Three days later, the three brigades of the Seventh Column of the Eighth Route Army, in accordance with Li Guotao's orders, successively took the three counties of Weixian, Guangling, and Lingqiu, and eliminated all the Japanese puppet forces in the territory.Subsequently, in accordance with the instructions of the superiors, the Seventh Column began to recruit troops and expand its strength in the local area, and in less than a week, it recruited 6,000 new soldiers.Ma Zhenguo handed a report in his hand to Li Guotao, and said with a serious face: "This is the situation of recruiting new recruits in the past few days, a total of more than 6,000 recruits have been recruited, and we plan to establish ten recruit training camps, so that the new recruits can undergo basic training for a month, and then the recruits will be assigned to various units for unified training. ”"Hmm" Li Guotao nodded with satisfaction and said: "I don't worry about you doing things, the matter of recruit training will be handed over to you, although there is no major war now, but we can't relax, we must seize the time and restore the combat effectiveness of the troops as soon as possible." ”"I understand."
Ma Zhenguo nodded and said.Li Guotao said with a smile: "I really didn't expect that in just a few days, we recruited more than 6,000 people. ”"Yes, as soon as I heard that the Eighth Route Army was going to recruit new soldiers, the local people actively signed up to join the army, not only the three counties of Wei County, Guangling, and Lingqiu, but also several nearby counties, and many people rushed over to sign up for the army.Commander Nie had already greeted the local comrades, and with their assistance, our recruitment work went so smoothly. ”Ma Zhenguo said with a smile.Li Guotao nodded with satisfaction and said: "In addition, the headquarters has also mobilized thousands of supplementary soldiers for us from other regions, and it is estimated that it should arrive in the next few days, and when this batch of supplementary soldiers arrives, our total strength will even exceed the strength of the heyday" Ma Zhenguo shook his head with a wry smile and said: "But I have been busy in the past two days, and I have recruited so many recruits to be busy enough, and now I will come with thousands of additional soldiers soon, and it is a headache to think about it" Li Guotao smiled and said: "You don't have to worry, I'll help you then. ”"You will help me" Ma Zhenguo naturally didn't easily believe Li Guotao's nonsense, shook his head and said: "Forget it, I know that you are a person who does big things, this kind of trivial matter, I don't dare to bother your big driver." ”"Haha" Li Guotao laughed and said: "This is what you said yourself, don't regret it when the time comes" Ma Zhenguo was speechless, looked at Li Guotao helplessly, and said with a wry smile: "I am considered to have obeyed you, I still have something to do, if the commander has no orders, then I will leave first." ”When Ma Zhenguo said the word commander, he deliberately made an expression of gritting his teeth to express his dissatisfaction with Li Guotao.Li Guotao didn't care, waved his hand and said, "I don't have anything to do here, you can go and get busy." ”Ma Zhenguo nodded, turned around and walked out, just walked to the door, just saw a person leading two guards strode in, when he saw this person's face clearly, Ma Zhenguo couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise, and shouted: "Commander Meng" "What's wrong with Commander Meng" Li Guotao heard Ma Zhenguo's shout, asked casually, and quickly turned his head, and then happened to see Commander Meng walking in with a smile on his face.Li Guotao stood up from the chair suddenly, walked over quickly, entered a military salute with a respectful face, and said loudly: "Good chief" Commander Meng raised his hand and returned a military salute, stretched out his hand to hold Li Guotao's hand, and said with a smile: "Guotao, I haven't seen you for a year, the kid is becoming more and more capable" "No matter what, the chief teaches well" Li Guotao said with a humble face.Then he hurriedly gave up his seat to Commander Meng, and Ma Zhenguo was busy pouring a cup of tea for Commander Meng."
You kid is still the same, it hasn't changed at all, now you're a commander, I heard that the last time you fought in Chahar, you kid actually drove a tank to charge into battle, is this just nonsense As the commander of the column, it is your duty to command the battle, the headquarters is your position, and it is the duty of the soldiers to charge into battle, you leave the headquarters without permission and run to the front line, to put it seriously, it is to leave your post without permission."
As soon as Commander Meng sat down, he counted Li Guotao for a while."
Ah" Li Guotao didn't expect that as soon as the two met, this Commander Meng would scold him with a slash on his head and face, scratch his head embarrassedly, rolled his eyes, and hurriedly began to change the topic, "Old chief, aren't you going to Yan'an to study, why do you have time to come to us" "How can you listen to your words, it seems that I am not welcome to come" Commander Meng said with a displeased face."
How can you come, it's too late for me to be happy, why don't you notify me in advance, I'll pick you up" Li Guotao said with a smile."
I have arms and legs, do I still need you to pick me up," Commander Meng said with a smile."
You drink water" Li Guotao hurriedly handed over the tea poured by Ma Zhenguo.Commander Meng stretched out his hand to take the tea, and said with a smile: "Don't say it, I'm really thirsty after such a long journey." ”As he spoke, he picked up the teapot and drank it."
Commander, where are you from?"
After Commander Meng finished drinking the water, Li Guotao asked."
Where else can I come from, didn't I go to Yan'an to study before, and I studied for a whole year, didn't I just come back from Yan'an," Commander Meng replied casually."
Then will you continue to return to the Jizhong Military Region?"
asked Li Guotao casually.Commander Meng shook his head and said, "I guess I can't go back, and the superior head has a new arrangement for me." ”"If you don't go back to Jizhong, then eighty percent will stay in Chahar, that is a good feeling, and we can fight side by side together in the future," Li Guotao said excitedly.Commander Meng smiled and patted Li Guotao's shoulder and said, "Yes, we can fight side by side together again in the future, ha" Li Guotao looked at Commander Meng and smiled a little weirdly, frowned and asked: "Then what kind of work did the superior assign you newly" Commander Meng smiled mysteriously and said: "Then what do you want me to do" Li Guotao frowned and thought for a while and said: "I estimate that with your qualifications, you should be able to enter the former enemy command and become a former enemy deputy commander or something" Commander Meng waved his hand and said: " I can't do that.I'm going to report tomorrow, but my new job has already been decided, and if there are no surprises, it probably won't change. ”"What kind of position?"
Li Guotao hurriedly asked.Commander Meng said helplessly: "I can't be the former deputy commander-in-chief of the enemy, but it should be more than enough to be a column political commissar or something." ”aa2705221: