Chapter 33 The boat enters the water
After chatting with Madam Liu for a while, Gu Xiyue went to the school next door. At this time, the students were a little drowsy, and the teachers asked the children to lie on the table and take a nap for a while. Those who didn’t want to sleep went to another room to play, and there were teachers watching them.
As soon as Gu Xiyue entered, the gentlemen came over with smiles on their faces to talk to her. When the children saw Gu Xiyue coming, they reminded each other and gathered around her.
Gu Xiyue was surrounded for a while. She held one person's hand, touched another person's face, and asked them if they had eaten well recently.
The children smiled shyly, and their faces looked much better than before. The children had enough to eat, could play happily every day, and could also learn to read and recite with the teacher. Their eyes were much more lively.
Like they should be their age.
Gu Xiyue opened the bag of candy and asked her husband to distribute it to the children. When she bought it yesterday, she had calculated that everyone would get some, including her husband.
The children sat in their seats, waiting to be given candies. Gu Xiyue looked around and finally found Madam Du's child, Yun'er, in the back corner.
She sat obediently in the corner, her hair combed neatly, her face rosy, her eyes clear, completely free of the panic of the previous few days. She held the corner of the clothes of a young lady next to her, leaned over and whispered something, with a smile on her face.
When the candy was distributed to her, Gu Xiyue saw that her eyes were curved with a smile, and she seemed to be very happy.
Gu Xiyue kept staring at her, as if to see how happy she would be when she ate the candy, but what she saw was that she carefully took the candy in her hand and looked at it again and again, licking her lips while looking at it, and she refused to open it and put it in her mouth. Finally, she stuffed the candy into her clothes like a treasure and pressed it with her hand.
Gu Xiyue's eyes flashed slightly, she reached out and took a candy from the paper bag, and walked to the corner.
When she got to Yun'er, she squatted down and asked her with a smile, "Is the candy delicious?"
Yun'er nodded, "They all smell sweet."
"So you're hiding it so you can eat it when you get home?"
Gu Xiyue touched her head and asked with a smile.
Yun'er shook her head and said, "No, I want to take it home for my mother to eat."
Gu Xiyue felt uncomfortable, and stretched out her hand like a magic trick, with a candy in her palm.
"Okay, Yun'er is such a good child. You know how to care for your mother. Auntie will give you this candy as a reward."
Yun'er looked at the candy in her palm with sparkling eyes and hesitated for a moment.
Gu Xiyue peeled the candy directly and handed it to her mouth, "Open your mouth!"
Yun'er couldn't help but open her mouth and the candy was put into her mouth. She held it gently, feeling the sweetness spreading in her mouth, and suddenly she smiled like a sunflower.
Gu Xiyue couldn't help but smile, feeling sweet in her heart.
After checking the child's condition, Gu Xiyue came out and went straight to Madam Du's house.
It was quiet all around. The wooden door of Madam Du's yard was ajar. The yard was very quiet. Gu Xiyue pushed the door open and walked in. He wanted to shout, but was afraid that Madam Du was still sleeping. He thought to himself, if he saw she was sleeping, he would put down his things before leaving. If she was not asleep, he would go in and chat for a while.
Seeing that there was no one in the wing room, he went to the door of the east room. Just as he was about to push the door, he heard very low voices coming from inside, a woman crying softly, and a man's voice. Gu Xiyue was startled and immediately thought of something bad, so he pushed the door open.
The scene before him left Gu Xiyue stunned.
Mrs. Du was seen crying with her handkerchief covering her mouth, and Fang Lao Er was sitting on a stool beside the bed with an anxious look on his face. The scene was completely different from what Gu Xiyue had imagined.
She waved her hand awkwardly, with an unnatural smile on her face, "I...didn't disturb you, did I?"
When Madam Du saw that the person coming was Gu Xiyue, she immediately wiped away her tears and let the person in with her clumsy body.
Fang Lao Er quickly stood up, his face a little unnatural, and said dully: "Miss Gu, my sister-in-law is in a bad mood, I am trying to persuade her, you... don't misunderstand."
After saying that, his face turned red instantly.
He didn't know what to do with his hands. He scratched the back of his head with his right hand, left a sentence, "I'm going to work, you guys chat," and turned and left.
Disappeared without a trace in an instant.
Gu Xiyue saw it and had a rough idea in his mind.
I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, "How are you doing lately?"
Madam Du looked much better than in the past few days, and her expression was more relaxed, but she had just cried, so her eyes and nose were red.
"I'm fine, thank you for coming to see me!"
As Madam Du spoke, she glanced towards the door. Gu Xiyue pretended not to see and reached out to take the package of snacks from Meixiang.
"I just passed by the school and went to see Yun'er. She was very happy inside. I also brought you a bag of snacks. You can keep them and eat them slowly."
Madam Du quickly declined, refusing to accept it. "Sister Gu, you've taken great care of us. All I do now is sleep and eat. I have such a good life thanks to you. I can't accept this snack. You've worked so hard these days, so you should keep it for yourself."
Seeing that she refused to take it, Gu Xiyue placed the snack on the table next to her and said, "This is originally for you. You must take it. The baby will be born in a few days. Try to be more open-minded. If you have any difficulties, just tell me."
Mrs. Du's eyes instantly turned red again, and she said excitedly, "I don't know how to thank you, sister. Let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. My mother-in-law and my man are gone, and I'm not sad at all. Really, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. Knowing that they are dead, I think God heard my voice. They have never been kind to me and Yun'er. They either beat us or scolded us. My mother-in-law also said that if the baby in my belly is still a girl, she will throw the baby into the sea and drown it. Sister Gu, I have thought about it. After I give birth to the baby, I will carry the baby to mine salt. I can make money myself, and I will definitely be able to support my two children."
"I don't plan to get married in the future. People in the village say that I am unlucky and have killed my husband and mother-in-law. So what? I don't care about those sayings. From now on, no one will be able to beat or scold my Yun'er or the child in my belly."
Gu Xiyue smiled and nodded, "You can definitely do it! I will help you when the time comes. Oh, and your child's uncle is also very good to you and the child. He will be able to help you in the future. Life will always get better and better."
Speaking of Fang Lao Er, Madam Du's expression changed slightly. She shook her head and said, "He's a good man, but he's too weak, just like me. I don't want to trouble him. When things get better, he'll definitely get married. I can't let him get into trouble."
Having said that, he glanced at Gu Xiyue as if to explain, "Just before you came in, he was trying to persuade me to be more open-minded, saying that he would let me and the child live a good life. I told him not to think that way, but he didn't listen. I even cried when I heard it. I told him not to say that..."
Gu Xiyue knew what she meant, which was to prevent him from getting the wrong idea, so he nodded quickly, "I understand, and I understand what you mean!"
Madam Du breathed a sigh of relief, as if she was relieved.
Aunt Fang and Boss Fang are both dead, and she and Yun'er are free and no longer have to live in fear.
After leaving Madam Du's house, Gu Xiyue went to the beach. She wanted to see how the salt marsh excavation was going, and also to ask Zhao Yancheng when the boat would be finished.
On the way there, Meixiang saw that there was no one around, so she asked her quietly, "Miss, why do I feel that Mr. Fang treats Madam Du a little strangely?"
Gu Xiyue patted her lightly and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Just keep some words in your heart."
After saying that, he looked around, leaned over and whispered, "Let this kind of thing take its course. It's their business. We shouldn't interfere or say anything. If we encounter others gossiping about them, we should help them. After all, it's not easy for women!"
Meixiang, who is also a woman, nodded vigorously.
"Miss, don't worry, I have already kept it in mind."
They soon arrived at the beach. Gu Xiyue walked around and looked around. She was quite surprised by the progress of the salt flat.
The salt flat has been dug, and the ground and the surrounding areas have been paved with stone slabs and sand and ash, which are both flat and smooth. Walking along, four salt flats of similar size are all almost the same. Zhao Yancheng said that they will be exposed to the sun for a day today, and by evening they can dig the opening on the sea side. When the tide rises, they will let the sea water in and then block the opening. They can start drying the salt tomorrow.
Gu Xiyue's lips curled up when she heard this. Along the way, everyone had a smile on their face. After the salt beach was dug, only a few people were needed to finish the work on each salt beach. Zhao Yancheng selected another group of people and started building the second boat.
As Gu Xiyue was chatting with Zhao Yancheng, she thought of the flat and smooth stone slabs in the salt marsh, and suddenly thought of something else.
"Brother Zhao, if you have time later, find some people to pave the road between the salt flats with stone slabs. Also, find time to build a simple dock on the beach, also paved with stone slabs. Have someone get a larger truck with fenders on all four sides, and the fender at the rear can be moved. This will make it easier to transport the salt to the beach and load it onto ships..."
Gu Xiyue was talking while gesturing with her hands. Zhao Yancheng understood immediately and nodded repeatedly.
Walking on the beach, Gu Xiyue met some salt miners and found that several women were a little embarrassed when they saw her. Some of them pouting and dared not speak. Their painful expressions were funny and helpless. Those people must be the ones who gossiped the most behind her back. God really made them have mouth ulcers.
After passing four salt flats, we arrived at the shipbuilding area.
A pit was dug here. After the ship was built, water was brought in and the ship could float and enter the sea smoothly.
When Gu Xiyue and Zhao Yancheng arrived, Xiao Heng was holding a blueprint in his hand and talking to a few people around him. Zhao Yancheng was about to shout, but Gu Xiyue patted him and quietly moved closer to listen to what he was saying.
"...We can't be careless with the ribs. The first pressing tendon here must be roasted soft before being pressed into an arc. Choose thicker pine wood, press it into an arc, and then..."
Gu Xiyue's face wrinkled as she listened. She didn't understand what Xiao Heng was saying at all. Zhao Yancheng looked at her puzzled expression and tried to hold back his laughter.
The basic skeleton of the hull has been completely completed, and there are many people busy around. Among these people, three are the fastest.
It was Jiang Bing and the other two. They were moving wood and lifting planks. They would appear wherever something was needed, as fast as monkeys.
Many people tease them, but they don't get angry and just laugh.
When they saw Gu Xiyue, they ran even faster.
Gu Xiyue looked around and felt warm in his heart. Another boat was not far away and had already started to build a scaffolding and prepare to build the basic structure. It seemed that the second boat would be bigger than the first one.
Gu Xiyue turned back and was about to ask Zhao Yancheng when she found that Xiao Heng had turned around to face her. Seeing her turn around, he smiled and asked, "I just eavesdropped for so long, did you understand?"
Gu Xiyue smiled and shook her head. "I don't understand at all. It's too complicated. Once the ship is built, will it sink when it enters the sea?"
After all, it was all made of wood, and so much salt had to be put on the boat, so she was quite worried.
As soon as these words came out, Zhao Yancheng and Xiao Heng looked at each other. Zhao Yancheng chuckled, "Miss Gu, you can rest assured about this. I promise I won't let you down."
Gu Xiyue nodded. "I'm overthinking it. You guys understand these things better than me, so I won't bother with it. But, when will this boat be ready?"
Zhao Yancheng thought for a moment and said confidently, "The basic framework is ready. The next step will be quick. Once all the wooden boards are added, the gaps are sealed, and tung oil is applied three times, it will be ready after it dries thoroughly. Roughly speaking, it will be ready in another fifteen days."
Fifteen days, Gu Xiyue nodded.
There is absolutely enough time.
As the three people were talking, Wei Lin hurried over from the side, nodded to them, and quickly went over to whisper a few words in Xiao Heng's ear.
Xiao Heng's expression immediately became serious. He rolled up the blueprint and stuffed it into Gu Xiyue's hand. He said to Zhao Yancheng, "You guys chat here first. I'll be gone for a while."
After saying that, he left with Wei Lin. Gu Xiyue looked at his back, feeling confused. She was afraid that something might go wrong in the capital. If something went wrong there, things wouldn't go smoothly for them either.
Gu Xiyue was weighed down by a lot of things, and she couldn't hide them even if she wanted to. She handed the blueprint to Zhao Yancheng and walked slowly in the direction Xiao Heng left.
I followed them all the way to the east end, where the exit was in front, but the two people were nowhere to be seen.
Li Junye was guarding the door. When he saw Gu Xiyue coming, he smiled and greeted her, "Miss Gu, you came to see me. Did something happen at the beach?"
Gu Xiyue shook her head. "I'm just taking a walk."
She had clearly seen Xiao Heng and Wei Lin coming this way just now, but when they got close they disappeared. Even Mr. Li Jun didn't notice anything unusual.
Gu Xiyue even suspected that she was seeing things.
"It's so hot, Miss Gu isn't afraid of getting sunburned."
Uncle Li Jun looked up at the scorching sun above his head and said with a smile.
Gu Xiyue also smiled, chatted a few more words, and then turned back. She wanted to know what was going on with Xiao Heng. She planned to find a chance to tell him and ask him not to hide anything from her in the future. If anything happened, she could respond in time.
Now they share a common destiny and there is nothing they cannot discuss.
When Xiao Heng came back, it was already evening. It was time to cook dinner and the women came to pour salt.
Gu Xiyue and Meixiang were busy bearing the weight and taking notes, so she didn't notice when Xiao Heng entered the yard.
As soon as he came back, he asked Wei Lin to come and help, and he went into the house to cook dinner.
When Gu Xiyue saw Wei Lin, he turned his head expressionlessly to look inside the room, and then continued to help the women.
After everyone had collected all the salt, Meixiang and Weilin flattened the tall pile of salt. Xiao Heng came out and said that the meal was ready, and asked them to wash their hands and eat.
Gu Xiyue didn't say a word the whole time. She didn't even look at Xiao Heng when she was washing her hands or eating, as if he didn't exist.
Wei Lin and Meixiang looked at each other with questioning eyes. Meixiang glared at him angrily and turned away, ignoring him.
On weekdays, when Gu Xiyue eats, her expression is quite rich, and she always praises me. Watching her eat is a pleasure. It feels like the rice in my bowl becomes especially fragrant when I sit next to her and eat.
But today, her expression was dull, she just focused on eating without making any noise.
This is very abnormal!
Even Meixiang is not normal.
Wei Lin suddenly felt a little depressed. Miss Gu ignored His Highness, and Meixiang also ignored him. How did they offend them?
After Gu Xiyue finished her meal, she put down her bowl and turned to leave. Meixiang followed closely behind. After she left, Xiao Heng turned around and asked Wei Lin, "What happened to Miss Gu?"
Wei Lin shook his head. "I don't know either. I haven't offended them."
Xiao Heng held the chopsticks and fell into deep thought, wondering what happened to Gu Xiyue?
Did something happen?
He finished his meal in a few bites, put down his chopsticks, told Wei Lin to wash the dishes, and then got up and left.
He saw her leave the yard just now. She must have gone to the beach to watch the boats. After all, she was very concerned about this matter now.
It was just getting dark at this time and the road was still visible. Xiao Heng walked very fast and did not see Gu Xiyue. He was wondering in his heart, why is this person walking so fast!
When we arrived at the shipbuilding site and looked around, we found no one there except two men moving wood.
"Have you seen my wife?"
The two men shook their heads.
She wasn't even here!
Xiao Heng felt heavy in his heart, and he couldn't describe the feeling. Suddenly, he remembered that in the afternoon, when he and Wei Lin went to the forest in the east, he found Gu Xiyue and Meixiang following them halfway. So when she was not paying attention, the two of them used their lightness skills to leave quickly.
He seemed to understand why she was angry during dinner just now.
Xiao Heng sighed, turned around and walked back, almost reaching the gate.
When I walked along the road, I saw a person squatting on the right side of the road. It was Gu Xiyue.
He quickened his pace and walked over, and found that she had already stood up and turned to leave. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
"Come with me!"
After saying that, he dragged her towards the sea without saying anything. He stopped only when they were far away from the houses and there was no one around.
"Are you mad at me?"
Gu Xiyue shook off his hand and looked him in the eye. "I'm not angry with Your Highness. Your Highness, please don't think like that."
Although he said he was not angry, his voice was stiff and he was obviously unhappy.
"Why were you unhappy during dinner just now?"
Xiao Heng had never coaxed a girl before, and for a moment, he didn't know how to start the conversation, so he could only ask directly.
It would have been fine if he didn't ask, but as soon as he asked, Gu Xiyue couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Your Highness, are you embarrassed to ask this? You left without a word this afternoon. Judging from your expression, it seems like something very important, but you didn't even plan to tell me. Why should I tell you whether I'm happy or not?"
"I……"
Xiao Heng was speechless. Looking at her angry face, he suddenly lowered his head and laughed out loud.
Gu Xiyue was furious when she heard him laugh. She turned around and left, "It's boring. I don't want to talk to you. I'm going back to sleep."
She knew that it was impossible to escape from him because he was so skilled in martial arts.
Sure enough, as soon as I turned around, he pulled me back by my arm.
Gu Xiyue stared at him angrily with wide eyes like a pufferfish.
Xiao Heng smiled and put his hands behind his back. After a pause, his expression returned to normal. "Xiyue, it's not that I didn't tell you, but this matter involves the court. I didn't want to implicate you, so I discussed it with Wei Lin privately."
Gu Xiyue didn't say anything, but her heart was moved. Could it be that he was going to start recruiting soldiers for rebellion?
Thinking about this, he subconsciously took two steps back and asked in a slightly softer tone, "Your Highness, we are now a community of shared destiny. If anything happens to you, I can't escape unscathed. I hope Your Highness can be more cautious and not treat me as an outsider. Why not... treat me as your sister, then we can be a family."
"We are originally a family!" Xiao Heng said without hesitation, "This matter is related to the current emperor, and also to my rescue of the three generals and Hu Mazi's family. To tell you the truth..."
Xiao Heng looked around. It was pitch black and the night had completely enveloped him. He listened carefully and found no other sounds except the sound of the waves and the wind.
He took two steps towards Gu Xiyue, slowly leaned over, put his mouth close to her ear, and said in the smallest voice: "Although we are here, I have secretly planted people in the capital and elsewhere..."
At first, when he approached her, Gu Xiyue was a little uncomfortable. She felt as if she was shrouded by a dark shadow. In addition, his unique masculine aura also enveloped her, making her feel very uncomfortable. When he leaned over and spoke in her ear, half of her body suddenly became numb.
As for what he said, although she heard it, the tingling feeling made her a little confused.
She had dealt with many men before, and had met some that she liked, but she didn't have that feeling when they approached her.
But as soon as Xiao Heng approached her, she felt suffocated and her legs became weak. She had to hang on him for support to be able to stand steadily.
After he finished speaking, he moved back, and the suffocating feeling that enveloped her instantly lessened a lot. She looked at his tall silhouette in the night, and her face instantly became hot.
While others were talking to him about serious matters, she became infatuated with him, and couldn't help herself.
It's really a bit useless.
Gu Xiyue coughed twice to cover up, and her voice quickly returned to normal. "Since Your Highness has said so, then I know what's going on. Okay, I'm not angry anymore. Your Highness, just be careful."
Xiao Heng was a little surprised to see that Gu Xiyue recovered so quickly. Just like that?
Just talk to her nicely and she won’t be angry anymore!
If he had known this, he would have given her a brief explanation before leaving with Wei Lin today.
I felt a lot more relaxed in an instant, and looking at her hazy smiling face, I felt happy.
What he didn't know was that Gu Xiyue wasn't really angry at all. She treated him like this on purpose because she wanted to know what was going on with him. Now that her goal was achieved, there was no need for her to be angry.
Now we know that he has connections in the capital and elsewhere, and resolving the issue of their families is also progressing smoothly. In a few days, we should be able to succeed. If we succeed sooner, and then eliminate the spy here, they will be free.
After the two of them talked it out, they went to find Zhao Yancheng and gathered all the key personnel together. Gu Xiyue told them in detail about her trip out to find sales channels. When Zhao Yancheng and others learned that the partner Gu Xiyue found this time was actually the governor of Ganzhou, they felt it was not real for a moment.
In other words, if the person who cooperates is the governor of Ganzhou, then their salt will be sold to every corner of Ganzhou, and the population of the area belonging to Ganzhou is tens of thousands.
Salt is a necessity for people to eat every day. If we calculate that one person consumes one pound of salt per month, tens of thousands of pounds of salt will be needed per month. This does not include other things, such as pickling vegetables, doing business, and feeding livestock. Just a rough calculation, the monthly demand exceeds 100,000 pounds.
They get excited just thinking about it.
According to the contract signed by the governor of Ganzhou, the minimum monthly salt supply is 80,000 kilograms!
Moreover, Gu Xiyue also had a salt permit issued by the prefect himself. With this salt permit, Gu Xiyue could sell salt to anyone.
Even if the higher-level authorities investigated, Gu Xiyue was still running his business in a legitimate manner.
Gu Xiyue still didn't say that she was now the adopted daughter of the prefect. She didn't take this matter to heart. It was just a temporary hit at that time. It was hard to say what would happen in the future. As long as she could do business with the prefect normally, it would be fine.
After that, everything went smoothly.
Fifteen days later, just as Gu Xiyue woke up, Meixiang rushed in from outside, excitedly shouting, "Miss, it's done, it's done. Brother Zhao said that the boat can be launched today."
"Is the boat completely dry?"
In the past two days, she had been busy looking for linen to fill the gaps between the wooden boards of the hull. Whenever she had free time, she would get together with Madam Liu and the others to tear linen.
They tore it into very small pieces of fluff, and Zhao Yancheng and his team mixed a paste with the hemp fluff, stirred it, and stuffed it into the gaps in the wooden boards little by little. It took three days to complete this task, with several people surrounding the boat to ensure that not even a single gap was left.
After everything is stuffed in, make sure it is all tight. After the stuff in the gaps has dried, start applying tung oil. Apply three layers in total.
The wind is strong at the seaside, so in order to let the tung oil dry naturally, Zhao Yancheng led people to build a wall on the sea side to block the sea breeze. In this way, the tung oil will penetrate into the wood and linen, and merge into a natural waterproof layer.
This process took another three days.
Now that we can finally get into the water, Gu Xiyue is very excited. Time is tight, and in a few days it will be the first delivery time.
During the past half month, all the people from the Southern Wilderness, regardless of gender, age or status, came out to help. A batch of salt would be dried out every week on the four salt flats. Shoveling out the salt was a long process, and so was transporting the salt. After Gu Xiyue talked to Zhao Yancheng that day, he transferred another group of people, and they made four large carts in a few days.
At the same time, stone slabs were paved between the four salt fields, on the roads, and a simple dock was built.
After the women finished their work of mining salt, they came to help shovel the soil and pave the road, while the men carried stone slabs and helped lay them. A large section of the mountain on the west side was opened up by the miners, and the stones and slabs at the foot of the surrounding mountains were almost all moved away.
In addition to learning to read and memorize in school, the children are responsible for cutting mosquito repellent grass after school.
In addition, Xiao Heng and his men cut some bamboo outside the Southern Wilderness and cut it into bamboo strips. Zhao Yancheng and Wang Hu spent several nights weaving them into a mast and sail.
The sloping fields behind every household had no time to be cultivated, so they were all left there abandoned. Gu Xiyue and Madam Liu took the time to pick some good fields and planted some vegetables, such as green vegetables, radishes, cabbages, peppers, pumpkins, etc.
In order to ensure that everyone could keep up the physical strength, Gu Xiyue asked everyone to eat breakfast in the cafeteria as it was cooler in the morning and easier to work. At noon, he gave a strict order for everyone to rest for half an hour to an hour.
At the critical moment, even though you are busy around the clock, you cannot let your body collapse.
You must eat enough and get enough rest.
As a result, the food that was originally planned to last for more than 30 days began to run out and could only last until mid-July at most.
Madam Liu and her friends get up just after the hour of Yin every day to prepare breakfast. In addition to keeping track of all the progress, Gu Xiyue also helps wherever there is a need, and basically works around the clock.
Xiao Heng and Zhao Yancheng are also very busy.
The mountains in the southern wilderness are like an iron barrel. The iron tunnels are bustling with activity, and the entrances and exits must be strictly guarded.
During this time, Wei Lin and three military officers were responsible for guarding the entrances and exits.
Three days ago, Hu Mazi was disguised by Xiao Heng and three military officers and sent out of the Southern Wilderness to carry out the most critical step in the plan.
The closer it got to the final moment, the more anxious Gu Xiyue became. She couldn't sleep well at night, and because she was busy during the day, she lost a lot of weight.
No matter how busy Xiao Heng was, he would cook a meal for her every day and make sure she had a good meal.
Half a month later, the entire Southern Wilderness seemed to have undergone earth-shaking changes.
Before, the mud houses and dirt roads near the mountain were still acceptable compared to the wasteland by the sea, but now it has completely reversed.
The four salt fields near the sea are neat and magnificent. They are all connected by stone slabs. The road along the sea is also paved with stone slabs. A secret passage has been made where the salt fields are connected to the sea water so that the water will not overflow the road surface. A simple dock has been built near the westernmost area facing the sea. It is spacious and flat. On the left side of the dock is the shipbuilding base.
The first ship has been completed and the second ship will be completed in about ten days.
Today is the day the first ship is launched. Zhao Yancheng and his colleagues got up early and were busy, checking and comparing the blueprints. A red cloth was tied to the top of the mast, stretching freely in the sea breeze.
When Gu Xiyue arrived, Xiao Heng walked over quickly and said with a smile, "I've been waiting for you. I was just about to go back and call you. The auspicious time has arrived. Come and give the order to release the water."
Gu Xiyue was stunned. "You and Brother Zhao should be responsible for this matter. Do you still need me to give the order?"
"Of course!" Xiao Heng's lips curled slightly, his eyes gleaming with approval. "Don't forget, you are our backbone."
Gu Xiyue felt a little embarrassed by what was said. It would be fine if it was just someone else saying it, but what is Xiao Heng's identity!
She was a little surprised to hear him say such words to her, but seeing that he didn't look like he was joking at all, she became serious.
There were a lot of people gathered around, and a wooden drum was placed on the high ground nearby. I don't know what kind of leather the drumhead was made of. Next to the drum, there was a mallet wrapped in red cloth.
The hull was a wood-brown color, smooth and brand new, lying majestically on several logs as thick as buckets, ready to set off.
When Zhao Yancheng and the others saw Gu Xiyue coming, they made way for her to go to the higher ground.
"Miss Gu, our ship is about to be launched. We never dreamed that this day would come. Now look at our Southern Wilderness. It is completely different from the Southern Wilderness before. If it weren't for you, none of this would be possible now!"
After he finished speaking, the crowd followed suit with loud and clear voices.
Gu Xiyue was also very happy with what he said. He looked at everyone with a smile on his face, "Fellow villagers, this is the credit of all of us. If it weren't for everyone working together, we wouldn't be where we are today. So, I, Gu Xiyue, would like to thank everyone for their trust in me!"
“Thank you all for your hard work!”
Gu Xiyue's mind flashed through the desolate scene when he first arrived in the Southern Wilderness, the dull expressions of the villagers, the despair after the rainstorm, and the repeated clashes of trust...
She felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
Everyone was filled with emotion, and some even shed tears.
Everyone looked at Gu Xiyue with enthusiasm, as if looking at the light of hope.
Even Madam Du, holding her pregnant belly in one hand and holding Yun'er with the other, stood in front of the crowd and looked up at her.
Zhao Yancheng's voice was filled with gratitude, and he made a gesture of invitation, "Today is a good day for our first boat to be launched. Miss Gu, please beat the drum to support us!"
After saying that, Wang Hu led several capable men, jumped onto the boat, and made all kinds of preparations. Zhao Yancheng and Xiao Heng stood at the back of the boat. On both sides of the water inlet at the seaside, stood several men carrying hoes.
Everyone was waiting for Gu Xiyue to beat the drum.
Gu Xiyue straightened up, turned slowly, held the two hammers firmly in his hands, and began to count down loudly.
"Three, two, one..."
After the countdown was over, Gu Xiyue raised his hands high, exerted force, and struck the drum, and a "dong" sound was heard instantly from the drum.
The drum beats are steady and the sound is distant.
As the drum sounded, Zhao Yancheng gave an order, and the man holding the hoe flexed his arms and dug hard, instantly opening a hole.
Gu Xiyue did not stop. With his own musical sense in his head, he began to rhythmically double-tap on a single point, beating out a cheerful and rhythmic drum beat.
Soon, the water inlet was dug open, and seawater poured in. The water quickly flowed to the low-lying areas. As more and more water came in, the entrance was completely dug open, and the men who were digging the hole quickly retreated to both sides.
The water gradually submerged the logs under the boat, and the boat shook twice. Wang Hu shouted at the bow, as excited as a child about to sail far away.
Gu Xiyue handed the mallet to the man next to her and asked him to continue knocking. She turned around and looked down, watching the water rise little by little, the boat shaking more and more, and finally floating on the water.
Zhao Yancheng and Xiao Heng were watching all around, not letting anyone off the hook. Wang Hu and Xue Jun were on the boat, leading people to check everywhere.
When the incoming water leveled up with the outside water and the boat was completely afloat, Wang Hu shouted to Zhao Yancheng, who responded by shouting to the people behind him, "Release!"
The men at the back untied the thick rope that tied the boat, and the boat swayed a few times, rising and falling slightly with the incoming waves.
Wang Hu directed the people on the boat to hold the poles and row the oars, and the boat began to move steadily out. The people standing on both sides pulled the ropes to allow the boat to pass through the dug hole smoothly and enter the sea smoothly.
The boat finally entered the sea. The people watching from behind jumped, waved their hands and shouted. Everyone watched the boat leave the shore and head into the sea. Wang Hu was at the steering wheel at the back of the boat, and six men on both sides rowed the boat. The boat moved forward steadily. Although it was not very fast, it was much faster than people walking on the road.
Gu Xiyue finally let out a long sigh and couldn't help clapping his hands.
Xiao Heng saw her like that from behind and stared at her in a trance for a long time until Zhao Yancheng called him and he came back to his senses.
After the boat successfully got out, several men who had dug the exit quickly blocked the entrance and dug a hole from the other side. The sea water slowly flowed away from that side and returned to the sea, and the place where the boat was built before was exposed again.
Wang Hu led his men into the sea for half an hour, until they could no longer see the coast, and then they headed back. When they came back, they raised the mast and sail, and with the help of the wind blowing towards the coast, the boat quickly sailed back.
Finally, the boat docked at the pier. Someone threw a rope onto the pier, and the people on the pier tied the rope to a pillar. The boat then stopped close to the pier.
After Wang Hu got off the boat, he kept saying, "Good, very good!"
Zhao Yancheng and others also went up to take a look. This was the first boat they built after a few years. Although time was very tight, it was indeed the boat they put the most effort into, and every detail was taken into consideration.
"Ms. Gu, we can use this boat with confidence. Regarding the materials, water release, and stability, there won't be any problems in the next seven or eight years."
Gu Xiyue smiled and nodded, and had already started calculating the salt transportation matters in his mind.
The sea salt stored now exceeds 150,000 jin. If we want to transport this salt over there, assuming we transport 5,000 jin at a time, we need to make 30 trips. It will take about an incense stick of time to get from here to the dock in Xifeng Town. Adding the time for loading and unloading, it will take more than an hour for a round trip. In this way, we can only transport salt there five times a day from morning to night.
By this calculation, it will take several days to transport all the salt.
Before, she told the governor of Ganzhou that she was in a neighboring country. The western part of the Southern Wilderness was the border with the neighboring country. It made sense for her ship to transport goods from here. At that time, two shifts of people would take turns to transport the goods. This would create the illusion that the distance was not close. When the other ship was built, these problems would not exist.
Also, we can't load the salt in small pieces like this every time. It would be too time-consuming. We need to make some bags, each containing 50 kilograms of salt. This way, it will be easier to carry and preserve...
"What are you thinking about? Your brows are furrowed together?"
Gu Xiyue was thinking when Xiao Heng suddenly appeared behind her. She was stunned and came to her senses.
"I'm thinking we should use some bags to pack the salt so it's easier to carry, but where can we get so many bags in such a short time?"
"Is that so?" Xiao Heng thought for a moment, then suddenly paused. He came closer and said seriously, "We're going to the Southern Wilds. If we can buy pockets, that would be great. If not, we can just buy some cloth and sew them ourselves."
Gu Xiyue nodded after hearing this, "Okay, okay, let's go to the dock in Xifeng Town and see how the preparations are going."
"But..." Gu Xiyue looked up at the sky and asked doubtfully, "How can we go out in broad daylight?"
Xiao Heng nodded, "I have a way!"
After saying that, he gave Zhao Yancheng a few instructions and walked out of the crowd with Gu Xiyue.
What Gu Xiyue could not have imagined was that he almost lost his life outside this time.
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