In the ninth year of the Republic of China, there was a severe drought in the five provinces of Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, and Shanxi. There were as many as 200 counties affected by the disaster in the five provinces. 30 million victims were hungry and displaced, with no way to make a living, and they fled to other provinces with their children.
In Zheng County, Henan Province, more than 100,000 victims from the surrounding five counties that were affected by the disaster gathered here, squeezing Zheng County to a crawl. The victims came to Zheng County because, firstly, Zheng County is a commercial port with a developed economy, and secondly, Zheng County was the least affected by the disaster.
, and the Pinghan-Han Railway runs through it, so the grain purchased by the provincial government from other provinces gets off the train here. And the most important point is that the ever-victorious general Wu Peifu, Marshal Wu, is stationed in Zhengzhou. He allocates military rations every day and sends them to Beiyang
A porridge shed was set up outside the military camp of the 3rd Army Division to provide relief to the victims.
At noon, the sky was cloudless and the earth was sweltering with heat. The victims of the disaster gathered in front of the military camp spontaneously. Those who had bowls took a broken bowl with a chipped tooth, and those who didn't have a bowl picked up a piece of roof tile and made do with it.
I can eat a few mouthfuls of hot porridge to satisfy my hunger.
"Didi didi didi."
A bugle sounded in the military camp, and then the camp door opened wide, and two rows of soldiers in gray military uniforms ran out. The soldiers were neatly dressed and marched neatly and vigorously. They were holding bright blue Mauser rifles with black muzzles.
Even though it was yellow land, the victims were still frightened and all took a step back.
"Listen, fellow villagers, Mr. Wu has an order. When serving porridge, you must line up in an orderly manner. Anyone who dares to loot, jump in the queue, or cause trouble will be beaten with a military stick for thirty years, and those who are serious will be shot on the spot. Okay, let's start serving porridge.
." An officer with a captain's badge came out from behind the soldiers and loudly said the rules for putting porridge. The victims were all shocked when they heard it. Their stomachs growled with hunger. How could anyone eat thirty army sticks? There was a sudden silence.
The people lined up in an orderly manner and took the porridge one by one.
…
Among the victims, a group of people dressed in casual clothes walked into the shack area where the victims gathered. This was actually a flat land next to the military camp. Ever since Wu Peifu ordered the porridge relief, tens of thousands of victims had gathered here.
"Commander Xin manages the army well. Even the porridge for disaster relief is in an orderly manner. I admire you so much." Zhang Qizong, wearing a simple gray cloth robe, complimented the man next to him with a high forehead, high cheekbones and a short mouth.
A tall and thin middle-aged man with a red mustache, this man is Wu Peifu, the direct hero who is currently in the limelight. He once defeated the Southwest Allied Forces in Hunan.
Wu Peifu smiled reservedly. He was a man with great ambitions. He could command tens of thousands of tiger troops, let alone trivial matters such as providing food for disaster relief. At this time, he came to the slum area, and he did not have the leisure to pay a private visit in private.
, but the military camp ran out of food, and he wanted to assess the situation of the victims with his own eyes and stop providing porridge for disaster relief.
"Brother Ziwu, after walking around, I found that the number of victims is more than I thought. The military rations have been exhausted. The Army Ministry is suppressing our military rations and not distributing them. I'm afraid this porridge can only be kept for another day.
"After walking around the slum area, Wu Peifu's mood became heavier and heavier, and he couldn't help but feel a little regretful. At that time, he was greedy for temporary fame, but now he is tired of fame. These tens of thousands of disaster victims are really not something that he, a young teacher, can afford.
He knew very well that these victims were like drowning people. Once they grasped the life-saving straw, they would never let go.
Zhang Qiqin knew very well what Wu Peifu meant. Stopping the porridge relief was a trivial matter. No one could predict the reaction of the victims. If it triggered a civil uprising, it would give the anxious Anhui clique an excuse. This matter must be done.
Everything was spotless, and this was really what he, a staff member, had to do, but he had already made up his mind and said calmly: "Xin Shuai, this matter is not difficult to handle, you just need to give me a warrant.
, I can eliminate the danger."
Wu Peifu asked curiously: "What warrant?"
Zhang Qiqun said: "Put up flags to recruit troops."
Wu Peifu frowned and thought that this was not a good idea. The establishment of the third division was limited, and the monthly military pay issued by the Ministry of War was a certain amount of money. It was just enough to support the strength of the first division. If he recruited new soldiers, he would have no money.
He wanted to make a living, but he still didn't say anything. He understood that Zhang Qirong was not a fool and was very resourceful, so he nodded and said nothing, motioning for Zhang Qirong to continue.
"Now that we and Lao Duan are at odds with each other, a fight between the two sides is just a matter of words. Although our third division is brave and capable of fighting, its strength is still weak. Now, it is a good opportunity to expand its strength."
Zhang Qiqiu said with a meaningful smile: "It is customary to recruit troops in this year of disaster. You, Xin Shuai, are for appeasement. At this time, you have raised the flag to recruit troops. It is well-known and no one can object to it. And you have gained both prestige and benefits.
Why not."
Wu Peifu was silent. These words moved him. He was neither greedy for money nor lustful, but he only cared about reputation. At present, the armies of Zhijiang and Anhui were facing each other on the Beijing-Tianjin Railway and the Beijing-Hankou Railway on the east and west sides of Beijing. The war was about to break out.
To be honest, he was still a little uneasy. The participating troops organized by the Anhui Clan were well-equipped and well-trained, and they could train more recruits before the war. Although they would not be useful in battle, they could be used to contain the main force of the Anhui Clan.
"In your opinion, how many troops will be recruited?" Wu Peifu knew what he was doing and asked Zhang Qiqin.
Zhang Qiqun said: "The more soldiers Han Xin has, the better. It is appropriate to recruit a brigade."
Wu Peifu nodded. This number was similar to what he thought. He smiled and said, "Brother Ziwu, you can take care of the recruitment."
Zhang Qiqiu cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Here."
"Haha." The two looked at each other and smiled. Even though the problem was solved, Wu Peifu had no intention of staying in the slum area. The biggest feature here was that it was dirty and messy. Tens of thousands of victims ate, drank and pooped here. There was feces and urine everywhere on the roadside, and old people died of illness.
The weak corpses were rolled up in straw mats or reeds and dumped on the roadside, exuding a fishy stench under the scorching sun.
…
Han Baihang was awakened by the severe pain in his leg. He gasped for air and opened his eyes. What he saw was a skinny and skinny dog biting his calf fiercely, and the dog's mouth let out a piercing whimper.
"Fuck me!"
Han Baihang sat up in shock. He didn't have time to think about why he was bitten by the dog. He kicked his legs desperately, clenched his fist and smashed the dog's head. However, when he swung his fist, his whole arm was so weak that he couldn't lift it up. He didn't move at all.
I hit the thin dog, but it frightened the skinny dog. The dog was thinking that this was not a dead person, so why was it moving? It ran a few steps with its tail between its legs, but its stomach was unbearably hungry, and it slowed down again.
He stepped back and started to circle around Han Baihang, baring his fangs and letting out a roar.
"Fuck! Where is this?"
Han Baihang forced himself to sit up straight. The scene he saw made him want to cry. What he saw around him was not his 40-square-meter apartment, but a shabby shack. The shack he was in at the moment was made of rags.
The branches and wooden boards were randomly built, and the stench inside made it difficult for him to breathe smoothly. He had no time to think more, and the thin dog that kept attacking forward in front of him made his heart skip a beat.
With his red eyes, he was suddenly startled. He heard that only dogs that had eaten human flesh would have blood-red eyes. He looked around in panic, trying to find sticks, bricks and other things that could be used to defend himself, but this shack
There was absolutely nothing there, not even a small stone, and I couldn't help but feel panicked.
He panicked and saw in the eyes of the thin dog. Dogs are the most bully and afraid of the strong. At that time, he suddenly pawed and jumped up, biting Han Baihang's throat with a gust of evil wind.
The thin dog rushed towards him, and Han Baihang couldn't avoid it. Seeing that the thin dog's fangs were about to bite his throat, all the pores exploded at the critical moment. His mind went blank, and he subconsciously kicked out of his body.
, and at the last moment, he hit the skinny dog's lower jaw. This kick could be described as quick and accurate, and the skinny dog let out a scream accompanied by the crunching sound of broken bones. He flew backwards and fell heavily to the ground, whimpering without a sound.
The feeling of this kick is really strange, Han Baihang thought to himself, he could feel that the thin dog would definitely be dead with this kick, and he began to think randomly about where this place was and why he came back here.
It turned into a mess. And with this kick, the remaining strength in his body was drained, and he fell down again. When he inadvertently looked to the left, he saw a scene that terrified him.
, a girl of sixteen or seventeen years old, thin and beautiful, lying on a broken straw mat, her lips showed a terrible green color, her white eyes were wide open, and his shadow was reflected in the gray and irrelevant pupils.
A person with no memory at all.
Han Baihang opened his mouth wide and wanted to shout out in fear, but it was as if his throat was pinched by someone and he couldn't make a sound, not even breathe.
"What a handsome kick."
Suddenly, someone spoke in admiration, breaking the dead silence. The dark feeling suddenly relaxed. Han Baihang breathed heavily, not daring to see the female corpse again.
Han Baihang came back to his senses, couldn't help but look at the person standing outside the shack and asked vaguely: "Who are you? Where are you?"
The visitor laughed loudly, with a certain momentum, and raised his hand slightly: "I'm Wu Peifu, this is Zheng County."
"Wu Peifu?"
Han Baihang murmured twice, and his eyes widened in an instant. This name was too familiar to him. Wu Peifu and Wu Yushuai, the boss of the Beiyang direct warlords, the first Chinese to appear in the American Time Magazine, at this time, his mind
I finally understood one thing, could it be that... I really traveled through time, wasn't it a dream?
At that moment, Han Baihang took a deep breath, and the nails in his clenched palms were deeply embedded into the flesh. The pain was so real. Thinking of the reality of his previous life, he felt mixed emotions in his heart, and the corners of his mouth were bitter and speechless.
Wu Peifu looked at Han Baihang dumbly and said nothing, asking for trouble. He shook his head and smiled, turned around and exited the shack.
"The skill is good, but the person is stupid, it's a pity." Wu Peifu came out and said.
Zhang Qiqi smiled slightly: "Xin Shuai is eager for talents, and he admires him even though he is in a humble position."
He added: "There is a mixture of fish and dragons here. I see a lot of dead people. The weather is so hot. We must prevent epidemics. You'd better return to camp quickly."
Wu Peifu's heart shivered. The plague was far more terrifying than war. He couldn't help but shudder, and said solemnly: "Go back and draw up a plan to prevent and control the epidemic. Brother Ziwu, you can handle this matter yourself."
