Chapter 86

In the public canteen, amidst the steam, a large group of new immigrants were gathered around tables, devouring their dinner with gusto.

Xu Wenxuan and Chen Tingmei sat at a table, silent and somber. Their wives and children sat beside them, quietly looking at the relatively abundant food on the table. The children, unable to resist the temptation of the food, kept staring at the beef on the table and swallowing their saliva, but they were too intimidated by their fathers' authority to dare to pick up their chopsticks without permission.

"Brother Zizhen, things have come to this, there's no point in overthinking. Let's eat first; the children are starving. From what I can see, these barbarians have a certain order in their actions. There's no need for you to worry too much," Xu Wenxuan said, sitting on the left.

Chen Tingmei nodded silently, and then the group began to eat. The canteen was quite large, capable of accommodating a thousand people dining simultaneously. The beef imported from La Plata was sweet and juicy, paired with a delicious fish soup and salted fish, making it both tasty and nutritious.

Xu and Chen were still okay, as they had some savings at home, and could afford to eat meat every few days. However, the others were in a much worse state. Some villagers rarely ate meat even during the New Year, and now, smelling the fragrant beef, they feasted greedily, almost swallowing their tongues.

Several Irishmen kept bringing in large buckets of steamed potatoes and shouted in broken Chinese, "Potatoes, all you can eat! Potatoes, all you can eat!"

Many villagers looked up at them in surprise, then lowered their heads to continue eating. They didn't understand what these foreigners were saying, nor did they care to understand. What mattered was that their stomachs were full. It had been more than half a year, and they finally had a full meal. Even if these foreigners sold them to someone else later, they wouldn't regret eating more now.

"These barbarians are so extravagant," Chen Tingmei sighed, giving the last piece of beef in his bowl to his son. "Hundreds of people eating together, each getting four ounces of beef and a pound of fish. If this continues, they would have to slaughter a cow and buy hundreds of fish every day. It's really... too extravagant!"

Xu Wenxuan had finished his meal and patted his bulging belly, still feeling unsatisfied. "Brother Zizhen, you still have a few acres of land and can live a leisurely life. I can't. After being expelled from my home, I have to work every day to avoid hunger. I haven't eaten beef for years."

"Ah, Yingqi, don't bring up these things anymore," Chen Tingmei sighed, a bit melancholy. "You know, we left our homeland on this huge ship, and we are now thousands of miles away. Let's not dwell on the past; it only adds to our sorrow."

Xu Wenxuan, however, seemed to have adjusted his mindset well. He glanced around and then whispered, "Brother Zizhen, we have long given up on the path of scholarly advancement. These barbarians seem to have a certain order in their actions and are very strict with their subordinates. We should observe them carefully; there might be a way to advance."

"What's the point of being a high official in a barbarian land?"

"Brother Zizhen, you are mistaken. There's no need to speak in veiled terms. Your family has connections with sea merchants, and you know the power of the Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch ships. If these Portuguese ships are so obedient here, it means these barbarians have some skills. Since you are new here, it's best to be tactful and plan for the future. This way, your wife and children won't suffer."

"Yingqi, your words make sense," Chen Tingmei nodded slowly. "Let's be tactful for now and plan for the future. Ah, this one mistake, being captured by Liu Xiang, is truly hateful. By the way, many of the people Liu Xiang captured are from our hometown, including some of our former tenants. Should I contact them for support in case of emergencies?"

"Absolutely not!" Xu Wenxuan's voice suddenly rose. He carefully looked around and, seeing no one paying attention, continued, "Brother Zizhen, absolutely not. The barbarian chief is not foolish; he will surely be wary of us forming alliances. This is a serious matter; we must be cautious."

"Thank you for the reminder, brother. Otherwise, I would have made a grave mistake."

...

Ando Jyu-go looked at the bowl full of beef and salted fish, almost moved to tears. How many years had it been since he had eaten such delicious food? He thought, savoring the moment.

Ando Jyu-go, from a lower-class samurai family, had not had a full meal since his father's death. Discontented samurais were common in Japan, and he was no exception. After years of struggling, the frustrated Ando Jyu-go decided to join Captain Carvalho's ship and seek fortune in the "South Seas." However, he was deceived by Captain Carvalho, who had switched the concept of "South Seas" to the South Atlantic.

But Ando Jyu-go had a good attitude. Wherever he was, he could still eat. If someone could provide him with a full meal every day and some beef occasionally, he would serve them, even if they were the Red Barbarians of Siam.

Several other samurais were also deceived by Captain Carvalho, but they were not as fortunate as him. They didn't even have a katana and still called themselves samurais, which Ando Jyu-go found contemptible. As for the dozens of bankrupt farmers, he wouldn't even give them a second glance.

"I hope this day passes quickly. I hope a master will appreciate me tomorrow, and I will show my true worth," Ando Jyu-go thought, savoring the fragrant beef.

After about half an hour, when everyone was almost finished eating, several tall officers entered the canteen. Leading them was Lieutenant Wei Aiwén of the Army Reserve, followed by six veteran soldiers from Switzerland, the first batch of immigrants, and a group trusted by the穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, but it can be translated as "time travelers" or "pioneers" in this context).

Wei Aiwén was dressed in a 33-style mechanized Army Lieutenant uniform, with a crisp cotton uniform, a white canvas belt, and sturdy leather boots. He carried a military saber in his left hand and a pistol holster in his right, looking at the immigrants who were confused by their sudden arrival.

"According to the latest orders from the Executive Committee, new immigrants must undergo basic military drill training and language learning during the quarantine period," Wei Aiwén looked around, seeing that the immigrants still looked confused, unsure if they understood or not. He raised his voice, "Starting today, you will undergo military training during the day and language learning at night. All actions must follow commands, and you must not disobey orders. If you do, you will receive a warning the first time, and the second time, you will be sent to the north to dig coal. Women and children do not need to participate in military training during the day but must be responsible for cleaning the entire quarantine area. I don't care if you understand or not. Now, all adult males, stand up and form a line outside!"

No response. The immigrants looked at each other, unsure what to do.

"Stand up!" Wei Aiwén raised his voice again, and the veterans behind him also shouted in Chinese.

"Sir, this is Xu Wenxuan, a student from Wenzhou. May I ask if you are asking us men to stand up and form a line outside?" An immigrant slowly stood up and asked, speaking a version of Mandarin that was similar to the time travelers', but Wei Aiwén managed to understand.

Good, it seems some of the immigrants can understand me, Wei Aiwén thought, pleased. However, he still maintained a stern face and said, "Yes! Xu Wenxuan, you did well. Next time, remember to raise your hand and say 'report' before speaking. Now, come to the front and repeat my orders."

With Xu Wenxuan's help, the male immigrants slowly stood up and began to form a line outside. The process took about half an hour, and with the help of the veterans and the police, the confused villagers finally formed a rough 4-row formation, though it was far from perfect.

"Can't expect much more at the beginning," Wei Aiwén thought to himself. He and the six veterans who served as instructors walked among the rows, correcting the villagers' postures.

"Hey, are you Japanese?" Wei Aiwén looked at the immigrant with a topknot, surprised. The man was less than 1.6 meters tall, with a bald spot on the top of his head and a topknot, resembling the image of Japanese samurais on TV.

Ando Jyu-go didn't know why this tall, "general"-like figure was staring at him. Although he didn't understand what the man was saying, he knew he must have done something wrong. So, he bowed slightly and said, "Hai!" hoping for forgiveness.

"Really, you are Japanese," Wei Aiwén was speechless, then angry. "These two Portuguese scammers! They have some nerve, daring to deceive us. Hmph, do they really think we can't tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese? Well, I'll report this to the Executive Committee after the training and deduct their shipping fees! Damn, 400 dollars per person, enough to buy 40 cows from the ranchers in La Plata at wholesale prices."

Ando Jyu-go saw Wei Aiwén muttering to himself and felt uneasy. Not knowing what was happening, he could only keep bowing and saying, "Hai!"

"Enough, enough, stop bowing," Wei Aiwén impatiently held Ando Jyu-go's shoulder to stop him from bowing. Then he walked back to the front of the line and shouted, "Starting today, you will undergo 15 days of drill training. Now, I will teach you the basic commands. Pay attention, or you will be punished! The first command is 'Attention'..."