Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 13 People from the Ming Dynasty
In the early morning, a thin layer of mist rose between the sea and the sky, and layers of delicate ripples appeared on the sea surface. Under the cover of the mist, it looked like a girl who had just woken up and was gently lifting the gauze.

As the sun slowly rises, a faint orange color gradually spreads on the sea level and connects with the hazy sealine in the distance, as if it is a secret code whispered between the sky and the ocean.

The seabirds seemed to understand the famous saying "the early bird catches the worm" and flew over the sea in groups. Their calls were clear and melodious, adding a bit of vitality to the quiet morning.

A small boat gently glided across the water, breaking the tranquility. Luo Zhenhui and several cadet soldiers boarded the boat and headed towards the Spanish galleon anchored in the bay.

In order to save the limited diesel, the motor lifeboat naturally could not be used anymore. The only way was to rely on two cadet soldiers to row hard to drive this purely environmentally friendly, human-powered boat.

"Are the Spanish on board honest?"

As soon as he boarded the ship, Luo Zhenhui caught a glimpse of the group of Spanish sailors who had just been driven up from the bottom cabin. They were sitting on the deck with exhausted looks and a bit of anxiety on their faces, allowing the cadets to tie their hands behind their backs again. It was obvious that they had not had a good rest.

The sailors killed yesterday have been thrown into the sea, and their flesh and blood will nourish the many sea fish here.

The bloodstains and tear gas debris on the deck were also washed clean by the sailors under the supervision of the academy soldiers.

The sails, which had been simply repaired, were hung back on the mast, ready to be hoisted and set sail at any time.

In the past few days, the weather has been alternately sunny and cloudy, and the time travelers are worried that it will snow or freeze and rain, affecting everyone's travel.

So, after initially clearing the battlefield and taking in the prisoners, they decided to sail the Spanish galleon anchored in the bay into the hidden and simple port and unload some of the much-needed supplies from the ship.

The environment on this ship is not very good. I heard that it is still leaking. If the cotton cloth and carpets are accidentally soaked in water and moldy, they will be difficult to use.

To survive the first cold winter in this time and space, we rely on these warm items and we must not lose them.

So, early in the morning, Luo Zhenhui took a small boat to the Spanish galleon. While leading the cadets to drive it back to the port, he also came to check out the supplies on the ship.

"The Spanish are relatively well behaved and haven't caused much trouble," Wei Yingbin replied with a smile. "Last night, they were allowed to hold a funeral for the deceased captain and sailors, and they were even allowed to say a prayer. Their emotions are generally stable."

"How badly is the ship damaged? Can it still be operated?"

"The bottom hold is leaking quite badly, and we need to arrange for people to constantly drain it. ... Several mainsails and jibs are also badly damaged, and two jibs are broken, which may affect our ability to catch the wind. ... The outer edges of the hull are also damaged to varying degrees and require some minor repairs. However, I believe the ship should be able to move, but the direction is difficult to control, and it will take a while to reach our simple port."

"As long as it can be started," Luo Zhenhui breathed a sigh of relief. "As for taking a little longer, that's fine. We have plenty of free time now. As long as we can get it back to shore before the rain or snow comes, it's fine."

"When sailing, we can release some Spanish sailors to assist in driving. It shouldn't be a big problem."

"Yes, that's fine. If we want to gain a foothold here and develop further, we must make use of these Spanish sailors, and ideally, convert them into our own people. Last night, I discussed this with the political commissar. People in this period probably don't have much national consciousness, let alone a sense of patriotism. As long as we do a good job of ideological and political work, we can definitely win them over and use them for our own benefit."

"That's true." Wei Yingbin smiled, pointed at the Spanish sailors on the nail plate, and whispered, "Captain, look at these people. When we seized the ship, they were extremely arrogant and fought back with all their might. However, after we captured them, they all obeyed our orders and dared not resist in the slightest. It is said that during this period, the various forces at sea generally did not go to extremes when fighting and slaughtering each other. They captured people and mostly recruited them as allies to fill their own shortages. After witnessing our strength, these Spanish sailors found that we did not carry out a bloody massacre afterwards. While they accepted their fate, they probably also had the intention of surrendering."

"This era is the naked law of the jungle, where the strong are respected and the weak follow."

"Then we must develop well and grow stronger slowly, or we'll be eaten alive by others." Wei Yingbin nodded and said, "Captain, would you like to see this ship? ... This is a real Spanish galleon!"

"A Spanish galleon..." Luo Zhenhui glanced at the deck and stern, then smiled broadly. "This ship isn't even as big as our Breaking Waves. It's only slightly better than a traditional Chinese Fuzhou ship."

"Captain, don't underestimate the Spanish galleon! From the 15th to the 17th century, it was one of the most important types of merchant ships and warships for the Spanish. These ships typically had two or more decks, capable of carrying a large amount of cargo and soldiers. You see, their most notable features are their towering bow and stern decks. In naval battles, when jutting alongside enemy ships, they have the advantage of being high above them, making it easy to board enemy vessels. Oh, and their rather intimidating castle-like appearance also serves as a psychological deterrent to the enemy."

As he spoke, he led Luo Zhenhui to the poop and showed him the ship's facilities and structure. The best rooms on board were located in the poop, and were generally reserved for distinguished passengers and senior crew members, including the captain, first mate, second mate, helmsman, boatswain, and deputy helmsman. There were even several separate small rooms, offering VIP treatment.

There is also a large bunk bed in the poop, located directly below the helmsman, where the merchant's attendants, mid-level crew members, and low-ranking officers sleep.

The third and fourth decks near the waterline are cargo holds, also known as cow decks, where livestock and poultry carried on board are kept.

The deck space on these two levels is so low that people cannot stand upright. Because it is close to the waterline, portholes or vents cannot be opened, otherwise seawater will pour in.

Luo Zhenhui just leaned over to take a look, but the pungent smell immediately made him lose the desire to find out what was going on.

It is said that when the Spanish transported troops or immigrants, they would cram people into this cabin.

These places are dark, damp and unventilated, but soldiers or immigrants have no choice but to stay here. They can only go to the deck for thirty minutes a day to get some fresh air and go to the toilet.

Therefore, we can understand why during this period, soldiers on board ships often had to rest for a few days after disembarking before they could regain a certain level of combat effectiveness.

If you stay here for a few days, even the healthiest and strongest soldier will become a wimp and won't be able to stand up after getting off the boat.

In comparison, the conditions for the sailors on the ship were slightly better, living on the second-level gun deck. Ordinary crew members who were not on duty, such as doctors, tailors, carpenters, and cooks, lived in the middle and rear section of the ship, and sometimes had small rooms separated by wooden boards. Their living quarters were closer to the middle and rear section of the ship, which was more spacious.

The other sailors crowded near the bow. The environment here was better than the cow deck. First, the deck was high enough for people to stand upright, and the gun ports were ventilated, so the air quality was naturally better.

While sailing, sailors could only move around in the bow area. If they were found approaching the stern, they would be severely punished because the stern was where the treasury and senior crew members lived.

However, when Luo Zhenhui returned to the stern of the deck from the bottom cabin, Wei Yingbin led him to a separate small room specifically to visit a lowest-ranking trainee crew member.

“Is he from the Ming Dynasty?”

Luo Zhenhui saw a man lying on the bed with a weak breath, messy hair, unshaven beard, and an extremely pale face, looking half-dead. He turned his head and asked in a low voice.

"Yes, Ming Dynasty people." Wei Yingbin's eyes were filled with excitement as he whispered, "When this ship departed from Manila, it originally recruited four Ming Dynasty people as trainee sailors to fill the crew shortage. However, during the months of sailing, three of them fell ill and were unable to get up and work. The Spanish captain ordered them to be thrown overboard and eaten by the fish. This person was lucky. Although he also contracted the disease, it was not serious. He dragged himself to continue working tirelessly, and was therefore not thrown into the sea by the Spanish. After we took control of the ship, we searched the cabin and inspected the cargo, and found that he was hiding in the cargo pile, and was not killed as cannon fodder by the Spanish."

"Then he's like this..."

"Looking at his condition, he probably has scurvy and is a bit malnourished. This has caused his immune system to be weak, and when the weather got cold, he caught a bit of a cold."

"Oh, can he be saved?"

"He should be fine. He survived the most dangerous Pacific voyage, so he won't die so easily." Wei Yingbin said, "Give him some nutritional supplements, some fruits and vegetables, and slowly recuperate. He should gradually recover."

"Very good." Luo Zhenhui nodded. "With this Ming Dynasty person, we can understand a little more about the situation in this era."

Wei Yingbin nodded in agreement.

"The situation of this era" can probably only be some social customs of the Ming Dynasty and the current situation of the Spanish Philippines.

As for the current magnificent trend in the world, I am afraid no one is clearer, more knowledgeable, and more forward-looking than them.

(End of this chapter)