Dominate the Country

A squadron of the Nanyang Navy arrived at Zengmu Island in the evening sunset, which was later the main island of the Zengmu Islands. Along with the ship came hundreds of Chinese who were unwilling to stay in Hongji City. .

Hongji City, also known as Hongji City, is still very wealthy. The coal produced there supplies half of the country in the southeast. But life there is also difficult. Even though more and more Annan natives are digging coal in the mines instead of the Chinese, people still often die.

Just like the common people who no longer want their relatives to serve in the army after their lives have improved, the Chinese and Mingxiang people who built Hongji City from scratch are not willing to do so after their lives are prosperous. Relatives then go down to work in dangerous mines. Although many parts of Hongji Coal Mine are open-pit mines, as the depth of digging increases little by little, the risk level of the work also gets better and better. These people are more direct than the military relatives who do not want their relatives to serve in the army anymore. The latter also have to take into account the issue of honor and shame. Even for the sake of honor and shame, it is impossible to directly say that they want their relatives to retire quickly, while the former have no scruples. . Therefore, in the past two years, more and more Annan people have worked in the mines instead of Chinese workers, while more and more Chinese have chosen to do other things.

Buying a house at the port to do business, or doing foreign trade exchanges in the Annan area and Hongji City area are the choices of many people. Their hard work in the past few years has saved some money in their hands. If the business is not enough If it is used, it is not unusual for several families to join together and start a business together. But the situation in Hongji was so small that quite a few people chose to leave.

These people will not be sent back home. Instead, they first turn to the Zengmu Islands [Natuna Island], or stay there, or then transfer to Singapore, Sulu, or Borneo. Chinese people who are good at farming and civil construction have gradually built Zengmu Island, which was only a small port a few years ago, into one of the five Class A naval bases of the Nanyang Navy. The port has turned into a large town, like a miracle. . The transformation of Zengmu Island was completed bit by bit, making a great contribution to the Fuhan Army's consolidation of its foundation in Nanyang.

If Zengmudashima was just a quartz stone, now it is like a pearl that has wiped away the dust, blooming with incomparable brilliance. The gorgeous aura almost envelopes the entire South Ocean. Almost any ship entering China, Japan, and Manila from the South Ocean must pass through the waters of Zengmu Island, that is, through the "eyes" of the Chinese Navy. That is a very large artificial radar, with an extremely important strategic position.

So far, tens of thousands of people have gathered in the Zengmu Islands, including less than half of the Peranakans and one to two thousand indigenous people. The rest were gathered here with the large-scale development of the Fuhan Army.

When the Qing army marched south to Guangdong and Guangxi, Zhang Jiexu, a native of Chaozhou in Guangdong Province, fled to this small archipelago in Southeast Asia with hundreds of remnant soldiers who persisted in resisting the Qing on the islands off the coast of Guangdong and hundreds of fishermen who were dissatisfied with Manchu rule. It has been more than a hundred years since then. . For more than a hundred years, the Zhang family has always ruled this small piece of land like a tiny kingdom. Because this is the only way for Chinese fishermen and Chinese businessmen traveling to and from Southeast Asia. When you get here, you have basically reached Borneo. Any fishing boats and merchant ships coming and going here must go here to replenish their supplies, and then go to Batavia. Or return to Guangzhou via the South China Sea. Because of this, business here is very easy to do, and Zhang can rely on this water and land terminal to persist until now. By the way, many Nanyang pirates also rested here.

Chen Ming did not 'see' the Zengmu Islands at first. His initial plan was to capture Singapore and Borneo. Sulu was an unexpected surprise, and the Zengmu Islands were also an unexpected surprise. The Zhang family was very happy to submit to Chen Han. Under the century-old management of Zengmu Islands, how could the Zhang family not feel the threat of the Dutch? Maybe the Dutch will send out soldiers to destroy them at some point, just like the Red Creek Massacre. What did the wretched Qianlong say: "The imperial dynasty abandoned its people, even carried away the tombs of their ancestors, and went abroad to make profits, and the imperial court ignored them." Every Nanyang Chinese was extremely angry towards the Manchus.

It has been more than a year since the Zhang family changed their families. The population on Zengmu Island has doubled, and they are all Chinese. The head of the Zhang family and most of the clan members happily returned to their hometown to worship their ancestors last year. They were then rewarded with acres of land and a house, and have settled back in their hometown. There are only a few junior branches of the Zhang family left on Zengmu Island.

In more than a year, under the leadership and guidance of the Fuhan Army, the entire Zengmu Port was expanded by three cups. A large number of simple low wooden houses were turned into brick houses, and the crude forts at the port were also turned into solid ones. Cement fortifications were built, new fields were opened everywhere, wood processing plants and ship repair shops were built. Does this place belong to the tropics? It has high temperatures all year round, a lot of rainfall, and dense tropical forests. Timber is a very important resource on the island. As early as the Zhang family's time, providing wood, repairing and cleaning ships for passing ships was a very important source of income for Zengmu Dadao. If the former Zengmu Island was just a small port, the current Zengmu Island is a real city!

Thousands of naval officers and soldiers of the Fuhan Army were stationed on this island. Just like Singapore, it became an important naval base of the Nanyang Navy in Southeast Asia. The naval officers and soldiers took turns to go ashore to rest. Outside the port, several small destroyers were divided into three shifts, taking turns to leave the port to guard.

The lights on the dock were bright, and the immigrants on the ship disembarked one after another. Looking at everything in front of them, it was no different from Hongji Port. Animal-powered cranes and horse-drawn carriages unloaded materials at a speed N times faster than human power.

There were hundreds of ships of various sizes anchored in the bay, of which large merchant ships accounted for at least one-third.

However, with the arrival of a new batch of immigrants, some of the old immigrants would be sent to Singapore and Sulu respectively.

Nanyang has abundant sunshine, warm climate, and abundant rainfall. Rice can easily be harvested twice a year, and it is not uncommon to harvest three times a year. If it were in the hands of hardworking Chinese, the annual grain produced here would probably be enough to supply the entire Eurasian continent. The natives were lazy, and the colonists' operations were all focused on cash crops.

Zengmu Island now has a permanent population that is twice as much as it was before, and there are many more ships coming and going. The grain consumption has almost reached three times of the original, but the grain piled up in the warehouse has never decreased. The land here is really too fertile. A little reclamation not only provided enough food for the people, but also brewed rice wine, and some of the cultivated farmland had to be planted with sugarcane.

Many Chinese who had spent three or four months here were reluctant to leave. The area of ​​Zengmu Island was as large as that of two inland counties. Such a large area could support not only 10,000 people, but also twice as many people. After living so comfortably, the Chinese, influenced by the concept of "nostalgia", began to resist further migration.

In the migrations, almost no Chinese was willing to get on the ship, and everyone was crying to "go home".

Of course, many people still knew that the court's intentions could not be violated, and in the face of those who cried and refused to cooperate, the local garrison wiped their faces and put them in their trouser pockets, raised their bayonets, and turned their faces to drive all the unwilling men and women on board. It was simple, rough and powerful, and the efficiency soared instantly.

Zheng Lianfu drank a bowl of iced sour plum soup, and felt refreshed instantly, and the heat in his internal organs evaporated instantly.

This Zengmu Island is good in every way, but it is too hot. It is much hotter than the South China Sea. If it weren't for the ice cubes that can be made at any time, he couldn't stay here. People who are used to enjoying themselves can no longer endure hardships. Zheng Lianfu has enjoyed a good life for two years. He didn't even stay in the army. He left his brother Zheng Lianchang to guard the Zheng family's brand in the Nanyang Navy and occupy a place for the Zheng family in the army. He himself withdrew early. Do business to make money and enjoy life.

"Uncle, the cabin has been booked and the goods have been shipped on board. The official ship to Guangzhou will not set sail until ten o'clock tomorrow."

The goods that the Zheng family took this time were not large, just five logs, but Zheng Lianfu, the leader of the Zheng family, came in person. Could it be ordinary wood?

After hearing what his subordinates said, Zheng Lianfu took the bill of lading presented by the official ship, looked at the size data of the five red sandalwoods listed on the bill, and smiled with satisfaction. These five pieces of wood were only worth a hundred bags of rice in the hands of those ignorant natives, but if they were shipped back to China, each piece would be worth a thousand gold. It was because this bargain was so big that Zheng Lianfu personally rushed to Zengmu Island to take charge after receiving the news.

And along with these five red sandalwoods, there were more than twenty small red sandalwoods that were much thinner. The red sandalwoods were uprooted by the Zheng family, and the thinnest ones were not even as thick as an adult's arm, so they were all cut down. Otherwise, leaving them would only benefit others. This wood was shipped back to China, how could the news be concealed?

"What a pity, I'm afraid it will be difficult to get such a bargain in the future." Zheng Lianfu sighed.

Since the Ming Dynasty cut down all the red sandalwood in China, and regularly sent people to Nanyang to collect large red sandalwood, the red sandalwood in Nanyang was almost cut down by the Ming Dynasty, so such large woods are rare. There are very few on the market, which has become extremely rare and precious. Although there is a legend that after the Chen Han army entered Beijing, they confiscated a batch of red sandalwood logs from the Forbidden City, which were left over from the Ming Dynasty. The poor Emperor Chongzhen banned the use of red sandalwood, which was a bargain for the Tartars. But none of these woods are circulated on the market. The new dynasty was established, and many of the original rules and regulations were abolished. Now if anyone has money and power, you can use red sandalwood to build a coffin, and it is not presumptuous, and no one will care. Therefore, the price of red sandalwood, along with the price of huanghuali, has soared.

Besides, there have been many people in China who have used red sandalwood to make small coffins since ancient times. Such small coffins have nothing to do with funerals. The purpose of using red sandalwood and agarwood to make small coffins is to get the meaning of promotion and wealth. In China, promotion and wealth are the dream of everyone and the great things that bring honor to the family. Because of this, small coffins made of red sandalwood and agarwood sell very well. It is a good idea to buy them as gifts or keep them for yourself. No one will think it is unlucky. Moreover, in order to get promoted and get rich, it doesn’t matter if this object is unlucky. Put the small red sandalwood and agarwood coffins on the desk to appreciate and play, and they can also store seals, gold and silver jewelry, jewelry and jade, and you can also hold them in your hands and rub them, killing two birds with one stone.

The Zheng family took these five large red sandals back, whether they were presented to Nanjing or kept for their own wealth, it would be a huge profit.

…

After returning to the port from patrolling the border, after a night's rest, Lin Ahai, who was physically exhausted but mentally shaken, could not wait to carry a large bag of canned food that he bought with his wages and ran into the "urban area" of Hongji City. The so-called urban area is the port area of ​​the original Hongji Port. Before, there were large residential houses here, but now it has become the urban area of ​​Hongji City. Therefore, the Chinese workers working in Hongji Port automatically became Hongji City natives.

Even those who choose to leave need time to prove their "value" before they can obtain household registration in the new place of settlement.

On the street, the police and the joint defense officers of the Public Security Department of Hongji City suppressed everything, and the order of the whole city was in order. Lin Ahai greeted the familiar joint defense officers.

Walking through the vegetable market and the commercial street...

Although this Hongji City is far from being comparable to the capital city in China, it has also begun to take shape.

Lin Ahai turned around several residential areas and came to the second district in the southwest corner of the city. After registering with the security guard at the door, Lin Ahai hurried in. Although he was familiar with everyone in the security booth, to be honest, Lin Ahai was really timid about these security guards, whose bright eyes could see through his heart. Although Lin Ahai had become a team leader in the Labor Service Office, he was also a person of status. But his true identity was a spy who could not be seen in the light.

Last year, Chen Jie issued an order requiring all personnel in Hongji to be completely hidden, but this was like a time bomb. No one knew when it would be activated and then plunge into a dead end.

In No. 3, Row 5, Area B2, a 20-year-old young woman was mending clothes. There was a wooden basin next to the young woman, and a one-year-old baby was sleeping in the basin.

The warm sunlight shone on the baby's face, and the flesh-colored skin seemed to become transparent. The baby was sleeping soundly, and occasionally moved his pink mouth.

"Sister!" Lin Ahai had a very warm smile on his face, took off his hat, and ran towards his wife in two steps. Although the child is not his own flesh and blood, this "home" is his home.

Coming to the enemy camp alone, if it weren't for the warmth of this "home", it would be hard for Lin Ahai to imagine what kind of life he would have lived in Hongji City. He was worried day and night, alert to everything at all times, a lonely person, suspicious of everything, with a knife under the pillow, a stick hidden in the quilt...

Although he was a very good spy, it was hard for him not to be nervous in Hongji Port, a ghost place where political classes were held every three or five days, and "patriotism" was shouted every day.

"Ah, the head of the family is back. You are sweating profusely, are you thirsty?" The young woman quickly put down her work, turned around and took out a black bowl filled with clear water from the house. It was made of coconut shells. Seeing Lin Ahai finish the bowl and drink the boiled water in one breath, the young woman's face was full of smiles.

The woman was used to the things Lin Ahai often bought. Anyway, Lin Ahai didn't spend all his money. Although most of these things were for himself, the child hadn't been weaned yet, so they were definitely for the child.

The child was not Lin Ahai's child. With Lin Ahai's status, he could have married a virgin girl. Now he not only married her, but also treated the child so well. The woman threw herself on Lin Ahai wholeheartedly.

Many nights, she even thanked that rain. If it weren't for that sudden heavy rain, she wouldn't have slipped into the river because of panic while washing clothes by the river, and Lin Ahai wouldn't have jumped into the water to save her. The two wouldn't have met, and Lin Ahai wouldn't have changed from being pitiful at first to slowly wanting to marry her. That rain really changed her life.

The woman was from Mingxiang. Her husband fell seriously ill on the way to Hongji. He dragged him to Hongji City with difficulty, and died in a few days. With orphans and widows, it was difficult to make ends meet. The woman could only make a living by washing clothes for others in the factory. Of course, the government also gave her a certain amount of supplies every month and arranged a house for her, so she could survive. But how can it be compared with now?

The woman not only thinks about herself, but also about her children. She was willing to die for Lin Ahai. Lin Ahai enjoyed the care and love of the woman, and the fatigue in her body was immediately reduced by half.

In Chen Ming's previous life, someone said this about "home"!

Home is everyone's safe haven; home is everyone's spiritual sustenance; home allows everyone to find a warm feeling. Lin Ahai is a very obvious example.

This home is where his soul rests, giving him the warmest protection.

As a bachelor, he must get married, otherwise he can only attract the attention of others. And he dare not and does not want to provoke those women who have relatives involved. Because once something happens, the involvement will be big. And the more other people are involved, the greater the chance that his secret will be discovered. The woman in front of him is a good target.

All his relatives are gone, and only a baby who can't even sit is left.

Although his identity will bring difficulties to women and children after it is exposed, Lin Ahai still puts himself first. And now? He already has a "home", which is full of love and is the best safe haven for him who has a different identity. Every day his wife cooks for him, every day his wife prepares clean clothes for him, and in the deepest night there is someone who thinks of him wholeheartedly and thinks of him...

These details warm Lin Ahai!

Lying on the bed, Lin Ahai looked up at the forbidden symbol on the roof, which revealed a corner of his body. This symbol hid all his secrets. When would he be activated again? Would he never be activated again? Lin Ahai was afraid and confused.