Zhe Yanzhi walked out of the cabin and looked at the vast river and the flying water birds, and his heart couldn't help but sway. This broad river only realizes its magnificence when you walk on it.
The boatman sat at the stern of the boat and leisurely looked at the white sails on the river, tapping his fingers and humming a tune in a low voice.
Walking forward, Zheyan questioned: "I don't know the name of the boatman yet."
The boatman hurriedly stood up and offered his hand to Zhe Yanzhi. Said: "My surname is Hong, and my name is Yi. I am from Ezhou. I have been making a living on this river since I was a child."
"I see. I see that this boat is moving very slowly today. I wonder when it will arrive in Huangzhou?"
The boatman said: "It's smooth sailing today, so we can actually walk faster. However, there is a headwind after Yangluo Town, so walking is not so easy. Today at noon, we will go to Yangluo Town for some tea and rice, and we will arrive at Tuanfeng Town before dark. . There is a sandbar in the river there, which can provide shelter from the wind. Sleep there for one night, and we will arrive in Huangzhou tomorrow morning."
Zheyan asked: "Can't we sail at night? Why do we have to stay in Tuanfengzhen overnight?"
The boatman said: "Guardian, what time of year is it now? On this river, you can see everything is peaceful during the day, but there are strong men coming and going at night. If you are not in a hurry, you should not sail at night. Furthermore, if you don't stay in Tuanfeng Town, you will have to wait until the end of the night. It’s nighttime in Huangzhou, so there are a lot of inconveniences.”
Zheyan said: "I have so many people, I am afraid that some strong man will rob me! Huangzhou is not an important place now, just go there. When I get to Jiangzhou, I will go find the boatman, and you can return."
The boatman had no choice but to say: "The official said so, we will not spend the night in Tuanfeng Town. We will have some tea and rice there and go down the river all night. Tomorrow morning, we can reach Daye. The Daye area has not been peaceful these years. Let’s take some dry food and go straight to Jiangzhou.”
Zhe Yanzhi nodded: "Okay! The rivers in this area are in chaos. Only when we pass Jiangzhou can we truly feel at peace."
After saying that, Orihiko turned around and looked at the white sails floating by on the river from time to time.
In normal times, the water surface of the Yangtze River in this area is the busiest. Official ships and private ships are lined up on the water like long dragon boats. In the past few years, the world has been in turmoil, especially in the Ezhou area recently. After you sing, I will appear, and several big forces have emerged. The current situation is unstable. Who dares to run on the river without a boat with background? Especially not far from Huangzhou to the north is the puppet Qi force, which is convenient for escape. It wasn't until Wang Xiaolie occupied Yingzhou and blocked the road north from Guangzhou that it became better.
At the beginning of this year, Zhang Jun led Yue Fei to drive away Kong Yanzhou, and the situation slowly stabilized. I just want to go back to the good old days, but I don’t know how long it will take.
Turning around, I saw the boatman looking leisurely. Zheyan questioned: "Looking at the boatman's appearance, he is not afraid of sailing on the river."
The boatman said: "There are many officers and troops, and there are so many ships traveling with them. What are you afraid of! At the beginning of the year, Captain Zhang came and drove away Captain Kong. Many strong men on the river stopped doing this business. We small boatmen , and then slowly started sailing again."
Zheyan asked: "What did you do for a living when you were not sailing a few years ago?"
The boatman sighed: "I have been running a boat on the river all my life, and I can't make a living doing other things. In the past few years, it was really not possible, so I fished on the river for a few months. There are indeed a lot of fish around here, but they can't be sold. A little. Smaller fish are often given away for free and no one wants them. I have no choice but to cultivate a few acres of wasteland to produce some food to feed the family. My eldest son got married a few years ago and gave birth to a grandson, who starved to death. . Alas, now that Captain Zhang is here and can sail, life will get better."
Zhe Yanzhi sighed: "When the country is in trouble, life will inevitably be ruined. Now that the bandits have been driven away and boats can sail on the Yangtze River again, life will get better."
The boatman said: "I am too short-sighted and dare not go far, so I can only die in Ezhou. I used to go sailing with Jin Sanlang. He was lucky and helped a customer transport goods to Xiangyang, so he lived there. It didn't take long. , I took my wife and children over, and life was so good! We have been friends for many years, and last month, my Erlang went to Xiangyang to join him. Erlang has known a few words since he was a child, and I heard that he can enter a factory. That’s a lot of money a month!”
Having said this, the boatman clicked his tongue repeatedly, with a smile on his face.
In this day and age, several copper coins are not a small amount. Especially since prices in Xiangyang are stable, I can live a good life with just a few guan of money every month.
Looking at the smile on the boatman's face, Zhe Yanzhi couldn't help but feel deeply moved. In the past few years, Xiangyang's society under Wang Xiaolie's rule was stable and developing rapidly, and a large number of surrounding people gathered there. Compared with when Wang Xiaolie first arrived in Xiangyang, the population has increased by nearly half. There are hundreds of miles around, and everyone around him is envious when he mentions that he has relatives who have fled to Xiangyang. Looking at other places, all industries are declining, and Zhe Yanzhi cannot help but sigh.
With population, there will be economic output, and society will soon prosper. Especially under the strict management under Wang Xiaolie, when you arrived in Xiangyang, you could either work as a worker in a factory and earn two or three dollars a month. Or they would be recruited into the field service to reclaim the barren land. As long as you are young and middle-aged, you will not go hungry in Xiangyang. Families like the boatman, who have several children, always find ways to send them to Xiangyang as long as they are of the right age.
Zheyan questioned: "I come from Xiangyang, and I know a little about the situation there. I heard that there are many factories there. As long as you go in, you can get at least two qian of enough money a month. They are all paid with enough money from Xiangyang Huizi, which can support the family. If you are literate and able to work, many people can earn five or six dollars."
The boatman said: "Yes, among the prefectures and counties near us, there is no one who doesn't say that Xiangyang is good, just like heaven. I just got a letter from Erlang the day before yesterday, saying that there is also a shortage of sailors there. If I meet someone who is running to Xiangyang , don’t let it go. Take your whole family there and don’t suffer in Ezhou anymore.”
Zhe Yanzhi looked at the river and said, "Since Captain Zhang has driven away Kong Yanzhou and other strong men, things will be better here."
The boatman said: "How can we compare with Xiangyang? Erlang said in the letter that a boat sailor like me can make more than ten guan of money a month from Xiangyang to Nanyang if he owns his own boat! Officials, how can you dare to make ten guan of money? think!"
Zhe Yanzhi nodded and said nothing.
I came from Wang Xiaolie, so I naturally know the situation there. Now in Xiangyang, for the same job, the income is at least twice that of the surrounding areas. In addition, prices in Xiangyang are stable and supplies are abundant, and food and clothing are not provided in other places. After arriving in Xiangyang, we immediately became a well-off family. Few people can resist this temptation.
In recent years, a large number of people have fled to several states around Xiangyang on Jinghu North Road and Huainan West Road. One word spreads to ten, and ten spreads it to hundreds. Almost everyone knows it. Especially those who fled south in the past few years, most of them went back as long as they had money.
Even the areas of De'an and Gangneung, which had achieved remarkable results in the field camps in the past few years, have experienced a large outflow of people, causing trouble for the reconciliation of the old rules. It's just that Wang Xiaolie's power has grown too fast, and others don't dare to say anything.
(End of chapter)
