Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

Zhao Ping'an kept his word. Although he had boasted to Lao Xu and kept him in suspense, he had indeed gone all out this time.

It not only replenished the entire brigade's needs for standardized equipment—1500 Type 38 rifles, Czech-made rifles, Maxim rifles, and a massive amount of ammunition—but also...

He also redeemed the heavy artillery he had been longing for.

83式122毫米榴弹炮射程15.6公里，单价50万系统币，直接买了12门。

The matching shells cost 2,000 each. Let's round it up to two base quantities (60 shells per base quantity), totaling 1500 shells.

Towing and maneuvering?

The Shaanxi Automobile SX2190 8×8 military off-road truck is powerful and adaptable to harsh road conditions. It costs 60 system coins per unit. Zhao Ping'an exchanged 25 of them while his heart was bleeding.

Nearly 100 tons of diesel fuel were exchanged.

Watching the system balance plummet from over 6000 million to just over 3800 million, barely enough to buy a steel mill along with some daily operating costs...

Zhao Ping'an breathed a sigh of relief. Even with his considerable wealth, he couldn't afford to spend like this. But he could immediately recoup his losses with 500 large yellow croakers. Once the second penicillin factory was built, he could make another fortune. Together, that would amount to three small goals. This money had to be spent.

However, having the equipment in place is only the first step.

When Zhao Ping'an took Ran to the nearby secluded ravine selected by the system to "retriev the goods"

Looking at the neatly arranged, imposing twelve 122mm howitzers and twenty-five massive trucks,

A previously overlooked problem came to light like a bucket of cold water.

Nobody knows how to drive it.

"Brigade...Brigade Commander," Wang Dahai circled the truck twice, touching the cold, heavy tires, then looked at the complex, clearly out-of-the-way cab, his face a mixture of excitement and worry. "These big machines...they're good stuff, but...who among us can operate them?"

Zhao Ping'an was also stunned. He was so focused on overwhelming the enemy with superior equipment that he forgot that manpower was the key factor.

He immediately ordered the entire brigade to conduct an emergency survey of personnel who could drive vehicles.

The result was both laughable and absurd.

The 6th Independent Brigade could only find four people who had ever touched a steering wheel and could barely drive a vehicle. That made five people in total, including myself.

Two of them had served as transport soldiers in the former Nationalist Army, and one was a student soldier from Tianjin.

I learned a little from relatives at home, and another one was a car mechanic who came from the uprising.

Five men were facing twenty-five trucks that required human drivers and twelve artillery pieces that needed to be towed by trucks.

"Damn it..." Even Zhao Dongliang, who had come to beat him, couldn't help but curse, "We're sitting on a mountain of gold, starving!"

Wang Dashan scratched his head, "We can't just leave these lumps of iron here as decorations, can we?"

Zhao Ping'an had no time to feel regret.

He glanced at the darkening sky, gritted his teeth, and said, "Let's move now! We'll bring back as many as we can! My four comrades and I will work hard and make a few more trips! Brother and Battalion Commander Wang, you two set up the guard posts first. We'll definitely have to work through the night."

As he spoke, Zhao Ping'an took out the instruction manual from the truck and led the four "trainee drivers" to learn how to drive the heavy truck. Some quick-witted soldiers who were familiar with Zhao Ping'an and had not been assigned to guard duty couldn't help but peek out and "listen" as well.

Simply put, Zhao Ping'an was explaining to four "trainee drivers" how to drive heavy trucks. After all, the products of 2026 and trucks from before liberation are almost two different things except for their appearance. Back then, there were no power steering devices, and driving was a physically demanding job. You also had to be able to see in all directions and hear in all directions, and pay attention to road conditions at all times.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

Zhao Ping'an personally took charge, leading the four "precious" drivers, along with a guard company temporarily assigned to help load, unload, and secure the artillery, and began the arduous transfer.

Zhao Ping'an had secretly scouted the route during the day, avoiding main roads and large villages as much as possible, and choosing remote but relatively solid dirt roads.

The process was far more difficult than imagined.

The road conditions in those days were terrible, with potholes, ditches, and soft mud everywhere.

Fortunately, the Shaanxi Automobile 8×8 heavy truck's formidable off-road capabilities were on full display at this moment.

Multi-axle drive, strong torque, and wide off-road tires allow these steel behemoths to move steadily on bad roads. The heavy artillery is firmly towed behind, and although it is bumpy, no danger has ever occurred.

One trip, two trips, three trips...

Everyone was covered in dust and drenched in sweat.

Zhao Pingan not only had to drive, but also lead the way as the lead car, observe road conditions, and handle any unexpected minor problems.

The four drivers gave it their all, their eyes bloodshot, yet they held the steering wheel tightly. Fortunately, all four had been on the battlefield and possessed good mental fortitude. Despite the chaos, they still managed to complete their driving duties well.

As dawn broke, after five trips, they finally delivered all twelve cannons and twenty-five trucks.

They were safely moved to a newly designated, more secluded and flat temporary equipment depot behind the brigade headquarters.

When the last truck stopped, Zhao Pingan jumped out and looked at the steel array standing quietly in the morning light, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Although I was exhausted, a solid sense of accomplishment welled up inside me.

Old Xu practically jogged all the way here.

When he saw the twelve 122mm howitzers with their long, slender barrels gleaming coldly, lined up neatly, his eyes widened instantly, and his breathing quickened.

"This...this caliber...it's definitely over 105mm!" Old Xu's voice trembled slightly. He circled the cannon, wanting to touch it but hesitant to apply too much pressure, as if afraid of damaging a precious object. "Ping An! This...this is really ours?"

"Hmm, a 122mm howitzer." Zhao Ping'an walked to a cannon, patted its thick shield, and said, "Maximum range: 15.6 kilometers."

"How much?!" Old Xu looked up abruptly, almost thinking he had misheard.