Chapter 3: South of the Mountain and North of the Mountain (Part 4)

  This is the second time Zhang Songling has heard about ** in a month. It was still from the mouth of a former Qing Dynasty old scholar who lived in seclusion in the countryside and rarely went to the nearest county town. "Is this old madman really **?" Thinking of the hunchbacked old military advisor's behavior at the Iron Blood Society, Zhang Songling began to wonder. Good at stirring people's hearts, good at making money, and unknowingly tempting you into hell... These are the descriptions of ** by Shandong official newspapers. The hunchbacked old military advisor Wei Ding seems to be related to any one of them.

  "No way, I'll get to the bottom of this, or else I'll be taken advantage of and have to pay for someone else's mistakes!" After recovering from his shock, Zhang Songling's first reaction was to try to figure out the old military advisor's true intentions. Before he could even think of how to approach him, he saw Old Wei Ding, with his back hunched and his butt sticking out, walking out the door with a satisfied smirk on his face, as if proud of the trick he had just played on Zhang Songling.

  "Old thing!" Zhang Songling picked up the account book and slammed it heavily on the edge of the table. Although he was annoyed, the old military advisor Wei Ding's kindness to him was real. It made him really not have the heart to immediately cut ties with the other party.

  In fact, even if Zhang Songling wanted to draw a clear line with the old military advisor, it wasn't that easy. Having only been in Weijiazhuang for just over twenty days, the villagers had already begun to spread rumors that he was the direct grandson of Wei Ding and Wei Lao Shucai. Originally living in Dabeiping, they had fled to the countryside to avoid war disasters and specifically came to seek refuge with their own never-before-met paternal grandfather.

  Otherwise, have you ever seen Old Master Zhang treat any young man in the village as well as he treats Vice Officer Zhang? Not only did they eat and live together, but he also handed over the account book and warehouse keys to this outsider. You know, that's a warehouse worth several thousand silver dollars and tens of thousands of kilograms of grain, where you can easily grab a few handfuls whenever you go in or out, enough to feed yourself for several days.

  "Didn't he get tied up with a rope by Zhao Erzi that day?" Of course, there were also people who didn't believe the rumor, frowning and refuting in a low voice.

  "That day was a big flood that washed away the Dragon King Temple! Zhao Erzi didn't know that there were relatives visiting Lao Xiucan's home, of course, anyone suspicious would be tied up with ropes! Haven't you seen it in operas? A kind old man picked up a scholar who had been frozen stiff on the street and found out he was his own grandson whom he had never met..."

  "This young man's fate is too good. Not to mention anything else, Lao Xiucan has more than 200 mu of irrigated land and over a dozen large livestock!"

  "Who says it's not?! Lao Xiuzai never had a son. The only daughter married Xiao Er and gave birth to two girls. Although this grandson is not a son, after all, he is also a descendant..."

  As the story spread, it became more and more exaggerated. Eventually, even Xiao Er's father-in-law, the old military advisor with a hump on his back, began to doubt its validity. One evening, while having dinner, he came to ask the old military advisor if he had indeed had a wife in Beijing before moving to Weizhuang Village. The old military advisor was furious and picked up a broom, chasing Xiao Er from the kang to the gate, not even stopping to pick up his shoes that had fallen off along the way.

  Zhang Songling witnessed the whole process of Lao Junshi and Xiao Er's contradictory behavior on the kang, and couldn't help but laugh until he fell over. Most of the time, in his eyes, Lao Junshi was just like those boring old men in his neighbor's house. His wife had passed away long ago, and living alone was very empty and lonely. So he became a bit senile in his old age, always doing some out-of-tune things to attract other people's attention.

  "Are you enjoying yourself again? Be careful not to choke on your own buns!" The old military advisor panted heavily as he walked back in, just as Zhang Songling was rubbing his own belly, cursing under his breath.

  "What's the point of this, old man?! Let me go earlier and there wouldn't be so much trouble!" Zhang Songling scolded while using his chopsticks to pick out the lean meat from the dish and put it into Old Military Advisor's bowl. As a military officer, the greatest benefit was being able to eat meat frequently. Although the amount wasn't much, every now and then, he could see some greasy food.

  "I won't eat! No need to be overly polite, you're either a cheat or a thief!" The old military advisor picked up his chopsticks and tossed the meat from his bowl back onto the serving platter. "Du Gongbu died from eating too much meat back then. I won't fall for your trick!"

  Zhang Songling shook his head and didn't bother with the old kid, continuing to eat his meal as if nothing had happened. The old general huffed and puffed, taking a few bites of his mantou, then downed half a bowl of corn congee in one gulp. His eyes sparkled as he suddenly broke into a happy smile, "Little fatty, I've got something to tell you!"

  "Whatever you say!" Zhang Song didn't even lift his head, responding casually. Anyway, Old General's words to him were usually nothing serious, no need to waste too much attention on them.

  "Look carefully, you really do look a bit like me. Especially our eyes, both of us have clear black and white...” Old General Zhang gazed at Xiao Songling's chubby little face, his eyes filled with kindness.

  "How can I compare with you? Your eyes are like torches, while mine are dull and lifeless!" Zhang Songling chewed his food as he playfully bantered with the old man.

  "Just the same, just the same! When I was young, my eyes were also very bright. Later, I took over the account book for my elder cousin and worked tirelessly until my eyes lost their luster!" The old military advisor didn't know a thing about modesty, staring with his already yellowed old eyes, boasting shamelessly. "And look at our foreheads, shoulders, earlobes - the similarities are just too many! The more I look, the more I find!"

  "Hmm!" Zhang Songling was too lazy to refute and casually perfunctorily responded.

  "You said you're really my grandson?" The old military advisor immediately struck while the iron was hot and said with a red face.

  Zhang Songling gave him a white eye, extremely not giving face to refute, "My mother and my father are all authentic Shandong Lucheng people. You are the yellow belt of Beiping City, I can't afford to climb high!"

  "Perhaps you were picked up. When you were young and mischievous, didn't your mother tell you that you were picked up?" The old military advisor was not deterred and continued to search for a favorable basis.

  Every child from the north has almost been told by their parents when they were young that they were picked up! Zhang Songling couldn't deny Lao Junshi's words, and in anger, he slammed his chopsticks on the table and said loudly: "I'm full, you can eat slowly. There are still a lot of accounts to be settled, I don't want to stay up late tonight!"

  "Don't be in a hurry, don't be in a hurry. You're so young, how can your temper be worse than mine? I'm just joking with you, isn't that okay?" Seeing Zhang Songling seemingly really angry, the old military advisor hastily jumped down from the kang, opening his arms to block him. "Sit, sit, stay and keep me company for a while. Don't rush to work! It's just a small matter, whether it's done today or tomorrow makes no difference!"

  Zhang Songling was forced to sit down, pouting. The old military advisor carefully observed his expression and after a while, guessed that Zhang Songling's anger had dissipated. He smiled again and shamelessly suggested: "Why don't we just become sworn relatives? You're about the same age as my grandson. Just acknowledge me as your godfather, so others won't make wild guesses!"

  "I've only known you for a little over a month!" Zhang Songling glared at the old military advisor, responding with extreme anger. "In this village, there are many people who want to recognize you as their grandfather. Can't you stop staring at me, a stranger, huh? I'm begging you!"

  "Don't you think I'm pleasing to the eye?" The old military advisor was utterly embarrassed, muttering somewhat resentfully. "I have houses and land in my name, and I don't rely on you for support in my old age."

  "How many times have I told you, old man? I'm going to Beiping, to join the army! You've also said before that if a bullet hits me one day, I'll be finished. At your age, don't you want to experience sending off a young person for once?! Don't bother me with this again. Better yet, don't bother me with anything else either. Except to see me off!" Zhang Songling was furious, pushing aside the old man's attempts to stop him and slamming the door as he left.

  "You don't know what's good for you! If I, your elder, weren't protecting you, you would have been sold off by Wei Zhan Kui long ago!" The old man chased after him a few steps, then kicked the door in anger. "If you don't bother me, I won't bother you. Others beg me to bother them, but I'm too lazy to bother!!"

  The air returned to the air, and the old military advisor Wei Ding didn't have the heart to come down, letting Zhang Songling self-destruct in the village. Just a few days after saying he wouldn't bother with Zhang Songling again, he came knocking on the door with an old newspaper he had somehow gotten his hands on, excitedly shouting "The opportunity has arrived! The opportunity has arrived! Little fatty, hurry up! Our chance has come!"

  "What chance?!" Zhang Songling, who was listlessly flipping through an ancient manuscript, sat up straight and asked with a hint of bewilderment. After scolding the old man for a while, he also felt that his reaction at the time was somewhat excessive. So he wanted to find an opportunity to comfort the old man's wounded heart.

  "It's started! The Japanese are fighting the 29th Army!" The old military advisor with a hump on his back was overjoyed, as if he had been eagerly awaiting this day for a long time.

  "Ah!" Zhang Songling was startled, snatched the old newspaper, and spread it out on the table to read. On the first page of the old newspaper, in very large bold font, was written: "Peking is in danger! North China is in danger! The Chinese nation is in danger!", below which was the specific content: "Yesterday, the Japanese devils used the excuse of searching for missing soldiers to launch a fierce attack on our troops defending Lugou Bridge. The 29th Army fought back bravely, refusing to retreat even in death..."

  In a hurry to find the date, I discovered that the newspaper was issued on July 8th of the Gregorian calendar, and it has been four whole days since then!

  "What's there to be so happy about, the Japanese are already at our doorstep!" Zhang Songling was so anxious that he stomped his feet and really wished he could jump up and give the old madman two slaps to wake him up.

  "Are you going down again?" The old military advisor also realized that his current facial expression was not quite suitable, and he put away his smile, reminding him in a low voice, "Below, the first page, lower right position..."

  With a heart like fire, Zhang Songling picked up the newspaper and read it carefully again. Apart from the editorial at the top of the page, there were also speeches by various big shots of this era below. Some scolded the Japanese invaders for being despicable and shameless, some lamented the country's many disasters and difficulties, and others anxiously analyzed the comparison of China and Japan's strength. As for the military, their attitude was very tough. General Guan Linzheng from the Central Army, in front of a group of reporters in Baoding, vowed to fight the Japanese devils to the end. The commander-in-chief of the 29th Army, Song Zheyuan, also entrusted his trusted staff to publish a passionate and stirring speech on the newspaper. Declaring his attitude, he would not retreat or surrender, and would strive with the greatest effort to seek peace. If peace was really impossible, he would lead the soldiers of the 29th Army to share the country's difficulties together. At the end of the speech, Song Zheyuan also loudly called on all the military and civilians in North China to unite, rather than fight to the last man, and not let the Japanese devils' plot to swallow up North China succeed.

  "These are all clichés, said countless times before!" Zhang Songling didn't have anything useful to say on the lower right side of the newspaper, and he glanced at the overly excited old military advisor with a hint of resentment.

  The 29th Army has been fighting the Japanese invaders to the death, but I'm stuck in this small mountain village, unable to move an inch. It's all because of that old madman, if he hadn't been watching me so closely, I would have...

  The hunchbacked old military advisor didn't notice the resentment in Zhang Songling's eyes at all, and tapped on the newspaper with some regret. "You've read so many books, such a good opportunity, yet you don't see it! Here, here, and here. General Guan Linzheng, General Sun Lianzhong, General Song Zheyuan are all calling on the people of North China to stand up and fight the Japanese invaders to the death. Since they're calling us to fight to the death, we can't just go empty-handed against the Japanese devils, right? Think about it, if at this time we raise the Iron Blood Society's flag and ask them for guns and bullets, even if they're just pretending, they'll have to pretend like they mean it!"

  "Ah——" Zhang Songling took a cold breath. It wasn't because of the gravity of the situation, but because Old Military Advisor's idea was vastly different from ordinary people's. From the perspective of the Iron Blood Society's own development, this moment was the best opportunity to ask for weapons from the 29th Army or the Central Army. If they refused, it would be equivalent to saying that their mobilization of the North China people to resist Japan was just nonsense. Not only would it disappoint those who supported the war effort, but it would also give the Japanese an excuse to divide and disintegrate the North China military and civilians.

  "You write, you've read a lot of books, come and take up the pen to write. Write two letters, no, three letters. One for Song Zheyuan, one for Guan Linzheng, and one for Sun Lianzhong. I don't believe that all three of them are telling lies to reporters. Set a few more traps, there will always be rabbits willing to take the bait!"

  "Believe me, I can help you write it, but we can't show up empty-handed!" Knowing that even if he wasn't ordered to do so, the old madman could still come up with a letter seeking support on his own, Zhang Songling thought for a moment and solemnly proposed an additional condition. "We also need to provide some support to the troops. Grains, pork, coarse cloth, when the battle starts, they will definitely be able to use these things!"

  "Rely on you, rely on you. Can't bear to let the wolf get away! As long as it's more cost-effective than buying a gun, that's all!" The old military advisor was overjoyed and nodded in agreement. Immediately, he ignored his own infirmity and hobbled around to find paper and pen. After preparing everything, he thought for a moment and said in a low voice: "It's not necessary to send out so many supplies to appease the army, it seems like we have a lot of money. It's better to first find a nearby troop to scout out the route! The letter doesn't need to be sent to the three high-ranking officials, even if it is sent, they won't have time! Let's first find a general in the vicinity who can take charge and let him know our intentions. You don't move, I'll grind the ink for you, try to make the tone as grand as possible, with righteous words and severe language..."

  Zhang Songling waved his hand to interrupt the old man's chatter. Then, frowning and pacing back and forth in the room, he waited until the old man had ground the ink sufficiently, picked up a brush, and wrote with a flourish:

  "To Commander-in-Chief Song Zheyuan: Since the Japanese bandits have been rampaging, invading the Northeast, and again encroaching on Beijing and Tianjin, our territory has fallen one after another, and the people are suffering. Although we are just rustic villagers, how can we not know the meaning of the rise and fall of the nation? Now, with a determination to resist humiliation, we have raised a righteous army in the North to follow the imperial army, defeat the Japanese bandits, and punish the external enemies. Our only regret is that our equipment is lacking and our ranks are not yet established. We specially request that you assign us a unit number and provide us with military supplies and provisions to boost the morale of our troops. At present, the country is in chaos, and there is no day when it will not be destroyed. Only by joining forces to resist external humiliation can we hope to preserve our territory and eliminate evil plots..."

  Note: Du Gongbu, also known as Du Fu, Gongbu is an official title. It is said that in his old age, he often went hungry and occasionally received relief from a county magistrate named Zhou, after eating too much meat, he died suddenly.

  Note 2: Jiutu's classical Chinese level is average. This article was written by Xiao Abu, and a special statement is made to declare this.