Chapter 1001 Founding Celebration (1)
In the warehouse area next to Victory Port Pier 6, there is an inconspicuous back street that does not even have an official name. It is only more than 200 meters long. One side of the two-meter-wide stone road is the stone brick back wall of the terminal warehouse, and the other is. On one side is the "commercial street" consisting of various small restaurants, teahouses, hotels, rice and grain shops, grocery stores and other shops. The main customers of such shops in back streets and alleys are laborers and sailors on the docks. Naturally, their quality is not as good as those big shops on Landscape Avenue. However, although the sparrow is small and well-equipped, for those foreign sailors who have not yet obtained Haihan citizenship, or who are staying in the port for a short time, the cost here is low, the location is convenient, and their daily needs can be met, and they live in the lower floors nearby. People often come here to spend some time after work.
At the east end of this back street is a teahouse. It opened as early as the year Victory Port was built. At first, it was just a tea stall without a roof. There were a few tables and chairs in the open air selling the cheapest tea. It is said that there were Many chiefs have also patronized the business here. With the gradual prosperity of Victory Port, the tea stall gradually expanded, a shed was erected, and later a first-floor and first-floor facade was built. It can be regarded as the largest shop on this street.
The owner who originally opened the tea stall no longer personally manages the business here. It is said that he already has several plantations under his name. He bought a big house in Sanya city to live in. He handed over the teahouse to his nephew and his descendants to run it, and he can take care of it with peace of mind. The boss is so cocky. The young boss who took over was said to have studied at the Haihan School for several years, and his thinking has kept up with the development of the times. He not only runs traditional projects in the teahouse, but also adds reading newspapers, a product of the new era. On the fifteenth and thirtieth days of the Haihan official newspaper being published every month, the storyteller in the store would stop reading and explain the latest news to the tea diners.
Seventy-eight out of ten of the tea-goers who consume tea here are lower-level people who cannot read a basket of Chinese characters. I heard that Mr. Shu’s explanation of official news in newspapers can be regarded as their main channel for dealing with current affairs. Therefore, on the evening of the day when the newspaper is published, the teahouse will be almost full. Even the most diligent and frugal workers will spend eight cents to buy a bowl of the cheapest tea and occupy a small bench at the entrance of the store. .
Today is the newspaper publishing day at the end of the month. The teahouse was crowded early with dock workers who had just got off work and foreign sailors who came to watch the fun and kill time. For them, what they were most concerned about was the upcoming Haihan Founding Celebration. What activities will be arranged? Will the government relax the threshold for naturalization during this period? Will Haihan Kingdom be able to remain stable as usual in the future? The answers to these questions may be found in the latest issue of Haihan Times.
The storyteller on the stage was cleaning his tobacco pouch calmly. The newspaper boy hadn't arrived yet, so he could take advantage of this gap to take a few puffs to wake himself up. The fonts printed in this newspaper are quite small, and the storyteller has to wear reading glasses to read them clearly. It will take at least two or three hours to read the newspaper and explain it all. You have to recuperate before working. The tea guests below were also talking a lot, and the topics they talked about were basically inseparable from the upcoming founding celebration. Now even the back streets and alleys are decorated with lights and colorful lights, which is more festive than the Chinese New Year. No one can escape from this. Atmosphere.
"Coming, coming!" "Make way! The newspaper delivery is coming!"
The crowd of people sitting at the entrance of the store separated into a small lane. A boy of 13 or 14 years old trudged into the store from the middle. He walked to the stage where the storyteller was sitting, took out a newspaper from his bag and handed it to him. : "Today's Times!"
The storyteller put down the cigarette he had just taken a few puffs on and took the money from the table to the newsboy. The newsboy thanked him, turned around and left. Everyone in the store looked at the storyteller with eager eyes, waiting for him to start reading the newspaper.
The storyteller spread the newspaper on the table. He put on his glasses and took a rough look at the content on the front page. Then he placed the tea cups, fans, and teacups on the table one by one, and straightened his clothes in a leisurely manner. On the one hand, he did these actions to inform everyone in the store that he was about to start storytelling. On the other hand, he also took this opportunity to formulate his rhetoric in his mind. After all, storytellers are not used to simply repeating what is written, not to mention that he had to provide explanations when reading the newspaper. , there is still a lot of room for personal performance. However, the cultural level of the storytellers who work in such small teahouses is naturally relatively limited. Those who are truly capable and talented have long been absorbed into the system as propaganda officers.
The storyteller picked up the tree with three fingers and slapped it on the table. After a crisp snap, the store became quiet. Then I heard the storyteller read aloud: "The three moral emperors and the five emperors were famous after Xia, Shang and Zhou; the heroes and the five tyrants made trouble in the Spring and Autumn Period, rising and falling in an instant! There are several lines of names in the history of Qing Dynasty, and there are countless barren hills in Beimang; the fields of the predecessors are harvested by the descendants. Enter the dragon and the tiger.”
After the storyteller read a nondescript opening poem, he got to the point: "Everyone, in and outside this shop, upstairs and downstairs, to put it bluntly, they all rely on the rewards from the leaders of Haihan for their livelihood. If it is like this today, Please bear with me if there are any inappropriate explanations in the newspaper. After all, I was only talking about the executive committee before, but now we are talking about state affairs! I have limited knowledge, so please don’t just treat this as a distraction. It is an official interpretation. If there is anything unclear, it is more prudent to ask the government.”
After the storyteller shied away the responsibility for a while, he picked up the newspaper and started reading the news: "Today's issue of the Times, the headline on the front page is a letter issued by the Executive Committee to all Haihan citizens. The content is as follows..."
It was quiet inside and outside the store at this time. Everyone was listening attentively to the storyteller reading the contents of the newspaper. Even the clerk in the store stopped what they were doing and squatted in the corner to listen intently. . Although not everyone can understand the meaning of these official documents read by the storyteller at this time, everyone knows that they are closely related and inseparable from their current and future lives.
At this time in Sanya, scenes similar to this small teahouse can be seen everywhere. As soon as this issue of the official newspaper came out, there were publicity and reading activities organized by private or official organizations in teahouses, restaurants, schools, and military camps, places where people flowed more intensively. In progress. The notice boards on several main streets were all posted with the new newspapers as soon as possible, and there were publicity personnel nearby to explain the contents to the onlookers.
For the time-travelers who rule Haihan, the propaganda conditions they can take advantage of in this era are very limited, and newspapers are probably the most efficient media for communication. Through this kind of printed matter, coupled with various lectures and reading activities, the public can understand the latest official policies in the shortest possible time. In particular, the Haihan Founding Celebration is approaching, and the public needs to be informed as soon as possible about the arrangements for official activities during this period, as well as some policy adjustments in civil affairs, trade, and diplomacy. The function of the storyteller in the small teahouse is actually similar to that of Haihan's official propaganda personnel, and the identity and background of the storyteller make it easier for ordinary people to accept the content of his preaching. Especially those new immigrants who have not yet been naturalized and have little education. They don't even know which way the Haihan Yamen opens. Naturally, they lack trust in the Haihan official. Instead, they will believe more in these folk interpretations.
Although there may be certain errors between private interpretations and official statements, Haihan's current propaganda methods can only achieve this effect. It is necessary to make up for the shortcomings of official methods through spontaneous publicity among the people in order to achieve the goal of the executive committee. The publicity efficiency required by the club.
The notice to all citizens on the front page of "Haihan Times" mainly talks about three things. First, it is announced that Haihan will announce the establishment of Haihan State at this year's celebration of the seventh anniversary of his arrival in Sanya. The existing Haihan citizens will All will automatically obtain Haihan nationality, but current laws, regulations, and labor systems, including the naturalization application procedures that the public is very concerned about, will not be subject to major adjustments for the time being. This is basically to seek a smooth transition and avoid social unrest caused by adjustments to policies and regulations.
The second thing is that the official will hold simultaneous celebrations in various places under the rule from April 1st to 5th, and the main venue will be located in Victory Port as everyone knows. On the morning of April 1, leaders from various departments, including the Executive Committee, and dignitaries from various countries invited to watch the ceremony will appear at the venue in Victory Port for a grand founding ceremony and military parade. Of course, ordinary people can also attend the ceremony, but they must go to the venue early in the morning to line up and undergo security checks before entering the viewing area. The viewing area is limited to 20,000 people, and no one will be allowed in once the quota is full. There will also be a naval parade and fireworks display in the afternoon and evening. Big figures from the Executive Committee will also come to the scene to enjoy the event with the people.
The third thing is to warn the public to obey the arrangements during the celebration, abide by the law and discipline, and not to cause trouble. If there is any violation, they will be severely punished regardless of their nationality. This can also be regarded as an advance warning, lest some restless people take the opportunity to cause trouble. Although this kind of warning measure may not completely prevent incidents, it can at least deter some thieves and reduce the work pressure of security personnel during the celebration.
The storyteller probably spent a stick of incense reading the official document, and then explained the more difficult parts one by one. However, this article was originally written in vernacular, and there are not many difficult and obscure parts that need to be interpreted slowly. Most people can understand it. All the storyteller needs to do is explain the literal meaning of individual words.
After the storyteller finished talking about the headlines on the front page, he stopped to pick up the tea cup and took a sip. The waiter squatting in the corner next to him came to life and came forward with a kettle to fill his cup with hot water.
The storyteller opened the second page unhurriedly, cleared his throat, and then began to read the content above: "The headline on this second page is a congratulatory letter from the Qingdu King of Annan Kingdom to Haihan Kingdom. The content is as follows..."
Annan is the country that has the closest relationship with Haihan. The Qing capital king Zheng Jie, who is actually in charge of the Annan regime now, only received military assistance from Haihan before he could turn defeat into victory in the civil war between the north and the south and unify Annan. Today, the two countries not only maintain close political relations and trade exchanges, but the coastline of Annan is also dotted with important energy producing areas and naval ports in Haihan. About 30% of the current citizens of Haihan are of Annan descent or have Annan origins. Due to blood, the relationship between the two countries can be said to be one of you and one of me.
Of course, from Haihan's point of view, he actually regards Annan as his servant state. The military assistance, cultural export, and financial trade carried out by Annan are all aimed at improving Annan's national interests. More consistent with Haihan, it plays the dual role of resource provider and sales market, and can also act as Haihan's military ally when necessary. Although the strength of the Annan Army is limited, it is still a new type of army reorganized according to the model provided by Haihan. At least it has few opponents on the Indochina Peninsula. It should be enough to teach Haihan a lesson to the disobedient small countries when necessary. Used.
The family of King Zheng Zhi of the Qing Dynasty almost monopolized all foreign trade between Annan and Haihan, and was a vested interest in the true sense. Therefore, there was no one more concerned about maintaining the relationship between the two countries than him. At this Haihan founding celebration, Zheng Zhi also sent his most beloved eldest son, Zheng Zha, who was already scheduled to be the next generation successor, to attend the ceremony on behalf of Ananguo and will sign a series of cooperation agreements with Haihan - - Most of them are upgraded versions of the original agreements. After all, the two sides have now upgraded from non-governmental exchanges to state-to-state relations, and some superficial things that need to be done must be done seriously.
Zheng Zha had close contacts with Haihan and was very familiar with the various conditions under Haihan's rule. Zheng Zha was also very aware of the official media positioning of "Haihan Times", so he sent his father to Haihan in advance. The committee's congratulatory letter was sent to the newspaper, and they paid for the front page of the second page to highlight the close relationship between Annan and Haihan.
Of course, this very official approach is not unique to Zheng Zha. In fact, starting from the second page of this issue of Haihan Times, almost all of it is filled with congratulatory letters from various parties. In addition to countries such as Annam, Champa, and Portugal that have close relations with Haihan, there are also the administrative committees of various overseas colonial areas of Haihan, and various multinational consortiums that have close trade relations with Haihan. Some wealthy businessmen also spent money to publish their congratulatory messages in newspapers.
Although the names of these countries and overseas colonies are familiar, ordinary people do not know their locations. People kept asking questions. It happened that the storyteller was also a dabbler. He spent the first half of his life wandering around Hainan Island and never went out. , how to figure out the location of these overseas colonies and Southeast Asian countries, now we can only hesitantly get through it. The people below asked anxiously, so he had to stop reading the newspaper and ask the waiter to help collect the reward money before continuing.
(End of chapter)