The Anti-Japanese War Begins with the Northeast Army

Chapter 153: Fishing with a Line
"Is there someone behind you?"

Cai Yuanzong repeated Jiang Cheng's words in astonishment.

Having just recovered from a serious injury, his expression and reaction speed were a little slow.

Jiang Cheng nodded: "Think about it, these people came home in batches today. Some were leaders, some were cooperating, and some were just taking advantage of the situation when someone was speaking..."

"I don't believe it if you say there's no one behind it."

Cai Yuanzong leaned back in the armchair, lowered his upper lip with his fist in his hand, and fell into deep thought: "Who could it be?"

Jiang Cheng was just about to analyze the recent situation when the second thief came running in in a panic. When he saw Jiang Cheng, he was immediately furious: "You are such a good fellow, Jiang Feilan, you are trying to trick me, right? Damn it, who do you think I am!"

"I was asked to collect and sell grain... and salt. You are definitely playing tricks on me!"

Listening to his complaints, it turned out that people seemed to be a little hesitant at first, but a young man took the lead by saying "It doesn't matter who you sell it to".
These porters and hawkers crowded up and gave their things to Cai Yuanming.

"I can't even read a scale. Isn't it difficult for me to buy and sell at the same time?"

When Jiang Cheng asked him how much he had earned from the sales, Cai Yuanming immediately felt overwhelmed. "I didn't care. I called the quartermasters in the regiment and asked them to sort it out!"

"You'll save trouble."

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at him and said, "I don't think there's any need to ask any more questions. This is probably related to Feng Lao San."

"We have made great contributions one after another, and we have also killed Rong Shihong... He is different from Master Shuai, and his control over the entire Feng Province is bound to become less and less,"

"Once Rong Shihong dies, his troops in Jinzhou will surely be targeted by others. I heard that the commander intends to promote Zhang Jinghui to Jinzhou."

Cai Yuanzong smiled: "Well, Zhang Jinghui is the commander of the 27th Division under the Marshal. If he goes to Jinzhou to take over Rong Shihong's Brigade, doesn't that mean that the Marshal is taking over?"

"So, Feng Delin originally wanted to start from us to control Xinmin and your father's 53rd Brigade, but he was defeated by the commander?"

Cai Yuanming curled his lips: "Then why are you so happy? Has the commander-in-chief brought us any benefit by controlling Jinzhou?"

"On the contrary, we, the vanguards, will probably bear a grudge against him, Old Third Feng. Didn't Fei Lan say that this is what happened today?"

Jiang Cheng raised his hand and nodded at him repeatedly: "I say you are a little greedy. Our master has given us a lot of benefits. Didn't he let us pick out the best equipment we brought back from Qinhuangdao?"

"Besides, all the work Xiaojuan and I do is done through his account. In addition to the 50,000 yuan reward he gave me before, he also gave me another 100,000 yuan in cash to allow me to expand the Liulihe Horse Farm."

Cai Yuanming deliberately smirked twice: "Hey, son-in-law, the rewards from the handsome man are all yours, Jiang Feilan. What does it have to do with our Cai family?"

"How about we brothers settle the accounts and at least split the money in half when we meet?"

Jiang Cheng immediately punched him back: "Fuck you, your sister and brother-in-law's house is something you have to think about, can't you earn the reward yourself?"

"Then I don't have your ability, Jiang Feilan. You are much more capable, hahahaha..."

After a few words of bickering, Jiang Cheng turned serious and said, "Alright, alright, stop bickering. We still have business to do!"

"Second brother, you just said that everyone was reluctant to sell goods to us at first, and there was a young man who took the lead, right?"

Cai Yuanming didn't understand why, but he nodded and said, "Yes, it was he who started it, and then the peddlers who came to the village started selling things to us."

Jiang Cheng's eyes lit up immediately, and he turned back to Luo Zhengyang and said, "Old Luo, find two people in plain clothes right away and follow him carefully to his house!"

Seeing his men hesitating, Cai Yuanzong frowned and urged: "Didn't you understand what the commander said? Go quickly!" "Ah, yes!"

Watching his men leave, Cai Yuanming looked curious and asked, "What new ideas do you have?"

Jiang Cheng raised his chin and smiled evilly: "I guess this is most likely related to Feng Lao San——"

"But without solid evidence, we will only give people something to blame if we act rashly..."

"Besides... at the Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner, I heard from Captain Liu of the West Camp that the Japanese have been crossing the line frequently recently, so it's better to act cautiously."

The two brothers exchanged glances, both showing an expectant expression. Jiang Cheng said, "Oh, by the way, big brother, in the name of your group leader, post notices at the four gatehouses of Daping Village, east, west, and north."

"Let's say our 2nd Regiment not only buys grain and salt, but also brings all the goods that cannot be sold by merchants and peddlers in the village to the military camp and buys them all!"

"Oh, by the way, I want to emphasize one thing: payment upon delivery of goods. Payment will be settled immediately without delay! Post it now, quickly!"

The Cai family had never done such a thing before, but hearing Jiang Cheng say it so seriously, he, as the regiment commander, naturally trusted him. He nodded and called Chief of Staff Yang Ping to do as he said.

Cai Yuanming said with more interest: "Feilan, what are you doing? Are you worried that you won't get any results from leading the troops? Do you want to open a grocery store in Daping Village?"

Jiang Cheng laughed twice: "Whether it will succeed or not depends on the next one or two days."

…………

That night, Ye Hai carried his load and ran excitedly back to his home in Erliangou.

"How come you're back so soon? If you don't even mention going to Daping Village to deliver food, it would take you at least two or three days to get home, right?"

As soon as he entered the door, his wife Cui Ni, who was mending clothes on the kang, turned around.

"Oh, Ni'er, you don't know, this time I went to Dapingzhuang, I encountered a good thing!"

He locked the door and ran up to the room happily. Ye Hai took out a handful of things mysteriously and asked, "Look, what is this?"

"Hey, money? Where did you get so much money?"

Cui Ni was surprised and delighted. "Didn't you say that if we took the grain to Daping Village, we could get more money, but we had to pay in slips first, and wait until the end of the month to get it all in one go?"

Ye Hai stuffed all the money into his wife's pocket, turned around and took a ladle from the jar to drink big gulps of water, then said, "Just listen to me and I'll tell you slowly... This time when I went there, the rich family said that they would not collect grain for the next few days, which made me very anxious!"

"I quickly told people that you were about to give birth, and you agreed to give me some money first. Why don't you even accept the food?"

"That person told me that it was Captain Cai from the village who stopped us from harvesting the crops. He said that it was not just me, but many other farmers who were not allowed to harvest the crops. He took everyone to the barracks to appeal for justice."

"But a handsome officer said that not only would he take the money, he would also give me cash... Look, isn't this all given by that officer?"

Cui Ni was putting the money away, and was shocked when she heard his words: "Ah, then will you offend the rich by doing this?"

"Yes, but I can't help it!"

Ye Hai sighed. It was already difficult for him and his wife to grow some food and clothing in their two leaky thatched huts. Now his wife was going to give birth soon. How could he not prepare some money as soon as possible?

"Well, I can't worry about that for now. I'll hook up the donkey later and grind some cornmeal to carry to Daping Village. The officer has even posted a notice saying that we will collect all the flour during this period and pay in cash!"

However, just as he finished speaking, the tattered wooden door was violently kicked open!
(End of this chapter)