Chapter 109: A Sea of Care

Medals were awarded on the spot. In addition to the first, second, and third-class military merit medals awarded to combat personnel, fifteen militiamen who had participated in the battle also received second and third-class military merit medals, besides the officers and soldiers of the field army.

All combat personnel and military and civilian personnel who participated in logistical services received the First Anti-Encirclement Victory Commemorative Medal. Those personnel and logistical personnel who participated in the Battle of Chengmai also received the “Chengmai Battle Victory Commemorative Medal.”

After the medal ceremony, the entire army held a parade in battalion formations. To the sound of the fife of the “Grenadiers’ March,” the five battalions and the militia lined up and passed the reviewing stand. They all cheered three times.

After the military parade, He Ming led all the members of the condolence group into the officers’ small canteen. This was a place specially for senior officers to dine. There were tablecloths on the tables, fresh flowers, and blinds on the windows to block the sun. Large ice buckets were placed in the four corners and the middle of the room, slowly emitting white cool air. It felt very comfortable as soon as you walked in.

The orderlies had already prepared hot towels and herbal tea.

“Your place is not bad,” Wen Desi sat down with a plop, wiping the sweat from his head. Reviewing the troops was majestic, but standing at attention in neat clothes under the sun, walking back and forth, and maintaining the most majestic posture, this was really not an easy job. Wen Desi thought of the videos of the Red Square parade he had watched in the past. The leaders of the Soviet Communist Party were all in their seventies and eighties and still stood in the cold wind for several hours.

“This is the senior officers’ canteen, and also our conference room.” He Ming avoided using the term “veteran officer” in the barracks. He believed that with the increasing number of native officers, it was unwise to constantly remind the latter of this distinction.

After a while, the orderlies brought lunch—like all the canteens of the transmigrator group, it was a separate meal system. Each person had a wooden tray with rice, dishes, and soup.

The rice was brown rice. The dishes included vegetables, shrimp tempura, stir-fried sea clams, and kelp tofu soup. Finally, there were a few fried meatballs, which smelled fragrant.

In the middle of the table were rectangular wooden trays filled with crushed ice, on which were arranged various kinds of sashimi.

“It’s all things from the sea,” Zhan Wuya sighed. “I always feel that we are getting closer to the Japanese in our eating habits.” He took four or five pieces of sashimi.

The fishery in Ma Niao was quite developed. The Ministry of Agriculture had set up a second fishery acquisition and processing plant here to process seafood with the salt here. Recently, a large gas-fired cold storage had been built here to store fresh seafood, and the supply was very sufficient.

There were also many plates filled with subtropical fruits, the most abundant of which were jackfruit, followed by pineapple, banana, and mango.

The drinks were coconut juice and kvass, and no alcohol was served—except for kvass and the beer that had not yet been produced.

“There are meatballs today,” someone said, looking at the fragrant fried meatballs. He excitedly sprinkled pepper and salt on them and ate them, making a “tsk-tsk” sound as he ate.

“Things like sausages and meatballs, you’d better not know what they are made of,” Wen Desi muttered. He ate a meatball. The taste of the spices was very strong, and there was also a hint of beef.

Needless to say, this must have been made from the dead cows and horses recovered from the battlefield. Although he had not been to the front line, he had seen the list of spoils of war. It clearly stated how many dead cows and horses were captured—obviously they were all used to improve the food.

“What’s the activity in the afternoon?” Wang Luobin asked while eating.

Wen Desi said, “Distribute the condolence packages—we don’t need to do this. The packages have been delivered to the warehouse. The officers will distribute them per person. We have to go to the hospital once to hold a condolence activity.”

“How many wounded are there?”

He Ping, the representative of the Ministry of Health, said, “We have very few wounded of our own. Less than thirty need to be hospitalized. But there are many seriously wounded among the prisoners, nearly four hundred. The hospital is almost full.”

“Give the prisoners some condolence items too. Of course, the things should be simpler. A dried fish for each person as a late-night snack would be good—do you have dried fish here?”

“Yes, we have a lot here,” Dongmen Chuiyu said.

“Lend us four hundred dried fish first,” Wen Desi thought for a moment. “Let Panpan prepare the DV and shoot more footage in the afternoon.”

In the afternoon, they visited the hospital. Afterwards, an article titled “A Sea of Care” was published in the “Lin Gao Times - Public Edition”:

“After the grand military parade to celebrate the victory of our great regime, the condolence group had a simple lunch in the canteen of the Ma Niao base.”

The ingredients for the lunch were all produced by the hands of the Fubo Army officers and soldiers in Ma Niao. Leaders such as Wen Desi, Ma Qianzhu, Wang Luobin, and Zhan Wuya enjoyed the simple lunch and praised the delicious food produced by the Fubo Army in accordance with the glorious instructions of the Senate to “start a production movement during the war and reduce the burden on the people.”

During the meal, Chairman Wen asked with concern about the condition of the wounded Fubo Army soldiers.

“Their condition is very stable,” said General He. “The wounded are receiving good care and are recovering.”

Chairman Wen proposed to visit the wounded in the afternoon and distribute condolence items that contained the deep friendship of the Senate and the people. General He said, “You have already worked hard reviewing the troops in the morning. Let other leaders go in the afternoon.”

“We are here to comfort the soldiers of the Fubo Army. Compared to their hard battles, our little hardship in the morning is nothing,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Let’s finish lunch as soon as possible and go to comfort the wounded comrades early, so as not to delay their afternoon rest.”

General He and everyone were so moved by these words that they were speechless. Everyone was proud to have such an approachable commander who cared about every ordinary soldier in his busy schedule.

In the Ma Niao Army and Navy Hospital, there was a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

This was a brand new hospital. On a barren piece of land, the Engineering Corporation, known for its high efficiency and quality, had built it in just three months. Now, the hospital was equipped with the latest medical equipment from Australia, and many well-trained medical staff worked there.

The wounded had finished their nutritious lunch that would help them recover as soon as possible and were about to rest when a voice came: “The Senate condolence group is here!”

Like spring rain falling on a dry land, the officers and soldiers who had been wounded in battle excitedly propped themselves up.

“Don’t get up, rest well,” State Councilor Ma kindly helped an excited wounded soldier who was sitting up in bed to lean against the pillow.

He asked the medical staff how many wounded there were and how their injuries were.

After getting the answer, he looked around the ward. This was a ward that contained his deep care. At that time, the document for the construction of the Ma Niao Army and Navy Hospital was built under the advocacy of State Councilor Ma, and he had personally marked and revised the design drawings.

He looked around the room and said with a satisfied smile, “The beds are well prepared, and a flip-up dining table has been added.”

He said, carefully examining the small dining table on the bed.

He sometimes bent down to examine it, sometimes stepped back to look at it, and suddenly asked if the dining table seemed a little high.

The medical staff had not noticed that and could not answer immediately. At this time, he said to a wounded soldier who was about to recover, “Is the dining table convenient to use?”

The wounded soldier sat up, put his arms on the table, and moved his body back and forth and side to side before saying that it didn’t feel high.

The accompanying staff compared the wounded soldier’s sitting height with the height of the dining table and then said, “It seems to be suitable.”

However, Comrade Ma Qianzhu looked at the height of the dining table from left to right with a thoughtful expression and gently shook his head.

The cadres did not know why he shook his head like that and stood there a little puzzled.

He said that they should consider that the height of the wounded soldiers was different. This wounded soldier was relatively tall, but what about those short cadres and soldiers? They had to consider their convenience. The cadres and soldiers were injured in the line of duty and had already made great sacrifices. We should care for their health and daily life even more meticulously.

The medical staff thought that the dear Comrade Ma Qianzhu was like a worrying mother who was concerned about the recovery of everyone who came here, and they were so moved that their throats were choked.

Every room in the Ma Niao Army and Navy Hospital was filled with the love and meticulous care of the veterans for the people.

Comrade Zhan Wuya, who was the director of manufacturing, immediately said that he would improve the hospital beds after he returned, adding adjustable mechanisms so that every wounded and sick person could recover happily in the most comfortable environment.

“Although it’s a small matter, our soldiers are the treasures of the regime and cannot be neglected for a moment,” he said.

Subsequently, the condolence group distributed condolence items to the wounded who were gloriously injured in battle. Although the condolence items were simple, they were full of the deep friendship of the Senate and the people. This grace, as heavy as Mount Tai, shone like the sun into the hearts of every wounded and sick person.

A soldier with a broken arm was wearing a thick plaster cast and needed the help of a nurse to eat and dress. When this condolence package full of the care of the Senate and the people was delivered to his bedside, he was able to take the heavy condolence package with his own hands.

When they went to the rest room, Comrade Ma Qianzhu suddenly asked why they didn’t distribute condolence items to the wounded in the other buildings.

“Those are the enemy prisoners who came to invade us,” said the person in charge of the hospital.

“In that case, they should also be given some condolence items.”

The people around were surprised.

Throughout history, wounded prisoners have always been doomed to die. But in Lin Gao, they received the best treatment.

Someone said with incomprehension, “They are the enemy, the enemy who tried to harm the people of Lin Gao. It is already the greatest grace that we treat them and let them live.”

“Even if they were once enemies, now that they have laid down their arms and surrendered to us, they should be treated equally,” Comrade Ma Qianzhu said. “This is the only way to fully show our broad-mindedness that embraces the world.”

The accompanying personnel were all impressed by the broad-mindedness of the veterans.

…

The reality was not so dramatic. The condolence group’s inspection of the wounded prisoners only lasted for about fifteen minutes. They gave a simple speech. This speech did move many people’s hearts and made them very grateful, but it was not about things like giving them a dried fish for a late-night snack.

The core of Ma Qianzhu’s speech was the issue of a way out. He promised that once all the wounded had recovered, the Ao-Song regime would employ them and give them a job so that they could support their families.

A few days ago, Ma Qianzhu had learned from He Ping’s report that about one-third of the admitted government army wounded would be left with varying degrees of disability. The prisoners who were not disabled would be sent directly to the labor team to serve after they recovered, but it was difficult for those with disabilities to survive in ancient times. At that time, most of the people who were willing to be soldiers were poor and had difficulty surviving at home. If they were disabled and went back, it would be a dead end.

He used this to move the prisoners’ hearts, making them fully feel the difference between the old and new societies. This made this group of wounded prisoners later become the most resolute supporters of the new society.

After the inspection, Ma Qianzhu asked the temporary person in charge of the hospital, “How is the mortality rate?” He was very interested in the hospital’s treatment efficiency.

“Very low. As long as they can be treated in time, they can basically survive. It should be said that antibiotics and tetanus serum, the two magic weapons, have saved many people’s lives,” said Ning Jinghai, who had returned to Ma Niao with the sanitation team. “But the effectiveness of tetanus serum is not yet high. Some batches have low effectiveness, while others are high. The overall effectiveness is probably around 70%.”

“Two-thirds effectiveness is very good.”

“Yes, we can only look at it this way,” Ning Jinghai was not very used to such a rough standard. “It’s just that we lack veteran doctors and nurses. The conditions here are relatively poor.”

“If the conditions are poor, we can create good conditions,” Ma Qianzhu touched his pocket, took out a cigarette, lit it and took a puff. “The conditions here are not good, and no one is willing to come. How about you be the director of the Ma Niao Hospital?”

“Me?” Ning Jinghai was a little hesitant. He was indeed a doctor by training, had studied medicine, and had been a clinical doctor for a few years, but later he was not engaged in medicine. He was already very unfamiliar with both medical treatment and health management.

“Yes, aren’t you a doctor?”

“I’m a doctor of computational biology. It’s a stretch to say it’s related to medicine.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Then, do I have to go through the organizational procedures…”

“Of course, of course, but you have to have this intention.”

“I understand. I’ll sign up when I get back to Lin Gao.”

After leaving the hospital, the members of the condolence group had a conversation with the veteran army officers of the Ma Niao base. The conversation was held in secret. The content of the conversation involved all aspects of this campaign, mainly the content of the campaign review.

The impeachment initiated by some veterans had already died in the preparation stage because it could not get the consent of two-thirds of all the veterans. However, the thirty-five-point inquiry raised by some veterans in the Senate required the Executive Committee and the Army and Navy to answer one by one.

Wen Desi handed the document to He Ming: “To be honest, many of the questions are not easy to answer. You have to think carefully about how to answer them.”

“Of course, we will tell the truth,” He Ming took the document and glanced at it. “I think it’s better for me to attend the hearing on this inquiry, and at most call Chen Haiyang. It’s best not to summon other veteran officers to the scene, so as not to let someone make a fuss.”

“Of course, of course,” Ma Qianzhu nodded. “The Executive Committee has also been criticized, but I completely understand. This is what democracy means.”

Wen Desi waved his hand and said, “We can develop a habit in the future. We will summarize and improve after every campaign. This is the so-called ‘plan-do-check-act’ cycle. We are doing this now, talking about the problems we have found and how to improve them. As for the Senate hearing, it’s just a formality.”

On that day, a series of checks and rectifications were carried out on the problems that arose during the anti-encirclement operation, including the quality of weapons, soldier training, tactical use, logistical equipment, and combat systems. A series of problems were discussed.

“The quality control of the self-made Minié rifles is not good, and the sights are not accurate.”

“The lifespan of the barrels and mechanisms is not long enough. The nominal barrel life is 200 rounds, but after 100 rounds, the rifling is seriously eroded. If we hadn’t brought many spare guns, I’m afraid we would have had to fight with bayonets.”

Zhan Wuya recorded in his notebook while saying, “The level of mechanical processing is excessive, but the materials are still not up to standard.”

“The power of the black powder hand grenades is not enough.”

“We are considering switching to fixed ammunition rifles and using new propellants.”

“All soldiers should switch to steel helmets. The protective effect of rattan helmets is not good. It’s meaningless to wear them.”

“The quality of military shoes is not good. Cloth-soled shoes are easily damaged, and wearing straw sandals hurts the feet badly. Fortunately, it was not a long march.”

“It would be best to equip the company-level commanders with binoculars.”

“The military academy should be put on the agenda.”

…

Finally, the compiled materials were a thick book. Ma Qianzhu instructed that this material be sent back to Lin Gao immediately as a meeting material for the next plenary session of the Executive Committee.

In the afternoon, condolence items were distributed to all the participating officers and soldiers, militia, and laborers. The condolence items were very practical fabrics, silks, tobacco, and alcohol. All participating personnel also received bonuses of varying amounts. The officers and soldiers of the Fubo Army each received an additional bonus of three months’ military pay. The militia and laborers received the equivalent of one month’s military pay for a first-class soldier of the Fubo Army. Those who received military merit medals also received an additional reward.

That night, a sumptuous banquet was held in various canteens and parade grounds. Each person’s wooden lunch box had two meat dishes: a piece of meat, two fish fillets, and scrambled eggs. Whether it was meat or vegetables, they were all exquisitely cooked—all cooked by a team led by the chefs of the commercial guild and the cooperative restaurant. Barrels full of kvass were placed on the tables. As long as you were not on duty, you could drink as much as you wanted.

The participating officers and soldiers of the army and navy, as well as the militia and laborers, sat at the tables and ate and drank with smiles on their faces. The members of the condolence group dispersed and went to all the banquets in the base one by one to toast all the officers and soldiers.

Even though they were only drinking kvass, drinking freely could still make people slightly drunk. The entire Ma Niao base was immersed in a sea of joy.