Canteen System Assistance Notes

"How much oil, cars, and people went into this road book! How many drivers risked their lives to write it, you!"

Aside from maps and compasses, a road book is one of the most important items for drivers on a particular route. It complements the map and provides detailed information on everything from where the water is drinkable to where it can only be used for fueling vehicles, to areas with permanent human habitation and prone to disasters. A guidebook like the one issued by the Eighth Route Army is, in the eyes of its drivers, more valuable than gold.

"Alas!" He raised his hand, but ultimately stopped hitting, "Have you looked everywhere? Look again!"

"I've searched everywhere..." Wang Shunfeng, terrified, hunched over, tensed his body, and huddled up in a ball. "I really don't have it... But I checked before we left this morning... It was all there..." "Can this thing even grow wings and fly?"

"But I really can't remember it! Wuu ...

Wang Shunfeng, anxious and angry, unable to think of a solution, actually started to cry. He pounded his head and slapped himself in frustration. But just then, a car with a red flag stopped beside them, and several people jumped out and surrounded them.

"What's wrong? Lao Yu, Xiao Shunfeng, what's wrong? Is the car broken down?"

The man, carrying two guns and several soldiers, turned out to be Captain Qiu. Seeing the officer in charge arrive, Yu Weifu hurriedly stood up, carrying Wang Shunfeng, and explained everything. "Oh... the road book is lost. Are you sure you checked it at the station this morning?"

Old Qiu held his chin up, thought for a moment, and suddenly, as if he had suddenly realized something, he asked, "Xiao Shunfeng, is your route book in an 'Oxford bag'? And is it the dark blue bag?" "Ah? Yes! Yes, yes! That bag was bought by my father from the supply and marketing cooperative before he left!"

"That's it!"

Captain Qiu clapped his hands and said, "I saw a bag like this when we set out this morning. It was placed at the rest stop." He turned and shouted to the people in the car, "Communicator!" "Here!"

"Send a message to the Dihua depot, asking them to take good care of this thing. Our driver comrade left something behind, and he will come back to pick it up next time. Comrade Xiao Shunfeng, the matter is not a big deal.

It can still be salvaged. As a man, stop crying.

Like a grown-up girl."

He comforted him and patted Master Yu on the shoulder.

"As for Old Yu, as a master, if you let your apprentice forget the road manual, I'm afraid you will be laughed at for a whole year!"

Chapter 169: My Own Growth

Long-distance driving, also known as "walking the car," is a relatively new and advanced profession in China, but it carries its risks and hardships. Fortunately, traveling with a convoy is far more effective than going it alone. The Eighth Route Army's transport convoy is divided into six squadrons, each with 45 vehicles. The remainder are support vehicles for the command team. Based on the three-ton capacity of each Ford J917, the entire convoy could theoretically transport over 90 tons of supplies. However, this was not the case in reality. Besides the support vehicles, each squadron also carried a number of vehicles loaded with fuel, lubricants, spare parts, food, and even weapons for use during the journey. The overall convoy's material transport ratio was a meager 60%, meaning that only six tons of the ten tons of cargo were allocated to cargo.

This was a compromise to the harsh transportation conditions along the entire Northwest Passage: over 5,000 miles, there were no modern highways, nor were there service areas or gas stations at regular intervals. Between the distant cities and settlements, the convoys had to carry their own supplies.

As a veteran driver, Yu Weifu, in addition to the rated cargo, squeezed in a lot of food, spare clothes, and bedding into the narrow cab, filling it to the brim.

He asked. These various things stuffed in the cab had been messed up by Wang Shunfeng, who had forgotten the road book. In addition to being criticized by Lao Qiu, this kid also had to restore the mess in the cab to its original state.

"Put this here, put this here... Why can't this one fit in? It could fit in just now?" Wang Shunfeng was unaware of his master's call and was struggling with all kinds of strange bundles and boxes. "Ah! It's almost done!"

You idiot, is this the only way you can stuff things in? They're all in order, big or small, horizontally and vertically, neatly arranged! Hurry up! Looking at the increasingly messy passenger seat, Yu Weifu felt a headache, but he had no choice but to put down the steering wheel and help himself. "Fix it quickly, if it really doesn't work, stuff it under the seat! Take out the notebook! Captain Qiu sent a telegram specifically for you, do you know how expensive a telegram is!"

"You must do the job that Master Ba gave you well!"

—-―----—

"This uphill section, although it seems slow, is known as 'the dragon turning back'."

Yu Weifu said this while pointing to the crushed loess road ahead. In the distance, the long dragon-like convoy of cars was like a blue and green river, defying gravity and crawling towards a long gentle slope. It's not a long slope, and the car is pulling something behind it, so it's falling. If you give it too much gas and don't downshift, the car will bray like a donkey; if you don't pay attention to it, it will stall and you'll give up.

He held the steering wheel with one hand, stepped on the clutch with one foot, and exited the gear.

"Our car is heavy, so we use climbing gear. When traveling in a convoy, we must avoid stalling and blocking the road. We'd rather go slower and take care of the cars in front and behind."

He pressed the clutch again, shifting the car into low gear. The truck slowed down, the engine roaring, but without the initial struggle. The truck, carrying more than two tons of steel molds, slowly climbed the slope. "Oh, I understand."

Listening to his master's instructions, Wang Shunfeng, with a soft bag on his head, a waist bag behind him, and a water bottle between his legs, scribbled in pencil on the soft-covered copybook the key points and details of this section of the road - this was the road book with the rich personal characteristics of the driver - adding these lessons learned that can only be summarized through verbal instruction and actual experience to the standard road book issued by the Eighth Route Army, and re-forming a road book that is his own. This is the punishment that Captain Qiu gave to the reckless Xiao Wang.

Thanks to his father who locked him up at home, Wang Shunfeng could write quite a few words. After learning a lot of Chinese characters in the driving school training class, he was considered a "cultured person" who could write something. A soft leather pad with a splint was placed on his legs. Because of the various miscellaneous things, Wang Shunfeng's sitting posture was quite crooked, like an actor performing a comedy.

Whenever Master Yu turned the steering wheel with great effort to make the car go up the winding slope

When he turned a corner on the road, he had to bite the pen in his mouth and free one hand to hold the car door to maintain his balance.

"When driving a truck, you have to worry not only about your own comfort but also about the cargo behind you. You've never driven such a long distance before, so remember this."

Master, although I have never driven a car, I do know a thing or two about sailing. I know this, just like my father sailed a raft! There are rafts for carrying cargo, people, and animals, and they are all different, each with its own unique skills.

Yu Weifu, like a nagging elder, always reminded him of his father. After being nagged by his master all the way, Wang Shunfeng finally found a place to chime in. He put down his pen, closed his eyes, and murmured, shaking his head: "The cargo raft is heavy, the animals are moving, and the people on the raft are not heavy enough. The waves and water on the Yellow River are much more troublesome than on the highway. If I can train a raft to handle the Yellow River, I'm sure this truck carrying cargo on the highway will have no problem!"

Master Yu glanced away, unscrewed the water cup, and took a sip of the bitter "cold-brewed tea" inside. "Let me tell you, there used to be a young man transporting bamboo poles in the fleet. He was just like you, fearless. One time, the cargo was not tied tightly, and when we were driving downhill, we ran into a mad bull and slammed the brakes—"

He adjusted his tone, making it sound like a sinister mutter: "The car has stopped, but the people have become a string of gourds, gone."

Although he has taken basic courses in the driving school and can correct some common minor faults, this little guy still needs practice! Showing off his little tail to your master? Hey!

Glancing at Wang Shunfeng, who was muttering to himself, constantly glancing back at the cargo bed, and then diligently memorizing the road book, Master Yu, satisfied, returned his attention to driving. A road book is said to be "thick at first, thinner, and thicker again." From a cursory record of information, to memorizing and internalizing it, it finally reveals details that previously escaped notice or neglect. A road book, in a sense, is a symbol of a driver, a lane, and even a sign of a car dealership's maturity.

Teaching by hand like this will help him improve much faster. By the time this kid has his own road book in place, he should be able to become a master.

In the rearview mirror, a long queue of trucks that seemed to stretch to the horizon had already climbed up the hillside. Looking down from the top of the hill, it looked like a mechanical river with smoke and dust, carrying supplies, equipment and even personnel. Like the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, it meandered from the desolate northwest border into the rear of the Anti-Japanese War, and eventually turned into a force for national salvation.

"Xiao Wang, open the water tank, yes, the spray tank, remember..." Master Yu continued to nag and slowly instructed,

When going down a long slope, don't hold the brakes on. Shift down a gear and let the car roll slowly. Always open the shower tank. Remember, before every downhill descent, check to see if there's any water. Oh, and in the dead of winter, before setting off, it's best to add a little alcohol to the water. Once the car is turned off and the weather gets cold, the pipes will freeze and burst...

"Oh, I understand, Master."

Chapter 170 Singing and Dancing with Maozi

The first day from Dihua was relatively easy.

The journey wasn't entirely lonely; there were numerous herders and traveling merchants along the way. They drove their carts, accompanied by their livestock, from the surrounding areas to markets in Dihua and other places, forcing the convoy to slow down frequently to allow for the animals. The itinerary only allowed for about 50 to 60 kilometers of this distance. After crossing the Longhuitou slope, we arrived at a place called Chaiwopu.

This was the last inhabited supply point for the next several hundred kilometers. Ahead of the road lay the renowned "windy zone" of Jiade City, known for its harsh conditions and frequent strong winds. Therefore, according to typical planning, the entire convoy would rest here early before setting off together early the next morning to pass through the remaining "windy zone" in one go.

This is an old military camp left over from the Qing Dynasty. The Eighth Route Army set up a road crew here to provide rest, water, and supplies for their convoys. The Russians also set up a military station here as a rest stop for their escorted soldiers. To demonstrate their de facto control over Xinjiang, the "wolf-breeding pig" Sheng Zhenjia also set up a police station here, primarily to collect tolls.

However, by the spring of 39, the road checkpoints of this police station could no longer withstand the "sugar-coated bullets" of socialism. Except for a few who were "successfully assimilated" and became red-headed, the entire road crew, military station and checkpoint work had been outsourced to the Xinjiang Provincial Office of the Eighth Route Army and the Railway Protection Army. Most of the police station officials returned to Dihua City to enjoy themselves - how could I stay in a place like Chaiwobao, a deserted place with no women?

Master Yu parked the car in a parking space marked with colorful flags, turned off the engine, and held hands. Wang Shunfeng swiftly jumped out of the car and fished out a few pieces of wood from the glove box next to the truck bed. He placed them in front of and behind the wheels, then chained the wood to the car. The soldiers guarding the truck had already formed a sand-colored rectangle. Some of them had already led a group out, forming human road signs to guide the following vehicles to the road maintenance station.

The scale of hundreds of cars parked together was very large. In addition, there were vehicles from some other fleets here. There were almost five hundred cars parked in the leveled parking lot at the same time, causing dust to fly everywhere.

"With a team together, everything becomes seven times easier." Yu Weifu also got out of the car, drank the remaining tea in the kettle, and scrambled the tea leaves. "Xiao Wang, let's go get some water and clean the car. We have activities tonight, so we need to finish it early."

"What a joke!"

The two men found a bucket from the glove box and walked out of the station.

There are three lakes near Chaiwopu, one large freshwater lake and two small saltwater lakes.

I got a bucket of salt water nearby to flush the tires, but soon the tires

There was a thick layer of salt crust on the tire, making it impossible to run.

But now, the station was right next to a freshwater lake, so there was no question of going the wrong way. On the lakeshore, several people from the station were leading a group of Russians, transporting things from a shack to the outside. "What are they doing? What are they transporting?"

"Them? Oh," Master Yu peeked over there when Wang Shunfeng's attention was distracted. "Aren't there activities tonight? They need to light a bonfire. Are they preparing the bonfire?"

He washed the rag in the lake, wrung it dry, wiped his face with it, and then put it on the edge of the bucket: "Don't be fooled by its blackness. Ha, there's no firewood to be found here, so I'm afraid this is what we'll burn tonight - camel dung!"

Camel poop?

Night had already fallen, and Wang Shunfeng, who should have been a crowd pleaser, was still twitching like he was jealous. The blazing bonfire before him, the fragrant roasting skewers of meat stuck in the ground beside him, and the people dancing around the fire all dampened his interest. He couldn't help but smell a faint, stench.

Oh my god, these people are burning shit!

Wang Shunfeng, who grew up near the Yellow River and lives in the south of the Yangtze River, had heard about the use of animal manure as fuel in the northwest, but when he saw it in action, he still found it hard to accept. "I told him, 'Don't worry about it. It's not smelly. The more you think about it, the more it smells.'"

Master Yu was so amused by his apprentice's performance that he ate a large skewer of rice while cheering and clapping along with the people around him. In front of the bonfire, two Russian pilots were performing a "Cossack dance" to the rhythmic music.

They would squat and kick, twirl and leap, and then leap up like flying birds, neither side giving in. After a while, as the "Gil La Mutter" became more lively, each group selected a representative. They half-crouched across a chair lined with bottles, kicking their legs back and forth in a "Cossack Swing," vowing to outlast the other.

"it is good!"

The people on the sidelines cheered, rooting for both teams. The drivers, playing the sanxian (three-stringed lute) and the bayan (bass), sang in unison even more vigorously: "I am a driver, and I have driven all over Xinjiang Province;

I am a driver, and I have traveled all over the Tianshan Mountains. I have met thousands of girls, but your hands are the most beautiful.

Ah, Tsyganushka, Tsyganushka, only your eyes can turn;

Hey, Tsyganushka, Tsyganushka, only your eyes can turn.

"You, who cares whether the fire is made of camel dung or yak dung? Just be happy and eat more skewers! Oh! Come on! Dawei! Dawei!" Yu Weifu stuffed the skewers in his hand to Wang Shunfeng and stretched out his hands to make a fuss. "Hold on! Boy! Dawalishi!"

The two people on the field continued to half-squat and kick, and the "dance fighting teammates" around them beat the rhythm and circled around them, refusing to give in. This song "Gilla" came to both sides in succession.

Finally, perhaps because of exhaustion or a sprained ankle,

One of them fell to the ground and lost the game.

The spectators on the sidelines shouted with enthusiasm or frustration, pointing at the defeated driver. The victorious team raised the box of Red Star Soju and paraded around the field in a showy manner, celebrating their victory and the subsequent drinking. This was undoubtedly a joyous and happy party. At the beginning of the journey, they sang and gathered here, relieved the busy and tired day, and prepared for the journey ahead.

The fragrant barbecue, the mellow wine, and the hot night all belong to him

They are a rare break between this long journey.

"Everyone!"

Another dark-faced man walked onto the stage and took the sanxian from the musician. "Let me show you my new song, 'Girls from Tashkurgan!'" "Rong Ting! You're talking nonsense again. In Tashkurgan, only the wind blows the rocks away. Where can you find girls?"

Someone who knew the man started to make a noise, and the crowd laughed good-naturedly, but gradually quieted down. Someone pulled out the portable loudspeaker they had just used and placed it in front of the man. "Hey! There's nothing now, but who knows, there might be in the future! The girl from Tashkurgan will always be in our hearts!"

The big man didn't take it seriously, tuned up his zither, and started singing:

The stone roads in Dabancheng are hard and flat, and the watermelons are big and sweet;

The girls in Dabancheng have long braids and beautiful eyes.

If you marry, don't marry someone else.

You must marry me!

Chapter 171: Wind Fighter

In September in Luntai, the wind howled at night, and the stones in the river were as big as buckets, and the stones were scattered all over the ground with the wind.

Although the exact location of the "Zou Ma River" in the poem "Zou Ma Chuan Xing Feng Song Chu Shi Xi Zheng" is no longer traceable, it is completely correct to use it to describe the situation in the Tashkurgan area.

Located in Xinjiang Province's renowned "wind zone," nestled within the canyons of the Tianshan Mountains, the area's narrow channel effect accelerates the powerful high pressure from the northwest to winds exceeding force 12, powerful enough to overturn trains. Even on sunny days, which only last half the year, winds exceeding force 5 are common.

So in the future, this will be the country's leading wind power center.

For safety, the convoy had to wait in Chaiwobao for the weather bureau to send a signal allowing passage. Brave weathermen on horseback observed the weather, launched balloons, and measured wind speeds to ensure the convoy's smooth passage through this dangerous area. However, without satellites and advanced equipment, a sunny morning could often be followed by a fierce gale at noon, putting the convoy in a difficult position.

Therefore, in order to avoid any complications, the entire "wind zone" must be cleared in one day!

----—-—-

No matter how much fun they had had last night, today was the day for the hard part of the journey, and neither Master Yu nor Wang Shunfeng dared to neglect it. Wang Shunfeng carefully inspected the tarpaulin and ropes on the truck, while Master Yu collected several boxes of gear parts from the "lost parts" stored at the firewood shop and piled them into the truck's cargo bed.

"Please follow the vehicle in front of you and depart in order of number. Today, we need to drive 65 kilometers through the windy zone to reach the Gaochang campground. The current wind speed in the zone is 7 meters per second, a force 4 wind, so driving is permitted."

Old Qiu's voice came from the car radio. He had been leading several command vehicles to explore the route at dawn. As was customary, the convoy had three vehicles equipped with "advanced radios" that could broadcast commands to all the radios in the vehicles by transmitting FM signals.

"The front has already left, let's hurry up."

Master Yu and Wang Shunfeng drove out of the station again. Soon, the surrounding scenery transformed into a desolate Gobi desert. From behind, the rest station was reduced to a tiny dot.

Crossing the Daban Wind Zone, the team first crossed the salt lake and reached the Dabancheng Pass, then followed the Baiyang River southward to reach the campsite for the day. The road was undulating, with long ups and downs, making it prone to accidents.

However, the road conditions are still relatively good so far. "Xiao Wang, remember this section has a strong crosswind."

The radio used to transmit instructions rustled, and Master Yu gripped the steering wheel tightly, controlling the car's route. "Northwest winds mostly come from the northwest. But how strong or weak it will be, only God knows." "Did the driving school teacher tell you what to pay attention to when driving in a crosswind?"

Wang Shunfeng was putting on a pair of goggles, which were the "labor protection equipment" issued to all Eighth Route Army drivers and railway guards. He stopped and thought for a moment: "I've told you, let me think about it. It's a three-do and three-don't. Slow down the car, estimate the deviation, and if the wind is too strong, stop the car to avoid the wind; don't swerve, don't brake suddenly, and don't get too close to the car... Is that all?" As he spoke, he became a little unsure again.

The sun shone brightly outside the window, and there was little dust on the Gobi Desert—the sand had long been blown away here. A whistling air stream was seeping in through the cracks in the cab, making a humming sound that could be heard above the din of the engine. "Almost. This driving school was worth it!"

Yu Weifu nodded and loudly encouraged Xiao Wang. Then he changed the subject and asked him, "Then do you know what to do after parking?"

"what?"

Wang Shunfeng fiddled with the rubber band of his goggles, stunned. He hadn't expected his master to ask more questions. He quickly lowered his head and searched his mind, rubbing his fingers, but couldn't find anything that matched his instructions. "Follow orders, act collectively... Um... Reinforce the cargo, secure the tires?"

"Tsk! You little sheep, you can't just study hard. Trucks, trucks, the wind can't blow from the side, it will roll over." Master Yu stretched out his hand and gestured, "But you can do it straight on. After parking the car, you have to turn the front of the car to face the wind. If you can't turn around, have you learned how to use a jack to turn the car around?"

"I've learned this! Find the car's center of gravity, lift it up with a jack... and then just give it a push!"

It's enough to learn. The things in the book need to be put into practice and put together to be effective. "Every time this happens, Yu Weifu can always find his sense of being a master. After all, many lessons learned can't be solved directly by regulations or training. They must be taught by words and deeds and actual experience. "I tell you, when the wind is strong, you use the jack, and the car will turn around on its own, just like a chicken in the wind!"

He pointed to the white "land" beside the salt lake on the roadside and said, "It's like this kind of land, salt land, it looks solid. But you know, if our wheels run over it... snap!

He suddenly shouted, "You've run over the salt shell! The salt underneath is as fast as a knife! Three times five divided by two, two plus one equals five, and the wheels, the chassis, the gearbox, are all cut open!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of the wind outside the car door suddenly increased, the sharp whistling sound suddenly intensifying, and instantly became a strong roar like a train whistle. The creaking of wood and the clanging of steel came together, even temporarily overpowering the noise of the Ford's 80-horsepower engine. The whole car immediately veered to the right!

It wasn't just their car; nearly every vehicle on this stretch of road was swaying from side to side. The larger and heavier Ford 917 was fine, but the lighter GAZ-AA had one wheel lifted off the ground! "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"