Yang Zirong

In early winter of 1947, a man who had returned to his hometown of Muping Yuxia River Village in Shandong from Northeast China told the villagers that Song Xuezhi's son, Yang Zonggui, had become a bandit in the Northeast. Upon hearing this news, Song Xuezhi's family could hardly believe it, as Yang Zonggui had joined the Eighth Route Army years ago, and there had been no news of him since the army was sent to the Northeast. At the same time that the news of Yang Zonggui becoming a bandit spread across Shandong in a place called Muping Yuxia River Village, a soldier named Yang Zirong from Shandong was engaged in intense battles with local bandits alongside his unit. During an assault on the apricot tree post, Yang Zirong was promoted to battalion reconnaissance squad leader for successfully persuading a bandit to surrender. One day, Yang Zirong's unit received a letter from Zuoshan Diao, a notorious bandit leader in the area, demanding that they send clothes and food to Hujiabo within three days. Zuoshan Diao had established a stronghold in the deep mountains for over a decade. In order to eliminate this bandit, Yang Zirong voluntarily requested permission from the battalion commander to infiltrate Zuoshan Diao's camp and capture him personally. After careful consideration, the battalion headquarters agreed to Yang Zirong's request. He set out with six comrades deep into the vast snowy plains.