Crimson Dawn

Chapter 93

There are two types of floods, one is short-term and the other is long-term.The results of these two situations are completely different.After short-term floods, sand is left on the ground, and after long-term floods, clay is left on the ground.This is the result of the mixture being mixed in the flood, resulting in different sedimentation patterns as the water stagnates for different periods of time.

The Anhui flood in 1906 was the latter.After the two-month torrential rain finally stopped, the originally solid ground had completely softened, and a large amount of water had seeped into the originally soft ground, and it was covered with a thick layer of mud, completely turning into mud pond.The grass and crops on the ground have long been completely soaked to death, and even the remaining debris is covered under thick mud.Those left on the ground are all aquatic plants.After the flood receded, a small part of these plants that used to exist in the water did not flow along the water, but were left in the mud, dying under the scorching sun, or simply died.And these other fungi and algae are multiplying vigorously.These tiny creatures are thriving, covering large swaths of the swamp with a thin green.The air is full of humidity, mixed with the strong fishy smell emitted by these microorganisms.Under these greens, fish corpses can be seen from time to time. They were also left on the swamp, and then slowly died of lack of oxygen in the mud as the water disappeared.Because even the scavengers were wiped out after the flood, the carcasses of the fish were relatively intact.

But no one is interested in these things, those fish corpses have long been soaked like mud, but there is no external force to change their shape.A small party was wading through the mud left by the flood in a light boat.When the oars or the wooden poles of the punting occasionally touched these dead fish, a large piece of their flesh was immediately taken off, revealing their white skeletons.

He Zudao and six comrades were traveling through the mud in a boat equipped with wooden skids. After the flood, the original road could not be found at all.In some places, boats can still be sailed, and in more places, people can only rely on people to drag small boats converted into mud skids.Every step is deep and shallow, and I have no idea what the next step will encounter.Sometimes it just suddenly fell into the swamp.Every comrade has a strong hemp rope tied around his waist, and the other end of the rope is tied to the boat.If you are really in danger, you can save your life by relying on the rope.

There are two ways to go to Yuezhangji, one is to go west along the Huaihe River, and then go north to reach the destination through the lake.The other is to go all the way west from the county seat, passing through the disaster area that has been turned into a swamp to reach the destination.The insurance group dispatched two teams, one led by Yuwen Batu and Hua Xiongmao by boat, while He Zudao traveled by land.The reason for taking this difficult road is definitely not because Chen Ke is full.After several meetings, the secretary committee finally decided to take Yuezhangji as the first goal.The attack on Tuweizi in Yuezhangji will be the first official military operation of the People's Party, and the marching route must be determined first in the early stage.

There are many bamboo poles on the boat, and red cloth strips are tied on the pole ends.He Zudao They inserted this kind of marker in a relatively solid place, the purpose is to guide the future land march.It wasn't just the dwarf plants submerged under the water that were soaked to death, even the trees were not spared after two months of soaking.After the water receded and lost its buoyant support, the trees with not deep roots had already fallen in this muddy pond.Those that barely managed to keep from falling were also crooked.He Zudao pushed the big tree in front of him hard, and the elm tree stood upright, but He Zudao, a relatively thin young man, had already made it crooked, and the roots of the tree were exposed from the mud, and He Zudao jumped quickly Come and go.He and his comrades watched the tree crashing into the muddy water. The idiomatic term to describe a big tree is "deep roots and luxuriant leaves", but the roots that were exposed were not very big, and the roots that should have been strong were white like radishes. The color, when you pinch it with your fingers, it will be crisp and broken.The roots of the trees have been soaked like this, how can such land be cultivated?

After He Zudao arrived in Anhui, he was either in the county town or on a boat, and had never been to the countryside.So he was very angry when he learned that the landlord of Yue Zhangji threatened to attack the grain of the insurance group, and felt that the landlord named Zhang Youliang was too arrogant.But seeing such a land with his own eyes, he could at least understand why Chen Ke was worried about the landlord instigating the common people.

Looking around, there is no human habitation at all within sight.All you could see was the swamp.A group of people are the military backbone of the Second Company, and Yuezhangji is only a few dozen miles away from the county seat. With everyone's marching ability, it is time to arrive.As a result, after walking all morning, the county town was long gone.And Yuezhangji, which is tens of miles away from the county seat, is even invisible.What is left between heaven and earth is this seemingly endless swamp.It's like this swamp has existed here forever since the beginning of the world.

The sun was shining on his head, and the water was steaming under his feet, He Zudao felt dry mouth instead.He took a bamboo tube from a boat converted into a mud skid, pulled off the cork, and gulped it down.Don't look at the water everywhere, but let alone drink the water, just smell the smell, the fishy smell makes people very uncomfortable.So the "tap water" in the bamboo tube looks so sweet at this time.Seeing He Zudao rolled into a "mud monkey" and began to drink water, other comrades who were like "mud monkeys" like He Zudao also gathered around to get water to drink.

Chen Ke mentioned the "water source pollution problem". If production is to be resumed here, not to mention how to deal with the muddy pond, drinking water for personnel is a big problem.Don't even think about digging wells, water can only be brought in from outside.Without the waterworks that Chen Ke built in the county, He Zudao couldn't imagine how to survive in this stretch of muddy pond.There is an insurance group of nearly a thousand under the People's Party, plus thousands of family members who have organized the insurance group, this force can be described as "a lot of people."But how many people can a county seat have?There are more farmers in other places. When tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people come to find food, what use are these thousands of people?

After only a morning's trek, He Zudao confirmed one thing. In this extraordinary period, the forces that tried to take the lead like Yue Zhangji must be cut off.

"Political commissar, this is the only way to go. What if we don't arrive at night? Can this boat sleep a few of us?" A soldier put down the bamboo tube and asked.

"If we can't make it during the day, let's go at night. They said we have to go to Yuezhangji before dawn tomorrow." He Zudao didn't want to rest at all.

Marching in this kind of swamp takes a lot of energy.When several comrades heard what He Zudao said, they all felt that it was a bit too harsh. "Political commissar, it's not that we don't try our best. This place is too difficult to get out of."

He Zudao could understand the thoughts of the comrades. He put the bamboo tube back into the boat, and then said: "If it is not because it is difficult to walk, why should we let us go? Isn't it because we believe that we will be able to achieve our goals? We are not doing it for ourselves. Let's go, thousands of people behind us are waiting for us to report good news. We can't bear such hardships, can we be worthy of those folks behind us?"

Hearing what He Zudao said, everyone fell silent.There were people from Yue Zhangji in the team, all ordinary people who were kept out of the enclosure by Zhang Youliang during the flood. If they hadn't been taken back to the county town by the People's Party and their families, their bones might not be found now.But after all, comrades have never traveled such a road. To be honest, if it weren't for the rescue of the People's Party, many of them would have never even been to the county town dozens of miles away.Not to mention following the insurance group to transport grain hundreds of miles away.For these fighters who were ordinary farmers a few months ago, this was something beyond imagination, and they had never even heard of it.

The soldiers are very simple. Since the People's Party can save them, they will have food to eat after joining, and they can even provide enough rations for their families.These people are willing to sacrifice their lives for the People's Party just to survive.Since He Zudao, who has a high prestige in everyone's mind, personally leads the team, everyone will recognize it.

Seeing that everyone was convinced, He Zudao went on to say: "Then let's have a meeting to discuss, based on what we saw this morning, which places are better to go, and we can go faster in the afternoon and spend less effort to explore the way."

Compared with He Zudao and the others, Hua Xiongmao and Yu Wenba were much easier to travel by water.By this time their ship had arrived at its destination.Near a "wharf" in Yuezhangji.From a distance, I saw a tall earth enclosure standing in the distance.The soil enclosure is built on a high slope with a masonry structure.Northern Anhui is the lair of Li Hongzhang's Huai Army, and most of these enclosures were built by retired Huai Army officers.These Huai Army officers were either born as local landlords, or they made great military achievements when they followed Li Hongzhang to pacify the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Nian Army, and became landlords after returning home.There are many bandits in northern Anhui. On the one hand, the construction of the soil fence can prevent bandits. On the other hand, through the construction of this kind of soil fence, these retired military officers can control the power in the village.After all, these military officers also followed Li Hongzhang to fight everywhere, and their organizational ability was much stronger than that of the landowners in the countryside.After they took control of the power in the countryside, they sent their children to the Beiyang Army by supporting their contacts, which became a way out for the children in these places.Historically, Duan Qirui was known as the "Wan Clan", not only because he was from Anhui, but many of his troops were from northern Anhui.

The security on the "dock" is very strict.After all, many of the "commanders" in Tuweizi are retired soldiers, and they still have some basic organizational skills.Moreover, according to the People's Party's investigation, the landlord Zhang Youliang did not cultivate land at all, and his land was leased to others for cultivation.A lot of information pointed out that the landlord Zhang Youliang seemed to be the backbone behind a group of bandits.

The party flag of the People's Party is planted on the bow, which is very eye-catching.From a distance, people on the pier saw that Hua Xiongmao had excellent eyesight, and he saw someone running back into the enclosure to report the news.Others on the pier are already waiting.It's really a bit like an enemy.

"What are you doing?" The insurance group's ships failed to land, and two small boats had already sailed out, blocking the front of the insurance group.The people on the bow shouted loudly: "Who are you?"

"We are members of the insurance group in the county. Let's pay a visit to Zhang Youliang, Mr. Zhang." Hua Xiongmao's voice was clear and clear, and it spread far away.

The other party didn't expect Hua Xiongmao to be so direct, and he was taken aback before asking, "What's the matter with you visiting Mr. Zhang?"

"Many of our people in Yuezhangji went to the county to escape when the water broke out. Now that the water has receded, we thought that everyone must eat and not starve to death. But there is not enough food. We want to discuss with Mr. Zhang and let Everyone come back. Let everyone plant the land of Yue Zhangji together, so there is no need to collect rent. At least some food can be grown, so that everyone can survive this disaster year." When Hua Xiongmao shouted this, he used With enough confidence, the voice is bright and far away.Not only the people on the two small boats opposite could hear clearly, but also those on the shore could hear clearly.

Everyone was taken aback after hearing this, and then a burst of laughter immediately rang out.There were all sorts of ridicule.

"Don't pay the rent? Let's plant the land of Yue Zhangji together? Haha, hahahaha!"

"You still don't pay the rent for farming? The people in the insurance group are stupid!"

"Hey, who do you think Mr. Zhang is?"

These laughing sounds were made by people holding weapons or even firecrackers and shotguns. Presumably, these people should be the guards of this Tuweizi, or simply the bandits who are said to be closely related to the landlord Zhang Youliang.Most of those who were unarmed and just standing by didn't smile, but looked at Hua Xiongmao in astonishment.

Hua Xiongmao didn't care about these laughter at all. He looked at the man on the opposite boat who looked at him like a monster and continued to shout: "Anyway, we also traveled dozens of miles to get here. Brother, please go Let me know."

Chapter 93

No. 93, to URL