"Miss, have you found any sailors?" Zheng Xi finally couldn't help but ask after they had walked a silent stretch of road.
"No," Ling Qingyu replied directly, turning to smile at Zheng Xi. "So tomorrow, we'll go to the streets to find people."
"Go to the streets to find them?" Zheng Xi was a little stunned. Although there were sailors walking on the streets of Quanzhou, was the young miss planning to just grab people? Catch one, grab one?
"A few days ago when I went to the shipyard, I saw quite a lot of people looking for work near Yongding Bridge."
"Yongding Bridge? That's where day laborers look for work, not sailors?"
"Didn't you say that oarsmen only need strength and obedience? We're paying them, isn't that the same as hiring day laborers?"
The next morning, Ling Qingyu and Zheng Xi arrived at Yongding Bridge.
Summer in Quanzhou was extremely hot. Most of the people gathered at the bridgehead had their clothes casually draped over their shoulders, and some were even bare-chested.
These people included local landless households who made a living as day laborers, but even more were refugees from the north. The Henan Circuit in the north had experienced three consecutive years of drought, with some areas having no harvest at all, forcing large numbers of people to flee.
However, the Fujian Circuit itself was mountainous with little arable land, unable to accommodate so many people, so most of them became displaced.
When Ling Qingyu visited the shipyard, she saw that Wu Da had hired many carpenters from the north. They were cheap and hardworking, and she had long considered using this cheap labor.
"Boss, do you need day laborers? Choose me, I'm strong enough! Only twenty coins a day."
"Boss, choose me, you see I'm much stronger than him, choosing me is the right choice."
"Boss, I have a skill, do you need a mason?"
Seeing someone approach, the people who had been lying or leaning idly, gathered in a rush, eagerly promoting themselves to the newcomer in order to get a job that could feed their family for a day.
"Don't rush, don't rush," Zheng Xi fended off the hands reaching for him. He wasn't a woman, and being squeezed, pushed, grabbed, and pulled by so many men was not to his liking.
Seeing that he couldn't fend them off, he shouted, "Stop! Our Boss needs many people this time, twenty strong laborers, one hundred coins a day, to work as sailors on a seagoing vessel!"
The clamor immediately quieted down, then various whispers rose again.
"It's going out to sea, that's a narrow escape from death, you might not come back."
"I have a family, if I die, it's over."
"But it's a hundred coins a day, where can you find such a good deal?"
"We don't know how to swim at all, wouldn't getting on a boat just be a death sentence?"
Ling Qingyu listened to the fragmented voices in the crowd, but not a single person stepped forward to say they wanted to go. She beckoned Zheng Xi over and whispered a few words in his ear.
Zheng Xi nodded, straightened his clothes, and walked to a stone in the middle, saying, "The Boss said this voyage will be at least three months.
If you are willing to sign, a one-time advance payment of ten taels of silver will be given. If you perform well, your wages can be doubled upon return. This is a rare opportunity; we only need twenty people, who are healthy and strong."
The discussions in the crowd grew louder. Ling Qingyu was not in a hurry; she simply found a large tree nearby and sat down on a stone beneath it.
A little past the Yongding Bridge head was a bridge arch, from which one could not see outside, but from inside the arch, one could see the activity outside.
Inside the arch, several burly men sat in small groups. The leader, bare-chested, leaned against the stone wall, a blade of straw in his mouth. His gaze lingered on Zheng Xi, who stood on the central stone, then shifted to the woman dressed as a man, who sat nonchalantly under the tree, looking at the scenery with a leisurely air, as if watching a play, only lacking a cup of tea.
She wore a blue men's long gown, her hair was tied in a bun on top of her head with a wooden hairpin, and she had a round face with many freckles and acne.
Her figure was not delicate like an ordinary young girl, but tall and sturdy. If not for the slight protrusion of her chest under the blue gown in the summer heat, it would have been difficult to tell if she was male or female.
"Old Shan and the others, the seagoing vessel they've been repairing recently, it seems the Boss is a female household?" Gu Sui spat out the straw root and asked Zhang Dahu beside him.
"Yes, I heard she's the only daughter of a sea merchant named Lin who died at sea some time ago. She set up her own female household, changed her surname to Ling.
Old Shan and the others came back last night and said that Boss Ding, who was originally supposed to lead the ship out to sea, was ambushed and broke his leg.
Most of the sailors were scared and broke their contracts. It's uncertain if this ship can even set sail. Fortunately, the Boss is kind; all payments are settled daily, and the pay is good, so Old Shan and the others have saved some money," Zhang Dahu said.
"I heard Old Shan say that ship is very good?"
"That's right, Old Shan keeps boasting about it, saying that even though he hasn't built ships, the materials used and the craftsmanship are top-notch.
It's a great ship, and big too, not afraid of waves. No matter how big the waves, it won't capsize, and not knowing how to swim is fine. If Boss Ding and his crew didn't already have their own sailors, Old Shan would have wanted to go to sea with them. Hey, Boss, what do you think?"
Gu Sui stood up, walked out of the bridge arch with his head bowed, patted the dust off his body, and after a moment's thought, draped his almost rotten shirt over himself before walking towards Ling Qingyu.
"Boss Ling?"
Ling Qingyu was first startled, then suddenly realized she was being called. She turned around and saw only muddy legs, trousers rolled up to the knees, and old straw sandals on mud-caked feet. Then she looked up, and up again, feeling her neck twist a little, before she finally saw a face.
Because Gu Sui had his head bowed, the sun shone diagonally from above his head, casting his face in shadow. Even so, that chiseled, hard-featured, very masculine face still made Ling Qingyu feel dazzled.
Ling Qingyu unconsciously stood up, but after standing, she realized she still had to crane her neck until it ached. This man, he must be about one meter ninety, right?!
Gu Sui saw Ling Qingyu raise her head like a fighting cock about to enter the arena, and couldn't help but smile, "What's wrong, Boss Ling?"
Ling Qingyu coughed, thinking to herself, Ling Qingyu, you're not a young girl, you're an aunt pushing forty, what kind of man haven't you seen, they're all the same once their clothes are off! Thinking of clothes off, her gaze swept over the scantily clad man in front of her.
This man was tall, but his figure was good; there wasn't an ounce of excess fat on his exposed skin, and the beautiful lines of muscle bulged beneath his tanned skin. Ling Qingyu couldn't help but think of the famous Roman statue, the Discobolus.
"Sit," Ling Qingyu steadied herself, sat back down on the stone, and patted the stone next to her, gesturing for the other person to sit.
Gu Sui, however, did not sit on the stone, but directly sat on the ground.
"Hmm," Ling Qingyu praised inwardly, expressing satisfaction that they could finally look at each other directly. She smiled and said, "May I ask how many people this big brother can bring on board?"
"There are nine of us brothers in total, three of whom are repairing your ship at the shipyard. However, if we come aboard, we hope to earn six taels of silver per month, and a twenty-tael silver deposit before boarding," Gu Sui said, casually plucking a blade of straw and placing it in his mouth.
This woman named Ling, she didn't seem very old, but she looked like a smart person. Working with smart people would always be easier. Seeing Ling Qingyu finish sizing him up, then look over his scattered brothers, her gaze, surprisingly, missed nothing. A deeper smile touched his lips.
Ling Qingyu stroked her chin. This big man, and the few around him, were all tall and strong, looking quite powerful.
However, their complexions were not very good, likely due to malnutrition. Although they were all in tattered, scantily clad states, they still exuded a certain aura. These people were not ordinary. When going out to sea in the future, would these people cause trouble?
She wasn't sure she could control them. However, given the current situation, these people were the best oarsmen; they had strength, and they appeared to be trained.
"Alright, Big Brother, if you're willing, I'd like to hire you as a foreman. In addition to your wages, after the ship returns, you can also receive a share of the profits. Hmm," Ling Qingyu took out three hundred-tael silver notes from her purse and handed them to Gu Sui, saying, "Besides the deposit, this hundred taels is a loan from me. You can use it to procure some goods to sell overseas."
Gu Sui was stunned, holding the silver notes in his hand, and smiled slightly, "Boss Ling, aren't you afraid I'll run off with the silver notes?"
"You're not that kind of person," Ling Qingyu said, looking directly at him. Then she shrugged and said, "If you run, then it means I misjudged people, that I have no foresight, and I'll just have to accept it."
"Hahahaha," Gu Sui laughed heartily. "Young lady, you're good. Alright, I, Gu Sui, will write you a contract right now."
Zheng Xi came with a ready-made contract in hand, but upon hearing the wages Gu Sui quoted, he couldn't help but look at Ling Qingyu with a hint of complaint.
However, seeing that besides Gu Sui and his group, no one else came forward, and this group all looked tall and strong, each worth two men, he reluctantly changed the wage amount on the contract.
Then, he had Gu Sui and the others press their handprints, and the men were officially hired.
"Boss Ling," Gu Sui wiped the ink paste from his hands and handed a hundred taels of silver notes back to Ling Qingyu, saying, "Gu Sui is a rough man and doesn't know what goods are profitable.
How about Boss Ling helps me procure them?"
Ling Qingyu was speechless.
Goods worth a hundred taels of silver, after a round trip to the Foreign Lands, would return as a thousand taels of silver.
This was a huge benefit for a sailor, and what's more, this money was technically a loan from her.
She hadn't expected that she would even have to buy the goods herself.
Wouldn't that make her too much of a soft touch?
However, after her gaze swept over Gu Sui and the others, Ling Qingyu fell silent again.
This world was one where people looked down on others; with their status and appearance, even if they had the money to buy, people would probably suspect the money was ill-gotten.
"Alright," Ling Qingyu took the silver notes and added, "Should I have Zheng Xi exchange them for smaller denominations or ready cash for you?"
"Then I'll trouble Boss Ling," Gu Sui formally bowed.
Ling Qingyu saw his proper bowing posture and dignified demeanor, and she smiled lightly before leaving with Zheng Xi.
"Big Brother Gu," a young girl rushed over, and seeing the contract in Gu Sui's hand, she anxiously said, "Big Brother Gu, quickly return it!
How can you go out to sea? Ten out of ten who go to sea, nine don't return.
How can you do such a dangerous thing? If something happens to you, what will Mother and I do?"
"Miss Mei," Gu Sui stopped her words, blocking her with his hand and, in the same motion, gently stopping her from rushing over.
He said calmly, "The deposit for us brothers, after paying the remaining balance for that courtyard, will be enough for you and Old Madam's living expenses.
I imagine Brother Mei should be able to find his way back in a while, and then your family will naturally be reunited."
After Gu Sui finished speaking, he walked away on his own.
Mei Hong still wanted to chase after him to persuade him again, but Zhang Dahu blocked her.
Zhang Dahu smiled and said, "Miss Mei, please go back.
It's too dirty here; don't let it stain your eyes."
Mei Hong stomped her foot and said, "I'll go talk to Mother."
After Mei Hong's figure ran far away, Zhang Dahu spat and said, "What kind of person is that!"
"Three hundred taels!" Zheng Xi was heartbroken and couldn't help but mutter, "Miss, you're too generous.
Even if they are strong enough, they can't truly be worth two men.
You've improved the rowing, and now it only needs thirty positions, but it still needs thirty people, doesn't it?
Most of the budget is gone, what about the remaining twenty-one people?"
Ling Qingyu suddenly stopped, causing Zheng Xi to bump into her without realizing it.
He hastily said, "Miss, are you alright?"
Ling Qingyu glared at him.
She was wearing men's clothes, so calling her 'Miss' was inappropriate, but she didn't have time to argue with him.
Pointing ahead, she asked, "Who are those people?"
Not far past Yongding Bridge was the sea wall.
At this time, three or two people lay sprawled at the base of the dam, covered in mud and wearing shackles.
Each one was sallow and emaciated.
If Gu Sui's group looked malnourished, these people seemed to be nothing but skeletons, and their bodies were covered in scars.
At first glance, one might even mistake them for a pile of corpses.
Zheng Xi's brows furrowed, and he mused, "These are probably criminals.
I heard that a batch of serious offenders was exiled to Quanzhou City.
Because there was a shortage of manpower for building the sea wall this year, they were transferred here."
Ling Qingyu then lowered her head and quickly walked past with Zheng Xi, but her eyes couldn't help but glance over again.
She saw two young men among them and thought, 'So young, what serious crime could they have committed?'
Two constables approached, one hand holding a knife and the other picking his teeth, saying as they walked, "The dam is finally repaired.
Now we can report back."
"What about those prisoners? Only twenty-something are left alive."
"Throw them into the sea.
Keeping them would mean providing food and lodging.
Who knows which official they offended, but the order from above is not to leave a single one alive."
Hearing the two constables speak like this, Zheng Xi inwardly thought, 'Not good.'
Sure enough, he saw his Young Miss stop, approach the two constables, and with a face full of innocent smiles, say, "Good day, sirs."
The two constables were startled, but when they saw the ingot of silver Ling Qingyu slipped over, their expressions immediately brightened, and they smiled, "Young master, what is it?"
"I'm new to Quanzhou, and I heard that Quanzhou's sea transport is profitable, so I partnered with someone to rent a small boat.
The boat is still short of some hands.
I want to buy some usable ones, as long as they can row.
Sirs, do you have any good recommendations?" Ling Qingyu bowed slightly, smiling obsequiously in a humble posture.
"Oh? Young master also wants to engage in sea transport?" The constable looked Ling Qingyu up and down, weighed the heavy silver ingot, and smiled, "Sea transport isn't that easy; it's a business of nine deaths and one life.
Does your boat have good sailors, young master?"
"This is my first time.
I initially found some experienced sailors, but for some reason, they later said the Xie Family fleet took them, so I'm at a loss.
Now all my assets are invested, and I'm hoping to make a profitable trip." Ling Qingyu bowed even lower, saying.
The two constables exchanged glances, mostly understanding.
This was just a naive newcomer.
They heard that the Second Master of the Xie Family wanted to monopolize Quanzhou's sea transport, and just yesterday, he dealt with Ding Budong's group.
Now this young master probably couldn't find a single skilled sailor.
Without skilled sailors on board, a reliable ship would run into trouble, either getting lost or dying in a storm.
However, this young master's desire for profit was also quite strong; he still wanted to go to sea like this.
It's likely no one in Quanzhou City would board his ship, so it's no wonder he's desperate enough to look at these dying prisoners.
Anyway, they're all going to die, so why not let him earn some silver?
"There are twenty people here.
If you want them, young master, you can take them for a hundred taels of silver," the constable said grandly, waving his hand.
"These prisoners, I can buy them?" Ling Qingyu slowly took out silver notes from her purse while asking doubtfully.
"Heh heh, these are exiled criminals; they can be bought with a death contract, but you'll need to go to the yamen to complete the procedures.
However," the constable paused, looking at Ling Qingyu with a 'you understand' look.
Ling Qingyu nodded repeatedly, handed over the silver notes, and then told Zheng Xi, "You go with the official to handle the procedures.
Not a single penny to be paid to the yamen can be less."
Zheng Xi made a bitter face, giving Ling Qingyu a resentful look that said, 'You really did that,' then followed one of the constables towards the yamen.
The other constable said to Ling Qingyu, "If you can return safely this time, young master, you will surely be rich.
Congratulations in advance."
Ling Qingyu bowed and nodded again, saying, "Thank you for your auspicious words, sir.
How about I count a hundred taels from this shipment as yours, sir, and we'll settle it together when I return?"
The constable laughed heartily, thinking, 'This young master looks young, but he's a sensible person.'
However, their ship was truly not going to return, but he didn't expose it, only saying, "Thank you very much, young master.
My name is Zhou Zhou, and I work under the Prefect of Quanzhou.
You can find me at the yamen as Zhou the Second.
How do you plan to arrange these people?
I advise you not to unlock their shackles, and don't let them eat their fill.
Just keep them from starving to death.
These people are fierce; if you want them to obey, you can't be soft-hearted.
Hmm, this, consider it a gift from me, your elder brother."
Saying this, he pulled out a long whip from behind his waist, with barbs glinting with dark bloodstains.
Upon seeing the whip, Ling Qingyu couldn't help but shiver; it was truly chilling to look at.
Zhou Zhou saw her reaction, laughed heartily, and with a flick of his hand, the whip cracked, striking a man nearby and leaving a glaring red welt.
At the sound of the whip, the people on the ground involuntarily trembled, and then some struggled to get up.
Ling Qingyu, suppressing the trembling in her hands, took the whip that Zhou Zhou repeatedly offered.
The whip was heavy, and her hand sank when she took it, almost dropping it, which earned her another round of laughter from Zhou Zhou.
Zhou Zhou saw that Ling Qingyu's face was a bit pale, and he waved his hand, saying, "Young master, go back first.
Have your servants come to pick up the men."
He gave her the whip but didn't mention the key to the shackles.
Ling Qingyu repeatedly said 'good,' dragging the whip as she headed towards her own courtyard.