Chapter 218: Veterans eager to return home
"Huh?! The governor of High Tower Province has been dismissed!"
"He's not dismissed, is he? Didn't the newspaper say that Chief Henry is in poor health and is recuperating?"
"After all, he is one of the founders of the alliance, so we should give him some respect. Dismissal is not a good thing, but it is more respectable for him to voluntarily resign and rest."
"Oh... I see. But how could such a senior officer be dismissed?"
"It may be because of poor management. Previously, the newspapers mentioned that the progress of the first phase of the alliance's infrastructure construction project. The progress of Gaota Province is only slightly better than that of Wangcha Province, which was established less than two months ago. The governor must be dissatisfied."
“Can you analyze so many things from the newspaper?”
"That's for sure! I was one of the first people to flee from Qinggu to Weixing City. I had already obtained official citizenship. I returned to Qinggu this time because I saw the achievements of the alliance's infrastructure and decided to form a transportation team. My application plan was supported by the Northern Qinggu Provincial Agricultural Bureau and received investment. You see, I am not only a transportation driver now, my fleet already has 16 vehicles, and I have connected more than 200 farms along this route..."
The sound of people talking was transmitted in a car.
This is a modified Iron Ox truck. The cargo bed has been lengthened and covered with a tarpaulin. Several windows have been opened for ventilation, making it look like a troop carrier.
Nearly twenty people were sitting in the car, listening to the driver bragging.
The vehicle was driving on the plains of the Beiqing Valley region, speeding on the hardened road that had been opened up. On both sides were the lush green fields of summer, the wind blew, the early summer sun was not too scorching, and the warmth and fragrance flew in from the window of the canopy, making Cohen Puglia feel almost drunk.
The pain he felt after losing his right arm, right eye and right ear and being forced to retire from the army seemed to be alleviated a lot.
He was from Qinggu, and more than half a year ago, when the alliance was fighting to pacify the Qinggu region, he enlisted in the army.
However, he joined the army a little late and basically missed the Qinggu Campaign. After spending a few weeks in the recruit camp, he was transferred to the regular army. Unlike most of the garrison divisions that entered the Qinggu Army Group, he was sent to the 2nd Infantry Division of the Central Army Group. Afterwards, he followed the troops back to the Central Province, and then went east to fight in the eastern provinces.
The battles in the eastern provinces were easy, but that ease was mainly in the overall sense. When it came to each company and each soldier, it did not mean that there was no danger at all.
At that time, the company that Cohen Puglia was in was ordered to destroy a bunker that was resisting stubbornly.
The effect of heavy artillery bombardment is not very good, and soldiers are still needed to go down and fight.
Cohen Puglia was among the assault team.
His squad's attack was generally successful. Under the suppression of machine guns, they approached the entrance of the bunker and blew it up. After entering again, they eliminated many enemies who blocked their way, and only suffered four casualties.
But at this time, they encountered a homemade bomb made by the enemy. The explosion exploded beside him and he fainted immediately.
His comrades did not abandon him, but rushed him back to the field hospital in the rear.
An amputation saved his life, but he lost the entire part of his right hand from the elbow down; his right eye was permanently blind, and his right ear was blown off.
Having been so seriously injured, there was certainly no way for him to return to the army.
The army promoted him one level and let him retire with the rank of private.
Strictly speaking, Cohen Puglia's military career ended just three months later, leaving him with a disability.
He was depressed and desperate.
He was born into a serf family, but after joining the army, he experienced a life that was once unimaginable.
Although he had to face battles and dangers, he liked his comrades from different places, liked the rough but caring shouts of his squad leader, liked the brotherhood of his comrades fighting side by side, and liked the principles and stories told by the company instructor.
He doesn't want to retire.
But there was no way. Due to his current physical condition, he couldn't stay in the army any longer.
However, the alliance's generous treatment of retired and disabled soldiers gave him hope and ray of hope.
The first was a promotion to the first level of military rank, corporal.
This rank promotion is very important. The retirement pay of a corporal is one level higher; and when he is transferred to a civilian job locally, he can directly obtain the E9 grade.
This is equivalent to a guarantee for the future.
Moreover, he was not discharged normally, but was discharged due to disability, which would allow him to receive an additional generous pension in addition to the ordinary retirement pay when he retired.
Also, he has a third class combat medal.
Speaking of this, it should also be mentioned that the Ministry of Military Affairs has designed three new levels of combat medals, which are below the Medal of Renaissance and the Medal of Extinguishing the Wind.
These medals not only represent honor, but also represent an additional allowance that is valid for life.
Adding all these things together, the pension and retirement benefits, Cohen Puglia can have a large sum of money after retirement, which can be used to improve his life and can be used for a long time; the E9 citizen level means that as long as he follows the arrangements of the Union Military and Political Department's Retirement Security Bureau and does some simple work, he can get a well-off standard of living, which includes food rations, housing subsidies, medical security levels, and education for his children. The E9 level allowance and the combat medal allowance combined can give him a good additional quality of life improvement on top of the basic life...
Cohen Puglia finally decided to return to his hometown with his own money, his citizenship rank and medal allowance.
After completing the formalities, he boarded the train back home.
The railway track, which had just been repaired and opened to traffic not long ago, carried him all the way from Xiongya City back to Beigu City.
Here, he first went to handle his discharge procedures and transfer his identity to Beiqinggu Province. Comrades in the Veterans Affairs Bureau will continue to pay attention to the status of all veterans in the province to ensure that they can get what they deserve.
Then, he went to the provincial civil affairs bureau and inquired about his family's situation. His family was assigned to a place called "Weire Farm" as agricultural workers.
After finding out where Weire Farm was, he followed the staff's instructions and went to the outskirts of the city, where he found a convertible.
This type of covered wagon modified from an iron ox could carry more than 20 people at a time. They followed the newly built road network, connecting Chatan City to countless transportation towns, and from these hub towns to almost all registered farms.
He waited in Chatan City for two days, and when the driver gathered twenty people, he got on the bus; after another two days of journey, he was almost there.
The driver was still bragging and the passengers were still chattering, but he could already see his hometown from afar.
"We've arrived at Weire Farm! I remember there was a veteran in our car who was going here?"
"Yes." He responded.
"Okay, then you are ready to get off the car. With combat achievements like yours, you are the one that Old Bray admires the most. Without you, there would be no such great situation for the alliance today! I hope to see you again in the future!"
"Okay, I hope to see you later."
When they arrived at the farm gate, he got off the car, dragging his luggage with his only remaining left hand.
During this process, enthusiastic passengers lent a hand and helped him get his things down.
After expressing his thanks and saying goodbye to everyone, he entered the farm.
This was his hometown, he was originally from Beiqinggu, at least since his grandfather's generation, he had been working as a hired farmhand at Weire Farm. The plantation owner provided food and drink, but nothing else.
In the past, he didn't think it was a big deal, and even thought the farmer was very kind. At least no one from his grandfather's generation to his parents had starved to death.
But now he doesn't see it that way.
After listening to the many truths and stories told by the instructor, he realized that their family's past life was not right.
If it was a hometown like that, he would have no attachment to it at all.
But the league has changed all that.
So he came back.
He looked at the scene in front of him, which was both familiar and somewhat strange.
Many of the walls that were originally built to defend against deformed monsters and looters have been demolished, leaving only a symbolic gate with the name of "Weihe Farm" hung on it.
Instead, tall wooden watchtowers were built with men on duty.
The purpose of this lookout tower is probably to check the surrounding conditions in advance.
The man on duty on the lookout, of course, saw him.
He seemed to say something, and soon someone came over.
"Brother Cohen? It's really you! You're back!" The visitor approached quickly with a warm smile on his face, but when he saw his hands, eyes and ears after getting closer, his expression changed.
"Hello, Momo. This is left over from the war."
“Brother Cohen, you’ve suffered… Do your uncle and aunt know that you’re back?”
"I wrote them a letter, so they should know, right? But maybe it got lost? Anyway, they've all come back, so we'll know everything soon."
"Then come with me, I'll take you home!" Momo helped him carry a lot of things without saying a word, and then led him to his home.
Along the way, Momo told him a lot about the great changes in his hometown during the months he was away.
Many people left, at least 80% of the people. It is said that there is still a lot of land to be developed in the province, and the original planting industry here in Weire Farm does not need so many people after the large machines are available.
His parents were supposed to be relocated, but they said they wanted to stay and wait for Cohen to come back. According to the policy, they discussed and decided not to relocate.
Now, they no longer live in the collective dormitories of the farm serfs, but have their own small houses.
In the plan to eradicate the jungle, there is a large amount of wood raw materials that have nowhere to be used, and they are all taken to the synthetic starch factory. Of course, there is a lot of leftovers, which can be used to build houses or export wood in wood processing factories.
In fact, this is a more economical way to use wood than to grind it directly into synthetic starch. Now, only the wood that cannot be consumed by processing plants and paper mills and is of relatively poor quality will be thrown into the synthetic starch factory.
His parents built a new wooden house not far from the farm and lived in it with his sister and brother.
Their family has 1,000 mu of farmland, which was an unimaginable amount in the past. Firstly, they couldn't grow that much, and secondly, it was impossible to divide so much land among one family.
But now it's possible.
Agricultural machinery has changed the production model and has become extremely efficient. Plowing the land no longer requires dragging old oxen over and over again. A tractor with a plow and harrow only needs to go through it once. The same is true for sowing seeds. The newly distributed high-yield seeds are said to have a much higher yield than before. When applying pesticides, there is no need to use hand-cranked machines to work hard in the fields. A tractor dragging the pesticide machine only needs to run a few times.
In the future, during harvesting, facilities such as combine harvesters and agricultural stations will be able to solve big problems.
Puglia's parents, together with her thirteen-year-old brother, help out. Although it is a bit hard, it is enough to manage the thousand acres of land.
It's not just their family that is like this; most of the families that stayed behind have similar situations.
Corresponding agricultural machinery has also been distributed to the farms, and everyone is learning and using it.
His underage brothers and sisters were all assigned the E3 grade, which provided them with food rations. His parents were both assigned the E5 grade, able-bodied laborers, who not only had enough food, but also received an allowance that they could save to buy household appliances, or to purchase their own farm machinery or cultivate more land.
The rank of a citizen will be re-determined every six months based on the annual agricultural production. Those who do well and have high production will be promoted quickly. Even if you are an average person or even lazy, as long as you work normally and complete the minimum production quota, your accumulated years of service can also be promoted, but not so quickly, and there is a limit.
Now, everyone's life has improved. Not only do they have the basic rations for their rank, which allow them to eat and wear warm clothes, but they also have extra money to go to nearby hub towns to buy some new things. A new piece of clothing, a fan, a radio, exquisite and sturdy furniture...
These have truly changed the lives of everyone at Weire Farm.
To Priya's ears, the little brother's words were as warm as the fragrant breeze.
He became optimistic and a smile appeared on his face.
Although I can no longer stay in the army, coming back seems to be a good choice.
The pension and retirement money he brought back should be enough for his parents to buy some farm machinery, so they don’t have to queue up and squeeze with others to use it, and they can rent it out to others. Just like what the driver he heard on the road said, if others can run a transportation fleet, he can also run a farm machinery management team.
At that time, I can ask others for help and expand the contracted land to expand production. When the output increases, my parents and younger brothers and sisters will be promoted faster in the future.
Although I have a broken hand, one eye and one ear, and am half disabled, I can do what I can to ease the burden on my family.
E9's rank was considered high on the farm. Although she was half disabled, perhaps Xiao Yuemei would still be willing to marry him.
While walking, I chatted with Momo and imagined the future.
He could already see a small cabin.
That is your home.
His parents were waiting for him.
He couldn't help but pull Momo along and quicken his pace.
"Hey, Brother Cohen, don't be so impatient. Slow down. There are still a lot of things, and your health is also..."
But how could his friends’ persuasion stop him from returning home?
However, when he reached the door of his home, he walked slowly.
He heard his mother's crying coming from the house, mixed with his father's stammering and humble voice, and some scolding sounds.
(End of this chapter)
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