Chapter 2159
"Show your thoughts!"
"Arrived!"
After hearing her name, Xiunian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't know what he was looking forward to or what he was afraid of, the allocation results were finally confirmed, which made him feel like the dust had settled. I have not been given up, but I have not received any special treatment. Everything is following the process. Just like the information he received during the training, all new immigrants will be properly resettled, but no one will be able to live freely and must rely on labor to support themselves.
According to the distribution plan announced by the civil affairs official, Xiunian learned that she would be resettled together with two hundred other Japanese immigrants in a place called Baiquan Town on Zhoushan Island, and set out from the immigration camp that day. Although she knew nothing about this place, Xiunian felt that the place name sounded very peaceful. Maybe it should be a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters.
Baiquan Town is located in the north of Zhoushan Island, about twenty miles away from Dinghaigang, the central city of the island. However, this distance is just a mark on the map. The reality is that the two places are separated by more than ten miles of mountain forests. The land passage needs to pass through the mountains and valleys, so the actual distance from Dinghai Port to Baiquan Town is longer. It's much farther than the straight line distance on the map.
Baiquan Town was slowly formed after Haihan took over the Zhoushan Islands. Before that, this area only had a few villages with a small population and did not form a real town. In recent years, the Zhoushan authorities have continued to resettle immigrants in various parts of the island, and the population of the area where Baiquan Town is located has increased four to five times in just a few years.
The originally scattered villages were gradually connected together as the population continued to expand. The Zhoushan authorities also took advantage of the situation and set up a town office here to manage this area.
However, compared with the prosperity of the southern part of Zhoushan Island, the development status of the northern region is very different. The coastline near Baiquan Town faces the East China Sea, but there is no natural harbor. Not to mention the shipping and shipbuilding industries, which can make a lot of money, even if you want to operate fisheries on a large scale, it is not easy. Moreover, the investment in building a large port is quite large. For the Zhoushan authorities, who already have Dinghai Port, it is not cost-effective to build a port in the north of the island where the natural conditions are not ideal.
Fortunately, this is one of the few plain areas on Zhoushan Island, and we can still pursue agricultural development. There is no shortage of fresh water resources on Zhoushan Island, and with the various water storage facilities built over the years, agricultural irrigation does not pose a big problem. The only trouble is the occasional sea hurricane, which may cause problems for Baiquan Town’s agriculture. Operations will cause certain damage.
According to the calculations of the agricultural department, there are about 15,000 acres of plain area within the jurisdiction of Baiquan Town that can be used for farming. So far, the farmland that has been reclaimed actually accounts for less than half of the area, so there is still a relatively large area. Large development space is available for resettlement.
Rice and various seasonal vegetables are the main crops grown in Baiquan Town. Another specialty is the bayberry produced in the local Gaoxie Village. However, the shelf life of bayberry after picking is only a few days, so it is difficult to sell fresh bayberry to other places. But the bayberry wine made by the local small winery is the only local product in Baiquan Town that can be sold in the Sanya market.
The economic level of Baiquan Town is definitely not as good as that of the port area in the south of the island, but because it follows the agricultural reclamation route and has relatively abundant agricultural products, the local people's food and clothing problems are better solved, and new immigrants do not need to worry about being frozen after being resettled there. starving.
The person responsible for escorting Xiunian's group of immigrants was a platoon affiliated with the East China Sea Fleet. However, because the task content was relatively easy and the environment on the island was very safe, the soldiers did not need to carry their guns and ammunition. They only needed to bring drinking water, dry food, and manpower. One whistle stick is enough.
The immigrants also received a supply of drinking water and dry food when they set off, and they had to bear all their luggage. Although there were several carriages transporting daily necessities in the team, the immigrants were not qualified to let these military carriages carry their luggage. At this time, Xiunian, who was traveling lightly and simply, had an obvious advantage. He put a small package on his shoulder. Just left.
Under the command of the soldiers, this group of immigrants lined up to leave the immigration camp where they had lived briefly for a few days, and then marched toward the southeastern foothills. The area of Zhoushan Island is approximately equivalent to three Hirado Islands, so for these Japanese immigrants, they can intuitively feel that this new home is much larger than their hometown.
Of course, the team was accompanied by officials from the civil affairs department, and after Xiunian set off, he was called to his side by the official named Ding Hui, who explained the general situation of Baiquan Town to him.
"...After arriving in Baiquan Town, I will introduce you to the mayor. From now on, you will hand over the resettlement work of this group of people to the mayor. Do you understand?"
Xiunian nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand!"
Xiunian already knew something about the power structure of the colonial area, which was also part of the training. After being settled in the local area, he would have to take orders from the local officials. It was related to his future and destiny, so Xiunian still wanted to take this opportunity to find out more information.
"Master Ding, can you tell me a little bit about the mayor first? This way, I can be prepared and cooperate with the mayor." Xiunian asked in a low voice.
Ding Hui glanced at him and said: "You are quite smart, and you know how to ask for information in advance... I tell you, this mayor is not an easy person to get along with. After you go there, you have to do things honestly and don't think about it. If you do what you like and reap the benefits, there will definitely be no good results if the mayor finds out!”
"I don't dare! Please give me some advice from Master Ding!" Xiunian responded humbly, but she was secretly worried about what kind of person her new boss would be that was difficult to get along with.
Seeing his sincere attitude, Ding Hui nodded: "When it comes to Mayor Jiang of Baiquan Town, he really has some background..."
The mayor of Baiquan Town is named Jiang Zian. He is from Guangdong and Guangxi. He comes from a peasant family and is a veteran who joined the army in 1628. After joining the army, he served under Shi Diwen. His first battlefield was in Lijiazhuang, Panyu, Guangdong, where he assisted the family of the great businessman Li Jifeng in resisting the local bandits. After that, Jiang Zian successively participated in a series of combat missions and made many military exploits.
However, during the attack on the Zhoushan Islands in 1633, Jiang Zian was unfortunately seriously injured. Although he later saved his life through treatment, his body had suffered irreparable injuries and he was forced to choose to retire from the army and change his career.
Jiang Zian had military exploits, so he naturally didn't have to worry about livelihood issues. In the end, he chose to settle in Zhoushan so that he could continue to work under Shi Diwen. Of course, Shi Diwen would not treat his meritorious officials badly. Since Jiang Zian wanted to rely on him, he would go along with the situation and let Jiang Zian become a local official on Zhoushan Island. However, although Jiang Zian was loyal, he was from a lowly background and had little education. Apart from leading troops and fighting, the only skills he had were farming and digging. If you want to keep him in an office in the yamen or manage trade affairs, he obviously lacks the corresponding abilities.
After much selection and consultation, Jiang Zian's own opinions were sought, and finally Shi Diwen appointed him to serve as the administrator of Baiquan Town in the north of the island. At that time, there was no administrative establishment of "Baiquan Town", so from the beginning Jiang Zian was actually only in charge of more than 200 local farmers, organizing them to cultivate land and build agricultural infrastructure while cultivating the land. It took several years to slowly The local area has been built into one of the main grain production areas on Zhoushan Island.
Although Jiang Zian did not have a high education, he was born in a farm family, so he was no stranger to farming. In addition, he had been in the army for several years and had the experience of traveling all over the country. Whether it was his vision or management ability, it was not an ordinary place. The executive officer is comparable. Although Baiquan Town follows the agricultural route, it has benefited from the reputation of Zhoushan as a regional trade center. New immigrants are imported more or less every year. Agricultural products can be produced and sold on the island, and farmers can also have a share. income.
Under Jiang Zian's management, Baiquan Town has indeed developed decently in the past two years. Although it is far less prosperous than Dinghai Port, if it is measured by agricultural areas, the development speed of Baiquan Town must be much faster than that of Dinghai Port. Average for this era.
Jiang Zian is a man who has experienced blood and fire, and he can't bear to rub dirt in his eyes. The people under his command and the area he manages will not tolerate any tricks. Therefore, under the rule of Baiquan Town, some unlucky criminals who committed crimes were severely punished every year. In the early years, there were even criminals with serious crimes who were shot by Jiang Zian himself after public trials. Therefore, in the officialdom of Zhoushan Colonial Area, Jiang Zian from Baiquan Town was known as a ruthless character. Apart from Shi Diwen, probably no one else could touch this man.
Of course, the rumors from the outside world are actually more exaggerated than the facts. For example, in Ding Hui's description, Jiang Zian is an image of an iron-blooded judge who has been governing the place with an iron fist.
But Xiunian didn't seem to be shocked by it. The government used relatively severe methods to govern the place, which was a common thing in the Hirado Domain. You must know that ordinary people in Japan do not even have surnames, and there is no talk of social status at all. Although Xiunian has been in Zhoushan for a short time, he can feel that the officials still care about them, Japanese immigrants from Hirado, and ensure that everyone their basic survival needs and also intends to help them integrate into society. As long as you can live well, what does it matter if the restrictions from the government are stricter?
Since the local official was a retired military officer, Xiunian speculated that the local atmosphere was similar to that of an immigration camp under military control, and there seemed to be nothing he could not adapt to.
Because the previous roll call took too long, it was almost noon when Xiunian and his group set out from the immigration camp. After walking five or six miles in the mountains and forests, the officer leading the team came over to discuss with Ding Hui. He ordered them to stop and rest and eat. After resting for a while, we set off again and continued heading north of the island.
After walking for more than ten miles in the mountains and forests, the vision finally opened up. A large area of coastal plain appeared in front of the new immigrants, which triggered waves of admiration. As far as the eye can see, there are square rice fields, at least thousands of acres, and some farmers can be seen working in the streets. On the distant horizon, the outline of the village can be faintly seen.
Such a peaceful scene seems to be not much different from their hometown. Thinking of settling down here, the immigrants who were originally uneasy about the unknown environment finally have a glimmer of hope.
Because he had received guidance from Ding Hui on the way and knew the general situation of Baiquan Town, Xiunian was not as surprised as the other immigrants by what he saw. He looked at the farmland in front of him, but he was thinking about how to deal with his new boss and try to make a good first impression on him.
Half an hour later, at a grain drying field, Xiunian finally met Jiang Zian, who had come to receive these immigrants. Ding Hui didn't need any introduction, he recognized this person at a glance.
Similar to many Haihan soldiers Xiunian had seen before, Jiang Zian had a dark complexion, a strong build, his hair was shaved very short, and he had an aura of calmness and self-power. Only the part of his left arm from the elbow down was gone, but he didn't shy away from it and deliberately rolled up his sleeves to reveal his strong upper arm.
Xiunian had heard from Ding Hui before that Jiang Zian was seriously injured in the war and was forced to retire from the army. When he saw the real person, he immediately understood that it would be difficult for him to serve in the army again with such injuries.
Jiang Zian stepped forward to greet the officer leading the team and Ding Hui, and exchanged a few brief greetings. Ding Hui turned around and called Xiunian forward and introduced Xiunian to Jiang Zian: "Mayor Jiang, these are the members of this group of Japanese immigrants. Civil Affairs Administrator, his name is Xiunian.”
"See the Mayor!" Xiunian quickly bowed his head to show respect. He also received training in social etiquette in the immigration camp, but he did remember the rule not to kneel down to salute.
Jiang Zian looked Xiunian up and down, nodded and said, "Just call me Mayor Jiang... Are you a monk?"
"The villain was indeed a monk when he was in Hirado." Xiunian responded honestly: "But after coming to Haihan Kingdom, I have decided to return to secular life."
Jiang Zian said: "If you want to eat fast and recite Buddha's name, that's up to you. I don't care about your identity, but you have to remember one thing. Since you are working for the government now, you are an official. If you make a mistake by sabotaging your work, Then you have to deal with it according to the law. I'm going to say something ugly. If something goes wrong under my hands, don't think about letting me spare you!"
"The villain should do his best to serve Haihan Kingdom." Xiunian heard that the other party's tone was indeed a bit unkind, so he quickly used the lines he had thought of in advance to block the other party's murderous intent.
Sure enough, Jiang Zian's face brightened after hearing this statement, and he nodded and said: "If you can always remember to serve the country, then you will not be too far away from naturalization. After arriving in Baiquan Town, do your best. If you perform well, I, Jiang Zian, will Write a recommendation to General Shi personally to ensure that you will be naturalized as soon as possible!”
(End of chapter)