Chapter 1382 New Mission
Before Liu Shang's idea could be put into practice, the military came to him first. On the second day of the celebration banquet, someone from the army came and notified Liu Shang to meet with Chen Yixin to discuss work arrangements.
Chen Yixin was previously an official in charge of civil affairs in the Shandong occupied area. Although the arrival of the team of cadres from the north took over most of the work for him, he could not put aside all the work for a while. Many specific tasks were The handover arrangement also needs to be done by him personally. Liu Shang guessed that the other party summoned him to explain the work arrangements related to his responsibilities in person. He did not dare to neglect at the moment, so he hurriedly followed the person to see Chen Yixin.
However, Chen Yixin was not on Zhifu Island. After attending the celebration banquet yesterday, he rushed back to Majiazhuang overnight. Now that he is newly married, this occasion of drinking and having fun is still far less comfortable than having a sweet wife and a hot bed at home. Therefore, unless there was important official business that delayed his trip, he would usually go back to his house in Majiazhuang to spend the night. If Liu Shang wants to see him, he has to go to Majiazhuang from Zhifu Island by himself.
The two places are not far apart, but the fastest way is to take a boat from the West Port of Zhifu Island to the west bank of the Jiahe estuary in Fushan County. After landing, there is still about seven or eight miles to reach Majiazhuang; if you take the land route, We need to cross the Jiahe River, but the lower reaches of the river are not yet completely frozen. To cross the river, we have to go upstream and make a large circle near Fushan County, which is quite a hassle. Fortunately, Liu Shang is traveling on official business, and there will be corresponding arrangements along the way, which can save a lot of trouble.
Heading out after a heavy snowfall is never a pleasant task. Although the snow on the road is not too thick, the slowly melting snow and ice debris are enough to make the road slippery and muddy, making hiking very troublesome. Chen Yixin had a distinguished status and was transported by carriage when he went out. Naturally, Liu Shang could not enjoy such treatment. Fortunately, the cavalry camp has gained a lot recently. Hundreds of horses have suddenly appeared on Zhifu Island. The military has relaxed a lot about the use of horses. Even Liu Shang has also benefited from it, from the camp to the west port of Zhifu Island. You can go there on horseback. Although I was riding an ordinary packhorse, it was much better than hiking, and I wouldn't get wet and wet.
After arriving at the West Port of Zhifu Island, there are transportation boats on the pier that go to the west bank of Jiahe River. However, due to efficiency considerations, the number of transportation boats is relatively small. Although Liu Shang has official duties, he can only wait patiently. Depart on the next flight. The port conditions of the West Port itself are not as good as those of the Eastern Port, the main port of Zhifu Island, so the degree of development and construction is relatively limited. The only two terminals are mainly used to transport people from Zhifu Island and the coastal area west of Jiahe, Fushan County. and for fishing boats operating in nearby waters.
There is a small shed on the dock. The doors and windows are now covered with straw mats, leaving only a small gap for ventilation. There is a charcoal fire in the shed for people waiting for the ship to keep warm. In the cold season, having such a shelter from the wind on the seaside pier can be regarded as a good way to take care of the objective needs of people passing by. For people like Liu Shang who have always lived in warm areas in the south, if they didn't have such a shed, even if they were wearing thick cotton jackets, they would still be frozen by the biting cold wind very quickly.
Almost all the people who would go out from Zhifu Island to Fushan County in this kind of weather were on official business. Everyone felt the same pain when they were out. After Liu Shang and the messenger who led the way entered the shed, the people inside took the initiative to move. He moved his feet to make way for two seats so that they could get closer to the brazier to keep warm. After Liu Shang thanked him softly, he leaned forward and stretched out his hands, letting the hot air warm his already stiff hands.
Liu Shang was originally a traveler, and on this occasion he quickly became familiar with the few people waiting for the boat here. Just as he expected, these new faces were not officials from the civil affairs department, but people from the military. As for the mission they were performing, Liu Shang wisely did not inquire more. As a civilian official, he should not show his interest in the military too openly. Everyone was discussing the recent weather changes wordlessly, and they all had a tacit understanding not to mention their respective tasks.
After waiting for about an hour, the traffic boat came from the sea and took several people back to Zhifu Island. Liu Shang was about to go out to get on the boat, but someone in the room stopped him: "Don't worry, the boat won't leave right away. Let's warm up for a while before going out to get on the boat."
It was obvious that the speaker was not taking a boat here for the first time. Liu Shang heard that it made sense, so he waited for about an incense stick. When he saw that everyone else was leaving, he followed him.
This traffic boat is a sloop, only about three feet long, and can carry no more than twenty people. Sure enough, not long after everyone got on the boat, the boatman used bamboo poles to push the boat away from the dock and slowly sailed westward. It was only five or six nautical miles from Westport to the pier on the west bank of the Jiahe estuary, but this small sailboat couldn't really speed up, so it could only move forward slowly. Fortunately, there was a fire pit in the only cabin on the ship, so there was no need to worry about freezing in the sea breeze.
After landing, there was actually a carriage waiting for Liu Shang's arrival. After asking, he found out that it was Chen Yixin who had specially sent it to pick him up. Although Liu Shang's position has always been wavering, he still feels a little proud of being able to receive such courtesy when he first arrived in Shandong. The other people who came on the same boat did not have such treatment and could only go to the nearby stable to apply for a horse to ride on. This is also thanks to the recent seizure of a large number of horses by the Haihan Army, and stables have been built at various docks in the occupied areas to facilitate quick transfer of civil servants while they are away. Otherwise, according to the original method, they can only walk to their destination on foot after landing, and only a few personnel with urgent military affairs can be equipped with horses.
Chen Yixin got on the carriage and arrived at Majiazhuang with peace of mind. He had heard from Qin Wei before that there had been an assassination in Majiazhuang planned and implemented by the Ming army. However, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Security and the military, the assassins were killed without any chance. . After getting out of the car and seeing this peaceful village, it was difficult to connect it with the assassination two months ago.
Although it has snowed several times, as Haihan's comprehensive command center and trade distribution center in Fushan County, it is still a relatively busy place, even busier than Fushan County at this moment.
Majiazhuang is located near the official road between Fushan County and Dengzhou City. After Haihan occupied Fushan County, he renovated the road and connected the Fushan Copper Mine to this important transportation road. In this way, the goods exported from Haihan to the local area, the local specialties and immigrant population supplied to Haihan, and the output of the mines will almost all be transferred through Majiazhuang.
As a result, the flow of traffic and people passing through Majiazhuang has greatly increased. There are a few concentrated delivery times every month. The scene here can even be described as busy. Although Liu Shang did not catch up with the busiest days here, there were still several fleets loading and unloading goods in the large cargo yard outside Zhuangzi.
Liu Shang really wanted to see how the trade was carried out here, but he had a mission now and did not dare to waste time. He followed the messenger who led the way to the office building.
After going up to the second floor, Liu Shang noticed that the walls, doors and windows here had all been recently painted, and he could faintly smell the smell of paint. He remembered that he had heard someone mention some details of the Majiazhuang assassination case at the banquet yesterday. It was said that Chen Yixin did it himself and killed several assassins on the second floor of the office building. It must have happened not long ago. The layers of paint were used to cover up the various traces left by the battle that day.
After the briefing, Liu Shang entered Chen Yixin's office with awe. Chen Yixin raised his head and looked at him, then pointed to the chair in the room and motioned for him to sit down: "Wait for me to read this document first."
Liu Shang responded quickly: "Commander, you go ahead and wait for your humble duty." After saying this, he did not sit down, but stood in the middle of the room and waited. Chen Yixin probably saw this kind of reaction too many times, so he didn't care about it and continued to read the documents. After waiting for a while, he put down the document and pointed to the chair again: "Sit down and talk."
This time Liu Shang did not refuse anymore. He sat down with his butt on the edge of the chair and waited for Chen Yixin to speak.
Seeing Liu Shang's humble performance, Chen Yixin seemed to be quite satisfied: "After you guys set off from Sanya, I specially sent a telegram back to ask who could be used. Yu Xiaobao recommended you to me, saying You have rich social experience and are safe in your work.”
Liu Shang responded quickly: "Your Majesty, you really praise your humble position too much. I am just a commoner. When the adults give me this job, I naturally have to do my best to be able to live up to this trust."
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that Yu Xiaobao was really his noble person. He just took more care of him when he was in Sanya. Now that he was so far away from Sanya, he still didn't forget to pave the way for him and introduce him. This was really a great kindness that was hard to repay.
Chen Yixin corrected: "You are working for the country, not for any boss. You must remember this clearly!"
"Yes, yes, it was a humble faux pas, don't blame the leader!" Liu Shang knew that what he said was indeed wrong, and he quickly admitted his mistake. Haihan is very particular about political correctness, and such gaffes are likely to affect his impression in the other party's mind.
Chen Yixin did not use the topic to continue to teach him a lesson, but returned to business: "Yu Xiaobao said that you are an immigrant, and later worked in the Propaganda Department. You are also familiar with publicity work, especially propaganda activities. The situation in Shandong is that there is a shortage of officials with strong practical skills like you, so I am going to give you a job to see if you can do it well."
Liu Shang had been dealing with Haihan officials for a long time. After hearing these words, he knew that Chen Yixin was not asking for his opinion, but to assign tasks to him. At this time, he should show his determination and strive for a good impression. .
"Thanks to the trust of the chief, I will try my best to complete the task!" Liu Shang quickly stood up and responded firmly. However, he was thinking that since Chen Yixin mentioned publicity work, there would be no great personal risk, and he would not cause any trouble by expressing his determination.
Chen Yixin seemed to have seen through the little calculation in his mind, and continued: "Don't get excited, I am not sending you to the battlefield to kill the enemy, and there will be no danger. I am just arranging a job for you that suits your strengths. ”
After Chen Yixin finished speaking, he stood up, walked to the window, opened the curtains, and waved for Liu Shang to stand next to him. Liu Shang quickly bowed and walked to the side, looking out the window in the direction he pointed.
"Look, there are a few neat rows of bungalows over there, which is the immigration reception center we set up in Fushan County. Since we came to Dengzhou, there has been a steady stream of immigrants coming to join us. In order to provide these immigrants with a stable Because of the temporary living environment, we built such a reception center to prevent them from freezing and starving while waiting for distribution," Chen Yixin introduced to him.
The place Chen Yixin mentioned is only a hundred feet away from Majiazhuang. Buildings like this are not unfamiliar to Liu Shang at all, because they are the appearance of Haihan's standard temporary residence for immigrants. Such institutions existed in Sanya, Zhoushan, every port and overseas colony he visited in Haihan, and there was even a larger immigrant camp on Zhifu Island not far away. Of course, even he himself had spent some time in this kind of immigration institution when he first arrived in Haihan, so he was very familiar with it.
"Our country built such an institution to help the poor refugees of the Ming Dynasty. This is a benevolent act and a blessing to the people!" Liu Shang lost no time in boasting: "I also stayed in an immigration camp when I was humble. Now that I see it, I feel very happy." Feeling cordial.”
Liu Shang had already roughly thought of what Chen Yixin meant by pointing out the immigration camp to him. Although returning to work in the immigration camp is not what he really wants to do, if this is what a big shot like Chen Yixin wants, then he'd better try his best to cooperate. In this way, you can at least gain some goodwill and gain some impression points for your future development.
Sure enough, Chen Yixin was very satisfied with Liu Shang's knowledgeable attitude. He raised his hand and patted his shoulder and said, "It would be great if you have such an idea. I plan to arrange for you to work in the immigration camp for a period of time. The content is to educate the new arrivals." Promote policies to immigrants to help them understand their future prospects and treatment, as well as Haihan’s attitude towards immigrants and their living arrangements. You have worked in the Propaganda Department, so these jobs should be familiar to you, right? ”
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Liu Shang bowed slightly and responded: "This is exactly what I am doing. You can rest assured that I will leave this job to you."
(End of chapter)