Chapter 7: On Meritorious Deeds and Rewards

  After finishing the post-war statistics, Sun Congzhou suddenly lit up his eyes when looking at the combat record and raised his head to look at Zuo Zhenyuan: "Xiao Jiu Zi killed 38 people by himself? And caught 10 more alive? You guys aren't exaggerating, are you? Don't try to curry favor with the new noble, this kid is still too tender."

  "We didn't exaggerate, you weren't watching that little guy's fierce momentum back then, it was even more impressive than when you and Zhang Dagang from the second battalion were in their prime. What's even more delightful is that this little guy not only has great kung fu skills but also remains extremely agile during battles, he's not just a brave warrior relying solely on his kung fu." Zuo Zhenyuan reported truthfully, so those who had been calm and composed on the surface couldn't help but exchange glances with Sun Congzhou as they responded to him.

  "Alright, alright, this fall really brought out the best in that kid." Sun Congzhou stood up excitedly after seeing the genuine look in Zhen Yuan's eyes, poured himself a cup of tea and continued with a smile: "This time our 18th Regiment's second generation soldier has finally produced someone worthy, his old man and uncle can rest easy under the nine springs, we've got to keep pushing him up from now on."

  "Yes." Zuo Zhenyuan also responded with a thoughtful expression, and suddenly looked at Sun Congzhou seriously; "What about the five brothers who died in battle? Xiao Jiu Zi led his squad to search for gold bars and silver coins from the captured soldiers' bodies, and now they have all been sent to Old Zhao's and Old Li's homes. If he continues like this, the 6th company will also do the same, which would be a big trouble."

  Sun Congzhou was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing and said: "This little rabbit is still listening to human feelings. Don't let him be captured as a prisoner of war, take some gold and silver from the spoils of war to settle the families of those officers and soldiers who died in battle, and don't mention these when reporting back. Give 2,000 yuan to the company commander, 1,500 yuan to the deputy company commander and advisor, 1,000 yuan to the platoon leader, 600 yuan to the squad leader, and 500 yuan to the soldiers. Send someone to help those elderly women, widows, and orphans who are in need, and have them purchase some land from large households nearby to arrange for their future livelihood."

  "Yes, heh heh, it's strange that Xiao Jiu became a parasite in your belly. Before I came, I sent Guard Lieutenant Ning De to persuade him, and this kid said that you know how to take better care of the orphans of these brothers, and won't blame him." Zuo Zhenyuan first responded with a sound, then suddenly remembered the report from the guard lieutenant earlier, and looked at Sun Congzhou with a smile.

  "Damn it, this little rabbit. Alright, hurry up and go handle it, don't let Old Du also send troops to capture me, that would be a big deal if it gets to the commander." Sun Congzhou smiled comfortably after Left Zhenyuan finished speaking, then had him leave his office.

  At this time, Liu Mingjiu was still leading the eighteen people who had survived the full row, and he didn't care about the obstruction of the three battalion commanders of the security team responsible for guarding. He just let his subordinates search for gold and silver on the bodies of the bandits and their families one by one. Those security teams and captives and family members mostly saw Liu Mingjiu's brave performance on the west wall, who would resist? Seeing him, they immediately handed over the things they carried with them. The guard company that arrived on orders, from the company commander to the soldiers, was already timid when they saw these eighteen blood-stained gods of death. Liu Mingjiu also let a squad leader Wu Tong put a gold bar in the hand of the guard company commander Ning De, and the guard company stood there obediently as spectators.

  In less than an hour, Liu Mingjiu and his men searched out four large bags of gold bars, silver coins, jewelry, and gems. He didn't keep it all to himself, instead walking up to the three security team leaders with Luo Xiliang, who had a sling on his arm, and tossing one bag of loot in front of them: "Your security team brothers have also suffered many casualties and injuries, all for the sake of keeping this place peaceful. They're all eating and getting paid, carrying guns on their backs, and were born to parents just like everyone else. Don't be stingy, divide these among those brothers, prioritize those who died or were seriously injured first, and distribute any leftovers evenly among the others. If you three are short on money, I'll go ask the team leader for some."

  Three battalion commanders were stunned at first, and then thanked him repeatedly. The security guards behind them cheered loudly. Liu Mingjiu didn't look at them anymore, but instead brought people to send a bag of gold, silver and jewels to the sixth battalion that was ordered to enter the county together for reorganization, and then returned to his own barracks without saying anything else.

  "Alright, after counting carefully, these two bags have a total of 3,310 silver dollars, 168 gold bars, and other jewelry and gems that can be exchanged for at least 18,000. What do you think is the best way to divide it?" Luo Xiliang reported the results of the confiscation to Liu Mingjiu in his room after returning to the barracks area for a moment, who was lying on his back staring at the ceiling with an unknown thought.

  Liu Mingjiu sat up straight: "Send 50 gold bars and 300 silver dollars to each of the families of Lian Zhang, Lian Fu, and Geng Shu. For the other 13 fallen brothers, send one gold bar and 150 silver dollars to each family. Add 50 more for the family of the first squad leader, and exchange the remaining five gold bars for 150 silver dollars. You seven seriously injured ones will get 50 silver dollars each, and those lightly wounded brothers will get 20 silver dollars each. Leave me with 40 and that's settled."

  "This, you've left yourself too little, haven't you?" Luo Xiliang listened at first and nodded straight away, but when he heard Liu Mingjiu leave himself only 40 taels, he asked in a puzzled tone. To know that in this era's army, as long as there are benefits, who isn't eager to be an official first? Liu Mingjiu's way of dividing things was something he had never heard or seen before, no wonder he was perplexed.

  "A head is worth ten big oceans, catching a live one is five big oceans. I beheaded thirty-three people, including the bandit chief and their teacher, so I won't share this money with my brothers. They followed us through thick and thin, can't let them lose out." Liu Mingjiu said, looking up at the ceiling again, then sat up and took a big sip of tea from his cup. In this era, cigarettes were hard to come by and very expensive, so Liu Mingjiu was quitting smoking, and drinking tea had become his best quit-smoking product.

  Luo Xiangliang followed Liu Mingjiu's orders and first went to the city to exchange the gold bars for silver coins, and the jewelry and accessories were also exchanged for a bank draft of 10,200 yuan. First, they were sent to the homes of Zhao Zhengyi, Li Nianxin, and Geng Liang, and then returned to the barracks to distribute the gold and silver to those who had survived. When the soldiers learned that Liu Mingjiu, who had been stabbed in the chest, was the one who received the least amount of money, they were even more impressed with this former commander whom they had not previously admired. Having killed the most enemies but receiving the least amount of money, Luo Xiangliang repeated what he had said when distributing the money to the soldiers: "An officer who does not take advantage of his subordinates is truly rare in this era." From that day on, the entire company of soldiers truly began to be loyal to their commander.

  On the second day, Sun Zong brought Zhou Zhenyuan and the guard company to the camp area of the second row. Liu Mingjiu was sewing his chest wound with the help of Squad Leader Tong Quan. Due to the limited medical conditions at that time, Liu Mingjiu used a method he had read about in books during his previous life in the army. He cut out several thin strips of sheepskin and soaked them in high-gluten white wine for a night before sewing up the long wound on his chest, which was at least 20 cm long and had been slashed by a bandit.

  "What the hell are you doing, kid? Why don't you go see a doctor? What's with all this nonsense?" As soon as Sun Congzhou entered the room, he was shocked by the scene before him. Liu Mingjiu was sweating profusely, stitching up his own wound one stitch at a time, while Tong Quan stood beside him, gritting his teeth.

  "It's all right, I'll take a look after I've finished stitching. Otherwise, the doctors in this city may not necessarily understand what's going on." Liu Mingjiu poured some white wine onto his wound again, inserted the needle into the last unstitched part of the wound, and gritted his teeth to respond to Sun Congzhou's words.

  Sun Congzhou, Zuo Zhenyuan and others including Chief of Staff Kang Daxuan watched as Liu Mingjiu pierced the needle into his own chest, then tied a knot with the sheepskin rope after it had passed through. Everyone was shocked and terrified, they had never seen anyone pierce a needle into their own flesh and tie a knot afterwards, they all took in a cold breath, the guard company commander whispered to a staff officer beside him: "Does this kid not know pain? Is he even human?"

  After a while, everyone was relieved when Liu Mingjiu finished sewing the last stitch, sprinkled some medicine powder on the wound, and put on his clothes. Only then did they manage to get over the shock and fright of just now.

  "Commander, deputy commander, chief of staff, why have you all come to me? If there's anything to be ordered, just say it. The flag is still waving, nothing big has happened." Liu Mingjiu stood up straight and said, looking at the people with stunned eyes full of fear.

  "Where the hell are you going? You little rabbit, honestly stay and recover from your injuries. This guy, even Guan Yu from the Three Kingdoms had to ask Hua Tuo for help with his bone-scraping treatment, but you, you're actually sewing yourself up, you're really a living Yama, don't you feel any pain?"

  "Haha, not sewing is more painful. I don't dare to compare with General Guan, it's already good if I can catch up with his toe." Liu Mingjiu saw the gaze of concern, heartache and reproach in Sun Congzhou's eyes, knowing that his superior was truly worried about him, so he made a silly face and continued the conversation.

  "Damn it, stop messing around here! Those captives and their families are already calling you 'Little Flying Dragon of Death'. You've scared them half to death. Even Guan Gong wasn't this fierce back in the day." Sun Congzhou sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at Liu Mingjiu with a mix of anger and amusement. He was angry that his own soldier didn't take care of his body and just sewed things onto it randomly, but he was also pleased that Liu Mingjiu single-handedly killed and captured half of what the entire army had accomplished, without being arrogant about it.

  Liu Mingjiu of course knew that the captain's words were true, and when he led his men to take away the prisoners and their families last night, he had already seen from their eyes that they were all scared out of their wits, but he didn't expect that they would actually give him the nickname "Little Flying Dragon of Death".

  "Alright, you little rascal, stop standing there. I've come with the team leader for two reasons: first, to take a look at your injuries and those of the brothers in the second row; second, to clean up after you. It's one thing to kill prisoners of war before the battle, but how could you bring people to loot them?" At this point, Kang Da Xuan spoke up after seeing Sun Cong Zhou pull Liu Ming Jiu down to sit on the edge of the bed.

  "Hey, I don't admit to killing prisoners of war before the battle. At that time, I didn't even know who I was myself. When I saw someone not wearing a military uniform, I remembered the scene when Lian Zhang and Lian Fu died, and naturally, it was just one knife. It's not my fault, who let those bandits not surrender and still want to do evil? As for searching the prisoners of war, I didn't embezzle anything. You can't even clean up after me, Tong Quan, go ask Old Luo to bring out the bank draft that was exchanged last night and hand it over. Those prisoners all have to be sent to Chengde, but these gold, silver, and treasures are all from our own side, I searched them out and left them behind. Even if General Jiang finds out, he won't blame me for anything, right? I didn't even take any for myself." Liu Mingjiu sat beside Sun Congzhou, smiling as he listened to Kang Daxuan continue speaking.

  "Your nonsense is all true, but how much did you find in total? I heard that you even sent a bag to the security team's third and sixth companies. Are you treating yourself like a big shot?" Sun Zongzhou lightly patted Liu Mingjiu's shoulder, pretending to be very angry, but his eyes were clearly smiling as he asked him.

  Liu Mingjiu pretended to be in a lot of pain, but in fact, Sun Congzhou's move was no different from scratching an itch. He himself was so badly injured, how could Sun Congzhou really hit him? But he still cracked his mouth and said: "I didn't take myself as a big shot, but the other four have all gone to the front line, haven't they? And they all have brothers who were injured or killed in action. Can't we just enjoy good food and drink while others are suffering?"

  "You're quite loyal, aren't you? You've managed to make me, the team leader, look good." Sun glared at Liu Mingjiu with a fierce expression, as if he was really angry, and continued: "You think I don't care about our brothers just because of what happened now? Are you trying to get on my nerves?"

  "This I dare not! You're not going to report it further, are you? Little nephew is just helping you reward them first. As long as you nod now, won't they all have to admit that you supported me in doing so?" Liu Mingjiu was of course aware that he had indeed overstepped his authority, but immediately came up with a way to push the situation forward and used words to silence Sun Congzhou. If you don't move, I can still mix up a good reputation, let those officials and soldiers who divided the money say you're a good officer. If you touch me, then all 18 teams and security teams will be watching with so many eyes. If you move against me, it will hurt the loyalty of most officials and soldiers who risk their lives for you."

  Liu Mingjiu said that Sun Congzhou didn't want to punish this junior anyway, and he found a step down for himself: "Deputy Left Team is right, you little devil are indeed the tapeworm in my belly. Alright, no more nonsense, after watching your company, I still have to go see other companies. You killed 38 and captured 10, the three major bandit leaders and their teacher's reward is 1,200 yuan, killing the other 36 is 360 yuan, capturing the other eight is 40 yuan, a total of 1,600 yuan. Da Xuan, give this kid the Chinese Bank draft."