Chapter 545: Orphans
Projects like the Kwei River Arch Dam were not uncommon in East Africa. There were many large and small-scale initiatives—some progressed quickly, while others had heavier workloads and longer construction periods.
In fact, East Africa didn't have that many so-called large-scale projects. Rather, it was a collection of countless smaller ones that together formed the big picture. Take rivers, for instance—many of East Africa's major rivers had yet to be developed. Such undertakings required deep expertise in astronomy and geography, which East Africa sorely lacked.
Without professionals overseeing the work, serious problems could arise. A miscalculation or substandard construction on a reservoir, for example, could cause catastrophic dam failure. That's why East Africa mostly built small to medium reservoirs—any resulting losses would be manageable and easily corrected.
...
Hengshui.
Yang Family Village.
"Fugui, I'm entrusting these kids to you. They're all orphans from the village, poor souls. You must take good care of them!"
"Don't worry, Uncle Dayang! You know me—I've always been a straight-shooter," Yang Fugui said cheerfully to his great-uncle.
"Heh, a straight-shooter. If you were really so honest, you wouldn't have run off to that East Africa place. I've heard it's a land ruled by foreigners. Look at you—your queue is gone. Lucky you're working for them, or you'd have lost your head already."
"Uncle Dayang, that's not fair. What 'foreigners' land'? I'm a full-fledged citizen of the East African Kingdom. You know what that means? I'm part of the country—just like you're a subject of the Qing Empire."
"All the same, all the same. Just trying to make a living somewhere else. What's the big deal? Still ruled by foreign lords."
"That's where you're wrong. We Germans hold a high status overseas. In the Qing Empire, when people see me dressed like this, they treat me with great respect. If you weren't my great-uncle, who'd dare talk down to me like this?"
Yang Fugui was the classic "small man who got ahead." In East Africa, this didn't show much—everyone was an immigrant and equal under the nobility. But in the Far East, it showed clearly.
Although East Africa did have nobility, Ernst strictly limited their number—only a few hundred titles existed, mostly honorary. But the social prestige that came with noble status was considerable. Most East African nobles came from the military or the Hechingen consortium, or had made significant contributions to the state. Counts like Armand, Felix, and Sivit were military men. Scientists and inventors like Benz, Lenoir, and the Mauser brothers also held noble titles.
Aside from these newly granted noble titles, there were also traditional aristocrats. The Principality of Hechingen had once been a sovereign state, and besides Ernst and his father, some nobles had served the Hechingen royal family. These titles were recognized in both East Africa and Germany—making them more prestigious at the same rank.
Of course, those who had achieved nothing weren't rewarded. Many of the old Hechingen nobles who stayed loyal were mediocre and unwilling to endure the hardships of Africa, preferring to idle away in Germany.
Technically, East Africa's legal code declared everyone equal. It didn't distinguish between noble and commoner—but the existence of nobility made the reality clear.
"Let's not talk about that. I need to ask—what arrangements has your East African Kingdom made for these kids? It's not some horror story where they'll be dissected, is it?"
Uncle Dayang's words made the nearby seven- and eight-year-old children shiver.
"Don't listen to that nonsense, Uncle. I've told you before—East Africa is a paradise. Our king is kind and generous. That's why he's giving these children a chance to be educated."
"Heh, as if I'd believe that. All governments are the same. Why would a foreign king go out of his way to take care of outsiders? Sounds too good to be true."
"You're just too stubborn. If you'd listened to me back then and sent the villagers to East Africa, they'd be living like royalty now. Look at me—eating and dressing well, every day feels like a holiday."
"Sigh, now that you mention it—weren't you recruiting folks before? Why have you stopped and started taking in orphans?"
Yang Fugui laughed: "Heh, Uncle—it's too late now. East Africa has raised its recruitment standards. I've heard most of the immigrant transport ships have already been reassigned."
Immigration was one of East Africa's biggest expenses. After exhausting the population potential of German-speaking areas, they relaxed recruitment from other regions. Many of the immigration vessels were now being used for East African commercial interests.
"By the way, you haven't said how these kids will be arranged. And what do you mean by 'education'?"
"I'm not too sure about the details. You know I'm not well-educated. I can speak German, but I can't write it—still illiterate in East Africa. But the higher-ups say the kids will be sent to school there, so they can study and one day serve East Africa."
Previously, East Africa hadn't taken in orphans from the Far East—and rightly so. It had been too poor and needed strong young laborers to develop the land. After all, East Africa wasn't a daycare center—it was a colony.
Now that population had increased and land was well-developed, the government's fiscal revenue had also improved. With immigration demand falling, it could now afford to care for orphans.
There weren't that many orphans in Germany, and Hechingen's schools couldn't accommodate them all. But the Far East, in this era, had countless abandoned children.
"School?" That was beyond Uncle Dayang's understanding.
"You could think of it like a private academy—like the ones for prepping kids for civil exams."
"What, East Africa wants these kids to become officials?"
"That's a stretch. Schools are common in East Africa. All children can attend. My three kids go to school."
"What's the benefit? You can't even take the imperial exams."
"I don't know. But studying's never a bad thing, right? And in East Africa, school is mandatory. If you don't send your kids, you can be jailed."
"That's basically forcing kids into school."
"True. But according to my European coworkers, it's the same back home—they call it compulsory education. Every kid must attend school, or the parents get fined or jailed. East Africa skips the fine—straight to jail if you don't comply."
Yang Fugui didn't know how useful education really was. In East Africa, it didn't seem to make a big difference. But in foreign lands, literacy could open doors. As an East African citizen, when he said "abroad," he meant any country outside East Africa—including the Far Eastern Empire.
"In any case, don't worry, Uncle. Even if life in East Africa isn't perfect, it's still better than here."
"Sigh, you're probably right. Our village doesn't have the means to raise them anyway. Let them follow you—they might just find a new path."
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