The place where Kong Jie and his party ate was a rest area specially set aside by the comrades of the 358th Brigade for everyone. It was not far from where other troops of the 358th Brigade were stationed.
Even not far away, you can see the smoke coming out of the kitchens of the cooking squads of other companies.
When the group arrived, they also caught up with the comrades of the 120th Division for lunch.
When Kong Jie led a group of company commanders and squad leaders to rush over, Brigadier Zhang naturally saw it, but in the end he sighed and did not stop him.
Brigadier Zhang knows that Kong Jie is a smart man, and he will find out sooner or later based on the situation in the area.
When we followed the smoke from the cooking pots all the way to the courtyard of a nearby cooking class, everyone stopped and looked over. It was clear that most of the soldiers of the 120th Division were served in kiln bowls with gaps.
I understood it right then.
What did everyone eat?
Multigrain rice, millet, black beans, and a pot of gruel made from various grains.
Then they were piled on the surface. They looked like vegetables. But upon closer inspection, they were clearly wild vegetables that can be seen everywhere on the mountain. There was no oil or water at all, and they were stir-fried side dishes in a big pot.
This is what the comrades of the 120th Division eat for lunch every day.
Even though the conditions were so difficult, what did the comrades of the 120th Division prepare to entertain Kong Jie and his party?
Those are potatoes and elm noodles, for which the family doesn’t have much reserves.
It can be said that the best things were brought out to entertain the soldiers of the 129th Division.
What is this?
This is the friendship of revolutionary comrades!
Just when Kong Jie and his party looked a little heavy, Li Yunlong also rushed over with some cadres of the New Second Regiment, and waited until he saw what the other soldiers of the 120th Division were eating.
Li Yunlong was silent.
After returning to the station, Lao Li passed by a soldier and cursed: "Damn it, there are still a few noodles in the bowl, don't you see? Eat him up!
Your kid joined the army late and doesn’t know what it’s like to be hungry. In the past, let alone this elm noodles and potatoes, it was just bark, and some of it would be good!”
When Li Yunlong and Kong Jie asked Brigadier Zhang why the living standards of the soldiers of the 385th Brigade were still so difficult?
Brigadier Zhang replied with a bitter look:
"Our situation here is not as good as your 386th Brigade!
In fact, the headquarters sent a lot of high-quality, high-yield potatoes, at least hundreds of thousands of kilograms!
But we still can't handle it because we have too many troops, too many mouths to eat, and the land in our mountainous areas is barren. Just in time for the severe drought of the past two years, the harvest is not as smooth as expected.
The Japanese came from time to time to carry out large-scale raids, and even destroyed the crops we had managed to grow.
After all this time and again, it’s good to be able to fill your stomach, but how can I expect to live a comfortable life?”
At this point, Brigadier Zhang, who had a spirit of revolutionary optimism, turned around and said with a smile: "However, the situation is much better than in previous years. In the past few years, the troops even had to peel off the bark of trees and cook them.
, just stuff it into your stomach.
Since this year, with the support of some grains sent from your Taihang base area, as well as the planting of high-quality potatoes, and with our troops following the elite troops and streamlined administration, the burden on the troops has been reduced a lot.
At least there are multigrain noodles and wild vegetable soup to eat, so the soldiers will not starve."
Hearing this, Li Yunlong, who was quite sincere, couldn't help but wipe his tears. While wiping his tears, he turned to Kong Jie and said:
"Old Kong, don't say anything anymore. Our Huasheng Company must keep the comrades of the 120th Division under his control. At the very least, we must let our comrades have enough to eat, right?"
"Brigadier Commander, what Lao Li actually means is that in the future, our 120th Division can have more exchanges with our 129th Division, conduct some business exchanges, and cooperate in military industry to promote the common development of each other's economies.<
/p>
Let us soldiers have enough to eat and wear warm clothes!" Kong Jie explained.
"Is it really possible to do this?" Brigadier Zhang asked nervously.
Looking at the old brigade commander who worked hard for the army and even had gray hair, Kong Jie nodded solemnly: "Commander, please rest assured, we have no other abilities, but we can make every mouth of the army...
After eating enough, we still have some confidence!
Now that we have come here this time, we in the Northwest Military Region have seen with our own eyes the difficulties our comrades have in eating and living. As a brother army, we naturally cannot stand by and watch.
Now we need to find a way to open up the passage from our Northwest Military Region to our Taihang base area. After this passage is successfully opened, I can arrange a convoy to transport millions of kilograms of grain to solve the urgent need for our 120th Division troops to have food!"<
/p>
Good guy, this opening is millions of catties of grain.
Brigadier Zhang was dumbfounded, this is even better than our division commander!
Li Yunlong couldn't wait to greet him: "Old Kong, don't talk so much now, we have eaten this meal and chatted, so hurry up and give the gifts we brought here to our comrades in the Northwest Military Region!
”
"That's right, that's right. I almost forgot about the real thing!"
Kong Jie, who came back to his senses, immediately turned around and said hello.
The company commanders and platoon commanders immediately led the team to unload the cargo from various combat vehicles that drove into the garrison.
Seeing the boxes, sacks and the like being carried out by the soldiers from the carriages of the transport vehicles as if by magic, Brigadier Zhang was surprised and said: "This is?"
Kong Jie said: "Brigadier Commander, this is the thoughts from all the comrades of the 129th Division in the Taihang Base Area to the comrades of the Northwest Military Region.
Mainly some canned food and the like, and a batch of arms, including some guns and artillery.
This time, in order to avoid the target being too large and easily exposed during the transfer, our mechanized combat troops were transported in three batches. This is the first batch of materials transported, and the next two batches should be here one after another.
Arrived in two days."
When Brigadier Zhang heard this, he couldn't sit still. This time he saw the fully armed equipment brought by Kong Jie and Li Yunlong.
He knew that the development of the 129th Division was much better than that of the Northwest Military Region.
How could the gifts from Kong Jie and Li Yunlong be any worse?
Thinking of this, Brigadier Zhang quickly took some cadres from the 358th Brigade and rushed towards the military vehicles to see with his own eyes the supplies sent by Kong Jie and Li Yunlong.
After opening the large wooden boxes, there were neat rows and rows of cans. What surprised Brigadier Zhang and other cadres the most was that the writing on these cans was not in Japanese, nor did it look like they had been growing up.
The cans seized by the Japanese had some Chinese characters written on them.
If you look carefully, you can see that there are various ingredients marked on it, including chicken, duck, goose, fish, etc. It seems to be various canned meats.
"Aren't these junctures captured from the Japs?" Brigadier Zhang was extremely surprised.
Li Yunlong said happily: "Old captain, you don't know this. With the seizure from the little devils, when can we eat canned food whenever we want?
This is our specially built canning factory, where we produce our own cans."
“Produce your own cans!!!”
Brigadier Zhang was almost stunned. He had heard about the rapid development of the 386 Brigade in the past two years, especially in the Northern Shanxi Iron Triangle, especially the team led by Kong Jie.
But seeing is not as good as hearing.
After seeing this with my own eyes, I realized that the development of this team has reached this point!
The troops of the 120th Division in his Northwest Military Region are still worried about filling their stomachs, and most of the factories they built are basic repair shops for the convenience of frontline operations.
But a team from the 386th Brigade even built a canning factory.
Doesn’t this allow people to live?
"With these resources, such factories and equipment, why not invest in military production?" Brigadier Zhang couldn't help but ask, isn't this a waste of resources?
Kong Jie explained: "There are many factories responsible for military production, but this canning processing plant is actually very necessary.
We have built many breeding farms based on the various troops above and below the ground, raising a large number of livestock and poultry, plus some meat obtained in large quantities from the Japanese-occupied areas through trade.
Such a large amount of meat resources, if not properly kept, will be wasted in a short period of time once the weather gets hot, so it is better to process it into cans, which not only has a longer shelf life, but can also be sold through business chains.
Go and get more funds for us.
You can also exchange for more military supplies that we need for the development of our army.
This is a concept of comprehensive development, which can promote the development of our military industry!
In other words, this cannery can even increase the combat effectiveness of our combat troops by an additional 30%!"
Got it.
When Kong Jie said this, Brigadier Zhang was a smart man, so he naturally understood.
But there is a premise for this, that is, your base area must be developed. Otherwise, if you can't even build an arsenal, how can you build a canning factory?
This can only show that the development of the 386 Brigade has reached a quite exaggerated level.
Then, Kong Jie took Brigadier Zhang to visit some of the rice and millet that had been delivered, and said that these were harvested from some improved crops specially cultivated by some breeding experts in the base area.
Finally, there are some equipment that Kong Jie and Li Yunlong put together from the three Iron Triangle groups.
Including a considerable number of rifles, machine guns, and artillery.
Not only the equipment of the Japanese army, but also the equipment of the Chiang Kai-shek Army, the equipment of the Shanxi-Sui Army, and even American equipment.
At this time, Brigadier Zhang was dumbfounded again: This little devil's equipment is easy to understand. It belongs to Jiang Jun, Jinsui Army, and even American equipment. Where did Kong Jie and Li Yunlong get it from?
Coming?
In the end, Kong Jie gave only one explanation: "Business!"
"As long as there are enough benefits, for the Chiang Kai-shek Army and the Jinsui Army, even the Japanese dare to sell their arms and equipment. If I have money, why won't he sell it to me?"
What else can Brigadier Zhang say about this?
All he could do was give a thumbs up, and then look back at the regimental commanders and battalion commanders who were following him. Brigadier Zhang suddenly felt a sense of shame that he was "inferior to others".
This gap is really huge!
In the end, Brigadier Zhang happily accepted the batch of supplies and munitions sent by Li Yunlong and Kong Jie. Therefore, there is no need to say more about Li Yunlong and Kong Jie's gratitude and respect.
It also strengthened Brigadier Zhang’s determination to cooperate with the first team on various business matters.
In the words of Brigadier Zhang: "Not only our 358th Brigade, but our entire Northwest Military Region, and even the various base areas opened by our entire 120th Division, all combat units will do so if possible.
Kong Jie, you must help us.
As for the problem of persuading them, you can rest assured and leave it to me, I will take care of everything for you."
Kong Jie naturally agreed, but also added: "However, the foundation and premise of all economic development is the stability of the base area and military victory. Brigadier, we cannot put the cart before the horse on this point."
"Don't worry, don't worry, I understand this. We have people in our army who can make the best use of all kinds of talents. Those who do business and those who fight will not delay each other!" Brigadier Zhang agreed wholeheartedly.
……
120th Division, Division Headquarters.
When Brigadier Zhang showed up with Kong Jie and Li Yunlong, what surprised the cadres of the 120th Division was that Brigadier Zhang's attitude towards Kong Jie and Li Yunlong was so enthusiastic.
Okay, just like the three brothers.
Things have their own priorities. Naturally, Kong Jie and Li Yunlong came here not mainly for business, but for the mission of surprise attack on Datong.
After this topic was directly discussed, it immediately became the core of the entire meeting.
After the two parties communicate.
Kong Jie said: "The current war situation mainly revolves around the Taihang base area. The Japanese army's long-prepared conspiracy is heading towards our Huangyadong arsenal. Basically, all the attention of the little Japanese is focused on this area. p>
What we have to do now is to hibernate quietly, first divide our mechanized combat troops into three groups, and secretly place them in the Northwest Military Region.
The next step is to wait for changes in the battle situation in the Taihang base area and for the opportunity for our mechanized combat troops to go into battle.
Of course, we don’t have to wait for this opportunity. We just need to wait. Maybe we won’t wait. We need to take the initiative to fight for, create, and create opportunities.
According to the instructions from the headquarters, the time for our mechanized combat troops to attack Datong this time is exactly when the Japanese 26th Division stationed in Changzhi, including the cavalry group stationed in Baotou, moves south to fight the Taihang troops.
Before that, what we have to do is to find ways to continuously mobilize the Datong garrison outwards and weaken the strength of the Datong garrison."
Brigadier Zhang took it seriously and said: "Yes, Datong is a fortress and an important transportation hub. The defense the Japanese have built in Datong over the years is almost impregnable. Unless the defense forces are empty, it will be difficult for us to have a chance to defeat it."
Next."
The division commander said: "Then we will try our best to mobilize as many Japanese troops as possible from Datong."
The cadres immediately started a discussion.
Everyone here is the mainstay of the 120th Division. You say something to me, and you say something to me.
After brainstorming, we soon had a specific strategy...