Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

"Ping An, what are your thoughts? Just say it." Zhao Dongliang was now used to his younger brother's whimsical ideas and even somewhat dependent on him.

"This is what I think," Zhao Pingan said in a low voice, "We now have food and guns, we can fight and endure, that's our 'hard' strength."

But in the future, no matter how the world changes, for a nation to truly stand up, military strength alone is not enough.

They also needed to know how to "build." Build guns and cannons, build machines, build everything else needed.

Zhao Baoguo frowned: "Building? That's a huge undertaking, something we roughnecks..."

"So we need to start learning now!" Zhao Ping'an's eyes lit up. "I don't expect to become an engineer immediately, but at least someone needs to understand how electricity is generated."

How do machines work? How is steel forged? Don't we trade to get all sorts of strange and wonderful things in return?

Those batteries, wires, tools, and even the diesel engine I'm planning to build this time—they're all ready-made 'teaching aids'!

He looked at Zhao Dongliang: "Brother, I want to secretly pick a few people from our group. They must be absolutely reliable, preferably young people with no family ties, quick-witted, hardworking, and curious about new things."

Three or five will do. I'll teach them the most basic things—reading and math, then a little more advanced, and then how to read simple blueprints.

How does electricity work? How do you maintain a machine? How do you operate and repair a diesel engine?

Zhao Dongliang's eyes widened in surprise. This idea was too bold, too far-sighted, so far-sighted that it didn't seem like he was thinking about the immediate matter of fighting.

"Ping An, are you... paving the way for the future?" Zhao Dongliang asked slowly.

"Yes!" Zhao Ping'an said without any hesitation, "What we are doing now is trying to survive in the cracks, and also giving... a pledge of allegiance to the other side."

But we also need to have some real skills that no one can take away and that we can use in the future!

These few people are the "seeds." Teaching them now might not be useful right now, but what if...?

We all need a more practical way out.

Even at the very least, having a few more soldiers who can repair machines and have some technical knowledge would be a great thing for our regiment!

Zhao Dongliang fell silent. His younger brother always managed to tie the most distant long-term plans to the most practical immediate interests, making it hard to refuse.

He recalled the changes in the camp, the newfound light in the soldiers' eyes, and then the uncertain fog that lay ahead...

Perhaps, preparing a few sparks of light to illuminate this fog in advance is indeed a way.

"How do you plan to select people? How do you plan to train them? You absolutely cannot let this slip out!" Zhao Dongliang finally nodded, but emphasized safety.

"I'll choose the person; I guarantee they're from impeccable backgrounds, discreet, and trustworthy. The teaching location... that cave in the back mountain, take the innermost small section and clean it up."

To the outside world, we told them it was the regiment's "secret equipment storage and maintenance point," and that I was personally in charge of it.

"We'll send them over two nights every ten days under the guise of 'special security missions' or 'technical equipment maintenance training.'" Zhao Ping'an had clearly thought things through.

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Zhao Dongliang nodded in agreement.

The plan was thus finalized.

A few days later, Zhao Ping'an secretly selected five people from the entire regiment.

One is Dazhu, whose loyalty is beyond doubt. He has made rapid progress these days and has already adapted to his role as the company commander of the third company.

The two were veterans who came from the original guard platoon, whose parents had both died in the war, and who were taciturn but skillful.

The other two are young people who were recently recruited, who have studied in private schools for a few years, are the fastest learners of characters, and are particularly curious about equipment.

The backgrounds have been repeatedly checked to ensure they are clean.

The first "lesson" was held on a moonless night. The five men were secretly led out of the barracks under different pretexts and into the depths of a cave in the back mountains under the cover of darkness. Zhao Ping'an had already prepared the place, creating a small but dry space with wooden planks. A kerosene lamp hung on the wall, a blackened wooden board served as a blackboard, and dry grass and an old military blanket were laid on the ground.

The five men were somewhat nervous and bewildered, wondering what their battalion commander wanted to do by bringing them to this secret place so late at night.

Zhao Ping'an didn't explain much, but pointed to a simple circuit diagram drawn in chalk on the blackboard and a disassembled small flashlight, and began the first lesson: "Tonight, we'll learn something different. No matter what you did before, from today onwards, you'll start to understand where 'force' and 'energy' come from. Remember, this is called 'electricity.' The flashlights we use, the batteries we use, and many machines we might use in the future all rely on it..."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the silent cave.

The five soldiers opened their eyes wide, initially puzzled, but as Zhao Ping'an explained with the most relatable analogies and demonstrated with real objects, curiosity and focus gradually ignited in their eyes.

This is a world completely different from the bayonet fighting, shooting, and digging fortifications they are familiar with; a world made up of wires, switches, batteries, and metal components, seemingly silent yet containing power.

A few days later, the three diesel generator sets and their "simplified" technical documentation were handed over at a more remote dock warehouse near Tianjin.

This time, the "bespectacled man" technician appeared again among the personnel sent by the other side.

When he saw the compact, gleaming iron structure and the thick stack of incredibly detailed pictorial and textual materials, his hands trembled with excitement.

He practically lunged at the machine, stroking its cold, cast-iron exterior as if it were a priceless treasure.

The leader, wearing a cotton hat, even nodded to Zhao Ping'an this time, his hoarse voice carrying a rare warmth:

"Mr. Zhao, this is truly a timely and much-needed act of kindness. We will remember this gesture."

The transaction was completed, and Zhao Ping'an returned with more gold and an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

The numbers in the system have already exceeded my minimum target, and I'm not far from my ideal—a small goal.

A few days later, it was late at night again, in the "classroom" in the cave behind the mountain.

Zhao Ping'an had just finished explaining the most basic principle of a four-stroke diesel engine, using the piston and valve as analogies to bellows and doors. Although it was rough, the five "students" already seemed to understand it but were very interested.

"That's roughly the principle. I'll take it apart and show you the details when we have a chance to see the actual product later."

Zhao Ping'an said, and then, as if by magic, took out a small object wrapped in oilcloth from the corner.

He carefully opened it, and inside was a tiny gasoline generator, only the size of a suitcase, along with an incandescent light bulb with a lampshade and a short piece of wire.

He specially redeemed this from the system; its power is small, but sufficient for the demonstration.

Under the watchful eyes of five people, he skillfully connected the wiring, filled the generator with diesel fuel, and then pulled the starting rope with all his might.

"Put-put-put..." A deep rumble echoed in the cave, breaking the usual silence.

The five soldiers were startled, but were immediately drawn to the working machine.

Zhao Pingan gently pushed the switch on the light bulb.

"Smack."

A soft and steady yellowish-white light burst forth from the glass bubble, illuminating several young and focused faces around it.

The light wasn't intense, but to those accustomed to oil lamps and torches, this steady, bright light, unaffected by wind or any disturbance, was nothing short of a miracle.

The five people, including Zhao Ping'an himself, quietly watched the lamp.

Da Zhu opened his mouth, his throat dry: "Battalion Commander... this... this is an electric light?"

"Yes, this is it." Zhao Ping'an's voice sounded remarkably calm amidst the low hum of the machine.

"The electricity generated by that machine is what will happen in the future. There will be much larger machines, emitting light and power hundreds or thousands of times stronger, capable of driving even larger machines to create everything we need."

His gaze swept over the five faces illuminated by the light:

"What you need to learn is how to understand and how to harness this power."

This is difficult, harder than bayonet fighting, harder than a full-scale charge. But only by making it through this path can we truly leave something different for the future.