Chapter 328: The Siege of Jiangning (Part 3)
In the early morning, Lei Hu woke up and felt something sticky on the bamboo mat. He got up and went outside. The rain outside showed no sign of stopping. It was not a heavy downpour, nor was it a drizzle that he deliberately ignored.
There were several things to collect rainwater next to the large water tank in the yard. The water tank, which had been used up most of the time yesterday, was filled with water again. Lei Hu brought a basin of water into the house, dipped a towel in the water, and wiped the bamboo mat until it was no longer sticky. He asked the guards to guard the door, took the basin, stripped naked, scooped water from the water tank, and took a refreshing bath in the rain.
After drying himself and changing into clean clothes, Lei Hu felt refreshed beyond description, but… his mouth felt uncomfortable. He took a toothbrush and tooth powder and brushed his teeth. He drank a bowl of brewed tea. Finally, he felt completely refreshed inside and out, with no more discomfort.
It was already breakfast time, so I went to the canteen with my bamboo hat on to get some food and eat. My division commander Xu Min, who was sitting at the same table with me, praised as he ate: "Chief of Staff, this is great. I can finally have a good night's sleep."
"Is it that good?" Lei Hu answered modestly.
"Of course! Chief of Staff, you have never lived in Jiangning. When it rains here, it rains heavily outside and lightly inside." Xu Min tried his best to spread his tongue in his mouth and said with effort. However, he had no time to drink the soup, so he kept silent.
Li Dongsheng, the chief of staff of the Jiangning Command, who was standing nearby, had already swallowed his soup and praised: "The leak is not like the one in the north where it leaks in just one place. It leaks here this time and there next time. It's never in just one place. But it's fine this time. After a few days, there's no leaking anywhere. And it's not that humid anymore!"
When Lei Hu heard this, he suddenly felt some sympathy for his comrades stationed in Jiangning. Before rushing from Shandong to Jiangning, the plum rain season ranked very high in the list of situations introduced by the training department of the General Staff. Even with sufficient psychological preparation, Lei Hu was still shocked by the plum rain season in Jiangnan.
However, such an environment where the air seemed to be full of moisture was actually described by the comrades at the Jiangning Command as "not so humid". How much suffering did the comrades endure in the days without oil felt to shelter from the rain.
After breakfast, the Jiangning Military Region Command, which had just finished its renovation work, finally held a group meeting. At the meeting, everyone expressed their gratitude, and the feeling could probably be described as a flood of flattery. Lei Hu felt embarrassed and could only apologize: "Brothers, please stop praising us. If you continue to praise us, it will be like scolding us for not noticing the suffering you have endured in the past."
Seeing Lei Hu being forced to say such words, the comrades in the headquarters let Lei Hu go. The logistics director immediately asked: "Chief of Staff Lei, how much of this oil felt is left?"
Lei Hu then realized that the improvement in living conditions made everyone feel happy, but it also unexpectedly aroused the dissatisfaction that had been accumulated for a long time. From this, everyone was questioning why such a method was only started now.
Seeing that his comrades were extremely resentful, Lei Hu could only explain that this stuff was just brought in by the Spanish. There were more than a dozen large ships, each carrying one or two thousand tons. All 20,000 tons of asphalt were transported to Jiangnan, and Shandong did not leave much.
After hearing Lei Hu's explanation, the commanders did not ask any more questions. Chief of Staff Li Dongsheng asked, "Commander, we can't say when the Qing will attack us. Does the governor have any other instructions?"
Lei Hu conveyed the order readily, "The governor asked us to prepare for the Qing siege. When the Qing army surrounds the city in large numbers, a large force will suddenly march in and wipe out the Qing army outside the city in one fell swoop. The reason why so many things are transported is to improve everyone's conditions..."
The plum rain season does not start and end in one day. He Kun, a bannerman spy lurking in Jiangning City, heard that the Huaxia military construction site had started work again, so he hurried there. When he walked to each government office, he saw sheds set up outside the renovated government offices.
Many people were sitting on the benches under the shed. The simple support made of sturdy bamboo was covered with strips of oil felt. In the past, people in Jiangnan would also build sheds, but they could protect against the sun but not rain. At this time, everyone was sitting calmly under the oil felt. The rain was completely blocked by the oil felt. Even if you were sitting under the shed on the street, you would be less exposed to the rain than inside the house.
He went up to the foreman and asked, but was told that he was not hiring. He Kun pointed at the busy workers and asked in confusion, "How can they work?"
The foreman looked He Kun up and down for a few times, and said proudly: "Brother, do you have anyone to recommend?"
"Recommend? Big brother, who needs recommendation?" He Kun asked quickly.
Seeing He Kun's eager look to earn money, the foreman said with a smile: "Haha, brother, if there is someone in your family working for the government, we can recommend you to work. If there is no one at home, you can find such a person to recommend you, and if three neighbors guarantee you together, you can come."
Seeing that the foreman looked like he had someone to rely on, He Kun couldn't help but think that the foreman's face was exactly the same as the Han Chinese lackeys who had worked for Mancheng before. They were both like dogs relying on the power of others.
He Kun had seen this kind of people before. He forced himself to smile and whispered, "Big brother, can you please be flexible? I am also short of money. I will sell tea for you after I earn my wages."
When the foreman heard this, his face immediately changed and he scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? Are you going to sue me? If you can't find anyone, just hurry up and join the team. I don't have time to talk nonsense with you!"
He Kun didn't dare to insist too much and could only turn around and leave with a look of regret.
It was unrealistic to ask neighbors for recommendations, let alone people who worked for the Chinese court. He Kun couldn't do it, let alone dare to do it. But he had to do his job of monitoring the city, so He Kun walked around the city in the rain every day, pretending to be a small trader, and spent at least half a day hawking in the city.
There is a stone production area near Jiangning City, and there are many gravel roads and even slabs on the city roads. The latest construction site is partly near the city gates, and partly along the roads and waterways in the city. But I don't know what they want to do.
Anyway, everyone was busy wearing a bamboo hat. After working for a while, they would go back to the rainproof shed to drink hot tea and take a break. Compared with these Han people who depended on the rebels, He Kun, a bannerman, was like a Han teacher who made a living by working hard, hawking his wares every day for a meal.
Every day when I returned to my leaky house, I could see soup or rice being cooked in a big pot under the shed, and vegetables being fried in a small pot next to it.
The weather during the plum rain season was not warm, and just by smelling the food, He Kun felt unwilling to give up. When he returned to his cold and damp residence and tried to light the damp firewood, He Kun often shed tears. He didn't know if it was because of the smoke or because of the sadness in his heart.
After finally getting through this half month, the low-hanging clouds gradually faded, the rain became lighter and lighter, and finally stopped. As the wind grew stronger, the gray clouds gradually rose and turned white. The blue sky gradually appeared between the clouds.
A few days later, the sky cleared up. Under the bright sunlight, the wet streets sparkled, and the puddles that had not dried up reflected the sunlight, giving off a refreshing feeling.
The temperature rose rapidly, and every household rushed out to hang out their clothes to dry.
People in Jiangning City also became more active, especially in several places where a large number of people gathered and began to build large-scale projects.
He Kun basked in the sun, feeling the summer heat dissipate the cold air in the house. When he saw the people in the shed eating hot meals, the uncomfortable feeling was relieved a lot.
He Kun recorded what happened every day, waiting for the day when the king's army would counterattack. However, after waiting for a long time, he saw that many large foundations had been dug, the soil was dried, and some straight gray square pillars were built.
After waiting for a while, a lot of asphalt with a bad smell began to boil next to the buildings, making people around frown and cover their noses when passing by.
The buildings were built very quickly. Unlike the slender and tilted roof buildings in the south of the Yangtze River, these buildings were square and had thick walls. The teachers were busy and sweating. After the bricks and stones were carried in for construction, they also used asphalt to carry them in.
In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth lunar month, and the rice fields began to mature. The buildings had also been topped off. Feng Kun asked around, but he only knew that the large buildings were airtight. The doors were not big, and there were no windows, so he didn't know what they were for.
After the rice is harvested and dried, it is transported to those buildings. He Kun then realized that these buildings are actually granaries.
Looking at such a huge and closed granary, He Kun felt it was a joke. The grain storage must be ventilated.
In Jiangnan, except for rice that was transported to the canal, each family kept the rice in a cool place during storage. When it was time to eat the rice, they would pound the rice with the husk still attached.
If you pound the rice directly, it will go bad after a few months no matter how you store it.
Even with the husks, there is no guarantee that the rice will not spoil or be eaten by insects. Every year, rice storage encounters various losses, and the remaining rice is often just some empty husks.
Such a large-scale storage is truly unheard of.
At this time, other bannermen who were hiding also brought news that the imperial court troops in Huguang were preparing to march into Jiangning.
He Kun stood up excitedly when he heard the news. After being wronged for so long, the day of final settlement finally came. He Kun felt his nose sore and tears came out.
The other bannermen were equally happy, some cried, some laughed, and some cried and laughed at the same time. After several people vented their emotions for a while in the secret meeting place, they calmed down.
After discussing for a while, they remembered that the imperial court decided to send troops only after ensuring food supply, so they all laughed at the Chinese rebels from the north who obviously did not know how to store food.
With such a large-scale storage, not to mention the small insects in the grain, it is impossible to eliminate the mice. Such a large barn is fully enclosed. It is pitch black inside, how can you catch the mice?
When people in Jiangnan talk about enjoying life, they often use the metaphor of "a mouse falling into a barn". In the dark barn, the mouse has a good life.
It wasn't long before more and more mice ate up all the grain in the barn!
At this point, someone suddenly suggested: "Why don't we wait until the grain is transported into the barn and then put some mice in. What do you think?"
He Kun was overjoyed and slapped his thigh. "Great! Very good! Let's do it."
After discussing for a while, they decided to act according to circumstances. Of course, they had to prepare to catch the mouse first.
Seeing the Chinese rebels begin to escort the grain back and dry it in the sun, the bannermen who were hiding began to prepare, first catching some mice to raise.
However, they soon discovered that things were not as easy as they thought. According to the information they had obtained, the barns were built in a relatively cool place. They were guarded by people and horses and could not be approached easily. Although the rebels from the north did not understand the south, even the southerners could not fly over there out of thin air.
Rats are not dogs that can be trained to do things. The key is how to put the rats in the barn.
He Kun was in a state of panic, but suddenly he got the news that a gentry who pretended to surrender to the rebels had the opportunity to approach the barn. Everyone hurried to meet, and saw a scholar with a braid and three long beards attending the meeting. When he saw the bannermen, he quickly saluted and pleaded guilty to the death penalty.
The bannermen felt much better. It had been a long time since they had seen Han people behave like Han people. The scholar saw that the bannermen did not blame him for joining the rebels, so he explained. It turned out that this man had to pretend to join the Chinese court in order to protect his family's land.
However, the land was not saved in the end. So he decided to help the court with all his strength.
He Kun was very puzzled, "Could it be that the rebels also robbed your land?"
The scholar shook his head in pain, "Those rebels are very cunning. They don't steal the land, but just implement the evil policy of equalizing the land tax per mu! Now those tenants have gone to farm the land seized by the rebels, and there are not many people who rent the land. We can't collect the original rent. We still have to pay the silver for equalizing the land tax per mu every year. Even if we sell all the grain, we don't have that much silver. We can only sell some land first! Who would have thought that those rebels would rent out the land to tenants after buying it, and there is no one in the family to farm the land. This equalizing the land tax per mu is really a huge evil policy! A huge evil policy!"
The more He Kun listened, the more unhappy he became. As a bannerman, he didn't know what the land tax distribution was. However, the land tax distribution was a rule set by Emperor Yongzheng. How could it be the turn of the Han people to criticize the rules set by Emperor Yongzheng?
Although he knew that he still had to rely on the scholar's help at this time, He Kun no longer wanted to give this scholar a good face.
The scholar obviously saw through it, and hurriedly explained with a smile: "Gentlemen, I am not criticizing the system of the previous emperor. The previous emperor established the land tax distribution, but there are rules. If there is no rent, where will the tax come from? We gentry can increase the rent. I am talking about that bastard Huo Chong, who took advantage of the system of Emperor Yongzheng to add all the land tax to us gentry. This is clearly not allowing us gentry to live a good life. Gentlemen, please don't think too much..."
One of the bannermen shouted impatiently: "Don't talk about this, tell me how to get the mouse in."
"Well, we can only think of a way. If you can hide in a sack, that would be the best."
"What's the meaning?"
"If we put the rats in the sacks, they will be useless if they can't break the sacks. If they can easily break the sacks, they will be seen when they are moved. Although those rebels are stupid, they are not lazy. Once they see the rats, they will definitely catch them . If someone hides in the sacks and puts the rats in, and then takes them out when no one is around, then no one will notice..."
Three days later, grain began to be transported to the granary. He Kun had been practicing for three days. Seeing that it was almost time for He Kun to sneak in, the bannermen brothers were very worried. He Kun was not so worried, but just said: "We have tried several times, and we have to use this method. As long as I can get in, even if I am caught when I come out, I will just say that I want to steal grain. Those traitors still like to pretend to be good people and not kill people. At most, they will suffer physically, and I will insist that I stole grain."
The people had no other options. Although what the scholar said before was very strange, after the bannermen tried it, they found that it was actually true. Burying a mouse under the grain, the mouse would not struggle, but would be crushed to death.
When placed on the grain, the mouse in the sack was restless, and it was obvious that there was something wrong. Someone had to go in and carry the mouse in the bamboo tube to get the job done safely.
Several people didn't know what to say, and finally just invited He Kun to have some wine. Before leaving, one of them suddenly lifted his clothes and knelt down to He Kun, "Brother, we will definitely tell the court about your loyalty to the court. We will never let your contribution be buried."
Several other bannermen also knelt down to pay their respects to He Kun. He Kun stepped forward to support him, and thought of everything that had happened to him over the past year. In addition to his grief, he also felt a sense of joy that his revenge had been paid.
The operation was quite successful. Although it was hard to hide in the big sack, fortunately no one found me. As the voices gradually faded away, the already dark sack became even darker.
When the heavy door closed, He Kun felt the surroundings were indescribably quiet. The only sounds he could hear were his own heartbeat and the movement of the mice crawling in the bamboo tube in his arms.
He Kun took out a knife and cut the sacks, then climbed out of them. He lit a candle and saw bags of millet piled up in the empty warehouse. He jumped down and saw that there were wooden planks nailed to the shelves under the millet sacks. The air was filled with the smell of sacks, wooden planks, and millet.
I thought there would be a disgusting smell of tar in the granary, but there was no smell. Instead, there was a smell of lime.
He took out the bamboo tube, opened the stopper, and poured all the little mice into the sack. He Kun listened to the subtle movements and then he felt relieved.
Just as he was about to find a way out, he heard some noises like something was turned over. Then, the flame of the candle in his hand began to flicker. He Kun was shocked. How could there be wind in this airtight granary?
Covering the candle with his hand, He Kun confirmed that not only was the wind blowing, but the wind direction was also very fixed.
At this time, the air handling equipment outside the grain warehouse began to operate. Ventilation holes were built on the north and south sides of each grain warehouse.
Several vents on the south side began to extract air while several air vents on the north side blew in air that had been processed by burning coal.
Lei Hu, who was in charge, was still a little unconfident, but he kept silent. The officers of the Jiangning Command had not returned to Shandong for a long time, and they did not know that the technical department had developed the technology of air moth and rat prevention. They kept asking the technical cadres in charge.
Although the cadres were annoyed by the questions, they also knew that these higher-ranking soldiers were indeed worried about the food supply, so they could only repeatedly emphasize: "Dear division commanders and regiment commanders, we have tried it in many grain depots in Shandong. After we do this, not to mention mice, even ants and insects can't survive. Just go in and check regularly, and then pump air regularly. It's really okay, it's really okay!"
