The next morning, Ye Xiuyuan was already waiting at the Lin family's entrance.
After having a free breakfast, he took Lin Yan to familiarize herself with the place again.
Along the way, everyone Lin Yan encountered greeted her kindly, whether they knew her or not. They were all busy with different tasks, and seeing their busy yet hopeful demeanor, Lin Yan was deeply touched.
Unlike the simple words in history books, the people here were real. What she saw were historical scenes, and now she was a part of history.
"I really like their spirit," Lin Yan murmured, watching the bustling scene.
"I like it too. They are full of hope for the future, completely unlike the apathy I saw elsewhere. That's why Comrade Lin, I am very glad to have come here."
Ye Xiuyuan said, looking at Lin Yan. Although this place lacked the material conditions of Shanghai, everyone here was striving for the same goal, a conviction that deeply moved him.
He hadn't been involved with this political party at first, but after arriving here, he felt that only he could save this China.
Although he didn't have such great power yet, Ye Xiuyuan believed that one day he could save all of China.
Therefore, Lin Yan didn't need to worry about him not adapting here. Although he came for Lin Yan, love and ideals merged here, and he felt as if he could achieve them together.
"That's good, Comrade Ye. Let's go look at some other places. I seem to have some ideas. Can you help me find some carpenters this afternoon?"
Lin Yan understood from Ye Xiuyuan's demeanor that he genuinely liked this place. Although her letter was the pretext for his arrival, she also believed he would choose to stay.
In a day and a half, Lin Yan had grasped the living conditions here and felt she could do a lot. The people here relied on manual labor. She could create some tools to free up some manpower, which could then be used for other tasks.
In the afternoon, Lin Yan began communicating with Ye Xiuyuan, drawing up blueprints, and then discussing them with the carpenters they found.
Once the carpenters understood her ideas, she started learning about the local produce from the indigenous people. She then cross-referenced this with her memories and began formulating new plans.
From this day on, Lin Yan became very busy. The multitude of tasks she was engaged in made everyone aware of how "talented" Comrade Lin was.
After accompanying her for a few days initially, Ye Xiuyuan returned to his own post to busy himself.
Lin Yan's "deviating from her proper task" made the base's leaders feel both affection and frustration. They wished Lin Yan would continue her previous work of producing weapons and ammunition. However, Lin Yan's busyness was also very important to them.
After all, they had nothing here and lacked everything. Lin Yan was, in a way, doing important work. It was just that this Comrade Lin knew too much, seemingly about every profession.
However, Lin Yan's "deviation from her proper task" only lasted for a month. Afterwards, she joined Ye Xiuyuan's weapons research lab and began establishing their own arsenal with him.
The war continued, though it was not as difficult as in Lin Yan's historical memory. But the resistance was still arduous.
Lin Yan knew that in such circumstances, her contributions were limited, but she still tried her best. With her consent, multiple copies of Lin Yan's medicinal formulas were made and sent to various bases.
And through her efforts, the small arsenal they built began to produce their own weapons.
As the war spread wider, Lin Yan no longer chose to stay in the laboratory. She began training medical personnel, focusing on battlefield first aid.
They did not lack medicinal herbs, as the pharmaceutical factory had been established for a long time and had produced a considerable amount. Furthermore, after Lin Yan's arrival, many new medicines were developed based on the local flora.
What was needed now were medical personnel with first aid knowledge, and Lin Yan was training such individuals.
With these first aid personnel, more lives could be saved on the battlefield.
On the bustling street, pedestrians came and went. In a high-end coffee shop, Zhou Wenjie ordered a cup of coffee and sat by the window, waiting for his appointment.
News about China in the newspapers grew increasingly urgent. Witnessing history firsthand was not a pleasant experience, especially such a humiliating period.
When they first arrived in Hong Kong, their lives were not good, so Zhou Lishi and the others did not understand why they had given up their stable life in Shanghai to come here.
Here, they could barely understand what people were saying. Moreover, because it was a concession of a foreign country, their status was very low.
Although Zhou Wenjie quickly earned some money, their life was still uncomfortable. As their family relied solely on Zhou Wenjie for income, they kept their dissatisfaction to themselves, no matter how much they felt.
It was only when news of the outbreak of war in Shanghai arrived that they understood why Zhou Wenjie had left Shanghai.
They didn't know how Zhou Wenjie knew about the war's outbreak in advance, but the Zhou family was fortunate to have escaped.
They no longer disliked life here. No matter how uncomfortable it was, it was better than being displaced in a war-torn region.
Soon, the coffee shop door was pushed open. The person scanned the coffee shop and, upon seeing Zhou Wenjie sitting by the window, walked directly over.
"Hello, are you Mr. Zhou? My surname is Chen, and I am an editor at Hong Kong Weekly."
"Hello, I am Zhou Wenjie," Zhou Wenjie replied, standing up to shake his hand.
After he sat down, the waiter came to ask what he would like. After he placed his order, the waiter left.
Zhou Wenjie chatted with Mr. Chen about his novels and then handed him his new book.
Zhou Wenjie had thoroughly researched the writing style of the local magazines and then wrote a novel in a similar style. As he already had some renown, he directly contacted an editor.
Zhou Wenjie wanted to sell his book for a higher price, so he haggled with Editor Chen. There was no other way; he needed more money to establish himself after just arriving here.
When the two finally reached an agreement, Editor Chen left with his new book. Zhou Wenjie breathed a sigh of relief. With the income from this book, their family's life would be a little easier.
When faced with hardship, one should look after oneself. Currently, he could only manage his small family.
"Huh? Is that you?" a female voice sounded from behind Zhou Wenjie.
Zhou Wenjie turned around and saw a woman in Western attire standing behind him. The woman looked somewhat familiar, as if she was someone he had traveled with on the same ship.
However, the woman seemed to be treated much better than his family. After all, this was a third-floor patron.
"How have you been lately? Have your younger siblings started school?" she asked familiarly.