dognovel Chapter 576: New Year's Flavor and Dacron Fabric
Chapter 576: New Year's Flavor and Dacron Fabric
With the establishment of the United States of Southeast Asia, the influx and gathering of Chinese people naturally brought the concept of Chinese New Year with them. In Pegu, Siam, and the Malay Peninsula, the festive atmosphere of the New Year had already begun to appear.
Therefore, some courageous and creative businessmen took out loans early on to set up small firecracker factories, small printing factories, and small handicraft factories.
We do nothing else but specialize in producing firecrackers, spring couplets, blessing characters, lanterns, etc. that are needed for the Chinese New Year.
For the upper class of the Nanyang United States represented by Zhang Chi, the important festival of the Spring Festival is not only a great opportunity to unite all local Chinese and later immigrant Chinese, but also a good opportunity to assimilate the natives.
Therefore, long before setting off for the Crimean Peninsula, Zhang Chi made detailed arrangements to make this first Spring Festival after the founding of the People's Republic of China the most lively and best Spring Festival in Southeast Asia's history.
After all, cultural invasion is always silent. When all the natives believe that celebrating the Spring Festival is an integral part of their traditional customs, assimilation will naturally be completed.
In early February, in Bianzhou City (formerly Mandalay), the capital of Pegu State in the Southeast Asian States.
At the end of the twelfth lunar month, the air is already filled with the strong smell of the New Year.
This is the first Spring Festival after the founding of the United Southeast Asian States, which is of great significance.
For Jin Sanchen and his newlywed wife Xiuying, this is the first New Year in their lives away from their hometown, but it is also the first New Year full of infinite hope.
"Brother Sanchen, look! Look over there!" Xiuying held her husband's arm tightly, pointing forward, her voice full of surprise and excitement.
Jin Sanchen looked in the direction his wife pointed, and his eyes widened involuntarily.
The main road in front of us, named "Nanyang Avenue", is wide enough to accommodate several large trucks running side by side.
The smooth asphalt road gleamed in the blazing sun.
On both sides of the road, there are brand new buildings rising from the ground. Most of them are three or four stories high, and the ground floors are all spacious and bright shops.
The huge glass window displays a dazzling array of goods.
Department stores, Nanyang National Products Emporium, Friendship Store (specializing in imported goods), cloth shops, shoe and hat shops, hardware stores, bookstores... are lined up one after another.
The most eye-catching thing is the "Xingzhou Department Store Bianzhou Store" building with a huge neon sign. It is very magnificent, with a constant stream of people coming in and out of the door. In Jin Sanchen's opinion, it is ten or even a hundred times more lively than the common fairs in the countryside.
This is Bianzhou City, this is what the newspapers call the "New Nanyang".
Jin Sanchen felt his heart beating faster and an indescribable sense of pride arose spontaneously.
More than a year ago, he was a refugee struggling on the brink of death in the Yellow River flood area of Henan Province. He could not even imagine in his dreams that he could stand on the streets of such a prosperous city with a caring wife by his side.
"Come on, wife, let's go in and open our eyes!" Jin Sanchen waved his hand proudly and pulled Xiuying towards Xingzhou Department Store.
With the money earned from selling surplus grain and being a production model or model immigrant, he wanted to buy some decent New Year's goods for the family so that his daughter-in-law could have a decent first year after marriage.
As I walked to the door, a burst of loud and festive music floated out from the mall. When I listened carefully, it turned out to be the adapted tune of "Bu Bu Gao" (created by Lü Wencheng in 38, not the one from 97), mixed with cheerful drum beats, full of festive energy.
The two security guards at the door were wearing brand new blue uniforms and big hats. They stood straight with professional smiles on their faces. They did not show any contempt for Jin Sanchen and Xiuying because they were wearing simple homespun clothes.
As soon as I stepped into the mall, a warm breeze mixed with the smell of new fabrics, candies and pastries, and leather hit me in the face.
Jin Sanchen and Xiuying were immediately shocked by the scene before them.
There is a huge fluorescent tube overhead, and the bright light makes the entire hall as bright as day.
Rows of neatly arranged shelves look like soldiers waiting for inspection.
The goods are classified and placed neatly and fully.
The salesperson, wearing a uniform light blue work suit and a "Sing Chew Department Store" badge, stood behind the counter. His attitude was neither flattering nor cold, and he answered every question.
The first floor is dedicated to food and daily necessities. Bags of refined rice and flour from Southeast Asia are piled high like mountains; glass jars are filled with golden cane sugar and snow-white refined salt; and huge wooden barrels are filled with the rich aroma of palm oil and coconut oil, a specialty of Southeast Asia.
On the counter, there are all kinds of colorful candies, biscuits, canned goods, milk powder... which make people drool.
In the most conspicuous position, there are boxes of pastry gift boxes with the words "Special Offer to Commemorate the Founding of the United States of Nanyang" printed on them. The packaging is exquisite, bright red, and exudes a festive atmosphere.
"Wow, Brother Sanchen, look at that candy. It's even better looking than the one we bought last time." Xiuying pointed at the candy counter, her eyes sparkling.
Jin Sanchen smiled and nodded: "Buy, buy more, give them to dad, sister-in-law, my father-in-law, nephews and nieces to try."
He remembered that when he was a child, he would lick a piece of malt candy for a long time.
Unexpectedly, today, candy has changed from a luxury to a daily necessity. To use the trendy words in the newspapers, this is called the realization of 'candy freedom'!
Nearby, a dark-skinned woman from the Pegu ethnic group, wearing a tube skirt, carefully picked up a tin biscuit jar printed with the Chinese character for "囍" (囍) and a picture of two fish. She curiously flipped through it and asked the salesperson in her broken Chinese, "This...is it for Chinese New Year? Putting rice in it? It looks good!"
The salesperson smiled and explained, "Sister, this is a biscuit jar. It's filled with delicious biscuits. It's festive and delicious to put at home during the Chinese New Year."
The women of the Pegu ethnic group nodded as if they understood, but they still couldn't let go of the bright and festive patterns, obviously attracted by the "New Year atmosphere".
Not far away, several native teenagers wearing sarongs were gathered around a small counter selling firecrackers and children's toys, chattering and discussing with their eyes full of eagerness to try.
Jin Sanchen looked at this scene and felt emotional.
These natives might have been worried about food a few months ago, or had no idea what "New Year" was.
Now, under the propaganda and guidance of the United States of Southeast Asia, they have also begun to learn from the Chinese to buy New Year goods and are infected by this prosperous atmosphere.
The "cultural integration" and "Nanyang family" that President Zhang Chi talked about in the newspaper seem to be happening quietly before our eyes.
They went up to the second floor, which was the clothing and fabric area.
The walls are covered with brightly colored cotton, khaki, corduroy, and even a small amount of rare "Dacron" (polyester).
That's right, as the cutting-edge technology of petrochemical industry in the textile industry, Zhang Chi directly purchased a complete set of production lines for synthetic polyester fiber (polyester) through the system, and through the "Shuguang Project", handed over the production technology of Dacron to Nanhua Group.
At this time, although scientist John had invented synthetic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in 41, laying the chemical foundation for polyester.
However, in the original timeline, it was not until 53 that White Eagle began large-scale industrial production of polyester. Therefore, Nanhua Group can now proudly announce that Dacron fabric (65% polyester + 35% cotton) is a specialty fabric invented in Nanyang.