Chapter 10

As time entered April, the 1,000 acres of soybeans planted by the穿越者 (穿越者 refers to the group of people who have traveled through time) entered the critical pod-filling period. Jin Kela, along with people from the agricultural bureau, almost spent the whole day eating and sleeping in the fields. Due to no rain for nearly twenty days, the executive committee even mobilized a large number of people to carry out artificial irrigation to ensure the yield. After all, this was the result of the穿越者's hard work for more than half a year, and they could not afford any carelessness.

On the morning of April 21st, the cool southern Atlantic monsoon brought the long-awaited moisture, and at the same time, an old friend who had been absent for half a year, Captain Kuit, arrived with his galleon, the Orange River, sailing into the port.

Wang Qian, on the Yunsheng No. 1, initially thought it was an enemy attack. When Peng Zhicheng led two classes of security team members to come to reinforce, they found that Captain Kuit had already boarded the dock in a small boat.

The news spread quickly, and many穿越者 who were not working also rushed to the dock.

"Dear Gao, I'm back!" Captain Kuit, dressed in a well-tailored suit, looked quite good, clearly having changed clothes before disembarking.

"I am very pleased to see you, my captain." Gao Mo, as the foreign affairs commissioner, naturally had to be the first to arrive at the scene.

"I am also very pleased to see you, Gao. This port has left a deep impression on me. The fierce soldiers, the beautiful porcelain, and this astonishing ship." Kuit turned to look at the Yunsheng No. 1, "To be honest, you really surprise me. In just a few months, you have built such a solid dock." When he said the word "solid," Kuit stomped the cement ground of the dock hard.

"You will get used to all this in the future." Gao Mo smiled, "Why don't you tell us what gifts you have brought?"

"Ha ha, of course." Kuit grinned, "Captain Kuit's reputation has always been good. I have brought everything you need according to the agreement. Cattle, horses, sheep, seeds, copper, lead, saltpeter, sulfur, graphite, canvas, weapons, and so on. Of course, there is also a ship full of Swiss Calvinist immigrants and some German, Dutch, and English craftsmen."

As Captain Kuit spoke, the sailors on the Orange River lowered the gangway, and a group of Europeans dressed in tattered clothes silently began to disembark. Most of them were young adults, and there were even children. Some had simple luggage, while more had nothing at all.

Europe in the 17th century was suffering from widespread famine, which could be seen from the soaring grain prices. Switzerland, located in the mountains, had already seen a significant shortening of the agricultural production cycle due to the cold Little Ice Age. The expansion of the Alpine glaciers further reduced arable land, causing years of famine. Added to this was the religious persecution of Calvinist Protestants by traditional Catholics, which together prompted these Swiss immigrants to seek their fortune in the New World.

This time, Captain Kuit brought a total of 183 immigrants, 15 of whom were craftsmen from various countries, and the rest were Swiss immigrants. Among them were 109 young adult males, 59 women and children, mostly of German descent, with a few of French descent. These people stood helplessly on the dock, looking at the "Tartars" who were arriving one after another, slightly nervous.

Bai Siwen, the judicial commissioner, who had been granted emergency authorization by the executive committee, announced to these new immigrants that they had officially become hired workers of the East Shore Company. They would work for the East Shore Company for at least five years to pay off the cost of their voyage to America. This was the same as what Captain Kuit had promoted before they left, and they could basically accept it, with their only concern being whether they would bear extremely heavy labor.

In addition to the people, there were also supplies. According to the agreement with the穿越者, Captain Kuit brought a large amount of supplies that the穿越者 urgently needed: 20 tons of copper, 10 tons of lead; 50 new-style Sul matchlock guns, 10 various types of cannons (with gunpowder and cannonballs); canvas, tents, saltpeter, sulfur, rigging, graphite, brass, fishing nets, cloth, medicine, seeds; 4 Holstein cows, 4 Simmental cows, 8 Andalusian horses, 12 sheep and goats, and several chickens, ducks, and geese.

The arrival of these supplies would certainly bring a leap in the living and production standards of the穿越者. Jin Kela led a group of people with joyful faces to take the livestock and poultry to the agricultural bureau for settlement. As for the weapons, they were received by Peng Zhicheng and Wang Qian, while Shao Shude was responsible for stacking the remaining supplies into the warehouse and making a list.

The new immigrants were settled into the simple wooden houses that the穿越者 had previously lived in. Now the穿越者 had built dozens of brick and tile houses, and many had already moved in, leaving the houses vacant. Families were given separate rooms, and those without families were divided into groups of four by gender. Among the new immigrants were 5 shipbuilders, 2 gunsmiths, 2 cannon makers, 1 blacksmith, 1 carpenter, 1 rope maker, 1 sail maker, 1 brewer, and 1 priest (who also served as a doctor, chemist, and painter).

The穿越者 had originally only asked Kuit to find some people skilled in shipbuilding and gunmaking, but he brought so many. However, they were all useful to the穿越者, and Gao Mo was naturally very pleased. The executive committee gave these craftsmen good treatment, not only providing them with single rooms but also allowing them to frequently enjoy wine and meat.

The political status of the new immigrants caused a lot of controversy within the穿越者, and even the executive committee had not reached a consensus. Unable to resolve the issue, a second general assembly was convened that evening at the suggestion of Ma Qianzu.

This assembly focused on the political status of the穿越者 group and the new immigrants. The first topic was relatively straightforward. The穿越者 currently had an internal organization, but they lacked a unified external name, in other words, whether they would deal with others in the name of a country or something else.

Many young穿越者 advocated immediate nation-building, while some older and more cautious ones believed that the name of a country was too sensitive and that they should continue to develop quietly under the name of the East Shore Company, and only raise the flag of a country when the time was right.

Currently, the穿越者 were mainly young people, and these people had formed stable small groups through their previous labor, giving them a numerical advantage that could allow them to pass any proposal. However, for major matters like establishing a country, a two-thirds majority was required. The proposal to establish the "Huaxia East Shore Republic," led by Xiao Mingli and a group of young people, received only 61% of the votes, falling short. The meeting decided to continue dealing with the outside world under the name of the East Shore Company.

The second proposal was about the political status of the new immigrants. In essence, this was whether the new immigrants could achieve equal political status with the穿越者. Currently, these immigrants were still indentured servants of the East Shore Company, and they needed to work for the company for five years to gain the status of free citizens.

"Land can be granted to free citizens, but they cannot be given the right to vote or be elected." Xiao Mingli's words received a lot of support, "This land belongs to all 568 of us, and we cannot let others get a foothold."

"We cannot rely solely on ourselves to build a world. We need to absorb fresh blood. With just a few hundred of us, what can we do? It would be a miracle if we weren't wiped out."

"We can grant them land, give them job opportunities, and let them live a better life. They will be grateful to us."

"Once they have a worry-free life, they will demand political status. As more immigrants come, how can we suppress their political demands with just 500 of us? You're not worried that they might start a revolution? Maybe not this generation, but the next?"

"I think we can give them the right to vote and be elected. It's not a big deal. As long as we firmly control these industries and capital, we can influence the political situation through capital and become invisible nobles. Isn't that great?"

"To use people, we must treat them equally."

"I don't want to give the fruits of my hard work to white pigs."

The debate became increasingly intense. Neither side could convince the other, and in the end, a compromise proposal was formed. That is: 1. New immigrants, after obtaining the status of free citizens and becoming proficient in listening and speaking Chinese, can apply for citizenship to the immigration bureau under the foreign affairs commissioner. After approval, they will obtain formal status and the right to vote. After living for 15 years, they can obtain the right to be elected. 2. All workshops, land, infrastructure, and other assets currently owned by the穿越者 will be transferred to the East Shore Company, which will manage them on their behalf. The shares of the East Shore Company will be evenly distributed among the 568穿越者. 3. The general assembly will be renamed the representative assembly, changing from a three-year term to a six-year term. The current term of the executive committee will be automatically extended to six years.

These two proposals consumed a lot of energy. The proposal to add two executive committee members was relatively smooth, with Du Wen elected as the education commissioner and Xiao Mingli as the civil affairs commissioner. Du Wen was responsible for setting up the education bureau to provide compulsory education to minors under the executive committee. Additionally, night literacy classes would be organized to teach the immigrants Chinese, helping them to master the language as soon as possible. The civil affairs commissioner was responsible for various tasks such as healthcare, religious beliefs, marriage registration, social security, and policy consultation. After more than half a year, several pairs of men and women among the穿越者 had already applied to the executive committee for marriage, and it was time to improve these institutions.

On April 22, 1631, the new immigrants from Switzerland were assigned to various units and began their new lives.

The supplies and the cost of transporting the immigrants brought by Captain Kuit amounted to about 1,600 pounds, or approximately 3,600 ducats. To be honest, this price was not too high, considering that the 8 And