Newborn 1927

As a soldier, Fang Yongchang naturally had to inspect the troops during his trip to Yantai. The next day, accompanied by Shi Zhongcheng, he visited the Xishan barracks, where the 1st Garrison Regiment was stationed. This was nominally a garrison brigade. Yang Jiefang ordered the barracks to change their military flag to the five-colored flag beforehand, and to replace the uniforms and weapons with the original ones. Fang Yongchang looked around but didn't notice anything unusual. He then left Yantai, citing busy military affairs. Before leaving, Fang Yongchang, citing a severe shortage of officials in the Jiaodong region that would be difficult to fill in the short term, requested that the Jiaodong Garrison Command impose military control. Yang Jiefang then presented him with a bank draft worth one million yuan. This compliant gesture pleased Fang Yongchang greatly.

After Fang Yongchang boarded the ship and left the shore, Shi Zhongcheng asked in a low voice, "Are you really planning to pay double the taxes every year?" Yang Jiefang replied, "I'm about to implement rent and interest reduction policies in Jiaodong. Where would I get the money to pay them?" Shi Zhongcheng said, "I knew you were using delaying tactics. If you don't pay the taxes, do you think they'll let you off the hook? In my opinion, you can only delay until after the autumn harvest at most." Yang Jiefang said, "It doesn't matter. At worst, I'll launch an autumn harvest uprising. Brother Shi, which troops do you think Zhang Zongchang will send to quell the rebellion?" Shi Zhongcheng replied, "Is that even a question? Certainly..." "They sent Fang Yongchang to clean house," Yang Jiefang said. "Then let's train our troops well, formulate a battle plan in advance, and prepare to fight Fang Yongchang!" Shi Zhongcheng said with a wry smile, "Didn't you say that a good choice could save me ten years of struggle? Now we're about to turn against Zhang Zongchang, who has hundreds of thousands of troops! I feel increasingly uncertain." Yang Jiefang replied, "I did say that a good choice could save you ten years of struggle, but I didn't say you wouldn't need to struggle at all! To shorten that ten-year gap, you always have to take some risks." Shi Zhongcheng was speechless; no matter what Yang Jiefang said, he was right.

Yang Jiefang continued, "Although things are temporarily calm in the south, just wait and see! That Commander-in-Chief Chiang will eventually return to power and launch another Northern Expedition. Zhang Zongchang won't be able to cause trouble for long. When that happens, if we fight Zhang Zongchang here, it will be considered a contribution to the Northern Expedition. Would Commander-in-Chief Chiang have the nerve not to reward us brothers? That's a thousand times better than dying with Zhang Zongchang!" Shi Zhongcheng said, "Didn't you just agree to three rules, not to join the Kuomintang?" Yang Jiefang replied, "I won't join the Kuomintang, but I didn't say you can't. If you can be enfeoffed as a regional warlord, I'll benefit from it and become a minor warlord myself, how about that?"

Yang Jiefang's three-point agreement and the previous crackdown campaign quickly made it into the newspapers. Most newspapers reported on it objectively, mostly giving positive coverage. Readers across the country praised it highly, demonstrating that the general public desires a better social environment.

After seeing Fang Yongchang off, Yang Jiefang's first task was to reorganize the officialdom in Jiaodong. With a large number of vacancies, Yang Jiefang had few capable people around him and had to select from the existing officials. He appointed his father-in-law, Jiang Qingfu, as the mayor of Yantai, much to his father-in-law's delight, who thought this son-in-law was capable. Of the thirteen counties in Jiaodong, only Qixia County remained unchanged; the rest had new county heads. Tian Yisan officially became the county head of Laiyang County, Wu Laokou became the county head of Haiyang County, and Jiang Tingqi, Jiang Xiaojun's cousin and the mayor of Shuangshui Town, became the county head of Fushan County. Yang Jiefang couldn't possibly investigate each of the remaining nine counties individually, so he had the local security forces recommend candidates, using them as a starting point.

He then issued another document implementing rent and interest reduction policies and abolishing exorbitant taxes in the Jiaodong region. This meant implementing the new policies he had proposed in Qixia County throughout the entire Jiaodong area. His office director, Master Kong, was responsible for supervising the implementation. Having gained some experience, the policy proceeded relatively smoothly. The people of Jiaodong cheered. One positive impact was that a large number of educated youth enthusiastically joined the army. Within just a few days, thousands of young people in Yantai city signed up for military service, most of them with primary school education. The same was true in other counties, with a constant stream of people signing up. Yang Jiefang ordered that all those with primary school education be escorted to Yantai for intensive training.

Previously, Gao Huilan had been urging Yang Jiefang to sing a good women's song. Yang Jiefang knew many military songs, but few specifically for female soldiers. After much thought, she wrote down the lyrics to "The Ballad of the Female Soldiers" and taught it to the women's special operations unit. While not particularly powerful, "The Ballad of the Female Soldiers" was melodious and the female soldiers loved it, quickly learning it. After the crackdown, they often sang it in the streets, attracting many young women to join the army. These were mostly highly educated modern women, much to Gao Huilan's delight, who wanted to enlist them all in the women's special operations unit. Yang Jiefang naturally refused, only agreeing to enlist some of the physically fit women, while the majority would be assigned to non-combat units.

On August 28th, Yang Jiefang once again visited Yantai Port to welcome an important figure—Xie Baozhang. Xie Baozhang was currently the Rear Admiral and Director of the Shanghai Hydrographic Survey Bureau. When Lin Zun and other representatives of the Yantai Naval Academy's faculty and students invited him to Yantai, he was somewhat tempted. However, he worried that the naval academy would fall under the control of Yang Jiefang, a local warlord, and that he would become a puppet if he went to Yantai. Therefore, he sent a telegram to his close friend, Sa Zhenbing, the then Governor of Fujian Province. Only after receiving Sa Zhenbing's support did he set off for Yantai. The naval academy received advance notice and notified the garrison command. Yang Jiefang personally led the naval police brigade to line up at the port to welcome this veteran naval officer.

Before the ship arrived, Yang Jiefang made a point of checking the uniforms and attire of his team members. To his surprise, Grandpa Wang, the grandfather of Qi Xiaobao and Wang Dahai, was also among the welcoming crowd. Yang Jiefang couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa Wang, what are you doing here?" Grandpa Wang laughed and said, "Just here to watch the fun, is it alright?" Yang Jiefang replied, "It's alright," and then ignored him.

As the ship docked, a thin elderly man, supported by a young woman, approached, led by Lin Zun. Yang Jiefang stepped forward to greet him. Lin Zun introduced, "Brigade Commander Yang, this is Principal Xie." Yang Jiefang saluted and said loudly, "Yang Jiefang, Brigade Commander of the 2nd Jiaodong Garrison Brigade, greets Principal Xie." Xie Baozhang said, "You are a Major General, and I am also a Major General. You salute me; I dare not accept such a salute!" Yang Jiefang felt a pang of embarrassment. The other man's Major General rank was earned through years of hard work, while his own was bought with money. How could he treat him the same? So he replied, "You are a senior in the military, whom I greatly admire. Today, it is only right for a junior to greet a senior."

Before Xie Baozhang could reply, the woman beside him spoke up, "I heard everyone calls you Little Commander. You're quite young indeed, truly a young hero!" Yang Jiefang asked, "May I ask who you are, Miss...?" Lin Zun interrupted, "She is Principal Xie's daughter, Miss Xie Wanying. Miss Xie just returned from Wellesley College in the United States with a Master of Arts degree. She's quite a talented woman!" Yang Jiefang blurted out, "Are you Sister Bing Xin?" Xie Wanying was taken aback and said, "Bing Xin is my pen name. How did you know it was me?"

Yang Jiefang laughed and said, "I've read your articles, so I know you." But in his heart, he thought: Bing Xin's real name was Xie Wanying; even elementary school students know that. But the books don't mention that her father was a naval officer who participated in the First Sino-Japanese War. Xie Baozhang dedicated his life to the naval cause. Due to long periods at sea, he was separated from his wife, and his eldest daughter, Xie Wanying, was born in middle age. He was over sixty, while his eldest daughter was only in her twenties.

Yang Jiefang immediately said, "I'm planning to start a teachers' college. I wonder if Sister Bing Xin would be interested in teaching there?" Xie Wanying smiled and said, "You keep calling me 'sister,' I feel bad refusing. Please allow me to think about it first, and we'll talk about it later."

The key figure today was Xie Baozhang, so Yang Jiefang naturally wouldn't neglect him. He said, "Principal Xie, you must be exhausted from the long journey. I've already booked a room at the Clifton Hotel. Please rest first, and I'll visit you again when you're rested." Xie Baozhang waved his hand, saying, "I've spent most of my life on ships; why would I need rest? We are soldiers; military affairs should be our priority. Let's go directly to your headquarters and have a good chat." Indeed, a pure soldier's style is quite different.

At this moment, Grandpa Wang strode over, flicked his sleeves, knelt on one knee, and shouted loudly, "Wang Si, the stern gunner of the Laiyuan warship, greets Second Officer Xie." Xie Baozhang was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Wang Si?" Grandpa Wang replied, "Wang is the character for three horizontal strokes and one vertical stroke, and Si is the character for one, two, three, and four. You once said that this name is easy to remember."

This sentence stirred up Xie Baozhang's memories. During the Battle of the Yalu River against the Japanese Navy, the Laiyuan suffered the most severe damage, listing heavily. Xie Baozhang, then the ship's second mate, used his superb navigation skills to save the warship from sinking and steer it back to Weihai Port. However, the ship's stern gun was destroyed, and many sailors were killed or went missing after falling into the water.

He immediately helped Wang Si up and said, "Old brother, I remember you. Since you're still alive, why didn't you come looking for me?" Wang Si replied, "I was lucky enough to be rescued by a fisherman. I was supposed to return to my unit, but I heard that the Laiyuan warship was attacked by the Japanese in Weihai Harbor and sank. I thought everyone on board was dead, but I didn't expect that you, Lord Xie, are still alive." Xie Baozhang said, "Yes, many brothers died. I'm a good swimmer, and I swam to Liugong Island and survived by chance. That's why I require all naval academy students to learn to swim."

Wang Si turned around and beckoned Qi Xiaobao and Wang Dahai to his side, saying, "This is my grandson Wang Dahai, and Qi Xiaobao is the grandson of my benefactor, Brother Qi. They are both fine young men, please take them in! Let them learn skills from you. We were defeated back then, and now we are old and useless, so let our children and grandchildren avenge us!"

Seeing the two men in camouflage uniforms, Xie Baozhang turned to Yang Jiefang and asked, "Are they your soldiers?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Yes. They belong to the naval police brigade, originally prepared for the future establishment of the navy. If Principal Xie doesn't mind, I'm willing to hand over the entire naval police brigade to Principal Xie for training and command." Xie Baozhang glanced at the naval police brigade standing beside him and said, "We're getting old. If we want to avenge our past humiliations, we really have to rely on these young men." He turned to Wang Si and said, "Old brother, I promise you, I will train them well so that they can inherit our cause and defend our sea borders." Hearing this, Yang Jiefang was very happy. When he first met Wang Si, he felt that this old man was not simple. At that time, he thought he had been a pirate, but he didn't expect him to be a veteran.

At this moment, a young man walked over and stood upright next to Lin Zun, catching Yang Jiefang's attention, who couldn't help but sized him up. Lin Zun immediately introduced him, "Brigadier General Yang, this is my senior, Guo Shousheng. He heard that you want to expand recruitment and vigorously develop the navy, so he came to join us." Guo Shousheng saluted and said, "I graduated from the Yantai Naval Academy. Although my abilities are limited, I also want to contribute to the cause of China's navy. I hope the young commander will accept me!"

Yang Jiefang had always felt the name Lin Zun sounded familiar, but now, seeing him alongside Guo Shousheng, he immediately recognized them. Guo Shousheng was a Party member who had participated in the Third Armed Uprising of Shanghai Workers. After the April 12 Incident, he lost contact with the Party organization. He remained steadfast in his faith and actively sought to re-establish contact. His Party introducer was Yun Daiying, but with Yun Daiying's sacrifice, his identity became difficult to verify. It wasn't until after the victory against Japan, when Dong Biwu personally confirmed his identity, that he returned to the Party. During the Crossing the Yangtze River Campaign, he and Lin Zun successfully organized a fleet uprising, thus giving birth to the first navy of the new China. Yang Jiefang was overjoyed. Now that he knew it was them, he could use them with confidence; the People's Navy would be born under their leadership. Compared to them, Li Yichao, Qi Xiaobao, and others lacked sufficient professional knowledge.

Yang Jiefang immediately said, "We are desperately short of naval personnel here, and we are extremely eager to recruit talent! Since you have come to join us, you will lead the team responsible for receiving the ships. Can you handle this matter well?" Guo Shousheng did not refuse and immediately replied, "I will definitely sail the four warships safely back to China." Yang Jiefang said, "It's not as simple as just sailing them back; they also need to achieve initial combat capability." Guo Shousheng replied, "Yes."

After everyone had finished meeting, Yang Jiefang was about to lead them to the headquarters when he suddenly heard a sweet voice call out, "San Ya Zi, are you here to pick me up?" Yang Jiefang looked in the direction of the voice and saw Liu Ya Mei and Aunt Chu walking towards him with smiles on their faces. Yang Jiefang exclaimed happily, "Sister Liu, Aunt Chu, you're back! That's wonderful!" The two of them had been gone to Changsha for almost two months without any news. He never expected them to arrive in Yantai today with Xie Baozhang and the others. He couldn't help but go to greet them. Judging from the way the two of them looked at each other, if they weren't in public, they would definitely be embracing and kissing passionately.

Liu Yamei pointed behind her and said, "Look behind me, these are all the talents I recruited from Xiangya School. There are thirteen doctors and twenty-one nurses in total. With them, it's enough to establish a fully-equipped, regular hospital." Overjoyed with this double celebration, Yang Jiefang said, "My People's Liberation Army Hospital can now officially open! Thank you both for your hard work! Let's arrange accommodations for everyone first, and I'll treat you to a welcome dinner tonight."

Aunt Chu interjected, "Sister Liu has arranged for Xiangya School to enroll an additional one hundred medical students and nurses. They will be assigned to work here after graduation. However, we will have to pay for their tuition." Yang Jiefang was even more delighted and said, "How could I be short of money? The most precious thing in this world is always talent! You should have contacted me sooner; I've been worried about you." Aunt Chu said, "We only recently learned from the newspaper that you went to Yantai, so we came straight back. Sister Liu said she wanted to give you a surprise, which is why she didn't tell you beforehand."

Yang Jiefang said, "This is indeed a great surprise! You've done a great job this time. Just name your reward, and I'll try my best to fulfill it." Liu Yamei leaned close to Yang Jiefang's ear and whispered, "You little rascal, you said it yourself, you'll give me any reward I want?" Yang Jiefang, smelling her faint fragrance, couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart and whispered back, "Of course." Liu Yamei giggled and said loudly, "Then don't go back on your word. I want to be the director of this hospital, can you give that to me?" Yang Jiefang nodded and replied, "That's possible."