The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

Wang Quan had the most complete statistics: "Dongzi, the count is basically complete. The preliminary count of the enemy killed is 312, of which about 260 were killed on the spot, and more than 30 died from serious injuries. The remaining prisoners totaled 497."

Among the prisoners were more than twenty lightly wounded, and more than a dozen laborers and cart drivers who were crying and begging to go home.

Regarding the captured weapons, there were 476 rifles, of which about 200 were Type 38 rifles, and the rest were Hanyang rifles and old-style rifles.

Eleven light machine guns, three Czech-made, and eight Type 91 light machine guns. Two heavy machine guns, one intact Type 92 and the other damaged but repairable.

Two 82mm mortars, one intact with four shells, the other destroyed. Four grenade launchers, with a dozen or so matching grenades.

There were more than thirty pistols, mostly Mauser C96 pistols.

The bullets were roughly estimated at around 40,000 rounds, there were more than 200 boxes of hand grenades, and more than a dozen bags of explosives.

"More than 50,000 catties of grain, not to mention the cloth and livestock. We've really struck it rich this time!"

Zhou Jindong looked at the list illuminated by the torchlight.

He looked at the ledger and said slowly, "Guns and bullets are good things; they can arm several more companies. Artillery is also a treasure; we need to have skilled people maintain it carefully when we get back."

Grain and other goods are the lifeblood of the people; they must be returned as soon as possible.

He paused, looked up at the cadres around him, and said, "You must all be exhausted. Let the brothers who are not on guard duty take turns resting. We have to head back as soon as it gets light. There's so much stuff and so many people. We need to hurry."

"Yes!" several people replied.

Liu Rengui followed him into the command post. He had a cut on his face from a tree branch, but he was in high spirits, grinning, "That was awesome! That was fucking awesome! Dongzi, your command was impeccable! Beating a dog behind closed doors, it's like disciplining a grandson! We only lost a few, but we wiped out most of his regiment! Even if Feng Laoliu doesn't die now, he's finished!"

Zhou Jindong nodded to him: "Your squadron performed well this time, cooperating with Zhang Fang to block the breach in a timely manner. Were there any officers among the prisoners?"

"Yes!" Zhang Fang continued, "We arrested two company commanders, three platoon leaders, and an adjutant. They're all being held separately, but they're still pretty stubborn."

"Stubborn to the end? Send them back to town tomorrow and hand them over to the political commissar and the others. Interrogate them slowly. I don't believe we can't pry their mouths open. We'll have to get all the information out of them about the Japanese in Shuoxian, how many troops they have, and the troop rotation situation," Zhou Jindong said.

At dawn the next day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the team began its operation.

The captured weapons, ammunition, food, and supplies were packed and bundled together, and transported by some soldiers and some strong prisoners.

The wounded were carried on makeshift stretchers. The bodies of the fallen soldiers were carefully placed on several mule carts and covered with captured tarpaulins.

The return journey was much slower than the way there, and the procession stretched out for a long time.

But the soldiers' spirit was completely different; their faces were filled with excitement and pride at winning the battle.

Those soldiers who had just been incorporated into the army now looked at Zhou Jindong and the veterans of the county brigade with eyes full of admiration.

So this is how soldiers fight the Japanese and their collaborators!

They really won! And by a large margin!

By the time the team returned to Dongzhai Town, the news had already spread.

The town entrance was crowded with people, including soldiers from the county brigade who stayed behind, villagers from the town, and many more who had rushed over overnight from villages such as Gaojiabao, Liushuzhuang, and Laoyaling.

Wang Yuan led the two squadrons that remained behind to maintain order, but the crowd still craned their necks to look up at the mountain road.

When the long line appeared at the mountain pass, especially when they saw the dozens of trucks returning, and the grain sacks and burlap sacks that the soldiers were carrying on their shoulders and backs, a suppressed cheer erupted from the crowd.

"Look! It's our people! They're back!"

"Grain! Those are our village's grain carts! I recognize the tracks!"

"We've won! The county brigade has won the battle!"

Zhou Jindong walked at the front of the group, heading towards Wang Yuan who was striding towards him.

"Dongzi! You've worked hard!" Wang Yuan gripped Zhou Jindong's hand tightly, his gaze sweeping over his face, noticing the bloodshot in his eyes. "Well done! Commander Wu just received the news and has already sent a commendation telegram! He says you fought a brilliant battle, displaying the might of our Eighth Route Army!"

"Well done, soldiers," Zhou Jindong said briefly, then turned to his back. "First, carry the fallen comrades to the headquarters courtyard and lay them out properly. The wounded should be sent to the medical center immediately so the doctors can give them the best medicine. All captured weapons and ammunition should be registered, stored, and kept in a centralized location."

At this moment, several villagers, led by the militiamen, pushed through the crowd to the front. Leading them was an old man with gray hair and a face full of sorrowful wrinkles, wearing a patched cotton-padded jacket, his back hunched over; he was Uncle Gao, the village elder of Gaojiabao. There was also a middle-aged man, the militia captain of Liushuzhuang, named Ruan Daquan.

"Captain Zhou! Captain Zhou!" Uncle Gao's voice trembled slightly. "I heard...I heard that those damned bastards, Feng Laoliu...were all...beaten down by you? The grain...the grain really was recovered?"

Zhou Jindong helped up Uncle Gao, who was about to bow, and said, "Uncle Gao, some of the grain has been recovered. Can you identify those carts and sacks? Aren't they the ones that were stolen from your village?"

Uncle Gao and Ruan Daquan hurriedly ran towards the convoy and carefully examined the vehicles.

Uncle Gao's hands trembled as he touched the familiar damaged areas and ruts on the cart. He then opened a burlap sack, grabbed a handful of golden grains, and his eyes immediately reddened.

"Yes! It's a truck from our village! This is our grain! I even tied the bag myself! Heaven, please have mercy! Heaven, please have mercy!" The old man said, tears streaming down his face.

Ruan Daquan pointed to several sheep and chickens tied up on a vehicle and said excitedly, "These sheep belong to our village, and the red ropes tied to their legs are still on! These bastards, they don't even spare the hens that lay eggs!"

Other villagers also gathered around, some recognizing their own cloth bags, some recognizing livestock, and some seeing familiar household items.

Low sobs began to rise from the crowd, followed by increasingly loud shouts of gratitude and cheers.

"Thank you, Eighth Route Army! Thank you, county brigade!"

"You saved our lives!"

"Captain Zhou, Political Commissar Wang, you are our great benefactors!"

A woman holding a child knelt down on the ground, wanting to kowtow to Zhou Jindong.

Zhou Jindong was startled and quickly helped her up with Wang Yuan: "Sister-in-law, get up! We are the people's army. Protecting our fellow villagers and fighting the Japanese invaders and traitors is our duty! We can't do this!"

Wang Yuan stood on a high place, waved his hand, and signaled everyone to be quiet.

After the noise subsided a little, he shouted, "Fellow villagers! Fellow villagers! Listen to me! Our county brigade fights the Japanese devils and traitors so that we can live our lives in peace, have enough to eat, and not be bullied!"

We won this battle and retrieved the life-saving grain for our fellow villagers! This is what our Eighth Route Army and our county brigade should do! Don't thank us, thank our troops; it's thanks to the good leadership of the Party!

Now, everyone, please don't push. Listen to what Captain Zhou and I say. First, identify the grain, then take your livestock and belongings home! Everything is there; whoever's belongings it can take it!

Zhou Jindong stepped forward and continued, "Yes! Uncle Gao, Brother Wang, and all the elders and folks, please be quiet and listen to me. We have already distributed the grain and other goods by the truckload, and most of them have been marked and counted."

Later, if any village or household has been robbed of anything, go to the comrade in charge of registration to claim it. Once you've explained the details and the items match, you can take it back!

However, there is one condition: we must prioritize those families who have run out of food and are truly struggling to make ends meet.

The loot found in the homes of those puppet army leaders who looted a lot of grain will be inventoried and distributed by the county brigade later, and subsidies will be provided to everyone based on the actual situation!

These words caused another stir in the crowd.

But most people's faces showed gratitude and agreement.

These days, getting back stolen grain and livestock is already considered a great blessing.

As for the seized property, the county brigade and the village discussed how to divide it, and no one objected.

What followed was tedious but orderly.

The county brigade soldiers set up several temporary registration points next to the trucks and captured supplies.

In the villages where grain had been looted, households came forward one by one to claim their lost grain, organized by the village chiefs or militia captains.

Uncle Gao, his hands trembling, wrote and drew on the village's roster, checking which family had how much grain and corn were stolen, which family's car and which cow were stolen, one by one.

Once they had identified the villager, the soldiers would unload the bag and help the villager carry it onto the cart, or let the villager carry it back by himself.

Some villagers, clutching their grain sacks and wiping away tears, others, leading their recovered livestock, bowed repeatedly to the soldiers.

Some were crying because their family members had been injured or even killed by the puppet troops.

Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan instructed the comrades who remained behind to take a portion of the captured silver dollars and valuables as compensation for such families.

They worked until noon, and the grain, livestock, and household items were basically distributed.

The villagers, beaming with smiles and overflowing with gratitude, left one after another after receiving the gifts.

Only the county brigade soldiers, piles of unsorted weapons, ammunition, cloth and other miscellaneous items, and prisoners squatting on the ground remained in the town square.

After seeing off the last group of villagers who were full of gratitude, Zhou Jindong's gentle smile slowly faded.

He turned around, glanced at the dejected prisoners, and then whispered to Wang Yuan, "Brother Yuan, I'll leave the follow-up work of appeasement and resource distribution to you. Quanzi and I need to hurry up and interrogate those officials."

Wang Yuan understood what he meant. Feng Laoliu was dead, but the company and platoon leaders and adjutants were still alive, and they must have more detailed information in their heads.

For example, the specific troop deployment of the Japanese in Shuoxian, their next move, and the movements of the Japanese and puppet troops in the surrounding counties.

These are all valuable pieces of information.

"Go ahead, Dongzi. Leave this to me. Make sure the wounded brothers are taken care of, and the fallen comrades deserve some compensation. I'll have the clerk write a battle report, summarizing the lessons learned, and submit it along with the list of spoils."

Zhou Jindong nodded and said to the communications officer beside him, "Immediately send someone on the fastest horse to the district committee to give a brief report on the results of the battle and the situation of the prisoners. Ask the higher-ups, especially about how to deal with these prisoners, and how to distribute the captured weapons and ammunition. Are there any specific instructions?"

The communications officer stood at attention: "Yes, Captain! I'll arrange it right away!"

After giving these instructions, Zhou Jindong called Wang Quan and selected a few quick-witted soldiers, and headed towards the courtyard where the puppet army officers were being temporarily detained.

Armed soldiers guarded the entrance to the courtyard, while several officers inside were squatting in a corner with their hands tied behind their backs.

Upon seeing Zhou Jindong and Wang Quan enter, the expressions of several people changed. Some lowered their heads, while others pretended to remain calm and raised their heads.

Zhou Jindong didn't say anything, pulled up a stool and sat down, his gaze calmly sweeping over the group of people.

Wang Quan stood beside him, his hand resting on the holster of his Mauser pistol. The courtyard was quiet, save for the occasional neighing of horses and shouts of soldiers in the distance.

"Tell us all," Zhou Jindong began, "What are your names? What's your position under Feng Laoliu? How many people do you manage?"

The group looked at each other, but no one said a word.

One of the guys, who had a mole on his lip, turned his face away and snorted.

Zhou Jindong wasn't angry; he gave Wang Quan a wink.

Wang Quan stepped forward, walked up to the officer, squatted down, and stared into his eyes: "Don't want to talk? Or do you think that because the Eighth Route Army treats prisoners of war well, you won't dare to touch you?"

The officer, his neck stiff, retorted, "Kill me or torture me, just give me a quick death! I'll be a hero again in eighteen years!"

"Still so tough, huh?" Wang Quan sneered. "Old Feng was much tougher than you before he died."

And him now? He's finished.

You served the Japanese, robbed the people's food, and killed our militiamen. Which of these acts is not punishable by execution?

"Confess honestly and cooperate with us, and you might still have a chance to live. If you resist to the end, then you'll have to keep Feng Laoliu company; he can be your puppet commander's guide."

These words were spoken very bluntly. Another younger puppet army officer standing next to him visibly trembled.

Zhou Jindong tapped the leg of the stool. The sound wasn't loud, but it was quite abrupt in the quiet: "Whether you're there to guide Feng Laoliu or to earn your own way to survive, it's up to you."

Let me give you a heads-up: if you don't talk, I have plenty of ways to make you talk. I'll find out the information you give me sooner or later, and I'll also find out from other prisoners.

"When the time comes, whoever confesses first and cooperates best will have a chance to live."

Silence fell again. But the atmosphere had changed. The trembling young officer looked up several times, wanting to speak, but then glanced at the person next to him and dared not open his mouth.

Zhou Jindong was in no hurry and waited patiently. Most of these puppet army officers valued their lives and few of them had any real backbone.

Sure enough, after less than half a minute of stalemate, a tall, thin man squatting in the far corner swallowed hard and spoke up: "Sir...sir, my name is Lü Chuankui, I'm the regimental...clerk adjutant, responsible for...responsible for copying documents and relaying orders..."

"Oh? The clerical adjutant?" Zhou Jindong turned his gaze to him. "Go on. Who gave the order for Feng Laoliu to seize the grain? What are the Japanese devils in Shuoxian up to?"

Lu Chuankui glanced at the fat officer, and as if he had made up his mind, he began to speak fluently: "It was...it was Lieutenant Colonel Aota of the Japanese Garrison Command in Shuoxian who gave the order."

He said...that spring was approaching and the Imperial Army needed to requisition a batch of military rations, so he sent the security regiment to...to Ningwu to "assist." In reality...it was just looting.

"Commander Feng, oh no, Old Six Feng, came back from a meeting at headquarters a few days ago and said... said that a big shot is coming to Taiyuan, and the Japanese are short of troops lately, so we need to do our best to make a good impression... and, and..."