Newborn 1927

The villagers present breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Ma Shangfei and his group had really left, and immediately began to whisper among themselves. Many villagers had seen Yang Jiefang and Jiang Xiaojun's group enter the village. Just now, he had also come from the Jiang family. In Jixian Village, only the Jiang family dared to call themselves "official's daughters." Although six or seven out of ten people in Jixian Village were surnamed Jiang, everyone knew that this Jiang family was no ordinary family. Everyone understood the implication of Yang Jiefang's words. Judging from his appearance, he was indeed worthy of the Jiang family's daughter. So, everyone stepped forward to thank Yang Jiefang; some of the clever ones even called him "son-in-law." Yang Jiefang greeted everyone with a smile, and finally said, "That gentleman said when he left that they would come back. Although I don't know if it's true or not, I think everyone should make plans as soon as possible." These words were undoubtedly a bucket of cold water poured on everyone's heads, so everyone started calling him "second young master of the Jiang family." At this time, Jiang Tingqi had already disappeared, obviously having gone home early.

Yang Jiefang bid farewell to the villagers and returned to the Jiang family home. Jiang Qingfu, Jiang Xingfu, and Jiang Tingqi were all sitting in the living room, seemingly waiting for Yang Jiefang's return. Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "I have fulfilled my mission and have driven away the invading bandits." However, the Jiang family members seemed to show no gratitude whatsoever. Jiang Qingfu coldly retorted, "Although my Jiang family is not noble, we have been a family of scholars for generations; how could a woman of the Jiang family marry a bandit? Forget about it!" After saying this, he ignored Yang Jiefang's reaction and got up to walk inside. The meaning was clear: they had no right to interfere with his military career.

Yang Jiefang frowned and called out, "Uncle Jiang, please wait!" Jiang Qingfu stopped and turned to stare at Yang Jiefang. Yang Jiefang said, "Jixian Village was robbed by bandits today, suffering considerable losses! Uncle Jiang, as a government official and a local gentry, shouldn't you write a letter to the county to report this? Those bandits even said they would continue to rob other places before leaving; we should remind the county to be on guard!" Jiang Qingfu said coldly, "I wonder where those bandits came from? How dare they rob in broad daylight!" Yang Jiefang replied, "Those people were all masked, so we can't see their faces. However, the leader accidentally dropped an object from his body; perhaps it can provide some clues." As he spoke, he took out a badge from the Tianjin city gate from his pocket and handed it to Jiang Qingfu.

The Jiang brothers, clearly discerning men, both paled and stared at Yang Jiefang in astonishment. Finally, Jiang Xingfu accepted the badge, saying, "My elder brother shouldn't be involved. I'll write the letter. But I don't understand why you're dragging them into this." Yang Jiefang stared into Jiang Qingfu's eyes and coldly said, "Traitors deserve to be punished by everyone! Whether openly or secretly, anyone who dares to betray the country, regardless of their identity, I will not let a single one go." At that moment, Jiang Qingfu felt a pang of guilt and dared not meet Yang Jiefang's gaze.

Jiang Xingfu quickly changed the subject, laughing, "You must all be hungry, right? I've already arranged a dinner, so let Qi'er have a drink with you all. My brother and I aren't feeling well, so please excuse us." Jiang Tingqi quickly stepped forward and said, "Brother Yang, brothers, please follow me!" Yang Jiefang rubbed his stomach and laughed, "I really am hungry, so we'll have to bother you then."

The next day, after breakfast, Aunt Chu came over and asked, "What are your plans for today?" Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "Nothing. Let's wait and see what the Jiang family decides!" Aunt Chu said, "Then I need to accompany Xiaojun to school." Yang Jiefang asked, "Which school? Can I come along?" Aunt Chu thought for a moment and nodded, "Then let's go together!"

Yang Jiefang stepped out of the guest room and saw Jiang Xiaojun and the beautiful girl who had served tea the day before waiting at the door. Auntie introduced them, "This is Jiang Xiaolin, Xiaojun's cousin. She's still in school, but she'll be graduating soon." Jiang Xiaolin greeted him with a sweet smile, "Hello, Brother Yang!" Yang Jiefang replied, "Hello, Xiaolin. You've graduated from upper primary school, right? What are your plans after graduation?" Jiang Xiaolin said, "I originally wanted to take the entrance exam for junior high school, but I heard it's very difficult. If I don't pass, I'll go to work. I want to find an office job and earn my own living." At this time, primary education was divided into elementary and higher primary schools; elementary primary school was four years long, equivalent to primary school in later generations; higher primary school was three years long, equivalent to junior high school in later generations. In this era of extremely high illiteracy, graduating from upper primary school was considered educated and allowed one to find a decent job.

Originally, I thought the school would be far away, but it turned out to be just to the west of the village. It was a small, raised hilltop with a cluster of antique-style buildings. Jiang Xiaojun pointed ahead and said, "That's Jixian Temple. I heard it has a history of over 500 years. There weren't many monks in the temple, and so many buildings were just sitting empty, so they were converted into a primary school. They have both lower and upper primary schools, making it convenient for nearby children to attend. I graduated from here last year." Yang Jiefang asked, "So what brings you here today?" Jiang Xiaojun smiled mysteriously and said, "Of course, I'm here for something important. If you sing a song for me later, I'll give you a surprise." Who could refuse a surprise from a beautiful woman? Yang Jiefang immediately asked, "Could you give me a little hint beforehand? That way I'll sing even harder." Jiang Xiaojun shook her head and remained silent. Jiang Xiaolin interjected, "My sister says Brother Yang sings very well, I'm so looking forward to it!"

Jixian Temple occupies a considerable area with thirty-nine rooms. It once enjoyed a period of prosperity, but now, in this chaotic era, its incense offerings have naturally declined. Yang Jiefang and the others followed Jiang Xiaolin into a classroom, where thirty or forty male and female students of similar age sat. There were far more boys than girls, a severely unbalanced ratio. Jiang Xiaolin announced loudly, "Classmates, please stop for a moment. I'd like to introduce someone to you. This is my cousin, our senior, Jiang Xiaojun. She has something to say to you all!" She then stepped aside, giving the podium to Jiang Xiaojun. The students, who had been busy with their tasks, stopped and looked up. They all knew Jiang Xiaojun; after all, the Jiang sisters were quite famous at the school.

Jiang Xiaojun held up a newspaper and said, “Classmates, on the 24th of last month, in Nanjing, Britain and the United States dispatched warships to bombard the city, causing numerous innocent civilian casualties. This is yet another instance of foreign powers trampling on our national sovereignty! Ever since the British Empire used cannons to force open the Qing government's doors, for nearly a century, Western powers have frequently invaded our territory and killed our people. The more we back down, the more arrogant they become. So, classmates, what should we do?”

As soon as Jiang Xiaojun opened her mouth, Yang Jiefang understood the purpose of her visit. Her impassioned speech had no effect whatsoever; the students below stared at her blankly. The audience consisted of children, whose sole purpose in attending school was a better future; those with ideals and ambitions were few and far between. Without waiting for her to continue, Yang Jiefang strode in and snatched a pen from the hand of a tall male student. The student was furious, standing up and shouting, "Stop! Who are you? Why did you take my pen?" This shout interrupted Jiang Xiaojun's speech. Everyone turned to look at her.

Yang Jiefang turned around, raised the pen in his hand, and said, "Student, are you angry that I took your pen?" The student stepped forward and said, "Of course, this pen isn't cheap." Yang Jiefang then asked, "Classmates, do you think it was right or wrong that I took his pen?" The students naturally replied, "Of course it was wrong."

Yang Jiefang returned the pen to the student and then said loudly, “Classmates, I only took his pen, and everyone thinks I was wrong and is very angry. But have you all thought about this: In the Treaty of Nanjing, Britain stole 21 million taels of silver; in the Treaty of Tianjin, Britain and France stole 6 million taels of silver; in the Treaty of Beijing, Britain and France stole another 16 million taels of silver; in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Japan stole 200 million taels of silver; in the Boxer Protocol, the combined forces of the great powers stole 450 million taels of silver. Furthermore, more than 1.5 million square kilometers of territory were taken away. Are you angry? Now, British and American warships are recklessly navigating our inland waterways.” "Cannons wound people, and you're not even angry? Do you think this has nothing to do with you? Does this content cause you far less harm than the pen in your hand? If you really think that way, then it only proves that all your education has gone to waste! Where did the silver that the great powers stole come from? It was money earned through the hard work of your parents and elders, robbed by this corrupt and incompetent government with all sorts of exorbitant taxes, and then given to foreigners. What they stole was actually the money earned through the hard work and frugality of your parents and elders. Shouldn't you be angry?" Without comparison, there is no harm. Yang Jiefang's words immediately filled the students with righteous indignation. Yang Jiefang then pressed on, "Students, answer me! Are you angry?" The students answered loudly, "Yes!" Yang Jiefang countered, "Then what should we do?" This stumped the students again. Fortunately, they didn't need an answer. Yang Jiefang turned to look at Jiang Xiaojun.

Jiang Xiaojun quickly reacted and said loudly, "Students, you are about to graduate. Some of you will have the opportunity to pursue higher education at more prestigious institutions. Most of you will likely choose to work and earn money to support your families. Regardless of your choice, I hope you will all hold fast to one belief: the belief of serving your country. Our country is currently poor and weak, known as the 'Sick Man of East Asia,' at the mercy of others. Who wouldn't want to live in a prosperous and strong nation? However, prosperity and strength don't appear out of thin air; they require us to firmly believe in serving our country, to work hard, to struggle, and even to shed blood and sacrifice. We, the educated, are cultured and knowledgeable. Compared to those illiterate people who can't read a single character, we are the elite of this country. This heavy responsibility should be borne by us! So, I ask you all here, are you willing to strive for the prosperity and strength of our nation?"

The boy whose pen had been stolen replied, "Of course we'd like to. But what should we do?" Other students echoed, saying, "We're still students, what can we do?" Jiang Xiaojun smiled and said, "As I just mentioned, besides studying, what you need to do now is cultivate a belief in serving your country. Here, I suggest we establish a Patriotic Students' Association at our school. I will buy some books and subscribe to some newspapers to deliver to the school for everyone to study, exchange ideas, and learn about the outside world, preparing for serving the country in the future. What do you all think?" "Great! I agree!" The voice came from outside the door. Suddenly, the classroom door and windows were filled with people. A middle-aged man in a long gown and glasses walked into the classroom as he spoke. Jiang Xiaojun turned around and called out, "Teacher He, hello—" Teacher He nodded and said, "Jiang Xiaojun, welcome back to your alma mater! Your suggestion was excellent; I'm the first to support you."

Jiang Xiaolin immediately shouted, "I want to be the first to join!" As soon as she finished speaking, others echoed her sentiment, wanting to join the alumni association. Jiang Xiaojun was very happy and said, "I've already graduated and won't be on campus most of the time. Since Xiaolin is the first to request membership, please let her temporarily serve as the acting president of the Patriotic Alumni Association! Anyone who wants to join, come and register with her. The alumni association won't charge students any fees, and I will try to cover the expenses for its activities." This further fueled the students' enthusiasm for joining. Two girls who were close to Jiang Xiaolin immediately ran up to her, demanding to join right away.

Seeing that it was almost time, Jiang Xiaojun said to Teacher He, "Teacher He, is this your class? Sorry to bother you! We'll leave right away." Just as Yang Jiefang and Jiang Xiaojun were about to leave the classroom, they suddenly heard Jiang Xiaolin shout, "Wait a minute! Brother Yang, can you sing a song before you go?" Yang Jiefang turned around and said, "You have class to start, maybe next time!" But Teacher He shook his head and said, "It's alright, it won't take more than a few minutes." The students joined in the commotion, echoing Jiang Xiaolin, and asked Yang Jiefang to sing.

Yang Jiefang glanced back at Jiang Xiaojun, a little helpless, then turned and went back into the classroom. After thinking for a moment, he picked up a piece of chalk and said, "I'll write the lyrics on the blackboard. Students who are interested can copy them down." He then wrote the words "The Great Name is China" in large characters on the blackboard, and while singing, he wrote down the lyrics: "Child, this is your home; the courtyard is elegant, its ancient simplicity further enhancing its charm, the great name is China. Child, this is your home; red bricks and green tiles, the blood of our ancestors dried on the bricks and tiles, their sweat used to plant flowers; withered tree trunks will bloom again, shoulder the heavy burden and rise again! The Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor have passed down for generations, for the country, for the qualities in your blood, generation after generation. Who dares to enter your home; child, drive him away! Regardless of his petty theft, be like your ancestors, wholeheartedly for this land, shedding blood! Who dares to enter your home; child, drive him away! Regardless of his petty theft, be like your ancestors, wholeheartedly for this land, shedding blood!"

After finishing the song and writing the lyrics, leaving behind a group of shocked teachers and students, Yang Jiefang quietly withdrew.