Chapter 87

Despite being the political commissar of the Second Battalion of the "Insurance Corps," He Zudao did not feel that his position in the organization was superior to that of the battalion commander, Chai Qingguo. This young man, like a typical youngest son from a southern family, was obedient, compliant, and very good at communicating with others. He had a habitual admiration for the strong. Although he held a higher position in the organization, He Zudao instinctively avoided using the party's decisions as the source of his authority. Instead, he adopted a gentle approach to handle his relationship with Chai Qingguo. This was also the reason why Chen Ke chose He Zudao as the political commissar of the Second Battalion. The Insurance Corps now had two regular battalions, and two more were in the process of being formed. Although Chen Ke was the overall commander, he had too many local matters to deal with and could not focus all his energy on the military. Therefore, a combination of a civilian and a military leader was considered the best approach at this stage.

He Zudao was not yet aware of Chen Ke's plans. In the future military construction scheme, Chen Ke decided to follow the old path of the Red Army, where political commissars would be selected from military officers. In the system of the party commanding the military, the political commissar was a party representative, not a military supervisor. If one were to apply management theory, the military commander would be akin to a CEO or manager, an executor rather than a commander. The party organization was the board of directors, and it was the party organization that decided the actions of the military, not the officer corps. This was the biggest difference between a socialist army and a national defense army. Therefore, the political commissars, who were equivalent to "directors" in a company, were best selected from military officers. Historically, political commissars often had a higher level of expertise in military command than military officers. Whether it was the Red Army, the Eighth Route Army, or the People's Liberation Army, military officers did not dare to disobey the orders of political commissars, not just because of their obedience to the party organization, but because the opinions of political commissars were mostly more correct and comprehensive.

Of course, these future plans would not be revealed at this time. This was a practical issue. For example, if Chai Qingguo knew Chen Ke's plans, he would not think that Chen Ke had "far-sighted vision." On the contrary, Chai Qingguo would think that Chen Ke was deliberately trying to undermine these officers.

Given this situation, He Zudao naturally could not know these things. Moreover, He Zudao did not intend to delve into them. Becoming the political commissar of the Second Battalion of the "Insurance Corps" was a peculiar process. The reason He Zudao joined the People's Party was more about his gratitude and loyalty to Chen Ke than his passion for the revolution. He Zudao's parents passed away early, and he lived with his older brother. Although their family was neither rich nor poor, He Zudao attended a church school and completed middle school. According to the lifestyle of that era, He Zudao's future would be to start as an apprentice in a shop and gradually become a manager. If he had enough money, he might open his own shop in the future. This was a foreseeable future.

For someone like He Zudao, whose future was entirely predictable, his freedom was merely in choosing which industry to follow. Therefore, whatever Chen Ke, his savior, asked him to do, he would do. Deep down, He Zudao had another unspoken reason for following the People's Party. Emotionally, He Zudao had a deep admiration for "You Gou Sister," who also participated in saving him. After each hard day, just seeing "You Gou Sister's" smile would make He Zudao genuinely happy.

Perhaps because of this less assertive mindset, He Zudao never looked down on anyone and never underestimated the efforts of the soldiers. After all, they, like He Zudao, had to follow the leadership of the party organization. What He Zudao needed to do was to explain the organization's decisions to everyone and report their thoughts to the party organization. Then, he would work hard with these grassroots comrades.

These tasks were not difficult for He Zudao. Through his role as a cultural instructor, He Zudao had already been accepted by these comrades who had little education. He Zudao believed his strength lay in being "compliant." With the direction of Chen Ke and "You Gou Sister," the specific hard work did not seem like a daunting task to this young man.

Rowing was tiring, but singing songs was a good way to boost everyone's morale. This was something Chen Ke taught He Zudao, and it had been proven effective over the past few days. After singing "The Three Main Rules and Eight Points for Attention," He Zudao saw that everyone was energized and stopped. "The Internationale" was a good song, but Chen Ke did not advocate singing it every time. According to Chen Ke, "The main task now is to make everyone feel at home in our Insurance Corps and believe that we are here to help the poor. You need to try to do this well. As for rising up against landlords and clan forces, you need to let these comrades demand it themselves. Blindly inciting them may not be the best approach."

Recalling these words, He Zudao resisted the urge to lead the singing of the song. He shouted loudly, following Chen Ke's method, "Comrades, do you have the confidence to reach the dock today?"

On the boat, apart from a few old boatmen, everyone was from the People's Party Insurance Corps. They were not originally sailors, but under the party's command, all comrades had been trained during the flood, enhancing their obedience and ability to perform the work of sailors. However, they were still not fully adapted to life on the boat. Hearing He Zudao's call, everyone felt it resonated with them.

"Yes!" almost everyone shouted.

"Waiting for the boat to dock won't happen. If you want to get to the dock sooner and deliver the grain to the villagers sooner, we need to work harder!"

"Okay!" the comrades responded again.

He Zudao called out the rhythm, and the rowing speed increased significantly. Everyone rowed more forcefully. Their families were waiting for this life-saving grain, and this call to action motivated everyone. A red triangular flag was raised on the first boat, indicating that the rowing speed had increased from five strokes per minute to six. One by one, all the boats raised the same flag, and the fleet's speed noticeably increased.

By evening, the fleet finally reached the dock. A red flag with a sickle and hammer was flying high on the dock, indicating the presence of the First Battalion. The battalion commander was Hua Xiongmao, and the political commissar was Xu Dian. This combination of a martial arts champion and a Japanese law graduate was not to Chai Qingguo's liking. However, there was no choice, as the People's Party had many highly educated members. For example, among the four company commanders of the Second Battalion, three were college graduates, including the second company commander, who was a Japanese student named Kuroshima Jinichiro. The presence of a Japanese national in the Chinese military was likely a first in the Chinese military of that era.

As soon as the boat docked, unloading began. The soldiers, led by their officers, unloaded the supplies from the boat. Not only the First Battalion but also the county magistrate and his comrades came to welcome them. Seeing Shang Yuan approach quickly, Chai Qingguo saluted him formally. Officially, the Insurance Corps belonged to the county, and as Chai Qingguo's superior, Shang Yuan had the right to receive his salute. When Chai Qingguo lowered his right arm, Shang Yuan stepped forward and extended his right hand. The hands of the two People's Party cadres were now clasped together.

Chen Ke required that People's Party comrades in Fengtai County not use Qing Dynasty etiquette, such as kneeling or bowing. Military personnel used military salutes, and civilian cadres used handshakes. In the plan, a formal declaration of war against the Qing Dynasty was only a year or two away, and there was no need for comrades to use kneeling or bowing to avoid suspicion, as it would leave a bad impression. If equality could not be achieved now, it would have a negative impact on Shang Yuan and others in the future.

"Comrades, you have worked hard," Shang Yuan said, his demeanor and voice always serious and earnest, which surprisingly did not make people dislike him.

"The grain has been delivered. Please, Comrade Shang Yuan, inspect it," Chai Qingguo said seriously. He had no good feelings towards Qing officials, but Shang Yuan's warm and respectful attitude made him feel comfortable.

Some local gentry who came with Shang Yuan saw Chai Qingguo and Shang Yuan using such unusual etiquette and were confused. However, they understood Shang Yuan's intention: to make it clear that the "Insurance Corps" was publicly recognized by Shang Yuan, the "Hundred Li Hou" (county magistrate). Moreover, Chai Qingguo had brought much-needed supplies, which greatly improved his standing among them. Therefore, they also greeted Chai Qingguo with traditional bows and smiles. Being flattered by these usually high-ranking gentry made Chai Qingguo feel quite pleased.

Some clerks from the People's Party began to count the supplies and record them. Shang Yuan personally waited at the dock for the results. With many hands, the hundreds of soldiers from the First and Second Battalions quickly unloaded the supplies and helped the civil department count and record them. By the time it was almost dark, the supplies were loaded onto wagons and transported to the warehouse under the escort of the First Battalion.

"Comrades, now start cleaning the dock and washing the decks," He Zudao called out.

This was a rule of the People's Party: after using public places, they must be cleaned. The same applied to requisitioned boats, which had to be cleaned immediately after use. Chen Ke did not rule out the possibility of building a navy in the future. The rules of the navy, known to anyone with a bit of modern knowledge, were strict, so Chen Ke established these regulations.

The officers had to lead by example. After assigning the tasks, He Zudao and Chai Qingguo took tools and jumped onto the first boat to start cleaning. Seeing the officers working, the soldiers of the Second Battalion did not refuse. In this atmosphere, laziness was despised, not supported.

After cleaning his assigned boat, He Zudao checked the cleaning of the other boats. He left one company to guard the boats, and the rest of the troops temporarily returned to the temporary base near Fengtai County.

"The water has receded a lot."

"Yes, the last time we cleaned the dock, the water was level with the dock."

The soldiers discussed as they walked, "It seems the water is receding. How will we transport things back? If the water gets any lower, the river won't be navigable for such large boats, right?"

Fengtai County was established in the tenth year of the Qing Yongzheng era (1732), with the county seat and Shouzhou (now Shouxian) sharing the same city. The west and south gates of the city belonged to Shouzhou, the north gate to Fengtai County, and the east gate was shared by both. In the winter of the second year of the Tongzhi era (1863), the county seat was moved to Xiaocai, which was then renamed Fengtai and placed under the jurisdiction of Fengyang Prefecture.

The county is located in the southern part of the Huabei Plain, with a low and flat terrain, mostly below 25 meters in altitude. The Huai River, Xifei River, Yongxing River, and Zhihuai New River flow through the county. Lakes include Jiaogang Lake, Chengbei Lake, Huajia Lake, and Jigou Lake. It borders Huaiyuan to the east, Yingshang to the west, Mengcheng to the north, and Shouzhou to the south, with Fuyang to the northwest. It is 60 kilometers wide from east to west and 90 kilometers long from north to south. The distances to other county seats are: 75 kilometers to Dingyuan, 60 kilometers to Yingshang, 15 kilometers to Shouzhou, 120 kilometers to Fuyang, and 75 kilometers to Mengcheng.

The rivers in Fengtai County are not very suitable for navigation, but during the flood, the depth and width of the rivers increased, allowing large boats to enter. The comrades' families were mostly local, and transporting supplies and grain was to save their lives. Without this reason, the soldiers would not have been so enthusiastic or concerned. Anhui has always been prone to disasters, especially floods. The soldiers had all experienced floods of various sizes, so they were particularly concerned about the transportation of grain.

"Commissar, are we going to transport more grain tomorrow?"

"If we leave tomorrow, will everyone's bodies be able to handle it?" He Zudao asked.

Hearing He Zudao's concerned question, the soldier quickly replied, "Absolutely no problem. We can rest well on the boat. If we hurry on the way back, we can probably transport more."

The Insurance Corps had already transported grain and supplies once before, and that time they had rowed in the rain, which had exhausted everyone. However, after joining the Insurance Corps, the soldiers' families could eat at the "canteens" organized by the People's Party and do some assigned work. During the flood, this was a life-saving job. Without such treatment, there would not be so many people eager to join the "Insurance Corps."

"At least everyone should go home to see their parents. It's been a while since we left, so let's go home and greet them," He Zudao said with a smile. This response was part of the standardized answers drafted by the People's Party headquarters. Work had to be consistent, and He Zudao did not have the authority to decide on troop movements.

"Right," the soldier nodded, but he did not have the excited and happy look that other soldiers had when they heard this. His face showed difficulty, and his hesitant expression made He Zudao realize the soldier's concerns. It seemed there was something he did not want to say in public. He Zudao silently noted this soldier, as the work of a political commissar was to communicate. And to communicate skillfully. Once they reached the temporary base, it would be necessary to have a private conversation with this soldier.

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End of Chapter 87

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