I was a god in the 18th century

Chapter 383 Changes in Chinatown
After looking at the rosewood, Xia Qingdai turned her attention to several large boxes nearby.

"What's in here?"

"They are some Oriental porcelain and Oriental silk, all fine goods from the East. I asked Bill to keep them on purpose. I don't think you want to sell them all."

"Yes, even if you want to sell it, you have to let me take a look first." Xia Qingdai opened the lid of the box one by one with the mentality of opening a blind box. Each piece of porcelain inside was wrapped in silk. They were all great treasures from the Qing Dynasty.

Xia Qingdai didn't have any in-depth research on porcelain, but she felt that the patterns on these porcelains were all colorful and very much in the style of Emperor Qianlong!
"I just don't know why these things are not considered good stuff in the Qing Dynasty. It would be great if we could get the good stuff from the Qing Dynasty itself." Xia Qingdai muttered secretly in her native language.

Owen had studied Chinese for a year and could barely understand what was said, but he did not respond immediately.

After Xia Qingdai finished looking at the boxes of porcelain, she started to look at the embroidery works. The most common items were round fans, folding fans, pillowcases, and quilt covers.

She couldn't understand porcelain, but Xia Qingdai could say with certainty that the embroidery works contained in these boxes were inferior goods.

The Hunan embroidery, Suzhou embroidery, Sichuan embroidery, and Guangdong embroidery she saw on Douyin were much better than what she saw before her.

She didn't believe that the embroiderers of the Qing Dynasty were so much inferior to those of modern times. It must be that the goods that the Qing Dynasty used for international trade were not the best quality.

Come to think of it, the Qing Dynasty was still the Celestial Empire at that time, so the good things would naturally be reserved for the local dignitaries to enjoy, not for foreign barbarians!

"There's nothing special about these silk fabrics. There's no need to keep them. Just sell them all." Xia Qingdai made a decision after taking a quick look.

"Okay." Owen naturally said nothing.

"Are the shops in our Chinatown already selling imported goods?"

"Yes. There is a row of shops left. In addition to the divine objects bestowed by you, the goods sold there are the goods brought by our own ocean-going fleet, including tea from the East." Owen began to tell Xia Qingdai about the ocean-going fleet.

Xia Qingdai listened quietly and asked a question or two from time to time.

"Is Chinatown very lively now? When I opened the window in my room before, I could hear the noise coming from that side."

Owen hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, there has indeed been a slight change. I have been thinking about how to deal with this matter these past two days."

"Hey, what happened? Is there any other change besides the increase in traffic?"

Owen smiled bitterly and said, "You will know when you go and take a look."

Xia Qingdai immediately said: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go now! You go to the terrace and wait for me. I will fly you over."

Before Owen could even say "OK" in reply, Xia Qingdai's figure disappeared from his sight.

He couldn't help but sigh. The goddess came and went like the wind, which really made people a little panic.

After a brief pause, Owen left the warehouse with a lantern and headed for the terrace upstairs in the castle.

As he passed his own bedroom suite, he went in and got a robe to put on.

The winter in the UK is windy and you have to keep warm when flying outside.

Xia Qingdai had been waiting at the mouth of the glass tank, and she burst into laughter when she saw the furry Owen walking onto the terrace. Looking at the little man Owen in a robe with the eyes of a giant would make him change from tall and handsome to a little soft and cute. She had the urge to stretch out her finger and push him, and he would definitely fall flat on his face.

But this is just a thought. Xia Qingdai now would certainly not be so naughty. That would be too much of a disrespect to Owen!

She was afraid that little Owen would lose his temper, so she had to restrain herself!
"Come up, Owen." Xia Qingdai stretched out her hand to the front of the terrace and looked down at Owen with a smile.

Owen used his hands and feet to climb up her Five Finger Mountain, and then he felt his whole body rising straight up. The north wind whistled in his ears, making his ears a little painful.

Fortunately, it only takes a breath to fly from the castle to Chinatown. After all, they are all within the territory of Fucui Villa.

However, Xia Qingdai, who was originally happy, was stunned when she saw the current situation of Chinatown, and the smile on her face froze.

"Oh my God, why are there so many homeless children and homeless people!" Xia Qingdai was really stunned. There were not as many stray cats and dogs in modern times as there were homeless children in front of her.

In the corner of the street, there was a bed made of some rag, and on it lay ragged people, huddled there.

The warm winter sun shining on them not only does not make them feel warm, but also makes them feel a little cold.

"Why are there so many homeless people here? Where do they come from?" Xia Qingdai couldn't help but ask.

Owen sighed and said, "Do you still remember the homeless child we picked up in Chinatown last time? His deeds were spread by the servants and became a hot topic in the surrounding area. So..."

"So when those homeless people and street kids outside heard that there was a kind-hearted person here, they all flocked here, right?" Xia Qingdai said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "I'm really drunk. No wonder the ancient Chinese said that you can't show kindness easily in a year of famine!"

Owen was silent for a moment, then looked at the people below and said, "It's okay if they are just street kids. I can actually reform these homeless people."

"Send them all to labor camps?"

"Yes." Owen nodded. "Young people with hands and feet should not be homeless. Since they can't find a job to support themselves, they should go to labor camps."

This was indeed the method used by Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries to deal with refugees and vagrants. It not only improved public order, but also obtained cheap labor and reduced the number of lazy people.

"Well, those adult homeless people can be forced to do labor reform, but the homeless children are a bit pitiful." Xia Qingdai felt pity for the homeless children squatting in the corner below.

At this moment, she saw a little kid with big, clever eyes, about seven or eight years old, rushing to a carriage and acting as a human step. His eagerness was so heartbreaking that it was hard to bear.

"Oh my god, these children are so pitiful." Xia Qingdai sighed, "Is there an orphanage in our town?"

"Orphanage?" Owen pondered the word for a moment. "Is it a shelter?"

"Well, it's to take care of these poor little ones that no one wants. Is there such an institution?"

"No." Owen shook his head. "Maybe there is one in the county."

"Then let's build one." Xia Qingdai made the decision immediately. "I'll bring down a few small houses and you can arrange them. We can't let these children freeze to death this winter. We can't have children freezing to death on our land! That would be too much of a sin!"

Raising a few children was a piece of cake for Xia Qingdai, so she felt no burden when she spoke of it.