Chapter 130: 129, Airport Confirmed, Eastern Mercenaries: Gan Army
After a morning’s time, Fang Wen arrived at Wanping.
From the experiences along the way and the introduction from that local gentry from Wanping, Fang Wen gained a more detailed understanding of the terrain here.
The entire area slopes from south high to north low, surrounded by mountains, with a flat area in the middle, and a Shanmu River running through it.
The habitable areas are mainly on that plain in the middle.
The airport area they wanted to confirm was also to be found there.
Sitting on the sedan chair, Fang Wen asked, “Elder Peng, you’re a local. Where do you think is more suitable for building an airport?”
Peng was a major surname here; the former Tusi King had the surname Peng. After the reform of tusi system, with ethnic integration, the Peng surname still held great prestige locally.
Upon hearing Fang Wen’s question, the Peng-surnamed elder responded without hesitation: “Right at Longzhai Village. It’s close to the Shanmu River, the terrain is flat, population is concentrated, and it’s the location of our market here. Every fixed time, people from surrounding villages come for market day.”
“What is market day?” Sun Debiao asked.
“Our market here doesn’t open every day. Only at fixed times do villagers spontaneously agree to come for transactions. Locals call it market day. Conveniently, today is market day time. We can go take a look and survey the terrain near Longzhai Village.”
The Peng-surnamed elder strongly invited them. Fang Wen figured the other party probably had industry there and would profit once the airport was built.
That was fine. Fang Wen was willing to bind locals to the airport’s interests, especially those with status and position.
“Then, to Longzhai Village.” He agreed.
The elder was immediately delighted and instructed the team on the direction.
There was still some distance to Longzhai Village. Fang Wen thought of the bandit matter.
The bandits here were different from those in Fuyang.
Fuyang was a plain, easy to suppress bandits. Sending one regular corps could handle it.
Western Hunan here was mountainous, with many karst caves. Local bandits usually traversed mountains and caves, hard to deal with. Completely eliminating them was not easy.
Even after the founding of the nation, it took much effort to clear the local banditry.
Thus, he asked again.
“Elder Peng, if we build an airport here, will it be secure? I mean, those bandits won’t come to make trouble often, right?”
The Peng-surnamed gentry showed a hint of difficulty.
“Banditry here is indeed a problem. Every village and hamlet has people going out to be bandits, small groups of a few people, large ones of several hundred.”
The small ones were okay; Fang Wen was more worried about those several hundred-strong groups that could threaten the airport and factory.
“Please explain in detail, Elder Peng.”
The elder explained one by one.
On the west side, Shi Xingwu dominated Longshan Mountain and became the bandit king.
Yongshun locally had no large bandits but numerous small ones.
Other areas were the same, with rampant banditry.
Hearing this, Fang Wen frowned.
Wu Ziyue interjected: “Elder Peng, no matter how many bandits, they wouldn’t dare provoke the Tusi. Miao people are united; in battle, they fight desperately.”
The Peng-surnamed gentry shook his head: “After the reform of tusi system, the Tusi here declined. But you mentioning that reminds me of something. For your Taishan Airlines wanting to build an airport, you should go to Zhengan City to recruit people. The people there just want military pay and to fight big battles. Recruit a batch to form a security team; ordinary bandits won’t dare provoke them.”
Zhengan City, where was that?
Fang Wen took out the map, and sure enough, there was a place name called Zhengan.
But there, in the future, had another name: Phoenix.
Right, Fang Wen suddenly remembered the deeds about this place.
Phoenix, that is now Zhengan City, had an Eastern mercenary troops.
Called the Gan Army.
This army was like the British Nepalese Gurkha mercenaries or the French Foreign Legion.
Their combat power was extremely strong.
Fang Wen recalled memories from his previous life obtained from the internet.
It seemed that among Zeng Guofan’s Xiang Army subordinates, the Gan Army was one of the strongest forces.
Even in the future fighting the Japanese, these professional mercenaries participated and achieved good battle records.
Thinking this way, Fang Wen became very interested in Zhengan City. He planned to survey here and then go to Phoenix to see.
At 1 p.m., Fang Wen’s group arrived at Longzhai Village.
Just as Elder Peng said, market day was ongoing here.
Villagers wearing coarse cloth Miao clothes came from all directions and set up stalls on the spot.
These people simultaneously played the roles of consumers and sellers.
They would take out various agricultural products from their bamboo baskets to sell, while also buying things their families needed.
It was completely the manifestation of ancient smallholder economy, with most people in self-sufficient agricultural production relations.
Fang Wen got off the sedan chair and browsed along the way.
These villagers sold a wide variety of things.
Dried tobacco, pottery, local chicken, local ducks, water fish, yellow eels, loaches.
There were also some local specialties, like cured tofu smoked with firewood, cured meat, wild game, dried glutinous rice cakes, etc.
Actually, though backward, one area’s mountains and waters nurture its people; the products were quite abundant.
After appreciating the local market day, everyone felt a bit hungry.
The Peng-surnamed gentry suggested: “Come to my home for a casual meal, then check the land in the afternoon?”
“Forget it, just settle it casually on the street.” Fang Wen wasn’t picky; eating some clean food casually was fine—business was more important.
He looked around; some were frying cakes in oil pans, others selling rice noodles.
“What is that?” Sun Debiao, a northerner, asked curiously.
Fang Wen looked over and replied: “It’s rice tofu. A food widely popular in the Southwest region, made from rice. Come, we’ll eat that for lunch.”
The group went over. The Peng gentry said: “Make it as they want; I’ll pay for whatever they eat.”
The shopkeeper nodded gladly, cut a large piece of rice tofu into finger-sized cubes with a knife, then poured on soy sauce, chopped preserved vegetables, chopped green onion, salted vegetables, crushed peanuts, chili pepper, garlic water; that made a bowl.
After eating the rice tofu, they began the formal survey.
The group arrived outside Longzhai Village and proceeded along the way.
This place was indeed very suitable.
A rare broad plain amid the great mountains.
Though not very large, it was sufficient for building an airport.
Fang Wen specially climbed to the mountain top for a bird’s-eye view.
He discussed with Elder Peng.
“The airport needs many facilities, including runway, tarmac, maintenance hangar, communications control tower, fuel depot, fire station, office building. These will occupy a large area of contiguous land. I think this place is good. Can it all be bought outright?”
“Buy it all?” Elder Peng was overjoyed. “To be honest, my family owns one-third of this land; the rest belongs to nearby residents. Selling it all to Taishan Airlines isn’t impossible, just the price…”
“I can’t decide that; we’ll have to wait for someone from the company to come negotiate.” Fang Wen replied.
Buying such a large area for construction, plus building roads, wasn’t what Fang Wen came to do this time.
He was the decision-maker; specific matters requiring consuming large amounts of time and energy here were impossible for Fang Wen to stay long-term.
These matters here should be handled by Fang Shouxin and Fang Shun, the father and son.
The father and son not only had to construct the airport here but also bring 60 pill fillers, 20 tin craftsmen, and Huo Duanyang’s chemistry team.
After finishing the Wanping survey, Fang Wen tactfully indicated he would report the situation upward and approved this place as the airport construction site.
He then prepared to leave Yongshun for Zhengan City.
To ensure the airport project landed smoothly here, the county government specially sent soldiers to escort Fang Wen’s group back to Wang Village; they encountered no bandits along the way.
At Wang Village, they retrieved the small steamship and set off again.
This time, they returned along the original route, going downstream on the You River to Yuanling dock.
There, they made a brief stop to replenish coal, then the small steamship went upstream along the Yuanjiang.
Passing through Luxi County—Pushi Town—Chenxi County.
In Chenxi County’s Yuanjiang river section, a small river converged, named: Chen River.
Entering by this river, going west all the way, they reached Mayang County.
Arriving here, it was a place where Miao people gathered.
As the small steamship was about to dock, Wu Ziyue said in a low voice: “Don’t casually greet Miao people when you meet them. Some here don’t understand the Chinese dialect. If you break their rules, they can summon a hundred in response, and it’ll be hard for us to escape.”
Fang Wen nodded. “Do the employees you brought speak the Miao language?”
“A bit. Previously for procuring tung oil, we relied entirely on them.” Wu Ziyue replied.
Immediately after, upon disembarking, Wu Ziyue went to find business partners to discuss storing the small steamship and going to Zhengan City.
Fang Wen followed. Sun Debiao and an employee guarded the boat.
After following Wu Ziyue into the city, they went straight to the tung oil shop.
The tung oil shop in the county town was very large, just like the scene in Jiaxing where boats were opened to sell grain; here, people opened boats to transport barrels of tung oil to the county town’s tung oil shops for sale.
Fang Wen was surprised: “So many selling tung oil?”
Wu Ziyue explained in a low voice: “This is my important supply source. Last year, Mayang County produced 15,000 dan of tung oil, with 11,000 dan for export sales. Most of my tung oil comes from here.”
So that’s how it was. Fang Wen said no more and followed Wu Ziyue into the shop.
Wu Ziyue was an old acquaintance here and was warmly received by the shop owner upon appearance.
Hearing about storing the small steamship, the tung oil shop owner agreed without hesitation and even arranged several people for the journey to Zhengan City.
Though the straight-line distance between the two places was over 20 kilometers, the actual path was all mountain roads, with many bandits on the way; outsiders couldn’t proceed carelessly.
Resting one night in Mayang City, they set off the next day.
Going to Zhengan, the tung oil shop owner found guards to accompany them.
Five employees carrying spears took them out of the city along the mountain road.
After walking about ten kilometers, the team entered a narrow corridor between two mountains.
The guard employees became a bit tense, took down their spears, and proceeded cautiously.
This scene made Fang Wen and the others alert as well.
Wu Ziyue said in a low voice: “This is the border between the two counties; bandits often appear here.”
Fang Wen took out his pistol and said to Sun Debiao, “Get the gear.”
Sun Debiao also took out two Broomhandle Mausser.
Even Wu Ziyue took out a pistol from his body, and two employees drew long daggers.
In this war-torn era, traveling merchants needed preparation and courage.
The group proceeded carefully on guard.
Suddenly, strange noises came from the mountain on the left.
Immediately after, a group of people rushed down.
These people, some held old matchlock guns, some held sabers.
The one in front was a monster with blood patterns smeared all over face and body, holding not weapons but wooden plaques engraved with gold thread in both hands.
The five guards from Mayang City actually began to retreat, clearly afraid.
One of Wu Ziyue’s employees said: “It’s the Golden Altar Society.”
From previous understanding, Fang Wen had heard that many Daoist sect people led believers up the mountains to become bandits; he hadn’t expected to encounter them so soon.
“What are you afraid of? They have no guns.” Fang Wen said puzzled.
“They drank immortal talisman water, impervious to knife and gun.” The employee said fearfully.
From his expression, same as the five Mayang guards, not daring to offend the Daoist sect’s great immortal.
Even Sun Debiao showed some fear.
Seeing the enemies about to rush over.
Fang Wen unhesitatingly raised his Browning pistol, gripped with both hands aiming, sight on that great immortal.
Bang, a gunshot. The great immortal stopped.
Seeing the great immortal motionless, the people behind all stopped.
Moments later, the great immortal clutched his belly and knelt on the ground, blood flowing from between his fingers.
Only then did Sun Debiao react, looking ashamed: “Pah, playing tricks with gods and ghosts. Grandpa will kill you all.”
He raised his pistol and shot another bandit’s arm. Immediately, this rabble scattered.
On the hillside, only two wounded remained wailing.
Wu Ziyue hesitated somewhat and asked: “Should we save them?”
“Let’s go. In this world, don’t be soft-hearted like a Bodhisattva.” Fang Wen unhesitatingly corrected his brother-in-law’s mindset. These over-a-year experiences had changed him greatly; he was no longer that future person who couldn’t stand blood.
“Yeah. This is the path they chose themselves; can’t blame others.” Wu Ziyue sighed, turned his head, and didn’t look at those two again.
The rest of the journey.
There were also mountain bandits blocking the way.
But those had rules; as long as one or two silver dollars were placed on a roadside stone, passage was allowed.
This money had to be given.
Because those experienced bandits would only hide in the dark and not come out. If you didn’t give, they’d snipe from afar, most troublesome.
Precisely because they demanded little, over time it became a rule: buy-road money for safe passage.
Thus, on the 50-li mountain road, they encountered 4 waves of bandits. Except for the first wave from the Daoist sect, the others were handled by the hired Mayang guards, and they passed smoothly.
After 2 p.m., the group crested the last mountain and arrived outside Zhengan City.
The group prepared to enter the city. The Mayang guards, carrying spears, couldn’t enter and thus parted ways.
Bidding farewell to the guards, Fang Wen’s group of five headed toward the ancient city.
No guards at the city gate; entry and exit were casual.
They went straight in and toured in the city.
It was an ancient city built along the river.
This ancient city’s walls stretched several li, forming a small city pool. Outside the city pool and across the river were many more buildings.
Many riverside buildings were half-suspended, supported by several pillars; this was called stilt house.
After touring for a while, it was time for proper business.
Fang Wen stopped a boy with a topknot.
“Where is your county government here?”
The boy stared blankly at Fang Wen, not knowing how to answer.
A roadside elder smoking dried tobacco chuckled: “If you ask for the yamen, he knows. We here don’t call it county government.”
Fang Wen nodded: “Uncle, how to get to the yamen?”
The elder didn’t answer but asked the reason: “What are you going there for?”
Fang Wen hesitated, then stated the reason: “Heard the Gan Army here is very formidable; want to hire some as bodyguards.”
