I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

"Yes! We've been ravaged by the Japanese devils. We're willing to do anything to fight them and avenge them! ... We just beg you all not to send us away..."

"I would like to..."

"I would also like to..."

The other three women also quickly followed suit and expressed their opinions.

"..." The men looked at the four women with complicated expressions, unsure of what to say. Such good girls, yet they were taken advantage of by the Japanese at the prime of their lives. It seems like they have no other thoughts but revenge in their lives.

"There's no need for that, gentlemen. We welcome you to stay and fight the Japanese if you wish. Those unpleasant things happened because you encountered the Japanese and had no other choice; they weren't your intention. Don't take them to heart! Just think of it as being bitten by a dog. Can you bite the dog back?"

"Besides, the Japanese devils who bullied you have been killed. You should all let go of your burdens and start a new life. Tell me your names so it will be easier to address each other when we're together," Zhao Mancang said.

"So you don't mind us?..." Diezi felt much more at ease after hearing him say that.

"Of course we don't mind, none of us will! You all agree, right?" Zhao Mancang said, looking at everyone.

"No, no, it's all because the world is too chaotic!" Da Zhao said sincerely.

"Yes! We are all brothers and sisters who escaped from the mines, so let's not look down on each other!"

"Will not!"

"Will not!"

……

Everyone expressed their willingness to accept the four women's inclusion, which moved them to tears. After all, chastity was highly valued in that era, and many girls who were sexually assaulted while going to the theater faced being jilted by their husbands' families. Having been taken advantage of by the Japanese, they would be shunned by their neighbors even after returning home; they would be pointed at and gossiped about, and even a single word spoken to the man would spark endless rumors! This was why they didn't want to go home.

"My name is Zhu Ya'e, but everyone usually calls me Moth!"

"I am Zhang Guihua,..."

"My name is Wang Chunhua,..."

"Alright! Everyone understands now. From now on, even if they are brothers and sisters, no one can bully them!" Zhao Mancang emphasized again.

"No way! Bullying women is no different from being a Japanese soldier!"

"No way! I'll be the first to object to anyone bullying you!"

After the four girls' affairs were resolved, the rest shared their situations. Third Master, needless to say, naturally wanted to join Zhao Mancang in fighting the Japanese. After this incident, he had a newfound respect for his adopted grand-nephew, and felt immensely honored to see him commanding the situation.

Li Dadi and Gou Mao were originally long-term laborers for the landlord. When the Japanese came to the landlord's house to conscript men, they were pushed out by the landlord to take the blame. They hated the Japanese even more than the landlord! There was hardly anyone left in their family, and they stayed to fight the Japanese because they wanted to have a home!

The remaining group consisted of the carpenter and his apprentice, the blacksmith, the stonemason, and two grooms, all of whom had families and were constantly worried about their safety. Most importantly, these men had been of little help in the operation and feared that staying behind would be a burden to the group!

"What about you guys? Why aren't you saying anything? We're all friends who've been through thick and thin together, so just say what you're thinking!" After the four girls finished speaking, the six men started to act coy, so Da Zhao couldn't help but urge them on.

"...Uncle Cang, fighting the Japanese...we...are scared..." The carpenter felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about what happened that morning! The rumbling explosions, the banging gunshots, the glaring Japanese soldiers, and Heiwa lying in a pool of blood...all of these made the lives of ordinary people like them tremble with fear!

"Haha, everyone's scared the first time they've experienced something like this! To be honest, I was so scared that my hands were shaking and I couldn't hold the dagger. But you have to be strong in front of the Japanese devils. It's like encountering a vicious dog; the more scared you are, the more it barks! We'll work on getting our courage back first; everyone has to!" Zhao Mancang explained.

"...So, does that mean we can fight the Japanese too?" the stonemason said expectantly.

"Of course! You skilled people are a rare breed! We'll need your help for the construction and logistics of the mountain stronghold in the future!" Zhao Mancang continued to encourage.

"Alright! We'll do it!" The blacksmith said through gritted teeth, as if he had made a major decision. "If we're talking about hating the Japanese, we craftsmen are no less than you. Before, we craftsmen made furniture for one family and built houses for another. We were busy all year round and could still support our families. In winter, we could have a peaceful New Year with our wives and children on a warm bed."

"Everything was in complete chaos after the Japanese came. Very few families made furniture, and no one built a house. It was hard enough to support oneself, let alone one's family! I personally witnessed the Japanese robbing their employers three or four times. They took everything, from grain and livestock to women! What's worse, they even killed the entire family, including the children they were holding!"

"Fight the Japanese devils! I've been a coward for half my life and I'm still stuck working as a laborer for them. Kind people are bullied and good horses are ridden. Everyone has two shoulders and one head! At worst, I'll die like Heiwa and still be a hero!"

"If you need anything from Uncle Cang, just let him know. Fighting the Japanese is the most important thing for us men to do right now!"

The blacksmith became more and more excited as he spoke, clearly having made a great decision.

"Well said! We should give it our all and fight the Japanese devils! It's all for nothing if people are dead! Nobody will have a good life until we defeat the Japanese devils!"

"Done!"

"Done!"

Inspired by the blacksmith's words, the men seemed to forget their fear and were determined to fight the Japanese to the death!

"Good! That sounds inspiring! If everyone is willing to fight the Japanese devils together, then let's have a good fight with them! We're not doing this for anything else, just to protect our families from being bullied!"

"Tianma Village is quite good; its location, terrain, and walls are all very well concealed. From now on, we'll make this our home, bring our wives, children, and elderly parents here, and live together so we can focus on dealing with the Japanese without worry!"

“In that case, each of us will receive five silver dollars and go back to pick up our families tomorrow. After that, we’ll tidy this place up properly, and from now on, this will be our home. We’ll protect our families from being bullied!” Zhao Mancang also got excited; the blacksmith’s words had stirred his blood.

"Okay! Done!"

"Done!"

Besides the readily available housing and the strategically advantageous, easily defensible location, another reason for choosing this spot was that since the bandits had abandoned it, they wouldn't easily suspect anyone else would dare to cause trouble here. This is what people often refer to as "the darkest place is under the lamp"—the most dangerous place is often the safest!

After agreeing on the plan, they took out their earnings from the mine and gave each person five silver dollars, reminding them to be careful on their journey. The Japanese wouldn't remain indifferent to such a commotion, especially when crossing checkpoints; they needed to be extra cautious. Fortunately, these people lived in the countryside and didn't need to pass through markets, so they wouldn't have to go through too many checkpoints, which reassured him considerably.