1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 38 The Law Also Holds Responsibility for the Masses
While the young men were cleaning up the excrement in the living area, Peng Gang didn't just sit there and wait.

He fetched a pen and ink, and obtained more than a dozen wooden boards from carpenter Qin. He then wrote slogans about public health and disease prevention on the boards.

"A clean environment ensures good health."

"Everyone is responsible for keeping the coal yard clean."

"Eliminate rats to protect food."

"The coal yard is not a latrine; please use the toilet after you have finished."

"Drink boiled water, eat cooked food, prevent disease and maintain good health."

Wash your hands frequently before meals and after using the toilet; do not put poison or filth in your mouth.

After writing the slogan, there were still two wooden planks left. Peng Gang glanced at the outhouse, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote the word "toilet" on the remaining two planks.

Encouraging good hygiene habits is not superfluous. Developing good hygiene habits now will greatly reduce non-combat casualties and improve combat effectiveness when leading these young men on long marches and camps in the future.

During this period, not to mention the Qing army, even European armies, which prided themselves on civilization, had very backward hygiene practices, and the number of deaths from diseases far exceeded the number of casualties on the battlefield.

During the Crimean War that followed, the total number of British deaths in Crimea was approximately 21,000, of which 5,500 died from diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever, rather than from combat. More than 10,000 French soldiers also died from cholera.

As for the Russian army's "gray livestock," they were even more significant, with 50,000 to 60,000 Russian soldiers confirmed to have died from cholera, accounting for about 10% to 15% of their total deaths (approximately 450,000).

After writing the slogan, I put down my pen.

Peng Gang then took out nails and a hammer, and had Peng Yi and Peng Min carry the wooden boards with the ink still wet behind them, nailing the boards with slogans written on them to conspicuous places.

After finishing all this, less than half an hour had passed, and there was still plenty of time left. Peng Gang then tested Peng Yi and Peng Min on the Arabic numerals and multiplication tables that he had taught them a few days earlier.

"What is 69?"

Fifty-four!

"What about eight or nine?"

"Seventy-two!"

"What about '96'?"

"Five times five is fifteen or fourteen?"

Peng Yi and Peng Min have a certain level of education and can do simple addition and subtraction, so they can learn math relatively easily.

They handled Peng Gang's test with ease, but their only shortcoming was that they were still unfamiliar with the multiplication tables and could not apply them flexibly.

"You haven't mastered it yet. You need to practice more often, understand?" Peng Gang instructed his younger siblings.

"Understood." Peng Yi and Peng Min nodded in unison.

“Once you’ve mastered the multiplication tables, I’ll teach you division.” As he spoke, Peng Gang glanced at the sundial.

Only an hour and a half had passed since the young men were asked to clean up the excrement and filth in the living area, not even a full hour had passed.

Seeing that the young men had almost finished their work and a few had begun to rest, Peng Gang took out a gong from his bedroom and started to strike it.

Dang~
Dang~
Dang~
The resounding sound of the gong instantly echoed throughout the entire mountain area.

The young men, in twos and threes, slowly followed the sound and walked toward Peng Gang.

At first, the young men instinctively gathered around Peng Gang.

When they saw that Peng Gang, with a stern face, ignored them and continued to strike the gong, they quickly realized what was going on.

"Get the hell into line!"

"If you're not lined up properly when the gong sounds ten times, you'll get a bamboo stick!"

"How many times has it been?"

"Who has the mind to count how many times they've been counted!"

"That's the seventh gong! Hurry!" The ten gong sounds ended.

Peng Gang handed the gong and mallet to Peng Yi, staring at the two groups of young men who were in disarray and had not yet lined up properly.

Peng Gang didn't have a clock to keep track of time. He struck the gong once every eight breaths, and each breath lasted about four seconds.

In other words, even though these young men were prepared and the furthest distance between them was no more than a hundred steps, they still failed to complete the requirement of lining up and assembling within five minutes.

"Even a tortoise can crawl faster than you! Do you accept the punishment?" Peng Gang asked angrily.

"If even ten gongs can't get us to line up properly, and if some villains break into the coal yard, our food will be looted and burned long ago! Without food, what will we eat? Do you want to keep gnawing on grass roots and tree bark?"

The young men were all dejected upon hearing this, thinking that they couldn't escape being beaten with bamboo sticks.
However, some young people, clinging to the hope that "the law will not punish everyone," believed that Peng Gang would not punish them.

There were a total of 22 people, each of whom drew a bamboo stick 20 times, with the group leader and deputy group leader drawing even more.

How long will it take to draw all these? How much effort will it take?

However, they underestimated Peng Gang's determination. Peng Gang had already grabbed a bamboo stick and ordered them to reach out.

The first to be punished were the team leader and deputy team leader.

After drawing the hands of the group leader and deputy group leader, Peng Gang paused for a moment. Just when the young men thought that Peng Gang had only drawn the hands of the group leader and deputy group leader as a warning to others, Peng Gang ordered the remaining group members to put their hands out.

Huang Dabiao was the first to get a beating.

Huang Dabiao had never been whipped before. As soon as Peng Gang's bamboo stick came down, Huang Dabiao instinctively pulled his hand back quickly, dodging the bamboo stick.

“Avoid corporal punishment, and you'll be punished with five more slaps!” Peng Gang said with a grim face.

Having learned his lesson the first time, Huang Dabiao gritted his teeth and reached out the second time, standing there obediently to take the beating.

After smoking all the young men's cigarettes, the young men wrung their hands and cried out in pain, and Peng Gang was also panting heavily from exhaustion.

Where are your tools?

After catching his breath, Peng Gang glanced at the young men who had gone out empty-handed. Only a few of them had brought back the winnowing baskets, tongs, and shovels they had taken with them.

"They're outside," the young men replied listlessly and listlessly.

"Didn't I tell you to put the tools back in their place after use?" Peng Gang asked sternly, his hands behind his back.

The young men, who had "explained" the situation, were at a loss for what to do.

They didn't expect Peng Gang to be so furious today, throwing over five hundred cigarettes without hesitation.

At this moment, their attitude towards Peng Gang included not only gratitude and respect, but also a touch of awe.

“I will wait for you by the large pool. This time I will only give you eight gongs of time.”

After speaking, Peng Gang walked straight towards the large pool.

There are two pools, one large and one small, dug in the living area. Next to the small pool are two water tanks. The water in the small pool is used to wash rice and vegetables, while the large pool is used to wash hands, feet, and clothes.

The small pool is located upstream of the mountain spring, while the large pool is located downstream. The two pools are more than ten steps apart, which helps to prevent the drinking water source from being polluted.

Having learned their lesson from being slapped, the young men were much more urgency-driven this time and acted much faster.

No one strolled leisurely anymore; everyone jogged to get their tools, and those who ran slowly were even urged and scolded by their companions.

Peng Gang struck the gong for the third time, and everyone ran to the vicinity of the large pool.

This time, when lining up, I no longer fuss over whether the people next to me are my friends or people I dislike or despise.

Even so, it took Peng Gang eight strikes of the gong for them to finally line up properly, their postures varied and indescribable.

It's time to teach them to stand in line.

Peng Gang glanced at the sun; it was around 2 PM, so there was still time to keep working on it.

(End of this chapter)