Chapter 66: Sichuan Army Troops Coming To Greet Them
Yan’an, the eastern sky had just shown a hint of fish-belly white, spring had not yet arrived, winter had not fully descended, many civilians here, including those warlord troops stationed here, usually only had wild vegetables and coarse bran to eat! Wanting to have big fish and meat like in later generations, or even wasting food after eating one’s fill, was completely something one wouldn’t even dream of.
But at this moment, with Zhou Wenhua having people establish plantations here, all the civilians and peasant classes in Yan’an began to have their attention and gazes drawn, and even the troops stationed here noticed the high salary and benefits offered by the plantation under construction by Zhou Wenhua.
“Have you heard? That new plantation under construction has recruitment ads with such high salary and benefits! I heard the boss there came from that international metropolis Shanghai, so rich! Do you want to go for a job interview with me? Maybe we can get in to work there too. Anyway, I heard it’s just planting plants and grain products, mostly melons and vegetables, fruits, sweet potatoes, potatoes, wheat, buckwheat, and the like!”
“Of course! These are all my specialties, I’m from a peasant background, and I’ve already seen many people from the neighboring county town going for job interviews. Let’s go quick! Or else all the good jobs with such benefits will be snatched by others!”
“Yeah! Wait for me, I’ll go right away, I still need to bring all my relatives and friends! It’s better than struggling here for sufficient food and clothing. Though I don’t know if the salary and benefits there are really that high, let’s go give it a shot! Maybe it really is that good, anyway I saw they provide food and lodging! That’s not a loss at all, at least I can’t even manage sufficient food and clothing every day now!”
“But aren’t you worried it’s all fake benefits, tricking us over there to work for free? Then wouldn’t we be screwed? Not only wasting time working for nothing, but also losing our current jobs!”
“What are you afraid of? The land we’re planting now isn’t even enough to pay grain to the landlords! I haven’t eaten my fill for two days already! My family and little kids are still starving! And didn’t Li Qiang just say? Over there they provide food and lodging, we’ll know if it’s a trick after working one day. Let’s go quick! Or else when recruitment is full, you won’t even have a chance!”
“Exactly right! With such good salary and benefits, I bet it’s already packed with people queuing up. You know, they offer 10 silver dollars! Plus food and lodging, this is something I wouldn’t even dare dream of. That’s 10 silver dollars! Even in those big cities, not everyone can earn 10 silver dollars a month!”
So after Zhou Wenhua’s month of 10 silver dollars plus food and lodging salary and benefits underwent large-scale promotion, it immediately stirred up all of Yan’an and all the areas with plantations built in Shaanxi, making the farmers and civilians there buzzing with excitement.
And quite a few people flocked over for job interviews.
Even those still observing and hesitating whether it was a trick to work for free were moved by the massive job interview wave and went over to watch the spectacle.
Thus, soon the 12 plantations under construction by Zhou Wenhua were all packed with people signing up for job interviews and spectators watching the fun.
The reason was simple: even in an international metropolis like Shanghai,
primary school teachers basically earned sixteen silver dollars a month, but the actual take-home silver dollars were definitely not that much.
As for railway workers’ monthly salary, it was only about ten silver dollars, textile factory female workers also about ten silver dollars a month, and our familiar Camel Xiangzi pulling rickshaws for a month also only earned about 10 silver dollars.
So one could see that 10 silver dollars plus food and lodging almost instantly conquered the minds of all farmers and civilians, making them scramble for job interviews.
If 10 silver dollars were placed in later generations, that would be a monthly salary over a thousand or even over ten thousand.
Regarding the explosive job interview scene at his own plantations,
Zhou Wenhua, who had already boarded the train to the Sichuan region, knew nothing about it.
At this time, his inner focus of attention was only how to create more grain industry chains and light industrial products, including clothes, before the outbreak of the second Battle of Shanghai.
As for heavy industrial products and military products, those couldn’t be rushed. Anyway, after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he could still do business and invest in them, and at that time, he could develop these heavy industries and military products more stably.
It was safer and more practical than tackling these industries during the Anti-Japanese War period.
One must know that the powerful and developed great power rise in later generations was also after the Anti-Japanese War, after reform and opening up, that it continuously grew, with the path to success walked step by step, explored step by step.
It wouldn’t be like system flow where everything is available all at once.
Zhou Wenhua spent the time on the train constantly thinking about the development path he would take in the future, and frequently looking out at the fleeting scenery outside the train window.
Several days later,
The train he was on, after several transfers, finally arrived at Chongqing train station.
And coming to greet him was Pan Wenhua leading a team of elite, fully armed Sichuan Army troops to welcome him.
Because the first person Zhou Wenhua wanted to visit was Commander Liu Xiang, and only after that would he visit Division Commander Feng Tiankui, Yang Sen, and other Sichuan Army generals to build good relationships.
So that his plantations and various businesses here could develop stably and safely, without being harassed, destroyed, or disrupted.
“Hello! Are you Boss Zhou Wenhua?”
When Pan Wenhua saw Zhou Wenhua getting out of the car with hundreds of elite security,
He took the lead, bringing the Sichuan Army troops from his guard team, walked over, and greeted.
“Yes! Are you officers under Commander Liu Xiang?”
“Officer!”
Upon seeing the fully armed Pan Wenhua and the Sichuan Army troops beside him, Zhou Wenhua also asked in response.
“Yes! I am Pan Wenhua, an officer under Commander Liu Xiang!”
“Commander Liu Xiang also asked me to come receive you!”
Pan Wenhua smiled.
However, he was also surprised by Zhou Wenhua’s youth.
He hadn’t thought Zhou Wenhua was really so young.
Although when Liu Xiang had him investigate Zhou Wenhua’s background, he had people look into it and knew the other was very young, but he hadn’t thought he was this young.
And so rich too.
That was what surprised him.
“Officer Pan! Hello!”
“Thanks for leading the way!”
Zhou Wenhua also responded with a bright smile, in a harmony brings wealth tone.
Pan Wenhua, dressed in neat military uniform, nodded lightly to indicate he would lead the way immediately.
Thus, soon he had Zhou Wenhua board the car convoy he brought.
And also had his own Sichuan Army troops and Zhou Wenhua’s security team follow behind these cars, heading to Liu Xiang’s mansion.
Wherever they passed, they attracted many civilians to curiously observe and watch the spectacle.
And at this time,
In the prosperous and bustling metropolis of Shanghai,
Yoshiko Kawashima, who had taken over the shipping company and all businesses from the traitor Zhang Yiliang,
Also immediately received a secret telegram from Iwane Matsui, informing him that the first Shanghai Operation Plan was about to be implemented, asking her to cooperate with the Japanese Marine Corps at that time to stir things up and ignite the war.
