The room goes through the late Ming Dynasty, and the back door leads to North America at the beginni

Zhao Kang was originally a farmer who lived near Qiqiao Urn. It is said that his ancestors were related to the emperor of Zhao Song Dynasty.

Although Zhao Kang often used this to show off, he didn't believe it in his heart - if his ancestors were really relatives of the Zhao and Song emperors or members of the clan, why would it be his turn to beg for food in the mud fields for countless generations?
Speaking of which, although he lives outside Nanjing, his family's life before was really not that good.

He didn't know how much the family's farmland originally was, but when it was passed down to his father, there were only three acres of medium-sized paddy fields and less than one acre of vegetable land.

After all, it was just outside the city of Nanjing. Their parents relied on this little land to raise their three brothers and one sister.

In the years when they were growing up, government taxes became heavier every year, especially after the three rates were levied one after another. The family's life was really difficult.

Fortunately, they were old enough to work for the family, so my mother went to the city to work for a wealthy family to supplement the family income.

Although they can barely survive such a life, it is extremely difficult for the three brothers to start a family. A few years ago, I exchanged my younger sister for marriage, and then married my eldest brother, who was nearly thirty years old.

As for him and his third brother, they are both in their twenties, but they can only live alone.

As a rule, the eldest brother has to live separately after getting married, but the family does not dare to do so - there is only this little land left in the family, and if the family is separated again, both families may not be able to survive.

Later, his father talked to him and his third brother and asked them to go out on their own - whether they were soldiers, working on the streets in Nanjing, or even becoming thieves, they had to find a way to survive. .

Just when Zhao Kang was about to do what his father said, things changed in Nanjing.

First, Marshal Zuo came with hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

He and his third brother wanted to become Marshal Zuo's soldiers, but they failed because they had no money to sign up.

Fortunately, I didn't fall for it.

Because Marshal Zuo was defeated after more than a month, and the Yi army occupied Nanjing.

Then the day quickly got better.

At first, Zhao Kang wanted to join the Yi army.

However, although Tou Weijun did not need to pay money, he did need to pass the examination - there were too many people who signed up, and the papers were too high, and neither he nor his third brother passed the examination.

At that time, the Yi army hired people to build roads, bridges, and ditches. Although the wages were only one or two cents of silver per month, food and accommodation were included. After thinking about it with his family, he felt that there was a way out, so he went to work for the Yi army with his third brother.

After working for a month, the two of them were selected into the engineering corps of the Wei Army because of their good work. They were considered to be members of the Wei Army, and their monthly salary was increased to one tael of silver.

Not only the monthly salary has doubled, but the food is also better.

Although I was provided with food and housing when I was a laborer before, it was just two meals a day and one dry meal every day, and there was just some oily starch in the vegetable soup for lunch.

But after becoming an engineer, not only can you see oil stars in every dish, but you can even eat meat every seven days - regardless of pork, fish, or horse meat, there is meat anyway.

He and his third brother also became stronger.

What surprised Zhao Kang most was that there were military and political officers in the engineering camp who taught them literacy and arithmetic, told them stories, and taught them some truths.

Zhao Kang had never dreamed of living like this before, so he and Sanchi had been working diligently in the engineering camp without daring to slack off at all.

In the early autumn of this year, they received a strange mission, saying that they were helping the Academy of Sciences and others build railways.

At that time, Zhao Kang already knew a lot of words and could even read some simple books, but he still couldn't figure out what "railway" was.

You can't beat iron into bricks to pave the way, right?
If that's the case, should we ask the blacksmith to come instead of asking them to help?
Later, a few scholars came to the Academy of Sciences. It was said that they were graduate students, and their status was similar to that of the former candidates.

What are you here for? Teach them how to build roads!
When Zhao Kanggang heard the news, he almost couldn't help laughing on the spot - scholars taught them to build roads? Should those who use it also practice it? Or use pen and ink to repair it?

It’s not that he disrespects scholars, but he feels that those gentlemen who are accustomed to wearing long robes probably don’t even know how to hold hoes and shovels, so how do they know how to build roads?

It turns out that these graduate students really taught them how to build roads, and they were building the rumored railway!
Although the railway was not made of iron and made of bricks as he thought, it was not much different.

In addition to laying a good foundation, you also need stones, sleepers, and rails!
In short, the construction of this road is much more expensive than the previous official road, and even much more expensive than the brick and stone road.

To be honest, Zhao Kang really didn't know the use of building such an expensive road. With that kind of money, he could probably build ten times more official roads.

It is said that those people from the Academy of Sciences were ordered to build roads, and Zhao Kang couldn't understand it even more - the emperor of Damei had an excellent reputation. After taking over Nanjing, he really made the people's lives much easier. I heard that he was a deity descending to the earth. How could he think of this? What kind of railway should we build?

Doesn't this sound like something only those foolish men in the story would do?
Although he was confused, Zhao Kang did not dare to say a word like this. In addition, whether he was learning to build railways or later actually building railways, he was as serious and diligent as ever, without any slack.

It seems that he has a fate with this railway.

One end of the railway is near the Seven Bridges Urn, not far from his home, only one mile away.

They worked from early autumn to mid-winter, tens of thousands of people worked for more than four months, and finally completed the railway, which is more than 20 miles long.

Later, he and the engineers who worked together had the opportunity to see several experiments conducted by people from the Academy of Sciences on this railway. They finally understood what the railway was built for, and were greatly shocked by it.

Then, there is pride, because he participated in building this unprecedented road!

Today, the engineering battalion gave them a holiday, so he and his brother brought their parents, eldest brother, sister-in-law and other relatives to the railway station to witness the official opening of the first railway in Dalian!

···
"Your Majesty is here!"

Suddenly bursts of cheers came from far and near - obviously, the people were very happy to know that Liu Sheng had arrived.

Zhao Kang and others were originally looking at the railway dozens of steps away across a ditch that was more than three feet tall. At this time, they couldn't help but look towards the source of the cheers.

As a result, I only saw some flags and nothing else at all, and the flags were still a mile or two away from here.

So Zhao Kang and his family continued to look at the railway. Although the railway was near their home, during the construction, the Yi army was patrolling along the road and the people were not allowed to get within a hundred steps. Therefore, Zhao Kang's parents and others still had a headache. See the railway up close for the first time.

It's actually not quite right to say it's close.

At this time, they were actually dozens of steps away from the railway.

In front of them is a ditch three feet wide. In the past, there is a horse path with dozens of steps. After the horse path, there is a railway with a raised foundation.

"Second brother, what is the rammed earth road next to the railway for?" Brother Zhao An asked curiously.

"A horse track for the railway patrol team to race horses." Zhao Kang said with a smile, "You should have seen that the rails on the railway are made of pig iron, which is relatively valuable. Even if the government severely punishes thieves, I am afraid there are still people who are obsessed with money and want to steal. The association will arrange for the army to patrol day and night, and those caught will be sentenced severely."

His father, Zhao Yougen, couldn't help but ask after hearing this: "If someone really stole the railroad tracks, how would the government punish him?"

Zhao Kangdao: "A notice has been posted in the city. We estimate that there will be a propaganda officer here today to talk about this matter. However, our engineer camp has said it in advance - it is said that anyone who steals railroad tracks, no matter how many rails are stolen, must be sentenced to at least a prison sentence." Twenty years of hard labor. Anyone who causes a serious accident will be beheaded!"

Zhao Laogen, Zhao An and others turned pale with fright after hearing this.

After coming back to his senses, Zhao Yougen couldn't help but said: "Emperor Liu is so kind to us people, why is he sentenced so harshly for stealing a piece of iron?"

Zhao Kang shook his head, "This is not just as simple as stealing a piece of iron - you will understand when the railway opens and the train comes." (End of Chapter)