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

"Comrades, is the training tough?" Zhou Jindong asked.

"It's not hard work!" came the unanimous reply from below, their voices loud and clear.

"It's not true that it wasn't tough," Zhou Jindong waved his hand. "I know it's freezing cold, I'm drenched in sweat from running, and my arms and legs ache from training. But think about it, why are we training?"

The crowd fell silent, and all eyes were on him.

"To drive the Japanese out of China, and to prevent our parents and sisters from being bullied again, this is too grand a statement."

To put it simply, it's so that next time we encounter Japanese soldiers and traitors, we can survive, kill them, and protect our food and our village.

Zhou Jindong's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "The more you sweat on the training field, the less blood you bleed on the battlefield. Every movement you practice now could save yourselves or your comrades' lives in the future."

Therefore, you can't be careless or lazy. You must treat the tools in your hands like your chopsticks for eating and your pillow for sleeping; become familiar with them and master them.

He paused, then continued, "Wang Quan and I just returned from Ningwu. We witnessed firsthand the public trial and execution of the traitor Liu Shunfa and the collaborator Guo Fuyuan."

We've gotten our revenge! Doesn't it feel great? Yes, it does! But can we do it alone? No. We have to rely on everyone, on the Dongzhai County Brigade, on all our anti-Japanese forces and the people.

So you have to train, train hard, train until you're truly skilled. When we get the chance, we'll raid the Japanese pillboxes and destroy the traitors' hideouts!

The soldiers' eyes lit up as they listened, and their breathing became heavy.

One soldier couldn't help but shout, "Captain! When are we going to fight?"

"Fight?" Zhou Jindong glanced at him. "Fighting isn't just about talking. Battles are always on the horizon. But we have to be selective, picking on the weak and fighting battles we're confident we can win. We can't just rush in headfirst; that's suicide."

He turned to Wang Yuan: "Brother Yuan, let's go back to headquarters and discuss this."

"Okay." Wang Yuan said to the instructor beside him, "Old Zhao, you lead the training and finish today's planned exercises. Take a 15-minute break, then practice low crawling and using the terrain and features."

"yes!"

Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan left the woods behind Laojun Temple and returned to the county brigade headquarters in the town.

The team headquarters was located in several old houses that used to be the town government office, with sentries standing guard at the entrance.

Once inside, Wang Yuan poured a bowl of hot water for Zhou Jindong and Wang Quan.

"Tell me, besides the public trial, what else did you see and hear on this trip?" Wang Yuan sat down opposite Zhou Jindong.

Zhou Jindong took a sip of water and recounted in detail to Wang Yuan the course of the operation and some observations he made on the way back.

The text focuses on the Japanese defenses in Ningwu County and surrounding strongholds, noting which areas saw troop movements, where the puppet troops were relatively lax, and the activity patterns of Jin Wanfu's men.

Wang Yuan listened very attentively.

"It seems that the Japanese are indeed consolidating their forces this winter, focusing on defending county towns and major strongholds. Many small strongholds and pillboxes have been handed over to puppet troops and traitors."

Jin Wanfu has lost face this time and is definitely looking to get revenge, but he doesn't have many capable fighters under his command; most of them are just thugs and hooligans. They're good at intimidating ordinary people, but if you really put them in a fight, they'll scatter at the first charge.

"That's what I think too." Zhou Jindong put down his bowl. "We can't count on the Japanese, and Jin Wanfu doesn't have the guts to confront us head-on. I reckon he'll resort to some underhanded tactics soon, like offering bounties for assassinating our cadres or sending small groups to harass our outlying villages."

"Yes, we need to keep that in mind." Wang Yuan nodded. "The militia and fortified households in each village need to be on high alert, and they need to be checked when entering or leaving the village. Our brigade also needs to get moving; we can't just stay cooped up in the town training all the time. We need to go out and explore, familiarize ourselves with the surrounding terrain, and incidentally scout out enemy positions and look for opportunities!"

Upon seeing this, Zhou Zhiyuan burst into laughter, realizing that the two men shared the same view!

......

Three days later, the team conducted a live-fire exercise on the back mountain of Laojun Temple. Zhou Jindong found that some of the new recruits' nervousness had improved considerably.

After the drill ended, the soldiers busied themselves collecting the spent cartridge cases and target papers on the ground. Wang Yuan and Zhou Jindong stood by, watching the soldiers line up in the setting sun, preparing to take them back.

Wang Yuan rubbed his aching back and said in a low voice, "Dongzi, it wasn't easy for us to build up this team. If we want to establish a foothold, it's not enough to just fight traitors and scare the Japanese."

I was thinking, maybe we should increase the number of outstanding individuals in the team, so that we have a backbone in critical moments.

Just as Zhou Jindong was about to reply, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the mountain road.

A communications officer from the county brigade rode up on a yellow mule, covered in dust. Before the horse had come to a complete stop, he jumped off and ran to Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan, raising his hand in salute. He was still out of breath from running so fast.

"Report... Report, Captain Zhou! Political Commissar Wang! The district party committee... the work team has arrived! The leader is Minister Wang from the 120th Division's Civil Affairs Department, and they have already arrived at the town office! Company Commander Zhao told me to come and inform you right away!" Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

They knew that a working group from higher authorities might come down to inspect and guide their work soon, but they didn't expect it to arrive so quickly, especially with Minister Wang personally leading the team. Wang Beichen, the deputy minister of the Civil Affairs Department of the 120th Division, was a well-known veteran revolutionary, meticulous in his work and with a tough style. Zhou Jindong had only heard of him and had never met him in person.

"Let's go, hurry back!" Zhou Jindong turned and shouted to the team, "Everyone! Assemble! Run back to town!"

The team immediately sprang into action. The soldiers slung their guns over their shoulders, straightened their uniforms, and formed two columns, jogging along the mountain path toward the town.

At the entrance of the county brigade headquarters, stood several unfamiliar faces, dressed in faded Eighth Route Army uniforms, carrying bundles of luggage wrapped in coarse cloth, looking travel-worn.

The leader was a middle-aged man, not very tall, but with a very straight posture. He had a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes were very bright, with deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, the marks left by long hours of staying up late and the elements.

He was talking to the sentry at the gate when he saw Zhou Jindong and the others running back. He turned around and looked at them with a smile.

Zhou Jindong immediately guessed that this was Minister Wang Beichen.

He strode forward, stood at attention, and saluted crisply: "Reporting, Commander! Zhou Jindong, Captain of the Ningwu County Brigade, and Wang Yuan, Political Commissar, are leading their troops back to their posts!"

Wang Beichen returned the greeting and shook hands firmly with Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan.

His hands were strong, his palms rough. "Captain Zhou, Political Commissar Wang, hello. I am Wang Beichen. This time, I was assigned by the Jin-Northwest Regional Party Committee to lead a delegation to several counties to learn about the local work situation. I've heard a lot about the Ningwu Dongzhai Guerrilla Team... now it's a county-level brigade. They're doing a great job, they've made a name for themselves, especially their recent anti-traitor operation, it was brilliant!"

Wang Beichen's bodyguard, a smart young man with a Mauser pistol slung over his shoulder, also stood at attention and saluted Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan.

"Thank you for your recognition, sir!" Zhou Jindong replied, then stepped aside to make way for the doorway. "Sir, you must be tired from your journey. Please come in. Communications officer, tell the cooks to boil some water and prepare dinner!"

"No rush, no rush."

Wang Beichen waved his hand and followed Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan into the courtyard, looking around as they walked.

The yard was very clean, with chopped firewood neatly stacked against the wall, and several strings of corn and dried chili peppers hanging under the eaves. Several large earthenware jars contained pickled vegetables, all arranged in an orderly manner.

He nodded, a look of approval on his face.

"Where are the other members of the working group?" Wang Yuan asked.

"Oh, just a few of us are coming ahead to check things out and familiarize ourselves with the situation. The main force, accompanied by comrades from the county committee, is still in a few outlying villages learning about the militia and fortified households. They won't arrive until tomorrow."

Wang Beichen answered, then sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, took a rough porcelain bowl of hot water from Zhou Jindong, blew on it to cool it, and said, "Before I came, our troops had won several great victories and expanded our base area."

The higher authorities require that the team develops rapidly, and Party building work must keep up even more closely, so that one leg is stronger than the other.

Besides checking on the progress of team building and mass work, another important task this time is to recruit a group of comrades who have performed outstandingly in the struggle, have a firm stance, and are supported by the masses into the organization.

Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan had a sudden thought.

Wang Beichen looked at Zhou Jindong, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment, before turning to Wang Yuan: "I've read your resumes, as well as the briefings on the recent battles and anti-espionage operations. In particular, your summaries and reflections are well-written; you can see the thought behind them, and they're not just simple chronological accounts."

Minister Li Guohua of the General Staff Department, who is also my former leader, cares about you all very much.

He originally wanted to come in person, but he's currently preparing for a counter-insurgency meeting and simply can't get away. He specifically asked me to pass on a message and also asked me to do him a favor.

Wang Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Minister Li... what does he have to say?"

Wang Beichen did not answer directly. Instead, he carefully took out an oil paper package from his gray coarse cloth satchel, placed it on the stone table, and carefully opened it.

Inside were two neatly folded, slightly yellowed applications for Party membership, bearing the names Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan.

There were two small cloth bags next to it. When you opened them, you would find two five-pointed stars cut from red paper.

The courtyard quieted down, with only the rustling of the wind through the treetops and the faint sounds of marching slogans coming from the training ground in the distance.

Zhou Jindong felt his heart skip a beat. He stared at the two application forms, which bore his and Wang Yuan's signatures and fingerprints.

He wrote this when he saw Minister Li off; he never expected that Minister Li would still be paying attention to this matter.

Wang Yuan's eyes widened, his lips moved, but no sound came out.

Wang Beichen looked at the two of them and said in a steady and clear voice: "Minister Li told me that if he couldn't come, I would act as his designated introducer to the Party and hold the Party admission ceremony for the two of you."

He told me to ask you whether your determination to join the organization has changed. Do you still remember the oath you wrote on your application to join the Party?

Do you still want to fight for the working masses and dedicate your life to the cause of communism?

Zhou Jindong straightened up without hesitation, staring at Wang Beichen, and said, word by word, "Reporting to the commander, my determination remains unchanged. I remember my oath. Before, I fought the Japanese for survival; from now on, I will fight the Japanese for my ideals. In this life, I will follow the organization!"

Wang Yuan immediately echoed, "Commander, I feel the same way as Captain Zhou. I followed the Party in the past to fight for the country so that we poor people could rise up and live a better life. It will be the same now and in the future. This determination will never change, even until death!"

Wang Beichen's smile deepened, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

He nodded solemnly: "Good! With you saying that, Minister Li can rest assured, and my trip wasn't in vain. Without further ado, let's hold the ceremony right here tonight."

According to the charter, you are already candidates for membership, and the current procedure is to develop you into probationary party members.

After the oath-taking ceremony, you will officially become probationary Party members. Comrade Zhou Jindong, Comrade Wang Yuan, do you have any objections?

Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan stood at attention almost simultaneously and answered loudly, "No objections!"

As night fell, the lights of Dongzhai Town began to twinkle.

In the innermost room of the county brigade headquarters, the light of an oil lamp shone through the paper window, dim and steady.

The room had been thoroughly cleaned; although simple, it was very tidy.

On the earthen wall directly opposite the door hung a makeshift Party flag—a clean red cloth with sickle and hammer patterns cut from yellow paper pasted on it, carefully glued in place.

Wang Beichen placed the two sheets of paper printed with the oath of joining the Party neatly on the only old square table in the room.

He stood on one side of the table.

The guard stood outside the gate, his hand on his holster, watching the movement in the yard warily.

The door was gently pushed open, and Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan walked in.

They had just washed their faces and changed into the cleanest set of military uniforms they owned.

Although it was an old military uniform, faded from washing, it was worn neatly, with the top button fastened tightly.

The two of them had no extra expressions on their faces, but their eyes were more focused than usual.

Zhou Jindong pursed his lips into a thin line, while Wang Yuan unconsciously straightened his back, his hands slightly clenched into fists and hanging at his sides.

They walked to the table and stood side by side, about three steps away from the Party flag.

Wang Beichen also changed into a neat military uniform, with his hat worn properly.

He watched the two men stand still, his gaze sweeping over their faces. Then he cleared his throat. The room was quiet, except for the distant barking of a dog.

"Comrade Zhou Jindong, Comrade Wang Yuan."

Wang Beichen spoke, his voice not loud, but every word echoed clearly in the small room: "Today, I, Wang Beichen, as the representative of the Jin-Northwest District Party Committee Working Group, and also entrusted by Minister Li Guohua of the General Staff Department, am here to hold an oath-taking ceremony for you to join the Party and accept you as probationary members of the Communist Party of China."

He paused for a moment, as if waiting for some kind of response, and then continued: "The Chinese Communist Party is the vanguard of the proletariat. It leads us, the working masses, to overthrow the three mountains of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism, and to build a new China without exploitation and oppression."

Joining the Party means dedicating everything, including your life, to this great cause. This isn't just lip service; it requires action and a lifetime of commitment.

He glanced at the Party flag on the wall, then at the two men standing ramrod straight in front of him: "Now, follow me and swear an oath to the Party flag. Read your oath aloud and clearly."