Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 476: Good Days for Ranchers

At the end of the Imperial Conference

King Zheng Guohui of Chu encouraged his ministers and said:
"Our great Kingdom of Chu has a territory of 635 million square kilometers, covering the four oceans and four continents of the world, and is often measured in tens of thousands of miles."

"Whether near or far, all are sacred territory of the Chu State. Not an inch of land is superfluous."

"Building and defending the sacred territory of Chu is the duty of every subject and citizen, without exception, and should be done with fervor and enthusiasm."

"The youth and blood spilt across the kingdom's territory are the most beautiful colors and the most moving poems."

"You must remember this: when you grow old and are surrounded by your children and grandchildren, reflect on your efforts today, dedicating your youth to colonial expansion, thus opening up new living space for future generations."

"You have enough to be proud of, and this life has lived up to your reputation!"

The officials were filled with passion after being indoctrinated with a series of inspirational speeches, and before they knew it, the King of Chu's rhetoric had evolved to a new level.

Even these worldly-wise bureaucrats and soldiers, moved by these true feelings, began to ponder deeply, their eyes welling with tears.

The original territory of the Great Chu Kingdom was 379.9 million square kilometers, plus the more than 230 million square kilometers in the Congo River Basin and the 12.5 square kilometers of colonial territory of the East African Company, totaling 622.5 million square kilometers (Note: This includes the entire territory of Kalimantan Island, but does not include the former Aceh Kingdom on Sumatra Island. Since there is no strategy to conquer the entire island, the other southeastern half is the Dutch-occupied area and is therefore not included in the statistics for the time being).

Together with the newly occupied 12.6 square kilometers of territory in Costa Rica in Central America (note: including 7.5 square kilometers of Panama), the territory of Chu State was just a little more than 635 million square kilometers.

The statistics do not include the Federal Republic of Colombia. The country's issues are relatively sensitive and have attracted the attention of the British, American and French powers. The Chu government has deliberately adopted a cooling-off approach.

Blocking information inside and outside Colombia and reducing the heat of the incident, perhaps they are doing it quietly behind closed doors...

The 635 million territories of the King of Chu were also recently proposed and officially announced at the imperial conference. Soon, the statement will be unified in official occasions of all sizes in the Chu State, which will inevitably trigger a new round of patriotic enthusiasm among local and border people and greatly enhance national pride.

Official Chu documents promoted the following narrative for Chinese citizens: "Our bloodline originates from the Celestial Empire, and we are the true source of the spread of Chinese culture overseas. The people of Chu have integrated the strengths of both China and the West, spreading the prestige of our great Chu nation far beyond the waves, and laying a foundation that will never be shaken."

From the beginning of this country

Under the leadership of King Zheng Guohui of Chu, the policy of continuous conquest and colonization was expansionist and extremely aggressive. It took more than 20 years to achieve the current brilliant achievements.

The arrival of the King of Chu in Dahaiwan City caused a huge sensation among the people in the city. Everyone was talking excitedly and the news spread rapidly.

The emperor is like a father. This is like a father visiting his child who has been guarding the frontier islands for more than ten years. How can he not be excited? How can he not be thrilled?
The hilly area outside of Great Bay City

A young bearded man sat high on his horse. He was 26-year-old Mo Xingli, the seventh son of the Mo family whose family immigrated to Manila. He was looking around at the migrating cattle with sharp eyes.

When Mo Xingli was young, in order to live a good life, he signed up for an East African company out of enthusiasm.

However, after spending less than a year at the East African company, he couldn't stand the life of a mercenary who lived on the edge of a knife and soon decided to back out.

So he took the three looted Arab women and took a boat to the Congo River Company, where he obtained 1200 acres of land in accordance with the policy.

How can there be so many?
Because Mo Xingli is a Chinese household head, and he has three white Arab wives, two of whom are pregnant. Including the two unborn babies, each of them has 200 acres of land, which is a total of 1200 acres, right?

Mo Xingli had some savings from his time as a mercenary, and since the land on this side of the Congo River was worthless, he simply bought another 2000 acres, bringing the total to more than 3000 acres.

The Congo River Company was very fair in calculating the farmland. They removed all the rivers, mountains, and arid Gobi deserts, leaving only the arable land for calculation.

Therefore, the riverside ranch that Mo Xingli initially bought in the north of Great Bay City included three hills, a section of the river, and a large forest, with a total area of ​​more than 10,000 acres.

Over the years
It was gradually expanded to more than 2 acres, and the area increased several times. There were more than 1600 cattle, 83 horses, and 216 mules. It was a medium-sized Chinese ranch.

This time, driving the cattle south was Mo Xingli's second trip to the south to sell cattle. As long as he followed the path trampled by cattle and sheep and went south, he would definitely not go wrong.

Chinese ranchers do not go south every year. After all, the cowboys who drive the cattle have to sleep in the open air for three or four months, which is extremely hard and they will lose a lot of weight.

Some are held every two years, and some are held every three years.

This time, Mo Xingli brought his entire family out. He had three Arab women and one Armenian woman, all of whom were qualified laborers who could help drive the cattle, saving a lot of money on hiring Chinese cowboys.

Herds of cattle and mules all over the mountains are moving along the cattle and horse trails. They don't move fast along the way. They will stop to eat in places with abundant water and grass. They often stay there for three or four days to let the cattle eat before continuing on their way.

Among the herds of cattle driven south, there are no cows with calves, and the number of cows is very small. Most of them are bulls and one-year-old calves. Young and middle-aged cows are generally not sold.

These cows are sold in the local market and then resold to ranches that specialize in raising cows. The ranches can basically get 70% to 80% of the sales proceeds, and still have a balance.

The purpose of doing this is to return to the ranch and then buy back the cows from the local ranch that specializes in raising cows based on the current market price, adding a premium of 10% to 20% depending on the situation.

Those Chinese ranchers who are unwilling to go through the hard work of driving their cattle south specialize in raising cows for other ranchers, allowing them to drive their cattle south with peace of mind and earn money from this.

Mo Xingli sold 472 cows this time. Since the animal husbandry in Dahaiwan City was prosperous, the price of cows was not high. He sold a total of 18422 silver dollars, received 15422 silver dollars, and had a balance of 3000 silver dollars.

This is the custom of local Chinese ranches. After selling cattle, they will buy back a large number of cows from this ranch to raise.

All the money was deposited in the bank, leaving only 2422 silver dollars for travel.

This way south

It is inevitable that the cattle will lose a lot of weight. When they arrive in Huangshi City, Binhai City and Dongsang City, they usually buy some concentrated feed, such as sugarcane residue, palm residue, soybean meal and livestock grass, and graze there for a period of time.

Some take ten days, some take half a month, depending on the condition of the herd.

In the Greater Bay City

The general price of a bull is around 20 to 30 silver dollars, depending on its size and strength.

One-year-old veal is tender and suitable for grilling steaks, which is very popular in the southern market. However, due to its small weight, it can only be sold for around twelve or thirteen silver dollars.

Some small calves can be bought for seven or eight silver dollars, or even more than ten silver dollars each. The price here fluctuates greatly.

Cows of reproductive age are more expensive, generally around 42 to 45 silver dollars, and cows with calves are only two or three silver dollars more. This is the highest they can be sold for, so the price won't be too outrageous.

When they are driven to the south for sale, the price can fluctuate up by 3% to 4%. It may not make a big difference if there are only a few cows, but if there are hundreds or thousands of them, it will be very considerable.

Around Mo Xingli's herd of cattle, in addition to him and four women, there were two Chinese cowboys and seven black hired workers, a total of 4 cowboys providing support, and 7 dogs surrounding the herd to guard against attacks from wild beasts along the way.

Behind the herd

Following the migration south were 22 mule carts, each with two or three strong horses tied to the back with reins. These were horses transported south to be sold.

The remaining good horses were fostered in Chinese ranches that were not planning to move south this year. Most of them were from the same clan or good friends, and some were from neighboring ranches with which the relationship was good.

You help me this year, and I will help you next year when we go south.

These large mule carts that followed were mostly driven by black and Chinese hired women, with children also on board. They were like mobile homes.

At night, the carts gathered together and lit a bonfire to prevent the temporary camp from being attacked by wild animals, which was much safer.

These black hired workers were all free blacks with identity papers. They were all from the Congo River Company's black servant army. Only those black soldiers who had served for more than eight years and made considerable contributions could be granted the status of free blacks.

Hiring a free black man only costs one-third of the price of hiring a Chinese cowboy, but he can do just as much work, which is very cost-effective from an economic point of view.

On the way south, one had to pass through many checkpoints. Black people without identity documents were not allowed to be employed, migrate, marry and have children (note: they could only marry a black woman), own land, engage in business, and were deprived of most of their rights.

"Boss, wild dog..." The one who came riding on horseback was the Arab woman who was second in line with Mo Xingli. She spoke Chinese with a strange tone, but it was roughly understandable.

Mo Xingli called her "Er Nizi", the third one was called "San Nizi", and the fourth one, the Armenian woman, was called "Si Nizi". It was simple and clear.

After a few years of marriage, these women can imitate and speak some simple Chinese, mostly speaking one word at a time, which is much better than when they first arrived.

At that time, I couldn't understand the other person's language, so I could only gesture with my hands. If that didn't work, I would just give them a slap in the face. At least as long as I could have a baby, it was fine.

Mo Xingli was not interested in women's language and basically couldn't speak a word.

Even those free blacks now speak broken Chinese in their daily conversations. No Chinese colonist has the patience to learn those indigenous dialects. They just have nothing better to do.

Once they are completely eradicated, there is naturally no need to learn anymore. When Mo Xingli heard Ernizi say there were stray dogs, he immediately became alert because these stray dogs move in packs and can cause great harm.

The cattle raised on the ranch are not bison and are not as wild. When they are attacked by a pack of wild dogs, they are very likely to be bitten to death.

Mo Xingli looked into the distance solemnly. A pack of dogs in the distance barked to sound the alarm. More than 10 nearby dogs had already rushed into the grove. Three black men rushed over on horseback with swords and guns in their hands, looking quite fierce.

They are all retired soldiers who have served for many years and have experienced countless killings. They are calm and composed in these small scenes.

These free blacks have regulations

Possession of firearms, including rifles, pistols and shotguns, is prohibited and will result in immediate detention for any violation of the law.

Then, their free black identity will be deprived and they will most likely be thrown into a labor camp, and their lives will be ruined.

So the free blacks had knives and guns in their hands. When chasing wild dogs, a spear strike could be very lethal and could still protect the cattle.

"Erni, how many stray dogs are there?"

"I'm not sure. I saw three or four of them, but there should be more."

"You and the other women stay and look after the cattle. I'll go and take a look."

Mo Xingli was worried after hearing this, so he gave a casual instruction and then kicked the horse's belly with his legs, and started galloping away. His riding skills were very skillful.

Back then, he learned riding skills from those Chinese cowboys during the East African Company period, and now he is even better than his teachers.

In the cowhide saddle bag in front of Mo Xingli's right leg was a Winchester 1866 rifle with five bullets loaded in the tubular magazine, providing quite dense firepower.

He had a Colt revolver in his waist holster, which was standard equipment for Chinese cowboys. Even if he encountered three or five ferocious African hyenas in the wild, he would not be afraid at all.

For the Chinese cowboys on horseback, they were all living targets for shooting practice.

After galloping past the herd of cattle for six or seven minutes, we saw a pack of dogs and two black hired workers on horseback driving the wild dogs out of the woods. The barking of the dogs and loud shouting were heard everywhere.

There were more than twenty wild dogs in this group. Fortunately, they were discovered early, otherwise they would have caused considerable harm.

Packs of wild dogs can follow cattle herds as far as one or two hundred kilometers and will harm the cattle at any opportunity. They are one of the most hated carnivorous beasts by ranchers and must not be allowed to stay.

At this time, the two Chinese cowboys who were galloping along on horseback following Mo Xingli were also not far behind.

Mo Xingli put his fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle. When he saw the black worker in front of him looking back, he made a gesture of encirclement.

The black hired worker in front understood what he meant and urged his horse to gallop even faster.

They pressed forward from the outside of the pack, forcing the panicked wild dogs to quickly turn around and flee towards Mo Xingli and others, creating an opportunity to annihilate them.

Mo Xingli signaled to the two Chinese cowboys behind him, began to slow down his horses, drew out his guns and loaded bullets, ready to give these wild dogs a good beating.

The two Chinese cowboys behind were also wearing the same equipment, one long and one short. They soon kept pace with Mo Xingli, each began to prepare their weapons and control the horses they were sitting on to slow down.

Not long after
The pack of wild dogs came back howling all the way, but the road ahead was cut off by the black workers who surrounded them, forcing the pack of wild dogs to turn around and flee, and they just happened to rush towards Mo Xingli and the other three.

Mo Xingli saw the pack of wild dogs getting closer and closer, and soon rushed to a distance of only thirty or forty meters. He calmly raised his gun and fired.

"Clap clap clap clap..."

There were crisp gunshots one after another, and the fighting was unhurried. Not far away, a wild dog fell down after the gunshots, rolled over, splashing a cloud of dust, and let out a painful wail.

The two Chinese cowboys beside him were no less capable. After Mo Xingli fired, gunshots rang out immediately, sending a deadly rain of bullets towards the pack of wild dogs.

In just this one encounter, more than a dozen wild dogs were killed or injured, and the size of the entire wild dog pack was reduced by half. The effect was immediate.

Seeing the wild dogs running away, Mo Xingli and others immediately rode their horses to catch up. While galloping, they began to reload their bullets, just as if they were handling it as easily as on flat ground.

more than an hour later

The five men who went out to attack had many wild dog corpses hanging behind their horses. They rode their horses slowly, talking and laughing all the way back, and basically wiped out the group of wild dogs.

The shepherd dogs that followed them back were all well-fed. The heads and internal organs of the wild dogs were taken out and thrown to the shepherd dogs to eat to their heart's content.

Only in this way
The next time they encounter an attack from a wild beast, the dogs will work harder and good hunting dogs will be trained.

This time the harvest was great, and the women cheered when they returned. Unlike the smelly and unpleasant taste of African hyenas, wild dog meat tasted very good.

After peeling the skin, chop it into large pieces and boil it in a pot. Add some five-spice and salt, and the cooked dog meat will be fragrant.

This kind of dried meat is great as a snack for children or as dry food for cowboys. This amount of dog meat is enough to last for a week, so it's a good change of taste.

On the cattle and horse trail that often goes south
There are not many wild animals nowadays. Most of them have been killed by cowboys heading south. Whether it is lions, African hyenas, wild leopards, or wild dogs, they are almost extinct within dozens of kilometers of this cattle and horse trail.

This pack of wild dogs probably came from other places and lost their original territory. Who knew they would lose their lives here?

Everyone happily settled down where they were. Generally, where wild dogs roam, there aren't other wild animals. Carnivorous beasts have a strong sense of territory, so territorial conflicts are rare.

Several bonfires were quickly lit, and the women quickly got busy, some boiling water, some peeling the skin, some cleaning, appearing busy and orderly.

It was a rare opportunity for him to relax, so Mo Xingli sat down by the campfire with the two Chinese cowboys, chatting and laughing. He took out his wine flask, took a few sips, smoked a cigarette, and waited leisurely for the first batch of dog meat skewers that the woman would grill.

The three black guys who had been busy with the work just now helped to skin the dog, and then continued to herd the cattle in an orderly manner.

In the eyes of Mo Xingli and the two Chinese people, this was very natural.

Chinese cowboys are new immigrants who arrived in the Congo River Basin in recent years. They are not as hardworking as free blacks, whether working or herding, and their hiring price is three times higher.

The problem is that the Congo River Company has regulations
All Chinese plantations, farms, factories and other businesses were required to hire a Chinese for every free black person employed, and violations would result in heavy fines.

Mo Liren's family of five plus two Chinese cowboys could hire just seven free blacks.

This is considered taking advantage of a loophole, but everyone does it.

So after selling the cattle this time, Mo Liren planned to buy another Armenian white woman as a concubine, named "Wu Nizi".

During the week, she helps with the ranch work, and at night she can do whatever she wants. She can have children and is a strong labor force.

And according to regulations, you can also hire an additional free black helper.

Even if white women are more expensive, it is still worth it, after all, they are strong laborers.

After selling the cattle this year, Mo Liren planned to buy all the vacant land around the ranch, about 12000 acres. Based on the price of 2.5 silver dollars per acre, that would cost a huge sum of nearly 3 silver dollars.

Whoever gets this thing first will own it, so don't delay any further.

As the ranch expanded and the number of cattle and sheep increased, more manpower and labor were needed. The biggest problem of the ranch was the lack of manpower.

Therefore, in addition to his daily work, Mo Liren also worked hard to cultivate the land at night. The four women gave birth to children continuously, and now he has 4 children.

Where did this go?

There is an early Chinese rancher at Hewan Ranch. He now owns more than 6 acres of land, has 13 wives and concubines, has or children, and continues to have children.

Of course, this is just an exception.

Mo Xingli asked himself if he had that much energy, but he was still confident that he could have forty or fifty children.

After a dozen years or so, when the children have grown up, you can run any ranch by yourself, no matter how big it is, by just hiring a few people.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the good things were kept within the family?
(End of this chapter)