Chao Kun didn't react for a moment, and the chief steward Zhou Tao who was following behind laughed and said: "The smoke should be from the brick kiln!"
Chao Kun then remembered and said with some embarrassment: "I chose the address of the brick kiln. I forgot about it. There are three brick kilns in total and they work day and night to ensure the bricks used to build the city."
Chen Ji asked from the side: "Isn't it okay to use earth to ram the city?"
Chao Kun shook his head, "Your Majesty, I don't know something. There is a lot of rain here, and the rammed earth will collapse in a short time. It is better to use bricks to be stronger."
"I see!"
Chen Ji thought for a while and asked: "Then when building a house next, should we use wood or bricks?"
"Buildings such as government offices and temples use bricks, while residential buildings use wood, which is more transparent and cooler in summer. We will also dig several sewage ditches in the city and build them with bricks so that the sewage from every household flows out of the city.
Finally it flows into the sea.”
After a pause, Chao Kun continued: "There will also be a small river dug in the city. The rainwater in the city can be collected into the river, and it will also give the people a place to take a walk after dinner."
"Okay! Well done!"
Chen Qing repeatedly praised that only when officials take the needs of the people into consideration can Ryukyu enjoy long-term peace and stability.
"Let's go to the south bank of the river and take a look!"
Everyone went down to the city and crossed the river on a temporary pontoon bridge. There were soldiers patrolling both the pontoon bridge and the river. The Japanese strictly prohibited civilians from crossing the river. Violators would be shot.
There are thousands of hectares of land on the south bank of the river, with three villages and more than a thousand households in total. Almost all of these people came from the Yellow River Flood Area. Their homes were destroyed and they wandered around looking for new homes. They came to Fujian Road all the way.
They happened to see a notice recruiting immigrants from Ryukyu Island, and the offer was too tempting for them to refuse: fifty years of tax exemption, two hectares of land for one family, and an annual income of more than 100 guan.
When they found out that these favorable conditions were the promise given by King Yong, they signed up without hesitation.
The village was very quiet. These two days happened to be the rush to harvest and plant. The first season of rice had just been harvested. Everyone was busy planting rice in the fields, and many people even led their cattle to plow the paddy fields.
"According to the plan, after the county seat is repaired, most people will move to the county seat. Only a small village will remain here, and the land will be re-leveled as fertile farmland."
Chen Qing nodded, "Now that the county seat has been built, does the county magistrate have one?"
"Not yet. Although the city has been built, it still needs the approval of the Internal Affairs Hall to officially become a county. However, there is someone with a low-level position who can be recommended as the first county magistrate."
"It's the big manager Zhou Tao. He was originally the boss of Quanzhou. He was transferred to the Municipal Shipping Department from a humble position. Now he is responsible for managing tens of thousands of workers. He is very capable and down-to-earth. He manages 20,000 people in an orderly manner. The same goes for the people here.
He was in charge of both, and he did not fall behind on both sides. He had an excellent reputation among the people, and he was strongly recommended by his subordinates to be the first county magistrate."
Chen Qing looked back and saw that Zhou Tao had arranged for the civilian husband and was running over from the bridge. Chen Qing nodded, "I will consider it!"
The group came to the rice fields. The rice fields were as much as two thousand hectares. This was the government's promise. Each household had two hectares of land. The Quanzhou government also sent 300 cows as their public property. Currently, they implement villagers' self-governance.
, each village consists of several elders forming an arbitration committee to mediate disputes, arrange farming and other matters.
Although the people were busy planting rice seedlings, Chen Qing did not intend to go to the fields to help. Firstly, it was not necessary. He would not be able to help and would only cause trouble. More importantly, Chen Qing had an old injury on his leg and could not pour cold water on it.
It must be maintained carefully, otherwise the scar will be very painful in winter. The arrow that Wanyan Huonu shot him in Linyou County still injured the tendons.
Chen Qing sat down under a big tree. After a while, Zhou Tao found a group of old men from the fields. They were all members of the village arbitration committee, and Chen Qing also wanted to chat with them.
More than a dozen old men knelt down and saluted, "See His Highness King Yong!"
Chen Qing smiled and waved his hands: "Everyone, you don't have to be polite, please sit down!"
There was a resting place under the big tree. There were many small stools. The old men sat around Chen Qing. Chen Qing smiled and said, "Everyone has been settled in Ryukyu for a year!"
"Not only! Not only! The earliest batch is almost three years old, and the latest batch came in the spring of last year and is more than a year old."
Chen Qing nodded, "Get used to it!"
"We old men like it very much. It's quiet, prosperous, and no longer feel the pain of life. But the young people are a little restless. Maybe it's boring here."
"Soon!"
Chen Qing pointed at the city behind him and said with a smile: "That is the new county. Most of your more than a thousand households will move to the city to live. When the time comes, shops, restaurants, teahouses, and even tiles will appear in the county, and young people will like it."
Already."
Everyone agreed, "Yes! We are all looking forward to it."
"Now our family has an income of 200 yuan a year, right?" Chen Qing asked with a smile.
All the elders were a little embarrassed. One old man said: "It's about this amount. The main income comes from picking kapok in autumn. There are too many kapok trees here. We can't even pick 10% of them every year."
Another old man said: "Although I earn a lot of money, I can't spend it. Except for oil, salt and daily necessities, I don't have to buy anything else. I grow my own food, grow my own vegetables, spin my own clothes with kapok, and make my own food."
The meat is also brought by the natives from the mountains."
Chen Qing was surprised and said: "You have contact with the Gaoshan natives?"
"Of course there is. There is a government-run grocery store in the village. At the same time, they collect goods. They also collect kapok to sell and buy daily necessities. They often exchange the venison and goat meat they hunt with us for food. They also catch a lot of fish.
Use the rest to trade with us for food."
"There was no conflict, right?"
"No!" Everyone shook their heads together.
An old man said: "They are just like the beasts in the mountains, they have a strong sense of territory. As long as we don't invade their territory, there will be no problem. But their territory is in the mountains, how can we go there?"
Chen Qing thought for a while and said to Chao Kun: "I think it is best to reach an agreement with their leader so that both parties will not invade each other and live in peace."
Chao Kun hesitated and said, "Does Your Highness want to see their leader?"
"If you have time, you can meet me, but if you don't, forget it."
"Try to arrange your humble position as much as possible!"
Chen Qing smiled and asked everyone: "If you have any other ideas or requests, or if you are dissatisfied with this place, please bring it up and I will try my best to solve it!"
"Your Highness, can you run a school so that all children can study?"
"This is not a big problem. We are already making arrangements. There is a school in the new county. If we move there, the school will be opened."
"Your Highness, we still have correspondence. We want to contact our relatives back home and ask them to come over."
"Your Highness, a bridge needs to be built over the turbid water."
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Chen Qing chuckled and said, "Don't worry! Everything will be fine, and it will be fine soon."