Chapter 1440: Comfort

Wang Yan and the others swaggered over to the small courtyard where they had previously stayed; inside, a group of cannon fodder still lounged lazily, basking in the sun and picking lice.

Their departure, nor Wang Yan's subsequent rounding up of nearly all the routed soldiers in this direction, had not resulted in this place becoming uninhabited.

Cannon fodder always existed, batch after batch...

Seeing the group enter, the new cannon fodder here nervously stood up.

Wang Yan waved his hands with a smile: "Brothers, carry on with whatever you were doing; we were in this courtyard before, just came back to take a look, won't disturb your leisure."

Though he said this, the cannon fodder still stood obediently; the survival wisdom of little people was to treat the words of big shots as flatulence.

Before Wang Yan himself had even entered, the soldiers of the Guard Company, holding their rifles, had already marched in to form ranks; seeing they were big shots, how would they dare move recklessly.

"Getting worse and worse," Mi Long sneered. "I remember when that surname Yu came to bamboozle us, I was lying right there on that hammock, didn't even give him a proper look."

"True, just look at who you are; you're the little tyrant of the Reception Station," Fan La retorted with a barb. "Even old Old Deng trembled when he saw you."

"Don't talk nonsense; I was just afraid of losing; that bastard rigged the dice."

Hearing the voice, everyone looked back; who else could it be but that chubby Old Deng from the Reception Station.

"Division Commander Wang, I truly never expected such a great Buddha as yourself would appear in my humble temple; this expedition to Burma was like a dragon roaming the sea, soaring to the skies; these brothers have all risen with the chicken and dog to heaven, every single one of them achieving prominence."

"Cut the crap; we brothers are a bunch of bitter souls, still having to fight life and death on the battlefield; unlike you, Old Deng..." Wang Yan patted his shoulder. "Enjoying blessings in the rear, drinking fine wine all day, holding young ladies in your arms; even the immortals aren't as happy as you."

"Tsk, aren't you cursing me, Old Deng?"

"You don't actually think that just because I became a Division Commander and the brothers got promoted, we're living good lives, do you? I'm praising you; if I were Yu Xiaoqing, I'd have executed you long ago; heard he executed his own younger brother; you're still living the good life; just tell me, how can we, a group who don't know when we'll die, not envy your immortal days, Old Deng?"

Old Deng responded with an awkward laugh, somewhat regretting having voluntarily approached.

But he dared not not come; Wang Yan was too fierce; he had already heard that just outside, Wang Yan had grabbed Yu Xiaoqing by the throat with one hand, lifted the entire man up, and nearly strangled Yu Xiaoqing to death.

He believed Wang Yan had gone mad from fighting, leaving no shred of decency, making it clear he would never be done with Yu Xiaoqing in this lifetime.

If Yu Xiaoqing was treated like that, let alone him; if Wang Yan really executed him, even if he later appealed to Old Chiang, he, Old Deng, would still be dead...

"Don't be so cautious; do you think I'd execute you?" Wang Yan said with a smile. "Old Deng, let me tell you, although you deserve to be killed, you are more likable than Yu Xiaoqing; why?

You genuinely lean against a big tree to enjoy the shade, you have measure, you don't bamboozle people, you can drop your dignity, and you never cause trouble for us cannon fodder; even when Mi Long won so much from you that you were about to lose your pants, you didn't use underhanded tactics.

Unlike that surname Yu, who is self-righteous; clearly only rose to power relying on his family, yet insists he has ability, bamboozling people everywhere, thinking his great ambitions must be expanded; that is what harms people."

"Yes, yes, yes, Division Commander Wang is right."

Old Deng nodded hurriedly, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "Division Commander Wang, you haven't seen the Lady yet, have you? She lives not far from here; shall I take you to see her?"

"I'm here."

Thus, everyone turned their heads again at the sound, seeing Shangguan Jieci walking in through the doorway, holding a child's hand.

In an instant, Bu La and the others began making noisy, strange cries again.

Wang Yan also laughed heartily: "You guys take the child to play for a while; this Division Commander has some big-shot business to attend to."

"Aiyo, child, come here, stay with this old man for a while," the Veterinarian voluntarily went forward to take the child.

The little cub was still looking at his biological mother; Shangguan Jieci gave him a push from behind: "Go on."

This child was quite good, relatively sensible and less troublesome; thus, amidst the group's teasing, Wang Yan followed Shangguan Jieci out of the Reception Station, with over a dozen soldier guards still following behind.

Wang Yan walked with his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely.

"How is it over here?"

"Quite good," Shangguan Jieci nodded. "I said everything you told me to say; although Yu Xiaoqing was extremely angry, he still took care of things; neither the child nor I went hungry; how long will you stay this time?"

"About half a month."

"Truly unimaginable, that you directly became a Division Commander."

"You are educated and reasonable; can't you see clearly that they are sending me to lead the brothers to die holding the line? Future battles will not be easy to fight."

"Then don't fight; anyway, the troops are all in your hands," Shangguan Jieci said firmly; she was a woman soft on the outside but strong within, having her own ideas rather than being dependent on a man.

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile: "What have I been fighting for, all the way from north to south? It is to kill the little Japanese dead; war inevitably means deaths; the issue is how one dies and whether that death is truly worth it; now that we have more troops and better weapons and equipment, we must still fight."

"Let me say something unpleasant; anyway, you are a Division Commander now, you don't need to charge at the front during battles, so you will surely survive."

"That is indeed an unpleasant thing to say, showing absolutely no awareness."

"I am just a woman; I only know that my own man must stay alive; I have already been a widow once; I do not wish to be one a second time."

Wang Yan smiled: "Being with me is also like being a living widow."

"It feels different in the heart."

While joking and laughing, they arrived at the place where Shangguan Jieci now lived; the courtyard was not small, fully furnished inside, lacking nothing.

However, Wang Yan had no mind to admire any courtyard or study any furniture; as soon as they reached the yard, the guards sensibly closed the main gate, and Wang Yan directly picked up Shangguan Jieci and went into the bedroom.

Shangguan Jieci appeared to possess a mature charm, but her actual age was only twenty-seven; an age which, several decades later, even after bearing children, would still see women comparing themselves to fairies.

However, Shangguan Jieci grew up in such an era of raging warfires and turbulent situations, and her experiences were quite miserable, so she was considerably mature, simply ripe to the core.

Perhaps because suppressed emotions had built up for too long and finally found an outlet in Wang Yan; in any case, the feeling Wang Yan got was very wild, very satisfying, and even more moist; it was a very comfortable session of deep communication.

Thus, they continued enjoying themselves until evening, when someone came to report that Tang Ji wanted to invite him for drinks; Tang Ji was that fat man previously by Yu Xiaoqing's side, Yu Xiaoqing's Deputy Division Commander.

Wang Yan naturally refused; he was too lazy to deal with these people, as they were utterly useless.

Drinking with fox-and-dog friends could still bring one joy, but drinking with an old fellow like Tang Ji was merely aggravating; he had returned and unleashed a tirade, slapping the faces of both Yu Xiaoqing and Tang Ji; yet even so, Tang Ji still invited him for drinks; this ability to let spit dry on one's own face was indeed quite impressive, but it was utterly useless.

Rather than mess around with an old fox, it was better to enjoy the boudoir of tenderness; having stayed on the tense and exciting battlefield for too long, one indeed needed to change environments to relax a bit; even if he did not feel tired or exhausted, a spirit kept taut for a long time still needed to loosen up appropriately.

Thus, that evening, Wang Yan personally cooked some dishes, and ate and drank together with Shangguan Jieci and the little cub; it somewhat resembled a family, harmonious and warm.

Wang Yan did not know how the other cannon fodder were faring, but presumably they were also arranging him in their minds.

After dinner, he played with the child for a while; once the child fell asleep, Wang Yan went again to make love with Shangguan Jieci; truly a fulfilling day...

The next day, Wang Yan strolled leisurely, holding the child's hand, to the place arranged for the cannon fodder.

"Why are all the brothers lying like corpses? Do you want to go back to the Reception Station to squat in the sun and pick lice again?"

"Boring," Mi Long said, folding his arms.

"Indeed, there is nothing interesting," A Yi also nodded.

"I originally thought coming back would make others look at us differently, that we could finally hold our heads high," Bu La said. "We did hold our heads high yesterday, but we have no friends here. Telling those soldiers under the Yu family how powerful we are, they'll just think we're bragging. It's pointless, too pointless."

"All of us are just cheap skins, unable to live a good life," Yao Ma said, leaning against the wall with his hands pillowed behind his head, his legs crossed and swaying. "With no guns or cannons around, staying here is so comfortable, truly delightful."

Wang Yan smiled, scanned the group, and then asked, "Where is Fan La?"

"Ah, Commander Wang, guess what he's up to?" Bu La perked up; without waiting for Wang Yan to speak, he clapped his hands. "He ran off yesterday afternoon and went out again this morning. I secretly followed him and saw that dog's son enter a Miss's home, shut the main gate, and hasn't come out since."

"I haven't heard of any such Miss," Wang Yan feigned ignorance, expressing great curiosity.

"Fan La is deep-minded; he keeps things hidden," the Veterinarian said, lighting up his pipe again. "Better not talk about him; say too much, and Fan La will get anxious."

"We are all good brothers, and I am still a Division Commander. If a brother has good news, we must help. You all should do the same; if you've taken a liking to someone, just chat them up. If things work out, it will strengthen our sons' army, ensuring we have successors."

"Stop it right there; where would you even place that person? Let me tell you, brother, you need to think this through carefully. Move your wife and children somewhere else; it's not safe here." Mi Long, on the contrary, began advising Wang Yan.

"Yes, Commander Wang, this is Yu Xiaoqing's territory. Having your wife and children here is bad, very bad," Bu La added, shaking his head repeatedly.

Their words resonated with the brothers; one by one, they began advising Wang Yan while cursing Yu Xiaoqing, even expanding their criticism to the entire National Army system.

This brought Wang Yan great comfort, for these men had finally made progress; at least they now understood that they were essentially rebels who had accepted amnesty, not trusted by the others. Moreover, they were unwilling to relinquish their military power. If a transfer order came from above someday to scatter them piecemeal, they would certainly refuse, inevitably leading to rebellion.

This benefited from their prior hearing of the Liang Shan stories, and also from the complete tales Wang Yan had told them.

Before, they were mere privates wanting to return home, feeling that stepping on domestic soil meant they were not far from family. However, now that they had all become officers and attended the small classes Wang Yan held for them, their thinking had reached a certain level of awareness; now, even if asked to return, they would not go back.

In the end, it was a matter of stance, a matter of vested interests.

None of these people were fools who believed that without Wang Yan, they possessed any capability of their own, merely lacking opportunities to display it before. Because from start to finish, they had always followed behind Wang Yan, turning the impossible into the possible time and again; otherwise, they would have died eight hundred times over already.

After listening to his brothers' remarks, Wang Yan smiled and waved his hand. "There aren't that many complications. Today, we are all old brothers; let me lay it bare for you. I cannot possibly listen to everything they say. Before, I didn't make my own decisions and didn't know how good it feels; now that I do, anyone who tries to seize my power will be killed."

"As long as the guns are in our hands, let alone Yu Xiaoqing, even if Old Chiang himself came, we would hunt him down if he dared touch our people. We brothers may not be good at many things, but fighting is what we excel at most. I refuse to believe that those in the National Army are harder to fight than the little Japanese devils. We made the little Japanese devils cry for their fathers and mothers; fighting them will be even easier."

"Therefore, I will leave my wife and children right here. Let's see who dares use women and children against me. And you all need not fear; what is there to fear? It boils down to one sentence: the guns are in our hands!"

"Wait, what are you talking about, Old Sir? The guns are already in our hands?" Fan La's face beamed with delight, showing not a trace of bitterness or deep hatred.

"I was talking about women, telling the brothers to settle down with peace of mind by placing their families in Chanda. Although there are little Japanese devils opposite us, they are already retreating in the west. This group here certainly won't stay long; they will contract their lines entirely. In the long run, Chanda will be safe."

Wang Yan took the cigarette Fan La offered, patted his shoulder, and said, "I heard you've taken a liking to a Miss?"

"No such thing; who told you that, Old Sir?"

"Look at him, still pretending," Bu La teased. "Who was it that ran to a Miss's house first thing this morning?"

"You dog's son, Bu La, you were tracking me?" Fan La, flushed with shame and anger, was about to challenge Bu La to a duel.

The result was Fan La being subdued by Mi Long and the others. "Confess truthfully right now; let me tell you, if you don't speak today, I, Laozi, will scratch your ticklish spots until they rot."

"Aiya, nothing is settled yet; what is there to say? Besides, what does this have to do with any of you?" Fan La was truly annoyed.

"Nothing to do with me?" Wang Yan kicked him. "Opportunity knocks but once; if you see someone you like, secure her immediately. What status concerns are there? Love amidst war flames; no matter how high your family threshold is, the little Japanese devils will trample it flat."

"I know your family rules are strict, being a scholarly household. First, settle the person, get the matter done; whether we can return or not is uncertain anyway. Don't worry that staying means delaying her life; in this era, everyone struggles to survive. We are not short on money or guns; as long as we don't die, no one dares bully our own. Even if we die, we will leave money for her."

"Go, clarify things first, get the matter done, and later I'll have my wife contact her. Although Yu Xiaoqing may wish to kill us, he had better keep a close watch on our women. If anything happens, I, Laozi, will make his entire family perish."

"The same goes for you all; don't just stand around sulking one by one. If you can't find a woman to your liking, spend money to find one; enjoying yourself is fine too. If you lack money, no problem; just give the name Liu Erhu. Later, I'll talk to them; they will surely be willing to treat our brothers to a good time."

"We shouldn't offend them too severely; your wife and children are here," the Veterinarian said.

"You're overthinking it, Old Man. As long as I haven't died, they wouldn't dare touch my people even if given eight times the courage. If I die, regardless of how severely I've offended them, they won't show mercy either. Hurry up, all of you get up and go out to enjoy yourselves. The Guard Company goes too; what are you all waiting for?"

Thus, a group of cannon fodder and Guard Company soldiers exited the courtyard with slight hesitation, but walked faster and faster until finally, they were howling wildly.

Fan La was the first to dart out, his speed truly flying; he had to be fast, for if he were even a little slow, things might go badly, making it difficult for the brothers to meet each other in the future...

?? Daily thanks to the good brothers who generously donate, cast monthly votes, recommendation tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support!

? (End of Chapter)