Chapter 3000: Meeting by Fate
Bai Shan and the others are smart, and the people in charge are not stupid either, okay? Besides, if you know whether you have the goods or not, you can find out by asking a few more questions. You can also find out what kind of cloth you want to ship, where it is produced, where it is going, how many people are needed, and whether there are any time requirements...
After hearing what Bai Shan said, even though what he said sounded true, Manager Yu felt that they were not really going to transport the goods.
Moreover, compared to their company's ship, this group of people was obviously more interested in the ferry terminal. Manager Yu felt that they did not seem to be looking for a ship to transport goods, but rather wanted to get involved in the merchant ship business and compete with their company for business.
So he was enthusiastic at the beginning, but became much colder as the conversation progressed.
Bai Shan sighed in his heart. His words were insincere, but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, they had no real business experience, so he couldn't fool anyone. It was impossible for him to really get a batch of cloth to travel to Jiangnan.
Since there was no more information to be found out, Bai Shan generously paid for the meal and did not let Manager Yu pay, intending to express his apology.
But in the eyes of Manager Yu, this made Bai Shan and the others seem to have bad intentions.
Manager Yu wanted to slap himself, feeling that he had just met a colleague who was about to enter the industry, who would tell him to be more talkative and to move faster.
So he didn't want to sit down anymore, so he stood up and said, "Mr. Bai, I have something else to do at my business, so I'll take my leave today. If you're interested in using our business, just come to me at my business. I'll give you a discount no matter what goods you're shipping."
Bai Shan agreed with a smile and didn't want to sit in the restaurant any longer. They came here during the break to spy on the enemy, oh no, to find out the details, so they didn't have much time and had to go back tomorrow.
He planned to send Manager Yu off and then go to the dock to chat with someone, even the laborers. Although they could only know some details, a glimpse of the whole picture could reveal the whole picture. He hadn't found a master craftsman who could build a ferry yet, but he could first ask how the ferry was built in Laizhou in the past. If he could find those craftsmen and their descendants...
Bai Shan started calculating with his abacus, then stood up and prepared to send Manager Yu away.
Zhou Man and the others also tried to comfort their hearts that were hurt by the mask and stood up as well.
Just as they reached the second floor, there were also a few people on the second floor who were about to go down. When they saw someone coming down from the third floor, they stepped aside to make way. Bai Shan turned his head to take a look, and when their eyes met, they were both stunned.
Cheng Jiulang was a little hesitant to recognize him, but when he looked into Bai Shan's eyes and saw the surprise in his eyes, he knew he was not wrong.
He quickly bowed, but Bai Shan had already smiled and said, "It's Brother Cheng. What a coincidence! Are you still in Laizhou, or have you returned from Jiangnan?"
Cheng Jiulang glanced at Manager Yu standing beside him, and a sudden inspiration struck him. He smiled and said, "I just came back from Jiangnan. I didn't expect to run into Master Bai here."
Manager Yu recognized Cheng Jiulang. The Cheng family also had a merchant ship here, but it was not big and there was only one ship. Sometimes when they could not load all the goods, they would look for ships from other merchants at the dock. Anyway, most people would go south or north together, which was safer.
He looked at Bai Shan with suspicion. Could it be that he had miscalculated and that he was really here to do business instead of stealing business?
He paused, but Bai Shan had already seen him off, so he could only go downstairs. Before leaving, he reiterated, "Mr. Bai, our Yu family has three ships in total and over ten years of shipping experience. It's much safer than other businesses. If you've made up your mind, you can come to me with your goods. I'll ask the owner to give you a better deal."
As for the original price and how much cheaper it is, we will talk about it when the time comes.
Bai Shan agreed with a smile. After seeing Manager Yu off, he turned and went upstairs and ordered another table of food and wine with Cheng Jiulang.
Zhou Man and Bai Erlang secretly touched their stomachs and felt that they could not eat anymore. If they ate any more, they would feel bloated, which would be bad for their stomachs, so they could only look at the food on the table and sigh.
Cheng Jiulang hadn't expected to meet Bai Shan, so he bowed again as soon as he entered the private room, "Cheng greets County Magistrate Bai..."
"Quickly, no need to be polite," Bai Shan said with a smile, "We are colleagues, why are you being so polite, Brother Cheng Jiu?"
Cheng Jiulang bowed again and said, "I was unaware of Lord Bai's identity when I was traveling with him that day, and I apologize for my negligence. I beg your forgiveness."
"How can you say that? We had a great chat that day, so how could you be so indifferent?" After the pleasantries were over, Bai Shan introduced Bai Erlang and the princess, "This is Cheng Jiulang, a friend we met on the way to take office."
He then introduced Cheng Jiulang, "This is my junior fellow apprentice, also a clan member. He is the second oldest in the family, and this is the Second Madam."
Cheng Jiulang immediately saluted, "Second Master Bai, Second Madam."
At this time, Cheng Jiulang was very naive and did not notice anything wrong.
Both parties then sat down. Cheng Jiulang knew Bai Shan's identity and naturally knew that he could not have come to move goods. But when he saw that he was not accompanied by any officials from Laizhou, he knew that he came in disguise, which was a bit tricky.
Even though Beihai County and Ye County are adjacent to each other, a chief official like the county magistrate would generally not come to the neighboring county unless invited.
"Master Bai, are you in Ye County on business?"
Bai Shan smiled and didn't say whether he came here on business or for personal reasons. He just said, "I came to see the Laizhou Ferry."
He looked out the window at the dock. "I've heard of the Laizhou Ferry before, but I've never been there. Now that I see it, it's as prosperous as its reputation says."
Cheng Jiulang said, "As for ferry ports, Yangzhou and Hangzhou are more prosperous. Although Laizhou Wharf is smaller, it can still accommodate many ships."
"Are there any boats that cannot enter the ferry and must stay outside?"
"This is a common occurrence," Cheng Jiulang said, "especially since Your Majesty conquered Liaodong last year. Many ships are heading there, and the number of ships coming from Silla and Baekje is also increasing. The ferry can't accommodate so many ships at once, so everyone has to queue up."
Bai Shan's eyes flickered slightly, "How long will it take at most?"
Cheng Jiulang smiled and said, "It won't take long. At most, one night and half a day. If we can't get to the ferry and land, the boat can still go up to Qingzhou."
Bai Shan also knew that there was a ferry in Qingzhou, so he asked, "Then why not go to Qingzhou?"
"The ferry crossing in Qingzhou is smaller, difficult to anchor, and there's a large army stationed there, so merchants and travelers don't like to go there."
Bai Shan understood that with the large army present, there might be more filial piety and the like, making things even more complicated.
Bai Shan was asking about the ferry. What Cheng Jiulang knew was basically not a secret. Most of the businesses here knew about it, so he answered very straightforwardly. He answered whatever Bai Shan asked, and if he didn't know something, he just said he didn't know.
Bai Shan was overjoyed and asked, "Brother Cheng Jiu, do you know who drew the blueprint for the Laizhou Ferry?"
Cheng Jiulang was stunned for a moment and then shook his head. "I don't know. It should be the Ministry of Industry. Even the adults don't know, so I don't know either."
See you tomorrow
(End of this chapter)
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