Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 83 A Clueless Clue: This is a Case of Hiding Something Away
"I dislike, even loathe, the way things are done within the Kuomintang!" Cao Weida shook his head.

"The Kuomintang was riddled with factions, hoarding strategic materials such as food, medicine, and cloth for resale at high prices and smuggling them to aid the enemy."

"Some officials are blinded by greed and have lost their senses. In order to make money, they even follow suit in engaging in activities that harm the country and its people, such as opium."

"The four major families are making a fortune off the national crisis, disregarding the lives of ordinary people. But what about the KMT leadership?"

"In 1942, the Kuomintang issued Allied Victory US Dollar Bonds, raising a total of US$200 million to alleviate its financial difficulties. The policy stipulated that the public could purchase the bonds with legal tender at the official price and exchange them for gold after the victory of the War of Resistance. However, what happened? Some people abused their power to purchase a large number of bonds at low prices and then sold them at high prices on the black market, embezzling huge sums of money."

"At the beginning of the War of Resistance against Japan, the Kong family abused their power to manipulate finance and embezzle national wealth."

"Aren't there plenty of cases like this?"

"Even if the war is won, can we expect such a government to work for the benefit of the people?!"

At this point, Cao Wei Da took a deep breath, calming his anger, and said with utter disappointment:
"How is this regime any different from the Qing Dynasty and the period of warlord rule?"

"Isn't this just treating the people of the world like livestock, exploiting them wantonly?"

"Just look at how the Chinese people have lived during the years the Kuomintang has been in power."

"The Yellow River breached its banks at Huayuankou in 38, supposedly to halt the Japanese army's advance, but in reality, the effect was minimal. Instead, it flooded 44 counties in Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces, destroyed millions of acres of farmland, affected 1200 million people, and displaced 390 million people!"

"The subsequent plagues and famines were even more appalling!"

"The 41-year-old floods in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River destroyed countless houses and left countless victims everywhere!"

"The Pearl River floods of 43 left hundreds of thousands of people homeless!"

"As a result of all this, how many innocent people have become piles of bones on the roadside and gone unnoticed?!"

"What are the Kuomintang doing?!"

"It's one thing to be indifferent to this, but those big shots who indulge in a life of luxury and debauchery, living a carefree life every night, not only do they not care, but they also take the opportunity to amass wealth!"

"This is sucking the blood of the poor!!"

"His crimes are so numerous and heinous that they are simply too many to list!!"

"What is that bald guy sitting in the presidential seat doing all this for the sake of so-called international reputation?"

"They fabricated lies in an attempt to conceal all of this, and were even willing to kill countless people to achieve this goal!"

"Tell me, under such a regime, is there any hope for our country? Is there any future? Will the people even be able to see tomorrow?!"

People living in modern times with no worries about food and clothing may feel deep sympathy, but they can never truly empathize with what it is like. They simply do not know how desperate and numb an ordinary person feels in such an era!

They can hardly comprehend the immense sacrifices made by these heroic martyrs so that future generations of Chinese could stand tall in the face of other nations!

Some people think that the selfless dedication of these lovely people is just a matter of poisoning this or that, but without millions of such people, how could China have achieved its rise!

Without the selfless dedication of these people, China might be just another India today!

Living in this era, if we want China to truly rise, if we don't even have a little bit of dedication, do we still deserve to call ourselves patriotic Chinese?!
Our ancestors said long ago, "When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should help others."
Cao Wei Da was not that capable, much less a saint!
But when he has enough to eat and wear, he doesn't think there's anything wrong with making some contributions within his ability!

Chinese people who traveled across the ocean to various countries to make a living under hardship were sanitation workers, dishwashers, miners, and even beggars!

But when the nation was in peril, even though they themselves were struggling financially, they still unhesitatingly donated their meager savings to send back home to support the war effort. They were thousands of miles away, yet they still deeply loved this land and did great things. Why couldn't Cao Wei Da do the same?!

Cao Weida's eyes reddened. He considered himself a selfish person, but after transmigrating and seeing how timid and cowardly his compatriots were, how obsequious they were, and how they lived in hardship and danger every day, his patriotism was instantly aroused.

He didn't have the ability before, but now that he does, if he still stands by and does nothing, he'll feel like he's not Chinese! He'll even despise himself!
Zheng Chaoyang was deeply moved by Cao Wei Da's patriotism. He could feel the pain in Cao Wei Da's heart. The people living in this era were sad, suffering, and their future was uncertain. Everyone was struggling.

Clenching his teeth, Zheng Chaoyang's eyes also began to redden, but his tone remained unusually firm:

"Rest assured, the future of China will surely bring liberation to its people!"

"This is also why I joined the Red Party!"

“I know that I have read your Red Party’s policies and admire you very much. So, it is my willingness to do what I can for you.” He rubbed his face and said somewhat embarrassedly, “Don’t laugh at me, I’m just a genuine farmer. My ideal has always been very simple: to have a few acres of fertile land, a wife and children, a warm bed, to eat the food I grow myself, and to work at sunrise and rest at sunset.”

Regardless of whether he thought that way before, that doesn't matter. What matters is that this is what he's saying now!
He spoke with anger, resentment, and sorrow:
"But such a simple ideal is so difficult to achieve!"

"When I was a child, warlords ruled the country. They fought each other and ravaged us ordinary people."

"After the country was unified, we thought we could finally live a peaceful life, right? Unfortunately, the Kuomintang was no good either. They were even worse than bandits! They exploited and oppressed us so much that we could barely survive."

"How could I possibly be close to a government like that? I'd love to skin them alive and see if their blood is really red!"

"Later, when the Japanese came, our lives became even more difficult. We couldn't eat the food we grew ourselves; instead, we had to eat what livestock would eat, or even things that livestock wouldn't eat. When did they ever treat us like human beings? In their eyes, we were less than livestock!"

"Sometimes, I really want to join the revolution and fight these damn Japanese devils! I'd rather die than give up!"

"Unfortunately, I am a naturally timid and fearful person, and even more afraid of death, so I have never dared to take that step."

"Later, after much painful reflection, I finally decided to take a gamble. I couldn't stand eating those undigested things every day anymore; I was afraid I would go crazy!"

"So I sold all my family property and came to Beiping to seek a way out."

"I was lucky. I struck up a conversation with Master Duo and got into the police station. I also used some tricks to get in touch with the Japanese."

"But I have never done anything bad, and I have never forgotten that I am Chinese!"

“I know that.” Zheng Chaoyang patted his shoulder affirmingly. If Cao Weida were really the kind of traitorous lackey who aided and abetted evil, or a local bully who harmed the village, Zheng Chaoyang would not have strongly suggested to Lao Luo that Cao Weida be brought into the team.

"Now, I'm not worried about food and drink anymore, I have some money in my hands, and I can be considered to have some ability."

“Your Red Party is fighting for the people of the world, so that the people of China can live a peaceful life without fear of hardship or sacrifice. I am one of the millions of ordinary people, and you are fighting for me. Shouldn’t I do what I can to help?”

Cao Weida spoke with heartfelt sincerity, deeply moving Zheng Chaoyang. What does this show? It shows that their consistent adherence to principles was correct and just!

"Okay, I apologize for what I just said. I accept your donations on behalf of the organization. Although we can't publish your contributions immediately, we will record every single one of them."

"If victory ever comes, your contributions will never be forgotten!"

Cao Weida refused, saying, "Forget it. I never thought about getting anything in return. I'm cowardly and afraid of death. I can't fight the Japanese in real combat. I can only do some meager work."

"What you've done is far from insignificant." Zheng Chaoyang shook his head with a smile. If what Cao Weida did was insignificant, then what would be considered a great contribution?

"Besides, Cao'er, you're not some cowardly person who wouldn't dare to fight the Japanese devils in a real battle."

"Take your actions in eliminating traitors, for example. They were quite professional, remarkably similar to those of a certain mysterious person."

Zheng Chaoyang spoke meaningfully, his eyes fixed on Cao Weida's expression.

Cao Wei Da's expression stiffened, which made Zheng Chaoyang even more certain of his guess.

"What mysterious person? I don't know what you're talking about." Although Cao Weida tried his best to deny it, Zheng Chaoyang could still see his guilty conscience and insincerity.

He couldn't help but grin. "It's nothing, I was just talking nonsense. We still strongly support and affirm the mysterious person's actions of assassinating Japanese soldiers and traitors, but sometimes we have to distinguish between different situations."

"Not all traitors should be eliminated; some can still be won over. Indiscriminate assassinations could easily result in collateral damage."

Cao Weida gave him a knowing look. “I understand. We’re intertwined, just like you are in our team. But I believe that the mysterious person must have done a thorough investigation before the assassination.”

Seemingly realizing he had said too much, he quickly added, "Look, he only assassinated the most heinous and utterly wicked people. I don't believe that killing these people would cause collateral damage."

Zheng Chaoyang chuckled inwardly. "Your words are just a classic case of protesting too much. You're still saying you're not that mysterious person!"

"If only we could get in touch with that mysterious person, we could cooperate with him if he wanted to do something for the country. Our Red Party is very willing to cooperate with such patriots."

For example, providing some lists would make it easier for him to serve the country. It's just a pity that nobody knows his identity, let alone his contact information.

As he spoke, he glanced at Cao Weida, intentionally or unintentionally.

(End of this chapter)