Chapter 3: The Great Bridge of Hexi

  Time flies, and three months have passed. The apprentices in the martial arts hall have obvious physical fitness effects and can now take up guns or swords to kill enemies; those who study science and technology can also use new theories to start making tools, such as pulleys, saws, flywheels, soap... and some people even started making bicycles under Lei Meng's suggestion.

  The thunderous sound of ideas spread out, sparkling and igniting in every corner of the four cities on the west bank of the river, burning more and more fiercely as time went by...

  One day, Lei Meng ran to the west of the river and gathered Luo Yangtian, Huang Chu, and Meng Fan to discuss matters.

  Lei Meng did not discuss this in the city master's council hall, but instead brought the three of them to the banks of the White River. Looking at the rolling and churning water, which was all white foam, listening to the rumbling sound of the water, facing the mist that came rushing towards them, basking in the warm sunlight, Lei Meng closed his eyes and indulged for a moment before asking: "I wonder what you think would be the most convenient way to cross this river?"

  Meng Fan glanced around and saw that the White River was over 50 meters wide, with rolling waters of unknown depth. He gritted his teeth and smiled: "With General Lei's lightness skill, as long as there is a piece of floating wood in the river, he can borrow force to cross it!"

  Luoyang Tian was delighted to have such a formidable master, and he smiled slyly, nodding in agreement: "That's right, that's right. My master jumped into the river, lightly touched the water with his foot, and floated to the other side."

  Huang Chu stroked his beard and smiled without speaking. He didn't know how formidable Lei Meng's lightness skill was, but he knew that Lei Meng came to tell them this matter, definitely not to show off how formidable his lightness skill was.

  Lei Meng turned his face black and said to Meng Fan: "Meng Fan, or I'll throw you into the river for a swim? I think you should be able to swim across easily."

  "Uh... no, no, no!" Meng Fan waved his hands repeatedly and dodged to the side. Luoyang Tian saw this and before Lei Ming's gaze swept over, he quickly closed his mouth, assuming a concentrated expression as he watched Bai He.

  Lei Meng did not let him off and glared at him, asking: "General Luo! What's your opinion?"

  Luoyang Tian shook his head desperately and said: "I have no opinion. I really have no opinion."

  "Do you know why I want to cross over?" Lei Meng asked back.

  This has put pressure on Luoyang Tian. How could he have known that such a sudden event would occur? He scratched his head, seeking help from Meng Fan, but Meng Fan turned away, pretending not to see him; this made his teeth itch with the urge to pounce and fight.

  Huang Chu saw this and didn't wait for Luoyang Tian to turn his head towards him. He smiled and said, "Let Huang guess the thoughts of General Lei."

  He turned to face the White River, pointing across the flat but grassy and tree-covered riverbank: "The opposite bank is fertile and even a long way back was a fertile flat land. Suitable for planting crops. Is General Lei planning to go over there to open up farmland?"

  Lei Meng listened, smiled and nodded: "Mr. Huang is indeed insightful. The vast wasteland across from us is indeed a waste. Our land has been cultivated to the fullest, but there is still surplus labor with nowhere to go. Without relocating the population, the other side is a better choice."

  Huang Chu was suddenly enlightened, but then furrowed his brow, because he had also thought about this problem and couldn't think of a good solution to cross the river. Building a wooden bridge would be unlikely to withstand the turbulent waters; using boats to transport people would only be able to carry a few people and it would be easy to capsize...

  He thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out, turned his head and glanced at Luoyang Tian and Meng Fan who seemed to have nothing to do with him. He sighed softly and said, "Unfortunately, crossing the river is difficult!"

  "I knew, that's why I called you over to discuss." Lei Meng still looked at Bai He, quickly responding to Huang Chu, then he pointed to a riverbank and asked, "What do you think about building a bridge here?"

  The place where the thunder pointed was a harder and higher riverbank. Luoyang Tianhe and Meng Fan nodded repeatedly, but Huang Chu shook his head slightly and said, "The water in this section of the river is too rapid, it's easy for the bridge to be washed away."

  Luoyang Tian and Meng Fan immediately froze, sweating on their foreheads. They were ashamed of not thinking ahead and regretted the impending fire-spitting by Lei Ming.

  However, their worries were unnecessary. Lei Meng didn't expect them, not even Huang Chu. He smiled confidently and said, "The bridge Mr. Huang mentioned should be a wooden bridge, right? I wonder how a cement bridge would work?"

  Huang Chutu suddenly realized that the solid auction hall inside the city of Hexi was made of concrete, and thinking about the large circular arch, if it were used here, it could span the river.

  But this is a river surface, how can it be firm if the pillars are not erected in the river? And the cement cannot harden immediately, it takes some time to harden, so won't it fail to harden when soaked in water?

  Whatever came into his mind, he would mention it. Having seen many incredible things, he was no longer embarrassed by what he didn't understand. He furrowed his brow and said, "But cement can't dry when soaked in water?"

  Lei Ming burst out laughing and said, "Mr. Huang, this cement, when it comes into contact with water, won't dry out completely, but there is a type that hardens immediately upon encountering water! As long as the ratio is adjusted properly, the cement produced will harden as soon as it meets water."

  Huang Chu was hesitant and uncertain, fearing that even if he hurried, the rushing water would sweep him away. He asked: "Can a strong current like this be faster than the speed of an arrow?"

  Lei Meng rubbed his temples and said, "We can't just fall directly into the river water, at least not in such rapid water. We need to have a surrounding frame, that way we can get the best effect. And we also need to drive piles to stand firm. Hmm, it's settled then." Lei Meng surprisingly turned away from them and muttered to himself, striking down a decisive blow.

  Huang Chu also looked at Lei Meng with a awkward expression, unsure of how to start speaking.

  Two days later, Lei Meng took out the proportion of burning cement and gave it to Huang Chu, asking him to send someone to test which number was suitable for burning. Another day passed, he designed a rough artificial pile driver using dynamic pulleys and steel cables, a modern reinforced concrete pile diagram.

  Three days later, Lei Meng wrote out the process of building a bridge in detail and compiled it into a simple book of several dozen pages.

  Huang Chu couldn't help but feel a sense of awe after reading the book's description: The world is really big, and unexpectedly, his understanding at over 40 years old can't compare to that of a young man...

  Ten days later, the cement had two suitable proportions, one made into ultra-high-strength cement that hardened as soon as it came into contact with water, and the other made into medium-strength cement that required time to set.

  Lei Meng mobilized 30,000 strong men from Hexi City and more than 10,000 soldiers to carry sand, cut wood, and transport steel, and in just one month, all the materials needed were pulled to the banks of the White River.

  Then, it took another two months to drive piles, build frames and pour concrete.

  It's okay, Lei Meng's reputation is very high, most of the young men are very willing to work hard, after all, working at home and working here are both paid, so they don't have any complaints.

  Soldiers, of course, follow the orders of their superiors, pointing and shooting wherever they are told to. This kind of carrying and lifting is also a way to train soldiers, training their strength and endurance.

  Everything went smoothly, and in three months, the White River Bridge was born from scratch. Under the sunset, looking at the slightly arched bridge spanning the rolling White River, one end of the bridge connected to the new road near the west bank of the river, and the other end connected to the continuous green riverbank, the strong men and soldiers couldn't help but shed tears of excitement...

  "Hurray, hurray!" The soldiers and militiamen shouted spontaneously, also causing the onlookers from the west bank of the river to cheer along. This kind of miracle had never been heard of before, yet it was now happening right in front of their eyes - how could they not be excited?

  Huang Chu looked at the bustling crowd and tearfully said to Lei Meng, who stood with his back to him on the bridge: "General Lei, you are truly a creator of miracles. From now on, the people west of the river can cross the river easily."

  The thunder rumbled as he gazed out at the red sun about to set behind the mountains, the white river flowing far away to the south, and then looked down at the eight-meter-wide, rough bridge surface, as well as the excited people by the river. A surge of pride arose in his heart, everything was under his feet, everything belonged to him! Perhaps this was the sense of accomplishment of a history maker. He stirred up his energy and shouted: "Soldiers, civilians, the Great Western Bridge has been completed! This is your achievement!"

  "Hey!" A thunderous voice responded immediately.

  Lei Meng pressed his hands together and the noise immediately subsided. He said excitedly: "You've all worked hard! Lei Meng thanks you here!" After finishing speaking, he flicked out two tears from the corners of his eyes, bowed to the crowd, and the people brought him a huge sense of accomplishment. He was truly grateful to them.

  The soldiers and civilians were excited in their hearts, it was he who saved us from the hardships and difficulties of the past two years! Now building the Hexi Bridge is a blessing for the people of Hexi, with this man leading, what worries do we have in this life! Seeing Lei Meng's humble demeanor, the crowd and soldiers knelt down with tears in their eyes.

  An old man, leaning on a cane, stood trembling in front of the crowd and said loudly: "General Lei does not seek personal gain, but brings benefits to the people, it is a divine move! Please accept an old man's bow!" After finishing speaking, he suddenly knelt down on the ground and kept kowtowing.

  The old and weak soldiers and civilians who had fallen to their knees also got up and knelt down one after another, chanting in unison: General Lei, long live! Long live!...

  The cries startled the birds back to their nests, the red clouds in the sky dispersed, and the setting sun hastily hid its head with a strip of red light...

  Yang Tian happened to arrive on time and saw this touching scene. He lightly wiped the corner of his eye, spat softly, and said: "It's really nonsense!"

  Lei Meng flashed over and arrived in front of the old man, hastily helping him up and saying: "Old sir, you've suffered a great shock from Lei Meng's arrival, it's unbearable!"

  "If it weren't for General Lei, two years ago, all three of us in my family would have starved to death!" The old man spoke without any ambiguity.

  "Alas, what's the use of bringing up past matters?" Lei Meng supported the old man, cleared his throat and shouted in a voice that shook the whole room: "Everyone get up and go back to cook and eat, tomorrow we still have to cross the river to open up new land."

  "Haha!" The crowd burst into loud laughter, and one by one they got up, following behind Lei Meng's back as he supported the old man, chatting and laughing as they slowly disappeared into the night.

  In the following days, Huang Chu led the people to use cement to repair the roads on both sides of the Hexi Bridge, and also organized the masses to clear the wasteland on the other side of the river with new herbicides.

  There is good land and good weather, farmers rely on the land to make a living. With more land, they can plant more grain and raise more children...

  The development of Hexi is more vigorous, the future of the people is more promising, and the atmosphere of supporting Leiming is even stronger.