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Each of the two families received 500 shi, and it would take at least two trips to sell them all.
The Lin family only bought more than 200 stones, including those who bought on credit. The Li family sold 400 stones before even bringing back the people who bought on credit. This was quite fast.
The Li family member was a little indignant: "The fact that we can sell quickly is naturally due to our captain's ability! Ah, a few days ago, a grain merchant wanted to sell grain to us, but the price was too low, so we didn't sell it to him..."
Hearing this, Carpenter Li's eyes widened: "The grain merchant knows that it is our village that sells grain? Didn't he say that he was using the name of Cheng Xi's benefactor? How did he find you?"
The Li family member was startled, and a look of embarrassment appeared on his face: "I, I don't know..."
Now everyone understood that it was probably because Li Niu was greedy for credit and sold grain too extravagantly, and his subordinates were not careful with their words, which was why someone got in on the act.
Carpenter Li stamped his feet in frustration, "How could you be so foolish! Do you think the grain merchants are easy to mess with? You didn't even come and tell everyone about this serious matter!"
Sun Erlang's expression also turned pale. "If that's the case, then the person making the false accusation is most likely related to that grain merchant. The big grain merchants in the county are often wealthy local gentry, so it's not difficult for them to bribe officials."
This is the most troublesome situation. The reason for choosing coastal villages to sell grain is to avoid direct conflict with grain merchants.
As long as they didn't sell their rice to the city, the two could live in peace for the time being. And when their brown rice was produced, whether they hired someone to sell it on their behalf or sold it themselves, there wouldn't be a direct conflict of interest.
After all, the market and selling price of brown rice are there, so it won’t be a loss even if it is transported to Panyu.
Now, I’m being targeted before I even take the first step. If I don’t resolve this issue, it will be a serious problem.
The second uncle of the Sun family sighed: "If that's the case, I'm afraid it's just a plea for money. Without a few hundred taels of silver, how can you get someone out of the government office? This will cost you a lot of money!"
Fourth Uncle Lin shook his head and said, "It's not necessarily just about the money. The key is the grain merchant who is interfering. He might want to force the Li family to transport grain for him."
If they were just seeking wealth, any other crime would have been fine, but they chose to avoid the maritime ban and instead chose the charge of harboring a fugitive. Perhaps the grain merchant, eyeing the low prices, wanted to undermine the Li family and force them to work for them.
However, the question is, how to deal with such a situation?
"This is going to be a tough one..." Uncle Sun sighed. "If Aniu can't make it, maybe even our two families will be implicated. I've always said selling grain is unreliable. Now that things have turned out like this, we might as well just ship whatever we can to Panyu to sell."
Uncle Lin shook his head. "It's no use talking about this anymore. The key now is whether or not to save the Li family. If we don't, can the fleet still hold up?"
"Don't we still have a big ship?" The meaning of Sun Erbo's words was quite clear. Even if the Li family was gone, they now had three ships and could form a fleet.
Hearing this, Carpenter Li hadn't lost his temper yet, but Sun Erlang frowned and said, "Uncle, that's not the way it should be. If our family were in trouble, would other families just abandon us? Besides, there are more than ten people from the Li family on the fleet. If we don't save Ah Niu, I'm afraid the people will disperse."
Carpenter Li's eyes were red with tears. "My dear nephew, you are sensible. If everyone were like you, there would be no point in running to the sea!"
Lin Meng also said, "Sun Er is right. After all, we've been on the sea together. We should help! Besides, the Lin family has already bought rice. Are they waiting for someone to come to them?"
After all, these people are all seafarers. If you investigate carefully, they can all be sent to jail.
It’s Li Niu today, won’t it be them tomorrow?
Since that's what he said, it's not easy to refuse. Uncle Sun tapped his leg anxiously, "What should we do? Gather money to redeem him? Go find that grain merchant and ship him grain? We've already built this rice mill, wouldn't it be a waste..."
No one could answer this question. Sun Erlang and Lin Meng turned their heads at the same time and looked at the silent figure.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Cheng Xi pondered for a moment before saying, "Once you give in, you'll be at the mercy of others. We can't just give them money and let them go."
What were they facing? Ruthless tycoons and corrupt officials whose money and power were in cahoots with each other. This was far more terrifying than pirates.
At least there is still a chance for the pirates to avoid them and there is still a possibility of defeating them. As long as the three villages are on the shore, the elderly, the weak, women and children in the villages will not be able to escape the clutches of these people.
Before deciding to sell grain, Cheng Xi had considered this issue and carefully came up with ways to avoid trouble.
But she also knew in her heart that no matter how well prepared, there was a possibility that it would fail. After all, this was an ancient society, and it was an era that did not care about the lives of the coastal people and implemented a large-scale maritime ban.
If you want to grow stronger, you will inevitably encounter obstacles.
So how to deal with it?
After pondering for a moment, Cheng Xi said, "First, check the origins and background of the grain merchant, as well as his connections in the government. We also need to find out how many soldiers are in the county government, the name of the county magistrate, and his qualifications."
The first two sentences were fine, but the last one gave Lin Meng a chill: "My benefactor, do you really want to attack the county town?"
This is no joke, they have no intention of killing officials and rebelling!
Cheng Xi shook his head: "We have too few people. A hard fight is not cost-effective. We need to use both soft and hard tactics, and negotiate first. However, negotiations also require skills. We need to know the other party's weaknesses and our own strengths. We don't have to rely solely on words."
The last sentence had a hint of murderous intent.
The three elders were all startled, but Lin Meng clenched his fists. He knew that his benefactor would have a way!
Sun Erlang had already stood up: "I will go into the city to investigate."
At this critical moment, no one was at a loss, except this young man who remained calm and acted in an orderly manner.
Rather than trusting others, he would rather trust this young man!
Cheng Xi raised her hand to stop him: "Let's talk about this later. I have something more important to discuss with you."
What? Sun Erlang was startled and immediately sat back down.
Glancing around, Cheng Xi spoke calmly, "Originally, I hadn't planned to discuss this matter so early, but the arrow is on the string and can't be delayed any longer.
In today's world, you can't survive by just relying on a 'fleet'. You need a tighter organization and a stronger force to protect everyone."
What does this mean?
The three older men were immediately panicked. Why did this sound so scary? If they didn't run a caravan, what else could they do?
"Mr. Cheng, are you talking about the boat gang?" Sun Erlang's expression also changed and he asked carefully.
"Ship gang" is actually just another name. Those who can form gangs on the sea are all powerful bandits. They rely on powerful military force to support caravans, and then rely on caravans to support bandits, such as the "Long Whale Gang" entrenched in Southeast Asia, or the "Green Phoenix Gang" galloping across Fusang.
These are all strong men who can stop children from crying at night. They are just a group of fishermen, how could they have such ability?
Cheng Xi shook his head: "You can say yes, you can also say no. We formed a gang just to protect our hometown, not to kill people and rob. In this world, if you don't have a reputation, everyone can bully you.
When we go out to sea, who will protect the elderly and the weak at home? Is the money we earn at the cost of our lives just to feed those corrupt officials?
Each question was like a heavy hammer hitting my heart.
Yes, they risk their lives to make money, is it just so they can be bullied and robbed? Even pirates can't do that, so how can corrupt officials do that?!
Cheng Xi's voice rose as his impetuous thoughts grew. "If we only join forces for profit, sooner or later, we will become enemies over money and go our separate ways. Only by working together, caring about each other's lives like brothers, and jointly protecting our hometown, can we unite against the common enemy and become indestructible! Would you like to join such a gang?"
Transporting grain can unite the fleet and allow the three families to advance and retreat together, but it is not enough. In this era where clans and surnames are above all else, there must be a more powerful force to bring everyone together.
When Li Niu was arrested and the government intervened, she saw the problem clearly.
Although they are not from the same village and have different surnames, they are all fishermen by the sea and are all poor people who rely on the sea for their livelihood.
Their enemies are the same, and their concerns are the same. Whoever can protect their families and clansmen will be their benefactor! So, why not try another approach?
The tent was completely silent, as if everyone was stunned by these words. Uncle Lin was terrified. Could a young man alone decide such a matter? No, he seemed not to be a young man yet, but a woman!
However, the next moment, Lin Meng stood up and said, "Boy, you are willing to join me!"
Uncle Lin was shocked, but before he could stop him, he saw Sun Erlang also stand up and clasp his fists: "This boat gang should be led by Master Cheng."
He went a step further than Lin Meng. Not only did he want to join, he also wanted to nominate Cheng Xi as the leader of the boat gang.
Uncle Sun's expression also changed drastically. Although you are in charge of the Sun family's ship, such a big matter must be informed to the clan elders and the village chief, right?
Carpenter Li was stunned at this moment, but when he thought that the person he wanted to save was someone from his Li family, he immediately fell silent.
Seeing this, Cheng Xi stood up and said, "Then please gather your people and set up a platform. I have something to say to everyone."
The news of the Li family's misfortune had spread, and the people's hearts, which had just begun to unite, suddenly scattered.
Everyone in the Li family wanted to rush back to Donggou Village, while the villagers from the Lin and Sun families were terrified, fearing that they would also be implicated.
This is not like facing pirates. If you die drifting on the sea, you will be the only one to die. If you are caught by the government, your parents, wife and children will all suffer!
In such a commotion, not to mention training, even the construction of the rice pounding mill came to a halt. Everyone was at a loss and didn't know what to do.
Just when people were in panic, Lin Meng, Sun Erlang, and Li the carpenter from the Li family stepped forward and gathered everyone together.
Now, the crews on the three boats, plus the young men from the three villages repairing the workshop, and the maids doing laundry and cooking, stood in a dense mass of two or three hundred people, a considerable spectacle. Several members of the Li family had bloodshot eyes and murderous looks on their faces. If Carpenter Li hadn't restrained them, they would have sailed home long ago and caused a scene at the county government office.
But people can stop it, but mouths can't. The insults, the shouting, the arguments rose higher and higher, like waves crashing against the rocks. But the harshest part was that sentence.
"We all went out to sea together, so you don't care about the Li family's life or death?!"
It was aggressive, filled with resentment, and even hinted at pain and disappointment. Hearing the roar, some people turned away, some clenched their fists, and some opened their eyes wide, eager to curse back.
Just when the atmosphere was tense and on the verge of a cliffhanger, the drums started beating.
It was the drum of battle, the sound of hammers beating, incessant and pressing. Everyone on board fell silent, their backs straightened, their fists clenched, and they subconsciously searched for the enemy.
Those who had never practiced were frightened by the rumbling drums, and they closed their lips tightly, not daring to speak.
Washed and cleansed by the mighty drums, the beach was completely silent. Throwing away the drumstick, Cheng Xi stepped onto the stage and looked around. "You've all heard about the Li family. I'll go save Li Niu and the others!"
In one sentence, it is as powerful as breaking gold and jade!
The eyes of the Li family members instantly turned red, and some of them couldn't help but shout out: "Thank you, Master Cheng!" "We will obey Master Cheng!"
Cheng Xi raised his hand to suppress the shouting: "Not only the Li family, but also the Lin family and the Sun family. If anyone is robbed or imprisoned, I will do my best to save them as long as I can.
We are all from the same village, brothers who fought side by side and killed the enemy together. If even this life-and-death friendship is useless, who else can we trust?"
This caused more people to shout: "Master Cheng is right!" "We are not afraid of death! Why don't you save him?!" "I save him today, and someone will save me tomorrow!"
These cries were enough to move anyone. However, Cheng Xi raised his hand to suppress the noise: "If people need to be saved, they should be saved. But before that, I have one question. Why are you going out to sea?"
This question left many people stunned.
Why did they go to sea? Of course, it was to make money, to pay the taxes that were driving people to death, and to ensure that their parents, wives and children had enough food and clothing and lived a stable life.
As if hearing their thoughts, Cheng Xi nodded: "That's right, you risked your lives to go out to sea to save your lives. For the stability of your families, for food and clothing, for money and sustenance, for a life of integrity, for being able to stand up straight in front of everyone, instead of being slaves, ordered around like stray dogs!"
The moment these words were spoken, the breathing on the entire beach became heavier for a moment.
Have they thought about it? Maybe they have, but never so clearly!
If it were possible, who would want to be servile, who would want to be a slave? With money, they can pay the high taxes and not have to live in debt. With a sword, they can hold their chests high and not even fear the pirates on the sea!
This is the reason why they go to sea! Not just to survive!
At this moment, no one spoke, but everyone's eyes were filled with thousands of words.
Staring at those pairs of eyes filled with emotions, Cheng Xi breathed a sigh of relief.
She made the right choice.
These people are not farmers who work hard in the fields. They were born on the sea, grew up in the strong winds, and survived in the huge waves.
The vast ocean taught them the truth of being human, and they understood what "freedom" was better than others.
When people have enough food and clothing, they need dignity, dignity that will not be bullied, ignored, or violated.
She is willing to give them these!
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