Newborn 1927

Yang Jiefang knew Hou Fei had gone out to report, so he just kept his head down and continued gnawing on the unpalatable cornbread. After finally finishing, he felt an urge to urinate, so he got up and left the room. It was a main room, open to the north and south, with a side room on each side; he had just been in the east side room. Turning towards the backyard, a gust of cold wind hit him, and Yang Jiefang couldn't help but shiver. The wind carried a faint smell of mutton; there was a sheep pen in the backyard, with a flock of goats inside, bleating as if they had seen someone. Yang Jiefang glanced at it, then found the outhouse and rushed over. Suppressing the urge to vomit, he held his breath, quickly urinated, and then ran back to his room, quickly crawling into bed, thankfully the blankets were still warm.

After an unknown amount of time, Hou Fei returned. Yang Jiefang knew he must have something to say, so he sat up. Hou Fei indeed spoke: "I've relayed what you said to the chief. The chief is quite sympathetic to your situation and, out of a sense of chivalry, asked me to take care of you. However… these days, everyone has their struggles, and I hope you can understand. So… you can only stay here for three days, and you've already been lying down for two. That means I'll be sending you down the mountain tomorrow."

Yang Jiefang bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Brother Fei! I've bothered you these past two days." Hou Fei shook his head and said, "You don't need to thank me. I was just following orders and can't help you much. If I may ask, do you have any good places to go after you go down the mountain? Or do you have any close relatives you can rely on?" Yang Jiefang smiled bitterly, "Obviously not. If I did, I wouldn't be in this situation." Hou Fei frowned and said, "That's troublesome." Yang Jiefang knew perfectly well what was going on, but asked with a worried expression, "Does Brother Fei have any good suggestions? If you could offer some guidance, I would be extremely grateful." Hou Fei had been waiting for this answer, and said, "You can stay in the mountain stronghold!"

Yang Jiefang hadn't fallen asleep after lying in bed. After some thought, he gradually calmed down. Going south to find the instructor was important, but not feasible at the moment; survival was paramount. Frankly, staying was the best option, and perhaps he could even enlist the help of these bandits. After arriving at Jinggang Mountain, the instructor had first incorporated and reorganized a bandit force before establishing himself and growing stronger. With his successful experience as a precedent, he could apply what he learned and accomplish something; if he could gather a force and establish a base, that would be perfect.

Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "What you say makes sense, but I wonder what requirements the stronghold has for new members? Do we have to kill someone as a pledge of allegiance?" Hou Fei immediately sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "Actually, there aren't any specific requirements. The key is to have someone to guide you. Don't worry about that; I can be your guide. A pledge of allegiance is optional, and killing someone is unnecessary. Our stronghold has its own rules; it's best not to kill if you can avoid it."

Yang Jiefang asked curiously, "Brother Fei, we've only just met and aren't familiar with each other. Why are you willing to guide me up the mountain?" Hou Fei replied sadly, "I'm a year older than you, and I'm also homeless! Since we've met, it's fate. I'll help if I can, and if I can't, there's nothing I can do." Yang Jiefang was grateful and said, "Brother Fei, can you tell me about your experiences? How did you get into Qinglong Village?"

Hou Fei smiled bitterly, "If we weren't desperate to survive, how many people would willingly become bandits in the mountains? When I was three years old, my father went to Northeast China and never came back. I heard he was beaten to death by bandits from beyond the Great Wall. Then my mother remarried, leaving me to live with my grandfather. But a few years later, when I was just ten, my grandfather also died. Everyone said he died of illness, but I know he actually died from exhaustion and starvation." At this point, tears welled up in Hou Fei's eyes, and Yang Jiefang, deeply moved, also felt a lump in his throat.

Hou Fei continued, “Because my family still owed money to Zhang the rich man, I went to herd sheep for him. There was no pay, just two meals a day, barely enough to fill me up. I also found some wild vegetables and fruits on the mountain, so I didn’t starve. I did this for two years, and then I followed Brother Sun into Qinglong Village. It’s been four years now. Thanks to Brother Sun’s care these past few years, no one has bullied me here, and I can eat two full meals a day. Although I still herd sheep every day… Oh dear, it’s time to feed the sheep some grass.” He immediately stood up and turned back to say, “You rest first, let me feed the sheep some grass before we continue our chat.” Yang Jiefang felt embarrassed to continue lying down and got up, saying, “I’ve been lying down for too long, I need to stretch my legs. I’ll go with you.” He got out of bed and followed Hou Fei to the backyard.

There were thirty or forty sheep in the sheepfold, and next to it was a thatched hut piled high with bundles of dried hay. Hou Fei took out a bundle, untied the rope, and tossed it into the sheepfold. The sheep rushed over to eat the hay, and Hou Fei, beaming, said, "These are my own sheep, thirty-eight in total. When the world is at peace, I'll drive them down the mountain. I'll sell a few, get married, settle down, and if I can buy a few acres of land, then... life will be good!" Seeing his hopeful expression, Yang Jiefang couldn't bear to tell him that there wouldn't be peace for the next twenty years. So he praised, "I didn't expect you to be such a small-time rich man, Brother Fei!" Hou Fei shook his head and said, "These sheep weren't originally mine; they belonged to the wealthy Zhang family, but now they're mine."

Seeing that Yang Jiefang didn't understand, he explained, "Back when I was herding sheep for Zhang the Rich, I met Brother Sun. He was a very kind man, and he often shared the wild fruits he picked on the mountain with me. That winter, I couldn't find anything to eat and was starving. I ran into Brother Sun roasting meat in the wild, and the aroma could be smelled from afar. Brother Sun invited me to eat with him, and only after I had eaten my fill did he tell me that I had eaten Zhang the Rich's sheep. That Zhang the Rich is a ruthless man! If he knew I had stolen his sheep, he would have beaten me to death. I was so scared that I cried! After I had cried enough, Brother Sun told me that rather than going back and being beaten to death, I should come with him to Qinglong Village. We could herd the sheep up the mountain together as a pledge of allegiance and have a chance to survive." Clearly, Hou Fei was persuaded.

By the time he said this, all the grass had been thrown away. Hou Fei changed the subject, saying, "I've fed my own sheep, and I still need to feed the sheep in the village." He then gestured for Yang Jiefang to leave, explaining things to him as they went. Qinglong Village was named after the nearby Qinglong River, also known as the Clear Water River, one of the five major tributaries of the Five Dragon River. With his explanation, Yang Jiefang understood that the "pledge of allegiance" was essentially a stepping stone to advancement; whether or not a pledge of allegiance was present, and the number of pledges, directly determined the status of newcomers in the village. Despite his young age, Hou Fei's status in Qinglong Village was not low because he had dozens of sheep as a pledge of allegiance. The village didn't collect all pledges of allegiance; they would leave some resources for newcomers. Hou Fei selected a few sheep to raise, and after several years of breeding, they had grown to a considerable size. This was his private property, recognized and protected within the village.

Yang Jiefang asked, "If I want to stay, wouldn't it be better to pay a pledge of allegiance?" Hou Fei replied nonchalantly, "Logically speaking, there are no idlers on the mountain; everyone has to work. Take me for example, I'm responsible for herding the public sheep. If I don't take good care of them and they get lost, I have to compensate. You're a scholar, so it's different. Even if you have to work, it will be easy tasks. There aren't many people in the entire mountain stronghold who can read and write." Yang Jiefang understood. This Qinglong Stronghold was quite interesting; perhaps it was someone he could try to reform. He said, "It seems I'm ignorant. This place is quite different from what I imagined a mountain stronghold to be like." Hou Fei asked, "What do you think a mountain stronghold should be like?" "Going to rob, kill, and burn? If we really did that, we'd be dead soon. The brothers came to the stronghold to find a way to survive, not to die. Take Brother Sun, for example. His name is Sun Zhiyong, nicknamed 'Li Guang' (a legendary general). He used to farm and hunt in the autumn and winter for a little extra money; he was doing quite well. But because he was a good marksman and archer, someone forced him to join the army. How could he do that? Those high-ranking officials are always fighting each other; it's the common soldiers who die, and it's us ordinary folks who suffer. Let whoever wants to do it do it; we won't risk our lives for them." The common people would rather become bandits than join the army and fight, which shows how unpopular these warlords are. Yang Jiefang praised, "Good, well said! Brother Fei, please tell the chief that I want to stay in Qinglong Stronghold."

Hou Fei turned back and smiled, continuing to walk forward as he spoke, “Speaking of our Qinglong Village, we have to mention the Boxer Rebellion. Back then, when the Boxers were active, our old leader led a group of brothers to join. Originally, we wanted to support the Qing and destroy the foreigners, but who would have thought the Qing government would turn against us? Many brothers didn't die at the hands of the foreign devils, but were killed by the very officials they risked their lives to protect; isn't that unjust? Our old leader led the brothers to the mountains to become outlaws only to protect themselves. So the entire village doesn't trust those officials, and we certainly won't risk our lives for them anymore. Zhang Zongchang is also from Jiaodong. After he led his army back to Shandong, he recruited a large number of bandits to join his army. Our Qinglong Village was also recruiting, but we just wouldn't go; risking our lives for them? It's not worth it.”

Yang Jiefang nodded, "So they are Boxers!" The Boxer Rebellion was a mixed bag, and its members are viewed with mixed opinions by later generations. However, many among them were passionate patriots who genuinely hoped for a strong and independent nation. The old leader of Qinglong Village clearly possessed a patriotic heart, yet was deeply disillusioned with those in power. Understanding this, Yang Jiefang became even more determined to forge a people's army here.

The two walked and talked until they reached the foot of a sheltered mountain, where several rows of low houses with stone walls and thatched roofs stood. This was the area specifically for raising livestock. They didn't encounter many people on the way; perhaps everyone was busy with their own affairs, or perhaps they were staying indoors because of the cold weather.

Hou Fei continued, "The old leader was wounded while fighting the foreign devils. Although he survived, his health was ruined. After his death, his only surviving daughter became the leader of our Qinglong Village. The leader was born on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, so she was named Chu Ba (First Eight)." Yang Jiefang asked curiously, "The leader—Black Widow—Chu Ba—what's her surname?" Hou Fei replied, "Of course, it's Chu." There are people with the surname Chu? Well, there must be; I was just ignorant. Hou Fei added, "Her surname is Chu, and her given name is Chu Ba. Yesterday was her birthday, and it's fortunate it was her birthday that you were rescued!"