Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 240 Cousin ([-])

On December 1639, 12, just one week after the Spaniards purchased warships and army equipment from the East Coast Republic, Alvarez sent the first payment of about 17 yuan on behalf of the Spaniards.At this time, the arsenal and shipyard on the east coast had already been running at full capacity and began to produce various weapons and equipment and warships.

The steaming technical transformation project of Dayuhe Armory (changing all mechanical equipment to steam power) had to be suspended, trying to survive the peak production season first.In order to meet the large steel demand after the opening of the arsenal, the Pingan Iron and Steel Works, which has accumulated iron ore for a period of time, officially ignited and started trial production.As a result, 22 tons of pig iron were produced that day, and the trial production was a great success.

In addition to the arsenal, the two shipyards in the East Coast Republic, which are the contractors of the most important naval ships, have also begun urgent expansion.The first is the Zhenhai Shipyard, which has more than 6000 formal workers. After receiving a special loan of [-] yuan from the United Industrial Credit Bank, the factory launched two new berths in one go, and began to vigorously recruit shipbuilding apprentices across the country. Then start training.

At the same time, a group of students in the shipyard vocational school also graduated ahead of schedule and started their careers as industrial workers.There is no way, talents cannot be cultivated overnight, and now there is a special shortage of talents, so we can only let them go to work first, and then learn slowly at work.Of course, the number of students in vocational schools will continue to expand, but now people with certain cultural knowledge are treasures on the east coast, and vocational schools in various factories are vying for them. The shipyard vocational school faces many competitors.

Zhenhai Shipyard's actions are so big, Dayuhe Naval Shipyard is naturally not far behind.Backed by the East Shore Company, they are also full of energy. Not only has a new berth been built, but their factory director has frequently traveled to various schools, tricking those junior high school students who are about to graduate to come to work in their shipyard, and set out monthly The high salary of 3 yuan plus performance salary has attracted a considerable number of students who graduate at the end of the year to choose to sign with them (Eastern coast school system: the first semester is from March to June every year, and the second semester is from September to December).

Compulsory primary education, which has been vigorously promoted for seven or eight years, is about to bear its first fruits this year.At the end of December, more than 12 students will graduate from the country's first middle school, Dongfang Middle School.Among the first batch of junior high school graduates in these republics, except for a few lucky ones who got the opportunity to go to the high school attached to the Academy of Natural Sciences due to their excellent academic performance, most of them will enter the society.

Of course, there is no shortage of places for them on the east coast where there is a shortage of talents. The government, the army, and companies are now rushing to get them.In this graduation season, they are happy.

……

It was getting late.Holding her schoolbag in her arms, Laura took a last look at the school as if nostalgic, and then walked home without looking back.Today is December 12th, which is also the day of Laura's graduation. She is 20 years old this year, and she has been in the east coast for more than 17 years.Since she had learned knowledge for a period of time in her hometown, Laura skipped a grade directly after coming to the East Bank, starting from the fourth grade of primary school.Now that a few years have passed, she has also graduated from junior high school.

To be honest, Laura had excellent academic performance in junior high school, and she has been consistently ranked among the top ten in her grade.It's just that her father Hugo died indirectly at the hands of people from the east coast a few years ago (Mo Ming handed it over to the Baron of Toulouse and was hanged), and she failed the political examination when the High School Affiliated to the Academy of Natural Sciences came to recruit students, so Unfortunately, I lost the opportunity to continue my studies.

But Laura was not discouraged either. Although she couldn't continue to study in the legendary high school, she was planning to enter the Dayu River Naval Shipyard to learn shipbuilding knowledge.Her math and physics grades are quite good. The director of the shipyard fell in love with her at a glance after being recommended by the teacher. Now the salary has basically been negotiated: she entered the shipyard vocational school in the first year to study ship design theory and related mechanical knowledge , the monthly salary is three yuan; after the one-year study period expires and passes the assessment, he will become a regular technician, and the salary will rise to six yuan with performance wages.Laura is quite satisfied with this treatment. After all, being able to continue learning the physics knowledge that interests her is more important than anything else.

Her residence is located in the south city of Dongfanggang, only a few minutes away from the school, and Laura walked to the door in no time.

The door was open, and a man in a black uniform was standing at the door. Laura couldn't help but stop when she saw him, and then looked at him with a complicated expression.And behind him, Laura's aunt Anne stood timidly aside, going about her work lightly.

"Hello, Laura." The man in black uniform said, "Congratulations on your graduation. What, are you unhappy?"

"No, I'm very happy, Mr. Shinzaemon." Laura hugged her schoolbag, walked sideways by Shinzaemon, and entered the room.Laura's impression of Shinzaemon is very complicated. Back then, this person was Mo Ming's subordinate who had secretly stabbed people a hundred times, and had personally participated in actions that hurt her father.

Not long after I came to the east coast, this intelligence agent named Shinzaemon was also transferred back to China, and every few months this man would quietly appear in front of me and ask about my life , Learning status.Although the questions were all about trivial matters in life, every time Laura talked with this man, she felt a shuddering feeling.She always felt that this guy has been investigating and monitoring her, and through this kind of conversation to observe her thoughts from the side, this feeling makes Laura very uncomfortable.

However, this person also solved many troubles for himself.For example, there was a neighbor who was originally a pirate who was always talking about himself, but later found out that he was weak and deceitful, and then went further and tried to use his hands.Once Shinzaemon found out, he dealt with the old pirate severely, and then the pirate never appeared in front of him again, and it is said that he was sent to Mashima.Because of this incident, Laura's impression of this spy suddenly improved a lot, at least not as repulsive as before.

Shinzaemon, who was wearing a black uniform, stood in the shadow behind the door, and he didn't know what he was thinking. He hadn't spoken since Laura came in and said hello, and had been standing there quietly, as if Looking out through the crack of the door.

Laura ignored him and ran into the kitchen to help her aunt wash and cook.Her aunt is now her only relative. She came to the east coast from France more than three years ago, and is currently doing some tanning of animal skins at home to make money to support her family.

Today's dinner is lemon fish and shell soup, plus a small plate of steak, and the staple food is sorghum rice.In today's Dongfang Port, fish and beef are probably the two cheapest foods.Thanks to the Dutch who fish all over the world, they often pull some unnecessary fish to Dongfang Port for sale, and the price is still very low; similar to the Dutch, the neighbors of the East Coast - Lapla The Tatars have an unbelievably large amount of cattle, and exporting beef to the east coast has become a stable business in recent years.Although the profit margin is not high, the advantage lies in the large and stable volume.After the beef was exported to the east bank, on the one hand, it solved the problem of the backlog of beef on hand, and on the other hand, the people on the east bank also got benefits, which can be described as a win-win situation.

Laura's family is not very rich, so they can only eat some fish, beef, and sorghum rice exported to the mainland by Hezhongbao on weekdays.As for those expensive vegetables and flour, she would go out of the city with her aunt to buy some from the farmers for tooth-beating festivals only during festivals.

In fact, Laura's life is not so embarrassing. Her father once left her a huge property of about 150 francs. It is still stored in the treasury of the National Intelligence Agency, but according to the regulations, it will wait until she becomes an adult next year. to be distributed to her. 150 francs is equivalent to about 750 yuan, which means that on her birthday next year, Laura will be a little rich woman who cannot be underestimated in Dongfang Port.

"Did anyone come to see you recently?" Shinzaemon suddenly appeared in the kitchen again and asked Laura abruptly.

Laura gave him a blank look. She was not afraid of this man. Although he looked gloomy and fierce, he had always taken care of her.

"No." Laura said bluntly, and then said after a pause, "Except for cousin Henry."

"Who is Cousin Henry?" Shinzaemon asked.

"It was a relative of mine when I was in La Rochelle. I haven't met a few times. It seems that I went to Paris when I was a teenager, and then I seldom go home. Even this time, I also I've met him four times." Laura said carefully.

"Why did he come to the east bank?" Shinzaemon asked.

"I'm not very clear." Laura shook her head and said, "According to him, he failed to run a business in Paris and owed a lot of money to others, so he came to the New World to try his luck. When my cousin came I am very down and out, I haven't shaved my beard for a long time, and my clothes are torn, and I look like I have suffered a lot."

"Did he ask you to do something?" Shinzaemon felt that there was something wrong with it, so he asked very carefully.

"He borrowed one yuan from me." Speaking of this, Laura glanced at her aunt carefully. The one yuan was her pocket money that she had saved for a long time. Go into an arsenal or a textile factory, because he has heard that the wages and treatment of the workers there are the best."

"He really said that?" Shinzaemon's eyes lit up and he asked.

"Yeah." Laura nodded seriously, "That's what he said. I don't know how my cousin is doing now, whether he has found a job, I hope he is lucky..."

(End of this chapter)