohu and the others are with you."

"On the one hand, it's to protect your safety, and on the other hand, it's to let the people in the villages see what our Eighth Route Army is like."

"When you're making your announcements, having them standing by gives the people more confidence."

Village Chief Li nodded, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Commander Zhou, you've thought of everything."

He stood up, picked up the cloth bag from the table, and handed it to Zhou Tianyang.

"Oh, right, this is what I brought for you."

Zhou Tianyang took the cloth bag, opened it, and found more than a dozen eggs inside.

"Village Chief Li, this..."

"Don't refuse."

Village Chief Li waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

"It's not for you, it's for the soldiers."

"Look at those kids, they're all as skinny as monkeys."

"We won such a great victory yesterday and had some horse meat, but even if horse meat is delicious, you can't eat it every day."

"Please boil these eggs for the thinnest kids to help them get some nutrition."

Zhou Tianyang looked at the eggs in the bag, then at Village Chief Li's wrinkled face.

This old man, whose family didn't even have enough food to eat, saved up more than a dozen eggs for the soldiers.

"Village Chief Li, we can't just take these eggs for free."

Zhou Tianyang's tone was very firm.

"We'll pay whatever it costs."

"What kind of money?"

Village Chief Li's face hardened.

"Commander Zhou, if you bring up money with me, I'll really get angry."

"The young men in our village are willing to follow you to fight the Japanese devils; they're risking their lives."

"What's the big deal about me taking a few eggs?"

Zhou Tianyang opened his mouth, as if to say something.

But seeing the village chief's serious expression, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

"Alright, Village Chief Li, I'll accept these eggs."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

"But let me make this clear: you can't do this again."

"We have discipline and we don't take a single needle or thread from the people. If you give us eggs, it's because you're making me make a mistake."

Village Chief Li chuckled, neither confirming nor denying.

He turned and walked towards the door.

"Alright, Commander Zhou, we won't take up any more of your time."

He walked to the door, then turned back.

"I'll take Squad Leader Zhao and the others to visit the various villages. We should be able to spread the word before noon."

"Just wait at the regimental headquarters for the good news."

After saying that, he strode out.

Zhou Tianyang stood at the door, watching Village Chief Li's figure disappear outside the courtyard gate.

Zhao Xiaohu was already waiting outside the courtyard with a squad of soldiers.

Village Chief Li walked over and said a few words to them.

Then the group walked along the dirt road in the village towards the outside of the village.

Zhou Tianyang stood at the door.

Watching those figures gradually recede into the distance, until they disappeared around the bend in the dirt road.

Then he turned around and went back into the house.

I sat down at the table, picked up the teacup, and took a sip of water.

The water was cold, but my heart was warm.

Seventeen.

Including those from the surrounding villages, there are a hundred.

Zhou Tianyang tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his mind racing.

One hundred new recruits, plus the existing one hundred and twenty-six veterans, make a total of two hundred and twenty-six people.

The framework for a battalion is complete.

The next step is to mix these new recruits with veterans and then begin systematic training.

Physical fitness, shooting, bayonet fighting, grenade throwing, tactics—we tackled them one by one, doing them one by one.

Time waits for no one, and neither do the Japanese.

But at least today is a good start.

……

the other side.

Village Chief Li led Zhao Xiaohu and that platoon of soldiers.

Head south along the dirt road outside Lijia Yu Village.

Zhao Xiaohu walked beside Village Chief Li.

He had a Type 38 rifle slung over his shoulder and his ammunition pouch at his waist was full.

Nine soldiers followed behind him; their uniforms were old, but clean.

"Village Chief Li, which village should we go to first?"

Zhao Xiaohu asked.

"Zhao Family Village".

Village Chief Li walks very fast; he's over sixty years old, but his pace is no slower than that of a young person.

"That village was the poorest and most miserable, and it was the most severely harmed by Black Wind Village."

"Tell them first that you've wiped out Black Cloud Stronghold; they'll definitely be happy."

Zhao Xiaohu nodded without saying anything, but quickened his pace.

It took about half an hour to walk.

After crossing a mountain ridge, Zhao Family Village came into view.

The village is nestled in a mountain valley.

Forty or fifty households live in houses built against the mountain.

Most of them were mud-brick houses, some without even windows, just a few wooden planks blocking them.

Several old men sat under a tree at the village entrance, smoking pipes idly.

I saw a group of people walking down the mountain ridge.

The old men all stood up, their eyes filled with vigilance.

"Old Zhao!"

Village Chief Li called out from afar.

An old man in his seventies walked out from under the tree and squinted at Village Chief Li.

He then looked at the Eighth Route Army soldiers carrying guns behind him.

The expression on his face changed from wary to puzzled.

"Old Li, what brings you here?"

The old man came up to him and looked Li, the village chief, up and down.

Who are these people?

"From the Eighth Route Army."

Village Chief Li patted Zhao Xiaohu on the shoulder.

"This is Squad Leader Zhao from the New Second Regiment. He's here in Zhao Family Village today to recruit soldiers."

Old Zhao frowned slightly.

His gaze swept over Zhao Xiaohu.

Zhao Xiaohu stepped forward, stood at attention, and smiled.

"Hello, we are the Second New Regiment of the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army."

"We just wiped out the bandits of Black Wind Village yesterday. We've come to Zhao Family Village today to recruit some young people who are willing to join the army to defend our country and fight the Japanese invaders."

Old Zhao's eyes widened suddenly, and his voice changed tone.

"You wiped out Black Wind Stronghold?"

"Destroyed."

Zhao Xiaohu nodded, his tone resolute.

"Bandit leader Liu Feng and second-in-command Ma Sandao have both been killed."

"More than a hundred bandits, not one of them escaped."

Old Zhao's lips trembled several times, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't say anything.

He turned around and shouted loudly into the village:

"Fellow villagers!"

"Come out! All of you, come out!"

Soon, villagers poured out, men and women, young and old.

They crowded at the village entrance, chattering amongst themselves.

Village Chief Li stood on a large rock, raised his hands, and gestured for everyone to be quiet.

He spoke only after the murmurs had subsided, and his voice was loud.

"Fellow villagers, I am Li Dehou from Lijia Yu. You should all know me."

"I've come today to tell you some very good news."

His gaze swept across the entire room, and his voice rose a few decibels.

"Yesterday, Zhou Tianyang, the regimental commander of the 2nd New Regiment of the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, led his troops to annihilate the bandits of Black Wind Village!"

The people gasped in surprise.

"Black Wind Stronghold no longer exists!"

The village entrance was in an uproar.

"good!"

Old Zhao was the first to shout, his voice hoarse.

"Well played!"

"Those bastards from Black Wind Stronghold are finally finished!"

The people shouted and laughed.

Some of the elderly women burst into tears on the spot.

A woman in her forties squeezed to the front, grabbed Village Chief Li's arm, and her voice was trembling.

"Village Chief Li, is Liu Feng really dead?"

"He's really dead."

Village Chief Li looked into her eyes and said, word by word.

The woman let go, covered her face, squatted on the ground, and began to cry.

Her daughter was kidnapped by the Black Wind Village last year and taken up the mountain. She went insane after returning.

It's still not fully healed.

Zhao Xiaohu stood aside, watching this scene, feeling a tightness in his chest.

After a while.

He stood on the rock and loudly read out the recruitment policy.