The further they went into the base area, the stronger the atmosphere of spring plowing became. Although everyone's clothes had many patches, most were relatively neat. And the dark blue military uniforms that often appeared in teams in the fields, working seriously like other common people, appeared very eye-catching.

"Are these soldiers also farming?" Huang Chengxun couldn't help asking.

It was really a bit funny to say this. The "Blue Uniforms" waving hoes and shovels and other farm tools were definitely farming, and looking at the way they worked, they were all experts. Hearing this, no one in the small team laughed; everyone understood Huang Chengxun's meaning. Everyone had read books and heard of such things as military farming [Tuntian], but the problem was that military farming was a matter of the Ming Dynasty at the latest. These people never expected to see it with their own eyes in their lifetime.

"I'm afraid these are not people who fight battles." Qiu Jin couldn't help but respond. The army she saw not long ago was the army in her heart. In these years, it was only right and natural for soldiers to serve for food; if the army farmed personally, it felt very weird to Qiu Jin no matter how she thought about it. The reasonable explanation could only be that this group of people in the fields were not the army, but hired workers of the People's Party.

But the next question came out immediately: the hired workers of the People's Party could actually afford military uniforms. If hired workers could afford clothes, it meant life was not bad. If these clothes were given to hired workers by the People's Party, it meant the People's Party was rich. No matter which angle it was explained from, it formed a paradox with Fengtai County being a heavily hit disaster area.

This question required investigation, but the small team really didn't have the courage to ask the blue uniforms working in the fields, nor were they willing to waste time on this. After walking another dozen li, everyone saw even more wonderful things. Not only were people working in the fields, but they also saw blue uniforms planting tree saplings by the roadside. Having traveled for so long, everyone was tired. Plus, curious about these blue-clad people, everyone simply rested temporarily next to the people planting saplings.

"Brother, may I ask why you are planting trees by the roadside?" Huang Chengxun stepped forward to strike up a conversation.

The soldier planting trees looked at Huang Chengxun with suspicious eyes. "Where are you from? Listening to the accent, you are not locals."

"We are from Anqing, coming here to visit relatives." This was the common excuse discussed by everyone.

"Visiting relatives? Where are your relatives from?" The soldier continued to press.

"Shijiaji, Shouzhou." Huang Chengxun said hurriedly. Shi Dekuan's family was from Shijiaji; this wasn't a lie. But being questioned by a soldier like this, Huang Chengxun felt these people were probably going to extort him.

Seeing Huang Chengxun said nothing flawed, the soldier replied: "The troops have orders for us to plant trees by the roadside. So we plant trees by the roadside. There is no other reason."

"Then how is it okay to plant trees in other people's land?"

"Now everyone has distributed the land; public land and common people's land are divided very clearly. This road and the land on both sides of the road are public land; no matter what, we won't plant into common people's homes."

Hearing these words, all the gentry couldn't help looking at the soldier. At this time, they heard someone shouting nearby: "Stop talking, hurry up and work." The tone was not strict. Hearing this, the soldier continued to bury his head in digging pits and ignored Huang Chengxun and the others.

Huang Chengxun and the others rested for a while and continued on their way. "Has this People's Party already regarded itself as the government?" Huang Chengxun asked Qiu Jin.

Qiu Jin couldn't answer this matter well either. Although the Guangfuhui possessed Chizhou, it was only floating on the surface. Their power couldn't even manage the gentry of Chizhou, let alone penetrate comprehensively into the controlled area along the way like the People's Party. If there was manpower to plant trees, the Guangfuhui would rather let these people guard the city or collect taxes. The People's Party's move of managing the base area comprehensively and deeply made Qiu Jin both envious and puzzled. She could only answer reluctantly: "Chen Ke and the others have been managing Fengtai County for almost a year; it's not strange to have this scale."

Shi Dekuan didn't speak much along the way; at this time he couldn't help interrupting: "To manage to this extent, I'm afraid it's not a year's work. Teacher Qiu, the People's Party has such military strength; why didn't they rise up earlier?"

"I said one year, it is one year. I only met Wen Qing in May the year before last. At that time he was still alone, promoting revolution with us in Shanghai. In just one year he could achieve such a degree; I really dare not believe it without seeing it with my own eyes."

"You say relying on one person, a situation like this can be pulled up in one year?" Huang Chengxun had never seen so many unexpected things. The Revolutionary Party rebellion was just an unexpected event for Huang Chengxun; Anqing City being occupied was surprising enough. But far away from Anqing, there was actually such a large piece of territory that seemed to have completely broken away from the control of the Manchu Qing court, making Huang Chengxun feel even more surprised. Anqing was Huang Chengxun's hometown; the natural familiarity could always dilute the feeling of rulers. But thinking that the land under his feet was the territory of another group of rebels, Huang Chengxun and other gentry felt uncomfortable all over.

"No need to say more. We will know everything when we see Chen Ke." Qiu Jin said.

The next day, these people finally arrived at their destination, Fengtai County.

Approaching Fengtai County, these people thought they saw wrong. Anqing was already a big city, but compared with Anqing, the liveliness of Fengtai County now was not inferior at all. Ships shuttled back and forth on the waterway, and people came and went in the county town. But most were soldiers wearing dark blue military uniforms.

And unlike other places, the army set up checkpoints and inspected quite strictly. It was no longer appropriate for these people to say they were going to Shouzhou. When interrogated, Qiu Jin simply stepped forward. "I am looking for People's Party Chairman Chen Ke, and People's Party's Hua Xiongmao."

Hearing these two names, the soldier at the checkpoint frowned. He asked seriously: "May I ask who you are?"

"I am Hua Xiongmao's aunt." Qiu Jin answered.

Hearing Qiu Jin's statement, the soldier didn't show any sign of reverence. He continued to ask: "May I ask your surname?"

"My name is Qiu Jin." Qiu Jin answered proudly.

Hearing this name, the soldier frowned even tighter. He looked at Qiu Jin carefully, then took out a piece of paper to look. "Is it the Qiu of Autumn?"

"Uh?" Qiu Jin didn't expect the soldier to come up with this. She was stunned for a moment before answering: "Exactly."

"You wait here." After speaking, the soldier whispered something to the comrade beside him, then turned and left. A moment later, he brought a few people over. The leader looked at Qiu Jin for a while, then walked over quickly. "Teacher Qiu Jin, I trust you have been well since we parted."

Qiu Jin looked at this person carefully; he looked slightly familiar. That person introduced himself: "I am Pan Yinian of the Huangpu Study Society. I met Teacher Qiu before. I wonder what business Teacher Qiu has in Fengtai County."

"I came to find Chen Ke." Being recognized saved a lot of trouble. Qiu Jin sneered: "Chen Ke wouldn't be afraid of me coming, setting up a checkpoint specifically to block me, right?"

"That's not likely; Teacher Qiu worries too much." Pan Yinian replied, "It's just that Chairman Chen guessed Teacher Qiu would come, but didn't expect Teacher Qiu to come so late. I will take Teacher Qiu there now."

The entire Fengtai County was now a big military camp. Besides soldiers, those coming and going were still soldiers. In addition, some people in dark blue military uniforms with "Police" written on their chests and backs appeared from time to time. An atmosphere of tension.

At the gate of the military camp, Qiu Jin and her party were interrogated and questioned, then registered on the visitor list before being let in. Chen Ke didn't come to see them quickly. These people waited until noon and were treated to a simple free lunch. Roasted potatoes lacking salt with a duck egg. Qiu Jin asked the soldier delivering food when Chen Ke could see them. The soldier shook his head. "I'm just delivering food; I don't know when Chairman Chen is free." After speaking, the soldier strode away.

Qiu Jin was angered quite a bit by this cold hospitality etiquette, but after all, she was on Chen Ke's territory. She kept looking at the watch on her wrist given by Chen Ke. It wasn't until past three in the afternoon that someone took Qiu Jin and the others to see Chen Ke.

"Wen Qing! Where did you take my students?" As soon as she saw Chen Ke in the conference room, Qiu Jin asked bluntly.

Chen Ke had a harmless smile on his face. "They are all attending school in the schools in our base area."

"This is Chairman Chen, right?" Hearing Chen Ke admit this matter frankly, Huang Chengxun hurriedly came up and bowed. "Is my daughter Huang Yuyue brought to your honored place by Chairman Chen?"

"I'll check." Chen Ke picked up a list and glanced at it. "There is indeed such a person."

Hearing Chen Ke agreed, Huang Chengxun bowed deeply again. "Chairman Chen, I beg you to release my little girl. Your great kindness and virtue, we will never forget."

While inviting everyone to sit down, Chen Ke said: "No need to mention great kindness and virtue. I forcibly brought people to our base area; I don't know how you curse me in your hearts. Such cliché words are meaningless. Mr. Huang, and everyone present. I brought the girls of your families here definitely not for kidnapping and ransom. Everyone should be able to believe this matter."

The gentry nodded hurriedly. With the scale of Chen Ke's base area, if it were kidnapping, the families should have been notified long ago. This agreement was not forced.

Seeing everyone expressed agreement, Chen Ke continued: "Then we spent so much effort to bring so many people to our base area, to let them be teachers. If we get a bunch of pedantic scholars, let alone the number is extremely small, and that bunch of people hold themselves very high, completely not meeting our requirements. Instead, the girls of your families have some cultural foundation and good family education. Moreover, their age is just the time to learn things. We educate them on one hand, and let them teach and educate people on the other. I really can't think of anyone more suitable to be teachers than them."

These words left the gentry momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Chen Ke was praising the high quality of the gentry's daughters comprehensively. And these praises were exactly what the gentry themselves identified with. If not talking about the fact of separation of flesh and blood, just from Chen Ke's perspective, arresting these girls to the base area was indeed an extremely correct choice.

"Mr. Chen, if your People's Party lacks money..." Huang Chengxun still wanted to persuade Chen Ke.

Chen Ke interrupted Huang Chengxun without hesitation. "What do we want money for? Money is dead; people are the root. I can't hire such female teachers even with money."

Seeing Chen Ke's attitude so firm, Huang Chengxun simply began to beg: "Since my little girl was brought to Fengtai County by Mr. Chen, my wife has lost her appetite and is in poor health. Please, Mr. Chen, let my little girl go home to visit..."

Chen Ke replied immediately: "This is not to be feared. We can send someone to pick up your wife, or Mr. Huang can move your whole family to our Fengtai County. This way, the whole family can be reunited without delaying your daughter's progress. Isn't this the best of both worlds?"

"Mr. Chen, are you determined not to release people?"

"If I would release people just like this, why did I bring people to Fengtai County in the first place?"

Chen Ke's firm attitude left these gentry speechless. Before coming to Fengtai County, they had no understanding of Chen Ke. After seeing the strength of the People's Party with their own eyes, these people knew Chen Ke was definitely not that easy to deal with. Huang Chengxun probed: "Mr. Chen, I can always see my little girl first, right?"

"This is no problem. At this time, school should be over. I'll send someone to take everyone there."