Dominate the Country

Chen Ming has visited many military-affiliated villages in the past few days, as well as many ordinary villages. To be honest, the quality of life in military villages is better than that in ordinary villages. The lives of people in ordinary villages are much better than in previous years.

Are the landlords in the old base area required to reduce rents and interest rates? Moreover, many landlords have fled, and their land has become public land and distributed to local people. The rent received is much less than that of the original landlords. But there are always special people in this world.

Today, on his way back to the city, Chen Ming accidentally saw an eight or nine-year-old girl and two five- or six-year-old boys scraping salt soil in a saline-alkali land. Chen Ming knows that many poor families cannot afford even the cheapest private salt, so they can only scrape the salt soil and boil small salt. The salt in the old base area is absolutely "official price", which is many times cheaper than the original price, but there are still people who can't afford salt. Especially this year, the salt supply in the base area is tight, and the price is cheap but there is no supply, which is still in vain. In spring and early summer, it is common practice to scrape the salty soil and boil small salt.

In spring and early summer, when the climate is dry and there is little rain, salt and alkali are brought out of the soil with water vapor and formed on the surface. The ground in back streets and alleys, under the walls of earthen courtyards, and in old houses are often covered with white flowers, covered with a layer of salt and alkali, as well as the salt soil in the saline-alkali land.

After transporting the salt soil home, first add water to precipitate the soil inside, and then pour the salt water. A large broken pot must be supported, and the bottom must have cracks to leak water but not mud. Cover the bottom of the pot with mat sheets, old cloth, etc., and then put the salted soil into the pot. Do not fill the pot with soil, but fill it with water two to three inches away from the edge of the pot and soak it thoroughly. Place a large basin under the pot, add slowly dripping water, the color will be light sauce, this is salt water. Put aside the salt water poured out from the first time and add fresh water. If the salt content of the second pouring water is low, do not throw it away. Add the salt water to the pot again. It's not over until you've been showered three times. The next step is to boil the salt.

Chen Ming had seen people in the mountains doing this when he was wandering around Tumenji and Xiaonangou. A large pot can produce three to four kilograms of small salt. The water above the salt layer is light yellow and is brine. After the salt layer is stable, pour out the brine and put it in a basin. Crystals will slowly precipitate out and form a lump with ice patterns. This is soil saltpeter, which can be used as gunpowder. The remaining liquid can also be used to order tofu.

For the preparation of gunpowder in the Fuhan Army Base, a large part of the source of saltpeter was collected from the private sector. Since spring this year, many people in the base area have been eating this kind of crude salt.

Although this kind of salt looks like sugar, in fact this kind of salt is impure, and a small part of it is still nitrate. It has a bitter taste and is best used for pickling. Eating it regularly is not good for the stomach and intestines, and may cause diarrhea or even worse. Of course, I have never heard of a few people who really eat dead people.

"It's already June now, and even in the saline-alkali land there isn't much salt..." Li Xiaomei is not ignorant of the sufferings of the people. He said while pressing Chen Ming's forehead with his hand.

Little Chen Ding was put to sleep. Chen Ming lay on the bed with his head on her lap. Li Xiaomei gently pressed Chen Ming's head. Since returning to the base, Chen Ming has gained huge reputation and influence, but he has also been under endless pressure, and his nerves are very tight. Being pressed by Li Xiaomei made me feel much more relaxed.

"Yes. At this time, there is no salt soil. But scraping a little is a little. If she doesn't scrape, there will be no salt in her house..."

The little girl's grandfather died early, and her father was away running a gang. He was away when the Fuhan Army was causing trouble. He has not been heard from for two years now. My family has ten acres of farmland, and if I hire a long-term worker to help, I can still provide food and shelter for the whole family. But misfortunes never come singly, and her grandmother and mother were worried and concerned. They had been hit by winds last winter and had been sick all the time. All the food in the family was sold. Chen Ming followed the little girl and the three siblings to her house and sat there for a while. The family was really bare, with not even a table in the main room. The illness of the two adults brought this originally good family to the edge of bankruptcy. Her family Seven acres of the ten acres of land have been sold. If the little girl's father cannot return home this year, and her grandmother and mother continue to be ill, only the most miserable ending awaits the family. Although this is also due to the increase in the price of medicinal materials in the base area, some of the medicines taken by her grandmother and mother were more expensive, and they are even higher now.

"This is indeed pitiful..." The little girl's father was not at home, which directly touched Li Xiaomei's longing heart.

Li Xiucai ran away with his son and wife for two years. As a result, the Chen family did not perish, but became rich and powerful. The in-laws of the Li family all gathered around, and Li Xiaomei could only use them as sustenance. Now Chen Ming wants to promote industry and commerce, but Li Xiaomei doesn't care about her relatives, so she told Chen Ming twice, and Chen Ming agreed.

To whom is it not given? Among the businesses gathering in Lushan now, how many are clean behind the scenes? There are more or less shadows of Fuhan Army military and political officials. This is an open secret. Li Xiaomei listened to her relatives talking and taught Chen Ming that night. She thought Chen Ming would get angry, but Chen Ming laughed.

Yes, he laughed, Chen Ming was happy to see this scene happen. More and more officials are involved, which means more and more people are siding with Chen Ming. He didn't believe that these people could spit it out again after tasting the benefits.

"There are many people like this in the world. I can only help the urgent but not the poor..."

"I know you won't stand idly by. Have you thrown away the money bag?" Li Xiaomei didn't notice the money bag under Chen Ming's waist.

"Haha, there is also a gun."

"Look at you, why are you giving firearms to a girl's house..."

While talking like this, Chen Ming, who was relaxed, fell asleep unconsciously. When he woke up, it was more than two o'clock in the afternoon. On the small table was a bowl of cold rice noodles, red chili oil, green cucumber shreds, and garlic juice. Chen Ming picked up two Hulu and drank half a bowl. There were also cold beef and lamb tripe, cut eggs and a plate of steamed vegetables on the table. They were all small plates with small portions. Chen Ming swept them all away in a quarter of an hour, and drank two bowls of iced rice wine. Chen Ming liked to drink this in his previous life. He said goodbye to Li Xiaomei and his son, and when he strode out of the backyard, Liu Wu was waiting there.

"Your Highness, the lady sent someone to Xiaoli Village."

Xiaoli Village? "Is it the little girl's home?"

"The lady sent a cart of rice and flour, a few pieces of cotton cloth, and sent Doctor Sun..." There must be silver, Liu Wu added in his heart.

"That's because your young lady is kind." Chen Ming felt more relieved. Liu Wu walked behind him and responded all the way.

After a few steps, they arrived at the front hall. Wang Huizu, Xiong Bingzhang and others were holding a lot of memorials waiting for Chen Ming's approval. The Fu Han Army fought back to their hometown, and the team expanded so much. It was no longer appropriate to use the battalion system as a unit. Chen Ming not only had to form a brigade, but also a division.

The expeditionary army and the base troops were mixed together, and a staff department was also to be established. All graduates of the military school and the cadre school were pulled in. Then there was the establishment of a large system, the promotion of different officers, and the redemption of their respective military merits. This also included 100,000 Fu Han soldiers, who either wanted land or real money. It all depended on their own choices.

Chen Hui completely let Chen Ming go of military affairs, just like Chen Ming was relatively restrained in the central government affairs. There was an unspoken tacit understanding.

For many government affairs, Chen Ming only had the right to make suggestions, and many of the suggestions were the suggestions he made to his father alone. Then Chen Hui took them outside as his own opinions, discussed and decided, and then the relevant departments implemented them accordingly. This kind of thing that doesn't need to be said may not be unknown to outsiders, but Chen Hui is willing to do so, what can others do? Chen Ming was very surprised and very happy. Chen Hui didn't seem to be too obsessed with the desire for power. At least he valued family affection more, which was a great thing for Chen Ming.

For example, the formation of a rural work team, this work team will be the first batch of current political propaganda teams of the Fu Han Army to go deep into the countryside to practice Chen Ming's ideal of "rural enlightenment". If everything goes well, they will bring not only a new culture to the countryside, but also a new way of life and way of thinking. But Chen Ming knows that this team is more likely to fail. To transform the countryside, even if there are real benefits in front, it is not necessarily possible for the farmers of this era to rush forward. The government has to drive them with a whip from behind, whip them, and force them to cross the thresholds one by one.

It's just that the current Fu Han new government is not capable of doing this.

In order to ensure the smooth development of the work, or to ensure the safety of the members of the work team, every male and female member of the work team has received strict shooting training-there are art soldiers in the work team, and certain assassination training. They were equipped with the best flintlock rifles and hand guns, and each member was equipped with five grenades. As for the escort troops of each work team, everyone had to wear armor and was equipped with strong war horses. The overall equipment was better than the individual equipment of the Fu Han Army, because the members of this work team were also a batch of seeds of the Fu Han new government.

The current main task of this work team is to publicize the tax policy of the new government. Although the new government has long abolished many exorbitant taxes and greatly reduced land taxes, many ordinary people do not know about it. Take the eastern Hubei region as an example. According to reliable intelligence feedback, villagers in many places have no idea that the Fu Han Army is different from the Qing Dynasty. They are still paying taxes to those local tyrants and clan leaders, and even paying more. As Wang Huizu said, many officials in the prefectures and counties of eastern Hubei do not issue orders outside the city. Even if officials are appointed to go to the countryside, those people bend their knees in front of the landlords and gentry, only doing wood carvings and clay sculptures, and even colluding with each other. All the taxes that should be reduced fell into the hands of those parasites, which not only seriously damaged the interests of the villagers, but also weakened the credibility and prestige of the new government. The rural work team is a counterattack against this!

Chen Ming did not dare to take it lightly. Chen Hui knew the power of the gentry and landlords. The Fu Han Army was "snatching food from the tiger's mouth" and it was impossible not to be "bitten back by the evil tiger". The Ming and Qing dynasties pursued a policy of government not going to the countryside, which allowed the power of China's gentry and clans to expand. They are local snakes, and they will be "swallowed" if they are not careful.

Everything is difficult at the beginning!

"My fellow soldiers, this trip to the countryside is definitely not an ordinary propaganda speech. You will face the most vicious treatment, including difficult treatment in terms of food and water, fabricated and unreasonable accusations, various rumors and slanders, especially those female team members, and of course bloody killings! When necessary, you must take up your swords and guns and fight resolutely against those hostile forces that cannot be educated!" It cannot be said that there are no people who dare to fight against the Fu Han Army, but they must be very few. The two militia movements in Hubei, one small and one large, have caused the vast majority of gentry and landlords who are capable and dare to take action to fall in a pool of blood or flee far away. The rest are all those who dare not take action and are unwilling to obey. As long as the Fu Han Army remains strong in terms of military strength, the possibility of those gentry and landlords daring to really take action is very small. What they are most capable of doing is inciting ignorant people and throwing dirty water, spreading rumors and slander. People's words are terrible!

"You are about to face a battlefield of 'thoughts'. You all know what thoughts are when you are studying.

In this battlefield filled with smoke, the enemy's face does not have the word 'enemy' on it. Instead, they will greet you with a full face and will only stab you with the sharpest dagger where your eyes cannot see.

Don't think that the countryside represents only simple simplicity and kindness. It also represents conservatism, stubbornness and ignorance. Your enemies are not only those wealthy gentry and rich people, but also those ignorant and stupid villagers. As long as the landlords and clans say a word, they may stand on the opposite side of you. You must also remain highly vigilant about this!

In China, the rules and bad habits that have been developed over thousands of years cannot be changed by a few words, a few propaganda speeches, or a few plays. This is a long-term struggle. You have to hold a gun in one hand and a pen in the other, and use your sincerity, blood, and even life to change the rural areas of this era. "

"The Fu Han Army and the government will be your strongest backing."

"You publicize our tax policies, our government concepts, and our economic concepts, and truly penetrate and root the foundation of the government into the most grassroots rural farmers. You are just like the soldiers fighting bloody battles on the battlefield. You are all great contributors to the government."

These words were certainly not said by Chen Ming or Chen Hui, but by Chen Cong.

According to the plan of Chen Hui and Chen Ming, the entire work team was divided into five routes: east, west, south, north, and center. They will visit one village after another and preach one village after another. This is a difficult and long job. There will be people replacing and rotating in the middle. The next time I see them, it will be at least a year later.

The members of the work team include grassroots officials with outstanding work performance, art soldiers, veterans and active servicemen, all of whom are from the old base areas.