Chapter 16, Twenty-seven moments in the four years of Chongzhen (16)
The sixteenth moment: Xu Xiake’s visit to Lingao
Late autumn of the fourth year of Chongzhen, Hainan Island, Lingao County, Bopu Port
——Since the "Kun thieves" riding a large iron ship landed here in the first year of Chongzhen, Lingao County, Qiongzhou Prefecture of the Ming Dynasty, this little-known remote county on the land of China, has been transformed in just over three years. Over time, it was reborn and became the forward base headquarters for the "Australians" to conquer the great cause.
Throughout Lingao County, Bairen City built on Bairen Beach is the ruling center of the Traveler Senate; Dongmen City, which is attached to Bairen City, has developed into the most prosperous trade market in the entire Hainan Island; Maziaobao is the central military base; Nanbao Town is the industrial and mining center of the county; as for the original county seat, it has almost become a forgotten place. The Bobu Port, which has been expanded many times, is the window to the outside world for the Lingao Traveler Group.
For the ancients who were accustomed to the slow pace of life in an agricultural society, Lingao, the base camp for travelers, was as busy as a beehive.
Anyone who comes to Lingao for the first time will usually feel the busy, tense and active fast-paced atmosphere as soon as they board the pier of Bobu Port. When they go deep into the industrial, agricultural and residential areas on both sides of the Wenlan River, this feeling will probably become even more profound.
——In the port with a forest of masts, various ships come and go. The small boats specially used to tow ships have iron chimneys erected on them, spitting out thick black smoke. Although there are no oarsmen, they are very powerful. , can easily tow a large ship loaded with cargo.
Relying on a series of long trestles, most ships arriving at Bobu Pier usually do not need to use small boats to transport goods and people in bulk. Cargo can be lifted off the ship by a crane, and people can get on and off the ship directly from the gangway, thus saving a lot of time and manpower - I am afraid that only here in Bopu Port in the whole of East Asia, the turnover rate of ships can be measured in "hours" and "days". ", instead of "weeks" and "months".
Next, every major road after leaving the dock and entering the interior was filled with a steady stream of people and vehicles. The open car pulled by the small locomotive was either piled with goods or crowded with people. Although the relevant departments have already promulgated safety regulations, prohibiting "hanging tickets", and increasing the number of police and National Army soldiers to maintain order at the station, no matter how many orders the management department gives, every time it is time to leave the train, the carriage The outside is still always full of overcrowded people. So much so that people fall off the car every day. Fortunately, the speed of this steam train was not much faster than walking, so the passenger casualty rate was kept at a level that the relevant authorities could barely tolerate.
Every day, countless people come here, and countless people leave here. The coming and going has made this emerging city prosper day by day.
Then, under the warm winter sun in the fourth year of Chongzhen, another group of travelers came to Lingao on a lucky boat. Among them were two elderly scholars wearing half-worn Confucian shirts. They were standing on the deck curiously, staring at Bobu Port, which was getting closer and closer to them - the stone trestle that stretched into the sea as wide as a street, the tall There are cranes, "automatic cars" that pull carriages while smoking and spitting fire on the track... and finally, there is the "big iron ship" that is a majestic spectacle! The majestic giant ship, which the Australians call the "holy ship", when I see it with my own eyes at this time, it really looks like a mountain, which makes people stunned.
Although these two people had seen some exquisite and ingenious "Australian goods" in their hometown in Jiangnan, and heard a lot of anecdotes about "Australian Kun people" on the way to Gao by boat, when this "Kun thieves" When the port under the rule was truly displayed in front of them, these two scholars, who were now considered well-informed, held their breath for a moment - the scene in front of them was completely a strange world beyond their understanding.
——Countless chimneys at random heights are spreading black smoke into the air. With the low sound of metal parts hitting, white steam is spewed out and fills the sky above the pier, like a layer of light clouds and countless dense pipes and tracks. Staggered across the pier, whistles and whistles whistled sharply, one after another. Strange-shaped houses can be seen everywhere here, and the fort on the coast is as towering as a hill.
"...It's really the power of ghosts and gods! Brother Zhong Zhao." The slightly younger middle-aged scholar looked at it for a while and couldn't help but sigh to his companion.
"...Yes, it's just like the kingdom of monsters and monsters recorded in "Journey to the West". It's hard to believe that this is the realm of the Ming Dynasty!" Another tough old Confucian scholar named Brother Zhong Zhao also nodded. He echoed with a heartfelt sigh, "...it's really a bunch of demons dancing around!"
"...Huh, what a thief, a thief, and a man of extraordinary skill! This generation pretends to be a descendant of the Song Dynasty in the Tianshui Dynasty, but his hair is short and he wears short clothes. He transforms barbarians into Xia, despises the gentry, and despises ethics. Such perverse behavior does not know the teachings of saints, even if How can great things be accomplished if the ship is strong and the guns are powerful?" Standing behind them was a young scholar who had boarded the ship from Guangzhou. Although he was dressed in ordinary clothes, he was holding a folding fan to make a point. Like, with eyes full of disdain, "...the thieves learned strange skills overseas, but they forgot the principles of heaven and earth and the great way of saints. They thought they could dominate a corner with iron ships and firearms, and even tempted unruly people with small profits. If you shave your hair and change your clothes, you will really deceive me and no one in the Ming Dynasty! As soon as the heavenly soldiers from the imperial court arrive, they will be able to cleanse themselves of the ugly people and stop these overseas barbarians from looking at China!"
Listening to this madman's ignorant shouting, the two older Confucian scholars could only shake their heads and smile bitterly. Many idle scholars in the late Ming Dynasty had this common problem. On the one hand, they had extreme contempt for the warriors of the dynasty and believed that they were not worthy of receiving a grain of rice. One tael of silver in military pay; on the other hand, they have blind confidence in the military might of the "Celestial Soldiers of the Imperial Court", each shouting louder than the other... and they don't feel any contradiction between the two!
"...Haha, you are such a talkative young man, you are really bragging and don't write a draft! What else are you saying about the heavenly soldiers of the imperial court? I remember that Governor Wang Dezun sent troops to attack the Australians once last year, and they haven't even touched the edge of Lingao County yet. Oh! I was driven all the way back to Guangzhou by the Australians!”
A chubby, short, round-faced businessman was flipping through a half-old "War History Research" magazine that he got from somewhere, and reading the article "Bows and Swords Full of Snow - The History of the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong" for entertainment, and he casually said Said, "...Now the world is in chaos. I heard that the emperor's Beijing city was besieged twice by Liaodong barbarians, and the Central Plains is also full of rogues. , wars are raging everywhere, how can the imperial court have the energy to take care of this small border county thousands of miles away? The Australians will break up the land and seal the territory on Hainan Island! Besides, weren't you originally planning to join the Australian leader? You haven’t even come to introduce yourself yet, and you’re here to belittle others. Do you still want to hang out here?”
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——In fact, since the "Australians" invaded Guangzhou and shocked Lingnan, in the past two years, some scholars have felt that the "Australian gangsters" seem vulgar and uncultured. It should be that there are not many scholars, and now they have joined the Australians. , maybe you can also find a good future. So many people came to submit letters to support him. Many of them were not good scholars or old boys, and they were all people who could not carry the basket with their hands and shoulders.
These scholars originally thought that the Lingao Kun bandits were barbarians from the remote southern border. I have deigned to come here after reading books about sages for many years. Even if I am not like the man in white who worships the prime minister, at least I am like Zhang Yuan and others who rushed to Xixia in the Song Dynasty. They can establish a reputation and seek wealth.
Unexpectedly, although it is true that the Guangzhou Station of Kun Thief has been recruiting refugees, regardless of agriculture, industry and commerce, they must all be treated as immigrants. First, they will be "purified" for a month. Needless to say, they will shave their heads, take a bath, change clothes, and open their buttocks for inspection. If you want When you become a "cadre" here in Australia, you can't rise to the top with just a few volumes of policy papers. Instead, you have to take diploma exams again level by level. The content of the exam is not eight-part essays, but most of them are discussions with saints. Miscellaneous studies that have nothing to do with Taoism. Even if you become a "cadre", you have to start as a petty official... How can you, the scholars who consider themselves the pillars of the country, tolerate this? They were so angry that these disciples of the saint cursed behind their backs from time to time: "...The Australian thieves humiliate the scholars and do not respect the ways of the saints. Sooner or later they will be struck by thunder from heaven!"
The young gentleman on the deck once eagerly wanted to join the bandits and become a noble adviser, but he was met with disappointment in front of the "office" of the Australians in Guangzhou. He was so angry that he suddenly quit " "Australian fans" became "Australian blacks". But then I really couldn’t find any way to become a staff member in Guangzhou, so I had to carry a few proud articles and come to Lingao to try my luck to see if I could meet an Australian Prime Minister who has a keen eye for talents... It's a pity that my mentality has not been adjusted for a while. Now that someone had exposed his background, and saw other tourists constantly criticizing and ridiculing him, his face immediately turned red. Taking advantage of the businessman's unpreparedness, he grabbed the "Research on the History of War" that he was reading with gusto. , resorting to rogue tricks to change the subject.
"...You are such a greedy profit-seeker, so ignorant! The reason why our generation of scholars go to great lengths to go deep into thieves' dens and sacrifice their lives to feed tigers is also to spread the message of our Confucianism to the barbarians! These Australians are vulgar and ignorant, and we really need it. The disciples of our saints are so enlightened! Look, such a beautiful and white paper is printed with such vulgar words, and these fonts with missing pens and strokes are really ridiculous!"
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He held the "War History Research" magazine snatched from the businessman's hands with a few fingers, as if it was the most vulgar thing in the world, with a look of disgust on his face - although this "Australian Magazine" was written in It is bound and printed on fine white paper, with both pictures and text, and is beautifully printed. But because this magazine was a simplified Chinese version and not an "export version" in traditional Chinese, it became a laughing stock in the eyes of this scholar.
"... Look at how crude this bandit's book is. Not only are they written horizontally from left to right, but every word is misleading! The so-called lack of intimacy, unintentional love, and inability to have children. Born, the factory is empty. There is no wheat on the surface, no carriage for transportation, no guidance, no head for the child, and only one wing for flying. There are clouds and no rain, no door for opening and closing, and no man in the village. The saint cannot listen or speak, so he buys a hook knife. There's a human head down there . There is a dagger under the human wheel. If you go into the well, you will get better and better. But the devil is still a devil, a ghost is still a ghost, stealing is still stealing, cheating is still cheating, greed is still greedy, poison is still poison, black is still black, and gambling is still bad. Or bet... The Analects of Confucius says, "Being sent to the left". This Kun thief claims to be a descendant of Zhao and Song Dynasty, but his hair is short and full of typos. As expected, he became a barbarian after staying overseas for a long time!"
After feeling proud and proud of being able to write several ways of writing fennel beans, in order to express his anger, the scholar was about to throw the magazine into the sea, but was stopped by the anxious businessman. He knocked it over with one punch and snatched back the "War History Research" magazine.
"...You damn scoundrel and poor man, if you want to throw away your books, throw away your Four Books and Five Classics: The Romance of the West Chamber, The Golden Ping Mei. Don't throw away my books!"
The businessman murmured, carefully inspected the magazine, and after patting it, he put it away with great care. At the same time, he complained, "...Oh! I don't even understand the principle of respecting writing paper. I don’t know that books can’t be thrown away, but you still dare to say that you are a scholar!”
"...You! You!" The young Confucian scholar was beaten so hard that he fell down on the deck. He was so angry that he was shaking all over, but he was so suffocated that he could no longer speak.
On the other side, I heard that this young scholar said he was so loyal and patriotic, but secretly he had long wanted to surrender to the traitors. He had obviously been rejected by the Kun traitors in Guangzhou, but he still refused to give up and came to join the Gao traitors... However, he acted in such a haphazard manner that the two older scholars sighed repeatedly.
"...Sigh, I didn't expect that the scholarly atmosphere in Lingnan today is so bad." The older-looking scholar said with emotion.
"...Brother Zhongzhao, don't laugh at the Lingnan people. How many scholars from other places in the world are honest and shameless? For example, some of the dandies in Jiangnan Fushe have always had a clean life, but they do dirty things behind their backs. matter , I really don’t know how many people, on weekdays, they only know how to sing the wind and the moon, lean on the red and green, and drink the lamb and wine, but when they hear about the hardships of farming and the suffering of people’s livelihood, they sneer and disdain! How dare you call yourself a gentleman!”
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Another middle-aged scholar shook his head, "...I think I can't join them, so I can only pay attention to the mountains and rivers!"
——This middle-aged scholar in plain clothes was none other than Xu Xiake, a famous enthusiast in the history of the late Ming Dynasty. In the eyes of the world at that time, he was a libertine who failed in many trials and did not do his job properly. However, his reputation in later textbooks was actually higher than that of Xu Xiake. It was much louder than any of the new top picks of his generation.
Over the years, Xu Hongzu, a travel enthusiast, or the famous Xu Xiake, has never taken shelter from the wind, rain, tigers and wolves. He has been accompanied by the wind and clouds, eating wild fruits to satisfy his hunger, quenching his thirst with clear springs, and traveling to famous mountains and rivers all over the country. This can be regarded as fulfilling his wish. This time I traveled across the ocean to Qiongzhou because I had seen a lot of "Australian goods" in Qinghefang, Hangzhou, which made Xu Xiake very curious, so he and his brother Xu Zhongzhao went south across the sea, planning to visit the Lingao Kun people. "Australian Scenery", if you have enough money by then, you can hire a guide to enter Li District to see the scenery of Li Mu Mountain.
After a while, the big fortune ship full of passengers was towed to the berth by an Australian steam boat. As soon as the boat stopped, several petty officials in official uniforms boarded the boat to investigate. Xu Xiake huddled in a corner of the deck holding his luggage and took a peek. He saw that these thieves were indeed as rumored. They all had monk-like hair. He probably thought it was indecent to go bare-headed, so he also wore a hat, which looked like a monk. The rattan helmets looked like upside-down soup pots, and some wore cloth hats, but they also had a long brim sticking out in front of their foreheads, which was really indescribably weird.
The clothes on these thieves and petty officials are not like the broad robes and sleeves of the Ming Dynasty people, but they are all tight, with belts tied around their waists. The clothes are all made of cotton of the same color, without any decorations, let alone embroidery. The pattern is just a row of numbers sewn on their chests - Xu Xiake knows that they are called Arabic numerals, which are similar to "Suzhou Codes". There are two Chinese characters below the Arabic numerals: "Port Affairs".
Seeing Kun Thief's young official boarding the ship, most of the passengers were a little nervous, fearing that they would be harassed and blackmailed - this was a common occurrence in the Ming Dynasty. However, Kun Thief's port clerk seemed to be quite easy to talk to, and he just asked the captain. After checking the passenger list and asking if there were any immigrants on board - everyone shook their heads quickly and said Even the young scholar who was interested in finding a career in Lingao tried his best to deny it, fearing that as soon as he agreed, he would be thrown into the legendary "Jinghua Camp" by the thieves and petty officials, where he would shave his head, take a bath, spread his buttocks and look at the anus, and then I spent more than a month in "jail" to learn the rules... Although if I was successful in becoming a concubine, I would probably have to shave my head. But if you shave your head first but fail to surrender, how can you go back to your hometown?
After the thieves left, the Xu Xiake brothers, who had already packed their luggage, learned to their dismay that they were not allowed to go ashore yet and had to spend several days at the dock for an "isolation period" during which no one was allowed to go ashore. After getting off the ship, the most you can do is stroll on the dock. In addition, you have to report the health of the personnel to the patrolling officers every day. If someone is sick, you must report it to the port staff immediately, and a doctor will be sent to the shore to see you immediately.
"...You can't get off the boat when you reach the end of the land? It's really troublesome...But this Australian is kind-hearted and still cares about medical treatment..."
Xu Xiake's clan brother Xu Zhongzhao muttered this, but the short and fat businessman from before laughed a few times from behind the pages of the book - he had taken out the "War History Research" magazine again and flipped through it: "...this old man Uncle, you don’t know something. They don’t have good intentions, but they are afraid of spreading the epidemic, so they don’t! Anyone is allowed to get off the ship. If anyone on the ship really gets sick, we will all be taken to the "Jinghua Camp" - then it doesn't matter whether you want it or not, you will have to shave your head and take a shower every day, and then eat for several months. It’s gruel. Maybe even the ship and its cargo will be dragged out to sea and burned!”
Xu Xiake was shocked when he heard this. Although he had traveled a lot before, he had never been to the sea very much: "...Is it really so serious?"
"...Of course. Nowadays, there are so many people coming and going in Lingao every day, but the plague rarely spreads. It depends on this system. Although it is a bit unreasonable, it is very useful! I heard that plague has been spreading in the north in recent years. I don't know. Does the imperial court have similar measures..."
The pudgy businessman sighed, and then put on a smile again, "...I am Wang Mingshan, a native of Guangzhou. I wonder what I call you two gentlemen?"
Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao looked at each other and introduced themselves to the Guangzhou businessman. Then Xu Xiake asked tentatively, "...Looking at Brother Wang, it seems that he is very familiar with the Australian people on the high ground. ? I wonder if you can tell us brothers? ”
"...It's easy to talk! It's easy to talk! This little guy from Lingao comes here often, and he must have nothing but good things to say about you two." Wang Mingshan smiled and nodded repeatedly, "...Looking at the two of you, it seems that you have traveled all over the country and have been to many places. Let’s go to this place! I have nothing to do these days, so let’s talk more together...”
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The days of waiting for quarantine on the Bopu Pier are naturally very boring.
In order to pass the time and find out more about the Lingao Kun thief, Xu Xiake has been chatting with Guangzhou businessman Wang Mingshan in the past few days, and the conversation was quite interesting. As the leading "alice friend" in China these days, Xu Xiake Naturally, there are countless wonderful experiences in my belly. There are countless stories about my experience of trekking thousands of miles to visit famous mountains and rivers such as Yandang Mountain, Songshan Mountain, Wutai Mountain, Huashan Mountain, and Hengshan Mountain. During the period, I encountered all kinds of hardships and ups and downs, and witnessed many strange and strange things, which made me never leave in my life. Wang Mingshan from the Lingnan border was amazed and sighed.
Compared with Xu Xiake, although Wang Mingshan did not have that much stuff in his belly, his luggage was stuffed with many beautifully framed and unique Kunren books. There were several issues of the magazine "War History Research" alone, which immediately made Xu Xiake feel like Once you get a treasure, you won’t be able to let it go. In addition to being the most famous travel companion in ancient Chinese history, Xu Xiake is also a famous book lover. Not only does he have a library in his hometown in Jiangyin, but he also likes to collect books he has never seen before. As long as you see a good book, even if you don't bring any money, you have to take off your clothes and exchange them for books.
In the troubled times of the late Ming Dynasty, all literati liked to read military books and talk about military affairs. They read articles in magazines such as "The Shura Field in the Mountains - On the Rebellion of She'an", "A Brief Analysis of the Eight Banners System", and "Huang Taiji's Ascension to the Throne". "The whole story"... and other articles with detailed introductions, sufficient arguments, and easy-to-understand articles, as well as battlefield maps and illustrations in the appendix. Even the officials of the imperial court may not know such detailed information about the chaos in the southwest and the situation in Liaodong!
Xu Xiake and his brother Xu Zhongzhao immediately felt as if an unprecedented door had opened in front of them, and they felt extremely excited. If Wang Mingshan hadn't said that there was a library in Lingao, there were also bookstores selling magazines, borrowing books and buying books. It’s all very convenient, and I’m sure I have some old issues of the “War History Research” magazine. Xu Xiake probably couldn't help but take out pen and paper and copy down some of the articles he was most interested in.
During the quarantine period on the ship, a few Kunren vendors occasionally came over to sell fruits and snacks, drinks and tea, books, newspapers and magazines, as well as the "Lingao County Transportation and Tourism Map" - this map surprised Xu Xiake because Generally speaking, the imperial officials of the past dynasties regarded maps as military secrets and theoretically prohibited private ownership. Otherwise, there would be no story about the "Zhang Songxian Map" in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Although the laws at the end of the Ming Dynasty were relaxed and it was impossible to ban the trading of maps secretly, it was still very rare under the Ming Dynasty to openly sell maps like this.
So, Xu Xiake bought a map of Lingao, several copies of "Lingao Times", and the latest issue of "Research on War History", and commented with other travelers on the above war cases, historical stories, jokes, and palace secrets with gusto - - "Australian" writes all articles in vernacular, with easy-to-understand chapters. The analysis proceeds from the simplest to the more profound. Every point is explained very clearly and quite interestingly. Even people who don't read much seem to have no difficulty.
Only after the quarantine period expires can all passengers disembark. Under Wang Mingshan's guidance, Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao hurriedly went to the customs building to apply for temporary ID cards as soon as they got off the boat. According to Wang Mingshan, these were probably "road guides" and "waist badges" for Kun people. Without this thing, it would be difficult to move forward in Lingao: even if Businessmen who are coming to do business for a short period of time must also apply for a "temporary certificate", otherwise they will not be able to stay in a hotel when they get to the shore. If they encounter the Kun people's petty officials who stop them and interrogate them, if they don't have a certificate on them, they will have to get a "temporary certificate". You have to stay in the prison room for one night and you can only come out after you find a guarantor who is willing to prove it. If we can't find anyone to certify the guarantee, we may have to dig sand at Hegong's construction site for several months.
A group of three people arrived at the registration office of the customs building. The first step was to register and fill out a form, followed by each person taking a physical examination in turn - that is, they took off their clothes and let the health worker take a look to see if they were infected with the plague: Lingao Traveler The current level of health care and administrative resources at our disposal cannot allow everyone who enters the country to undergo comprehensive "purification." Only "naturalized citizens" who have been officially organized to immigrate can enjoy such treatment.
However, even such a shrunken "physical examination" was almost humiliating in Xu Xiake's eyes - even though he had suffered countless hardships during his half-life as a travel companion, including being chased and kidnapped by bandits. Twice, I have even experienced the days of being a savage in the mountains, but I still couldn't help but muttered a few times: "...'Au Song' humiliated the scholars and swept the floor in such a polite way, how could it be anything like the Great Song Dynasty? Legacy? ”
He put on his clothes again, fastened his belt, and handed the physical examination form to a short-haired female sitting behind the wooden counter. He also pressed ten fingerprints on the registration form and a small piece of cardboard, and then processed it some more. After that, Wang Mingshan, Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao got their temporary ID cards and printed them. On a piece of strong and thick cardboard, there are ten fingerprints of each person, with the name, age, height and main facial features written on it, followed by a string of Arabic numerals, and a circular seal stamped on it - Nai Hard. I don’t know how the embossed seals were made with molds.
He hid the "Australian Road Guide" close to his body and exchanged some circulation coupons at another counter - Australian treasure banknotes. Xu Xiake was originally worried whether the Australian treasure banknotes would look like Ming Dynasty treasures when they were released on the market. You can't buy anything with money, but Wang Mingshan assures you that there will be no problem. Recalling that during the quarantine period, when passengers on the ship were buying things from vendors, it seemed that some people were using these circulation coupons to pay their bills, and Xu Xiake felt relieved.
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After leaving the customs building with his ID card and circulation coupons, Wang Mingshan took Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao for a stroll in Bobu Town. Since the "Australians" landed, the once deserted Bopu has turned into a lively port town. The houses and streets are all new and neat. The spacious streets paved with black gravel are filled with the smell of sea water and fishery products. The streets are lined with shops and bustling... In terms of bustling and lively, it is no less than many county towns and even prefectural cities that Xu Xiake has seen. But according to Wang Mingshan, compared with Dongmen City where the "Australian Chief" is stationed, the market in Bopu is still far behind. If the Xu brothers want to see the real "Australian scene", they have to go there. That's good,
So the group planned to go to Dongmen City to find an inn to stay. Following Wang Mingshan's suggestion, taking the train would be the fastest way. But the Xu brothers followed him to the red brick train station and saw that the train was really crowded. Not only was the car full of people, there were also people sitting on the roof and even outside the railings. Everyone died. As soon as the train started, people kept falling off the train, and others were running desperately to climb onto the train on the side of the road. There were still several people fighting on the roof of the train, making it very noisy... Xu Xiake's heart pounded when he saw it, fearing that he would be squeezed out of his luggage. At this time, Wang Mingshan also heard that a small train exploded at the port last month. He was also a little timid, so he turned around and took the Xu brothers to ride a bullock cart.
In Xu Xiake's eyes, although the "Australian" public oxcart looks very different and the fare is slightly more expensive, it is still more reassuring than the train that emits smoke and makes loud noises. However, this is the first time Xu Xiake has seen such a huge ox cart in his many years of traveling around. There are three seats in a row on the ox cart. There are six rows in total, which can seat 18 people, plus the driver and driver. There is room for one person on either side of the driver's seat, and the total passenger capacity is twenty. The luggage is hung outside the car by a suspension, and four bulls act as traction.
Wang Mingshan, Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao happened to fill the last row. While hanging their luggage on their backs, they looked around curiously. They saw a Kun servant at the station shouting orders with a big iron loudspeaker, urging them to buy. Passengers with tickets quickly get on the bus; someone else is using a long pole Flicking through the flip-up train number plate hanging on the truss, the plate shows the arrival location and departure time in sequence; there are also vendors carrying large baskets squeezing to the side of the car, selling all kinds of food... Xu Xiake tried to buy with circulation coupons I got a few candy balls wrapped in paper, and sure enough the vendor took them very happily. I turned around and peeled off the paper on the outside of the candy ball. I saw that the golden candy ball was crystal clear and shining with beautiful luster. It looked like amber. I threw it into my mouth and tasted it. Not only did it taste sweet, but it also had a delicious flavor. The sour taste and light fruity aroma are indeed very delicious.
After most of the seats in the oxcart were filled, the driver cracked his whip and drove the four oxen to pull the cart forward.
Coming out of Bobu Port, the first thing you pass is the green landscape belt along the Wenlan River. The flowing river water is sparkling, and turf has grown on the stone embankment. According to the design of the travelers, this place is for A recreational place for urban residents to enjoy outings and outings, similar to the riverside parks common in later generations. It not only has flowers, plants and trees, but also a small number of pavilions and pavilions, as well as several sports facilities. It looks like a bonsai.
"... I didn't expect that these Australian people still have some elegance. Maybe they really have some legacy of Zhao Song."
Looking at the man-made scenery along the river, Xu Xiake couldn't help but secretly admire in his heart - of course, he has seen countless beautiful scenery in the world, and there are many places that are a hundred times more beautiful than this place. However, the houses along the way are so neatly arranged. , the smoothness of the road and the cleanness of the village streets were something he had never seen before. It's a pity that the river water seems to be quite turbid, and there is a lot of garbage floating on it, which makes people feel a little regretful.
Then, the huge public oxcart drove against the blowing autumn wind among the endless fields. Although it was already late autumn, in Hainan Island, the autumn wind was never cold, but rather refreshing and pleasant. The weather is sunny now, it is a day that is neither hot nor cold, and the weather is good. Farmers are going to the fields, working, doing business, walking or pushing carts to carry loads. There are many pedestrians on the road, most of them look neatly dressed, and a few There are poor people in rags. Looking towards both sides of the road, I saw a yellow-brown path winding between soil slopes and paddy fields covered with shrubs and trees. The second season of rice has just been harvested, and winter wheat, broad beans and various green manure crops have been planted in the rice fields. At a glance, it was a lush and vibrant scene, which made Xu Xiake very emotional.
——In his travel life over the past few decades, although he has seen many famous cities and towns that are densely populated and where chickens and dogs are known to each other, there are more dilapidated villages that are full of dangers and desolate. In those remote places, as long as you are a little away from villages and towns, the grass on both sides of the dirt road grows taller than people. There are wild dogs, foxes and even wolves wandering around in the wilderness everywhere, making terrible barking sounds, often jumping out of the grass to hurt people, leaving behind many legends about fox fairies, wolf demons and white-bone spirits... But compared to those who cannibalize people Bandits that don't spit out bones, these beasts can even be called benevolent.
However, here in Lingao, the spacious road is bathed in bright sunshine, and the surrounding scenery is unobstructed. There are not many grasses and shrubs in sight. Most of the flat places have been reclaimed into fields, and only bamboo and mixed woods are left on the hillside. Some have even planted saplings, many of which are fruit trees. There is absolutely no sense of being withered and dilapidated. Even on both sides of the road, there are many coconut trees planted.
However, what surprised Xu Xiake was that there were still many tall wooden piles standing on the roadside, painted in pitch black. Neatly arranged along the road, connected to each other with black ropes. There are also bottles made of glass fixed to each stake. Because he really couldn't figure out the purpose of these wooden stakes and "black ropes", Xu Xiake had to ask Wang Mingshan, but Wang Mingshan didn't know much about it. He only knew that Australians seemed to be able to use these things to send letters, which was similar to some kind of magical thing. The skillful machine skills... So Xu Xiake had no choice but to suppress the questions in his heart.
Although the black wooden piles on the roadside gave people a bit strange feeling, Xu Xiake still felt very intoxicated by such a peaceful and comfortable pastoral scenery. But then when the ox cart passed through the industrial area, the previous leisurely pastoral song completely disappeared. Disappeared—the faint rhythmic roar and hammering sounds in the wind. The red houses are connected like sawtooths, and red brick chimneys of large and small heights and lows stand everywhere. The thick black and white smoke almost obscures the sky. The stockyards by the river are filled with hill-like piles of ore and coal. Countless sacks, barrels, clay pots and wooden boxes of various sizes are piled into huge piles, covered with reed mats. The tall steam iron crane puffed out white steam and loaded the goods onto the barges on the river, while the water was full of cinders and various garbage... Various pungent and weird smells floated in the air, faintly Yueyue seemed to have the smell of sulfur, which made Xu Xiake and his brothers cough for a while, and they hurriedly covered their noses.
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The bullock cart stopped and went along the way, and people kept getting off and getting on the cart. As time went by, the houses on both sides of the road became increasingly densely populated and there were more shops. After seeing a sign in the distance, Wang Mingshan shouted to the Xu brothers: Dongmen City is here!
When we arrived at the bus interchange station in Dongmen City, almost all the passengers on the bullock cart were empty. Xu Xiake also picked up packages and looked curiously at this strange and prosperous town. I saw many trolleys and rickshaws parked in the open space outside the station. There were also many vendors, clerks and laborers gathered around, which was very lively. As soon as they saw a customer getting off the bullock cart, the people who were squatting and chatting or dozing off became energetic and came up one after another to solicit business: "...Sir, do you want some fruit? Fresh Australian grown pears. It’s so cheap!”, “..."Lingao Times"! Today's "Lingao Times"! There’s a supplement!”, “… I’m staying at a hotel rated as a three-star hotel by the Ministry of Commerce in Lingao. The bedding in the guest rooms is changed every time, and there are no fleas or bugs! If you feel tired, you can get a massage from a little girl – you get a yellow ticket!” "...the cheap inn has a discount, pay one month's room fee in advance and stay for one and a half months!"
In the midst of the commotion, Xu Xiake guarded his parcel very vigilantly and squeezed through the crowd to walk onto the street: as an old donkey traveler who has traveled through most of China, he knew that the car and boat docks in any prefecture and county were usually full of all kinds of bad people. Places frequented: Robbers, pickpockets and swindlers all like to do business in such lively places. When he traveled to famous mountains in various provinces, he had suffered a lot, and he had almost become a good doctor after a long illness.
It was already lunch time, and the three of them were all hungry. Wang Mingshan found a small restaurant to entertain guests, and asked the boss named Gou to serve three bowls of beef rice noodles, and also ordered a few extra " "Australian Cuisine" - the hot rice noodles are served to the table. The slightly yellowed rice noodles are floating in the oily soup, with beef slices, sauerkraut, peanuts, shrimp and other ingredients scattered on top. It's very appetizing at first glance.
And those "Australian dishes" opened Xu Xiake's eyes even more - he had seen a lot of "Australian products" in his hometown in Jiangnan before, but the "Australian vegetables" have not been transplanted yet: the tomato scrambled eggs taste sour and sweet Delicious, appetizing and delicious. There are also green tender pods, which are sweet and tender when fried. There are also flower-like vegetables, some white and some green. The white ones are hard and crispy, and the green ones are rotten and soft. They all taste different.
After eating and drinking, and checking out the money, the three of them went their separate ways - Wang Mingshan went to several merchants with whom he had dealings to collect accounts and place orders for goods, while Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao went to a long-term store based on Wang Mingshan's recommendation. The government-run low-cost hotel "Weimin Hotel" for renting accommodation settled.
This "Weimin Hotel" is not far from Gou's restaurant. It is a three-story building made of red bricks. The appearance is not very beautiful, it is as boxy as a box. There are many windows on the wall, and they are all equipped with glass windows. However, this kind of "luxury" has become aesthetic fatigue for Xu Xiake - large flat glass, which is rare elsewhere, is the most common thing in Lingao and is also one of the "Australian characteristics".
Carrying luggage and walking into the door of "Weimin Hotel", a very complex unpleasant smell hit my face. This is a special smell composed of tobacco, shochu, sweat and tattered clothes - Xu Xiake traveled to various places in the past When staying in low-class hotels, I often smell this strange smell. It is no longer strange. However, the smell of this Weimin Hotel is also mixed with a strong and pungent smell - the smell of disinfectant.
Although the smell was unpleasant, the light in the foyer was bright. I saw a female "gentleman" with short hair in blue sitting behind the counter desk, with thick guest books piled in front of her. The big wooden board behind him was covered with keys. There is a banner notice on the wall next to it: "No one is allowed to move in without an ID card!"
Seeing that all the waiters in the inn were official servants, Xu Xiake couldn't help but feel a little emotional - although the Ming Dynasty also had an inn, it only entertained people from the public family and did not operate for ordinary people. Moreover, it has been abolished by Emperor Chongzhen. As for the Kun people in Australia, there are so many official posts in a small county... Well, needless to say, the Kun people must have a lot of redundant officials and officials, just like those in the Song Dynasty. It's really good. Learn from the bad!
Although there were all kinds of thoughts in their minds, the Xu brothers didn't hesitate much. They just took out their ID cards and went to the counter to check in. The female waiter from Kun registered their ID cards and asked: "...do you live in a common room or a single room?"
"...Is there a single room here?" Xu Xiake's eyes suddenly lit up. Although he had never been afraid of eating and sleeping in the open during his long journeys across mountains and rivers. He lived in a dilapidated temple, slept in a tree hole, and worked with beggars. He had experienced almost all kinds of hardships, but In any case, Xu Xiake was also born in the Jin gentry, and he was pampered and pampered from childhood to adulthood. I brought my clan brother Xu Zhongzhao with me on this trip. If possible, it would be better to stay in a more comfortable place. "...Can you take a look first?"
"...Of course. Sir, the first and second floors of our hotel are full-length bungalows, and the third floor is single rooms. I'll take you up there."
Compared with some of the high-end inns that Xu Xiake had stayed in, the single rooms in Weimin Hotel were very small, with one bed occupying 30% of the floor. The furniture only consisted of a table, a chair and a cabinet in an extremely simple style, and the ceiling was also very low. ——Strictly speaking, the so-called third floor is actually the "second and a half floor." But the advantage is that the windows are bright and it is very clean and tidy. What's more important is that the price is cheap, only twice as expensive as Tongpu.
So Xu Xiake readily asked for two rooms, one for each of his clan brothers, and agreed to rent them for five days first and then renew the lease if necessary.
"...Our hotel does not include meals. If you want to eat, turn left and there is a public canteen in the second alley. It's easy to go to a stall or a small restaurant if you want - there are all there. The toilet is at the end of the corridor, and you can take a shower. There is a bathroom on the first floor. There are also people who do laundry, but you have to pay.”
After collecting the rent and completing the formalities, the lady in blue enthusiastically introduced Xu Xiake one by one, "...hot water is only available from 6 to 8 in the morning and evening. Cold water is available all day long. But it was just replaced today. The stove is being tested, so there happens to be hot water now. If you want to take a bath, you might as well hurry up.”
"...Thank you very much." Xu Xiake nodded and replied, thinking that in this hotel every morning and evening there would be waiters bringing big pots of water to boil for guests. Unexpectedly, I was shocked when I got to the bathroom - the floor and walls were all covered with ceramic tiles, and the toilet outside was also made of porcelain! There are no bathtubs or bathtubs that you are used to in the bathroom. Instead, you take a shower under pipes that spray water. As soon as you open the valve, hot and cold water will come down...
Regarding the principle, Xu Xiake had seen and inspected it at Ziming Tower in Hangzhou. Cold water should have a water pipe leading to a certain reservoir, and as for hot water, a large stove was built and people were constantly sent to light the fire. But what he never expected was that in Lingao, even traffickers and footmen could enjoy such a luxurious and luxurious bathhouse - even though it was only for two hours a day... The luxury of the Australians was really impressive. Unimaginable.
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All in all, Xu Xiake and his brother Xu Zhongzhao took a hot shower after checking in to wash off the hustle and bustle, and then put on a new set of clothes and a pair of clean cloth shoes, while the sun was still high. Let's come out of the hotel together to enjoy the "Australian scenery" in Lingao Market.
——On the way to the "Weimin Hotel", the prosperity along the way had already dazzled the Xu brothers. Right now, I just feel that my own two eyes are completely inadequate: in general, many of the houses here are very tall and beautiful. As far as Xu Xiake knows, in many rundown small counties in the mainland, even a two-story building can arouse the people's talk, but on the streets of Lingao, even five-story buildings are not uncommon.
The main street in Dongmen City is paved with black gravel, which is much wider than the streets in most prefectures and counties in the Ming Dynasty. There is a driveway in the middle, and only carriages, trolleys, rickshaws and livestock are allowed to pass. There are separate stone sidewalks on both sides of the street, and coconut trees are planted on the sidewalks - Australians seem to love coconut trees very much and plant them everywhere on their land. What's puzzling is that there are tall poles along the street with iron mesh and glass on top. I don't know what they are used for. Xu Xiake vaguely thought that these might be lights, but he also thought that no one would be willing to be so extravagant and wasteful.
On the streets of Dongmen City, there are not only loaded carriages and mule carts, but also many "Australian rickshaws" coming and going - there are almost no sedans or sliders in Dongmen City, and they are all running all over the street. This kind of two-wheeled cart for pulling people. To put it simply, it is an armchair covered with cloth, with a wheel on each side. There are two long handles in the front for the driver to pull, and there are two handles on the backrest. There are several stacked bamboo bones and cloth, which seem to be able to hold up a car hood. The cart drivers were wearing blue cloth coats with a string of "Arabic numerals" painted on the back. They just pulled the two-wheeled carts away in the crowded crowd, and the bells on the carts jingled non-stop. . In addition, there were also several spacious two-wheeled carriages driving proudly on the street. The carriages were pulled by Mongolian horses, and the coachmen wearing long cloaks stood behind the carriages and drove. Such a unique appearance made the Xu brothers marvel.
Although the streets of Dongmen City are busy with traffic, the roads are clean. Not to mention garbage, not even a peel can be found. There are none of the beggars and gangsters that are common in bustling markets. There is not even a single figure in the world who is a horse racer and sells solutions. There are only many shops on both sides of the street, displaying a wide variety of products. Almost all shops are two floors or above. Three-story buildings are very common, and there are also a few five- and six-story "high-rise buildings." Those single-story bungalows rarely have street frontage. Different from the Central Plains. Every house is roofed with tiles and has large windows with large pieces of glass. There was a huge flow of people inside and outside the store, and it looked very prosperous at first glance.
The Xu Xiake brothers were walking on the sidewalk like this. Although they wanted to maintain a certain scholarly demeanor, there were so many new things in Dongmen City that they soon couldn't help but start looking around. Every item in those shops Every piece of fresh goods attracted the brothers, who pride themselves on being well-informed, to stop and watch, and their route on the street gradually turned into a "z" shape - every shop on both sides of the street had to be visited. . Even if he was ridiculed as a country bumpkin or a country bumpkin, he still tolerated it shamelessly: Xu Xiake had seen bustling streets like this in Nanjing and Wuchang, but they were never like this. The streets were in good order, the streets were clean, and the houses were "exotic". mood", which left a deep impression on him.
In addition, there are many young women in fancy dresses on the street, in groups, holding various snacks and snacks, eating, playing and laughing as if there is no one around, and some women are even walking alone on the street. Xu Xiake couldn't help but feel secretly surprised in his heart: In the Ming Dynasty, it was rare for a woman from a good family to go shopping, but there was not even a man accompanying her. How unbecoming was this? What if you are teased and kidnapped? Even though the security here is excellent and there is no fear of abduction, what kind of custom is it for a woman to be so wild? This shouldn't be the case even in the Song Dynasty.
Xu Xiake rubbed his chin and thought about it, and he could only speculate that the "Kun people" had been away from the Central Plains for a long time, forgot the ethics, and gradually became infected with barbarian customs. However, these women look so beautifully dressed. Why do they seem to be... more delicate than the girls from my hometown in Jiangnan?
——Since ancient times in China, it has been said that beauties come out of Suzhou and Hangzhou. Firstly, it is because the water and soil here are warm and nourishing. Secondly, it is actually because this place is relatively wealthy. Even women from poor families are often able to beautify themselves, so Jiangnan is The illusion of many beauties...and in Lingao, ruled by time travellers, Due to the crushing productivity of industrialization, the living standards of the people at the bottom have even exceeded that of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River. Lingao itself produces a large number of cosmetics, which sell at low prices locally. Commoner women naturally have the ability to consume all kinds of cosmetics, so they were regarded by the ancients as Extraordinarily beautiful...
So, the Xu brothers walked around like this, watching people and watching, and unknowingly arrived near the main store of Lingao Cooperative-this "government-run department store" for time travellers, not only the largest in scale on this street , the decoration is also the most magnificent. As soon as you walk into the store, you are greeted by an atrium that reaches directly to the roof. The second and third floors are all pavilions. As long as you stand in the middle of the room, the overwhelming aura makes you speechless.
The most surprising thing is the roof, which is actually a dome glass skylight - the entire atrium is made of a frame made of iron bars, with whole glass "tiles" inlaid on it. The bright sunlight shines through the glass tiles, illuminating the three-story building extremely brightly, which is very different from the dark ordinary shops in the Ming Dynasty. In the glass-covered atrium, there are also many potted flowers and plants, which look like an indoor garden.
Looking at this luxurious building full of "Australian style" features, the Xu brothers couldn't help but be stunned for a while, and it took a long time to come back to their senses. Not to mention the products in the store, Xu Xiake originally thought that Nanjing should be the first-class gathering place for rare and exotic goods in the world, but he didn't expect that compared with here, it couldn't even compare to a fraction. All kinds of colorful little jewelry, exquisite pastries and candies, transparent soap with embedded flower petals... There were countless gadgets that he had never seen before, which made him want to buy them all back home as gifts for relatives and friends, and promoted them. The female clerk is also extremely enthusiastic, but In the end, Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao gritted their teeth and did not buy - not because they were short of money, but because they planned to go see the scenery of Limu Mountain next. If they buy too many things now, it will definitely be inconvenient to enter the mountain. , we can only wait until the return trip.
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After such a quick tour, seeing the sun turning west, Xu Xiake quickly grabbed the clan brother who was still not satisfied, took out the tourist map from his sleeve, looked at it, and decided to leave Shangshi Street and walk through the residential alleys to return to the place. Let’s take a rest in the hostel and take a look at Kun. How is the people's livelihood under the rule of the people? - The two of them took the map and went all the way through the alleys. They found that the houses in Dongmen City were also very good. No matter how many deep and remote alleys there were, they were all paved with stone slabs. They were also very clean. Not only were there no garbage Feces, urine, and even water accumulation are rarely seen. Moreover, there must be a toilet at the entrance of every alley, and a public well platform in the middle of the alley. It is very convenient to wash with water. Even the residences for ordinary people are so particular about comfort. It is no wonder that so many people would rather shave their heads and change clothes. Kun.
After walking for less than half a quarter of an hour, Weimin Hotel was already in sight, but it was already dinner time. The Xu brothers were not in a hurry to go back to rest. Instead, they followed the instructions of the female waiter in the hotel and went to the public house next to them. Had dinner in the cafeteria - walked into the cafeteria, only The floor and walls are all covered with ceramic tiles, and the long counter covered with glass is filled with large porcelain plates and a wide variety of ready-made dishes: vegetables, bean curds, vermicelli, pickles, rice, steamed buns, rice noodles... meat dishes Mainly fish, shrimp and shellfish, almost no meat. The diners take their own plates, take as many dishes as they like, and walk to the end of the counter to check out and pay. It doesn't cost much, but they are very full. At the end, they are given a bowl of tofu and seaweed soup with some oil. .
Xu Zhongzhao was old and did not dare to eat too much for dinner, so he only had a bowl of vegetable egg drop porridge and a small steamed bun; Xu Xiake ordered a portion of oily fried rice noodles with shrimps, mussels and tomato sauce, then looked back and found that Most of the people eating in this cafeteria are stubby-dressed people. "Manual workers", such as the rickshaw pullers on the street and the coolies carrying large bags at the docks, but the food they eat is actually no worse than that of their brothers... In the mainland of the Ming Dynasty, even in the so-called fertile Jiangnan water towns, the lower class people I definitely can't afford this kind of food. As for the northern provinces, even the families of the gentry may not be able to eat white rice every day - it can be seen that under the rule of this "Australian", the people's life is indeed quite easy, much better than under the Ming Dynasty.
Thinking of this, Xu Xiake couldn't help but have mixed feelings in his heart... Returning to the room at Weimin Hotel, Xu Zhongzhao took a quick shower and went to sleep alone,
Xu Xiake, as usual, lit a piece of "Australian foreign wax" on the table, then spread out a book, picked up a pen to sharpen ink, and wrote today's notes - in Xu Xiake's decades of travel career , no matter how tired you are every day, you must record the experiences and observations of the day. Sometimes he would travel more than a hundred miles and stay in deserted villages and temples at night, or sleep under old trees. He would also light oil lamps and bonfires, and insist on writing a travel diary.
"...Today when I looked at Lingao Street Market, I saw that the department stores were crowded and the local areas were plentiful. No one was hungry or hungry. Even the peddlers and lackeys, who were busy working day and night, still had rice noodles to eat. Even the leader of Chief Kun, even though he had a plain name Extravagance, in fact, I heard that I am very frugal, unlike my hometown in the south of the Yangtze River, where the dandies are extremely extravagant and the people are rich. It's rare to have a full meal... I recall that in the past, there was a drought in Huaibei, and locusts covered the sky. The price of rice was four taels of silver per stone, and the people regarded the rotten grains as a delicacy, or they ate tree scraps and elm bark. The roads are full of beggars, and there are many people lying on their backs. The south of the Yangtze River is also troublesome, and there are often small groups of bandits lurking in the bushes.
Looking back at Qiongzhou today under the rule of the Kun people, the government is harmonious and everything is prosperous. Although the Kun people vigorously promoted industry and commerce, they were ridiculed by the world for abandoning the original and chasing the inferior. However, the prices of rice, grains and vegetables were all cheap, and the common people did not suffer from hunger and cold. It was already a happy land in troubled times! I am really sad and worried..."
In the increasingly dark twilight, Xu Xiake was stroking his beard under the candlelight, frowning and thinking hard about the words in his diary, but suddenly he felt vaguely that the window was gradually getting brighter. So, he temporarily put aside his writing, raised his head curiously and looked out of the window, and was stunned with surprise: on both sides of the street in front of the hotel, the pillars whose purpose he could not guess at first were now full of pillars. The lights have been lit. The flame of the gas burning dances behind the glass cover. Not only is it much brighter than the flame of lamp oil and candle, even the best "Australian foreign wax" cannot compare with it...
Light after light stretched down the street to the horizon beyond his sight. Looking around, the entire Dongmen City seems to be a sea of light. Under the bright gas light, some women moved to benches and used the light to do needlework. The vendors and waiters soliciting business were shouting loudly. Various food stalls were lined up, which looked warm and comfortable.
"...Ss--I don't think it's actually a street lamp, not just a street... There must be at least a hundred, no, two or three hundred lamps! Australians are so luxurious and can afford so much oil." Wax for lighting? This is as impressive as the Ming Dynasty’s palace!”
As a well-informed traveler, Xu Xiake knew that there were stone lanterns on both sides of the Yongxiang in the Imperial Palace in Beijing, which were lit every night. In addition, in some wealthy mansions he visited, there were occasionally one or two similar stone lanterns, which was already an extremely luxurious thing. Unexpectedly, the Australians in Lingao would be so extravagant and shine the whole town so brightly! How much money will this cost? !
Looking at the brilliant lights that were as bright as the stars, Xu Xiake shook his head, as if to get rid of the unbelievable feeling... Regarding the strange city in front of him, he found that no matter how much he tried to understand, he could not understand it. You will still fall into unexplainable myths. In the end, he had no choice but to close the window, lie down on the bed, and let out a long sigh as the end of the day's magical experiences:
"...a mere group of Australian refugees came across the ocean and settled in a remote county in Qiongzhou for several years. They used Australian methods to farm and develop business, and they were able to build such a prosperous place. I wonder where the motherland of Australia is for those Kun people. What a prosperous and prosperous scene it is! I really want to see it with my own eyes!”
Regrettably, Xu Xiake's above-mentioned beautiful reverie about "Australia" is actually all pure illusion - what Mr. Xu Xiake doesn't know is that at this moment, thousands of miles south of where he is, those "real people" "Around Australians, there are no noisy markets, no bright street lights, and no all kinds of exquisite food. They can only look at the bright Milky Way stars in the sky and listen to the howling winds sweeping through the wilderness. There are only strange-tasting wild vegetables and fruits, roasted kangaroo meat that is really unpalatable, strange-shaped grass and trees, and an endless stream of crocodiles, snakes and poisonous spiders... In addition to the indigenous savages of the Stone Age, there are also a group of people who bring their own food to the neighbors. Polish guys with a talent for committing suicide... Although these poor "true Australians" are indeed from the same place as the five hundred "true Kun" who live in Lingao County, Qiongzhou...