After staying one night in Heyin County, waiting for the five gods to unknowingly rescue Shu Sanniang, who was imprisoned in Heyin County, the group sailed to the port in the early morning.
Yinzhen and Jinxi were still in the same car, and Shu Yi, Shu Sanniang, and Sixiu were in the same car as Xizhu and Long Cui. Since it was a temporary decision, the three of them had no luggage. Therefore, before evening,
Jinxi asked Xizhu to go to a clothing store to choose some seasonal changes of clothes for the three of them, so as to avoid the inconvenience of changing clothes on the way.
Shu Yi and the other three were extremely grateful. After thanking each other with red faces, they all secretly decided to repay the favor to their two new masters, Yinzhen and Jinxi.
At three o'clock in the morning, the Ningbo Port area is already bustling with people. Fishing boats are unloading, cargo ships are setting off, fishermen are coming and going, and merchants are bargaining, creating a busy scene.
Only near the inner harbor, a brand new and bright ship without sails was parked. It was the "Memorial" that Yin Zhen Tuo Luo bought from France all the way.
The group arrived near the inner harbor. After getting off the carriage, Qi Wu and another boy named Shanyue stored the carriage in a nearby fishing shed. They paid a few pieces of silver and asked a fisherman couple to feed the horses.
With some hay and water, they protected Yinzhen and Jinxi as they walked toward the ship.
"Master, I'll go up and explore first." When the group of people walked to a distance of twenty or thirty feet from the big ship, Qiwu bowed his hands to Yinzhen and jumped onto the big ship first. After a while, Qiwu got off the ship and followed closely.
There were also two middle-aged couples who arrived.
"The Caomin couple pays homage to Fourth Brother!" When the middle-aged couple saw Yinzhen, they immediately knelt down to say hello, but Yinzhen raised his hand to say hello, "No courtesy. I also said that you and your wife have left first."
"The kindness of the fourth elder brother to the grassroots dogs will never be forgotten by the grassroots. As long as there are grassroots couples who can serve, they will always follow the fourth elder brother." The older middle-aged man took the lead and said.
His name is Liu Qing. He and another middle-aged man named Wu Qiang were both appreciated and hired by Yinzhen for their excellent shipbuilding skills and were sent to France to learn new shipbuilding technologies. As for their two sons, after they left the ship for France
At that time, Yinzhen promised to take him into his side. Two of them studied business with Luo An, and the other two studied as auditors of the Imperial College to prepare for the exam. As long as they were ambitious, sooner or later they would be able to honor their ancestors and their lintel.
"It's all up to them to work hard on their own. I didn't do anything." Yinzhen shook his head, not feeling that he had done anything good for the two of them at all. In his opinion, these were mutually beneficial things. Only by letting them do nothing
Only when they can go to sea without any worries will they do things for themselves wholeheartedly.
Now, the two couples have returned to the Qing Dynasty for half a year. They stayed on the ship and never left without authorization, nor did they use the new technology they now have to seek higher-value jobs at the port. Isn't this the best proof and reward?
"Master, there are so many people here, let's get on the boat and talk." Qi Wu suggested when he saw that the busy fishermen and merchants all around were looking in their direction, for fear of attracting unnecessary trouble and attention from interested people.
"Yes, yes! Get on the boat! Get on the boat! Let's all get on the boat! Captain Locke said you will come with your wife. There are only a few of us, but we are looking forward to you every day. We can't wait to see it through!"
Liu Qing's wife, a plump woman, said enthusiastically. At the same time, she smiled at Jinxi with kind and kind eyes.
"You are a bitch, you are not ashamed! Don't use Wen Zou Zou's words indiscriminately if you don't know how to use them! Haha... Master! Madam! I made you laugh! She, she has learned a few Chinese characters in the past two years in France. She has spent the entire day
Just talk nonsense like offering a treasure. Don't pay attention to her, don't pay attention to her..." Liu Qinghan, a tall and strong man, joked with a smile.
After Yinzhen and Jinxi looked at each other and smiled, they followed the two couples and walked to the "Memorial".
Qiwu, Shanyue, Xizhu, and Longcui followed closely. Brother Shu Yi and Sixiu saw this and followed quickly. Although they didn't show it on their faces, they were shocked in their hearts by the middle-aged couple's address to Yinzhen.
——"Fourth Brother"——Isn't this what a prince from the capital is called? Could it be that a good man they randomly met and helped each other turned out to be a prince of the Qing Dynasty?
The "Memorial" is a typical seventeenth-century ocean-going sailing ship. The length is about 70 to 80 meters, the width is nearly 20 meters, and the weight can exceed 100 tons. It does not look very big from the outside, but it is extremely spacious when walking inside.
There are three rooms in the bow: the protruding bow is the cockpit, and the two rooms at the back are the crew rest cabin and the tool equipment cabin.
The hull has two floors. The second floor is the VIP cabin, which is about fifty or sixty square meters. The cabin is fully functional, with a fully furnished bedroom, washroom, living room, dining room, and a viewing platform of about ten square meters.
There is a wooden table, four wooden chairs, and a large parasol placed above the wooden table. There is even a simple servant room of seven or eight square meters separated from the living room. There is a bunk bed and a
Set of solid wood tables and chairs.
The entire second-floor VIP cabin is like a luxuriously decorated and atmospheric bachelor apartment.
A complete set of ebony furniture customized by Yinzhen is neatly placed inside. A spacious double bed and a set of bedside tables on both sides, an exquisite glass mirror dressing table, a four-door wardrobe with a full-length mirror, a carved bookcase with glass doors, and a large belt
Drawer desk, exquisite and strong Western dining cabinet, slender and beautiful Western dining table with four dining chairs. European-style burgundy tablecloths are laid on the table and chairs. There is a bronze three-headed candlestick placed on the table.
The large glass fruit plate with clear color... Jinxi was amazed by the details.
The first-floor hull is designed with four rooms on the left and right, with a walkway wide for two people in the middle. The four rooms on the left are cargo holds and the four on the right are guest rooms. The middle-aged couple lives in two of them, and the remaining two rooms are occupied by Yinzhen.
Brother and sister Shu Yi and Si Xiu, who had just boarded the ship, stayed in the cabin. Qi Wu and Shan Yue stayed in the crew rest cabin, while Xi Zhu and Long Cui stayed in the servants' room on the second floor.
The three rooms at the stern of the ship are the kitchen, storage room and staff restaurant. Under the first floor of the ship, there is also a warehouse with an area of 50 to 60 square meters, which stores all kinds of food, water, and some trivial unboxed bags.
The goods can be protected by a waterproof cover and neatly stacked in the corner.
After an inspection, couples Liu Qing and Wu Qiang took Yinzhen and Jinxi to the VIP cabin on the second floor to rest and report to them on the current situation.
"Captain Locke was at the helm of this maiden voyage. It was smooth and I can't say anything about it. Lao Wu and I have been on so many ships, but we have never been on such a comfortable one... Master, this big ship of ours is better than anything in Locke's country."
An ocean-going ship is fine, not to mention that the materials are all first-class, and even the technology is the most advanced. With the five of us watching, they can't even use inferior materials... We have finally lived up to our master.
I have high expectations and learned the shipbuilding technology of foreigners. If a shipyard is opened in Shuntian or Fujian, I, Liu, will not hesitate to support it! I believe that the ships we build will definitely surprise the nobles in Beijing!" Liu Qing
He patted his chest in assurance, causing everyone to chuckle.
"Sure! Lao Liu! Just because of your words, our Western Trade Shipyard will be built no matter what." Yinzhen raised his lips and smiled.
Seeing that he really had this plan, Jin Xi also shook his head and laughed: "Do you still think that the pressure on you is not heavy enough? The shipyard cannot be solved in a few words..."
"Take your time...it's not a matter of rush." Yinzhen glanced at her with a smile, and comforted the two capable technical crew members who were a little embarrassed by Jinxi's words: "Follow Captain Locke and run away first.
Make a few trips to Europe, buy and sell, and hoard some currency. When funds allow, we will open a shipyard of our own. At that time, we will have to rely on you to recruit a few more shipbuilders from France."
Although there are still three technicians staying at the French shipyard to receive further training in hull manufacturing technology, if we really want to open a shipyard and build large ships, these few technicians alone are not enough.
"Master, don't worry. We have already discussed it with Lin Zi and the others. Lao Wu and I will take care of the goods for the master on the ship. Lin Zi and the other three will stay in the foreign shipyard. If we don't learn their core skills at home, we will have nothing to worry about."
I swear not to come back!" Liu Qing replied loudly.
When Yinzhen heard this, he sincerely praised: "Okay! I would like to thank you all for your help. I believe that within a few years, our trade and shipping will definitely be able to gain a foothold in the Qing Dynasty!"
After seeing off the couple Liu Qing and Wu Qiang, Yinzhen and Jinxi took a shower and sat leisurely on the second-floor viewing platform while blowing the noon spring breeze and chatting about home affairs.
"Captain Locke officially left the French shipping company and came to work on the Memorial. In the past few months, I have asked him to go with Qin Langyue to prepare the goods for sea. I estimate that he will be back at the end of next month. If nothing else, he will be back in late March.
Let's set sail. If the sales go smoothly, we can come back before the Double Ninth Festival." Yinzhen took a sip of chrysanthemum and wolfberry tea and lazily leaned on the back of the chair and said.
"Don't Locke have any family?" Jin Xi blinked curiously, "It's such a long journey to the sea, it would be nice to have a companion."
"Huh...how did you know he didn't have it?"
"The guest room downstairs is only occupied by Liu Qing and Wu Qiang. In the future, Shu Yi and Si Xiu got married and used one room... By the way! Isn't there Shu Sanniang? She is young even though she is young.
Some, only seventeen years old, but Locke is not very old. He is twenty-seven years old, very young..."
"Aren't you? Do you really want to hook up with Locke? How do you know he doesn't have a wife or lover in France?" Yinzhen couldn't help but glance at her funny, awakening her dream of being a matchmaker: "The French are very romantic.
, If Shu Sanniang is not used to it, she will not cause trouble to you in the future!"
"I have confidence in Locke! Look at him, we have known each other for many years. When have we ever seen him deduct private money? He has always given it to us in real terms, and he has never taken advantage of it. If he has a wife or lover
, He already said it when I asked him last time." Jinxi shook her head, and from her perspective, she believed that Locke was by no means a flashy man.
"Besides, some women prefer older ones. How about I check out Shu Sanniang tomorrow? If she is willing, wait until Locke arrives, hehe..."
Yinzhen shook his head helplessly, women always hope that their single friends around them will have a good ending. Maybe this is their nature... (To be continued)