The sun never sets in America

Chapter 131 Xijing City and the Team
Xijing City in June, just like this time last year, has slowly entered summer.

Large swaths of sunshine shone on Xijing City, which had been expanded into four districts.

It brought a golden color to the city, as if it were gilded.

Xijing City is located on the coast of California, just at the junction of the entire west coast and the inland. In addition, Xijing City is the capital of Han Dynasty, so since the construction of the Xijing Railway...

Especially after it was connected to several other leading large cities in Han Dynasty, the entire Xijing City became more and more prosperous.

According to the latest population statistics, Xijing City as a whole, including surrounding areas, has a total population of 80, and 40 people live in Xijing City. Although some of them live in outer cities like Niuling District, which is an industrial zone, they still have a population of [-]. You can feel the prosperity of Xijing City.

After all, in this era, a city with a population of hundreds of thousands is not actually a small city in any country. Even some small countries, especially those chaotic small countries in Central America, have a total population as large as Xijing. Two words...

For a big city like Xijing City with 40 people, tons are used as the basic unit of measurement for daily consumption and goods coming in and out every day.

It can be seen how terrible the consumption of Xijing City is! !
Early in the morning, vegetable farmers from nearby towns and villages drove carriages, pulling cart after cart of vegetables and fruits, from Niuling District to the northern area where ordinary people in Xijing City live...

In the northern district, a street similar to a later vegetable market was built, called Food Street.

There are a large number of rental stalls in the restaurant street. These stalls are contracted by Xijing City or outside vegetable vendors and butchers. Every month, the Xijing Municipal Government Taxation Bureau pays contract fees and taxes.

In fact, in the early days, taxes and contracting fees were separated. You had to go to the city government to pay the contracting fees first, and then pay the taxes with the voucher. This was not only cumbersome and procrastinating, but also easily caused tax confusion.

In the end, the new mayor of Xijing City, Luo Mingdai, made the decisive decision to combine these two responsibilities into one and hand them over to the tax bureau.

It saves the vendors the trouble and makes the management of Xijing City easier...

"Fresh lobsters, big and fresh lobsters..." In the fishery market in the restaurant street, a mixed-race vendor wearing an apron and dressed as a fisherman was hawking large lobsters that had been tied up on the ground, "Here. ...Lobster, fresh lobster..." the mixed-race vendor continued to shout.

"Do you want lobster? It's guaranteed to be delicious. You can steam it or braise it when you go home." The mixed-race vendor immediately greeted a fair-skinned young man who was looking at the lobsters in his stall opposite.

"How do you sell these lobsters?" Robert asked the mixed-race middle-aged man at the stall in Mandarin with a distinct accent.

"The guest wants it now. If he wants it now, the original price is 25 copper dollars each. If you want four, I will give you [-] copper dollars each, a total of one Chinese dollar." The middle-aged man with mixed-race appearance felt moved when he saw Robert. Interested, he immediately made a sales pitch and finally gave Robert a price that looked good.

"Is it fresh?" Robert was a little excited, and then pointed to the lobster on the ground that was still squirming and touching its feet, although it was trapped, and asked the middle-aged man, "Did you catch this lobster today? I only eat freshly caught lobsters." Not even one more day." Robert then said to the mixed-race vendor again and put forward his own conditions.

"It must be fresh. I caught this lobster at night... My dear, a wave at night almost capsized my boat." The mixed-race hawker opened his eyes and told lies, "If something happens to me, Customers coming to this restaurant in the future may not be able to eat such fresh lobster." The mixed-race vendor continued to brag, bragging as if he was the only one selling lobster in this restaurant street.

"Okay, get me four..." Robert looked at the lively lobsters on the ground, and believed what the mixed-race hawker in front of him said, "Here... here you go!!" Robert took it from his inner pocket. He took out a shiny piece of Chinese yuan and handed it to the boss who was loading Robert with lobsters in a bamboo basket.

"Oh, it's new money..." After taking the Chinese dollar handed over by Robert, the mixed-race vendor looked at the shining silver dollar with Liu Peng's face in surprise, "This money is newly minted, guest. It's amazing, you can get such money..." The mixed-race hawker complimented Robert because of a new Chinese dollar.

After all, new money like this usually does not flow into the market so quickly. The Hua Yuan silver coins currently used by Han people are still from the Liu Yan period...

This piece of Huayuan with the side profile of Liu Peng was actually produced for less than a week. Even the Imperial Bank did not have many pieces. However, the white-skinned young man in front of me could get it and spend it directly. This shows that this person There was a bit of background... For a hawker who dealt with people every day, he quickly guessed that Robert was not an ordinary person.

"It's no big deal, it's from our team." Robert looked at the mixed-race vendor complimenting him. Although he felt very happy, on the surface, he still showed an indifferent expression, "Our team recently defeated the Galaxy. team, so the boss specially sent a batch of new money as a reward." Robert said with some pride.

"Galaxy, you are a player of the Suns..." Hearing Robert mention the Galaxy and other things about victory, the mixed-race vendor reacted instantly and said with some surprise.

"Yes, I am indeed a player of the Suns, but that doesn't mean anything." Although Robert was extremely happy in his heart, he still shrugged on the surface to show that he didn't care.

"Oh, you must give me an autograph later. Our whole family is a Suns fan..." Upon hearing that Robert was really a Suns player, the mixed-race vendor immediately became excited, "Just wait, I'll get it." Jersey..." The mixed-race vendor ran back to the box behind the stall and pulled out a fiery red cowhide jacket. (similar to a denim jacket)

"You know, I have watched a total of four of your games, and I decided to become a Suns fan!!" The mixed-race vendor handed Robert the pen and jacket while excitedly talking about his experience of becoming a Suns fan. .

"Wait a minute, this is a grouper, it's the biggest here. If you take it back and eat it, it will be regarded as the reward for signing my autograph." The mixed-race vendor then came over carrying a large grouper wearing a fishing line. , said to Robert.

In this way, with a shocked expression, Robert walked out of the restaurant with lobster and fish.

The destination he wants to go to is the Sun Star Polo Ground, which is still under expansion.

The so-called polo is actually a horse-hitting sport popular in many countries.

Because of the price of polo vehicles and qualified polo horses, many people are actually unable to afford to play polo, especially for most people.

Moreover, the cost of building a professional polo field is also extremely high. Not to mention the terrifying floor area, the grassland for professional polo is a trouble in this era. Just maintenance and regular mowing are just a piece of cake. The big trouble is that for ordinary people, polo is a game for the rich and has nothing to do with ordinary people! !

Logically speaking, it is difficult to promote a sport like polo among the people. After all, it is not like football, which can be played as long as there is flat ground...

This has been verified in any country. In the ancient times of China, polo was a game for the aristocrats of the time, and the common people generally played Cuju.

But in the city of Xijing, polo naturally occupies the mainstream. The main reason is because there are a large number of military meritorious officials here.

These nobles range from big to small. The highest ones are the so-called Xijing Marquises who have been ennobled...the smaller ones are earls, barons and the like.

In addition to these prestigious titles, there are thousands of ordinary veterans in Xijing City who hold the title of Duke. They are ordinary, but in fact they are no longer ordinary. At least they are much better than those real white bodies. many……

Because of the increasing population in Xijing, the entertainment industry in Xijing City is also growing rapidly.

Not to mention anything else, this month, at least eight new brothels and taverns have opened! !

From this we can see how strong the consumption in Xijing City is.

After all, Xijing is the center of the entire Han Dynasty and the capital in the true sense.

A large part of the finance collected from various places in the Han Dynasty was used in Xijing, although they were all normal financial allocations such as paying official salaries and developing Xijing industry.

But this still brings unimaginable wealth to the city of Xijing, and this wealth is sustainable and keeps flowing in...

This also brought a kind of prosperity to Xijing City that was based on the entire Han Dynasty.

Although some people also criticize this approach, which harms a country and enriches a city.

But no matter how these people refute, they have to admit the important position of Xijing in the Han Dynasty.

The entire Xijing area has the largest population in Han Dynasty and the largest industrial area, Niuling District.

There is also the most prosperous port in Han Dynasty, which is not even comparable to the developed Jinshan Port.

As well as multiple advantages in education and medical care, these various advantages together form this largest and most prosperous city on the West Coast with a population of 40... Xijing City! !
And this city of Xijing also gave birth to the earliest public sports industry in Han Dynasty, polo! !The reason why it is polo is inseparable from the nobles mentioned just now and the wealth of Xijing City.

For those nobles, polo represents their military career, and more importantly, the extremely high threshold of polo also reflects the importance and preciousness of their noble status.

It can be said that polo has become a symbol of the spirit and glory of the nobles of the Han Dynasty.

In Xijing, a city where nobles gather, polo has undoubtedly become the number one sport.

As for football, which is currently developing rapidly among the Han people and is expected to become the number one sport, in the eyes of these nobles from Xijing, it is just a game for country people to entertain themselves and cannot be taken seriously! !
For ordinary people in Xijing City, they prefer polo and look down on football because of the atmosphere.

After all, man is a group animal, and a person's habits and behaviors are often affected by the group.

Also because of the lively polo atmosphere in Xijing, a new industry has emerged, the polo industry.

This industry revolves around the sales and manufacturing of protective gear, suitable saddles, tall and agile polo ponies, and even horse feed...

Although it is not too big yet, it does support a group of people.

In addition, several polo clubs were established.

They are the Suns in the Northern District, the Galaxy in the Central District, the Yunhai Team in the Government District, and the Hammers in Niuling District.
Among them, the Suns are a civilian team, because most of the people here in the northern district are civilians. Although the owner is an aristocratic and wealthy businessman, the supporters are all civilians, so it is considered a civilian team.

The Galaxy team is located in the relatively affluent central district, and its supporters are mostly urban middle class, small-rich people with a certain amount of wealth, and even some local white people.

Because the Yunhai team is located in a government district, its main supporters are some Han officials and their family members. Therefore, as fans, they are the most respectable fans. Unlike fans from other places, they are noisy when they come to the stadium.

Most of the fans of the Yunhai team were very calm. They greeted each other when they arrived, and then drank tea and chatted in the upper box, talking about the current situation and development of Han Dynasty...

The wives just discussed among themselves what dishes were delicious, how to prepare them, whose son was handsome and capable, and whose daughter was pretty, and finally returned to the old way of dating.

For those who don’t know, they think this is the general office and marriage registration bureau of the city government.

The last team, the Hammers, which seems to have the most unsociable name, is called the Hammers mainly because Niuling District is an industrial zone, and it is also the largest industrial zone in Han Dynasty. There are nearly [-] people from all walks of life. workers...

This also brings about a consequence, that is, before establishing this team, the best way to adapt to the local characteristics is to let the locals know what it means when they hear the name, and finally support it...

So looking at it this way, the Hammers are the team that best fits the image of Cow Ridge.

Because there are currently only four teams, they are basically finals, played in a two-round system, and the final result is calculated based on the scores of the two games. Of course, if the final result is a draw, a final game can also be played at a third-party stadium. A game that determines winning or losing.

Because there are too few teams, it is difficult to play a knockout system. Therefore, currently the only way to judge whether a team is strong is through team points.

Points are exchanged every three months, that is, a quarter. The team with the highest points in that quarter is also called the champion or third overall. By analogy, the team with the highest points within half a year is also called the second place. The one with the highest annual points is called the top pick.

Does it sound similar to the imperial examination? Not only does it sound like it, it's basically the team bosses who copied it according to the titles in the Chinese imperial examination system. They copied it word for word and didn't change it! !

So much so that some people joked that these people are conducting the polo imperial examination, and in the future they will also be recruiting polo scholars, polo scholars, polo boys, and even the Hanlin Academy...

Although the above is difficult to achieve, after all, the owners of the polo team are nobles, which is shameful. How can they really follow the imperial examination system?

If you ask them about things like No. [-] Scholar and No. [-] Scholar, which are obviously part of the imperial examination system, they will most likely reply to you: "Respect tradition!!"

News of the polo team and the construction of the polo field naturally spread to the palace.

When he learned that the Galaxy Team was run by his third brother Liu Tian, ​​Liu Peng could only show a helpless smile. After all, Liu Tian had been out of tune since he was a child, and he would not be surprised if he saw anything.

As for the polo team and the polo style in Xijing, Liu Peng has a complicated mentality.

Although Liu Peng privately commented on this phenomenon: "Polo is just a tool created by a group of idle nobles to show off their wealth and status... It's okay to play ball on horseback, which is better than fighting birds with cages. The disciples of the Eight Banners are strong, at least this way they can still retain some blood!!"

Liu Peng actually recognizes the sport of polo.

In fact, Liu Peng himself occasionally plays games like polo, but not much. What Liu Peng likes to do most is actually hunting.

After all, in his previous life, Liu Peng was just an ordinary social beast. He had never even touched a gun, let alone something as exciting as hunting. Therefore, after time traveling and losing computer games, Liu Peng quickly lost his original love for gun games. Put it on hunting... For this reason, the wild beasts in the mountains and forests outside Xijing City were often harmed by Liu Peng.

.............................................

The Sunstar Polo Ground, where the Suns are located, will attract a challenge from the Galaxy this afternoon, a rematch that many people in the North and Central Districts are looking forward to.

Because the stadium has not yet been fully constructed, the number of seats in all stands is still very limited, making it difficult to get a ticket.

Throughout the Sun Star Polo Ground, the players and polo ponies were already at the peak of their lives before they even entered the stadium.

And when the two teams came out on horseback wearing silver and red protective gear, there was an immediate uproar.

"Fuck them to death..."

"Kill these sun dogs..."

"Show them what a real man is!!"

In the stands of the Galaxy, the Galaxy fans from the Central District were frantically insulting the Suns fans from the Northern District opposite them. The curses were extremely unpleasant. Those who didn't know better thought that they were not from the economically developed Central District. , but the Hammers from Niuling District.

The Suns fans on the opposite side were not to be outdone. Names such as Galaxy Pigs, an insult to the Galaxy losers, kept appearing on the polo field.

From this point of view, the quality of the people on both sides is not very high.

In fact, among the four teams in Xijing City, only the Yunhai team from the government district has the highest quality. Many fans do not curse or insult others.

Rarely even spoke loudly.

The remaining three teams are very average, even in a relatively affluent place like the Central District, because there are a large number of small wealthy people and newly emerging middle-class families in the area, and they look very polite.

But that's just an appearance. The real situation is that these people have to work hard to make money during the day and socialize at night. Their lives are extremely stressful. Over time, venting their emotions on the court has become a necessity! !

Then, with cheers from both sides, the game started...

　Please give me a reward and make a full order.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)