Red Crossing Chapter 18

Secretary Xia was overjoyed upon hearing this. He had never trusted Feng Huaiyu, nor did he like his loyal subordinates, such as Pang Qionghua. Secretly, he had been directing his men to monitor Feng Huaiyu and his men, gathering information on them, ready to arrest them at any time. However, Commander Feng was the founder of the Hainan revolutionary base, having made outstanding military achievements; mere rumors were insufficient to take action against him and his cronies. Hu Wenjun's report was like timely rain, providing him with factual evidence, enabling him to decide to first arrest some lower-ranking individuals, and then break through their defenses. Now, Secretary Xia had firmly grasped the power of the Hainan Front Committee of the Communist Party of China, establishing the Front Committee's Political Security Bureau, and personally serving as its director. The Political Security Bureau directly led the former Independent Division's Security Department, specifically responsible for investigating Trotskyist elements and enemy agents infiltrating the revolutionary ranks. Commander Feng was nominally the Deputy Secretary of the Front Committee and Commander of the Independent Division, but apart from operational command, most of his other powers in the army and the Front Committee had been usurped by Secretary Xia's people. The Independent Division had three regiments. Commander Feng had just left the division headquarters after inspecting the progress of land reform and troop training at the Second Regiment. He was completely unaware of the machinations orchestrated behind the scenes by Secretary Xia. Secretary Xia saw this as a golden opportunity and immediately dispatched the Political Security Bureau to seize control of the entire division headquarters. He then summoned Deputy Commander Wang for a talk, ordering him to cooperate with the Front Committee in launching a campaign to eliminate enemy agents. In less than a day, Secretary Xia had completely taken control of the Independent Division's command structure. He first ordered the arrest of fifteen people in the Independent Division and the Front Committee who were closely associated with Feng Huaiyu, including the division's Chief of Staff, Comrade Wu Xinyuan, and Commander Feng's wife, Comrade Zhou Ruiping, the Front Committee's Women's Minister. Simultaneously, he issued an urgent notice in the name of the division headquarters, summoning Pang Qionghua, the company commander of the Red Detachment of Women, to the division headquarters for a meeting. Upon her arrival, the Political Security Bureau would immediately announce her crimes of treason and arrest her according to law. The reason Secretary Xia lured Company Commander Pang to the division headquarters instead of sending someone to arrest her was because the Women's Army Company was currently on combat duty in Xiaowang Village. He feared that arresting her in front of the soldiers would cause discontent and unrest. Xiaowang Village was about thirty miles from Chifeng Mountain, where a local bully named Wang Ying lived. Wang Ying had spent his life indulging in drinking, gambling, and whoring, squandering his wealth. His family wasn't wealthy, far less so than Nan Dechang of Yelin Town. However, relying on his brother Wang Xiong, who was the company commander of the county security regiment, he bullied men and women in and around the village, committing all sorts of evil deeds. After the peasant movement arose in the area, the villagers of Xiaowang Village secretly gathered to discuss the establishment of a peasant association. Upon receiving this news, Wang Ying ordered his brother to lead more than thirty men and women into the village that very night, massacring several key members of the peasant movement, killing more than twenty men, women, and children, and setting their houses on fire. After receiving a secret plea for help from the county peasant movement committee, Wu Qionghua decided to set off immediately to catch Wang Ying and Wang Xiong off guard. She first sent someone to report the operation to the division headquarters, and after receiving approval, she led her troops to Xiaowang Village, arriving early the next morning. The Wang Ying and Wang Xiong brothers, along with the soldiers of the county security regiment, were still there, celebrating their victory with drinks, when suddenly the female soldiers of the Red Detachment of Women appeared and surrounded them. A fierce fight was raging. Meanwhile, the Political Security Bureau had begun interrogating the first batch of arrested people. They interrogated them all morning without any results. Secretary Xia was furious and gave important instructions to the comrades in the Political Security Bureau: This is a life-or-death struggle against the enemy, concerning the life and death of our Party and our army; we must not be lenient. For those who are stubborn and unyielding, it is absolutely necessary to use torture to extract confessions. Secretary Xia's instructions were carried out by his subordinates without fail. Hu Wenjun was in charge of interrogating Zhou Ruiping, the wife of Division Commander Feng. Sister Zhou had been her superior and had always treated her well. However, she secretly loved Commander Feng and harbored deep resentment towards the dignified, generous, and kind Sister Zhou. At the beginning of the interrogation, she pretended to respect Sister Zhou, showing concern for her health and engaging in friendly conversation. Later, Sister Zhou noticed that Hu Wenjun was asking her intriguing questions, seemingly trying to extract information from her and find a loophole in her behavior through trivial matters. So she became more vigilant and stopped answering irrelevant questions. Hu Wenjun finally lost patience and began to threaten and insult Sister Zhou. Zhou Ruiping stood tall and ignored her insults, refusing to even look at her. Enraged, Hu Wenjun called two soldiers to tie Zhou Ruiping to a pillar and then removed her cloth shoes. She grabbed Sister Zhou's hair and slapped her face repeatedly with the soles of her shoes. After more than twenty blows, Hu Wenjun was exhausted. She was panting heavily, sweat beading on her forehead. Zhou Ruiping's face was swollen and red, almost unrecognizable. At that moment, Secretary Xia walked in, his hands behind his back. He glanced at Zhou Ruiping, whose eyes were swollen shut, and then left without a word. Hu Wenjun quickly followed him out, hoping to hear what instructions the leader had. She never expected Secretary Xia to give her such a stern reprimand, saying she was too soft-hearted and not like a staunch revolutionary. Those reactionary elements who had infiltrated the revolutionary ranks must be resolutely and mercilessly fought against! She listened to Secretary Xia's reprimand with trembling fear, not daring to refute him at all. Because Secretary Xia had said that revolution meant bloodshed, and she, coming from a bourgeois family, was now being tested by the Party for her revolutionary resolve. She stared intently at Secretary Xia's thin face, her eyes filled with fear, but also a strange sense of awe and admiration. Secretary Xia suggested she go to another interrogation room. She was instructed to learn from her comrades' valuable experience in dealing with the enemy. As soon as Hu Wenjun entered the room where Chief of Staff Wu was being interrogated, she saw bloodstains splattered on the whitewashed walls. Wu Xinyuan, covered in wounds, was suspended from a beam by a rope, his head drooping to one side, unconscious. His upper uniform was tattered, and his lower body was naked, his groin a bloody mess. A cadre from the Political Security Bureau explained to Hu Wenjun that Wu Xinyuan initially refused to confess, until they used the "bird basket" and the "iron crotch." These were two methods the Political Security Bureau had developed after a period of experimentation, specifically designed to deal with stubborn enemy agents. The "bird basket" involved removing the prisoner's trousers, binding his hands, suspending him in the air, and then tightly tying a bamboo basket filled with stones to his penis with a rope, gradually increasing the weight. If the prisoner still wouldn't confess, a thin wire would be used to pierce his testicles and pull them back and forth—this was the so-called "iron crotch torture." The prisoner would usually faint from the pain within seconds. When he awoke, there was no need for further torture; just seeing the bamboo basket filled with stones and the bloodstained wire would terrify him and he would readily confess. The cadre proudly stated that so far, no male prisoner had survived these two forms of torture. Two other staff members in the room were transcribing Wu Xinyuan's confession. After transcribing, they grabbed Wu Xinyuan's fingers and pressed their fingerprints onto them. Those were bright red bloodstains, saving the need for ink. Hu Wenjun glanced at Wu Xinyuan's confession. He confessed to Commander Feng's financial problems, saying that several thousand silver dollars of public funds he handled had gone missing, and that Commander Feng had sheltered some heinous bandits, allowing them to infiltrate the revolutionary ranks, some even becoming company or battalion commanders. He also said that Commander Feng was a womanizer, and many of his female subordinates had ambiguous relationships with him, making him even more corrupt and degenerate than the high-ranking officials in the Central Army. He listed a long string of Commander Feng's women, including Pang Juhua, the company commander of the Women's Army Company, and Liang Hongmei, the deputy company commander. Another woman named Zhao Jingyi was also quite famous; she was the county secretary of the underground Communist Party in Lehai County. Wu Xinyuan also confessed a great deal about himself, including some trivial matters from long ago. For example, when he was eight years old, he stole money from his father's pawnshop to go to the county town to see a play, and when he was ten, he peeked at his stepmother taking a bath, and so on. Hu Wenjun was a smart woman, so of course she wouldn't easily believe these confessions. Some details sounded plausible, but others were pure fabrication and couldn't withstand scrutiny. It was very likely that Chief of Staff Wu was being severely tortured and, unable to endure it any longer, had to make things up to avoid further torment. However, Hu Wenjun was vain, sharp-tongued, and lacked a sense of justice and compassion. All she could think about now was to achieve something quickly and win Secretary Xia's approval. Secretary Xia was like the supreme ruler of the base area; if she couldn't satisfy him, she worried she might be labeled a counter-revolutionary. Back in her interrogation room, she immediately subjected Sister Zhou to similar torture. It's true that educated people are clever; they can be flexible and adaptable, drawing inferences from one instance to another. Hu Wenjun stripped Sister Zhou naked, then ordered two soldiers to tie her breasts with wire and pull them apart forcefully, while also slapping her buttocks and thighs. When she slapped Zhou Ruiping earlier, her own hand had hurt. This time, she specifically found a long, narrow wooden board to hit her with; swinging it created a gust of wind, saving effort and producing a louder sound.It was particularly loud and pleasant to hear. Although Zhou Ruiping was decent-looking, she was far less beautiful than Hu Wenjun. Her advantage lay in her elegant demeanor, well-developed body, and round, white breasts; even nearing forty, she still possessed considerable feminine charm. Hu Wenjun was a petty woman who couldn't stand anyone being better than her. Therefore, she was able to cruelly torture Zhou Ruiping, who had no grudge against her. Soon, Zhou Ruiping was tortured beyond recognition. Her breasts were bound a deep purple with wire, her buttocks and legs were beaten until they bled, and her head and face were distorted and swollen like a pig's head. At first, Sister Zhou shouted loudly, righteously denouncing this persecution of a revolutionary comrade. Later, she realized that reasoning with these people was useless, so she gritted her teeth and remained silent. However, the physical pain was hard to ignore. Gradually, Sister Zhou's attitude changed from fierce anger to crying and pleading. In the end, she couldn't bear it any longer, and confessed whatever Hu Wenjun wanted her to. She confessed that she and her husband, Feng Huaiyu, were both opportunists who joined the revolution to become high-ranking officials and make a fortune. She and her husband had accepted bribes from a wealthy landowner and embezzled funds from the organization's activities, among other things. She also said that Feng Huaiyu still maintained correspondence with a high-ranking Kuomintang official. She even admitted to being promiscuous, having slept with more than a dozen male comrades, including her bodyguard. Of course, Hu Wenjun had forced her to say all of this. Zhou Ruiping came from a wealthy local family. Her parents died early, and she grew up with her uncle in the provincial capital. She had a distant relative who was a wealthy landowner in Lehai County. When the peasant association was redistributing land from landlords, that man did indeed visit her with gifts, pleading for leniency. However, she didn't agree to anything, and Commander Feng was unaware of this. Later, the wealthy man fled his hometown one dark night with his money, valuables, and several concubines. Hu Wenjun had vaguely heard about this, so she forced Zhou Ruiping to admit to accepting bribes from landlords, and even implicated Commander Feng. As for the embezzlement of funds, it was said that during the uprising, Feng Huaiyu had spent money to buy a batch of guns and ammunition from a bandit leader he knew, and had also recruited several of that man's men into the revolutionary ranks. There were no records or receipts for this expenditure; even Zhou Ruiping, who was in charge of the Party's finances at the time, didn't know how the money was spent, who handled it, etc. She never asked her husband. Therefore, Hu Wenjun used this "unexplained" expenditure as evidence of Feng Huaiyu's embezzlement, forcing Zhou Ruiping to confess as she demanded. If she refused, Hu threatened to brand her breasts with red-hot iron bars, stab her anus with sharpened bamboo skewers, and even tie her naked to a pillar, then have people catch poisonous snakes and centipedes from the mountains and fields and throw them at her. This last tactic was particularly effective against women who were naturally afraid of snakes and insects. Zhou Ruiping's will had long since collapsed; to suffer less, she was willing to confess to anything. She not only admitted to fabricated crimes but, following Hu Wenjun's hints, also claimed that all the male comrades who had shown her care and affection were her lovers. Hu Wenjun wasn't satisfied and insisted on forcing her to reveal details, such as how she had slept with whomever she was, where it happened, and how many times it occurred. Little did Zhou Ruiping know that her fabricated confessions concerning her private life secretly thrilled Hu Wenjun; when she went to report the interrogation results to Secretary Xia, her crotch was soaked with sweat. Secretary Xia, after reading Zhou Ruiping's confession, greatly praised Hu Wenjun's work. He immediately ordered the security bureau to use the list he had provided to arrest those who had already confessed. He also revealed bad news to Hu Wenjun: although the operation to lure and capture Company Commander Pang Qionghua had succeeded, she had subsequently escaped. Here's what happened. Company Commander Pang had just finished the battle at Xiaowang Village, capturing the heinous criminal Wang Ying alive, with only his brother Wang Xiong escaping. She received orders from the division headquarters and rushed back without stopping. She thought new combat missions awaited her. Upon arrival, she was disarmed by the security bureau and arrested on charges of counter-revolution. Because the officers were busy interrogating other prisoners, she was temporarily bound and locked in a small, dark room. However, Pang Qionghua didn't come alone; she was accompanied by Li Tieniu and Hu Cuiping, her two most trusted subordinates. Since the political security bureau officers didn't recognize them and assumed they were just ordinary soldiers who wouldn't cause any trouble, they didn't tie them up. They simply confiscated their weapons and ordered them to stay at the division headquarters until the higher-ups finished dealing with the matter in a few days, after which they could return to their respective companies. Li and Hu ate dinner with the soldiers of the division headquarters' guard company. After dinner, Hu Cuiping brought a bowl of water to the imprisoned Company Commander Pang. The two soldiers temporarily guarding Pang Qionghua were both young men, who probably had never spoken to a young and beautiful woman alone before. Hu Cuiping was pretty and charming, and wearing a sexy red Women's Army uniform, her face turned red before she even got close. If it had been the burly Li Tieniu, they certainly wouldn't have let her in. One of them stayed outside, while the other opened the lock on the door and followed Hu Cuiping into the small room. Once inside, Hu Cuiping suddenly attacked, smashing the bowl over the young soldier's head, knocking him unconscious. The soldier outside heard the commotion and was about to go in to check when Li Tieniu crept up from behind, grabbed his neck with both hands, and slammed his head against the wall. His head hit the brick wall, and he lost consciousness. The dark room was stiflingly hot. Pang Qionghua sat on the ground, her body and hands tightly bound together with a hemp rope, drenched in sweat. They hadn't given her any food or water; she had walked most of the day to the division headquarters, her stomach growling with hunger, and she was resting with her eyes closed. Hearing the noise, she opened her eyes and realized that her two most loyal subordinates had come to rescue her. Li Tieniu and Hu Cuiping worked together to untie her ropes, and then the three of them quietly slipped out the door. Before leaving, they pried open the storage room next door and found the brand-new Mauser pistol and some bullets that Xiao Hu had given Pang Qionghua. Li Tieniu and Hu Cuiping also took the rifles and ammunition pouches from the two unconscious guards. The arrest of Pang Qionghua was carried out in secret; the troops responsible for guarding the front-line headquarters were still unaware. Therefore, Company Commander Pang and Li Tieniu and Hu Cuiping passed through several checkpoints smoothly without being questioned. Li Tieniu and Hu Cuiping hadn't initially planned such a drastic action to rescue their company commander. It was a young cadre surnamed Chen from the Security Bureau who had taken a liking to Hu Cuiping. To get closer to her and win her favor, he revealed to her why their superiors had arrested Company Commander Pang: because she was a reactionary element who had infiltrated the revolutionary ranks. Hu Cuiping simply couldn't believe such nonsense. It was too absurd! How could a renowned combat heroine, the company commander of the Red Detachment of Women, be a counter-revolutionary? This must be a huge misunderstanding. She immediately told Cadre Chen to take her to report to her superiors, saying they had arrested the wrong person. Cadre Chen, fearing she would suffer and also that she would implicate him, tried his best to dissuade her. In desperation, he had no choice but to reveal even more confidential information: the evidence against Company Commander Pang was irrefutable, and there was no mistake. The Security Bureau had already determined her to be an extremely dangerous counter-revolutionary during an internal meeting, and originally planned to execute her immediately after her arrest. They spared her life for now in order to find a breakthrough and expose the deeper-hidden counter-revolutionaries. Hu Cuiping finally realized: this wasn't a misunderstanding, but a conspiracy. Everyone knew that Company Commander Pang was Commander Feng's most trusted subordinate; their actions were likely aimed at Commander Feng! She calmed down and promised him that she wouldn't go to the leaders to defend Company Commander Pang anymore. After seeing off Comrade Chen, who was infatuated with her, she immediately went to Li Tieniu to discuss a solution. Li Tieniu wasn't idle either; she learned from a fellow villager that Commander Feng's wife, Sister Zhou Ruiping, had also been arrested, and the Security Bureau had subjected her to cruel torture. Several people who went to the Security Bureau reported hearing her pitiful cries during the torture. She and Hu Cuiping discussed it and felt that Company Commander Pang's current situation was too dangerous. Company Commander Pang was stubborn and would never succumb to such despicable framing, much less betray her conscience by falsely accusing other revolutionary comrades. Therefore, her fate was execution. Pang Qionghua was not only their superior but also their savior. They were determined to rescue Company Commander Pang, even at the cost of their lives. Thus, they staged a spectacular prison break. Section 2: Hesitation. Secretary Xia estimated that Pang Qionghua had escaped back to the Red Detachment of Women's Company's base in Chifeng Mountain. He ordered Deputy Division Commander Wang to take a platoon from the division's guard company to Chifeng Mountain to capture Pang Qionghua and her cronies. If they resisted, they were to be killed without mercy. This was no small matter; it was practically a counter-revolutionary rebellion. If the news leaked and Feng Huaiyu found out beforehand, his entire...The plan might fail. Fortunately, he now had evidence that Feng Huaiyu was a counter-revolutionary. He decisively dispatched Deputy Director Xu of the Security Bureau to the Second Regiment's headquarters to arrest Feng Huaiyu, hoping to capture him quickly and safely escort him back to the Front Committee's headquarters. Pang Qionghua's escape from prison frustrated Hu Wenjun. She had originally hoped to use the same torture methods she used on Zhou Ruiping on Pang Qionghua, to teach this woman who had always opposed her a lesson. Undeniably, Pang Qionghua possessed a seemingly innate heroic quality, a quality that made many men feel inferior. It was hard to imagine her succumbing to torture. But the more she thought about it, the more Hu Wenjun wanted to try. She thought to herself: Pang Qionghua, Pang Qionghua, once I catch you, I'll make you kneel before me like Zhou Ruiping, crying and begging for mercy. I'll also make you admit to yourself that you're a lewd and despicable woman, a slut whom anyone can play with and sleep with. Secretary Xia, in the name of the Front Committee, issued an order to the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the Independent Division, ordering them to block all roads in Longxing Town (the location of the Independent Division headquarters and the Front Committee), allowing entry but not exit. Meanwhile, the Security Bureau intensified its interrogations of the remaining detainees, striving to uncover all hidden reactionaries. The interrogations quickly made new progress; following the leads, the Security Bureau arrested over fifty more people, bringing the total number arrested to a quarter of the Independent Division headquarters and Front Committee personnel. Now a new problem arose: with so many suspected enemy agents, there was nowhere to detain them. Secretary Xia immediately decided to secretly take some of the less important suspected agents to the mountain behind Longxing Town and stab them to death with bayonets. More than thirty were killed in total, their bodies thrown off the cliff. He ordered all officers and soldiers involved in the operation to maintain strict secrecy, and anyone found leaking information would be immediately executed. That night, Hu Wenjun helped Secretary Xia organize his statements and other materials in his office, working diligently almost all night. As dawn approached, she stood up, stretched, drank some water, and prepared to go back to her room for a nap. Just as she stepped out, a small, thin figure suddenly lunged at her. She screamed in fright and dodged to the side, a gleaming kitchen knife slashing past her scalp and shoulder. Because of the hot weather, Hu Wenjun was wearing the second Red Detachment of Women uniform designed by Pang Xiaohu, leaving her shoulders and arms exposed. A small patch of skin on her left shoulder was cut by the blade, and blood immediately seeped out. Because of Company Commander Pang's escape, guards had been increased in the area. Hu Wenjun's scream immediately attracted three armed soldiers, who quickly apprehended the thin boy who had attacked her. He was an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, wearing an oversized old military uniform. Soon, someone recognized him; he was Zhang Ka, the orderly of Zhou Ruiping, the Women's Minister of the Front Committee. Secretary Xia also rushed over upon hearing the news. He had the medic bandage Hu Wenjun, who was pale with fright, and ordered two soldiers to take her back to her room to rest. Little Zhang was crying and cursing, kicking and biting incessantly; three adults couldn't hold him down. Finally, they had to hit him on the head with the butt of a rifle, knocking him unconscious. Secretary Xia inquired about Zhang's situation from a security officer. He was originally an orphan begging for food, who had once fainted from hunger by the roadside and was rescued by Commander Feng's bodyguard. From then on, he refused to leave the Red Army. Whether in fierce battles or arduous marches, he stubbornly followed the ranks. However, he was too young and weak to carry a rifle and was unsuitable for military service. After the Independent Division headquarters settled in Longxing Town, the Hainan Front Committee of the Communist Party of China also moved there. Zhou Ruiping, the Women's Minister of the Front Committee, needed an orderly, so the organization assigned him to the position. Sister Zhou treated Zhang very well, affectionately calling him Little Ka. Zhang Ka had been a wanderer since childhood and had never experienced maternal love. He quickly came to regard Zhou Ruiping as his own mother, cherishing and caring for her. When Zhou Ruiping was arrested, Zhang Ka happened to be out delivering a message. Upon returning, he heard that Minister Zhou was a hidden counter-revolutionary and had been arrested by the Political Security Bureau of the Front Committee. He was frantic, crying and making a scene. Wang, the section chief of the Front Committee's Logistics Section, had no choice but to put him in solitary confinement. Section Chief Wang was a kind man; he knew of the mother-son-like bond between Zhou Ruiping and Zhang Ka, but unfortunately, he had no authority to intervene. He confined Zhang Ka entirely for his own good, to prevent him from facing more severe punishment. Those people in the Security Bureau were not to be trifled with. The solitary confinement room was an empty storage room in the Front Committee's mess hall, where many Front Committee cadres and soldiers usually ate their meals. Zhang Ka was confined inside, deprived of his freedom, but the wooden walls offered no soundproofing, and he could hear the hushed conversations of those who came to eat. Although the arrest of Sister Zhou and Chief of Staff Wu was kept secret, news quickly spread among the staff of the Front Committee. Xiao Kazi, upon hearing that Zhou Ruiping had been tortured, was heartbroken and wept uncontrollably, determined to rescue her. Early one morning, taking advantage of a brief moment when the sentries were dozing, he climbed onto the roof beam, lifted the thatched roof, and slipped out. He climbed from the roof to a large tree, then slid down the trunk to the ground. Passing the kitchen, he grabbed a kitchen knife and tucked it into his pocket before quietly making his way to the buildings housing the Security Bureau. When he arrived, he saw five or six armed sentries patrolling. Because of Company Commander Pang's escape, Secretary Xia had ordered increased security, doubling the number of sentries. Xiao Kazi's heart sank. Although young, he was quick-witted. He knew he couldn't rescue Zhou Ruiping alone. He thought for a moment, realizing he hadn't heard anyone mention Commander Feng being arrested. He was a commander, after all; he wouldn't abandon his wife. So, he should go and inform Commander Feng, urging him to think of a solution quickly. Just as Xiao Kazi was about to leave, Hu Wenjun suddenly opened the door of a nearby room and came out. Xiao Kazi had seen her a few times at Zhou Ruiping's place. He'd heard people say that Hu Wenjun was a promiscuous woman who had seduced Commander Feng, so he disliked her intensely. Yesterday at dinner, he'd heard that she was the one who tortured Zhou Ruiping. Now, seeing his enemy, he was filled with rage and recklessly swung a kitchen knife at her head. If Hu Wenjun hadn't dodged quickly, she probably would have died at the hands of this ten-year-old boy. Secretary Xia was considering how to handle the situation. At this moment, Xiao Kazi woke up. He was still restless, struggling incessantly. Secretary Xia realized that Xiao Kazi was too young; even interrogation probably wouldn't yield any valuable information. But keeping him alive would be a future problem and a hassle, so it was better to make an example of him. Therefore, he ordered the Security Bureau's enforcement team to take Xiao Zhangka to a ravine outside Longxing Town and execute him by firing squad. Thus, Xiao Zhangka became the first "counter-revolutionary spy" to be publicly executed in the entire Hainan revolutionary base area. A crisp gunshot echoed over Longxing Town. This gunshot cast an indelible shadow on the hearts of the cadres and staff of the Front Committee. They were unaware that Xiao Zhangka was not the first to be executed; the Security Bureau had already secretly executed more than thirty comrades before him. They still thought those people were being interrogated. Zhangka wasn't exactly a universally loved child. He had a rather impatient temperament and sometimes got into arguments over jokes, often using foul language. However, his feelings for Zhou Ruiping were obvious; he was always by her side and willing to do anything for her. Many female comrades had advised Minister Zhou to simply adopt Zhangka as her godson. Secretary Xia was considered a learned man by everyone. He was well-versed in complex revolutionary theories and spoke eloquently. Representing the higher-ups, he was deeply respected by the comrades in the Hainan revolutionary base. However, the execution of Zhang Ka caused discontent among the cadres and soldiers of the Front Committee and the Independent Division. This discontent, however, was temporarily buried deep within them and had not yet surfaced. In their eyes, Zhang Ka was just an immature child, and by no means a counter-revolutionary. He attacked Hu Wenjun with a knife because of his deep feelings for Minister Zhou. Zhou Ruiping was dignified and virtuous, yet warm and generous. She never put on airs as the wife of a division commander, and was therefore highly respected. Thinking about this incident is heartbreaking. Meanwhile, Pang Qionghua, rescued by Li Tieniu and Hu Cuiping, escaped Longxing Town and ate and drank some water at a villager's house by the roadside. Then, disregarding their fatigue, they immediately headed towards Chifeng Mountain. Along the way, Pang Qionghua carefully considered her situation. She simply couldn't understand: she had just led her troops in a desperate battle against local tyrants, bullies, and the security forces, and less than a day later, she was labeled a hidden counter-revolutionary. How could this be? Although the battle to capture Xiaowang Village was ultimately won, her women's corps still suffered seven or eight casualties. Because the division headquarters' orders were urgent, she handed her troops over to the deputy company commander and hurriedly left, without even having time to say goodbye to her fallen comrades. Although Pang Qionghua wasn't highly educated, she was very intelligent. Furthermore...Her life experience was exceptionally rich, and she intuitively guessed that her being labeled a counter-revolutionary might be because of her close relationship with Commander Feng. Feng Huaiyu was her mentor in joining the revolution and her introducer to the Party. She deeply admired him, and in addition, he was handsome, intelligent, and brave, adept at both propaganda and military campaigns. As the founder of the Hainan Revolutionary Base, he was not only respected and loved by his subordinates but also considered a towering hero by the general public. Ever since Secretary Xia was sent by the higher-ups, Pang Qionghua felt that Commander Feng was being ostracized at every turn and felt indignant on his behalf. However, she still didn't expect Secretary Xia to label her a counter-revolutionary. She asked herself if she had ever publicly opposed Secretary Xia or shown him any disrespect. His real purpose in attacking her was probably to bring down Commander Feng. Back in her days among bandits, backstabbing and open attacks were commonplace. She even had to sleep with one eye open, lest she lose her head. She never imagined such dark forces existed within the revolutionary ranks, and she felt utterly disappointed. Secretary Xia had repeatedly and eloquently criticized Trotskyists at cadre meetings, calling them counter-revolutionaries lurking within the revolutionary ranks, more dangerous than open enemies. Pang Qionghua didn't understand what Trotskyists were and felt it had nothing to do with her. However, she noticed that Commander Feng's expression wasn't good when Secretary Xia spoke these words. Now she understood that the anti-Trotskyist campaign was actually a pretext for Secretary Xia to target Commander Feng. If it were her old temper as the leader of the Black Tassel Society, she would have immediately led her men off to operate independently. In the two years since joining the Red Army, she had changed a lot; she had witnessed firsthand the power of the organized working masses. She now wholeheartedly supported the Communist Party's various propositions and realized that her previous Black Tassel Society was doomed to failure, ultimately leading all her good sisters to their doom. She thought: returning to Chifeng Mountain now seemed pointless. She couldn't very well let the women's army soldiers take up arms and rebel against the Front Committee with her, could she? She firmly believed that Secretary Xia's actions were wrong and contrary to the fundamental interests of the Communist Party and the people. The problem was, Secretary Xia was the Party's representative in the Front Committee; his words were the Party's policies, and no one else could oppose him. She desperately wanted to see Commander Feng and have him point her in the right direction. But what if even Commander Feng couldn't come up with a good solution? Suddenly, she thought of Pang Xiaohu, her dear younger brother, and a thought flashed through her mind. She remembered that when Pang Xiaohu said goodbye to her last time, he had told her that if she ever had a conflict with her superiors, she shouldn't act rashly but should seek his help. At the time, she didn't quite understand his meaning, and Xiaohu hadn't explained further. Now it seems that Xiao Hu's words might have a deeper meaning, and she should go and ask him. Neither Li Tieniu nor Hu Cuiping knew where Company Commander Pang was going; they simply followed behind her. They walked for over ten miles, all three of them drenched in sweat. Suddenly, Pang Qionghua, who was walking ahead, stopped. Hu Cuiping also stopped abruptly, but Li Tieniu, who was close behind, couldn't stop and bumped into her, both falling to the ground. Pang Qionghua pulled them up, one in each arm, and said, "Someone might be plotting against Commander Feng. Commander Feng is too important; without him, our Independent Division and our base area will lose all hope. I must go and save him, lest he be killed without a clear explanation. You two go find Pang Xiaohu immediately, you must find him, tell him everything that happened here, and then follow his orders." Li Tieniu and Hu Cuiping knew that the "someone" Pang Qionghua was referring to was Secretary Xia's group. Li Tieniu said to Pang Qionghua, "Company Commander, let Cuiping stay and help you! I'll go find Brother Xiaohu by myself. Don't worry, I'll find him as soon as possible, even if it costs me my life." Pang Qionghua thought about it. Li Tieniu was reliable and rarely made mistakes. Besides, having Hu Cuiping by her side would make things easier in case of an emergency. So she nodded in agreement. Li Tieniu stepped forward, took Hu Cuiping's hand, and put her arm around her shoulder as a farewell. Then she saluted Pang Qionghua and turned to leave. Pang Qionghua felt a pang of sadness looking at the two of them: these two good sisters had always been loyal to her, and they wouldn't even flinch if it meant losing their heads. She hoped that they could get through this difficult time together safely. Chapter 3: Pang Dashan's Luck Pang Dashan had no idea that it was all because he and Wen Xiaocui were having an affair and Hu Wenjun overheard their secrets, resulting in a terrible disaster. Wen Xiaocui had tasted the sweetness of sex and wanted to have sex with him almost every night. She was too young and not good at hiding her emotions. Gradually, several female soldiers noticed something was wrong, and they began to gossip about the two of them behind their backs. Pang Dashan privately talked to Wen Xiaocui about it several times. But she couldn't help but express her love for him, serving him meals and tea with a smile every day. Pang Dashan didn't have deep feelings for Wen Xiaocui. He felt it was absurd to have an affair with a girl younger than his daughter, and it would be unfair to his wife, Wang Yumei. Therefore, he had been spending these days in distress and guilt. Later, he couldn't bear it anymore, so he went to find Zhang Erniang, the platoon leader (after Liang Hongmei left, the original platoon leader, Dong Wenxiu, took over her position as deputy company commander, and Zhang Erniang was promoted to platoon leader), told her, and then quietly slipped back to Pangjia Village alone. He didn't say goodbye to Wen Xiaocui, mainly because he was afraid she would pester him to leave. When he got home and opened the door, he found the house empty, without a soul in sight. He felt a little panicked and hurriedly went to ask his neighbors about the whereabouts of his wife and children. The nearest neighbor was his cousin, Pang Song, whose house was less than fifty steps away. However, his cousin was out working and not at home. Pang Dashan only saw his cousin's wife, Yang Chunxia, and his three nieces. From Yang Chunxia, he learned that his second daughter, Pang Xinghua, had married and moved to Lijia Village, and his third daughter, Pang Guihua, had joined the Red Army. His wife, Wang Yumei, had taken their two young sons to the county town to visit their eldest daughter, Pang Juhua, with Xiao Hu. Only then did he feel relieved. After returning to his empty house, Pang Dashan couldn't help but feel a little depressed. These days he had been with Wen Xiaocui, and he was getting tired of her. He missed his wife, Wang Yumei, very much. They had been separated for several months, and he missed not only her body but also her cooking and the clothes she mended and washed. In short, having her by his side made all the difference; no wonder people say "absence makes the heart grow fonder." He had no appetite for cooking, so he took out a few sweet potatoes he had stored in the cellar, washed them with water from the well behind the house, and then sat on the well curb and ate them raw. Pang Dashan's stomach was quickly full from the raw sweet potatoes. Seeing that it was getting late, he simply took off his clothes and trousers, drew a bucket of water from the well, and poured it over himself. Splash! Pang Dashan immediately felt extremely refreshed and comfortable, so he scooped up bucket after bucket of well water and poured it over himself. After showering, he squatted naked by the well and began clumsily washing the dirty clothes and trousers he had just taken off. He never had to do these chores before; his wife, Wang Yumei, always did them. Now he missed her even more. "Brother Dashan! Brother Dashan!" He suddenly heard a woman's voice coming from the front door. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was. He quickly hung his unwashed clothes on a tree branch and ran inside to find something else to wear. Before he could even push open the door, the back door creaked open, and out came his cousin-in-law, Yang Chunxia. Yang Chunxia was a year or two older than Pang Dashan, a mature and sexy woman. Her family was from the same village as Wang Yumei, and it was through her that Pang Dashan initially learned that the girl he liked was named Wang Yumei. Before Wang Yumei married Pang Dashan, Yang Chunxia was the most beautiful woman in Pangjia Village. On the day she married, all the young men in the village stared at her, their eyes wide with lust, hoping that they too could marry a woman as beautiful as her someday. Pang Dashan thought so too at the time, and later he really did get his wish and married Wang Yumei, who was even more beautiful than Yang Chunxia. The initial cause of Pang Dashan's fight with the farmers' association members was that they had bullied Yang Chunxia and her eldest daughter, Pang Xiuqin. Pang Song had borrowed money from Pang Laosan's father before, and he hadn't repaid it by the time Pang Laosan's father died. Fortunately, Pang Laosan's father hadn't pressed him for repayment much before his death. After Pang Laosan became the chairman of the farmers' association, he began demanding repayment from Pang Song. Relying on his power, he frequently brought people to Pang Song's house to collect the debt. In fact, Pang Laosan knew very well that the amount wasn't large, and given some time, he would gradually repay it. Pang Laosan's main reason for coming to his house was that he had his eye on Pang Song's wife, Yang Chunxia, and wanted to take advantage of her. Pang Song was a rather weak man, and every time Pang Laosan came, he would put on a smiling face, respectfully welcoming him in and affectionately calling him "Third Brother." Even when Pang Laosan made lewd remarks to his wife Yang Chunxia, and sometimes even touched her inappropriately, he pretended not to hear.He didn't see it. His wife had only given birth to three daughters so far, no sons, which he was very dissatisfied with. Sometimes he even thought: if Pang Laosan really slept with my wife, could I get rid of that debt? One of Pang Laosan's sworn brothers was also a member of the farmers' association. One day, that sworn brother got drunk and stopped Pang Xiuqin, who was returning from gathering firewood on the mountain, not far from Pang Song's house in the evening. He forcibly pulled down her pants. He reached down and groped her crotch, saying he wanted to see how long her pubic hair was. Yang Chunxia heard the commotion and rushed over. She couldn't bear it any longer and raised the wooden stick she was holding to hit the man, scaring him away. When Pang Song learned of this, instead of confronting the man, he slapped his wife, saying she shouldn't have offended the sworn brother of the farmers' association chairman. Feeling wronged, Yang Chunxia ran to Pang Dashan's house and cried to her friend Wang Yumei. Pang Dashan, who was listening nearby, was furious. The next day, he led a group of young men from the village to surround the farmers' association office, demanding an explanation. Pang Laosan's sworn brother not only refused to apologize but also verbally abused him, resulting in Pang Dashan beating him. The young men who came with him also beat up several other members of the farmers' association. After Pang Dashan was arrested by the peasant militia of Lijia Village, Yang Chunxia was very worried about his safety. She felt extremely guilty, believing she had implicated Pang Dashan. Unfortunately, her husband, Pang Song, didn't see it that way. Instead of trying to help Pang Dashan, he forbade his wife from seeing Wang Yumei. Later, Pang Laosan mysteriously disappeared, and Pang Dashan seemed to be safe, which finally put Yang Chunxia at ease. However, she hadn't seen Pang Dashan again until today when he came to her house to inquire about his wife and children. Pang Dashan's arrival overwhelmed Yang Chunxia with emotion; if her daughters hadn't been there, she would have rushed into his arms. After Pang Dashan left, Yang Chunxia hurriedly cooked a pot of brown rice with sweet potato shreds. She told Xiuqin to take her sisters to eat, while she carried a large bowl of steaming sweet potato rice to Pang Dashan's house. She had called at the door earlier, but no one answered, so she pushed the door open and placed the bowl of rice on the table. Hearing the sound of rushing water from behind the house, she went out the back door to investigate, only to find Pang Dashan completely naked. She screamed "Ah!" and her face immediately turned red, the color of a ripe starfruit, quite beautiful. Mountain people weren't usually so particular. After finishing their work, they would bathe by the streams and ponds, usually in separate groups of men and women, laughing and joking with each other. The young wives were especially bold; as long as a few sisters were in a group, they dared to do anything. Especially when they encountered a lone man passing by, they would either deliberately bend over and sway their hips towards him, or use sweet, seductive voices to tempt him. For example, they might ask him if he wanted women, or even ask him to scrub their backs. Of course, if any man believed them and actually went up to take advantage of them, he would be in big trouble. He would immediately be met with a barrage of mud and dirt from these women, and then flee in a sorry state amidst their laughter. And this incident would definitely spread throughout the whole village the next day, becoming a laughing stock. Yang Chunxia was a very shy woman. Although she and her female companions had teased men before, now, facing the naked Pang Dashan alone, she felt like a little girl, her cheeks burning. She wanted to turn and run away, but her legs felt like lead, and she couldn't lift them. Pang Dashan was also extremely embarrassed. He was in a hurry to go inside to get some clothes, but his cousin-in-law was standing there blocking his way. Now was not the time for casual conversation, so he had no choice but to squeeze past her. Yang Chunxia stood there, stunned. Seeing Pang Dashan walking towards her naked, she misunderstood, thinking he was desperate for a woman and about to force himself on her. In her heart, she cried out, "Oh God, what should I do?" but her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and she couldn't utter a sound. Pang Dashan reached her and tried to step aside to the left. Unexpectedly, Yang Chunxia also moved in the same direction, and the two collided with a "plop." Yang Chunxia was much shorter than Pang Dashan, and her mouth and face made intimate contact with his strong, muscular shoulder. She felt a sudden surge of heat, as if she had been set on fire; her face flushed bright red, and her legs went weak, causing her to fall to the side. Pang Dashan quickly reached out and caught her, holding her in his arms. "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, what's wrong?" After a while, Yang Chunxia heard Pang Dashan calling her in her ear. She opened her eyes and saw that her arms were wrapped around his naked body, her face pressed against his chest. She could feel his strong pectoral muscles and hear his heartbeat. The strong, thumping heartbeat made her heart race too. She shyly whispered, "Brother Dashan! My..." The young women in the village liked to gossip when they chatted, sometimes even discussing their own private affairs with their husbands, such as how many times their husbands had been with them the previous night, and how long each time lasted, with an underlying sense of comparison. She and her friend Wang Yumei were both shy and wouldn't talk about such embarrassing things with outsiders. However, the two of them did discuss these matters privately, just in a more subtle way, hoping for a tacit understanding. Yang Chunxia learned from Wang Yumei that Pang Dashan was very skilled in bed, having sex with his wife every night, much better than her own husband, Pang Song. A hint of jealousy had already crept into her heart towards her best friend. Many times, when she lay naked in bed with her husband, her thoughts were on Pang Dashan. Pang Dashan, seeing that his sexy and alluring cousin-in-law was alright, felt relieved. However, her arms remained tightly wrapped around his waist, showing no sign of loosening. Worse still, his own penis began to react, visibly swelling and becoming erect. Yang Chunxia also noticed the unusual movement in Pang Dashan's lower body. As someone with experience, she knew what that meant. She wanted to break free and run home, but the attraction of this man's body was too great; her mind seemed to have stopped working, and she blurted out shameless words: "Brother Dashan, no, not here. Take, take your sister-in-law inside..." Pang Dashan had long harbored feelings for his cousin-in-law. With his wife away, he longed for a woman and couldn't resist the gentle and affectionate Yang Chunxia. In the blink of an eye, the two of them, panting, tumbled together onto the bed inside the house. Although Pang Dashan felt guilty and felt he had let his wife Wang Yumei down, he had no choice but to act. He quickly immersed himself in Yang Chunxia's warm embrace, fully enjoying her tenderness and charm. He had no idea how lucky he was. If he had stayed in the Women's Army Company, he would definitely have been arrested as a counter-revolutionary. The security bureau wouldn't have bothered interrogating a rough man like him who couldn't read much. But keeping someone like him around was a waste of resources, so his fate would most likely be to be shot or simply stabbed to death with a bayonet. Section 4: Delivering the Message Li Tieniu, having run all day without food or drink, finally arrived at Coconut Grove Town. Pang Xiaohu was busy in the South Mansion. Knowing her appearance was too unusual, Li Tieniu dared not openly venture inside. She lingered far outside the walls, pondering how to sneak in and find Pang Xiaohu. It was almost dark, and Li Tieniu was anxiously waiting when she suddenly saw one of Yuan Zhenwu's apprentices come out. This woman had delivered letters for Pang Xiaohu to the Black Tassel Society before, so she recognized him. He was startled when he saw Li Tieniu, but thankfully didn't cry out. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then gestured for her to follow him. He led her through the back door into the South Mansion and brought her to Pang Xiaohu. Pang Xiaohu was delighted to see Li Tieniu, expecting her signature big hug, but he found no smile on her face, nothing like the carefree, prickly bear he used to know. Xiaohu looked her over carefully and saw that she was barefoot, wearing tattered clothes she'd gotten from somewhere, and her hair was a mess, making her look like a beggar. He asked, "What's wrong, Tieniu? What happened?" "Xiaohu, quick... quick, go save your Black Tassel Sister, and Commander Feng..." Before Tieniu could finish her sentence, her vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Xiao Hu quickly checked her mouth and found she was still breathing. He then touched her chest and found her heartbeat was normal. She had several bloody cuts on her feet and legs, apparently from sharp stones or thorny branches while hiking. Lifting her tattered clothes, they found bruises on her arms and body, like from falls. These were all external injuries, not life-threatening. It seemed she had fainted mainly from hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. Pang Xiao Hu and his mute apprentice, Yun Feng, struggled to carry Li Tie Niu's heavy body into the house and laid her on their wooden bed. When Li Tie Niu woke up, it was completely dark. She found herself lying in a small hut, covered with a clean, coarse hemp blanket. Lifting the blanket, she found herself naked except for her feet, which were wrapped in white cloth. Xiao Hu had already applied medicine to the wounds on the soles of her feet, although it was still...She felt pain, but also a pleasantly cool sensation. Xiao Hu asked from the side, "Tienniu, are you feeling better?" Just then, Yun Feng entered carrying a bucket of hot water. Remembering her important matters, Tie Niu immediately struggled to sit up. Xiao Hu quickly came over and helped her, saying, "Don't rush, drink some water first." He poured her a glass of cool water and fed it to her. He also introduced her to his mute nephew, saying she was trustworthy and she could speak freely about anything. Just as Li Tie Niu was about to speak, her stomach growled. Xiao Hu knew she was hungry, so he had Yun Feng bring over a plate from the table containing two large, golden-yellow steamed cornbread buns, still steaming. Xiao Hu told her to eat while talking. Cornbread buns were a staple food in northern China, completely unavailable in Hainan. Xiao Hu had carefully prepared them himself, following a method from later generations, to try something new. He had mixed small pieces of fruit and melon seeds into the cornmeal, along with sugar, pepper, salt, and other seasonings. After it was made, it immediately became a favorite delicacy in Nanfu, and even a delicate woman like Yuan Ruyu could eat a whole cornbread. Before long, both cornbreads were gone from Li Tieniu's stomach, and Xiao Hu learned from her about the anti-revolutionary storm sweeping through the Red base area. Since parting with Pang Qionghua, he had been constantly worried, even dreaming at night about how to help her escape the brutal internal party struggles. He had thought he still had some time, but he hadn't expected danger to arrive so quickly. He remembered that history books from his later life said that Pang Qionghua, the first company commander of the Red Detachment of Women, was criticized and investigated during the party's purge of the AB Group and the Social Democratic Party, which was somewhat different from the current situation. He didn't remember if a large-scale Red Terror had occurred in the Hainan revolutionary base area in history. It seemed that after his transmigration, the original history might have deviated, becoming even more dangerous. While thinking of a solution, Pang Xiao Hu lifted the blanket covering Li Tieniu and used warm water to wash her wounds. In her haste to deliver the message to Xiao Hu, she had been taking shortcuts, falling and tumbling down the hillside several times. Her body and arms were covered in bruises, some thorns embedded in her flesh, requiring Xiao Hu to carefully remove them with pliers. Although Xiao Hu's movements were gentle, it still stung when he touched the wounds. Tie Niu's robust body was completely exposed, and even she, usually so rough and unrestrained, felt a pang of shame. She wasn't bothered by Xiao Hu, but she was embarrassed by Yun Feng. Yun Feng was dressed as a man in the Southern Mansion, looking like a handsome, sturdy young man. Xiao Hu noticed her embarrassment and smiled, telling her, "It's alright, my niece is a young lady." Xiao Hu diligently treated her wounds, his earnestness deeply moving Tie Niu. Her eyes welled up with tears, something she had never experienced before. From childhood, she had suffered discrimination because of her appearance. Aside from Pang Qionghua and Hu Cuiping, Pang Xiaohu was arguably the kindest person to her. "Tienniu, what's that Secretary Xia's name?" Pang Xiaohu couldn't help but ask curiously. Logically, this person surnamed Xia should be a famous figure, at least mentioned in later CCP history textbooks. Xiaohu had revised a monograph on model operas for his (later) father, a scholar, and consulted many historical materials, but he didn't remember such a person ever being a high-ranking member of the Hainan Party organization. Li Tieniu replied, "His name is Xia Xi." "What? He's Xia Xi!" Pang Xiaohu exclaimed in surprise. He was very familiar with Xia Xi! This man was a persecution maniac, a murderer. According to later Party history records, he massacred tens of thousands of Red Army soldiers, but those events all occurred in the Hunan-Hubei-West Revolutionary Base Area. Xiaohu never expected that after transmigrating, this madman, Xia Xi, would appear in Hainan. Now he was even more worried about his older sister, Hei Ying. "No! I must find a way to stop this madman. I absolutely cannot let him hurt my dear Sister Hei Ying!" Xiao Hu made up his mind. There was no time to lose; he planned to set off at dawn, having Li Tie Niu take him to find Pang Qiong Hua to discuss how to deal with Xia Xi. He couldn't think of a good plan yet, and he planned to think about it further on the way. He glanced at Tie Niu, got up, and took out a homemade razor from a cabinet in the house. After getting her consent, he began shaving her face. Yun Feng wasn't idle either; she was washing Tie Niu's body with hot water. Currently, the entire Yu Dong County was on high alert against the infiltration of the Communist Party and the peasant associations. Local security forces were everywhere, checking every passerby coming from the direction of the base area. Li Tie Niu was able to find Pang Xiao Hu smoothly for two reasons: firstly, she was dressed too poorly and was filthy, so others mistook her for a beggar; secondly, she might have been particularly lucky this time. Xiao Hu needed to "dress up" Tie Niu a little before he felt comfortable taking her out with him. After shaving her, he trimmed her messy hair, cutting it much shorter. He combed her hair neatly, smiled, and handed her a mirror, saying, "Tienniu, look at yourself, you're much prettier now." Li Tieniu touched her slightly flushed face, staring wide-eyed at the person in the mirror, hardly believing it was her. This was the first time in her life she had heard someone use the word "pretty" to describe her, and she felt very embarrassed, lowering her head involuntarily. Xiao Hu found Tieniu's shyness amusing, thinking to himself, "Even a woman as plain as Tieniu has her sexy side. No wonder even a beauty like Hu Cuiping would fall for her; it seems the saying 'to each their own' is absolutely true." He noticed that Tieniu's dark armpit hair looked like it had been trimmed, though not cleanly or neatly. After asking her, he learned that this was thanks to the women's army uniform he designed. To save fabric, the second uniform he designed had no sleeves, leaving the entire arm and shoulder exposed. The female soldiers' exposed armpit hair varied in color and length, which was indeed unsightly. When they went out on missions, unsophisticated villagers often pointed and gossiped about their armpits, and incidents of harassment and molestation of the female soldiers increased. Someone started cutting their armpit hair short, and other female soldiers followed suit. They found it very effective, both cool and aesthetically pleasing. So almost all the female soldiers in the company began trimming their armpit hair, and eventually, Company Commander Pang Qionghua simply added armpit hair trimming to the Red Detachment of Women's uniform regulations. Pang Xiaohu, because he had started growing a beard, "incidentally" invented a simple safety razor. Although far less elegant and sophisticated than later models, it was usable. He gave a sample to Liang Yongfu, saying it would definitely make a lot of money, and asked him to have it made by craftsmen. Liang Yongfu put it in his shop to test it, and it sold very well. He has now begun to expand the production of these razors. Liang Yongfu is no longer what he used to be. Liang's Clothing Store and Xishi Inn have opened branches in several neighboring counties, making a fortune every day. The scope of his business is constantly expanding, no longer simply selling silk and clothes, but also other goods, somewhat like a department store in later times. Xiao Hu's invented double bed and other things are also sold there, and he is even preparing to go to Guangzhou, the provincial capital, to make a big splash. Now, in terms of wealth alone, he is almost surpassing his father-in-law, Nan Dechang. Of course, these are secrets between him and Xiao Hu, and outsiders do not know that his family has made such a fortune. Liang Yongfu knows very well what he has relied on to get rich. He follows all of Pang Xiao Hu's suggestions without any discount. He took the initiative to increase Xiao Hu's (and Pang Juhua's) share in his business to 30%, with the aim of monopolizing this cash cow for a long time. Xiao Hu himself didn't have much time for business, so he was happy to see it happen, only occasionally offering a brilliant idea or two. Liang Yongfu was very grateful for everything Xiao Hu had brought him; he became much more diligent than before, constantly thinking about how to expand his business and make more money. In modern terms, his relationship with Pang Xiao Hu could truly be described as a "win-win." Xiao Hu handed the razor to Tie Niu and showed her how to use it. Tie Niu took it and quickly shaved off all her armpit hair, much to her surprise. This thing was so useful; it shaved quickly, didn't require help, and didn't cause any cuts or bleeding. If Xiao Hu hadn't urged her to go to sleep, she might have even shaved off the thick tuft of black hair between her legs. Xiao Hu told Tie Niu to go to sleep, as they would be setting off early the next morning to find Company Commander Pang. After saying this, he and Yun Feng went to sleep in another room. The next day, before dawn, Xiao Hu woke Tie Niu up. Her body hadn't fully recovered, and her wounds were still aching. However, both Company Commander Pang and Hu Cuiping were in grave danger, and she had to take Xiaohu to rescue them immediately. She told Xiaohu that Company Commander Pang's most admired person was Division Commander Feng, and that she had always been his most loyal subordinate. Tie Niu worried that if the Security Bureau arrested...Commander Feng was gone, and Company Commander Pang would definitely risk her life to save him. The Front Committee had already concluded that Company Commander Pang had betrayed the revolution, and she might be shot dead by the Security Bureau the moment she showed herself. The key now was to find Company Commander Pang immediately and then figure out how to deal with the current crisis. They quickly ate something, and Tie Niu put on a set of men's clothes, trousers, and straw sandals that Xiao Hu had prepared for her. She and Yun Feng left the South Mansion with Xiao Hu. Originally, Pang Xiao Hu didn't want to take Yun Feng with him, but she insisted on going with him. Although she didn't quite understand the conversation between Pang Xiao Hu and Li Tie Niu, she was certain that her Uncle-Master Xiao Hu was going to handle an extremely dangerous matter. When leaving Cinianzhai, her Grandmother (the Great Madam) had instructed her to stay close to her Uncle-Master and protect his safety. Seeing that she was determined to go, Xiao Hu had no choice but to agree. He was also a little worried about leaving her alone in the South Mansion. The benefits of bringing Yunfeng along were immediately apparent. She snatched Xiaohu's large backpack and carried it herself, which contained Xiaohu's homemade medicine and many other things. Xiaohu couldn't win against her, but he was relieved to be so light-hearted. Xiaohu didn't ask Nan Dechang for leave because Master Nan had recently taken his fourth concubine, Li Qiuyue, and seventh concubine, Yuan Ruyu, to the provincial capital and wouldn't be back until next month. Xiaohu only greeted the housekeeper, Uncle Nan Qi, saying he was going to the county town to discuss official business with Commander Yuan of the Central Army. Pang Xiaohu was almost fourteen years old now, standing at 1.65 meters tall, much stronger than two years ago. He was wearing the Central Army second lieutenant's uniform that Yuan Zhenguo had given him, with a Mauser pistol slung at his waist, looking quite imposing. The militia members he encountered on the road all stepped aside when they saw him,

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Red Crossing Chapter 18

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