Chapter 1677
Social Status
Chapter 1677 Social Status
If the local people in Manila were to describe the difference between the period of Spanish rule and the present, it would probably be the significant change in the social status of the Han Chinese.During the period of Spanish rule, the Han immigrants in the Manila area could only be regarded as third-class citizens. Even a Ming businessman like Ran Tianlu who was doing well in the local area, if it wasn't for Father Blanco's protection, his life might not be so easy. .Many foreign businessmen have stayed in Manila for a year or two, and they are not even qualified to set foot in the city. They can only complete transactions in Manila Port and Cavite Port.
However, after Haihan drove the Spanish rulers away, he immediately supported a group of Han people in the local area to replace the vacant positions in various official institutions, and the social status of the Spaniards was immediately reversed with that of the Han people, becoming the current bottom of society.Many Spanish immigrant families resisted during Haihan's attack on Manila, and their property was confiscated after the war. Now they have to rely on selling their labor to make ends meet.And those Han people who were originally looked down upon by the Spaniards finally waited for the day when they could feel proud.
In the area between the west gate of Manila and the port, apart from large and small warehouses, there are also stretches of Han Chinese settlements, where about [-] Han immigrants live.The main occupations of these Han people were sailing and commerce, and many of them had experience as sailors and crew members on Spanish merchant ships.There are also many people who rely on their backgrounds to act as a commercial bridge between Spain and Ming Dynasty.In addition, before the siege, the Haihan army worried that there were too few translators, and they would encounter many troubles in the process of taking over Manila, but these local Han people solved this seemingly difficult problem.
The Qin family living in this Han community is the epitome of a very typical colonial Han family.The ancestors of the Qin family were deceived from the southern Fujian region of the Ming Dynasty to Luzon Island under the guise of going to Nanyang to make a fortune during the Wanli period, and almost sold them to the Spanish colonists as slaves by selling piglets.At that time, not long after the Spaniards occupied Manila, the ancestors of the Qin family worked hard all their lives in the master's house, and finally got the freedom of the next generation. In time, it was just a shop specializing in the sale of bright goods outside Manila.
The head of the family, Qin Shengyao, is nearly fifty years old, and the knowledge he has accumulated in the local shopping malls for many years finally played a role in this battle in Manila.From the beginning of the outbreak of the war, Qin Shengyao strictly prohibited his family members from participating in it, and even specially paid for several family members serving in the Manila Fleet and the Port Fort to return home early to prevent them from being involved in the war and implicating the family.After the war, when the Haihan army conducted a census of this area, the Qin family got the opportunity to become an official with the evaluation of "clean fortune and active cooperation".
The reason why Qin Shengyao made such a move was mainly due to the fact that he had frequent contacts with the businessmen of the Ming Dynasty and had heard a lot of news about Hai Han.In particular, some war news ordered by the Spanish colonial government to prohibit local dissemination made Qin Shengyao realize the terrifying strength of the Haihan Army.After all, like when Spain lost its stronghold in Taipei, went to attack Sanya and fell into the sand at the door of the opponent's house, such embarrassing battle reports will definitely not be spread in Manila, and the news brought by the Ming businessman has added a lot of fuel. The ingredients are in it, and the rumors about the strength of the Haihan Army that Qin Shengyao has learned naturally have more exaggerated elements.
But this also just saved the Qin family. It is precisely because Qin Shengyao was very afraid of the Haihan army that he tried to prevent his family members from participating in the war. If it is unavoidable, let alone get the opportunity to become an official with the new ruler.
Of course, if they just didn't help the evildoers in this war, the Qin family would not be favored enough.The Haihan army chose the Qin family as the support object. Another important reason is that the Qin family has always adhered to the cultural traditions of the Han people. They speak Chinese, write Chinese characters and wear Chinese clothes. They have not become confused because they have lived in the Spanish colony for several generations. own origin.Qin Shengyao's two sons, Qin Huaming and Qin Huacheng, also adhered to this tradition, so they got the favor of the Haihan Army in the census, and thus got the opportunity to become an official.
Qin Shengyao did not take the official position offered by Haihan himself, but left the opportunity to his two sons.The eldest son, Qin Huaming, after receiving a short training, became a part-time worker under the Immigration Department of the Haihan Ministry of Civil Affairs, but with the title of "officer", he can be regarded as a Zhima official.The second son, Qin Huacheng, served in the Manila Fleet in the past and received military training for a period of time, so he was appointed as the detachment captain of the Xicheng Police Force, commanding more than 60 young men who were also selected from the local Han people, and were in charge of the Xicheng Gate. The law and order maintenance work in this Han Chinese-inhabited area outside and the Manila port.
The two sons of the Qin family are both working for the new government, and their status has risen immediately. The Qin family, which used to have few people except business partners, now has a crowded scene.There are all kinds of people who come here to visit Qin Shengyao every day, including neighbors who hope to be taken care of by the Qin family, and admirers who want to learn from Qin Shengyao how to get on the big ship of Shanghai and Han. The Qin family must have a personal relationship with some high-ranking officials of the Haihan Army, and hoped that Qin Shengyao could be a matchmaker and introduce Haihan officials for him.
Although Qin Shengyao was proud, he was not overly inflated because he suddenly became a folk celebrity in this area.He is very clear about how much he weighs, and he also understands that the Qin family's success today is not due to his ability, Qin Shengyao, or his relationship with high-ranking officials in Haihan, but due to timing and luck. To win other people's admiration or even money in this way is tantamount to defeating one's own luck. If the Haihan people find out, the consequences will be difficult to say.
Therefore, Qin Shengyao is polite to the door-to-door visitors, but if it is not within his ability, he will not let go of his promise anyway.In particular, requests for him to introduce high-ranking Haihan officials were all resolutely rejected.
On this day, Qin Shengyao sent away another visitor whose request was not met. Naturally, that person's face was not very good-looking when he was rejected, and he walked out of the gate of Qin's courtyard cursing all the way.Qin Huaming happened to come back from the outside and ran into this scene, so he could only smile wryly and get out of the way.After he returned home and met his father, he talked about the scene he saw at the gate just now, and asked why it happened.
Qin Shengyao said: "Nading's family brought a generous gift, hoping to use it to introduce Haihan high-ranking officials for their father, but his family only married a Spaniard in the city last year, and this time I heard that his son-in-law also gave a gift to him." The Haihan Army captured them, and the Ding family probably wanted to get rid of their connections to save his daughter and son-in-law, but at this juncture, everyone is in danger, how dare a father agree to such a thing rashly?"
Qin Huaming said: "Since it's a gift, why didn't the Ding family go directly to give it to the Haihan people, but why did they make such a big circle and start with my family?"
Qin Shengyao sighed and said: "It's not that people's words are terrible. There are rumors outside that it is because of the personal relationship between the father and the generals of the Haihan army that they sent you two brothers to work in the Haihan yamen. The Nading family wanted to give Haihan a gift. High-ranking officials were not allowed to come in. I heard that my father had such a way, so I naturally found this way. I don’t know that the Haihan officer that my father saw that day was just a school lieutenant who led the general’s horse and kicked him. It’s nothing more than a class, and now that everyone is gone, there is no way to pass the word to the top.”
The Haihan officer Qin Shengyao mentioned was Sun Bing, the company commander of the Marine Corps.Because the area outside the West City Gate is close to the coastline, it was the navy that took over the defense at that time.According to the requirements of his superiors, Sun Bing first picked out the Han families with a relatively clean local background, and the Qin family was naturally among them. He recommended it to the Temporary Management Committee, and only then did the arrangement for the two brothers of the Qin family to become officials.
Qin Shengyao was right when he said that Sun Bing was a school lieutenant. His military rank is a captain, but he might not be leading the general’s horse. After all, Wang Tom commanded battles mostly at sea, and seldom went out on horseback.Moreover, Tom Wang actually didn't care about these trivial matters among the people, even if he could get Sun Bing to pass on the words, it probably wouldn't have any effect at all.
Now Tom Wang has left Manila with the marines to go north, and Qin Shengyao doesn’t know anyone else in the Haihan army. In terms of personal friendship with Haihan officials, he may not be as good as his two sons now.Anyway, the Qin brothers have to deal with Haihan officials almost every day, which is much better than his half-old man who has nothing to do at home recently.
Qin Huaming said: "Ding's ship company is said to have saved a dozen cargo ships, but they are temporarily unable to go to sea due to the ban, and maybe they will be useful in the future. The second brother is now working in the police force. If you want to inquire about detainees News, but we can think of a way."
Qin Shengyao repeatedly waved his hands and said, "No way, if this drags your second brother into the water, it will be too much for the gain!"
"What dragged it down?" Qin Huacheng, the second child, also came back during the conversation, just in time to hear the conversation between his father and elder brother.
Qin Shengyao didn't hide anything from him, so he told what happened just now.After hearing this, Qin Huacheng smiled and said, "Father thinks too much. The Hai Han people are not so unkind. If you just inquire about criminals, there is no hindrance. You can find out the name of the son-in-law of the Ding family. I will be on duty tomorrow. Just ask someone and you'll know."
But Qin Shengyao still has concerns about this: "If the Haihan people settle accounts after autumn and want to trouble the Ding family, if my Qin family helps them with this favor, wouldn't it be asking for trouble?"
Qin Huacheng said: "Father doesn't know that the person in power in the city is no longer a general, but a civil servant from Sanya, Mr. Qiu. This Mr. Qiu is not as arbitrary as the former Haihan general. , and will not even sit down with the entire family because of one person committing a crime. Besides, the Ding family is also Han Chinese. Now that the government intends to support the Han people to suppress Xifan, it should not kill the Ding family just because of such a trivial matter. In my opinion, it should be a try. If it succeeds, the Ding family will owe my family a favor in the future, and if they buy goods from Daming in the future, the Ding family shipping company will have to give a cheap price to justify it."
Hearing what he said, Qin Shengyao was a little moved.In the past, because the Qin family shop did not have its own sea-going ships, most of the goods imported from Daming were entrusted to Ming merchants to bring them over when they went south, but the cost of this procurement method would inevitably be relatively high.Another way is to hire a boat to go to Daming to purchase. In this way, you can also bring a batch of goods to Daming to sell, and there are transactions to do both back and forth, which is relatively more profitable.
However, Qin's shop had a mediocre relationship with local shipping companies in the past, and it was often difficult to book a suitable shipping schedule at a low price, so the former method was always adopted to maintain the supply of goods.If there is an opportunity to build a good relationship with the local shipping company, maybe in the future, as Qin Huacheng said, the cargo ship of Ding's shipping company can be hired to go to Daming for trade.Of course, one more destination can be added now, which is Sanya, which is known as the number one trading port in the South China Sea.
"It's just that my father has rejected the Ding family just now, so going to take the initiative to ask them to redeem him at this time, wouldn't this be a slap in the face?" Qin Shengyao thought about it, and still felt a little bit unable to let go of this embarrassment.
Qin Huacheng said: "It doesn't matter, father don't have to make things difficult, just treat it as if you sang the bad face in this play, and then I will sing the red face."
Qin Shengyao quickly asked: "Tell me first, how do you want to sing this red face? If it's inappropriate, it's better not to take risks."
Qin Huacheng said: "That's simple. Tomorrow I will go to Ding's house to investigate the matter of his son-in-law, and then I will find an opportunity to deliberately reveal something, saying that there is still a chance for redemption. They will inevitably post it themselves, and then we will talk about conditions." Not too late."
"Is this going to work?" Qin Shengyao still felt a little unsafe.
"Father, I think the second brother's idea is feasible, so why not give it a try." Qin Huaming also stood by Qin Huacheng's side and said, "If there is any risk, it's not too late to give up at that time."
Qin Shengyao couldn't agree with the two brothers. After some hesitation, he finally agreed to their idea.He just reminded him again and again that if the Ding family's son-in-law has been convicted by Hai Han, he must not do anything wrong, at most he will inform the Ding family of the news, and don't meddle in other's business.The two brothers agreed with all their mouths, but they were already thinking about how to get more benefits from it.
The next day, Qin Huacheng reported to the police force at midnight, and after that, he arranged for a routine patrol mission.In the first few days, the Haihan army was mixed with them, but as the Haihan army gradually withdrew in the past few days, this patrol task became a task performed by them alone.
(End of this chapter)
If the local people in Manila were to describe the difference between the period of Spanish rule and the present, it would probably be the significant change in the social status of the Han Chinese.During the period of Spanish rule, the Han immigrants in the Manila area could only be regarded as third-class citizens. Even a Ming businessman like Ran Tianlu who was doing well in the local area, if it wasn't for Father Blanco's protection, his life might not be so easy. .Many foreign businessmen have stayed in Manila for a year or two, and they are not even qualified to set foot in the city. They can only complete transactions in Manila Port and Cavite Port.
However, after Haihan drove the Spanish rulers away, he immediately supported a group of Han people in the local area to replace the vacant positions in various official institutions, and the social status of the Spaniards was immediately reversed with that of the Han people, becoming the current bottom of society.Many Spanish immigrant families resisted during Haihan's attack on Manila, and their property was confiscated after the war. Now they have to rely on selling their labor to make ends meet.And those Han people who were originally looked down upon by the Spaniards finally waited for the day when they could feel proud.
In the area between the west gate of Manila and the port, apart from large and small warehouses, there are also stretches of Han Chinese settlements, where about [-] Han immigrants live.The main occupations of these Han people were sailing and commerce, and many of them had experience as sailors and crew members on Spanish merchant ships.There are also many people who rely on their backgrounds to act as a commercial bridge between Spain and Ming Dynasty.In addition, before the siege, the Haihan army worried that there were too few translators, and they would encounter many troubles in the process of taking over Manila, but these local Han people solved this seemingly difficult problem.
The Qin family living in this Han community is the epitome of a very typical colonial Han family.The ancestors of the Qin family were deceived from the southern Fujian region of the Ming Dynasty to Luzon Island under the guise of going to Nanyang to make a fortune during the Wanli period, and almost sold them to the Spanish colonists as slaves by selling piglets.At that time, not long after the Spaniards occupied Manila, the ancestors of the Qin family worked hard all their lives in the master's house, and finally got the freedom of the next generation. In time, it was just a shop specializing in the sale of bright goods outside Manila.
The head of the family, Qin Shengyao, is nearly fifty years old, and the knowledge he has accumulated in the local shopping malls for many years finally played a role in this battle in Manila.From the beginning of the outbreak of the war, Qin Shengyao strictly prohibited his family members from participating in it, and even specially paid for several family members serving in the Manila Fleet and the Port Fort to return home early to prevent them from being involved in the war and implicating the family.After the war, when the Haihan army conducted a census of this area, the Qin family got the opportunity to become an official with the evaluation of "clean fortune and active cooperation".
The reason why Qin Shengyao made such a move was mainly due to the fact that he had frequent contacts with the businessmen of the Ming Dynasty and had heard a lot of news about Hai Han.In particular, some war news ordered by the Spanish colonial government to prohibit local dissemination made Qin Shengyao realize the terrifying strength of the Haihan Army.After all, like when Spain lost its stronghold in Taipei, went to attack Sanya and fell into the sand at the door of the opponent's house, such embarrassing battle reports will definitely not be spread in Manila, and the news brought by the Ming businessman has added a lot of fuel. The ingredients are in it, and the rumors about the strength of the Haihan Army that Qin Shengyao has learned naturally have more exaggerated elements.
But this also just saved the Qin family. It is precisely because Qin Shengyao was very afraid of the Haihan army that he tried to prevent his family members from participating in the war. If it is unavoidable, let alone get the opportunity to become an official with the new ruler.
Of course, if they just didn't help the evildoers in this war, the Qin family would not be favored enough.The Haihan army chose the Qin family as the support object. Another important reason is that the Qin family has always adhered to the cultural traditions of the Han people. They speak Chinese, write Chinese characters and wear Chinese clothes. They have not become confused because they have lived in the Spanish colony for several generations. own origin.Qin Shengyao's two sons, Qin Huaming and Qin Huacheng, also adhered to this tradition, so they got the favor of the Haihan Army in the census, and thus got the opportunity to become an official.
Qin Shengyao did not take the official position offered by Haihan himself, but left the opportunity to his two sons.The eldest son, Qin Huaming, after receiving a short training, became a part-time worker under the Immigration Department of the Haihan Ministry of Civil Affairs, but with the title of "officer", he can be regarded as a Zhima official.The second son, Qin Huacheng, served in the Manila Fleet in the past and received military training for a period of time, so he was appointed as the detachment captain of the Xicheng Police Force, commanding more than 60 young men who were also selected from the local Han people, and were in charge of the Xicheng Gate. The law and order maintenance work in this Han Chinese-inhabited area outside and the Manila port.
The two sons of the Qin family are both working for the new government, and their status has risen immediately. The Qin family, which used to have few people except business partners, now has a crowded scene.There are all kinds of people who come here to visit Qin Shengyao every day, including neighbors who hope to be taken care of by the Qin family, and admirers who want to learn from Qin Shengyao how to get on the big ship of Shanghai and Han. The Qin family must have a personal relationship with some high-ranking officials of the Haihan Army, and hoped that Qin Shengyao could be a matchmaker and introduce Haihan officials for him.
Although Qin Shengyao was proud, he was not overly inflated because he suddenly became a folk celebrity in this area.He is very clear about how much he weighs, and he also understands that the Qin family's success today is not due to his ability, Qin Shengyao, or his relationship with high-ranking officials in Haihan, but due to timing and luck. To win other people's admiration or even money in this way is tantamount to defeating one's own luck. If the Haihan people find out, the consequences will be difficult to say.
Therefore, Qin Shengyao is polite to the door-to-door visitors, but if it is not within his ability, he will not let go of his promise anyway.In particular, requests for him to introduce high-ranking Haihan officials were all resolutely rejected.
On this day, Qin Shengyao sent away another visitor whose request was not met. Naturally, that person's face was not very good-looking when he was rejected, and he walked out of the gate of Qin's courtyard cursing all the way.Qin Huaming happened to come back from the outside and ran into this scene, so he could only smile wryly and get out of the way.After he returned home and met his father, he talked about the scene he saw at the gate just now, and asked why it happened.
Qin Shengyao said: "Nading's family brought a generous gift, hoping to use it to introduce Haihan high-ranking officials for their father, but his family only married a Spaniard in the city last year, and this time I heard that his son-in-law also gave a gift to him." The Haihan Army captured them, and the Ding family probably wanted to get rid of their connections to save his daughter and son-in-law, but at this juncture, everyone is in danger, how dare a father agree to such a thing rashly?"
Qin Huaming said: "Since it's a gift, why didn't the Ding family go directly to give it to the Haihan people, but why did they make such a big circle and start with my family?"
Qin Shengyao sighed and said: "It's not that people's words are terrible. There are rumors outside that it is because of the personal relationship between the father and the generals of the Haihan army that they sent you two brothers to work in the Haihan yamen. The Nading family wanted to give Haihan a gift. High-ranking officials were not allowed to come in. I heard that my father had such a way, so I naturally found this way. I don’t know that the Haihan officer that my father saw that day was just a school lieutenant who led the general’s horse and kicked him. It’s nothing more than a class, and now that everyone is gone, there is no way to pass the word to the top.”
The Haihan officer Qin Shengyao mentioned was Sun Bing, the company commander of the Marine Corps.Because the area outside the West City Gate is close to the coastline, it was the navy that took over the defense at that time.According to the requirements of his superiors, Sun Bing first picked out the Han families with a relatively clean local background, and the Qin family was naturally among them. He recommended it to the Temporary Management Committee, and only then did the arrangement for the two brothers of the Qin family to become officials.
Qin Shengyao was right when he said that Sun Bing was a school lieutenant. His military rank is a captain, but he might not be leading the general’s horse. After all, Wang Tom commanded battles mostly at sea, and seldom went out on horseback.Moreover, Tom Wang actually didn't care about these trivial matters among the people, even if he could get Sun Bing to pass on the words, it probably wouldn't have any effect at all.
Now Tom Wang has left Manila with the marines to go north, and Qin Shengyao doesn’t know anyone else in the Haihan army. In terms of personal friendship with Haihan officials, he may not be as good as his two sons now.Anyway, the Qin brothers have to deal with Haihan officials almost every day, which is much better than his half-old man who has nothing to do at home recently.
Qin Huaming said: "Ding's ship company is said to have saved a dozen cargo ships, but they are temporarily unable to go to sea due to the ban, and maybe they will be useful in the future. The second brother is now working in the police force. If you want to inquire about detainees News, but we can think of a way."
Qin Shengyao repeatedly waved his hands and said, "No way, if this drags your second brother into the water, it will be too much for the gain!"
"What dragged it down?" Qin Huacheng, the second child, also came back during the conversation, just in time to hear the conversation between his father and elder brother.
Qin Shengyao didn't hide anything from him, so he told what happened just now.After hearing this, Qin Huacheng smiled and said, "Father thinks too much. The Hai Han people are not so unkind. If you just inquire about criminals, there is no hindrance. You can find out the name of the son-in-law of the Ding family. I will be on duty tomorrow. Just ask someone and you'll know."
But Qin Shengyao still has concerns about this: "If the Haihan people settle accounts after autumn and want to trouble the Ding family, if my Qin family helps them with this favor, wouldn't it be asking for trouble?"
Qin Huacheng said: "Father doesn't know that the person in power in the city is no longer a general, but a civil servant from Sanya, Mr. Qiu. This Mr. Qiu is not as arbitrary as the former Haihan general. , and will not even sit down with the entire family because of one person committing a crime. Besides, the Ding family is also Han Chinese. Now that the government intends to support the Han people to suppress Xifan, it should not kill the Ding family just because of such a trivial matter. In my opinion, it should be a try. If it succeeds, the Ding family will owe my family a favor in the future, and if they buy goods from Daming in the future, the Ding family shipping company will have to give a cheap price to justify it."
Hearing what he said, Qin Shengyao was a little moved.In the past, because the Qin family shop did not have its own sea-going ships, most of the goods imported from Daming were entrusted to Ming merchants to bring them over when they went south, but the cost of this procurement method would inevitably be relatively high.Another way is to hire a boat to go to Daming to purchase. In this way, you can also bring a batch of goods to Daming to sell, and there are transactions to do both back and forth, which is relatively more profitable.
However, Qin's shop had a mediocre relationship with local shipping companies in the past, and it was often difficult to book a suitable shipping schedule at a low price, so the former method was always adopted to maintain the supply of goods.If there is an opportunity to build a good relationship with the local shipping company, maybe in the future, as Qin Huacheng said, the cargo ship of Ding's shipping company can be hired to go to Daming for trade.Of course, one more destination can be added now, which is Sanya, which is known as the number one trading port in the South China Sea.
"It's just that my father has rejected the Ding family just now, so going to take the initiative to ask them to redeem him at this time, wouldn't this be a slap in the face?" Qin Shengyao thought about it, and still felt a little bit unable to let go of this embarrassment.
Qin Huacheng said: "It doesn't matter, father don't have to make things difficult, just treat it as if you sang the bad face in this play, and then I will sing the red face."
Qin Shengyao quickly asked: "Tell me first, how do you want to sing this red face? If it's inappropriate, it's better not to take risks."
Qin Huacheng said: "That's simple. Tomorrow I will go to Ding's house to investigate the matter of his son-in-law, and then I will find an opportunity to deliberately reveal something, saying that there is still a chance for redemption. They will inevitably post it themselves, and then we will talk about conditions." Not too late."
"Is this going to work?" Qin Shengyao still felt a little unsafe.
"Father, I think the second brother's idea is feasible, so why not give it a try." Qin Huaming also stood by Qin Huacheng's side and said, "If there is any risk, it's not too late to give up at that time."
Qin Shengyao couldn't agree with the two brothers. After some hesitation, he finally agreed to their idea.He just reminded him again and again that if the Ding family's son-in-law has been convicted by Hai Han, he must not do anything wrong, at most he will inform the Ding family of the news, and don't meddle in other's business.The two brothers agreed with all their mouths, but they were already thinking about how to get more benefits from it.
The next day, Qin Huacheng reported to the police force at midnight, and after that, he arranged for a routine patrol mission.In the first few days, the Haihan army was mixed with them, but as the Haihan army gradually withdrew in the past few days, this patrol task became a task performed by them alone.
(End of this chapter)