Liang Jian: I have a canteen

Braving the winter wind, Xu San drove his three-wheeled motorcycle to the camp headquarters.

After greeting the guards, he went to He Yong's gatehouse.

Without calling out a report, Xu San pushed the door open and entered.

Upon seeing Xu San arrive, He Yong immediately stood up from behind his desk.

He Yong walked around the desk and came to Xu San's side. "You're back."

"Hmm!" Xu San responded, then opened his mouth and breathed on his frozen hands for a long time.

After regaining some feeling in his hands, Xu Sancai spoke, "Long time no see, you and the battalion commander have both gained weight."

He Yong shook his head. "Without war and good food, it's not bad if you don't gain weight."

"Don't neglect military training. If you don't train your feet first, you won't be able to do well later."

"Wang Hai trained them all, don't worry, they haven't fallen behind. Ordinary troops can't outrun us."

"That's good!" Xu San said, then picked up the kettle on the stove and poured himself a cup of hot water, holding it in his hands.

"How long will you be staying this time?"

"This time, I'm back to retire from the military."

"Retired from the army!" He Yong's body stiffened, and he suddenly felt lost. "Where will I go after I'm discharged?"

"Keep it a secret! In short, we'll still be working for the Japanese. After I leave, the Fifth Battalion will still be under Yamamoto's command. At that time," Xu San said with a troubled expression, "the brothers will have to rely on themselves. Be careful and don't risk your lives without thinking."

"Sigh..." He Yong sighed, "It's only been a short time since it got better."

He Yong sighed, feeling hopeless about the future. "If I had your skills, I would also like to retire from the army and go back to farm three acres of barren land."

"Forget it!" Xu San scoffed. "Three acres of land can only support a few people. A drought might wipe out the entire harvest." "It's tough!" He Yong sighed. "Natural disasters and man-made calamities—in this world, even people like us have a hard time surviving."

"We still have to survive." Xu San remained optimistic. "I've been getting some good seeds from outside, and now I'm having my apprentice try planting them at home. We'll find another plot of land to continue testing them in the spring."

"What are some good varieties?" He Yong asked.

"We got these through connections. They're high-quality seeds. If planted well, the yield per acre is estimated to double," Xu San said, giving a conservative estimate. "When the time comes, Yuanyuan will teach you how to grow them."

“Okay!” He Yong agreed. “If that’s what you’re thinking, then let’s start farming and clearing land today.”

"More or less." Xu San took a sip of water. "Give it to a trustworthy brother, keep it a secret, hide some of it after the harvest, and then distribute the rest after planting seeds."

"Is it okay to scatter these seeds?" He Yong asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Spread it out, and spread the breeding methods too." Xu San's expression was solemn. "The weather has been bad these past few days, and I have a feeling that a great disaster is coming."

When the topic of the disaster came up, He Yong's face also darkened.

As a Chinese person, it is rare to find someone who has never experienced a major disaster.

The sight of countless people starving to death was a shock to anyone.

“Okay! I know! As long as we can preserve good seeds, I will definitely spread them out.” He Yong said solemnly.

Xu San stood up and patted He Yong on the shoulder, "Watch out for Yamamoto."

“Understood!” He Yong said, looking at Xu San. “Is there anything else I need to be aware of?”

Xu San pondered for a while, then said, "Preserve your strength. If there's an opportunity to surrender, then surrender without hesitation."

He Yong wasn't surprised at all by Xu San's answer. He nodded solemnly and said, "Thank you for the reminder, brother." (End of Chapter)