Canteen System Assistance Notes

"cut!"

Old Wang was very unhappy when the boatman on the same raft interrupted him. He knocked on the board with the end of his pipe and said, "You idiot, the Eighth Route Army has drugged you. If you go down again, you will suffer and work for them for nothing!"

The young man who asked the question wasn't shy either. He shifted his hips on the raft to make himself more stable. "Isn't it good for everyone that the Eighth Route Army is repairing the ditch? Old Wang, why are you so unhappy?"

"Go away! It was you who called Old Wang!"

The old "raft captain" made an unhappy sound. The boatman on the same boat burst into laughter and interrupted him: "It's because the Eighth Route Army repaired the ditch so well that Old Wang is unhappy!"

"What's going on?" the young man asked. There were many woven baskets piled on the raft, each filled with various black iron pieces. He was holding on to these heavy baskets to keep his balance so as not to be thrown off the raft by the waves.

"What else could it be? Old Wang's only son is clamoring to join the Eighth Route Army and bear a gun to serve as a soldier!"

"Watch the water! The Yellow River is freezing cold right now. Don't think you can get away with it just because you have a steel cable." Old Wang interrupted the small talk irritably and twisted the rudder. The large sheepskin raft curved on the water, drifting sideways for a bit before being pulled back by the noose hanging in the middle. The entire raft was actually suspended on a steel cable spanning the river. All the previous "navigation" had relied on this steel cable, hanging diagonally with the current, pushing the raft forward.

"Why are you so unfaithful as to come and scold an old man like me?"

"The Eighth Route Army gave my family another acre and a half of dry land. After repairing the ditch, it became a paddy field. They also treated my wife and helped her give birth to a big fat boy, ensuring the safety of my mother and child. Of course I have to speak up for the Eighth Route Army!" The boatman replied nonchalantly, "If I didn't have a wife and children, I would have joined the army too. Being an Eighth Route Army soldier means you get new clothes, white flour to eat, and you can even go into battle and kill the Japanese. Isn't that great?"

"Humph!"

Old Wang exhaled through his nose, puffed out his last puff of cigarette, tapped the pipe, poured out the sparking butt, and flicked his finger, sending the butt into the Yellow River. He muttered muffledly, "Good iron doesn't make nails, and good men don't become soldiers."

Silence fell on the sheepskin raft.

The young man on the boat stood up by pulling the buckle of the steel cable, then squatted on the deck. "Old Wang, I've never heard you talk about these things. Are you having a conflict with the child again?"

"From the tone of your voice, it seems that you still know me."

"That's Old Wang's fame. Who at this ferry doesn't know him?" The young man laughed. "He's the best helmsman on the river. If you say you're second to none, who dares to claim first place? Your children are grown up now, and I don't think they always think the same as you do. Calm down, calm down."

Old Wang took the second cigarette handed to him by the young man, sniffed it, rolled it carefully, and hung it on his other ear.

"What could he possibly be thinking? A stick can't make a piss out of a thing. If he goes to the battlefield, where swords and guns are indiscriminate and he gets limbless, how can he find a wife?" Old Wang's tone calmed down, but there was still a hint of pent-up frustration. "My eldest son joined the army, and he ended up getting shot to death. Oh, what a good kid..."

"There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and having no descendants is the worst. His sister is married and has a family, and she has children with other men. I still don't even have a grandson, how can I feel at ease?" "But this son of a bitch keeps yelling about joining the army. I can only keep him at home!"

The other boatman was about to say something, but the young man pulled his trouser leg and shut his mouth.

"Old Wang, the harvest from Huinong was pretty good last year. How's your family doing?" "Good, but what's good about it? It was just God's blessing last year."

Old Wang looked up at the sky,

My wife passed away early, and now only he and I are left at home. I am still strong enough to ferry people across the river and make a living. When the Eighth Route Army arrived, more people were crossing the river to transport goods. With the help of the large iron rope, things finally got better.

When doing work for the people, we must avoid just shouting slogans and talking about dedication. We must be concerned about the people's concerns, think about what the people think, and consider issues from their perspective.

Don't be too hasty.

The young man silently recited the instructor's instructions, listening to Old Wang's ramblings. He fished out candies from the bundle on his back and handed one to the boatman and Old Wang. Old Wang shook his head and pushed the candies back. "Old Wang, what bad things did the Eighth Route Army do to your family?"

Old Wang was stunned for a moment. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end he swallowed his words back. He had seen the Eighth Route Work Team before, but he felt that he couldn't bring himself to speak ill of them. He pondered for a moment and sighed:

"The Eighth Route Army is good, but in these chaotic times, good people are useless!"

Old Wang grew excited again, but soon became discouraged again. "When the Eighth Route Army was here, they built roads and dug canals, and even paid workers for crossing the river. But what will happen once they're gone? Won't those thieves who exploited the land be back? Once they come back, the ditches they dug will be gone, and the fields they cleared will become theirs. Won't they take over the iron chains crossing the river, too?"

"So I'd rather keep him at home."

The sheepskin raft drifted along the current, following the iron chain across the river, to the ferry on the other side. The young man paid the fare, thanked the two boatmen for their assistance, and helped them unload the baskets from the raft before leaving the ferry. He was a member of the 165th Division of the Eighth Route Army, currently working in the village. He had a good understanding of the surrounding situation, from the crew cut to the village committee. However, today was the first time he had understood Old Wang's family situation to such a deep level, including his passive-aggressive yet understandable attitude towards avoiding conflict.

To be honest, before, he always felt that he had done his work quite thoroughly and was familiar with the conditions of several villages. In addition to the work of helping farmers and supporting agriculture and the assistance of infrastructure construction, he was able to mobilize the masses well and gain the understanding and support of the people.

But for the elderly man who worked at the ferry all year round, and his family, was there something he had neglected? The young man pondered this and decided to go back and talk to his fellow comrades. It was spring plowing time, the beginning of life for the new year.

Let's start by going to Old Wang's house to help plow the land and sow seeds!

Chapter 78: Transport Team Song

The young man signed his name in a booklet and, along with the officers who had arrived earlier, solemnly stamped two semicircular seals across their names. "Signed and inspected. Thank you, comrade." The two comrades from the 165th Division shook hands with the others who had come to hand over the package. "Thank you for the bumpy journey, you must have worked hard."

"We're all doing this for the revolution, so I don't even feel the hardship."

"How could that be possible? From Fushi to here, it's a thousand miles away, at least."

"It's much more convenient now. The assistant manager of the Ikh Ju League, Daobuqing Dorji—according to the Ikh Ju League, he's a taiji, similar to a provincial governor—has been doing business with us for a long time. Tea and salt are very popular on the grasslands, and ironware like scythes and iron horse scythes are also quite popular here. Daobuqing Taiji signed a contract with us and regularly supplies us with horses and wool, and in the winter...

We buy their cattle and sheep that can’t survive the winter.”

The transport team's transfer officer was a gruff, middle-aged official. "After that deal last winter, we've got no shortage of packhorses," he said, pointing to the horses licking large lumps of salt beneath the hitching post behind them. "Look, we've got a full 125 horses for this leg, pulling five large carts with rubber wheels. Before I retired, the most horses I ever saw were those captured from the Northeast Army. They were so precious back then, but who would have thought there would be so many now? Our transport detachment now has five battalions and 25 detachments!"

After saying that, the officer pointed to the newly sewn armband on his shoulder and turned sideways to show it off. It had a "Losing Team 18" logo on it. "Okay, I won't keep you any longer. I wish you a safe journey!"

Over the past year, the Kuomintang forces within the border area have been basically squeezed out. The most obvious feature is that the bandits in the border area have been wiped out, and the transport team no longer needs to carry a bunch of guards at all times.

However, due to resource concentration and industrial allocation, there is still a distance of 500 kilometers between Fushe, where the canteen is located, and Huinong, where the industrial cluster is located. If we still use the old trails, a one-way trip would take more than a month. How can this be possible?

Thanks to the canteens, the Eighth Route Army was able to mobilize the people without overly burdening the peasants, widening and tamping the previously narrow dirt roads. By 38, the dirt road connecting Fushi Ansai Wuqi to Dingyan, crossing the grasslands of Hutuoke Banner, branching off to Batuwan, and ultimately connecting to the Huinong base area was complete. The entire transport team's two-horse carts could now navigate the flattened dirt road. According to the Eighth Route Army's transportation manual, a transport team of 50 two-horse carts could load 500 kilograms of cargo per cart and travel 35 kilometers a day. This reduced the travel time of nearly 450 kilometers by half, completing the journey in nearly two weeks.

It is said that the next goal is to further widen and pave the road so that cars can pass through it all day long without getting stuck in mud and becoming unable to move when it rains.

"Whoa! Whoa!"

The middle-aged officer of the transport team walked at the rear, carrying an old, well-worn handle on his back, listening as the driver gently cracked the whip and urged the horses forward. Apart from the driver, Eighth Route Army discipline prohibited anyone who wasn't injured or unable to move from the cart. As the deputy team leader, he naturally had to set an example.

After a few days of walking, they were already halfway through the journey. They had already crossed the grasslands of Otog Banner, and the Wuding River was just ahead. There, there was the largest service road crew on the entire route, which allowed the entire team to rest, replenish food, and sell some supplies that were scheduled to be traded along the way. After running this route several times, the previous transport teams put forward a very practical suggestion. There were many herders along the road. They already had a demand for daily necessities and even hunting rifles and muskets. Many things could be traded on the road through trade or even barter.

For example, among the things we brought from Huinong to Fushi this time, there were many livestock salt blocks produced by Dingyan, which are very popular among herders.

"Comrades! Come on, we're almost there!" the squad leader at the front shouted, encouraging everyone. "We're almost at Batu Bay! There's a hot kang, hot water for tea, and Italian noodles!"

"Good—yo!"

A journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step. Today's journey only has the last leg left. In the distance, smoke from cooking fires can even be seen rising from the horizon. These last few kilometers are probably the most difficult part.

The deputy captain knew that this was not the unit he served in before he was injured and retired, but just a transport unit with non-combat functions. He could not use the soldiers' demands to demand the militiamen who came to drive the carts, let alone these big animals with bad tempers. The top priority now was to ensure that everyone could reach today's destination safely and without any accidents.

"The equipment we're carrying on our trucks is all for the front lines. If we send this batch of equipment, we'll be able to equip ourselves with guns, cannons, and grenades to blow the Japs right out of the sky!"

“Fly to the sky!”

As soon as the deputy captain finished speaking, someone at the front of the team started singing out of tune:

"Why--! "

"—Daodao...that mountain is coming!

"Streams of water—"

Although the pitch was not accurate and the pitch was random, the advantage was that the breath was long and the volume was loud. Now the whole team could hear the beginning of this person. Everyone burst into laughter.

Making fun of this guy's tone-deafness.

But at this moment, a song is almost the most appropriate. It can not only boost morale and relieve fatigue, but also enhance team camaraderie and cooperation. Seeing that the time was right, the vice-captain took a deep breath, opened his voice, and followed suit:

"Our Central Red Army——to northern Shaanxi——

"Our Central Red Army has arrived in northern Shaanxi—"

The comrades in the transport team who had military experience took over almost without delay. "One red flag after another—one gun after another—"

Small voices gradually converged, becoming a wave of sound. Although not officially Eighth Route Army soldiers, the long years of collective life still left a distinct mark on everyone. In this Shaanxi folk song, a song from the Red Army era, everyone's mood began to take on the red of the setting sun, transforming into the power of action, driving their already exhausted bodies forward.

"Our team is strong,

Our team is strong—"

Eventually, the entire team joined in the chorus, and even the weary packhorses seemed to quicken their pace. Regardless of whether they knew the song by heart or not, everyone lent their voices, and voices from all corners of the world began to coalesce into a single force.

"The thunder roars a thousand miles away and the lightning flashes ten thousand miles away.

"Our revolutionary forces have grown tremendously—

"Our revolutionary forces are growing!"

Chapter 79: Builders' Remnants

The "service areas" were essentially military outposts for road crews, responsible for road maintenance, food supply, and communications. Like pillars, they supported the daily operations of the entire transport line. Of course, in addition to the transport teams, other forces within the Eighth Route Army also utilized the services of the road crews.

"What are you feeding it?"

*Ah? Milk powder. This big animal has to work so hard, so it needs to eat well. Either you crack a couple of eggs, or give it some bean cakes. The road is bumpy and the eggs will break. The bean cakes collected by the road maintenance team last year are all used up, so we can only give it some milk powder. "Hearing this, the man who came to talk to the transport team shook his head,

"What a luxury! This animal eats much better than humans."

The transport team's cook scattered a small packet of milk powder, mixed it with horse feed, and pushed it to the horse. "It's okay, it's not cow's milk powder, it's soy milk powder, not too... bad." This stuff is also a good thing that only the sickbed has. Although two legs can't work as hard as four legs, the transport team gave it to us as a nutritional supplement...

The cook paused for a few seconds and sighed, "What a luxury!"

After staring at each other for a few seconds, they both burst into laughter. After leaving the stable, the cook patted the other man on the shoulder and asked, "Comrade, what mission did you receive?" He pulled a wrinkled cigarette from his pocket and said, "Oh! If it's confidential, don't tell us. Discipline, discipline."

This is something I can talk about; it's not something I keep secret. Anyway, everyone can see it, so it can't be kept secret: We're from the Infrastructure Engineering Corps, building roads and canals. You have to decide on a location; you can't just build wherever you want. Come on, put down your cigarette and try this."

After saying this, he fished out a metal box from his jacket pocket, opened it, and found another paper box. He tapped it in his hand, and a yellow cigarette butt popped out of the box.

The Central Construction Corps, newly formed in 1937, was a relatively young force within the Eighth Route Army and even the Red Army, but it was also an indispensable one. This semi-unarmed force, led by Xiao Wuyi, undertook almost all major construction projects in the border region.

From the Huinong District steel complex to the dirt road connecting Fushe and Huinong, and even many houses in the border areas, traces of their labor were evident. During the peak construction period, when food shortages eased and the farming season was not busy, the construction troops, along with the mobilized civilians, numbered over 100,000.

With the arrival of many equipment purchased by Liu Helian, such as Caterpillar tractors, International Combine Harvester tractors and Coris cranes, and the arrival of workers recruited from Shanxi Province in the border area, the construction progress of the infrastructure engineering corps in completing large-scale projects has made a qualitative leap.

It was the poor oil supply capacity in the border area that limited their performance. Unable to rely on the diesel stove from the canteen for cooking all day long, and unable to embezzle the backup fuel from the gasoline generator, Xiao Wuyi's main task was to call the construction team of Yanchang Oilfield to inquire about the installation progress of their new derrick and distillation tower, and when they could be put into production smoothly.

It was a miracle that the previous wooden derricks, donkey-powered kowtow machines and wooden barrel firewood distillation towers could complete certain production tasks. Asking them to refine gasoline and diesel of sufficient grades was really a bit too much to ask.

With fuel in short supply, Xiao Wuyi could only retrofit gas generators on trucks while preparing for the project. He had someone take the maps provided by the central government to plan and survey the future railway, road, and canal construction projects. The construction team that had arrived at Wuding River was tasked with this task.

That's great! Are we going to widen this road? Or are we going to pave it with gravel?" The transport team member took the cigarette and lit it with his own cigarette. "Hmm... This smells great. I've never smoked it before. Where did you buy it?"

"New products from the Consumer Cooperative, but these are my rations: 'Worker, Peasant, and Soldier' ​​brand cigarettes." The construction soldier pointed to the logo on the carton: a circle with three figures standing side by side, looking to the right. By the light of the lantern, the cook could see clearly that the three figures were a farmer with a sickle, a soldier in military uniform, and a worker with a hammer. "We construction workers spend years out in the field, exposed to the elements. This isn't a bad treat for us, haha."

"As for how the road was paved, I can't say much. But coming all the way from Fushi, I saw not only stones but also a lot of cement!" He lit his cigarette, and the two heavy smokers began to puff away at the grassland. "Paving the road with cement? In the past, I wouldn't have even thought of it. I don't think they were planning to pave the entire road from Fushi to Huinong with cement. At most, they'd cover the river crossings and the potholes with cement."

Even if there is a flat dirt road, the carrying capacity of horse-drawn carts and other animal-powered vehicles can be significantly improved. Before, everyone was already very happy to have such a dirt road to march on.

Oh! I came from Huinong, and the cement factory over there just opened. I guess that's why. The old earthen cement wasn't as good as the cement from the cement factory. But for paving roads…" The cook paused, cigarette between his fingers. "The Chiang Kai-shek government and the Russians built the highway from Xinjiang Province. When I was on the R25, the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Highway was just a... big dirt road. When it was windy, the sand would blow up and you couldn't see the road. And when it rained, wow, the mud was so bad, I tell you, you could pull the iron off a horse's hoof."

"It's such a luxury..."

This year, whether it was feeding the horses soy milk powder or paving the road with cement, it felt like such a luxury. The two looked at each other in silence, both thinking the same thing. "This cigarette is quite good. How much is it?"

"2 cents a pack, sure. I've never bought one before, hehe." The construction soldier smiled, put the cigarette box and the firecracker back into the iron box, and put it in his coat pocket.

"I am looking forward to receiving some allowances so that I can buy more

Something you want.”

"That depends on you. When you finish repairing the road, we can pull the goods to the right place and buy things." "Isn't it up to you? When you pull the goods to the right place, we can repair it faster."

After that, the two comrades burst into laughter, almost breathlessly. When they had calmed down, the construction soldier stubbed out his cigarette, which was now down to the filter tip, and said, "But I'm saying, if we really want to lay cement, I'm afraid it won't be suitable for horse-drawn, mule-drawn, or ox-drawn carts."

"Oh, what do you mean?"

"Right now, many places in the border region are looking for drivers. Our infrastructure soldiers' driving school is already full, and other systems are also setting up driving schools." He looked into the distance, as if looking into the future. "Driving school doesn't teach you how to drive a horse-drawn carriage, it teaches you how to drive a car! Once the cement road is completed, we will definitely have cars running!"

Chapter 80 Buying Clothes (Part 1)

The dining area on the first floor of Fushi’s cafeteria headquarters.

Several tables were joined together to form a long table. Staff Officer Zuo held a blue folder, while Minister Deng stood at the other end of the table, accompanying Political Commissar Wang, the director of the canteen's logistics committee, and explaining the items on the table to him.

"So I just came back from the Soviet Union and encountered this 'happy trouble'!"

Political Commissar Wang Da had recovered, completed the negotiations, and returned to China from the Soviet Union. After the shrapnel was removed and his nutrition was replenished, the veteran Red Army political cadre had even gained a bit of weight and was ready to work hard to "lose some weight." "Xiao Liu, Xiao Liu, you're such a worry! You're still abroad, and you've already caused such a 'big deal'!"

What was the big deal? Actually, it was the Eighth Route Army's 1938 equipment replacement plan - not a replacement of weapons, but a literal replacement of clothing, that is, the clothing work of the entire army.

During the Red Army era, the Soviet areas had their own clothing factories. From the initial batch of Northern Expedition-style uniforms to the "1930" Red Army cotton uniforms with different collar patches based on rank, the Red Army diligently provided soldiers with appropriate clothing, and its designs often drew inspiration from Soviet influences. However, with the beginning of the Long March, the Red Army lost its fixed bases for storage and replenishment. Existing clothing was worn out in constant battle, forcing them to repurpose captured clothing.

The frugal Red Army, which had experienced losses, captured spoils, patched up its clothes along the way, and was diligent and thrifty, finally arrived in northern Shaanxi after going through countless hardships and dangers. The soldiers' clothes were already patched up with patches, and all kinds of fabrics could be seen on one piece of clothing.

(See illustration)

In the late 30s, a new set of clothes was a very expensive item in China. And any small cost increase would be magnified into a big problem if the Eighth Route Army, which had now expanded much more than in history: with about 7500 troops, had to be re-dressed.

In 37, our economic situation had improved significantly. We had also seized and purchased a batch of cloth, which contained some unexplosive bitter acid. We dyed it yellow and made new quilts, which we distributed to the troops heading east to fight the Japanese.

Minister Deng, previously the Border Region's Minister of Food, was well-versed in the region's logistics. He explained each item to Political Commissar Wang, "The problem is, the color of this stuff is so similar to Japanese clothing that it's easy to misidentify it. Furthermore, after that batch of cloth ran out, the uniforms we distributed were of poor quality and insufficient. It just so happened that Comrade Xiao Liu had opened this self-service market, which allows for a wide variety of ready-made clothing. The Central Committee instructed us to look there and see what our future comrades would wear."

"Isn't that simple? Can't we just have this self-service market produce the uniforms for the future army?"

Political Commissar Wang was very puzzled. Since there was already a mature option for the future, why not use it directly?