The Xiyang County National Salvation Army Corps headquarters, from the beginning of knowing that the Japanese operation team had entered the National Salvation Army Defense Zone, Zhou Chengru has been guarding the war room and waiting for news.

At 11:00 the next morning, the sound of horse hooves finally sounded at the command department, and the sound became louder and louder.

In less than half a minute, the first battalion commander ran in panting: "Report to the regiment commander, our battalion commander asked me to report... With the cooperation of the reconnaissance company, we have eliminated four Japanese and puppet army operation teams, seized two mortars, two heavy machine guns, three light machine guns, three grenade launchers, forty rifles, nearly 10,000 bullets, and one hundred mortar shells!"

"Are any crops burned?" This is the question Zhou Cheng was most concerned about. As soon as the messenger finished speaking, he asked anxiously.

"Yes!" The messenger's face collapsed at that time, and his tone was heavy.

"We wiped out the two Japanese operations teams as soon as they contacted them. The other two operations teams were a little harder to fight. After being attacked, they rushed to the crop fields and fought hard with us, burning crops while fighting the trapped beasts."

"Although we wiped them out as quickly as possible and then organized the people to put out the fire. The crops in the fields were almost ripe, and the poles and leaves were all yellow. At one point, more than 300 acres of land were burned, and about 70,000 kilograms of millet were lost!"

"A bunch of beasts..."

Zhou Cheng became angry as soon as he heard this and cursed loudly: "I want to take revenge on our national rescue army and send troops to kill them, burning the crops of ordinary people and making them hungry. He said that he was a warrior every day, but he did everything he did worse than beasts!"

"Old Tang, we can't control the Japanese who want to be beasts, but we can't be the ones, we can't let the people be implicated by us and lose all their lives, and we will go hungry next year."

"The common people who have been burned with crops must be worried about the family's livelihood next year. We cannot ignore it. I suggest that the national rescue army send food to compensate these people."

Tang Yufeng was still worried after listening to the messenger report, but he felt relieved after hearing the regiment commander's handling.

He was most worried that the people would lose income after the crops were burned, which would cause distraction from the people in the defense area and even turmoil.

Although the regiment commander's handling method consumes a lot of food, it can stabilize the hearts of the people and further gain the support of the people.

Immediately support: "This year's year is pretty good. If you have good land, the average yield per mu is 180 to 200 kilograms of millet. Since we need to compensate, we will not let the villagers suffer losses. We will directly compensate everyone according to the standard of 190 kilograms of millet."

"Reduce the grain tax that should be paid? Each acre of high-quality fertile land is compensated for 150 kilograms of millet? Other lands are also compensated for everyone in this proportion, and can be converted into millet and coarse grains according to everyone's needs."

Chief of Staff Chen Zhengyu was very reluctant: "Deputy Commander Tang? Will this compensation standard be too high?"

"We lost more than 300 acres of fertile land just after we killed four action teams? The remaining action teams will definitely become more and more difficult to fight. There will definitely be more and more fertile land destroyed in the battle? We only have 3 million kilograms of grain in our hands, and less than one million kilograms of millet? If 10,000 acres of crops are burned, most of our food will be used up. If there is another famine in Xiyang, we will have no food to provide disaster relief!"

"That can't let the people suffer a loss?" Tang Yufeng knew that Chen Zhengyu's words made sense, but he was dedicated to the people and wanted to stick to his opinions.

The two people who were arguing about looked at Zhou Cheng at the same time? Wait for him to make a decision.

"Each mu of high-quality fertile land is compensated for 100 kilograms of millet? All other lands are compensated at two-thirds of the total harvest after reducing the grain tax, and there can be no more!"

Zhou Cheng didn't speak, but he was shocked by the two of them.

Tang Yufeng's first reaction was to object, thinking that the compensation for 100 kilograms of millet was too little.

Although Chen Zhengyu opposed the compensation of 150 kilograms of grain per mu of land, he also felt that compensation of 100 kilograms of millet per mu of land was a little small.

Zhou Cheng immediately explained: "Old Tang? Chief of Staff, I have two reasons for making this decision."

"The first reason was said by the Chief of Staff just now? The grain we reserved cannot withstand such a high compensation standard. How big a pot can we put in as much rice, we should calm down? Don't be impulsive, don't compensate for the money at that time."

Seeing that the regiment commander also agreed with the Chief of Staff’s proposal? Tang Yufeng decided to compromise: "Since you all think we should do our best? Then let's make less compensation..."

"But leader, you can directly reduce the millet to 100 kilograms? It's a bit too little."

"Although Pingding is a grain-producing area with a lot of land, it is good if ordinary people can get three acres of land per capita. One acre of land can compensate 100 kilograms of grain, and one person can get 300 kilograms of millet. It just so happens that everyone will not be hungry next year. The people whose crops are burned will definitely have opinions!"

Zhou Cheng shook his head: "This is the second reason I will talk about next."

"If we compensate the people with one acre of land for 150 kilograms of grain, in addition to the gap in the reserves of the troops, it will also cause a huge disadvantage in the defense zone?"

After Zhou Cheng finished speaking, both Tang Yufeng and Chen Zhengyu showed a confused expression, and then he didn't believe it.

Compensating food to the people will also bring harm. How is this possible?

Zhou Cheng hesitated and explained: "One acre of land compensates for 150 kilograms of grain. The people whose crops were burned must be very happy, because they were blessed in disguise. Not only did they lose any losses, they also did not have to spend any effort to harvest in autumn, but the people whose crops were not burned were unhappy."

"They will have to carry out autumn harvest for more than half a month after their hair is long, and they will harvest and thresh... After a busy meal, they will reduce their grain taxes, and the grain they have fallen into their hands may not have 150 kilograms of millet."

"If I were those ordinary people, I would definitely burn the crops in the field with a torch."

"At that time, even the autumn harvest will be saved. No matter how the crops are planted, one acre of land can get 150 kilograms of grain. Why not do it?"

"Once there are villagers in the defense zone with this idea, and when they encounter Japanese people burning crops, they will not do their best to protect their crops. Anyway, after the crops are burned, they will still have millet to eat, and they can save a lot of effort without the need for autumn harvest."

Tang Yufeng and Chen Zhengyu were sweating profusely when they heard this.

If the people who were burned out of crops were really compensated for the standard of 150 kilograms of grain per acre, the situation that the leader of the group was worried about would definitely happen.

People are all greedy and their own profits are not damaged, the more effort they save, the better they will be.

At that time, not only will we not do our best to protect our crops, but we may also hope that the Japanese will come and burn their crops.

If this is true, the people will be satisfied and will not suffer any losses. The National Salvation Army will not be able to fill the gap even if it takes out all its military rations.

Seeing that both of them showed thoughtful expressions, Zhou Cheng continued to explain.

"The reason why the compensation standard is set to be 100 kilograms is Lao Tang, you have explained it just now."

"Put down three acres of land per capita for ordinary people in the country, and compensate 100 kilograms of millet per acre, which is exactly the same as 300 kilograms of millet per capita, ensuring that everyone will not be hungry in the next year."

"Compared with not being hungry, ordinary people will definitely want to earn 50 kilograms of millet per acre of land, so that the villagers will do their best to protect their crops."

"If any crops are burned, everyone will try their best to put out the fire, and how much can they be rescued."

"Only in this way, the food lost in the defense zone will be minimized."

"As for whether the people whose crops are burned will become dissatisfied with us because of this, I think you are all too worried."

"If the other troops stationed in the war zone were to pacify, not our national rescue army, what do you think those troops would deal with this matter!"

Chen Zhengyu has the most say in this question. Without thinking about it, he blurted out: "Pretended that he didn't know, even if the people came to him, they wouldn't care?"

"The crops were burned by the Japanese and had nothing to do with them. No one would care about these thankless things. In the end, 80% of the crops were burned and who was unlucky!"

Zhou Cheng nodded in agreement and continued to ask: "What do you think the people whose crops are burned think about this now?"

As soon as Zhou Cheng's question came out, the eyes of Tang Yufeng and Chen Zhengyu lit up.

This has not happened to the National Salvation Army after occupying and pacifying Ding and Xiyang. Under normal circumstances, the people would definitely think that the National Salvation Army is like other troops in the war zone. No matter who has the crops in their homes are burned, who is in trouble and hides at home for their livelihood next year.

At this time, the National Salvation Army proposed to use military rations to compensate them. Even if one acre of land only compensates them for fifty kilograms of grain, these ordinary people would be grateful to the National Salvation Army, not to mention that the National Salvation Army compensates them for one hundred kilograms of grain at one time, which would definitely be happier.

Tang Yufeng was the first to react: "Captain, my idea is wrong. I only think about seeking benefits for the people whose crops were burned, and ignoring the interests of most people in the defense zone."

"I agree to compensate the common people with 100 kilograms of millet for each acre of fertile land, and all other lands will be converted according to this standard, just to ensure that the villagers are not hungry. They must not give them too much, so that everyone will have greedy thoughts."

Chen Zhengyu nodded, "I agree too!"

Zhou Cheng no longer hesitated, and his face slowly returned to seriousness: "Then this matter is settled."

"Old Tang, please contact the two deputy county magistrates immediately and ask them to issue a notice in the name of the county government: The National Salvation Army is willing to take out a portion of the military ration to compensate the people whose crops have been burned, and stabilize the defense zone to gain the morale of the army and the people."

"Give another order to the second battalion, one battalion, one company, one battalion, the spy company, and the cavalry company."

"The Japanese and puppet army operation team is very determined to burn our crops. They ask them to strengthen their search and find that the enemy will directly annihilate them, and do not give them the chance to burn crops!"

"The county government will also issue a notice, and a large number of Japanese and puppet troops in the military uniforms of the National Rescue Army were mixed in the defense zone, and asked each village to form a joint defense team to patrol the ground regardless of day or night. After discovering strangers, they reported to the nearby garrison as soon as possible."

"If any crops are ignited by the Japanese, organize the people to put out the fire immediately and do their best to reduce the losses."

Nanpo Village, Xiyang County, is a small mountain village with a population of no more than 50 people. Because it is very close to the blockade line, the Japanese entered a campaign team in Xiyang to directly regard this place as a temporary site.

They did not take any action last night. Nanpo Village was too poor, with only more than 100 acres of slopes in the entire village, which was not worth the action team to take action.

If the rash action arouses suspicion from the National Salvation Army and exposes itself, it will be a big loss.

The captain of the action team decided to rest for a few hours here and continue to go deep into Xiyang twenty kilometers as the National Salvation Army during the day.

There is a big village there, with seven or eight hundred acres of fertile land alone and more than two thousand acres of mountain land.

If the crops in these lands can be burned, even if the action team is exposed, it will not be a loss.
Chapter completed!