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

"Come on, let me show you our 'pharmacy'." Zhao Ping'an didn't keep them in suspense and led the two into the cave.

When you see the entire production line already running, emitting a low hum, and the workers in their "work clothes" recording data,

When Xu Yuanshan and Zhou Liang saw the timeline showing that the fermentation tank had entered the final stage, they were completely stunned.

"It's already...it's already in production?!" Xu Yuanshan's voice trembled.

"Yes, it's the fifth day. We used two sets of equipment; I installed one to test it out first," Zhao Ping'an said calmly.

"The other set of equipment is there, still in its packaging, ready to be transported and installed at any time."

However, I suggest we use the existing system first to train two groups of skilled operators and technicians.

Then we'll move another set of equipment to a safer location for installation. This way, production won't be delayed, and the technology won't be interrupted.

Xu Yuanshan was stunned for a long time before shaking his head with a wry smile: "Comrade Ping An, Comrade Ping An... you always manage to get ahead of everyone else."

I need to report this to my superiors immediately!

The report came quickly: Zhao Ping'an's plan was approved, and technical workers would be trained on-site.

The other set of equipment will not be transferred for the time being. It will be moved after the first batch of products has passed verification and the technical personnel have become proficient.

The Independent 6th Brigade was officially established, with its temporary location here, responsible for regional defense and the protection of penicillin production.

The reorganization ceremony was simple yet solemn.

The officers and soldiers of the three regiments gathered on the parade ground at their garrison, where Xu Yuanshan read out the reorganization order.

From below the stage, Zhou Liang looked at Zhao Ping'an, who was much younger than him and was standing in the center of the stage, and initially felt somewhat unconvinced.

Why should a former officer who defected be promoted to brigade commander and put in charge of three regiments in one step, even if he has made meritorious contributions?

This initial resentment turned into confusion in the first few days. He discovered that Zhao Ping'an's style of leading troops was completely different from what he was familiar with:

The relationship between officers and soldiers was so harmonious that it didn't seem like a superior-subordinate relationship.

Political study was emphasized, but cultural and technical studies were not neglected either.

The food was incredibly good, with meat at every meal and plenty of white flour and rice; the training was rigorous but scientific, resulting in an extremely low chance of injury.

Zhou Liang privately approached Xu Yuanshan and asked, "Political Commissar, isn't Brigade Commander Zhao's unit... a bit too 'extravagant'? How much food is it consuming?"

Xu Yuanshan glanced at him and said calmly, "The food and supplies were all raised by Comrade Ping An through his 'patriotic channels' without spending a single penny of public funds."

Zhou Liang was speechless. After all, the 1,800-plus people in the 32nd Regiment were eating the same food, and he had heard that Zhao Ping'an was planning to change their uniforms recently.

What else could Zhou Liang say?

In the following days, Zhou Liang began to observe carefully. But the more he observed, the more alarmed he became.

He followed Zhao Ping'an to the company to watch training; to the cave to see production; and at night, he would sneak into the "night school" to attend classes.

He saw that Zhao Ping'an could explain complex tactical principles in the simplest terms;

Seeing Zhao Ping'an teaching the soldiers how to repair generators and calibrate instruments step by step;

Seeing Zhao Ping'an in the "night school," he learned everything from basic literacy to fraction calculations, basic geometry, and even some basic physics and chemistry knowledge.

What shocked him even more was that, by chance, he saw a whole box of brand-new books in Zhao Ping'an's room.

I randomly opened a book, and it was "Junior High School Physics (Book 1)". Then I flipped through it again...

It includes textbooks such as "Junior High School Chemistry," "Plane Geometry," and "Chinese History"...

From first to ninth grade, the curriculum covers a complete range of subjects, including Chinese, mathematics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, and moral education, forming a comprehensive system.

The pages were brand new, but the knowledge system and science inside far surpassed any textbook he had ever seen.

Some soldiers told him that Commander Zhao knew everything in these books, and could explain any page clearly.

"This book... was it compiled by Brigade Commander Zhao?" Zhou Liang asked a soldier who was copying formulas.

"No, that's not it. I heard from the brigade commander that it was also obtained by patriotic people overseas."

However, the brigade commander said, "This is the kind of education we want to popularize in the future, so that every child can learn it." The soldier's face lit up.

"If we learn more now, maybe we can become teachers someday!"

Zhou Liang fell silent. He recalled the hardships he faced in his youth when he sought education, and the yearning for knowledge in the eyes of the children in the revolutionary base area.

If... if such teaching materials could really be widely adopted...

He told Xu Yuanshan about his discovery.

At first, Lao Xu didn't pay much attention, but after casually flipping through a few textbooks, his expression gradually changed.

He called over several instructors with a good education to watch together, and the more they watched, the more alarmed they became.

"This...this is a complete national education system!" A teacher-training instructor's voice trembled with excitement.

"From early childhood education to secondary school, knowledge is introduced gradually and systematically, with an emphasis on moral character development..."

It's better than any textbook we can get our hands on right now! No, it's incomparable!

Xu Yuanshan immediately realized the value of this batch of teaching materials.

This is not just a few books; it is a blueprint that can shape the knowledge structure and ideological foundation of a new generation!

Its long-term significance may be no less than that of a steel mill or a pharmaceutical factory!

He acted decisively, obtaining one hundred complete sets of teaching materials from Zhao Ping'an and dispatching a platoon of elite soldiers.

He rushed through the night to deliver it to the rear headquarters, along with a detailed report he had written overnight.

The night after sending the textbooks away, Xu Yuanshan found Zhao Ping'an, who was checking the fermentation progress in the cave.

The cave was dimly lit, and the fermentation tanks emitted a steady, low hum.

Zhao Ping'an was bent over recording data in a notebook, his profile showing exceptional focus under the light.

"Comrade Ping An," Xu Yuanshan said.

Zhao Pingan looked up and saw Xu Yuanshan. He smiled and said, "Political Commissar, still not resting? Have the teaching materials been delivered?"

"They've been seen off." Xu Yuanshan nodded, walked to Zhao Ping'an's side, looked at the complex pipes and instruments, and suddenly asked,

"Ping An, just how many things... we can't even imagine are still going on in your head?"

Zhao Pingan put down his pen and thought about it seriously: "Political Commissar, actually I don't know much either."

But... I always felt that we fought wars to break down an old world. But what happens after that? We have to build a new world.

The new world needs steel, medicine, and also new people with knowledge, culture, and scientific understanding.

"If we do a little more now, we can avoid some detours in the future."

Xu Yuanshan looked intently at the young man before him for a long time, then patted him heavily on the shoulder:

"You're right. We have to take things one step at a time, but we also need to have a long-term vision. Ping An, go for it. If you need anything, the brigade's Party Committee will fully support you."

The two stood side by side in front of the fermentation tank, listening to the rhythmic sound of the machine running.

Meanwhile, in the barracks not far away, Zhou Liang was eagerly flipping through a set of teaching materials that Zhao Ping'an had given him, by the light of an oil lamp.

The pages rustled as they turned, and the lamplight cast his long, focused shadow on the earthen wall.