At this point, Yang Zhen hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to tell the truth. Although it was somewhat of a show-off, Yang Zhen knew that only by telling the whole truth would he be able to impress the old man more, especially in this situation. You will definitely be moved by the fact that all base areas have implemented free compulsory education.
"Old man, one Qiwushan artillery shell is equivalent to a middle peasant's family property. The bullets fired by a heavy machine gun in one battle are equivalent to the entire income of dozens of villages for a year. After one battle, it is enough According to the local administrative structure of the Puppet Manchukuo, a province's finances went bankrupt."
"Today's war is not the kind that can be fought with rifles and a small number of cannons. It is an all-round and three-dimensional war. In the face of an enemy armed to the teeth, we cannot let our soldiers only hold rifles and grenades. To fight the enemy, we don’t have that much manpower to expend.”
"Although it cannot be said that we completely surpass the Japanese army in terms of equipment, in order to minimize the equipment gap with the enemy and let our soldiers shed less blood, we can only do our best to develop our own military industry, Mr. , you are also engaged in industry, and you should understand that the funds consumed to build a number of modern military factories are almost astronomical."
"Faced with the huge consumption of funds, when we do many things, we are motivated but unable. We know that the army is in urgent need of expansion, but we hesitate again and again every time we expand the army. In addition to the insufficient local manpower resources in North Manchuria, the biggest We are worried that the fragile finances of the base area will be ruined."
"With the base area being extremely short of financial resources, the income is far from being able to make up for the expenditure, and we cannot imitate the warlords who scraped away every inch of land in order to make money. It has become the most urgent thing to find financial resources again. Otherwise, we will continue to develop according to the current situation. , inflation is almost a matter of time."
“Especially in our base areas, we have implemented a compulsory education system that is free of charge, regardless of gender. All students, except for a small amount of food and personal clothing, all expenses incurred during the nine years of education will be borne by us. The burden is unified, and if you are admitted to high school or university, you will still not be charged a penny in tuition."
"All orphans in the base area, regardless of family origin, are uniformly supported by the Northeast Bureau until they succeed in their studies. At the same time, every year we recruit some international students to study abroad in Jiangbei to cultivate their own talents. All expenses are borne by us. Take responsibility for yourself.”
"Now the education funding for the entire base area has become one of the biggest burdens besides military expenses. The base area is constantly expanding, and the number of school-age students is also rising. The education funding required in this area is almost every year. It’s doubling every year.”
"Every year, all our income, except for military expenditures, is given priority to ensure the expenditure of education funds. However, no matter how difficult it is, we have never been short of a penny of education funds. This is a rigid rule we have formulated. All expenses, except In addition to military funding, education should be given priority."
"Although the overall educational level of our people is not high, and most of us can even say it is quite low. Many of us did not learn some culture and know our own names until we joined the army. However, no matter how hard it is, education cannot be achieved, no matter how poor we are, We still understand the principle of not being short of knowledge, a century-old plan, and education as the foundation."
Yang Zhen said in a very sincere tone: "Old man, we also know that at your age, it is a bit embarrassing for you to be far away from your homeland and go to the United States all the way, but since we really can't choose other candidates, we can only I can put my hope in you."
"For the day when the Anti-Japanese Alliance grows stronger and develops to the point where it can drive out all foreign armies that invade our land, for the day when we can usher in the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, for the day when our once weak nation can truly defeat a modern industry On the day when the country becomes strong, and for the sake of the base area and the children of the Northeast, I can only ask you."
Yang Zhen's words, especially the free and compulsory education system, made Yuan's father slightly stunned. He had lived for more than sixty years and experienced the former Qing Dynasty, the Beiyang government, the Zhang family and his sons, and the current so-called Puppet Manchukuo. After decades of ups and downs, even though he has seen the world, he has never heard that in the current difficult situation of the war, there will be a certain army, or even a country or the government itself scrimping on food and clothing to support them. Children in their own jurisdiction can study for free,
Even though he had insufficient financial resources, he had to bear almost all the education funds so that all students of the right age could study. Even at that time, the warlords were very enthusiastic about education and founded Northeastern University. I can't even do this,
Not only is this something that no one among the many warlords in the country can accomplish, but even if we look around the world, no country, government, or person has such great courage, not even the much wealthier Western powers. , and no country or government will do this,
Even the founder of Feng Yong University, who I admired so much at that time, who destroyed family education, probably did not have such vision and skill. What's more, that person only founded a university and had no idea about universal compulsory education that truly benefits ordinary people. , but even if you have the intention, you are powerless,
The old man will not know what it means to implement this education system, especially for those children who cannot afford to go to school because of poverty. However, the implementation of this education system is very important to a government and an army. Mr. Yuan can roughly estimate how much financial pressure it will bring.
It is an unchanging truth that knowledge changes destiny. Although the old man was born in the old school, he understood this truth very well. After turning his head to confirm Yang Zhen's words to his daughter, the old man nodded slightly and said: "I really didn't expect you. With such a long-term vision, it is really rare to be able to think about running education under such a difficult situation."
"Furthermore, the education system you implement is unprecedented and may not be seen in the future. A completely free and compulsory education system is unprecedented in the five thousand years of Chinese civilization. For our country, which is still filled with a large number of illiterates, it is a great blessing."
"Although knowledge may not determine the fate of a person, or even a country, or a nation, I believe that it can change the fate of our country, which has been weak for a long time. I really don't think you can have such a long-term vision. Thinking of this, if nothing else, I believe that in this Sino-Japanese war, it will be us who will win the final victory, and our nation, which has been in so many troubles, will one day be able to win again. Stand tall in the world."
After saying these words, the old man was silent for a while, then looked at his daughter and daughter-in-law beside him, then turned his head to Yang Zhen. After carefully looking at Yang Zhen who looked expectant, the old man finally nodded: " For no other reason than what you just said, I will take over this matter. Please hurry up and complete the procedures. I can leave at any time."
"As for the assets under my name in Harbin, you don't need to use cash to buy them. It must be very difficult for you to come up with such a large amount of funds when funds are so tight. Although I am not good at providing help in times of need, I am absolutely We will not make trouble for our own troops."
"All my factories and other industries in Harbin have been donated and handed over to you for free. I won't ask you for a penny. But I only have one condition, and that is the profits generated by these factories, and that is my I hope you can all invest in education, which can be regarded as my contribution to the country and nation."
Hearing the old man's request, which could be called a non-request, Yang Zhen was very moved and said: "Thank you, old man, for your understanding of justice. On behalf of all the soldiers of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, I sincerely thank you. Please rest assured, your I will definitely do my best to fulfill this request. If you have any other requests, feel free to ask them. As long as I, Yang Zhen, can fulfill them, I will never give you a second thought."
Regarding Yang Zhen's guarantee, the old man smiled, looked at his daughter next to him and said: "General Yang, don't rush to make a promise. You are the one in power. It's better to say less of this kind of thing in the future. , As the ancients say, Jun Wuxi said, you, the commander-in-chief of an army of hundreds of thousands, must also be faithful to your words, and do not make any promises easily to anyone. "
"A promise means responsibility, even an obligation. In this era, it is easy to repay money owed to others, but the promises owed to others are the most difficult to repay. However, today I do have another request. No, it should be necessary. It’s a promise, but this promise is somewhat unreasonable, and I just don’t know if General Yang can agree to it.”
When Mr. Yuan looked at Yuan Zhiruo, Yang Zhen almost guessed what the old man's request was, but this promise made him agree immediately, but he was a little embarrassed. Looking at Mr. Yuan and Yuan Zhiruo in front of him, , Yang Zhen swallowed hard and opened his mouth, but in the end he said nothing.
Yang Zhen didn't speak, and Guo Bingxun, who had guessed what the promise was, couldn't speak either. Neither of them spoke. There was an unspeakable embarrassment in the scene, but Mr. Yuan didn't seem to be in a hurry. Sitting there as motionless as Mount Tai,
It wasn't until a long time that the old man looked at Yang Zhen, who still looked a little embarrassed, and then said softly: "General Yang, I know that you young people are a little different from us old people. I don't want you to nod immediately. All I need is a promise. , does this really make it difficult for you? My old man has no other requirements."
"It's hard to say whether I can come back after I leave. I understand Zhiruo's thoughts. As her father, I also know her character very well. I know that it is almost impossible for Zhiruo to leave with me. When I leave, the thing that worries me the most is that she is left alone in the Northeast."
"She lost her mother when she was young, and I raised her until she ran away from home to join the Anti-Japanese War. Unlike her brothers and several sisters, she has never left my side since she was a child. I am thousands of miles away.
, I still don’t know if we can see each other again in this life. Before I leave, if I don’t entrust her to a reliable person, how can I leave with peace of mind.”