Dreaming for 10,000 years

Chapter 218 Qin Island
Seeing that everyone had reached a consensus, Shi Fei continued, "Sweet potato and corn seeds will be delivered soon. These two crops are drought-resistant and have a short growth cycle, which is just right for southern Shandong right now. Once we have enough food, we can gather the others."

"Okay!" Yan Sanqin slapped his thigh, his eyes gleaming with hope for the future. He said: "This piece of land is empty anyway, if we grow food on it, we can not only feed ourselves, but also attract more desperate people to join us!"

Zhao Jiushu sighed, with a hint of regret in his tone: "Those are all good lands. In the past..."

In the past, these fields were fertile land that people fought for, but now they are abandoned and no one cares about them.

"I heard that many people went to Qindao last winter." Someone in the crowd suddenly spoke.

Hearing him say this, Yan Sanqin nodded and said, "Now that you mention it, I remember. During the Chinese New Year this year, all the masters in the town disappeared, and there was no festive atmosphere at all."

Ducks know first when the river water warms in spring. Before the drought came, those who had connections had already fled, leaving them, the helpless people, watching the drought and locust plague sweeping in.

"Qin Island?" Shi Fei repeated in a low voice. The figures of A Ruo and the other two, as well as clues about Jiletian, appeared in his mind.

Everything seemed to point to Qindao.

He said to Yan Sanqin: "Several of my friends are missing. It seems they went to Qindao. I still have some grudges to settle in Qindao. I need to go there."

"How long will you be gone, benefactor?" Yan Sanqin asked.

"At most half a month, at least five or six days." Shi Fei replied, "Before I leave, let me tell you what I saw and heard along the way."

Then, Shi Fei recounted his experiences from the south to the north and analyzed the current situation of each class. Everyone listened attentively, as if they could understand the whole world more clearly all of a sudden.

It turns out that the world is layered and very clear.

After saying this, Shi Fei left the temple and headed westwards towards Qin Island. He walked very fast and soon arrived at Qin Island.

Qindao, located in the southeast of Shandong, is named because it is close to the sea and its shape resembles a guqin.

The closer Shi Fei got to Qin Island, the more he felt that this place was out of place with other places.

First of all, it was the climate. Shandong had been suffering from a long drought, and although the stone flying caused a rain, dead grass, dead trees, and grass roots that had been eaten by locusts could still be seen along the way.

Qindao seemed to be in another world. There was no locust plague and the air was filled with a moist scent, as if even the wind carried the salty taste of sea water.

The second factor was popularity. There was no one living in other places for hundreds of miles, and the people you saw occasionally were either corpses that had starved to death or prisoners being escorted by government runners.

Qindao was still bustling with people, and the streets were bustling as if it had never experienced a disaster. The hawkers' cries, the children's laughter, and even the music of street performers intertwined into a prosperous picture.

Finally, there are many foreigners here.

There were not just a lot of people, but surprisingly many people. Germans, French, British, Spanish, Dutch, etc. They were dressed in strange clothes, spoke strange languages, and walked through the streets.

What shocked Shi Fei even more was that what they were driving was not an ordinary car, but a giant steel horse that was emitting steam!
These giant iron horses were two or three meters tall, their hooves made dull sounds as they stepped on the ground, and white steam gushed out from behind their buttocks, like monsters that had walked out of some strange dream. Guns and spears were hung on the horses, making them look both majestic and chilling.

On both sides of Qindao's streets, towering steam pipes coiled like giant snakes, and gear devices slowly turned amid the roar of machinery, as if the entire city was dominated by machinery and steam.

The air was filled with a strong smell of coal smoke and engine oil, and occasionally a low whistle could be heard from afar, like the roar of some giant beast.

The architectural style here is completely different from traditional Chinese architecture. The pointed bell tower reaches into the sky, the iron bridge spans the river, and the windows inlaid with colored glass reflect colorful light in the sun, revealing an exotic style.

On the street, steam-driven mechanical carriages slowly passed by, their wheels rolling over the cobblestones, making dull sounds. The roadside vendors were selling strange mechanical parts, copper pipes, gears, and steam valves filled the stalls, as if the whole city was serving some huge mechanical device.

The strong steampunk style and huge sense of absurdity made Shi Fei marvel.

Where the hell did this come from for me!
Although both are coastal cities, Qindao and Yucheng are completely different.

Some traces of tradition can still be seen on the streets of Yucheng, but this place seems to have been completely transformed by some external force and turned into a paradise of machinery and steam.

The locals of Qindao seemed to be used to all this. They hurried through the streets, their faces full of fatigue and numbness, just busy with their livelihoods. In this respect, they were no different from people in other places. No matter what era, people who are busy with their livelihoods are the same.

Shi Fei looked across the street to the sea in the distance. Thick black smoke was rising from several islands, and the air was filled with a lingering, greasy smell, as if some indescribable existence was secretly watching.

All of this indicates that behind Qin Island, the shadow of the Old Ones is still manipulating it.

Especially in Qin Island, two unconcealed auras loudly announced their existence.

One is Cthulhu and the other is Hastur.

In addition, there are several unfamiliar auras of the Old Ones floating in this island city.

Among them is... the breath of Igolonak!
Finally found traces of A Ruo and the others here!
Shi Fei followed the Igolonak aura and headed for a place. The sound of the steam whistle and the white mist of the steam along the way made him feel as if he was not in Shandong!
On the street, he saw many people gathered in front of a rice shop run by foreigners, protesting angrily against the foreigners hoarding food and driving up food prices. Their faces were full of despair and anger, and the slogans in their hands trembled in the wind.

Not far away, there was a long queue in front of the church. People were in ragged clothes and had empty eyes, just to get a bite of life-saving food.

In the luxurious restaurant on the corner, foreigners and wealthy businessmen were enjoying delicacies from land and sea. The aroma of red wine and steak wafted out of the window, forming a sharp contrast with the hunger on the street.

On the side of the road, a skinny refugee huddled in the corner, having fainted from hunger. He was just waiting to die.

Shi Fei saw scene after scene of human tragedy.

He knew it was correct. This was Shandong, the land of China in the late Qing Dynasty!

(End of this chapter)