Chapter Thirteen: Spring Fills the Human World

  Finally finished the talks with arms dealers from various countries, the busy socializing made Tan Xiao almost didn't feel the atmosphere of the new year. Although, on the way to and from his destination, there were always people dressed in particularly bright clothes who would occasionally disturb his car, but he wouldn't notice them as he was preoccupied with thoughts. Today, when all this ended, when the main road of the military camp was bustling with soldiers whose faces still had a festive look, he suddenly realized that the new year had already passed.

  In later years, he was a good squad leader, always giving up the opportunity to return home for the New Year to other soldiers. For three whole years, Spring Festival was spent in the military camp with comrades who stayed behind, facing the TV and Erguotou. Missing home, so taking the military camp as home... Having crossed over, he had the chance to spend the New Year at home, but home, and his father-in-law's home, had all turned into reception areas for arms dealers. In just a few days, the reunion dinner only left a faint shadow in his mind. It wasn't until today, when the county's and township's gentry and elders came to pay their respects, that Tan Xiao truly felt the atmosphere of the New Year. However, he had already become unaccustomed to it, and a feeling of rural unease arose, so he escaped from the bustle and human relationships, returning to the military camp.

  After a brief farewell, the officers and soldiers gathered together again, naturally having endless stories to tell about their New Year's experiences. Although they stood at attention and saluted when they saw their superiors, as soon as they turned around, they enthusiastically told their comrades about things like their family's sow giving birth or their rooster fighting. Tan Xiao and Yang Qing didn't go to dampen their spirits, after all, soldiers are also human, and the sweetness brought back from their trip home would be a lingering thought for the whole year.

  Yang Qing went back to the military camp with Tan Xiao because if they stayed in the old city, there would be too many people coming to pay their respects during the New Year, making it impossible to discuss anything. So, people like Wu Sheng and Ji Ping, who were good at socializing, stayed in the old city to entertain guests, while Yang Qing, being more straightforward, returned to the military camp to get the troops organized first.

  "Wind, ah, these days, Old Uncle can't sleep at all. Every day, he dreams of piles of silver coins as high as mountains falling down. Grandma's, in his whole life, he has never seen so much! By the way, how long do you think this battle will last? When will our goods be sold?" These days, the old generation of Tan family military leaders couldn't help but feel a little impatient. In the past, when they followed Old Master Tan, earning 200,000 to 300,000 was already a huge fortune. When had they ever seen numbers in the millions? Now, as soon as they started following Tan Xiao's lead, everyone began to say: "Following the old master is stealing, following Wind Young Master is robbing!" Including Wu Sheng, a group of old men felt like small shareholders in later generations who saw the stock market surge and couldn't hold back. Now, facing such a huge sum of money that no one knew how to calculate, everyone was stunned. When would they cash out? They had lost all sense of direction!

  "Haha, there's going to be a good fight. Don't look at the Central Army, Guangxi Army, Yunnan Army, Sichuan Army and whatnot, they think they can swallow the Red Army but it won't be that easy..." Suddenly seeing Yang Qing's astonished expression, Tan Xiao suddenly realized he had relaxed too much. If this conversation were to get out, who knows what kind of disaster would befall them."

  Yang Qing smiled softly and said in a low voice: "Feng Sheng, just enjoy yourself, but don't say some things casually..."

  When the news of the Red Army's second crossing of the Chishui River and re-occupation of Zunyi arrived, the entire Tan family military leadership was overjoyed: opium prices had doubled again! Those opium merchants who had bought in at high prices earlier were now making a fortune, while those who had hesitated were filled with regret. Even the local warlords who had previously cooperated with them but had refused to acknowledge the high price after Tan Xiang's coup and had threatened to cut off their opium supply lines and come after them for payment were now sending people to offer New Year's greetings and express their desire to buy large quantities of opium. As a result, Tan Xiang was able to save a lot of money, aside from his daily expenses and the cost of producing ammunition. The value of the opium he had been holding onto had risen to over 180 million, and he had also earned tens of millions of dollars in dividends from the small amounts of opium he had sold to the Guangxi and Yunnan armies. If Tan Xiang were to sell his opium now, his financial resources would be even greater than those of the Central Government, which was still struggling against the Red Army.

  "In my opinion, this battle will last at least two months. We'll hide for another month and then slowly take action. I estimate that by then we'll have to make some adjustments!" Tan Xiao, who had traveled through time, was confident and composed. "Let's go take a look at the military factory. I heard they've come up with quite a few things."

  Because the engineers and workers from Hengyang Arsenal who did not return home for the New Year were fetched by Tan Xiang at a high price to rush to work in Lingling, they really made many new things during the New Year's Day: ten guns and artillery shells were produced, including shrapnel shells, high-explosive shells, and most importantly, hollow-charge armor-piercing shells. As long as the process flow and production specifications are determined, mass production can be carried out.

  Anti-tank grenades and landmines have also been made, and a particularly simple type of plastic shell with low power has been made, which can't even kill people. But if veterans who guarded the old mountain in the 1980s were to travel through time, they would definitely exclaim: it was this kind of small thing that blew up many special elites on both sides of China and Vietnam into cripples in that brutal and protracted war! This is still the first generation experimental product. After the shell craftsmanship is determined, Tan Xiao plans to use cheaper explosives with lower explosive power to fill it. In that case, this landmine can't even blast a foot palm - if you step on it wearing military boots, it will just blow off the sole of your shoe, and of course, your foot will be bloody and mangled. The real killer is not here. According to the plan, this landmine will be filled with a poisonous medicine made from a mixture of wolf poison and other toxic Chinese medicines and dried human feces. Because the explosive power is small, it won't cause too much damage to these medicinal granules, but once they enter the wound, they will inevitably cause infection and poisoning, which cannot be cured by any medicine. The wounded person has to hold their swollen leg on the bed for almost a month, enduring unbearable itching and pain every day, and finally dying. This extremely vicious weapon, born out of a lack of explosives, was invented by the Eighth Route Army guerrilla troops in the enemy-occupied area at that time, and was passed down through the mouth of a retired veteran cadre when telling revolutionary stories in later generations to Tan Xiao. Now, Tan Xiao wants to bring forward its appearance by several years, and use it on a large scale!

  Tan Xiao thought of the "famous murder product" of Zhou Xingchi, a later generation: "Huan Xiao Half-Step Nail", cheap and beautiful, a must-have for home travel.

  Oh! There's something extremely important: mortar tubes! Due to the advantages of being a traverser, Tan Xiao knew a new technique that was later developed in the arsenals of the National Army during the War of Resistance - using rolled welding to produce mortar tubes. This method not only greatly saved materials but also increased processing speed! It wasn't suitable for making high-pressure infantry cannons, but it could handle mortars. In the original history, during those dismal years, it was countless small inventions and creations like this that allowed the Chinese people to tenaciously get through the darkest period under internal division and external blockade.

  Now, Tan Xiao brings these not-so-complicated inventions to life in a more perfect way and is about to implement standardized mass production.

  After multiple rounds of actual measurement: the thermal deformation is basically consistent with the original barrel, and there is no abnormality at the welding place. And this mortar that replaced the barrel is not a domestically-made 82mm Type 20, but a French 150mm heavy mortar! In other words, now as long as the importation of the seat plate buffer spring is solved, China can easily and quickly mass-produce full-caliber mortars!

  Tan Xiao's creativity has attracted all the technical personnel who came to help from Hengyang Ordnance Factory, and many of them expressed their desire to transfer to Lingling for work. Of course, there is a chance! Just wait until I pass the big test! Tan Xiao began to look forward to the inspection team mentioned by He Yingqin coming soon.

  Happy New Year! Everything is going so smoothly! Tan Xiao's heart is filled with sunshine - except for a deep, deep place where a name is hidden: Rong Hui!

  That woman, having seen her once, you can't forget, but it seems like you can't see her face clearly in your dreams. Like a flash of crimson in the divine consciousness, and like an illusion embedded in the light, you can't let go, can't grasp...

  Now, this lovely girl who has turned the world upside down is holding a horse and standing quietly under an old tree, allowing the dappled sunlight to add a few touches of mystery to her, smiling slightly, facing Tan Xiao.

  "Ah~~" The busy driver, without Tan Xiao's order, suddenly slammed on the brakes! This was exactly what Tan Xiao had hoped for but forgot to instruct him to do.

  Tan Xiao took a disdainful glance at the driver, Tang Fan, who was completely bewildered, and then pinched her own thigh hard. She hastily opened the car door and got out: "Happy New Year! Miss Rong, do you need something from me?"

  Still so gentle and soft, with a hint of laziness: "Nothing... can't I just find you?" The mischievous dimples jumped up and down, as if they could suck people in.

  "You... alone?" Tan Xiao deliberately looked around, taking the opportunity to finally move his gaze away from Rong Hui's face - and touched his nose as if naturally - good, no nosebleed! Rong Hui's fitted riding suit accentuated her curves perfectly, her twin peaks so full and perky they seemed about to burst out of her clothes, heaven! Tan Xiao now felt his throat constricting, his whole body burning hot, his face bright red, he really couldn't keep his eyes on Rong Hui for another second, he didn't know what he would do next!

  After reconfirming that he wasn't bleeding from the nose, Tan Xiao seemed to welcome her with a big smile. Just as he was about to say something, a faint and delicate fragrance wafted over on the wind. Hurriedly, Tan Xiao held his breath: He feared that he would lose control and greedily devour those sweet notes that should have belonged to the clear breeze...

  Watching Tan Xiao's soulless and listless appearance, Rong Hui couldn't help but let out a "heh" of laughter, wow! Murderous!...

  Wang Hui brought a document, the content of which was about suggesting that the French government start to strangle Germany's military build-up in the Far East. The article is very long and rich in content, with clear views and sufficient arguments. The data listed and calculated are extremely persuasive and even provocative. The signature at the end reads: loyal citizen of France, former cavalry lieutenant-colonel éric Bétancourt.

  Tan Xiao spent half an hour carefully reading every word, because Rong Hui was by his side, so he could only try to concentrate on the document as much as possible, lest he continue to lose his composure. However, those elegant steel pen characters, with subtle fragrance faintly visible between the lines, still made Tan Xiao's heart float and his spirit move. The document had been read, and there was no longer any room for evasion, while at this time Tang Fan had tactfully driven the car far away from the main road, stopping it on a slope where peach blossoms were just beginning to bloom.

  "It's really stuffy in the car, let's get out and walk around?" The tone was soft and gentle, seeking Tan Xiao's opinion, but she had already opened the door and floated down from the carriage. Rong Hui ran a few steps quickly, pulling along the white horse that followed her, and turned back to give Tan Xiao, who was still looking at her in a daze inside the carriage, a brilliant smile!

  Human face, peach blossoms, blue sky, white clouds, green mountains, emerald waters, small bridge...

  Tan Xiao, although no longer so reserved, still accompanied Rong Hui with extreme caution, slowly following the mountain path deep into the peach forest. Several times, he wanted to reach out and gently pick off the few pink petals that had fallen on Rong Hui's hair, but whether it was because they looked good there or because he was afraid of being too forward, his hand stretched out a little before secretly withdrawing, which instead made people feel that he had some ulterior motive.

  All of this naturally didn't escape Rong Hui's eyes, and in addition to secretly laughing, a ripple also arose: what a pure big boy! And the self-confidence he showed when talking with Bai Dan was completely different from the rumored image of a furious lion who violently beat up Japanese people. His awkwardness, his shyness, were all because of himself...

  A warm feeling surged up in her heart, Rong Hui gently took one of Tan Xiao's hands: "You, relax a bit, don't always put on that serious face like a boss, is this better?"

  Looking at Rong Hui's deliberately sideways face, the mischievous dimples on her cheeks were filled with a rich smile, without any ambiguity or flirtation. She held his hand, so naturally and purely, like the clear blue sky at this moment...

  Tan Xiao really relaxed a lot, and they walked along the mountain path like this. Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, occasionally with brief touches on their shoulders, then reluctantly parting ways, although what they were discussing was not romantic but rather the grand blueprint for Sino-French cooperation, yet it didn't dilute that subtle romance. Tan Xiao's heart was still racing, and holding Rong Hui's hand was still a bit stiff, but those real palpitations had already reached Rong Hui's heart, and also made Rong Hui hear her own heartbeat clearly for the first time. The delicate and tender skin unconsciously tightened slightly, sensitively sensing Tan Xiao's reaction: this big boy didn't dare to add more strength, he was afraid of scaring away the warmth in his grasp, nor did he want to relax a bit, fearing that the warmth would slip away!

  All opinions that need to be exchanged have been exchanged, and suggestions have also been made. As long as the road is still extending, two hands will not separate. No one speaks out loud, no one looks back...

  Bid farewell to the beautiful Tan Xiao, he returned home alone. Since becoming a teacher, he rarely came back to sleep.

  The servants were diligent, and the house was still clean and comfortable, but in the distant bursts of firecrackers, it seemed especially cold. Tan Xiao had time to write: On the possible development of Sino-Japanese relations, on suggestions for reforming the Chinese army, on wartime emergency policies in case of war with Japan... There were too many, as a traverser, he knew too much, and the burden he carried was also too heavy.

  All along, he had only felt a strong sense of mission, and he had survived as if he were a savior. He worked selflessly, just to be better prepared for the war that would come more than two years later. But today, he felt something else: a different kind of meaning. Rong Hui brought him a feeling he had never experienced before: if she had simple experiences, he wanted to protect her simplicity; if she had complex backgrounds and a tumultuous life, he wanted to comfort her wounds, share her pain. These delicate yet intense emotions all existed because of her, and he had never felt them with his fiancée, Wu De Xuan.

  So he also felt guilty: Wu Deqiang would be a good wife, she must be. She was born into a feudal traditional Hakka family, her father was a small local warlord, and from a young age she was governed by the idea of male superiority over females. She was skilled with her hands, her needlework and cooking were top-notch; she was very beautiful, not in a way that would make one's heart skip a beat, but in a way that brought peace. She wouldn't betray him, Tan Xiao was her entire future; she would definitely endure whatever came her way, even if Tan Xiao wanted to bring home multiple women, she would silently accept it, and still continue to wholeheartedly care for her husband... Could you bear to hurt such a woman?

  Tan Xiao couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, but how would he deal with the relationship between these two women later on? Due to his sense of mission, he refused to accept the polygamous system that was tolerated in today's society. He discovered that as long as a man had multiple women, he would inevitably become corrupt: when you only have one woman, your wife might not make too many demands, but when you have multiple women, their competition and selfishness would intensify. No wonder, who knew if their own man would abandon them? He had so many women! As a result, they would make many material demands, and as a man, fearing trouble, wanting to save face, and wanting to keep the peace in one household, he could only think of ways to satisfy all the women's demands. Thus, officials began to embezzle, and soldiers started drinking blood... Taking concubines was not the only reason for corruption, but it was a particularly common one. Therefore, Tan Xiao, who had always been determined to save the people from water and fire, was extremely resistant to taking concubines in his heart. He had always thought that he could set an example, at least within his own troops. But now, he felt a bit lost. Today, he spent an afternoon with Rong Hui, and everything was natural, without any overstepping of boundaries, but he strongly felt that something would happen between him and her...

  "Never mind, I won't think about it anymore. When the car reaches the mountain, there will be a road! At worst, I'll just learn from those who have crossed over...". He smiled wryly and thought to himself: "It's the new year, everything is going smoothly, why bother looking for trouble?" He refocused his mind on the article he was supposed to write.

  The next morning, he arrived at the office, ready to hand over some matters and return to the barracks. The phone rang.

  "My friend! Happy New Year!" was the passionate and joyful voice of that British fatso "Everything is OK in the foreign firm..."

  New Year's really smooth! 3,000 yuan per door, a total of 2,000 doors, 6-pound cannons, 6,000 yuan per door, a total of 200 doors anti-aircraft guns, and even an ammunition factory! All transactions are successful!!

  When the two parties formally completed the signing on the second day, Shetou could not hold back his emotions and burst into tears! Because of this transaction, he had become the Deputy General Manager of Jardine Matheson's Far East Division! As a bankrupt farmer, an Indian colonial soldier, a low-ranking non-commissioned officer in a factory, and a retired soldier who drifted to Hong Kong, he finally made it! Now he was the kind of high-society gentleman who could appear at various high-end social gatherings, puffing on high-grade Cuban cigars (he hated Indian goods, although they were equally famous), and then elegantly selecting a drink for the noble ladies!

  The little fat man did not know that due to this contract, in the face of Germany's iron tide several years later, the Anglo-French army would find itself without enough light artillery fire to set up a defensive position, just like the Soviet North Bear on the Eastern Front. The final result was disastrous: it turned out that the number of Allied troops who finally reached Dunkirk and escaped to Britain was less than half! Because they lacked two thousand six-pound cannons! Of course, it's not all the little fat man's fault, but rather the British military department, which focused all its energy on producing large-caliber artillery and didn't care about producing 75mm or smaller caliber artillery for several years.

  Tan Xiao's small butterfly flapping its wings has triggered a typhoon that doesn't only affect China!

  While Tan Xiao and his group were celebrating with champagne, the deputy officer rushed in with a telegram from Bedan. The telegram was brief: 200 Krupp L/29 guns, each for $2,500! No haggling, friend! The metallurgical base inspection team will depart from Marseille next week, please prepare!

  Wow!!!!! Good luck in the new year!!!!! Tan Xiao was shocked by the rumors of the slow and steady French people's efficiency in handling affairs!!!! In just one night!!!! In his concept, even the most efficient organization couldn't complete a large-scale cross-continental cooperation plan negotiation within a week!!!! How is this possible!!!! A so-called Sino-French cooperation plan that involves multiple aspects such as politics, military, and national trade, and is still just an idea, became a reality overnight!!!! One of the parties involved is even a small local officer who isn't even qualified to be a warlord!!!! What exactly prompted the French people to make such a major decision in just one night!!!! Tan Xiao was overjoyed but couldn't understand, and repeatedly pinched himself hard in the pocket to prove it wasn't a dream!!!!

  At this time, far away in cold Nanjing, He Yingqin was sweating profusely and couldn't sit still!

  The day before, an oral agreement had just been reached with the Germans: to pay in kind with tungsten sand, 56,000 yuan per door to buy 24 L/29 Krupp cannons. Less than 18 hours later, while the documents were being drafted for a formal agreement, news suddenly came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that this batch of Krupp was scrap and worthless, and someone in China's Military Affairs Department had been seriously bribed!

  So how much is this Krupp worth? France just sold a batch to a buyer in Hunan: temporarily 23rd teacher, Tan Xiao!

  Each subject is 2,500 yuan! Including shipping!!!