African Nationhood

Chapter 271 The birth of a marksman (Part )
  After the registration was completed, Zhu Shan’s family all had names. His wife was named Qiao Na, his son was named Zhu Xiaochun, and his younger son was named Zhu Xiaoxia.

These names will follow them for the rest of their lives, and Zhu Shan is very grateful. After all, who would take the trouble to choose names for people like them.

The first step to Southwest Africa was not bad. The Map Port in front of us was really big and more modern. There were new things everywhere. The iron ships and cranes in the port were very novel.

In particular, an iron ship with a huge paddle wheel was more conspicuous, and Zhu Shan and his wife couldn't get enough of it.

This place is much better than that shabby place in Vladivostok, which is not only cold but also very shabby.

The temperature is not high here, and there are many Chinese people.

You can see well-dressed and ruddy-faced Chinese everywhere, in sharp contrast to immigrants like them.

“This place is so nice!”

His wife Qiao Na praised her, while her son Zhu Xiaochun took his mother's hand and shouted: "Mom, look, there's a tricycle!"

They had seen tricycles transporting things at Lanfang Company, and the driver on the bicycle was very impressive.

Therefore, Zhu Xiaochun is very yearning for tricycles and hopes that he can ride one.

Qiao Na nodded, "Yes, I understand. This is a tricycle that is here to deliver food to us. Please don't run around later, okay? Let your father get the food."

Zhu Xiaochun nodded, "I understand."

Zhu Shan walked over to queue up and came back soon. He was holding wooden dinner plates in his hands. He could only take two at a time. He went back again and brought chopsticks by the way.

Today's meal is good, and there is no sea fish, three dishes and one meal.

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded pork with green peppers, and a braised lamb chop, served with white rice.

The three of them were very full after eating this meal. Zhu Shan went to add another meal in the middle of the meal, and they were so full that they burped in the end.

Zhu Xiaochun was so spicy that he burst into tears, but he still couldn't help but want to eat. The food here was so delicious!
  After finishing the meal, someone came and took away the wooden dinner plates and took them back for cleaning.

Then someone brought cold water. Those who wanted to drink it could drink it, but they were not allowed to waste it.

Seeing that it was getting dark, someone came over to take them to rest. The single ones slept in a bunk bed, and the married ones slept in small rooms.

The next day's breakfast was light, with salted fish soup and steamed buns, so you could drink as much as you wanted.

After breakfast, someone came over for a meeting to announce the company's policies.

The company spent a lot of money when all the immigrants came here. In order to be able to repay the company's expenses, everyone must work for the company for free for three years, during which the company will provide food and accommodation.

Except for those who join the military, once selected, their family members can enjoy company benefits and do not have to work for free.

And you can also enjoy the benefits of sharing a house immediately. Of course, all of this must be selected.

After hearing this, Zhu Shan and his wife immediately became excited and decided to share a house.

This treatment is really good. They have always been living in Vladivostok.

If you can get a house, that would be a great thing.

He thought so, and others thought so too, and immediately a large number of young guys clamored to sign up.

The announcer asked everyone to line up, and people from the army set up a recruitment office nearby. Those who wanted to be soldiers could just come and be selected.

Zhu Shan talked with his wife and went through the selection process. The first test was to look at the body shape. Anyone with no physical defects could pass.

However, if you have a disability such as flat feet, you should pick it out. After all, being a soldier requires hard work and a defect like flat feet will be very difficult.

The second level depends on physical fitness, including sit-ups, push-ups, and weightlifting.

Zhu Shan was strong and passed the test easily. He was already a reserve soldier.

Go back and tell your wife, the whole family is very happy.

Then the family separated, and his wife Qiaona was taken to a childcare safety class to learn how to raise babies in a scientific and hygienic way.

His son Zhu Xiaochun went to school, and his father Zhu Shan also went to school.

Both of them are illiterate, but their class addresses are different.

Zhu Xiaochun was sent to Mapugang Junior Primary School, while Zhu Shan learned literacy and arithmetic in a military camp near Mapugang.

When the family got together, they found that the things they were learning were very similar, and Qiao Na rarely shared with her husband what was new in the childcare safety class.

Both couples felt that this Nanhua Company was really extraordinary. Not only did it have a huge territory, but it also took care of almost every aspect of the immigrants.

This boss Shi is really not an ordinary person, and this book is too big.

……

As time goes on, Zhu Shan feels more and more lucky that his family does not have to work.

He was selected as a reserve soldier, his wife had to take care of a nursing child, and his son was forced to go to school.

Although tuition and fees are charged for attending school, they can be recorded in advance and do not need to be paid immediately.

It will be returned slowly in equal parts, and the tuition and fees are very low.

Although the cultural barrier was difficult, Zhu Shan gritted his teeth and persevered. After all, joining the army would improve his family's living environment.

Land can be divided after meritorious service. This motivation is too great.

People at the same time as him also know that this opportunity is hard to come by. Everyone is studying hard. Zhu Shan is also studying hard in order not to be squeezed out by others.

When he encounters vocabulary or arithmetic problems that he doesn't know, he goes to his son Zhu Xiaochun and his wife for advice. Zhu Xiaochun, the son of the family, has the strongest learning ability. He and his wife have to coax his son obediently to prevent him from getting angry and refusing to teach.

Two months passed quickly, and Zhu Shan successfully passed the cultural pass.

In August 1889, he was able to officially enlist in the army, and the whole family was very excited.

Zhu Shan knew that this opportunity was hard to come by. There were more than 400 reserve players at the same time as him, but only 100 passed the test.

Then he received the key to the military family home in Mapugang City and moved his family into the military home.

……

The unit he joined was the Matabeleland garrison. Zhu Shan was very excited to learn that the leader of the garrison was Boss Shi himself.

I hope I can have the opportunity to thank this big boss who changed his family's destiny.

……

The procedures for new recruits to join the army are the same. The first thing they do is queue drills.

Zhu Shan also learned queue drills when he was in the reserve force. At that time, he only needed to master the essentials of movements and understand the meaning of passwords.

Now that he has become a new recruit, the formation training has become extremely rigorous.

Standing in military posture for a quarter of an hour or half an hour is a routine operation. No recruit dares to quit, because they know that this opportunity is hard-won, and the families behind them are enjoying a happy life while they are suffering.

So everyone gritted their teeth and persisted. As time went by, they found that they were becoming more and more proficient in queue training, and their tolerance level had also improved a lot.

The recruits train in the queue for a full month. If they perform well, they will receive merit. As long as the merit is recorded, they will receive a reward.

This made others immediately excited. It turned out that Hounta was so easy to get!
  Therefore, everyone practices harder and strives to obtain Hountian as soon as possible.

……

After the formation drill, there is practical practice, which has two aspects, one is bayonet fighting skills, and the other is shooting performance.

This also includes the care and maintenance of firearms, as well as proficiency in dismantling firearms.

Bayonet fighting is a naked killing technique. No one can be careless. Being careless means being irresponsible for one's own life.

Therefore, the combat instructors warn the recruits every day: "If you don't train hard, you will lose your life on the battlefield.

It doesn't matter if you lose your life, otherwise the naughty mother-in-law will fall in love with others, others will beat your children, and even your last name will be changed. Can you accept such a result? "

Naturally, the recruits would not accept it, and they shouted in unison: "No, no!"

……

In addition to bayonet fighting skills, there is also a competition in shooting performance.

This time he finally reached Zhu Shan's strength, and his talent in shooting that he had acquired over the years suddenly awakened.

Their recruits use Martini-Henry rifles. Needless to say, this rifle is excellent.

After Zhu Shan got the gun, he felt it casually and quickly entered the shooting state.

While other recruits were still trying to get a feel for the rifle, he was already aiming and getting a feel for it while holding the gun.

After the instructor gave the shooting command, Zhu Shan took the lead and hit the bullseye 200 meters away.

This result impressed the shooting instructor. He changed the target positions, 400 meters and 600 meters, and hit the target with one shot.

This suddenly caused a sensation in the entire recruit company, and a sharpshooter actually appeared.

All the officers of the recruit company were alarmed, and then they gathered together to watch Zhu Shan target shooting.

This time it was 800 meters. Zhu Shan was so calm that he took out his finger and licked it in his mouth. After putting it in the air to feel the wind speed, he slowed down his breathing until his breathing stopped, and then released the shot directly.

Hit the target again.

"it is good!"

The onlookers cheered, and then tried the 1000-meter distance again. This time, Zhu Shan’s results were slightly off because the wind speed at the shooting range suddenly changed.

However, this was already very powerful, so the recruit company directly approved Zhu Shan and transferred him to the newly established shooter platoon.

The shooter platoon camp is not in Mapu Port, but thousands of miles away in Bulawayo.

Zhu Shan said goodbye to his wife and boarded the carriage heading north.

A month later, he met Ding He, the grand deputy of the Matabeleland garrison. The serious-looking commander personally awarded him a new gun.

The gun's case is clearly engraved with "NH-88".

"Zhu Shan, you are now a member of the shooter platoon of the Matabeleland Garrison Regiment. Do you have anything to say?"

Zhu Shan pursed his lips tightly and said loudly: "I will train hard and strive to repay the company and Mr. Shi with better results!"

Ding He nodded, "Well, it's good that you have such a consciousness. Mr. Shi and Nanhua Company will be watching you. I hope you won't let Mr. Shi and Company down!"

Zhu Shan immediately nodded and replied loudly: "Yes!"

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  (End of this chapter)