The Great Whale returned to Hong Kong and underwent temporary modifications locally. A steam-powered gantry crane was installed on the deck, as well as a lifting winch and a dredging bucket. In order to ensure the stability of the Great Whale during work, it was

Anchors were removed from several other ships and retrofitted, giving it eight anchors.

When the refitted ship staggered into Humen, everyone couldn't help but laugh at its strange and ugly appearance. Of course, they were even more worried about its safety.

"This crane is so high, so the center of gravity is a little unstable." Huang Claw followed the big whale to Humen. He didn't feel the ship was bumpy along the way, but every time the waves hit the ship, the steel gantry crane squeaked.

When there was a rattling sound, he couldn't help but worry a little - what if it fell over.

A man who looked like an otaku wearing glasses talked eloquently: "It doesn't matter, according to my calculations, taking into account a series of comprehensive considerations such as wave resistance, sway coefficient, etc., the probability of the ship rolling over is less than 12%."

"It still sounds scary."

"The wind and waves in the Pearl River are much smaller than at sea, so the probability will be further reduced."

"I hope so." Chen Haiyang felt a little uneasy looking at this strange monster, but now is the time to resolve the issue of presence and absence, and he can't talk too much about safety.

Le Lin cried sadly - because he was the captain of the Great Whale, and he took great pains to sail the ship to Humen - after installing so many long and thick things on the ship, the power system of the ship has not changed, it is still the same as before.

Not only did the power of the diesel engine not increase, but the center of gravity of the ship changed, making it heavy and clumsy to drive. He personally steered the boat along the way and finally arrived at Humen at a speed of 3 knots.

"This ship is too difficult to sail..." Le Lin complained, "I should have built my official residence on Taiping Mountain..."

"Stop complaining. Check the condition of the ship immediately and prepare to set sail."

At the pier on Ya Niang Shoe Island in Humen, there was a bustle of people, the sound of labor chants, military songs, the roar of steam engines and the cries of the prisoners mixed together.

More than 4,000 prisoners were captured and transported to Humen from various places. Some of these people were considered to be hostile or threatening to their future rule, and the other part were poor people taken in from the local area. They will be transported to Hainan.

To enrich the local population.

The Pearl River Delta region already experienced overpopulation in the late Ming Dynasty, and a large number of people poured into the mountainous areas for agricultural development. Therefore, the removal of a part of the population will not damage local production and economy, but can reduce the pressure on the local ecological environment.

The elimination of a large number of large gentry households has opened up greater business space for local small and medium-sized landowners, rich farmers and small businessmen.

The captives, men and women, old and young, were transported ship by ship to Humen, where they were temporarily housed while waiting for ships to be transferred to Hong Kong along with the "confiscated" trophies collected from various places.

A large amount of trophies brought back by the returning teams in more than a month piled up in Humen. The travelers were still very poor and wanted everything. Even the tables, chairs and benches from the homes of the "purged" wealthy families were not left behind. In order to eliminate a large number of

As a result of the unrest that may arise from population gatherings, the first thing to be transported to Hong Kong is the population. As long as the weather and sea conditions permit, several secret service ships will carry the population to Hong Kong every day, where they will be purified and quarantined in advance.

Each returning detachment also carried out short-term rest and sanitation work in Humen. Zhang Tumu gave deworming medicine to all the detachment officers and soldiers, and at the same time carried out several flea exterminations - this parasite is very active in rural areas.

.All people with health problems will be transferred to Hong Kong for treatment.

Fifteen-year-old Fu Ji carried a small blue cloth parcel on his shoulder, which his mother had given him when he left home to join the army. It contained several rags and a pair of newly made shoes -

He couldn't bear to wear them, even his straw sandals, hanging them on his body. With his bare feet, he patiently waited for the group of people in front of him to get on the boat.

His team all voluntarily defected to the Australians, so they were in good order and no one was assigned to guard them. The Australians in charge of the transshipment gave each of them a water hyacinth and a black leather bowl - this was for eating and drinking on the road.

of.

He looked forward to being able to eat with an open stomach when he arrived in Lingao - this was the only purpose of his visit to Lingao.

Fu Ji is an ordinary country boy. Originally he had no name, so he was called Fu Yaer. Later he became an apprentice and the master gave him a name.

He started as an apprentice at the age of twelve, and as usual he had to study for three years and help for three years. But just when he started to "help the master" and was able to learn some real skills and make some money, the master suddenly died.

Fu Ji and his family were immediately in trouble. He had been a craftsman since elementary school, and farm work had been delayed. The family had a lot of people and little land. In addition to the eldest brother and sister, there were three younger brothers and sisters. In addition to farming more than two acres of thin land, the family also had tenant farming.

He had to take some land in the village to survive. His family had a large population, so having an extra mouth suddenly was a big deal.

One day, Fu Ji squatted on the ridge of the field, his stomach growling with hunger. The bowl of thin sweet potato porridge he had eaten in the morning had long since disappeared without a trace, and the next meal was not available until the sky was almost dark.

Only then can we eat.

There is no comparison between the time at home and when he was with the master. Although the master rarely gave him a chance to have a full meal, every time he went to the town or to a wealthy family to host weddings and weddings, the leftovers would always make him happy. This lasted for a long time.

It's better to eat and drink intermittently when you're half-hungry and half-full than to never seem to have enough to eat.

Not far away, curls of smoke rose from the Humen Village - it was the thieves who had beaten away the officers and soldiers, or the Australian troops were making lunch. They were just like the landlords and wealthy people, eating three meals a day. Just this.

Ran Fu Ji was envious to death.

When the Australians came to Humen, they had a big fight with the officers and soldiers. They beat the officers and soldiers to pieces and occupied Humen. The people nearby ran out and hid for a few days. After a few days, they saw that they did not make any harassment.

They all returned to the villages. The Australians did not commit any crimes nearby. They did not rob, set fire, or snatch women. They only sent people to ask each village to pay a "burden". The burden was not too big, and the Australians

I personally sat in charge and asked the big households to contribute the big ones and the small households to contribute the small ones, but it didn't cause any trouble. I just heard that there was a large village nearby that relied on the large number of people from the same clan and built a stronghold to resist.

As a result, they were wiped out in one day. They were killed by the Australians and many people were arrested. Not only did the entire family and property of the big family that led the resistance were taken away, but even the ancestral hall was demolished. Every big family in the area was destroyed.

The wind roared.

But for Fu Ji's family, the Australians had little impact on their lives. Fu Ji still didn't have enough to eat, so one day he followed his neighbors to Humen Village to sell vegetables and chickens and ducks. Since the Australians settled in Humen, nearby villages

The villagers continuously took the initiative to drive small boats to sell vegetables, fresh chickens, ducks, geese, and eggs to them. According to the "Food Management Regulations", when Fu Bojun purchased meat from the private sector, he would only purchase poultry, eggs, and eggs as long as circumstances permitted.

Aquatic products. The Chinese are natural businessmen. They will not ask why Fu Bojun only wants vegetables and eggs, but will quickly adjust their products to meet the needs of customers.

Fu Ji had already seen the military appearance and equipment of the Fubo Army when the Australians went to the countryside to assess the "reasonable burden". This time, he saw the quality of life of the Fubo Army. The soldiers ate big bowls of rice.

, and there is no limit, you can eat as much as you like, there is fish for rice, and there is a big pot of vegetable soup with eggs... Fu Ji can't help but salivate - this kind of life is even better than that of the big landlords in the village!

This rice is what the landlord would add a few slices of dried sweet potato to.

He couldn't help but ask the neighbors who came with him: "Uncle, are they getting a treat today?"

"What a treat, Australians eat like this every day. Three meals a day!" The neighbor said enviously, "If I hadn't started a family and had three bone-changing dragons to raise, I would have followed the Fubo Army! Even if I died in the war, I would be willing to do so.

!”

These words moved Fu Ji's heart. Instead of starving at home, going out to work and not knowing where to go, he might as well defect to the Australians. At least he could live a comfortable life for a few years. He thought like this for a few days.

, secretly went to Humen twice to see the daily life of the soldiers. He felt that he could do these things, so he proposed to his family that he would join the Australians and join the army.

Even though his parents knew that if they surrendered to the army, they might never come back, and they might die there, but the family situation was very embarrassing, so they had no choice but to agree.

When I arrived at Dehumen Village, I saw that there were quite a lot of people coming to join the army. Not only were there young people, but there were also half-grown children like him, there were even old men, women and children. The food supply for Fubo Army was so great.

So good that many poor people nearby wanted to "join". Chen Haiyang ordered that all comers should not be refused, young and old should not be avoided, and all men and women would be welcome. Not only were you welcome to join the army, but it was best to bring your family members with you. So many people came

The people with their families and families, tortured by poverty and hunger, have lost their timidity and caution, and are willing to go to any place that can promise them enough food.

Fu Ji took off his clothes in a shed and was looked at, and then his teeth were looked at. After asking a few simple questions such as his age and name, he stamped his fingerprint on a piece of paper as required.

He didn't recognize what was written on it and didn't care.

When he came out of the shed, his head was shaved, he took a shower, and was given a clean old uniform. Even if he became a member of the "new immigrants", the people who managed them said that newcomers must be sent first

After returning to Lingao to practice for a few months, he can be considered officially "joined".

The new immigrants lived in separate barracks waiting to board the ship. Their food was worse than that of formal soldiers, but the thick rice porridge with fish, meat and vegetables still made him so happy that he wanted to cry - even though there was only one bowl at a time.

, but at least I can eat three meals.

Fu Ji was extremely excited about the prospect of arriving in Lingao, officially serving as a soldier for the Australians, and eating sumptuous meals.

"Fu Ji!" Just as he was patiently waiting to board the transport ship bound for "The Happiness of Having a Full Meal", a man who looked like an Australian bookkeeper suddenly appeared.

"Yes!" He raised his hand according to the rules he learned in the camp, "I'm here!"

"Are you Fu Ji?"

"Yes-" He became a little uneasy.

"Are you the cook?"

"The villain has been an apprentice for three years..."

"Come out, don't leave for now. The food center is short of people, so just go to work there." The clerk said in an unquestionable tone, "Follow me!"

Fu Ji followed the clerk to a small shed in confusion, and then he realized that he was asked to be a "fire-headed soldier". This was not a difficult task. He had been an apprentice for three years, and he always had at least the ability to cook.

.

"You don't need to cook." A waiter sitting behind the table, who seemed to have a higher level, said, "Will you kill the chickens and kill the ducks?"

"This is what I mainly did when I was an apprentice." Fu Ji said, "I even helped kill pigs..."

"That's perfect." The clerk said, picking up a card, filling out something on it, and then handed it to the junior clerk, "Take him to be purified! Treat it according to food and medical grade!"

Fu Ji was again taken to have his head shaved, bathed, and then had his nails cut off. His whole body was thoroughly checked to see if there were any wounds or skin diseases. Finally, after everything was normal, he had to drink several kinds of lactose.

Bitter potion. Finally, he was taken to an independent village by the river. In a room at the door, an Australian met him. This man was completely different from the others. He was tall and fat, with a stern expression on his face.

There are two pieces of glass inlaid with a black frame and a tortoiseshell shell. There is also a long strip on the left chest of the uniform, sewn with colorful small pieces of cloth.

"From today on, you are a member of the Field Cooking Processing Center." Ren looked him up and down for a long time, then looked at his hands and nails, "Always pay attention to personal hygiene!" Then he pursed his lips and said, "Here.

Read it!" A young girl in uniform next to him immediately read loudly the hygiene rules of the cooking processing center: you must take a shower before and after work every day, use soap to wash your hands, and no hair or nails are allowed...

…

"Do you remember everything?"

"Young...understand..." After hearing all this, Fu Ji fainted. He didn't have time to digest it all, so he had to say that he remembered it.

"Okay, bring it in. We will need to educate you regularly in the future." Ren frowned and said, "Hygienic habits cannot be developed in a day or two!"

Fu Ji was brought to this heavily fortified camp in a daze. As soon as he walked in, his eyes widened. When did there be such a large-scale building here?
To be continued...