plumnovel Chapter 9 Providence
Chapter 9 Providence
The following morning, Pastor Jensen introduced Chen Wenbin to a lot of Freemasonry history and common knowledge, as well as some famous people from various North American chapters (for example, the famous Captain George Washington appeared as expected), and analyzed the current situation of the textile industry in Britain and North America.
In short, it all boils down to one thing: work hard! Don't be afraid! The organization has your back, and success is within your reach!
But Chen Wenbin was no three-year-old. The importance Britain placed on the textile industry and the Freemasons lurking in the upper echelons of Europe and America made him feel deeply uneasy.
Pastor Jensen wants him to develop a new type of spinning machine, so he brought him into Freemasonry. But what if he becomes useless to them?
Staging an accident to kill yourself, then taking over the textile factory—isn't that a piece of cake?
As for how Britain and the North American colonies would compete for the textile industry in the future, what does that have to do with a dead man like him?
Even if we consider his medical knowledge and various inventions, and these guys didn't kill him, being controlled by others and increasing productivity too much for Britain and later the United States was not something he wanted to see.
If Britain had developed ironclad warships and heavy machine guns seventy or eighty years earlier and conquered the Qing Dynasty like it conquered India, its crimes would probably be greater than those of ten Wu Sanguis combined!
Even though Chen Wenbin had always hypnotized himself with optimism, he couldn't help but feel a little scared at this moment.
But since things have come to this, we can only take it one step at a time...
……
Around noon, Chen Wenbin, Reverend Jason, Andrew David, and several others returned to the Jenna and continued their journey north, arriving in Providence, the capital of the Rhode Island colony, in the evening.
This port settlement, founded in 1636, is located on the west side of Narragansett Bay and has a population of nearly 30,000, making it one of the oldest and most important cities in New England.
Of course, in Chen Wenbin's opinion, this place was nothing special. There were large tracts of wasteland around the city, and further away was a primeval forest. It looked like a European-style resort town around a forest park, with beautiful scenery and good air quality...
"...Finally back!"
On the deck of the Chenna, Reverend Jason, seeing the familiar dock, happily introduced it to Chen Wenbin:
"Robin, this is Providence! Half the population of the Rhode Island colony lives here!"
"There will definitely be no shortage of workers if the factory is built here, and there are several rivers flowing through the area, so the water-powered textile machine you mentioned can be placed by the river..."
"Okay, I'll go check out the factory location tomorrow!" Chen Wenbin withdrew his gaze and perked up, saying, "As long as we have a few skilled carpenters and blacksmiths, the spinning machine can be manufactured quickly. I think we should send someone to Virginia and Maryland in the south to contact cotton suppliers in advance, so as not to run out of raw materials."
Furthermore, since the UK places great importance on the textile industry, I think the factory's products cannot be simple cotton yarn. It would be best to weave them directly into cotton fabric and sell them at low prices in Rhode Island and New England for the time being, and then decide on a course of action based on the reaction in the UK. In any case, we must at least earn our first pot of gold this year!
As for how many new shareholders to recruit, that's your responsibility, Pastor!
The principle is to prioritize those who can prevent trouble for the factory; only those with money come second…
Pastor Jason listened attentively and nodded, saying, "I will have the church allocate funds to the factory as soon as possible, and the carpenter and blacksmith will be in place tomorrow... Robin, you can stay at my house for the next few days!"
My daughter Lily got married last year, and we have a spare room at home. Anna can also prepare your daily meals.
Chen Wenbin thought for a moment, then shook his head and refused, saying, "I'm sorry, I've already promised David I'd stay at his house temporarily. Andrew and Jackson's houses are also nearby. There's a lot to do in preparing the factory, and they can help me with errands."
"Oh, okay then!"
Pastor Jason said with some regret, "My wife has passed away, and I only have two children. David's mother, Mrs. Klein, is a very good cook, so it would be more convenient for her to stay at David's house."
After the Chenna lowered its sails and docked, the sailors on board began working and unloading cargo. Captain George, Chen Wenbin, Pastor Jason, and David disembarked and took a Baptist church carriage straight to the city hall.
Captain George was going there to meet with his boss, Congressman Aaron Lopez, to ask for money, while Chen Wenbin and the pastor were going to visit Rhode Island Colony Governor Stephen Hopkins, hoping to persuade him to support the construction of Jenna's Textile Mill.
"...Mr. Hopkins is a respectable gentleman with great prestige in Rhode Island and the North American colonies. This is his fourth term as Governor of Rhode Island. He will support you as long as your cause benefits Rhode Island and the North American colonies!"
Inside the carriage, Reverend Jason was introducing Governor Hopkins to Chen Wenbin. Upon hearing this, Chen asked cryptically, "So, this governor is also a local?"
"The Governor-General advocated for the preservation of the colonies' rights, but aligned himself with Britain on some issues."
Pastor Jensen replied carefully, "However, his views have changed somewhat after the passing of his wife and two sons... In any case, he shouldn't pose any obstacles for us."
Captain George, sitting opposite him, was unaccustomed to riding in a carriage. Overhearing their conversation, he couldn't help but interject, "The Governor's son died fighting for England and France, but the nobles of London haven't given him the honor he deserved... If I were the Governor, I wouldn't be so loyal to the King either!"
"cough!"
Reverend Jason coughed, ending the conversation, and reminded Chen Wenbin across from him, "Robin, pay attention to the etiquette I taught you. Although the governor did not receive a formal education, he is not lacking in knowledge and values etiquette. As long as you behave properly, there will be no problem."
"I understand!" Chen Wenbin replied, thinking to himself that these elites of the North American colonies were too free. They all claimed to love Great Britain, but in reality, they were all traitors. Once Great Britain harmed their interests, they would turn their backs on them in a heartbeat... But this was a good thing for him.
If all the North American gentlemen were as loyal and virtuous as the British, this Easterner would never have been able to run a textile factory.
A dozen minutes later, the carriage passed through Georgian-style streets on the outskirts of the city and arrived at the city center, where Gothic-style buildings stood... The different architectural styles reveal the development history of Providence.
The city center buildings, where the city hall is located, are all towering Gothic buildings from the 17th century, while the surrounding area is dominated by symmetrical and solid Georgian buildings from the 18th century. The suburbs are mostly simple-looking wooden houses.
People in different areas also dress differently. New immigrants in the suburbs dress simply, still retaining styles from various European ethnic groups, while people in the central city are generally dressed much better, at least without patches.
As for the area near the city hall... the men and women were almost all dressed as gentlemen and ladies, and you could tell from their clothes and the servants they were with that they were not short of money.
All of this gave Chen Wenbin the feeling that there was a clear division and a strict hierarchy. This so-called free new continent, like Europe, was by no means a place where everyone was equal.