SEC Chapter 376 I am Chinese, I am really Chinese!
Chapter 376 I am Chinese, I am really Chinese!
The "Sanbaotang" was originally established to unite the Chinese in Siam. After its pilot implementation, it became unexpectedly popular. The people spread the word by word of mouth, and in less than a month it took root in several Chinese communities, with an exceptionally enthusiastic response.
Zhang Chi made a decision on the spot after hearing the report:
"Spread it out! Set up points throughout the territory from north to south. Wherever my Anmin Army controls, there must be a Sanbaotang."
As a result, Sanbaotang sprang up like mushrooms throughout Bago. Branches, sub-branches and contact points were all established vigorously. Within half a month, it had reached the point where "where there is a market, there is a stall; where there are Chinese, there is a hall."
Although it is called a hall, it is actually more like an extension of a complete quasi-administrative system, like a charity relief society and an agricultural cooperative. To put it more deeply, it is the "Chinese Ministry of the Interior" in Southeast Asia.
Of course, the large-scale expansion of Sanbaotang requires a huge amount of human resources, so many Sanbaotang are simply adapted from the original folk organizations in various places.
Zhang Chi’s current nominal identity is still the “Commander-in-Chief of the Security Army”, and the highest official organization in the Pegu region is still the organization called the “Pegu Anti-Japanese Committee”.
This "committee," to put it bluntly, was a facade, a facade for the White Eagles. Crowded with over thirty representatives of various ethnic groups, their daily tasks consisted of two things: holding meetings and finding someone to remind them beforehand.
They get together every week, take turns speaking, taking photos, and signing autographs. It looks democratic and harmonious, with all ethnic groups enjoying themselves.
As for real power? Zhang Chi had already firmly grasped the military, political, and financial spheres.
Except for the Saka people, who have the largest population, the other smaller natives have long been subdued by Zhang Chi.
The tactics employed were both iron fists and sweet talk. In short, nearly all the firearms the natives possessed had been confiscated. Those who refused to show respect were either forced to work on road construction or thrown directly into the river to feed the crocodiles. The native chiefs, left with only their swords and spears, wore mournful expressions, yet dared not utter a single word.
Now that the situation of fighting against the Japanese in Southeast Asia is clear, who would dare to flirt with the "locust army"?
Zhang Chi even secretly hoped that some ignorant tribe would jump out and "collaborate with the enemy", which would give him the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and strike hard to wipe out the whole tribe.
Naturally, the native leaders dared not speak out and could only lie in wait for the right opportunity to "explode" with Zhang Chi.
However, the emergence of Sanbaotang caused a strange phenomenon. The upper class of the natives might still want to compete with Zhang Chi, but the lower class simply knelt down in submission to the various benefits provided by Sanbaotang to the Chinese.
Cheap seeds, cheap medicine, low-interest loans, medical treatment for patients, schooling for children, canteen subsidies... all these good things, like good things falling from the sky, make the local people who are so poor that they can't even afford shoes, willingly come to "return to their roots."
That morning, Jin Shitou, who changed his name to Jin Sanchen at the suggestion of Administrator Zheng, came to the town to do some business.
Just after passing the market entrance, I suddenly heard a lot of noise up ahead, and saw a long queue in front of the Sanbaotang office. It was a sea of black and noisy, like a market.
Jin Sanchen was curious and went forward to take a look. He saw a dark-skinned young man kneeling at the door at the front of the crowd, his hands raised to the sky, a pious look on his face.
"I'm Chinese, I really am Chinese! My maternal ancestors are from Meizhou! My mother's last name is Ye, and the Ye family is a big family in Meizhou!"
The young man spoke in unstandard Chinese with a funny accent, and his face was a mixture of tears and snot.
Jin Sanchen shook his head and thought: Here comes another person who wants to "return to his roots".
Sanbaotang provides low-interest loans specifically for Chinese people. If you are short of money for doing business or going to the city to see a doctor, you can come here with your household registration book to borrow some money. It's not much, but it's enough for poor people.
The young man continued to shout, "She even taught me to sing Wuhua Tea Picking Opera! If you don't believe me, I'll sing a part for you!"
After that, she actually started to sing, using a thick Hakka dialect, shouting at the top of her voice: "My sister takes a boat out to Yangshan, the mountains are high, the waves are broad, and the road is long——"
The voice was so shrill and loud that it amused the crowd.
A waiter from San Bao Tang poked his head out, cleaning his ears and shouting, "You can sing, but don't scare our door gods away! If you're truly Chinese, take out your household registration and get in line. San Bao Tang only recognizes your ID, not your face."
After saying this, he clasped his fists and shouted to the crowd, "If you have a household registration book that says you're Chinese, just wait in line. San Bao Tang was established for us Chinese. If you have any difficulties, we'll do our best to help! If you don't have any, please feel free to sing your heart out and don't block the way!"
The dark-skinned young man took out a small red-covered notebook with a look of joy, held it high and shouted, "I have it, I have it!"
Jin Sanchen was also amused. Not to mention, this mixed-race native spoke fluent Hakka when he sang opera. If he was willing to identify himself as Chinese, the civil affairs department might actually approve his identity as a "returned overseas Chinese", and he would have no problem making a living.
This household registration booklet is actually the "Nationality Registration Certificate" that Zhang Chi imitated in later generations.
As long as they can register, be included in the list, and have an identity, no matter where they come from, as long as they recognize their ancestors, have a Chinese name, and recite a few passages of the Three Character Classic, they are their own "people".
In fact, with just this one trick of household registration, Zhang Chi beat all the native chiefs, headmen, sultans and datos in his territory into a state of confusion.
Their power comes from their complete control over the poor natives under them. Who feeds when they open their mouths and who marries when they raise their hands all depends on their mood.
Now with the emergence of Sanbaotang, those poor natives who want to enjoy the benefits of Sanbaotang must first register their identity, obtain a household registration book, and then find ways to obtain a Chinese identity.
Without these "hidden households" that are under their absolute control and without the exclusive identity, what else can these leaders use to fight Zhang Chi?
It was nothing more than spending some money, and the power base in the hands of these native leaders was directly dissolved by Zhang Chi bit by bit.
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The town hall is still the same: a few brick-and-stone two-story buildings painted white on the outside, with a red-painted sign on the door that reads "National Security Army Resettlement Management Affairs Bureau, Mandalay North District 7 Branch."
After waiting in line for a while, Jin Sanchen met Administrator Zheng, who was wearing a washed-out khaki shirt. The latter was sitting behind a desk with a large transparent glass covering the wooden table. He was holding an ink pad in his hand.
"I'm stamping someone's household registration! Sanchen, what can I do for you?"
"Brother Zheng, I'm here to ask about my child's schooling." Jin Sanchen rubbed his hands, a little embarrassed. "School is about to start, and my nephew is already eleven. If he doesn't go to junior high school at this age, I'm afraid he'll have a hard time getting along in the city. But I found out that the tuition for junior high school is - oh, it's really not something that ordinary people like us can afford."