Three hundred and fortieth chapters winter training (eight)
A group of soldiers wearing new cotton uniforms, led by a row of veterans with guns, arrived at the suburban town of Yangling where they were stationed.
The desolate and desolate town became as lively as the New Year due to the arrival of the new soldiers. The streets and rooftops in the town were crowded with young and old men, and some leaned against the mottled wooden doors.
The common people looked at these young soldiers with immature faces with great interest, whispering to each other and guessing where these new recruits came from.
Although these recruits were large in number and looked dark, the people were not afraid. Compared with the veterans stationed in the town who had fought in the war, these recruits were too immature and not strong enough, and their curious eyes were
There is no such fierce murderous aura in it.
"Boss, would you like a bunch of candied haws on a stick?" The vendors also smiled and came forward to sell their goods.
Compared with those cunning old veterans, these fledgling recruits had the best chance of making money, so cigarette sellers and liquor sellers all gathered around.
These recruits had traveled a long distance, and their military caps, faces and cotton uniforms were covered with mud and dust. At this moment, they were extremely curious about this strange town and strange people, and they were looking around.
Some of the recruits swallowed their saliva when they looked at the bright red candied haws, but they touched their empty pockets, sighed and walked a few steps quickly, fearing that the candied haws would bring out the gluttons in their stomachs.
There were also many recruits who carried silver dollars collected by their parents and fellow villagers before joining the army in their pockets, and began to bargain with the cigarette and alcohol sellers. They trudged along the way, and when they arrived at their destination, the temptation to smoke and drink started again.
"Go away! Go away! You want to be beaten, don't you?" Those veterans with guns looked fierce. They yelled at the vendors who were approaching to maintain order.
Most of these gun-wielding veterans had fought in one or two battles. They followed the new recruits, firstly to escort them along the way, and secondly to prevent the new recruits from escaping midway.
The person in charge of sending the new recruits was a staff captain from the brigade. He had a cigarette in his mouth and was waiting left and right. He looked a little impatient when he couldn't wait for the person to receive them.
"What are you doing, Deputy Commander Yang? Why have you waited so long and haven't come yet?" the captain's staff asked the lieutenant attached to the regiment who stayed behind at the regiment headquarters.
The lieutenant regimental officer explained: "Don't worry, our deputy commander Yang is leading the brothers to train outside. He should be back soon."
While they were talking, the lieutenant regiment who stayed behind at the regiment headquarters pointed to one end of the street and said, "Deputy Commander Yang is back."
The captain's staff officer responsible for sending the new recruits saw an imposing lieutenant colonel striding out of the town, followed by several tough veterans. His heart suddenly trembled, and he hurriedly threw away the cigarette butt and stood up, wearing a military uniform.
He put on his hat, straightened the corners of his wrinkled clothes, and strode towards Yang Ling.
"Sir Yang, I am Zhang Jiachai, the brigade staff officer. I have been ordered to escort the new recruits who have been added to your regiment. Please accept them."
The captain and staff officer of the brigade saluted Yang Ling and then took out the document for Yang Ling to sign and receive.
"Where are these new recruits from?" Yang Ling asked while signing.
The captain's staff did not dare to make excuses in front of Yang Ling, and replied straight away: "Some were sent from the Sichuan Division, some were captured from Henan, and the rest signed up voluntarily."
Seeing that Yang Ling's face remained unchanged, the captain's staff officer added: "Except for the dozen or so people in the third company who tried to run away on the road and were captured and beaten, the rest are all good soldiers."
After Yang Ling heard the words of the captain's staff, he immediately had an idea in his mind. He asked several regiment subordinates to count the number of people according to the list, and quickly completed the acceptance procedures.
The captain and staff officer of the brigade headquarters who was responsible for escorting the new recruits waited until Yang Ling signed the signature and then hurried back to deliver the assignment, so he did not stop and quickly left with the row of veterans.
Yang Ling gathered more than a thousand recruits who had been recruited outside the town.
These recruits come from different places, and their methods of serving as soldiers are also different. Some are voluntary, some are forcibly recruited, some are middle-aged people in their forties or fifty, and some are child soldiers who are not much higher than a gun. Although they are both good and bad.
, but after all, they were soldiers who were added to his own army, so Yang Ling accepted them all.
Although these recruits had received simple training for a week or two in division-controlled areas in various places, they still stood in a mess when they were assembled, which made Yang Ling frown.
Although more than a thousand new soldiers were added to assist the original more than 500 veterans, the entire regiment began to become stronger again, but the new soldiers also lowered the combat effectiveness of the unit. There was no way around it, and he was helpless.
Yang Ling's uniform was straight, and the shiny armed belt made him look even more upright. He stood solemnly on the wooden platform where he usually lectured, with a serious face and full of majesty.
A dignified commander can leave a deep impression on these recruits and make them feel a sense of security, so Yang Ling pretended to be serious.
His sharp eyes like knives slowly swept over the faces of the more than a thousand recruits. Some of these recruits were excited, some were frustrated and scared, and some had eyes red and swollen from crying. But no one dared to compete with Yang Ling.
The seemingly serious officers looked at each other.
"My name is Yang Ling!" Yang Ling retracted his gaze and said, "I will be your commander from today on!"
Yang Ling's self-introduction was very simple, and he did not introduce his position or military rank, because he knew that they would have plenty of time to get to know each other in the future.
"I don't care how you became soldiers, and I don't want to care, but since you are in the army, don't think about escaping! Anyone who escapes will be shot according to army rules!"
Yang Ling looked serious and spoke with murderous intent, which made the recruits feel frightened and believed that Yang Ling would not tell lies.
Seeing that many recruits looked frightened, Yang Ling continued: "We are fighting a national war, and we are fighting little devils. If you can pick up a gun and become a soldier, it is a matter of honoring your ancestors. Being a soldier is not just for you.
Even if you die, don’t be afraid. Learn more from the veterans and kill more Japanese soldiers to gain meritorious service! In the future, you will return home in glory and shine on your family!”
Yang Ling's words made it clear that there was only one fate for being a deserter, which was to be shot. If you stayed in the army well, you might still be able to live and honor your ancestors. With these two simple choices, he believed that if the recruits were not stupid, they would never become soldiers.
deserter.
Yang Ling looked at the recruits who stood solemnly and said his last request: "I have only one request for you, and that is obedience! Absolute obedience!"
After Yang Ling finished speaking, he ordered several regiment affiliates to add these new soldiers to each battalion and company, hoping that the veterans he trained could lead the new with the old as soon as possible and increase their combat effectiveness.
Several regiment subordinates were busy allocating new recruits. Yang Ling, the deputy commander's face, became gentle again. He walked among the new recruits and began to greet them.
He walked up to a dark and thin recruit and asked kindly: "How old are you?"
When this dark and thin recruit saw the majestic commander asking questions, he was nervous and stuttered: "I...I'm 18."
Yang Ling saw the black and thin recruit looking nervous, smiled and patted his shoulder and said, "Don't be nervous, I'm not a tiger, and I don't eat people."
Yang Ling's teasing made the people around him laugh. The recruit's tense body relaxed amidst the laughter, and he suddenly felt that the officer was no longer so scary.
Yang Ling asked again: "Where are you from?"
"From Shangqiu, Henan."
"How did you become a soldier?"
"The security chief asked us to go to a meeting, and then we got here."
When Yang Ling heard this, he sighed helplessly and encouraged: "When you get to the army, just fight hard and don't think about anything else. Once you beat the Japanese away, you can go home!"
"yes!"
Yang Ling greeted the recruits and made them feel the care of their superiors, and their initial nervousness and fear slowly dissipated.