The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

As he spoke, he lifted the Red Army sentry, who looked utterly aggrieved, from his hiding place, and also took the young soldier's rifle along the way. Looking at this slow-moving fellow, Xu Wenqing, somewhat amused and exasperated, scolded him:

"I said, why are you so stubborn? You'll find out whether I'm a Red Army soldier or not after I meet your leaders down here."

"There are hundreds of you, and I'm just one person. You think I'll fly away? You're incredibly stupid! Who's your commander? How can you be so dumb and not know how to think outside the box?"

As the Red Army soldier reluctantly followed Xu Wenqing down from their hiding place, Xu Wenqing concealed himself as much as possible behind the sentry. As for the rifle he was carrying, to show he meant them no harm, he held it by the muzzle, not the butt.

Once they reached the flat ground in the valley, Xu Wenqing threw down his rifle and shouted:

"I am Xu Wenqing, the regimental commander of the 55th Regiment of the 19th Division of the 10th Army Corps. Please have your commander come out. Everyone, please do not fire. If we alert the White Dogs, we will all be in trouble."

Just as he finished speaking, the Red Army regimental commander, who had been leading his soldiers in ambush and was preparing to evacuate, suddenly emerged from the bushes and said:

"Xiao Xu, what are you doing here? Didn't you leave with the main force?"

Uh! Is it someone you know who knows you?

Looking at the officer who appeared to be not very old as he approached, Xu Wenqing said somewhat embarrassedly:

"I injured my head a while ago."

I don't know if something went wrong, but I can't remember much from before. I don't recognize or remember some of the people from before. So, I haven't been able to ask who you are yet?

The young man who had walked over seemed quite surprised to hear this and said:

"You've lost your memory, kid? I'm Chen Xinchun, the commander of the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment. You really don't remember me?"

You know, back in the summer, when our 7th Red Army Corps arrived here from the Central Soviet Area, our corps' reconnaissance battalion was left here and merged with local troops to form the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment! You don't even remember that?"

Xu Wenqing said with a wry smile:

"Commander Chen, I'm so sorry, I really can't remember these things. However, you might know my current political director, Yao Hutou, who was previously the battalion political instructor of the 20th Division of the 10th Army Corps. Besides Director Yao, there are also our regiment and more than a thousand Red Army soldiers we rescued along the way in the mountains not far ahead."

They're resting in the mountains right now! Regarding my background, besides knowing I'm a Red Army soldier, I really don't know much else. By the way, Commander Chen, what are you doing here?"

Regarding this issue, Chen Xinchun recounted with bitterness how, after the Seventh Red Army Corps left the area, they had been fighting the enemy alone. After the Battle of Tanjiaqiao, their Southern Anhui Independent Regiment undertook the task of providing cover. Ultimately, they were blocked by the heavily surrounded enemy from following the main force. Left with no other choice, they were preparing to return to Southern Anhui to conduct guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, following instructions from the forward command. This place was their hideout for rest and reorganization before entering Southern Anhui.

Hearing that Chen Xinchun was still going to southern Anhui to organize and lead the guerrilla force, Xu Wenqing was undoubtedly worried for him. From what he could see of the less than eight hundred Red Army soldiers, the main force consisted of the original corps reconnaissance battalion members, while the other units were upgraded versions of the original guerrilla forces.

Xu Wenqing didn't even need to ask; he knew they were in dire straits, lacking both food and weapons. How could such a small force possibly stand against the ruthless, dog-like Jiangxi and Anhui armies stationed in various cities and towns?

Not wanting to voice his concerns for the time being, Xu Wenqing quickly whistled. Those special operations battalion soldiers who heard the whistle immediately ran down the mountain. Seeing these Anhui Southern Independent Regiment members, whom they had reunited with even in the mountains, especially their former comrades from the army's reconnaissance battalion, the special operations battalion soldiers were undoubtedly overjoyed.

Upon learning that Xu Wenqing had taken over towns and cities along the way, growing from an initial four or five hundred men to the 55th Regiment with nearly two thousand, Chen Xinchun gladly accepted Xu Wenqing's invitation and led the remaining officers and soldiers of the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment to join forces with the 55th Regiment of the 19th Division.

When the soldiers of the Special Service Battalion and the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment carried the wounded Red Army soldiers to the 55th Regiment's rest area, and saw so many soldiers sleeping on the ground in the valley, wearing all sorts of uniforms, Chen Xinchun was deeply moved and said:

"Xiao Xu, if the legion commander knew that keeping you behind as the rearguard could save so many scattered soldiers, they would be very happy."

Just as Chen Xinchun and the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment arrived with Xu Wenqing and the special operations battalion, Director Yao Hutou, who had remained vigilant even in his sleep, quickly woke up. When he saw that the person accompanying Xu Wenqing and checking on the Red Army soldiers resting in the mountains was none other than Chen Xinchun, the commander of the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment, he ran over with a look of mixed surprise and delight, saying:

"Commander Chen, what are you doing here?"

Seeing Yao Hutou, whom he had once fought alongside, Chen Xinchun was undoubtedly delighted. Especially noteworthy was the abundance of food and weapons that had been troubling them most; these were plentiful in the 55th Regiment, largely composed of scattered Red Army soldiers and prisoners of war. These hungry and cold soldiers of the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment truly experienced the warmth of the organization!

Xu Wenqing instructed the logistics team to treat these comrades from the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment well, and also to let them choose their preferred weapons and ammunition from the weapons they brought up the mountain for resupply.

This means that the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment, which had previously appeared to have lost much of its fighting capacity due to hunger and cold, was once again a Red Army elite force, capable of fighting the White Army, after being replenished with sufficient weapons, ammunition, and food!

Seeing the joy and happiness of the officers and soldiers of the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment, Xu Wenqing began to consider whether to stop Chen Xinchun from leading the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment back to Southern Anhui to continue fighting behind enemy lines alone.

After all, in his previous life, Chen Xinchun led the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment, intending to return to the Fujian-Zhejiang border region to join forces with the remnants of the Red Tenth Army Corps. However, before even reaching their destination, they were surrounded and annihilated by the White Army, who seemed to have smelled blood, and the unit was scattered. Of the more than 1,200 men in the regiment, only 160 remained by the time the New Fourth Army was formed!

As the midday sun rose into the sky, the soldiers of the 55th Regiment, who had rested all morning, began to get up and tidy their uniforms.

After gathering the company commanders and temporary company commanders, Xu Wenqing, Hu Jiu, Yao Hutou, and Wang Tielin, they officially began reorganizing and reorganizing the more than 1,000 troops. As for the officers and soldiers who belonged to the Southern Anhui Independent Regiment, Xu Wenqing ordered them to return to their units and be handed over to Chen Xinchun for reorganization.