Great time travel

Chapter No.16, 27 moments in the four years of Chongzhen ([-])
No.16 moments: Xu Xiake travels to Lingao

In the late autumn of the fourth year of Chongzhen, Hainan Island, Lingao County, Bopu Port
——Since the "Kun Thief" on a large iron boat landed here in the first year of Chongzhen, Lingao County in Qiongzhou Prefecture of Ming Dynasty, a small and remote county that is not well-known on the land of China, has been in just over three years. Over time, it has been reborn and has become the headquarters of the advanced base for the "Australians" to conquer the great cause.

Throughout Lingao County, Bairen City built on Bairen Beach is the ruling center of the Traverser Senate; Dongmen City attached to Bairen City has developed into the most prosperous trading market in Hainan Island; Maniaobao is the central military base; Nanbao Town is the industrial and mining center of the county; as for the original county town, it has almost become a forgotten place.The Bopu Port, which has been expanded many times, is the window of the Lingao Traveler Group to the outside world.

For the ancients who were used to the slow-paced life in an agricultural society, Lingao, the base camp of travelers, was as busy as a beehive.

Anyone who comes to Lingao for the first time, usually as soon as they board the wharf of Bopu Port, they will fully feel the busy, tense and active fast-paced atmosphere here.When they went deep into the industrial and agricultural areas and residential areas on both sides of the Wenlan River, this feeling would probably become even more profound.

——In the harbor with forests of masts, all kinds of ships come and go. The small boats specially used to tow the ships have iron chimneys and thick black smoke. Although there are no oarsmen, they are very powerful. , can easily drag a large ship full of cargo.

Relying on a series of long trestles, most of the ships arriving at Bopu Wharf usually do not need to use time-consuming and laborious small boats to bulk transport goods and personnel.The goods can be hoisted and disembarked by cranes, and people can go directly on and off the gangway, which saves a lot of time and manpower-I am afraid that in the whole of East Asia, only here in Bopu Port, the turnover rate of ships can be measured in "hours" and "days". " instead of "week" and "month".

Next, every major road after leaving the docks and entering the interior is full of people and vehicles.The convertible wagons pulled by the small locomotive were either piled up with goods or crowded with people.Although the relevant departments have already promulgated safety regulations, the situation of "hanging tickets" is not allowed, and the police and national army soldiers who maintain order at the station have been added, but no matter how many orders the management department makes, every time it is time to leave the train, the carriages will be closed. The outside is still always full of overloaded people.So much so that people fall out of the car every day.Fortunately, the speed of this small steam train was not much faster than walking, and the casualty rate of passengers was kept at a level that the relevant authorities could barely bear.

Every day, countless people come here, and countless people leave here.The comings and goings make this emerging city more and more prosperous.

Then, under the warm winter sun of the fourth year of Chongzhen, another group of tourists came to Lingao on a lucky boat.Among them are two elderly scholars in half-worn Confucian shirts, standing on the deck curiously, watching Bopu Port, which is getting closer and closer to them—the stone trestle bridge stretching into the sea as wide as a street, the tall Cranes, "automatic cars" running on the rails, pulling the carriages... Finally, there is a "big iron boat" that is a spectacle!The majestic giant ship called "Holy Ship" by Australians, when I saw it with my own eyes at this time, it really looked like a mountain, which made people speechless.

Although the two had seen some exquisite "Australian goods" in their hometown in Jiangnan, and heard a lot of anecdotes about "Australian Kun people" on the way to Gao by boat, but when this "Kun thief" When the port under the rule was really displayed in front of their eyes, these two well-informed scholars still held their breath—the scene in front of them was completely a strange world beyond their comprehension.

——Countless high and low chimneys are drifting black smoke into the air. With the sound of low metal parts colliding, white steam is spewed out, filling the sky above the pier, like a layer of faint clouds, countless densely packed pipes and tracks Staggering and criss-crossing on the pier, whistles and sirens whistled sharply, one after another.Houses with strange shapes can be seen everywhere here, and the fort on the coast is even more majestic like a hill.

"...It's really the power of ghosts and gods! Brother Zhong Zhao." The slightly younger middle-aged scholar looked at it for a while, and couldn't help sighing to his companion.

"...Yeah, it's just like the kingdom of monsters recorded in "Journey to the West". It's hard to believe that this is still the boundary of the Ming Dynasty!" Another tough old Confucian scholar called Brother Zhong Zhao also nodded. He echoed and expressed his heartfelt emotion, "...it's really a group of demons dancing wildly!"

"...Hmph, the thief jumped the beam, with amazing skills and ingenuity! This person pretends to be a descendant of the Song Dynasty in Tianshui Dynasty, but he wears short clothes, changes the summer with the barbarians, despises the gentry, and despises etiquette. Such a perverse behavior, ignorant of the sage's enlightenment, even if The ship is strong and the guns are strong, how can they accomplish great things?" Standing behind them was a young scholar who boarded the ship from Guangzhou. Although he was dressed in plain clothes, he was holding a folding fan as if pointing the country, his eyes were full of contempt and disdain. "...The thieves have learned strange skills overseas, but they have forgotten the principles of heaven and earth and the way of sages. They think that they can dominate a corner with iron boats and firearms. There is no one in the Ming Dynasty! Just wait for the arrival of the heavenly soldiers from the imperial court, they will be able to cleanse the ugly people, and stop these overseas barbarians from peeping at the heart of China!"

Listening to the ignorant clamor of this crazy student, the two older Confucian scholars could only shake their heads and smile wryly. Many ignorant scholars in the late Ming Dynasty had such a common problem. On the one hand, they were extremely contemptuous of the warriors of the dynasty, thinking that they were not worthy of receiving a grain of rice A military salary of one tael; on the other hand, they have blind confidence in the military power of the "Imperial Heavenly Soldiers", each shouting higher tunes than the other... and they don't feel any contradiction between the two!
"...Hehe, you young man who is so talkative, you really brag and don't write drafts! What are you talking about? Imperial soldiers? I remember that Governor Wang Dezun sent troops to crusade against the Australians once last year, and he hasn't touched the edge of Lingao County yet. What! I was driven all the way back to Guangzhou by the Australians!"

A chubby, short, round-faced businessman was flipping through a semi-old "Research on the History of War" magazine he got from nowhere, and reading the article "Bows and Knives Covered with Snow - The History of Liaodong in the Great Ming Dynasty" as a pastime, casually He said, "...now the world is in chaos. I heard that the Beijing city of the old emperor has been besieged twice by the barbarians of Liaodong. The Central Plains is also full of bandits and wars. How can the imperial court have the spare power to take care of this frontier thousands of miles away? Small county? The Australians are going to break ground and seal the territory on Hainan Island at worst! Besides, didn’t you plan to join the Australian chief? Now you haven’t come to recommend yourself, and you are here to belittle others. What do you want? I don't want to mess around here anymore!"

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——In fact, since the "Australians" invaded Guangzhou and shook Lingnan, in the past two years, some scholars have felt that the "Australian gang" seems to be vulgar and uneducated. , Maybe you can find a good future.So one after another went to submit books to climb, many of them were not the first scholar or old children, all of them were people who could not carry a basket with their hands and shoulders.

These scholars originally thought that the Lingao Kun bandits were wild people living in the remote southern border.I condescend to come here after reading many years of sage books, even if I can't be like the man in white who worships the minister, at least I am like Zhang Yuan and others who rushed to Xixia in the Song Dynasty.

Unexpectedly, although the Guangzhou station of the thieves has indeed been recruiting refugees, it is true that no matter whether they are scholars, farmers, businessmen, or businessmen, they must be treated as immigrants. First, they will be "purified" for a month. As a "cadre" on the Australian side, you can't reach the sky with a few volumes of policy theories, but you have to take the diploma exam level by level. The content of the exam is not stereotyped essays, but mostly related to saint Miscellaneous knowledge that has nothing to do with Taoism.Even if you become a "cadre", you have to start from a small official... How can you, the scholars who regard themselves as the pillars of the country, bear it?The disciples of the saints were so angry that they cursed behind their backs from time to time: "...Australian thieves humiliate the scholars and don't respect the way of the saints. Sooner or later they will be punished by the thunder of heaven!"

The young scholar on the deck had excitedly wanted to join the gangsters as a noble counselor, but he bumped his nose in front of the "office" of those Australians in Guangzhou, and he was so angry that he suddenly went from " "Australian powder" has become "Australian black".But then in Guangzhou, I really couldn’t find any way to be an aide and clearer, so I had to take a few articles about my life and come to Lingao to try my luck, to see if I could bump into an Australian chief minister who has a discerning eye for talents... It's a pity that the mentality has not been adjusted for a while.Now that someone has uncovered his background, and seeing other passengers criticizing and laughing nonstop, his face flushed immediately, and taking advantage of the businessman's unpreparedness, he snatched the "Research on the History of War" from his hand with great relish. , resorted to a rogue trick to change the subject.

"...You, a money-smelling profit-seeker, is so ignorant! The reason why my generation of scholars went to the thieves' dens and gave up their lives to feed tigers is to spread my Confucianism to the barbarians! This Australian is vulgar and ignorant. My disciples of the sages have done a good job of enlightening me! Look, such a beautiful and white paper is printed with such vulgar characters, and it is really ridiculous to use these short strokes and few strokes!"

He pinched the "Research on the History of War" magazine snatched from a businessman with a few fingers, as if it was the most vulgar thing in the world, and his face was full of disgust—even though this "Australian magazine" was used It is bound and printed on high-quality white paper, with both pictures and texts on it, and the printing is exquisite.But because this magazine is a simplified Chinese version, not an "export version" in traditional Chinese characters, it has become a laughing stock in the eyes of this scholar.

"...Look at how crude and unbearable these bandits' books are. Not only are they written horizontally from left to right, but even every word is misleading! The factory is empty. There is no wheat on the face, no car to transport, no way to guide, no head to the child, and a single wing to fly. There are clouds and no rain, no switch, no man in the village, the saint can't listen or speak, buy it as a hook knife There is a human head under it. There is a dagger under the human body, and it is better to go into the well, but the devil is still a devil, the ghost is still a ghost, stealing is still stealing, cheating is still cheating, greed is still greedy, poison is still poison, black is still Black, gamble or gamble... The Analects of Confucius said 'was sent to the left lapel', this thief claimed to be a descendant of Zhao and Song Dynasty, but his hair was short in Zuo Shu, and there were also typos, it really turned out to be barbarian after staying overseas for a long time!"

After being proud and proud of being able to write several ways of writing fennel beans, in order to express his anger, the scholar was about to throw the magazine into the sea, but was caught by the anxious businessman. He knocked it over with one punch, and snatched the "Research on War History" magazine back.

"...You damn rascally poor, if you want to throw away a book, throw away your Four Books and Five Classics: The Story of the Western Chamber, Jin Ping Mei, and don't throw away my book!"

The businessman murmured and checked the magazine carefully, and after patting it again, he put it away with great care, and complained at the same time, "... Alas! I don't even know the reason to cherish calligraphy and paper. I don't know if you can't throw away books, but you still dare to say that you are a scholar!"

"...You! You!" The young Confucian scholar was beaten and fell to the deck, trembling with anger, but he couldn't speak anymore.

On the other hand, I heard this young scholar say that he is so loyal to the emperor and patriotic, but secretly he has long wanted to vote for the thief. He was obviously rejected by the Kun thief in Guangzhou, and he still came to Gaotou thief... However, acting in such a nonsensical manner, the two senior scholars also sighed again and again.

"... Sigh, I didn't expect the scholarly atmosphere in Lingnan to be so unbearable." The older scholar said with emotion.

"...Brother Zhong Zhao, don't laugh at Lingnan people. How many scholars in other parts of the world are there to be honest? For example, some dudes in the Jiangnan Fushe have always pretended to be Qingliu, and they have done dirty things behind their backs. I really don’t know how many things there are. On weekdays, I only know how to sing the wind and the moon, leaning on the red and nestling in the green, and the lamb and the wine. When I hear the hardships of the farmers and the people’s livelihood, I scoff and dismiss them! How dare you call yourself a gentleman!”

Another middle-aged scholar shook his head, "...I don't think I can join them, so I can only pay attention to the mountains and rivers!"

——This plain-clothed middle-aged scholar was Xu Xiake, a famous donkey with fever in the history of the late Ming Dynasty. In the eyes of the world at that time, he was a slut who had tried and failed, but his name in the textbooks of later generations was quite different. Any new champion of his generation is much louder.

Over the years, Xu Hongzu, or the famous Xu Xiake, has never shunned wind and rain, tigers and wolves, accompanied by wind and clouds, filled his hunger with wild fruits, quenched his thirst with clear springs, and traveled to famous mountains and rivers all over the world.This time I came across the sea to Qiongzhou because I saw a lot of "Australian goods" in Qinghefang, Hangzhou, which made Xu Xiake very curious, so I went south with my brother Xu Zhongzhao, planning to visit the Lingao Kun people. "Australia Scenery", if you still have enough time to spend, then hire a guide to enter Li District to see the scenery of Limu Mountain.

After a while, the Daifu boat full of passengers was towed to the berth by the Australian steam boat.As soon as the boat came to a stop, several petty officials in official uniforms boarded the boat to check.Xu Xiake huddled in a corner of the deck with his luggage in his arms, peeked out, and saw that these thieves were indeed as the rumors said, all of them had hair like monks, and they probably thought it was indecent to be bareheaded, so they wore a hat, which looked like a monk. There are rattan helmets that look like soup pots turned upside down, and some wear cloth hats, but there is a long brim protruding from the forehead, which is really indescribably weird.

The clothes worn by these thieves are not like the toga and sleeves of the people of the Ming Dynasty, but are all tight, with a belt around the waist. The clothes are all made of cotton of the same color, without any decorations, let alone embroidery. The pattern is just a row of numbers stitched on their chests - Xu Xiake knows that they are called Arabic numerals, which are similar to "Suzhou Code", and there are two Chinese characters under the Arabic numerals: "Port Affairs".

Most of the passengers were a little nervous when they saw the gangsters boarding the ship, for fear of being blackmailed—this is a common occurrence in Daming, but the gangsters’ port officials seem to be quite talkative, so they just asked the captain. The situation, checked the passenger list, and asked if there were any immigrants on board—everyone shook their heads quickly, even the young scholar who wanted to find a way out in Lingao tried his best to deny it, lest he would be caught by the thief as soon as he agreed. Stuffed into the legendary "Jinghua camp", shaved head, took a shower, opened the buttocks to see the chrysanthemum, and then "sent in jail" for more than a month to learn the rules... Although if the suicide is successful, then most of the hair will have to be shaved.But if he shaves his head first but fails to cast hair, how can he go back to his hometown?
Brother Xu Xiake, who had already packed their luggage after the little thief Kun left, was very frustrated to learn that they were still unable to go ashore and had to spend several days at the pier for a "quarantine period" during which no one could go ashore. When disembarking, you can only stroll around the pier at most. In addition, you have to report the health of the personnel to the patrolling thieves every day. If someone is sick, you have to report to the port staff immediately, and a doctor will be sent to the shore immediately.

"...Can't you disembark when you reach the end of the land? It's really troublesome... But this Australian is kind, and he doesn't care about seeing a doctor..."

Xu Zhongzhao, Xu Xiake's clan brother, murmured, but the chunky businessman from before chuckled a few times from behind the pages of the book—he had already taken out the magazine "Research on War History" and flipped through it again: "...this old man Uncle, you don't know, they are not out of kindness, but because they are afraid of spreading the plague! So no one is allowed to disembark. If someone on board really gets sick, we will all be sent to the 'Jinghua Camp' - then you will be ignored Whether you like it or not, you have to shave your head and take a bath every day, and then eat gruel for a few months. Maybe even the cargo on the boat will be dragged out to sea and burned!"

Xu Xiake was shocked when he heard it. Although he had traveled a lot before, he had never been out to sea: "...is it really so serious?"

"...Naturally, there are so many people coming and going in Lingao every day, but the plague is rarely spread. It is because of this system. Although it is a bit unreasonable, it is very useful! I heard that the north has also been plagued by plague in recent years, but I don't know. Does the imperial court have a similar disposition..."

The chunky businessman sighed, and then put on a smiling face again, "...My man, Wang Mingshan, is from Guangzhou. I don't know how you two gentlemen should be called?"

Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao looked at each other, and introduced themselves to the Guangzhou businessman, then Xu Xiake tentatively asked, "...Looking at the appearance of Brother Wang, he seems to be very familiar with the Australians on Lingao. ? I don’t know if you can talk to our brothers?”

"...It's easy to say! It's easy to say! This boy from Lingao is a frequent visitor, so he must have a lot to say to you two." Wang Mingshan smiled and nodded again and again, "...Looking at the appearance of the two of you, it seems that you have traveled all over the world and have been there a lot. Let’s go! There’s nothing going on in the past few days, let’s talk more together..."

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Waiting for the days of isolation and quarantine on the Bopu Wharf is naturally very boring.

In order to pass the time, and also to find out more details about the Lingao Kun thief, Xu Xiake has been chatting with Guangzhou businessman Wang Mingshan for the past few days. There are naturally countless wonderful experiences in my stomach. I casually talked about my experience of trekking thousands of miles, visiting famous mountains and rivers such as Yandang Mountain, Songshan Mountain, Wutai Mountain, Huashan Mountain, Hengshan Mountain and other famous mountains and rivers. Wang Mingshan, who had never left the Lingnan boundary in his life, was amazed and sighed.

Compared with Xu Xiake, although Wang Mingshan's stomach is not so rich, there are many beautifully framed and unique books on Kun people in his luggage. There are several issues of the magazine "Research on War History", which immediately made Xu Xiake like Once you get a treasure, you can't bear to put it down. Besides the most famous donkey friend in ancient Chinese history, Xu Xiake is also a well-known book lover.There is not only a library in the mansion of my hometown in Jiangyin, but I also like to collect books I have never seen before.As long as you see a good book, even if you don't bring any money, you have to take off your clothes to exchange for the book.

But in the troubled times at the end of Ming Dynasty, all literati like to read military books and talk about military affairs. Looking at the articles in magazines such as "The Asura Field in the Mountains-On the Chaos of She'an", "A Brief Analysis of the Eight Banners System", "Huang Taiji's Enthronement" "The Beginning and the End"... and other articles with detailed introductions, sufficient arguments, and easy-to-understand articles, as well as appendix maps and illustrations of the war zone, even the court officials may not know so much about the chaos in the Southwest and the situation in Liaodong!

Xu Xiake and his brother Xu Zhongzhao immediately felt as if an unprecedented door had opened before them, and they felt extremely excited in their hearts. If Wang Mingshan hadn't said that there was a library in Lingao, and a bookstore selling magazines, they could borrow and buy books. It is very convenient, and the old magazines of the previous issues of "Research on War History" must have accumulated.Perhaps Xu Xiake couldn't resist taking out a pen and paper, and transcribed some of the articles he was most interested in.

During the quarantine period on the ship, occasionally a few Kunren vendors came over, selling fruit snacks, drinks, tea, books, newspapers and magazines, and the "Lingao County Traffic and Tourism Map" - this map surprised Xu Xiake, because Generally speaking, the imperial courts of all dynasties have regarded maps as military secrets, and in theory it is forbidden for civilians to possess them, otherwise there would be no story of "Zhang Songxian's Map" in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms".Although the laws and regulations in the late Ming Dynasty were lax, it was impossible to ban the trading of maps in secret, but it was still very rare to publicly sell maps like this under Da Ming's administration.

So Xu Xiake bought a map of Lingao, several copies of "Lingao Times", and the latest issue of "Research on War History". ——The articles of "Australian" are all written in vernacular, the chapters are easy to understand, and the analysis is from simple to deep. Each article is very clear and interesting. Even for those who don't read much, it seems that there is no difficulty.

In this way, all passengers will be allowed to disembark after the quarantine period expires.Under Wang Mingshan's guidance, Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao went to the customs building to apply for a temporary ID card as soon as they got off the boat. Without this thing, it would be difficult to move a single step in Lingao: even a businessman who comes to Gao for a short time to do business must apply for a "temporary card", otherwise he will not be able to stay in a hotel when he arrives on the shore. The yamen servants stopped the road for interrogation. If they didn't have any documents on them, they would have to stay in the jail for one night and find a guarantor who was willing to prove it before they could come out.If no one can be found to prove the guarantee, I am afraid that I will have to go to the river construction site to dig sand for several months.

A group of three people arrived at the registration office of the customs building. The first step was naturally to register and fill in the form, and then everyone went through a medical examination in turn—that is, they took off their clothes and let the health staff take a look to see if they were infected with the plague: The current level of health care and administrative resources are not enough to allow everyone who enters the country to undergo a comprehensive "purification".Only "naturalized people" who have been officially organized to emigrate can enjoy such treatment.

However, even such a shrunken "physical examination" is almost humiliating in Xu Xiake's eyes-although he has suffered countless hardships in half his life as a donkey friend, and it is not once that he was chased, killed and kidnapped by bandits Twice, I even experienced the days of being a savage in the mountains, but I still couldn't help muttering a few times in my mouth: "...'Ausong' humiliates scholars and sweeps the ground, how can there be a bit of Song Dynasty?" Legacy?"

Put on your clothes again, fasten your belt, hand over the medical examination form to a short-haired woman sitting behind a wooden counter, and press the fingerprints of ten fingers on the registration form and a small piece of cardboard. Afterwards, Wang Mingshan, Xu Xiake, and Xu Zhongzhao got their temporary ID cards, which were printed on a piece of strong and heavy cardboard. There were ten fingerprints of each person on it, and their name, age, height, and main features were written on it. It's a string of Arabic numerals, with a circular seal on it—a embossed seal stamped with a mold, I don't know how to get it out.

I hid the "Australian Road Guide" close to my body, and exchanged some circulation coupons at another counter--the Australian banknotes. Xu Xiake was worried that the Australian banknotes would be like Daming treasures when they were put on the market. You can't buy anything with banknotes, but Wang Mingshan pats his chest to assure that there will be no problem.Recalling that during the quarantine period, when the passengers on the ship bought things from the hawkers, it seemed that some people were using the circulation coupons to pay the bills, and Xu Xiake felt relieved.

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After leaving the customs building with his ID card and circulation coupon, Wang Mingshan took Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao for a stroll in Bopu Town.Since the "Australians" landed, the once deserted Bopu has turned into a rather lively port town, with new and neat houses and streets, and the spacious streets paved with black gravel, smelling of sea water and fish. There are many shops on both sides of the street, bustling... In terms of bustle and bustle, it is no less than many counties and even prefectures that Xu Xiake has seen.But according to Wang Mingshan, compared with Dongmen City, where the "Australian Chief Executive" resides, the market at Bopu is still far behind. If the Xu family brothers want to see the real "Australian scenery", they have to go there. that's good
So the group decided to go to Dongmen City to find an inn to settle down. According to Wang Mingshan's suggestion, taking the train would be the fastest.It's just that the Xu family brothers followed him to the red brick railway station and saw that the train was really crowded with people. Not to mention the car was full of people, there were also people sitting on the roof, even outside the railings. People were all hanged up. As soon as the train started, people kept falling from the train, and some people ran desperately to climb up the train on the side of the road. There were still a few people fighting and fighting on the roof, creating a commotion... Let Xu Xiake's heart pounded when he saw it, fearing that he would be squeezed out of his luggage.At this time, Wang Mingshan also heard that a small train exploded at the port last month, and he was also a little timid, so he turned around and took the Xu family brothers to take the bullock cart.

In Xu Xiake's eyes, although the "Australian" public bullock cart looks very different, and the fare is slightly more expensive, it is still more reassuring than the train with thick smoke and loud noise.However, this is the first time that Xu Xiake has seen such a huge bullock cart since he has traveled all over the world for many years. There are three seats in a row on the bullock cart. There are six rows in total, which can accommodate eighteen people, plus the driver and driver. There can be one seat on each side of the driver's seat, and the total passenger capacity is 20 people. The luggage is hung outside the car by suspension, and four bulls act as traction.

Wang Mingshan, Xu Xiake, and Xu Zhongzhao happened to be sitting in the last row. While hanging their luggage behind their backs, they looked around curiously. They saw a guard at the station shouting orders with a big tin horn, urging them to buy Passengers with tickets got on the train quickly; someone was using a long pole to turn over the flip-type train number plate hanging on the truss, and the sign showed the arrival location and departure time in turn; there were also hawkers pushing to the side of the train with big baskets , Selling all kinds of food... Xu Xiake tried to buy a few paper-wrapped sugar balls with circulation coupons, and sure enough, the peddler accepted them very readily.Turning around and peeling off the paper outside the sugar ball, I saw that the golden sugar ball was crystal clear and shining with a beautiful luster, it looked like amber, and when I put it in my mouth, it tasted not only sweet, but also delicious. Sour and light fruit aroma, really delicious.

Only when most of the seats on the ox cart were filled, the driver cracked his whip and drove the four ox carts forward.

Coming out of Bopu Port, the first thing you pass is the green landscape belt by the Wenlan River. The rushing water is sparkling, and turf has grown on the embankment made of stones. The leisure and entertainment places for urban residents to go outing and outing are similar to the common riverside parks in later generations. There are not only flowers and trees, but also a small number of pavilions and pavilions, as well as some sports facilities, which look like bonsai.

"...Unexpectedly, these Australians still have a bit of elegance, maybe they really have a bit of Zhao Song's legacy."

Looking at the man-made scenery along the river, Xu Xiake couldn't help admiring secretly in his heart—naturally, he has seen countless beautiful scenery in the world, and there are many places where the scenery is a hundred times more beautiful than this place. However, the houses along the way here are neat , the smoothness of the roads, and the cleanliness of the streets of the village, he has never seen before.It's a pity that the river water seems to be quite turbid, and there are still a lot of garbage floating on it, which makes people feel a little regretful.

Then, the huge public oxcart was facing the autumn wind, driving among the endless fields-although it was late autumn, but in this place of Hainan Island, the autumn wind was never cold, but quite refreshing and pleasant.Now the weather is sunny, neither hot nor cold, and the weather is good. The farmers are all going to the fields, working, trading, or walking or pushing carts to carry loads. There are many pedestrians on the road, and most of them seem to be well-dressed. There are poor people in rags.Looking towards both sides of the road, I saw the yellow-brown path meandering between the earth slopes and paddy fields full of shrubs and trees.The second season of rice has just been harvested, and the rice fields have already been planted with winter wheat, broad beans and various green manure crops.At a glance, there is a lush and vibrant scene, which made Xu Xiake feel very moved.

——In his life as a donkey friend in the past few decades, although he has seen many densely populated and famous cities and towns, but more of them are dilapidated and dilapidated villages full of crises.In those remote places, as long as they are a little farther away from the villages and towns, the grass on both sides of the dirt road will grow taller than people.There are wild dogs, foxes and even wolves wandering in the wilderness everywhere, making terrible barking sounds, and often jumping out of the grass to hurt people, leaving behind many legends of fox fairies, wolf demons and bone spirits... But compared to those who eat people Bandits who don't spit out their bones, these beasts can even be called benevolent.

However, here in Lingao, the spacious road is bathed in bright sunshine, and the surrounding scenery is unobstructed. There are not many grasses and shrubs. Some of them were planted with saplings, many of which were still fruit trees, absolutely without the slightest sense of withered and dilapidated.Even on both sides of the road, many coconut trees are planted.

However, what surprised Xu Xiake was that there were still many tall wooden piles standing on the side of the road, which were painted in pitch black.Arranged neatly along the road, they are connected to each other with black ropes.There are also bottles made of glass fixed to each stake.Because he really didn't know the purpose of these wooden stakes and the "black rope", Xu Xiake had to ask Wang Mingshan, but Wang Mingshan didn't know much about it. He only knew that Australians seemed to be able to use this thing to send letters, which was similar to some kind of strange thing. Skillful tricks... So Xu Xiake had no choice but to keep the doubts in his stomach to the bottom of his heart.

Although the black wooden piles on the side of the road feel a little strange, such a peaceful and comfortable pastoral scenery still makes Xu Xiake feel very intoxicated, but when the ox cart passes by the industrial area, the leisurely pastoral pastoral is completely lost. Disappeared - there was a faint rhythmic roar and hammering sound in the wind.The red houses stretched like sawtooth, and red brick chimneys of different sizes stood everywhere, and the thick black and white smoke almost covered the sky.On the storage yard by the river, there are hill-like piles of ore and coal piles everywhere, and countless sacks of different sizes, wooden barrels, clay pots and wooden boxes are piled up into huge piles, covered with reed mats.The tall steam iron cranes are panting white steam, and these goods are loaded onto the barges on the river surface, and the water surface is full of cinders and various garbage... Various pungent and strange smells float in the air, faintly Joyo seemed to have a sulfurous smell, which made Xu Xiake and his brothers cough and cover their noses hastily.

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The bullock cart stopped and went along the way, and people kept getting off and getting on along the way.With the passage of time, the houses on both sides of the road became denser and more shops were built. After seeing a sign in the distance, Wang Mingshan called out to the Xu family brothers loudly: Dongmen City is here!

When we arrived at the bus interchange station in Dongmen City, almost all the passengers on the bullock cart were gone.Xu Xiake also picked up the package and looked curiously at this strange and prosperous town.I saw a lot of trolleys and rickshaws parked in the empty space outside the station, and there were many vendors, guys and laborers gathered around, which was very lively.Seeing a customer getting off the bullock cart, the group of people who were squatting and chatting, or dozed off, came up to solicit business one after another: "...Sir, do you want fruit? Fresh Australian pears, It's so cheap!", "... "Lingao Times"! Today's "Lingao Times"! There is a supplement!", "... Staying at the hotel, the Lingao Ministry of Commerce has rated it as a three-star hotel, with one bedding for each guest Change, no fleas and no bugs! If you are tired, there will be a little girl massage - there is a yellow ticket!", "... Cheap hotel offers, pay one month's room fee in advance and stay for one and a half months!"

In the midst of the noise, Xu Xiake guarded his parcel very vigilantly, pushed through the crowd and walked onto the street: As an old donkey traveler who has traveled to most of China, he knows well that any prefecture or county's wharf is full of all kinds of bad guys as usual Places to haunt: Robbers, pickpockets, and swindlers all like to do business in such lively places. When he traveled to famous mountains in various provinces, he has suffered a lot, and he has almost become a good doctor after a long illness.

It was already lunch time, and the three of them were hungry, so Wang Mingshan found a small restaurant to treat them very acquaintedly, and invited the owner surnamed Gou to serve three bowls of beef and rice noodles, and also asked for a few extra dishes. Australian Cuisine”—the hot rice noodles are served on the table, and the slightly yellow rice noodles are floating in the oily soup, with beef slices, sauerkraut, peanuts, shrimps and other ingredients scattered on it, which makes people feel It looks very appetizing.

And those "Australian dishes" opened Xu Xiake's eyes even more - he had seen many "Australian products" in his hometown in the south of the Yangtze River before, but "Australian vegetables" have not been transplanted yet: tomato scrambled eggs taste sour and sweet Delicious, appetizer and meal.There are also green tender pods, which are sweet and tender when fried.There are also flowers like vegetables, some are white and some are green, the white ones are hard and crisp, and the green ones are rotten and soft, each tastes different.

After eating and drinking, and paying the bill, the three parted ways—Wang Mingshan wanted to go to several shops with whom he had contacts to collect bills and place orders for purchases, while Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao followed Wang Mingshan’s recommendation and went to a long-term shop. The rented government-run cheap hotel "Weimin Hotel" settled down.

This "Weimin Hotel" is not far from Gou's restaurant, it is a three-story building made of red bricks.The appearance is not so beautiful, it is as square as a box.There are many windows on the wall, and they are all equipped with glass windows.However, this kind of "luxury" is already tired of aesthetics for Xu Xiake - large flat glass, which is rare elsewhere, is the most common thing in Lingao, and it is also one of the "Australian characteristics".

Walking into the gate of "Weimin Hotel" with luggage, a very complicated and unpleasant smell came to my face. It was a special smell composed of tobacco, liquor, sweat and tattered clothes. Xu Xiake lived in various places in the past. When staying in low-class hotels, you can often smell this strange smell, and it is not surprising.However, in the smell of the Weimin Hotel, there is also a strong pungent smell - the smell of disinfectant.

Although the smell was unpleasant, the light in the foyer was bright, and behind the counter desk was a female "gentleman" with short hair in a blue dress, with a thick stack of guest books in front of her.The large wooden board behind him was covered with keys.There is a banner on the wall next to it: "No one without ID card allowed!"

Seeing that the guys in this inn were all hired by official posts, Xu Xiake couldn't help feeling a little bit emotional-although the Ming court also had inns, they only entertained people from the public family and did not operate for small people, and it has been abolished by Emperor Chongzhen now.As for the Kun people in Australia, there are so many officials in a small county... Alas, needless to say, there must be a lot of redundant officials in this Kun people, just like the Song Dynasty, which is really good Learn from bad ones!

Although there were various thoughts in mind, the Xu family brothers did not hesitate much, so they took out their ID cards and went to the counter to check in.After registering the ID cards of the two of them, the hairy girl asked, "...do you live in a bunk or in a single room?"

"... Is there a single room here?" Xu Xiake's eyes lit up immediately. Although he was not afraid of eating, sleeping in the open, living in a dilapidated temple, sleeping in a tree hole, and partnering with beggars during his previous long trips, he has experienced almost everything, but In any case, Xu Xiake was also born as a nobleman, and he was pampered since he was a child.This time I brought my clan brother Xu Zhongzhao with me. If possible, it is better to live more comfortably, "...Can I take a look first?"

"...Of course you can. Guest officer, the first and second floors of our hotel are common shops, and the third floor is single rooms. I'll take you up there."

Compared with some high-end inns where Xu Xiake once lived, the single room in Weimin Hotel is very small, a bed occupies [-]% of the floor, the furniture is only extremely simple, a table, a chair and a cabinet, and the ceiling is also very low ——Strictly speaking, the so-called third floor is actually "the second and a half floors".But the advantage is that the windows are bright and clean.The more important thing is that the price is cheap, only double the price of Tongpu.

Therefore, Xu Xiake readily asked for two rooms, one for each of his clan brothers, and agreed to rent for five days first, and then renew the lease if necessary.

"...Our hostel does not include meals. If you want to eat, turn left when you go out. There is a public canteen in the second alley. It is easy to go to a stall or a small restaurant if you want to - there are all of them. The toilet is at the end of the corridor, and you can take a shower until the end of the corridor. The bathroom on the first floor. There are also laundry helpers, but they have to charge for it.”

After collecting the rent and completing the formalities, the woman in blue warmly introduced Xu Xiake one by one, "...hot water is only available from [-]:[-] to [-]:[-] in the morning and evening. Cold water is available all day. But I just replaced it with a new one today. The stove is being tested, so there is hot water just now, so hurry up if you want to take a shower."

"...Thank you very much." Xu Xiake replied with a nod, thinking that every morning and evening in this hotel there are staffs who bring a big pot to boil water for the guests.Unexpectedly, I was surprised when I got to the bathroom—not to mention that the floor and walls are all covered with tiles, and the toilet outside is also made of porcelain!In the bathroom, there is also no bathtub and bathtub that I am used to. Instead, I take a shower under the water spray pipes. As long as the valve is turned on, hot and cold water will come down...

As for the principle, Xu Xiake has seen and inspected it in Hangzhou Ziming Building. The cold water should have a water pipe leading to a certain reservoir. As for the hot water, a large furnace was built and people were constantly sent to light the fire.But what he never imagined was that in Lingao, even peddlers and pawns can enjoy such a luxurious and high-class bathhouse—although there are only two hours a day... The luxury of the Australians is really impressive. unimaginable.

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All in all, after checking in, Xu Xiake and his brother Xu Zhongzhao took a hot bath to wash off the hustle and bustle, and then put on a new set of clothes and a pair of clean cloth shoes. , Come out from the hostel together to enjoy the "Australian view" on the Lingao market.

——On the way to the "Weimin Hotel" before, the prosperity along the way has already dazzled the Xu family brothers.Right now, I just feel that my two eyes are not enough: Generally speaking, many houses here are tall and beautiful.As far as Xu Xiake knows, in many dilapidated small counties in the mainland, even a small two-story building can attract people's attention, but on the streets of Lingao, even five-story buildings are not uncommon.

The main street of Dongmen City is paved with black gravel, which is far wider than the streets of most prefectures and counties in Ming Dynasty.In the middle is the driveway, which allows only carriages, carts, rickshaws and livestock to pass. Separate stone sidewalks are built on both sides of the street, and coconut trees are planted on the sidewalks-Australians seem to love coconut trees very much and plant them everywhere on their land.What is puzzling is that the high poles along the street are topped with iron mesh glass. I don't know what they are for. Xu Xiake vaguely thinks that these may be lights, but he thinks that no one should be willing to be so extravagant.

On the streets of Dongmen City, there are not only loading carriages and mule carts, but also many "Australian rickshaws" coming and going-in Dongmen City, there is hardly a sedan chair or a sliding pole, and they run all over the street. This kind of two-wheeled trolley for pulling people, in simple terms, is a covered armchair with a wheel on each side, and two long handles in front for the driver to pull. There are a few stacked bamboo bone fabrics, which seem to be able to support a car roof.The coachmen wore blue cloth double-breasted jackets with a string of "Arabic numerals" painted on the back. They forced their two-wheeled carts to run in the midst of the crowded crowd, and the bells on the carts rang non-stop. .In addition, there were several spacious two-wheeled carriages proudly passing by on the street. The carts were pulled by Mongolian horses, and the coachman wearing a cloak stood behind the carts. The Xu family brothers were amazed at such a strange shape.

Although the streets of Dongmen City are full of traffic, the road surface is clean. Not to mention garbage, you can't even find a fruit peel. There are none of the beggars and gangsters that are common in the bustling market.You can't even see a person from the rivers and lakes like horse racing and selling solutions.There are only shops on both sides of the street, displaying a variety of goods.Almost all shops are above two floors, three-story buildings are very common, and there are also a few "high-rises" with five or six floors. Those single-story bungalows are rarely facing the street. It is different from the Central Plains.Every house was roofed with tiles, large and small, with windows with large panes of glass.There is a rush of people inside and outside the store, and it is very bustling at first glance.

The Xu Xiake brothers walked on the sidewalk like this. Although they wanted to maintain a certain gentleman's demeanor, there were so many new things here in Dongmen City that they couldn't help but start looking around. Every shop in those shops Every fresh shipment attracted the self-proclaimed well-informed brothers to stop and watch, and the route they walked on the street gradually became a "Z" shape-every shop on both sides of the street had to go in and shop .Even if he is ridiculed as a bumpkin or a country bumpkin, he has the cheek to bear it: Xu Xiake has seen such a busy street in Nanjing and Wuchang, but it is not like this. mood", which left a deep impression on him.

In addition, there are many young women in fancy dresses on the street, in groups of three or four, holding various snacks and snacks, playing and laughing while eating, as if no one else is around, and some women are even walking on the street alone.Xu Xiake couldn't help but secretly wondered in his heart: In the land of Daming, it's rare for a woman from a good family to go shopping, and there's not even a man around her, how decent is that?What if he was molested and abducted?Even though the law and order here is excellent and there is no fear of abduction, what kind of custom is it for a woman to be so wild?It shouldn't be like this even in the Song Dynasty.

Xu Xiake rubbed his chin and thought about it, but he could only speculate that the "Kun people" left the Central Plains for a long time, forgot the etiquette, and gradually became infected with barbarian customs.However, these women look really beautifully dressed, why do they seem to be... more delicate than those girls from my hometown in the south of the Yangtze River?
——Since ancient times in China, there has been a saying that there are beautiful women in Suzhou and Hangzhou. Firstly, it is because the water and soil here can support people, and secondly, it is actually because this place is relatively rich. Even women from poor families are often capable of grooming themselves, so there is Jiangnan. The illusion that there are many beauties... In Lingao, where the traversers ruled, due to the crushing productivity of industrialization, the living standards of the people at the bottom have even surpassed that of the Jiangnan water town. Lingao itself produces a large number of cosmetics, and the local price is relatively low. Commoner women naturally have the ability to consume all kinds of cosmetics, so they are extremely beautiful in the eyes of the ancients...

So, the Xu family brothers walked around in this way, looking at people and unconsciously, they came to the head office of Lingao Cooperative - this "government-run department store" of the traversers is not only the largest in scale on this street Yes, the decoration is also the most elegant, as soon as you walk into the store, you will see the atrium directly to the roof, and the second and third floors are all Zoumalou.As long as you stand in the middle of the room, the lofty aura will make you speechless.

The most surprising thing is the roof, which is actually a dome glass skylight-the entire atrium is covered with a frame made of iron bars, and a whole piece of glass "tiles" is inlaid on it.The bright sunlight shines through the glass tiles, illuminating the three-story building extremely brightly, which is very different from the dark and dark ordinary shops in the mainland of Ming Dynasty.And in the glass-covered atrium, there are many potted flowers and plants, which look like an indoor garden.

Looking at this luxurious building full of various "Australian style" features, the Xu family brothers couldn't help being stunned for a while, and it took a long time to come back to their senses.Not to mention the products in the store, originally Xu Xiake thought that Nanjing should be the first place in the world where rare and exotic goods are gathered, but he didn't expect it to be nothing compared to this place.All kinds of colorful trinkets, exquisite pastries and candies, transparent soap embedded with flower petals... I don’t know how many gadgets he has never seen before, so he can’t wait to buy them all as gifts for relatives and friends at home, and promote them The female buddy of the company was also very enthusiastic, but Xu Xiake and Xu Zhongzhao still gritted their teeth and refused to buy it in the end-not because they were shy, but because they planned to see the scenery of Limu Mountain next, so they bought too much now. It will definitely be inconvenient to enter the mountain, so we can only wait until the return trip.

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After such a leisurely tour, Xu Xiake hurriedly grabbed his brother, who was still not satisfied with the sun, and took a look at the tourist map from his sleeve. He decided to leave the commercial street, walk through the houses and search the alleys to return to the city. Taking a rest at the Min Hotel, and taking a look at the people's livelihood under the rule of the Kun people—the two took a map and drilled all the way to the alleys, and found that the houses in Dongmen City are also very good, no matter how many deep and remote alleys, they are all paved with stone slabs , It is also very clean, not only is there no garbage, feces and urine, even stagnant water is rarely seen.Moreover, there must be a toilet at the entrance of each alley, and there is a public well platform in the middle of the alley. It is very convenient to wash with water. Hairy.

After walking for less than a quarter of an hour, the Weimin Hotel was already in sight, but it was time for dinner, so the Xu family brothers were in no hurry to go back to rest. Have dinner in the cafeteria - when you walk into the cafeteria, you can see that the floor and walls are covered with ceramic tiles, and the long counter covered with a glass cover is full of large porcelain plates, piled up with a variety of ready-made dishes: vegetables, bean curds , vermicelli, pickles, rice, steamed bread, rice noodles... The meat dishes are mainly fish, shrimp and shellfish, and there is basically no meat.The diners take a plate by themselves, and they are willing to take a few dishes, and pay the bill when they walk to the end of the counter. The fee is not much, but they are full, and finally a bowl of tofu and seaweed soup with some oil flakes is presented .

Xu Zhongzhao was getting old, so he didn't dare to eat too much for dinner, he just ordered a bowl of vegetable egg flower porridge and a small steamed bun; Most of the people who eat in this cafeteria are "manual workers" dressed in short and thick clothes, such as rickshaw pullers on the street, coolies carrying big bags on the pier, etc., but the food they eat is no worse than that of their brothers... and in In the mainland of the Ming Dynasty, even in the Jiangnan Water Town, which is known as a rich place, the people at the bottom would never be able to afford this kind of food.As for the northern provinces, even the gentry's family may not be able to eat white flour and rice every single day - it can be seen that under the rule of the "Australians", the lives of the people are indeed quite easy, much better than under the rule of Ming Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Xu Xiake couldn't help feeling mixed feelings... Back in the room of the Weimin Hotel, Xu Zhongzhao washed up and went to sleep,

And Xu Xiake, as usual, lit a piece of "Australian wax" on the table, then spread out a notebook, picked up a pen and ink, and wrote today's notes——During Xu Xiake's decades of travel career , No matter how tired you are every day, you must record your experiences and observations that day.Sometimes he traveled more than a hundred miles and lived in a wild temple at night in a deserted village, or slept under an old tree in the ruins. He would also light an oil lamp, light a bonfire, and insist on writing a travel diary.

"...Looking at the Lingao market today, it is true that there are many department stores and abundant goods, and there are no people who are hungry. Even if you are a peddler or a short-term worker, there are also polished rice vermicelli to eat. Even if you are the leader of the Kun chieftain, although he is plain Luxurious and extravagant, in fact, I heard that self-promotion is very frugal. It is not like the hometown of Jiangnan, where the dandies are desperate for extravagance, and the common people of the Li people rarely have enough to eat... Recalling the land of Huaibei in the past, there was a severe drought and no rain all year round, and the sky was covered by locusts. The price of rice is silver per stone Forty-two, the folks used bad food and rotten dregs as a delicacy, or ate tree scraps and elm skin. As a result, beggars filled the roads, and many people died on their pillows. The south of the Yangtze River was also disturbed and restless, and there were often small groups of bandits lying in the bushes.

Looking at today's Qiongzhou under the rule of the Kun people, the government is well-organized and the people are harmonious, and everything is prosperous.Although the people of Kundang were ridiculed by the world for abandoning the basics and chasing after the waste, the prices of rice, grain, and vegetables were all cheap, and the common people did not suffer from hunger and cold. It is already a paradise in troubled times!Yu really couldn't help but sigh, and felt quite anxious..."

In the deepening twilight, Xu Xiake was stroking his beard by the candlelight, frowning and thinking hard about the words in the diary, but suddenly felt that the window was getting brighter.So, he temporarily put down his pen and ink, and curiously raised his head and looked out of the window. He was stunned at once: he saw that the pillars on both sides of the street in front of the hotel, whose purpose he could not guess at the beginning, were all on the ground. The lights have been lit.The gas burning flame dances behind the glass cover, not only is it much brighter than lamp oil candles, even the best "Australian wax" can't compare with it...

One light after another stretched out along the street to the end of the horizon beyond his vision.Looking around, the entire Dongmen City seemed to be a sea of ​​light.Under the bright gaslight, some women moved a bench to do needlework in the light, while peddlers and men who solicited business were shouting loudly. Various food stalls were lined up, looking warm and comfortable.

"...Hiss—I don't think it's really a street lamp, not just a street... There must be at least a hundred, no, two or three hundred lamps! Australians are so extravagant and can afford so much oil Wax for lighting?! This grandeur is comparable to that of the Ming court!"

As a well-informed traveler, Xu Xiake knows that there are stone lanterns on both sides of Yongxiang in the Beijing Imperial Palace, which are lit every night.In addition, in some wealthy mansions he has visited, there are occasionally one or two similar stone lanterns, which is already an extremely extravagant thing.Unexpectedly, the Australians in Lingao are so extravagant, illuminating the whole town so brightly!How much will this cost? !

Looking at this group of brilliant lights as bright as a galaxy, Xu Xiake shook his head, as if he wanted to shake off that unbelievable feeling... For this strange city in front of him, he found that no matter how hard he tried to understand, he couldn't understand it. It will still fall into the myth that cannot be interpreted.In the end, he had to close the window, lay down on the bed, and uttered a long exclamation as the end of all the miraculous experiences of the day:

"...A mere group of Australian vagrants came across the ocean and settled in a remote county in Qiongzhou for several years. Using Australian laws to practice agriculture and business, they were able to establish such a prosperous business. I don't know where the Kun people's home country of Australia is. What kind of prosperous and prosperous scene should it be? I really wish I could see it with my own eyes!"

It is a pity that Xu Xiake's above-mentioned beautiful reveries about "Australia" are all pure illusions. What Mr. Xu Xiake does not know is that at this moment, thousands of miles away from the south of where he is, those "real "There are no noisy markets, bright street lights, or all kinds of exquisite food around Australians. They can only look at the bright Milky Way stars in the sky and listen to the howling wind sweeping through the wilderness. There is only weird taste around them. wild vegetables and fruits, unpalatable roast kangaroo meat, grotesque weeds and trees, crocodiles, snakes and poisonous spiders... In addition to the stone age aboriginal savages, there are also a group of neighbors who have the talent to die Polak...

——Although these poor "true-Australians" are indeed from the same place as the five hundred "real Kuns" in Lingao County, Qiongzhou...