Newborn 1927

The next day, just as dawn broke, Yang Jiefang woke everyone up and said, "The first step in military training is physical training. Starting today, the first thing everyone does every morning is run. Since we're just starting, let's lower the bar a bit. Run ten li (approximately 5 kilometers) every day, for half an hour. Use my pocket watch as the reference." The group didn't know how long half an hour was, but they knew how far ten li was. Yang Jiefang didn't waste any words and said directly, "Hou Fei, you know the way well, you lead the way. You should know how far ten li is, so just lead everyone in a lap. I'll bring up the rear, so don't fall behind!"

Hou Fei agreed and ran off first. Immediately, Shang Fei shouted, "Skyrocket, you always say you're good with your feet, let's have a race today!" He then chased after Hou Fei. The others followed in turn. Yang Jiefang brought up the rear, shouting as he ran, "Ten li isn't a short distance, watch your pace! Don't run too fast at the beginning, or you'll run out of stamina." The others clearly ignored him, taking off and leaving Yang Jiefang far behind. Knowing his physical abilities were rather poor, Yang Jiefang regulated his breathing and ran at a steady pace.

Hou Fei's chosen route was certainly not a smooth highway, but rather a bumpy, winding path. At first, everyone ran at roughly the same pace, but after two or three miles, the differences became apparent. Some people couldn't keep up and squatted by the roadside, panting heavily. In this cold weather, inhaling the cold air was very uncomfortable. After running about four miles, Yang Jiefang caught up with Chen Ergou and Zhao Yuanbao, who were squatting nearby, clearly exhausted. Yang Jiefang shouted, "Don't stop, keep running! Don't take big strides, and don't run too fast, just keep going at this pace!" The two didn't speak but continued running behind Yang Jiefang. Yang Jiefang continued, "Pay attention to your breathing rhythm, maintain a three-step inhale, three-step exhale rate. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth." He then turned back to demonstrate for the two.

After running another two or three miles, Yang Jiefang had caught up with most of the people, mainly those from Zhao Family Village, with Lu Ziqi and Gui Liqiu being two of the original Qinglong Village members. Once caught, these people followed Yang Jiefang's breathing method, running slowly behind him. Yang Jiefang himself was also in a bad state, feeling as if his legs were made of lead, and it was only his willpower that sustained him as he jogged.

After running another two or three miles, only Hou Fei and Ma Shangfei remained, desperately vying for first place. Everyone else had fallen behind Yang Jiefang. It wasn't that these men were physically weaker than Yang Jiefang; it was mainly that they had exerted too much effort in the early stages and lacked stamina. Now, they were back at Qinglong Village, nearing the finish line. Early risers from Qinglong Village saw them and stopped to watch, staring at them as if they were monsters, pointing and whispering.

Hou Fei and Ma Shangfei were already exhausted, but they refused to give up; they also felt it would be too embarrassing to be caught by Yang Jiefang, so they kept going. Both of them ran with their hands gripping above their knees, their bodies hunched over – a truly awkward posture. Finally, they reached their lodgings one after the other, collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath. Sun Zhiyong and Yan Donglai suddenly surged forward, overtaking Yang Jiefang and reaching the finish line in the second group. They had jogged slowly behind Yang Jiefang for a while, recovering some strength. Perhaps feeling ashamed to be behind him, they sped up to overtake him. In their eyes, Yang Jiefang was still a frail scholar.

Yang Jiefang reached the finish line. Although he was dizzy and weak all over, he didn't sit down. Instead, he placed his hands on his knees to support his upper body and, panting heavily, said intermittently, "Don't sit on the ground, and definitely don't lie down. Stand up, catch your breath, and you'll be fine in a bit." He repeated this several times to the runners behind him. When Chen Ergou and Zhao Yuanbao finally arrived, Yang Jiefang took out his pocket watch and saw that a full forty minutes had passed.

Yang Jiefang clearly remembered that in later generations, the passing time for the People's Liberation Army to run five kilometers was eighteen minutes for male soldiers and twenty-one minutes for female soldiers. Today's performance wasn't even as good as the female soldiers'. But upon reflection, he understood. These people hadn't undergone professional training, the roads weren't as smooth as in later times, and the distance was likely more than five kilometers. Yang Jiefang's estimate of ten li (approximately 5 kilometers) was just a rough estimate.

Once everyone had caught their breath, Yang Jiefang explained the running techniques again. This time, no one dared to take it lightly and listened attentively. After the explanation, Yang Jiefang announced, "Today, Chen Ergou and Zhao Yuanbao were the first to fall behind and finished last, so they're punished by having to boil water for everyone to wash their faces." Everyone agreed enthusiastically and urged the two to hurry up and boil the water. Zhao Changgen joked, "Uncle Yuanbao, we're counting on you for tonight's foot bath water too!" He was older than Zhao Yuanbao, but a generation younger in terms of seniority, and his disrespectful manner made everyone laugh.

A sudden blast of a bull's horn shattered the morning tranquility of Qinglong Village, followed by a series of booming drumbeats. Sun Zhiyong and Yan Donglai shouted, "The chief has summoned everyone! Hurry to the training ground!" No one dared to delay and immediately set off for the training ground. When Yang Jiefang and the others arrived, a considerable number of people had already gathered, with more arriving from all directions. The training ground was a chaotic mess, with small groups chatting loudly, resembling a bustling marketplace. Once almost everyone had arrived, Black Widow, along with Master Kong, Niu Sanbian, Wu Laokou, and a group of other managers, emerged from the Hall of Righteousness and stood at its entrance, a good height above the training ground, overlooking the entire area. Master Kong, with a stern face, shouted, "Silence! Silence!" But it was no use; everyone was chatting and gossiping, neither hearing nor heeding his words.

Yang Jiefang remained silent, standing below and quietly looking up. Master Kong jumped up and down in frustration, but to no avail; he eventually gave up and stepped aside. Black Widow, her face dark, coldly watched below, then suddenly reached for a Mauser pistol and fired a shot into the air. With a loud bang, the entire arena fell silent. Then, as if nothing had happened, Black Widow holstered her gun, still looking down with a dark expression.

Master Kong coughed twice and said loudly, "I have gathered you all here today to announce an important matter. Because of the corrupt government, the people are suffering; we have been forced to gather in the mountains to uphold justice and punish evil. Thirteen righteous men, including Yang Jiefang, have come to join us. According to the rules of Qinglong Village, after observing their character and being moved by their sincerity, we have decided to accept them; a special hall has been set up for their entry ceremony. Please, righteous men Yang Jiefang and the others, come forward!" Yang Jiefang, listening from below, shook his head. "A bunch of uneducated roughnecks, is it really necessary to be so formal?" he thought. "Luckily, I've studied, otherwise I really wouldn't understand what you're saying." He then said in a low voice, "This is calling us. Come with me!" He then led the way. Zhao Changming and the others already knew what was going on, and followed Yang Jiefang up the steps in front of the Hall of Righteousness.

Yang Jiefang and his men ascended the steps, first bowing respectfully to Black Widow and her group. Then, Master Kong called out, "Introduce yourselves!" Yang Jiefang turned around, clasped his hands in greeting, and said loudly, "Brothers, my name is Yang Jiefang, and most of you probably already know me. These twelve men beside me are all brothers from my village. Having heard of the formidable reputation of Qinglong Village, and knowing that every member of Qinglong Village is a first-rate hero, I've come with you to join our ranks, to uphold justice and rob the rich to help the poor. I hope you will all look after me in the future!" He then had Zhao Changming and the others introduce themselves.

Then, Master Kong continued loudly, “As the saying goes, every country has its laws, and every stronghold has its rules. You must listen carefully to the rules of our Qinglong Stronghold! The stronghold has four great covenants: 1. Strictly keep secrets; 2. Abide by discipline; 3. Share weal and woe; 4. Share the same fate as the stronghold. There are also eight reward rules: 1. Those who are loyal to the stronghold's affairs will be rewarded; 2. Those who resist enemy soldiers will be rewarded; 3. Those who contribute the most effort will be rewarded; 4. Those who expand the stronghold's affairs will be rewarded; 5. Those who spy on the enemy will be rewarded; 6. Those who lead the most people will be rewarded; 7. Those who are brave and strive to be the first will be rewarded; 8. Those who work together with one heart will be rewarded. There are also eight execution rules: 1. Those who leak secrets will be executed; 2. Those who disobey orders will be executed; 3. Those who desert in battle will be executed; 4. Those who collude with spies will be executed; 5. Those who divert water and smuggle will be executed; 6. Those who drown in waterways will be executed; 7. Those who bully their fellow villagers will be executed; 8. Those who rape women will be executed.”

Goodness, with rewards and punishments, these rules are quite detailed. It's clear the person who created them is quite capable and put in a lot of effort. However, even the best rules are only effective if strictly enforced. Back in Zhao Family Village, Yan Donglai had suggested secretly withholding a portion of the money, saying everyone did it, it was an unspoken agreement. Yang Jiefang didn't agree at the time, and the others didn't insist much; because they all knew this actually violated the sixth of the Eight Execution Rules.

After Master Kong finished speaking, Black Widow said, "Have you all understood the rules? Is there anyone who doesn't want to join? It's not too late to back out now." Yang Jiefang didn't speak; he also wanted to know if Zhao Changming and the others had any second thoughts. Fortunately, Zhao Changming and the others didn't say anything. Black Widow stared intently at everyone, and after a while, seeing that no one spoke, she continued, "If you've decided to join, come with me to the Hall of Righteousness to offer incense. Remember, once you step through this door, there's no turning back." With that, she turned and strode into the Hall of Righteousness without looking back. Master Kong and the others followed in single file. Yang Jiefang didn't hesitate and followed closely behind. Behind him, Zhao Changming and the others also went in, their expressions solemn.

In the very center of the gathering hall stood a statue of Guan Yu. Black Widow personally lit a bundle of incense and gave three sticks to each of Yang Jiefang and the others. Then, facing the statue of Guan Yu, she said, "Everyone, swear with me! I sincerely join Qinglong Village and become a member of the stronghold. I will abide by the rules of the stronghold and obey the orders of the chief. If I disobey, may I be struck by lightning!" The oath was simple, and Yang Jiefang and the others followed suit, swearing and then placing the incense sticks in the incense burner in front of the statue.

Then, Black Widow said, "From now on, you are all people of Qinglong Village. As long as you don't betray Qinglong Village, I, Black Widow, will never let you down. These are the village's managers; get to know them!" She then introduced the managers around her. Three people Yang Jiefang already knew were there: Master Kong, who managed the accounts and finances; Niu Sanbian, who managed the livestock and transportation; and Old Wu, who managed the daily meals. In addition, Carpenter Li managed the village's craftsmen, including carpenters, blacksmiths, and bricklayers, and was also responsible for the village's construction. There was also a man named Tian Wu, responsible for clearing land and farming, and he was in charge of all the village's unemployed laborers. The mountain's armed forces were personally commanded by Black Widow. The four leaders Yang Jiefang knew well—Rongcheng Shuanglong, Pengshi Erhu, Lin Baozi, and Baiyanlang—commanded the village's four full-time armed teams: the Dragon Team, the Tiger Team, the Leopard Team, and the Wolf Team. Although these four teams were full-time armed, they were not armed on a daily basis. Besides these four teams, there was another team that was armed around the clock: the Black Widow's personal guard—the Phoenix Team. The people of Qinglong Village called them the Widow Team because the Phoenix Team was originally composed of a group of widows who lived with the Black Widow in her compound. Qinglong Village's firearms and ammunition were also kept in that compound.

After introducing the managers, Black Widow said, "Given your performance in this operation, I've decided to add a team to the upper hall. Yang Jiefang, you will be the commander, and all twenty men who participated in this operation will be under your command." Yang Jiefang was overjoyed and replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Boss. I will definitely lead my brothers to hone their combat skills, be ready to obey your orders at any time, and be able to fight and win every battle." Black Widow smiled, a rare occurrence, and said, "That's for the best! Oh, by the way, what name do you plan to give this team?" Yang Jiefang laughed, "Since it's a team commanded by me, Yang Jiefang, let's call it the Liberation Team!"