Chapter 659: Ammunition Must Keep Pace Too
No sooner had Bai Yuan spoken than the golden-embroidered Heavenly Lord statuette on his chest chimed in: "Don't worry, we'll have enough flintlock rifles very soon."
Bai Yuan exclaimed, "Ah? The Heavenly Lord is back? What's the situation in Mengjin County?"
Li Daoxuan quickly recounted the situation: the water bandits had allied with the rebels, intending to guide them across the river. "Brigadier Qin Renhong's true strength has been exposed, and the Shanxi rebels will definitely force a crossing now. You need to accelerate your preparations on this side."
Bai Yuan nodded. "At once!"
"As for the flintlock rifles," Li Daoxuan continued, "ships will arrive with them shortly."
No sooner had he spoken than five large cargo vessels appeared on the distant river.
The electric cargo ships were unmistakable. Even from afar, they were clearly identifiable as belonging to Gao Family Village.
Bai Yuan's spirits lifted. He swiftly led his men to the dock to greet them.
As the five large cargo ships docked, a quartermaster soldier quickly disembarked and swiftly reported: "Instructor Bai, I am here on the Heavenly Lord's command, to deliver one ship of new flintlock rifles, one ship of ammunition, and three ships of new recruits."
The Golden Thread Heavenly Lord chuckled. "The coke production was successful, and the new smelting furnaces are also complete. The village has begun using casting methods to produce flintlock rifles, so naturally, the speed has increased. However..."
He drew out the word: "Cast flintlock rifles, in the end, don't have the same quality as forged ones. They are more prone to damage in practical use... So, treat them as low-cost mass-produced items, and issue them to regular troops. Elite units will continue to use forged flintlock rifles."
Bai Yuan immediately understood. "I see. I'll arrange it right away."
Soon, the three thousand local militia members received the news and gathered at the dock. They didn't understand the intricacies of cast versus forged flintlock rifles; they only knew that they were about to be issued rifles.
The raw recruits were overcome with excitement.
Jiang Cheng stood by the ship's side, announcing loudly: "Form a line! Come up in turns to collect your rifles. Each man will receive one rifle and fifty rounds of ammunition."
The new militia cheered. "Understood!"
"Yours!"
"Here, take it, yours!"
The new militia members received their flintlock rifles, faces beaming with joy. To them, receiving these weapons meant enjoying the same treatment as the Gao Family Village militia, signifying their formal recognition by Gao Family Village.
The new militia soldiers howled with eagerness.
Bai Yuan glanced left and right, a new worry emerging. He leaned closer to the quartermaster soldier and whispered: "Three thousand flintlock rifles will consume ammunition far too quickly. Tens of thousands of rounds could be expended in the blink of an eye. As for ammunition, what about..."
The quartermaster lowered his voice: "Ammunition is still a significant challenge. San Shier is working on a solution, and asked me to tell you that the front lines should conserve as much as possible."
Bai Yuan exclaimed, "Three thousand rifles! Three thousand rifles firing simultaneously! How can I conserve?"
The quartermaster replied, "That's the art of commanding troops. Command is also 'Yu,' and 'Yu' is one of a gentleman's Six Arts. Master Bai, you'll surely excel at it."
Bai Yuan retorted, "You ignoramus! 'Yu' refers to driving chariots and horses!"
Meanwhile, at the Gao Family Village prison.
Zhong Gaoliang stood before thirty thousand elderly, weak, women, and children.
These thirty thousand were the very same elderly, weak, women, and children whom Shi Kefa, under Wu Shen's orders, had sent all the way from Hequ County to Gao Family Village.
They had endured the pain of being "abandoned" by their own able-bodied men, then trekked thousands of li in conditions of severe scarcity, without enough food or clothing. While crossing the Dragon Gate Yellow River Bridge, many had personally witnessed Dao Xuan Tian Zun descend from the sky and manifest a great bridge, spanning the treacherous Yellow River.
Although they couldn't fully comprehend it, they had been profoundly shaken.
Those who had experienced much were particularly prone to cherishing hard-won peace.
After arriving at the Gao Family Village prison, they had committed to intense labor reform, striving to prove themselves worthy, and daily prostrating themselves before the Heavenly Lord's image on the prison walls.
Now...
It was almost time for their release.
Zhong Gaoliang declared loudly to them: "Folks, I announce that your labor reform is concluded. You are free!"
This announcement, which should have been met with widespread cheers, was instead met with blank stares from the thirty thousand, who showed none of the expected joy.
They were not men with grand ambitions; they were merely a group of elderly, weak, women, and children. Compared to freedom, their greatest concern was survival.
Having lived in the prison for a long time, they had grown accustomed to its routines. Now, suddenly being told to leave, they didn't even know where to go or what to do.
Zhong Gaoliang reassured them, "Don't worry! After your release, your work and living arrangements will be properly managed. You will take the train to Gao Family Village. You'll live in the staff dormitories of the Gao Family Village Ordnance Bureau. There, you will receive a new job: 'packaging bullets.'"
The thirty thousand elderly, weak, women, and children remained somewhat bewildered, still hesitant to cheer.
Zhong Gaoliang added, "From now on, your labor will earn you wages. Each month, you'll receive three taels of silver."
The thirty thousand responded, "Oh!"
Zhong Gaoliang, both amused and exasperated, asked: "You are free! You can do whatever you wish from now on! You even have three taels of silver in wages every month! Why are you still staring blankly? Won't anyone react?"
An old man, trembling, shuffled to the front. "Warden Zhong, outside... outside, is there... is there fighting and killing? We... when we were outside before, there was fighting and killing everywhere. Even my own son abandoned me to go off and fight..."
Zhong Gaoliang let out a long sigh. "Everyone, rest assured! When you leave, there will be no fighting or killing. You only need to reside in the safe haven of Gao Family Village, earn money through your own labor, support yourselves, and live peaceful lives. And the bullets you produce are for our soldiers to personally bring an end to this conflict. Please, help our soldiers. Let us work together to transform this world into a place where everyone can live and work in peace."
The thirty thousand elderly, weak, women, and children finally seemed to grasp the situation, and a few scattered cheers broke out.
Though free, they remained remarkably disciplined, forming long lines to exit the prison, and long lines to board the train.
It wasn't until they disembarked at the Gao Family Village train station that they truly realized they had arrived in a truly peaceful place. This was a place blessed by Dao Xuan Tian Zun, where images of the Heavenly Lord were everywhere: Heavenly Lords drawn on paper, Heavenly Lord dolls, clay sculpture Heavenly Lords, puppet Heavenly Lords, straw-woven Heavenly Lords, and even incredibly bouncy silicone Heavenly Lords waving at them...
The sight of so many Heavenly Lords finally calmed their anxious hearts.
The Gao Family Village Ordnance Bureau instantly gained thirty thousand workers.
Initially, they were unskilled, only able to package fifty paper cartridges a day.
But soon, their movements became increasingly practiced. The fastest could package a hundred bullets a day, while the slower ones managed seventy or eighty.
With thirty thousand people working together, Gao Family Village's ammunition production could finally keep pace with the speed of cast flintlock rifle manufacturing.
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