Chapter 4: In the Next Life, Be Born into the Hua Family Again

Chapter 4: Reborn into the Zhong Family in the Next Life

(Part One)

“It must be the medicine from Brother Monk taking effect. I feel like I’ll be able to join training tomorrow,” Guan Shan chuckled as he spoke to Li Yunlong.

For some unknown reason—perhaps the lingering momentum of relentless rushing forward from his previous life—these few days since his crossing over had left Guan Shan feeling anxious.

It was already the second lunar month of 1942. In about three months, around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival, the vast summer grain planting regions in North China would gradually begin their harvest. The Japanese devils would launch large-scale sweep operations and grain seizures against the enemy rear bases in North China!

According to Guan Shan’s memory, the intensity of the Japanese sweeps that summer would far exceed that of previous years. It was said that Deputy Chief of Staff Zuo Quan heroically fell in battle during the anti-sweep engagements that summer of 1942.

In the story of “Drawing the Sword,” the Independent Regiment suffered heavy losses in the great breakout battle against the sweeps of 1942. Both Second Battalion Commander Shen Quan and Third Battalion Commander Wang Huaibao perished heroically. Especially the cavalry company, which was completely wiped out while covering the main force’s retreat. The image of Cavalry Company Commander Sun Desheng, one-armed, holding his saber high while shouting “Cavalry company charge!” never failed to choke Guan Shan up.

He was anxious—truly anxious. Even though he had run wildly to his death in the previous life, Guan Shan did not feel he could afford to slow down this time.

No regrets entering China in this life; reborn into the Zhong family in the next!

Hence, Guan Shan understood this crossing over as a blessing from Heaven for the ruthless, all-out sprint of his previous life.

“Hey, hey, brother, take it easy! You really need to take it slow on this!” Brother Monk Wei hurriedly warned. “As someone who practices martial arts, I know better than you! If you end up with hidden injuries, you’ll regret it!”

“Right! What Brother Monk said is true! Shan Zi, don’t be impatient. Rest a few more days until your bones get stronger! Here, have a bowl of wine!” Li Yunlong smiled brightly, sitting cross-legged on the kang stove.

“Thank you, regiment commander!” Guan Shan said, leaning on his crutch as he slowly made his way from the door to the earthen kang.

“That’s my wine!” Brother Monk shot him a glare in protest.

Li Yunlong had said he’d treat Guan Shan to a bowl of wine but was actually holding Brother Monk Wei’s cup.

“Go on, go on! You, monk, have no sense at all. Go help Shan Zi! Come, come, Shan Zi, sit on the kang!” Li Yunlong rose and gave the monk a kick on the rear.

(Part Two)

Another night passed, and Guan Shan actually felt his left leg had healed.

Still, he cautiously followed the advice of the medic and Dr. Liu and didn’t remove the splint too soon.

Although he hadn’t joined the company training on the big playground, early that morning Guan Shan practiced all the equipment exercises Brother Monk Wei used in the regiment courtyard: pull-ups on the horizontal bar, sit-ups around the bars, bench presses with stone weight plates, and sit-ups holding the weight plates.

Brother Monk Wei was also excited. Since joining the Independent Regiment, he’d rarely met anyone who could match him in equipment training. Though Guan Shan hadn’t practiced barehanded combat, his upper body strength was surprisingly well developed.

“See? A soldier of our Independent Regiment has to have this kind of grit!” Li Yunlong shouted loudly from the big playground, pointing far away. “Xiao Shan Zi is the one who broke his leg in training a few days ago. Look at him—he’s already doing pull-ups to train his arms without removing the splint! I’ve already told the cooks to prepare meat and vegetables for Comrade Xiao Shan Zi every day…”

“Comrades!” Zhao Gang quickly stepped forward to add, “What Commander Li means is that this spirit is commendable, but every comrade should arrange training according to their own condition and especially pay attention to safety…”

(Part Three)

“Xiao Shan Zi, Xiao Shan Zi?” Li Yunlong’s voice rang out at the courtyard gate.

Guan Shan hurriedly called back, quickly putting down his pen and paper, clutching his crutch as he stood and hopped toward the door to greet his commander.

Though his injured leg was still healing, it certainly was not fully recovered. Guan Shan was very careful not to exert himself recklessly and cause a secondary injury. As Brother Monk had said, it would be terrible to have hidden wounds.

After all, it was 1942, the harshest and most backward enemy rear base, unlike decades later when frontline cities had advanced and comprehensive medical care.

Besides, even if the conditions were advanced, so what? He still ended up transported here.

“What are you doing? Resting, huh?” Li Yunlong asked with a cheerful smile.

“Reporting to the commander, I’m learning to write. Alternating physical training with mental training,” Guan Shan replied.

“Hey! Good!” Li Yunlong beamed, patting Guan Shan’s shoulder and scolding Brother Monk Wei behind him, “See, Monk, learn from him. Don’t just think about drinking all the time. Learn some culture too!”

Brother Monk Wei rolled his eyes but didn’t dare talk back. Of course, he knew the commander’s temper. He was used to getting scolded now and didn’t mind.

As he spoke, Li Yunlong walked directly into the room shared by Brother Monk Wei and Guan Shan. Seeing the papers and pens on the table, he picked them up with some surprise.

“Shan Zi, did you write this? Damn, didn’t expect you to be a scholar! Are you copying a book?”

Li Yunlong flipped to the cover of the thin, mimeographed booklet.

“New Anti-War Medicine Collection,” compiled by all revolutionary soldiers of the Eighth Route Army Medical Materials Factory.

“When I went to the Zhang Village health clinic the day before yesterday, Dr. Liu heard I’d attended a literacy class and could write. He originally wanted me to help copy books while under observation there. Later, he agreed to let me come back, but I promised to copy a few volumes for him,” Guan Shan explained.

“What? Our Eighth Route Army has its own pharmaceutical factory?” Brother Monk Wei recognized a few characters and, seeing the cover, asked curiously.

“Yes, Brother Monk. When I saw this book the day before yesterday, I asked Dr. Liu the same thing!” Guan Shan smiled at Brother Monk. “Dr. Liu said that by the end of ’39, they could produce over a hundred kinds of medicines. The medicines, gauze, medical soap, adhesive tape used in our border health clinics all come from our own factory!”

Guan Shan had simply highlighted the key points. In fact, Dr. Liu had explained in more detail. The current pharmaceutical factory could produce almost all the medicines listed in this booklet, covering the collection, sorting, refining, and formulation of more than a dozen categories and dozens of medicinal materials, along with their properties, efficacy, and usage.

Guan Shan had long-term plans in applying to copy books for Dr. Liu. In the future, when possible, he wanted to proactively engage with military industry, logistics, and other systems. He needed to start by learning, then gradually use some advanced knowledge he possessed to subtly inspire the professionals, thus acting as a catalyst.

Having experience leading teams in hard battles from grassroots to mid-level in a large factory, Guan Shan was very familiar with methods of motivating teams and managing communication upward and downward.

Welcome to bookmark and thank you for recommending!

(End of chapter)