The Australian Revolution of 1828

November 23, 1828, Hanyang Port of the Xia State.

"Old Chen, come here!"

Police officer Lao Chen, who was patrolling the port, heard someone calling him and turned around to find that it was Deng Shijie from the Immigration and Trade Department.

Deng Shijie, a Chinese from Lanfang, whose ancestral home is Jiaying Prefecture, Guangdong, was born on July 16, 1797. He is currently 31 years old and serves as the first mate of a trading ship, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Immigration and Trade.

Old Chen, whose real name is Chen Zhangyi, was born on March 29, 1797, in Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province. He is 31 years old and an ordinary patrolman at Hanyang Port.

Upon hearing a call from a first mate, Chen Zhangyi didn't dare delay and quickly went over, asking what was wrong, "Captain Deng, did you call me?"

Deng Shijie's merchant ship had just docked and he was unable to leave immediately. He said, "Old Chen, this is my uncle from Lanfang. He just arrived in Hanyang. Could you take him to a hotel in the port to rest? I'll come over as soon as I'm done with things on the ship."

The visitors were Tang Boqian's family members, along with his servants and maids, totaling 27 people.

The family followed the trading ship, traveling around and around, staying temporarily in Xunyang, and then going to Laiyang for supplies. After more than twenty days, they finally arrived in Hanyang.

Tang Yichen was still a little dizzy after getting off the boat. He was a bit embarrassed to have to trouble a police officer and said, "Shijie, there's no need to trouble this officer. We'll just wait for you here."

Having traveled extensively, Deng Shijie has gained a keen understanding of human nature and social dynamics.

Clearly, Tang Yichen distrusted the officials and did not want to have much contact with Chen Zhangyi, so he chose to refuse.

Having understood this, Deng Shijie had an idea in mind and said, "Uncle, you've just arrived in Hanyang and don't yet understand the duties of the patrol police. They are responsible for the security of the port and the evacuation of people arriving at the port."

"It's their job to take you to the hotel to rest, so don't worry."

"I'll come to the hotel to find you as soon as I finish what I'm doing!"

Lanfang Trading Station also ran a hotel, which Tang Yichen was familiar with. Seeing that Deng Shijie's words were sincere, he believed him to some extent and said, "Nephew, I'm troubling you with this matter!"

"We were new to Hanyang and unfamiliar with many places and the local customs."

As fellow Lanfang natives, Deng Shijie still cared for the Tang family, saying, "Uncle, it's alright. You should take your family to the hotel for a bite to eat. If anything comes up, let Old Chen handle it; he's familiar with the port."

"I'll be off tomorrow and the day after. I'll take you around the city then, and we can buy a house while we're at it."

"Now that you have a house, you can be considered settled in Hanyang. You can get to know each other more gradually later."

That's absolutely true. Being new to the area, unfamiliar with Hanyang, and without a fixed place to live, I relied heavily on acquaintances.

Moreover, the Hanyang Port is crowded and noisy, so it's not uncommon for extortion to occur.

Tang Yichen was very worried because he didn't know much about Hanyang, especially since he was traveling with his large family.

Looking back at the kind-faced Chen Zhangyi, and with Deng Shijie's words of advice, Tang Yichen finally felt relieved and said, "Nephew, you go ahead and get busy. We'll go to the hotel to rest first."

After exchanging a few more words with Chen Zhangyi, Deng Shijie returned to the ship to get back to work.

On the way, Chen Zhangyi noticed the unease in the Tang family and said, "Uncle, you're new to Hanyang, so you may not know much about it. Once you get to know Hanyang, you'll find that the public security here is excellent, definitely not as chaotic as Lanfang."

That's what they say, but Tang Yichen had lived for over 50 years and seen too much chaos, so he always carried a bit of worry.

He took out a silver ingot weighing one tael from his pocket, secretly slipped it into Chen Zhangyi's hand, and said, "Lord Chen, we're counting on you to take care of our family's affairs!"

Having patrolled the port for nearly five months, this was the first time Chen Zhangyi had received a gift from someone. He hesitated, unsure whether he should accept it or not.

After hesitating for a long time, Chen Zhangyi could not resist the temptation of the silver ingots and secretly put them in his pocket, saying, "Uncle, please don't call me Lord Chen. It's not a common way to address me in Hanyang."

"That's our Grand Secretary Luo Bingzhong. He's called Grand Secretary Luo, not Lord Luo."

"If you'd like, you can call me Old Chen, or Officer Chen, either is fine."

Rules are rules, and Tang Yichen didn't ask why. He immediately changed his tune and said, "Officer Chen, if you have time, you can tell me about what happened in Hanyang."

Unfortunately, Chen Zhangyi was in charge of port security and didn't have time for the moment, so he could only see the Tang family off to the hotel entrance and say, "Uncle, there aren't many rules in Hanyang, so you don't need to worry too much. You can get used to it gradually."

"I need to go back to my patrol now, so I'll leave you here!"

After watching Chen Zhangyi leave, Tang Yichen led his family into the hotel and checked in.

The entire hotel covers an area of ​​approximately 1500 square meters, has three floors, and about 210 rooms, making it significantly larger than the hotel built during the Lanfang trade war.

Apart from these, the hotels in Hanyang are cleaner and tidier, highlighting an orderly atmosphere.

Tang Boling was visiting Hanyang for the first time. Standing by the window of his room, he pointed to the bustling crowds in the port area and said, "Sister-in-law, look over there, isn't that Chief Chen from just now!"

Tang and Tang Boling shared a room. Looking at Chen Zhangyi in the distance, Tang said, "Boling, it really is him. I didn't expect the police here to be so patient."

In the distance, Chen Zhangyi was handling a dispute at the dock, trying to resolve the conflict quickly and prevent a fight from breaking out.

He seemed very patient, unlike the police officers in Lanfang who were quick to beat people.

Faced with this scene, the two women, aunt and sister-in-law, expressed their opinions on Chen Zhangyi's handling of the situation, and were filled with expectations for the Xia Kingdom.

Filled with this sense of novelty, the two chatted until 2 p.m., when Deng Shijie came looking for them.

Once the Tang family members had all come down, Deng Shijie offered his suggestion, saying, "Uncle, it's still early today, how about I take you to the city to look at some houses first?"

The housing in Hanyang City is all ready-made; it was built when the city was constructed. As long as someone is willing to pay, they can buy a house and move in on the same day, which is quite convenient.

Tang Yichen had settled in Hanyang with his family and was very keen on buying a house. Without hesitation, he made his decision, saying, "Nephew, it would be best if we could finalize the purchase today!"

The houses in Hanyang all have fixed layouts, with five different layouts in total: some suitable for officials, some for businessmen, and some for ordinary people.

Although the Tang family wasn't extremely wealthy, they had considerable savings. After looking at several apartment layouts with Deng Shijie, they decided on the house they wanted to buy.

A mansion located near the Summer Palace in the inner city, covering an area of ​​approximately 2000 square meters, with a total price of 1500 silver dollars.

The houses are all single-story buildings constructed of cement and red bricks, featuring a Chinese architectural structure. The ground is paved with cement slabs, making them highly practical.

Even if it rains, you won't be afraid of the muddy ground sticking to your feet!

Looking at the clean grounds of their home, Tang Boling couldn't help but look forward to life in Hanyang even more, saying, "Father, sister-in-law, Hanyang is really just like my brother said!"

"This place is like paradise, with its relaxed and comfortable air and clean and tidy living environment. It's so much better than Lanfang!"

"Look at that flowerbed, and the flowers are all vying for attention."

Summer is approaching in the Southern Hemisphere, and all sorts of magical flowers, like children who have mustered all their energy, break free from their constraints and show their most beautiful selves.

Perhaps this is how the Tang family broke free from their constraints and began a wonderful life!