Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Textile Overlord of the Republic of China

Text Chapter 1 Xiaocun Yang Family

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    In the twentieth year of Guangxu's reign, that is, 1894 AD, it was early winter.  During the Qing Dynasty, Wujin County was divided into Wujin County in the northwest and Yanghu County in the southeast, both of which were under the jurisdiction of Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province.  The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which runs through the two counties, is divided into several channels near the county seat. They flow into the Luocheng moat, the outer ring, and the Xincheng moat, the inner ring. They then pass through the city wall and flow into the river that runs through the city, and then merge outside the city.  The Xiyingli area next to the river in the city is a commercial center for the distribution of supplies.  Going southeast along the canal is about 40 kilometers to Wuxi, 80 kilometers to Suzhou, and further forward is Hangzhou; about 70 kilometers to the northwest is Zhenjiang, where it intersects with the Yangtze River, and further north is connected to Beijing.  The countless branches of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal are densely distributed throughout Wujin from the Yangtze River in the north to Taihu Lake in the south, intertwining in the rural areas like capillaries.  Natural villages usually composed of twenty or thirty households are scattered along the river branches.  Farmers in Wujin are basically connected to various cities, towns, counties, and even Suzhou and Beijing through the river branches behind their houses.  Yangpu Village is such an ordinary small village in the southeast of Wujin, unremarkable.  Behind the village is a small river that the locals call Xifeng River.  The Xifeng River is also as graceful as the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River. It is only about 20 meters wide and about dozens of miles long. It finally leads to Wujin County and merges into the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.  The water of the river is bright and clear, and both sides of the river are covered with dead grass, wormwood and some branches of trees that have lost their leaves.  In this area of ??about ten miles, there is only Yangpu Village, a small village of twenty or thirty households.  This is a remote place in the densely populated Jiangnan water town.  In the river at this time, a awning boat was moving like a leaf on the calm but not stable river, heading towards Yangpu Village.  The water on the river is slightly rippled, and from time to time there are birds flying around looking for food, and fish jump up playfully, causing ripples after layers.  The wind on the river blew slowly. In the chilly early winter, the wind blowing on the face can already make people feel a bit chilly.  Fresh air is not a luxury in this pre-industrial era. As long as you are willing, you can feel the clear water, the fragrance of the earth, and the crowing of cocks and dogs in the village ahead.  But come to think of it, the people in the village will not cherish this pastoral scenery.  The small awning boat swayed gently with the rippling of the river. After many years of baptism, the wooden boards of the hull have taken on an old and dim look, exuding a natural and simple atmosphere!  At the stern of the boat, an old man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties was skillfully swinging the oar. The creaking sound caused by the shaking and friction of the wood pulp seemed a bit harsh on this quiet river.  On the bow of the boat, a young man with bronze skin and a rather strong appearance was frowning, as if he was thinking about something. From the way he looked at the village ahead from time to time, it was not difficult to see that he was anxious or irritable at this time.  "Huwa, since Sanyangtai's boss has accepted you, you must listen to his boss's words carefully from now on. Talk less and do more, and be diligent." "Got it!" The young man responded casually.  "Also, outside is not as good as at home, so you have to learn to be more tolerant. You are good at everything, but your temper is too irritable, and it is easy to suffer outside" The old man continued to ramble, but the young man had already thought of something else.  The old man's advice is automatically filtered.  They are a father and son, both villagers of Yangpu Village.  The old man's name is Liu Sanfu, and he has made a living on the Xifeng River carrying people and goods for most of his life.  The younger one is named Liu Hu. He is eighteen years old, an age when he is young and full of energy.  Liu Sanfu is getting older and his body is not as strong as before. It is already difficult to continue to make a living on the water.  I originally wanted my son to inherit his father's business and continue to make a living on the water.  But Liu Hu didn't want to be like his father, making a living on a boat all day long and living an ordinary life.  Young people always have a restless heart!  Liu Sanfu was a little helpless. He was quite satisfied with his job.  Although this water transportation work is hard, it is not easy to make ends meet and raise his son to be as strong as a little tiger. In this messy world, it is not easy.  But his son refused to obey, so he had no choice but to find another way out for him.  Liu Sanfu has been sailing on the Xifeng River for many years and knows a few business owners.  Although in the eyes of these rich people, he might not have much dignity as a sailing coolie, but after he showed off his old face and gave away a bunch of local products, the owner of Sanyang Tai Dyeing Shop in Lamma Town still agreed to Liu Sanfu's request and took the money.  Liu Hu is an apprentice and specializes in kicking cloth.  Although Liu Hu was not very satisfied with the job his father had arranged for him, it was much better than working as a boatman all his life.  At least in Sanyang Tai Dyeing Workshop, he saw many young people about his age.  More people is better, more people means more excitement.  Liu Hu loves being lively and making friends.  When Liu Hu thought of friends, he thought of his best friend Yang Shaowen.  When I think of him still lying thereLife and death were uncertain, and the irritability and worry surged up again.  It's been seven or eight days, and I don't know how he is doing now. Has he woke up yet?  Yang Shaowen¡¯s family is originally from Wuxi and moved to Yangpu Village ten years ago.  Not long after he moved here, he started playing well with Yang Shaowen.  When Yang Shaowen first moved here, a group of young men in the village often bullied him because he was weak and an outsider. Every time, it was Liu Hu who avenged him.  Although Liu Hu was only eight or nine years old at the time, he was born very strong and strong. He was a tyrant among the children in the village. Children who were one or two years older than him were generally no match for him in a fight (as for older children,  That¡¯s already considered a half-strong labor force, and I don¡¯t want to join in the fun with them).  Liu Hu likes to help Yang Shaowen fight, there is a reason for that.  Because Yang Shaowen would always tell him some weird stories, or the absurd legends in "The Classic of Mountains and Seas", or the stories of gods and monsters in "Journey to the West", or the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" that adults often talked about,  Yang Shaowen can also add a paragraph or two from time to time.  These legendary stories often make Liu Hu fascinated. How had he ever heard of these when he had always been hanging out in a small village?  Perhaps it was from then on that he became so yearning for the outside world.  In short, Liu Hu and Yang Shaowen became best friends.  Unexpectedly, just a few days ago, my friend actually chose to jump into the river on a dark early morning.  Fortunately, Liu Hu was about to transport goods with his father to the county town. When they were sailing, they discovered Yang Shaowen who had jumped into the river and tried his best to rescue him.  But although the person was rescued, he remained unconscious.  I showed it to the doctor, who only said that when he jumped into the river, his forehead hit a stone in the water. Whether he could wake up depends on his own luck.  There was a soft bang and the boat docked.  "Dad, let me go and see if Shao Wen is awake first?" Liu Hu was still thinking about his friend. He had just settled the matter of his apprenticeship in Lamma Town, and he hurried back to see Yang.  Shao Wen's situation.  "Okay!" "I want to bring another bucket of rice from home?" Liu Hu looked at Liu Sanfu and explained: "The younger brothers and sisters of Shaowen's family may have no food to eat again!" After Liu Sanfu stopped the boat, he ordered  He nodded in agreement: "Let's get half a bucket of rice more. Although our family's life is not easy, we are much luckier than Shao Wen." Liu Hu also lamented: "Yes, Shao Wen is really having a hard time!"  No wonder he couldn't think of jumping into the river." In his mind, he couldn't help but recall the many misfortunes and hardships that Yang Shaowen's family had experienced in the past few years
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report