The literary giants of the late Ming Dynasty began by copying books

"Mr. Jingguan, Xiamen City is ahead."

Wang Wenlong nodded and looked into the distance. He saw some thatched sheds on both sides of the empty dirt road, and further ahead was the city wall.

As a group of people walked into the gate, the most common thing they heard was the shouts of recruiting workers.

"Is there anyone who can speak Puxian dialect? As long as there is someone who can speak Puxian dialect!"

"If you want a woman who can give birth, it doesn't matter if you are from Quanzhou or not."

"..."

Wang Wenlong finally understood why there were so many shops, all opened by human teeth.

The immigration conditions given by the Yamen were three taels of silver per person and one cow for three households, but with so many victims, these conditions would naturally be compromised.

These refugees can no longer survive in Fujian. They are just waiting to go to Dayuan to reclaim land and have a mouthful of food to eat. They do it without any money.

Many people directly became second-rate traffickers, deducting Anjia's silver through various channels, and then directly recruited these poor refugees to cross the strait.

What's more, people are directly bought and sold, mainly women.

There is a serious shortage of women on Dayuan Island. There is a saying in later generations in Taiwan that "there are Tangshan Dukes but not Tangshan Concubines". It is said that those who went to Taiwan to cultivate in the Ming and Qing Dynasties were young and middle-aged men, and most of their spouses were Taiwanese aborigines. Take a look Historical documents know that during Zheng Chenggong’s time alone, the number of Han people in Taiwan exceeded 200,000, while the number of Taiwanese aborigines was less than 100,000, and they often had conflicts with each other. It would be good to be able to do business. Han men The proportion of Aboriginal women as wives is very small. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the population of Taiwan Island had far exceeded the number of aboriginal women, and aboriginal women simply could not give birth to such a large population.

In fact, most of the Fujian men who colonized Taiwan also found Fujian women who immigrated from Fujian "over Tangshan" as their spouses.

However, in the early days of establishment, there were very few women who had the courage to cross the sea, and many reclaimed villages were in urgent need of women.

It was more than two miles from the pier to the gate. The sedan bearer carrying Shen Yixiu's head got tired and asked the person next to him to put it on someone else's shoulder. He fanned the wind with a bamboo hat and looked at the government servant walking beside him, and then at Seeing Wang Wenlong's kindness, he smiled and asked, "I think the master and the other gentlemen want to see the Xia Cult believers go to sea."

Wang Wenlong asked: "You also know that Xia Jiao is going to sea today?"

The leader of the sedan chair said: "This is natural. Those who dare to pass the senior officials in the winter half are the people of the Trinity Sect. Now, in order to alleviate the disaster, people are being sent to the senior officials one by one."

The most suitable time for navigation in the Taiwan Strait is the first five months of the summer half of the year, when there is no wind or waves. The wind and waves in the winter half of the year are erratic, and only two-thirds of the time can be used for normal navigation. The most dangerous times are in June and July of the lunar calendar, when it is difficult to go to sea. It is easy to encounter typhoons and black tides, and even the old sea master dare not leave.

Wang Wenlong asked: "You have been staying in Xiamen for a long time, and the Danyuan Sea is very windy and rough. Will those who go to reclaim the land be too afraid to go?"

"I'm afraid," the bearer said, "but it's better than starving to death. Crossing the sea is indeed a narrow escape, but it is said that as long as you successfully land, you won't have to worry. The land will be cultivated in the first year, and some food can be grown in the second year. , the land on Dayuan Island is very fertile, and there are streams, so there is no longer any fear of famine. In times like this, if I didn't have these sedans to do business, I would have risked my life to cross the strait. "

Wang Wenlong nodded. The most convenient places for farming in Fujian are Fuzhou, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Putian and the four major plains. At this time, the people of Fujian have a longing for fertile land engraved in their bones.

In later history, the development of Taiwan was actually the foundation accumulated by the people of Fujian for 300 years. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Fujian had a population of just over 20 million, while Taiwan had a population of 3 million, almost all of whom had immigrated over the past century. descendants of the past.

In addition, a large amount of investment in the reclamation of Taiwan's land during the Ming and Qing dynasties was also raised from the Fujian private sector. The reason for the investment is also very simple. Historical records indicate that in the late Qing Dynasty, Taiwan's "late rice was abundant, and funds were used to support the mainland, and households were covered with fresh food."—— Taiwan's big landowners don't have much food in their granaries, because most of the food they produce is used as commercial grain and sold to Fujian.

In the late Qing Dynasty, Fujian people had made great gains from the reclamation of Taiwan for several generations. Taiwan was established as the granary of Fujian, nourishing the people of Fujian.

The occupation of Taiwan after the Sino-Japanese War of 1891-1899 was equivalent to wiping out three hundred years of hard work accumulated by Fujian people, and its impact was far beyond what can be summarized in a few words in history books.

At that time, not only were the capital chains of many businessmen and clans in Fujian directly broken, but more importantly, the whole province of Fujian was unable to be self-sufficient in food.

During the Guangxu period, Fujian had a population of 26.8 million. By the time of liberation, only 11 million were left in Fujian - only 40% of the population during the Guangxu period. You must know that there was less than 50 years between the Sino-Japanese War of Sino-Japanese War and liberation. Year.

The reason is that Fujian's food supply is already tight, and since it has lost Taiwan, a food base that has been in business for 300 years, Fujian people do not want to starve to death but have to go to Nanyang to make a living. Before the Qing Dynasty, Fujian people did love to go overseas to do business, but the habit of immigrating was far from that strong. For example, Taiwan, which is also influenced by the Fujian culture, did not have such a large proportion of immigrants as the coastal areas of Fujian. This immigration custom in Fujian was not a culture in the first place. Habits are forced out.

……

After entering the city gate, Wang Wenlong and others first found the inn and settled the women's family members, and then Wang Wenlong went to the Trinity Church in the city.

When Wang Wenlong came to the church, he saw that it was like a large construction site. Lu Wenhui personally supervised a group of believers who were smashing rocks and mixing soil there.

Wang Wenlong stepped forward and said with a smile: "Xia Jiao is going to build a big temple here."

Lu Wenhui turned around and saw Wang Wenlong. He was quite happy and said with a smile: "The wind on this island is too strong. I originally wanted to build a thatched house to deal with it, but I didn't expect that the thatch on the roof would be blown away in a few days, so I just built a one here." A masonry temple.”

Xiamen Island is located on the sea, and the wind is usually strong. The ancient buildings passed down to later generations are all red bricks. Even the main building of Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen, which was built in the Tang Dynasty, is made of masonry and wood. A simple wooden building cannot bear the burden. Can't hold back the wind.

Wang Wenlong looked at the scene at this large construction site and asked Lu Wenhui: "How is the development of Trinity Church on the island? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Lu Wenhui smiled and said, "Jian Buruo will take you to the temple first."

Wang Wenlong followed Lu Wenhui into the temple. After passing through the large construction site, he saw rows of rammed earth houses appearing behind them. It turned out to be the temporary Trinity Temple built before.

When they walked into the temple, they saw people everywhere. Some were listening together, and some were busy washing and cooking.

Wang Wenlong looked at the scale and asked in surprise: "Are these going to be passed by senior officials?"

Lu Wenhui nodded: "This time there are going to be five hundred people, including old farmers, accountants, doctors, craftsmen, and hunters..."

Wang Wenlong said in surprise: "How do you get these people together?"

"Half the population of several villages in Xinghua Prefecture came here."

Wang Wenlong was stunned. The Trinity Church was planning to open up a colony.

At this moment, Wang Wenlong heard the sound of shouting and shouting coming from the backcourt again. He walked over with Lu Wenhui and saw that groups of young and strong people were practicing formations with weapons such as bamboo spears and group cards in their hands.

Wang Wenlong was surprised: "Why are you practicing military formations when you go to the island to reclaim land?"

Lu Wenhui glanced at those people and said: "Some of the natives we reclaimed the land are willing to do business and cooperate with us, but some are very arrogant. In order to protect the village, we have to do this."

Believe him, in addition to the bamboo spear group cards, Wang Wenlong clearly saw someone behind him holding a shotgun. With this firepower, he could not protect the village, but he was probably colonizing with a sword.

Unlike other maritime merchants who found some land without indigenous people to build trading ports, this group of Trinity cultivators reclaimed the fertile mountains and forests of Taiwan Island. After a large number of contacts with the indigenous people, even if they originally promoted peace, the Trinity cult now Spontaneously began to learn how to colonize.

Wang Wenlong suggested: "Xia Jiao should not blindly use force after arriving on the island. He must be able to fight and talk at the same time to gain a foothold."

Lu Wenhui smiled and said: "That's natural. There are already several native villages near our first reclaimed land that have embraced our religion."

Wang Wenlong nodded. The Trinity Sect was originally based on teaching believers how to preserve life and cure diseases. It mastered medical skills that were more advantageous than those of the indigenous people on the island of Taiwan, plus it had the blessing of force and faith.

Now Lu Wenhui, who is responsible for sorting out ideological and educational affairs, went directly to Xiamen Island to preside over the opening of the church. Wang Wenlong knew that they must have tasted the benefits and planned to open up a colony of Trinity Church.

However, this team's sense of immediacy is too strong. Is this because they have figured out the missionary and colonial stuff on their own?

(End of this chapter)