Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 291: Young Children Studying in America
More than 30 kilometers west of Chang'an (Cordoba), at the foot of a stretch of hills, emerald green water converges into a long river. On one side of the river are steep and smooth rocks, and on the other side are lush green shrubs and aquatic plants.

Two sheepdogs were driving five or six hundred cattle and sheep to the river to drink water, followed by a family of four shepherds on horseback.

A middle-aged Chinese man, two teenagers of about thirteen or fourteen, and a girl of about fifteen or sixteen.

The middle-aged Chinese man's surname was Huang Mingsheng. He was a small businessman who did business in Southeast Asia in his early years. In 1875, when the situation in Han Kingdom stabilized, Huang Sheng moved to South America with Southeast Asian merchants such as Hu Yaji, and stayed there for four years.

Unlike Hu Yaji, Chen Jinzhong and others, Huang Sheng did not have extraordinary talent or ambition to enter the officialdom. Therefore, after moving to Han with his family, Huang Sheng took out his accumulated property and bought one hundred acres of land and two thousand acres of pasture on the outskirts of Xinjing. From then on, he lived a peaceful life as a local rich man in the countryside.

In early August 1879, news reached Xinjing that the National Defense Army had occupied Argentina and the government was encouraging Chinese families to move to the newly occupied areas. Encouraged by his old friends, Huang Sheng gritted his teeth and made up his mind to sell his land in Xinjing to the government at a price % below the market price. Then, with the guarantee of local government officials, he borrowed a sum of money from the Royal Bank. Relying on funds raised from various sources, Huang Sheng led his family of five, young and old, to settle down in the small town of Jinjiang (Carlos Paz), kilometers away from Chang'an.

Jinjiang Town is located by the mountains and rivers, with an altitude 200 meters higher than Chang'an City. It has a cool climate, is connected to the surrounding areas by roads, has convenient transportation and beautiful environment. Some visionary businessmen have taken a fancy to the superior natural conditions of Jinjiang Town and have purchased a large amount of land from the town. They plan to take advantage of the planning and construction of Chang'an City to turn their own land into a good place for leisure and vacation for the people of the capital.

When Huang Sheng bought the small town on the outskirts of Jinjiang Town, he was only interested in the natural environment there and did not consider as many things as the businessmen did.

Five hundred acres of forest land at the foot of the mountain, a small scattered pasture, four hundred sheep and one hundred and fifty cows. All the wealth that Huang Sheng had earned in Southeast Asia for half a lifetime was exchanged for the land and sheep in the surrounding areas.

The Han country in South America is rich in agricultural resources. An average Chinese family of five generally owns about 100 acres of farmland or about 500 acres of pasture and forest land.

Take Huang Sheng's family as an example. According to the decree issued by the Han government, the adult head of the household, Huang Sheng, and his wife were able to purchase 20 mu of land at 5% of the market price. Because their three children were minors, the government allocated 15 mu of land free of charge at the standard of mu per person.

The minimum amount of farmland per household is 35 mu, and the maximum amount is 500 mu. Additional land tax will be levied on the amount of farmland exceeding the upper limit.

The farmland, pastures and woodlands owned by Huang Sheng's family were all within the upper limit of the area set by the government. They sold their land in Xinjing and borrowed silver dollars from Yinxiang. After purchasing the land, they spent the remaining money on purchasing agricultural machinery and cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, pigs and other livestock.

There are a large number of poultry and livestock in the La Plata region. The prices of some common cattle and sheep are even cheaper than food in the mainland. In addition to spending money to buy cattle, sheep and other livestock, Chinese families with young and strong labor force can also obtain livestock by hunting wild cattle, horses, deer, etc.

Huang Sheng's physical condition was not very good. The illnesses left over from his early adventures in Southeast Asia prevented him from hunting wild livestock in the mountains like retired Chinese soldiers. Therefore, the two pack horses and four small South American hybrid horses owned by their family were all bought from the market.

Raising chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep is not an easy job. After four years of farming in South America, Huang Sheng finally understood the truth of agriculture and animal husbandry.
The scale of livestock breeding should be kept within a certain range. Generally speaking, it is most economical and appropriate for a family to have a breeding area of ​​400-600 mu and a number of cattle and sheep below 2000.

Livestock exceeding this limit are susceptible to plague.

We went out to graze at five o'clock in the morning before dawn. After walking for nearly two hours on the mountain road, we arrived at the newly purchased forest land.

Looking up at the sun leaning towards the top of the mountain, Huang Sheng estimated that it was almost three o'clock in the afternoon.

Next to the woods by the stream, two sheepdogs were running among the round flock of sheep. Two children jumped off their ponies and shouted the sheepdogs' names to prevent them from disturbing the sheep from drinking water.

With two sons and a harmonious family, Huang Sheng smiled happily as he watched the children's innocent and lively behavior among the cattle and sheep.

Living and working in peace and contentment, going out in the morning and returning home at dusk. The peaceful and busy farm life was a scene that I could not imagine when I was wandering and exploring Southeast Asia in my early years.

The sun gradually set. About half an hour later, Huang Sheng estimated that it was time to go home. He said hello to his three children, and then the four of them drove the cattle and sheep towards home.

On the simple gravel road between Jinjiang and Chang'an, a convoy of more than ten people happened to meet a team led by Huang Sheng and four others driving cattle and sheep.

"Master, there is a herd of cattle and sheep blocking the road ahead. You and Master Huang, please sit in the carriage for a while until I send the herdsmen away and then continue on your way."

The coachman pulled back the curtain in front of the carriage and whispered, "Don't be nosy. Wait until the sheep leave before we go."

A middle-aged Chinese man wearing a melon-shaped hat and braided hair spoke.

"Hey, I'll obey the master's orders."

The coachman answered in a low voice, turned around and sat in the front of the carriage, tightened the reins with his right hand, and looked solemnly in the direction of the flock.

"Dad, look at that guy with braids!"

Huang Sheng was riding his horse right in front of the herd of cattle and sheep, his attention focused on the sheep behind him, when he suddenly heard his youngest son's surprised cry.

"Rong Tao, don't be rude!"

The coachman's face looked very ugly, and Huang Sheng turned around and scolded his youngest son.

"profound……"

After being scolded by his father, the Chinese boy nicknamed Rong Tao responded in a low voice and said nothing more. …

"Mr. Zhang, this South American Chinese is really... bold!"

Inside the carriage, a Chinese man in his twenties heard the boy's exclamation outside. He was about to say something, but then he thought about the current situation and changed his words.

"It is not easy for overseas Chinese to make a living in a foreign country. The customs and habits of the people are influenced by foreigners, so it is inevitable that they are a little rough and fierce."

Zhang Zhenxun pondered for a while and spoke.

"The country is not doing well, and the court is facing constant internal and external troubles. If the South American Han country can put aside past grudges and work in harmony with the court, Lord Chen and the citizens of the Celestial Empire stranded in the United States would not be in such a difficult situation."

"The important affairs of the country are in the hands of famous ministers and wise men. As a commoner, all I can do is introduce Mr. Huang to His Royal Highness the King of Han. As for whether His Royal Highness will agree with Lord Chen's suggestion, it is not something I can influence."

Not long after Zhang Baoyi arrived in the Han Kingdom in South America, Zhang Zhenxun also came to the Han Kingdom. The Battle of Buenos Aires was over, and the Han Kingdom was ready to swallow up the La Plata Plain. So Zhang Zhenxun contacted the Nanyang merchants who remained in South America and lent 500 million taels of silver to the Han government at one time.

Thanks to his contribution in lending money to support the government, Zhang Zhenxun was able to meet Li Mingyuan directly, and was subsequently noticed by Li Mingyuan, who gave him the important task of assisting in the management of the Han National Bank.

On the other hand, affected by the sudden rise of the Han country in South America, the Chinese students studying in the United States and Chen Lanbin, who was in charge of the affairs of the Chinese students studying in the United States, were restricted by the US government, making it difficult to carry out the originally planned study abroad.

Chen Lanbin was one of the main officials sent by the Qing court to the United States. If the plan to send young Chinese students to study abroad was obstructed due to factors on the American side, it would not affect Chen Lanbin's career. However, after South American officials such as Wang Youtian intervened in the affairs of Chinese Americans, not only were nearly half of the Chinese workers and Chinese taken away by Wang Youtian to immigrate to China, but seventeen of the young Chinese students who were highly expected by the Qing government were also taken away by Wang Youtian.

Pan Mingzhong, Shi Jinyong, Cao Jifu, Tan Yaoxun and other Chinese students studying in the United States, who either died early or were dissatisfied with the rule of the Qing Dynasty and voluntarily cut off their braids abroad, escaped the persecution of Qing Dynasty supervisory officials with the instigation and cooperation of relevant personnel from the Han Kingdom in South America, fled to the American Commercial Office established by the Han Kingdom, and then, under the arrangement of Wang Youtian, were sent to Germany, France and other European countries to continue their studies, waiting to play a greater role in national construction after returning from graduation.

Every Chinese student in the United States went through numerous screenings before going to the United States. When the news that more than a dozen Chinese students had fled to the Han Kingdom reached the Qing government, the first person to suffer was Chen Lanbin. Therefore, for the sake of his official hat and his life, Chen Lanbin learned the old tricks of the Han governors in the southeast of the mainland and planned to secretly reach a compromise with the Han Kingdom and maintain the affairs of the Chinese students in the United States on the surface, so as to avoid being directly caught by the Qing government and used as a scapegoat.

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(End of this chapter)