The imperial court cut off the food and salary of Dongjiang Town, and it was entirely up to General Guo to raise funds to maintain the current level and to accommodate so many escaped Liao people.
Zhang Bang already knew these things, it was the village steward who told the villagers.
For this reason, he secretly scolded the imperial court, which he had almost forgotten. Since the rebellion against the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court had not given any rescue or help to the Liao people.
And people continued to move to the village, which made Zhang Bang feel grateful to General Guo. Being able to provide them with accommodation, food, and daily necessities was considered to be the most benevolent thing.
You must know that there are many old, weak, women and children among the people. General Guo does not think that they are a burden and a waste of food, and he still arranges and distributes food.
The water in the clay pot boiled, and the grains tumbled, releasing bursts of aroma.
Zhang Bang added firewood to the stove and thought about finding some work to earn more rice for the family.
The food distributed on the island is not enough to eat enough, but there are various jobs to get extra food.
In addition to various workshops recruiting people from time to time, there are also odd jobs such as shipbuilding, wood cutting, fishing, picking, sewing, and transportation, which can earn food for the family.
Some jobs do not provide money or food, but providing a full meal also saves food for the family, and the bill is the same.
When the sun emerged from the horizon and cast less warm sunshine, the wife woke up from her sleep. She got dressed and got up. Erya was also alarmed, smelled the fragrance of rice, and got up quickly.
The family sat on the kang, holding a bowl and drinking multigrain vegetable porridge, which was a delicacy they had rarely tasted before. As the climate became colder, crop yields declined, and the Jianlu levies were extortionate, leaving little for them.
"Drink another bowl." When the wife saw her husband put down the bowl and chopsticks, she said softly: "How can you have the strength when you go out to work with an empty stomach? If you are lazy and foolhardy this time, I won't need you next time."
Zhang Bang hesitated for a moment, and felt that his wife was right, so he filled another half of the bowl, swallowed it in a few mouthfuls, and said with a smile: "We agreed yesterday that we would go to the shipbuilding workshop to saw wood and have a good meal today.
You don’t have to wait for me anymore.”
The wife nodded and said: "I have brought the needles, thread and rags, and I will start making shoes today. Erya can help me look after the children, and can also help me."
"Okay, pretty good." Zhang Bang stood up, touched the girl's head, and went to the kitchen to pick up a bucket and go out to fetch water.
There were already many people on the road in the village, and their faces no longer looked frightened and frightened. Smoke was rising from every house, which was a rare sight in the former Jianlu-ruled areas.
When he walked to the wellhead, Zhang Bang saw the uncle shaking the windlass to carry water, and hurriedly stepped forward to take over, saying, "Uncle, didn't I tell you, why should I do the work of fetching water and chopping firewood?"
Uncle Zhang chuckled and said, "I did this little job easily by myself. Although I am old, my hands and feet can still be used."
Then, Uncle Zhang asked again: "What are you going to do today?"
"Go to the shipyard to saw wood and earn a meal." Zhang Bang grinned and said with a smile, "It will also save some food for the family."
Uncle Zhang nodded and said, "I'm going to pick up wicker sticks today and make some baskets."
"You are so skillful." Zhang Bang praised him and filled the old man's bucket. In a blink of an eye, he saw a woman carrying a small bucket and leading a little girl eating her fingers.
Sighing secretly in his heart, Zhang Bang took another bucket of water and filled the woman's bucket. The woman thanked her repeatedly, took the water, led the little girl, and staggered away.
"It belongs to orphans and widows." Uncle Zhang shook his head and sighed, "I have to do all the work by myself, life is difficult!"
After a pause, he said with emotion: "Fortunately, I escaped, otherwise I might not be able to survive this winter."
After that, Uncle Zhang said hello to Zhang Bang and left with the water.
Yes, fortunately, I escaped, and the days when I can have porridge are already beyond my imagination before.
Zhang Bang took the water home, cleaned it up, and then went out and walked to the shipyard with his appointed companions.
"I heard that fish will be released every few days." My companion Zhang Xiaoshuan pointed to the old village in the distance and said, "The old residents on the island said so."
"That's great!" Zhang Bang grinned, "When I first got off the boat, I was really frightened by the skeleton of that big fish. It's so big, and the flesh alone can weigh several thousand kilograms, right?"
Zhang Xiaoshuan chuckled and said: "I asked the old residents that the fish weighed more than 20,000 kilograms. Excluding the bones and oil, it also weighed 18,000 kilograms of meat. Moreover, I heard that the meat tasted fresh and tender, like veal."
As he spoke, Zhang Xiaoshuan licked his lips and swallowed hard.
Zhang Bang also felt salivation in his mouth and laughed twice.
"When the recruitment begins again, I will sign up." Zhang Xiaoshuan looked at Zhang Bang and said, "What about you, do you want to earn money and food for your family so that they can have more meals?"
Zhang Bang hesitated a little and said, "I'm not afraid of death, but if something happens to me, what will happen to my family?"
Zhang Xiaoshuan said: "There is pension money, and we also promised to take care of the families of the martyrs and prevent them from starving and freezing!"
Zhang Bang fell silent, still hesitant. If he promised well, he could guarantee that there would be no changes in the future? He felt unsure!
………………..
The fishing output has increased significantly. It seems that the trawling technology is gradually being mastered by fishermen and they are becoming increasingly proficient.
Thanks to the craftsmen sent to support by Pidao Headquarters, Guangludao Shipyard can launch five fishing boats with a length of 9 meters, a load of 3-4 tons, and "dazzling wooden dragons" decorated on both sides of the bow each month.
This kind of fishing boat is a type of boat that appeared in the late Song Dynasty and is more common in Zhoushan. Because the boat is not very big, it mostly operates in shallow waters and near the coast.
Guo Dajing is also satisfied with the shallow sea coast. As long as there are enough boats, the fishing volume can continue to grow, and the goal of becoming a pillar industry will continue to grow.
As craftsman proficiency and shipbuilding technology improved, shipyards began to experiment with larger fishing boats.
This kind of fishing boat has a hull length of more than ten meters and a load capacity of five to ten tons. It often appears in places such as Shenjiamen, Fenghua Qifeng, Xiangshandongmen and Zhenhai.
At that time, the Yellow Sea had a very good marine environment. There were fur seals and sea lions distributed in the Changshan Islands. Due to the proliferation of herring, whales moved in groups in the northern Yellow Sea.
Around the Changshan Islands, in addition to the Haiyang Island fishery, there are also high-yield areas such as the Yalu River Estuary fishery and the Liaodong Bay fishery, all of which can be intensively developed.
The number of fishermen, or the population engaged in fishing, is increasing, and the output of fish and other seafood is getting higher and higher, which means a large reduction in food consumption, and also means the improvement of nutrition and physical fitness of the military and civilians.
At a time when there was not enough land to grow crops to feed the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang Town, it was imperative and a last resort to direct the population towards the fishing industry.
Because no other industry can support such a large population. And the shipbuilding industry alone, including logging, sawing, iron tools, sail ropes, etc., has found a job for many people.
Providing food to feed the people while also allowing them to create value as much as possible. To use the terminology of later generations, it is to increase the employment rate. I am afraid that not many people could have thought of this idea at the time.
In fact, this is similar to the principle of providing relief for work. It not only relieves the people, but also builds projects or creates artifacts, which is beneficial to future economic and social development.
In the end, General Guo gained a good reputation and improved his prestige in the minds of the military and the people.
Even in difficult times, Guo Dajing did not stop military operations and sent Liu Xingzhi and other officers to lead a small group of elite troops to land and harass.
The purpose is very clear, not only to train the combat capabilities of the troops, but also to focus on eradicating the prison outposts and create more convenient and safe conditions for more Liao people to flee.
Although Guo Dajing's strength is to infiltrate and kill in disguise, on a broad front, his personal abilities are limited after all, and he cannot participate in every battle.
After handling official duties, Guo Dajing walked out of the office. The cool air made him feel refreshed.
It's winter. We must end military operations, cut down and pick before the coast freezes. To be precise, we must turn to Port Arthur and continue in the Jinzhou area.
As soon as Guo Dajing left the military camp on horseback, he met the dock guard Pegasus and came to report that Mr. Fujino was back, as well as the Lin family's merchant ships. A total of three sea vessels had just docked at the dock.
It was just the right time to arrive. Guo Dajing was so excited that he immediately sent someone to inform Fujino Hide. He turned around and headed straight to the dock with his soldiers.
On the pier, Lin Wan'er opened her mouth wide as she faced the whale skeleton hanging on a high pole, and kept making sounds of exclamation.
Lin Tianyou was also very surprised. He had been running on the sea for several years, but he had never seen such a big fish, and he didn't know how he caught it. Is it hanging on the dock, is General Guo deliberately showing off?
Fujino Masa just glanced at it twice, and then he and Kobayashi Koichi walked into the hut next to the pier and sat down to warm themselves and drink tea.
Although he seemed calm on the surface, Fujino Masaru was in a turbulent mood. After being away for nearly half a year, he finally came back. Naturally, what he missed most was his daughter Fujino Hide.
Kobayashi Koichi was a little disappointed. It would be difficult to gain much from this island that didn't look particularly big.
If you want to buy raw silk, porcelain, and silk, you should still go to the south. I am afraid that my trip will be in vain, and I think too much.
However, the Lin family maritime merchant seems to have some roots in the south, and it can be used to become a purchaser in the Ming Dynasty.
Kobayashi Haoichi remained calm, which Chengfu still had, and even laughed and chatted with Fujino.
The sound of horse's hooves came from far away, then sounded rapidly, until they came closer.
Fujino walked to the window, opened it, took a look, and said with a smile: "General Guo is here. Mr. Xiaolin, please wait a moment. I will come and invite you after I have met the general and reported."
"Thank you." Kobayashi Koichi cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Fujino, please."
Fujino nodded, walked out of the room, and faced Guo Dajing.
Guo Dajing saw Fujino Masa at a glance, and hurriedly dismounted and ran towards him, with no concealment of his eagerness on his face.
"I have met General Guo." Fujino saluted and said, "I am fortunate to have lived up to my command."
Guo Dajing returned the gift respectfully and said: "Mr. Fujino traveled all over the sea, worked hard and made outstanding contributions. Guo is very grateful."
Fujinomasa smiled and said: "Everything went smoothly. I already explained it in the letter last time. It's just that my subordinate brought a Japanese here without asking for permission..."
Guo Dajing already knew about the purchase of muskets and artillery through letters. He would report the specific details in his own time. But Xiaolin Haoyi was in the house and said hello first to give Guo Dajing time to think about it.
Fujino Masaru briefly told the story. Looking at Guo Dajing's expression, he felt a little uneasy and wondered if he had done something wrong.
Guo Dajing thought for a short time, then smiled and said: "Mr. Fujino has made another great contribution. First, please invite Xiao Lin to rest in the inn and meet him one night."
With that said, Guo Dajing reached out to recruit his own soldiers and asked them to accompany Fujino Masaru to send Kobayashi Koichi to the inn. Then he turned around and went straight to the dock to meet the Lin brothers and sisters first.
Guo Dajing was a little surprised by Lin Wan'er's arrival again. He didn't know what the young lady had done and came here to escape.
"I have met General Guo." Lin Tianyou saluted respectfully, but he could not be as casual as his brother.
Guo Dajing returned the courtesy and said with a smile: "Brother Tianyou, there is no need to be polite. Although you and I are not sworn brothers, we are both born brothers."
Lin Tianyou laughed, very happy with Guo Dajing's casualness.
"General Guo, this is the big fish you caught!" Lin Wan'er asked curiously: "How many kilograms does it weigh and how did you catch it?"
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "The number of people killed with a bed crossbow must have weighed more than 20,000 kilograms!"
Lin Wan'er opened her mouth, but before she could ask another question, she was interrupted by Lin Tianyou.
"General Guo, my sister-in-law will stay on the island for a while." Lin Tianyou stretched out his hand to make a gesture of invitation, walked to the side with Guo Dajing, and briefly explained the reason.
It turned out that after the Lin brothers and sisters returned, the family that was engaged to Lin Wan'er hurriedly urged them to find a date to get married.
Lin Tiansheng felt strange, so he secretly sent someone to inquire. It turned out that Lin Wan'er's future husband had some strange disease and could not be cured after a long period of treatment. He wanted to try his luck in getting married.
If he didn't know, there would be no way to marry her; but knowing this secret, how could Lin Tiansheng be willing to push the girl into the pit of fire?
So, while he was buying commercial goods for Guo Dajing, he smuggled Lin Wan'er onto the ship and ran to Guanglu Island for a while.
Guo Dajing understood that this was a good idea. If the guy's illness was cured, we could talk about getting married when he got home. If the cure wasn't good and he died from kicking his legs and Lin Wan'er didn't get married, then he could justifiably marry him again.
"I don't mind the simplicity of our island. My sister can live here as long as she likes." Guo Dajing agreed happily and said, "There's no such thing as causing trouble. Brother Lin is too polite."
Lin Tianyou thanked her and said: "My roommate's food and clothing are provided by the Lin family. I just ask General Guo to take care of her, so I am very grateful."
Guo Dajing nodded repeatedly, agreed, reached out to take the goods list, looked at it briefly, and couldn't help but look happy.
The bulk goods purchased by the Lin family this time were mainly cloth, cotton, and iron materials. What excited Guo Dajing was the thousands of stones of corn.
The time when corn was introduced to China from the Americas was probably during the Jiajing period, first in Guangxi. By the Wanli period, large-scale planting had already occurred in Zhangzhou, Quanzhou and other places in Fujian.
Due to Fujian's geographical characteristics of "eight mountains, one water and one field" and the increasing population density, it is highly receptive to foreign high-yield crops. For example, sweet potatoes were also grown in Fujian.