The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

After Xu Wenqing adjourned the meeting, the platoons of the special agent company quickly sprang into action, sneaking into Li Youcai's aunt's house in batches.

As night fell, the rain began to fall. At first, it was a light drizzle, but it gradually increased and grew stronger, eventually turning into a downpour.

It was pitch black outside, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Even with their noses touching, the two of them couldn't make out each other's faces.

On this rainy night, there wasn't a single pedestrian on the village roads.

The watchdogs, who usually love to make noise at night, were also annoyed by the continuous patter of rain and stopped paying attention to the noises that would drive them crazy.

It was already past midnight. In the south room of a small courtyard in the northwest corner of the village, it looked pitch black from the outside, but actually, the windows were covered with blankets, blocking out the light inside.

At this moment, a number of people walked out of the house. They walked very lightly, and after leaving the alley, they split into three groups and disappeared into the rainy night.

In no time at all, the imposing Yan family compound, with its high walls, was surrounded by the special agents without anyone noticing. The hidden soldiers could even hear the voices coming from the gun emplacements:

"Damn it! This awful weather is so frustrating. Ugh, my eyelids are drooping so much, I really want to sleep..."

"Hey, let's go back and get some sleep. The captain's not here, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Who cares! He's done countless embarrassing things himself."

"Okay, I'll go back and lie down for a while, then I'll come back and relieve you later."

"Go ahead. Who would come out in this awful weather? Nothing will happen."

Then came the sound of a ladder descending. After hearing no more voices from inside the gun emplacement, the dark figure at the base of the wall moved. Xu Wenqing quietly climbed towards the foot of the courtyard wall.

Reaching the base of the wall, he listened intently. There was no sound from within the courtyard. He took two grappling hooks with long ropes tied to them from his backpack and threw them towards the top of the stone wall. The sound of the rain masked the hooks hitting the wall. Xu Wenqing watched as he gripped the hooks firmly and pulled twice. Then, alternating his grip, he slowly climbed up the wall, and soon, under everyone's anxious gaze, he reached the top of the gatehouse. There was a small, narrow gap at the top, which he squeezed through. The guard dog immediately pounced. He quickly stuffed a piece of pork into the dog's mouth, and the dog ran to its kennel to eat it.

Xu Wenqing climbed the ladder to the gun emplacement and saw the guards huddled together, wearing raincoats and carrying guns. Hearing a sound, the guards turned around, but Xu Wenqing had already rushed forward, grabbing one of the guards around the waist. Just as the enemy was about to shout, Xu Wenqing covered his mouth with one hand and raised his sharp blade with the other, slashing at the guard's throat…

Suddenly, a militiaman emerged from the corner behind him and grabbed him tightly with both hands. Although Xu Wenqing's hands were bound and he could hardly move, he remained unusually calm and composed. He was truly skilled and daring. Xu Wenqing forcefully raised his left arm, using his height and build to his advantage, and with a quick twist, he tucked the enemy's head under his left armpit, while his right fist delivered a powerful blow to the enemy's head. His left-hand grip and right-hand strike were like an iron clamp trapping a mouse, causing the enemy to scream in agony. The enemy loosened his grip and tried to escape. But once the enemy was on his side, how could he escape? Taking advantage of the enemy's momentary lapse in grip, he suddenly crouched down, slamming the enemy behind him onto his back, and then, with a whoosh, drew the scout's dagger, its cold light flashing as it decisively plunged into the militiaman's chest, ending the attack.

Having killed the enemy, Xu Wenqing became even more vigilant. He carefully continued searching forward, and after finding no other living targets around, he took out a bottle of soybean oil, dipped a chicken tail feather in it, and rubbed it on the doorpost and the latch. Then, the heavy door opened silently.

A large group of special agents immediately surged in according to their pre-arranged plan, rushing into the houses where the militiamen were staying. The several side rooms were pitch black, and the sleeping men were startled awake, throwing themselves into a panic. Some of the bolder ones tried to grab their guns, but when they reached for the wall, they found they were gone. One by one, they kowtowed and knelt, a chaotic mess like a sparrow's nest that had been poked with a stick.

Hu Jiu and Zhong Tian also arrived.

"Leave a few people behind to watch over the prisoners, led by Zhong Tian."

Xu Wenqing waved his hand and said:

"Quick! Let's go to the main house and capture Yan Shaoshan!"

Yan Shaoshan was still awake. After smoking his fill of opium, he was having fun with his fourth concubine.

Upon hearing the noise from the outer room, he knew something was wrong. He grabbed his pistol and tried to escape through the back window, but his concubine wouldn't let go, insisting on leading him away. Yan Shaoshan slapped his concubine, who had just been hugging him and calling him "darling," and tried to leave, but it was too late.

Xu Wenqing and his men had already surrounded the house. Just as he rushed to the door, Xu Wenqing spotted him, pounced on him, knocked him to the ground, and then kicked him unconscious.

They rushed to the place where the Red Army soldiers were being held and rescued the captured wounded soldiers. Seeing their comrades covered in wounds, everyone felt a pang of sadness. Xu Wenqing quickly arranged for the soldiers to provide them with first aid.

The steward, who was having an affair with the second concubine, was startled by the commotion outside. When Xu Wenqing led people in, he thought the master had come to catch them in the act and didn't dare to raise his head, so he knelt on the ground begging for mercy.

"Master, it's not my fault. It was the second concubine who seduced me."

Xu Wenqing glanced at his second concubine, who was slumped on the bed in the lamplight. Her pale body made him dizzy. He muttered to himself, "Damn it, she's a good girl, but she's been taken advantage of by a pig!"

After they pinned Master Yan Shaoshan to the ground and chopped off his head, the steward immediately led the soldiers, trembling, to collect all sorts of valuables. Li Youcai and Zhang Hongmei then organized the farmhands in the courtyard to gather together and wait for instructions.

Xu Wenqing spoke loudly to the gathered farmers:

"Our Red Army aims to ensure that all the people of Zhongtian have land to cultivate, food to eat, and clothes to wear."

In the past, you worked as farmhands for landlords for many years, but you still couldn't get enough to eat or wear. Why?

"Because you have handed over most of your harvest to them, I will now lead you to rebel against Yan Shaoshan."

"Rebel against the master?"

Some people hesitated.

"Yes! This is not only a rebellion against the landlords, but a rebellion against this dark society. The Red Army keeps its word. Yan Shaoshan deserved to die. His hands were stained with the blood of our wounded Red Army soldiers. We are just making him pay for his blood debt."

Xu Wenqing then ordered his men to burn the land deeds and IOUs found during the search in public, and confiscated the more than 5,000 silver dollars found, giving them to the troops as funds. He led the men to slaughter pigs and sheep to provide nutrition for the wounded and sick.

After everything was arranged, the first cadre meeting of the 55th Regiment after its reconstruction was held in the spacious main hall of the Yan family compound. First, Xu Wenqing looked forward to a bright future for everyone: