Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 47 Opening up wasteland

After listening to Zhang Xu's explanation of the chemical plant's difficulties, Chen Chengxing immediately said that he had a way to solve the nitroglycerin problem.

Chen Chengxing had no good solution for the shortage of raw materials and could only find a way to send people to Xi'an to purchase them.

However, Chen Chengxing has a ready-made solution to the sensitive issue of nitroglycerin.

"When the Red Army was on the Long March, I had a conversation with a Swedish missionary. He told me that in addition to diatomaceous earth, nitroglycerin can also be made into safe explosives using 3.5% nitroglycerin, 64% potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate, 16% sulfur powder, 15% rice bran powder, and 1.5% dinitronaphthalene. Of course, if dinitronaphthalene is not available, it can be omitted."

"The missionary said that this safe explosive is almost as powerful as ammonium nitrate."

Although ammonium nitrate is weaker than TNT, it was still the main explosive used by various countries during World War II due to cost reasons.

"What kind of formula is this? Is it so powerful?" Zhang Xu said that he had never heard of such a formula before, and it was not advanced at all.

There is only 3.5% nitroglycerin in it, and the rest of the potassium nitrate and sulfur are used in black powder, not to mention the bran powder, which is simply made from the outer husk of millet.

"I don't know either, but why not just try it?" said Chen Chengxing.

Although Chen Chengxing said so, he was very sure about this formula. This was the formula actually used by the Eighth Route Army, the famous "Zhou's Explosives".

As for why Chen Chengxing was so sure, it must be because of some unspeakable reasons.

I have to say, the old books really taught something!
Chen Chengxing did not follow Zhang Xu who left in a hurry. The recipe had been given to him and it was just a matter of weighing it.

"Zeng Cheng, after the engineering company helps the factory relocate, you will assist the independent guard company in building semi-permanent fortifications on Erlang Mountain, especially the east-west mountain roads. Repair them in any suitable place," Chen Chengxing instructed.

Chen Chengxing didn't have concrete, so he couldn't build permanent fortifications, but he could still build semi-permanent fortifications using wood and soil.

"Yes!"

After returning to the regiment headquarters, Chen Chengxing asked Wei Dayong to find Luo Yongan.

"Captain, you called me?"

"Lao Luo, the factories will be relocated soon. Once we enter the mountains, their supply problem will be the top priority. Logistics must be done well. We must first ensure their supply. The whole regiment, including me, can eat coarse food, but the food of the arsenal, especially the technicians, must be guaranteed."

Whether the new Second Regiment can achieve firepower freedom in the future depends entirely on them. Now the arsenal is still a fledgling, and they must ensure its smooth growth.

"Yes! I guarantee to complete the task!" Luo Yongan stood at attention.

With the completion of the relocation, the explosives factory, machinery factory and repair shop have finally become truly stable.

While completing the assigned tasks, the workers began to manufacture small lathes, planers, milling machines and other manual equipment, and the output of Erlangdong increased day by day.

The soldiers of the New Second Regiment used the mines and grenades produced in Erlang Cave and achieved considerable results.

Moreover, everyone who has used the new grenade has expressed their approval.

Although it is less powerful than the Japanese melon grenade, it is much stronger than black powder. At least it can kill people instead of blackening them.

In the blink of an eye, the new Second Regiment welcomed its first Spring Festival after its establishment.

On New Year's Eve, Luo Ping came to see Chen Chengxing early in the morning.

"Captain, today is New Year's Eve, and tomorrow is the Chinese New Year. Should we have some fun?"

Chen Chengxing thought about it and felt that it was good to have some fun. After the new year, the expanded strength of the Eighth Route Army would definitely attract the attention of the Japanese. It was not certain that there would be such an opportunity next year.

"Logistics still has canned beef and dried horse meat seized from Yanmen Pass. We can also allocate some money from the supplies and ask the kitchen team to find a way to prepare a few more dishes so that each class can prepare a small banquet."

Although the New Second Regiment had its base and Liang Shang's land was divided up, it was still not time to harvest the land, so the New Second Regiment still had very little money in its pockets. The only money they had was earned by searching corpses.

When Luo Ping heard that money was going to be allocated, he felt a little distressed because the New Second Regiment was really too poor.

"Let's spend less money, buy some fat meat to make oil, and then use the oil to cook dishes, and the oil residue can also be used to make dumplings." Luo Ping thought for a while and said, "Let the logistics department take care of it, don't be stingy with the money, if you spend it all, you can ask the Japanese for it. We are guarding the Japanese's transportation line, so why worry about not making money?" Chen Chengxing said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll go talk to Luo Yongan." Luo Ping nodded.

However, he still decided to go to Luo Yongan in person and ask Luo Yongan to be more frugal and bargain more when leading the team to purchase.

By the afternoon, Hongni Bay, Erlang Mountain and the bases of various battalions and companies were all filled with fragrance.

"My goodness, old squad leader, where did this come from? And dumplings?!"

"Hey, the regiment commander spent a lot of money today. He not only bought canned food and horse meat, but also pork." The squad leader of the kitchen squad laughed.

"That's great. Our New Second Regiment hasn't had any meat in a while."

"Then eat your fill and have a good meal. It's enough for today!"

Because of the New Second Regiment, all the shackles on the villages in Dayun Mountain were broken.

Even though other landlords did not commit suicide like Liang Shang and were directly eliminated, Chen Chengxing also cooperated with local comrades to implement the policy of reducing rent and profits.

All high-interest loans borrowed by ordinary people must be reduced to 2%. Even if it is a previous loan, the part above 2% must be returned.

During this year's Spring Festival, the entire Dayun Mountain was filled with laughter and joy. The common people, seeing the return money, were willing to buy some cloth to make clothes for their wives and children, and there was also some meat on the dinner table on New Year's Eve.

This hasn't happened in many years.

After the Chinese New Year, people's enthusiasm for joining the army remains unabated.

Before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the system reminder sounded.

[Main mission: Recruiting soldiers and buying horses. Completed! ]

[Rewards are being distributed]

[Gained features: Training expert. ]

[Training Expert: Training Speed +10%]

[Main quest released: Before the troops move, food and fodder must go first! ]

[Task requirements: Complete the reclamation of 1 acres of wasteland and the planting of grain.]

[Task reward: 100 kg of high-yield potatoes.]

"High-yield potatoes?" Chen Chengxing sat up straight.

According to Chen Chengxing's understanding, if high-yield potatoes are properly cared for, the yield can reach 7 kilograms or even tens of thousands of kilograms per mu. Even if they are planted in large quantities and fertilizers are insufficient, the yield per mu can still reach 3 to 5 kilograms.

This is a huge difference from the current staple food output of one or two hundred kilograms. If high-yield potatoes can be grown well, the output of these ten thousand acres of land will be enough to expand the army of tens of thousands of people.

If high-yield potatoes could be expanded to the entire Eighth Route Army base, especially the Taihang Mountains, not to mention how many troops it could feed, by 42 at least hundreds of thousands of people could have been saved.

For Chen Chengxing, this journey through time was worth it.

Moreover, high-yield potatoes are useless to the Japanese. What do they eat now? Rice and beef!
When the Japanese were short of food in the later period, their strength was not enough to support them to go to the countryside to rob food.

This resulted in the Japanese not wanting to steal potatoes when they were strong, but when they wanted to steal potatoes, they found that they could not defeat the Eighth Route Army.

You can't send a large army into the mountains just for a few potatoes, right? Then do you still want the county town?

(End of this chapter)