The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 32 Heavy rain

a few days later

The recruitment conditions offered by Nanyang Company are not high, but being able to destroy the Yusuf family is too shocking and the appeal is too strong.

Almost all passionate Chinese young people want to follow, and there are even many local indigenous youths, so the recruitment scene is very enthusiastic.

In just three days

As a result, more than 500 young and strong men were successfully recruited, more than 70 of whom were youths from local indigenous tribes, and the overall literacy rate could reach %.

In Yanwang City, where the total literacy rate is less than 10%, it can be said that a group of high-quality talents have been gathered.

The Yusuf tribe is only the most powerful among the many indigenous tribes in Yanwang City. Now it is rapidly declining. Many women and people are plundered and divided by other indigenous tribes, and they can never regain their former strength.

A tribe without the protection of indigenous tribe warriors is the fat meat divided by other tribes.

Many indigenous young people who had been bullied by the Yusuf tribe in Yanwang City participated in the recruitment of Nanyang Company.

The Nanyang Company's recruitment requirements for indigenous young people were that they were physically strong, had no bad habits, such as gambling, smoking cigarettes and chewing betel nuts, had not joined gangs and were able to understand and speak Chinese proficiently.

Since the Chinese have a history of immigrating here for more than 300 years, Chinese has become one of the mainstream languages ​​in society during the long-term process of ethnic integration.

There are many indigenous young people who are proficient in using Chinese. If they want to stand out and are highly motivated, local indigenous youths must basically master the skill of using Chinese.

Otherwise, you will have no choice but to farm until the end of your life.

Nanyang Company completely transformed one of the largest mule, horse and carriage shops in the old palace square into a new department store.

Most of the department store products in the mule and horse caravan were taken out and displayed on the shelves for local people to buy, which caused a sensation for a while.

Because Nanyang Department Store not only accepts hard currencies such as silver coins, gold coins, mainland copper coins, pounds, francs, and Dutch guilders, but also allows barter.

In this town rich in spices, which one doesn’t have some secret spices?

As for how it came from, there are many sources. For example, they secretly brought some while working outside, or people from the countryside went to the city to collect some. Anyway, they were not bought with money.

As an ancient Southeast Asian country with a long cultural history, Java Island has evolved through many ancient feudal dynasties, leaving behind a splendid and civilized South Asian culture.

Although this is the Dutch colonial period, it is not as ignorant and backward as people imagine, and there is a strong demand for some essential daily necessities in life.

For example, iron pots, plates, kettles, soap, mirrors, cotton cloth, oil lamps, needlework or tools such as shovels, hoes, picks, and a wide variety of industrial products.

Opening a Nanyang department store in Yanwang City is highly profitable, and it is also a channel to collect local specialties at fixed and low prices. Why not?

This large store has a special barter counter, and after passing a greatly lowered valuation, it issues a note that can be exchanged for goods.

Users can use their money coupons to purchase any goods in Nanyang Department Store. No change will be given. Any shortfall in purchase price will be made up with cash.

This kind of exclusive money ticket can only be used in Nanyang Department Store, and it is a piece of paper in other places.

Even so

The enthusiasm of the residents in the city for exchange also surprised Feng Guohui and others.

On the first day of opening, there was a long and dense queue. Everyone was holding a basket or carrying a bag, and there could be hundreds of people in total.

Although the waiting time was long, the residents in line did not feel lonely at all. Instead, they chatted endlessly, turning the scene into a large market, attracting more people to watch.

There are not many entertainment activities in this era, and loving to watch the excitement has become a necessary social attribute.

these few days

Feng Guohui was not idle either. While recruiting manpower, he sent more than ten teams to take over plantations in various places. Among the teams were many nephews of local Chinese businessmen.

The first is to accept the plantation, and the second is to find out the family background and prepare the smuggled spices and other goods for the Nanyang Company's mule and horse caravan to return more than ten days later.

In Dongcheng Manor

The Yusuf family's traditional Javanese manor with great history has now been renamed Dongcheng Manor by Feng Guohui and has become the core location of Nanyang Company in Yanwang City.

Whether they are spices collected through Nanyang Department Store channels, spices escorted from subordinate plantations, or spices purchased privately from other forces, they are all transported to Dongcheng Manor for storage.

There are a large number of well-built stone houses here, which are in good moisture-proof and rainproof conditions, and can be used as transfer warehouses.

In Yanwang City, through relationships and various channels, the acquisition tentacles can be spread over hundreds of plantations within a radius of 20 to 30 kilometers, and the security of transactions and goods is guaranteed.

As early as two days ago

Hu Laohu led a team of more than 530 people to set off early, escorting more than local indigenous captives to continue southward. The main task was to build roads first.

Different from the hasty repairs before, this time the road going south needs to be carefully repaired. Drainage ditches must be dug out on both sides of the road to avoid water accumulation on the road due to depressions.

These ancient road foundations that have been used for hundreds of years are very solid. However, because of the hot and rainy local climate in Java, the low-lying areas of the road are prone to being soaked in rainwater for a long time and become large and small muddy ponds.

To solve this problem

In some low-lying areas with serious depressions, it is necessary to dig out road cross-sections and use debris to build dredging ditches that run through the roads to guide rainwater to more low-lying areas.

As long as the road surface is kept free of water, the condition of the road will not be much worse.

this day

It was originally the day the mule and horse caravan planned to set off, but early in the morning the sky was filled with dark clouds, the light was dim and gloomy, and there was a possibility of a heavy downpour at any time.

Feng Guohui had to cancel his original itinerary, and the mules, horses and carts gathered in the manor dispersed and retreated to several mule and horse shops in the Old Palace Square.

There are so many big animals, but there are not so many animal sheds in Dongcheng Manor.

Fortunately, there are not many goods continuing to go south. Excluding the goods consigned to Yanwang City by merchants and most of the self-operated goods, there are only 8 Western four-wheeled carriages and more than a dozen two-wheeled mule and horse carts, and the size of the team has been reduced by one. Most of it.

Looking at the gloomy sky until after nine o'clock, with dark clouds covering the entire sky, Feng Guohui's mood did not get better.

he knows

This heavy rain will not end for a while. Not only will it delay the trip, but the harvest in the plantation will also have to stop.

Otherwise, those moist spices such as cinnamon bark, angelica root, nutmeg, etc. will rot and become worthless within a short period of time.

There is no other way, this can only wait.

after a while

A crack of thunder suddenly sounded across the sky, lightning danced wildly in the dense clouds, and the rumbling thunder seemed to be in the ears, making the women scream.

After the lightning and thunder, the torrential rain seemed to pour down from the sky. Countless finger-sized raindrops formed dense lines, and a white rainstorm poured down in front of my eyes.

The scenery not far away became blurred, and the strong wind mixed with the showers poured down in a rhythmic "wow, crash". The rain even splashed on the stone floor inside the colonnade.

The splashing rain wet Feng Guohui's legs and feet. He frowned and took a few steps back. He turned his head and looked at the maids standing aside. He shook his head helplessly and said;

"Let's boil some water. It would be nice to take a hot bath today. Find something to do to pass the time!"

"As you command, sir."

Several maids left in response and were busy heating hot water for their master to take a bath.

Feng Guohui walked into the room and walked along the passage toward the bedroom at the back. After passing several rooms, he suddenly stopped.

Then he took two steps back and looked into the room.

This is a small room for entertaining guests, with a long low table. The radiant Zuma seems to have lost her virginity as a girl. With a focused expression on her fair face, she is arranging flowers in a small-necked vase.

She softly hummed an ancient Javanese ballad with great charm, and knelt on the mat, playing with the flower branches with her small white hands. Her body showed a very feminine curve, and her white toes were pressed under her buttocks.

At this moment, she was intoxicated with pleasure.

The alienating light of the violent storm outside showed a strong contrast with the tranquility formed by Zuma, which aroused Feng Guohui's strong interest.

He walked over quietly, making no sound at all under his feet, and suddenly leaned down and said;

"I've asked someone to prepare hot water and we'll wash it together later. Anyway, the bucket is big enough. Do you think that's okay?"

The hot, masculine breath blew against Zuma's earlobe. She looked back like a frightened bird, waiting for Zuma to say whether she agreed?

Feng Guohui laughed and hugged her easily while she was kneeling. Zuma screamed in fright and quickly stretched out his arms to wrap around Feng Guohui's neck.

Feng Guohui just held her in his arms and strode toward the bedroom at the back...

Even if you are idle on a rainy day, you should find something to do!

(End of this chapter)