Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 310 Top beam
It was sunny on March 9.

The hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the first quarter of the day, is auspicious for travel, breaking ground, and raising the roof beam.

The morning sun had not yet completely dispelled the chill of the night, but a courtyard in Qingwan Village on the outskirts of Shixing City was already bustling with activity.

In the courtyard, a temporary wooden frame stands sturdily, as if a giant is raising his hand to support a piece of heaven and earth.

A thick cedar log lies horizontally on the ground, with a bright red cloth hanging from each end, waiting for its owner to take it to the roof to begin the auspicious journey of the new house.

"It's almost time!" A man in his forties looked at the sky, put down his teacup, and casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Yes, the auspicious time has arrived." Upon hearing this, several men stood up.

"Thank you all for your hard work today." Xu Xinghuai cupped his hands to the crowd and said with a smile, "After the beam is raised, please have a simple meal in the courtyard. Don't think that I, Old Xu, am not hospitable enough."

“Village chief, what are you saying?” A man rolled up his sleeves. “We’re all here to help you with the roof-raising ceremony, not for this meal. We’ve always been grateful for your kindness and favors. It’s only right that we come to help today, so please don’t stand on ceremony with us.”

"Alright, alright, no need for further words, hurry up and put the main beam up, don't miss the auspicious time!" Someone shouted from the crowd, instantly igniting everyone's enthusiasm for action.

More than ten burly men walked up to the thick cedar beam, and stood in pairs at either end of the beam.

They bent over, gripped the ropes firmly with both hands, one end securely tied to the main beam, the other end held tightly in their hands, poised to rise.

"rise!……"

With a shout, everyone strained in unison, their legs slightly bent, their waists tensed, and the veins on their shoulders bulging, pulling the beam up inch by inch.

The main beam initially felt incredibly heavy, but as it slowly lifted off the ground, it kicked up a cloud of dust with each step.

The courtyard was already packed with neighbors and villagers who had gathered to watch. Children peeked out from between the adults' legs, their eyes wide with curiosity.

The women whispered among themselves, discussing how beautiful the village chief's newly built house was, their words revealing a hint of envy.

In the eyes of farmers, building a new house has always been an extremely important matter.

This means that the family's life has taken another big step forward, like turning the page on a brand new chapter, full of hope and anticipation.

As the main beam rose higher, reaching halfway up the ground, the men chanted low shouts as they lifted it little by little, their faces flushed red from the exertion.

Once the main beam reaches the height of the roof ridge, two agile men, holding long poles with ingenious hooks at the ends, carefully align them with the iron rings pre-installed on the main beam, gently hook and pull, and the main beam is precisely in place.

In an instant, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from all around.

At this moment, the host, Xu Xinghuai, smiled broadly and quickly stepped forward to distribute the prepared celebratory money to the villagers who had helped. He repeatedly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you all for your hard work, young and old. This house is made possible by your efforts today. May our lives rise as high as the raising of the roof beam!"

The men accepted the lucky money, their smiles wide and honest, and returned the gesture with clasped hands.

Then, Xu Xinghuai had his wife bring out an offering table filled with sacrificial animals, fruits, vegetables, and wine, and placed it directly under the main beam. He then led the whole family, young and old, to kneel down and kowtow devoutly towards the main beam.

The smoke from the incense rose gently, carrying their prayers to the heavens, asking God to bless their family with health and happiness.

As noon approached, three or five tables were set up in the courtyard for a feast. Large platters of salmon, freshly slaughtered chickens and ducks, fresh seasonal vegetables, and several jars of liquor from the supply and marketing cooperative filled the tables to the brim.

Everyone sat around, laughing and chatting happily. Under the warm autumn sun, they celebrated the joyous occasion of the house's roof beam raising and envisioned a bright future for the village, just like the roof beam, with each step bringing prosperity and advancement.

"Hey, Lao Luo, why are you only arriving now?" When a man with a high nose and deep-set eyes, resembling a foreigner, arrived with a bag of fruit to celebrate, Xu Xinghuai quickly pulled him into the room and poured him a full glass of wine.

“I had planned to come earlier, but a dozen or so sheep at the ranch seemed to have contracted a disease, so I had the vet take care of it.” After taking his seat, Francisco Favian Lorenzana smiled and politely bowed to his neighbors.

"The livestock have caught a plague?" Upon hearing this, someone immediately became anxious. "Will this plague spread and affect the livestock in our village?"

In Qingwan Village, with its 65 households, almost every family raises several sheep or cattle. These are their most important assets besides grain, as they are crucial to their livelihood.

“Oh, that’s hard to say,” Lorenzana shook his head and said, “Our livestock department has also come to check, but there’s no conclusion yet. They just told us to keep a close watch on the ranch. For now, all the sheep that have contracted the disease have been quarantined to prevent the disease from spreading to more livestock. As for whether the disease will spread further, we need to observe it further.”

"Of course, if any of your livestock show symptoms of disease, you must report it to our Animal Husbandry Department so that we can have more evidence for our epidemic assessment."

"Of course. But it's best if this plague doesn't spread, otherwise our livestock will suffer for nothing. You know what's going on? We just had four lambs last year, and it's almost time to shear them. If they get the plague, we'll lose a lot of money!"

“Who says otherwise!” A villager complained, his mouth full. “We were hoping to raise a few sheep so that, in addition to the grain from the fields, we could earn some extra income each year and save up enough to build a new house.”

"That's right, that's right. Once we're well-fed and clothed, we naturally want to build a house and buy property so that our little ones can enjoy a better life."

"Yes, that makes sense. Otherwise, when the boy in the family grows up and wants to find a wife, what will he have to rely on to save face?"

"Xiao Fang, your sons are all only four or five years old. How come you're already thinking about getting married? Could it be that you're taking this opportunity to find yourself a concubine?"

"Take a concubine? Hehe... I'd like to, but let's not even talk about the fact that the Xinhua government doesn't allow it. Even if the restrictions were lifted, with the current situation in Xinhua where there are more men than women, where would I find enough women to be my concubines!"

"Haha..." Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

Lorenzana grinned from ear to ear, joining the villagers in their laughter.

To be honest, he liked this atmosphere—simple, unpretentious, yet full of the warmth and hospitality of neighbors. Ten years ago, after he and dozens of crew members from the "St. Louis" were captured by the new Chinese, he quickly chose to join them.

Looking back now, I realize how wise my choice was—even though it was a choice that the new Chinese community forced them to make.

At that time, the total number of Chinese immigrants, including the captured Spanish sailors, was less than 130. They only had two ships, and Shixing City was just an extremely simple wooden fortress, surrounded by overgrown weeds and frequented by wild animals.

However, ten years later, Xinhua has undergone tremendous changes.

By the end of last year, Xinhua's population had reached over 36,800 (of which over 12,000 were Native Americans), and it had established more than ten towns and settlements of various sizes, as well as over 130 settlements, thus firmly establishing itself in the region.

It is foreseeable that with the end of this year's immigration season, Xinhua's total population will very likely exceed 40,000.

What's even more astonishing is that, in the past decade, Xinhua has not only reclaimed vast amounts of farmland, with golden rice paddies and rolling wheat fields, achieving basic food self-sufficiency, but has also built a series of factories and mines.

In the woolen factories, the looms hummed, and bolts of woolen cloth were produced like flowing water; in the blacksmith shops, the furnaces roared, and farm tools and weapons were forged; in the mines, ore was continuously extracted and transported to various places for processing.

All of this enabled this newly established country to develop a sizable industrial system in a very short period of time.

While delighted by the tremendous changes in Xinhua, Lorenzana was also deeply impressed.

All of this was made possible not only by the visionary leadership and effective guidance of the Xinhua Decision-Making Committee, but also by the diligence and hard work of the Xinhua immigrants.

He had never seen such hardworking and simple people in the world, who, on such a nearly barren land, relied on their own hands to cultivate fertile fields from thorns, build new towns and villages, pave flat and wide roads, and construct well-equipped docks.

These Chinese immigrants from the Ming Dynasty were truly diligent; it seemed that their thousands of years of agricultural civilization had imprinted diligence into their very bones.

They seem to have an almost obsessive obsession with achieving a prosperous life and creating a new world, and they are willing to give everything for this prosperous life. For themselves and for the next generation, they are willing to give everything, no matter how hard or tiring it is.

Whether it's a wasteland covered with shrubs and meadows or a stream surrounded by mountains and forests, you can see their busy figures everywhere.

Even in the cold winter, with wind and snow, they would always risk danger to catch a few elk and hunt a few brown bears in hopes of earning an extra income.

They seem to know no fatigue or toil, working tirelessly from day to night all year round, just to earn a good life of their own.

For example, this village chief who built a new house is a typical example of a grassroots success story.

He was among the first immigrants from the Ming Dynasty. When he arrived at Shixing Port, he was dressed in rags, looked haggard, and had almost nothing on him. Even the clothes he wore were provided to him by the Xinhua Immigration Department.

However, in less than eight years, this new immigrant managed to accumulate his initial "primitive wealth" with his own hands, not only building the first beautiful new house in the village, but also raising and educating several successful children.

This is amazing.

It's important to understand that in Mexico or Peru, it's extremely difficult for a Spanish immigrant without any connections to live a good life.

Not only did he have to be constantly on guard against the hostility and invasion of the Native Americans, but he also suffered from layers of exploitation and oppression by the colonial government and local officials. The taxes were as heavy as Mount Tai, and if he was not careful, he could be bankrupt. He might not be able to save up ten pesos in his entire life, as if he were stuck in a quagmire and could not get out.

Looking at Mexico's development and construction, it's even more incomparable to Xinhua.

After nearly a century of colonial rule, the vast country of Mexico has basically failed to develop any decent industry. Apart from a few agricultural processing workshops, the entire region is just a large agricultural area and mining site. It cannot even manufacture a single nail. The roads are muddy and rugged, and the towns are dilapidated.

The kings of Spain would only use the wealth plundered from their colonies for their extravagant lifestyles and endless wars.

Those officials and nobles would only reach their greedy hands into the pockets of the Indians and immigrants, scooping out the silver coins and stuffing them into their own pockets, like bloodsucking leeches.

The development of colonial territories and the well-being of immigrants were completely ignored and became a forgotten corner.

Therefore, the Spanish made a mess of things in the Americas. Despite spending so much time, not only was the immigrant population growing extremely slowly, but even basic infrastructure was not built.

Unless there are gold or silver mines in that place, it wouldn't attract the Spanish people's enthusiasm for development.

Unlike Xinhua, which undergoes profound changes every year, every month, and even every day.

New farmland was constantly being reclaimed, new roads were constantly being paved into the distance, new ships were continuously sailing out of the docks, and newborns, representing the future and hope, were constantly being born and slowly growing up.

At Xinhua, almost everyone is filled with endless hope for the future and firmly believes that they can realize their dreams through personal efforts.

Yes, the spirit of the new Chinese is different from that of people in other countries and regions.

The leadership of the decision-making committee was unwilling to remain confined to a corner of Qiming Island. They dreamed of conquering and unifying the entire American continent, believing that this territory was Xinhua's "gifted land".

Officials who have undergone training and development are unwilling to live mediocre lives. They all hope to make the regions or departments they manage more perfect, improve people's livelihoods, and make the people prosperous.

Each immigrant who settled down was unwilling to remain poor and backward forever. Under the many beneficial policies provided by the government, they unleashed a strong enthusiasm for production, fighting against nature and vowing to conquer the cruel natural world in order to create a better future for themselves.

There are no suffocating taxes here, no oppressive religious persecution, and no fearful wars or turmoil.

Here you'll find only fair and honest officials, hardworking and simple immigrants, abundant agricultural output, dense schools of migrating salmon, and a happy and warm life.

In Lorenzana's mind, Xinhua was like a paradise.

The Americas, and even the European continent, were hell, like a dark abyss.
-
(End of this chapter)