11
Lu Jian himself was a grain merchant, so he knew the ins and outs of the business. Without some real strength, grain trade wouldn't be possible, not to mention the pirates and pirates on the sea. This kind of business, which wasn't considered "highly profitable," was even more risky.
Yet, this young man chose a long-term business instead of the obvious silver? His courage and insight were truly astonishing.
After a moment's hesitation, Lu Jian smiled and said, "If you bring a few ships to transport rice, won't I lose money?"
"If Mr. Lu only delivers the letter this time, it's naturally not cost-effective. But if you have frequent exchanges, wouldn't it be better to have an extra reliable messenger?" Cheng Xi asked back.
This was a question of cost-effectiveness. He might have taken the liberty of choosing me to deliver the message this time, but what about next time? While the rice price discount was a slight loss, cultivating a business partner was a far greater bargain.
The bigger the business, the stronger the relationship between the two people. Not to mention that this is smuggling trade. Besides transporting grain, can't they transport something else?
Taking a deep look at the incredibly young and handsome young man, Lu Jian smiled and said, "Brother Cheng is so courageous. I'd like to make friends with him. From now on, as long as it's your boat, I'll sell you my rice at a 30% discount. This price is even cheaper than An's boat price."
An's was the largest grain merchant in Hepu, and its fleet's shipping price was the lowest on the market. Even lower than An's, the discounts were imaginable.
Cheng Xi nodded: "Please trouble Master Lu to sign the contract."
This was a formal contract; as long as Lu Jian signed it, it would be valid at the Lu family's shop. He prioritized the contract over his promise, showing a certain businessman's temperament.
With Lu Jian's vision, how could he not see that the guy named Cheng was the one in charge among the two? With such a brain, it should only be a matter of time before he takes control of the fleet.
Lu Jian smiled slightly and started writing without any further ado. Before long, two copies of the contract were completed and placed in front of Cheng Xi.
The handwriting was elegant and graceful, just like the author. The content was also very clear, without any ambiguous traps. After reading it, Cheng Xi said, "I don't know how to use a soft brush. Can I use a goose feather?"
Did he not know how to use a brush, or did he not want to show the brush? Lu Jian's expression remained unchanged, and he only ordered: "Bring me my goose feather pen."
The shopkeeper immediately turned around and left the room. After a while, he came back with a box. When he opened it, he found an elegant quill pen with a gold nib.
I'm afraid it came from some country in the West along the sea route?
Cheng Xi was not polite either. He picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and neatly wrote his name on the two documents, then handed one of them back.
The handwriting was surprisingly good, well-organized and sharp, as if it had been specially practiced.
Lu Jian immediately dismissed the idea that the other party was trying to conceal his handwriting and became curious about the boy's background. Seeing that he had finished writing and wanted to return the pen, Lu Jian smiled slightly and said, "This pen is just a toy to keep with me. It's better to give it to you, my dear brother, so that you can make the most of it."
Cheng Xi didn't care what kind of pen was used to write, but she cared about the other party's intention to make friends, so she didn't refuse. She thanked him and accepted it.
The pen is not a rare thing, but it comes from the West and is much more expensive than ordinary Hu brushes. However, the young man accepted it openly, not because he thought it was cheap, but because he understood its value and his own thoughts.
Such a mentality is truly admirable.
Lu Jian's smile widened, and he personally drew up a grain sales contract and signed it with the other party, agreeing that the shop would deliver the grain to the dock the next day, and the letter and address would also be sent together.
The two sides reached an agreement and the money and goods were settled. Cheng Xi and Lin Meng then stood up and said goodbye.
After everyone walked out of the room, the steward beside them couldn't help but ask, "Master, if we give the letter to those two, will there be any mistakes?"
After all, this is a matter of life and death. These two young men have obviously just gone to sea. If they break their promise, it will cause big trouble.
"It's safer precisely because there's no connection. If he had accepted the money, I might still be worried, but now I don't have to worry." Lu Jian said lightly.
There were too many spies in this private port, but no matter how suspicious they were, they would not suspect a new face coming into the store to buy food. And anyone who could propose a contract must be literate and sensible, and would be more trustworthy than fishermen and vendors.
But this person is smarter and calmer than he imagined, and will not be confused by external things. He is a person worth making friends with.
"What if their ship is targeted?" The manager was still worried and asked another question.
"Is there any ship leaving Hepu that hasn't been targeted?" Lu Jian asked. "Anyone who dares to venture out to sea at this time must have some support. If the letter really can't be delivered, we can make other plans."
All he needed was to send the message as quickly as possible; even a reply was not important. The reason he asked for a reply in two months was just to add an extra layer of security.
Thinking of the young man's sharp black eyes, Lu Jian vaguely felt that he should not be as weak as others thought, and maybe he could see him again within two months.
He doesn't have many chips to use now. If this young man can really break through the siege, come back safely, and bring a few more grain ships, he will have to put in more effort.
There were plenty of ruthless, ruthless, and unscrupulous "heroes" on the sea, but few were willing to keep their promises. If possible, he hoped this kid could be used by him.
Lin Meng was still a little dizzy after walking a long way out of the grain store. "Is it settled? We'll all get 30% off on rice from now on?"
Cheng Xi's expression remained unchanged: "This matter will only be profitable if we can persuade the Sun and Li families."
Grain trade requires scale, and the carrying capacity of one ship is far from enough.
"That's hard to say! The rice price is 30% off. If we ship it to Panyu, we can make double the profit. If we sell it ourselves, we can probably make even more!" Lin Meng's eyes lit up. "Wait, then they will take all the benefits, right?"
"Without these two companies, our ship can't get here." Cheng Xi didn't care about profit sharing. In fact, she was thinking about issues that were more important than profit.
After thinking for a moment, Cheng Xi reminded him again: "The matter of delivering the letter must be kept secret for the time being, and no one else can know about it."
Lin Meng was stunned: "Can't Uncle Sun and the others tell us? It doesn't seem right to hide it."
The two families have to go together on the return trip, and I would feel a little guilty if I didn't mention it.
"The Lu family is a local tycoon, so why would they need someone to deliver the letter? They chose newcomers like us, so there must be something hidden. The fewer people who know about this, the better. We should at least leave Hepu first." Cheng Xi could see clearly that this Mr. Lu was not as harmless as he appeared. Therefore, it was better to keep a low profile before sending the letter.
Lin Meng nodded vigorously. My benefactor is smart and capable, and can also write and count. Just be obedient!
"What? You actually bought a whole boatload of rice?!"
Li Niu was shocked when he heard the news. "Don't you know the price of rice in Panyu? How much can you make by shipping it back from Hepu? If you don't have enough capital, you can also choose popular goods like raw lacquer and dried fruits."
Aren't these guys from Linjia Village too unreliable? They had no money when they came here, so they only transported a boatload of salted fish, and now they have to transport rice back. Are they afraid that they won't lose enough money?
Are we risking our lives to go to sea just for that little bit of profit?
Lin Meng was displeased when he heard this and snorted, "Who said we were going to Panyu to sell rice? We're planning to take this rice home and sell it. Right now, it's a lean season, and the price of rice is high!"
The autumn harvest is still more than a month away, and rice prices are indeed at their highest. Only the rice of Jiaozhi, which can be harvested three times a year, can create a time difference.
Li Niu was also a smart man and immediately realized: "If we can sell it nearby, it would be a good deal, but it would take up too much space, and a ship can only carry a limited amount of goods."
This is also the biggest problem in transporting grain. The grain is too heavy and a small sloop like theirs can't carry much.
Real sea-borne grain transport ships are huge ships that can transport thousands of tons of cargo, which are not comparable to them.
Cheng Xi said, "The store owner has already agreed. As long as we can return before the autumn harvest, we can sell the grain at a 30% discount."
Li Niu was surprised: "Really?!"
30% off! If you can really catch up, it's really profitable. And if you sell it locally, you can set the price yourself, without having to ship it to Panyu and let others take advantage of you.
He was still pondering when Sun Erlang spoke up: "If the wind is favorable, the round trip will take less than a month. This is feasible."
The wind direction is best now, so running one more round trip is no big deal.
Seeing Sun Erlang agree so quickly, Li Niu hesitated. "That's true, but it's not certain whether the grain will sell well. We've never done this kind of business before, and if the warehouse is full, the ship won't sail fast. If we run into pirates, we'll be in trouble."
Lin Meng quickly said, "We've already brought a boat back, haven't we? We can take a look at the situation then!"
They were about to argue again, but Cheng Xi raised his hand to stop them: "There's no rush, let's go back first."
This sentence calmed the three captains down. Yes, whether they could make another fortune or not, they had to get through this level first.
With this in mind, everyone worked even harder and quickly sorted out the goods. Li Niu and Sun Er began to rush the loading process, and Cheng Xi also asked Lin Meng to use the remaining money to exchange for some pepper.
This is the most popular product in Southeast Asia. One catty costs eight taels. Once it reaches Panyu, it can easily sell for twelve or thirteen taels. Although the profit is not doubled, the price-performance ratio is quite good, and it is light and does not take up much space.
But the capital was too limited, so in the end I only bought five kilograms, carefully packed it into a box, and placed it in Cheng Xi's room.
The next day, Lu transported the rice to the dock as agreed, and secretly gave Cheng Xi a small box sealed with mud and wax.
This was naturally the letter she was going to deliver. Cheng Xi was not interested in the contents of the box. She only asked where to send the letter and then put the box away.
By the afternoon, the three ships were ready, stocked with clean water and food, and set sail together.
Standing at the bow, Lin Meng was a little nervous: "Will we really encounter thieves on the way back?"
Before setting sail, Cheng Xi had already told everyone that the risk of the return journey was greater than the coming journey, and that the formation had to be rearranged based on the load capacity and combat power of the three ships.
This made the three captains a little anxious. After all, they were carrying not only the goods they had brought with them, but also new goods bought with all their profits.
If we get robbed, all our efforts will be in vain.
"We encountered pirates on the way here, and our ship may have been targeted. Besides, the situation in Hepu is unstable now, so the risk is naturally greater." Cheng Xi didn't say anything definite, but looking at the attitude of Mr. Lu, he knew that the return journey would not be peaceful.
It is even more important to prepare early and not let your guard down just because the profits are huge.
Hearing this, Lin Meng became even more nervous. Fortunately, with Cheng Xi's support, and Sun Erlang and Li Niu being experienced captains, the three boats were able to maintain their formation and move forward steadily.
After sailing for two days, before reaching Luoling Island's sphere of influence, an alarm sounded from the lookout tower!
"Red flag! It's a red flag! There are two enemy ships!" Lin Meng saw the flag signal at a glance.
This wasn't just a matter of two ships, but two pirate ships were coming towards them at full speed and would soon be within engagement distance!
"Ring the bell." Cheng Xi gave the order as he looked at the two large ships approaching in the waves.
Following this order, the harsh sound of gongs rang out on the three ships one after another.
No matter what they were doing, all the crew members rushed out of the cabin, picked up bamboo spears and sickles, and stared at the approaching enemy ships with trembling legs or gritting their teeth.
There's a brig! Li Niu saw the shape of the ship clearly early on, and he felt sweat on his palms and a heavy stone pressing on his chest.
A brig can carry more crew members, and pirate ships carry very little cargo, so they likely have more than three times the number of soldiers. Could that plan really work?
Despite his inner uneasiness, he still shouted, "There are only two enemy ships, and we have three! Get ready, everyone! We'll all get a reward when we get back!"
With this morale-boosting shout, the enemy ship approached rapidly. Its speed was much faster than that of a fully loaded cargo ship. It did not form any formation and just hoisted its sails and rammed into the enemy.
"Avoid the horn of collision!" Lin Meng shouted loudly, and the helmsman shook the rudder desperately, avoiding the bow of the other ship by the narrowest of margins. The two boats made a sharp creaking sound, and the sides of the boats brushed against each other and collided violently!
There was a loud bang, the ship tilted and shook, and gangplanks with iron hooks were swung over.
It was bad luck for them as they encountered that large two-masted ship. The side of the ship was crowded with thieves, each of them waving knives and sticks, with ferocious faces. Sharp whistles were heard as they rushed towards them with the sound of footsteps on the gangplank, and murderous aura was overwhelming!
Lin Meng's entire body was trembling, his teeth clattering. This time, there were more enemies than last time! His father hadn't been able to hold on, so how could he? However, a cold, steady voice spoke before him.
"Front row, raise your sickles!"
The sound drowned out the thief's shouting, the rumbling heartbeat, and the timidity and confusion.
The front-row crew members, who had long been trained to have conditioned reflexes, immediately raised the bamboo poles in their hands.
Unlike in training, all the poles were equipped with curved hooks, one half hooking upwards to hook the neck, the other half hooking downwards to hook the legs. How could a flesh-and-blood body block a sharp hook?
"ah!!!"
A shrill scream was heard, and a thief fell from the gangplank and sank into the waves.
If they were not injured, these pirates who were proficient in water might be able to climb up the rope and continue the attack, but now, they can only cover their wounds and pray that the blood will flow slowly.
Some of them died without even making a sound.
There are four springboards, and a group of two people can guard them. The distance that can be crossed in three or five steps has now become a dead end!
"Don't walk on the gangway, just flip over!" On the pirate ship, the leader of the pirates shouted loudly when he saw that the situation was not right.
Their ship is larger than the merchant ship, so they can just jump off. Why bother holding on to the gangway?
They were all desperate men, so what did a distance of ten feet mean? Immediately, a shirtless man leaped onto the boat. As soon as his feet touched the ground, before he could even stand firm, a green shadow swung over, and a emerald green bamboo spear pierced his chest.
The Lin family, who had been well prepared, rushed forward and dealt a fatal blow to those desperadoes!
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