African Entrepreneurship Records

  Chapter 29 Hard March

In East Africa in March, it is the season of the rainy season. Amidst the rumbling thunder, the torrential rain pours down. The raindrops are dense and impactful. After a while, it becomes a dirty quagmire.

  The dirty rainwater gradually gathers, bypasses the grasslands and high slopes, and thousands of small streams of water flow along the depressions and ravines and collect into the river.

  The Little Rhine is no longer as calm as it used to be, and has become choppy. The turbulent river is mixed with driftwood, weeds, and sand from the upper reaches along the river.

In the paddy fields of the second town (Lufu), the overflowing rainwater poured down the drainage channel into the river continuously. The rice was blown by the rain and the strong wind. , screaming to lift everything visible on the land of East Africa into the sky.

This kind of storm is very common in the rainy season. In the dry season, the whole of Africa is like a pool of stagnant water. There are thousands of miles of uninhabited people on the grassland. Occasionally, explorers and hunters observe hundreds of animals migrating on the vast yellow grassland. The continent of Africa is dead silent.

When it comes to the rainy season, the entire African continent seems to be alive, and the rainwater that has been stored for more than half a year is violently hitting the continent, but the more life is in front of this terrible natural scene, the more vigorous it is, the dry rivers on the entire grassland It becomes twists and turns, intricately intertwined.

  The withered and yellow plants are replaced with new green clothes, wildebeests and antelopes are chasing the most abundant aquatic plants in groups, hippos are having fun in the lake, and crocodiles are wandering around waiting for the opportunity.

  …

  All things are full of vitality.

   But this is not good news for the East African advance mission that is advancing inland.

  The captain of the fourth team, Andre, was sitting on a rock, holding a knife in his hand, scraping the mud stuck on the shoe surface.

  Staff Zhou Wei commanded his men to count the supplies: "Remember to put the food and ammunition on the top of the frame, so that they don't touch the ground and get wet."

   "How to build this rainproof cloth, what to do if rain seeps in, everything must be arranged in strict accordance with the training process! We still have a long way to go, and we must ensure the safety of food and ammunition."

  The sudden torrential rain stopped the march of the advance group, and the team took a temporary rest on a high ground.

"Zhou! Let's not leave today, just rest here for a day. We have been on the road for the past two weeks, and the mental state of the team has dropped a lot. We still need to ease the mood of the team." Andre said to Zhou Wei preached.

Zhou Wei looked around, the rain was a little less, but it was still falling, and he didn't know when it would end, so he nodded and said: "Mr. Andre, you are right, the main reason is that time is so tight that we I chose the most inappropriate time to set off, but I didn't expect the heavy rain here to be so heavy!"

Andre said with a smile: "Seeing this rain reminds me of the days in the European battlefield. At that time, I was a recruit and camping with the army for the first time. In the end, it suddenly rained heavily in the middle of the night. We were In order to march in a hurry, the temporary rest station was in a depression. As a result, the houses built were soaked in puddles. Many troops did not even have a piece of dry clothes. The next day they wore wet clothes and fought against Napoleon's army. "

Zhou Wei listened to the story told by Andre. Napoleon Zhou Wei had seen it in textbooks. He was indeed a hero of the generation. Andre actually participated in the anti-French war back then, but thinking about it, Andre was about the same age. , Andre didn't say how old he was, but Zhou Wei deduced from Andre's appearance that he was at least fifty years old.

   "Mr. Andre, your past is indeed wonderful!"

"Thank you for your compliment, Zhou, I was surprised by your performance. I went to elementary school, and I had never seen Qing people at that time. I only saw the faces of Qing people in the teacher's album. Our teacher said that all Chinese people stay With big braids, men and women have long hair, and they like to smoke opium, always look sluggish." Andre recalled.

"Later I retired and was hired by the Hexingen Company and came to East Africa, and they sent my salary to my family bank account. The first time I saw a Chinese."

Andre went on to say: "When they just got off the ship, they all had braids and were malnourished, but the first rule of the colony is to cut off the braids and keep short hair. After removing the braids, they really look different, especially After changing into the German military uniform, the spirit has improved, and I see that after cleaning, the Chinese are more like black-haired Italians on the Mediterranean coast."

"However, you Chinese soon changed my impression. In the early days of the East African colony, when you were in the first town, your hard work made me realize that Italians are not as good as you, because Italians are too good at enjoying themselves. But At that time, I still thought that the Chinese were inferior to the Germans."

"Until I met you, Zhou, I completely changed my previous thoughts. Your cultural knowledge and rigorous spirit made me realize that the Chinese do not need to be compared. He is as good as us Germans. You know, my past Some comrades-in-arms, including the French I met, the British were very rude."

  Andre went on to express his thoughts: "You Chinese are just like us Prussians, born soldiers and the best farmers in the world."

After listening to Andre's words quietly, Zhou Wei said: "Mr. Andre, I have to correct one point first. I have already obtained a citizenship certificate issued by the Hexingen government, so I am also a German. And I believe that these people in front of me will also be Will be a part of the German Empire, because our principal Ernst said that no matter where you come from, as long as you have a heart for Germany and are willing to fight for it all your life, then you are an authentic German '."

  Andre laughed loudly when he heard Zhou Wei's words: "You are right, Zhou, I am narrow-minded."

  …

  It's getting late.

  In the temporary camp, the members of the advance team who had been on their way for the past few days fell asleep peacefully. Even though it was still raining outside, it did not disturb the sleeping team members at all.

The sentry guards the surroundings on rainy nights to prevent wild animals and other dangers from intruding. Zhou Wei will come out to check the guards from time to time. Everyone can sleep, but Zhou Wei can't. As a person who has received education at the Hexingen Military Academy, The education in the school is always admonishing myself, to do what I do, and to do everything by myself is what a qualified soldier must keep in mind.

  …

   On the third day, the rested advance group set out again. The mud caused by the rain made the march extremely difficult, but they unswervingly marched in the direction of Lake Solon (Lake Tanganyika).

  (end of this chapter)