Vancouver was a beautiful city. The freighter arrived at Vancouver on the 29th of January. From afar, one could see the chimneys and wide streets. The green belt along the street was planted with maple trees. The maple leaves were fiery red and the scenery was beautiful.
In addition to military uniforms, workers' uniforms, sailors' uniforms, and everyday clothes, there were also some people wearing strange clothes on the streets. Lieutenant Colonel Deng said that they were the Indians and Eskimos of the six North American provinces. The government didn't quarantine them but tried to settle them in and near the city.
Of course, what surprised these young people was that there were people in Vancouver who wore short sleeves. This place was known as -20 degrees Celsius in winter. January 29th had passed the Frost's Descent Solar Term, so it was already winter. This doubt didn't last for a few days. The small team joined a unit heading east to the American Central Province.
There were military depots along the way, and after walking for three days, First Lieutenant Qi Rui understood what winter meant. The warmth in Vancouver three days ago was like a dream. The temperature in the mountains dropped below 10 degrees Celsius and everyone could see their breath turn into white mist. The military stations along the way weren't small and could easily accommodate a few hundred people.
The military stations weren't made of bricks but were nailed together with wooden boards. Lieutenant Colonel Deng told everyone that the walls were made of wooden boards and the interior was made of plasterboard. The roof was also made of plasterboard. The ground was made of wooden flooring. If this was done in the southern cities, god knows how much it would cost, but in the six North American provinces, this was the most standard configuration. This method was the fastest and most insulating.
After staying in China for a long time, Lieutenant Qi Rui could understand the meaning of this. It was unimaginable in Jiangnan to not see a single person for an entire day. Even the mountains couldn't be this chaotic.
After another five days, not only did the temperature drop, but it also started to snow. The bustling university made these trekkers feel the horror of the northern environment. The road was uneven and they had to be careful when walking. If they weren't careful, it was easy to sprain their feet. After spraining their feet, not only would they feel uncomfortable, but they would also slow down their companions. Second Lieutenant Hu Xingzhi sprained his feet and couldn't rest well after spraining his feet. Stopping to rest on a snowy day was akin to courting death.
Second Lieutenant Hu Xingzhi already had a simple device on his foot that could temporarily fix his ankle. As he walked, he couldn't help panting and talking to First Lieutenant Qi Rui next to him, "Is this how our troops walked all the way?"
Lieutenant Qi Rui actually didn't quite believe that the pioneering troops in front of them had walked through Canada on their own for the past few years. But if he didn't walk on foot, what other method could he use? The railway with Vancouver as the starting point had just begun to be laid. This was also the starting point of the Canadian railway designed by China. Apart from the railway, they could only rely on horses, and horses were of no use in a snowstorm. More importantly, the road Lieutenant Qi Rui took was not explored by himself. Those military stations were enough to prove that the predecessors who arrived in North America earlier, in addition to opening the road, also built a shelter for the latecomers, and even stocked up a lot of food in the shelter.
At this time, it was no longer windy. Second Lieutenant Hu Xingzhi actually knew very well that his question was meaningless. He couldn't help but sigh, "Lieutenant Colonel Deng said that people freeze to death every year. I really believe it now. If a person walks into the wilderness alone and is not familiar with the road, he will starve to death. "
Lieutenant Qi Rui nodded repeatedly, "Yes. I thought the British wouldn't be willing to sell us such a large piece of land. Now I can understand, without these military stations, without these settlements, how can ordinary people survive here. "
"The same should be true for the Russians." Lieutenant Li Shaokang added next to him.
The land bought over the years was comparable to the original territory of China, but no one expected that these northern territories would have such an environment. And these northern territories were not sold to China willingly by Russia and the United Kingdom, but China first used force to beat Russia and the United Kingdom to the point where they had no choice but to sell the land, and finally reached a deal. Just by following the path that had been opened up long ago in the snowy weather, the group of young officers began to experience the hardships that their predecessors had endured.
"Ancestor Sijue, the Frost Dew, cut the thorns, and gave the land size. His descendants did not cherish it, and gave it to others, like throwing away grass. " Feeling the hardships of his predecessors in opening up the territory, Lieutenant Qi Rui couldn't help but recite the words in the Six Nations Theory. This was a compulsory subject in the textbooks of China's middle schools. This passage was the so-called "free marks", which meant that every year when going from middle school to high school, as well as when going to university from high school.
"Today we will conquer five cities, tomorrow we will conquer ten cities, and then we will sleep in peace. The Qin army will arrive. "Second Lieutenant Hu Xingzhi also remembered this passage, so he recited the latter part.
Second Lieutenant Zhou Shun continued the last part, "But the land of the feudal vassals is limited, the violent Qin's desire is insatiable, the offerings are more numerous, and the invasion is more urgent. Thus, without fighting, the strong and the weak have already been decided! "
Young people seemed rebellious, but in reality, they were the easiest to instill ideas into. The Min dynasty didn't cede land, this was the pride of the Min dynasty. This was deposited in the textbooks they learned since childhood, deposited in many places, and imperceptibly influenced the young people. Even if they had personally been to the battlefield and knew the horror and cruelty of war, such a simple passage could give these young people a reason to join the war. The ancestral land should not be abandoned. Therefore, soldiers had to protect the territory of the motherland.
The journey was extremely difficult, but with the pioneers of the predecessors, they left Vancouver, crossed the Rocky Mountains, and passed through the American Province. It took the troops more than a month to reach the American Province. What appeared in front of everyone was no longer a continuous mountain range, but an endless plain. At this time, the plain was covered in snow, and when the snow melted in spring, it would reveal the fertile land moistened by the snow water.
The American Province was China's granary in North America. Other than wheat, there was livestock. The military station here provided mutton soup and beef. It was different from the canned food in the American Province.
After arriving at the army camp, Lieutenant Qi Rui found that there was an army of more than 30,000 troops stationed in this camp. The army commander personally received these young people. At the welcoming party, the army commander said straightforwardly, "North America is a very beautiful place, but also a very difficult place. I know that comrades volunteered to serve in North America, but I still want to ask if your determination has been affected by this journey. If you feel that it is very difficult here and feel that you can't stand it, then mention it now. I will allow you to go back. Because in North America, we do not allow anyone to complain about going home. "
If they hadn't gone through such a journey, Lieutenant Qi Rui would have thought that the army commander was putting on a show of strength. Now he didn't think so. Everyone had personally experienced the difficult environment in North America. When fighting in the South, there were ships and transportation. If it was in China, the mobility of the troops depended on the railway, and the trek of more than a month could be completed in a few days. But in North America, there was no other way to rely on other than their legs.
Before Lieutenant Qi Rui could speak, Second Lieutenant Hu Xingzhi had already shouted, "We are willing to stay in North America!"
"We are willing to stay here!" Lieutenant Li Shaokang also shouted.
None of these young soldiers chose to quit. Everyone expressed their willingness to stay in North America to serve.
The army commander looked at the young soldiers with satisfaction. He raised his glass and said, "Welcome to North America, my motherland!"
Three days later, the army held a conferment ceremony, and Lieutenant Qi Rui officially became Captain Qi Rui. The promotion of military rank did not mean the promotion of military rank. Captain Qi Rui was still a platoon leader.
Just as Captain Qi Rui was familiarizing himself with the troops, leading patrols, participating in the construction of new settlements, and fighting an uncompromising battle against nature. Captain Qi Rui's father, Vézé, was also engaged in a personnel struggle. The old soldiers objected to the order to leave the front line and retreat to the second line. And they also began to arrange work for their families without hiding it.
The treatment of the army was very good. For ordinary citizens, the treatment of military family meant that it could benefit their families. Although there was no shortage of land in the country now, and those who were willing to migrate could get more land to farm, the tradition of Chinese people not willing to leave their hometown made everyone prefer to stay in their hometown.
Moreover, joining the army also meant that they had the opportunity to enter the city. After serving, they could go to various schools for free. If their education level was good enough to be admitted to a university, it would also be free. Not to mention that soldiers could get extra points for university. Although the academic performance of those who served in the army was not very good, many students who were good at academics but had no money were also willing to take this route.
After the military cadre major, as long as they could pass a much simpler exam, they could become civil servants. This path was the choice of many soldiers who hoped that their families and children would be more peaceful. If Vézé wanted to reduce the army, it meant that many opportunities would be lost. Many old soldiers simply told the cadre who came to inquire, "It's fine if you want me to retire, but make arrangements for my children first!"
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