A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

The regulations formulated by Song Hongfei were deeply loved by the soldiers and were an iron discipline in the sergeant's camp.

However, not long after, Lu Ziming, the company commander of the 1st Company of the sergeant battalion, ran into the iron wall.

On a weekend evening, Lu Ziming called over Li Daniu, a private first class from the 1st Platoon of the 1st Company. Lu Ziming handed Li Daniu 10 cents and asked him to buy him two packs of Lao Dao brand cigarettes and two bottles of Fenjiu liquor.

At that time, the legal tender was still quite valuable, with purchasing power similar to that of the silver dollar. These two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of wine sold for 8 or 9 jiao outside the Xiaolingwei military camp in Jinling. Lu Ziming only gave 1 jiao. This was a common trick used by many squad leaders and platoon leaders to extort money from new recruits.

Less conspicuous recruits would take a dime, then pay the difference out of their own pockets to buy the item. More conspicuous recruits would not only buy the item but also return the dime, saying with a smile, "Squad leader, this is the change you got back."

Private Li Daniu was the least noticeable of them all.

Li Daniu was a big, strong man who was a great worker and had an astonishing appetite. His family lived in a poor, remote rural area and was considered one of the poorer families in the village. In bad years, they would go hungry.

Li Daniu's primary consideration when joining the army was being able to eat his fill. After entering the training corps, he received better treatment. Not only did he have enough to eat, but his military pay was also 2 yuan higher than other units. He could receive 10 yuan in military pay every month. He was stunned. He had never received so much money in his life. It was enough to support his entire family in the countryside!

Aside from the necessary monthly expenses, he sent all the remaining money back home to help support his family. From then on, he trained diligently, focusing solely on being a good soldier so he wouldn't be discharged, ensuring he could eat his fill and earn a military salary to support his family. Thanks to his good physique and hard work, after basic training, he entered the sergeant battalion and was groomed as a grassroots leader.

Like other new recruits from rural areas, Li Daniu was simple, honest, and naive; he didn't yet understand the intricacies of the situation. One jiao (0.1 yuan) had considerable purchasing power; in his hometown market, one jiao was indeed enough to buy two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor.

Li Daniu took the money and ran into the shop. When he asked, the owner said, "9 jiao." He was shocked. He didn't expect this brand of cigarettes and alcohol to be so expensive. He wondered if Lu Lianfu had made a mistake with the price. Helpless, he had to pay the difference himself and buy it back.

Lu Ziming accepted the cigarettes and alcohol with satisfaction and turned to leave.

Li Daniu muttered to himself, wondering if Lian Fu had forgotten. He became a little anxious and stammered, "Lian Fu, um, um, the money."

Lu Ziming turned around, his tone arrogant: "What's wrong with the money?"

Li Daniu said, "The two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of wine cost 9 cents in total, but you only gave me 1 cents. I added the remaining 8 cents myself."

Lu Ziming remained silent, his face grim. He narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, and sized up Li Daniu.

Li Daniu felt a chill run down his spine under the gaze. He finally remembered that when he was in basic training, the recruits were talking about the rumors that their officers were extorting and demanding bribes from them. At the time, he thought it was just a rumor, but he never expected that he would be the one being taken advantage of by his officers today.

However, he did feel a little heartache. Eight cents could buy 35 jin of rice at the market in his hometown. This year's harvest was not good, and 35 jin of rice could keep his parents, brothers and sisters from going hungry for a month. This was the only thought that Li Daniu, a poor boy, had.

Lu Ziming grew impatient and glared at Li Daniu, thinking to himself, "Where did this bumpkin come from? How can he be so clueless?"

The honest and simple-minded Li Daniu still felt sorry for the 35 jin of rice that could keep his parents from going hungry, but his resolve hardened and his eyes showed an unyielding determination.

Lu Ziming was furious and said fiercely, "You greenhorn! How can you be so blind? Which new recruit hasn't gone through this? From now on, be smarter and understand the ropes!"

What nonsense is this? Li Daniu's stubborn temper flared up, and he shook his head and said, "Lianfu, it's worth 35 jin of rice in my hometown, please give me back 8 jiao."

Lu Ziming, used to extorting and robbing, had never encountered such a stubborn new recruit before. He was furious and pointed at Li Daniu's nose, cursing, "You greenhorn, letting you buy things is doing you a favor. Do you even want to work here anymore? Don't be so ungrateful!"

A veteran nearby noticed something was amiss and quickly gave Li Daniu a meaningful look. The straightforward rural soldier, Li Daniu, had no idea of ​​such ulterior motives. Hadn't the battalion commander said "officers and soldiers are equal"? Why were they bullying him? He remained unmoved and refused to back down.

Lu Ziming, who was used to bullying new recruits, was now embarrassed in front of so many people and felt that his authority as an officer had been seriously challenged. He suddenly became furious: "Damn it! A greenhorn who doesn't know his place, do you think I can't handle you?! Get out of here!"

Someone nearby advised, "Alright, alright, Da Niu, it's not a big deal. Listen to your superior and go back."

Li Daniu stretched out his hand and slowly said, "How about I take these things back and return them to you? I'll give you back 1 cents."

Lu Ziming's fiery temper was finally ignited, and he cursed, "Damn it! You greenhorn, how dare you talk to your superior like that!" He was so enraged that he punched Li Daniu in the nose.

"Bang!" Li Daniu saw stars as two hot, fishy liquids trickled into his mouth. Then, a barrage of punches rained down on his head and face, followed by a hard kick to his stomach.

Li Daniu was panting heavily from the beating, and the surge of anger in his heart left his mind blank. "This is too much!" Unable to bear the humiliation any longer, Li Daniu fought back, and the two began to fight.

The officer and the soldier started fighting! Bystanders were stunned and rushed forward to pull the two apart.

"Bang!" Song Hongfei slammed his hand on the table, causing several pens on the table to jump up in surprise.

"This is the military! Not bandits! Not mountain kings!" Song Hongfei roared. "You are immediately suspended from duty! Put in solitary confinement! Await further punishment!"

Lu Ziming kept his head down, still not thinking it was a big deal. Inertia, many things are just inertia. In the army at that time, bullying new recruits and extortion were semi-public or even open. It was not uncommon for officers to treat soldiers brutally and rudely; there were far worse situations.

However, Song Hongfei then got serious. He knew he might cause some trouble—he was certainly aware of the power of inertia—but he wanted to create a completely new mental outlook.

In the headquarters, the leaders were used to such incidents, and most didn't take it too seriously. Some thought that even if there was a reason, it was unacceptable for a private to dare to fight with a veteran, especially an officer. Where was the sense of hierarchy? Where was the authority of the officers? Some suggested that the company commander, Lu Ziming, should only be given a confinement and a major demerit, punishing only the officer and not the soldier, so that everyone would have an easier time.

“That’s called self-defense!” Song Hongfei smiled and said, “If you’re bullied and beaten but don’t dare to fight back, are you even a soldier? Can a soldier who can’t fight fight a war?”

Upon hearing this, everyone at the headquarters burst into laughter.

"The First Company Commander, Lu Ziming, has been extorting and robbing soldiers, bullying and abusing them. We request that the General Headquarters transfer him out of the sergeant battalion." Song Hongfei's tone was calm, but his words were startling.

Why?! Those three words were clearly written on everyone's faces. Gui Shuaizhen's face twitched slightly. Everyone knew what this meant for a military officer's future.

"What maintains the fighting capacity of the troops is definitely not those江湖 (jianghu) habits! A truly combat-effective army relies on iron discipline!" Song Hongfei was impartial and resolute. "Even if there is a minefield ahead, I will be the first to break through it."

When the sergeant battalion heard the announcement of the disciplinary decision, the entire ranks were shaken. Officers and soldiers alike, veterans and new recruits alike, were all shocked by the decision. Song Hongfei was not surprised; this was exactly the shock he wanted.

This incident caused a huge uproar in the Training Corps. The officers and soldiers were all talking about it. The soldiers, who had been brutally bullied for a long time but dared not speak out, finally felt a sense of triumph. The morale of the Training Corps was boosted.

As the saying goes, some people laugh while others cry.

Gui Shuaizhen, seizing the opportunity, promoted the regulations and practices of the sergeant battalion throughout the entire training corps. The soldiers were naturally overjoyed, but some officers were not. In the warlord armies of that era, the exploitation of soldiers was a long-standing practice, and even the Central Army was not immune. It was no secret that officers at all levels embezzled soldiers' food and pay.

That evening, Lieutenant Colonel Gao Wenlin, deputy director of the Training Corps Management Office, and several other officers were drinking alone in the room.

"Lu Ziming's matter is just a case of killing the chicken to scare the monkey, and making an example of someone to intimidate others," said Liao Deyuan, the quartermaster of a certain regiment. "Commander Gui really buys Song Hongfei's boots. Who knows if Song Hongfei is just promoting himself and using someone else's work to curry favor with his superiors?"

In the Chinese military, the logistics officers and quartermasters didn't wield much power, but they were extremely lucrative. Those who could get into those positions were all influential figures, and they were usually the ones who amassed the most wealth. The new regulations from the brigade immediately tightened the noose and added an extra layer of protection, causing these men to curse in secret.

Tian Wanhe, the deputy commander of a certain regiment, said: "We were living a good life before, and everyone knew the truth. In the past, when Commander Gui saw it, he just turned a blind eye. But when Song Hongfei came, things got better. He himself doesn't care about money, and the soldiers are grateful to him. Well, now the commander has put a tight rein on us. Life is going to be tough from now on."

Liao Deyuan said sullenly, "It's all his fault. Damn it, why does he have to show off? Can't he just tone it down a bit? He gets to show off and steal the limelight, while we suffer because of him..."

Battalion Commander Zhang Qingfeng chimed in, "Exactly! We're working ourselves to the bone all day long, what else are we after if not some money? He's so high and mighty, but we're all working ourselves to the bone and ending up with nothing. I just don't understand, looking like such a pampered young master, what's the point of him coming here to live this miserable life?"

Gao Wenlin took a swig of his drink, gave a bitter laugh, and said, "What's the point? He's not short of money to begin with. Why would he care about the little bit of money you're desperately trying to get?"

Gao Wenlin downed another gulp of wine, then looked at everyone and asked, "Do any of you know who this Young Master Song is?"

"Who is he?" The crowd was a little puzzled. Song Hongfei had always kept a low profile, and the lower-ranking officers didn't know much about his background, only that he was someone of considerable importance.

Tian Wanhe asked curiously, "I've only heard that they come from a prominent family and have a very powerful background, and that their superiors value them highly. As for who this great figure is, there are many rumors circulating about them, and they've gone on and on."

Gao Wenlin looked at everyone again and said with a serious face, "Young Master Song, of course, comes from the Song family. Do you think his background is impressive enough?"

"The Song family? Which Song family?" Zhang Qingfeng was still confused.

Gao Wenlin looked heartbroken, grabbed a copy of "Zhongzheng Instructions," sighed, and said, "Which Song family could it be?"

"What?!" Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, completely stunned.

"It seems these rumors aren't just rumors after all." Tian Wanhe seemed to have sobered up quite a bit.

"I think those good old days are gone forever!" Liao Deyuan downed his drink in one gulp.

He shook his head self-deprecatingly and said, "It seems the head captain is the one who's using Song Hongfei's flower to present to the principal." As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he had made a slip of the tongue and quickly looked out the window, trying to cover up his embarrassment by drinking.

Suddenly, everyone seemed to have sobered up considerably.

After a long silence, Gao Wenlin said, "Everyone, I think you should either work hard here, or use your own abilities to find your own way out."