The Tiger Mountain Stronghold Raises Its Banner and Roars Across Songhu
In the bandit stronghold on Yulin’s Great Tiger Mountain, Yu Jinbiao was showing his men how to hit a target at a hundred paces with a Japanese Type 38 rifle. The bullet pierced a copper coin hanging from an old locust tree, sending leaves rustling down. Laughter erupted beneath the walls. The coin had been “borrowed” last month from a group of defeated Nationalist troops. Back then, no one had imagined the rifle would really be used to fight the Japanese.
“Boss! The officials are back down the mountain!” The lookout had barely finished shouting when Yu Jinhua came running from the gate, twin pistols in hand, with Deputy Wang Yong following behind, his hands bound behind his back. This was the Seventh Army’s third delegation. Yu Jinbiao had chopped up the appointment documents brought by the first two with his tiger-head saber.
“Yu only cares about two things: brothers who can drink, and men who dare to risk their lives.” Yu Jinbiao spat out his tobacco pipe and stepped onto a bench to get close to Wang Yong. “Your regular army lost its positions in Beiping, and now you’ve got the nerve to come swaggering around my mountain hideout?”
Wang Yong stiffened his neck and shook off the ropes, then pulled out a yellowed photograph. It showed the ruins of Lugou Bridge and several young people in student uniforms lying in pools of blood. “Boss Yu, this is my younger brother in Beiping. The Japanese have occupied Lugou Bridge, and the Jinpu Railway is about to be cut off. Vice Chief Bai said that if you’re willing to resist Japan, all past grievances will be wiped clean. You’ll get a unit designation, ammunition, and full pay!”
Yu Jinbiao stared at the photograph for a long while, then suddenly bellowed, “Brothers! Remember Old Zhang, the miser, whose boat the Japanese bombed last year? His daughter sent word yesterday. Everyone in their village has taken shelter in a cave!”
The threshing ground before the hall fell silent in an instant. These men who had made their living robbing and pillaging.
