Lu Ming

The largest group is thousands of construction workers.Braving the sweltering heat, they endlessly expanded the piers and roads along both ends of the coastline.

Second, there are shipwrights stationed in the port.

These people are like ants, climbing up and down the hulls everywhere.From their hands, new ships were built one after another and sailed out of the dock.

Finally, in the commercial area of ​​the port, there are countless natives who come here to do business.The bustling and bustling scene, the huge flow of people, and the resulting oppressive feeling make the newcomers who are used to the vast land and sparsely populated feel extremely uncomfortable.

Wu Fazheng was naturally uncomfortable.After disembarking from the pier, it took him a while to recover from the shock.

"Brother Yu lost his temper. Unexpectedly, there are such places in the world!"

Du Shaowei laughed when he heard the words: "To tell the truth, Brother Wu, when I came here for the first time last year, I also lost my composure!"

During the conversation, the manager of the Zhao family, who often came to the port to do business, took a group of people to tour the port.

It's different from the servants who are dazzled and desperately want to go to the business district to have fun.For Du Shao, Wu Fazheng and Wu Fazheng, who wanted to go together, the first thing to look at was the port area with black soot floating in the air.

However, it is a pity that the newly built steam power plant area in the port area is forbidden to visit.This has greatly disappointed some people who came to study the secrets of the chimney with great interest.

In desperation, Young Master Du could only take everyone along the dock area to visit the small train transportation system and the shipyard.

I didn't want to see this, but it made Young Master Du dumbfounded again... Even though he already had a certain degree of immunity to this place... At the northern end of the port, outside a huge dock, dozens of giant cannons were neatly lined up on the concrete floor.

In the dock, a gigantic ship with the hull number 003 and the size of a hill floated steadily on the water.The booms on both sides are hoisting the giant cannon into the cabin of the giant ship.

"Such a military weapon, just let others spy on it like this?"

Wu Fazheng couldn't bear it anymore, his mind was extremely confused now: no one was allowed to approach the black-smoky workshop, but these unheard-of giant cannons and giant ships were just placed there for passers-by to take a closer look.

"I want to teach Young Master Wu to know that this is the third large ship produced by my Shanghai shipyard."

The second steward at the side heard Master Wu's words, and finally couldn't help showing a smile on his face when he saw a bumpkin: "You are always late... Cao Dashuai's gunboat is actually repaired every New Year's day, and many people board the boat to watch of."

The next moment, the chunky second steward stood on tiptoe and looked at the dock, muttering to himself, "This is the time to launch the boat, I'm afraid we will go to sea in the second half of the year! Oh, I don't know where to go to bed and I'm afraid!"

Chapter 676 Return to the North ([-])

noon.

With the loud siren, the cotton mill was off work.

Shanghai No. [-] Cotton Spinning Factory is one of the first batch of key "state-owned" enterprises established by the Ministry of Light Industry in the Shanghai Port Industrial Park.

The so-called "key point" means that at least five people from across the crowd participated in the whole process of preparing the factory full-time.Even after the establishment of the factory, there will still be two time-travelers who will be responsible for the administrative and technical management of the factory for a long time.

This kind of operation was not possible in the early days.Because the number of crossing people is too small, they can't stand the pepper-like expansion.

Fortunately, with the Second General Assembly and Mr. Cao's "pro-government", fresh time travelers appeared in the seventeenth century one after another, filling the skeleton of the time-traveling regime and enabling many plans that were originally on paper to be implemented.

Now, three years later, Shanghai No. 2500 Cotton Spinning Factory has a total of 2000 employees, including [-] female workers. It seems to be the most modern and largest textile enterprise in the [-]th century.

With the sound of the siren, the bells of the various workshops of the factory also sounded.

At this time, the steam power workshop located in the middle of the factory area first closed the valve.In the tall chimneys, the white smoke is gradually thinning.

At the same time, the long door of the iron casting factory with slide rails was slowly opened.On the inner horoscope wall similar to the yamen, the walls on both sides are inlaid with eight big characters with red glass fragments: serious, united and lively.

All kinds of trendy slogans have been extended along the outer wall to the end of the factory area.

"The times have changed. Women hold up half the sky."

"Women from all over the world will start a business together, and create thousands of high-quality products all over China."

In the next moment, as many as [-] female workers were chatting and making noise, and the tide poured out of the factory gate.

Such a "hot and lively" scene was completely unimaginable in the old days.There is a sea of ​​people, wearing shirts and trousers, showing off the curves of the eldest daughter and daughter-in-law, enough to make the aborigines stunned when they see it for the first time.

The vitality that comes with the female workers, and the youthful atmosphere that permeates the surroundings, attract countless opposite sexes like a magnet.

Nowadays, the front of the cotton spinning factory has already become a battleground for military strategists.I don’t know how many old, middle-aged and young people are waiting at the door every day... some are picking up their wives, some are picking up their girlfriends... the most are singles who swallow their saliva and open their eyes.

For most bachelors, "squatting" at the gate of the cotton spinning factory on the rest day is a good entertainment program.The lucky ones among them can get the right girl without spending a penny. From then on, their wives and children are hot on the bed, and they start a happy life of dual employment.

Of course, most people still take the usual route: go to work, save money, look after the female worker they like, hire a matchmaker, get married and have children.

Today, the bustling entrance of the cotton spinning factory is still bustling.Young men and women in work uniforms are bustling everywhere.

However, beside the wide red brick road, there seems to be a "strange" combination.

Yes, in today's "National China", a place where industrial civilization is expanding, there are no more Ming Dynasty scholars wearing green robes.

... The talent combination is naturally Wu Fazheng's master and servant.

Today is September 1635, 9.It has been a month since Wu Fazheng accompanied Du Shao to visit the Hong Kong area.

During this month, the scholars can be said to have reposted all the open content in the port area.

It can only be said that the process is hard, the harvest is plentiful, and the shock is lasting.

After that, after fully feeling the new meaning represented by the word "strength", the young and receptive young master of the Du family, Du Shaowei, finally made up his mind to go to Xiong Dao Xiong after several long talks with Wu Fazheng all night. The master's house posted a famous post.

Master Xiong's name is known to everyone in the south of the Yangtze River.And the so-called Bear's Mansion is actually a small office building in the backyard of the Port Authority... Ming people are accustomed to the pattern of living in the front and sleeping in the back.

Master Xiong, who has fought against the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River with his own strength, has already turned the situation around, and is familiar with Young Master Du's tricks.

As soon as he saw the post, the personal secretary helped Mr. Xiong pull out the background information of the Du family from the notebook—including several key figures in the Du family, including their network, political orientation, and even the evaluation of their influence. Master Xiong went over the scores one by one.

After that, there was a meeting.

The meeting was naturally friendly and harmonious.The host and guest had a comprehensive, candid and in-depth exchange of views on a package of issues of common concern such as win-win cooperation.Taking this opportunity, the two sides further enhanced mutual understanding and reached consensus in many aspects.

After the meeting, in order to show sincerity, Du Shao and his party were able to visit the steam power workshop that they were not qualified to enter.

It was here that Wu Fazheng, as an accompanying guest, saw the "monster power of water and fire" for the first time...the steam engine with infinite power.

At that moment, Wu Fazheng's first thought was: "An earth-shattering force... Zhu will hang down tomorrow."

A few days later, Du Shaowei went back home.Young Master Du's trip went smoothly and he successfully completed the set task.Now he must return home as soon as possible, report to the adults and discuss the follow-up.

And Wu Fazheng, after saying goodbye to his friends, took his old servant and simply stayed in a hotel in the port area.In the following time, Wu Fazheng took a look around under the brand name of the Du family, carefully visited every inch of land and every enterprise in the port area, and gained a lot.

Today, coming to the cotton spinning factory to "view the scenery" is the last thing Wu Fazheng does in the port area.Because time waits for no one, and it is already autumn...Wu Fazheng has been traveling away from home for more than two years. According to the agreement, he will return to his hometown in Shanxi by the end of this year at the latest.

……

Standing in the crowd, facing the curious eyes coming and going, Wu Fazheng touched his face helplessly after feeling the rush of people coming off work in a big factory, and said to the old servant who was always following behind him: "It's noon, find a place to use Let's order some food."

The old servant has nothing to say.So the two found a small restaurant near the road, ordered food, rice and tea, and sat under the awning in front of the door to eat.

At the end of the day, Wu Xiucai put down his body and chatted with the male and female young workers at the same table after he was full of food and tea.

The young young worker still has three points of respect for the young scholar master, so the two sides can talk very well.However, the situation introduced by the young workers is probably not much different from other information that Wu Fazheng has obtained these days... Speaking of which, in today's primary industrial zone, the factories are not much different except for the different types of jobs.

Wu Fazheng, who realized this, immediately lost interest in the conversation.After inviting someone to drink a pot of tea, the scholar got up and went home.

Back at the hotel in the port area, the master and the servant began to pack up and salute... The boat will leave tomorrow, and the ticket has already been bought.

When Wu Fazheng returned to his hometown this time, he would not go north along the Grand Canal.Ming people who have traveled all over the world now know that sea transportation is much faster than river transportation.

Prior to this, in fact, the Ming Dynasty had always had a sandboat shipping system, with the starting point being Shanghai and the terminal point being Tianjin.It's just that the shipping conditions in this era are poor and the navigation technology is backward, which leads to huge risks in shipping, so it hasn't become the mainstream.

And in the past few years, since the traversers built a high-speed and cheap coastal logistics transportation line, the Ming natives' fear of the sea has gradually decreased.Nowadays, many north-south cargo owners who want to trade in bulk will buy the cargo ship warehouse of the Shanghai Port Shipping Corporation, and then purchase a value insurance.

Even if you buy it in this way, compared with the layers of checkpoints on the canal and the slow speed of the boat, the service of the shipping company is still cheap.

Wu Fazheng also chose shipping this time.Even though he has never been on a sea boat, even as an inlander, he is naturally afraid of the sea.

The next day is the National Day of the old world, and the... sailing day of the new world.

Wu Xiucai, who was standing upright on the pier in a green robe and square scarf, was looking around the port area with his hands behind his back, unable to calm down for a long time.Before he came here, he would never have imagined that there is still a place like Shanghai Port full of "iron cows and horses" and even incredible "organs" in the world.

"How did the imperial court allow you to take root here?"

Wu Fazheng did not know about this issue.

But he knows one thing: the approximate production capacity of each workshop in Shanghai Port, and the amount of grain shipped from the south to Shanghai Port every year.

These are not confidential figures, and interested businessmen can find all kinds of data by collecting a few local newspapers.

The day Wu Fazheng finished counting this number, he was sure of one thing: Daming was really going to die.

"The building is about to fall, how can we protect ourselves?"

After a long time, after hearing the whistle of the liner, Wu Fazheng finally stepped on the tall liner with another question that he could not answer.

Twelve noon, auspicious time.

With a long whistle, the Shanghai-Tianjin single-cylinder steam logistics fleet composed of two passenger ships slowly set off from the passenger terminal.

After sailing, the two-ship formation did not go far, but dropped the anchor chain at the outer port and waited... There is also a formation composed of six cargo ships that are forming at the inner port and will come to meet soon.

And at this moment, the guests who were bored out of the cabin to look at the sea suddenly started clamoring together with the boatman.

Wu Xiucai, who heard the sound, suddenly saw an acquaintance... familiar with the boat.

The huge ship that has been docked in the dock for more than a month, at this moment, surrounded by more than a dozen gunboats of various sizes, is emitting a column of smoke thicker than all the black smoke, swaying unrecognizable ups and downs, shouting back and forth With no eyes left, he swaggered out of the port.

Not long after, not far from the two passenger ships, the giant ship with a mountain-like hull passed by.

At this moment, the standard passenger ship, which was originally considered tall, looked so small.Wu Xiucai, standing at the bow of the boat, was oppressed by such a huge monster in the sea for the first time in his life, and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

In a panic, Wu Xiucai raised his neck and saw the three big characters on the side of the huge ship: Fujian.

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning: "What a name! Such an arrogance, I am afraid that Fujian is no longer owned by the imperial court!"

Chapter 677 Returning to the North ([-])

"Ugh..."

With the sound of the long siren, the cruise ship Huke 028 lowered all its sails.In the cold sea breeze, the cruise ship "smoothly" sailed into the port with the propulsion of the propeller.

The changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution were earth-shaking.

Today, more than half of the new cargo ships in Dayan's maritime system have installed steam power systems.

Although it is only a low-pressure boiler, the convenience of navigation brought about by it is a height that the old world could only achieve in the 19th century.

The low-pressure boiler has a simple design, low cost and easy maintenance, and is very suitable for cruise ships and cargo ships that pursue smooth running.

However, anyone who is knowledgeable knows that what is hidden behind this is actually the weakness of the industrial system.

Fortunately, Rome wasn't built in a day... In eight years, everything was built from scratch.Even with the help of "imported materials", it is the result of the joint efforts of all traversers to reach the current industrial scale.

When No. 028 entered the port, the following ships began to adjust the sail shape and boiler pressure.They will enter the port one after another in the next few hours... There are only two piers in Dengzhou Xingang, and the fleet will take turns entering and leaving.

Wu Fazheng was wearing a thick cotton robe, standing outside the cabin.At this moment, he was slightly bent, holding the railing made of hollow cast iron pipes with both hands, looking at the pier getting closer and closer, with a calm expression.

Wu Fa boarded the ship from Shanghai Port in early autumn.

After departure, the fleet goes north along the coastline, often berthing at seaports along the way.During the docking period of the fleet, sometimes unloading and sometimes sheltering from the wind, various ships joined and left from time to time.

So stop and go, until today: October 1635, 10.

After more than a month of sea voyage, Wu Fazheng, master and servant, finally arrived at Dengzhou, an important coastal port in northern China in the seventeenth century.

The administrative division of Dengzhou did not exist in later generations, and was replaced by Penglai City.

And today's Dengzhou Port is not in the city of Dengzhou.Wu Fazheng has made this distinction all the way, and now he is very clear about the reasons: Dengzhou Port in the traditional sense is in the city of Dengzhou Prefecture, and it must pass through the Shuiguan.

And what he will be stationed at this time is another "private port" set up by the Cao family on the coast of Daming.

Cao's private port, known as "Dengzhou New Port", is located in the coastal area more than ten miles east of Dengzhou Fucheng.

After the cruise ship landed on the trestle, the first group of passengers who shouted to disembark were the passengers in the economy class who had been nestled in the bottom deck for a long time.

People like Wu Fazheng who live in the upper class cabin and can go out to look at the sea at any time are not so urgent.

In fact, Wu Fazheng's posture today is very plain...to some extent, too plain.The reason is simple: he has seen the same scene many times in his journey.

First of all, Dengzhou Xingang is a square building complex surrounded by earthen walls. It is small in scale and has the layout of an ordinary town.

The height of the ladder-shaped earth wall is not high, but it is thick, flat and well-regulated.

This common "earth enclosure" in the north is exactly the same as the ports that Wu Fazheng saw in Yancheng, Haizhou (Lianyungang), Langya (Qingdao) and other places during his travels.

Secondly, the architectural pattern inside the earth wall is also the same: the boiler room with black smoke in the middle, the commercial and residential area in the inland direction, the storage area on the coastal side, and so on.

In addition, in every port, there will be one or two piers for docking ships... This is incomparable with Shanghai Port.

In the end, there must be a smooth and solid gravel road or cinder road leading to the nearest city in sight.

Dengzhou Port is no exception.The first time Wu Fazheng stepped out of the hatch today, he saw Dengzhou City more than ten miles away, and the gravel road along the seashore.

After most of the passengers disembarked, Wu Fazheng, who was watching silently, said to the old servant in the cabin: "Uncle Ping, let's get off the boat and find something to eat."