Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 1324 He Jian (Eleventh)

The sound of "cracking" firecrackers continued to sound on the street, and businessmen, non-national coolies, shop workers, mercenaries, farmers, students and even officials gathered around pointed and discussed in twos and threes.Their attitudes are undoubtedly differentiated. Some people are happy to see the results and welcome them, and they will treat them with a smile or even applaud vigorously; With this scene, is the paradise that was so hard to come by going to disappear again?From then on, there will be government control on the head, and the annual pre-tax payment is also very painful, not to mention corvee and some temporary expenses. This good life is going to end!

Well, there is nothing mysterious about it!To put it simply, after years of careful preparation and strong local support, a wooden plaque that read "Shancha County Government of the Eastern Coast of China" was officially hung up on the second floor of a certain room by two strong guards. The gate of the building has just been promoted to the position of executive deputy county magistrate (deputy director level) in Shancha County (under the jurisdiction of Shancha Town, Yehuo Township, Dashikou Township, Xinji Township, and Liushuwan Township, with a population of about 1.05) Chen Ke, who was actually in charge of the work, finally felt elated: After so many years of bleak management in this barren land, it can be regarded as the beginning of success!

Well, the only thing that makes people feel uncomfortable is probably the "bad news" he just heard, that is, the acting county magistrate of Jincheng was formally established in December last year, under the jurisdiction of Jincheng Township, Jinhu Township, Luoma Township, and Maijia Township. Gou Township, Sanshan Township, Hexia Township, and Chaiteng Township are the 12th county-level administrative units in the country, with a population of nearly 47 people. Ma Wenqiang is about to take off the word agent on his hat. Promoted from a deputy director-level official to a director-level official, he has officially taken charge of Jincheng County since then, and has become a rising star in the political arena of the East China Republic.

I heard that Liu Jianguo from Nantie Fenggu Island (Chiloe Island) will also be officially promoted to the county magistrate. He is also a department-level official with a bright future; The foreign and commercial affairs of the Rimean Khanate and other aspects are high and powerful. His father is also a retired Central Executive Committee member, and his disciples and old officials are all over the country. This prospect is even more promising.Compared with people like Ma, Liu, and Gao, my own progress is still not fast enough. Thinking about it makes me feel very bad.

After presiding over the founding ceremony of Shancha County and briefly explaining the tasks of the next stage, on October 1662, 10, Chen Ke, together with Lieutenant Fu Lei who had heard the news, led a team of more than 6 guards and rode to the Go further north into the mountains.There are some spontaneously formed settlements there, which have always been neglected and used to being wild, and it is difficult for the cadres sent by the above to carry out their work. Chen Ke does not believe in evil, and intends to take people to meet these bastards for a while.

And when it comes to the disobedience of the people under the rule, Shancha County was definitely a negative example and the hardest hit area. Xu, Chen, Sun and other big surnames live together in five settlements, each with hundreds of relatives and township parties, almost They all immigrated from Daming—I don’t know why they didn’t want to settle down on the east coast, but live together in a group in the relatively wild and primitive Hejian. Isn’t it for commercial interests?There may be, but it is by no means all the factors-the five settlements have built a stronghold to protect each other, and they will rescue each other whenever there is a threat from the Spaniards. His posture is shown.This made it difficult for the officials on the east bank to accept. The reason for encouraging you to cross the border to cultivate and settle down is to occupy more land. It is not for you to continue to be the patriarch of the Ming Dynasty, Jinshen (and of course the godfather of the Italians), Weifu, for your own use!Moreover, these so-called gentry and patriarchs had usurped too much power that originally belonged to the government, and they were unwilling to send their children out to serve in the military. Therefore, Lieutenant Fu Lei was furious and began to levy heavy taxes on them.

A garrison soldier collects 320 catties of wheat, 80 kilos of meat, 8 kilos of salt, 20 yuan worth of wine, a variety of non-staple foods and medicines, 5 yuan of clothing and other expenses, and additional fees if there is a battle. Provide expenses such as excavation fee, burning and burial fee, soup and medicine fee.These expenses are not too much for those Ming families and Italian families living in large families in Shan Cha Bao, but they are definitely not easy expenses. But why did you not want to send your children to join the defense team?Then there is only something out!

In fact, the East Coast government is quite kind. They didn’t ask you to pay money, but only to produce products—although Shancha County is rich in products, if anyone wants to cash in these agricultural products, it will be quite troublesome. The profiteers from other places who came to the neighborhood to buy a piece of skin - it also saved your children the pain of running around and fighting, but it's hard to say whether it will be good or bad in the future.Don't you see, after the strong establishment of Shancha County, from the county to the village, from the military and police to the clerks, is there a cadre from the so-called rich people like you?Doroshenko, a Ukrainian who was poorly clothed and hungry, has now taken up the post of deputy captain of the garrison and director of the Shancha County Public Security Bureau. Farming and grazing in the countryside, going to the mountains to make some yerba mate tea, chop wood, and collect some wild products during the slack season. The living standard may not be too bad, but there is no doubt that the social status is not at all.

Chen Ke also doesn't plan to use administrative means to change the status of these people. Since they are pedantic and conservative and unwilling to make progress, then it is up to them to make a negative teaching material and put it in the Hejian area for everyone to see. What a pathetic and stupid end to confrontation.

Fortunately, these people are not hopeless after all. Some people see that there is no future for living in the countryside, and that many "outsiders" are forcibly stuffed into the village and mixed with sand, which greatly reduces their right to speak. In order to respond to the government's call, they sent some young children to the county to go to school and work.It's just that there is no visible effect at the moment, after all, the good positions have already been taken by people, and there is basically no possibility of turning around within one or two generations, except for adventures.

On November 11th, Chen Ke and Fu Lei led a team to Ganyi Township (located near the later city of San Vicente) via Liangquan Township (later Campo Grande), where there was a large family surnamed Luo, who lived in About dozens of people are relatives of Luo Guoshi, a gentry from Dezhou in the Qing Dynasty.It is said that Luo Guoshi, the gentry who secretly passed information to Marshal Mo's army several times, died of illness a few years ago. Before he died, he had secretly recommended several relatives to the East Coast people. Mao Desheng, who served as the deputy minister of the local army department, accepted him and placed him in Yantai.

Later, the Luo family was considered to have some skills. Some people came to the east coast to run the salted fish selling business, and gradually accumulated some capital.Later, some descendants of the Luo family sneaked from Texas to the east bank control area with gold and silver, and then immigrated to the east bank mainland. Together with the tribe who came earlier, they ran to the north of Hejian to manage the tung tree plantation.Gein and the others heard that the climate here is very suitable for the growth of tung trees, so they tried to spend a lot of money to import a batch of such trees from China, and transplanted them to the vicinity of Ganyi Township, waiting for future harvest.

Later, the Luo family simply learned from the Xu family, Sun family, Chen family and other big families that took root in Hejian, and began to introduce the township relatives from mainland China. A total of 50 people came before and after—because it was in the area controlled by the Qing army. Well, emigration is so convenient—just settling in this area, opening up wasteland and farming, grazing cattle and sheep, and also raising bees and fishing, the life is not bad.As the Luo family opened up wasteland and settled here, more and more people looking for yerba mate tea resources gradually moved here. Over time, a spontaneous settlement like Ganyi Township was formed. There are currently about 600 people. Residents, with a very high proportion of non-nationals.

The Misiones Province of Argentina (that is, the plateau where Shancha County and Ganyi Township are located) introduced a large number of Chinese tea trees and tung trees in the early 20th century. It has been proved that they are very suitable for the local climate and have a high yield. Plantations and tung plantations occupy a prominent economic position in this remote subtropical plateau province. The rapid expansion of the planting area has stimulated the demand for labor, which has led to a large influx of immigrants (mainly German immigrants) , making the Misiones Plateau one of the provinces with the fastest growing immigrant population in Argentina.

Now that the Luo family is running the oil tung tree plantation here, it is indeed on the right path, because the tung fruit can extract high-value industrial oil, which can be used to make paints, paulis (that is, paulishui, a kind of varnish), Excellent economic benefits can be obtained now, and the future is even more immeasurable.

After Chen Ke, Fu Lei and others arrived in Ganyi Township, the first thing they went to was their house—it was a small village built on the hillside, mainly made of wood, and it looked like a Chinese style.The Luo family has a small number of local people, only a few dozen people, so naturally they dare not neglect the high officials from the imperial court, although they have been in arrears for various taxes that should have been paid for a long time.

After inviting everyone to enjoy a sumptuous meal of beef and mutton, the belching Chen Ke smiled and said to a Luo Guoshi brother named Luo Guosong: "Mr. Inspecting a few towns to the north, there is indeed an important matter to discuss. No, now the second garrison is about to be established, with a tentative number of 480 people, and the station will be yours in the future. The State Council and the Ministry of the Army have authorized me, Collect materials, food and fodder (the insufficient part will be allocated by the local people as appropriate), and money in various towns and towns in the Hejian area to support the construction of grassroots armed forces. Now the collection of military funds in Shancha County has basically been completed, and Liangquan Township last month It has also been raised and sent to the county. Now there is a shortage of three thousand fathers and villagers from Ganyi Township and Liangdang Township (located near the later San Pedro City). What's the matter, this is not the Ming Dynasty or the Qing Dynasty. You still have to pay the tax you paid, so don’t make mistakes!”

It has now been more than three years since the formation of hundreds of officers and soldiers of the first garrison team has been completed, and the integration of Shancha County and other places has almost been completed-mainly because a lot of second-generation citizens promised by the local people have arrived, and more than three people have been sent in at once. The population structure of the five towns has been changed; in addition, some veterans have come to work in grassroots villages after finishing their studies at Dayuhe Cadre Training School. , With such a multi-pronged approach, Shancha County was quickly cleaned up——Chen Ke's confidence was much stronger than before, and he had more means to deal with these clan leaders.

For example, today he and Lieutenant Fu Lei brought more than 60 officers and soldiers of the First Defense Team to the door. The lawless "assholes" in Ganyi Township naturally feel different. They are all hypocritical, not to mention they represent the government, how dare they provoke them!

But now hearing that Chen Ke openly came to ask for food and salary, Luo Guosong naturally had a bitter expression on his face.This year they will bring dozens of relatives from Texas - this is the rhythm of family migration, no matter what the Qing court thinks - the shipping fee and resettlement fee are not small (the shipping fee of the private fleet is not cheap ), plus they reclaimed a large number of fields last year, so that they purchased a large amount of farm tools, fertilizers (whale bone meal and bean cake), seeds, and livestock at one go, and the financial pressure was extremely high; in addition, maintaining the existing tung trees Plantations also cost a lot of money to pay the wages of non-national laborers.Therefore, the economic pressure of the fifty or sixty members of the Luo family is actually not small, and it is indeed a bit embarrassing for Chen Ke to force them to come to the door.

However, some descendants of the Luo family are doing business in Dongfang County and Qingdao County, and they still know something about the government on the east coast. Luo Guosong is not a pedantic person, so after thinking about it, he gritted his teeth and said: " It is also a good thing for Mr. Chen to set up a brave battalion. There are many barbarians in this country, and they are endlessly suppressed. If Yong——the second garrison team can be stationed in Ganyi Township, it will definitely be a great good government. My Luo family takes root I have been grateful for several years, and I will live here for a long time in the future. The money and rations for recruiting Yong Ding should be paid! The old parents can rest assured that the Luo family will pledge to donate according to the rules of the court, and it will not be short of a penny. , we can’t do this yet.”

Hearing that Luo Guosong, the patriarch of the earliest colonial family in Ganyi Township, was so "obedient", Chen Ke couldn't help but feel a little ecstatic. It's efficient to co-author and bring soldiers to the door to press for the arrears!To put it bluntly, I used to be too polite to these guys, but now it seems that there is no need for it. If you give him three points of color, he will dare to open a dyeing workshop.

Thinking of this, Chen Ke said again: "Next month, the superior will send more than a dozen cadres to your place to carry out work and pull up the government structure. Mr. Luo, I still need your help. After all, you are more familiar with the people here. Stop, don't rush to refuse, listen to me, this is actually an opportunity for you. Why do you say that? I'm afraid you have heard it yourself. Now the State Development Bureau has been ordered by the Government A series of settlements were built along the Paraná River to provide supply services for the fleet. Among them, we turned over the mountains in the west to the bank of the river, and there was a new town called Nanhe Port. In the north and south of the port, there are also some newly established port towns, um, they will all be under our Hejian management in the future."

"Therefore, according to this trend, the establishment of Ganyi County in the future will probably be within two or three years. After all, the geographical location here is really important and the products are rich enough, so the higher authorities will keep a close eye on it. , Setting up a county probably won’t take too long. So, you understand now?” Chen Ke continued eloquently: “Yes! That’s right! This Ganyi County (jurisdiction of Ganyi Town, Liangquan Township, Nanhe Township, Chaoyang Township and Liangdang Township, a total of five settlements) Once established, there will be many vacancies in the county, township, and even the Port Authority. I have heard that the Luo family’s children are knowledgeable and knowledgeable, and they also assisted our army when they were in Shandong—a while ago Chief of General Staff Mo also mentioned the late old Mr. Luo Guoshi - so it is necessary to ask you Luo family children to help a lot. I think that the fate of the Xu family, Sun family, and Chen family in Shancha County in the south is not the same for you. Haven’t heard of it? Those people are short-sighted, lawless, and not enthusiastic about business. I, Chen, have already let them stand aside. But I have a good impression of your Luo family. Last year, the ship to Nanhe Port missed the schedule. Many people were dizzy with hunger, and your Luo family organized your children to cross the mountains and ridges overnight and sent hundreds of bags of corn to them, which solved the urgent need there. This is a great opportunity, the establishment of Ganyi County in the future, a large number of job vacancies, for many people, this may be the only chance to be an official in a lifetime, so what are you waiting for, Mr. Luo?"

When Chen Ke said this, Luo Guosong's originally frowning brows relaxed a little, as if he was really moved.When Chen Ke saw this, he took the opportunity to work harder, and finally said that Luo Guosong donated five more barrels of honey, three hundred bags of corn, and one hundred logs of wood. It seems that it is a little richer than the east coast full of grasslands. A big family has been rooted for so many years and has become a local tyrant. If it wasn't for going to the countryside this time, he would never want to know about it. How much money do people have.

After opening a breakthrough on Luo Guosong's side, Chen Ke got the help of a local, and had a rough impression of which ones in Ganyi Township are rich and which ones are not (also relative), so the next taxation The action is much more convenient and can be targeted.What's more, Luo's family still has some private relationships in Liangdang Township, which can also provide some references for Chen Ke. Liangdang Township went to collect taxes.

"The gang of bastards who owed taxes just need to be dealt with. This time, let's see how I, Mr. Chen, can steal the skin from you! I hope you will remember this lesson in the future and don't have to fight against the government again, otherwise you will suffer a lot." Drink A lot of "sour horse urine" Chen Kechen, deputy county magistrate, thought viciously.

(End of this chapter)