Feeding these people requires a lot of food, if you rely on the current output alone, Jiang Li can only organize a large area of reclamation, but this is not the only way out, the other way is to increase the yield per mu and increase the per capita production capacity. It is not cost-effective to simply buy grain from the outside to the northwest, and in the absence of a railway, people eat horses and chew horses, not to mention the time and energy, and a considerable part of it will be consumed halfway. Jiang Li naturally first thought of chemistry and pesticides. With these advanced means, with the same manpower and material resources, it is enough to more than double or even higher the current grain output in the northwest.

"Commander, Chairman Shao is here." After sending Wei Cienli away, Jiang Weiting soon came to report. Sure enough, within a moment, Shao Lizi appeared in Jiang Li's sight.

"Chairman Shao, how is the situation?" Jiang Li welcomed Shao Lizi into the house with a smile, and asked the guard to bring a cup of tea.

"According to the commander's intentions, the railway was divided into three sections of tenders, and the winning bidders were Amcoe Iron and Steel Company, Pittsburgh Iron and Steel Company, and Rhein Metal Company. The three companies are willing to provide a total loan of $5.6 million to purchase the tracks and locomotives of the three sections of the railway on a pro-rata basis. In addition, the future locomotive production plant will be entrusted to the three companies. Shao Lizi then told Jiang Li about the details of the cooperation, and in general, in the economic crisis, the cost of this open bidding method was about one-fifth less than expected.

"Well, Chairman Shao has worked hard, and I have to trouble you to continue to be responsible for the infrastructure construction in the northwest." Jiang Li said with a smile.

"As long as you're in this position for a day. Always have to do something practical. There are not many opportunities to do practical things in China now. I also cherish this opportunity. Shao Lizi found that Jiang Li liked to go straight when doing things, and did not like to play dumb riddles, although this was seen by some people as a lack of city government, but it was not a big deal, as long as the army at hand was enough to fight. What to say when discussing things in this way will save a lot of dead brain cells.

"In any case, nearly 10 million people in Gansu are willing to stay with Chairman Shao. Even if Nanjing wants to change people, it must consider whether the people's wishes are not. Jiang Li smiled indifferently, partnering with Shao Lizi these days. I am still very satisfied with Shao Lizi's ability, and I have my own strengths with Tibetan Yi.

Shao Lizi nodded, it can be regarded as recognizing Jiang Li's kindness, as long as he does well in Gansu, Jiang Li is willing for him to continue to do it here, Nanjing is indeed not a big problem, if he has a bad relationship with Jiang Li, most of the time he will be driven away.

"How's the battle going on in Shanghai? Did the mixed 4th brigade arrive? Shao Lizi asked. Although there are newspapers about the progress of the war every day, Jiang Li will always know more about it than ordinary people.

"The 19th Route Army and the 5th Army fought well. Now the Japanese army has played the trick of delaying the army, and through the British to negotiate with the Nanjing side, the war has been temporarily suspended for a few days, but in fact it is still increasing its troops on a large scale. Jiang Li said, "This battle still has to be fought." ”

"These Japanese really have to make inches, and so does Nanjing, since the Japanese army has repeatedly wanted to fight, they have all come to this end, and they are still lucky, if they don't hurt the Japanese army, where will peace come from." Shao Lizi said hatefully.

"Although Nanjing's attitude was not resolute, the troops sent to Shanghai fought very tenaciously. Some of the soldiers of the 19th Route Army had not received a military allowance for eight months, and if it were not for the fact that Shanghai was still relatively wealthy, and a considerable part of the 19th Route Army's food supply was paid on the spot, I am afraid that the situation would have deteriorated in the hands of some people before this battle was fought for long. Jiang Li pursed his lips and said.

In the midst of Shao Lizi's complaints, the Japanese cabinet also held a meeting and adopted the opinion of Sadao Araki, the prime minister of land, that Shanghai is a place where the interests of various powers converge, and in view of the increasingly strong anti-war consciousness of the European and American powers, Japan is under pressure and can no longer fight in Shanghai for too long, but if it wants to defeat the defenders of the Republic of China in Shanghai in a short period of time, it must increase its troops. Therefore, without making a public statement, Japan promised to give an answer to Gu Weijun, the chief of staff of the 19th Route Army, to the armistice and the request for the withdrawal of the Japanese army on the evening of April 5, and secretly mobilized the 11th and 14th divisions to go to Shanghai.

The Japanese army's large-scale increase in troops caused great panic in Nanjing, and Chairman Chiang urgently transferred Xu Tingyao's 4th Division, Zhao Guantao's 6th Division, Tang Yunshan's 33rd Independent Brigade from Hubei, Jiangxi, Henan, and other provinces, and Yao Yongan, Li Faming, Kong Qinggui, Xiang Zhizhuang, and other mountain artillery brigades, heavy artillery brigades, and regiments to Shanghai in batches. Then more than 5,000 military-trained supplementary soldiers were transferred to the 5th Army and the 19th Route Army.

Facts proved to be shameless on the part of the Japanese army, and the original agreement was to reply to the Chinese side on 5 April, but in fact, by the 4th, the advance team of the 11th Division had already rushed to the sea off Shanghai, and at 6 o'clock in the morning, the Japanese army had already begun to prepare for the bombing of the defending positions with planes and artillery for three hours. Then with mobilized tanks and armored vehicles, the defenders' positions were assaulted. Fierce battles with the national army. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the Japanese troops.

"What? The advance unit of the 11th Division has already landed at Qiyakou? Not far outside, there was a lot of gunfire, and Zhang Zhizhong's voice on the phone was intermittent. Throwing away the phone, Zhang Zhizhong compared the map in the war room, since the war with the Japanese army, Zhang Zhizhong has not slept well, at this time his eyes are bloodshot, and he has lost a lot of weight. He looked at Gu Shaozhou, the chief of staff next to him, in a hoarse voice, "How many troops do we still have?" ”

"All the reinforcements sent by the commission are on the way to reinforcements, and our nearest one is Song Xilian's 261st Brigade. However, even the 261st Brigade was stranded at this time with a large number of troops in Yunzaobang, and the Jiangwan line was engaged in a battle with the Japanese army. Before 6 p.m., I am afraid that at most one regiment of troops can be drawn to block the advance of the 11th Division. Gu Shaozhou said with an ugly face. Two battalions to block the Japanese landing force of thousands of people is no different from sending them to death, not to mention that the strength of the Japanese army for this landing is not fixed at all, it is likely to be a division, or more.

"I can't care so much, immediately notify Song Xilian, and immediately dispatch all the troops that can be mobilized to plug the gap in the Liuhe River, if the landed Japanese troops pour into the Liuhe, not to mention that they can't hold Shanghai, the 5th Army and the 19th Route Army will probably be surrounded by the Japanese army." Zhang Zhizhong immediately clapped his head and said, at this time, when the reinforcements in the rear had not yet arrived, although the battle on Song Xilian's side was very fierce, he and the 19th Route Army had no extra troops to adjust, and they couldn't catch up in time. If the Japanese army successfully occupies the Liuhe River, the Songhu War of Resistance, which lasted for more than half a month, will also let the Japanese army give the final word, unless he gives the order to retreat immediately, otherwise the main forces of the 19th Route Army and the 5th Army will be served by the Japanese army. (To be continued.) )