When they heard that cabbage, pork and tofu stew were available, several neighbors watching on the sidelines couldn't help but start swallowing their saliva.
There are few families who can eat meat these days, not to mention that now that the Japs are here, many people have not seen meat in several years.
A young man in his twenties had been watching for a long time. Now he couldn't help but walked to the table with his hands in his hands and looked at Xie Tian and asked: "Will I have meat to eat every day if I work here?"
In fact, Xie Tian had already been paying attention to this young man for a long time. After hearing this, he smiled and said: "I can't guarantee this, but my soldiers can watch me and eat whatever I eat. Maybe one person can improve the food." You can also share two taels of sweet potatoes to roast."
"Then if I don't have a good time here, can I leave?" the young man asked.
Xie Tian smiled and said: "You are free to come and go, but you must report in advance. We are a regular team. We cannot come and leave at will like a bandit's den. Then there will be no rules."
The young man took another step closer, stared at Xie Tian and asked, "Do you really want to fight the Japanese?"
Xie Tian pointed back at the slogans posted on the wall: "These slogans are not written for fun. If I dare to post them on my own wall, I am declaring war on the Japanese."
The young man nodded: "Then I will work with you, but let me declare in advance that if I feel that your team is not good after working for a while, you have to let me go."
Xie Tian chuckled: "As I said before, you can come and go freely and report in advance."
The young man pulled the roster in front of Xie Tian and wrote his name on it with a pen: "Qin Fen, Xiaheyan Village, Dagu Town."
Xie Tian smiled and stood up: "Literate, that's good. I will now appoint you as the secretary of the regiment. From now on, the writing and drawing work in the regiment will be handed over to you. Hey, I will give this position to you now, and you can continue to recruit troops."
Qin Fen was not polite and sat down directly on the bench where Xie Tian was sitting just now. He looked up at Xie Tian and asked, "What are the conditions for recruiting troops?"
Xie Tian replied: "As long as you can carry a gun and dare to fight the Japanese, we don't want those with physical disabilities. We won't accept women for the time being."
Li Chunxiang, who was crowded in the crowd to watch the fun, asked: "Why don't women want it? Hua Mulan is still serving in the army for her father."
Xie Tian looked at Li Chunxiang and smiled: "Our soldiers all sleep in Datongbu. If you are willing to sleep with them, I will accept you."
The neighbors burst into laughter. Li Chunxiang swatted away a few hands that were reaching out to grab her and walked into the house: "I don't want to sleep together with a bunch of stinky men. I'm here to collect the food boxes. Where's Wan'er?" , are you in the store?"
Xie Tian smiled: "Go ahead and dye cloth in the backyard. Thank you for the delicious food you sent yesterday."
Li Chunxiang smiled at Xie Tian, leaned closer and whispered: "Yesterday I saw Ding Changgui and his two losers riding a carriage to the north. Okay, you guys go ahead and go see Miss Wan'er."
Xie Tian smiled slightly and nodded, heading north. No need to ask, he must be heading to the Zhangzhuang stronghold.
Zhangzhuang is a strategic location between Pingyuan County and Ping'an County. It has two peaks and one ridge, and the terrain is dangerous. The Japanese army has a stronghold here.
Ping'an County was captured by Li Yunlong's independent regiment, and the offensive and defensive situation in northwest Shanxi began to change. The Japanese army could only shrink its forces to defend the fortress and wait for the arrival of two divisions drawn from the Kwantung Army before starting a counterattack.
The Zhangzhuang stronghold is one of the important strongholds of the Japanese army in the northwest region of Shanxi. Originally, there was a Japanese squadron and an Imperial Association Army brigade stationed at the stronghold. Now, another squadron of Japanese troops has been added to the stronghold. The large number of people and high expenses have left Dagu Town I sent a donation, but it was messed up by Xie Tian.
Xie Tian watched Li Chunxiang walk into the silk shop, turned back to Qin Fen and asked, "Where did you study?"
"Taiyuan."
"Since you want to join the army, why not join the Eighth Route Army?"
"The Eighth Route is too bitter, I don't want to go."
"The Jin-Sui army is not miserable, and there is still monthly salary available."
"I went there. I couldn't stand it. I'm back."
Xie Tian chuckled and patted Qin Fen on the shoulder: "If you don't like me here, you can leave. I'll leave the recruitment to you first. I'll go back and take a look."
The backyard was very busy, and the big dyeing pot was gurgling and steaming. Tang Wan'er stood by the pot and used the wooden stick in her hand to pick up the cloth in the dyeing pot from time to time. Tiedan and the others were busy lighting the fire and drying the cloth. What a joy.
Xie Tian angrily slapped the high school sophomore naughty boy on the back of the head with half a steamed bun in his mouth: "It's time for dinner. You'll eat it first. I'll see how you eat cabbage and pork stew later when your stomach is full." Tofu."
The second-year-old boy chuckled and took out the steamed buns from his mouth: "Report to the leader, I haven't eaten for two meals. Let's rest first. It's not like those two guys. One person made ten big steamed buns, and he couldn't hold himself back. I can’t even straighten my waist.”
Xie Tian looked over and saw that the two beggars were bending over and drying cloth. Not to mention the discomfort.
Xie Tian hurriedly walked over and shouted: "Ma Ziqiang, Wang Baogen, you two, stop doing this now. You two are really hungry ghosts and reincarnated. I don't want to have to dig a hole to bury you two later. You two hurry up and get in the hospital." You are allowed to take a stroll here, but you are not allowed to drink water, do you hear me?"
The two of them were so uncomfortable that they could not speak. They hummed at Xie Tian and put down their work and walked around the courtyard. Xie Tian was so angry that he kicked one of them on the buttocks and cursed: "You two are cowards. From now on, we will be together every day." I’ll give you white flour steamed buns to eat, and I’ll eat you to death.”
After teaching the two men a lesson, Xie Tian quickly walked to the dyeing pot and snatched the wooden stick from Tang Haoer's hand, scolding: "Didn't I let you rest on the kang? Just use your mouth to do the hard work. Let Tiedan and the others do the hard work."
Li Chunxiang looked at Tang Waner curiously and asked, "What, are you sick?"
Tang Wan'er glanced at Xie Tian angrily and replied to Li Chunxiang: "Don't listen to his nonsense, I'm not sick."
Li Chunxiang giggled and tickled Tang Wan'er: "The boss of your family really loves you. Our Lao Cui is too lazy to even pick up the garlic himself. Look at my hands compared to yours. My hands are almost mature." It’s firewood and sticks.”
Tang Wan'er said something to Li Chunxiang, looked at Xie Tian and said: "Don't scold those two people. They are from Henan. Henan suffered a severe drought last year and the crops in the fields were harvested. They are from Henan step by step." Those who came here have suffered a lot along the way. If you want to blame, blame me. I didn't notice and let them eat so much. If I had known better, I would have cooked some porridge for them first."
Xie Tian sighed softly. He had seen the movie 1942, where more than 1.5 million people were starved to death. It was so tragic.
Hearing Tang Wan'er talk about cooking porridge, Xie Tian turned around and shouted to the two people who were walking around uncomfortably: "Ma Ziqiang and Wang Baogen, come here."
Ma Ziqiang and Wang Baogen walked up to Xie Tian, and Ma Ziqiang said, "What are your orders from the shopkeeper?"
As for the shopkeeper, it seems that these two people haven't entered the state yet.
Xie Tian looked at the two of them and asked, "Do you know how many fellow villagers from your area there are around here?"
The two people looked at each other, and Ma Ziqiang replied: "There should be hundreds of people. When we first came out, the road was full of people. There are fewer and fewer people on the road. There are all dead people on the roadside, some starving to death. Some were beaten to death. Those who were alive didn't know where to go, so they followed everyone forward. Some went to Shaanxi, and some came from Suiyuan. The bark of the tree was all chewed up. My mother, my sister We are all on the road to death, we can’t live any longer..."
While talking, the two grown men started to cry.
There is only one left alive among the common people in this world. In this calamity year, even staying alive has become a luxury.
Seeing the two of them crying, Tang Haoer and Li Chunxiang also shed tears, and Xie Tian's eyes also became wet.
He stretched out his hand and patted the two of them: "I'll give you two a task. When you two get some rest, go out to find your fellow villagers and tell them that we have a porridge shed here and that they will have food at any time."
"Really?" The two of them looked at Xie Tian in surprise.
Xie Tian nodded slightly: "Really, just take a break and go."
"I'm going now." Ma Ziqiang said while wiping away tears.
After watching Ma Ziqiang and Wang Baogen leave, Tang Haoer looked at Xie Tian worriedly: "Hundreds of people, that's a lot of food."
Xie Tian hummed and waved to Gao Ernuo: "Ernuo, come here."
The second-year high school boy ran over and said, "What orders do you have from the leader?"
Xie Tian shouted to Tiedan who was lighting the fire for the dyeing pot: "Xie Jin"
Xie Tian called out to Tiedan twice but there was no response. He was so angry that he raised his leg and kicked Tiedan on the butt: "Tiedan, get out of here."
Tiedan rubbed his butt and stood up: "What are you doing, godfather?"
Xie Tian bent his fingers and flicked three blasts on Tiedan's head, and cursed: "Your name is Xie Jin, Xie Jin, Xie Jin, do you remember?"
Tiedan scratched his head and said with a smile: "I forgot that godfather called me."
"If you don't have a godfather, you have to call me the leader from today on."
"Yes, Captain."
Xie Tian glared at Tiedan angrily and ordered: "You and Ernuo go to several grain stores in the town and tell them that we want all the grain from the shopkeepers, including rice, white flour, sorghum, millet, sticks, and soybeans. , No matter what you want, just send it over and get paid according to the market price."
Tiedan responded and almost blurted out: Why don't you give me the money? You can just bring someone over to grab it.
Seeing Tiedan and Gao Ernuo leaving, Tang Wan'er said worriedly: "The grain stores in the town don't have much food. If hundreds of people come here, they won't be able to survive for a few days."
Xie Tian looked at Tang Wan'er: "Where else in town can there be food?"
Tang Wan'er hesitated for a moment, and Li Chunxiang smiled and said: "You don't have to ask, the Gao family's fence on the upper riverside is theirs. 70% of the land on the upper and lower riversides belongs to their family. The food in their warehouses can be used by a hundred people in a year." If you can’t finish eating, they feed the pigs with sticks.”
Xie Tian raised his eyebrows lightly: "The Gao Family Waizi?"
In Xie Baoqing's memory, there really is a person like the Gao family, Gao Kuirong, the son of the Gao family. He is a well-known big landowner. He has two sons. The eldest son, Gao Zhancai, is a battalion deputy in the Jinsui Army, and the second son, Gao Zhantian, is in the Japanese army. As a translator, I heard that my nephew Gao Zhanli was a company commander in the Eighth Route Army.
A smile appeared on Xie Tian's lips: "Gao Kuirong, I've admired your name for a long time. Well, I'll go to Gao's Waizi to borrow some food."
Tang Haoer nervously pulled on Xie Tian's sleeve and whispered: "Gao Kuirong is not easy to mess with. The Eighth Route Army has not touched him for so many years. I heard that he has more than 20 guns in his circle."
Xie Tian laughed: "It doesn't matter how many guns he has, I'm not here to fight with him. I'm just borrowing food. It's the best I can borrow. If I don't borrow it, I'll knock him down. Maybe I can even give him a drink." "
Tang Haoer looked at Xie Tian hesitantly. Although she had a new understanding of Xie Baoqing in front of her, Xie Baoqing's original experience as a bandit could never be erased.
How can Xie Baoqing be so easy to talk to?
Xie Tian smiled and patted Tang Haoer: "Don't worry, I won't mess around. I have to wash my face and change clothes when I go to see Gao Kuirong. You go and prepare a horse for me, and buy me two bottles of wine and a souvenir. Chicken, I'll just wash my face and come."
Tang Haoer asked worriedly: "Are you going alone? Otherwise, you can take Tiedan with you when he comes back."
Although Tiedan is young, he is a clever little guy, and he dares to risk his life to fight with others for Xie Baoqing.
Xie Tian smiled and walked into the house: "Why are you taking him? Children don't understand the rules. It's not embarrassing enough to make some jokes. I can just go by myself."
Li Chunxiang looked at Xie Tian's back and said with admiration: "Going to the meeting alone is just like Mr. Guan. The head of your family is really a character."
Could the great bandit, who was famous far and wide for a hundred and eighty miles, not be a human being?
Tang Haoer pursed his lips and sighed: "As soon as he came yesterday, I knew that the peaceful days were over. By the way, don't you have a horse at home? Lend it to me first."
Li Chunxiang held the food box in one hand and held Tang Haoer's arm in the other: "Come on, follow me to hold it, so that I don't have to bring it to you again."
Tang Wan'er hummed, and just took a step, when she suddenly let out a breath of cold air.
Li Chunxiang asked hurriedly: "What's wrong? Is your foot sprained?"
Tang Wan'er blushed and said, "No, let's go, don't delay his business."
After walking a few steps, Li Chunxiang saw Tang Wan'er walking like a duck and suddenly laughed like a duck: "I know, you two are more separated than newlyweds. The head of your family is really powerful. He can take you..."
Tang Wan'er opened her teeth and claws to tear Li Chunxiang's mouth apart: "That's nonsense, that's not it..."
