Chapter Thirty-One: Failure is the Mother of Success

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Before nightfall, the comrades of the Zhangzhuang militia ate their fill.

Once darkness had fully descended, Zhang Chen took the cloth sack handed to him by Fat Ox. He slung the sack, containing six improvised grenades, over his back and swept his hand through the air.

“Comrades, follow me. We’re moving out!”

There were more than three thousand Japanese raiders on Zhifu Island. Tonight, in order to seize the large shipment of supplies that the Qingzhou Trading Company had just transported back from the south, at least two thousand of them had set out.

Fu Tou Village had a thousand able-bodied men, all pirates. Tonight, they should be sending out five or six hundred.

Yesterday, a fleet belonging to the Qingzhou Trading Company, returning from the south, had happened to pass near Zhangzhuang.

After receiving the news, Zhu Weijin, the chief manager of the Qingzhou Trading Company, had ordered the heavily laden fleet to transport roughly one-third of its cargo to Zhangzhuang.

Zhang Chen estimated that at least two thousand five hundred Japanese raiders and pirates would attack Zhangzhuang that night.

At present, apart from the eight hundred able-bodied male refugees, Zhangzhuang had only a little over two hundred young and middle-aged male villagers capable of fighting.

The eight hundred able-bodied male refugees, together with Zhangzhuang’s two hundred-odd fighting men, certainly could not stand against two thousand five hundred Japanese raiders and pirates.

Therefore, Zhang Chen had decided to strike first. He intended to ambush the Japanese raiders from Zhifu Island and the pirates of Fu Tou Village.

Yesterday, after recruiting eight hundred of the stronger men among the refugees, Zhang Chen had announced that the villagers of Zhangzhuang could choose for themselves whether or not to join the militia.

In the end, only seven or eight people—including Wang Shumeng, the militia captain, and Zhang Yixin, head of Zhangzhuang’s intelligence team—had chosen to remain in the militia.

At the time, Zhang Chen had allowed Wang Shumeng to continue serving as captain of the Zhangzhuang militia, while Zhang Yixin remained head of its intelligence team.

He had also instructed Zhang Yixin to expand the intelligence team into the Zhangzhuang Intelligence Bureau.

Most of the people of Zhangzhuang had withdrawn, and the militia’s members were now almost entirely refugees.

Zhang Chen led the eight hundred able-bodied male refugees of the Zhangzhuang militia out to battle.

That night, Qi Guoshu took the two hundred-odd able-bodied male villagers capable of fighting and guarded Zhangzhuang.

Naturally, the forty-one members of Zhangzhuang’s suicide squad—including Second Uncle Wang and Third Uncle Wang—also followed Zhang Chen into battle.

Each man carried a cloth sack containing five or six improvised grenades. They also brought more than a dozen heartless guns and many packets of black powder pellets.

The Japanese raiders from Zhifu Island and the pirates of Fu Tou Village would probably take the cinder road from the Fu Tou Village dock, passing through Liu Village and Zhangzhuang on their way to the county seat, and launch a night attack on Zhangzhuang.

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Zhang Chen planned to set up an ambush in the small grove between Zhangzhuang and Liu Village, attacking the Japanese raiders and pirates as they passed along the road beside the trees.

Several days earlier, on the morning of his first day in Zhangzhuang, Zhang Chen had wept bitterly in that very grove for more than an hour.

Zhang Chen, Fat Ox, Zhang Da’an, and Zhang Er’an walked at the very front.

The wound on Fat Ox’s back had not yet healed. Several hours earlier, Zhang Chen had told him to hide in the county seat for a few days.

Fat Ox had flatly refused.

“Young Master, my wound is nothing. Let me stay with you. With a body like mine, Fatty can still take a blade for you when it matters.”

Unable to persuade him, Zhang Chen had someone make a chest brace out of ox sinew and cotton cloth. He fastened it around Fat Ox’s chest to protect the wound on his back.

Chest braces in the twenty-first century used elastic bands, but the Ming dynasty had no elastic.

Fortunately, it did have ox sinew, so Zhang Chen had no choice but to use it as a substitute and make a crude chest brace.

The ox-sinew brace turned out to be quite effective and served its medical purpose.

Fat Ox drew one step closer to Zhang Chen and lowered his voice.

“Young Master, this time you must listen to me. If the Japanese raiders and pirates don’t break and flee under the bombardment of the heartless guns and the improvised grenades, we run.”

“Of course.” Zhang Chen smiled. “If the heartless guns and improvised grenades fail to rout them, we’re finished. Eight hundred able-bodied male refugees who have trained for only one day certainly can’t stand against a large force of Japanese raiders and pirates. Only a fool wouldn’t run.”

“Once our Zhangzhuang militia is defeated, their target will be the wealth in Zhangzhuang. The Japanese raiders and pirates won’t pursue us with all their strength. The four of us know martial arts, so we should be able to escape. When the time comes, we’ll split up and run for our lives.”

Zhang Chen looked at Fat Ox, Zhang Da’an, and Zhang Er’an.

“After defeating our militia, the Japanese raiders and pirates will go into Zhangzhuang to loot. They should withdraw before dawn. We’ll return after sunrise. It’ll be fine. At worst, we start over from scratch. Failure is the mother of success. In no more than two years, we’ll certainly wipe out every Japanese raider and pirate around Zhangzhuang.”

“No, Young Master. Fatty is running with you.”

Fat Ox quickened his pace to catch up with Zhang Chen.

“I promised Summer Flower. That is, I promised the Young Mistress that I would protect you at all costs.”

“Very well, then. Fatty will run with me.” Zhang Chen smiled.

If nothing unexpected happened, the heartless guns and improvised grenades would certainly rout the Japanese raiders and pirates. The eight hundred able-bodied male refugees, having trained for only one day, certainly could not fight a hard battle—but they had no trouble fighting when the advantage was theirs, or pursuing the Japanese raiders and pirates once they had been routed.

“Master, when we run for our lives, let Er’an and me run with you.”

Zhang Da’an’s voice was low and solemn.

“Before the Young Mistress—Summer Flower—went to the county seat, she strictly ordered Er’an and me to protect you.”

“Master, I gave my word to the Young Mistress. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll protect you.”

Zhang Er’an, who was walking at the front, turned his head.

“When we run for our lives, I’m running with you.”

When Zhang Da’an and Zhang Er’an had first arrived in Zhangzhuang, they had eaten in Zhang Chen’s small courtyard.

Summer Flower was kindhearted and had treated Zhang Da’an and Zhang Er’an with genuine warmth.

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Having felt a familial tenderness from Summer Flower, Zhang Da’an and Zhang Er’an regarded her as family.

Last night, Zhang Chen had taken Summer Flower as his concubine, making her the younger mistress of the Zhang household.

Zhang Da’an and Zhang Er’an were delighted for Summer Flower, and the two men held her in deep respect.

“All right, all right. The four of us will form a team and run for our lives together.”

Zhang Chen raised his head and glanced at the sky.

“The stars are brilliant tonight. Just right for killing to our hearts’ content!”

“Tonight, once they defeat us, the Japanese raiders from Zhifu Island and the pirates of Fu Tou Village will slaughter everyone in Zhangzhuang, loot everything, and burn the village to the ground.”

Fat Ox was convinced that Zhangzhuang could not win. He moved a step closer to Zhang Chen.

“Forget Zhangzhuang, Young Master. Let’s become bandits too. Not real bandits, of course. We’ll recruit a thousand able-bodied male refugees, seize a mountain stronghold, and rob the rich to aid the poor.”

“We’ll be bandits. The bandits and the Japanese raiders certainly won’t attack one another.”

Fat Ox had entered one of his rambling moods, and the more he spoke, the more excited he became.

“We won’t touch anything belonging to the government. We’ll keep a low profile. Most government soldiers can’t fight anyway, so they certainly won’t come to suppress us. Without any battles, we can develop at our own pace…”

…

At the same time.

At the residence of Tian Xuewen, magistrate of Fushan County.

Front courtyard, reception hall.

Tian Xuewen had convened a family meeting.

His principal wife, Madam Wang; his second daughter, Tian Yachun; and his nephew, Tian Yayi, were all present.

Also attending were Tian Yachun’s personal maids, Dongmei and Xiaolu.

Once the meeting began, Tian Yayi spoke first.

“There are more than three thousand Japanese raiders on Zhifu Island. Tonight, at least two thousand of them will set out. Fu Tou Village has a thousand able-bodied men, and every one of those thousand men is a pirate. Tonight, at least five hundred of them will set out.”

Tian Yayi cursed Zhang Chen.

“Zhangzhuang has fewer than three hundred able-bodied men fit for battle. Zhang Chen’s eight hundred able-bodied male refugees have trained for only one day; they are utterly useless in a fight. Tonight, two thousand Japanese raiders from Zhifu Island and five hundred pirates from Fu Tou Village will attack Zhangzhuang. Zhangzhuang is bound to lose. They have not the slightest chance of victory.”

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