20demayo Chapter 619 Reporting the News Back to the Capital, Preparing to Go into the Water
Chapter 619 Reporting the News Back to the Capital, Preparing to Go into the Water
"W-what happened?"
Seeing that Master Xing and Master Qian put down their account books and rushed out, Jiang Wenqing had no choice but to follow them out.
Cheers echoed throughout Tongzhou Wharf as workers, shirtless, tossed their shirts high into the air.
The scene at this moment has a strong sense of a graduate throwing their graduation cap.
Qiu Cheng was surrounded by the craftsmen in the middle. Several burly men exchanged glances and, without prior arrangement, stepped forward and tossed Qiu Cheng high into the air.
Qiu Cheng instinctively tried to hide, but the craftsmen were numerous and strong, and he failed to escape.
"Alright, alright, that's enough, put me down! My old bones are about to fall apart, you can't load the boat and then try to assemble me!"
"Hahahahahaha~"
The craftsmen finally let Qiu Cheng go, and then turned their attention to the two advisors, Qian and Xing.
Unsurprisingly, the two were tossed around once, and it really was something they hadn't experienced in decades.
The last time I experienced this was when I was old enough to wet my pants.
"What exactly happened? Is the ship finished?" The crowd was so dense that it blocked his view, and Jiang Wenqing couldn't tell if they meant the ship was built.
Finally, they caught a craftsman from the outskirts of the business. The craftsman grinned and said excitedly, "Sir, of course it's because the new ship has been successfully built! Haha, all that's left is to launch it for a trial run!"
Jiang Wenqing himself didn't know why he was also happy. It wasn't his own boat, so why was he so happy?
Qiu Cheng straightened his official robes and watched as the two advisors were finally gently set down before signaling for everyone to be quiet.
"The ship is completed, seven or eight days ahead of schedule, thanks to everyone present."
The employer has ordered that, in addition to the full month's wages, everyone will also receive a red envelope, so that everyone can share in the joy!
After he finished speaking, everyone cheered again. This was truly an unexpected bonus; the host was kind and generous!
Master Qian stepped forward and said with a smile, "Lord Qiu, we'll help distribute wages in a bit. The cooks are all ready too. We'll have an extra meal for everyone tonight, with a mix of northern and southern dishes, eight dishes in total!"
"Alright, prepare plenty of meat dishes! Also, send someone to the wine shop in town. They may not have much, but one bowl of wine per person is a must!"
"Haha, thank you very much, sir. We usually don't drink alcohol because we're afraid of missing work, so we can finally relax today!"
Laughter and cheers filled the dock, and Jiang Wenqing, a mere bystander, was invited by Qiu Cheng to join the celebration banquet that evening.
Seeing the eager looks in his two advisors' eyes, Jiang Wenqing nodded and even had a lot of fish and meat brought from the county government office as a gift.
As night fell, a bonfire was lit at the dock. To ensure safety, the bonfire was kept far away from the remaining wood and scraps, and the meticulous craftsmen placed several large vats of water near the bonfire.
People can wash their hands in the vat before eating, but its main purpose is fire prevention.
As dusk fell, people from all directions gathered around the dining table in a large circle, drinking and eating together.
Qiu Cheng boldly picked up a bowl of wine, unlike the long and tedious speeches given by leaders in later generations, which were like an old woman's foot binding cloth.
He simply stood up and said one sentence:
"Come on, for the sake of the ship, and for everyone's hard work, let's do it!"
"Cheers!" Everyone responded, tilting their heads back and drinking the turbid wine in their bowls in one gulp.
"Ah! That feels great!"
Jiang Wenqing also clinked glasses with his two advisors, one on each side, clearly caught up in the atmosphere.
"Sir, when will this new ship be launched? When can it set sail?"
Everyone worked enthusiastically for several months, and the craftsmen from the north had been working on it for almost a year.
Everyone poured their sweat and effort into this ship, and naturally, they also poured their hearts into it.
Watching a pile of wood gradually take shape in your hands brings a sense of accomplishment that goes beyond just wages; it's a spiritual satisfaction.
Qiu Cheng put down his wine bowl and said with a smile, "We'll do a final check tomorrow. If there are no problems, we can try it out in the canal the day after tomorrow."
Next, we'll test the ship near Tianjin Port. If all goes well, we can set sail before autumn.
Trial runs should be conducted gradually, and all preparations must be made before a new ship is launched.
Another issue is the recruitment of crew members. Currently, Qiu Cheng only has two or three people under his command, which is far from enough to operate a large ocean-going vessel.
However, these three people were people he had finally managed to find. They used to make a living by running their own boats or fishing.
Previously, I made a living on rivers and lakes, but rivers and the sea are different. I still need to spend some time and effort to find more professional ones.
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone started talking.
Some people talked about the difficulties they encountered when building ships, while others shared how many acres of land they planned to buy after receiving their wages.
The campfire crackled and popped, and everyone laughed and chatted.
It was as if they all regarded this victory celebration as their last supper. After tomorrow, they would no longer be fellow workers who built the ship together, but strangers going their separate ways.
The news of the ship's completion reached the inner city in just two hours, after all, Qiu Cheng had chosen the same impatient messenger who had delivered the blueprints last time.
This person happened to be transferred to the Tongzhou post station, and the moment the ship was completed, Qiu Cheng immediately ordered him to return to the capital to report the news.
This letter was, of course, addressed to Jiang Xiaoqi, since the blueprints from last time were delivered to the Tongzhou Wharf by Jiang Xiaoqi.
Even if the report were directly given to the Second Prince, it wouldn't go through the post station, as ordinary officials at the post station couldn't enter the palace.
The best way is to report it to Jiang Xiaoqi, who can then relay the message to the Second Prince when he goes to the palace to give lessons.
This will take up time, but it's also the safest option.
In any case, the matter of testing the boat on the Grand Canal in Tongzhou had already been discussed with the Second Prince, so there was no need to wait for a reply before launching the boat, which would not delay the testing.
However, the matter of sailing the ship to Tianjin Port needs to be reported to the Second Prince in advance.
After all, the last time the Japanese pirates loaded the young men of the Great Zhou Dynasty onto ships at Tianjin Port, and it is unknown whether the Second Prince will feel uncomfortable about testing the ships here.
However, Jinmen Port is the closest port. If we don't test the ship at Jinmen Port, we'll have to go to Jizhou.
That journey was several times longer than that of Tianjin Port, and the entire route was by water.
If we were to transport the goods by land, it would be extremely costly.
Qiu Cheng was reluctant to part with the money, and he still wanted Jiang Xiaoqi to persuade him. He explained this in a letter to Jiang Xiaoqi.
After dinner, Jiang Xiaoqi received Qiu Cheng's letter; that official was indeed impatient.
It didn't take two hours at all; it took less than an hour and a half.
Jiang Xiaoqi wanted to ask the man a couple of questions, but when she looked up, he had already mounted his horse and disappeared.
Wow! You really are an impatient person!
No wonder Lord Qiu chose this person to deliver the letter, and no wonder he was originally serving in the capital but has now been reassigned to the suburbs.
Perhaps some adults in Beijing can't stand this kind of service?
But they're just impatient; the things were always delivered safely, weren't they?
"Haha, is this an ancient version of Flash Delivery?"
Jiang Xiaoqi thought the official was alright; in case of an emergency, you still have to use "Flash Delivery"!