Old Li's knowledge of geography was still at the mythical stage.
When he learned that the Grand Marshal was not in Jinzhou, but in Tianjin, which was far away, and that he could not go by land, he had to go by ship. Old Li was very depressed. In his opinion, running to Jinzhou was already far away from home, and now he had to go by ship to Tianjin. It felt like going to the moon — as if once he went there, he would never come back.
The carriage that saw him off went back. Before leaving, the coachman said to Old Li, "Old Master, I don't know how to go ahead, so I can't send you anymore. If you really can't, then forget it. It's not easy to go to the sea. This is a good intention, and the Grand Marshal can understand. "
Going to the sea, this was a terrible thing for an inexperienced old farmer.
"But I'm not alone now. How many people are begging me to kowtow and greet the marshal? I even brought so many gifts to send over." Old Li's head was full of bags and he was in a difficult position. He thought about it, closed his eyes, and sighed, "Forget it, I've lived for more than 60 years. People need face, trees need bark. I have to finish this trip. As long as I can see the Grand Marshal once, I won't live in vain. "
Thinking that the road ahead might be extremely difficult, Old Li planned to rest in Jinzhou for half a day, so that his trip was not in vain. From the moment he entered the city, he felt that there were all kinds of novelties in the city. The streets were spacious, the ground was clean, and these were all unnecessary. Even the teahouses and restaurants in the city were high-end. Finally, he found a small restaurant and asked for the price before he dared to go in.
Old Li asked what they had to eat in the restaurant and chose the cheapest one. The small restaurant only had two or three tables, and the owner was the cook and the waiter. He saw that Old Li was carrying big and small bags, so he must have gone far, so he wiped the table and replied, "Now the cheapest is the dough, six centimeters a big bowl, so you can eat your fill."
"Only six centimeters for dough? How big is the bowl? "Noodles were refined grains. Old Li felt that this was a bit too cheap. Could it be that he was being cheated?
The shop owner pointed at a nearby table where a few scholars were eating. "That bowl, six centimeters. Potato noodles are the cheapest. "
The big bowl looked full. Old Li thought it was okay, so he nodded and asked for the dough. While waiting for the dough to be served, he sat there looking around. The three or four scholars at the side were eating while reading the newspaper. Suddenly, someone slammed the table and shouted, "Aiyo, the Revolutionary Army has opened a new factory again. Grand Marshal is truly amazing, truly amazing. "
Old Li was startled by the sound of the table being slammed. The shop owner just happened to bring a bowl of dough over. He lowered his voice and said, "This is a student from the nearby Jinzhou University. But he's not a Han from the Central Plains, he's from Korea. "
"Oh …" Old Li had heard of North Korea, but he didn't expect to see a citizen there. He turned his head and found that these scholars were of different ages. Their appearance was no different from the Han, and they also spoke Chinese. But their tempers were … "So these are North Koreans?"
The shop owner continued to lower his voice and said, "As long as we Han go to school, we get subsidies. If we don't do well, we'll be punished. These North Koreans don't get subsidies, so they're relatively poor, but they won't be punished.
They originally wanted to go to Ming Court to study, but when they came to our Jinzhou, they didn't leave. Recently, they've been making a ruckus, saying that they'll be punished if they don't do well, but they also want some financial aid. This group of people has a bad temper. They can make a small matter as big as the sky. "
Old Li said, "Oh, oh." He thought to himself, "This has nothing to do with me, I'll just eat my dough." This shop's dough was pretty good. The bowl was filled with real ingredients with salt, but there was no oil. He ate a few mouthfuls, and the taste was alright. While he was eating, the North Korean scholars didn't stop. One of them read the newspaper about the new factory, and the other asked what kind of factory was being built.
"It's said that this year's potato production is very high, so sweet potatoes are no longer used as a staple. They'll be used to ferment alcohol."
"What's alcohol?"
"It's alcohol brewing. The newspaper said that the demand for alcohol for medical purposes is increasing, and using food to ferment it is not cost-effective. Now that we're using sweet potatoes, we can increase the production. The factory was completed last month, and we're buying sweet potatoes in large quantities. "
Old Li listened. Although he didn't understand, he understood that these North Korean scholars were repeatedly praising his Grand Marshal, and he felt quite proud. There was no business in the shop, so the shop owner came over to chat and said in a low voice, "These North Koreans seem to be rebels who escaped from North Korea. They were chased out by their king, so they came to stay here."
"Ah … rebels?" Old Li felt a little scared. He turned his head to look at those scholars, but he felt that they were all weak and couldn't be 'rebels'. Listening to their words, they were talking about how to become successful in their studies in Jinzhou, and how to fight back to North Korea … But it would be best if they could stay in Jinzhou.
Several North Korean scholars continued to read the newspaper. "The coal and iron ore shipped by North Korean ships have gradually become the main raw materials of Jinzhou Steel Plant. Minister Shi of the Ministry of Mining is worried that the raw materials can be easily controlled by outsiders, so he proposed to strengthen communication and control with North Korea. In addition, in order to improve the production efficiency and quality of the steel plant, Minister Shi asked for funds to build a coal washing plant and a mineral processing plant. "
What are coal washing and mineral processing plants? No one present understood. However, several North Korean scholars were repeatedly studying the words' strengthen communication and control with North Korea '. Someone whispered, "The fake king Li Hui slaughtered loyal people and seized a high position, so we have to wander here. If the 'Revolutionary Army' is willing … "
The last few words couldn't be heard clearly. Old Li could only roughly distinguish a few words, such as' Revolutionary Army ',' coal ',' iron ore ',' lead the way 'and so on. Several North Korean scholars became more and more excited as they talked, but no one knew what they were planning.
Then someone read the newspaper, "Jinzhou Shipyard has completed the standardized manufacturing process, and 500 ton standard seagoing ships have entered the mass production stage. Currently, they have completed the design of the bulk carrier and standard container transport ships. The next step will be to design warships for the navy. "
Once this news was read, the scholars were even more excited. Someone talked about the news last month about the completion of mass production of large marine transmission shafts. Someone also said that there were at least three new wood drying kilns near Jinzhou, which were definitely prepared for the mass production of seagoing ships. Someone also said that Jinzhou University's maritime department was recruiting students, requiring at least a high school diploma and two years of schooling.
"The 'Revolutionary Army's' ships are increasing, and they are now recruiting sailors with extremely high pay. They also allow outsiders to join, stipulating that after five years of work, they can get an ID card. "
"How can a scholar like me do such a lowly job as a sailor?"
"If we don't find some work now, we won't even have money to eat."
Old Li listened to these North Korean scholars and found that these people didn't seem to be living very well. Some people had already found a part-time job in Jinzhou, and they received money every month. Some people felt that their status was different, and they couldn't do such a lowly job.
The shop owner sneered and said, "These are all slow-witted people. Nowadays, there are a lot of places hiring in Jinzhou, so it's very easy to make money. It's just that they still have to put on airs. When they first came to Jinzhou, they made a fuss and asked to see the Grand Marshal, but the Grand Marshal was too lazy to care about them. I heard that North Korean women wear clothes with two holes in the chest, and their breasts are exposed for anyone to touch. What a barbarian! "
The topic changed too quickly, and Old Li almost choked on the dough. He was also surprised when he heard the last sentence. "There's such a thing, women actually wear clothes that reveal … reveal …" Old Li was quite down-to-earth, and he really couldn't say those two words, but he saw the shop owner chuckle and nod. He then shook his head and said, "Shameless, shameless."
Let's just eat my dough instead.
The North Korean scholars continued to talk noisily. Someone saw an article in the newspaper and read in a low voice, "Beware of Kennu colluding with the Ming court. Currently, the Ming court is on the verge of death, and they don't have much time left. Before their regime is completely overturned, they might do crazy things.
Recently, the Ming court appointed the head of the Ministry of Revenue, Wang Huazhen, as the new Liaodong Commissioner. This person sent Mao Wenlong, who was originally in charge of the Shenyang garrison, to be the Zhenjiang city chief, and infiltrated our Dandong area to wait for an opportunity to cause trouble. It's very likely that he wants to form a pincer attack with the Kennu. It's a pity that there are no soldiers or generals on the east side, and the people of Liaodong are living and working in peace, not giving the Ming court a chance to cause trouble.
However, after Wang Huazhen took office, he didn't give up his evil intentions. This person belongs to the Ming court's surrender faction, and there are talks of peace talks with the Kennu. It's very likely that he is colluding with the enemy of our nation. Such a reactionary force oppresses the people and fawns on foreigners, and will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history, to be reviled for all ages. "
When Old Li heard this, he was immediately shocked. He stopped eating the dough and only looked at the equally shocked shop owner. Currently, most of the people of the Revolutionary Army in Liaodong Nan had fled south because of the Kennu invasion, and the people who bullied them in the past were the officials of Daming. If the two joined forces, it would obviously be very disadvantageous to the Revolutionary Army.
Even the North Korean scholars were cursing. They had been in contact with the Jurchens in Jianzhou, and it could be said that they had been bullied and beaten up badly. If the Revolutionary Army couldn't hold on, they wouldn't have it easy either. However, just as they were cursing, a North Korean scholar suddenly ran in from outside the shop and said something that no one could understand.
The few who were originally cursing were immediately stunned, and in the blink of an eye, their faces turned ashen and their bodies shivered. The shop owner and Old Li didn't understand what was going on. They saw these North Korean scholars immediately shut up, and after paying for the meal, they ran away like stray dogs.
There was a moment of silence in the store. Old Li had finally finished eating his dough. He asked the shop owner how to take a boat to Lüshun to Tianjin and learned that he only needed to go to the station in the city to take a bus. There were three buses a day, and it would take half a day to get there. As for going to Tianjin, it would only take two days to get there by boat.
"Half a day to Lüshun and two days to Tianjin?" Old Li felt that it was quite fast. It was much more convenient and relaxing than the journey he had imagined, which was a long distance away from the mountains and rivers. He felt relieved again. After thanking the shop owner, he went to the station in Jinzhou. However, when he arrived at the station, he found that the station had suddenly closed for business. A large number of carriages were driven out by the driver.
The people at the station also became extremely nervous and solemn, as if something big had happened. But as for what it was, no one said a word. Old Li could only go up and ask how to get to Lüshun. The answer he received was, "Stay here first, and we'll see tomorrow."
The nervous atmosphere at the station soon spread to the whole city. A large number of military police began to go out on the streets and check passers-by's identity documents. Old Li found a hotel to stay in. As soon as he said that he came from a farm in the direction of Dandong, uniformed military police immediately came to check him. What are you doing in Jinzhou? Where are you going?
"This old man wants to give a gift to the Grand Marshal to thank him." Old Li said his story again. This time, he was surrounded by a few black-faced military policemen. He became very fearful and in awe.
The gifts that Old Li brought were all opened and checked. The black-faced military police were relieved after repeated questioning. After listening to his story, they were quite impressed. In turn, the military police arranged a carriage for him to go to Lüshun. At the same time, they also invited him to see the Grand Marshal and kowtow to thank him. They also said that the Jinzhou Imperial Guard and security forces would be loyal to their duty and punish the enemy.
"The city is in a panic today. What happened?" Old Li was still a little worried.
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