Late Ming Dynasty: The Counterattack Begins with Sea Pirates

Faced with nearly three thousand refugees, Chi Honghai felt both fear and joy.

The answer is simple: people are the foundation of productivity. With more people, there will naturally be more people on the island who can get things done.

It's simple: even if all the greenhouses were set up right now, it wouldn't be enough, so we have to work hard every day to build new sheds.

But in the dead of winter, not only is it difficult to exert force, but the ground beneath our feet has turned into frozen soil, which brings a lot of trouble to the actual operation. Even with more people helping than usual, building a house is much slower.

Under these circumstances, Chi Honghai had no choice but to let the women, the elderly, and the children move in first. As for the majority of the able-bodied men, he could only give them cotton-padded clothes and put more dry grass and thatch in the rooms so that they could squeeze together to keep warm at night.

It wasn't just heating that was a problem; the sudden increase in population also made food storage and water supply a problem all at once.

Although the grain reserves were always sufficient, that was only under the condition that there was a harvest and it could be maintained normally.

In this freezing weather, there's only consumption and no new stockpiling. And with twice as many people as before, the amount of consumption is naturally skyrocketing.

To make matters worse, the water levels in the island's main wells have dropped significantly due to the severe cold, and the water drawn up is covered in ice crystals, requiring it to be left to stand indoors for a long time before it can be boiled and drunk.

With five thousand mouths to feed on this island, even cooking and drinking water will become a problem if things continue like this.

Thinking about these situations, Chi Honghai couldn't help but feel anxious. His restless heart made him unable to stay in the shed any longer, so he went outside to let the cold wind blow on him and calm himself down.

He had someone summon Pang San, Shen Er, and Ai Si.

"Pang San, take some of the brothers up the mountain to hunt these next few days and see if there's any game to catch in the winter. Animals in the south have to come out to forage even in the dead of winter. If there's nothing, consider it as going up the mountain to chop firewood. In short, we need to get something."

"Understood, sir!" Pang San replied.

"Shen Er, you've been with me for so long and you know the waters pretty well. Immediately organize the brothers who know how to fish and take those two cargo ships out to sea to fish."

"Sir, it's so cold, it must be hard to catch fish."

Shen Er's doubts were not unreasonable. The fish had already entered the hibernation period in winter, and the water temperature in the nearshore area was now basically around zero degrees Celsius. Trying to catch fish in the nearshore area would definitely be fruitless.

"It's too early to fish now. Let's go a little further out. The water is calmer further out, and the fish should be there. Cast your nets as deep as possible. Go out early every day and come back before sunset. Don't be greedy and stay out too long, understand?"

"Understood, sir. You'll see, I, Shen Er, will definitely get you and your wife a big one."

"Ai Si, with so many people on the island and the weather so cold, the original wells are definitely not enough. If we try to dig a well now, the surface is all frozen soil, so it won't be easy to get water."

Chi Honghai took a breath as he spoke, "A person can go three days without food, but not three days without water."

"You better remember this: the water supply on the island must be allocated according to demand, per household and per person, with a fixed daily quota. Anyone who dares to steal or waste water will be severely punished. In this extraordinary time, if we want to survive this winter, we must use extraordinary measures. Also, some rivers near our island have recently frozen over. You need to send people to the riverbanks every day to break the ice and fetch water."

In the days that followed, Pang San led some experienced hunters through the mountains to study the tracks left by animals in the snow and set traps and snares in the sheltered mountain valleys.

Although the hunting teams generally didn't have a great harvest, pheasants and rabbits were quite common, and occasionally, with a bit of luck, they could even catch wild boars.

The wild game brought back was not afraid of rotting in the cold winter. Hanging it on the roof beam or placing it in the snow became a natural freezer. When it was time to use it, most of the wild game was put into a large pot and boiled into soup, which was given to the laborers and the sick first.

Shen Er led two ships to set sail for fishing in the open sea every day at dawn. Just as Chi Honghai said, the water temperature in the open sea was much higher than that in the near sea, and schools of fish would often gather in a certain place, which made it convenient for Shen Er and his crew to catch seafood.

Experienced fishermen have summarized their observations of conditions at sea and discovered that the circling of seabirds and the color of the seawater are more accurate indicators of the location of fish schools.

When hauling in the nets, the crew's hands are often numb from the cold ropes and seawater, sometimes even chafing their palms. Many ropes are stained with their blood, but when they see the struggling creatures shimmering in the nets, they can endure the pain and suffering.

When the fishing boats return to the island, the unloaded fish are quickly sorted. Most of the fish are scaled and cleaned on the spot and thrown directly into a soup pot to stew. The rest are either made into smoked fish or left to dry in the snow to keep them fresh.

These fresh wild game and seafood, along with the smoked fish and stored grains made on the island, not only ensured they wouldn't go hungry, but also provided a whiff of meat and a sip of broth. Though it was just a little, for these villagers, even that tiny bit of meaty smell was more than enough to satisfy them in this cold winter.

After all, their wish was very simple and plain—to live.

Regarding drinking water, Ai Si sends people to the river every day to break the ice and fetch water. In addition, strict restrictions on the amount of water used have alleviated some of the water shortage.

More than ten days passed before the newly built shacks were barely completed. Although the people living there were still crowded, at least they could shelter from the wind and snow. More importantly, the rooms were warmer than they could feel outside.

Chi Honghai had specifically arranged for the original islanders and the newly arrived villagers to live together, not to prevent any form of clique formation, but mainly to let the people already on the island pass on the island's rules so that the newcomers could accept everything on the island more quickly and naturally.

After exchanging ideas, working together, and sharing benefits, a spirit of solidarity began to grow among the people. The new villagers were no longer just refugees waiting for help, but spontaneously and truly became a part of the island.

And they steadfastly adhered to Master Chi's rule—no work, no food.

This order stood stubbornly in the bitter cold, becoming the hope for the survival of more than five thousand people.

That evening, the snowflakes fell even heavier. Chi Honghai stood under the eaves outside the gatehouse, looking at the faint light shining from the surrounding sheds. He knew in his heart that true spring was still a long way off.

He rubbed his frozen hands, exhaled a puff of white breath, turned around and went back into the room, closing the door behind him. Looking at Wu Wanruo, who was already asleep on the bed, he rolled up his sleeves, pressed his arm against his wife's forehead to make sure she wasn't cold, and then turned off the light and went to sleep with her.