The next day, Ouyang Antong entered the border government for training.

The progress of Wang Ping's reform group was also very smooth, and everything was moving in a very favorable direction.

The Suide Garrison District Headquarters and the logistics minister stood outside the headquarters, frowned, and hesitated for a long time before walking in.

"Commander, I have something to report!"

"Say..." Commander Wang asked.

"Food...the army is almost out of food..." The logistics minister replied with a tough bullet.

"No..." Commander Wang quickly frowned and asked back at the logistics minister.

"A few months ago, Commander Wang led a team to pass by our military district and left behind more than 100,000 kilograms of grain? The grains are fine grains, white flour and rice, and they were eaten up so quickly?"

"Also, if I remember correctly, even if there is no such batch of supplies left by Captain Wang, the food we stocked up in our hands can still last until now. How could it be used up so quickly? Minister Zhang, this is a big issue related to the life and death of the army. You must give me an explanation..."

Minister Zhang immediately replied: "Commander, Commander Wang left us with more than 100,000 kilograms of grain. If we save some food, we will definitely be able to hold on for half a month. However, the last 100,000 kilograms of grain fell into our hands only 80,000 kilograms of grain left!"

"You forgot that two months ago, the left-behind troops in the border area asked us for help because they were short of food and had no choice. You directly drew 50,000 kilograms of grain to give to them!"

"Also, didn't Commander Wang leave a batch of weapons and equipment when he left?"

"At that time, considering that the army's logistics pressure was too great, we did not use these weapons and equipment to expand the troops separately... However, you asked all the main troops of the military region to reach full capacity, and to complete these weapons and the light and heavy weapons sent from Yan'an!"

"But even so, there are still thousands more people in the entire military region!"

"That was the coldest time in the military region. Many people in the base area couldn't get rid of their homes, and they didn't even have cotton coats. When they heard about recruiting soldiers in the military region, they rushed to sign up... After all, after signing up for our Eighth Route Army, the family would get some compensation, and there would be one less person at home to eat and wear clothes to relieve their pressure!"

"We are not easy to refuse, and in addition, many troops are indeed not fully equipped, so they are all taken down."

Commander Wang suddenly reacted: "I understand... the army suddenly had more than a thousand mouths. Even if they were frugal, these people would have to eat 10,000 or 20,000 kilograms of grain a month... Now almost three months have passed, and 40,000 kilograms of grain must be eaten!"

After saying that, Commander Wang became unprecedentedly serious and stared at Minister Zhang and asked back.

“How long can we last for the remaining food.”

"If you save some food, the front-line combat troops can hold on for 20 days... the rear-level training troops can only hold on for 10 days..."

Commander Wang sighed and replied: "I originally planned to use this time to fight the Japanese. Now it seems that the Japanese cannot fight anymore. The urgent problem of delay is to solve the food problem that the troops are short of! "

"Not to mention Yan'an, we are still asking us to borrow food, they must have no food themselves!"

"Chief of Staff, let the intelligence department check, where there is still food now, and it is a large batch of food. If the amount is too small, more than 10,000 of us will not even be enough to plug our teeth!"

The Chief of Staff looked solemn, glanced at the map in front of Commander Wang and replied.

"No need to check... Commander, now there are the most difficult times everywhere, and there is a shortage of food everywhere. In addition, the Japanese and Chongqing blockades us, even if you have money, you can't buy it!"

"Not bad~" Commander Wang answered helplessly.

"Spring plowing is imminent, and this is the most difficult time in the base area every year. The grains in the people's homes are also used almost the same during the winter. In the past, there were few people in the army, and they all ate wild vegetables and coarse grains, and they forced to survive these months!"

"But it's not possible now. We have more than 10,000 people. If we eat all the wild vegetables, it wouldn't be enough to dig up all the wild vegetables in the entire military region!"

Minister Zhang frowned and replied: "Commander, if wild vegetables could solve the problem, I would have asked someone to dig wild vegetables long ago... I don't know what happened this year. This winter is cold and does not rain. There are many places where wild vegetables have no sprouts. Even if we want to dig wild vegetables, we can't dig them!"

"Drought... he really guessed it right!" Commander Wang frowned and replied, his face becoming solemn that he had never been before!

The chief of staff next to him immediately asked, "Commander~ What's the drought, what's right..."

"A few months ago, the Commander Wang passed by our military district and stopped for a day. Do you still remember it?" Commander Wang took a deep breath and replied.

"Remember... he is the benefactor of our military region. Without him, our military region will definitely not have such a good winter!" The Chief of Staff and Minister Zhang answered immediately.

Commander Wang hesitated for a moment and continued, "Just remember!"

"When he left, he said something to me that there will definitely be a drought this year, so let us prepare early. Now it seems that his judgment is correct~"

"Chief of Staff, there is more than a month left before spring plowing. I will contact the county magistrates of each county in the security area to prepare for drought resistance!"

"I'll give orders now!" The Chief of Staff replied anxiously.

The food rations of more than 10,000 troops in the military region are all from the base areas. If the land production in the base areas is reduced due to drought and the grain output is greatly reduced, then more than 10,000 troops in the military region will definitely go hungry in the next year.

As soon as the Chief of Staff left, Commander Wang stared at Minister Zhang and asked: "Three months ago, I asked the troops to reclaim wasteland nearby during the training process. Now it has been reclaimed a lot!"

"It looks like ten thousand acres!" Minister Zhang replied.

"There are many regiment commanders and brigade commanders below to reclaim land and grow grain. Therefore, they are not very motivated. They are just to carry out orders to reclaim land!"

"These people are starting to be sluggish again. Immediately contact all the commanders of the military region, the regiment political commissar, and the brigade political commissar. Come to the headquarters for a meeting in two days!"

"There is still one and a half months before spring plowing. If there is a severe drought this year, the land we reclaimed may be life-saving land."

"We must use the remaining month and a half to reclaim as much land as possible. If there is a real drought, we will make up for the land's production cuts caused by drought and water shortage..."

"I'll give orders now~" Minister Zhang of the Logistics Department answered immediately.

At this time, the Chief of Staff rushed over again: "Commander, the order has been issued. At most two days, all county magistrates will receive the message!"

"Then let's continue to return to the topic and see where we can get food, so that more than 10,000 people can persevere until the autumn harvest!" Commander Wang ordered with a serious face.
Chapter completed!