Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 371 The Meridian River (Part 3)
On a high slope outside Huichuan Fort (now Portland), Gao Wenrui, the head of the Ziwu River Colonization Zone, held a newly delivered document and remained silent for a long time.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his slightly tired face, casting a long shadow over him.

In the distance, the surface of the Qiongjiang River (now the Willamette River) shimmered with golden light, and several water birds skimmed across the water, uttering a few clear calls.

Shortly after, he sighed softly, then folded the document again and handed it to the political assistant beside him.

"Xiao Ye, save it carefully." His voice carried a hint of helplessness.

After taking the document, Ye Qing quickly glanced through it in the afterglow of the setting sun, his brows unconsciously furrowing.

This is a report from the Colonization Division, reporting that half a month ago, the ships that were ordered to explore the geography of the upper reaches of the Ziwu River encountered dangerous shoals and waterfalls, and had to hastily end the mission and return to Muyang Fort to await the Commissioner's next instructions.

He carefully put the documents into his leather satchel, an exquisite bag made of cowhide from the Qiming Island headquarters, which was also branded with the emblem of the Xinhua Immigration and Colonization Department.

"Commissioner, do we need to send out another exploration team to go upstream along the Ziwu River and investigate the inland geography?" Ye Qing asked in a low voice.

“Of course!” Gao Wenrui waved his hand, his gaze still fixed on the quietly flowing river in the distance. “It’s just a dangerous shoal and waterfall, how can that be a reason to stop us from moving forward?”

"When we are developing and building in this area, how can we not conduct a thorough investigation of the surrounding mountains and rivers to have a clear understanding and lay the foundation for future overall planning?"

"After you come down, send a document to the Colonization Department, instructing them to send out another exploration team on a selected date. They must conduct a detailed investigation of the hydrological conditions of the middle and upper reaches of the Ziwu River and the geographical features of both banks, and make a complete record of the discovered flora and fauna, mineral resources, and the distribution of indigenous tribes."

"Yes, Commissioner!" Ye Qing responded, taking out his notebook from his leather satchel. It was a booklet bound with ribbed paper, with the words "Reclamation Notes" printed on the cover.

"By the way, I heard that there are also many waterfalls and rapids in Huyenburg (now Gladstone), making it impossible to travel upstream?" After a long silence, Gao Wenrui asked.

“That’s right.” Ye Qing quickly replied, “Half a month ago, we arranged for three small flat-bottomed boats to carry fifty-two immigrants and a large amount of supplies to the upstream area of ​​Huian Fort for colonization, but we were blocked by the spring flood of the Qiongjiang River, which made the river too turbulent to go upstream.”

"Therefore, Captain Li of the Colonization Division, who was leading the team, came up with a solution. They organized manpower to open up a land transport route on the riverbank and used oxcarts to transport supplies. Currently, they have established a colonization point in a river valley a few kilometers south of Huian Fort and have even chosen a name for the place, Quwo (now Oregon City), which means fertile land by the river bend."

“Quwo…” Gao Wenrui murmured the place name and nodded slightly. “A good name. However, in addition to further consolidating the agricultural foundation of several settlements in the lower reaches of the Ziwu River, we cannot take the development of the Qiongjiang River Valley lightly this year.”

"After the spring flood season on the Qiongjiang River, we need to organize several more groups of migrants to head upstream and carry out land reclamation and development in accordance with the settlements selected by the previous survey team. We must not delay for too long."

"Yes, Commissioner."

"According to the investigation report made by the experts of the Agricultural Department, the Qiongjiang River Valley was formed by floods in ancient times, which deposited a large amount of riverbed silt rich in minerals. The soil is extremely fertile. In addition, the abundant water resources and mild climate make it a fertile land for the development of agriculture in Xinhua."

"Commissioner, are we designating this river valley as a grain-growing area?" Ye Qing asked cautiously.

“Not entirely!” Gao Wenrui shook his head with a smile. “The Qiongjiang River Valley is influenced by the Pacific Ocean, so the climate is humid but relatively mild. In the summer, it is hot and dry with plenty of sunshine and a large temperature difference between day and night, which is conducive to the accumulation of sugar in fruits.”

"Therefore, in addition to planting grains, corn, potatoes, and other food crops here, we should also develop some fruit cultivation. Yes, I plan to select some sunny slopes and designate a grape-growing area to develop our own wine-making industry. Otherwise, we can't keep importing wine from Mexico to meet the domestic demand!"

Ye Qing nodded in agreement, saying, "That's true! Our Xinhua fleet prepares a large amount of wine for this every year, which has made the Spanish quite a bit of money. Moreover, developing grape cultivation can also appropriately increase the income of local farmers and help the region become prosperous as soon as possible." "And..." Gao Wenrui pointed to the rolling hills and gentle slopes in the distance and said slowly, "Don't waste those places with poor terrain. Although the soil fertility is not as good as the river valleys on both sides, they have abundant water resources and a large area. We can try planting cash crops such as flax and rapeseed."

"Flax has a wide range of applications, playing an indispensable role in both the textile and rigging industries. Besides being used to make linen and flaxseed oil, its most important use is in making ropes."

“Every year, we have to import a large amount of rigging from the Ming Dynasty and Mexico to build ships. Not only do they make all the money, but we are also easily held hostage. What if the situation in the Ming Dynasty becomes uncontrollable, or if we fall out with the Spanish colonial authorities again? Wouldn’t we be left without even the most basic ropes for our ships?”

"You're right, sir!" Ye Qing praised sincerely. "As long as Xinhua has a stable flax production, we can make all kinds of rigging needed for ships and weave fishing nets for a large number of fishing boats. I heard that the Dongping Fisheries Company at headquarters is also planning to vigorously develop the whaling industry and has ordered four large whaling ships in one go. I'm sure the demand for fishing nets and ropes will increase further."

"The Commissioner's planning and layout of the flax planting industry in our Ziwu River expansion area is truly visionary, and it has made corresponding preparations in advance for the domestic production of rigging."

"Haha..." Gao Wenrui burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Little Ye, your flattery is too obvious. You need to hone it more. What foresight? We're just taking precautions!"

"Commissioner, I...I didn't..." Ye Qing hurriedly explained, "I truly admire your foresight, sir, and I'm not trying to flatter you."

If this leaves an impression on the superior as a sycophantic and obsequious person, it would be very bad for his future career.

"Hehe..." Gao Wenrui smiled gently when he saw the young political assistant's embarrassed expression. "You don't need to be so restrained and nervous! The working atmosphere at Xinhua should be a little lively amidst the tension."

Yes, young, passionate, and proactive, but a little shy and introverted.

However, wasn't I just like him a decade or so ago?

The fifty-odd companions who came into this world at the beginning are now all in the most core leadership positions in this country, playing a pivotal role in various departments and industries, wielding power and giving their opinions.

However, he remained largely unknown, mostly doing auxiliary work. He held positions in state-owned holding companies, local governments, central governments, and even local colonization areas, but he never served as the top leader or governed any region.

Besides his cautious and introverted personality, he also lacked a suitable opportunity to showcase his skills and prove his abilities.

At the beginning of the year, at the annual Congress of Founders, a proposal to establish the Ziwu River Colonization Zone was passed. When the head of the zone was being selected, Gao Wenrui was very surprised to be awarded the position.

Actually, he originally wanted to get a job in the Hawaiian colony, thinking it was a very niche area that he was confident he could secure.

After all, this archipelago is far from the mainland and isolated at sea. In the initial stage of development, the number of immigrants and the investment of resources will certainly not be too many. The scale is small, and the position is relatively low-powered and has little responsibility, making it suitable for him to practice and accumulate some experience in local settlement.

However, to everyone's surprise, the Hawaiian settlement was temporarily placed under the administration of the Navy, with the Navy sending personnel to establish and expand the settlement and build necessary infrastructure such as ports, warehouses, and immigration transit bases.

By a twist of fate, Gao Wenrui obtained the position of Commissioner of the Ziwu River Colonization Area, officially embarking on the path of governing a region.

"In the initial development stage of our Ziwu River reclamation area, we should focus on food self-sufficiency and fur trade, gradually expand into cash crops and brewing, and eventually form a diversified agricultural economic system!"

Gao Wenrui looked across the Qiongjiang River towards the majestic mountains in the distance, and took a deep breath of the air, which was filled with the fragrance of earth.

"Xiao Ye, can you smell it?... It's a scent full of hope!"
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(End of this chapter)