Chapter Thirteen: Western Expedition and Training (Part One)

  The next few days were uneventful, the 34th Division returned to the 5th Corps, a regiment of the International Division also returned to the 15th Division of the 1st Corps, and the troops reorganized by the 8th Corps also contacted the corps commander and returned to their posts. Liu Yimin also formally completed the procedures for joining the party. After the fierce battle on the Xiangjiang River, the main force of the Red Army entered the western extension mountain area in several routes, fighting, marching and resting at the same time.

  Thanks to Liu Yimin's arrival, the remnants of the 34th and 18th regiments of the Red Army and some scattered units of the 8th army corps were rescued. As a result, the losses of the Red Army in the Battle of Xiangjiang were reduced. The original strength of the Red Army, which had been reduced to over 37,000 people, now increased to over 46,000 people. Although the 5th Army Corps suffered heavy losses, the two divisions still maintained their organizational structure. In particular, the 34th Division's weapons and equipment were greatly improved, with sufficient ammunition, and after a brief rest, the combat effectiveness of the soldiers was restored, continuing to serve as the rearguard of the entire army.

  The Guangxi and Hunan armies, who had just suffered a loss while pursuing the Red Army, were relatively more cautious in their actions. Although the enemy's Central Army had not received a heavy blow, Chiang Kai-shek's strategy was to "drive out the wolf and swallow the tiger", so Xue Yue's Central Army also closely followed behind the Red Army, along with the Hunan and Guangxi armies, like a pack of hungry wolves, keeping a distance while pressing the Red Army to move forward.

  Liu Yimin's 18th Regiment has made contact with the Red 6th Division and been incorporated into its ranks.

  The current Red 6th Division has suffered heavy losses after the Xiangjiang Battle, with the 16th and 17th Regiments combined having only over 1,000 people left, which is two-thirds of the loss before the Long March. The loss of cadres is particularly severe, and there is a defeatist mood in the troops. Cadres and soldiers are privately discussing that the highest three-person group should be held responsible, saying that Chairman Mao has never suffered such a big defeat when commanding the Red Army, and these people now do not know how to fight at all, carrying luggage every day and running with the Red Army without knowing where to go or when to stop. After the 18th Regiment returned, the strength of the 6th Division recovered somewhat, although it did not reach the state before the Long March, but it was significantly better than the situation after the Xiangjiang Battle when the troops were dispersed and casualties were heavy. The 6th Division, like other Red Army units, is reorganizing its troops during the march and slowly recovering its combat effectiveness.

  During the tense period of war, efficiency was relatively high, and the appointments of Liu Yimin and several regimental cadres came down quickly. Possibly because Liu Yimin had a short time in the army, and the 18th Regiment Commander Zeng Chunjian, although seriously injured, had good treatment effects, so Liu Yimin remained as acting regiment commander. It is estimated that the military group leader considered Cai Zhong to be relatively more familiar with him, so after consulting with the 5th Military Group, he was relieved of his position as Director of the Political Department of the Red 34th Division and appointed as the Political Commissar of the 18th Regiment.

  Considering that the current 18th Regiment personnel come from different troops, Liu Yimin and Cai Zhong, Liu Jianli, Li Qing and other battalion and company cadres are with the soldiers every day. In Liu Yimin's words, it is to familiarize themselves with the troops, grind the troops, and improve combat effectiveness. After several days, more than 2,000 people in the whole regiment, including new recruits, basically all knew Liu Yimin.

  That night, the troops camped in a mountain valley. The company and platoon commanders led the soldiers to ignite bonfires, eating dry rations around the fire piles.

  The new recruit camp reported that they held a grievance meeting at night and invited the regimental commander to attend. Liu Yimin had always been worried about the problem of prisoner conversion, so he went to the new recruit company with Cai Zhong together.

  Upon arriving at the new recruit barracks, soldiers were seen sitting around individual bonfires. After calling over Li Qing, Hong Chaoyuan and Chen Dazhong to ask about the progress of the heart-to-heart talks, it was learned that they had gone smoothly, but the activity to air grievances had not gone well, mainly because no one was willing to speak out in front of everyone. Liu Yimin asked what the reason was, Li Qing replied that it might be because the captured Xiang Army and Gui Army officers were still present, so the soldiers did not dare to speak.

  Cai Zhong asked how the evening's bitterness meeting was prepared, Li Qing said that through heart-to-heart talks and doing work, they found a few backbone members, and tonight it's just arranging for them to speak out their bitterness. If successful, it can bring along other soldiers. The only problem is what to do if during the soldiers' speaking out of their bitterness, they implicate captured Xiang Army or Gui Army officers?

  Liu Yimin immediately replied that the purpose of the confession itself was to combine with the investigation of class, work and combat spirit, in order to purify the team, unify thinking and improve fighting capacity. Those captured military officers who were extremely evil could be severely punished. Otherwise, while marching and fighting, they would still have to guard against reactionary military officers plotting rebellion, which would be unbearable? Li Qing agreed and went to make arrangements.

  The mass meeting of grievances has begun. After a brief mobilization by Li Qing, the old Red Army soldier Niu Liangzi began to speak: "Comrades, why did I join the Red Army? At first, it was to avenge my parents. My home is very far from here, near Zhangzhou in Jiangxi Province. Originally, our family had several good acres of land, and although life was bitter, we could still make ends meet. One time, when my father was herding cattle, he accidentally trampled the crops of the big landlord's family. This old scoundrel then had my father arrested. My father refused to submit, saying that cows are beasts and don't understand reason, how can you treat me like a beast? This enraged the landlord, who said that my father was cursing him. Then they bound my father up, nailed bamboo splints under his fingernails and toenails, pierced his nose with a rope, and paraded him through the streets. My poor father was tortured to death in this way. When my mother saw that my father had died, she went to find the landlord to seek justice. The landlord said that my mother was a madwoman and ordered his servants to give her a vicious beating. By the time our neighbors carried my mother back home, she had already stopped breathing. To this day, I still can't forget the tragic deaths of my parents."

  Niu Liangzi couldn't say anything more, and cool tears fell drop by drop. The team was filled with sighs.

  Li Qing took advantage of the situation and shouted slogans: Down with the exploiting class! Avenge Niu Liangzi's father and mother! The old Red Army soldiers followed him in shouting slogans.

  Niuliangzi wiped away her tears and continued: "At that time, I was only 12 years old. I escaped alone and relied on begging to find the Red Army and join their ranks. When the Red Army attacked Zhangzhou, I followed the troops back home, executed the landlord, took his gun, and distributed his land and grain. With the help of the Red Army, I avenged my parents' grievances, and fellow villagers said that the Red Army was the savior of the suffering people. Later, I understood the truth of revolution and knew that only the Red Army was the team of us poor people. By following the Red Army, we could save our fellow villagers who suffered and were bullied."

  Niu Liangzi finished speaking, and a new warrior came out crying. He sniffled as he began to speak: "My name is Bai Dagu, I'm a hunter from Xiangxi. Two years ago during the Dragon Boat Festival, my younger brother Er Gu went to Huaihua to pick herbs for our mother. As it turned out, he was caught by the conscription officers. When our mother heard about it, she became anxious and angry, and soon died. I sold all the valuable things in our home, gathered 10 silver dollars, and gave them to the village head, hoping that he would speak to the officials and get Er Gu released. Who knew that after the village head took the money, not only did he not release Er Gu, but also conscripted me? Think about it, is this still something humans do?"

  Looking at the warriors' faces, all of whom had expressions of indignation, Bai Dagui continued: "After entering the new barracks, I thought that since I was a soldier, I would also become an old general and wouldn't be bullied anymore. Who knew that the officers didn't treat us as human beings? Not to mention not eating enough, if we weren't careful, whips and clubs would come down on us. In the 3 months of new recruit training, we were carrying out corpses every day. There were over 1000 of our batch of recruits, and by the time the new recruit training ended, only 320 were left alive. Just from our village alone, more than 20 had died."

  Perhaps recalling their own experiences as new recruits, the squad erupted into waves of sobbing.

  "After the new recruit training ended, my brother Er Gu and I joined the 28th Group Army, still in the same regiment. Who knew that this time it was thoroughly falling into a cannibal's den. Our battalion commander was very evil, he liked to eat human hearts alive. If there were wounded soldiers, they would often be torn open by him, their chests ripped open and their hearts eaten away. As long as there was a battle, he had an endless supply of human hearts to eat. Who said being shot was the worst that could happen? His three orderlies were all shot dead by him."

  A quiet night, the dry fir branches on the bonfire crackled and popped, Bai Dagu's story of a reactionary military officer eating human hearts was like a bowl of oil poured onto the fire, and the flames suddenly surged up, shining brightly.

  "A few days ago, when we were fighting the Red Army, my brother was injured. I was afraid of being seen by the battalion commander, so I found a few brothers to carry him to the medical station. Who knew that the cannibalistic devil saw us and chased after us with his men, saying we were deserters. He shot two of our brothers who were carrying the stretcher, then on the spot used his bayonet to cut out my brother's bloody heart and ate it raw. I rushed up to fight him, but was knocked unconscious by one of his guards with a rifle butt. My poor brother was eaten by the battalion commander like that."

  "Down with the cannibalistic king!" "Down with the reactionary warlord!" "Avenge Bai Ergou!"

  New warriors and old Red Army shouted together, public sentiment was indignant.

  He stopped for a moment, and then Bai Dagui turned to face the troops and shouted: "You with the surname Hu, Battalion Commander Hu, get out here! I'm a Red Army soldier now, I'm not afraid of you!"

  The whole team was stunned. Even Liu Yimin did not expect that this cannibalistic camp commander would be captured and become a new soldier undergoing training.

  Hu's surname didn't come out, and Bai Dagui was furious, scolding: "Surname Hu, you son of a bitch, where did your guts go when you were eating people? Weren't you still instigating several brothers to desert two days ago? Get out and return my brother's life!"

  Finally, the one with the surname Hu stood up. Liu Yimin looked at him and was shocked: this guy didn't look tall and powerful, but rather short and ugly, about 165 cm. The man with the surname Hu said: "Bai Dagu, you've become a demon! I eat human hearts to nourish my body, and I only eat those who are worthy. If someone is sick or has a bad body, I won't even eat them! You look healthy, so be careful, I might find an opportunity to eat you."

  Bai Dagui rushed up and started fighting, the two of them biting and scratching each other. Several new soldiers also rushed up, punching and kicking Hu.

  Seeing the situation getting out of control, Hong Chaofeng ordered several old Red Army soldiers to separate them.

  Li Qing asked Liu Yimin and Cai Zhong how to deal with the person surnamed Hu, Cai Zhong said to catch him, interrogate him clearly and shoot him. Liu Yimin added a sentence to dig him up and see if there are any others as bad as him.

  Li Qing immediately announced that those with the surname Hu would be arrested and shot after interrogation.

  The emotions of the new recruits were immediately mobilized, and they came out one after another to pour out their grievances. One by one, again and again, the speakers spoke and cried, pouring out their bitter water, unable to finish speaking of their hatred; the listeners listened and cried, unable to recall all the humiliation, unable to think through all the sorrow. The scene was filled with crying voices, and the grievance meeting had begun.