The narrow old streets and alleys do not allow a large car to turn around. The rainwater dripping from the eaves of the front house may splash to the door in the back row. Two naughty children can form a human wall that no one can get over with open arms. For most of the year, sunlight doesn't even reach the ground.

Originally, it was supposed to be a paradise for domestic animals, a place where the surface composition and smell constantly change with the seasons. Anyone who walks in has to worry about stepping on feces. During the rainy season, civilians' straw sandals are pulled out by a sticky mud mixed with various sewage. When it's dry weather, beware of broken feet and necks.

Jang Zhidong is ready for all kinds of bad experiences. However, standing at the mouth of the alley, he, like the rest of the people, was stunned to see a flat ground paved with sand.

Although there is still dirty water draining from the ditches and digging ditches across the narrow road surface, most of the ground is smooth and clean. The smell in the air isn't very dirty, and the most important thing is that you can't see anything that is unsightly.

It is a few large stones placed at the mouth of the alley, which have also been scrubbed and smooth, and you can sit on them and rest without cleaning.

However, there is no old man basking in the sun in North China, which is common in winter. 5⊥

Zhang Zhidong silently walked into the alley, and the front row of eaves within reach was still made of straw. The half-foot-thick wheat straw is laid from the soothing slope to the end, which can maximize the drainage of rainwater to the ground and prevent dripping into the roof.

Between the black, musty-smelling old grass and mustard was mixed with fresh wheat straw that still reflected the sun. Apparently all recently patched. A winter's rain and snow doesn't make them rot quickly.

The courtyards in the back row are lined up one after another. There are still a few courtyard walls made of clay. There were stones that had been picked up from outside and built the foundation of the wall more than a foot high. There are wooden strips of different thicknesses inserted on it, which cannot prevent pedestrians outside from peeking into the main house at a glance.

The low gatehouse represents the dignity of the family. The short walls are made of rammed loess, and the rudimentary wooden beams provoke the shape of the front and rear eaves. It is covered with black pottery tiles, and there are still New Year's red paper couplets on the two narrow doors, which have been carefully preserved and have not been destroyed by the bear children.

This is obviously the door that was only flipped last year, probably because the owner's family finally earned extra money to provide food and clothing for the family. You can properly embellish the face of the family.

Zhang Zhidong's gaze crossed the firewood courtyard wall, and clearly saw the rough shadow wall on the east side of the courtyard, on which the word "Fu" was pasted with Douda, the pen was vigorous, and the calligrapher was not shallow. But no matter how you look at it, it feels unnatural, and there is a lack of spirit in it. He thought about it, this is a print from the north, right? It's strange that even a brush can print large characters.

Zhang Zhidong didn't like it, he firmly believed that calligraphy and writing were the exclusive privilege of literati. Now it has been copied by tens of millions of copies by merchants in a cold and dirty way. and then scattered into thousands of households with a few pennies cheap.

This is too corrupt and insulting.

Now he didn't bother thinking about that. Eyes fall on the main house. The most common wooden windows, the mottled old paint on the edges have been replaced by a bright color, and the most striking thing is the simple grid of horizontal and vertical lines, which are actually pasted with white paper! There are also red festive window flowers pasted on it!

"Is this still an ordinary poor family? How can there be so much extravagance in this world? ”

Not only Zhang Zhidong, but the rest of the people were also surprised!

What kind of life the poor and poor live, they have traveled from south to north and have seen a lot of knowledge, and they all know it in their hearts. That white paper the size of a carat is simply a luxury for a civilian family, who is willing to use it to glue windows?

However, this is not an isolated case, as you walk down the alley, the undulating houses are cleaned, the holes are properly repaired, and the doors and windows are blocked. The chickens, ducks, birds and beasts in the courtyard creaked endlessly, and occasionally people came in and out, with brisk steps and smiling heads, and speaking loudly and confidently.

They are very satisfied with their current life!

At the end of the alley, a high wall rises abruptly, like a giant leaving a dark reflection, enveloping a vast manor. But the walls that stretched out were artificially opened up with multiple portals, and many civilians dressed in different costumes came and went, making it their own home.

"This is the family of those who have been beaten up and divided into land, right? It is said that most of their courtyards were used for public facilities such as schools, medical centers, and a few were divided into small courtyards and sold to civilians. ”

After reading the news descriptions of land reform promotion in various places, they know that there must be such a result. It's just that almost all the people present are from wealthy backgrounds, and there is always a bone in their hearts for this kind of direct corruption of their own class, and they don't vomit or feel unhappy.

Without refuting the remarks, Zhang Zhidong walked quietly along the big wall to the end, and saw that the main entrance of the house was still intact. The side of the tethered horse pile and the upper and lower horse stones are complete, the door is a pair of stone lions mottled and old, the gatehouse has six steps, the gate is wide enough for two large carts to enter and exit side by side, and there are corner gates on the side.

This is a large family that has been inherited for hundreds of years, and there have been high-ranking officials, otherwise they would never dare to raise the stairs at will and nail the door with vermilion bubbles.

There is no hustle and bustle of cars and horses in front of the widened door, cold and desolate like the branches of those leaves in the wall, the cold wind blows, and the peach talisman couplets hanging on both sides of the door swing in the hula, which makes people feel lonely and vicissitudes.

What has become of the people inside? Has it been killed by a mob? Or were the rest kicked out?

The question is in my heart, but it is not good to knock on the door directly and ask - are you planning to see the unlucky excitement of others? Serious people can't be so unkind.

Fortunately, the person who was able to answer this question came quickly.

A middle-aged man hurried from the opposite side, wearing a half-worn robe, which had been washed and faded, and his hands were clasped in his sleeves and clenched to his chest, making a humilial gesture. However, a pair of fast boots looming from time to time with hurried footsteps revealed the truth that he was not poor. Even if the posture is deliberately restrained, it can be captured by a sharp-eyed person with a remnant of perennial arrogance.

was suddenly blocked by Li Yuanhong, and the man was very surprised. Look up cautiously. He quickly glanced at everyone. I saw that it was a group of the same kind. The braids, which are still well groomed, show where they came from.

Li Yuanhong led the soldiers to train with a fierce momentum. The frightened middle-aged man didn't dare to refuse, followed him to the front, bowed to Zhang Zhidong to the end, and asked with a sense of proportion: "My surname is Lu." Do you have any questions for the elderly? When you make up your mind, you know everything. ”

It's very simple, and I didn't see the tears of my relatives, as if I had been mentally prepared for this.

Zhang Zhidong looked at this person attentively and made a judgment in his heart. Born rich, he didn't suffer much. Read a lot. The temperament is there. Clever and not pedantic. Although I have been in trouble recently, I have not broken my family. pretending to be down, it is estimated that it is a plan to keep the light and obscure. There is no fear of communicating with outsiders, and there is obviously no fear of being warned or retaliated against by the revolutionary army.

It's complicated!

Zhang Zhidong smiled and said: "The old man's surname is Zhang, and he is from Hubei. Passing through here, I want to know about the gains and losses of the new policy. You're the owner of this house, aren't you? ”

The middle-aged man surnamed Lu was ashamed, and replied, "Let the elder smile." It is true that he is the head of the household, but now most of the houses have been divided and sold to others, leaving only two courtyards for the family to live in. ”

He didn't rush people into his house. Apparently worried.

"Oh? In this way, your family must be in a bad situation. But there is still a subsistence land and property. What do you need? ”

The middle-aged man surnamed Lu looked slightly embarrassed, this is not something to boast about. But after all, he couldn't hide it from anyone, so he sighed and said, "I won't tell you, the government still has room for it." In previous years, in order to compete for the land, the Han family had done something that hurt the yin owl, and it was also appropriate to suffer this retribution. Fortunately, the government is tolerant, and still leaves dozens of acres of fertile land, and this half of the courtyard, but there is no ease and extravagance of the day, and the family has to be careful and thrifty. ”

Huang Xing and the others exchanged glances and nodded secretly: "The revolutionary army is doing things fairly. Most of the landlords' families made their fortunes by lending usury in disaster years and squeezing out the commoners alive to seize the land. This kind of robbery while the fire is too common, and if you want to say that you are guilty, it will be seven or eight times out of ten you have to be reckoned. However, there is still room for improvement, which shows that this ** does not harm many people, and looking at his expression, he doesn't necessarily feel much resentment. ”

Zhang Zhidong nodded noncommittally, his eyes fell on the other party's shabby coat, and said calmly: "The new government does not seem to be guilty of crimes twice, nor does it refuse the gentry to participate in the industry, commerce, agriculture and animal husbandry. ”

was seen to be pretending to be poor. Mr. Lu scratched his scalp with his tail finger a little shyly, and his gray hair was exposed under his hat that was combed back - he should still have his braids, just in case.

This is the general state of the landlords and gentry under the new government, right? There are concerns in their hearts, and there are general reservations about the new government.

After a little silence, Mr. Lu shook his head: "It's hard to explain this matter. In short, it is a great blessing for us to have a glimmer of life, and we dare not have other delusions. To run a family and prosper, you have to start all over again, but it is not a one-time effort. Now, I can only barely keep up. ”

He didn't want to deal any longer, and after arching his hand, he turned to the door, pushed open the corner door and entered, and the squeaky and jerky doorway slammed shut.

Zhang Zhidong twisted his beard in his hand, and his cold gaze stayed on the mottled stone lion for a long time, and suddenly started to move forward. I reached the other end of the alley, re-entered the edge of the cross-street, sat down slowly on a stone, and watched the rush of people for a long time.

Li Yuanhong didn't know what kind of nerves the old man suddenly had, this state seemed to have never appeared before! Don't think too much about it.

He hurriedly stepped forward to ask with concern, and Zhang Zhidong waved his hand lightly: "Don't think about it, the old man just needs to be quiet for a while." ”

Li Yuanhong straightened up, and his forked hands were pestle on the side of the door. After waiting for a while, he heard the old man sigh for a long time, and said to himself: "The destiny of heaven is there, and when the time comes, heaven and earth will work together, and if you grasp it in this way, there will be no doubt that the great thing will be accomplished." Old man, there is nothing to worry about. ”

After speaking, Zhang Zhidong stood up, and the gloomy and solemn silence on his face was swept away, replaced by a relaxed and warm one, like a freehand calm after the spring breeze.

Then, like a real tourist, he wandered around the street with great interest, from time to time to ask the merchants about new goods, inquire about prices, and discuss the quality of goods. Such a people-friendly attitude. The rest of the people who were nervous in their hearts were stunned.

This old man. What's crazy again?

However, what they feared did not happen. In the days that followed. Zhang Zhidong always maintained a relaxed and happy mood, and went all the way north step by step, most of them took the car in the middle to watch the flowers, but they also took the changes on both sides along the road to see clearly.

When they arrived in Fengyang, they took the train and went straight to Xuzhou.

This is a section of the main railway road that was built at the end of last year, the straight line in the south is to Hefei, Anqing, and the southeast line is to Pukou Nanjing. The power of national mobilization has yielded near-miraculous results. In just one year, they completed the entire construction and paving project, and opened it smoothly.

Even the worst green car eliminated in China, after dismantling the original dilapidated hardboard seats, redecorating and renovating, it was pulled by a steam locomotive, and ran at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour on a second-hand heavy rail, which is still the fastest speed in this era.

It's not just like a galloping horse, through the glass window, the telephone poles outside and the shadows of the protective trees are connected into a line. In the rapid on-demand rush and rapid distance, it gives people a dizzying and unexpected.

Zhang Zhidong: They are not afraid to spend money. I chose a 1st class luxury sleeper car. There is a half-long space with a large number of skins, not only a luxurious double room, but also a separate dining room, living room, and washroom. In this way, you can be in line with the identity of the governor of Huguang, and you don't have to crowd with other people.

What the green car looks like, those who have experienced it will definitely not miss it. Especially in this era, people rarely go far away, and finally there is a train that can travel thousands of miles a day, so everyone hates to take half of their belongings with them. If it weren't for the foresight of the railway operation department, which strictly forbade live poultry and livestock to come up, and even limited each person to two large suitcases, and the rest of the consignment, I am afraid that every train will become the exaggerated state of India.

At the end of the 19th century, China, the world's most populous country, faced the greatest density of congestion in any transportation innovation.

I put down the barriers in my chest and watched the changes in the new area with a relaxed attitude, and I really felt a big difference.

I experienced the world's first-class fast train, and after arriving in Xuzhou, Zhang Zhidong and others came down. While waiting for a change of car to enter the boundaries of Shandong, they rented a car to visit the Xuzhou Heavy Industrial Zone, which has begun to see scale.

A new city was built across the river outside the old city, covering the largest steel, coal, and chemical complex, and countless steel-framed chimneys and cupola furnaces converged into a jungle-like spectacle, and the sky was rendered gray with black smoke rising and spewing.

The air quality here must not pass the environmental evaluation, but Zhang Zhidong especially likes to breathe the air that is filled with the smell of cinders. When he built Hanyang Iron & Steel, he demanded that his office be near the steel plant. When I wake up every morning and open the window, I can see the heavy industry factory area that represents power.

The factory that has worked so hard is nothing more than a giant and a baby compared to what you see here. Only the first phase of the steel plant with a production scale of one million tons produced pipeline gas, pipeline heating, electricity, as well as millions of tons of fertilizer, and by-products of sulfuric acid, benzene and other chemical products, and derived hundreds of products, driving tens of thousands of factories and hundreds of thousands of industrial population.

"Building a city on the ground is amazing!"

Zhang Zhidong could not calculate the amount of investment required for such a new plant, but what he could see was the huge residential area that was built around the city around the new industrial area, which was quickly built with tens of thousands of people. Each street can accommodate six lanes or more, straight asphalt roads, neat greenery on both sides, and full of sewers and gas street lighting, no worse than London.

The propaganda slogans and advertising signs that can be seen everywhere make every foreigner who comes here can experience a thriving and prosperous atmosphere. An unbelievable picture of high-rise buildings outlines for everyone their great achievements decades later.

Is this really China?

The group asked themselves, only to feel that they had entered a mirage.

Zhang Zhidong sighed again and again: "It's just more than two years!" The vicissitudes of life, but that's it. ”

The power of industry is awe-inspiring, and the stout cupola furnaces and various iron tower boilers all represent the magnificent power of moving mountains and reclaiming the sea. Whether it was for Ma Fuyi or Li Yuanhong, it was a huge impact, which made them have to widen their eyes and sigh again and again.

"No wonder the revolutionary army is so strong, destroying everywhere it goes. They can build such an industry to make such powerful weapons. Industry is the foundation of a strong country, and it is true that it is said! ”

A qiē question seems to have found an answer, and the results are exciting.

Zhang Zhidong can happily admit the gap, his lifelong business can't catch up with the little rain and dew that Yang Hao sprinkled casually.

This is just a city, so what should the several big cities in central Shandong that have been developed longer than here, as well as the most developed Tianjin, look like?

Filled with curiosity, the tour group continued to devote themselves to the long journey.

Yang Hao has been paying attention to the traces of this group of guests. When the personnel in the shadows observed the change in their feelings, Commander-in-Chief Yang let out a lighthearted laugh: "It seems that the old man Zhang Zhidong knows the gap, and he shouldn't cause us any more trouble." It's time to start a strategy against the two lakes in advance. ”

In April 1898, after more than a month of investigation, Zhang Zhidong no longer had any worries, and had a long talk with Yang Hao to determine the future and fate of the two lakes, and announced his resignation and return to the province. Soon after, as a civilian ambassador, under the escort of the naval fleet, he went to Southeast Asian countries to inspect and express condolences to overseas Chinese.

The revolutionary army occupied Hubei without a single soldier, announcing the opening of half of the Manchu rule, and the panicked Xizhan and the two palaces were shocked to hear that the revolutionary army was going to besiege Shaanxi from three sides, and immediately scattered as birds and beasts, and fled to the Mongolian plateau in a panic. (To be continued......)