NFBE Chapter 136 Martyrs
Chapter 136 Martyrs
Dozens of ships lined up and slowly departed from Tongzhou Wharf. Shen Lian, standing at the bow of the ship, waved to the shore as his figure gradually disappeared into the distance.
"My lord, let's go back to the cabin!" Yang Du was in high spirits, ready to leap into the sea and soar through the sky in Shandong.
“Gentlemen, the journey must be lonely. Why don’t you have some tea together?” Shen Lian nodded and invited Wang Kaiyun, Yang Du, and Gu Hongming to walk towards the cabin together.
. . . . . .
As the sun began to set, a dusty horse-drawn carriage drove into Kaoshantun Village, Yuanshan Town, Laiwu County, Tai'an Prefecture.
"Company commander, I'm going to find out where Xiao San lives." A young soldier jumped off the carriage, and Zhang Tieniu stretched his limbs and also got off the carriage.
He was seriously wounded in Tianjin; a bullet pierced his chest. He thought he was going to die, but miraculously survived thanks to the doctors' efforts.
The doctor said that he was given medicine that the general had bought at a high price in the West.
He spent more than two months recuperating in the hospital before fully recovering and returning to his unit. Their 2nd Regiment suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Tianjin and was left behind to defend Tianjin, missing the Battle of Beijing.
However, Zhang Tieniu was awarded a first-class merit for his outstanding military achievements and was promoted to captain. Their 2nd Regiment was also one of the first units to withdraw.
Upon returning to Linqing, in accordance with military regulations, these company commanders were required to personally deliver the belongings and compensation of their fallen soldiers, along with their martyr certificates, to the families of the fallen soldiers.
His platoon suffered heavy casualties during the attack on the Russian command post; he himself was seriously wounded, and five of his soldiers were killed.
He's been busy with this for the past few days; this is the third company he's visited.
This is a small mountain village at the foot of a mountain, with only a few scattered patches of land visible on the hillside. There isn't a single decent brick house in the village, making it seem even poorer than my own village.
"Company commander, I found out, they live at the west end of the village!" Young soldier Qiu Xiaojun ran back and said.
Although he was young, his orderly was clever and lively. Zhang Tieniu liked him very much; he wished his younger brother was just as lively.
Since it wasn't far, Zhang Tieniu decided not to take the carriage. He had Qiu Xiaojun drive the horse-drawn carriage, and he walked towards the village.
After turning a corner, several thatched huts came into view. A group of people were making a ruckus in front of the huts, and someone immediately shouted when they saw them arrive.
"Alright! The mistress is back, none of you fucking run away!"
"Third Brother, Third Brother!" A girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old broke free from her restraints and ran over shouting.
"Who are you? Where's my third brother?" The little girl ran up to them and saw that although they were wearing the same military uniforms, they weren't her brother.
"Are you Chen Xiaosan's sister? I'm his company commander." Zhang Tieniu forced a smile.
"Sir, where is my third brother? Why hasn't he come back? I'm about to be arrested." The little girl pouted, on the verge of tears, because she hadn't seen her brother.
“Although we are not your brothers, with us here, no one can take you away!” Zhang Tieniu said through gritted teeth, his heart aching.
As they spoke, the three of them walked to the front of the thatched hut. The two sides that were confronting each other took a few steps back and stared at the two of them expectantly.
"Which of you is Chen Xiaosan's family member?" Zhang Tieniu asked.
"I'm the third brother's older brother, this is his second brother, and this is our mother. Is there something you need, sir?" a burly man asked, rubbing his hands together.
Zhang Tieniu led Qiu Xiaojun to Chen Xiaosan's mother, stood at attention, and bowed.
"Auntie, I'm sorry to inform you! Chen Xiaosan sacrificed his life in the battle to capture Tianjin. I was his company commander, and I'm here today to deliver his belongings and compensation." Zhang Tieniu said through gritted teeth.
Although he had already experienced this three times before, Zhang Tieniu was still very heartbroken and remorseful when facing Chen Xiaosan's mother.
"Ah! My third son!" The old woman trembled upon hearing this, swaying as if she were about to fall. Zhang Tieniu quickly stepped forward to support her.
"No, my third brother won't die! You're lying! Waaah..." The little girl shook her head violently upon hearing this and burst into tears.
Letting the tears stream down his face, Zhang Tieniu gestured to Qiu Xiaojun to deliver Chen Xiaosan's belongings.
A large bag contained Chen Xiaosan's quilt, blanket, two sets of clothes, and a pair of cloth shoes. Also inside was his old water bottle.
Zhang Tieniu then took another photo frame and handed it to the old lady; it contained a half-length portrait of Chen Xiaosan.
This photo was specially ordered by Shen Lian to be taken of each soldier before the troops were deployed, so that their families could have something to remember them by if they were to sacrifice their lives. Otherwise, given the current situation, 99% of families wouldn't have the means to take such a photo.
The old woman took the photo frame, her fingers trembling as she carefully stroked the photograph. Tears silently dripped onto the ground.
"Auntie, this is Xiao San's pension and meritorious service bonus, as well as his military pay for these three months!" Zhang Tieniu took out another money bag and handed it over, which contained seventy-five silver dollars.
The death penalty was fifty silver dollars, and the victory bonus for the Battle of Tianjin was ten silver dollars. The monthly military pay was five silver dollars.
"This is the martyr's certificate for the mistress!" Auntie, Zhang Tieniu wiped away his tears and handed over a document with Shen Lian's signature and a large red official seal.
"Auntie, keep this safe. Starting this year, your family will be exempt from all taxes and corvée labor!"
"And from now on, you can go to the county government office every month to collect a living allowance of one silver dollar until you pass away."
"Thank you! Thank you, sir!" The Chen family members expressed their gratitude one after another. This treatment was indeed too generous, and the Chen family members were extremely grateful.
"You don't need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank our commander-in-chief, who is also the current Marquis of Zhenyuan and Governor-General of Shandong, Lord Shen Lian! He has thought of everything for us," Zhang Tieniu said proudly.
"Thank you for your kindness, Commander Shen!" The Chen family members all knelt down and kowtowed towards Linqing.
"Sir, where is my son's body?" the old woman asked, wiping away her tears.
"We, the Shandong New Army, will not abandon any of our brothers. Even if he sacrifices himself, we will bring him home!"
"The commander will build a martyrs' cemetery in Linqing, so that the brothers who sacrificed their lives can be together in death. And there will be people to clean it and pay their respects every day, and to enjoy the incense offerings throughout the four seasons."
"On the fifteenth of this month, the Commander-in-Chief will personally preside over the brothers' funeral. You are all invited to attend!"
"Okay, okay!" The old lady smiled gratefully.
At this point, the somber atmosphere finally dissipated somewhat!
"Who are they? What were you doing just now?" Zhang Tieniu glanced at the group of people opposite him.
"They're debt collectors! My father passed away three months ago, and I borrowed three taels of silver from them. Now they say it's increased to ten taels. We can't pay them back, and they're planning to take my sister as collateral," the third brother said helplessly.
"Tell them to get over here!" Zhang Tieniu roared. He then took out a cigarette and lit it.