The Anti-Japanese War Begins with the Northeast Army

Jiang Cheng nodded silently.

The three cities of Yanji, Tumen and Helong surrounding Hunchun almost all rely on agriculture as their pillar industry.

In this era when industrialization is still relatively poor, agricultural production is still labor-intensive...that is, it relies on a large number of people to support it.

There is no problem for the indigenous people of Yanji to cultivate their own land, but it would be difficult to allocate a large number of people to reclaim wasteland.

"Yucheng, do you have any ideas?"

Jiang Cheng turned his inquiring gaze towards this student from the Military Academy, "You have met a lot of Americans recently. Their large farm economies are developing well. Can they be introduced to cities like Yanji?"

Yang Yucheng propped up his gold-rimmed glasses and quickly shook his head silently: "Master Jiang, my third sister and her husband were the first to consider this matter."

"But after a period of terrain survey and field research, I found that it is quite difficult."

Looking back at Yan Ziwen's bitter smile, Jiang Cheng took out a cigarette from his inner pocket and started smoking: "Yucheng, you are really disrespectful to your third brother-in-law!"

"It's difficult enough, and there's a big gap, so why is it so big? Explain it in detail!"

Yang Yucheng's face flushed, and his bookish and weak demeanor came back. Yan Ziwen immediately said, "It's not hard to understand. The two members of the exploration team reported that our terrain is somewhat different from that of the United States."

"Except for Tumen, the terrain in Yanji and Long is not flat enough, so the mechanization commonly used in large-scale farm economy cannot be implemented..."

"Besides, we don't have that many tractors. Even if we had a lot of tractors, our farmers have never seen them, let alone used them."

The so-called right time, right place and right people, but now we have neither of them. It is indeed very difficult to develop a large-scale farm economy similar to that of the United States.

At this time, Yang Yucheng also spoke after careful consideration: "Master Jiang, the most suitable place for large-scale farm economy is Tumen. There is another place that is very suitable... Dunhua!"

"In addition to its abundant water resources, Dunhua is also located in a plain - the vast black soil is rich and fertile."

When Yang Hongyi heard this, he became anxious: He used to be the garrison commander of Dunhua and was very familiar with the place.

"Dunhua...I'm afraid it won't work?"

He turned to Jiang Cheng and said, "Yucheng is right. Dunhua has a flat terrain, abundant water resources, and fertile land—"

"But the biggest problem is that there are too many wastelands around Dunhua, which are water bubbles that cannot be reclaimed at all!"

The "water bubble" he mentioned is the common name for swamp.

As a border guard in Northeast China, Jiang Cheng understood that it took years of transformation for Northeast China to become the country's top grain-producing region.

Even when the People's Republic of China was first founded, the three northeastern provinces were still known as the "Great Northern Wilderness".

The Great Northern Wilderness, the Great Northern Wilderness, is full of rabbits and wolves, and only wild grass grows but no grain is produced - in addition to the wild mountains and ridges covered with wild grass, there are also large areas of "swamps" that are forbidden to living people.

When Yang Yucheng heard these words, which were almost like pouring cold water on him, he showed for the first time a determination and loyalty that was unworthy of a weak scholar: "Yes, that's what I said."

"But I led an exploration team to see it in person, and we also crawled through the swamps! The fertility of these lands is more fertile than the soil in any country or any region in the world!"

Yang Yucheng, who is usually gentle and polite, is extremely excited at this moment, no matter how he looks or speaks.

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but be stunned: I have known him for three years, but this is the first time I see him so emotional.

"Yucheng, you..." Before he could finish his words, Yang Yucheng stood up and said seriously, "Master Jiang, I majored in architecture, and I don't know anything about landform transformation, agriculture, and forestry."

"But within my team, there are exploration members... and scientific researchers who actually come from an agricultural background!"

"I firmly believe that as long as you give me the task and you are willing to fully support the scientific research team, I will be able to tame all the black soil around Dunhua into fertile fields!"

Seeing him like this, Jiang Cheng immediately stood up and held Yang Yucheng's hands with both hands: "Tell me! How do you want me to support you now? As long as you can tell me, I will definitely support you with all my strength."

Having said that, Yang Yucheng faced everyone's slightly questioning gazes and immediately straightened his back: "Master Jiang, I need soldiers!"

"I've thought of it, let's call it the Construction Corps."

Jiang Cheng was stunned.

Yan Ziwen and the others were extremely shocked and stood up one after another. Hai Rushong, who was always serious, couldn't help but repeat aloud: "Construction... Corps?"

Jiang Cheng looked back at the serious Yang Yucheng and suddenly burst into a happy smile.

In the Republic of China, no, even in every dynasty and generation in Chinese history, the army exists to maintain the operation of the state machine.

The army does have military settlements to replenish food and fodder for the permanent troops - but I have never heard of any army using them to carry out any construction.

Except for the team known as the "sons and daughters of the army".

Of course, when Yang Yucheng proposed this concept, one can imagine how great an impact it had on the ideas of those present!

"I know that Master Jiang will definitely be worried about this matter... But you said that our Ji Army comes from the people, and there is a close relationship between the army and the people."

Yang Yucheng took a deep breath and expressed such a radical opinion, which was very rare. "At a time when we are so short of manpower, I think the best way is to use the standing army to reclaim the wasteland."

"I am willing to issue a military order. Within three years, the team will lead the construction corps to transform all the wasteland and swamps around Dunhua into fertile rice fields!"

I never thought that my passion could be ignited by a spirited scholar.

Jiang Cheng and Yang Hongyi couldn't help but cheer at the same time as they felt waves of heat rushing to their heads.

"Master Jiang, now that you've said this, I can't sit still any longer!"

Yang Hongyi immediately volunteered, "Before you transferred me to Yanji, I was the garrison commander of Dunhua..."

"I'm very familiar with the terrain there! This 'Construction Corps' belongs to me and my brothers."

Jiang Cheng praised loudly, and immediately patted the two men on the shoulders, and decided that they would take the lead in the land reclamation of Dunhua.

However, there is still more than half a month before spring in Jilin, so they have enough time to prepare and raise funds.

Next, we will continue to discuss the follow-up issues regarding the arrival of the first batch of "immigrants".

As the garrison commander of Siping, Hai Rushong was undoubtedly an important figure in the industrial development of Jilin.

He alone might not be able to cope with it, so Jiang Cheng planned to urgently transfer Guo Xipeng's troops from Liaoyuan to work with Yang Hongyi in Zhengjiatun to support the population resettlement operation. (End of this chapter)