The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

The fragile small peasant economy brought about by land reform will not be easily shattered, and land relations will once again undergo fundamental changes.

As a time traveler, Zhang Yinghao has a morbid persistence in land reform. Zhang Yinghao's idea and purpose are actually very simple, that is, after the land reform, the vast majority of farmers will have a mouth to eat, and only when they are full will they have the energy to do other things. In order to make money and live a better life, farmers must do another job during the slack season, and they must engage in side jobs to sell more labor. With the foundation of land reform, the cheap labor of farmers can be slowly released, providing long-term impetus for the development of the country.

If land reform had not been carried out in China, and industrialization had been rushed forward without delay, the brutal, cumulative oppression of the early stages of industrialization would have inevitably drained one or two generations dry, leaving a legacy of blood and tears in the history of development. Zhang Yinghao naturally did not want to end up like this, and he naturally did not want the people to suffer twice as a result of industrialization.

This was one of the reasons why Zhang Yinghao constantly trained his comrades. He knew he didn't have that many loyal communist fighters. If he insisted on carrying out land reform and forcing some seemingly advanced things, it wouldn't necessarily have any good results. Wang Mang was a typical example in history, and Li Zicheng's saying that the "King of Rebellion" would not pay taxes was also one of them.

That is why Zhang Yinghao has stepped up the training efforts for his comrades, because in the eyes of today's Chinese, respecting teachers is a very serious matter. After all, Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, Parents and Teachers are enshrined in the divine throne and they cannot be overthrown by a few people, and even fewer people dare to openly betray their teachers and ancestors.

Of course, relying solely on the teacher-student relationship wasn't enough, so as the chairman of the Progressive Party, Zhang Yinghao had to represent the interests of the majority of his comrades and quickly create a class that would develop production. If his comrades all went back to represent the interests of the landlord class, then he would be left with nothing to show for it.

Everything Zhang Fuhao does now revolves around the grand goal of industrialization, revolving around resolving the suffering and starvation of the Chinese people. Zhang Yinghao certainly understands that industrial development can't be achieved overnight. Industrial development must be built on an agricultural foundation. Industry and agriculture are mutually reinforcing and mutually reinforcing, not one way or the other.

That is why Zhang Yinghao vigorously carried out the construction of factories, worked hard to create more wealth, and let more comrades gain more benefits in industrial development, so that he could get more people's support to develop industry. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao had to let these comrades quickly before they became the representatives of the interests of the landlord class.

Only when the trend of the times is right can Zhang Yinghao implement and carry out his revolutionary ideas, and avoid the situation where the leader dies and the government perishes.

If these comrades cannot be turned into spokesmen for industrialization and vested interests of the industrial and commercial class, then they are destined to go back to their original path, return to China's thousand-year-old traditions, and regress to become spokesmen for the landlord class. This is something that cannot be changed by Zhang Yinghao's personal will, and this is what Zhang Yinghao fears the most.

However, Zhang Yinghao is more aware that any country that wants to carry out industrialization construction needs sufficient funds. There are only two solutions now. One is to

One is to plunder others, the other is to tighten the belt and plunder oneself. Newly emerging countries basically have no choice but to choose the latter, which is the so-called pain of industrialization.

Capitalist countries' primitive accumulation of wealth was based on the exploitation of colonies, the slave trade, and countless blood and tears. China had no colonies, but it was a vast country, with a population that accounted for nearly one-third of the world's population. How vast is that? Even if it were to eat itself, it could still drive industrial development. If there were more people...

At this thought, Zhang Yinghao suddenly seemed to understand something. As long as China completed industrialization in certain regions and then exported them, it would automatically attract capital from across the country to support industrialization and alleviate the pain. As long as they could exploit enough people, as long as there was a constant supply of cheap labor, as long as productivity could continue to grow, and as long as the country could quickly complete its industrialization, it would appear prosperous and strong, and the countless contradictions within it could be masked through development. Of course, as long as the country could remain independent and stand tall among the nations of the world, and future generations could live in peace and prosperity, any sacrifice would be worth it.

“No matter how much sacrifice there is, it’s worth it.”

Zhang Yinghao said this silently in his heart. Then he continued to his comrades: "Revolution and counter-revolution are contradictory. Most people in Guangdong should know about our land reform by now. But we must continue to publicize it and make sure it is fully publicized. Guangdong is a place with great development potential, but the first step is to properly handle the issue of land reform. This is one of the political principles of our Forward Party to ensure fairness and justice. There is no room for negotiation."

"Chairman, those militias are relatively well behaved right now, with only a few attacking us."

"Anyone who attacks our comrades must be struck down with a heavy blow and completely wiped out. Without the support of the Qing court, these people have no legitimate reason to resist our revolution and will never gain the support of the people. In the end, they will inevitably fail. If they think their guns are faster and want to rely on the militia to resist, then let them see who has the faster gun. These are all aimed at the big landlords and powerful people. If they don't participate in the counter-revolution, then they must disband. After the land is distributed, these problems will naturally be resolved."

Everyone discussed it one after another, and soon they reached a consensus and came up with a policy. Finally, Zhang Yinghao had to emphasize again: "Issues such as land reform, as well as the issues that have been emphasized, such as drug prohibition, prostitution prohibition, and gambling prohibition, must be fully publicized. Wherever our troops go, the local people must know about these things and know the position and policy of our Forward Party. Who are our enemies and who are our friends? Our enemies are not just people, but also the bad traditions that have been passed down for thousands of years. Therefore, we must make it clear to the people. If the people do not understand these things, then they will inevitably stand with the landlord class and counter-revolutionaries according to the habits that have been passed down for thousands of years. Therefore, the public opinion position must be occupied by us, because if we do not take the initiative to occupy it, then these positions will be occupied by the enemy."

Zhang Yinghao can only do so much for Guangdong's affairs. Before problems arise, the central government cannot make any comments. However, what needs to be done must still be done, and it will not stop just because of the issue of liberating Guangdong.

As the People's Liberation Army was operating in Guangdong at full speed, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and Germany once again approached Zhang Yinghao. Once the People's Liberation Army began its campaign against the Qing Dynasty, it would not stop, and this was beyond Zhang Yinghao's control. The powers also knew that once the People's Liberation Army began its campaign against the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty's demise would be even closer.

At first, the foreign powers still demanded that Zhang Yinghao recognize a series of treaties signed between the Qing Dynasty and the foreign powers. Zhang Yinghao was unwilling to recognize any of these treaties. If he had to recognize any one treaty, it would be the treaty signed by Comrade Zhu Yuanzhang during the Ming Dynasty regarding the Portuguese residence in Macau.

Faced with pressure from the great powers, Zhang Yinghao simply told the foreign envoys: "Whether it is the Treaty of Nanjing, the Treaty of Beijing, or the Boxer Protocol signed between the great powers and the Qing court, these treaties are not treaties signed with our liberated areas. The relationship between us and the Qing court is hostile, and the legal subjects are different. You are asking us to recognize these treaties, but you have come to the wrong person. You can now ask the Qing court to continue to abide by these treaties."

Zhang Yinghao knew that this was a problem that the Liberated Area and the Forward Party could never get around, and now they had to delay it for as long as possible.

"So what is your current attitude towards the outside world?"

"We've always said we want to maintain the status quo, so we're still doing so. As for trade, you can't open the Qing Dynasty's trade door through war, and we don't need that in the Liberated Areas. Our attitude towards trade has always been consistent. We welcome countries around the world to do business with us, so any country, including Britain and France, is our trading partner."

Chapter 694: First update!

In his previous life, Zhang Yinghao had read the book "Thick Black Studies," which discussed two ways to deal with problems: the "pot-patching method" and the "broken arrow method." The story goes that if a pot has a small hole and is taken to be mended, the tinker will use a small hammer to hammer the hole larger. Then, he'll tell the tinkerer, "The edges of the hole are very thin. If you don't knock them off, it won't be strong enough and will break after a few uses." Seeing the large hole, the tinkerer will naturally be willing to spend more money to make the pot better.

The broken arrow method is that when a person is shot by an arrow, the doctor cuts off the part of the arrow that is exposed outside, and then tells the person who was shot: You should go to the internal medicine department for treatment for the rest of the arrow, I only treat surgery here.

To explain it using the theory of contradiction, the "patching the pot" method is essentially about expanding or intensifying contradictions, elevating minor contradictions to the level of the primary contradiction. This way, they will receive attention and must be resolved. The "breaking the arrow" method, on the other hand, is essentially about shifting contradictions, from one to another.

Zhang Yinghao knew that arguing with the foreign powers about the unequal treaties the Qing dynasty had signed with them was pointless and would only exacerbate the conflict. Zhang Yinghao had no intention of recognizing these treaties, so he could only resort to diverting the conflict. Since the foreign powers had forced the Qing dynasty to sign these treaties in order to profit, Zhang Yinghao would simply trade with them and let them profit. However, if they attempted to profit from the unequal treaties, Zhang Yinghao would not allow it.

While China lacks much industrial foundation, it's still the early days of the Second Industrial Revolution, and the productivity gap can be offset with strong organizations. As long as trade is fair, Zhang Yinghao genuinely doesn't believe the Chinese of this era are any worse off than foreigners. Furthermore, before a substantial industrial base is established, before the entire country is liberated, Zhang Yinghao has no plans to establish any special economic zones. Only once the liberated areas have developed substantial industry will Zhang Yinghao consider establishing special economic zones.

While exchanges between political parties and nations might ostensibly be based on affection, fundamentally, they were based on the exchange of benefits or compensation. Zhang Yinghao's support for expanding trade immediately softened the stance of the United States and Germany. However, he also understood that the imperialist powers would lose their credibility if the benefits were sufficient. He strongly disliked negotiating with multiple powers simultaneously. When one power made excessive demands, it easily aroused their greed, and they always sought to extract more benefits.

Because the interests of the great powers in China are actually inconsistent, China can only maximize its benefits by dividing them and adopting different strategies when dealing with different countries. Facing multiple countries simultaneously greatly reduces its room for maneuver. Nowadays, even the topic of expanding trade is rarely of interest to the British. After all, the British seek global hegemony and the stability of their colonial system. Having plundered the world for centuries and controlling the world's largest Rand gold mines, Britain truly doesn't need this little bit of profit.

Therefore, when discussing matters with other countries, Zhang Yinghao only discussed matters of principle. "I say my own thing, and whether you agree or not is your business." However, there was almost no way to force Zhang Yinghao to agree, except to launch a war and subdue him. Of course, there were other options, such as assassinating Zhang Yinghao, the core figure of the Forward Party. However, since his assassination in Chengdu, Zhang Yinghao's security forces have been further strengthened, and comrades from the Intelligence Bureau, the Purification Committee, and other departments have been strictly controlling him. Therefore, it is now much more difficult for him to engage in these devious means.

Soon the topic of discussion with the great powers turned to trade issues. Zhang Yinghao certainly had no intention of giving preferential treatment to foreign investment, but he also had no intention of making things difficult for foreign investment. The current liberated areas could not focus on economic construction, because everything now revolved around winning the war.

Regarding trade with the great powers, Zhang Yinghao only put forward some basic concepts. The first is to establish and improve customs and implement a registration system. Foreigners entering any place in the liberated areas must have a passport and relevant certificates.

Rex asked Zhang Yinghao, "So, what are the responsibilities and obligations of our personnel?"

In response to this question, Zhang Yinghao said without hesitation: "Foreigners entering the Liberated Areas are obliged to abide by the laws of the Liberated Areas. As the saying goes, when entering a country, ask about its prohibitions and when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Everyone should respect local customs and laws to reduce unnecessary conflicts. Of course, within the scope of our laws, your legal rights are also protected. Therefore, we are currently improving the laws of the Liberated Areas, such as the Civil Code, the Criminal Code, the Company Law, the Labor Law, and other laws. These laws will be gradually formulated and improved."

Zhang Yinghao paused, then continued, "Of course, your so-called extraterritoriality and consular jurisdiction must be abolished in the Liberated Areas. There's nothing to discuss about this. After our laws are promulgated, if you have any dissatisfaction or confusion, you can discuss and negotiate with our relevant departments. However, once our laws are formulated and promulgated, people from any country who come to China must abide by Chinese law."

Zhang Yinghao knew that this era had so-called international diplomatic standards, or international conventions. He didn't know their specific content, but he did know that they were negotiated by a group of bandits and hooligans to reconcile the distribution of interests among themselves. It was a method of internal coordination among the bandits and hooligans to avoid escalating conflicts. After all, if the bandits and hooligans didn't have such a method of internal coordination, wouldn't war be necessary? Since the benefits had already been divided up by the developed countries, it would naturally be more disadvantageous to the more backward countries, leaving them with loopholes to exploit.

This requires our comrades to study and summarize more. For example, they need to learn that the territory of the consulate is a continuation of foreign territory and that foreign diplomats have diplomatic immunity.

These are all basics, and you'll understand them after a brief study. Of course, these rights and obligations are reciprocal and mutually recognized. It's impossible for one country's diplomats to have immunity in their own country while their counterparts in another country don't. That would be a mess.

After resolving the fundamental issues, the final step was to sign the relevant documents. Naturally, Japan and Russia were not among the signatories, as they naturally opposed such a document. The liberated areas and the major powers pledged to maintain neutrality during the PLA's battles with the Qing army. Furthermore, after liberation, they would maintain the status quo with foreign powers. Similarly, the liberated areas were obligated to protect the safety of foreigners doing business in various regions.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao certainly wouldn't allow foreigners to roam freely in the liberated areas; this could be controlled by issuing passports. Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao wouldn't be foolish enough to make promises without a word of warning; he would clearly state that if foreigners were captured by the Qing or placed in a war zone, Zhang Yinghao could only guarantee the safety of those who sought refuge with the People's Liberation Army. He wouldn't guarantee the safety of all foreigners in the fully controlled areas.

In this era, this was an extremely friendly attitude towards foreigners. This era, before the world war, was a time when all countries offered very limited protection to foreigners. Considering the vast number of colonies, caste systems, and genocide, the documents Zhang Yinghao signed were truly beyond his time.

Of course, for the Progressive Party, the country should protect the people and reduce the damage caused by war, which is what they should do. In this era, if the government troops can avoid looting, then this army can be considered a perfect army. As for disaster relief, that is impossible. The soldiers just need to eat food and that's it.

The reason these foreigners came to Zhang Yinghao so anxiously was also because of the importance of Guangdong. As one of China's economic leaders, Guangdong's foreign trade is not dispensable to foreign countries.

Of course, another important reason was that wherever the People's Liberation Army arrived, the first issue to be resolved was land. Foreign businessmen, in fact, had hoarded considerable land in China. Many industrial and mining enterprises were actually controlled by foreigners. These core national assets, the very lifeblood of the national economy, had to be reclaimed in the liberated areas.

From the First Opium War to 1906, foreign assets in China were actually quite substantial. With just one simple declaration of nationalization, all the land was taken away—a situation the powers couldn't tolerate. However, for Zhang Yinghao, since he was starting over from scratch, he naturally didn't mind doing it cleanly, thus clearing any obstacles for future development.

However, when Zhang Yinghao presented the documents proposing equal exchange and negotiation to diplomats from Britain, France, and the United States, they naturally refused to agree, let alone sign them. They simply took the documents and left the meeting room, under the pretext of negotiating and reporting back to their country. Zhang Yinghao didn't expect the great powers, especially Britain and France, to immediately confront China; all he needed was to lay the groundwork.

After finishing these things, Zhang Yinghao immediately convened a meeting with comrades from the Ministry of Commerce, Customs, and other departments. In terms of the amount of money that had passed through their hands, the Ministry of Commerce had arguably handled the most in recent years. After all, it oversaw the vast majority of foreign trade and imported a significant amount of goods. Naturally, the highest standards were placed on these comrades. While the number of people investigated and punished wasn't the highest, it was still quite a number. Basically, faced with the enormous profits, they couldn't control their hands.

After the liberation of Guangdong, trade with foreigners in the liberated areas might be taken to a new level. A customs office in Guangdong also needed to be established immediately, which was why Zhang Yinghao called a meeting of comrades from the customs and the Ministry of Commerce.

Regarding these comrades, Zhang Yinghao said directly: "As the saying goes: There are people who will take their lives in business, but no one will take business that will lose money. Faced with huge profits, everyone actually wants to make a fortune. I can understand these ideas, but I can't accept them. The comrades here can be said to be veteran comrades, and they have all seen money. They are not so blinded by the sight of money. Now that we have liberated Guangdong, our foreign trade may reach a new level, so we are now transferring a group of comrades to work in Guangdong."

When they heard that a group of comrades were going to Guangdong, some of them were happy, some were troubled, and some were expressionless. Zhang Yinghao did not pay attention to the thoughts of these comrades. The comrades going to Guangdong must have gone through an organizational interview, and their personal wishes would also be considered. Zhang Yinghao did not need to do this personally. He just mentioned it to let these comrades prepare. However, all

Comrades all know that setting up a new department means there are still a lot of vacancies for "promotion", and comrades with aspirations will naturally not miss this opportunity.

Zhang Yinghao continued, "As everyone knows, customs and trade—that is, the business we do with foreigners, and the taxation of imports and exports—are matters involving vast sums of money. If someone were to exploit this power to gain personal advantage, it would be very easy. Everyone present here should be aware of this."

"Everyone should be very clear about our current situation. We are short of money. If anyone makes trouble here, once the problem is discovered, the Party and the people will definitely not forgive them. The comrades present here are all our outstanding comrades, so I am very confident in you. Comrades, remember this: do not try to steal, or you will be caught. The Party and the people are watching, and it is difficult to escape under the watchful eyes of the public."

Zhang Yinghao needed to warn these comrades. During the Party's internal purges, many were executed, especially during the purges of the Security Committee for Counter-Revolutionaries and Work Sabotage. Customs and other departments were particularly hard hit, with some checkpoints reaching levels of 80% at one point. Customs personnel were completely implicated, and everyone became complicit in the corruption, marginalizing those who stood firm and held firm to their principles. Everyone present knows that departments like customs and other departments have undergone more than one purge, and that more than one person has been executed. Even with countless reiterations, faced with the allure of money, some people will always give in, taking money they shouldn't have, ultimately ending up in jail or, worse still, losing their lives.

There are too many interests involved, and the waters are muddy and deep. If you just let go, you will make a huge fortune, enough for many people to live comfortably for a lifetime.

"Don't worry, Chairman. We will do our best to do a good job."

Zhang Yinghao waved his hand, unwilling to comment on these comrades' cunning answers. After all, in Qinzhou, the liberated areas already had a coastal customs office, which had some experience in management. Furthermore, there were numerous customs offices in inland areas, so the old methods would be similar. The comrades who had come to the meeting were all excellent, and Zhang Yinghao was confident they could do a good job. However, each place had its own unique characteristics, and each issue required a specific analysis.

"This isn't about trying your best or not. Many of you comrades are veterans. Our military rules are like this: if you're not capable enough, or if you fail to complete your mission due to limited conditions, the most we can do is dismiss you from your position or send you to a lower position for training. So if you can't achieve anything, the most we'll do is dismiss you from your position. But if you violate discipline or regulations, then that's a matter of principle. We won't hesitate to dismiss you from your position, investigate you, or even bring you to justice."

"So now we're just learning how to do things. Although we've done these things before, the location is different, and we don't know what specific problems we'll encounter. If you say you can handle something we haven't done before, I won't believe you. We always get things done first, and if we encounter any problems along the way, we'll summarize the lessons learned or hold meetings to discuss new solutions. Although we're constantly building systems, we're still very short on experience, so you all need to work together well, learn by doing, and get these things done."

"Chairman, the Guangdong Customs is still in the hands of foreigners. What should be done with those who work there?"

"We are building a new customs office nearby. We control the Guangdong government, so why should we worry about the customs office controlled by the British? We naturally have relevant systems for dealing with those who work for foreigners, but if we accept these people, we will definitely need to provide them with relevant training in the future."

"So we can use them as our own people?"

"These people are local tyrants. They are open to all, and their tolerance is their magnanimity. Anyone who accepts our political ideals, such as land reform, can join our ranks. So many of them will not only be our own people, but also our comrades. People with similar ideals are comrades. You will soon receive transfer orders, and after completing the formalities at the Personnel Department, you will be assigned to your posts in Guangdong."

During the Great Revolution, the infiltration of revolutionary speculators into the ranks was inevitable; the absence of such individuals was truly formidable. Even those who knew they would lose nine out of ten gambles still took to the gambler, let alone those who, amidst the prevailing revolutionary trend, naturally followed suit and speculated on the revolution. It was these speculators who collectively constituted the prevailing revolutionary trend.

Although Zhang Yinghao felt that he had a good talk with these foreigners, he really didn't dare to trust them easily. Not to mention that the great powers had not signed a document of equal exchanges, even if they had signed it, what would it matter? Imperialism's going back on its word was as simple as eating and drinking water. Otherwise, the position of world hegemony would not have changed hands so many times.

Furthermore, Guangdong, being located on the coast, lacked much defense against foreign warships and cannons. However, combating smuggling was essential, so purchasing relevant vessels to establish a coast guard force and even a navy was essential. However, Zhang Yinghao felt it was a waste to purchase current battleships, as Britain was currently leading the world in the construction of the Dreadnought-class battleships. Once the Dreadnoughts were launched, all current ships would be outdated. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao knew that even if he desperately developed the shipbuilding industry, his naval power would not be able to compete with the UK, Japan, and other countries in the short term.

Zhang Yinghao felt a headache at the thought, and finally decided to immediately begin preparations for building a large navy. During the liberation of Wuhan, Lushun, and other places, they had already acquired a number of ships. With these resources and talents as the foundation, it would be possible to establish schools and gradually build a navy. Furthermore, the Qing Dynasty could no longer afford to maintain a navy, so he could try to get the remaining naval personnel to revolt and see if they could be used to their advantage.

The Qing court actually had no idea what a navy was. They clearly had established a navy, but they insisted on naming it something like "water division." Are water divisions and navy the same thing? Most importantly, the Qing established a navy, but lacked the necessary supporting facilities. They bought warships, but lacked the necessary supporting facilities and equipment. After the First Sino-Japanese War, and especially after the Japanese massacre at Port Arthur, the Qing navy was completely devastated and could hardly recover.

But a lean camel is bigger than a horse. After all, the Beiyang Fleet was once the strongest in Asia and ninth in the world, even achieving its peak when it reached Nagasaki and coerced Japan into surrender. Although the First Sino-Japanese War was lost, some warships and personnel remained. These remnants, in the hands of the liberated areas, provided the seeds for the Chinese Navy, eliminating the need to start from scratch. For Zhang Yinghao, the most valuable asset was never the remaining warships, but the naval personnel. As long as these personnel remained, sufficient talent could be trained more quickly. Warships are common, but talent is hard to come by.

However, this can't be rushed; all we can do is start preparing now. Furthermore, the navy has always been promoted by Western powers as a force for expansion. After all, for centuries, the navy has been the vanguard of expansion. Although Zhang Yinghao knew that the navy was used to defend half of China, if the liberated areas began to develop their navy, these powers, whether intentionally or not, would desperately suppress the Chinese navy. This is an inevitable conflict of interest, a zero-sum game, and something that cannot be changed by human will.

This is also the reason why many countries now do not regard the ocean as their territory, because the ocean is not their own territory. If the purpose of developing the navy is not expansion, what else can it be? That is why there was the concept of two hundred nautical miles belonging to territory in the previous life. In this way, developing the navy in one's own territory is not for expansion, but for self-protection.

For Zhang Yinghao, the ocean, as part of China's territory, still represents half of its territory. Without a navy to strengthen its maritime defenses, it's like lacking an army to strengthen its land borders. Since modern times, China has faced invasions primarily from the north and the sea, a fact Zhang Yinghao cannot ignore. While the People's Liberation Army is well-trained and valiant, its equipment is insufficient. Without a strong navy and equipment, China will face the risk of invasion for decades to come.

Chapter 695: First update!

The Liberated Areas were now desperately seeking ways to expand their trade with foreigners. Because of their low-cost, assembly-line production of garments, the British were shipping large quantities of surplus cotton yarn and fabric from India to the Liberated Areas, who would then ship the finished garments abroad and sell them, earning a processing fee. Zhang Yinghao instructed relevant departments to rapidly establish garment factories in Guangzhou and other places, recruiting workers from across Guangdong to address employment issues.

Zhang Yinghao knew that Guangzhou had great potential in the clothing business. Because of its advantageous location and the enormous domestic and international markets, light industry didn't require the same significant investment as heavy industry. Furthermore, light industry was highly profitable, generating revenue quickly and allowing for rapid capital turnover. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao had already approved the construction of a large textile factory in Guangdong. Zhang Zhidong, who had experience establishing four bureaus for weaving, spinning, silk, and linen processing, even planned to have him come to Guangzhou to guide his colleagues.

After a busy day, Zhang Yinghao returned home and saw that Xue'er and his mother were not at home. He quietly lay on the sofa and thought about something. After such a long time since Zhang Yinghao's time travel, he now increasingly understands one truth: human hearts cannot be controlled, or rather, no one can truly calculate their hearts. Ancient people tried every possible means, even inventing religious beliefs to control people's hearts, weaving countless lies to deceive the people, but in the end, they still ended up in chaos. Since ancient times, sincerity cannot be retained, and only tricks can win people's hearts. Don't expect others to support you. Only ideals and interests can last long...

At this time, Xue'er and her mother came in from outside. When they saw Zhang Yinghao at home, the first words her mother said almost made Zhang Yinghao jump up from the sofa.

"Ah Hao, Xiaoxue is pregnant."

Zhang Yinghao was lost in thought and didn't understand what it meant at first. "Pregnant? What kind of pregnancy?"

Suddenly, Zhang Yinghao shuddered and stood up from the sofa without realizing it, staring at Xue'er's flat belly which was not yet pregnant.

Zhang Yinghao had commanded a vast army, and frankly, he was responsible for the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people in the liberated areas. But at this moment, for the first time, he felt like a real person, not just a character in a game. It was as if he had suddenly broken free from his game-playing mindset and felt like he had taken root and settled down in this world. He felt like this world had truly become his place of residence, not just a passing one. This feeling made Zhang Yinghao's mind race with thoughts, yet at the same time, he seemed to be thinking of nothing, as he simply stood there blankly.

"What? Are you stupid?"

Zhang Yinghao was awakened by his mother's words. He hurried over, took Xue'er's soft little hand, and led her to sit on the sofa. Zhang Yinghao didn't know what to say for a moment. He could only open his mouth and laugh foolishly. He could even hear his own silly laughter, but he just couldn't stop.

At that moment, Zhang Yinghao felt like the happiest person in the world. This was Zhang Yinghao's first child in two lifetimes, his first time as a father. Suddenly, the continuation of his bloodline gave Zhang Yinghao a new understanding of many things.

In his previous life, Zhang Yinghao had been pondering the question of what constitutes a perfect life. This question had troubled him for a long time, and even after traveling through time, he still hadn't gotten the answer he wanted. But the moment he heard that he had a bloodline, he suddenly understood.

Continuity and inheritance are ingrained in human DNA. Those who cannot carry on their bloodline, or who suppress it through their thoughts, undoubtedly experience unseen pain, for this violates the most fundamental rules of life. The moment Zhang Yinghao heard Xue'er was pregnant, he knew the truth. In people's imaginations, a family living harmoniously and happily together is the most perfect life.

This isn't about money, or anything else. For men, poverty doesn't last more than three generations, because the third generation is already extinct. Warmth breeds lust, and men don't pursue romance for money. Very few men don't want to get married, but the vast majority are unable to find a wife because they lack the money...

Zhang Yinghao suddenly felt that he was very boring in the past, thinking about so many useless things. In fact, the simplest happiness was right beside him, that is to find a partner and live a good life. This is the whole true meaning of life.

Faced with countless choices in life, Zhang Yinghao was particularly proud of his previous proposal to Xue'er. He now fully agreed with Plato's description of marriage. Once you've set your sights on a particular ear of wheat, hold on to it firmly, cherish it, and don't dwell on whether there will be a better one later. This realistic approach is precisely what Zhang Yinghao lacked in his previous life. Countless tragedies in reality stem from his inability to recognize reality and understand himself.

In Zhang Yinghao's previous life, he had classmates who fell in love in high school and married upon graduation. Their journey from school to marriage was smooth. Looking back now, these classmates were the happiest people. Because no one knows whether their future partner will fully meet their standards, and the cost of trial and error in marriage is too high, cherishing what you have is the best choice.

"Xue'er, Mom, did you just come back from the hospital?"

"Yes, Xiaoxue felt uncomfortable at noon, so I took her to the hospital. The doctor said she was pregnant."

Zhang Yinghao held Xue'er's hand tightly, rubbing it gently, feeling very happy. What he had thought about before, such as a perfect life or a life without regrets, was all bullshit. In fact, real life is just a warm bed with a wife and children, and the daily necessities of life. This is not to say that this person has lost the motivation to strive for or anything else, but that life is made up of these day-to-day lives. Every day is happy, every day is satisfying, and it will be like this for the rest of your life. Isn't this the best life?

At this moment, Zhang Yinghao suddenly felt the immense weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He also suddenly understood the slogans of his past life: eugenics and good upbringing, which truly meant wanting their children to be healthy. Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao suddenly understood why he had become the person he hated in his past life: it was because he had no pressure at all. Without pressure, there was no motivation, and naturally, no responsibility.

From another perspective, in my past life, I lacked motivation and was unwilling to work hard to develop myself. I was obsessed with making a fortune. I squandered the little money I had, always looking for shortcuts instead of being practical. Naturally, I rushed through life in a rush, ultimately achieving nothing. If I had married earlier in my past life, perhaps I would have gained a deeper understanding of life and reality, and wouldn't have ended up with nothing after several years in society.

Zhang Yinghao held Xue'er's hand tightly, feeling a surge of emotion. He was about to become a father. Perhaps only those very responsible fathers could understand the meaning of this feeling.

"What are you doing? Sighing and groaning like an old man? Are you unhappy?"

"No, no, I'm going to be a father. I'm really happy, haha, very happy..."

Zhang Yinghao didn't care whether his mother was there or not. He kissed Xue'er on the forehead and said, "Xue'er, thank you. I love you."

Xue'er suddenly felt a little shy. She looked at her mother and said frankly, "I like you, too."

"Yeah, I know. In the future, I will make more money to support my family, haha..." "We will support our family together."

Zhang Yinghao recovered from his previous state of helplessness, and the irrational things were gradually replaced by rationality.

Zhang Yinghao turned to his mother and said, "Mom, Xue'er, please don't tell anyone about your pregnancy for now, okay?"

Seeing his mother's confused eyes, Zhang Yinghao turned to look at Xue'er again, and heard Xue'er answer: "Okay."

Zhang Yinghao knew that his mother was too traditional and limited in her knowledge to understand the truth. However, Zhang Yinghao also knew that his mother was not someone who liked to show off. However, he still said: "I am now the leader of the liberated area. Our comrades have sacrificed their lives for the revolution and will go wherever they are needed.

Many of them haven't even gotten married yet, so I can't start this trend. Besides, our family doesn't accept gifts for these things."

My mother suddenly understood and said with a smile: "Okay, if you don't want to accept gifts, then don't accept them. If you accept gifts, you have to return them. I'm too lazy to bother if I don't accept gifts. But what about those relatives at home? They still need to be notified, right?"

Zhang Yinghao knew that for people today, not notifying relatives of a pregnancy was a bit unacceptable. But for Zhang Yinghao, who had come from the future, this was perfectly normal. In his previous life, everyone was busy working outside, so who would have the time to specifically visit a child? At most, they would just give a red envelope and call it a day. However, Zhang Yinghao's current status was different, and he had to consider the issue from a slightly different perspective.

"There's no need for that right now. If I have the chance to visit relatives in Sichuan in the future, they'll naturally find out. We're in Wuhan, and it's impossible for us to go back to Sichuan just for this, and it's not convenient for relatives to come to Wuhan. Moreover, with my current status, if these relatives knew about this, it would be a huge question for them to decide whether to come or not. There's no need."

"It wasn't like this before! People would laugh at me and gossip about me."

Zhang Yinghao smiled and replied, "Mom, times have changed. In the past, people would marry from nearby towns, so visiting relatives was naturally easy. But with the advent of trains and cars, more and more people are marrying from far away, and their relatives are only getting farther away. It's not so convenient to visit relatives anymore, and once every few years is considered a good thing."

Also, in the past, when a woman was pregnant, most families were poor, so they would naturally notify relatives so they could send eggs, chicks, and other goodies to nourish the mother. After the baby was born, friends and family would also send some clothing or food, so that the child would have a better living environment and not be drowned or given away.

But in the future, these things will gradually become unnecessary. As long as you're willing to work, everyone will have enough food and clothing, and they won't have to rely on gifts from relatives. In the past, medical care was poor, and childbirth was like going through the gates of death for women. As medical care improves, the dangers will become less and less. In the past, ignorant couples would have ten or eight children, and if only three or four grew up, they were lucky. However, in the liberated areas, we will vigorously develop medical care, and medical and health standards will rise rapidly. I will never allow a situation where more than half of the children die.