On the autumn night, the sky is high and the dew is thick, and a crescent moon hangs quietly in the southwest sky. The cold moonlight sprinkled on the earth, it was so gloomy, but the stars of the Milky Way became more and more bright. In the dense and boundless fields of sorghum, corn, and millet, the chirping of autumn insects is resounding one after another, and the grasshoppers occasionally add a few accompaniments, blowing like a cold eggplant intermittently. Willows hang silently on the roadside, shadows covering the winding path of weedy bushes.

"Leader, I cooked you a bowl of noodles, you can eat it while it's hot." Under the dim oil lamp in the regiment headquarters, Tang Zhidao sometimes wrote hard, and sometimes lowered his head to think about something, and the orderly Li Dazhu picked up the curtain and walked in with a bowl of steaming noodles.

"Dazhu, how many times have I told you, don't make me special alone." Tang Zhidao hurriedly protected the oil lamp with his hand, and the cold autumn wind that broke in just now almost blew out the oil lamp.

"Commander, you are the last to sleep at night and the first to get up in the morning." Li Dazhu smiled disapprethoughtly and said, "This kind of body can't bear it." ”

"No, I'm not at ease!" Tang Zhidao took the noodles and ate them in a big gulp, everything was just on the right track, there were too many things to worry about, and there were many things that needed to be corrected in the "Infantry Drill Code" alone.

"That can't be like this, the former regiment commander has never appeared in the regiment a few times at all." Li Dazhu said complainingly.

"You think it's better between me and the former head of the regiment?" Tang Zhidao suddenly asked such a clueless question.

"It depends on who is right, for the little soldiers who are in the gangsters' days and the commanders who deduct military salaries, it is naturally the original regiment commander; For ordinary soldiers, it is naturally good for the regiment commander, and the training is a little harder, but at least we can get full military salaries. Li Dazhu replied with a clear eye, where there is no absolute good and bad, the key is from what point of view.

"Dazhu, everything is packed up!" Tang Zhidao nodded with satisfaction and asked, Li Dazhu was just granted a one-month family leave yesterday.

"It's all right, I don't have anything, just a few torn clothes." Li Dazhu hurriedly said: "Tomorrow morning, the quartermaster is going to the capital to buy something, so I will follow them." ”

"Take this and make two new clothes for yourself and your family." As Tang Zhidao spoke, he took out a few pieces of ocean from the drawer under the table and handed them to Li Dazhu.

"Commander, how can I ask for your money, you are good enough for me!" Li Dazhu hurriedly shirked and said, since he became a service soldier of Tang Zhidao, his life is really one day and one place compared to before, not only in the eyes of outsiders, but the key is that the regiment commander is very good to the people around him, as long as he does not violate military discipline, he does not even have a bad face. In this era, many orderly soldiers are ostensibly five or six, but in fact, they are the commander's punching bag and even become the commander's plaything. (There are not a few good officers in Longyang)

"Take it! Originally, I was supposed to go with you to Ling Mei's wedding, but unfortunately I couldn't leave here. Tang Zhidao said without shirking: "When your kid marries a daughter-in-law, I will definitely handle it myself." ”

"Then I thanked the head of the regiment on behalf of my mother and my sister-in-law." Li Dazhu knelt down with a plop.

"Hurry up, I hate it when people kneel the most." Tang Zhidao hurriedly helped Li Dazhu up and said, "You go back to sleep early, you will leave before dawn tomorrow, otherwise you won't be able to catch the afternoon train." ”

"Hmm!" Li Dazhu stood up, cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks on the table, and said, "If I am not there, the head of the regiment, I must take care of myself." ”

"Get out! Lao Tzu is not a child. Tang Zhidao scolded with a smile, no matter what, Li Dazhu was really a little reluctant to go.

"This shooting performance is too bad!" After Li Dazhu left, Tang Zhidao picked up the results of the shooting training of the two companies whose training had progressed relatively quickly, shook his head and said to himself. In this era, the marksmanship of soldiers was generally poor, on the one hand, the training was insufficient, and the amount of training for one or two rounds a year was too small (this is still a regular army), on the other hand, they were fighting civil wars, and they were afraid that they would not be able to start in the face of their compatriots. Perhaps the most extreme were the major battles that took place around Chengdu, where tens of thousands of people were dispatched from both sides to fight fiercely for months, but the total casualties were only a few hundred, so that when the battle was fought later, hundreds or thousands of people hid on the periphery to watch. …,

"Dazhu, why haven't you slept yet?" Another gust of wind struck, and Tang Zhidao said without replying.

"Commander, the army needs to ask for a meeting outside." Li Dazhu whispered: "Do you want me to block him back?" ”

"Let him in!" Tang Zhidao waved his hand helplessly and said, it seems that the task has been completed again tonight.

"Commander, I didn't disturb your rest." Lu Enhe said apologetically: "Last month's financial account books have been sorted out, and I am here to show the head of the regiment." ”

"Do you see me like I'm sleeping?" Tang Zhidao said with a smile: "Dazhu, pour a glass of water for the army." ”

"The head of the regiment is polite, I'll go back." Lu Enhe hurriedly shirked the road, and the relationship with Tang Zhidao has always been not salty or light, anyway, the army needs to be honest and honest, and he is not afraid of what Commander Tang will do himself.

"Don't leave yet, I just have something to look for you." Tang Zhidao took the account book and quickly glanced at it, he was still relatively relieved about Lu Enhe's personal integrity, and the so-called checking of the account books was just a routine.

"Why are you losing so much?" Tang Zhidao frowned and asked when he saw the end, since he became the head of the regiment for two or three months, he has been losing money every month, and the number has gradually increased.

"How is it possible not to lose money?" Lu Enhe asked rhetorically: "The cost of food alone is more than double that of before. ”

"The cost of food is high, there is no way, so it will not make the soldiers train hungry." Tang Zhidao first defended this fee.

"There was also a guard platoon and two or three days of training in a row, and the ammunition used for a year's training was exhausted." Lu Enhe had a stomach full of grievances to say.

"Look at this level, it's not too much to play a few more bases." Tang Zhidao touched the report card on the table and said dissatisfiedly: "I will solve these problems, you can see if there are other places that can be saved, if this continues, my regiment will go bankrupt." ”

"Humph! Where else can you save? Lu Enhe said coldly, he also has a stomach for Tang Zhidao, and others don't know that he is a quartermaster. The young regiment leader in front of him looks very honest and honest, but in fact, there is definitely not a small amount of money that falls on his hands.

"Enhe, you have an opinion about me!" Tang Zhidao said with a smile: "You, the quartermaster, are the chief steward of the whole regiment, and you have to work hard for more than 1,000 people to eat, drink, and sleep." ”

"I think the head of the regiment will ask for another master!" Lu Enhe still said coldly: "Anyway, the head of the regiment knows better than anyone." ”

"Really?" Tang Zhidao's face became solemn, it seems that today without a little tongue, this Lu Enhe is about to pick a son.

"Isn't it? Before, the hundreds of empty salaries of the whole regiment were not eaten by you Tang Tuan Commander alone, and now you have the idea of where you want to fight! "Lu Enhe simply let it go, anyway, there is no place to stay here.

"Enhe, then I really have to settle this account today." Tang Zhidao didn't expect Lu Enhe to be so resentful.

"Sit down and see how you settle the bill!" Lu Enhe sat on a stool and stared at Tang Zhidao angrily.

"Enhe is also an old military quartermaster, and there should be more rules for receiving salaries than I know!" Tang Zhidao first said lightly: "We are a mixed group and a second-rate army, you should know how much you can receive every month!" ”

"What rules? It's an old rule to be paid as a soldier! Lu Enhe pretended to shout, in fact, he had never been directly communicating with the senior management of the War Department, and he had only heard the so-called inside story and did not take it seriously.

"What if people don't tell you about it?" Tang Zhidao shook his head and said: "Let me tell you the truth, according to the convention, second-line troops like us will receive a maximum of seventy percent of the salary, and it depends on the talent." "Some troops are not even paid 50 percent because they are not liked by those in power. (A certain bigwig in later generations described this situation in detail in his personal biography "My Struggle")...,

"What? Can only receive 70% of the salary? Lu Enhe's eyes widened and asked, "The account I got was paid in full!" ”

"Naturally, the book is full, and the excess is used as a rebate." Tang Zhidao pointed to the account book and said: "Don't check the heads of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Army, the Quartermaster Department, and the General Affairs Department, otherwise you won't want to take your salary next month." ”

"It's just your side of the story, and besides, why don't you report this situation to the ministry?" Although Lu Enhe's tone was still very hard, he had already believed a few points.

"Humph! Do I have to lie to you? Tang Zhidao said coldly: "The reaction of the ministry? Do you know who profited the most from this? It's none other than Deputy Director Fu who presides over the affairs of the War Department! ”

"How is this, this, how is this possible?" Lu Enhe was a little incoherent, it was true that Regiment Leader Tang didn't need to explain so much to him at all, and the advance and retreat of an adjutant like him was just a sentence from the chief officer.

"Do you know how many troops there were in the country at the beginning of the Republic of China, and how many are there now?" Tang Zhidao patiently explained: "In less than five years, the national army has more than doubled, but the central government's finances have deteriorated, and the army's arrears have almost become the norm. In the past, our regiment owed salaries for only three months, which was not too long, and many of them were owed for more than half a year, and they still owed them. ”

"So we can still pay or is it your credit, Commander?" Lu Enhe asked rhetorically: "I don't believe that if you come with another person, you won't be paid." ”

"I don't dare to say it's a credit, at least no one will do it better than me!" Tang Zhidao said confidently.

"You—dare you say that you've really never deducted military pay?" Lu Enhe was also a scoundrel for a while.

"Haha!" Tang Zhidao laughed and said, "Enhe, how can I say hello to you." ”

"Commander, what do you mean by that?" Lu Enhe's face was already much better, and he was a little inexplicable when he was laughed at by Tang Zhidao.

"In addition to normal miscellaneous expenses, you will take money from me every month!" Tang Zhidao asked as he returned to normalcy.

"Yes! You are the head of a regiment, and there are not enough items in the regiment, of course I want to ask you. Lu Enhe seemed to understand something.

"Is this money going to fall from the sky?" Tang Zhidao turned to the last page of the account book and said: "This month alone, 1,500 oceans will be pasted in, and if this continues, my family will be empty in two months at most." ”

"Aren't there still a few hundred vacancies?" Lu Enhe's brain was a little blinded, and he even forgot that the three-battalion system was revoked.

"Fortunately, I ate these empty salaries before, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to open the pot a long time ago!" Tang Zhidao said helplessly: "Now the establishment is compressed, but there is no shortage of people, as the training intensity is getting bigger and bigger, the expenses have increased more, and my monthly salary and office expenses can be pasted in." ”

"Commander, I—I'm wrong to blame you." Lu Enhe was completely convinced, and everything he said was impeccable.

"Enhe, I can understand your opinions, and I also appreciate your personality of daring to speak out." Tang Zhidao took out a key from the bottom drawer, stood up, turned around and walked into the room inside.

After half a ring, he walked out with an elegant wooden box, opened it in front of Lu Enhe and said, "All the belongings in our group are here, and I will hand them over to you in the future." ”

"Commander, that's what you do!" Lu Enhe said in surprise: "I still suspected you just now......"

"This is the ledger, you can put it away together!" Tang Zhidao said undoubtedly: "You can be a good home for me!" "The position of quartermaster is naturally only a confidant, but where does Regiment Commander Tang come from a confidant who understands finance, has good ethics? This Lu En and Wumen Wufaction may be a good choice.

"Don't worry, head of the regiment, I will definitely be a good house for you!" Lu Enhe saluted a military salute, and solemnly took over the wooden box and account book from Tang Zhidao's hands, and from this moment on, the regiment commander really regarded him as a confidant.

"Let's go!" Tang Zhidao waved his hand and said: "Don't save anything that should be purchased, I will find a way to deal with money!" ”

"Okay!" Lu Enhe replied and retreated.

"Damn, it looks like we're going to find a way to get rid of the old gun." Looking at the big good words in the account book, Tang Zhidao silently thought that he could almost buy a ten or eight yuan, and a better fast gun should be able to buy a little more expensive.