The east coast of November is the time for spring, and the countryside of Dingyuan Fort is busy.

As one of the earliest mature areas developed in the country, 15 production teams in Dingyuan Township have opened up more than 10,000 acres of potato planting areas; together with the 8,000 acres of soybean planting areas and the 2,000 acres of wheat planting areas outside Chengguan Town, they are known as one of the two major granaries of the East Coast Republic of China.

Mo Ming walked on the country road with his horse. The sun shone through the shade on his shoulders, making him feel warm all over. The countryside dirt roads were planted with jujube, poplar, oak, pear and other street trees. The State Council promoted a nationwide campaign a few years ago, that is, everyone had to plant a tree that could be used for shipbuilding since childhood. Given the climatic conditions and soil environment of the east coast area, only a large number of oak and walnut trees were planted here. For this reason, the Executive Committee at that time introduced many saplings from Europe to plant.

Nowadays, a few years have passed, and the growth of saplings such as oak trees is extremely slow, but some fast-growing poplars with large demand in commercial use have become shady, adding a different view to these paths.

On both sides of the street trees are artificially excavated irrigation canals, with the canals being four meters wide and about two meters deep. In addition to irrigating farmland, some freshwater fish are also cultivated in the canals. At the end of the year, the production team organized villagers to catch them together, which is considered one of the benefits of the villagers.

The water from the canal is supplied by artificial reservoirs everywhere in Dingyuanbao Township. Due to the lack of large surface runoff in the vast area around Dongfang County, the Executive Committee and the Government Council have spent a lot of effort to build a large number of artificial water conservancy facilities in the county over the years. Irrigation canals, rainwater collection pools, and artificial reservoirs are so high that the density is very high, and the water lifting stations are also built everywhere.

Look, there is a gray flat-topped building not far ahead. The exterior wall of the building is painted with white lime water with big words "Dingyuan Township Third Water Recharge Station". It turns out that there is a small artificial reservoir with rippling waves in front of it. The water recharge station next to the reservoir is responsible for using a water pump to transport the water in the reservoir into several surrounding irrigation canals.

Mo Ming leaned over with his horse. Toricheli, who came from Florence, was busy with a group of people at the entrance of the building. The temperature outside was only 14 or 5 degrees, but Toricheli was still sweating. He took off his wool coat and threw it on the grass aside, squatting in front of a black machine, dismantling something.

This is a barbarian-1 steam engine, which Mo Ming quickly recognized. Then the boiler in the room should be the steam engine. Mo Ming looked carefully and saw that this steam engine should be used on the water pump of the water lifting station to pump water in the reservoir whose water level dropped due to the dry season in spring into the irrigation canal next to it.

This steam engine should have a part broken. So Toricaili and others were in emergency repairs. Li Hongxing from the boiler workshop of the First Machinery Factory was also on the scene. He and Toricaili and others had lost all their strength and replaced the new parts. After confirming that there was no problem, two Chalua workers in the room began to wave their shovels and add coarse coal mixed with coal gangue to the stove. With their efforts, the boiler began to slowly increase the pressure. After reaching the rated pressure, the pumping machine began to work through a certain transmission device. The water in the reservoir entered the pump under the pressure of the piston and was then discharged into the irrigation canal next to it.

"I didn't expect you to adapt to the new environment so quickly. Evangelista. I was a little worried before." Seeing that the steam engine had started to work normally, Mo Ming picked up the wool coat that was thrown on the ground by Toricheli. He handed it over and said, "Put on your clothes quickly. My friend, it's still a little cold outside, don't catch a cold."

Mo Ming remembers that Toricali died in his previous life in 1647 because he accidentally contracted typhoid fever in Florence. He did not want to repeat this tragedy in this era. If this great scientist died of a headache and fever, it would be a really not funny joke.

"Thank you for your concern, my friend." Toricheli washed his hands by the canal, then took the wool coat and put it on, saying, "It's so bad. The parts tolerance is too large, and the steam engine will have problems after a while. What's worse, most of the parts we produce are unqualified. God, such machines are of no practical significance at all, and they are too expensive, and we have to improve them."

Looking at Toricheli, who was chattering and complaining, Mo Ming smiled: "I heard from the people of the Institute of Natural Sciences that you are very interested in atmospheric pressure and thermodynamics and soak around the steam engine all day long. They complained to me that they hadn't seen you for a long time, and the swing clock you promised them to make has not been completed yet."

"I almost forgot about this." Toricheli smiled embarrassedly, and then said excitedly: "Mo, although the steam engine you invented has various problems, it is really an epoch-making machine, which is great! I originally thought that I could use atmospheric pressure to pump water, but after seeing your machine, I realized that it could drive the water pump through steam pressure. It's such a wonderful idea, a perfect machine!"

"Haha." Mo Ming smiled twice without comment, and then said, "Evangelista, my friend, I am really happy to see you live so happily every day. But I have to say that maybe you won't see me for a long time next. So, today I'm here to say goodbye to you."

"What? Are you going to go far?" Toricali was a little stunned.

"Yes, the country is going to open an African route to the Ottoman Empire. I was transferred and I may have to be sent out for several months, or even a year or two." Mo Ming said.

"Are you going to go to war with the British?" Toricheli was silent for a long time before a word suddenly appeared.

"Haha, Evangelista, I am surprised by your understanding of the international situation." Mo Ming smiled and said, "The possibility of a full-scale war with the British is not high, but even a small and medium-sized war is something we cannot afford. We may fail and lose the French market on which we rely for survival. It is precisely because of this that we urgently hope to open up another market, another population and source of materials that are not threatened by the British navy. Forget it, it is useless to say that it is useless. The African route to the Ottoman Empire is probably not expected to be in a few years. My friend, I wish me good luck."

"Good luck, Mo." Toricheli and Mo Ming hugged for a while, and then joked: "Maybe I should go back and study the manufacturing of the pendulum clock. Ha, you have invested most of your property in my experiments. I can't let you down. Mo, don't have that expression, have some confidence in me, maybe you will become a rich man when you come back."

After saying goodbye to Toricaili, Mo Ming rode back to the State Administration of Intelligence. After handing over the affairs at hand, he hurried to the Dongfang Port Pier and prepared to take the return coal ship to Zhenhai Fort. There, the formation of a long voyage to South Africa composed of the "East Coast Eagle" and the "Galicia Flying Fish" has been waiting for a long time.

On the morning of November 5, Mo Ming arrived at Zhenhaibao Pier with simple luggage.

"Sir, you are finally here." Julian de Ebrol, the first mate of the "Eagle of the East Coast", came up. "The two ships have been repaired, and the personnel and supplies have been in place. You can set off almost today."

This time, Mo Ming was appointed by the central leadership to serve as the captain of the South African pioneer team and lead the important task of establishing a secret port in South Africa.

"Let's go and check with me." After Mo Ming said, he climbed the rope net and climbed onto the deck of the "Galicia Flying Fish". The sailors on the deck were nervously making the final preparations before sailing. The acting captain, Lieutenant Wang Yang, was counting the supplies and personnel on the ship one by one with Fan Lei from the construction team.

"Two hundred and fifty flintlock rifles, 800 barrels of gunpowder, two 6-pound cannons, two 8-pound cannons, two 12-pound cannons, 250 sabers, 200 3-meter spears, 100 armor on the whole body, 50,000 red bricks, two tons of cement, and ten livestock..." Box Yang was counting the materials list, while Fan Lei was counting his men.

One hundred young and middle-aged men and fifty French immigrants will be the first residents of the newly established South African stronghold. Of course, in a foreseeable short period of time, it may be difficult for the second batch of immigrants to appear. These immigrants and above materials are everything allocated to Mo Ming by the State Council. He will use these limited materials and manpower to build the first stronghold of the East Coast Republic of China in Africa in this unfamiliar wild land of South Africa.

Mo Ming clenched his fists tightly. Although the manpower and supplies were pitifully small, who said he could not make any achievements?

After the materials and personnel were counted, the "East Coast Eagle" took the lead, and the "Galicia Flying Fish" followed closely. The two ships sailed out of Zhenhaibao Pier in a low-key manner, turned to the south, and headed towards the direction of Horse Island.

The fleet will make a short stay and rest on the island of Mahara. This is the only overseas territory in the East Coast Republic of China and also a place for exile to prisoners. After years of construction, Sullivan Wind-Shelf Bay on the island of Mahara has now initially built a small supply port, with nearly 200 residents in the port.

Most of the residents are employees of the Chalua Construction Team back then. In recent years, there have been more prisoners who have been exiled. The dozens of pigs, cattle, sheep and llama left on the island back then have developed and are now on a small scale. In addition, the vegetables grown by the residents can barely provide supplies to this small fleet.

After the supply is completed, the fleet will drift along the west wind and then head north to the Berg River in South Africa. (To be continued, please search for Astronomy, the novel is better, updated and faster!
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