Industry began in 1937

Chapter 16 The Japanese devils have arrived in the county town

When he arrived at the village entrance, panting heavily, the sun had already risen considerably.

Under the old locust tree, Old Han was squatting there smoking his pipe. When he saw Chen arrive, he stood up, his face showing some anxiety: "Young Chen, you've finally come! The group of people from the village who went to the market left before dawn, and they're probably halfway there by now. If we're any later, the good stalls will be gone, and our business will be delayed."

Chen Yuan's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "I'm sorry, Uncle Han, I was delayed by packing. Let's go now, hurry up, maybe we can still make it."

"Alright, let's go!" Old Han didn't waste any more words. He stubbed out his pipe, picked up his wooden spear, and turned to leave.

Chen Yuan hurriedly followed, carrying a heavy hope and a hint of belated anxiety. The two of them walked along the mountain path, one in front of the other, and quickened their pace towards the downstream river mouth.

He began, "Uncle Han, this trip to the big village is a long way, and it's taken up your time. I... can't let you make this trip for nothing. How about this, no matter how much grain we get today, I'll give you... give you three jin, is that alright? Consider it a little extra help for your journey." He stammered a bit, trying his best to make his words sound like a simple act of mutual assistance among mountain people, rather than a request for employment.

Old Han paused for a moment, then waved his hand: "You're too kind, it's just a matter of showing me the way..."

"Uncle Han, please don't refuse." Chen Yuan said sincerely, "I'm unfamiliar with this place, and I've relied entirely on your guidance and help. You must accept this grain, otherwise I'll be too embarrassed to trouble you again."

Old Han glanced at Chen Yuan's serious expression, then at the obviously heavy bundle on his back, and clicked his tongue.

Nodding, "Alright, you're a thoughtful young man. I'll shamelessly accept it then. Let's go, we should get to the market early."

Old Han wasn't just thinking about himself; he was also thinking about his family. This year, the harvest in the mountains was poor, and there wasn't enough food to eat.

The grain yield in these mountains is not high to begin with; they can only grow grains such as millet, corn, and sweet potatoes.

Wheat is almost never grown.

Even drought-resistant crops can experience a significant reduction in yield during bad years.

Otherwise, Chen Yuan, as a guest, wouldn't have been given only a grain cake; it's truly a case of poverty leading to a lack of ambition!

If we can get these three catties of mixed grains every day, then we can earn enough to feed the family. If we go to a few more places, we might be able to get through the winter.

The two walked downstream along the ravine, and along the way Chen Yuan kept asking Old Man Han about the situation in the area.

In particular, is there any iron ore nearby?

He felt that if he continued to use iron like this, once the surrounding scrap iron resources were depleted, there would be no source of iron left.

The Japanese had already invaded, and although they hadn't entered the mountains yet, Chen Yuan remembered that they later did enter the mountains to carry out a sweep.

At that time, without the import of external iron materials, we could only rely on iron ore resources.

Only in this way can production continue.

Otherwise, having a flint platform is useless, no matter how much electricity it generates.

Old Han thought for a moment, "I heard from the elders that there used to be many iron furnaces in Qicun Village, but there are far fewer in recent years. I heard that they can't dig out any iron anymore, and only a few families are still selling iron materials."

"Is there no more iron ore?" Chen Yuan asked.

"More or less!" Old Han couldn't say for sure either, as he didn't deal with these things.

Is there no iron ore left? Or is it simply impossible to mine it now?

Chen Yuan seemed to remember that there was an iron ore mine here.

However, he couldn't distinguish them clearly either.

If all else fails, see if the flint platform can be moved; he remembered that it was mentioned in the introduction that it was a mobile platform.

We'll move to wherever there's iron ore.

As they talked, they walked faster.

This road is wider than the ones leading to Liujia Taizi and Wayaogou, and it is clearly a frequently used route.

After walking for about an hour, Chen Yuan's already sore and numb legs went completely tingly.

Suddenly, a vast river valley basin came into view.

In the basin, a village, much larger than any of the previous villages, was built against the mountain and beside the water. The gray-black roofs stretched out in a continuous line, probably housing hundreds of households.

Even more noticeable was the bustling crowd gathered on an open space by the river at the village entrance. Some simple sheds and signs were set up, and the sounds of people and livestock could be faintly heard – it was a market.

"This is it, Hekou Market. It's held on the 5th and 10th of every month, and people from all around come here," Old Han introduced, his eyes shining with the same excitement one would expect from someone going to a market.

Stepping into the market, a lively atmosphere immediately greets you. There are vendors selling mountain products, grains, fabric scraps and needles, pottery, and even performers selling medicine... Although the goods look rough and scarce, it is a rare scene of prosperity in these mountains.

Chen Yuan and Old Man Han found a relatively busy corner, spread out their bundle, and displayed their goods.

The gleaming scissors, the slender and neat sewing needles, the thick and sharp kitchen knives, the exquisite iron locks... these ironware products from "Suihuo" stand out like cranes among chickens in the market with their neat workmanship and excellent quality, immediately attracting a lot of attention.

The sounds of asking prices, inspecting goods, and bargaining quickly filled their stall.

Scissors and needles and thread were the most popular among women and were almost sold out.

The kitchen knife and the lock also sold quickly.

Iron nails were the first choice for many rural men to supplement their household income.

The ironware that Chen Yuan brought quickly turned into a small bag of mixed copper coins, silver jiao, and a small amount of paper money, and even a few silver dollars, at prices far exceeding those in the scattered exchanges in the mountain village.

With the money, he immediately went to the market to make purchases.

First of all, he bought grains. He bought 20 jin of mixed flour, 10 jin of millet, and gritted his teeth to buy 5 jin of slightly more expensive wheat flour.

Next came the salt, a full two pounds of coarse salt.

Seeing that they were selling homemade peanut oil and sesame oil, he bought a small jar of each.

He even managed to trade a small piece of dried wild rabbit meat from a hunter's stall.

There was a blacksmith shop, and they also bought some iron materials.

After completing the purchase, Chen Yuan kept his promise and wrapped up about three pounds of mixed flour separately, handing it to Old Man Han: "Old Man Han, please keep this safe."

Old Han took it, didn't weigh it, just nodded, and carefully put the flour bag into his satchel.

The two, carrying their purchased supplies, prepared to leave the market with satisfaction.

Just as he passed a teahouse where a crowd had gathered and were listening to a middle-aged man who was dressed somewhat respectably, a few snippets of conversation drifted into Chen Yuan's ears:

"...Have you heard? The Japanese soldiers have crossed the Hutuo River!"

"That's not all! My cousin fled back from the county town and said they've even planted the Rising Sun flag on the city gate towers!"

"We've entered Shanxi? My goodness..."

"There are many mountain roads here, it probably won't be possible to get here in a short time, right?"

"Can't come? Those animals have cars and cannons! Even if they did come, could you outrun their wheels?"

Chen Yuan's steps suddenly stopped, his heart feeling as if it were being gripped by an icy hand.

The Japanese devils...have already occupied the county town?

Have they entered Shanxi?

Although he knew it was an inevitable historical event, hearing the definite news with his own ears still made him feel an imminent sense of crisis, instantly shattering the slight sense of relief he had just felt due to the successful transaction.

Old Han had obviously heard this too, and his expression became extremely serious. He tugged at Chen Yuan's sleeve and whispered, "Let's go, let's go back quickly. We can't stay here any longer."

Chen Yuan nodded heavily, shouldered the heavy grain sack, and followed Old Man Han, almost fleeing the bustling Hekouji, and plunged back into the silent yet treacherous wilderness of the mountains.

The anticipation for supplies that preceded their arrival has now transformed into a sense of urgency about time and a strong desire for resources.

The Japanese are getting closer.

His newly ignited spark, still inefficient, must burn brighter and more fiercely before the storm arrives.

The ironware that he was unable to produce has now become a regret in his heart—if he had more capital, he could have exchanged it for more food and supplies to make better preparations for dealing with the crisis.