Under the leadership of Mu Dan, Huang Zhengzhong walked into the dormitory. The so-called dormitory is just a large thatched house, which is still made of thatch, and the whole building is made of adobe hang, and the furnishings in the house are equally simple, and the place where several wooden planks are put together is the bed.

Seeing this, Huang Zhengzhong, who has always been pampered, couldn't help frowning, this place is dark and damp, and I am afraid that I will get sick if I live for a long time.

"New classmates are here, welcome, my name is Zhu Jingxing." A young man who was cleaning up his bed stood up, wearing a pair of glasses and a washed white lapel national uniform, but with a confident smile on his face.

"Huang Zhengzhong!" Huang Zhengzhong also smiled and shook hands with the other party.

Mu Dan introduced: "Zhu Jingxing is also from the Chinese department, by the way, he is from Anhui, Huang Zhengzhong is from Nanjing, you are not far away, and you can be regarded as half a fellow countryman." ”

Huang Zhengzhong smiled at him, and then took out some of the bread and canned food he brought from his backpack and gave them to Mu Dan and Zhu Jingxing.

"Don't tell me, I haven't eaten this canned American aid a few times." Zhu Jingxing pried open a box, sniffed the aroma of the canned beef, and touched his hungry stomach and said, "It's so fragrant!" ”

Mu Dan also took some bread and beef handed by Huang Zhengzhong and said with a smile: "You can be regarded as helping me fight my teeth, I haven't seen meat for more than a month." ”

Huang Zhengzhong was a little stunned and surprised, and Zhu Jing walked over and said, "Isn't that it?" Now during the Anti-Japanese War, there is a shortage of materials, and the prices in Kunming are like wild horses rising three times a day. I heard that Mr. Wen Yiduo, a professor in our Chinese Department, has set up stalls to carve seals to subsidize his family. ”

"A university professor actually has to rely on setting up a stall and carving stamps to supplement his family?" Huang Zhengzhong thought it was incredible. He looked at Mu Dan, as if to find an answer from him.

Mu Dan said: "It is also a last resort, prices soared during the war, and all kinds of materials were too scarce. ”

Hearing this, Huang Zhengzhong's face became heavy, the professors of Southwest Associated University have always been treated very well, and now they can be so unbearable by this price, you can imagine how difficult ordinary people are?

It seems that I need to talk to my father about this matter, but my father is still fighting a difficult battle to defend Nanjing, and not only can he not share his worries, but he wants to block him, and he can't bear to think of this.

Just when Huang Zhengzhong was thinking and hesitating, there was a lively shouting sound outside, and they walked out of the dormitory to see a group of people holding a parade. Obviously, the parade was led by a group of students, who held high the national flag, smashed Japanese goods, and shouted slogans to swagger through the market, and Mu Dan shook his head and sighed after watching it.

Huang Zhengzhong was puzzled after seeing it, and he asked, "Why is the teacher sighing?" ”

Mu Dan said: "I regret that these students and young people, instead of shouting here to resist Japan and save the country, it is better to really go to the posts needed to resist Japan and save the country." ”

Zhu Jing walked over and said: "Patriotism requires passion, and students can understand this. However, today is different from the past, and it is not that the government does not resist Japan. It's a pity to smash Japanese goods now. You must know that our country has long cut off trade with the Japanese, and now these Japanese goods are all backlogged in the past, and the material is so scarce, isn't it a pity to burn it and smash it? ”

Mu Dan continued: "It's a pity. It's just a pity that I didn't join the army! ”

Huang Zhengzhong said: "During the First World War, Britain and the United States sent a large number of college students to the front line, and it was only after the war that I deeply felt that this was a mistake, and I think it is precisely because of this that our country did not let students join the army." ”

Mu Dan said with a smile: "In order to care for talents, the country does not send college students to the front line to charge and kill the enemy. However, we should work hard to make progress, and be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of building the country in the future, so that we can be worthy of the warriors who died on the battlefield, and we can be worthy of today's Cheng Ying. It's better to go to the army than to fight and smash here. ”

Zhu Jingxing also came over and said with a smile: "Teacher Mu Dan said it well, I also have this idea." If we recruit again, we will join the army together. ”

Mu Dan smiled: "Very good." ”

"Is Big Brother here?" A voice came from outside the door, and everyone looked back, and a young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old walked over.

Mu Dan introduced Huang Zhengzhong and Zhu Jingxing: "This is my cousin Zha Liangyong. Haha, a few days ago, when he was studying in his hometown, he wrote a satirical article called "Alice's Wanderings", mocking their teacher's mentality of surrendering to Japan. I didn't think about it, but I was fired by the teacher. He's been here for a few days. ”

"It's okay to open it, anyway, I don't want to make a living by talking about 'surrender' all day long!" Zha Liangyong said with a smile.

Mu Dan patted him on the shoulder: "What's next?" ”

"Changing schools and continuing to study. My idea is to be a diplomat, and I can't study well. Zha Liangyong said quite seriously.

Everyone chatted for a while, and when they saw that it was already noon, Huang Zhengzhong smiled and said: "On the first day of reporting today, I am really happy to meet you teachers and classmates." Let's go, I'll invite everyone to dinner, let's find a restaurant to have a tooth sacrifice. ”

Zhu Jingxing touched his cooing stomach and smiled: "It just so happens that my stomach is empty." Brother Zhengzhong, you are really my good roommate. ”

"Let's go ahead." Huang Zhengzhong said.

Everyone went to a nearby restaurant, because American aid had to pass through Kunming, and with the arrival of the Anti-Japanese War, many industries and institutions moved to the southwest, and Kunming, a city that was originally inconspicuous, began to prosper at this time.

The streets widened and the streets were filled with cars, trucks and Huanghe jeeps, well-dressed dignitaries, fashionably dressed fashionistas, blonde Europeans and Americans, and peddlers and pawns in short-sleeved undershirts.

Everyone felt the prosperity of Kunming, and after walking forward for a while, they found a small restaurant that asked for something ordinary and sat down. At this time, it was already a meal, but there were very few people who came to eat, and almost no one sat in the huge restaurant.

Huang Zhengzhong looked around, and then looked at the store with some suspicion.

He whispered to the people around him, "Why is there no one here to eat?" I'm afraid it's not a black shop, right? ”

After hearing this, Mu Dan smiled and said: "You just have to rest assured, it's just that now that prices are soaring, ordinary people can't even afford to eat and drink, where can they still have money to go to the restaurant." We also owe it to you Huang Zhengzhong's blessing that we are like this. ”

After a while, the food was served, rice noodles, beef, and some green vegetables, and the fragrance wafted in the tavern.

The owner of the tavern is a native of Yunnan, and he listened to the conversation of Huang Zhengzhong and several people before, and sighed: "It's not that there are no rich people, it's just that rich people go to the big hotel to spend anything, and our small shop was originally to entertain ordinary people." Now that prices are soaring, this place where it is high or low can only not be sold. ”

"When you get rid of the Japanese, your business will be better." Zhu Jingxing smiled and comforted the boss.

"Beat the Japanese? I see, no matter when, as long as there is a war, it will be the common people who will suffer, and you can see that those who are officials, rich, and people who do not fight will enjoy it in the same way. The shopkeeper said to himself.

Seeing that the crowd no longer answered, he knew that his words were a little unappetizing, so he diverted the conversation and said, "You use it slowly, and call me again if you need it." ”

After that meal, Huang Zhengzhong said to go around again. Mudan still has a job to welcome new students, so he went back first. He, Zhu Jingxing, and Zha Liangyong walked around, which can be regarded as understanding the situation and the people's situation.

Huang Zhengzhong's background determines his vision, and he looks at the problem from a different angle than others, so Huang Zhengzhong can see that behind these problems is someone manipulating the soaring prices in Kunming, because Kunming is not threatened by war, although the shortage of materials is not so high, it seems that the government is going to intervene.

Huang Zhengzhong wanted to tell his father about it in person, but he felt inappropriate when he thought about it. Not to mention that his father is still in Nanjing and is worried about the defense of Nanjing, even it is difficult to take care of the affairs of a place in normal times. Thinking about it, Huang Zhengzhong thought of a person.

After the new students register, there is still one day to rest. On this day, Huang Zhengzhong left the school gate alone, called a rickshaw, and ran towards the city center.

He was going to the Engineer Corps Command. Although the national engineering headquarters is in Nanjing, because of the Yunnan-Burma Highway and the construction of the Southwest Railway, this headquarters in Kunming is the actual front-line command organization.

After General Batu led his troops to complete the construction of Nanjing's fortifications, he returned to Kunming. After all, relying on foreign aid, what they need more is the lifeline of Yunnan and Burma.

Although General Batu was a military commander, his influence in Yunnan was really not small. Many of the previous warlords, large and small, were eaten by him, and he can be regarded as an agent of the central government in Yunnan. Although the hundreds of thousands of engineers under his command were engaged in the work of opening mountains and building roads, they still retained the basic troop establishment, and these people threw down their shovels and pickaxes in their hands, and picked up steel guns to be a tough soldier.

Huang Zhengzhong naturally knows all this. Therefore, Batu has a lot of influence here, and it should be possible to ask him for help in this matter and give him feedback on this situation.

Within an hour's effort, the rickshaw took Huang Zhengzhong to the engineering headquarters.

After giving the driver the money, Huang Zhengzhong straightened his clothes and strode inside. The guard at the door stopped him and asked him who he was looking for?

Huang Zhengzhong said: "I'll look for General Batu." If you tell him, just say, 'I'm a new student at Southwest Associated University, and I'm looking for Uncle Batu for something.' ’”

When the guards saw that Huang Zhengzhong was dressed extraordinarily, and he had another "Uncle Batu", they naturally did not dare to slack off.

"You take a rest here first, and we'll let you know." As he spoke, the guard picked up the phone in the duty room and began to report, and at this time, Batu came back from outside by car.

PS: Zha Liangyong is the real name of Mr. Jin Yong, substitute it here, it won't appear too much.