Newborn 1927

Yang Jiefang was quite satisfied, and Chu Yi was even happier. He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Yang Jiefang, saying, "Mr. Jiang from Jiang's Trading Company has replied. The matter of buying horses from Japan has been settled. This is his price list." Yang Jiefang opened it and frowned. He turned around and asked, "Manager Niu, could you tell me what the general price of horses is in China?" Niu Sanbian immediately replied, "In earlier years, horses were about the same price as cattle, around forty or fifty silver dollars each. In recent years, with the constant wars in China, the demand for mules and horses has increased dramatically. This has led to a surge in horse prices. Now, even an ordinary mule or horse is worth over a hundred silver dollars." Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "In that case, this price isn't too outrageous. Brother Yi, when you go back, please tell Jiang Tingxuan that I agree to this price. The price list has three categories of horses: riding horses, pack horses, and draft horses. We'll buy one hundred of each type first." Chu Yi exclaimed in surprise, "So many! How do you plan to bargain?" Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "No bargaining."

Chu Yi, Niu Sanbian, and the others looked at Yang Jiefang with puzzled expressions. Yang Jiefang explained, "Don't underestimate the Japanese just because they're short. These Japanese horses are high-quality breeds imported from the West. They're expensive, but... three hundred horses is no small number. How can we receive them smoothly? Brother Yi, we need to prepare in advance!" Chu Yi nodded, "I understand. I'll stay in Yantai for a long time; leave this to me!" Yang Jiefang nodded in agreement, then turned back and said, "Master Kong, please give Brother Yi the money for the horses! Hmm, let's approve 100,000 silver dollars for now!" Master Kong replied... "Money isn't the problem," said Kong. "But what you brought back this time are all drafts. We need to exchange them for cash first." Yang Jiefang replied, "Sight drafts can be used directly for transactions. However, it's more reassuring to have some cash in the stronghold. How about this? Let Tie Suanpan take some time to go to Yantai and exchange as much cash as possible." Master Kong agreed, "Alright, I'll arrange it." Suddenly, Yang Jiefang sensed that everyone's attitude towards him had clearly changed; no one questioned his decision.

It was lunchtime, and Yang Jiefang invited Chu Yi to have lunch with him in the kitchen and offered him a place to stay overnight on the mountain. Chu Yi accepted, wanting to explore the village and see how things had changed.

In the afternoon, Yang Jiefang began a new military lesson. He first reviewed guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare, then began explaining the "three-three system" and "four groups per team" tactics. After two hours of simple explanation, everyone immediately understood why Yang Jiefang had organized twelve people into a small team—it was simply for easier grouping. After class, Yang Jiefang assigned homework, requiring each team to form its own group, further subdividing each team into several smaller groups, and simulating inter-team combat training using the teams as combat units.

This was the first time Chu Yi had heard Yang Jiefang lecture, and he listened intently, deeply admiring him. Chu Gu and Jiang Xiaojun were also present. Surprisingly, Bai He also accompanied Chu Gu and Jiang Xiaojun to the lecture. After Yang Jiefang finished speaking, Bai He walked up to him and said, "Brother Yang, please arrange a job for me too! Everyone is busy, and it's not good for me to be idle." Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Sister Bai, you haven't been on the mountain for many days and aren't very familiar with it. It's fine to arrange something later. But I don't know what you're good at? What kind of work do you want to do?" Bai He smiled and said, "I really can't say. However, I've been studying since I was a child, so I can teach a few people to read and write. Also, my family is in business, so keeping accounts and doing calculations is no problem." Yang Jiefang immediately asked, "Do you know double-entry bookkeeping?" Bai He nodded and said, "Yes, it's a basic skill that every businessman must learn." Yang Jiefang said happily, "That's great! How about this, you go and assist Iron Abacus Kong Zongru with bookkeeping and teach him double-entry bookkeeping. Originally, I wanted to teach him myself, but I've been too busy and haven't had much time to teach him." Bai He smiled and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

That evening, Yang Jiefang and Chu Yi talked for a long time before going to sleep. The next morning, Chu Yi went down the mountain back to Yantai, accompanied by Kong Zongru. A few days later, Kong Zongru returned to Qinglongzhai, successfully transporting back over 10,000 taels of gold and over 200,000 silver dollars. However, he also brought back bad news: Japan strictly controlled the sale of horses to China, and given the large number of horses ordered, it would take some time to smooth things over. Yang Jiefang had little recourse but to wait patiently.

Another matter, however, was settled. Ever since setting up his farm in Xujiadian, Yang Jiefang had been wanting to import Large White pigs. The local black pigs were highly prolific, but small, slow-growing, and had low meat yield. After He Huan arrived, he learned through his connections that they were available in the British Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia; apparently, they were a breed imported from Britain. These Large White pigs were highly adaptable, had a high feed conversion rate, were large in size, and produced a lot of meat, perfectly matching Yang Jiefang's requirements. Yang Jiefang immediately approved the funding, demanding that the breeding pigs be imported as soon as possible.

Military training at Qinglongzhai has become increasingly rigorous, with everything based on actual combat and new training subjects being gradually added. Yang Jiefang has also incorporated ideological education into the afternoon military theory classes.

That morning, at Shanpao's request, Yang Jiefang specially approved ten mortar shells for the mortar squad to conduct live-fire training. For the first live-fire exercise, Yang Jiefang took some time to visit the artillery training ground and personally observe. On the hillside at a distance of 500 to 2000 meters, two targets were pre-set every 500 meters – two bamboo poles draped with white cloth. Shanpao personally adjusted the azimuth and angle of the two mortars, then happily approached Yang Jiefang, saying, "Little Boss, it's all adjusted. Just load the shells into the barrels, and we'll hit those two bamboo poles at the front. Want to fire a couple first?"

Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "Don't rush. Let me ask you: What is the initial velocity of this mortar? What is its maximum range? What elevation angle should be set when firing at a target 500 meters away?" Shanpao asked in return with a puzzled look, "What is initial velocity? What are range and elevation angle?" Although Yang Jiefang was mentally prepared, he was still very disappointed and said, "When you were in the artillery, didn't anyone tell you these things?" Shanpao shook his head repeatedly and said, "As long as I can hit the target accurately, why bother talking about those useless things?" Yang Jiefang then asked, "Do you know how to use the 'jumping eye' method for rangefinding?" Shanpao shook his head even more blankly, indicating that he had never heard of it. Yang Jiefang patiently asked, "So what makes you think you can hit those two bamboo poles?" Shanpao immediately replied, "That's easy! Just aim the cannon, fire one shot to test it, and if it goes too far, lower the muzzle; if it goes too close, raise it; if it misses to the left, move the muzzle to the right; if it misses to the right, move it to the left." Yang Jiefang almost fainted, saying, "With your skill level, you dare call yourself an artilleryman?" Shanpao confidently replied, "A soldier who can fire a cannon is an artilleryman!"

This left Yang Jiefang speechless, realizing that this was the typical quality of artillerymen in this era. He lost interest in watching their live-fire training and ordered, "Put away the shells! Don't waste them. Disassemble the cannons and then reassemble them. Don't touch the mountain guns; let them operate them. I want to see how fast you can go!" He then pulled out his pocket watch and started timing. The artillery squad members didn't dare to slack off and immediately divided the work. They had been practicing disassembly and assembly for the past few days. Their speed wasn't particularly fast, but thankfully, they didn't make any mistakes. Yang Jiefang didn't dare to have too many expectations; the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

After the two mortars were reassembled, Yang Jiefang called everyone over and began explaining essential artillery knowledge such as muzzle velocity, elevation angle, firing curve, and range. The men could understand the principles, but measuring target distance and calculating firing elevation angles proved too difficult for them. They were all illiterate, their basic skills were severely lacking. Finally, Yang Jiefang, having no other choice, calculated the corresponding elevation angle based on the target distance and wrote it down on paper. He then instructed them to find the corresponding parameters based on visual estimation and fire the shells. To verify the accuracy of these parameters, all ten shells were fired, giving the artillery squad a chance to test their skills.

The mortars were firing live ammunition, so who wouldn't want to practice with live ammunition? Yang Jiefang allocated ten rounds of ammunition to each person for practice. Two hundred rounds of ammunition were also allocated to the gunners of the two Maxim heavy machine guns for practice. Peng Dahu was relatively reliable; he didn't empty the magazine in one go, but instead taught the two main gunners how to fire in bursts. For a time, Qinglongzhai was filled with the sounds of gunfire, quite a lively scene.

In this era, when bullets run out, bayonet fighting is the norm on the battlefield. Although no one is currently issued bayonets, Yang Jiefang still insists on teaching everyone how to fight with them. He learned his bayonet skills from his father when he was a child, and now he teaches them step by step. Yang Jiefang is now like a high-speed machine, busy from morning till night. Only in the evenings, after finishing his military theory classes, does he have a moment of leisure. At this time, he often chats with Jiang Xiaojun and Chu Gu for a while.

The third day of the third lunar month is the Shangsi Festival, also known as the Dragon Head Raising Festival in northern China. On this day, people bathe and offer sacrifices. Yang Jiefang suspended training, gave the heroes a day off, and even allowed them to have a small drink. This group had been training at a high intensity for a month and a half since the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. With ample nutrition, they didn't collapse from exhaustion; instead, they became even stronger, and their overall energy and spirit were significantly different.

Yang Jiefang moved to a new house. The weather had warmed up, and with so many people crammed into one room, the smell was unbearable. Black Widow had the detached courtyard where Li the carpenter had lived cleaned and some furniture replaced, so Yang Jiefang could live alone. However, it was clearly impossible for Yang Jiefang to have a courtyard to himself. A group of young men who were on good terms with him argued about moving in with him. Fortunately, there was more than one room in the courtyard. Yang Jiefang kept one room for himself, Hou Fei, Ma Shangfei, Wang Dali, and Chen Ergou shared another room, and Bao Ziqiang, along with Chu Shiwu, Zhao Yuanbao, and Mantou, occupied the other room, making the entire courtyard full.

A batch of new brick and tile houses were built in Qinglong Village, constructed by over two hundred prisoners under the command of Niu Sanbian. These new houses alleviated the village's housing shortage. The prisoners were given a day off and given extra food. After breakfast, Yang Jiefang arrived at the prisoners' quarters. They were confined to a fixed area enclosed by wooden fences, with guards on duty outside. Upon hearing that Yang Jiefang had come to see the prisoners, Niu Sanbian rushed over. His attitude towards Yang Jiefang had completely changed; he addressed him as "Little Manager" and accompanied him into the prisoner camp.

Most of the prisoners lay flat in the barracks to rest. They worked from dawn till dusk, which was actually quite hard, but fortunately, they weren't deprived of food, so their behavior was acceptable, and they didn't cause much trouble. A few lazy and cunning individuals had already been thoroughly disciplined by Niu Sanbian. Although Yang Jiefang advocated for the humane treatment of prisoners, he didn't treat them like royalty. However, he simply couldn't find the time to reform the prisoners' thinking, and so it remained unresolved.

Yang Jiefang first inquired about the prisoners' daily behavior from Niu Sanbian, and then had someone bring out Song Youde, the squad leader of the Laiyang County garrison who left the deepest impression on him. Song Youde approached Yang Jiefang calmly and unhurriedly. Yang Jiefang asked, "Captain Song, do you still recognize me?" Song Youde nodded and said, "Who in this whole village doesn't know Little Boss?" Yang Jiefang asked, "How have you been here? Have you been mistreated?" Song Youde replied, "Thank you for your care, Little Boss. There's been no mistreatment, but... well, it hasn't been pleasant." Yang Jiefang responded, "That's true. How can labor reform here compare to the prestige of being an official in the city? I heard you've done well." Song Youde shook his head and said, "It's just that I've come to terms with the situation. I have no choice but to bow my head!" Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "It seems you're a smart man. I like talking to smart people. Let's chat!" Song Youde asked, "What does Little Boss want to talk about?" Yang Jiefang said, "Tell me about yourself! I already have records of your background, family members, and social relationships. Let's talk about the future. I wonder what your expectations are for the future?"

Song Youde smiled bitterly, "I've fallen to this state, what future can I possibly have?" Yang Jiefang said, "One can't just live in the present; one must learn to look forward. If I release you, where will you go? What will you do?" Song Youde replied, "I haven't thought about that yet. I'll just be waiting to die." Yang Jiefang said, "You say that, it seems you're unwilling to just drift through life like this. That's right, a person should have some aspirations in life. What if they come true?" Song Youde remained silent. Yang Jiefang continued, "You read..." "After three years of private schooling, you must know quite a few characters. What books have you read?" Song Youde replied, "I only read the Three Hundred Characters and the Thousand Character Classic when I was in elementary school, but I've long forgotten them all. With our meager military pay, after deductions, how much money do we actually get? I don't have the ability to make money like others. I'm lucky if I can even fill my stomach, let alone buy books. Even if I wanted to borrow a book, there's nowhere to borrow from the bunch of illiterate people around." Yang Jiefang said, "I happen to have a book here. Would you like to read it? I'll lend it to you if you want." As he spoke, he took out a copy of "Call to Arms" from his pocket.

Song Youde stared at the book for a while and said, "It seems I have no choice but to borrow this book; I can't even refuse to read it." Yang Jiefang said, "You don't have to read it, but I will give you a test after you do. If you pass the test, I will let you go down the mountain." Song Youde asked in surprise, "Is there such a good thing?" Yang Jiefang said, "I am the young leader of Qinglong Village, and I have no reason to deceive you. I promise: not only you, but any one of you, as long as you read this book carefully and pass my test, I can let you go down the mountain." Song Youde obviously believed this promise and took the book.

Yang Jiefang turned around and said, "Manager Niu, starting today, provide them with oil lamps and allow them to use them at night. If they need pencils, notebooks, or anything like that, provide them with everything they need." These people had to work during the day, so they could only read at night. Niu Sanbian understood his intention as soon as he saw him take out the book, and naturally agreed without hesitation.