Chapter 7: 176 Followers

Young master, whatever you say, we will do. You can directly assign tasks. Anyone who doesn't have the guts can just jump into the river and feed the turtles.

Although we are powerless to change the situation on the other side of the river, we must also do what we can, which is to rescue the survivors and recover the bodies of the deceased

More than 7,000 lives!

The two major tragedies occurred one day apart and are referred to as the "Gengzi Russian Incident," resulting in the loss of more than 7,000 lives of our compatriots from China

The voice answered loudly and in an orderly manner. The young master of the Yue family, in order to save others, even entrusted his own family's funeral arrangements to others, and still came to the rescue. What reason do I have to be afraid?

Everyone, please be quiet. In these chaotic times, it is not easy to make a living. Now, I am asking everyone to accompany my father-in-law, Wei Hua Yue, to work at the risk of our lives. This certainly cannot be done for free. How about this: let's not mention the issue of wages for now, and we can have Uncle Xiang discuss it with you later, alright?

Moreover, yesterday these men personally participated in the recovery of the victims' bodies, and now they have witnessed the bloody and brutal scenes with their own eyes. As men of courage, how could they possibly be afraid

These men are not ordinary individuals; they are all bodyguards and apprentices from the Yue Family Escort Agency. To put it bluntly, they earn their living by risking their lives. They often engage in violent confrontations with bandits, and injuries and bloodshed are commonplace. Even deaths are not a rare occurrence.

... ...

Is this not precisely the scene that I am witnessing at this very moment

Yue Weihua was crying out in his heart; although he was angry, he felt helpless. Perhaps the only thing he could do was to do his utmost to rescue the survivors, striving to save more lives. Additionally, he aimed to recover the bodies of the deceased, allowing the victims to find peace as soon as possible

On July 17, a total of fifty-five individuals participated in the rescue, all of whom were from the escort agency. There were only sixteen fishing boats in total, and the number of survivors rescued was forty-six, while over three hundred bodies of the deceased were recovered.

Yue Weihua's greatest achievement is the unwavering loyalty of 176 young and strong individuals who are willing to follow him to the death. In fact, this was something Yue Weihua did not anticipate at the beginning.

Having made an effort to quell the anger within himself and temporarily set aside his disdain for his own incompetence, Yue Weihua gathered all the personnel, first soothing everyone's emotions before beginning to assign tasks. He said: "Everyone should know that my Yue family, consisting of over 300 members, was killed by the old Russians yesterday, and their bodies are still unburied. However, right now, just across the river, right under our very noses, there are even more compatriots from Huaxia following in the footsteps of my Yue family."

On July 19, more than 200 people participated in the rescue efforts, including members of the escort agency, survivors rescued in the previous two days, and fishermen who came spontaneously, each group accounting for one-third. The number of boats also increased to over 40. On this day, 79 survivors were rescued, and more than 1,000 bodies of the deceased were recovered

Rescuing survivors and recovering the bodies of the deceased, Yue Weihua stands to gain significant benefits. Naturally, he cannot neglect these men. Moreover, to be honest, Yue Weihua has already made plans to form a team, and these men before him are likely to be the first batch of soldiers under his command, as well as the most promising ones. Therefore, it is essential to establish good relations with them. Furthermore, Yue Weihua is not the kind of person who would mistreat his subordinates.

That is correct

However, there are constantly Russian warships patrolling the river, and if one is not careful, it is possible to encounter gunfire and shelling from the Russians. Tell me, are you afraid

In the next three to four days, Yue Weihua personally led the team, navigating small fishing boats across the river, constantly scanning the surging waters with binoculars. Upon discovering any survivors, he would promptly take action to provide assistance

Well, there will definitely be enough wine for everyone

After all, from the very beginning, Yue Weihua was merely thinking of doing his utmost to save more of his compatriots while also earning some merit points in the process

Meanwhile, although one cannot see it, the Jiangdong Sixty-Four Tuns massacre is occurring at this very moment.

Although the memories of yesterday are still fresh in my mind, witnessing it with my own eyes brings about a completely different sensation. The oppressive atmosphere, the brutal scenes, the inhumane and appalling actions evoke feelings of anger and madness, and of course, a profound sense of powerlessness.

When Yue Weihua mentioned the double pay, he was immediately met with the condemnation of most of the men present. Of course, there were a few who showed signs of joy upon hearing it, as it is not easy to support a family in these times. With no money to be earned and the risk of life involved in the work, it is unrealistic to expect everyone to have such a high level of awareness.

In fact, there is no need for Yue Weihua to say any stirring words; a simple statement such as: "I want to form a team specifically to kill the old Russians" is sufficient

Additionally, before departure, I would like to remind everyone of a few points. First, when conducting search and rescue operations on the river, it is essential to always pay attention to the movements of the Russian warships, maintaining a distance of at least 2 miles from them. If they show any tendency to approach, we should immediately head to the shore. Second, everyone should try to conduct search and rescue efforts downstream. Third, ... ...

The fourth point, the reputation of the Yue family, the support of Yue Xiang and the Yue Family Escort Agency

Certainly, these do not constitute the greatest gains of Yue Weihua

Do not be afraid

Yes

The people of Huaxia, it should be said, have a fundamentally kind nature for the majority. Many times, in many situations, the reason why no one takes action is actually due to the lack of a leading figure.

Although Tian Dashan's words were rough, they effectively alleviated the atmosphere. Yue Weihua paused for a moment before continuing: "We are all members of the Yue family escort agency, and from now on, we are one family. However, I, Yue Weihua, will not let everyone work for nothing; this time, the wages will be settled at double the rate."

Moreover, they have essentially lost their entire families and have very few relatives left, while harboring a deep-seated hatred towards the old Russians. Aren't they the best warriors to fight against the old Russians?

Since it is impossible to change the overall situation, let us strive to change the details instead

As the first group of fortunate individuals, after regaining some strength, actively participated in the rescue efforts, Yue Weihua then thought of this group of survivors, who, in every aspect, were his best comrades, his best soldiers, and his best team.

Firstly, Yue Weihua is their savior, and there is no need to worry about their loyalty issues

On the morning of July 20, after the entire Yue family was buried, Yue Weihua led his 176 followers, along with Yue Hai, Yue Hu, Yue Weiyun, Yue Qingjie, Yue Qingren, and Yue Xiaodong, totaling 183 people, and hurriedly made their way to a mountain settlement at the northern foot of Mount Blen. Observing the weary faces behind him, yet seeing the unusually resolute gazes of the young and strong, Yue Weihua felt a deep sense of satisfaction within.

On July 18, more than eighty people participated in the rescue efforts. In addition to the personnel from the escort agency, there were also survivors rescued on the 17th, as well as a small number of fishermen who came spontaneously. The number of boats increased to over twenty. On this day, the number of survivors rescued reached sixty-seven, and more than seven hundred bodies of the deceased were recovered.

A rough and resonant voice emerged from behind the crowd. Yue Weihua glanced over and thought to himself, what a sight to behold; standing out like a crane among chickens, the man was at least over 2 meters tall and as strong as an ox. This was the tall figure that Nie Youcai had just mentioned, named Tian Dashan, who stood there resembling a small mountain.

Damn, am I not a time traveler? Why is it that I can't do anything or change anything?

Yue Weihua is now such a leader. Under the leadership of Yue Weihua, with the support of the Yue family escort agency, and with the participation of numerous fishermen and common people, more than two hundred compatriots survived this Gengzi Russian disaster. In history, only a few dozen people ultimately crossed the Heishui River and survived.

It is remembered that during a visit to the new city of Aihun, there was a passage observed: On July 17, 1900, at 11 a.m., gazing across the river, countless Russian soldiers drove numerous Chinese expatriates into a circle by the riverbank, their clamorous voices shaking the wilderness. A close glance revealed the Russian soldiers wielding knives and axes, hacking and chopping, dismembering bodies and grinding bones, the sounds piercing the nose with a sourness. Those severely injured perished on the shore, the lightly wounded died in the river, and those uninjured all drowned in the water, their bones floating and filling the river.

Secondly, Yue Weihua shares the same experiences with them; they are all individuals who have lost their families and homes, and they have much in common to discuss

Thirdly, there is a deep-seated hatred towards the old Russians, which serves as a powerful motivation for future battles

Haha

However, this rescue and recovery mission may last for several days. Everyone, please bear with it for a while. After these few days, I, Yue Weihua, will treat everyone to drinks

Apart from Yue Xiaodong and Yue Weihua themselves, everyone else is capable of swimming across the Heishui River. This not only requires familiarity with water conditions but also demands a considerable level of physical fitness, immense willpower, and perseverance. Additionally, one must possess a significant amount of luck; otherwise, survival is impossible. It is important to note that out of more than 7,000 people, only over 200 survived. While it cannot be said that they are the best of the best, they are certainly not far from it.

Yue Weihua was powerless to change the occurrence of the Hailan Pao massacre and the Jiangdong Sixty-Four Tuns massacre, nor could he alter the fate of the majority of his compatriots. Therefore, he could only strive to save some survivors. Although the sense of helplessness remained, he could at least ease his conscience a little.

July 20

However, after July 20, Yue Weihua had no intention of personally participating in the rescue and recovery efforts, because by that date, the areas of Hailanpao and Jiangdong Liushisitun on the opposite shore had basically been cleared by the Russian forces. In other words, the Boxer Rebellion had essentially come to an end. Of course, the subsequent work of recovering bodies would certainly continue for some time, and these tasks were cleverly arranged by Yue Weihua to be handled by the local fishermen

Alright, we have definitely decided to drink this wine

... ...

Indeed, if you are able to extend a helping hand to our suffering compatriots, then why can't we, the rough and unrefined among us? We do not seek any wages for this.

Young Master Yue, you are being rather disdainful towards others

The recent rescue and salvage operation was entirely planned and led by Yue Weihua, who also personally participated in the entire process. Yue Weihua has gathered a significant amount of merit and fortune for the Merit Pagoda, and he has received a reward of 671 merit points. Coupled with the previous 102 points, Yue Weihua's total merit points have now reached 773, which will come in handy.