The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"Haha. Comrade Tianli, your understanding is very correct and upright. Don't try to stop others' curiosity."

Zhang Yinghao himself suffered greatly from this in his past life. As a child, he bought chili peppers cheaply from villagers and sold them at the market. While the money wasn't much, it still provided him with pocket money. However, his father thwarted this idea. He forbad Zhang Yinghao from selling, insisting that his studies be his priority. As he grew older, Zhang Yinghao wondered if his father had effectively killed a business genius. Life was so difficult back then that even as an adult, Zhang Yinghao never understood why his father had stopped him from selling, and whether he meant what he said about prioritizing his studies.

Zhang Yinghao watched the comrades pushing the train busily for a while, then turned and asked, "Are we paid for pushing the train?"

Lin Tianli answered very straightforwardly: "There is no way to pay in this situation. We engineers have allowances, so it is impossible to compensate us. There is no way to calculate for other civilians. We just have to avoid any accidents and let them make up for it on their own."

"That's the logic, but what if everyone stops promoting it after the novelty wears off?"

"Then we can only take turns pushing."

"What a waste of time! Don't we have more steam engines? If we add one or two locomotives to the front and rear, I think that should be enough power."

"Chairman, this is a good idea. Let's try this method when we get back."

"As a liaison, what do you think of this project?" Zhang Yinghao had no intention of letting Lin Tianli go easily, so he asked.

"Chairman, this project is different from previous ones. The engineering design clearly states that mechanical equipment will be used to maximize transportation and work efficiency. The key now is to ensure that the transportation machinery can operate normally while ensuring the speed of tunnel construction and loading and unloading. However, the tunnel is currently too slow."

This passage is from a textbook for infrastructure engineers. Under stable transmission conditions, strengthening input and output management can improve efficiency. This is almost universally true for assembly line operations; reducing idling throughout the entire line can improve efficiency. In this tunnel, you can clearly see that the small trains on the circular railway serve as conveyor belts, transporting rocks and soil from the tunnel to the tunnel entrance and then out again, forming a continuous cycle. All labor revolves around these trains.

"It is correct to shorten the time required for each worker as much as possible to effectively improve efficiency. Where are Chief Engineer Mr. Zhan Tianyou and Comrade Wang Daniu, the Chief Commander of the Engineering Corps, now?"

"Mr. Zhan Tianyou is at the headquarters, and Comrade Wang Daniu is inspecting other construction sites. The notice has been sent out, and they should be back soon after receiving it."

"Come on, take me over there to have a look."

The Baishuao Command Headquarters is located on the other side of Baishuao. Chief Engineer Zhan Tian

Yuyi wasn't surprised to see Zhang Yinghao. He pointed at the blueprint and said, "Chairman Zhang, your circular train design is excellent. It's greatly accelerated our progress."

"Haha, it's nothing, just a simple assembly line." "Assembly line? The name is indeed appropriate."

"How do you feel now?"

"Chairman, our infrastructure engineers are truly amazing. They learn a lot of things quickly, and any difficulties can be solved with just a discussion."

"They have made great progress, but they haven't reached my expectations yet. Are you having any difficulties now?"

"There are difficulties, yes. The Chengdu-Chongqing Railway is located in a mountainous area, and without large-scale mechanized equipment, construction conditions are extremely difficult. The transportation capacity for road materials is extremely scarce, so now we can only dig tunnels through mountains and build bridges over rivers."

"Haha, there's nothing I can do about it."

"Chairman, when construction began on the Baishu'ao Tunnel, we had few modern tools and incomplete equipment. I could only have the soldiers dig a pilot hole at the east end of the tunnel. You wouldn't know how dim the dark hole was, lit only by a single tar lamp. The soldiers hammered the holes, feeling their way around, and would often bump their foreheads or arms. They simply wiped their wounds with their saliva and never complained.

When the tunnel arch stonework began, the workers initially didn't know how to mix the cement, and they added either too much or too little water. Led by Party members, they delved into the technique, improving their work efficiency. Eventually, they could lay at least 100 stones a day.

而两头洞口的工人,为支援洞内石工安边墙,发起了劳动竞赛。抬石渣的工人们见状,也提出"抬得快、卸得快、去得快"的口号，原先一天只运110车石渣,后来一天运到了160车。铺底的时候,东口工人每昼夜由2.5米提高到4米,西口由4米提高到6米。”

Zhang Yinghao listened, nodded, and said, "Comrades, you have indeed worked hard."

"Chairman, this 622-meter Baishuao Tunnel shortens the entire railway line by 23.8 kilometers," Lin Tianli said, taking over. "The Chengdu-Chongqing Railway was originally planned to run northeast from Chengdu, passing Yaojiadu and Zhaojiadu, and then along the Tuojiang River across Huaizhou Town to Luanshitan. While this section of the route is relatively flat, it is winding and includes a major landslide."

Zhan Tianyou took over the conversation and said, "Yes, when digging tunnels on the Chengdu-Chongqing line, the geology is mostly weathered sand and gravel, alternating with shale. During the excavation process, a large amount of groundwater seeped in, and the rock layers were easily melted, weathered and collapsed. However, we ultimately changed the original design and excavated the Baishuao Tunnel. This not only avoided the unfavorable geological area and shortened the route, but also saved investment of at least one million yuan. After the railway is opened to traffic, the operating and maintenance costs will also be greatly reduced."

"But, Chairman, tunnel excavation is also very dangerous. Tunnel construction involves nine steps: open excavation outside the tunnel, piloting, expansion, arch lining, bottom excavation, side wall lining, ditch excavation, portal construction, and roof waterproofing. Any carelessness can lead to casualties. Just in our Baishuao area, two soldiers have been killed and five injured so far."

"So, as I said, safety is the most important thing. However, given our current situation, these are necessary costs and tuition fees. We can only bear the pain."

"Yes, we learn while working. We now have to set aside time every day to hold a meeting. We discover deficiencies during construction and solve them through rectification. We are good at summarizing, striving for excellence, being scientific and pragmatic, and doing everything possible to eliminate shortcomings in the project and overcome all difficulties in construction. Let our comrades grow rapidly, and these accidents will not happen in the future." Group number: 775111838

The days are short in winter, and by 5:00 p.m., kerosene lamps are already lit on the construction site. The scene of working late into the night, which only appears in novels, has become a reality on the construction site.

The Lunar New Year is approaching, and the Engineering Corps' merit evaluation has reached its final stage. Everyone is trying their best to give it a try in the last few days to see if they can be recognized as meritorious and advanced.

Several teams now work together, and at the end, they're evaluated based on their progress and the amount of work they've completed. Then, within the team, they'll select labor activists, receive invention awards, and so on. While the prizes are simple items like Liberation shoes, enamel pots, and canned goods, they're incredibly valuable to the soldiers.

Zhang Yinghao was well aware of the problems involved. This wasn't the age of working for pay, but rather the age of working for a stipend. This stipend wasn't a salary, but in fact, in terms of the amount of the stipend, Zhang Yinghao believed it was much better than farming in the countryside. The project operated in two shifts, with eight hours being the normal working day. There was also a processing allowance for the rest of the day, and a small night shift allowance for those working at night.

It's winter now, a perfect time to work. In the summer, daytime work is fine, but those working at night are exhausted from the heat and sleeplessness. Zhang Yinghao watched his colleagues toiling away in the cold, and an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.

Recently, comrades have been discussing the issue of commendation. Everyone wants to be recognized as an advanced worker, but no optimal criteria have been agreed upon. The main issue is that the engineering teams are not all based in the same location. Some areas are easier to work in, while others are extremely difficult. For example, projects involving tunnels and bridges are large-scale and demanding, and many safety accidents have occurred.

Some sections were completely flat, allowing for incredibly fast speeds. Consequently, everyone debated how to evaluate the performance. Zhang Yinghao analyzed the situation, and while no one knew who would take first place, no one wanted to be last.

In fact, there are only so many supplies now. If you take more, others will take less. Everyone is trying to get the most benefits for the engineers under their command.

Yi, if you don't fight for it, inside the Xuanding cunning BL command center, Zhang Yinghao

Zhan Tianyou also felt that it was troublesome, as this kind of thing was difficult to fully quantify.

There is too much work to do, so no one can obey anyone else, otherwise it would be considered lazy, right?

Zhan Tianyou had never experienced such a situation before. When doing meritorious work, it was always the superiors who made the decisions and decided how to do it.

It all belonged to the superiors; how could the common people have any credit? There was no such thing as commendation as they had in Sichuan. So he watched this farce with great interest, wanting to see how Zhang Yinghao would end up.

"How about we split it in half? It's not much to share, so we might as well do more work."

Perhaps because they were tired of the noise, some comrades spoke directly like this.

Hearing this, Zhang Yinghao remained calm. He glanced at the comrade, who was younger and more irritable, probably thinking it was pointless to argue over such a small profit.

Chapter 227: Thanks for the Tips and Updates

When everyone heard this, some agreed, but some refused to do it. After all, construction was difficult in some places and accidents were more common.

"No, there was an accidental landslide while we were digging the tunnel. One soldier died on the spot and three were injured. We should be awarded this merit. Otherwise, I would be sorry for those soldiers who were injured or killed."

"Yes, when we were building the bridge, we invented a new method. Otherwise, many engineering teams' bridges would not be completed yet. This contribution cannot be erased!"

As they were talking, they immediately started arguing with the vendor again. But perhaps they suddenly realized where they were and after showing off for a while, they immediately shut up and everyone's eyes turned to Zhang Yinghao.

Zhang Yinghao smiled and said, "You should be paid for your work. Otherwise, you'd be in labor reform. The labor reform camp doesn't pay people. They just want them to work, but they deprive them of their pay. So, aren't you in labor reform?"

"We are not." "Yes, we are not."

"Achievements should be rewarded, and hard work should be compensated. This is the way it should be. Mr. Devotion City, what do you think should be done?"

"As for who did the best and who did the worst, I'd say everyone did a great job. Since the Chairman said that hard work should be rewarded, let's solve that problem first. Divide the prizes equally according to the average workload. As long as you meet the standards, you'll get your share. For the rest, each person can write down what they think they've done, and we'll all evaluate it together."

"Well, let me tell you a story. The Book of the Later Han records that Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty gave each doctor a sheep. Everyone knows that sheep come in different sizes, fat and thin. If you were to divide the sheep among these doctors, how would you divide them?"

"Catch the eunuch!"

"Kill Deuce!"

"Haha, I think you're just as smart as those doctors. It's also recorded in the book. Some say we should kill all the sheep and distribute them equally so no one loses out. Others say killing the sheep is too much trouble and suggest catching the devil instead. No one complains. Isn't it normal to have arguments?"

"normal."

"Too normal."

"But at this time, someone made trouble. This person is the protagonist I am talking about today, Zhen Yu. He disdained to argue with other doctors for such a sheep. He felt that such an argument was too shameful. Then he pulled the skinniest sheep.

The sheep left without looking back. When other people saw the protagonist Zhen Yu doing this, they followed his example and took the initiative to suffer losses. Emperor Guangwu of Han also praised the protagonist Zhen Yu.

"They praised Shang's character, nicknamed him 'Dr. Skinny Sheep', and promoted him. Do you think he was right to do so?"

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to comment.

Zhang Yinghao didn't force it, and said directly: "Do you feel it's difficult to comment? Do you think that Dr. Skinny Sheep's actions are humble and courteous, and that he has noble character?"

"Taking the thinnest sheep away is indeed a courtesy." "Well, it seems so, but it still feels weird!"

Zhang Yinghao chuckled after hearing this and said, "Do you know what ancient emperors feared most from their ministers? They feared them forming cliques and colluding to deceive or oppose the emperor. In the feudal era, if the emperor didn't specify how to distribute the rewards, could the ministers discuss it among themselves? If they could, then what was the emperor's role? Why did Emperor Guangwu of Han promote Doctor Skinny Sheep? It was because Doctor Skinny Sheep had already drawn a line between himself and the other doctors when he led away the skinniest sheep, expressing his stance on the emperor's side. Why?

Think about it, everyone. We're arguing about how to distribute the prizes. We feel like we're all one family, and we want to ensure no one suffers, right? So whether you say we split it equally, or some other more equitable distribution method, I'm open to it. No one of you says, "We don't want it, you guys divide it up!" Or someone says they want the worst prize and you guys divide the other good ones, or someone simply says, "I don't care, I don't need any." Think about what kind of behavior is this? This is classic detachment from the group. This is not treating others as one of your own, thinking no one else is worthy of arguing with you. You're the only one who knows how to yield. Thankfully, we don't have anyone like that here.

Our "Dr. Skinny Sheep" is just like that; he doesn't consider the other doctors his own. I ask, when Dr. Skinny Sheep takes the smallest sheep, did he solve the problem or resolve the conflict? In fact, Dr. Skinny Sheep's actions haven't solved any problems or conflicts; this isn't a problem-solving approach in the first place. Instead, he simply denigrates the other doctors as inferior to him, while asserting his moral high ground. Instantly, the others seem inferior to him, and he can look down on them. Think about it, can Dr. Skinny Sheep still survive among the doctors? He's done for. All the other doctors will unconsciously distance themselves from him.

Do we have much to distribute? Actually, not much at all. The reason we're discussing distribution now is simply to establish a relatively fair distribution system. We don't need to assume, as in "Dr. Skinny Sheep," that the power of distribution lies solely with the emperor or the highest officials. Everyone should be able to participate in the discussion. I advocate for distribution according to work because I believe that this way, none of our comrades will suffer any loss. If you have your own distribution methods, share them and discuss them. Ultimately, as long as everyone agrees that they're reasonable and don't hurt anyone, that's all that matters. As long as there aren't any "Dr. Skinny Sheep" types, I'm fine with it.

"And this time the distribution won't be a one-time thing. If there are any problems, we can just solve them. This is the first time, and no one has experience. Since there's so much controversy about the merit evaluation this time, it's because no one had experience before, so let's seek common ground while reserving differences. Let's first break down the awards. If there are inventions and creations that improve our labor efficiency, we'll give them an invention award. If there are special contributions, we'll give them a special contribution award, and so on. Then we'll divide them by headcount. As long as the team completes the engineering task, they'll pass and get the basic reward. If they can't complete it, as long as the reason is justifiable, after all, we had no experience before, and we encountered unexpected situations and many emergencies, so as long as everyone agrees, they can also get it. Then let's sort it out based on specific merits. Any objections?"

"No."

"can."

"Chairman, what about the squad leaders and platoon leaders?"

"Whether you're a squad leader or a platoon leader, we're all the same. Officers and soldiers are all equal. Do you agree with that?"

"agree."

"agree"

"So what's the question? Squad leaders' allowances are usually higher than soldiers', and everyone else's allowances are higher as well. This means you're more capable than others, otherwise why are you here? If those squad leaders and platoon leaders haven't made any special contributions, why do you get paid more than others? Is it just because you're a squad leader or platoon leader? Or is it because you're in a commanding position?"

We say that distribution should be based on work. If you can reach this position, it means that your work ability is better than others, so you usually get more allowances. But everyone is equal before labor. If I don't do this job, I won't get this allowance. That's what it means. If you commanders want to get more, then

As the person in charge of establishing the engineering corps, should I get a share first, as I have the most chance of becoming the leader? Then what's the point of the other two leaders making a decision? Work is work, and merit is merit. They are not the same thing.

For example, didn't a comrade just claim to have invented a new method for building a bridge? That's a special contribution, that's merit. Other comrades used his method and sped up progress, so he deserves his share of the credit. As for how the individual engineers will allocate funds, I won't discuss it here; you all have a better say than I do. Now that everyone has seen our prizes, how much should we give to those who have made contributions?

"How about taking out 20% to reward those who have made contributions?"

"I will not participate in your distribution, so you guys should discuss and unify this.

Just a moment will do. As long as we focus on labor and equality, we'll get the answers everyone wants. You can also listen to the soldiers' opinions when you return, and focus on the issue. But no one can complain to me—it's worse than no distribution at all. That would severely discourage others and we absolutely cannot do it. Anyone who insists on being a "thin-skinned scholar" can leave our ranks.

We must uphold the attitude of rewarding meritorious service and punishing faults. Mobilize the enthusiasm of soldiers, take the initiative to solve difficulties, and strive to make greater contributions.

What’s the problem?”

Everyone looked at each other, but no one spoke. Zhang Yinghao did not delay any longer, took out a few documents and said: "In this case, come and see if the number of people in your engineering team is correct? And here is the New Year's greetings.

Then everyone should talk about their own contributions and discuss them. Distribute them as soon as possible, as some comrades may have objections before the New Year. Everyone, remember, extra credit goes to those comrades who have made special contributions...

Zhang Yinghao paused and continued, "This 'labor' doesn't just refer to merit; it also means the amount of labor. You should discuss this carefully. Make a report on the final distribution plan for our comrades to study."

Zhang Yinghao initially wanted to say that the comrade who had been digging with a hoe should be given gifts, but he shouldn't be considered to have done anything for it. After all, the troops had already paid him for his labor, as they received a stipend. However, Zhang Yinghao felt that this was not a good idea, so he immediately stopped talking. He then left with Zhan Tianyou, leaving the commanders to discuss the matter.

"Chairman, this distribution method is quite novel. I have never encountered this problem before."

"Distribution according to work is easy to say, but it is extremely difficult to do."

Zhang Yinghao couldn't help but recall the rumors from the later collectivization movement. In an effort to ensure fairness, bureaucrats implemented a one-size-fits-all approach, pairing strong laborers with weak laborers. The results were a one-size-fits-all distribution, resulting in a perceived unfairness on both sides. Strong laborers felt they were at a disadvantage for working more and getting less, while weak laborers felt they deserved to be treated favorably, even though they were at a disadvantage for getting the same amount as strong laborers.

"It's definitely not easy. With so many people, we definitely can't take care of them all." "That's the reality: when it comes to work, there's strength in numbers, but when it comes to distribution, fewer people are better off. With so little food, distribution is a zero-sum game. To put it bluntly, it's almost like playing Landlord. It's just that we're all comrades, so there's no life-and-death struggle. We can discuss and compromise internally and solve problems together."

Although Zhan Tianyou did not oppose land reform, he did not support it either. After all, such a revolution was too radical and did not align with his ideas. He had also witnessed the rise of the United States and understood the power of industry. So he said, "We still have to develop industry. Once we become wealthy, there will be fewer problems. Look at the United States. They didn't have land reform, but they are still strong now."

Zhang Yinghao burst into laughter and said, "Mr. Juancheng, don't you know where the American Thanksgiving comes from?"

"Of course I know, this is, uh..."

Hey, have you figured it out? Without the corpses of tens of millions of Indians paving the way, it would be a pipe dream for the United States to develop industry as recklessly as it does now. It's not that they didn't carry out land reform; their westward movement was essentially the completion of land reform. The United States still has a vast land area and a sparse population, so land conflicts haven't erupted yet. And they did kill tens of millions of Indian "landlords."

"this..…"

Zhang Yinghao saw Zhan Tianyou was dumbfounded and speechless, and Zhang Yinghao did not

Not wanting to embarrass Zhan Tianyou, nor to debate with him, he said, "Let's not talk about this, Mr. Juancheng, now we can estimate how much it will take.

Will it take a long time to repair the railway?"

"About three years." "What if I add more people?"

"That's hard to say, but the vast majority of work is done manually, and many things can't be completed quickly just by having more people."

"okay, I get it."

Chapter 228:

The rules for commendation were finally finalized. After these commanders handed the rules to Zhang Yinghao, Zhang Yinghao opened the rules and read them.

After reading the first part, he smiled knowingly, stopped reading, handed the rules to Zhan Tianyou, and motioned him to take a look at them too.

Zhan Tianyou was a little surprised and said, "Chairman Zhang, is there any problem?"

"No problem, I think it's great! As long as we stick to labor and equality, and stick to science, there won't be any major problems."

"Oh, then why don't you read on?"

"I haven't participated in the work here, let alone worked with them, so it's pointless to watch. It's fine for me to say a few words before the comrades have made their comments. But if I were to make comments after they have, I would simply be causing more trouble. Nothing is perfect in this world. Specific management content like theirs needs to be revised repeatedly and takes a long time to perfect. This current draft is only for this current situation. If there are new issues next time, they will need to be revised."

Zhan Tianyou said: "Chairman, you are quite open-minded."

He flipped the page open and began to read, nodding as he read. "It's true there are still some areas that need improvement, but overall it's pretty good. And there are many details that even I, the chief engineer, don't know."

"So, if we're going to judge merits this time, we can do the same for future ones as well?"

"Yes, look at the previous analysis. Labor skills are scientific and technological, while organizational work is the master's aspect. Evaluating the same type of work together creates a unified standard. Trying to compare the strength of a strong ant with that of a calf is nonsense, isn't it?"