Chapter 20, Twenty-seven moments in the four years of Chongzhen (Twenty)
The twentieth moment: Lingao's Death Diary
——Advance the time again to the late autumn of the fourth year of Chongzhen, when Xu Xiake, the top donkey traveler in the late Ming Dynasty, visited Lingao.
"...Du, du, du, du, du, du, du--"
Accompanied by seven consecutive sharp and loud whistles, one long and one short, Dongmen City in Lingao County ushered in another bustling dawn.
In the past few years, the working people living in Dongmen City have become accustomed to living and resting according to the sound of the steam whistle every day.
Accompanied by the sound of the whistle, groups of workers wearing blue cloth appeared on the road, crowding the entire Dongmen City like a tide. The breakfast stalls on the roadside were already ready for business, and each one started shouting vigorously, making the early morning market quickly become extremely noisy.
At a tea stall on the roadside, Xu Xiake, who had just had breakfast, was holding a bowl of sweet soy milk in his hand, observing with great interest the various scenes of the street and the various people coming and going: among them were local people. There are indigenous people, as well as foreign traders, rich and poor, all busy in their own way. There are also many "kun people" wearing blue, gray and khaki "couple-breasted jackets" and with monks' short hair. At first glance, there are quite a lot of them. But if you listen carefully, you can tell from their accents that most of them are from Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian - this is probably the so-called "fake Kun" in "Kun Shi Zhi Lu".
The exact number of "Zhenkun" in Lingao has not been verified so far. Some say it is thousands, others say it is hundreds. In short, it should be less than 10,000 people. However, according to Xu Xiake's personal observation, the number of false kuns is at least tens of thousands. Among them were soldiers of the "Fubo Army" wearing brimmed hats, belts around their waists, and daggers; craftsmen wearing rattan helmets and blue cloths with their chests open and sleeves rolled up; and straw hats and trouser legs rolled up. There are farmers and clerks who are neatly and meticulously dressed. There are three, six or nine grades in this Kun's office. The top grade is called "cadre". The main feature is that the coat has four pockets. If it were an ordinary bookcase, there would only be two pockets at the bottom. There are many other tricks that Xu Xiake, an outsider, cannot understand.
No matter how many "True Australians" there are in Lingao, it is absolutely true that they have incredible skills.
Ever since he arrived at Lingao, the "Australian nest", Xu Xiake has been constantly eye-opening. All kinds of incredible new things have come one after another: glass mirrors, steam trains, large iron ships, and vast salt fields on the seaside. Huge and sturdy windmills and dams, neat and clean streets, loud sirens that sound every day, night scenes with street lights as bright as day, and the amazing "Australian movies" in the "Dongmen City Cinema".
——There are very few outsiders who have been to Lingao who have not seen "Australian Movies". This is almost a must-have item for "Lingao Travel".
I remember that when Xu Xiake and his brother went to see a movie for the first time, they thought it was just an "Australian movie" that they had seen on the streets of Hangzhou. Unexpectedly, it was dark inside and only the walls could be seen. A huge white cloth hangs. Just when the two were puzzled, the dark house suddenly lit up, and with a whistle, a train suddenly appeared on the wall, spraying white gas and roaring towards them. They were frightened. Xu Xiake and his brother immediately screamed, rolled down from their seats, and ran away while crawling... Then amidst bursts of laughter, they were shocked to learn that what they saw was just a "shadow play." "That's all. The train is just light and shadow on the curtain. However, this light and shadow is so vivid that no matter whether it is the shadow puppet show or the "Australian film" he has seen, it is completely incomparable to it - this is exactly the same as the real thing!
However, behind all the dazzling and exciting experiences, Xu Xiake also deeply felt the ambition of the "Australians" - although Ming Dynasty government offices still existed in Qiongzhou counties, they had long been turned into decorations. The situation of "Ming Pi Ao Xin". Whether it is the common people or the wealthy gentry, they already only know about Australia's "Senate" and do not know about the imperial court. It was clear that his desire to separatism and rule as king was exposed, so he just had to raise a flag and rebel.
What's more, judging from Xu Xiake's knowledge, Kun people must "purify" everyone who joins the gang, and the core of "purification" is "shaving their hair and making clothes easier" - if you want to eat directly under Kun people , "purification" is a necessary condition. Along the way, whether it is the government office, Baojia, shops or workshops of the Kun thieves... there are all kinds of people inside from top to bottom. They are quite similar to the "coated slaves" who leave money and rat tails among the slaves outside the pass. Department - also need to shave your hair and wear clothes easily. The people after "shaving their hair and changing clothes" were called "naturalized people" by Kun people. This term made Xu Xiake feel uncomfortable: "naturalized"? What is "naturalization"? Do you think that our people are barbarians? ! Who are the overseas barbarians? ! !
However, after all, the Kun people in Qiongzhou are more kind-hearted than the slaves outside the customs. They seem to accept the ordinary people who are not directly working for them, and they are not as cruel as the slaves outside the customs who "keep their hair but not their hair" There are strict orders, so there are certainly many naturalized people on the streets who shave their heads and change clothes, and there are still many people who wear Ming Dynasty clothes, but this is already very scary - it has only been a few years since the "Australians" landed ah!
Moreover, based on what Xu Xiake had seen and heard, he had never heard of any people from the Ming Dynasty willing to leave the seclusion and work as slaves for the Jurchens. Therefore, establishing slaves basically relied on invading the Central Plains and plundering people to supplement the labor force. Even so , the Han people in Liaodong were still fleeing year after year.
But on Lingao's side, there was clearly no coercion, and there was still an endless stream of poor people from other places who took the initiative to seek refuge with the "Australian Chief" every day. The pedestrians on the street, whether they were dressed as Kunmen or wearing Ming dynasty clothes, all looked good. I had never seen that kind of extremely poor people wearing quail clothes and knotted clothes - obviously different from the wealthy gentry, rich merchants and poor people in the south of the Yangtze River. There is a sharp contrast between the extreme luxury and indulgence, and the poor people who have nothing to eat and no clothes to cover their bodies. Here in Lingao, the enjoyment of wealthy households is certainly good, but even the lives of ordinary people are quite comfortable.
Faced with this situation of "people's hearts returning to Kun", Xu Xiake couldn't help sighing: It seems that this Qiongzhou government is no longer owned by the Ming Dynasty!
The strange thing is that, facing this reality, he was actually very calm, and he almost didn't hear the worry, anger and sorrow when the entire territory of Liaodong fell and the troops of the Later Jin Dynasty came to the imperial capital. At the very least, these Australian Kun people claim to be descendants of Chinese Miao people, do not treat the people like slaves, pigs and dogs, and have done many practical things to benefit the people. The people's life under the rule of the Kun people was much better than that under the rule of Jiannu in Liaodong - even better than most areas under the rule of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming court was also unkind to its people. . The officials and gentry only cared about their own glory and wealth, and did not care about the life and death of the people or the loss of the territory. That's why so many people with their families came to Lingao, because they have been tortured by poverty and hunger and have lost their timidity and caution, and are willing to go to any place that can promise them enough food, and Australia in Lingao People have obviously done this!
But to say that Xu Xiake has no grudge against the strong rise of "Australians" is not the case - for example, after visiting the Australian school yesterday, Xu Xiake was very puzzled and criticized it... thought Here, he couldn't help but put down his bowl and chopsticks, and took out from his sleeve a copy of "Kun Shi Zhi Lu" that was somewhat damaged and stained due to too much reading, and turned to the section "Kun Ren's Scholarship" again:
"...Although the Kun people came from Australia, they were remnants of the Song Dynasty family. Although they were in the wilderness, they did not forget their roots, and they also had poems, books, classics and history. However, they had been outside for a long time, and their literary spirit was weak. They were contaminated by foreigners, and their orthodoxy gradually became loose. . Therefore, although the writing is similar to that of the Chinese, the writing style is mostly vulgar, and the same is true for the announcements.
The Kun people settled in Lingao and set up a school. They only accepted the children of poor families. The children were not required to be restrained, but they were also given food and clothing. Therefore, poor families were happy to attend the school. In his studies, he did not teach poetry or classics, but focused on literacy first, and then on to the study of numeracy, which was the foundation of Australian esoteric arts. When the students are a little older, they will be taught various miscellaneous subjects, called physics and chemistry. Zi's book on classics and history is a different genre, just a little dabbling in it. If you complete your studies, you are called graduation.
Kun people do not have imperial examinations, and they do not pay much attention to writing. When students graduate, they are used as fake Kuns to drive them around. Since childhood, they have been educated in Australia. Their words and deeds are the same as those of real Kuns. Compared with ordinary fake Kuns, they are particularly effective. Kun Many of the officials appointed by people are among them. Therefore, most of the scholars who entered it were poor at first, then all the wealthy businessmen and gentry entered the school, and even some scholars gave up their studies and went to Kun..."
Generally speaking, people have two completely opposite views on "Australian" schools: Common people almost respect "Australian chiefs" who understand both agriculture, business and war, and whose skills are useful in every aspect. If the gods naturally hold their knowledge in high esteem, if their children can have the opportunity to go to school, the whole family will definitely be happy. Although most Jin gentlemen also admit that these "Australian knowledge" can indeed be called the study of applying the world and studying things to achieve knowledge, it has nothing to do with the Tao of Confucius and Mencius. Learning such things cannot be scientifically tested, so it is completely useless - -In their view, knowledge that cannot be tested in the imperial examination is useless. Therefore, they either disdained "Australian learning", or they only sent a few low-status concubines and concubines to study with the Australians, mainly to show their sincerity, rather than really expecting them to learn anything.
As for the "Australians" who relied on these "useless knowledge" that could not take the imperial examination, they defeated the officers and soldiers, occupied Lingao, swept Qiongzhou, frightened Guangdong and Guangxi, and might even win the world in the future... They basically didn't think about it have experienced this problem, or are confident that regardless of whether Australia No matter how much people praise miscellaneous studies and deviate from the teachings of saints, when they conquer the world one day, they will definitely have to set things right, treat virtuous officials, accommodate scholars like them, and change the content of the imperial examination to the Four Books and Five Classics. Regarding such delusions, Xu Xiake Basically a pessimistic attitude.
Of course, just as there are alternative groups of people in any system, among the scholars in Hainan Island, there are also those who gave up the Eight-part Writing Style and entered Australian schools, wholeheartedly "joining the Kun". There are even students from other places who come to the university specifically to study "Australian culture". But it seems to be a minority right now. Moreover, even those scholars who "surrender to Kun" mostly hold the idea of "persuading everyone to turn to enlightenment and not just rely on brute force". They see themselves as saviors, but regard Australians as "in need of saving". Treated by stupid barbarians... the result will naturally be an unhappy ending.
As the first "Donkey" in the Ming Dynasty, Xu Xiake was also a very unusual existence among the scholars in the late Ming Dynasty. However, for the "Australians", they did not pay much attention to poetry, calligraphy and etiquette, and tried to use "Australian culture" to convert the barbarians into the Xia. , there is still some resistance in my heart - since ancient times, it is common for dynasties to change. What does not change is that the scholars who read the books of sages share the world with the emperor. However, the education taught by Australians has little to do with the books of sages and sages, but they have managed the territory under their jurisdiction so prosperously. Faced with such a situation of being ignored and ignored, what should the scholars and gentry who read the books of sages and sages do? Where are you?
With such troubled thoughts, Xu Xiake did not continue to wander around Dongmen City today, but went to Yunji Temple in the suburbs to pray for incense and relax.
——Yunji Temple, the headquarters of the "Taoist Council" built by Zhang Yingchen, a well-known local "Australian Taoist" in Lingao with the Taoist name "Stealing Quanzi", is located at the former site of Yongqing Temple, five kilometers west of Lingao County. This is a Taoist temple built in the Song Dynasty. During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, Taoist Zeng Daoning raised funds to rebuild it. During the Hongzhi period, the Taoist temple was destroyed by bandits. During the Zhengde period, the county magistrate Wang Xi raised funds to rebuild it again. When the time traveler came here, almost one hundred and fifty years had passed since the last reconstruction of Yongqingguan. The Taoist temple has long been abandoned, and only the stone foundations of the buildings remain.
Zhang Yingchen chose this place first because the land price here was cheap, not only lower than that of Dongmen City, but also lower than that of Lingao County. Secondly, it is not very far from the county seat, roads have been built, transportation is convenient, and it is relatively far away from the busy city and quiet. The foundations of houses here are well preserved and the cost of building a house is not high. There are still many ancient trees on the foundation, and after renovation, the environment is quite good. However, due to the insufficient funds of the religious department and Zhang Yingchen himself preaching in the north for a long time, only some early projects such as the main hall, office room, Taoist dormitory, abbot's room, and Sutra Pavilion have been completed.
But even so, I stayed away from the hustle and bustle of the city, walked in the quiet courtyard of the Taoist temple, and looked at the busts of Laojun, Zhang Daoling, Ge Hong, Tao Hongjing, Sun Simiao and others on the wall of the main hall (the kind that hang in the corridors in schools) Painting), listening to the Taoist students reciting in unison in the temple still made Xu Xiake feel a lot purer in his heart. Looking back at the shade of the trees outside the Taoist temple, there are many stone tables and chairs scattered here and there for people to rest. Most of the pilgrims who came out of the Taoist temple just now took out tea fruits here and drank tea leisurely and chatted. An old gentleman was playing chess, some were playing cards, or reading newspapers and magazines, and some were playing the melodious erhu.
Looking at this peaceful scene of leisure and comfort, Xu Xiake couldn't help but feel that all the barriers in his heart were gone, and his thoughts were instantly clear - whatever, as long as the Australians can make all the counties in the world so happy, even if they praise miscellaneous studies and transform barbarians into summers, so what? Woolen cloth? Isn't the so-called way of a saint meant for the peace and tranquility of the world and the well-off of the people? If the result of governing the country based on the writings of sages will be chaos in the world and people's livelihood being in dire straits, then there is no need to abandon such knowledge that harms the country and the people!
However, Xu Xiake's sightseeing in the past few days only saw the bright and happy side of Lingao, but he did not know that in order to create such a rich and prosperous social life, he could not avoid all kinds of exploitation. , oppression and devotion.
——The success of any great undertaking cannot be separated from the cruel blood sacrifice of countless deaths and sacrifices...
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In the deep mine, Douluo struggled to swing the pickaxe in his hand, and the pickaxe head hit the rock formation with a muffled sound.
He was completely naked, covered with sweat, except for a hairless towel hanging around his neck. A gas lamp emitted a dazzling light from the side and rear, casting his elongated figure on the coal seam.
Douluo let out a long breath. The air in the mine was foul and smelly, but he had no choice.
How long has he been sent here? He couldn't remember. There was no day or night underground, and he couldn't count how many days had passed.
What he knew was that of the more than 200 people from various tribes who had been sent with him, he and Aluo were the only ones left.
Aluo and he were from the same village and grew up together. Later, during a fight with a neighboring tribe, they were captured and sent to a village on the seaside, where white-skinned hairy men took them onto a boat larger than a hundred rowing boats. He called the big ship the black ship because they were kept in a dark room in the ship. There are many, many people imprisoned together, from various tribes, most of them are tribal warriors like them, and were captured here under various circumstances.
The next day after Douluo boarded the ship, he heard the sound of wind and waves, and felt the bumps of the ship's hull. Douluo knew that the ship was moving, but no one knew where they were being sent.
The time spent in the black boat was very difficult. Many of them were crowded together, with almost no place for people to lie down. They only had some sweet potatoes and a little fresh water every day. Everyone was vomiting, and a bad smell filled the black ship. People died every day. The dead and those who could not answer were quickly carried out. Douluo heard the people next to him saying that they must have been thrown into the sea.
Some people tried to escape, but were quickly caught by those ferocious white-skinned men and were whipped to death.
Aluo cries every day, thinking about his grandmother, and he comforts Aluo every day.
But as more and more people died, the black ship became a little emptier enough for them to lie down.
Suddenly one day, the hairy man opened the hatch and drove them out of the black ship.
When they saw the sun again, everyone involuntarily raised their hands and covered their eyes.
They were driven off the ship and staggered onto land, where a group of strange short-haired men in gray clothes took over. Douluo couldn't understand what they were saying, but he probably knew that they were being sent to a place called "Sanya".
They were placed together in a village and given clothes and food to eat every day. But I couldn't leave the village. Aqiluo and several others from the Teka tribe tried to escape, but were quickly captured. Aqiluo tried to resist, but was struck to death by the short-haired man with strange thunder and lightning.
They lived in the village for more than ten days before being driven down the mine. The fierce-looking supervisor told them with gestures that each person had to dig 30 carts of black stones every day to exchange for 30 bamboo pieces. If there are more than 30, there will be an extra reward - usually some wine or meat. Every 10 bamboo slices can be exchanged for a meal - probably rice and some vegetables such as radish, greens, water spinach or pickles, and occasionally salted fish, which can be eaten until full. But if you don’t have enough bamboo chips, you’ll just go hungry.
This salary may sound good, but digging black rocks is very hard work. Many people become thinner and thinner, contract diseases and die. Mines are a very dangerous place. Landslides happen every day, accidents happen every day, and people die every day.
Du Luo and A Luo have been together, taking care of each other, and finally survived.
He gradually understood the words of some short-haired people, who seemed to say that if Du Luo could work here for three years, he would let him go.
——The words of the man with short hair were difficult to understand. He just guessed that this was what he meant.
Douluo has been using this to encourage Aluo, and they must return to the sun alive.
Du Luo continued to swing the pickaxe, and suddenly he heard a loud noise coming from above the tunnel.
He looked up and saw rocks and sand falling down. People immediately ran towards the upward tunnel.
Du Luo was also running. He heard the loud noise of rocks collapsing, and he also heard A Luo's cry for help.
He turned his head and saw Arlo's leg was hit by a stone and he fell to the ground.
Du Luo quickly turned around and carried A Luo on his shoulders.
Arlo's little body is not heavy at all.
Duluo took a deep breath and took a step towards the top.
At this time, a huge boulder fell down, and Douluo and Aluo were hit below.
——Production safety records of the Tiandu Iron Mine under the Lingao Senate: On September 21, 1631, a tunnel collapse occurred at the G working face of the Second Slave Work Team of the Tiandu Iron Mine, killing 11 people and injuring 20 people...
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Under the scorching sun at the pier, Li Si waved the shovel in his hand vigorously and loaded shovelfuls of ore into the truck next to him.
Li Si has been working on the dock of Bo Pu for several years.
When he wandered from Jiangxi to Guangzhou that year, he was naked except for two broken straw mats. Hungry in a ball under the corner of the ruined temple, he gnawed like crazy on anything he could grind his teeth on, from leaves to grass stems. He felt as if he was only a hair away from death.
At this time, the savior came and a bowl of hot porridge saved his life.
Li Si was bought, although he couldn't figure out for a long time who would buy a person who was about to starve to death.
He was taken to a place where many people like him were dying. He was bathed, his hair cut, and he was told to eat porridge three times a day. When Li Si was really holding a bowl made of coconut shells, which was full of hot vegetable porridge, he squatted in the corner and cried into a ball, his whole body shaking as if he was shaking - when Li Si's mother died, he also I have never cried like this.
Then, he was sent to Lingao County on Hainan Island - Lingao is a magical place filled with all kinds of magical and unheard-of objects. Australian chief ministers are like gods, there is nothing they cannot do.
When he got on the boat, he was full of panic. It was the first time he saw the sea. Li Si would never have guessed that he would be living at the beach looking at the sea every day.
When he first arrived in Lingao, Li Si stayed in the purification camp for a month. There he learned that he had arrived in Hainan and was now in the hands of the Australians.
In the purification camp, Li Si learned to wear Australian-style clothes, wash his face and brush his teeth every day, and also learned to read - he couldn't remember how many times he lay on the straw mat in the dormitory at night, with his eyes wide open and did not dare to fall asleep for fear of waking up. Later, I found myself still huddled in the corner of the ruined temple.
For him, all this really feels like crawling out of hell, and the leader of Australia is the Bodhisattva who is so kind and compassionate that he saves all sentient beings.
Later, Li Si was sent to work as a loader and unloader at Bopu Pier. The chief minister of Australia taught him how to read. He got a C diploma and was given a big nickname: Ang Lee. But he still called himself Li Si, and he had to wait until he became a cadre before using the big name.
He has been working on the dock for many years, and now he has become a squad leader with more than twenty people under his command. But he knew that was not yet a cadre. Cadres are required to wear clothes with four pockets and have to "go up to meetings" every week.
Li Si knew that it was because his education was too low. His boss, the captain of the dock loading and unloading team, Luo Zhongxu, kept asking him to get a professional certificate. But running around on the dock every day, he really didn't have time to attend cram school.
The whistle that acted as a clock sounded twelve times. Li Si wiped the sweat on his head with the towel hanging around his neck, put down the shovel, and called his men to gather - it was already time for lunch, and the food sent from Sanya The iron ore was piled up into several hills. Although a lot was transported in the morning, about two-thirds of it was still there. We had to work hard in the afternoon.
The loaders slowly gathered and walked towards the canteen in twos and threes. Li Si lit a cigarette, took a puff, and walked slowly along the railway track beside the pier. He turned his head and looked at the large and small ships parked in the dock, greeting the stevedores he knew from time to time - he felt a sense of pride, there was no one he didn't know on the dock, and there was no one he didn't know. he. Even the Prime Minister of Australia knows about John Doe.
The sound of a small train rolling over the tracks came from behind. That was the sound that Li Si heard every day. He was probably sending the newly loaded ore to the steel plant, right? Li Si was too lazy to reply, thinking that after getting paid this month, it would be almost enough to pay the down payment for the house, and then he could see if he could find a wife...
The sound of the train got closer and closer, and there was a sudden loud noise. Li Si had no time to react. He only felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, his vision went dark, and he fell forward.
Loading and unloading safety records of Bopu Terminal affiliated to Lingao Senate: On October 2, 1631, a freight locomotive boiler explosion occurred in Area B. Three people died at the explosion site, six were injured, and the total property loss was about...
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In the workshop of Lingao Steel Plant, Zhang Youlu struggled to push the cart. It's still quite hot in Lingao in autumn, and it's even more so in the iron factory workshop. Zhang Youlu's blue work clothes were completely soaked and clinging to his body was uncomfortable.
But he didn't dare to take off his work clothes. As long as the bosses saw someone walking around in the workshop without work clothes, they would immediately ask someone to write down their job number, and then they would deduct half of the day's salary. Incidentally, the squad leader on duty would also deduct this amount. Half a day's wages.
Zhang Youlu is not a native of Lingao. He used to help in a small blacksmith shop in Leizhou. His family of five - Zhang Youlu and his wife, their two children, and Zhang Youlu's mother - can work together for a while. Hungry and half full.
Unfortunately, five years ago, the head craftsman of the blacksmith shop, Chun Shang, contracted the epidemic and fell ill. The blacksmith shop was also closed, and Zhang Youlu and his family were suddenly in dire straits.
It happened that the Australians in Lingao sent people everywhere to recruit people, and I heard people said that life in Lingao was very good. Zhang Youlu was cruel and made the biggest gamble of his life - and it turned out that he was successful in his bet. As soon as Zhang Youlu settled in Lingao, he felt that life here was really good. As long as you are willing to work hard, you can always find work, and as long as there is work, you can eat.
Zhang Youlu's blacksmith skills are very average. Although he can only work as a laborer after entering the steel factory, his future is much better than before in Leizhou - the workers in the steel factory are "heavy manual workers", so they have "labor" subsidy". Although Zhang Youlu received the lowest level of "subsidy", he received much more than ordinary workers. Zhang Youlu still vaguely remembers that when he got his salary in the first month, he felt flustered and pinched the circulation coupon in his hand, always feeling unreliable. Dismiss someone with just a few pieces of paper? Can this piece of paper with a flower printed on it be exchanged for a piece of old snack food?
Later, a coworker taught him, and he realized that there were numbers on the pieces of paper, marking the face value of each piece. He quickly learned to read those numbers called "Arabic numerals", but he could never write them - circulation coupons were very useful. With his first month's salary, he carried dozens of kilograms of rice to his family, and also I pulled a few feet of cloth for my mother and my wife to make clothes for the children. On the day when the whole family gathered around the table for dinner, my mother couldn't help crying, saying that she hadn't had such a solid meal in decades. He also said that it was a pity that Ada and Xiunizi did not have such a life.
Ada and Xiunizi are Zhang Youlu's eldest son and third daughter. They were both taken away by the plague god during the Spring Plague five years ago.
However, the second and fourth pupils are very lucky. They are both studying in the National School in Fangcaodi and have free lunch every day.
Zhang Youlu pushed the heavy ore cart to the side of the material pile, unloaded the ore, and pushed the empty cart back. Co-workers walked past him and called him to join them for lunch. Only then did he realize that the time had passed twelve bells - because the "Australians" used whistles as clocks, so after getting used to it for a period of time, the local people and naturalized residents all used the term "several bells". time.
In the cafeteria, he picked up two bowls of rice. He felt a little weak in his stomach, but he still refused to eat his portion - the food in the steel factory cafeteria was very generous, and every day there was either fish or meat or eggs. , there are also many vegetables. Zhang Youlu couldn't bear to eat it, so he poured it all into the small lid box he brought and took it home. Watching the two children wolfing down food from the cafeteria at night was the happiest moment of his day.
After eating, the monitor started handing out soda tickets. Workers in the steel plant have a daily quota of soda water. The furnace worker has the most, with four bottles, and laborers like him have the least, with one bottle. Zhang Youlu still couldn't bear to drink it himself, so he planned to take the soda back. The fourth child in the family loves soda the most, and would compete with the second child every time. In another five years, the waiter will be sixteen and able to work, and his life will be better... Zhang Youde went to the side to drink some water, and drank three large bowls in a while, feeling full. .
I wiped my mouth and felt better. The squad leader was already calling everyone to go back to work, so he went back to loading and unloading ore.
The weather was extremely hot in the afternoon. Zhang Youlu ran a few times and felt something was wrong with his body. His chest was tight and a little painful.
Could it be that he lost his temper? It doesn't feel like it is.
Hey, it’s true. After eating for a few days, people have become more delicate. Can’t they still survive after doing such a small amount of work?
He ran again and felt that he was really in trouble - he was sweating all over, his eyes were blurry, and his chest was in unbearable pain.
Zhang Youlu had no choice but to find a windy corner and squat down, thinking that a bit of wind might make him feel better.
The monitor's voice shouted: "Old Zhang, why do you look like this? Are you feeling unwell?"
He raised his head and looked towards the place where the sound came from, but his vision was blurry. He put his hands on the wall and tried to stand up, saying "I'm fine" by the way... But before he could say this, Zhang Youlu's vision went dark and he fell down.
——Production safety record of Lingao Iron and Steel Plant: On October 4, 1631, laborer Zhang Youlu died suddenly at work, and his body was sent to the General Hospital for treatment.
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Sun Shou wiped the sweat from his head with the towel around his neck and walked towards his bullock cart.
He limped forward in the square, his steps were not fast, and his wooden feet were making a creaking sound since the last time they were soaked in water. It seemed that they were going to be repaired. How to say it in "Australian Newspeak" With? maintain?
——Sun Shou is a disabled person. His left leg was amputated at the knee. However, after installing a wooden foot, he can finally let go of the crutches and walk, but he cannot walk fast and his posture is not good-looking. But Sun Shou felt that it was good enough that he could still walk, and there was really nothing to be picky about.
Fu Xiaosan from the bullpen asked him what happened to his leg last time, and Sun Shou told him that it was during the battle of Chengmai, when he was shot when he led his brothers to charge. Fu Xiaosan immediately admired him, changed his title from "Old Sun" to "Uncle Sun", and pestered him to tell him about the Fubo Army's Chengmai battle between officers and soldiers. Sun Shou smiled and refused to talk more. He reminded Fu Xiaosan to feed the cows water and walked away.
——How could he tell Fu Xiaosan that it was actually him who was shot when he charged against the Fubo Army?
At that time, Sun Shou was still the captain of the imperial army. During the Battle of Chengmai, he wielded a waist knife in his right hand and a rattan shield in his left hand. He led several of his brothers to kill the Fubo army on the embankment. At that time, my mind was filled with thoughts of getting promoted and making a fortune.
In the time it took him to take a sip of water, the thieves' "headshot"—he later learned it was called a typewriter—dispelled his dream of promotion, taking away his left leg and a few of his subordinates. A brother's life.
When he woke up, he was already lying naked in a tent, covered with white cloth, and his left leg was in excruciating pain. His injured leg had already been amputated by Fu Bojun's doctor.
The Australians transported him to Bairen and then to Majiao, where they also asked military doctors to treat his legs. The officers and soldiers always paid a few carts of money to the wounded soldiers to send them off, but the Australians were much more kind and righteous and even arranged for him to make a living. Sun Shou was very grateful. Under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, a disabled person like him could only beg for food. After a few years of poverty, he would be doomed. The best outcome is to be rolled up in a torn mat and sent to the place of death. If you are unlucky, you will probably be buried in the belly of a dog.
Finally, Sun Shou arrived at the transportation team with a wooden leg, and he was assigned to drive the truck.
First, he built the road. His bullock cart traveled between Bairen and the construction site every day, transporting tools and food. The people who built the road were all officers and soldiers captured in the Chengmai War, his former colleagues and superiors. The previously domineering officers were all gray-haired and wearing freshmen uniforms, their newly shaved scalps dazzling in the hot Qiongzhou sunshine. They saw the bullock cart passing by, but they could only raise their heads for a glance, and then continued to work on the road under the threat of the sharp bayonets of the guarding Fubo Army. Seeing the desolate look of the dog officers, Sun Shou felt very happy.
As time went by, many captives were ransomed and returned to the mainland. But there is no one in Sun Shou's family anymore, so naturally no one will come to redeem him, and he doesn't want to go back. Lingao - this place name already has a familiar flavor to him - is the place where his new life begins, and he has found his value.
Sun Shou is a very smart man. Relying on the military salary he saved when he was an officer, he successfully redeemed himself in less than a year - most people need two to three years to start from the beginning. The day he got his salary, he started his small business.
He bought all kinds of cheap groceries from Dongmen City - there are so many new things in Dongmen City - packed them into a bag and carried them in the car, and then whenever he went to a certain place, he would resell them to local vendors. , with a little effort, he can make a profit of 10% to 15%.
Sun Shou was very eloquent and knew how to please people. He always smiled when he saw others and did not hesitate to do his work. With his previous perfunctory skills in perfunctory officers in the army, everyone in the transportation team liked him and everyone knew that "Old Sun is a good person", so he raised his salary much faster than others. Now his salary is even higher than that of Fubo Army The few veterans who came down were all tall.
After doing this for a while, he had saved a lot of circulating coupons. He was the first in the transportation team to buy a house without a loan. Sun Shou, like all traditional Ming people, hated the feeling of owing money. .
Today's mission is to go to Gaoshanling and transport a batch of materials, which are said to be newly produced wires. The entire transport team dispatched twelve vehicles, and Sun Shou was the fourth. Gaoshanling is an important place for the Senate. It is a military-controlled area and ordinary indigenous people cannot go there. There was also a escort sitting in Sun Shou's car. He was wearing the uniform of the Fubo Army and his military rank was that of a sergeant. He carried a Minie rifle without a bayonet on his back and sat next to Sun Shou without saying a word. While Sun Shou was driving the car, he handed a "holy boat" to the escort. In a burst of smoke, the two began to chat, and the atmosphere became harmonious.
By noon, they had traveled most of the way. The convoy stopped to rest for a while and fed the cattle some food and water. Next, they had to cross a steep slope and a mountain road of more than ten miles. After walking this mountain road, the Gaoshan Ridge Base was almost in sight.
This road was originally in good repair, but it had rained heavily a few days ago, and it was still a bit muddy and bumpy in a few low-lying places. On the other side of the road is a mountain stream, with a height difference of four or five meters from the roadbed. Because of the rain, there is plenty of water in the mountain stream, and the water flows loudly.
At this time, Sun Shou and the escort were already familiar with each other. "Old Sun" and "Old Liu" were chatting well. The two of them were talking about men's jokes... Suddenly, there was a loud noise from the hillside on the roadside. A pile of rocks and dirt tumbled down the road.
It's a slippery slope!
Although there was not a lot of earth and rocks sliding down the mountain, the loud noise and rolling rocks had already startled the two cows on Sun Shou's cart. Before Sun Shou could react, the frightened cows roared angrily, bumped into each other, and started running around. Finally, they knocked over a convoy who was trying to block the road, rushed out of the road, and fell down immediately. Naturally, the ox cart was also taken down, and it flipped upside down in the mountain stream with a "rumbling" sound, causing a large splash of water.
——Transportation records of the Second Bairen Transportation Team: On October 5, 1635, during the task of transporting wires in Gaoshanling, a vehicle overturned due to a road collapse. Two people were killed, one person was seriously injured, and the total amount of property was lost...
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Qian Zhen walked on the playground of the Majiaobao Army Training Base, his waist straight, his belt buckle shining, and his chest lined with rows of colorful medal lists (the kind commonly seen on the chests of Kuomintang generals in "The Great Battle") small colored squares), attracting envious looks from several recruits.
Of course Qian Zhen would not take them seriously. These are all newly recruited soldiers from among the naturalized civilians. They have only been out of the purification camp for a few days. They speak Mandarin mixed with local dialects from various places. Each of them has a hunched back, and his knees are as weak as noodles. They kneel on the ground at every turn. It looks like there is no future.
Qian Zhen is from Yanchang Village. When the Senate recruited soldiers in Yanchang Village, he was the first to sign up.
At that time, Bairen was still a small place, and Dongmen City was not even one-fifth of the size it is now.
He still remembers that when he walked in the queue on the first day, he couldn't tell the difference between left and right. The instructor taught him several times, but he always screwed it up. Later, the instructor taught him to wear shoes on his left foot and go barefoot on his right foot. The instructor shouted: "Left!" He hesitated for a long time, and finally raised his bare foot.
The whole team burst into laughter. He has since earned the nickname "Money Barefoot".
He lay on his bunk at night and felt cruel, vowing to be the best soldier possible.
He did it.
He participated in the bandit suppression campaign in Lingao. He still remembered that the first time he picked up a Mini rifle and shot at a living person, an indescribable bitter taste immediately appeared in his mouth, and his throat was as dry as swallowing a handful of dirt.
By the time the bandit suppression was over, he was already a sergeant. For killing three bandits, he also won second-class merit and the Medal of Valor, and was named an "outstanding soldier." Those who called him "money barefoot" shut their mouths forever.
During the Chengmai battle, he stood on the front line of the earth embankment and opened fire again and again at the swarming officers and soldiers.
When the officers and soldiers finally reached the embankment, he was the first infantryman to rush up with bayonets drawn.
He was hit by two arrows and stabbed. Covered in blood, he stabbed two officers and soldiers to death with a loud roar, and used a grenade to repel the officers and soldiers' attack.
After the war, Commander He personally went to the hospital and awarded the "Heroic Soldier" medal to Qian Zhen, who was lying on the hospital bed covered in bandages and unable to move.
He was immediately promoted to second lieutenant and assigned to participate in the next level of "officer training team."
Qian Zhen continued to work hard. At the training ground in Maziaobao, he went from the "officer training team" to the "military training class" to the "officer training group."
He has been to Guangzhou, Taiwan, and Fujian, fought against savages, pirates, and fought with Japanese Japanese.
He was never absent from the Crusader flag of the Senate.
Now he is a captain of the Fubo Army, an infantry expert, and an instructor of the military training team. Stars are shining on the shoulders of the gray military uniform, and the road ahead is shining brightly. The veteran officers favored him very much. You Huhu once patted him on the shoulder and said that he would definitely become the backbone of the future army, and maybe he could be a battalion commander in the future - yes, a new infantry battalion was being formed. The Fubo Army's combat operations on the mainland are becoming more and more widespread, requiring more troop investment. When these new soldiers come out, they may become his subordinates in the future.
Qian Zhen looked at the new recruits walking in line. These recruits still need to continue training, and there are still many people who can't distinguish between left and right.
Thinking of this, his face heated up slightly.
He didn't want to show such a look in front of his orderly, so he quickened his pace and walked towards the live-fire training area.
Under the instructions of the instructor, the recruits performed decomposition loading and shooting actions with Mini rifles. They are still very rusty and their movements are inconsistent. Many of them are at a loss under the instructor's rapid command.
Qian Zhen thought that he should continue to strengthen his training.
Further ahead is the bombing training area. The instructor is a soldier he has trained with before, named Fu Shengcai.
Fu Shengcai saw him coming and shouted the command. All the soldiers turned back and saluted him together.
Qian Zhen returned the gift and signaled the training to continue.
According to the regulations of the training code, recruits should first simulate throwing training bombs twenty times, and then throw live ammunition once, with each training lasting two hours.
The recruits followed Fu Shengcai's command and used decomposition movements to throw training bombs.
Qian Zhen was delighted to see that some of them could throw quite far and had the potential to be grenadiers. But overall, it's still quite unfamiliar. Maybe it's because of his presence - recruits are always extra nervous when they see an officer watching from the side.
The following is the live ammunition training. After Fu Shengcai distributed the grenades, he first gave a demonstration - the grenade thrown by Fu Shengcai landed more than 50 meters away and exploded, sending up a cloud of smoke. The new recruits were all stunned. It was the first time for them to see a grenade explode.
Qian Zhen approached the queue. He planned to take a closer look and find any good seeds.
The Australian elders are right when they say that expertise needs to be dedicated, but expertise needs to be discovered.
Fu Shengcai stood beside him and exchanged a look with him.
Qian Zhen heard Fu Shengcai shouting commands.
one! ——Taking off the hat
two! ——Lanyard
three! ——Pull the string
Four! ——Throw
Something went wrong with the recruit closest to him! The grenade slipped from his hand and landed at his feet.
Captain Qian Zhen didn't have time to think too much. He just shouted: "Get down!" He pushed Fu Shengcai away from him, jumped forward, kicked the frightened recruit down, and threw himself on the ground. On top of the rolling grenade.
Then the grenade exploded.
——Majiaobao military training safety record: On November 4, 1631, an accident occurred during the live ammunition throwing training of the seventh detachment of the recruit training team, and the military instructor Captain Qian Zhen died in the line of duty...
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Zhao Zhulong likes others to call him Zhao Da. "Brother" is fine, "Master" is the best, "Bo" is okay, and "Uncle" is also reluctant.
This bad name was given to him by his father. Zhao Zhulong's father said: "The water in the pig cage is full of gold. If we fishermen don't get water, where will we go?"
Zhao Zhurong's father was Zhao Jinhai. He died when Zhao Zhurong was fifteen years old. In an unexpected storm, not even the man or the ship came back.
Zhao Zhulong's mother kept saying that his father's name was wrong, Jinhai Jinhai, that means entering the sea. Once he entered the sea, there was no way he could come out.
Zhao Zhulong lost his father at the age of fifteen, went to sea with his second uncle at the age of sixteen, and joined Jin Daxiong's gang at the age of eighteen.
A year later, Jin Daxiong was shot and killed on the spot while robbing a Fujian ship. His sea gang also dispersed. Zhao Zhulong and several close brothers joined Zhu Cai Lao's gang and went to sea. After several years of fighting, Zhu Cai Lao was defeated by Zheng Zhilong in a single battle, and the entire gang collapsed. Zhao Zhulong also followed his leader Shi Shishi and defected to the Australians in Lingao.
Then, like the bosses, Zhao Zhulong also cut his hair, changed his clothes, and entered the class. After half a year of "political study", he actually passed the C diploma. He was teased by his former boss: "Zhao Zhulong, I can't see that you are still a student!"
Zhao Zhulong just smiled and said nothing - he had been wandering at sea for many years, one leg suffered from rheumatism and was a little lame. The purpose of studying is to stay on the shore. Hu Jiumei and Boss Hu just wash their feet and go ashore?
But he still failed to get ashore - the Australians saw that he was lame and did not let him enter the navy. Instead, they let him board a cargo ship. Zhao Zhulong was also renamed Zhao Zhulong, and was assigned a small boat to carry freight on the route from Lingao to Guangzhou.
Later, Governor Wang Dezun mobilized the army to attack Qiongzhou, and trade with Guangzhou was temporarily interrupted. Zhao Zhulong first helped transport troops several times, and was later assigned to the newly established Jingyuan Shipping Company.
At the beginning, I had nothing to do. I signed up for a room at the company at Lingaobopu Pier every day, or chatted with a bunch of old colleagues who were also old sea dogs in the office. I listened to the sea situation class every day, became familiar with the charts, and did a lot of things. "Route Deduction".
The Australian navigation skills are unique. All routes are actually calculated, but you need to understand "mathematics" to do it. The old sea dogs are the worst at this, but there is no way. When sailing an Australian ship, you must follow the Australian rules. The method - in fact, the Australian method is much better than the Chinese needle route, at least they know where they are in the sea.
Six months later, everyone had a new ship. It was a big ship that the Australians called the Liberty Ship. Zhao Zhulong's ship is called "Jingshi". This ship is larger than the red-haired ship Zhao Zhulong has seen before. It uses sails that are neither Chinese nor Western: the sails are Chinese style and the rigging is Western style. It requires fewer sailors than the previous lucky ships, but it can carry much more cargo.
Then there are the continuous transportation tasks: Fujian, Taiwan, and Japan follow behind the fleet, transporting food, clothes, ammunition, materials, and occasionally troops. When they came back, there were sometimes transports of people, and sometimes silk and tea were transported from the south of the Yangtze River.
This emergency voyage from Songjiang back to Lingao is actually very strange, because the goods have not been purchased completely, and the "Jingshi" has only less than half of the space filled. However, the person in charge assigned by the Senate to the local area expressed his willingness to take full responsibility and insisted that the only ship under the Senate anchored at the Songjiang Pier, the "Jingshi", should go to sea quickly, saying that there were 100,000 pieces of urgent information that needed to be sent to the Senate as quickly as possible. Even if the road back to Lingao was too far, it would be fine to go to Kaohsiung City where wireless telegraphy equipment was installed... Seeing that his arm could not twist his thigh, Zhao Zhulong could only obey the order and sail.
When we just set off from Songjiang, everything went smoothly, but since the "Jingshi" arrived at the sea surface of Fujian, the sea conditions have become worse and worse. There are large cumulonimbus clouds in the east, thickly filling half of the sky. Looking at It seemed like a storm was coming. Therefore, Zhao Zhulong directed the "Jingshi" to lower the awning and furl the sails, inspect the cargo, and prepare for the storm. At night, it really rained heavily on the sea, and the strong wind whipped up waves more than a hundred feet high and smashed onto the ship head-on. Although the Australian boat is strong, the seams in various parts of the hull also creak and groan.
The sailors, all old sailors, gathered in the poop. Although the turbulence was very severe, no one got seasick. Everyone looked at each other, listening to the loud noise of the big waves hitting the hull, the ropes screaming sharply in the wind, and the heavy rain hitting the oilcloth covering the cargo hold, making a "bang bang" sound like a musket. He was swept away by the strong wind again, so the wind roared all over the sky again.
Suddenly there was a loud noise on the front deck, which shook the entire ship. Zhao Zhulong looked through the front window of the stern building. It turned out that the rope tied to the oilcloth on the cargo hold was broken, and the strong wind picked up the unbound oilcloth and danced wildly in the air.
"Oops!" The front cabin was full of tea leaves and silk, and there was no need to think about what it would look like if soaked in water. Zhao Zhulong jumped up anxiously, "Quickly, go to the front deck!" Several sailors looked at each other with fearful eyes and dared not agree. Zhao Zhulong had already become impatient and pulled open the poop door. , rushed out, but the first mate behind him moved faster, grabbed him, pushed him back to the stern, and rushed up with a few people.
Zhao Zhulong refused to just shrink back. While scolding the cowering sailors, he held the door open and looked at the situation on the front deck - the rain was violent and the wind was violent, the sky was as black as the bottom of a pot, and the waves were surging all around. The hull heaved and bumped violently, He could only see the light from the gas lantern carried by the first mate on the front deck, and the oilcloth... The oilcloth was pulled down, it was great, they had caught the rope, Zhao Zhulong's heart was in his throat, but I could only stretch my head and neck at the cabin door and look around.
Then, the strong wind picked up something on the deck, flew quickly towards the stern, and hit Zhao Zhulong hard on the forehead.
As a result, Zhao Zhulong immediately suffered a bloody head and felt dizzy. He fell out of the cabin. A wild wave rolled over, and the sea water covered the entire deck. The Jingshi made an overwhelming loud noise - but he was still tenacious. The head popped out of the water. But Zhao Zhulong, who fell on the deck, was nowhere to be seen.
——The voyage log of the Jingshi: On December 29, 1631, the ship was hit by a storm in the Taiwan Strait. Fifteen people from the captain down were killed, twenty were injured, and five were missing. The hull structure was severely damaged and it was unable to continue sailing. It has now run aground in Xiapu, Fujian. We are preparing to repair the hull and rescue the injured... The urgent official letter consigned by the Songjiang Commercial Office was lost in the storm. Please contact Songjiang to reissue it as soon as possible... …
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However, the creator of all this light and darkness, hope and despair, is revered as a god by countless people, and is also regarded as a devil by many people. The great supreme leader of the Lingao Senate, the always glorious and correct Chairman of the Executive Committee Wen Desi, at this time, there was no way He went through cruel blood sacrifices, drew evil power from death and despair, climbed to the highest throne on countless corpses, and looked down at all living beings in isolation... Instead, he stood behind his desk without grace, staring at the hangings on the wall. map, grabbing my hair and spinning around anxiously. "...Oh, no, no, no, no! Another wave of Australian travelers has appeared! They have also come into contact with many Europeans! Now they are all going to be betrayed! I really regret that I slapped my forehead, I just casually claimed to be Australian! Now I don’t know how to deal with people coming from Australia! Why didn’t I think that I could claim to be from Antarctica? At least the emperor penguins won’t talk nonsense with others... …”