Newborn 1927

Liu Siqi's birth immediately reminded Yang Jiefang of her future husband and her future mother-in-law—the tragically deceased Jiao Yang. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head: Jiao Yang hadn't yet sacrificed herself; if they sent someone to rescue her, it should be in time!

After giving birth, Zhang Wenqiu was quickly wheeled out. Liu Qianchu accompanied her to the ward. Mu Yanshu was still giving birth inside, so Yang Jiefang had to continue waiting outside.

Jiang Zhenguo rushed over. She was still practically on her feet, arriving in a palanquin. She asked anxiously, "How is it? Has she given birth yet?" She had already guessed that the baby hadn't been born yet, seeing Yang Jiefang waiting outside the delivery room, but she was just asking casually.

Just as Yang Jiefang was about to answer, Yuan Zhifu opened the door again and said, "She's given birth! She's given birth! Congratulations, Commander! Madam Mu has given birth to a son." Jiang Zhenguo put her hands together and said, "Thank God! Our ancestors, our Mu family has an heir."

Yang Jiefang asked, "Head Nurse, how is Yan Shu? Is she alright?" Yuan Zhifu replied, "She's a little weak after giving birth, but she's fine. She just needs some rest."

A short while later, Liu Yamei came out of the delivery room, glanced at Yang Jiefang, and said, "Not bad, you're becoming more and more competent." Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Sister Liu, thank you for your hard work!" Liu Yamei replied, "Like I said, it's not me who's working hard, it's the person giving birth inside." Yang Jiefang said, "You've all worked very hard."

Liu Yamei suddenly changed the subject, saying, "There's something I just wanted to tell you. I need to go back to Changsha." Yang Jiefang asked curiously, "Given the current situation, war could break out at any moment. Why are you going back to Changsha now?" Liu Yamei replied, "That's precisely why I need to go back to Changsha. Have you forgotten? Three years ago, I asked Xiangya Medical College to recruit a group of medical students through a special program. Now that these medical students are about to graduate, I naturally need to go and check on the results."

Yang Jiefang then remembered that there was indeed such a thing. Three years ago, when they were still in Qinglongzhai, they wanted to set up a field hospital but lacked doctors. Liu Yamei took Aunt Chu to Changsha to recruit doctors, and that's how the hospital was set up. He glanced at Aunt Chu beside him and said, "Then let Aunt Chu accompany you on another trip!"

Liu Yamei turned to look at Aunt Chu and asked, "Is it convenient?" Aunt Chu replied, "It's not inconvenient at all. Sister Liu, when do you plan to leave?" Liu Yamei replied, "In the next few days. The school is arranging internships for this batch of medical students. I plan to bring them to Jinan. With war approaching, having more interns is always good." Aunt Chu said, "I'll make some preparations later. Just let me know when you're ready to leave." Liu Yamei nodded, turned, and left; she had other work to do.

Yang Jiefang pulled Aunt Chu aside and said, "Aunt Chu, could you help me find someone when you go to Changsha this time?" Aunt Chu asked, "Who?" Yang Jiefang said, "It's a woman surnamed Yang. She's from Bancang in Changsha County and has three sons... This person is very important! You must bring them, mother and children, safely to Jinan!" Aunt Chu said, "She's also surnamed Yang? You said you're from Hunan. Could it be that your grandmother and father fled famine from Changsha to Shandong? Is this Aunt Chu a relative of yours?" Yang Jiefang's lips twitched, and he said, "You could think of it that way. This Aunt Chu is in some trouble and not easy to find. Even if you find her, she might not admit her identity. So, I need to tell you all about her situation. How about this? I'll come to your room tonight, and I'll tell you in detail!" Aunt Chu blushed and nodded, "Okay!"

Mu Yanshu was wheeled out of the delivery room. Yang Jiefang went over to see the mother and child, and they went to the ward together. Jiang Zhenguo was very happy to see that they were both safe and sound, her eyes narrowing into slits. She held the baby in her arms and said, "We had an agreement. Yanshu's children would take the surname Mu. This child will be the eldest grandson of the Mu family, and he will inherit our family business. He belongs to the 'Shi' generation, and I'd like to name him Mu Shixing, meaning prosperity for generations. What do you think of this name?"

Although she was asking, she didn't really give Yang Jiefang a choice. Yang Jiefang didn't care and replied, "Okay, as long as you're happy." Jiang Zhenguo was even happier. Mu Yanshu also smiled, then coughed. Yang Jiefang asked with concern, "What's wrong?" Mu Yanshu smiled and said, "Nothing, it's just a bit cold." Jiang Zhenguo added, "Quickly cover yourself up! You can't be exposed to drafts during postpartum confinement." Mu Yanshu obediently huddled under the covers and said, "You don't need to stay here with me. Go do what you need to do!" Jiang Zhenguo urged, "Go do your work! You can't help with things here. I'm asking for a few days off to take care of my precious grandson." Urged by the mother and daughter, Yang Jiefang left the hospital and returned to his post.

That evening, Yang Jiefang went to Aunt Chu's room. Aunt Chu was already waiting for him. Yang Jiefang said he had something to discuss, and he really meant it. He didn't hide anything and told Aunt Chu about Jiao Yang's identity. He also told Aunt Chu that, based on the intelligence he had, Jiao Yang was in danger and needed to be moved.

Aunt Chu was genuinely surprised and said, "Although I am also a Party member, we don't belong to the same branch. Even if I find her, she may not believe me, let alone come with me easily. What should I do?" Yang Jiefang said, "I know, so I've made some preparations. Here are a few poems that her husband wrote for her. Outsiders shouldn't know about them. If you memorize them carefully, perhaps you can use them to gain her trust."

Aunt Chu took the paper Yang Jiefang handed her. It contained two poems: one was "Yu Meiren: On My Pillow," and the other was "He Xinlang: Farewell to a Friend." Aunt Chu frowned and asked, "How do you know these poems that outsiders don't know?" Yang Jiefang replied, "I naturally have my own sources of information." Aunt Chu didn't ask any further questions and carefully memorized them.

The following day, Chu Gu selected several female soldiers from the women's commando unit to accompany her and Liu Yamei south. Yang Jiefang sent a telegram to Bao Ziqiang, instructing him to arrange for the intelligence group in Changsha to fully cooperate with Chu Gu's operation.

Yang Yongtai and Xu Yongchang both visited Jinan again. Zhang Xueliang, the young marshal of Northeast China, had declared a neutral stance, but Yang Jiefang had not yet expressed his opinion, making him a target for both sides to court. In fact, they hadn't given up on trying to win over Zhang Xueliang either.

Yang Yongtai agreed that as long as Yang Jiefang expressed his stance and supported the Central Committee, he could appoint him as the commander of the Pingjin Garrison and agree to let him send troops to garrison Pingjin.

Xu Yongchang proposed that half of Suiyuan, centered on Baotou, be given to Yang Jiefang, and agreed to allow him to station troops there. The condition was that Yang Jiefang lead the Fourth Front Army south along the Jinpu Railway.

Yang Jiefang accepted all the benefits, and his consistent response was: if the Northeast Army does not participate in the war, the People's Liberation Army will not participate in the war.

On March 10, Feng Yuxiang returned to Shaanxi from Shanxi and reorganized his troops at Tongguan. He decided to make a desperate gamble and send all his troops out of Tongguan to fight Chiang Kai-shek to the death. On March 14, 57 generals, including Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, and Li Hongzhang, jointly telegraphed, demanding that Chiang Kai-shek step down.

Yang Jiefang immediately telegraphed Liu Xijiu, Guan Xiangying, and others from the Shaanxi Road Construction Committee, ordering a small number of people to continue laying tracks while the majority of laborers and their families were sent home. In fact, because the drought had eased somewhat, some families had already returned to their hometowns before the Lunar New Year to engage in self-sufficiency through production. Hundreds of thousands of Shaanxi disaster victims had already been relocated to Suiyuan from Shandong. Li Boyan was highly capable; he simultaneously resettled the disaster victims, organized laborers to reclaim wasteland for farming, and built a steel plant. Agricultural tractors produced by the Jinan Tractor Factory came in handy. Vast amounts of uncultivated land in Suiyuan were reclaimed and planted with various crops.

At this time, the two sides had not yet truly engaged in battle. Seeing Feng Yuxiang's aggressive posture, Han Fuqu, the chairman of Henan Province, led his troops eastward to preserve his strength. No sooner had the troops left Zhengzhou than Zhang Deshun, the commander of the cavalry division, led his troops away from the main force and turned west to join Feng Yuxiang. The former Northwest Army troops stationed in western Henan also turned to join Feng Yuxiang.

At this time, Zhengzhou was practically a ghost town. Sun Zhiyong sent an urgent telegram requesting permission to seize Zhengzhou. Yang Jiefang immediately replied, refusing. The two sides hadn't even officially engaged in battle yet, and he didn't want to seize this powder keg. Yang Jiefang also strictly ordered the troops in northern Henan to remain stationary and await further orders.

On April 1st, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, and Li Hongzhang officially assumed the positions of Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Navy, and Air Force in Taiyuan, Tongguan, and Guiping, respectively. Feng Yuxiang appointed Lu Zhonglin as Commander-in-Chief of the Frontline Forces, leading the Northwest Army to seize Luoyang, Zhengzhou, and other cities. Seeing Han Fuqu retreating step by step while Wan Xuancai pressed forward, capturing Kaifeng, Feng Yuxiang appointed Wan Xuancai as Chairman of Henan Province.

The Nationalist government responded quickly, convening a Central Standing Committee meeting, issuing an arrest warrant for Yan Xishan, and expelling him from the party. As for Feng Yuxiang, he had already been expelled from the party long before.

By mid-April, the main force of the Northwest Army had crossed the Pinghan Railway from west to east, but the two sides had not yet actually engaged in battle. Yan Xishan established the Third Front Army's forward command headquarters in Shijiazhuang, appointing Xu Yongchang as the forward commander-in-chief. The Shanxi Army, wanting to advance south, had to pass through Yang Jiefang's territory. Yang Jiefang had not yet stated his position, and Xu Yongchang repeatedly consulted with him, trying his best to win him over. Yang Jiefang agreed that as long as the Shanxi Army did not linger in northern Henan and Shandong or harass the local population, they could advance south via the Pinghan and Jinpu Railways.

Yan Xishan clearly did not fully trust Yang Jiefang and did not send his entire army south. Yang Aiyuan led a portion of the Shanxi Army south along the Pinghan Railway to cooperate with the Northwest Army on the Longhai Railway, while the main force of the Shanxi Army remained in Tianjin. According to news from Tianjin by Huang Sheng, the Shanxi Army stationed there consisted of six armies and three artillery regiments, totaling 100,000 men, accounting for half of the total Shanxi Army force, and was commanded by Fu Zuoyi.

By late April, after more than two months of relocation, all the Shaanxi refugees stranded in Shandong had been moved to Suiyuan. A large amount of construction materials were also transported there. Fu Zuoyi and his men were relatively kind; although they coveted the supplies, they did not take them. The Jin army was preparing for a major southward advance and withdrew from Suiyuan, causing the city's security to deteriorate rapidly. On the fifteenth day of the month, following Yang Jiefang's instructions, more than 5000 Shaanxi men were recruited, along with 300 elite policemen selected from Shandong, to form the Baotou Garrison Brigade.

That day, a telegram arrived from Qingdao: Liu Yamei and Aunt Chu had arrived in Qingdao. Because of the tense situation between the North and South, they chose to travel by water, first by boat to Shanghai, and then from Shanghai to Qingdao. The telegram was from Aunt Chu, who emphasized that Jiao Yang should be accompanied by her three children and a nanny, disguised as a nurse. Yang Jiefang secretly breathed a sigh of relief; as long as they were on his territory, even if the Heavenly King himself came, he wouldn't be able to harm them. At the same time, he was secretly grateful for the Central Plains War, as He Jian was currently preoccupied with internal strife and had no energy to deal with the Communists.

When Liu Yamei and her entourage arrived in Jinan, Yang Jiefang personally greeted them at the train station. Liu Yamei got off the train first, walked up to Yang Jiefang, and said with a smile, "Commander, it's truly an honor to have you come to pick us up!" Yang Jiefang smiled and replied, "Sister Liu, you've worked so hard; it's only right that I came to greet you." Liu Yamei had already guessed that Yang Jiefang wasn't there to pick her up, but she didn't say anything and happily introduced her entourage. They were all medical professionals who had graduated from Xiangya Medical College, both men and women, doctors and nurses. Yang Jiefang shook hands with each of them, appearing approachable and winning their favor.

Yang Jiefang arranged for a car to take the medical staff to the hospital. His real concern was for the Jiao Yang family, who were lagging behind. Aunt Chu, along with several female soldiers in civilian clothes, escorted them as they got out of the car last. Yang Jiefang walked over, observing the mother and her three children as he went. At the same time, Jiao Yang was also observing Yang Jiefang.

Yang Jiefang spoke first, "I am Yang Jiefang. Welcome to Shandong. You are safe here." Jiao Yang continued, "My name is Yang Xia, this is my nanny, Sister Sun. And here are my three children: Liu Yongfu, Liu Yongshou, and Liu Yonglu. Children, quickly call him Uncle." The oldest child was eight, and the youngest was only three. Hearing their mother's words, they called Yang Jiefang Uncle. Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "You've got it wrong. Your mother is my cousin from my hometown in Hunan. I am your maternal uncle." The three children turned to look at Yang Xia, who nodded slightly. The three children then corrected themselves and called him Uncle. Yang Jiefang happily took the hand of the eldest child, Liu Yongfu, and said, "Come on, let's go home with Uncle!"

Yang Xia naturally wouldn't choose to stay at his commander's mansion. At her request, Yang Jiefang arranged for them to stay in a civilian house with a courtyard near the mansion. He had planned to send several female soldiers to protect them, but Yang Xia refused. Yang Xia said, "The more ordinary our family is, the less attention we'll attract, and the safer we'll be. Besides, we don't have the right to enjoy this honor."

Yang Jiefang said, "Sister, please believe me! I am your husband's closest comrade-in-arms. I will definitely protect you and our child for him." Yang Xia replied, "I believe you on that point. Regardless of your public identity, the fact that you know the poems he wrote for me shows that you are a trustworthy person. That's why I agreed to bring the child here." After a slight pause, Yang Xia continued, "After I come here, I don't want to stay idle at home. Could you arrange a job for me?"

Yang Jiefang thought for a moment and said, "I remember you once organized a girls' night school. Shandong is currently developing its industry vigorously, and women make up a large proportion of the workforce in factories. They also need to improve their cultural knowledge. Why don't you organize another girls' night school?"

Yang Xia was delighted and said, "Great! That's exactly what I wanted to do." Yang Jiefang thought for a moment and then said, "You're new here and don't know anyone. Why don't you have Aunt Chu and Zhang Wenqiu assist you?" Yang Xia asked, "Zhang Wenqiu? Which Zhang Wenqiu?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Zhang Wenqiu from Hubei. She graduated from a teachers' college, and teaching is her job." Yang Xia asked in confusion, "Why is she here too?" Yang Jiefang replied, "This is her husband's family home. She used to be my secretary, but she recently gave birth and is currently recuperating at home." Yang Xia said, "She's an old friend. I should go see her and discuss this matter with her."