1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 2159
"Xiu Nian!"

"To!"

After hearing her own name, Xiu Nian finally breathed a sigh of relief.Although he didn't know exactly what he was looking forward to and what he was afraid of, but the distribution result was finally determined, which gave him a feeling that the dust had settled.I wasn't given up, but I didn't get any special treatment either. Everything was going according to the process.Just like the information he received during the training, all the new immigrants will be properly resettled, but no one can eat free food, and must rely on labor to support themselves.

According to the distribution plan announced by the Civil Affairs Officer, Xiu Nian learned that she would be resettled together with two hundred other Japanese immigrants to a place called Baiquan Town on Zhoushan Island, and set off from the immigrant camp on the same day.Although she didn't know anything about this place, Xiu Nian 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 [-] miles away from Dinghai Port, the central city of the island.However, this distance is only marked on the map, and the reality is that there are mountains and forests more than ten miles deep between the two places, and the land passage needs to go through the bottom of the mountain valley, so the actual distance from Dinghai Port to Baiquan Town needs to Much farther than the straight-line distance on the map.

Baiquan Town was slowly formed after Haihan took over the Zhoushan Islands. Before that, there were only a few villages with a small population in this area, and no real towns were formed.In recent years, the Zhoushan authorities have continuously resettled immigrants across the island, and the population of the area where Baiquan Town is located has increased by four or 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 in the southern part of Zhoushan Island, the development status of the northern region is much different.The coastline near Baiquan Town faces the East China Sea, but there is no natural good harbor. Not to mention the shipping and shipbuilding industries that can make a lot of money, it is not easy to operate a fishery on a large scale.Moreover, the investment in building a large port is quite large. For the Zhoushan authorities, which already own 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 it is possible to take the road of agricultural development.There is no shortage of fresh water resources on Zhoushan Island, and various water storage facilities have been built over the years, so agricultural irrigation is not a big problem. The only trouble is the sea hurricane that occurs from time to time. business causing some damage.

According to the calculation of the agricultural department, there are about [-] mu of plain area within the jurisdiction of Baiquan Township that can be used for farmland farming, but so far, the farmland that has been reclaimed actually accounts for less than half of the area, so there is still a comparison. Large development space is available for resettlement.

Rice and various seasonal vegetables are the main crops grown in Baiquan Town.In addition, another special product is the bayberry produced in the local Gaoxie Village. However, the freshness period of bayberry is only a few days after picking, so it is difficult to sell fresh bayberry to other places.But the bayberry wine made by the local small wine shop is the only local specialty 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 takes the route of land reclamation and has abundant agricultural products, the problem of food and clothing for the local people is better solved, and the new immigrants do not need to worry about being frozen after being resettled there. starve.

A platoon belonging to the East China Sea Fleet was in charge of escorting Xiu Nian's group of immigrants. However, because the task was relatively easy and the environment on the island was also very safe, the soldiers did not need to go out with their guns armed. They only needed to bring drinking water, dry food, and manpower. A whistle stick is enough.

Immigrants also received a drink of water and dry food when they set off, and they had to bear all their luggage by themselves.Although there are a few horse-drawn carriages in the team to transport daily necessities, the immigrants are not qualified to let these military horse-drawn carriages carry their luggage for them. At this time, Xiu Nian, who is light and simple, has a clear advantage, and puts a small package on his shoulders. and left.

Under the command of the soldiers, this group of immigrants left the immigration camp where they lived briefly for a few days, and then marched towards the southeast foothills.The area of ​​Zhoushan Island is roughly 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, there were officials from the civil affairs department in the team, and Xiu Nian was called by this official named Ding Hui to explain the general situation of Baiquan Town to him after they set off.

"...After arriving in Baiquan Town, I will introduce the mayor to you. From now on, you and the mayor will hand over the resettlement work of this group of people, understand?"

Xiu Nian nodded again and again, "I understand!"

The power structure in the colonial area is also part of the training content, and Xiu Nian already knows about it.After being settled in the locality, he will take orders from the local officials, and his future is related to his destiny. Xiu Nian still wants to take this opportunity to inquire more information.

"Master Ding, can you tell the villain a little about the mayor's situation first? This way the villain can be prepared and cooperate with the mayor." Xiu Nian asked in a low voice.

Ding Hui glanced at him and said, "You are clever, and you know how to ask for information in advance... Let me tell you, this mayor is not an easy character to get along with. After you go, you have to do things honestly. Don't think about it." Do what you like and reap the rewards, and if the mayor finds out, there must be no good fruit to eat!"

"The villain dare not! Please Master Ding give advice!" Xiu Nian hurriedly responded humbly, but she was secretly worried that her new boss would be such a difficult person to get along with.

Seeing his sincerity, Ding Hui nodded, "Speaking of the mayor of Baiquan Town, Jiang, he really has a background..."

The mayor of Baiquan Town is named Jiang Zi'an, a native of Guangdong and Guangxi. He was born in a farming family and was a veteran who joined the army in 1628.After enlisting in the army, he served under Shi Diwen's command. The first time he set foot on the battlefield was in Lijiazhuang, Panyu, Guangdong, where he assisted the family of the big businessman Li Jifeng to resist the local rogue armed forces.Afterwards, Jiang Zian took part in a series of combat missions one after another and made a lot of military exploits.

However, during the attack on the Zhoushan Islands in 1633, Jiang Zian was unfortunately seriously injured. Although his life was saved after medical treatment, his body suffered irreparable damage, so he had to choose to retire from the army and change his career.

Jiang Zian has military merits, so naturally he doesn't have to worry about making a living. In the end, he chose to settle in Zhoushan in order to continue working under Shi Diwen.Of course, Shi Diwen would not treat his meritorious ministers badly. Since Jiang Zian wanted to be attached to him, he went along with the flow and made Jiang Zian a magistrate on Zhoushan Island.

However, although Jiang Zian was loyal, but because of his humble background, he had no cultural education, and the only skills he had mastered were farming and digging besides leading troops to fight.It is obvious that he lacks the corresponding ability to keep him in an office in the Yamen, or to manage trade affairs.

After picking and choosing, and seeking Jiang Zian's opinion, Shi Diwen finally appointed him to Baiquan Town in the north of the island as the administrator.At that time, there was no administrative establishment of "Baiquan Town", so Jiang Zian actually only managed the more than 200 local farmers in the beginning, organized them to cultivate, and built agricultural infrastructure while farming. It has been built into one of the main grain production areas of Zhoushan Island.

Although Jiang Zian didn't have much education, but he was born in a farming 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 world. Whether it was his vision or his management ability, it was not an ordinary place. Administrators are comparable.Although Baiquan Town is following the agricultural route, it has more or less been exposed to the light of Zhoushan, a regional trade center. More or less new immigrants are imported every year, and 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 Dinghaigang, if measured by the agricultural area, the development speed of Baiquan Town must be much faster than that of Dinghaigang. Average for this era.

Jiang Zian is a person who has experienced blood and fire, and he can't rub the sand in his eyes. The people under him, and the area he manages, can't tolerate any tricky behavior.Therefore, under the rule of Baiquan Town, some unlucky criminals would be severely punished every year. In the early years, there were even serious criminals who were executed by shooting by Jiang Zian himself after the public trial.Therefore, in the official circles of the Zhoushan Colonial Area, Jiang Zian from Baiquan Town was known as a ruthless character. Apart from Shi Diwen, there was probably no one else who could make him move.

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.

However, Xiu Nian didn't sound like he had heard of it. The government used stricter methods to govern the place, which was a common thing in the Hirado domain.You must know that ordinary people in Japan don’t even have a surname, and they can’t even talk about social status. Although Xiunian has been in Zhoushan for a short time, he can feel that the government still cares about them, Japanese immigrants from Hirado, and guarantees that everyone 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 magistrate is a retired military officer, Xiu Nian speculates that the local atmosphere is probably similar to that of an immigration camp under military control, and it seems to him that there is nothing he cannot adapt to.

Because the previous roll call took too long, it was almost noon when Xiu Nian and his group left the immigration camp. After walking five or six miles in the forest, the officer leading the team came over to discuss with Ding Hui. He ordered to stop and eat.After resting for a while, start again and continue to the north of the island.

After walking for more than ten miles in the mountains and forests, the eyes finally suddenly opened up. A large expanse of coastal plains appeared in front of the new immigrants, which aroused bursts of admiration.As far as the eye can see, there are square paddy fields, at least thousands of acres in size, and some farmers can be seen working between the rice paddies.On the horizon in the distance, the outline of the village can be seen faintly.

Such a peaceful scene seems to be not much different from their hometown. Thinking that they will soon settle down here, the immigrants who were originally uneasy about the unknown environment finally had a glimmer of expectation.

Because she had already received Ding Hui's guidance on the way and knew the general situation of Baiquan Town, Xiu Nian was not as surprised by what she saw as other immigrants.He looked at the farmland in front of him, but he was thinking about how to deal with his new boss, trying to make a good first impression on him.

Half an hour later, Xiu Nian finally saw Jiang Zian who came to receive the immigrants in a grain drying field.He didn't need Ding Hui's introduction, he recognized this person at a glance.

Similar to many Haihan soldiers that Xiu Nian had seen before, Jiang Zian had a dark complexion, a strong physique, his hair was shaved extremely short, and he had an aura of calm and self-importance.It's just that the part of his left arm below the elbow is gone, but he himself is not shy about it, and deliberately rolled up his sleeves to reveal his strong upper arm.

Xiu Nian had heard from Ding Hui before that Jiang Zian was seriously injured in the battle and was forced to leave the army. When he saw the real person, he immediately understood that it would be very difficult for him to serve in the army after being injured like him.

Jiang Zian stepped forward to greet the military officer and Ding Hui who led the team, and exchanged a few simple greetings. Ding Hui then turned around and called Xiu Nian forward, and introduced Xiu Nian to Jiang Zian: "Mayor Jiang, this is the group of Japanese immigrants. Civil affairs administrator, his name is Xiu Nian."

"See Lord Mayor!" Xiu Nian hastily bowed her head to show respect.He also received training in social etiquette in the immigration camp, but he remembered the rule of not kneeling down to salute.

Jiang Zian looked Xiu Nian 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." Xiu Nian replied honestly: "But after coming to Haihan Kingdom, I have decided to return to vulgarity."

Jiang Zi'an said: "If you want to eat fast and recite the Buddha's name, that's up to you. I don't care about your status, but you have to remember one thing, since you are working for the government, you are an official status. If you sabotage and make mistakes, Then you have to deal with it according to the law. My ugly words are up front, if you make a mistake under my hands, don't think about asking me to forgive you!"

"The villain should do his best to serve the Haihan Kingdom." Xiu Nian heard that the other party's tone was indeed a bit unkind, and hurriedly moved out the lines she had thought up in advance to block the other party's murderous intent.

Sure enough, after hearing this statement, Jiang Zian's face turned pale, and he nodded, "If you can always remember to serve the country, you will not be too far away from naturalization. After arriving in Baiquan Town, do things well. If you perform well, I, Jiang Zian Personally write a recommendation to General Shi, and guarantee your naturalization as soon as possible!"

(End of this chapter)