As a respected guerrilla commander, Pang Min's heart felt hot when he found out that Mak Qori (read: Madam Qori) fed enemy soldiers three times a day, 21 times a week, or 90 times a month. The forbidden act had been going on for two months and was only discovered in the first week of the third month. Pang Min was furious with Mak Qori and her men who did not report the incident at the first opportunity.
"Just imagine, how many plates of rice and side dishes have been donated to the enemy. From the food they eat, they get energy, their brains can think to torture us. How many of your brothers were killed with the energy they got from the food cooked by Mak Qori. And you just let it happen! For months!"
Pang Min had ten guerrilla squads. The strength of each squad was different, as was their weaponry. One squad sometimes consisted of 10 people, sometimes only five, depending on the needs, situation, and season.
During the rice planting season, the number of members decreases because they have to go down to the rice fields and become ordinary civilians. When there is a large-scale operation, everyone becomes civilians. During the day they become civilians, at night they become military. The group has seven AK-47 long-barreled firearms, but they often change hands to each member to give the impression that all guerrillas carry AK-47s so that their group is more respected.
Since joining the struggle line three years ago, Pang Min has been involved in a number of attacks on army convoys. Several soldiers were killed, but his men spread the news that dozens of soldiers had breathed their last at Pang Min's hands. Added to this is the story that was deliberately conveyed to the public with little doubt about the myth of Pang Min being invulnerable. This supernatural power is proven by the many scars on his body. Even bullet projectiles only injure the surface of his skin, unable to penetrate his flesh which is as hard as steel.
With such a flashy authority and the myths surrounding him, Pang Min felt that the harshest punishment should be given to Mak Qori. “Just shoot him if he delivers another food container to the enemy!”
“Shouldn’t we just remind him, Pang?” said one of Pang Min’s young men.
“No more warnings. And no more questions. Don’t let me intervene myself.”
In fact, some of Pang Min’s men had long known about the food containers that came in and out freely to the officers at the army command post. Some had even reminded Mak Qori to stop feeding the enemy. But Mak Qori gave an answer that left them with no reason to argue. “Okay, starting tomorrow I’ll stop selling rice to them. In return, you pay me a lower price than the soldiers.”
To other people, Pang Min’s men could have issued a magic sentence: “Obey our orders or bear the risk yourself.” But to Mak Qori, they were still reluctant. Mak Qori had three daughters, and all three were beautiful. Pang Min’s men had already targeted all three of them as prospective wives. Not only single people, but also married people were eyeing Mak Qori’s daughters to be their second, third, or fourth wives.
The problem is, Mak Qori's three children are still young, the oldest is still in the third year of high school, the second is still in the first year of high school and the youngest is still in junior high school. There was once someone who dared to propose to the eldest, but Mak Qori politely refused.
"Wait for him to graduate first."
To be continued....