Zhou Changfeng returned to Lingzhi on the 6th. His rib injury had better be operated on within three days. Since the medical conditions here were not good, a middle-aged military doctor with a Chinese character asked him to leave the army and take a rest. Take a ride back directly.
So Zhou Changfeng came to the nearby simple alternate airport, just as a Type 29 service plane was about to transport four seriously injured people directly to Chengdu. After discussing with the pilot, the latter reluctantly agreed to let him board the plane.
The hammocks on the left and right sides of the cabin have been put away. There are four seriously injured people lying on stretchers on both sides, and a medical soldier is taking care of them. Zhou Changfeng is sitting with his back to the cockpit.
The load of the aircraft is greatly reduced at high altitudes, and the impact of one more person is obvious, so this is why the pilot was very reluctant before.
The long voyage was boring. The medics had to constantly take care of four seriously injured people. Zhou Changfeng could only read the newspaper and go to help from time to time.
Through the on-board radio and newspapers, Zhou Changfeng learned that the Battle of Demaji had become famous, and more than a dozen newspapers had issued extra reports. The "extra notices" often heard in later movies and TV dramas actually meant that when major news happened, newspapers would rush to report it first. Newspapers published on a temporary basis.
While landing to refuel the plane, the taciturn pilot suddenly asked: "Sir, you are from the third mixed brigade. Do you know your first battalion commander? He is the one who started the massacre in the Battle of Demaji."
"Uh...I am."
"..."
After a brief moment of surprise and embarrassment, the pilot, who had not spoken much along the way, suddenly seemed to start chatting.
"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. What a coincidence. Sir, are you going to the rear to treat your injuries? That's right. The fight was so fierce, how could you be unscathed?"
"It was indeed intense. My battalion and a team reinforced before the battle suffered a total of 170 casualties and 180 serious injuries. Not counting minor injuries, there were 360 casualties."
The first team suffered nearly 50% casualties, the second team suffered more than 60% casualties, and the third team suffered 30% casualties. The temporarily strengthened team also suffered 30% casualties. It can be said that it was completely disabled after one battle.
The pilot nodded solemnly, smoked for a while, and then said with a smile: "You will become famous when you go back."
Zhou Changfeng, who didn't know why, said doubtfully: "No way? The name was not clearly stated in the newspaper. Who knows?"
"Isn't that easy? You already know the number, it's very easy~"
That night, the service plane finally landed at Chengdu Airport.
Several seriously injured people were quickly picked up, and the pilot said he was hungry and wanted to go to a restaurant to enjoy Bashu delicacies. In the end, Zhou Changfeng was left alone in the wind...
This was originally a civilian airport, so he immediately walked into the terminal building not far away.
Because the pilot suggested that he take a flight directly back to Nanjing. The reason was that after the operation, he would have to rest for a few days. Rather than leaving Chengdu, where he was unfamiliar with, he would be better off returning to his old place to be safe.
This suggestion did make sense, so Zhou Changfeng came.
Then he was shocked by the price of the ticket, and for a time he thought it was a round-trip ticket.
"Uh...three hundred yuan, one way?"
The female conductor at the front desk nodded and said seriously: "Yes sir, this flight stops in Chongqing, Wuhan, Beijing, and Shanghai. If you are going to Beijing, it only costs 260 yuan."
Just? !
My monthly salary is only 200 yuan!
Zhou Changfeng discovered sadly that even though he could beat the British to a pulp on the battlefield, he was still prohibitive by the price of air tickets.
And his income is really not low. He is still aware of current prices. For example, in Nanjing, a brand-name bicycle only costs 80 yuan, a pair of mid-calf leather boots costs just over 10 yuan, and one yuan can buy five kilograms of pork. Or two movie tickets!
Even though the aviation industry is developing rapidly, in the 1930s, traveling by air is still a truly top-notch way. Passengers are either wealthy businessmen, prominent families, or officials.
Although Zhou Changfeng acted very embarrassed, the conductor did not and did not dare to look down upon him. Instead, she asked him if he was traveling for business.
Although in theory this was indeed a business trip, but... the injury was not particularly urgent. He said that he could definitely take the train back. The military doctor told him that it would be three days, which was enough time.
Hearing this, the conductor lady couldn't help but smile, "You are so upright. The plane is rarely full. If there is an empty seat, why not take one more of you?"
In fact, the current atmosphere in Ming Dynasty is relatively friendly to soldiers. Anyway, it is much stronger than it was a few decades ago.
At that time, on the one hand, the Ming army itself failed to live up to its expectations, and the style and discipline of the feudal army obviously could not be complimented. Civil-military relations were not broken in a day, nor can they be repaired in a day.
On the other hand, there has been a culture that values literature over martial arts since ancient times - "good men should not be soldiers" and "enlisting in the army is not what the people want, and those who have the slightest sense of integrity will be looked down upon with disdain."
In the former, with the establishment of the constitutional government and the formalization of all aspects on the right track, the conduct of the Ming army has been significantly improved in the past thirty years. At least now, people have naturally regarded "fellow, I will lend you my head" as a joke. Come on.
The latter, in order to change this outdated trend, the imperial court has made great efforts. For example, the current Emperor Zhichang issued an edict in the early years - the "Chongwu Edict", which was named after the ancient city of Chongwu in Quanzhou. , taking its meaning, calling on the subjects of the world to respect martial arts.
However, there is no point in just shouting slogans. Based on the emperor's edict, various measures that are beneficial to correcting the tendency of emphasizing culture over military affairs have been implemented one after another.
For example, the reform of the military rank system was the most typical measure. The military ranks determined at that time corresponded to relatively high grades, which can be said to be a strong medicine.
The rank of warrant officer is the eighth grade, the second lieutenant is the seventh grade, and the lieutenant is the seventh grade. Just a lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of a county magistrate.
The rank of major is the fifth grade, and that of the lieutenant colonel is the fourth. Every time a colonel is promoted, he directly jumps two ranks. The ranks of major and lieutenant colonel are one level higher than those of prefect and prefect respectively.
In addition to this, there is also a series of encouragement and special preferential treatment. Through a multi-pronged approach, it has been more than thirty years since the culture of the noble and the lowly has been significantly improved.
The Ming army was once very short of talents, and the modern army must have officers with sufficient education. Fortunately, in the second year of Zhichang, the imperial examination system underwent major changes, and the ways to become an official in the traditional way were greatly reduced, so it was quite Some scholars chose to join the army and signed up to go to military academies in various places to continue to display their talents.
"The plane will take off in about two-quarters of an hour. Please hurry up."
"good."
In short, Zhou Changfeng can be regarded as taking advantage of the court's policy and took a luxurious transportation for free that would have cost more than a month's salary.
Since the Jiannan Airlines flight had already taken off in the afternoon and the Yongning Airlines flight had to wait until tomorrow morning, there was only one Lufthansa flight left.
Lufthansa's branch in Daming has just been established and has only a few major city routes, mainly flights with stopovers, and very few direct flights, because the former can cover more passengers.
