7
It really is a naval battle. Li Niu felt more and more puzzled. Who is this guy?
He didn't ask, but Sun Erlang spoke first: "What is your relationship with General Qiu?"
When these words came out, not only Li Niu, but even Lin Meng's eyes widened. Only Cheng Xi looked calm and replied calmly: "Of course it doesn't matter. I don't dare to approach you."
Judging from Sun Erlang's tone and the reactions of the people around him, this "General Qiu" is obviously a remarkable figure, and his identity is quite sensitive. Even if he doesn't know him, Cheng Xi can't show it.
Seeing her calm expression without a trace of resentment, Sun Erlang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."
Li Niu couldn't help but let out a breath, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.
General Qiu was a feared figure by the people along the coast. Back then, when pirates were rampant, the imperial court sent him to suppress them. In just three years, he completely wiped out the pirates and also suppressed many powerful individuals.
During that period, not to mention those who traveled to the sea, even the merchant gangs did not dare to go out to sea easily.
Who could have imagined that such a powerful figure would have his entire clan wiped out by a single order from the emperor? He was so happy at the time, thinking that good times were coming again, but as soon as the tree fell, the pirates immediately returned.
Only now did these private ship owners understand how important it was to have someone guarding the sea borders.
If this kid is really the nephew of General Qiu, Li Niu doesn't know how to deal with it.
Having such a person to guide you is certainly a great thing, but at the same time, bringing such a dangerous person along might lead to a crackdown by the government, which is much scarier than pirates.
Fortunately, he has nothing to do with General Zhenhai.
Seeing the three of them all heaving a sigh of relief, Cheng Xi knew he had said the right thing and immediately asked, "Time waits for no one. Are you two willing to join forces with Lin Village?"
Sun and Li exchanged a glance, and this time it was Li Niu who answered, "If we join forces, how will the profits be divided?"
This is the key issue. Could it be that this Cheng guy wants to get involved and share their profits?
The Lin family had just been robbed, and they had no people or money, so they had to rely on the two families to go out to sea. If they had to split the profits, how much could they earn after a trip?
"No need to share profits, each earn their own." This was also what Cheng Xi had discussed with the Lin family before. It was obviously unrealistic to use the Lin family to control the two families now. The most important thing was to go to sea as soon as possible and make money.
That’s good!
Li Niu's eyes rolled, and he was about to say something when Lin Meng, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly said, "Our Lin family doesn't want anything, but since the two uncles are relying on Cheng Engong, they should give her some money!"
"This..." Li Niu hesitated. He had just seen the abilities of the Lin family's boys. Logically, if they could learn some naval warfare techniques, he should share some of the profits with them.
But then again, if three pirates were to go out to sea together, the pirates might not dare to attack. A single pirate would certainly not dare to attack the fleet, and if they encountered two or three pirate ships, it was hard to say whether they could win.
If you calculate it this way, isn’t it a bit of a loss?
He grumbled in his heart, but Sun Erlang did not hesitate: "If you can return safely, the Sun family is willing to share 15% as a reward."
One and a half percent might not seem like much, but when you combine the three, it's a lot. After all, the profits from the three ships are there; how could it be so easy to make money? However, facing Lin Meng's pointed gaze, Li Niu couldn't say anything. As long as he could return safely, it would be a way out. How could buying a life be too expensive?
Li Niu smiled awkwardly: "As long as Brother Cheng does his best, my family will give him 15%!"
Humph, if you dare to keep it to yourself, don’t blame him for withholding your share of the profits!
Cheng Xi didn't care about this little thought. She nodded and said, "Bring the men and the boats, and start training as soon as possible."
Time is running out, we have to hurry.
While smuggling was highly profitable, it also required a significant workforce. A single-masted ship capable of sailing needed at least ten sailors to operate, and to prevent pirates from boarding, it would likely require at least twenty men to have any chance of success.
This number of people puts a lot of pressure on the three villages. After all, they make a living by fishing, and now is the season when the fish are at their fattest. If so many young and strong people are withdrawn for training, the fishing will have to rely on the elderly, the weak, women and children.
This is basically equivalent to gambling the livelihood of the entire village. If you don't bring back money, the villagers probably won't even have food to eat.
However, even so, the three captains did not hesitate. They immediately gathered their men and sailed over.
Not only the sailors, but also Li Niu and Sun Erlang were training with Cheng Xi. If they really encountered pirates, they would be the backbone of the ship. How could they retreat in the face of danger?
The situation in Linjia Village is more complicated. The old captain passed away, and Lin Meng took over the position of captain. He had to first learn how to operate the ship and how to command the sailors.
Fortunately, he learned a lot from his father and had the help of several experienced seafarers in the village. Although time was tight, he did not fail.
But Cheng Xi was more concerned about other things than training. She found Lin Meng and asked directly, "The goods from Linjia Village have been robbed. What are you going to do this time when you go out to sea?"
This question touched a sore spot. Lin Meng smiled bitterly and said, "The village elders said that we can borrow money to prepare the goods first, and then pay it back with interest."
This is also a helpless move. Borrowing money to prepare goods and going to sea, most of the profits have to be used to repay debts.
If they were robbed, they would have to bear a huge debt that would be difficult to repay. But if they didn't do this, they really wouldn't be able to prepare all the goods.
This did not surprise Cheng Xi. She then asked, "How much does it cost to prepare a full shipload of goods?"
"At least two hundred taels."
Lin Meng sighed. That ship's cargo was worth nearly four hundred taels, the entire village's savings. That's why being hijacked by pirates was such a huge loss.
These words made Cheng Xi raise her eyebrows. She had also seen the Lin family's boat. Although the displacement was not large, the cabin was not small and should be able to carry a lot of things.
A ship like this can only carry a few hundred taels of cargo per trip?
"What are you selling?" Cheng Xi couldn't help but ask.
"The most common items are cotton cloth, charcoal, clay jars, several kinds of earthenware, and seafood such as dried shrimp, snails, and swordfish." Lin Meng answered truthfully.
Cheng Xi was speechless for a moment. In her impression, the most profitable things on the sea in ancient times should be silk, porcelain, tea, etc. She didn't expect that these people were just selling groceries and seafood, not much different from ordinary fishermen.
But in this case, she could make some arrangements. After thinking for a while, Cheng Xi said, "I have a hundred taels of silver notes with me, why not give them to you as capital..."
Before she could finish her words, Lin Meng shook his head repeatedly: "How can that be possible! We have already troubled you so much, and asking for more money is simply worse than pigs and dogs!"
"This isn't a gift, it's a loan. I don't have a job right now, and I can't just sit around and eat it all. It would be better to invest some money and share the profits. Isn't that better than borrowing money from merchants?"
Cheng Xi was not lying. She was now helpless. The money she could earn just by teaching these fishermen was limited and could not last long.
In that case, why not do some real business?
Linjia Village was at the end of its rope and desperately needed money. Giving money to others might be a daunting task, but this time, she was accompanying them throughout the voyage, allowing her to not only participate in the transactions but also observe the market and plan for the future.
This made perfect sense. Lin Meng hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "One hundred taels is a bit too little. I'm afraid it won't be enough for a whole shipload. Besides, time is running out, so I probably won't be able to go to Panyu to buy the goods. If I buy them locally, the price will be much higher."
Panyu is a major port, with private ships plying the market, making goods much cheaper. But procuring goods used to take at least several days, which was a huge delay. Nearby merchants were well-informed, and if they knew the goods were purchased from Linjia Village, they might raise the price and rip off the seller.
Cheng Xi thought for a moment and asked, "What about the seafood you mentioned? Aren't there any in the nearby villages?"
This is the seaside. Although a maritime ban has been implemented, there must be many villages like Linjia Village that have not moved inland. These people should have a lot of seafood.
Lin Meng shook his head. "Yes, there are, but there aren't many things suitable for transporting to Hepu. Besides, we have to sell them to shops. How can we afford to go on a sea voyage?"
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