The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

After a few cannon shots, the gunfire gradually subsided. Half an hour later, a large group of arrogant White Army soldiers escorted dozens of captured Red Army soldiers to the town gate.

Seeing this well-dressed and well-equipped unit, the enemy company commander could never have imagined that this was the so-called Red Army. After Ding Fujiang requested to go into the city to rest and asked the county government to provide entertainment for the troops, he hurriedly said:

"Sir, please wait a moment, I will report to the county magistrate immediately."

When Ding Fujiang saw the security regiment officer about to descend the city wall, he said sternly:

"Let us get into the city first! The brothers in the whole battalion need to rest."

The security regiment company commander said with difficulty:

"I cannot make that decision."

Seeing that the other side was about to get angry again, the enemy company commander ran down the city wall and went to report to the county magistrate.

The arrival of the regular army to "suppress bandits" in this area had been announced long ago. When the army arrived, the county magistrate and the head of the security regiment naturally had to welcome and entertain the troops. Otherwise, if the generals had to take matters into their own hands to entertain them, who knows how much money and young women they would have to spend.

The county magistrate of Lanxi was a very fat man who had difficulty walking. Two attendants helped him out of the city gate to greet him. As soon as they saw Ding Fujiang, they hurriedly and politely said:

"Battalion Commander, you've worked hard. Come into town quickly, have a seat, eat something, and rest!"

Ding Fujiang, mounted on his horse, merely nodded indifferently and led his troops into the city.

The county magistrate wanted to curry favor with the regular army officers and didn't take Commander Ding's arrogant actions to heart. The security commander, however, was thinking about the regular army's strong and well-equipped troops. He wondered if he should ask them to take him along after their victory in suppressing the bandits, so he could earn some merit and be rewarded by his superiors. He thought he might even get a lot of guns and bullets, or even just some silver dollars!

The two men had ulterior motives. As soon as Commander Ding and his men entered the city, they started preparing a banquet to welcome the troops. All the celebrities in the county came, including the police chief, the president of the business association, and dozens of landlords and gentry from the city.

The security chief, seizing the opportunity, secretly slipped on two gold bars, then shyly made his request, adding that he would offer a generous reward! Ding Fujiang chuckled inwardly, but with a beaming smile, he held the gold bars in his hand and said:

"I can tell you're on my side, brother. How about I give you a dozen or so prisoners and you report it to your superiors yourself? I think that'll be more authentic! If you achieve great merit, you'll definitely receive praise and reward. Just don't forget your brother then!"

The head of the security regiment was overjoyed. He prepared to find someone to help a regular army officer escort the prisoners back. Ding Fujiang waved his hand and said heartily:

"We're all brothers, no need to be so polite. Here's what we'll do: I'll have someone deliver it to you. You can send someone to lead the way and get to know your subordinates, so you won't have trouble answering questions from your superiors later."

The head of the security regiment was so excited that his face lit up. He quickly arranged for his adjutant to lead the way and accompany a platoon of regular soldiers back to the regimental headquarters. He kept praising the regular army battalion commander for his loyalty and said that he was sure to have a bright future!

Commander Ding's original intention was to take action immediately after all the enemy leaders arrived, but when he saw the lavish feast, the division commander's words, which he had often spoken these past few days, echoed in his ears:

When dealing with the enemy, you must eat their food, drink their water, and finally capture them! With that in mind, I let the soldiers have a good meal first.

At the grand welcoming banquet held in the county government hall, the soldiers, at the regimental commander's signal, ate heartily, causing many of the so-called upper-class figures present to shake their heads in disapproval. One middle-aged man, who looked like a scholar, even bluntly said:

"This is unseemly, unseemly indeed!"

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the county magistrate respectfully invited the regular army officers to give a speech. Ding Fujiang, smiling, walked to the center of the banquet hall with a wine glass in his hand, and smashed the glass in his hand. The wine glasses in the hands of dozens of "officers" in the hall had somehow transformed into cold, menacing guns, with their dark muzzles pointed directly at the guests who were preparing to listen to the officers' speeches.

The obese county head asked a seemingly inexplicable question:

"Sir, if there's anything you're not satisfied with, please speak frankly. I'll do my best to comply and let's not damage our relationship!"

"As long as everyone follows orders, there will be no disruption to the harmony!"

Commander Ding looked directly at the head of the security regiment and instructed the guards beside him:

"Take him away and make him inform his men to give up resistance, or he'll be shot on the spot!"

Having eaten and drunk their fill, the Red Army commanders and soldiers swiftly launched their attack. With all the White Army leaders, big and small, captured in the city, the remaining low-ranking soldiers offered little resistance before surrendering. Within two hours, the city was silent.

In this battle, the 59th Regiment not only successfully occupied Lanxi County, but also abducted all the belongings of the officials and gentry, captured hundreds of militiamen, and rescued more than a dozen captured underground party members from prison.

The alarmed civilians peeked through their tightly closed doors and saw squads of fully armed soldiers patrolling the streets and alleys. The city gates were sealed off, and they frequently witnessed the property of once-arrogant and powerful figures being confiscated, their valuables being carried out of their homes and piled up in the square in front of the county government building. The entire city was filled with fear, worried that the soldiers might raid their homes. To their relief, nothing of the sort happened until nightfall. Many people clutched their chests and said:

"This time, we poor people are lucky. I guess those old men in the army didn't even want our shabby belongings!"

Ma Xianyun, the company commander of the 3rd Company of the Special Service Battalion, was also worried. His comrade-in-arms, Sun Daniu, who was clever and resourceful, had gone missing. The squad leader of the 3rd Platoon of the 3rd Company, Sun, was also missing. The two soldiers who accompanied him were also missing. The soldiers who searched for him returned and reported that they had not found them along the way.

Worried that Sun Daniu and the other two might get lost, Ma Xianyun hurriedly asked Secretary Wang from Shitai Township, Cixi County, whom he had just rescued, to lead the way. They left the city to search again, and as they walked, he pondered:

"It's not far from the city wall, so we shouldn't have gotten lost. Could it be that we couldn't stand the hardship and ran away as deserters? That's impossible!"

"Senyun, Senyun!"

The urgent cries startled Ma Zhanyun from his dilemma. He looked up and saw the missing Sun Daniu lying on a stretcher, waving in their direction. Behind him were several people dressed as farmers, all carrying weapons such as rifles and spears.

The soldiers scattered around immediately became alert, seeking cover on higher ground, all pointing their guns at the slowly approaching group. Sun Daniu shouted anxiously:

"Company commander, don't fire! They're our own people, Red Army guerrillas!"

Upon approaching, the leader of the group pressed a gun against Sun Daniu's head and asked Company Commander Ma in a suspicious tone:

"Are you really the Red Army? Why are you dressed like the White Dogs?"

Looking at his white military uniform, Ma Xianyun turned around and pulled Secretary Wang, who had come out with him, to the front. After an explanation, the misunderstanding was cleared up.