Chapter 25: Recruiting Troops and Expanding the Ranks

They chose not to move at night for two reasons: first, poor visibility raised concerns about missing targets, and second, they did not want to disturb the local villagers' sleep.

Jianhe County had no city walls, allowing the troops to enter directly. However, before entering, Long Wencheng strictly emphasized the "Three Main Rules and Eight Points of Attention," forbidding any disturbance to the villagers' rest and insisting that the wealthy landlords be dealt with only after daybreak.

Long was not worried about the landlords, local gentry, or corrupt officials escaping, as he had specifically deployed personnel to surround their residences, while only about three hundred elite troops entered the county seat.

Late that night, the soldiers of the Red 18th Regiment entered Jianhe County in absolute silence. One group of soldiers surrounded the mansions of the wealthy landlords—targets that Peng Hongsen had already scouted and identified. Another group secured the county government building and maintained order in the streets to prevent panic among the local populace when the crackdown on the landlords began.

The next day, as dawn broke, the winter mist, laden with moisture, condensed into crystalline dew on the hair of the Red Army soldiers. When the townspeople stepped outside, they were surprised to find large numbers of Red Army soldiers leaning against walls along the streets and under the eaves. They had not even realized when these troops had entered the town.

Long Wencheng rubbed his lower back; sleeping in the wild was uncomfortable, and sleeping in the city was even worse. The people of this era rose early, often heading out to work before the sun had even appeared. Yet, Long noticed that whether they were the locals entering the city or those who lived there, most were gaunt, their clothes covered in patches. Many wore straw sandals, and some walked completely barefoot. These hardworking people should not have been so destitute.

On the streets, some people sat huddled with little girls only six or seven years old. A straw stuck in a girl's hair signified that she was for sale. It was not just little girls; some adult women were also being offered for sale. It was easy to guess the cause: the endless exploitation by the local ruling class.

An elderly man, his back hunched and leaning on a bamboo staff, walked up to Long. "Officer, are you... are you the Red Army?"

"Yes, we are. Have you met the Red Army before, elder?" Long asked, somewhat surprised, wondering if the Central Column had passed through Jianhe.

"I haven't met them, but I've heard of them. They say when the Red Army comes, the sun rises." As the old man spoke, tears streamed down his face, as if he had endless grievances to pour out.

He was not the only one with grievances. Among the tens of thousands of oppressed and exploited people in Jianhe County, which family did not have a tale of blood and tears to tell?

The troops soon assembled, and Long issued the orders to begin the operation as planned the previous night. Throughout the morning, the Red Army soldiers charged into the homes of the landlords, gentry, and officials of Jianhe, confiscating their property and parading them through the streets with signs around their necks. As for the land and property seized by these gentry, it was returned to its original owners—the impoverished peasants.

In addition, Long ordered the setup of porridge stalls to distribute food. This grain was confiscated from the gentry’s granaries; after leaving a portion for their own needs, the rest was given to the poor. These gaunt, starving people had spent their entire lives toiling on their small plots of land, only to end up unable to even feed themselves.

Next to the porridge stalls was a recruitment station. Tian Lixin, who wore black-rimmed glasses and looked like an intellectual, was busy writing down names with a fountain pen. The enthusiasm of the children of poor families to join the Red Army was unprecedented; a long line quickly formed. Many people, having just received food and their returned land deeds, could not wait to sign up.

Long had initially worried about the difficulty of recruiting in an unfamiliar place. After all, fighting was a life-threatening business, and the Red Army didn't pay a salary, only a small stipend based on the unit's finances. However, the Red 18th Regiment was currently quite wealthy. Thanks to the diligent efforts of his soldiers in "taxing" the landlords, they were now overflowing with riches. In a good mood, Long gave the order to distribute more pocket money to the soldiers of the 18th Regiment. The soldiers used this money to purchase supplies in the Jianhe market, which in turn stimulated the local economy.

As for the goods seized from the landlords, Wen Song took the artillery company to sell them in the market. A man from a family of merchants, he was naturally adept at business. Since these supplies were a burden to carry, they were exchanged for gold bars, silver dollars, and other hard currencies that could be used in other regions.

As for Peng Hongsen, Long sent him to the neighboring Taijiang County to assess the situation there. The two counties were close, reachable within a day's walk. Soon, Peng returned, reporting that the situation in Taijiang was much the same as in Jianhe. Without hesitation, Long sent Yang Gang and his men to Taijiang to do exactly the same thing.

Crack down on landlords, redistribute land, distribute food to the poor, and recruit the local youth. This time, Long intended to expand his force to about two thousand men. He had enough equipment to expand to four thousand, but that would significantly impact the overall combat effectiveness of the unit. By staying at two thousand, one veteran could guide two recruits, passing on combat techniques and experience.

After staying for a week, the weary troops, exhausted from their long march, were finally rested. Recruitment had gone smoothly, even exceeding expectations. The Red 18th Regiment had now expanded to over two thousand one hundred men, organized into four battalions, with each battalion consisting of over four hundred soldiers.

The new Fourth Battalion was commanded by Peng Hongsen, using former soldiers of the Red 34th Division as its core. In addition to the four battalions, there was a guard company led by Xiao Shitou, an artillery company led by Wen Song, a cavalry reconnaissance company led by the experienced veteran Lin Tong, and a logistics company for transport, temporarily led by Huang Kecheng.

Recruitment naturally required training, but the time available for training was limited, and there was much to teach. First was military training: ensuring soldiers understood basic commands, drill formations, discipline, organization, and basic knowledge of firearms. Second was political education: helping soldiers understand why they joined the Red Army, what their mission was, and what difficulties they might face. Finally, there was literacy training. Teaching soldiers to read and write was crucial for improving the overall combat effectiveness of the unit.

During the Long March, the Red Army would teach soldiers on the road, setting up literacy classes. It could be said that the Red Army of that time was the most culturally literate force in all of China; nearly every soldier could read. Old Red Army veterans like Li Yunlong from *Drawing Sword*, who couldn't even recognize all the characters, were definitely the rare exceptions to the Red Army's literacy program.

While Long Wencheng was busy recruiting and reorganizing his troops, a hundred miles away in Kaili City, where the 5th Brigade of the Guizhou Army was stationed, several guests arrived at the brigade headquarters. These men were agents, servants, or stewards sent by the landlords of Jianhe and Taijiang counties. Upon arriving at the 5th Security Brigade, they had only one goal: to beg Brigade Commander Bai Jiasheng to "uphold justice" for them.