Chapter 8: The Onset of Malaria

The fact that no one died in the blasting accident was a stroke of luck, but luck wouldn’t be so kind every day. In the fervent atmosphere of the elders’ desperate push to mine iron ore and rush the schedule, safety accidents occurred frequently. There were work-related injuries and accidents almost every day.

The result of the machinery factory’s rush production was that many products made by native workers were shipped directly to Sanya. Coupled with the hastily trained native operators who were neither skilled nor safety-conscious, it was no surprise that the accident rate remained high. In less than a week after the landing, two boilers exploded, killing eleven people. Then, a part suddenly flew off an automatic brick-making machine while it was running, killing one person and injuring several others.

As for casualties caused by careless operation of machinery, they occurred every two or three days. The poor state of production safety greatly alarmed Zhuo Tianmin. On average, there were 0.778 deaths per day here. This was just near the beach. Wouldn’t the death toll be even higher when they moved to the more arduous inland areas?

Wang Luobin was not interested in his proposal to “reduce the workload and strengthen safety education.”

“What we need now is iron ore, more iron ore,” Wang Luobin said. “The death toll is a bit high, but do you think education will help?”

“It’s better than doing nothing—”

“Our task is to mine iron ore as quickly as possible,” Wang Luobin said. “Everything must revolve around this theme.”

“But the casualties are too high,” Zhuo Tianmin still wanted to argue.

“New people will be sent over. The comrades in Lin’gao will make up for these losses.”

Zhuo Tianmin was still hesitant. Wang Luobin knew this man was probably soft-hearted. To avoid giving him a psychological burden, he added a few more words: “Just add some more education before meals and before bed. And pick some people to be construction safety officers.”

“And the quality of the machines! Isn’t this just treating human lives like grass?” Zhuo Tianmin said indignantly. The quality of the mass-produced steel in Lin’gao was inconsistent, and the rush to expand production had left many hidden dangers. In particular, the riveting of the boilers was all done by Zhou Bili’s apprentices and their apprentices. The crude workmanship was enough to make anyone afraid to get close.

“We can submit a report on this issue to the Director of Manufacturing,” Wang Luobin said noncommittally. In another time and place, such major safety accidents would naturally be investigated, and problematic machines would have to be temporarily shut down. But here, shutting down the machines meant delaying the development schedule.

Zhuo Tianmin wanted to press further on what measures would be taken to ensure production safety as much as possible. This kind of perfunctory reply was hard for him to accept. But on second thought, even if he did, it would lead to nothing. Wang Luobin would absolutely not agree to any measures that would slow down the construction speed—even he himself might not have the courage to do so if he were in charge. The “Giant” operation in Sanya was hailed in the newspapers as the number one action “concerning the fate of the nation.” The concept of a “coal-iron complex” was already deeply ingrained in the heart of every transmigrator. If he went against the current, he would only end up battered and bruised! Not to mention the ruling gentlemen would look at him unfavorably, even the ordinary elders below might not appreciate him! It wasn’t just about him, what about his son? He had gone through so much hardship to bring his son to this other world, wasn’t it to secure an unprecedentedly brilliant future for him?

At this thought, his passion cooled.

“Then let’s write a report—the quality of the equipment concerns everyone’s safety. It’s better to bring it up to the higher-ups,” Zhuo Tianmin said. “I’ll write it.”

“We can co-sign this report,” Wang Luobin said. “As for the morale issue, we can take some other measures to appease everyone.”

So the next day, He Fanghui received a task: to find a cemetery.

“The terrain should be high and dry. The surrounding scenery should be good,” Wang Luobin instructed him. “See if there are any natives who have been feng shui masters, and have them take a look together.”

“To bury the laborers?”

“Of course. Burying them wherever they die is too damaging to morale,” Wang Luobin said. “The dead don’t care, but the living can’t stand it.”

“I understand,” He Fanghui nodded. “Something like the Cui Gang Cemetery.”

“Right. And it needs to be large. We have to consider the future.”

As it happened, Hu Xun’s secretary knew a little about this, so he was found to assist He Fanghui.

He Fanghui had grown up in Lingshui, near Sanya, and had been to the Sanya area dozens of times in the old world. He quickly found a gentle slope at the foot of a mountain. He had taken great pains to find this location. Firstly, it couldn’t be too far from the Dadonghai coast, otherwise it would be difficult to use. Secondly, it couldn’t interfere with future real estate development—the Dadonghai coast was planned as an important resort for the transmigrator group, so the location had to be secluded and also able to withstand typhoons.

The cemetery would adopt the same model as Cui Gang, with no mounds or tumuli, only stone tablets covering the ground. The ground would be covered with lawns, and trees and flowers would be planted on all four sides, making it like a park. Combined with the blue sky, white clouds, and the sea in the distance, it would be enough to satisfy the living.

Of course, this was just a future plan. For now, there was nothing, but the surrounding environment was satisfactory. The secretary said that while this piece of land might not guarantee great wealth and honor for future generations, it would ensure their peace and the prosperity of the family. He probably thought this was an auspicious site the Australian pirates were preparing for themselves, so he made a special point of emphasizing the part about the peace of future generations, thinking it would hit the mark.

“They will never have descendants,” He Fanghui sighed. He had never been interested in the life or death of the laborers. But at this moment, while choosing a burial ground for them, he suddenly realized that these dead natives were also people. Many of them had no parents, no wives, and no children. Now they were gone, leaving nothing behind.

A grand funeral was a meager compensation for these cornerstones of the great cause of transmigration.

He Fanghui called over several labor teams and carried out simple cleanup and construction work. They leveled the ground, built retaining slopes and drainage ditches, trimmed the trees, and finally built a simple memorial tower. After more than ten days, it began to look presentable. After a brief and solemn memorial service in front of the labor camp at Yulin Fort, the ashes of the first batch of dead laborers and sailors were buried there, escorted by army soldiers. For those who had drowned or died in explosions, a few pieces of clothing were buried as a cenotaph.

However, the posthumous honors given to the laborers could not curb the increasingly high rate of casualties during construction. Although Zhuo Tianmin began to use a safety officer system among the laborers, vigorously conducted safety education before meals and at bedtime, and strengthened the inspection and maintenance of equipment, the death toll continued to rise.

The construction of the railway to Tiandu, in particular, accounted for the vast majority of industrial accidents. The route from Yulin to Tiandu had to pass through subtropical jungles and valleys. The geological conditions were relatively complex, and the natural environment was even more harsh. Falling rocks, falling trees, and landslides caused many casualties during construction.

The leeches in the river valley area caused great trouble for the construction. The leeches caused the laborers to bleed continuously, weakening their bodies. It became a major problem plaguing the project. The transmigrator group lacked the necessary medical means for prevention and could only resort to protective measures as much as possible. The laborers were issued with mountain socks—special socks used by mountain people to prevent leeches, made of multiple layers of cloth that were difficult for leeches to penetrate. Their trouser legs, sleeves, and necks were all covered. Each person was also given a bamboo tube of salt. When a leech bite was discovered, salt could be used to remove it.

Shan Daoqian didn’t care about polluting the environment, but he had no chemical drugs at his disposal and could only resort to crude physical methods. He made extensive use of bulldozers, blasting, and fire to completely destroy the leeches’ habitat. Shan Daoqian ordered all vegetation within fifty meters of the line to be cleared, supplemented by terrain modification, including raising the foundation and digging drainage ditches.

Drainage was Shan Daoqian’s biggest concern. Drainage was not only to eliminate leeches but also to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. The problem of malaria was everywhere in Hainan. It had to be prevented. When Wang Tao was in Yulin, the garrison troops took anti-malarial drugs for prevention. Now, with so many people, it was impossible to use this method for prevention.

Every day, the laborers came to the construction site dressed in thick layers of clothing, toiling in temperatures of nearly thirty degrees Celsius. Their thick work clothes would be soaked through in no time. They worked in one-hour shifts with breaks in between. The transmigrator group had prepared enough heatstroke prevention medicine, which was distributed at any time. The smoke from burning artemisia filled the air along the road. The sanitation team used this method to repel mosquitoes and prevent bites and infections.

The roadbed extended meter by meter. For every meter of roadbed built, a meter of track was laid behind it. A diesel locomotive driven by a gas engine pulled long flatbed cars along the newly laid track, transporting replacement laborers, food, medicine, clean drinking water, and tools and equipment to the front line. This greatly saved labor and time in transporting materials.

Sometimes, the ones arriving on the railcars were the construction team from Lin’gao Telecom, led by Shan Liang—this was his regular job. The railcars were loaded with telegraph poles treated with creosote for preservation, brought from Lin’gao, and rolls of telegraph wire. This wire was enameled, then wrapped in hemp for protection and coated with a layer of raw lacquer. It was the most corrosion-resistant telegraph wire the transmigrator group had at this stage.

Under Shan Liang’s command, the Lin’gao Telecom construction team set up telegraph lines along the route. Wherever the track went, the telegraph followed. This was a basic principle of the transmigrator group’s future expansion.

But the most severe test was yet to come. Finally, someone with “the shakes” was found among the construction team. He Ma, who was dispatched to Sanya to be in charge of sanitation work, went to the ward to take a look. Of the six people admitted, some were pale and trembling all over, while others were flushed and sweating profusely. These were very obvious symptoms of malaria.

“This is malaria,” He Ma concluded without needing further diagnosis. “Isolate them separately first.” He added, “The windows must have mosquito nets.”

“Yes, Doctor,” said Guo Fu, the head nurse of the Sanya clinic. She was now considered a core member of the nursing staff in the Ministry of Health. Her diligence, studiousness, and talent had made her stand out among the first batch of nursing school students. The Ministry of Health was considering training her to be one of the first generation of native doctors. Her appointment as head nurse this time was also meant to increase her clinical experience.

“Tomorrow, you will hold a meeting for the medical orderlies,” He Ma continued to instruct. “First, have them check the anti-mosquito situation in each camp, especially for any standing water. For those with mosquito nets, urge them to hang them properly. For dormitories without mosquito nets, anti-mosquito window screens must be installed according to regulations. Artemisia must be burned 24 hours a day—the special fumigators for burning artemisia should arrive in a few days. During the transition period, it’s especially important to have the medical orderlies remind everyone to pay attention to fire prevention.”

The status of medical orderlies in the Sanya development team was very high. To ensure their words carried weight, the leaders of the Sanya construction headquarters had specially elevated their status, giving them sufficient authority. Any act of offending a medical orderly would be investigated, and anyone who did not follow their guidance would be taken to the public office of the labor camp and spanked until they fully understood the meaning of hygiene.

“Second, you must personally handle the distribution of malaria medicine to the medical orderlies, ensuring that each of them takes their medicine on time. This includes yourself and the other nurses.” Although the medical orderlies’ skills were poor, they were the only force he could rely on now. Ensuring their health was the top priority.

“Yes, Doctor,” Guo Fu said.

“Third, although the Army and Navy have their own medical orderlies, you must also go to inspect and supervise them. Especially the Army, as they often have to go deep into the inland areas. The monitoring of their epidemic situation cannot be relaxed either.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Assign two nurses specifically to care for the malaria patients,” He Ma began to give medical orders. “Taking medicine on time goes without saying. Pay attention to keeping them warm, cooling them down, and replenishing their fluids. And, give the patients first-class sick meals.”

“I’ve noted it all down,” Guo Fu said respectfully, looking at the doctor who had taught her so much, waiting to see if he had anything else to say.

“Our difficulties have just begun,” He Ma said, taking a cigarette from his pocket. Guo Fu quickly took out a match from her pocket and lit it for him.

“Thank you,” He Ma said, taking a drag. “It’s been almost 40 days since D-Day. The incubation period for malaria is about to pass. We will soon face a peak period of malaria. This is a heavy burden to bear.”

“With you here, any difficulty can be overcome,” Guo Fu said with an expression of “complete trust” in him.

“I’m not a god,” He Ma said with a wry smile, feeling the weight of the burden on his shoulders even more. The stock of malaria medicine was, after all, limited. He wondered if it would be enough to cope.

“The doctor is not a god, but a miracle worker,” Guo Fu said with a sweet smile. This smile made He Ma’s heart flutter. This young lady was becoming more and more adorable.

The appearance of malaria patients caught the attention of the command headquarters—this was the issue they were most concerned about when making contingency plans. An emergency meeting was immediately held in Yulin Fort to discuss how to respond. Leaving aside the mortality rate, a large number of laborers falling ill would be enough to delay the development schedule.