The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 773 Awa Mountain Village is getting better and better!!!
Zhang Jin tilted his head back and drank the wine in the bamboo tube in one gulp. As his Adam's apple bobbed, a drop of crystal-clear liquid slid down the corner of his eye.

He patted Zhuang Yan's shoulder hard, his voice a little hoarse: "Come on, we're lucky. Those who are alive should drink a few more bowls for those who sacrificed!"

Zhang Jincheng is right. Since the commando team was established, they have teetered on the brink of death several times, completing one dangerous mission after another, and paying a heavy price in the process.

Lei Jun, Le Jiu, Gao Shang... each of them is an outstanding special forces soldier, and the loss or injury of each of them is heartbreaking.

But this is their mission; for their country, for... they are willing to sacrifice everything.

Zhuang Yan silently accepted the wine bowl, his fingertips trembling slightly.

He gazed at Zhang Jincheng's weathered face illuminated by the campfire; those chiseled, resolute features held countless untold stories.

The hooting of owls echoed from afar, as if singing a lament for the departed heroes.

“Lei Jun is a heavy drinker,” Zhuang Yan suddenly said, his voice as soft as a falling leaf. “Once, we participated in an exercise in Zone J…” A few sparks popped out of the fire, illuminating his reddened eyes.

Lei Jun is Zhuang Yan's best partner and has the closest relationship with him. They are inseparable. Zhuang Yan is the one who can least forget Lei Jun's sacrifice.

Zhang Jin pulled a worn military license plate from his pocket, the metal surface still warm from his body. "This is Le Jiu's." He ran his rough thumb along the number on it. "This kid always tells me that after he retires, he'll go back to his hometown and open a ramen shop. I think he can do it."

Because his ramen with beef and chili is incredibly delicious.”

Zhang Jincheng's voice suddenly choked up. He took out a photo in his hand, which was a training photo of Gao Shang and Le Jiu when they participated in the selection of special forces.

Le smiled, revealing a set of white teeth on his sun-darkened face, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Silently watching the campfire crackle and sparks fly as the evening breeze rises.

Zhuang Yan tilted his head back and gulped down a mouthful of rice wine. The spicy liquid burned his throat, but he couldn't suppress the sour feeling surging in his chest.

He recalled that before he last came to the "Golden Three Regions," Lei Jun secretly slipped two packs of Hongtashan cigarettes into his backpack, winking and saying, "Monkey, I swished these from Captain Zhang. You'd better save them." That pack of cigarettes was still under his pillow, now damp and unsmokable.

"'Steel Nail,' I miss you so much..."

The night wind carried the smell of burning food across the camp, and the footsteps of soldiers changing guard could be heard in the distance.

In the center of the bonfire, several young men from the Self-Defense Forces were dancing a traditional ethnic war dance around the largest bonfire.

They were shirtless, with red ribbons tied around their waists, and rhythmically tapped the ground with wooden sticks in their hands.

The firelight illuminated the faces of these young people, and a flame of hope flickered in every pair of eyes.

"Uncle!" A thin little girl with a ponytail timidly tugged at Zhang Jincheng's sleeve and handed him a wreath made of wildflowers. "This is for you, my bravest uncle!"

Zhang Jin finally smiled. He squatted down and lowered his head, letting the little girl put the flower wreath around his neck.

Reaching out to pat the little girl's head, Zhang Jincheng smiled and said, "Thank you, beautiful girl. What's your name?"

“My name is Aisha!” Aisha answered crisply, showing no shyness whatsoever.

"Where are your family, Aisha?" Zhang Jin said he really liked this generous and outgoing girl.

Aisha pointed to a couple of villagers from the Awa Mountain village not far away and said, "Those are my father and mother." She then waved.

Zhang Jin smiled and nodded to the mountain couple, who responded with sincere nods of both hands.

Aisha's bright eyes shone with innocent light in the firelight. She tilted her head and asked, "Uncle, are you from Xia Kingdom? My mother said you came to save us."

Zhang Jincheng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he nodded gently: "Yes, we come from Xia Country. Just like you, we also have our homes there, and people we want to protect."

Aisha blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite, then suddenly pulled a crumpled fruit candy from her pocket and stuffed it into Zhang Jincheng's rough hand: "This was given to me by Dr. Ana. I'll give it to Uncle. It's so sweet!"

Zhang Jincheng looked at the fruit candy in his palm, which had already melted a little. The candy wrapper gleamed warmly in the firelight.

He carefully unwrapped the candy, put the candy in his mouth, and the sweetness melted on his tongue, as if washing away all the bitterness of the past few days.

"Mmm, so sweet." He ruffled Aisha's hair, his voice trembling slightly.

The little girl giggled and ran off, her red silk skirt drawing a cheerful arc in the night.

Just then, Ah Gui walked over, laughing, and said, "Old Zhang, come on, let's jump up together, yo ho..."

Zhang Jincheng and Zhuang Yan temporarily put aside their sorrow and joined a group of mountain people in a joyful dance around the campfire.

The bonfire burned brighter and brighter, and sparks flew in all directions in rhythm with the dance steps.

Zhang Jincheng clumsily followed the mountain people's dance steps, the red silk around his waist fluttering with the movements.

Zhuang Yan couldn't help but smile as he watched his usually serious captain clumsily making a move.

In the firelight, he seemed to see Lei Jun's face, which always wore a roguish smile, winking at him.

That night, everyone in "Awa Mountain Village" was the happiest. The villagers were filled with hope and felt that there was finally something to look forward to in life.

Zhang Jincheng was sweating profusely from jumping, but felt an unprecedented sense of ease.

He looked up at the starry sky, where the Milky Way stretched across the heavens like a dazzling ribbon.

Aisha had run back sometime earlier, her little hands tightly gripping his clothes, jumping and skipping along with the adults' dance steps.

Just then, an elderly man from the village walked over with a cane, his wrinkled face beaming with a grateful smile.

The old man shakily raised a cup of rice wine: "Brave warriors, thank you for helping us escape from this sea of ​​suffering. This cup is for you!"

Zhang Jin quickly stepped forward to help the elderly man, took the wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

The rich aroma of rice wine lingered on his lips and teeth, reminding him of the fragrance of rice blossoms in his hometown.

The melodious sound of the lusheng (a traditional reed pipe instrument) drifted from afar, as young men and women from several villages played ancient tunes.

“Captain, look…” Zhuang Yan suddenly pointed to the sky.

A shooting star streaked across the night sky, disappearing behind the mountains with a long tail.

Zhang Jin picked up Aisha, and the little girl clapped her hands excitedly: "It's a shooting star! I want to make a wish..."

The campfire gradually died down, but the joyful atmosphere remained undiminished.

Several young men from the Self-Defense Forces began to demonstrate their fighting skills, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Aisha's father also joined the performance, showcasing his family's hunting skills.

Zhang Jin noticed that this seemingly thin mountain dweller was surprisingly agile and powerful in his movements.

As night deepened, the people in the village gradually dispersed.

……

Recently, Agui led his team to conduct a detailed population census in "Awa Mountain Village".

The investigation revealed that after several upheavals, the village's population has dwindled to less than 8,000.

If this number were placed in China, it would be no larger than the size of a large village.

However, in the remote and impoverished "Jin San District," such a population base is enough to surpass that of many small towns.

Agui introduced to Zhang Jincheng: "'Awa Mountain Village' once had a population of over 13,000, making it the most populous settlement within a radius of dozens of miles." No wonder the Mi family was able to establish themselves here for decades and dominate the area.

This is not only due to the natural advantages of the mountain stronghold's strategic location, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but also because its large population provides a solid foundation.

In comparison, "Lao Miao Village" has a population of only a little over a thousand, which is far smaller than "Awa Mountain Village".

Now, "Awa Mountain Village," having broken free from the control of the Mi family, is like "Old Miao Village," completely under the control of the "Bilateral Trading Company."

If the transformation of "Awa Mountain Village" can be successfully completed, the "alternative planting plan" will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort and make breakthrough progress.

"Awa Mountain Village" not only has a large population, but also controls a larger area of ​​arable land.

The area boasts convenient transportation, fertile land, and abundant water resources, making it ideal for large-scale crop cultivation.

Unfortunately, this fertile land was completely turned into British and Soviet farmland under Michael's rule.

Unfortunately, Michael ruined this beautiful land.

Because planting this kind of plant will also damage the ecological environment.

The growth of English pine requires a lot of nutrients and water, which can lead to soil depletion and affect the growth of other plants.

At the same time, the planting of Anglo-Sudanese crops will also damage biodiversity and affect the ecological balance.

Under Migo's rule, the mountain people of Awa Mountain, living on this land, couldn't even get enough to eat, only enriching Migo's family.

In the following days, Agui led the villagers to eradicate all the phytosanitary plants planted on the land.

After the Anglo-Syrian land was cleared, agricultural technicians found that the land was not yet suitable for planting crops because of its poor fertility.

This greatly worried Agui and all the villagers in the mountain village. If crops could not be grown on the land, how would the villagers make a living?
Zhang Jincheng stood on the edge of the field, looking at the barren land before him, his brows furrowed.

He bent down, grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it between his fingers, and the dry clods of soil immediately crumbled into powder.

"Captain, the test results are in." Zhuang Yan walked over quickly and handed over a report. "The soil is severely acidified, and the organic matter content is less than 1%. It will take at least three months of improvement before planting."

Ah Gui was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands: "Ah, three months? What will the mountain people eat during this time when they have no income?"

"Brother Gui, don't be anxious."

My suggestion is to have the trading company immediately contact domestic agricultural companies to purchase crop seeds suitable for planting in poor soil, and also to buy a large quantity of chemical fertilizers.

"Let's get through this period first, and then we can switch to planting those cash crops once the soil fertility reaches the required level..." Zhang Jin said after thinking for a moment.

Zhang Jincheng's words reassured Agui somewhat, but worry still lingered in his eyes.

Just then, Aisha came skipping over, holding a bunch of wildflowers in her hands: "Uncle, look! These flowers can even grow in the cracks of rocks!"

The little girl's innocent words flashed through Zhang Jincheng's mind like a flash of inspiration.

He squatted down and gently stroked Aisha's head: "You're right, there's always a way out in life." Turning to Agui, he said, "A living person can't let themselves die from holding their pee. We can first organize the mountain people to plant some short-term crops that can withstand poor soil, such as sweet potatoes and cassava, and then combine that with animal husbandry. That should solve our immediate problem."

Every morning, the long-absent sounds of labor can be heard in the Awa Mountain Village.

The women were busy cultivating vegetable gardens in front of and behind their houses, while the men built terraced fields on the hillside.

The first batch of crop seeds and advanced agricultural tools purchased domestically by the "bilateral trade company" in the old town have arrived, and several elderly villagers are excitedly learning how to use hand tractors from agricultural technicians.

Agui felt full of energy. He led his technicians to travel to every piece of land around the mountain village and drew up detailed soil improvement plans.

Agricultural technicians discovered that some areas of Awa Mountain Village have relatively good soil quality, making it possible to try planting some fast-growing vegetables.

"Look here!" A-Gui pointed to a depression next to a mountain spring. "The soil here is very moist, so we can plant some water celery and water spinach first."

The experts sent by the Agricultural Research Institute under the "Liujiazhuang State Farm Group" to provide support have also arrived.
An elderly professor with white hair pointed to the mountains here and said, "You can take advantage of the slope of the mountain village to develop three-dimensional agriculture."

Fruit trees are planted on the upper level, drought-resistant crops on the middle level, and livestock farming is developed on the lower level, forming an ecological cycle.

As night fell, the village's council hall was brightly lit.

Zhang Jin handed A-Gui a detailed transition plan: "This is the work arrangement for the next three months, including four parts: soil improvement, short-term crop planting, livestock development, and handicraft production." A-Gui carefully read through it, and the worry on his face gradually eased: "Great! This way everyone will have work to do and food to eat!"

Under the moonlight, the fields of the mountain village echoed with the croaking of frogs.

Aisha's father, Mengshan, squatted on the newly turned field ridge in front of his stilted house, carefully burying the first vegetable seeds in the soil, and then scooping out a ladle of water from a wooden bucket to water them.

Soon, Meng Shan and his family will be able to eat the fruits and vegetables they grow themselves.

Meng Shan also heard that the leaders of the village's self-governing committee said that in the future, every household could raise pigs, cattle, sheep, and poultry. In addition to eating them themselves, the surplus could be sold to the village's "supply and marketing cooperative" in exchange for money or other living supplies.

Now, Meng Shan, a mountain villager who once only knew how to grow sage, has a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

In the dead of night, Zhang Jincheng stood alone on the watchtower at the highest point of the mountain stronghold.

In the distance, the mountains are as dark as ink, while the newly reclaimed terraced fields nearby gleam silver in the moonlight.

He recalled a scene he had witnessed during the day: several seven- or eight-year-old children surrounded the agricultural technician, curiously touching the newly arrived farm tools, their eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge.

The next morning, the sound of children reading aloud filled the mountain village.

In the former makeshift military camp, a temporary primary school officially began classes.

The primary school teacher hired by the "Bilateral Trading Company" is teaching children to recognize characters. On the blackboard is written, "Sow a grain of millet in spring, reap ten thousand grains in autumn."

Aisha sat upright in the front row, her little hand raised high, eager to answer the teacher's questions.

Meanwhile, some of the craftsmen in the mountain stronghold were also busy.

Old carpenter Meng Yan and his apprentices use the high-quality bamboo and wood that grows all over the mountains here to make furniture.

“These can be sold at the market,” Meng Yan said while planing the wood. “I learned this craft from my father when I was young, and I never thought it would come in handy now.”

Around noon, wisps of smoke rose from the village.

The women used the newly harvested wild vegetables and flour brought in by the "trading company" to make fragrant pancakes.

Although rice tastes delicious, it shouldn't be eaten at every meal.

Now that all of Migo's funds have been seized, the "Bilateral Trading Company" has been upgraded and is well-funded.

Zhang Jin said that he simply imported a large quantity of high-quality wheat from China at low prices to serve as reserve grain for "Awa Mountain Village".

Aisha's mother specially made a few extra sheets and gave them to the technicians who were measuring the canal.

"Try my pancakes and see if they suit your taste," she said with a smile. "When we have a good harvest next year, I'll definitely treat you to something even better."

At the meeting, Zhang Jin announced some good news: "Three domestic agricultural companies are willing to come and inspect our planting environment. If there are no problems..." The meeting room erupted in enthusiastic applause, and A Gui excitedly stood up: "Now everyone can feel more at ease!"

"Don't be so happy yet, there's more!"
"Because our Awa Mountain Village is rich in precious timber resources such as sandalwood, rosewood, and pear wood, and because it is close to the Sawen River and not far from the old town, with convenient transportation, the well-known domestic investment company 'Jingxi Investment' Group wants to invest in a large timber factory here..." Zhang Jin announced another piece of good news.

"Ah! Is this true?" Some people couldn't believe it.

(End of this chapter)