"As I said, I brought us a lot of hometown specialties!"

"Both~"

Before Cai Gui could reply, there was a sudden sharp and sharp whistle outside, followed by a shout:

"The lights are out, the lights are out, and those who are hanging out outside hurry back to rest, so that there is no good fruit to eat if I catch......"

The people in the room didn't wait for him to speak, they turned out the lights in an instant, and then got into the bed in the dark, pretending to be asleep.

It's obviously not the first time that the operation has been smooth.

Sure enough, not long after these people went to bed, the door tent was rudely opened by a foreigner with a high nose and curly hair, and he shook up and down the room with a flashlight, and was very satisfied to see that everyone was "sleeping".

“good”

Then he put down the door and turned to leave.

I don't know how long it took, the footsteps outside finally disappeared, the density of the dog's barking was much smaller, and even the lights that came in from time to time through the windows outside were nowhere to be seen.

The snoring in the room suddenly disappeared.

It was replaced by a whisper that was kept to a minimum.

"Hey, hey, let's go?"

"It should be gone, I haven't heard any movement for a long time, and the tigers I feed don't call anymore."

"It's definitely gone, the big guy doesn't have to pretend."

"How do you know, I saw you sleeping with your head covered just now, and I lifted the quilt at this moment, so I know, if you are caught by these French veterans, your day's salary will be gone."

"How do I know? To tell you the truth, among us people, my nose is strong, and the old French man is full of fox odor, I can smell it from afar, but now I can't smell it, aren't people just gone? ”

"You just blow it, no matter how powerful you are, your tiger nose is so powerful?"

"Hey, it's not that you deliberately raise the bar, how can this person compare with a dog?"

Seeing that the big guy's voice was getting louder and louder, Cai Da finally stood up, put on his coat and said in a muffled voice: "It's still noisy, and if you make another noise, call the French old man over, and the big guy will follow and deduct the wages together!?" ”

As soon as these words came out, the room immediately fell silent.

Cai Da walked to the door satisfied, and with a bang, opened the drawer, and felt a black thing from inside.

There was no light in the room, so I couldn't tell what it was.

Just by the outline, I only know that it is a cylindrical thing.

"Cha~"

Cai Da struck a match, and only then did everyone learn that it was a bottle of kerosene lamp.

Why use a bottle, not a cup.

It is because this kerosene lamp is made by Cai Da himself, find a small medicine bottle with a lid, hit the medicine bottle cap with an eye about 0.5~0.8cm in diameter, find a thin iron sheet, make a small cylinder with a thin iron sheet, stuff cotton thread inside, and fill the small medicine bottle with kerosene, which is done.

The match came to the cotton thread, and the light of a bean began to sway in the wind.

The light is dim, like fuel economy, and like lack of oil.

The highlights jumped and jumped, and it seemed that Cai Da exhaled the next breath, and the bean lamp couldn't stand it and would go out.

"What else do you see? Hurry down and read the newspaper. ”

Hearing this, Cai Gui on the top bunk immediately purred.

"Isn't this going to come down."

He pulled up a stool and brought the newspaper to him.

It's a pity that after waiting for a long time and not making a sound, Cai Da was anxious again, and hurriedly asked:

"Hey, why don't you read it?"

"Isn't it that the light is too dim, and I can't see the words clearly when I jump and jump." Cai Gui was also unconvinced: "You can do it!" ”

Cai Da shrugged and pinned his head to the side: "Isn't it impossible for me......"

It was rare to see Cai Da deflated, Cai Gui almost laughed, but knowing that the other party had a good face, it would not be good to stimulate it again, so he didn't take the topic.

But the lights were so dim that I had no choice but to bring the newspaper closer.

If the bean shines harder, the newspaper will be burned.

"The newspaper said that it brought us hometown specialties, which were actually pancakes, and brought a lot of them." Frowning, Cai Gui looked at the newspaper and said.

"There's pancakes, hey, it's been a long time since I've eaten pancakes, they smell so good." The light in Cai Da's eyes flashed, and he said happily: "Do you bring green onions, you don't have half of the green onions." ”

Cai Gui browsed up and down, and hesitated: "I didn't say this. ”

Then he thought of something, and hurriedly added: "You don't need to bring this green onion, this France is not nothing, just buy some when the time comes, it's not done, besides, even if you bring green onions back from China, it's dry, what's the point?" ”

"That's right." Although he agreed, Cai Da still had some regrets in his heart: "I eat bread every day, and I am about to eat birds in my mouth. ”

The roommate on the side couldn't stand it: "Okay, okay, it's good if someone can bring it to you, and you want this and that." ”

Hearing this, Cai Da immediately stopped squeaking.

After all, the handmade kerosene lamp industry is still too bad to read the contents of the newspaper far away, and the kerosene lamp is close enough to emit slender black smoke and produce a slight pungent smell.

Feeling uncomfortable in his nose, Cai Gui touched his nostrils and took out some black residue.

But he didn't care, apparently he already knew the reason.

"The newspaper also said that Professor Cheng also wants to run a newspaper for our Chinese workers, and in addition to using vernacular Chinese, he will also provide services for us?"

"What service?" Cai Da couldn't wait.

"It seems to say that he will help us write and read letters on our behalf, and at the same time run a school to teach us literacy, Chinese characters, and foreign characters......" After reading these words, Cai Gui was also a little unsure: "Could it be that Professor Cheng is so good?" Even if it's a fee, it's a lot of trouble, can you be willing to help us mud legs? ”

Cai Da finally found this opportunity, and directly said to each other: "You ask me? Who do I ask? You've always had the newspapers. ”

Cai Gui didn't have the same knowledge as him, so he didn't want to figure it out, so he simply continued to read the newspaper, and the following are Cheng Nuo's words of concern for these Chinese workers, describing Cheng Nuo's plan to come to Europe, saying that he would change the experience of these Chinese workers, improve everyone's life, and help everyone learn literacy and culture.

The Chinese workers were noncommittal about this, after all, when they signed the contract to work in Europe, they were clearly told that they would not hire Chinese in the danger zone, and that the workers had the right to food, winter and summer clothing, housing, fuel and free medical care......

But the truth, hehe.

Let's put it this way, last week, there was a Chinese worker who washed the tracks of the tank, and he was accidentally hit by a car and died, and in the end, it was over.

Not to mention that on the battlefield of the British army, it was their Chinese workers who dug trenches, and these gentry soldiers went to the battlefield to fight......

What about Professor Cheng, let's see.

But later, when Cheng Nuo introduced the situation in his hometown, he narrowed the distance between them infinitely.

In the middle, there are fellow villagers from other dormitories who came to call them to play cards, and no one answered after calling for a long time, three floors inside and three floors outside, tiptoeing and not knowing what the situation is inside, and finally climbing to the top bunk to know that the inside is reading the newspaper.

I was a little disappointed and wanted to walk, and my front feet stepped out of the door, but when my back feet heard about the situation in my hometown, I couldn't help but take my feet back.

When they heard the flood in Zhili, everyone was sorry, and the soft-hearted people couldn't help but cry, as if the tragedy happened in their hometown, and they couldn't wait to go back to their hometown to support on the spot.

When I heard about the Civil War at home, I thought of the European battlefield where I was located, and the sky was full of gunsmoke, and everyone was also embarrassed.

But when they heard that little Japan invaded Shandong and occupied Qingdao, these men couldn't help but curse the streets, eager to snatch the European guns and return to China to drive away the little devils.

After a few paragraphs of Cheng Nuo's words, the mood of these Chinese workers also rose and fell, although the words were simple, but they could bring them back to their hometown that haunted their dreams.

No one had ever said these things to them.

These 140,000 people have been ignored by their compatriots in China for too long, especially in a foreign country, and they are too eager to communicate with China.

"Why don't you read it, isn't there such a big list below?" Cai Da said anxiously.

Cai Da was excited just now, and now he suddenly stopped, which is unacceptable to him.

"Of course I miss it, but it's gone." Cai Gui was a little helpless.

"No, you're absolutely wrong." Cai Da was very anxious, suddenly patted his head and thought of something, and hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd.

Rummaging through the cabinets and picking out a few cotton wicks and squeezing them in again.

Use a thin awl to lift the wick up, remove the spark, and then dip the cotton wick in your hand in kerosene and dial the wick.

After the operation, the kerosene lamp can no longer be described by the word "bean", and the room instantly lights up.

"Take a good look at it."

Although Cai Gui was a little helpless, he saw that Cai Da had "hemorrhage", so he had to read through it again, but he didn't find anything missing in the end: "It's really gone, Professor Cheng said it above, if you want to know anything, you will communicate with us face-to-face when the time comes." ”

Cai Da said happily: "Is this true? ”

Cai Gui said seriously: "Of course it's true. ”

Cai smashed his mouth, and after a while, he said: "Based on Professor Cheng's later words, I believe that he is a sincere person like me, and I believe him!" ”

】

The roommate couldn't bear it anymore, and sneered: "Hurry up and pee and take a look at your virtue, which one can compare with Professor Cheng, it's really a gold sticker on your face!" ”

Cai Daman, who was in a happy mood, didn't care, grinning and just smiling.

However, after Cai Da finally made such a fuss, these Chinese workers also understood that Cheng Nuo was sincerely thinking about them.

It seems to be true that new newspapers and periodicals were set up to provide services for Chinese workers, factories were set up in local areas to house Chinese workers, schools were built to help Chinese workers learn culture, and they were helped to return to their hometowns after the war.

At the end, everyone couldn't help but cheer.

The news spread ten, ten and hundred, and finally everyone knew that there was a big man in the country, and he came to care about them, so that these people who were floating in a foreign land were so excited that the whole base was boiling.

Some played erhu, some used French military hats and helmets as cymbals, and some people used empty cans as drums to play and sang bangzi:

"Kaifeng Nanya Bao Qingtian

If Bao Minggong takes this grievance

will definitely be able to avenge Sima Da

……”

The movement came, and in the end, even the French steward came over, and he couldn't contain it.

Originally, he wanted to fire a warning shot, but in the end, he thought that he would have to watch this group of Chinese workers do things later, and after the conflict intensified, he couldn't bear the consequences, so he had to give up in the end.

Of course, this is the kind of treatment that only Chinese workers in France can have.

If you were in the UK, you wouldn't dare to think about it.

After the Chinese workers recruited by France arrived in Europe, most of them were arranged by the French government to work in the rear military enterprises.

Although as we followed in the footsteps of the United States in declaring war on the Allies, France also began to send Chinese laborers to work near the battlefield.

However, compared to the British, the French were much more humane, and most of the Chinese workers recruited by the French worked in civilian enterprises, and were paid higher wages than the British, and the management was more relaxed.

Even if there is a French War Department behind these civilian enterprises, it is the management model of civilian enterprises after all.

The French side also allowed Chinese workers to go to cafes and taverns for leisure and entertainment on their days off.

There is another difference between the recruitment of Chinese workers in France and the recruitment of Chinese workers in France in the United Kingdom, not only the rest days in the West, but also the traditional Chinese festivals such as the Spring Festival, while the United Kingdom will not.

It is precisely because of the large gap between the treatment of Chinese workers in France and Britain that the British continue to recruit Chinese workers to escape to the camps of Chinese workers in France.

In order to effectively stimulate the potential of Chinese workers, the French side has also developed a detailed outline to let managers understand Chinese customs and cultural life.

It is not uncommon for a French girl to marry a Chinese man in the middle, so the French Ministry of the Interior has issued a document to advise French girls, but with little success.

After the end of World War I, about 3,000 French-recruited Chinese workers eventually stayed in France and started a family, which was unimaginable to Chinese workers in Britain.

The reason why Cheng Nuo attaches great importance to these Chinese workers is that in addition to their "work instead of war" and helping the country, there is also a more important point that these people are more patriotic and willing to pay for the country than most compatriots in China.

Before the May Fourth Movement, our national consciousness was quite weak, and many people did not have a national concept at all.

On the one hand, there are historical reasons, as well as visionary reasons.

Although most of them were peasants from Shandong, they knew little about the outside world before they went to France, and their main purpose in joining the labor corps was to relieve economic pressure or find a better way out.

The toiling people who have lived at the bottom of society for a long time have a very shallow understanding of the country and the nation, let alone patriotism.

However, in a foreign land, they felt for the first time the connection between the honor and disgrace of the country and the individual, and gradually sprouted a sense of responsibility for a strong country, and put this sense of identity and belonging to the country into practice in their own practical activities.

In their daily lives, Chinese workers increasingly linked their words and deeds to national honor and disgrace, and many of them began to pay attention to the merits of French society and hoped to bring advanced technology and culture back to China.

This is also something that Cheng Nuo is quite fond of.

Moreover, after the tempering of the First World War, this group of workers has acquired a lot of military knowledge, which is also incomparable to domestic workers, and cannot be trained by training alone.

Workers, skilled workers, patriotic skilled workers, skilled workers who are patriotic and willing to change the country with him, and such a large number of workers.

He was too lacking, too much to need them.

Looking at these cheering compatriots, Cai Gui sincerely sighed: "If we have the opportunity to come to a foreign country, we should study and study, and when we return to China in the future, we can gradually improve and make our industry develop day by day!" ”