Chapter 202 Old Buddy

The production of sea salt focuses on the site selection of salt stoves. The most important conditions for site selection are halogen thickness and Caofeng. It can't be too close to the sea, it's inconvenient to spread, and it can't be too far from the sea.

Since the past dynasties, the coast of northern Jiangsu has been heavily divided into salt farms, and salt has been the source of national taxation. For this reason, since the Ming and Qing dynasties, nearly 20 million mu of fields along the coast of northern Jiangsu have been used for salt farms, and all of them have established heavy laws to prohibit reclamation. It was not until 1899 that it was opened as a pioneer of ban on reclamation, and has been abandoned on the coast of northern Jiangsu for nearly 200 years. This is one of the corners of the icebergs along the coast of northern Jiangsu, which is forbidden to open up salt fields.

Therefore, the "1900" at the turn of the century is an important boundary marker in the history of coastal reclamation in northern Jiangsu. In the 27th year of Guangxu (1901), the Qing government implemented the "New Deal" to reward the industry. In the same year, Zhang Jian, an industrialist, set up a Tonghai Reclamation and Animal Husbandry Company in Lvsichang, Tongzhou, focusing on reclaiming along the beach. This is the beginning of the establishment of an agricultural reclamation company. Since then, large-scale reclamation activities in modern times have begun.

After the establishment of the empire, under the auspices of the central government axe, after the land consolidation of the whole country, nearly 10 million mu of nearly 20 million mu of arable land in northern Jiangsu were sold to landless farmers at a low price, but there were still tens of millions of mu of coastal wasteland, while the labor camp in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was engaged in "inducing Huai into the sea" in northern Jiangsu. The water conservancy project has made tens of millions of mu of wasteland on the coast of northern Jiangsu difficult to cultivate for a while and idle.

However, a few months ago, with the special approval of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, together with the Army Department, millions of mu of coastal wasteland in northern Jiangsu were directly allocated to the army for the opening of an army's comprehensive training base.

It was also from that day that soldiers appeared on the reed wasteland in northern Jiangsu. The main reason why tens of millions of mu of coastal wasteland has not been reclaimed so far is that the environment here is too bad. When you look at it, the dense steel firewood reeds from the seaside cover the sky. Among the reeds, there are also star-studded deep and shallow lakes and marshes, with turbid sewage; birds and beasts, creepy calls from the reed forest from time to time... In people's sight, a close look, a stream of muddy water, blue and white snakes swam over the water, looking from afar, endless reeds, lush and tall, blocking In people's sight, this is what the army looks like in the "comprehensive training ground" covering an area of nearly 3 million mu in northern Jiangsu.

For reclaiming farmers, perhaps the environmental conditions here are too harsh and difficult to transform, but for the army, the more harsh the natural conditions are, the closer the training ground is to the battlefield environment.

There is almost no much transformation. The army that entered the training ground first flattened the salt stove left by the salt households for hundreds of years, and then leveled the land and built the barracks, but more is to plan the tent land of the army. As a field training ground, everything here must be close to the field environment, the harsh semi-swamp reeds. Dang has also become a "treasure land" for training grounds. Millions of mu of reeds are a treasure place to train soldiers' ability to survive in the field.

After the simple transformation, the troops of the Royal Guards Army began to enter the training ground one after another for comprehensive training. Each month, and in the past two months, the training ground has been completely closed. Outside the training ground surrounded by barbed wire, there are soldiers patrol back and forth, and the "military heavy land, prohibited from entering" hanging on the barbed wire. On the warning sign, even a half-down person was added, which warned others that their lives might be in danger if they entered here. In fact, the troops responsible for the warning of the training ground also received orders to shoot to prevent others from entering.

Of course, all this is not known to outsiders, and the soldiers who know why they gave this order are "imprisoned" in the training ground and carry out heavy training at night.

"Left and right, left and right..."

At this time, on the coast of the training ground, on the sea nearly kilometers away from the land, hundreds of white boats were rowing towards the beach. The officers and soldiers who were struggling to row on the boat drank the trumpet from time to time, and the trumpet did not ring. In fact, the trumpet was only to coordinate the soldiers' rowing.

As the soldiers struggled to slide, the cold and piercing sea hit them. When the soldiers rowed the landing craft for nearly kilometers, their sleeves were wet, and most of their frozen lips were purple, but no one shouted anything, or expressed any dissatisfaction.

No country can understand a truth better than the Imperial Guards. The strength of the army depends on the strict discipline and the courage of the soldiers to live and die after giving orders. In this regard, unlike any army in Chinese history, the military army that created this empire can be said to have strict military discipline.

And if someone asks - what is military discipline maintained by? In a word, what maintains it is resorting to violence, the harshest violent punishment.

Violent punishment is full of all aspects of the Guards. For example, the clothes such as "the hat is crooked", "there is a button that I forgot to buckle", and from "I don't pay attention to the custody of weapons", "the room is not cleaned", "I didn't remember the norms", to "the whole team is slow", "the answer is slow", "the voice is low", "the movement is slow", "there is resistance" and so on. The reason why anything may be a punishment for a non-commissioned officer or an officer.

The habits left by Alcatraz Island have been completely transferred to the Imperial Guards Army. Among these disciplinary means, famping is the most common and commonly used means. Even the Army Staff has specially formulated some implementation rules for the execution of famping, how the executioner is executed and how the executed is executed. It is precisely the discipline that can be described as cruel that maintains the combat effectiveness of the Guards Army, and is even regarded as the source of the strength of the Guards by many officers.

Soldiers don't need to understand why they fight, but they must understand that in the disciplined force of the army, they pay attention to discipline. As soon as the order is issued, they must faithfully fulfill the order. Otherwise, the price they need to pay is what they can't afford.

"Wo..."

The white landing boat was moved by a group of soldiers. At the moment of hitting the beach, the soldiers with purple lips frozen by the cold sea did not hesitate at all. They immediately jumped off the sounce at the first time, jumped into the sea, and rushed forward in a muffled voice.

The dull charge, no cheers, no shouts, but just a carefree charge. At this time, the machine gun on the beach suddenly sounded, and the bullet flew almost against the soldiers' scalps. At the moment the machine gun hit, the whistle suddenly sounded, and the soldier who was charging, at the moment the gun whistled. Instinctively lying on the ground.

"Beep..."

Wei Ze, who was holding the military sentry, gave orders to his subordinates beside him. Maybe he was not an officer, but as a sergeant, when the position of the officers around him was unclear, he had to give full play to the sergeant's active surname.

The sad military whistle echoes in the air, and there is a whistle that only officers and soldiers can understand. The length of the whistle and the number of repetitions form different instructions to mobilize a platoon, a class, a group, attack in a certain direction, or get closer to me and accelerate forward. , stand by and so on. In the skill training of Guard soldiers, sentry training is a subject that everyone must complete. In the training process, almost everyone needs to pay a lesson of dozens of sticks.

Under the command of the military sentry, several soldiers immediately jumped up and advanced forward with cat guns. At the same time, there was a lot of gunfire on the beach. The submachine gunners and machine gunners aimed at the "enemy fortifications" on the beach. Use fire pressure to alternately cover the attack of the soldiers.

The soldiers approached dozens of meters away from the fortifications, and several long-handled weighted grenades were thrown out one after another.

"Boom! Boom..."

After several explosions, the machine gun was hoarse, and the soldier who had fallen down launched a charge again.

In the distance, looking at the scene in front of him, Xiao Qiren frowned slightly, and the first battalion of the first regiment of the first division, which served as the main task of grabbing the beach, still failed to meet his expectations.

"Report, sir, the rowing took 1 minute and 23 seconds, and the beach took 3 minutes and 47 seconds to seize the beach, expanding the position..."

In the staff officer's report, Xiao Yuren shook his head.

"75 points!"

In a word, when he spit it out of his mouth, the officers around him just trembled all over. Everyone understood that this meant that the first battalion, from the battalion commander to the subordinates, needed to be disciplined for not being trained.

After just a few minutes, the officers and soldiers of the first battalion wearing [[***] military uniforms lay on the beach. The beaten man's legs were separated, pressed his toes with both hands, straightened out his buttocks, and posed. Wei Ze, holding a stick in his hand, was gasping for breath.

"Oh!"

With a heavy shout, he waved his stick and hit it with all his strength. No matter how prepared you are, the moment the stick hits the buttocks, the person who is beaten will undoubtedly fall. But the soldiers who are punished must immediately get up, put on their original posture, and accept the second one.

The sound of meat echoed on the beach, and no one complained, first soldiers, then non-commissioned officers, and finally officers. Soldiers each of them twice, non-commissioned officers three times, officers five times!

"It's killing my old son!"

Wei Ze, who was hit by a three-military stick on his buttocks, grinned and scolded.

"What's the matter, Sergeant-in-commalt, I told you earlier that those gendarmes are ruthless. When we are executed, we should leave some strength. Damn, they are all right, ... Oh, my ass..."

Several sergeants who had just been tortured all grinned and hummed at that time. They executed the soldiers, and their men would leave some mercy. After all, the injury might hinder training, but the gendarmes sent by the headquarters were different. When the gendarmes attacked, they all wanted to use all their milk.

"Okay, don't squeak, wipe the bar quickly! I have to continue training in the afternoon..."

Xu spit out a sentence from Wei Ze's mouth. When he was talking, his left hand had taken out a bottle of falling wine from his pocket. If it was necessary for soldiers, one was a rifle and the other was a bayonet. Well, of course, the most important thing was this falling wine! It's not normal to serve in the Guards without a stick.

"One hundred people in the training camp, three years of service, three hundred sticks..."

When he said this sentence in his mouth, Wei Ze felt as if he had already received more than 400 sticks.

"In terms of being beaten, maybe I can retire twice..."

Thinking so in his heart, Wei Ze felt that his buttocks seemed to hurt a little more, the dog's gendarmerie.

At this moment, I only saw Li Qiu coming with a steel helmet in one hand and his buttocks in the other.

"Sergeant Major, the second battalion is under the sea. Everyone is betting on that. Do you want to bet..."

"Get out of here!"

After scolding, Wei Ze carried his trousers and walked towards the military camp in the distance with his trousers and a gun on his back. The training in the morning was completed. For him, there was another task, which was to send a letter. This was his promise to Qiu Niang that as long as he was alive, he would write a letter to him every day.

Who let the soldier's mail be free, and even every time he sends a seal, he will get two envelopes. The army has military envelopes, and the military mail is free, so that Qiu Niang can write to herself.

It's just that every letter sent here will be checked. Fortunately, no one cares about the two envelopes, otherwise... with a wry smile, Wei Ze, who was carrying a short rifle, just sighed.

"What are you writing today? You can't write about the training, let alone being spanked. Yes, ask how the boy's body is now..."

Thinking of his fat boy who was only born in March, Wei Ze's face squeezed out a smile, and he now has a son.

Thinking of his daughter-in-law and son, Wei Ze felt warm in his heart. Now he is a sergeant major. For soldiers, the sergeant is a bar. No matter how much he looks up, there is no room to go up. However, now the military pay in the camp is the highest, higher than that of the battalion commander. It is more than 70 yuan a month, which is enough for his wife and son to have a big family. Expenditure.

It's just... Thinking of himself as a third-level sergeant, Wei Ze sighed in the bottom of his heart. It's all in the past.

"Sergeant Secretary, write to our sister-in-law again..."

"That's not true, our threatened sergeant, that's love, and we have nothing to say to our sister-in-law..."

"That's right. If I become a sergeant, I have to raise at least three. No, I'm going to marry four daughters-in-law. We are in danger of the sergeant..."

"Get out of here..."

As soon as he arrived at the post office, Wei Ze, who was laughed at by his comrades-in-arms in the post office, laughed and scolded, but when he didn't finish the scolding, he looked at the people who walked into the post office and swallowed it back.

"Xiao... Hello, sir!"

When the words came to his mouth, Wei Ze quickly stood up and changed his mouth. The people at the welfare post office were also stunned and stood up to say hello one after another.

It was Xiao Yiren who walked into the post office, and Xiao Yiren looked at Wei Ze with a smile. For him, Xiao Yiren was not strange to him. In fact, he was not strange to the first batch of old people on Devil's Island, and until now he can call out the names of each of them.

"I saw your name on the roster, so I just want to see if it's the dangerous four wolves!"

Xiao Yuren said the nickname of the Devil's Island with a smile, because he had killed four wolves with his bare hands. At this time, people's eyes changed when they looked at Wei Ze. Who didn't know that Admiral Xiao was... Well, His Majesty's favorite general, even the army commander-in-chief, had to be polite when he saw him. During the Spring Festival, Admiral Xiao was the master who wanted to go to the palace to have New Year's Eve dinner with His Majesty, but now, to a sergeant... "What Question mark Send a letter to my sister-in-law!"

Looking at the letter in Wei Ze's hand, Xiao Yuren took the letter from his hand with a smile and looked at the address of the envelope first. It was the family village where the first division was stationed in Nanjing, and he waved at the messenger behind him.

"Let's take the special line! I can get to my sister-in-law tomorrow!"

Before Wei Ze recovered, Xiao Yiren patted him on the shoulder and then said.

"Let's go, let's go together!"

"Yes!"

The flattered mood in Wei Ze's heart has faded a lot, and he regards Xiao Yuren as an old man of Alcatraz Island.

"How's it going!"

When he walked out of the post office, Xiao Yan asked.

"It's okay, Qiu Niang gave birth to a big fat boy for me a year ago!"

"That relationship is good. I'll tell your majesty later!"

"Huh?"

Xiao Yuliang's words only stunned Wei Ze. What did he say to His Majesty?

"You are an old man from Alcatraz. You should write a letter to Your Majesty. Your Majesty is also willing to see your letter!"

"Oh...oh..."

Wei Ze nodded blankly. Does Your Majesty really remember those brothers on the island?

"Don't doubt, do you remember Dong Haotian?"

"Remember, he is the eleventh wolf killer!"

Wei Ze nodded, and one sentence also revealed the difference between Alcatraz Island and other places. Only five hundred and ninety-three old people on the Devil's Island had the experience of killing wolves with bare hands. When talking, Wei Ze couldn't help touching the silver ring in his hand. This is the "wolf ring" of the old man on Alcatraz Island. It's just that Wei Ze's and other People are different. In addition to the ferocious wolf head on the ring, there are three wolf heads on the ring ring, which is also the proof of the four wolves.

"He is now in the eleventh division, and that boy is shrewd!"

"Hmm! That boy has a fierce spirit in his bones, and his brain is quick to learn!"

He nodded, and Dong Haotian's appearance appeared in Wei Ze's mind.

"Now he is a first-class sergeant!"

Glance at the second-level sergeant leader of Wei Ze's collar. There are some regrets in Xiao Yu's tone. People's encounters are always like this. At the beginning, on the Devil's Island, Wei Ze was the captain. Originally, he had the opportunity to become an officer, but in the end... He was just a sergeant. Maybe in the future, he could become a first-class sergeant, very He became the commander-in-chief, but no matter what, the guards owed him.

"When he got married last year, he wrote a letter to His Majesty. Later, His Majesty and the Queen specially sent him a gift, five hundred and ninety-three, not many people are still alive..."

With a slight sigh, Xiao Yu's words changed.

"This time we are going to fight a hard battle. At that time, how many people will die and how many people will live, no one knows, so..."

He turned his head and looked at Wei Ze beside him, but Wei Ze stood upright.

"A soldier of the Imperial Guards, being able to die in battle is the glory of my generation!"

But Xiao Yuren shook his head, and the look in his eyes became a little complicated.

"If I can, I don't want to die alone, but..."

There is always a death in a war.

"I'll write a letter to Your Majesty later. You have a big fat boy. This is a happy event. You are an old man on Alcatraz Island. Your Majesty is also a family. In the future, if there is one, at least... Qiu Niang's son is better!"

After this sentence, Wei Ze stopped talking. In fact, he knew that this time was absolutely different from the past. After all... This is an attack on Japan, and it's still... "Well, let's not talk about anything else,"

At the last look at Wei Ze's seal, Xiao Yuren only felt a burst of thorns.

"If you can survive after this battle, even if you don't want it in the name of the marshal, I will fight for a name for you. The Guard still owes you an explanation!"

"Thank you...thank you, sir!"

Listening to this, Wei Ze's eyes were hot. He didn't expect that Officer Xiao would remember himself, let alone that the officer could say such a sentence.

"There's nothing to thank or not to thank you. This is what I owe you. In this life, if it's your debt, I won't pay it back. I'm afraid I won't be stable even if I die!"

With that, Xiao Yuren smiled and then seemed to remember something.

"You have a big fat boy, and I don't have anything good here, like this..."

As he said, Xiao Jian took off his saber from his waist.

"For more than a year, Your Majesty has given me five or six swords. I'm afraid there is no shortage of this pillar city of the country and so on! Today, let's borrow flowers to offer Buddha and give it to my eldest nephew as a gift. Don't refuse!"

With one sentence, he interrupted Wei Ze and opened his mouth to think back. He grabbed the Western-style saber with one hand and stuffed it into Wei Ze's hand.

"Thank you, sir!"

This is the dissatisfaction that has been pressing on the bottom of Wei Ze's heart for the past two years. Even if there are thousands of grievances, it disperses with Xiao Yuren's words and the transfer of this majesty's sword, and even Wei Ze feels that he wants to float.

"Thank you!"

Xiao Yuren smiled and then pointed to a centipede-like wound on Wei Ze's face dug out by the wolf's claws.

"Four wolves, if you say thank you, Your Majesty, each of us should thank these old brothers. They are all emperors. The Imperial Guards Army has created the empire, but you are the founder of the Royal Guards Army. If you want to say thank you, this country will thank you!"

Speaking of this, Xiao Yu's eyes were half closed and looked at the sea level in the distance. Only rowing boats could be seen on the sea level. In a trance, he felt that he seemed to have returned to the Devil's Island, as if he had come out of the Devil's Island, and he had never returned to that place.

"Your officer, raise me and wait!"

I don't know what to say is good. Wei Ze just answered like this. When he spoke, he looked at the sword given by His Majesty with great interest. The sword is the kind of Western-style cavalry knife. On the protective ring of the jinned knife handle is an angry dragon with teeth and claws. The handle is the kind of shark skin, and the workmanship of the sword is very exquisite.

Your Majesty's sword is higher than the highest honor of every guard soldier, and has always been regarded as the highest honor of a soldier. I'm afraid that among the 1.6 million guards, it is only Officer Xiao who can give his Majesty's sword to others at will like now. Who let him be your majesty's absolute cronies. He doesn't need to have so many worries.

"Do it well, old man. I promise that after this battle, everything that belongs to you will be fought back for you!"

After saying this, Xiao Yuren turned around and left, leaving Wei Ze standing there alone.

(to be continued)