The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

After Xu Wenqing finished speaking, he adjourned the meeting, and the cadres filed out. Immediately afterwards, the fighting machines of the 19th Red Army Division began to operate rapidly.

The meeting had just ended when the head of the logistics department raised a problem with the political commissar:

"Several porters from the supply battalion secretly slipped away with dozens of silver dollars hidden on their person while helping the troops collect enemy supplies."

Do any of our soldiers have this situation?

After hearing this, Yao Hutou asked with a serious expression.

The logistics director shook his head and replied:

"Nothing has been found yet, but someone told me that a company commander from the 57th Regiment used captured silver dollars to take people to a restaurant for drinks."

Yao Hutou frowned, sensing this was a major problem. The seizures wouldn't stop, and if the chaotic execution continued, unexpected situations might arise. When he voiced this concern, Xu Wenqing shared the same feeling:

"A thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant hole! We must prevent this from happening through systemic reforms."

After discussion, it was decided to establish a confiscation and distribution committee at the headquarters of the 19th Division of the Red Army. The committee was headed by Chen Guang, the director of the logistics department, and carried out the work of confiscating and distributing the property of local tyrants and evil gentry under the guidance of the division's political department.

All confiscated property was registered by the "Confiscation Committee." Of the spoils of war captured by each battalion and company, grain could be kept, but all other supplies had to be handed over to the "Confiscation Committee." The Political Department and the Logistics Department then distributed the spoils to the troops and impoverished people along the way to ensure the needs of the troops for combat and marching, to provide relief to the masses, and to expand the political influence of the Red Army.

The head of logistics was ordered to organize a "confiscation and requisition committee".

Xu Wenqing suddenly realized that he hadn't visited the wounded soldiers since entering the city, so he quickly called on Li Jian, the director of the political department, to rush to the temporary aid station.

The two men entered the wounded soldiers' ward together and visited each of the injured soldiers from the Battle of Chuzhou. The wounded soldiers, their heads wrapped in thick bandages, clearly recognized their leader. They struggled to their feet, looking eagerly at their division commander, their expressions filled with emotion.

Xu Wenqing walked silently forward, nodding kindly to each wounded soldier who was conscious, and gently inquiring about their condition. Finally, he slowly walked to a wounded soldier who was lying unconscious on the bed and asked the medical staff around him about his condition.

The doctor standing nearby whispered that the soldier had been shot in the chest and had been unconscious for over twenty hours due to excessive blood loss, and had not yet woken up.

Looking at the twenty-odd wounded soldiers, Xu Wenqing sadly shook his head. After returning to the division headquarters, he discussed with the political commissar the establishment of a field hospital.

When the 55th Regiment withdrew from Ganzhou, it completely emptied the Jiangxi Army's field hospital. Although it lost a lot of large medical equipment when it moved into the mountainous area bordering Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi, it left behind all the medicines and lightweight equipment. After successively capturing Jinhua, Chuzhou, and Wenzhou, the medicines and equipment were replenished once again. It can be said that the 19th Division of the Red Army had sufficient medicines and equipment for its hospital, but very few medical personnel. The entire division only had one doctor named Liu Siwen, who was captured during the Battle of Tanjiaqiao while covering the wounded, and a dozen or so temporarily transferred soldiers.

"There are too few doctors, and the conditions for establishing a hospital are not yet mature."

The political commissar said with some concern.

Xu Wenqing still insisted on establishing the hospital now, and he earnestly explained to the political commissar:

"In order for our wounded soldiers to receive the best treatment, our hospitals need to be built and gradually expanded while we are fighting!"

After deciding to establish a hospital, the two men were troubled by the selection of hospital leaders. The only doctor, who had previously refused leadership positions at the military hospital and only wanted to focus on medical research, seemed unlikely to agree this time either. The others were all soldiers, and it was feared they wouldn't be up to the task.

Just as they were in a dilemma, Lan Hua suddenly barged in and suggested a candidate:

"Commander Xu, Political Commissar Yao, I think Sister Hu Li and Sister Liu Aiqin can do a good job!"

Xu Wenqing's eyes lit up, his mind suddenly opened, and he nodded excitedly, saying:

"Yes, we're really blind to what's right under our noses. Comrade Hu Li has both medical skills and management abilities. She was in charge of a separate rescue team when she was in the rescue team. After rescuing the wounded, she did a good job at Shenxiandong as well. She's the one who should be the director!"

After her suggestion was affirmed, Lan Hua took the opportunity to ask to work as a caregiver at the hospital as well, and Xu Wenqing readily agreed:

"You've done a great job, little girl! Not only will I grant you a job at the hospital, but I can also fulfill one of your wishes!"

Orchid lowered her head and thought for a long time before stammering:

"I want to explore Wenzhou City. This is the first time I've ever been to a city in my entire life!"

Upon hearing that it was such a small matter, Xu Wenqing readily agreed without hesitation:

"That's easy. If you see anything you like, I'll just pay for it!"

After Lan Hua left the division headquarters in high spirits, Xu Wenqing sent a messenger to the medical team to invite Hu Li and Lan Hua to come over, where he and the political commissar spoke with them:

"Comrade Hu Li, the division headquarters has decided to establish the 19th Division Field Hospital, with you as the director and Comrade Liu Aiqin as the branch secretary."

"In addition to drawing medical personnel from across the division, we also need to set up a cooking squad, a communications squad, a guard platoon, and a stretcher platoon. Let's get the framework of the field hospital up first."

Political Commissar Yao Hutou added from the side.

Hu Li said, somewhat surprised and embarrassed:

"I only learned some first aid techniques from the doctors at the Legion Hospital. I'm okay as a paramedic, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be good enough as the hospital director."

"No one is born knowing everything. Can't we learn on the job?"

Xu Wenqing quickly encouraged and cheered her on:

"Comrade Hu Li, I believe that with some training, you could easily become a county magistrate or commissioner, let alone a mere hospital director!"

Seeing this situation, Hu Li knew she had no choice but to agree. Political Commissar Yao was still a little worried, fearing that Bu Li wouldn't know where to begin.

He quickly prompted:

"Comrade Hu Li, what do you think are the difficulties in running a hospital well?"

Hu Li began to consider the potential difficulties:

"There are too few doctors; the current medical staff basically do not understand nursing work; and the temporary medics in each company know very little about first aid methods."

"So what do you think should be the first step?"

Xu Wenqing planned to further assess Hu Li's work abilities.

Hu Li said as she thought:

"The division is severely lacking in medical personnel. First, we need to train a group of nurses and medics, and equip each company's medics with battlefield first aid medicines and equipment. We should also adopt a mutual teaching and learning approach to train company medics in battlefield first aid so that they can correctly and skillfully master battlefield first aid techniques."

Yao Hutou praised Hu Li's idea:

"The idea is excellent. This will not only improve the skills of the company's medical personnel but also strengthen the field hospital. It will allow us to quickly establish a hospital capable of undertaking medical and emergency care tasks for the entire division."