Fengxian Jiangshan

Of course, boosting morale can't just rely on propaganda, but also something real. In December 23, two 12-ton warships braved the wind and waves and returned to China from Europe.

These two warships are exactly the two heavy cruisers that Italy undertook to build for China. Since Mussolini came to power in 22, the warships have already begun laying keels and stepped up manufacturing.It took more than a year, and by June 23, the two warships had been completed successively.

In order to familiarize himself with the performance of these two large ships, Shen Honglie personally brought a group of naval elites to Europe to learn from the Italians how to operate warships and conduct naval battles.

After several months of study, Shen Honglie and the others fully mastered the key to the use of warships, and then they sailed across the ocean and finally returned to China.

As it got closer to China, Shen Honglie was still a little worried. When the Mackensen came back last time, the Japanese launched an interception, which detonated the Sino-Japanese war.This time the two complete warships return to China, I am afraid that the Japanese will not be reconciled.

Shen Honglie and the others maintained full vigilance. After crossing the Straits of Malacca, they were extra cautious, walking on thin ice.Shen Honglie didn't relax a lot until he approached Guangzhou and other places, and after the Chinese warships and planes came to greet him.

Like the stars and the moon, the two large ships sailed across the Taiwan Strait, heading north all the way to their home port of Lushun.There are a large number of troops escorting along the way.When sailing through the East China Sea, there were indeed Japanese warships, but they were all small boats watching the excitement.

Japan, which has not yet emerged from the shadow of the earthquake, really does not want to go to war with China. The two warships finally returned to Lushun safely.

After the huge warship entered the port, the eyes of countless navy and workers gathered here were filled with tears.Finally, two or 30 years after the disappearance of the Beiyang Navy, China once again possessed large warships, and the navy was rebuilt again. After a disastrous failure, the Chinese finally started to embrace sea power again.

After the warship docked, Shen Honglie disembarked first and saluted Zhang Tinglan with a standard military salute.

"Report to the Vice President, fulfill your mission in a humble position, and bring the heavy cruisers Jilin and Harbin back to China safely!"

"Okay, everyone has worked hard. It is our mission to rebuild the navy and reshape the sea power. China's thousands of miles of sea can no longer be a paradise for the free entry and exit of the great powers. Threats come from the sea, and wealth also comes from the sea. You are responsible for the prosperity of the country. The mission of development must be more diligent and work harder."

After the speech, Zhang Tinglan, accompanied by Shen Honglie, boarded the Jilin ship in person and visited with great interest.

"Vice President, during the sea trial, the Jilin ship ran at a speed of 31 knots. From now on, it will be no problem at all to accompany the aircraft carrier in combat. The aircraft carrier formation finally has a guard with a knife!"

Chapter 749 Going South

The Jilin has a full load of 11903 tons and is equipped with three triple-mounted 203mm main guns, eight 8mm secondary guns, and six quadruple-mounted 120mm anti-aircraft guns.Compared with the heavy cruisers built in accordance with the Washington Treaty by various countries at the same time, the tonnage is slightly larger, and the armament can only be regarded as average.

However, according to China's requirements, both Jilin and Harbin added thicker armor at important positions, and built more watertight cabins at the same time to ensure the survivability of the warships.This is also considered for the aircraft carrier formation. After all, China does not have battleships and battlecruisers at this time. Once the aircraft carrier formation collides with enemy warships, the heavy cruiser will act as a shield.

Of course, this situation is only a last resort under special circumstances. The most important mission of the Jilin is air defense, destroying the aircraft that poses the greatest threat to the aircraft carrier.For this reason, after returning to China, the Jilin and Harbin will undergo the next modification to increase the anti-aircraft firepower.

"Vice President, next step I plan to add 20 20mm cannons to each heavy cruiser to enhance air defense capability!"

Zhang Tinglan also nodded: "Well, if we want to develop aircraft carriers, we must prevent others from using them against us. It is very important to strengthen air defense. In addition, the issue of anti-submarine must also be stepped up. Now Huludao and Luda are strengthening their shipbuilding capabilities, and there have been one after another. A batch of frigates and destroyers have been launched. In addition, the construction of light cruisers has also begun. As long as the refitting of the Mackensen is completed, our aircraft carrier formation will be almost complete."

Shen Honglie's eyes suddenly brightened: "Vice President, the action started fast enough. When I first left China, I was still researching the Yarmouth. Now I want to build it myself?"

"Well, time doesn't wait. After the earthquake in Japan, I'm afraid it will become even more hysterical. A wounded wild wolf will bite at any time. We must speed up our preparations."

What Zhang Tinglan said is absolutely correct. Now China has to work hard on its internal skills and sharpen its minions. Only China can become stronger.In order to better meet the challenges of the future.

In fact, compared to the development of the navy, Zhang Tinglan is more concerned about the land reform issue in Henan. It is a major issue related to China's future economic development. Zhang Tinglan dare not be sloppy at all. After he left Luda, he immediately went south to investigate in Henan. Check out the situation.

At this time, Yan Xishan and Chu Mingyuan were presiding over the division of land.More than 120 peasant households in Liujiawan lined up in a neat line, with smiles on their faces. Several old peasants watched the people in front of them keep stamping their fingerprints on the contract, and they all rubbed their hands anxiously. , wishing it would be my turn soon.

According to the method of land reform, after the government bought the land.Taking villages and towns as units, regardless of men and women, the land is distributed equally according to the adult population.

Of course, this land is not handed over to the people for free, but a certain price has to be paid.In principle, the period is five years, and part of the ransom must be repaid every year.And within ten years, the government should have the priority to purchase grain.

The main purpose of signing this kind of contract is to increase the quantity of grain purchased, otherwise it is a scattered small-scale peasant economy, and it is difficult to guarantee the supply of grain.In fact, to put it bluntly, this is also a kind of squeeze on agriculture.

If you want to develop industry, you must have a source of funds. The great powers that developed first went to grab the colonies, and the countries that developed later could only make decisions on themselves, taking more from agriculture to compensate for the behemoth industry.

Of course, Zhang Tinglan will not simply squeeze farmers. After all, farmers also have considerable creativity and labor enthusiasm. It is best to stimulate them so that better results can be achieved.

Therefore, corresponding incentives have been formulated. For example, if farmers are willing to accept the system of large farms, they can reduce the repayment amount and get loan support at the same time.

In addition, if farmers are willing to work in cities, the government will provide training, and those who are willing to start a business can provide small loans. There are more than ten detailed rules.

Some, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, and masons, can all work in the city and participate in urban construction.For Liujiawan, five households gave up their land, received a sum of employment support funds, and chose to work in cities.

But for the vast majority of farmers, the land is still the lifeblood. With trembling hands, the old man Liu solemnly pressed his handprint on the contract, and the old man burst into tears for a moment.

"Mr. Chu, this land belongs to my family?"

"That's right, you'll keep it as long as you have, but there is one thing, this piece of land is not allowed to be bought and sold for the time being, and the state will develop the land market according to the situation in the future."

"Don't sell, don't sell, die and don't sell!"

Old man Liu shook his head like a rattle and stuffed the contract into his jacket.At this time, there were a few tables next to it, and several people were standing there, including representatives from the bank and the company.

"Old man, we have land, but are we still short of seeds and farm tools? We still have cattle and fertilizer here."

Old man Liu looked at it and picked up an iron hoe. This hoe is all made of high-quality pig iron. It is very strong and sharp, and it is comfortable to hold in the hand. It is better than the hoe at home that is almost worn out. Too much.

But after a few glances, old man Liu still shook his head: "It's really good, but I don't have money, and I can't afford it."

"Hehe, old man, you don't need to spend money. Didn't you sign the land contract? As long as you hold the contract, the bank here will immediately provide you with a guarantee. You can take the farm tools home and use them first. Ordinary farm tools will be repaid within a year. Three years. Just pay back the money within this time!"

"Do you still want to borrow money?" Old man Liu shook his head immediately: "The old man has had two fingers chopped off because of borrowing money in his life. If he borrows money again, he will lose his head at some point." !"

At this time, Chu Mingyuan just came over, and when he heard Old Man Liu's words, he smiled and said, "Our loan is different from the usury loan from the landlord. They are the interest of a donkey rolling around. If you borrow ten yuan, I'm afraid you will have to pay back two dollars." Three hundred, really three to five hundred. This kind of usury is already illegal. We are a special benefit to farmers, and the annual interest is only [-]%. If you still can't pay it, you can apply for an extension."

Hearing Chu Mingyuan's words, old man Liu's eyes lit up immediately. If the interest rate is so low, he can borrow some money and exchange some handy farm tools. Then he can work faster and don't worry about delaying the farming season. A little more grain will be enough. used.

In the end, the old man Liu carefully selected and bought a hoe and a sickle.With a contract in his arms, a hoe and a sickle on his shoulders, he returned home. The whole family had already gathered together, with joyful smiles on their faces.

Old man Liu even took out the shredded tobacco that he had never been willing to smoke, asked his son to light it, and took a few puffs happily.

"Old man, don't be too happy too early. When Wu Peifu and the others came over, they gave us the land directly. As a result, every three days or two, someone came to collect tax rent and force young people to join the army. Maybe this It's a trap. Borrowing money from the court will end badly, why don't you know how to be afraid?" My wife was not so relieved, and couldn't help scolding.

"Hmph, you just have long hair but short knowledge. How did Wu Peifu and his fellows do things? They sent people directly to drive the landlord away, and then distributed the land. The result was that the distribution was unfair. Some families didn't even have farm tools and seeds. They couldn’t grow the land, so they still sent people over to collect taxes every three days. They either ruined the family or ran away. This time, the new government thought of everything, and not only gave the land, but also gave them all the exorbitant taxes. No, I think it's reliable, it's much better than before."

"Father, what you said is right, but Wu Peifu didn't ask for a penny when he distributed the land, but this time he has to sign an agreement for the land distribution. The money will be repaid in five years, and all the grain will be sold to the government within ten years. Why? It sounds a little petty."

"It's better to be stingy than to be stingy. After Wu Peifu did what he did, there were fights every day in the local area, and those landlords also made waves. They didn't know what to do. The current new government has made everything smooth and stable, which makes people feel at ease. No matter how hard your father and I work, we can still save a few acres of land after working for ten years, and then it will depend on your own luck!"

……

"Vice President, how did you end up in Henan?"

"Can't I come yet?"

"No, of course not." Chu Mingyuan said hastily, "I'm just a little surprised, you are so busy."

Zhang Tinglan smiled slightly: "It is true that there are many opportunities in daily affairs, but to tell you the truth, the land reform is the most worrying thing for me.

Yan Xishan also smiled and said, "Vice President, at present Henan has completed about [-]% of the land reform, and it is estimated that it will be completed by June next year. However, if we want to see the effect, we have to wait until next year's autumn harvest. To increase production, farmers must be able to survive.”

"Baichuan's words are reasonable. The purpose of land reform is to better support workers with agriculture. Otherwise, where will the investment come from? But you must have a sense in your heart. It is definitely not enough to become a small-scale peasant economy by decentralization. Therefore, on the one hand, we must Guide the peasants and build farms as much as possible. If it is not feasible for the time being, we must organize the peasants, overhaul water conservancy, pave more roads, and lay a good foundation, so that agricultural production can be guaranteed.”

Zhang Tinglan said with a smile: "You have done a good job in Henan. After Baichuan is basically stable in Henan, you can go to the central government and become the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources."

When Yan Xishan heard this, he hurriedly said with trepidation: "Vice President, I'm afraid I'm not qualified enough, I still need to learn more."