Chapter 1515 The World (First Update, Please Subscribe)
The outbreak of the war changed the lives of many people. Before the war, many daimyo women did not need to work after marriage. Most of them stayed at home to take care of their husbands and children. After all, the husband's salary alone could support the whole family.
After the outbreak of the war, as men joined the army and went to the front, many women entered factories, and even in the arsenals that produced weapons, female workers appeared for the first time, and even the image of female workers operating machine tools appeared on propaganda posters.
Of course, the outbreak of war also brought about the emergence of some new institutions. In addition to institutions such as the Imperial Mobilization Committee, those closely related to people's lives include the Price Bureau and the Rationing Committee. The former is responsible for regulating prices to ensure that market prices will not skyrocket due to shortages of materials, while the latter is responsible for distributing rationing points tickets to the citizens of the Empire.
Although the rationing committee is an official agency, in fact the committee members are drawn from other government agencies. It relies heavily on volunteers to distribute the points tickets and explain the system to consumers and businesses. Tens of thousands of volunteers are distributed in local price bureaus and rationing committees to be responsible for issuing invoices.
Most of these volunteers have a common identity - military dependents. For many military dependents, they just want to keep themselves busy, not for the salary. After all, the salary of volunteers is very low, almost the minimum wage level of the empire - only 12 yuan and 120 ration points per month. Although this income is not high, it is relatively leisurely and does not affect their child-rearing.
Unlike six months ago, Liang Huimei now has another identity - the surviving family of an imperial soldier. Although according to the imperial soldier pension regulations, the wives of fallen soldiers can receive a monthly living allowance of 35 yuan, and their children can also receive a monthly living allowance of 10 yuan per person, and their school-age children will receive additional student subsidies. In short, even if their husbands are killed in battle, they will not fall into poverty because of this. The state will bear their lives. In addition to pensions and insurance, the living allowance is enough to make them worry-free. If they are non-commissioned officers or officers, their living allowance can reach 70% of their salary before death.
Don't let the heroes shed blood and tears. This is what Emperor Zhu said many years ago. It is also because of this that the imperial military has been praised for its pensions and care for the martyrs' families over the years.
Of course, it is also because of this that the soldiers of the empire are more courageous and fearless when fighting, because they all know very well that even if they die in battle, the empire will take care of their loved ones, so they will fight and sacrifice without any worries.
Although the empire did its best to provide as much financial and material assistance to the bereaved families of soldiers as possible to ensure that they had a worry-free life, this could not make up for the pain of losing their children or husbands.
In order to ease her inner pain, Liang Huimei took the initiative to apply for a volunteer job. As a bereaved family member, her application was naturally approved. From that day on, she and other volunteers distributed ration tickets to residents. Only when she was busy would she forget many things.
However, there were always eyes staring at her. Liang Huimei had this feeling almost every day and every moment.
Why would anyone be looking at her?
It was her lapel pin that caught people's attention. It was a gold star, red background and golden laurel surrounding a circular badge, which was made by the Imperial Army with real names and issued to the families of fallen soldiers.
"The gold star represents the pride of the family for their loved one's sacrifice, not just the sadness of losing a loved one..."
This is the official statement. The authorities hope that the bereaved families will display their honor in a high-profile manner. The Venus symbolizes the sacrifices their families have made for the country and is also their honor.
Every time she wears it, Liang Huimei thinks of her husband. It seems that when she wears it, her husband is by her side, protecting her as he did in the past.
After leaving the Rationing Committee, Liang Huimei felt this way again.
Someone was watching her.
Some of their looks were sympathetic, some were admiring... Liang Huimei had gotten used to all of this. Ever since the day she received the death notice of her husband's death in battle, she had always received such looks.
After receiving the ration ticket from the ration committee, Ma Rulong followed the woman. He had noticed the woman's gold star lapel pin in the committee office before.
They walked towards the parking lot one after another. When he saw the woman walk to the end of the parking lot and prepare to drive away, Ma Rulong glanced at her license plate, thought for a moment, walked over, knocked on the car window, and showed his ID.
"Hello, ma'am."
"Hello, what can I do for you?"
Liang Huimei looked at the police officer outside the car in confusion. She hadn't started the car yet, so she shouldn't have violated any law.
"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am. I noticed that your license plate is an ordinary one, and your..."
"It's my husband."
The woman's answer made Ma Rulong sigh in his heart.
"I'm very sorry. Please accept my condolences and respect for your husband. He has made sacrifices for the empire, and you should also enjoy the corresponding rights. You can apply for a military license plate from the DMV."
Military license plates are different from ordinary license plates. Not only can these plates be parked in "reserved parking spaces for military personnel and their dependents" - which are very common and most convenient locations in imperial public places and commercial organizations, but they will also be treated with courtesy when encountering police road checks, and some fees for Venus license plates are also waived.
"Excuse me, are you having any problems? How can I help you?"
This is also the reason why Ma Rulong asked. He didn't know why this woman had neither a military license plate nor a Venus license plate.
Those license plates are a kind of privilege granted by the empire to military families, and it is also a right they should enjoy. It is also a manifestation of the empire's concern for soldiers and of course a manifestation of the status of soldiers.
The police officer's question made Liang Huimei's face change slightly, and then she said with a gloomy expression.
"Thank you for your concern. You know, there are so many military dependents now, so it takes time to make and mail the license plates for them. But... maybe sometimes the death notices come faster..."
Looking at the woman's slightly drooping eyes, Ma Rulong's heart was touched and he spoke quickly.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am."
When he said this, he was suppressing a trace of anger deep in his heart. The woman's seemingly calm words must have hidden a lot of grievances.
Why did the death notice come earlier than the license plate? What on earth do those people in the DMV do?
"Thank you for your concern. Actually, this is good... I am the same as everyone else in the car and will not be treated differently."
Whether it is the red star symbolizing active service or the gold star symbolizing the fallen, there are many official and social organizations that support and care for them, as well as various practical courtesies in society. In addition to helping organizations, the most common is shopping discounts, and some restaurants will even give gold star families free meals. Over the years, the empire has long formed a new tradition, where military families proudly display their military family status, and the empire has formed a new social trend through legal protection and official promotion. This trend is the revival of the Chinese martial spirit, and the revival of this spirit is fundamentally the improvement of the status of soldiers.
A nation whose good men do not serve in the military cannot possibly feel the pride of being a soldier or a military family member.
Although the police officer stirred up her inner pain, Liang Huimei still felt warmed by his concern.
"Anyway, thank you for your concern."
Yes, that's why people are watching her, because... everyone wants to help her.
"Madam, this is as it should be. Please allow me to express my respect to you again."
When the car left, Ma Rulong deliberately wrote down the license plate and said with a frown.
"We should call the DMV and ask what's going on. People have died, but the license plates haven't even been sent to the military dependents!"
What's going on?
That evening, while drinking in a pub with his old classmates, Ma Rulong once again mentioned his encounter with the Rationing Committee.
"Can you believe it? A soldier has already been dispatched to the front line, and even the death notice has been received by his family, but the military license plate has not been changed. Now, there is no need to put up a license plate, and you can directly change it to a gold star. What do you think the Vehicle Administration is doing?"
"I really didn't expect something like this to happen. It's simply unbelievable."
It's not just unbelievable, it's ridiculous!
Who would have thought that the license plate would be sent to the military family later than the death notice? As a reporter, Shao Wenwu almost subconsciously realized that this was big news!
Once published, it will surely attract national attention. And he will surely become famous because of this news. Isn't this exactly the opportunity he has been longing for?
"Thank you, old classmate. This is big news. Well, I'll treat you to dinner."
While talking, Shao Wenwu put the money and ration points on the dining table. Ration points are used everywhere. Even if you are eating in a restaurant, you cannot order food if you don't have ration points and only have money.
In restaurants after the implementation of rationing, everyone tends to get used to the AA system. It's not that anyone cares about money, but because everyone knows that if everyone cooperates, the amount will only be enough for themselves.
"Don't be so polite. I asked you to come here because I wanted to tell you about this matter. I want to expose this matter and give them justice."
It's not just about giving those people justice, it's more important to expose this matter. It would be best if we could poke a hole in the sky.
Only by poking a hole in the sky can those people receive the punishment they deserve.
Ma Rulong looked at his old classmate who was about to leave with his briefcase, collected the ration ticket and handed it to him.
"Put it away quickly. You have several children at home, so there are more places that need rationing."
"Okay, I'll invite you again after the news is published."
Shao Wenwu was not polite, after all, they were all old acquaintances.
"I will report to the newspaper right now. This news will definitely be published in the newspaper tomorrow! This time, we must teach those imperial bureaucrats a lesson! Let them know that the people should not be bullied."
The next day, an article titled "Late License Plate" was published on the front page of The Atlantic Morning Post. Although this newspaper was just a local tabloid, the report was soon reprinted by major newspapers. What kind of storm will it stir up?
Even Shao Wenwu himself is not quite sure...
The old group is down, so I created a new book club group: 739209015. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss and deduce the plot together.
(End of this chapter)
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