Canteen System Assistance Notes

2535 words

2020-11-25 12: 00: 00

After passing through Taolinsai, crossing the Yellow River, and then crossing the noisy Fenglingcao Ferry, and continuing to trek for a while, Carlson officially set foot on the land controlled by the Japanese.

In theory, land controlled by the Japanese.

Carlson had many ideas about guerrillas behind enemy lines. In his mind, these Communist guerrillas should be more like the Continental Army led by Washington during the Revolutionary War, especially the militia groups that were flexible and quick to move. Or they should be like the chasseurs under General Grant during the Civil War, who attacked in groups of three or five, equipped with horses and rifles.

They would probably hide in a place where the enemy's marching route must pass and shoot at a lone guy, or use selected rifles to ambush in a residential area and fire at passing enemy officers, or attack unprotected enemy logistics and destroy supplies. Although the environment here is very different from that in the United States, the paradigm of guerrilla warfare should be similar.

But the first thing Carlson saw was a school and a lively basketball game going on on the school playground.

"Schools and the military often organize such sports activities,"

Next to Carlson stood a soldier in a Japanese windbreaker. He pointed to the student and soldier teams competing on the field. "This kind of sport not only strengthens the body but also fosters a sense of teamwork. It's also an important part of our daily lives. Look, Mr. Carlson, the competition is quite intense!"

This kind-hearted soldier was General Zhu, the military commander of this region. He didn't live in a beautiful house, didn't wear a neatly tailored shirt, and unlike some officers, he didn't chatter endlessly about war. Instead, he had a calm and peaceful quality, like mountains and rocks, full of silent power.

When Carlson crossed the mountains of Shanxi Province and, under the guidance of Comrade Peng Xiudao, arrived at this village surrounded by yellow, the commander and his staff were applauding and cheering for the soldiers' basketball game.

"You're the first foreign military officer to visit us. You said you wanted to learn about our army. Ha, that's part of our lives." General Zhu turned his gaze away from the field. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"A lot. I have a thousand questions I want to ask right now."

Carlson once put forward his idea directly, "If possible, I would like to live with your army, march with you, and even fight with you for a while."

Zhu Laozong blinked and examined Carlson, who returned his gaze with an unreserved expression. "You know, I've heard that this army effectively employed so-called guerrilla tactics to fight the Japanese. As a soldier, I'm eager to understand the composition and principles of these tactics. I've also heard about a group of idealists constructing their own utopia in the heartland controlled by the Japanese. As someone who has had a connection to this country... I, too, want to learn about its story."

"Okay," General Zhu said, his tone still calm but full of undercurrents. He waved his hand, making a decision. "I'll call a meeting with the staff later. We can raise our own questions, and then we'll discuss your military trip. Now," he smiled, "it's time to play basketball."

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Basketball games have fixed rules. There are two teams of five people, three referees, two scorers, substitutes and team leaders. The "student team" and "warrior team" on the field even have their own cheerleading teams. Soldiers, students and teachers in different positions gather together and shout slogans loudly.

If it weren't for the fact that there was no wooden floor, only a basketball court with pink and gray lines, and a simple wooden basketball hoop with no net but only a basket, Carlson would even think he was at an NBL game.

Towards the end of the game, the basketball flew high into the air due to the intense competition and landed in the stands. The towering Carlson was quick to catch the flying ball and throw it back.

It's actually "Spalding", but the feel is a bit weird...

Just as he was thinking this, Carlson saw a man in the uniform of the Eighth Route Army waving at him.

It was Agnes Smedley!

"Oh! Counselor, this is your compatriot." The game was over, the winner had been chosen, and General Zhu applauded. "This is Comrade Agnes Smedley."

"Hello, I've seen you before."

Smedley's words were quite offensive, and no wonder: Carlson knew that in the United States, this serious American journalist born in Missouri was portrayed as a dangerous woman, a white queen who helped the rebels, simply because she was hostile to injustice and oppression.

But it seemed the lady didn't care at all. She shook her short hair, which was trimmed for convenience, and pulled Carlson and General Zhu together: "This opportunity is rare, why don't we have a good chat."

With the guard, the three of them walked back to Smedley's room, which was a room with a heated kang. As soon as they walked in, Carlson was attracted by a familiar smell. He unexpectedly smelled the smell of coffee - this familiar smell had not appeared in his nose for several months.

"Oh! Coffee!"

He exclaimed and quickly found the source of the fragrance - a tin teapot heated by the stove.

“There’s coffee here?”

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The topic quickly veered off topic.

Carlson originally wanted to talk to General Zhu about the current situation, but the sudden appearance of coffee made him feel as surprised as seeing the natives in an African tribe fiddling with mechanical watches, and it caught his attention.

But this was Smedley's room, and as an American, it was normal for him to get some coffee. Carlson came to his senses and thanked her sincerely: "Ms. Smedley, thank you for buying me coffee - it's not easy to get coffee here."

"Oh, my dear Mr. Carlson," Smedley shook her head. "Don't underestimate us. Coffee may not be common here, but it's not hard to find."

Ok?

"It's more than just coffee," General Zhu continued. "The border region can provide us with a lot of logistical support, from ammunition and medical care to food and currency, including Comrade Smedley's coffee. However, our troops should strive to be self-sufficient and not add further burdens to the people in the border region."

"Excuse me," Carlson said, taking the coffee Smedley handed him and taking a sip. The coffee had sugar and milk, making it sweeter than American coffee, with a lighter aroma and flavor, but still better than nothing. "Isn't this place already occupied by the Japanese?"

"Not exactly," General Zhu moved several enamel cups on a small table, representing the various forces in Shanxi Province. "The Japanese occupied Pingcheng in northern Shanxi Province and also Jinyang, but the terrain in this area is very complex. Previously, our troops ambushed a Japanese regiment at Fanzhi Pass and captured the Japanese commander—oh, if you go to Fushi City, you can see him—the complex terrain makes it impossible for the Japanese to be comprehensive and control every village and every path, which leaves us room to maneuver.

"We have regular communication channels with the border areas, and the people in the base areas are willing to help us deliver supplies and intelligence. This is the second point: we have the help of the people," General Zhu emphasized. "With the help of the people, we can always obtain intelligence earlier and respond more quickly." Therefore, to this day, Comrade Agnes Smedley can still get her favorite coffee in Fushe.

"If I need to stay up late, I also mix some with boiling water, but I don't add sugar." It was getting late, and General Zhu and several soldiers stood up to say goodbye. "Counselor, please believe me, this thing is not particularly precious here. The prize for today's basketball game is candy made from coffee. If you need it, I can ask the comrades to find some for you."

"Thank you very much. However, this is not necessary for the time being."

Chapter 69: Twin Stars (6) Another Kind of Army 1

Canteen System Assistance

By Forgotten Maple X

2478 words

2020-11-26 12: 00: 00

"At the morning meeting, besides Commander Zhu and Deputy Commander Peng Shichuan, there was also Ren Bulin, who had just returned from training in the Soviet Union, and the 101st Division, leader of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army—several Eighth Route Army generals gathered in that small courtyard. They sat around a very old table and peppered me with questions. Surprisingly, their questions were quite targeted and up-to-date. For example, if Germany had invaded Czechoslovakia, would Britain have joined the war? Or why didn't the United States urge Japan to abide by the Nine-Power Treaty? They even asked about the successes and failures of both sides in specific battles on the Spanish battlefield."

"Then the roles were reversed, and I started asking them all my questions."

Thinking about it now, Carlson felt like laughing. He had asked the commanders about their reliance and foundation for resisting Japanese aggression, which had drawn laughter from everyone present. This army was born to liberate the people, and its most important task now was to defeat the invading Japanese army. Then, without revealing any confidential information, General Zhu briefly explained the current situation and the state of the anti-Japanese war, and expounded on the Eighth Route Army's working principles.

"'The people help us, we protect the people, and our victory is guaranteed by our superior intelligence, superior mobility, and the will to win,' the commander told me. To put it in a more American way, this man, who seemed a little fierce but also a little generous, had the kindness of Robert E. Lee, the humility of Abraham Lincoln, and the toughness of Ulysses S. Grant."

After that day's discussion, Carlson finally received permission to travel further east, where he found the Qingliangfeng base, which had been surrounded by the Japanese.

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Carlson set out after Christmas in the West - coincidentally, a three-company troop was about to head there - and he marched and lived with this group of soldiers who looked like they had just recovered from malnutrition.

They wore uniform cotton clothes and carried Soviet rifles. Some of them were equipped with Thompson submachine guns and carried four grenades as big as small melons. Each of them had a canvas bag and a rope for tying it, which they used to pack their blankets, cups, washbasins, study materials and other personal belongings. The chopsticks for eating were inserted into the leggings. The baggage team in the company was composed of horses and donkeys, carrying precious light and heavy machine guns. It was a bit difficult for the Eighth Route Army to be completely consistent in such heavy weapons. Carlson found that Japanese machine guns and Soviet machine guns were mixed in this camel caravan.

Including the company commander and the regimental commander, everyone was carrying nearly 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of gear. This weight was said to be based on experience gained during the Long March: a soldier carrying this much gear could march 3.3 miles (5.3 kilometers) in an hour, then continue this march for four hours, rest for a few minutes to drink water, and then march for another four hours, repeating this two or three times a day. Carlson, with his tall and strong frame, had no problem completing such long marches. However, according to the soldiers, during combat, they even marched nearly 75 miles (120 kilometers) a day along mountain roads. This wasn't an emergency, and the troops had deliberately slowed down their pace to accommodate Carlson, a "foreign officer."

Carlson couldn't imagine how they did it, but he soon realized one of the reasons: after almost a day's journey through the rolling mountains of Shanxi Province, they arrived at a village. The village chief and the village work team had already been waiting at the village entrance to welcome the trekking troops.

They prepared tofu, cabbage and boiled water. The leader, Chen Lianfu, stepped forward and had a cordial conversation with the village chief, thanking them for their help. He also called on the cooking team to go to the stove that had been set up in the center of the village to help and make a dinner for everyone to relieve their fatigue.

Carlson saw that the soldiers marching with him, without any orders, spontaneously divided into several small groups according to squads and platoons. They began to follow the instructions of the village work team and headed to the assembly area to unload their equipment. Some young men stayed behind to guard the baggage train, while others took hatchets from the luggage carts and headed towards the back mountain.

"What are they doing?"

Carlson was extremely puzzled. This familiar behavior made him wonder if all the soldiers in the team came from this small mountain village. "Are they all locals here?"

"Haha, not really," Chen Lianfu was directing the kitchen team to set up the stove and then start cooking. "This is the tacit understanding between us and the people - this is inseparable from the hard work of the comrades in the village work team. They inspired the people and made them understand what kind of team we are, a force fighting for the poor. Continuous - Update q@q@group@book@collection@81317*5933

"Soldiers will proactively help civilians with tasks within their capabilities, such as cleaning the yard, fetching water, and chopping firewood. We have three major disciplines and eight points of attention, requiring troops to treat civilians with respect. Counselor, perhaps this sounds strange to you, but in China, the arrival of the military often means destruction and plunder. We cannot repeat the mistakes of those people."

"So how can I help?"

"Counselor, perhaps you can record all of this in any way you like." Head of the delegation, Chen Lianfu, shook his head, a little embarrassed. "You probably didn't need to do this kind of work while you were in the United States. If I insist on having you participate, I'm afraid General Zhu will criticize me if he hears about it."

After hearing what the accompanying translator said, Carlson was a little unhappy: "Comrade Chen, since General Zhu said that he is willing to let me march and live with the soldiers, then you should not refuse my labor!

"Also, I'd prefer you to address me as 'comrade' instead of 'counselor' or something like that."

"Okay," Chen Lianfu could only give up the argument, "The kitchen still needs some help. If you don't mind, go over there and help out."

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"Because we had to cook for hundreds of people, the kitchen staff used shovels to cook, and I was assigned to be the chef."

"I watched them sauté potatoes, scallions, and carrots in a pot, then pour in boiling water and finally add some frozen chunks from a clear package and simmer them all together. I used a spatula to constantly stir the thick mass until it became a stew of an odd color but absolutely delicious. Everyone present could pour this sticky, delicious mixture with chicken chunks over cooked noodles or multi-grain rice and enjoy a delicious meal. Everyone, including me, ate the entire bowl."

"I asked what this delicacy was, and the kitchen staff told me it was the chicken curry issued by the army. Personally, I think those lovely soldiers must have remembered it wrongly. How could curry taste like this? I've tried chicken tikka curry in Indian restaurants, and it's nothing like this. This must be some kind of Chinese dish that I don't understand."

Closing the pen, Carlson climbed out of the pit and prepared to get into his sleeping bag.

Today's journey had been exhausting, but also incredibly exciting. He began to feel that this miraculous army on the land of North China was indeed, as Snow had described, a force unlike any other. Although their equipment was still incomplete and their conditions were limited—in fact, compared to many other armies, their conditions were much more comfortable—their closeness to the people, their equality between officers and soldiers, their unwavering convictions, and their impartiality had nearly captivated the US Marine officer: the utopia he had dreamed of seemed so real before his eyes.

This unexpected event made him feel inexplicably happy, even envious.

But at this moment, there were continuous knocks on Carlson's door, and then the door was pushed open, and the translator and guards ran in.

"Comrade Carlson, we need to get up quickly."

"An enemy is coming."

Chapter 70: Twin Stars (7) Another Battlefield 1

Canteen System Assistance

By Forgotten Maple X

2152 words

2020-11-27 12: 00: 00

How can a utopia survive in an environment surrounded by powerful enemies?

If her power is too weak, she will be like a flourishing flower that will be crushed by the enemy's iron hooves.

Carlson rolled out of his sleeping bag, climbed off the earthen kang, quickly packed his belongings, and rushed out of his house. In another house in the village, the thick curtains had been drawn. When Carlson and his guards entered, Regimental Commander Chen Lianfu, along with the political commissar and the commanders of the three companies, had already laid out a map on the table in the center of the room and began a discussion.

A Mobil oil lamp was hanging on the ceiling of the house, casting its light on the map. Due to dumping, this thing has spread all over North China and can even be found here.

"...So, our original plan to directly cross the blockade is no longer feasible. But we have to act. If we don't, the comrades crossing the railway on the other side will be in danger. The patrol trains are moving very fast, and they don't need to rest like horses. They patrol one section a day and will reach the next railway crossing before noon the day after tomorrow."

A soldier with a grass wreath on his head and wearing a combat uniform with a circle of magazine pouches concluded that it looked like this meeting had been going on for some time.

"Has anyone notified the troops over there?" someone asked.

"I sent someone over," Carlson thought. The Grass Ring warrior must be the head of the reconnaissance unit, reporting on the enemy situation. "The locals just told us the train left Jinyang, so I sent two people on horseback to find them. The intelligence has been confirmed, there's no problem. The guerrillas over there just gave us a signal."

"How many enemies are there in total?"

"The villagers said there were about a hundred men, including officers on horseback. The guerrillas reported a makeshift armed train with over sixty men, four light machine guns, and about three grenade launchers. And the Railway Workers' Self-Defense Force reported they had requisitioned a locomotive and two trailers, four in total, including the tender and water tanker—and they were all provided by the Japanese with their own drivers and crews; they weren't allowed to drive."

Another person at the regimental headquarters quickly reported the intelligence summary. "Based on our comprehensive assessment, it seems to be a reinforced squad. They've been reinforced with a light machine gun from another squad. Excluding the train operator, the total strength is around 70 men."

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Carlson watched the impromptu staff meeting, trying to decipher the key points of the information with his rather poor Chinese conversational skills. With the help of the translator, he finally understood the current situation:

At noon, a small group of Japanese troops took a train from Jinyang and headed towards this side, just passing the place where they planned to cross the railway blockade. Although this group of Japanese troops was not their target, they would threaten another transport team of our army that was about to cross the railway.

The transport team over there is transporting medicines and equipment for treating the wounded.

If this group of Japanese troops were attacked, more Japanese troops from nearby assembly areas would surely come to reinforce them.

"Comrades." Chen Lianfu pondered for a moment, "It's not easy for the base to obtain supplies. We can't just sit back and watch our friendly forces get attacked because we don't have orders. With this batch of medicine at the Qingliangfeng base, perhaps many more comrades can survive." He gave this order with the momentum of artillery firing.

"To fight or not to fight? We've decided. Fight him! Hit him hard and annihilate them!"

After the commander made his decision, the meeting room suddenly became bustling with activity. Several company commanders and instructors began planning the details of the battle, while the regimental commander and political commissar oversaw the overall direction and division of labor. The communications department began sending radio messages to the troops at the Qingliang Peak base, requesting coordinated operations and reporting to their superiors. Many people also rushed out of the room to notify the various squads and platoons to change their marching plans, instructing the logistics and rearguard to speed up or even set off early, and even instructing the kitchen team to prepare some dry rations for immediate consumption.

The entire army was like a started car, a work of art composed of hundreds of parts, each with its own function. It moved quickly and orderly, busy but not chaotic, and then drove this army consisting of three companies to wake up from the middle of the night and become the best carrier to carry out the orders of the chief officer.

It is said that this unit once attacked a Japanese airport. They burned all the planes in the airport, strafed the pilots' dormitories, and paralyzed the operation of the entire airport. They even attacked the Japanese troops coming to support from a few kilometers away. Finally, they removed some of the canvas coverings and an engine from the wreckage of the aircraft... These canvases are said to have been turned into stretchers for transporting the wounded.

Carlson had heard of the heroic deeds of Chen Lianfu's troops, and now he witnessed with his own eyes how this miraculous battle unfolded from nothing.

If this operation were carried out by the Marines, they would definitely win, but perhaps, no, basically, they wouldn't be able to react so quickly... He was just thinking about it when Captain Chen Lianfu came over and said seriously:

"Counselor, oh, Comrade Carlson. A fierce battle is about to begin. To ensure your personal safety, I hope you can follow the rearguard." He paused, as if trying to come up with a more acceptable explanation for Carlson. "This is also a very important task. Without the rearguard's protection, the logistics and pack trains will be attacked, and the soldiers on the front lines will be short of ammunition and food."

How could this be possible! The war is about to begin, how could I be absent?

Carlson responded almost immediately: "No! I'm sorry, Comrade Chen, but I hope to participate in this battle! After all, I am a Marine Corps soldier who has undergone serious and complete military training!"

Seeing the somewhat embarrassed look on Captain Chen Lianfu's face, he struck while the iron was hot: "Yes, comrade, although we come from all over the world, we all have the same aspirations. This is the meaning of comrades.

"I swear to God that I will not charge with the soldiers. I will stay behind the battlefield and will never let the Japanese see my Western face," Carlson promised solemnly. "Please believe me, I understand your concerns, but I am also capable of protecting my own safety. Living with you, marching with you, and fighting together is the purpose of my trip!"

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Looking at Carlson's unwavering resolve, Regimental Commander Chen Lianfu sighed and frowned. After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "Alright, you can follow the troops on the front lines, but I'll have the soldiers around you ensure you can only observe from a safe distance. Furthermore, you can't fire unless absolutely necessary."

He pulled a large Browning pistol from his belt, removed the magazine, pulled the slide, inspected it, and handed the pistol, holster included, to Carlson.

"Comrade Carlson, I hope you never have the opportunity to use it."

Chapter 71: Twin Stars (8) Another Way of Thinking