Chapter 409: Finding a Way Through Connections

In the days that followed, Banggeng and others gradually adapted to the life of carrying water.

Because carrying water is really hard work, they are reluctant to waste water when brushing their teeth or washing their faces, and each person only uses a teacup of water.

Later, the six educated youth had a clear division of labor. The male educated youth were responsible for fetching water and collecting materials, while the female educated youth were responsible for cooking and washing clothes.

When the busy season of spring ploughing and sowing arrived, the six educated youth from the big cities were exhausted because they had never done such heavy physical work since they were young.

They are responsible for carrying manure and baskets, pulling the plow and tilling the land. At the end of the day, they are too lazy to even hold the bowls for eating, let alone cooking.

Fortunately, the educated youth had food supplied by the national treasury, so they did not have to dig wild vegetables or worry about food.

After spring ploughing and sowing, and autumn harvest and sowing, the educated youth have basically experienced the hardest labor in the countryside. They have gradually adapted to the harsh living environment here and have become very skilled at carrying water and carrying loads.

Although Shaliangba Brigade also sows winter wheat, the slopes are dry and many wheat seedlings are frozen to death in winter. The yield per acre is unlikely to reach 100 kilograms. When encountering winter drought, sometimes even the wheat seeds cannot be harvested.

So, wheat is rarely grown in Shaliangba Brigade.

In the first year, the educated youth had commercial grain and a little white flour every month. The local villagers could not eat white flour at all except for the dumplings on New Year’s Eve and the white flour buns on New Year’s Day.

Every time the educated youth ate white flour buns, they would send them to the children and the elderly in the village to try.

In the blink of an eye, it was early autumn of that year, and the educated youth were about to run out of food rations, and the others were worried.

Banggeng did not sit still and wait for death. He immediately ran to the brigade headquarters and told Secretary Sun about the situation.

Secretary Sun said that the team only had some wheat seeds and spare spring seeds, and no extra reserve grain.

Fortunately, there were sweet potato leaves, purslane and some wild vegetables in the fields to fill our stomachs, so we did not starve.

In the days before the autumn harvest, the educated youth were completely starved of food and were worried about having no rice to cook.

Secretary Sun came to the collective household of the educated youths carrying half a bag of cornmeal and a dozen eggs, and said with a smile: "Eat this cornmeal first. In ten days or so, new food will be available. No matter how difficult it is, you will never go hungry with the villagers here."

Seeing the cornmeal that Secretary Sun brought back, Banggeng was somewhat shocked. He had been a selfish person since he was young, and he could not imagine that someone was thinking about others when his family was still hungry. So he said, "Secretary Sun, you brought all the cornmeal to us, what are you going to eat?"

Secretary Sun smiled and said, "My family has enough to eat. My family has enough to eat."

The next day at noon, Banggeng and Liu Yulan went to Secretary Sun's house to deliver bags of noodles.

When I saw Secretary Sun's family of four having lunch, I discovered that they were eating vegetable dumplings and drinking cornmeal porridge, which was so thin that you could see your reflection in it.

Seeing that scene, Liu Yulan was so moved that she burst into tears on the spot.

Bang Geng looked at the scene in front of him in disbelief. He didn't understand how there could be such a stupid person who would rather suffer himself than take care of others.

In fact, Banggeng and the other educated youth didn’t know.

The per capita food rations of these educated youth were the highest in Shaliangba Brigade, and their food rations were one-third more than that of ordinary members' families.

It was just that the educated youth did not know how to arrange the use of food properly that led to the famine.

The members of the cooperative start digging and eating wild vegetables in the spring, including artemisia annua, shepherd's purse, green onion, and purslane. They also dry some of what can be dried in case of emergency.

In early summer, locust flowers and elm leaves are mixed with cornmeal to make steamed buns, and even radish tops and sweet potato leaves in autumn are dried and stored for emergency use. It is because of this that the villagers will not go hungry.

In the autumn of that year, two educated youth who came with Banggeng at the same time chose to enlist in the army and left the Shaliangba Brigade.

Before leaving Shaliangba, they, together with Banggeng and others, went to the ditch in front of the village to look at the well where the members got water. Everyone had long wanted to dig the well deeper, but there was hard rock underneath, and pickaxes and hoes could not dig it at all.

The problem of drinking water for the villagers has always been the biggest issue that the educated youth wanted to solve.

As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. With the departure of the two familiar friends, Shazhouba has welcomed several new faces.

Given the senior status of Banggeng and others in the team, and the fact that they were the only two remaining male educated youth, it was natural for Banggeng to be elected as the leader of this group of educated youth and shoulder the heavy responsibility of captain.

…………

In December 69, Yi Yuanchao, a "sent-down youth" who had just gone to the countryside, enlisted in the Second Guard Division of the Beijing Garrison District of the Xia People's Liberation Army and became a glorious soldier of the Xia People's Liberation Army.

Of course, Yi Yuanchao’s ability to join the Second Guard Division was inseparable from Liu Zhiye’s great support.

Liu Zhiye and his wife were very fond of this boy, but Yi Yuanchao's arrival was not entirely due to their personal feelings. He was an outstanding young man, kind-hearted and excellent in academics, but his fate was unfortunate and his studies were forced to be interrupted.

For the sake of his son Yi Yuanchao's future, Yi Zhonghai was willing to humble himself and personally go to Liu Zhiye to ask for help.

Liu Zhiye saw that Yi Yuanchao was a promising talent and did not want to let him sink into despair, so he decided to lend a helping hand and let him join the army, hoping that he would continue to hone and grow in the army.

However, once Liu Haizhong heard about this, he began to plan.

His third son, Liu Guangtian, also embarked on the journey to the countryside this year, although he was usually distant from his other children.

But if I think about the future achievements of my own bloodline, it will be a happy thing after all.

Therefore, he and Yi Zhonghai tried to inquire indirectly and after confirming that it was Liu Zhiye who was behind the scenes, a new plan came into his mind.

After the training of new recruits, Yi Yuanchao was assigned to the second squad of the first platoon of the fourth company of the second battalion of the engineering corps, to build and excavate war-ready caves. The troops were stationed in Xishangou, a suburb of Beijing, where there are towering mountains and lush green trees. The hillsides are full of persimmon trees. In autumn, the trees are hung with large orange-yellow tomatoes that look like small lanterns, which are very beautiful.

Less than a week after Yi Yuanchao joined the company, he heard that an 18-year-old soldier from Huanren had just finished blasting in a cave. The safety officer had not yet checked the cave, but he rushed into the cave with a shovel in his hand, braving the smoke of gunpowder without wearing a helmet and without anyone's permission. As a result, he was hit on the head by a rock that fell from the ceiling and fell in a pool of blood.

Before Yi Yuanchao and several new recruits entered the cave to work, the company commander gave them a very serious safety education based on bloody cases.

The cave excavation was divided into three shifts. Yi Yuanchao's first time entering the cave was the night shift, and the day shift was responsible for rock drilling and blasting.

Yi Yuanchao and his comrades put on safety helmets and waited outside the cave with long flat shovels in their hands. When several loud explosions were heard in the cave, gunpowder smoke immediately filled the cave.

As the blower spread outward, Yi Yuanchao and several of his comrades did not wait for the smoke to clear. They got carried away and forgot the company commander's safety instructions. They rushed into the cave without caring whether there was any danger. As a result, the squad leader and safety officer shouted at them, "You are killing yourself!"

When the smoke and dust in the cave cleared, the squad leader and safety officer entered the cave fully armed with long iron rods and flashlights to eliminate the danger. Only then did Yi Yuanchao and a few others carefully follow the squad leader into the cave.

They were divided into two groups, each with 6 people. Each group was equipped with a small four-wheel dump truck. Before blasting the cave, they laid iron plates on the ground of the rock wall at the blasting surface. The rock debris from the blasting fell on the iron plates, making it much easier to shovel. Even in the cold winter, Yi Yuanchao and others only wore shorts and worked shirtless.

There were two dump trucks side by side in the cave, loading at the same time. They were using flat shovels to load slag onto the dump trucks on both sides of the trucks. The big rocks could not be shoveled away, so they could only grit their teeth, pick them up, and load them into the trucks with their bulging stomachs. They were scrambling for the slag.

Yi Yuanchao had a white towel around his neck and wiped his sweat from time to time. He took turns loading and pushing the cart, and soon he was sweating profusely.

The new recruits, each of them as energetic as a little tiger, loaded and unloaded the trucks.

After the dump truck was full, Yi Yuanchao and another comrade quickly pushed the dump truck out of the cave.

It was his first time pushing a cart, and he was in a hurry to go fast. He did not brake in time when he arrived at the unloading point, and he and the dump truck almost rolled down the slope together, which scared Yi Yuanchao so much that he broke out in a cold sweat.

The two groups competed with each other to see how fast they could move the debris. After working for an unknown amount of time, the debris was finally moved away. Yi Yuanchao and his team wrung out towels to wipe their sweaty bodies, walked out of the cave with the joy of victory, and looked up at the starry sky, filled with joy.

They returned to the base on a Jiefang brand truck. The kitchen staff had already prepared delicious shredded pork noodles and toiletries for them.

Yi Yuanchao no longer cared about anything. He suddenly felt weak and exhausted all over. He closed his eyes, fell headfirst onto the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

One day, Yi Yuanchao and his team took a car to the cave to work the night shift, and more than a dozen logs were temporarily delivered to the cave.

They loaded the logs onto the car, temporarily secured them with ropes, and prepared to set off.

At this time, two comrades ignored the strict rule that "people and goods cannot be mixed" and climbed onto the bus and stood on one side of the car. Yi Yuanchao hurriedly called them to get off, but the two comrades thought it was okay and refused to get off.

There was really no other way, Yi Yuanchao had to follow them, and then took another car along the rugged mountain road into the mountains.

The car was swaying as it drove along the mountain road, bouncing left and right against the handrails. It was pitch black all the way, with only the headlights to provide light.

At this time, Yi Yuanchao and others suddenly found that the logs on the car in front were rapidly spreading and sliding down.

"Oh no! Stop the car! Stop the car!"

The driver of the car in front also noticed the situation and stopped the car by applying emergency brakes.

The two comrades in the car were screaming as they were driven by the log and spun around. In an instant, the log slid to the ground and they both collapsed in the car, almost losing their lives.

Upon examination, it was found that both of them had multiple bruises and swellings on their bodies, but fortunately they both survived.

Since then, such accidents have never happened again.

Yi Yuanchao also gradually adapted to military life. Because he was a good student and well-educated, he taught himself in the army and soon made a name for himself in the engineering corps.

In the barracks and training grounds, you can always see slogans such as "Don't be afraid of hardship, don't be afraid of death", "Dig deep holes, store up food, don't seek hegemony" and so on.

More than 5 officers and soldiers of the Engineering Corps went to Xishangou in the suburbs of Beijing in May last year.

From then on began an eight-year battle journey of national defense engineering construction, "holding a gun in one hand and a pickaxe in the other; able to fight in wartime and construct in peacetime."

…………

In the courtyard of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, the youthful atmosphere has quietly faded since the beginning of the year.

Many young faces, such as Yi Yuanchao, Liu Guangtian, Bang Geng, Yan Jiekuang and Yan Zhaodi, embarked on the journey to the countryside, leaving only some children who had not reached the age threshold to play in the yard.

Therefore, the No. 95 Courtyard, which was once bustling, now seems exceptionally quiet, lacking the hustle and bustle and vitality of the past, with only a few breezes left, shuttling through the empty courtyard.

Ever since Liu Haizhong became the team leader, he has started to act arrogantly. He ignores all the neighbors in the yard except his immediate boss Xu Damao.

However, today he had a request for help. Liu Haizhong had no choice but to lower his status and spend a lot of money. He took two bottles of "Yanshan" and went to Old Yan's house.

"Is Old Yan at home?" Liu Haizhong asked, and walked into Yan's house without any courtesy.

When the third aunt saw Liu Haizhong approaching, a hint of impatience flashed across her eyes, but the corners of her mouth quickly curled up into a smile, and she said briskly: "Oh, Team Leader Liu is here, we are such an honored guest today!"

"Haha, look at what you said. Our two families have been friends for many years. It's normal for me to come and visit and chat with Old Yan." Liu Haizhong laughed dryly. He was well aware of the recent tension between the two families. This problem was probably caused by himself.

Yan Bugui moved upon hearing the sound and walked out of the house. He had been having a leisurely time lately and spent most of his time at home.

"Old Liu, what can I do for you today?" Yan Bugui wiped his glasses lightly, his tone containing a hint of casualness and curiosity.

Liu Haizhong held two bottles of fine wine in his hands, gently placed them in Yan Bugui's hands, and said with a smile: "This is a good thing. Please ask my sister-in-law to prepare some small dishes. Let's talk while we drink. This is a long story."

Upon hearing this, the third aunt's gaze involuntarily turned to Yan Bugui.

Yan Bugui thought to himself that he had no shortage of food and wine for this meal, but he was curious about what Liu Haizhong was planning this time: "Go ahead, prepare some delicious food and wine, Lao Liu and I will definitely have a great time."

The third aunt nodded: "Okay! Then you two can chat, I'll go to the market to buy some vegetables. We have nothing at home now..."

Liu Haizhong responded with a smile: "Hey, I'm really causing trouble for my sister-in-law..."

…………

After the three aunts had carefully prepared three dishes and a pot of fresh soup, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui sat leisurely on the edge of the kang, raising their glasses to drink.

"Old Liu, let's just say whatever we have to say, brothers. Don't beat around the bush!" Yan Bu couldn't help but say.

Lieutenant General Liu Hai drank the wine in his glass, and then asked in a deep voice: "Old Yan, have your Jie Kuang and Zhao Di ever sent a letter home since they went to the countryside?"

Yan Bugui answered with a bewildered look on his face: "Yes, he did. Could it be that Guangtian has never sent money home since he left?"

Liu Haizhong shook his head slightly and said solemnly: "That's not what I meant. He did send a few letters back, but because of this, I am even more worried about their hardships in the countryside..."

Yan Bugui said: "Suffering a little is also a kind of training, just think of it as training the body and mind. Which educated youth is not like this?"

Liu Haizhong took over the conversation and said, "Yes, there is only one person in my family, Guangtian, who went to the countryside, but there are two in your family. Zhaodi is still a delicate girl. Are you sure you can leave her alone outside? What if..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui frowned slightly, and said helplessly, "What's the point of worrying? He has already gone far away and his return date is uncertain. So, what is your purpose in bringing this up today?"

Liu Haizhong said bluntly: "Of course I will discuss countermeasures with you to see if we can find a way to call them back."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui's expression suddenly changed, and he said in astonishment, "Call them back? How can this be easy? How can you be so capable?"

He paused, then added: "Besides, even if they are recalled, if they have no livelihood, won't they still be wandering the streets?"

Liu Haizhong frowned unhappily: "Why are you in such a hurry? Let me finish what I'm saying."

Yan Bugui seemed a little anxious and urged impatiently: "Okay, go ahead, I want to see what new ideas you can come up with."

Liu Haizhong continued, "You must have heard of Yi Yuanchao from the old Yi family, right?"

Yan Bugui nodded: "Of course I know, didn't he sign up to go to the countryside with Guangtian, Jie Kuang and others?"

Liu Haizhong curled his lips slightly, with a bit of disdain in his tone: "Yes, he went, but Old Yi is very cunning. You don't know that he quietly transferred Yi Yuanchao back in private."

When Yan Bugui heard this, his face changed slightly: "What? Yi Yuanchao is back? Where is he? Why didn't I see him?"

"Old Yi still has this method?"

Liu Haizhong snorted disdainfully: "How could he be that capable? He relied on Liu Zhiye's connections to get Yi Yuanchao into Jingxi's army."

"You see, he's a man who keeps good things to himself. Our two families have such a good relationship with the Liu family, and you, Old Yan, have an even closer relationship with the Liu family..."

Yan Bugui was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Old Yi is indeed uncouth, but it's okay to ask for help for one child, but it would be difficult to trouble Liu Zhiye for so many children."

"Besides, our family has already caused enough trouble to the Liu family. It's really embarrassing to ask for more..."

When Liu Haizhong heard this, he became extremely anxious. He quickly said, "Old Yan, your attitude is not right. For the future of the children, you can't back down easily. Besides, we don't fully understand Liu Zhiye's ability yet. What if he can accomplish this?"

"This is a matter that concerns the future of several children. How can you bear to let them be trapped in that poor and remote place for the rest of their lives?" Liu Haizhong added, "Besides, since Liu Zhiye was able to get Yi Yuanchao into the army, I think the remaining ones will be no problem."

Yan Bugui was touched by Liu Haizhong's words. The two younger children in his family had already gone to the countryside, so it would be a lie to say that he had no worries.

"So in your opinion, what should we do?"

Liu Haizhong responded eagerly: "Let's go find Liu Zhiye for help. Let's go together. I don't believe he will ignore our feelings. No matter what, we have to ask him to lend a hand this time."

"Okay! Then I'll shamelessly go and ask him for help again." After making up his mind, Yan Bugui said.

"Hey, that's right!" Liu Haizhong smiled when he saw this. He knew that he didn't have such weight in front of Liu Zhiye, but Yan Bugui was different. This matter might turn around.

The conversation on the kang was clearly heard by the third aunt in the kitchen. Her heart was instantly in turmoil. When it came to her reluctance to part with her children, no one could compare to her.

(End of this chapter)