GBP Chapter 98 Going Home
Chapter 98 Going Home
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On the coast of Huang County, the Yuanhang ship is docked in a naturally formed harbor, rising and falling with the tide.
Liu Ye stood on the ship's railing, gazing at the shore, lost in thought. Liang Xiaoming leaned closer and teased, "What's wrong? Reluctant to part with those two, master and apprentice?"
Liu Ye smiled lightly: "How could that be? But they got trapped by the rebels while helping us, and we feel a little guilty. But Bai Lian is highly skilled in martial arts, and the rebels are leaderless, so they should be able to escape... Let's not talk about that. I've been thinking that Shandong is a good place with a large population. If our base is in Shandong, apart from the iron mines not being as large as those in Hainan, we won't have to worry about land or population."
"Then why don't you move your base to Shandong? Anyway, relocating the factory isn't too difficult. Shandong has both coal and iron, and it's a coal-iron composite base with its own system."
"Hmph, you make it sound so easy." Liu Ye curled his lip. "Shandong is indeed rich in land and mineral resources, and its population is far greater than that of Hainan. However, its fatal flaw is that it is too close to Beizhili. Even the Tartars from outside the Great Wall come and cause trouble every now and then, making it impossible to develop in peace. In contrast, Hainan is surrounded by the sea. As long as our navy is on the right track, it will be difficult for any force to threaten us."
"That's true. If resources are scarce, we can bring them in from outside; if there are few people, we can relocate them." Liang Xiaoming wholeheartedly agreed; the safety of the base area was still the top priority. Speaking of population migration, he suddenly thought of Sun Yuanhua, "What about that former governor? Wouldn't you be furious if we tricked him into going to Lingao?"
Liu Ye chuckled: "The old man has probably been in the north for too long and is seasick. He doesn't have the energy to tell whether the ship is going north or south."
"The voyage cut through the waves, riding the southeast wind, and entered the Qiongzhou Strait in six days, with Lingao just a stone's throw away. Looking at the land that was faintly visible on the horizon, Liu Ye was quite emotional. This journey had lasted for almost half a year, and he had almost lost his life several times. Now he was finally back."
Upon entering the port of Bopu, before even docking, Liu Ye noticed the pier was already packed with people, a dense, dark mass, with Tang Yu and the others standing at the very front. He asked Liang Xiaoming, "How did they know to wait for us here?"
Liang Xiaoming replied, "I told them the round trip time for the Yuanhang, and if we successfully pick you up, it will only take a few days to return to Lingao."
As soon as Liu Ye disembarked and her feet touched the concrete of the dock, Tang Yu and the others came to greet her. Seeing Tang Yu crying her eyes out, Liu Ye was deeply moved. Her husband was their pillar of strength; if anything had happened to him, it would have been as if the sky had fallen. She didn't know how many times she had cried in secret. Now that her husband had returned safe and sound, she finally felt relieved, but she could no longer hold back her tears and cried uncontrollably.
Liu Ye held Tang Yu and comforted her for a long time, his clothes soaked with their tears, before he finally calmed them down. Tang Yu sobbed, "Master, please don't take such risks in the future. You are our pillar of strength and the leader of this large group of people in Lingao. What will we do if something happens to you?"
"Don't worry, although the master escaped unharmed this time, he was quite frightened. I promise it won't happen again. The master's health is very precious!" Liu Ye said with a smile.
Yan Guang and his subordinates stepped forward to pay their respects. Liu Ye released Tang Yu and said solemnly, "I've been gone for half a year. You've all worked hard!" Yan Guang and the others replied repeatedly, "This is our duty."
Liang Xiaoming pointed to the dock and said, "Look, we haven't been idle for the past six months: the dock and shipyard have been renovated and have a brand new look."
Liu Ye had already noticed that the dock had been changed from the original simple bluestone material to cement, making it flat and spacious. In the distance, the shipyard's material warehouse and shipwrights' dormitories had also changed from wooden houses to gray cement buildings, which should all be bamboo-reinforced concrete structures. Such a structure could withstand even several level typhoons. Looking into the distance, several warships that were almost completed stood in the dock, and the shipwrights were busy at work.
He asked excitedly, "The docks and shipyards are built, but what about the new town?"
"I knew you'd ask this as soon as you got back." Liang Xiaoming beckoned, and Li Fu stepped out from the crowd, intending to kneel down and pay his respects.
"No need for that. You've been with me for so long, you know the master doesn't care for that. Tell me quickly, how's the new city construction going?"
"Reporting to you, sir, the eastern part is all factories, and the planned layout has been completed. The two main roads running north and south have been built. The western part is a bit slower because it involves the relocation and resettlement of residents, but the general layout is already in place. The key thing is that the city walls have been demolished—Master Liang said that explosives cannot be used near the residential areas, so the walls were demolished manually, which cost much more than expected..."
Liu Ye waved his hand dismissively, "As long as the demolition goes smoothly, spending a little more money is no big deal. Let's go take a look!"
"You just got back, do you want to rest for a day or two?" Liang Xiaoming asked.
"Back on my own turf, I feel full of energy and not tired at all. Besides, I can't eat well or sleep well if I don't go and see the new city."
A large crowd escorted Liu Ye to see the new town. On the way, Liu Ye quietly asked Liu Quan, "Master, how is my new estate being built?"
"Please rest assured, sir. The new estate is already built. We are just waiting for your return so we can choose an auspicious day to move in."
Liu Ye was satisfied. With the new manor completed, he could take Tang Yu to enjoy the flowers and the moon, and take a boat trip on the lake.
Passing through shipyards, arsenals, steel mills, and textile factories, we arrived at the old county town. The city walls had been completely demolished, making the area look exceptionally spacious. The dilapidated houses in the county town were gone, replaced by rows of two-story cement brick houses lined up along the wide roads.
Li Fu explained, "This is the resettlement area, housing residents whose houses were occupied due to road construction and whose old houses in the county town were demolished. At first, the people in the county town refused to demolish their houses, and some even threatened to commit suicide, but the county government's yamen runners suppressed them. As for things like vegetable gardens, they were compensated with money. Once the resettlement houses were built, everyone wanted to move in and didn't even think about those few dilapidated tile-roofed houses anymore."
Yan Guang added, "If this policy were implemented in Jiangnan, it would definitely be criticized as tyranny. But there is no such concern in Lingao." The people of Lingao County are very poor, and their houses are too dilapidated. In comparison, the uniformly built cement brick houses are extremely attractive. Who wouldn't want to live in such a new house that is neither drafty nor leaky?
Liu Ye nodded: "It doesn't matter that Lingao has a poor foundation. It's easier to paint on a blank canvas. In a wealthy place like Jiangnan, this approach definitely wouldn't work. Once this resettlement community is built, the rest of the area needs to be well controlled. Building houses arbitrarily is strictly prohibited. All old house deeds and land deeds must be destroyed. The vacant land needs to be carefully planned. I need to review where to build residential houses and where to build shops!"