In the fifth year of Chongzhen, July 30, early in the morning.

Within two hours of the launch of the Jiangnan Times' special issue on grain and maritime trade, it caused a sensation in the city, with tens of thousands of people flocked to the three-way junction and Shangyuan Wharf in the north of Jinchuan Bridge to snap up cheap corn, rice and flour.

Ziyangguan and Shangyuan Wharf, which had been prepared for a long time, sent thousands of guards to loudly guide the people who rushed to the city with cloth bags in their hands and baskets on their shoulders with iron horns, and entered the multiple passages enclosed by wooden fences in an orderly manner.

In front of the Sanchakou Department Store and on the Shangyuan Wharf, there were crowds of people everywhere, bustling, nervous and anxious discussions and laughter of buying food, endlessly.

Zhu Daolin, under the personal protection of 12 cavalrymen, left the Zhan Garden of Wei Guogong early in the morning, took a carriage, and went out of the city from the Jinchuan Gate, just after crossing the Jinchuan Bridge, he was blocked by tens of thousands of people who were scrambling for the first time and all kinds of ox carts, carriages, and carts, and could only order the guards who drove to turn west, along the river bank, through the open space that was about to start large-scale construction, bumpy all the way, bypassing three large and small ponds, and entering the side gate of the shipbuilding workshop, and was quickly stopped by Zhao Xunting, the chief administrator who came to inspect.

"General, you can't get out of front...... More than 300 small boats crowded into the wharf, and many boats were rushing upstream, and at least tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the department store to buy food, blocking the north gate leading to the wharf. ”

Zhao Xunting greeted Zhu Daolin, who got out of the car door with a smile on his face, and Miao Jinde, the head of the shipbuilding workshop, and Diao Meifang, the head of the bookkeeper, also rushed over when they heard the sound.

After Zhu Daolin and everyone finished saluting, they went to the riverside dock together, and saw that the fifth and second docks were very empty, and knew that a new 500-ton three-masted warship and a 150-ton inland river patrol ship had been completed.

Miao Jinde didn't wait for Zhu Daolin to open his mouth and reported loudly: "The first new three-masted warship with a displacement of 550 tons was launched seven days ago, and now it is on trial voyage in the Longtan River section, and the 150-ton patrol clipper at the No. 2 dock was picked up by Longjiangwei as soon as it was launched. ”

"Both dockyards have now been cleared. Within two or three days, the construction of a new 550-ton warship and a 300-ton two-masted warship ordered by Longjiangwei began. ”

"Well, the progress is steady and improving, and the new 550-ton warship of the No. 4 dock is estimated to be launched in a few days, which is very good! The two 700-ton cargo ships that the Portuguese sold us, have you seen them up? Zhu Daolin asked.

The three of them all nodded, and Miao Jinde said with some regret: "A few people in the technical group measured for two days. The design drawings were drawn, one of which was a new ship, and the other was an old ship that had been launched for about two years, and the workmanship and materials were very good, but unfortunately they were all Galen cargo ships thirty years ago, and there was not much room for transformation. ”

"We were going to replace it with our steering wheel system and two new winches, but the sailor brothers were so anxious that they sailed downstream to Baoshan Harbor as soon as they replaced the two new sails."

Zhu Daolin said unapologetically: "Don't blame them. I ordered before I left last time, that there is a serious shortage of manpower on the Taiwan side, and that the immigrants need to be sent there as soon as possible. ”

Miao Jinde nodded in understanding.

Diao Meifang couldn't help but ask the question that everyone was most concerned about: "General, why did you stop the second phase of the expansion project and cancel the new dock construction plan?" ”

"Isn't it...... Planning to build a shipyard in Taiwan's Tamsui Port? ”

Zhu Daolin solemnly told everyone: "There must be a large shipyard in Taiwan, but the trees have not been cut down yet, and the shipyard will not be built until at least two years, which has nothing to do with our side...... Here's what I said. Just remember it, don't spread it! ”

The three of them immediately realized that the stakes were high. coincidentally leaned towards Zhu Daolin.

Zhu Daolin said a well-thought-out overall plan: "Two months later, 80 sets of steam engines customized from Tianshu Pavilion will arrive, and our steam ship manufacturing will begin. ”

"You all know the importance and secrecy of the steam engine, so I can only be completely relieved that I must build a new large shipyard in Baguazhou, which is surrounded by water, and that I will have to station 1,200 officers and soldiers for a long time."

"The new shipyard will have five 1,000-ton docks and five 2,000-ton docks. There will also be an experimental shipbuilding platform on the shore, with two 5,000-ton dockyard slots, 60 separate courtyards for senior stewards and senior craftsmen, high-class residential areas for 1,500 artisans, and ordinary residential areas for 4,000 junior artisans and apprentices. Vegetable markets, academies for children to study, industrial colleges for cultivating shipbuilding talents, large medical centers, stadiums and playgrounds have been built, and 400,000 mu of fields have been reclaimed by 20,000 households, with an average of 20 mu per household. ”

Miao Jinde and Diao Meifang were shocked after hearing this, and Zhao Xunting, who was deeply surprised, asked first: "How much is the total investment?" How long is the construction period? ”

Zhu Daolin replied: "The total investment is about 1.2 million taels of silver, this money is ready, Ziyangguan will also build a Taoist temple on it, and the 6,000 engineers of the Nanda Battalion will finish their training within half a month, and organize into 5 engineering battalions to enter Baguazhou, and open up a wide enough territory in the four corners and central positions of Baguazhou." ”

"At that time, the 20,000 families who have completed the construction of the road from Ziyangguan to Longtan will move to Baguazhou, build their homes and reclaim the fields together with the engineering troops, which must be completed in three and a half months, and then these 6,000 engineering troops will concentrate on building a new factory with you!"

"In addition, there are as many as 450,000 people in Longtan who have been rescued by work, and at present, all the land leveling and road construction work has been basically completed, and there are no longer so many people, so I can only transfer 200,000 of them to Baguazhou, build a flood control dam with a circumference of 25 kilometers, dredge four small rivers on Baguazhou, and build 30 kilometers of embankments."

"I made a rough calculation, even if 200,000 victims can only build 10 kilometers of river embankments every month, they can be easily completed in February next year, and then all the victims will be evacuated and arranged separately, and the shipyard must be completed by the end of next year, and I have thought of a name, called 'Yangtze River Shipyard'!"

The three of them were very excited when they learned that the coveted steam engine was about to arrive, but they thought that they would leave the Shangyuan shipbuilding workshop in a year, and their hearts were hard to give up.

Miao Jinde pointed around: "We have just dug more than 1,700 skilled craftsmen from the coastal areas of Shandong and all over Ning, Shao, and after the rigorous examination of the workshop technical team and the research institute team, there are 2 seventh-level craftsmen, 19 sixth-level craftsmen, 68 fifth-level craftsmen, 520 fourth-level craftsmen, and the rest have reached the level of third-level craftsmen...... General, what will happen here after moving in December next year? ”

Zhu Daolin patted Miao Jinde on the shoulder: "Continue to keep it, mainly for repairing warships and manufacturing civilian ships...... Lao Miao, don't worry, the new shipyard is my personal investment, it belongs to my personal assets, and the 480,000 acres of land in Baguazhou are all my Zhu Daolin's! ”

"The total number of people in the new shipyard is controlled to less than 6,500, the paramilitary management is implemented, the salary is increased by 50% on average, and each craftsman above the third level has a two-and-a-half-story building with a small garden, which is not the blue brick and gray tile wooden plank building you live in now, but a reinforced concrete frame building like the new residential building of the martial arts hall."

"At that time, two 25-meter-high water towers will be built, and the steam engine will pump water up, and the pipes will be connected to every household, so that every household can use tap water."

"There are regular traffic boats between Shangyuan Port and Baguazhou every day, which is convenient to go up and down, and when you have money, you can build a steam cruise ship for yourself and run casually."

Diao Meifang laughed, and Miao Jinde was also happy: "Understood, general, I will start to make a plan after I am busy with this paragraph, and I will definitely not delay the construction of the new factory." ”

Zhu Daolin nodded, and after discussing with Miao Jinde and the three of them, he finished speeding up the manufacture of the 550-ton warship, and then left.

Zhao Xunting hurriedly followed, and asked in a low voice as he walked: "In June next year, the ironware workshop and several branches under its jurisdiction will also be moved to Longtan as a whole, what are the vacated places going to be used for?" ”

Zhu Daolin made no secret of it: "I want to build Hushan Manor into a technical research and education base, but I only have a rough plan at present, and there is no specific plan yet...... If you have time, you can help me think about it, anyway, this big thing will always fall on your shoulders. ”

"There is another thing to trouble you, the printing workshop is becoming more and more disagreeable, asking for money is not dying, working in three shifts all day and night, making hundreds of teachers and students in the martial arts hall unable to sleep, I live next door and I am also affected, I feel distressed when I go home and see the dark circles under the eyes of the family."

"Take advantage of the fact that the second phase of the shipyard project is now off, build a large courtyard by the river as soon as possible to move the printing workshop in, vacate the east courtyard and leave it for the martial arts hall, after the Spring Festival next year, the second phase will recruit 500 disciples, and the Ziyang martial arts hall will also be officially renamed the Ziyang Martial Arts Academy."

Zhao Xunting knew that his status had not wavered in the slightest, and finally completely relieved his heart, hehe smiled and stopped following Zhu Daolin, said hello and turned around and left.

But he didn't take a few steps and was stopped by Zhu Daolin again: "I almost forgot something, please ask my brother to pick out all the nanmu and Annan rosewood from the batch of good wood sent by Wei Guogong that have been in stock for decades and send them to my special warehouse, put them on the side of the C-shaped warehouse, don't forget to cover them with a waterproof canvas." ”

"I remember that among the 80 pieces of wood sent by the sailor the day before yesterday, there are at least 14 old nanmu trees that are 12 meters long and about 70 centimeters in diameter, and 6 Annan rosewoods that are 8 meters long and more than 50 centimeters in diameter. Zhao Xunting asked puzzled.

"You don't care, just help me transport it, the sooner the better, and I'll sign the picking list when I get back." After Zhu Daolin finished speaking, he turned around and boarded the carriage.

Zhao Xunting thought about it, turned around and returned to the shipbuilding workshop, looking for Miao Jinde and Diao Meifang, who were about to be promoted, to send people to transport wood, and by the way, to discuss the location and scale of the printing workshop.

The current printing workshop is very large, there are many orders, the task is heavy, and even the bonus of the apprentice has been tripled, and the new printing workshop seems to be three times larger than the original, otherwise it will not be able to reach the forward-looking that Zhu Daolin often said. (To be continued......)