Traveler Major League

Chapter 302: One Generation Suffers the Sufferings of Three Generations
"I'll come find you sometime to continue that game of chess."

Zhu Zongliang recalled what Lao Yu said before he left, holding the note with his address on it.

In the Ming Dynasty world where material conditions are scarce, the developed third world always arouses endless imagination and goodwill.

After arriving in Laishui County, this group of former prodigies: the Tai students, had the main job to go down to the villages and towns, helping with farm work with the farmers during the day, planting trees and digging river dams when there was no farm work, and also doing part-time jobs like teaching literacy and working as barefoot doctors, etc. As the radio said, their job was to help backward rural areas improve infrastructure construction, such as housing, education, medical care, etc., to promote local industrial development, to go deep into the countryside, to directly contact farmers, to understand their needs, and to provide practical help and support.

All things are difficult at the beginning, let alone in the current Ming Dynasty world. In order to solve the problem that some scholars cannot support themselves and have insufficient housing, such as in Zhu Zongliang's district, they will be settled in a unified manner, receive centralized training and education, and then be sent to villages and towns in batches in turn.

This also makes life more fulfilling and more difficult.

The only third world technological creations were the solar street lamps and radios in each village. The novelty brought by these high-tech items did not last long, because at night, they still had to use the light to write various records and reports of their experiences.

This busyness almost makes them lose their sense of time.

Life was also very hard. On average, each person had only five cents of oil per month, and animal oil was usually insufficient, so at least half of it had to be replaced with vegetable oil.

Originally in the capital, one could get some food from time to time to satisfy one's hunger, but here, everything is rationed, and one eats from a big pot. In addition, the vegetables are usually cooked first and the oil is added later. If there is little oil, it can only gather into a few small clumps on the surface of the soup.

So once the gong sounded for the meal, everyone rushed to the canteen, and those who were left at the back could only make do with boiled cabbage and eggplant in clear water.

The only thing to be thankful for is that the supply of rice and flour is sufficient. Each person can get 42 kilograms per month. It seems like a lot, but without oily and non-staple foods, it seems too little.

Everyone does heavy physical work every day, and their appetites get bigger and bigger. They get hungry before mealtime and can only wait for the two days of rest each month to rush to Laishui County to buy some meat.

In the village below, although scholars were always taken care of in one way or another, the amount provided by the farmers' association was not enough for this group of people. With only twenty or so yuan a month per person, they were truly rich people in the village.

For rural people who have been accustomed to hardship and digging for food in the soil for generations, having money but not being able to spend it is more like a torment.

It has not rained for another half year, and the mountains are bare. In the agricultural era, there was no place with green hills and clear waters in this densely populated area, let alone this hill which is less than a hundred meters high. Even the beasts on the mountain are fat and have no oil or water.

Putting down his burden and pouring the water in the bucket onto the roots of the saplings, Zhu Zongliang took a deep breath.

Although the meaning of this truth is mentioned on the radio every day, when you are here, you feel so insignificant compared to this vast bald mountain. People lack water, and they still have to plant trees and dig canals, which is exhausting.

"Zhu Zongliang! Someone is looking for you!"

Hearing the shouting, Zhu Zongliang wondered who was looking for him. A few months had passed in a blink of an eye, and he had become accustomed to this hard life of labor.

When he reached the foot of the mountain and saw Lao Yu, he suddenly realized that it was him.

"Young comrade, you look completely different now?" Old Yu looked at Zhu Zongliang, who was covered in dirt, with his hair tied up with a few strands stuck together, and his neat straight gown replaced by a sweat-soaked short shirt.

"Old sir, I never thought you would come to see me." Zhu Zongliang bowed.

"We still have a game of chess to play." Old Yu traveled between Ming Dynasty and the Third World many times in the past few months and gradually adapted to it. This place is indeed a bit like the world of his youth. The entire society is in the process of transforming from agriculturalization to industrialization.

When one generation suffers the consequences of three generations.

Regardless of all this, Lao Yu still had a good impression of this young scholar whom he had only met once.

Zhu Zongliang was also very excited. There were few strangers in this remote place, let alone people from the third world. He turned to his companions and said, "We have guests. Let's ask everyone to help get some food on the mountain. Come to our dormitory to eat in the evening." After hearing this, everyone went around the mountain to look for food. It was time to have a good meal.

The two chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they were at the foot of the mountain. The dormitory area was empty, as it was not yet time to get off work. Only a few skinny black pigs as thin as dogs were running around.

When they arrived at the dormitory, they pushed the door open. There was nothing else here and there was no need to lock the door, so Old Yu, who was already exhausted, sat down to rest. Zhu Zongliang took off his shorts, took a shower, washed his dirty clothes, and hung them on the clothesline at the door.

"You are quite skillful, young man." Old Yu exclaimed in admiration when he saw that Zhu Zongliang looked a little more rustic than he was a few months ago.

"There's nothing I can do. Old sir, please sit here and take a rest. I'll go get some food and entertain you tonight."

He went straight to the kitchen and asked the cook to take out the remaining three grams of oil for this month and get some more vegetables.

"What's going on? Are there guests coming?" asked the cook.

"That's right, an old man from the third world came to see me and handed me the two cabbages and the onions." Zhu Zongliang nodded.

"Wait, I'll scoop out your oil first." The cook took out the key, opened the locked cabinet, scooped three spoonfuls of oil with a spoon, one spoonful for one penny, poured it into the empty bowl and handed it over. "Third world oil, that's terrible, go ahead."

After returning to the dormitory, Zhu Zongliang was cutting vegetables and chatting with Lao Yu.

"Your place is really nice, with a great environment and nice people." Lao Yu said with emotion.

"There's dirt everywhere. You have to eat two ounces of dirt when you go out. The big pot of food makes your stomach swell with acid. There's no shortage of food, but there's a shortage of oil and water. There's endless work to do every day. Old man, it's nothing like the third world over there."

"We've had these hard times, too."

"Have you ever had such a day?"

"Yes, we suffered for decades when the country was first founded, and things have only gradually gotten better in the last twenty years," said Lao Yu with emotion.

"It's going to be a few decades of suffering. How many decades can a person have in this life?"

"Yes, when the country was first founded, it was similar to this. One generation suffered the hardships of three generations, so that the next generation would not have to suffer. Xiao Zhu, what do you think?"

"If that's the case, then it's fine. It's just hardship, which is much better than what is written in the History of Ming Dynasty. Sometimes I feel contented when I think about it. At least I'm still alive. Let's not talk about these things." Zhu Zongliang regretted complaining about the money and work in front of Lao Yu, as if he was showing that he was very dissatisfied with his life.

At least we don’t have to worry about the plague, war, or having no food to eat. So what is there to worry about?
Zhu Zongliang's men cut the vegetables faster and finished them in just a few strokes. There was still some time before the end of the work. "Old man, shall we continue our game of chess?"

"Of course I need to say that. Come on, come on, put it on. Do you still remember the chess moves at that time?"

"Of course I know. All the games I have played are recorded in my mind." Zhu Zongliang is very confident. He has a special skill in Go. Just like taking a photo, he can record the endgame in his mind and arrange the chess pieces quickly.

The black and white pieces were crisscrossed and moved back and forth seamlessly. Every time Lao Yu thought for a long time before placing a black piece, Zhu Zongliang would not give him a moment to breathe, and the white pieces that came right after would make Lao Yu fall into deep thought again.

After losing two games in a row, Lao Yu knew that he was definitely no match for him, but he didn't want to admit defeat and lose face, so he took out a trick, took out his mobile phone, opened the Go software, chose the most difficult 9th dan AI, and used the mobile phone AI to deal with him.

Even so, Zhu Zongliang continued to attack fiercely. Old Yu was puzzled and asked, "Where did you learn this chess skill? It's so amazing?"

(End of this chapter)