1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 419 Negotiations with the Li People
Changhua River, also known as Changjiang, is the second longest river on Hainan Island. It originates from Mount Limu in Qiongzhong and runs through the central and western parts of Hainan Island.The Changhua River has a total length of more than 200 kilometers, a drainage area of ​​more than 5000 square kilometers, and many tributaries.The water vein injected from Shilu Mountain is the second largest tributary of Changhua River, and is called Shilu Water by local people.And this not too wide river lies across the traffic line planned by the Ministry of Construction. To the east of the river is the jurisdiction of Shizidong and the location of Shilu Iron Mine.

In order to go out and trade necessities such as grain, salt, and pig iron with the Han people, the Li people in Shizidong arranged a ferry on the river here—it is a ferry, but it is more accurate to describe it as a wooden raft.These mountain people living in the inland area do not have good shipbuilding skills. For them, being able to carry them across this small river less than [-] meters wide is considered a qualified boat.

Before sending the guides across the river back, the task force was not in a hurry to cross to the opposite bank, because if something went wrong, it would be a bit troublesome for the 30-odd people to withdraw back. The wooden raft ferry used by Li people , but it is impossible to carry so many people plus their livestock and luggage at one time.Taking advantage of the time when they were stationed by the small river, Qiao Zhiya and Fu Li brought a few people, cut down a few thigh-thick trees nearby, and began to tie up the raft by themselves, just in case.

Originally, there were assault rubber boats on the two catamaran sailboats, but the size and weight of those things were quite considerable even after they were deflated. Considering that the mules and horses carried too much stuff, Qiao Zhiya finally gave up carrying the assault boats. Intend.

The guide crossed the river from Shizidong and returned to the camp before dark, and brought back a message from Huang Sanmu, the owner of Shizidong, allowing them to enter the jurisdiction of Shizidong.This unsurprising news made everyone a little more relaxed. Since the Li people's villages are located in mountainous areas, it is difficult to obtain many supplies, and Han businessmen who are willing to take the initiative to enter the mountains to provide these supplies will generally not refuse.When Qiao Zhiya sent a guide, he specially asked him to bring samples of goods such as rice and salt, and it seemed that he was recognized by these Li people without any problems.

In the early morning of the next day, after everyone had breakfast in the camp, they began to organize the crossing of the river.The wooden raft made by the special mission team and the wooden raft of the Li people took five round trips to cross all the people and horses.Just in case, Qiao Zhiya still left three people on the other side of the river, and immediately rushed back to the fishing village by the sea to report if something happened. There was also a platoon of black soil port militiamen who came with Tian Yeyou and the old Morgan who stayed behind to take care of the sailboat. .

The coastal areas near Changhua are almost all plain terrain, and the special mission team did not encounter any difficult areas along the way.But after crossing the small river of Shilu, it can be regarded as the real beginning to enter the inland mountainous area.After crossing the river, under the guidance of the guide, I traveled eastward for about ten miles, and finally saw the unique planting area of ​​cutting hills on the nearby hillside.

Fu Li should be regarded as the one who felt the deepest among those who saw this scene. Just two years ago, the Fushan Cave where he lived and the surrounding cottages also used this slash-and-burn method to grow food.Based on this farming method alone, Fu Li can judge that the Li people here are still living in a relatively backward living condition - of course, this backwardness is compared to Haihan, and the previous Fushandong will not be much better go.

The scale of the cottage in Shizidong is not as large as that of Fushandong, but the internal structure is almost the same. They all have the same gable roof boat-shaped house as the main building. There is a larger boat-shaped house in the center of the village, which is the residence of the owner of the cave. up.Most of the mission team stayed outside, only Qiao Zhiya, Liu Shanxia, ​​Tian Yeyou and Fu Li entered the house to meet the cave master here.

Huang Sanmu, the owner of Shizi Cave, is a man in his prime of life. After inviting everyone to sit down, he ordered others to bring the cottage's homemade fruit wine to treat the guests.Qiao Zhiya also asked Fu Li to take out the prepared gift and present it to Huang Sanmu.According to the standard operation method of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the gift is still a three-piece set of saber, lighter and liquor. It can be seen that Huang Sanmu is the same as those cave masters who have dealt with Haihan in the past, it is difficult to hide his love for these gifts .

"Master Huang Dong, I would like to ask, have you heard of our Haihan Chamber of Commerce before?" Qiao Zhiya asked proactively.

Huang Sanmu nodded and said, "You sell salt. There are your shops in Changhua City. Your salt is very cheap, better than the official salt before!" Although Huang Sanmu's official language is not standard, it is barely It's possible to communicate.

"We sell not only salt, but also many other things. As long as you want to buy, we have the ability to provide." Qiao Zhiya immediately started self-promotion: "We can make the Li people here have a better living environment , let you live in the same houses as the Han people, enjoy the same food, and your children can read and read together with the children of the Han people!"

After hearing Qiao Zhiya's bragging, Huang Sanmu was not immediately overjoyed, but asked suspiciously: "We have no contacts, nor are we friends. Why do you do these things for us Li people?"

"Of course this is not for nothing, and you also need to pay certain conditions." Seeing Huang Sanmu's face change color, Qiao Zhiya quickly comforted him: "Don't worry, I don't want your money, I know you Li people don't have much money." .”

Hearing this, Huang Sanmu's face softened a little: "Then what do you want?"

"I want your cooperation." Qiao Zhiya did not intend to hide the real purpose of the executive committee, because such a large project, it is impossible to hide it from the indigenous residents for too long: "We want to build a road from the sea to here , and then mine iron ore on the hillside next to your cottage."

"Iron ore? You said we have iron ore here?" The first thing Huang Sanmu noticed was the iron ore. The Li people's cottage has been strictly controlled by the local government to control the import of pig iron, so that most of the agricultural tools used in their slash-and-burn farming It is still a stone tool. It is a blessing that Shizidong can get two or three hundred catties of pig iron through various channels every year, but this short-haired Haihan man claims that there is an iron mine next to the cottage?

"That's right, but I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to have the conditions for mining and smelting. Even if you can mine, the cost of obtaining pig iron for you is much higher than ours. If you need pig iron, we can supply it to you at a very low price, absolutely It’s cheaper than organizing your own people to mine and smelt iron!” Qiao Zhiya tried to persuade Huang Sanmu to accept his proposal from the perspective of commercial value, but he ignored that Huang Sanmu is not a businessman, but a native of Li. .

Huang Sanmu shook his head and said: "This is where our Shizidong is located, and the iron ore buried here also belongs to our Shizidong. We need pig iron, so we can mine the mines ourselves without outsiders intervening!"

"Without our help, you wouldn't be able to find the vein!" Tian Yeyou, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help interjecting.

Huang Sanmu looked at him sideways, shook his head and said: "That's nothing, we didn't know there was iron ore in the land under our feet, and we have lived here for many generations. Even if there is no iron ore, we can continue to be here live on."

"It's not easy!" Qiao Zhiya and Tian Yeyou exchanged glances, and the same thought flashed through their hearts.

At this time, Fu Li finally spoke: "Master Huangdong, I am Fu Li from Fushan Cave in Yazhou. My family is the same as yours, and it is also the guardian of Li Dong!"

"You? Are you from Li?" Huang Sanmu looked at Fu Li, somewhat disbelieving what he said.It's no wonder that Fu Li has short hair now, and he is also dressed in a Haihan-style short shirt, trousers and leather shoes. No matter how you look at it, you don't look like a Li person.

"I have a seal letter from the Ming court!" Fu Li said, then took out a small copper seal and handed it to Huang Sanmu.

Since the Yuan Dynasty, the central court began to confer the hereditary official positions of "thousand households" and "ten thousand households" on the Dongzhu of the Li people. Changed to "Ba Zong", "Qian Zong", "Commander" and so on.Its function is mainly to win over the local leaders of the Li people, so as to prevent them from confronting the local government twice in three days.Of course, this kind of official position does not have any practical effect. The taxes that Li Dong should pay are not less than a copper coin, and the labor that Li Dong should perform should not even try to escape.However, for the cave masters of the Li people, the seal issued by the imperial court is an easy way to identify their identities, because this thing can only be obtained by the cave masters and direct heirs of each cave, and no one will counterfeit this identity , because once it is exposed, it is pretending to be an official of the imperial court, which is a serious crime worthy of beheading.

Huang Sanmu took it and took a closer look, then nodded and said, "You are the same as me, and you are appointed by the court as President Qian. But why do you have the same attire as them? Have you abandoned your people?"

"I haven't abandoned anyone. We people in Fushandong are living very well now, thanks to the help of the Haihan people." Fu Li began to talk about the two sides when the Haihan people visited Fushandong for the first time two years ago. contact process.

Fushandong was undoubtedly a successful attempt by the executive committee to deal with Han-Lebanon relations at the beginning of the landing. The agreement reached by Ning Qi and Fu Nuo at that time was later called "Savior No. [-] Plan" and became a civil affairs department. A model for mass work in minority areas.From the initial exchange of materials, to the hiring of labor, the conscripting of soldiers, and finally to the relocation of the residents of Fushandong out of the mountains to settle in the Han residential area, Fushandong has undergone tremendous changes in the past two years. Fu Li, as the person who experienced it, naturally felt the most.

As soon as Fu Li opened the chatterbox, he couldn't stop it, and Huang Sanmu also showed great interest in Fu Li and Fu Shandong's experience, because Fu Li described the situation of Fu Shandong two years ago, It is too similar to the current Shizidong, with the same lack of food and clothing, and no hope of becoming rich in the future.

Soon it was time for lunch, and Huang Sanmu ordered his family to use the rice donated by the mission team to cook rice in bamboo tubes and some pheasants.Tian Yeyou was bored listening to the stories, so he offered to help the villagers cook pheasant here.There are also a lot of spices in the materials brought this time, and when they are put into the pot, the aroma is overflowing, which makes the index finger move.

After lunch, Fu Li continued to tell the story of Fushandong at the request of Huang Sanmu. The two of them naturally used Li people's language in their conversation. drowsy.But the two of them talked more and more vigorously, and they were still talking endlessly until dinner at night.

That night, the special mission team set up tents by themselves and stayed in the Shizidong cottage.Qiao Zhiya and the others had time to ask Fu Li about the content and progress of today's discussion.

Fu Li was obviously very satisfied with his performance, and said with a smile: "Lord Huangdong is very interested in the overall relocation of Fushandong. It can be seen that his current living environment in Shizidong is not what he said. Satisfied, if we can propose a more feasible plan, I think he has a great possibility to accept it."

The overall relocation of Fushandong is the first time that the executive committee has tried to let Li people move out of the deep mountains in units of the cave. The resettlement of the residents of Fushandong also fully considered their living habits, and placed their residences in the In the ravine between Tiandu Industrial Zone and Tielugang, it not only maintains the independence of Fushandong, but also gives them better living security conditions.In the new place of residence, the Li people and naturalized people can more conveniently obtain all kinds of living materials provided by the executive committee, and under the training of the Ministry of Agriculture, they have begun to plant various types of economic crops, and the compensation they get is much higher than the level of slash-and-burn cultivation in the mountains.

After a successful attempt, the executive committee later arranged several Lidong and Miao villages to move out of the mountains and move to the coastal plains of Sanya.Although these mountain people have little culture, they are often an excellent source of soldiers, and women, children, old and young can also engage in some auxiliary industries, which can change their original very poor living conditions in a short period of time.

In this process, the relevant departments have accumulated a wealth of experience. Even Fu Li himself has participated in the two recent relocations of Li and Miao villages. He has a clear understanding of the method and purpose of this relocation. The description to Huang Sanmu was more detailed, and with the addition of Fu Li's identity as the successor to the leader of Lidong, this kind of persuasion was even more convincing.

"Xiao Fu, you did a good job!" Liu Shanxia grinned and patted Fu Li's shoulder vigorously in praise, but his big palm-like hand almost knocked Fu Li down.

"We can set higher conditions, but some bottom lines still have to be determined." Qiao Zhiya seemed relatively calm. The executive committee entrusted him with the responsibility of this task force, which was undoubtedly a test of his personal ability.He has already accumulated certain achievements in the army. If he can complete this mission well, he will have a better foundation for joining the army or politics in the future.

(End of this chapter)