Chapter 100

There was no dry place in the swamp, and sitting on the ground would only invite trouble. The 3rd Company, as a supply unit, carried over a dozen boats modified into mud sleds. After receiving the order to rest, the soldiers all sat on the sleds. Squad leaders counted their men and reported to the platoon leaders, who then reported the numbers to the company commander. Throughout this process, the squad leaders not only counted the men but also repeatedly told them not to speak and to rest quietly.

Maintaining silence during marching and resting is a basic rule in the army. A noisy army is merely exposing itself. This operation was clearly a surprise attack, and there was no need for a grand show. According to the intelligence, the 2nd Company had 240 men, all present, and the 3rd Company also had 240 men, all present. During the march, two soldiers from the 3rd Company sprained their ankles and could not participate in the charge, but the others could all fight normally.

Over a dozen modified boats were lined up, and the soldiers sat neatly on them, packed tightly together. Some silently drank water, others quietly munched on dry rations, and some, who were very tired, leaned on their comrades and dozed off. The squad leaders quickly woke them up, telling them to eat first before sleeping. Chai Qingguo was very satisfied. These 480 soldiers, who had been trained for at least two months, were already a formidable force. Chai Qingguo had also participated in large-scale marches and battles involving tens of thousands of men. After such experiences, he lost interest in so-called large armies. Nothing compared to a well-trained elite force. If those tens of thousands had experienced today's march, they would have scattered long ago. These 480 men just lacked combat experience; once they fought a few battles, they would become excellent soldiers. Chai Qingguo believed these soldiers would be at least as good as the Beiyang Army.

The reconnaissance teams had already spread out far ahead. These men had no markers to guide their way. The specially formed reconnaissance battalion, now consisting of two platoons, was made up of carefully selected personnel, all between 18 and 22 years old, true elites. The reconnaissance teams, operating in squads of eight, searched in a radius of a few kilometers around the main force. They returned to the main force, covered in mud like monkeys. Seeing these comrades who had endured great hardship, the soldiers marching with the main force laughed kindly. Although the main force was already very tired, human nature is such that when someone is even more tired, it always brings a bit of joy. With ample supplies, the soldiers passed water and rations to each other, and the camaraderie among them was very strong.

Six of the ten reconnaissance teams returned first, and the other four sent back messengers. The reports they brought were unexpected. "You found people, but they are not Zhang Youliang's scouts; they are returning residents?" The 3rd Company commander, Gao Yujie, was very surprised by this news.

Gao Yujie had come from Beijing with Shang Yuan. His ancestors were from Anhui and had followed Li Hongzhang's Huai Army in various campaigns, eventually settling in Tianjin. His family hoped Gao Yujie would pass the imperial exams, but he was interested in mechanics. He eventually worked his way up from a technician to a foreman at the Tianjin Machinery Bureau. The Gao family was considered a "loyal and virtuous household." During the First Sino-Japanese War, two of Gao Yujie's uncles died in battle. During the Boxer Rebellion, his father and uncle also died. Gao Yujie himself and Qin Tongren narrowly survived defending the factory. He hated foreigners deeply and was extremely dissatisfied with Yuan Shikai's reconciliation with the foreigners. After the Boxer Rebellion, Gao Yujie joined the police force. He had to flee after beating a foreigner during an enforcement. The past few years had been very hard, but he later met Qin Tongren, who was planning to go to Anhui. Gao Yujie decided to follow Shang Yuan south. He came from a military family and had some military knowledge. Although he had no enthusiasm for overthrowing the Qing, he had no intention of defending it either. He accumulated merit in the insurance corps and became the 3rd Company commander during the expansion.

The report from the reconnaissance teams that people were actually living in the swamp was truly surprising to Gao Yujie. He did not believe it. But the returning reconnaissance soldiers all assured him that these were locals. Two teams even reported that some of their men recognized the farmers. These farmers were those who had not fled to the county during the flood. When the water receded, they returned to their homes from other places and settled in the swamp. One of the messengers also reported that some of these people were already sick.

"Alright, send a reconnaissance team in each direction to bring them over. If there are sick people, use our stretchers to carry them back," He Zudao, who was not only the political commissar of the 2nd Company but also temporarily in charge of the reconnaissance teams, ordered. The reconnaissance teams set off.

"Commissar, why go to so much trouble?" Chai Qingguo was puzzled. Since they were locals, it seemed excessive to bring them over. Moreover, if they were suddenly brought over, they would surely cry and wail, which could be very demoralizing for the soldiers.

"Right, since they are locals, we don't need to be so concerned, do we?" Gao Yujie, who was in charge of transporting supplies for the 3rd Company and was already exhausted, also supported Chai Qingguo's opinion. Bringing a bunch of civilians over would be even more troublesome.

"Company Commander Chai, Company Commander Gao, I know what you're worried about. But tell me, why are these soldiers fighting?" He Zudao asked.

"To capture Yue Zhangji, so everyone can have land to farm," Gao Yujie repeated the pre-battle动员 (mobilization) speech, "Isn't that what we've been saying all along?"

"What if we didn't provide clean water? How many of the thousands or tens of thousands of people farming here would get sick or die?" He Zudao continued.

"..." Chai Qingguo and Gao Yujie had no answer. Like everyone else, they had never seen such a large flood, and such a disaster had completely颠覆 (upended) their world. Under the leadership of the People's Party and the efforts of the insurance corps, the number of deaths was actually not high. So when comrades discussed the flood privately, many were surprised. Although natural disasters are inevitable, it seemed that they weren't as terrifying as they thought. Hearing He Zudao's question, everyone had no concept of how many people would die. If the People's Party continued to rule Fengtai County, it was unlikely that many would die. But without the People's Party, it was hard to say.

"This is a good comparison. With or without the People's Party and the insurance corps, the lives of the people are completely different. The soldiers are very reasonable; they will not be swayed by this. I believe that once they see this comparison firsthand, they will understand who to follow and for whom to fight," He Zudao said with great confidence.

Since He Zudao was so insistent and the two had no objections, they remained silent. Not long after, the reconnaissance teams returned from several directions, bringing a group of people. There were not many of them. During the time it took for them to return, the soldiers had finished eating and drinking, and some had even taken a short nap. The sharp-eyed soldiers saw some ragged people mixed among their comrades approaching and looked up. Others noticed the commotion and also looked around.

The swamp and the mountains are somewhat similar; the straight-line distance may seem close, but you have to take a lot of detours. When the faces of the ragged civilians could be clearly seen, some soldiers could not help but call out. Among the civilians were people they recognized. Hearing the soldiers' calls, those who were called out responded to their acquaintances.

All the civilians had one thing in common: they were ragged. The reconnaissance teams had also carried a few people on stretchers. When all the civilians were brought to the front of the troops, the troops had already disembarked and formed a rough line in the swamp. Seeing the dense crowd of young men, the civilians were frightened and their faces turned pale. Those who had acquaintances in the troops tried to approach and get closer, but the reconnaissance soldiers stopped them.

He Zudao asked an old man kindly, "Old man, how did you end up here?"

The old man did not recognize He Zudao. Being suddenly brought by the reconnaissance soldiers was already frightening enough. These people were armed, and if he said the wrong thing, he could be killed in this desolate place without anyone knowing. But not speaking seemed impossible, so He Zudao asked the same question kindly. The old man suddenly pointed to a soldier in the ranks and shouted, "Sixth Son, come here."

The soldier called was named Lü Xiuren, the sixth son in his family, and a relative of the old farmer. He knew the insurance corps had no ill intentions toward the civilians, but the training had instilled enough discipline in Lü Xiuren. Without the platoon leader's permission, he did not dare to step out of line. He Zudao gestured for Lü Xiuren to come over. Then He Zudao loudly said, "Fellow villagers, if you recognize any of our soldiers, have them step out."

After these words, all the villagers stretched their necks to look at the insurance corps soldiers. If they could find someone they knew, their chances of being harmed would be much lower. Lü Xiuren had just reached his relative's grandfather, who grabbed him and said, "Sixth Son, you have to speak for me. I'm not a bad person. I'm not a bad person." Lü Xiuren tried to reassure him while looking at He Zudao with difficulty.

About a dozen soldiers were recognized and called out. The villagers all pulled the soldiers, asking them to guarantee their safety. After the soldiers' persuasion, the villagers finally understood that these people were not targeting them and calmed down a bit.

This scene initially made the soldiers find it somewhat amusing. But as they watched, the smiles gradually faded from their faces. People have compassion, and these civilians all had one thing in common: they were ragged and emaciated from lack of food. They had not bathed or washed their clothes for who knows how long, and the accumulated dirt was not just compared to the civilians. The insurance corps soldiers, despite their hard work, had been eating well, even better than before the disaster. With hygiene, training, and sun exposure, they looked much better than these civilians. Seeing these emaciated, almost windblown civilians, the soldiers could not help but think of their own past. If they had not joined the insurance corps, they would not be much different from these civilians in the face of such a flood. This feeling of empathy and sympathy made the soldiers feel a sense of relief and deep sympathy.

"Fellow villagers, the water has not fully receded. Why have you returned?" He Zudao asked again. Chai Qingguo and Gao Yujie were both impatient and had no patience for civilian affairs. Seeing He Zudao's thoroughness, they did not want to interrupt. The political commissar of the 3rd Company, Wu Liao, was known as a "good person." He could follow orders, but he was not good at political work. Chen Ke had no choice but to temporarily appoint Wu Liao as the political commissar. He now followed He Zudao's lead. All eyes were on the young He Zudao.

Under He Zudao's repeated questioning, the villagers finally answered. Some said they wanted to farm quickly, others said they were blocked by the flood while begging and had to return. But their answers were vague and did not get to the point.

He Zudao suddenly asked, "This place is close to Yue Zhangji. Is the land you want to farm your own?"

At these words, all the civilians changed their expressions. The old man's gaunt, yellow face twitched, and he suddenly knelt before He Zudao. This startled He Zudao, who quickly tried to help the old man up. But the old man grabbed He Zudao's leg and refused to move. He Zudao, who was decades younger, did not dare to let the old man kneel before him. He fumbled to pull the old man up, but the old man's clothes, which had not been changed for who knows how long, had been soaked in sweat and mud during the flood and tore easily.

Not only the old man, but the other civilians also knelt. "Quickly help everyone up," He Zudao shouted. The soldiers quickly went to help, but no one was willing to get up. The old man, seeing that He Zudao did not accept his gesture, burst into tears, crying and saying, "Young man, we have no other choice. We couldn't escape the flood, and all our possessions were washed away. We only have a little seed left. We discussed it, and since we're all going to die anyway, we might as well plant something while the land is still empty. Maybe we can harvest some grain and not starve this year. Young man, we are all neighbors. If you drive us away or take our seeds, we will have no choice but to die. You have weapons; if you want us to die, just kill us now. It's better than letting us suffer. Heaven doesn't let us live, but you young men must let us live. If you don't want us to live, just give us a quick death."

The old man's words, though unclear, were clear in content. Hearing the old man's wailing, the other civilians also started to cry. He Zudao's face darkened, and the soldiers' faces also darkened. Chai Qingguo, though he did not fully understand the Anhui dialect, grasped the general meaning. Gao Yujie lowered his head and sighed heavily.

He Zudao gave up trying to pull the old man up. Although his movements were slow, he also knelt down.

"Old man, we are not here to take your land. We are not here to take your food. We... we are here to save you, to save everyone. You must believe us." After saying this, He Zudao raised his head and shouted, "Quickly bring water and food to the villagers."

The soldiers, hearing this, almost rushed to do so. The villagers, hearing He Zudao's words, were truly shocked. But the young man who was clearly the leader knelt in the mud with them, and the countless young men surrounding them held bamboo tubes and steamed buns. The smell of food enveloped the hungry civilians. Someone grabbed a bun and stuffed it into their mouth. Others, regardless of age or gender, snatched the buns and started eating. In a few bites, a large bun was gone. Because they swallowed too quickly, almost everyone choked. The soldiers quickly opened the bamboo tubes and gave them water. The clear tap water, mixed with the fragrance of bamboo, helped them swallow the buns. They immediately grabbed more buns and stuffed them into their mouths. Each soldier had buns, and seeing this food they had not eaten for a long time, the civilians' eyes lit up. He Zudao helped the old man up and took a bun and a bamboo tube from a nearby soldier. "Old man, finish your meal first."

The 3rd Company commander, Wu Liao, quickly shouted, "Don't let them eat too fast, they might choke." As he said this, he had the soldiers step back. The civilians, hearing this, panicked. Seeing the buns being taken away, they bit into the buns and pounced to grab them from the soldiers' hands, stuffing them into their dirty, unrecognizable clothes. A bun fell into the water. An old, emaciated woman quickly tried to pick it up, but she slipped and fell into the mud. The soldiers quickly pulled her up, but she did not care about the mud on her face and body. She knelt in the mud and frantically searched for the bun, splashing mud everywhere, acting like a madwoman.

The old man, seeing everyone eating buns, took a few bites himself. Suddenly, he burst into tears again, "Young man, you are a good person. You are our savior." After saying this, he knelt before He Zudao again.