A month has passed in a hurry, and summer has entered Quanzhou. The weather has become hot and dry. On this day, Ling Qingyu did not go to the shipyard. She sat on the stone pier under the tree and studied the product catalog that Zheng Xi had brought back.
These days, Ling Qingyu went to the shipyard every now and then to watch Wu Da and his crew repair the ship. At the same time, he discussed some details with Wu Da and asked Zheng Xi to contact merchants in Quanzhou to find goods to bring on board.
Lu Yao's body recovered quickly. Ten days later, he started to work actively. Ling Qingyu didn't let him and Shiyi go out, but he did all the work of chopping wood, carrying water, cleaning, and later cooking. The taste of dishes is really not that good though.
"Lu Yao, Zheng Xi didn't buy any salt?" Ling Qingyu asked while reading the catalog in one hand and picked up the dishes with chopsticks in the other.
Lu Yao glared at Ling Qingyu, but didn't reply. He thought, Didn't you say yesterday that salt also costs money, and you thought I put too much salt?
He went to fetch water and clean the yard. The weather is already very hot. Not long after the water is poured on, it will dry up and heat up the ground again.
Ling Qingyu just said something casually. In her previous life, she had learned a lot of things but was not good at them. There was only one thing that she disliked from the very beginning and that was cooking.
She could cook rice porridge into crispy rice and stir-fry vegetables into pulp. The fish was burnt on the outside but raw on the inside. After her efforts were critiqued in front of her parents, classmates, boyfriend, and husband, she gave up cooking completely.
Although she has a gourmet stomach and knows how to cook delicious food if she didn't have a choice, as long as someone cooks for her, she is still very grateful, because no matter what, they can cook it better than her.
Compared to Lu Yao, Ye Shiyi was living very comfortably these days.
Although Ling Qingyu didn't let him go out, he didn't restrict what he did. He bought some books and the Four Treasures of the Study for him. He also bought a wooden barrel for him to practice holding his breath. After returning from the shipyard, he helped Lu Yao change his bandages. After taking his medicine, she would also tell him some stories that he had never heard before.
Ling Qingyu never asked him who he was or who his enemy was, but when he had nightmares at night, she would hold him to sleep. If he couldn't sleep, she would discuss with him how to treat his enemy if he can get revenge. For example, he can dig a big hole for the enemy to fall into or let him run naked on the street, etc. Things that ordinary daughters' families would not think of.
Ye Shiyi believed that Ling Qingyu was definitely not an ordinary girl. Otherwise, she would blush in front of Lu Yao, and yet she would still take off Lu Yao's clothes and apply medicine on his body.
Shiyi also asked Zheng Xi about this with Lu Yao's guidance and Zheng Xi answered, "I have lots of things to do and am exhausted every day. Can you help him change it? Didn't you say that day that you wanted this boy to be my mistress' son-in-law? Why do you care so much about it now?"
In fact, Ye Shiyi didn't quite understand the meaning of a son-in-law. He originally said that because he heard other people mention it when he heard gossip. He thought that if he took off his clothes then he becomes a "son-in-law". Ling Qingyu would then help him bathe and take him to bed every day. Does that mean that he is also her "son-in-law"? However, he was smart enough not to tell anyone his thoughts.
Ling Qingyu didn't care at all, Zheng Xi was too lazy to care, and Ye Shiyi didn't know how to care. Lu Yao, the only one who cared very much, felt depressed.
There were days that whenever he heard Ling Qingyu's voice, he was afraid that this bold woman would not be satisfied with just taking off his clothes, but would end up eating him dry. After being on tenterhooks for several days, he finally understood that this woman really didn't care and didn't really consider herself a woman.
"Sister, when can we get on the boat?" Shiyi asked as he put away the bowls and chopsticks he had finished using.
"Well, it will take a few more days." Ling Qingyu answered while flipping through a page of the cargo list. She casually wrote down the goods and quantities she wanted to buy on the paper, and asked Shiyi, "I asked you to practice holding your breath. Have you done it?"
"I've been practicing, and I can hold my breath for a long time now." Ye Shiyi said happily. He came from the north and didn't know anything about water. After Ling Qingyu knew that they were both landlubbers, he was ready to give up taking them on the boat.
Zheng Xi's words changed her mind as he said once, "On a ship, it doesn't matter whether you know how to swim or not. If you fall into the sea, you will die."
Ling Qingyu smiled and touched Ye Shiyi's head as a reward. She has sorted out the list on her hand, removed 3,000 taels for ship repairs, applied for a sea-going permit, and brought some sundries and sailor fees. She now only has 4,000 taels left to buy goods.
This money, even if used to buy the cheapest, can't fill a whole boat. It seems that like Zheng Xi said, some of the ship storage space should be rented out.
Seeing that Ling Qingyu started writing and drawing again with words he couldn't understand, Lu Yao waved Ye Shiyi over, took him into the room, and started teaching him to practice Kung Fu. Ling Qingyu glanced at Lu Yao and quietly closed the door.
After Lu Yao got better, he secretly began to teach Ye Shiyi some things. Ling Qingyu himself estimated that it should be martial arts. She would be lying if she said that he wasn't curious, but she just either acquiesce or ignored what Lu Yao was doing. Everyone have their own circumstances and there is no need to pursue it too closely.
When she looked back, she happened to see Zheng Xi quietly open the door and come in. She looked back and then gently closed the door, looking at him curiously.
"Miss." Zheng Xi's expression was very bad, and he didn't even bother to sweat. He hurriedly walked to Ling Qingyu, glanced at Lu Yao's room, and whispered in a low voice, "Something happened."
Ling Qingyu stood up, walked to the main room with Zheng Xi, closed the door, and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Boss Ding was attacked by someone last night and was injured." Zheng Xi said while wiping his sweat
"Ah!?" Ling Qingyu screamed softly, covered her mouth again, and said anxiously in a low voice, "How is his injury? I want to go and see."
Zheng Xi shook his head and said, "No, Boss Ding said that since he has been targeted, you cannot go to him. If the enemy of the big boss knows that you're a girl, I am afraid there will be trouble."
Zheng Xi continued, "Boss Ding just has a broken leg so he will probably have to lie down for a while. Boss Ding has already found a group of sailors. Some small businessmen have heard that Boss Ding is going to sea and are willing to rent cabins together. However, if something happens to Boss Ding, both the sailors and the small businessmen may backout."
Quanzhou Kapok Lane is mostly filled with mansions and compounds. The mansion that occupies half of the street is the villa of the Guangzhou's Xie family in Quanzhou. The Xie family started their business by shipping. Over the past few decades, they have become a powerful party with a fortune of tens of millions.
At this time, in the study room, Xie Tingxuan, the second son of Xie Mao, the head of the Xie family, was listening to the reports from his subordinates.
His subordinate reported, "Both of Ding Budong's legs are broken. He won't be able to board the ship for the next six months. Most of his sailors have agreed to change to our ship, and there are a few others who are not good enough. Those small businessmen do not dare to rent their cabins."
"Good." Xie Tingxuan nodded with satisfaction and threw a piece of fragrant cake into the incense burner. The elegant aroma slowly ignited.
Unexpectedly, Ding Budong could repair the dilapidated ship. He still had a certain appeal in Quanzhou. It was originally heard that he had gone ashore and would no longer go to sea, so he was let go when Lin Jiashen was dealt with.
Thinking of being so restless and actually wanting to go to sea, now that I, Xie Tingxuan, am here in Quanzhou, I will not allow others to make a show of it here. My eldest brother has taken care of Guangzhou so well. If I conquer Quanzhou while my father is still here, I can become the head of the Xie family in the future.
Ling Qingyu felt that the days were like years, and finally waited until late at night before he and Zheng Xi secretly went to Ding Budong's house through the back door.
Ding Butong gave Zheng Xi a reproachful look and scolded him, "Didn't I tell me not to the Miss visit me?"
Ling Qingyu said apologetically and defended Zheng Xi, "It's not his fault. It was my idea to come here. Uncle Ding, it's all my fault for causing you trouble."
Ding Budong disagreed and said, "It's not your fault, it's second son of the Xie family's fault. He has been making a lot of moves in Quanzhou recently and wants to swallow up the shipping business. I guess I was an eyesore to him."
If it was related to Lin Jiashen, it wouldn't be to break his legs, but to kill him. It seemed that Mr. Xie just didn't want him to go to sea.
Ding Budong then told Qingyu, "I can't help you right now. Most of the sailors we originally found have been poached by Mr. Xie's people, and there are not many left. How about waiting for my legs to heal before we go to sea?"
Ling Qingyu looked at Ding Butong's legs that were vaguely exposed under the quilt. The curvature of the legs was a bit strange. It was probably not just a broken leg as Zheng Xi and Ding Butong said. After calming down, he said: "Uncle Ding, take good care of yourself first. Don't be anxious."
After talking to Ding Butong for a few words and seeing that he looked tired, Ling Qingyu took his leave. Outside the door, Zheng Xi asked: "Miss, let's not go to sea first?"
Ling Qingyu shook her head, looked back at the lights in Ding Budong's room, and said, "We can't trouble Uncle Ding anymore. That second son of the Xie family has already targeted Boss Ding. If Uncle Ding makes any move again, it may not be as simple as breaking his legs. We must go out to sea this time. I remember Shi Fang said that in Borneo, there are several medicinal materials that can be used to refine the medicine for bone and muscle repair. If I can find it, Uncle Ding legs will recover."
"If Miss Ling can find the medicine for my adoptive father, then I can be your helmsman." Several people walked out from the shadow of the door, and the young man led by them said.
Ling Qingyu was startled at first. He didn't expect that there were so many people standing silently at the door, but he felt no harm in his words and relaxed a little.
Zheng Xi introduced the young man after seeing him clearly, "This is Boss Ding's adopted son Ding Dong."
Ding Dong looked at the girl in front of him and frowned unconsciously. He didn't expect that the boat master whom his adoptive father valued was such a little girl. Is it really reliable to go to sea like this? But thinking about his adoptive father's twisted legs and what Shi Fang said, if there is no medicine, the adoptive father may not be able to stand up in the future, he asked: "Miss, can you really go to sea?"
"Yes!" Ling Qingyu looked at Ding Dong quietly and said.
"Okay, I'm the helmsman, Zhang San and the others are the sailors, but there are no one else." Ding Dong pointed to a few young people standing next to him. They were all brought out by Ding Budong. This time Ding Dong knowing that something was wrong, even though he know that his strength cannot compete with Mr. Xie's, he still wanted to take revenge in his heart.
"As long as the sailors are strong enough to row, will this many be enough?" Ling Qingyu asked.
She remembered that when Zheng Xi introduced him to the current personnel configuration of seagoing ships, he said that the helmsman and sailor are all technical jobs, but the personnel demand is the greatest. In fact, as long as you have the strength to follow the instructions, it will be enough.
"That's true that there are too few, but our goal is medicine. Miss Ling, do you know about going to Borneo?" Ding Dong asked.
The farthest place he followed Lin Jiashen's ship was Srivijaya, but Borneo was a place even his adoptive father have not visited. He remembered how his adoptive father said excitedly that he can follow Miss Ling to Borneo and beyond. His adoptive father is so looking forward to this trip. Second master Xie, please wait for my revenge.
Ling Qingyu smiled unconsciously, guessing that these young people were waiting here to threaten her to go to sea, and said, "Of course I have to go. If it weren't for me, Uncle Ding wouldn't have been hurt. Brother Ding, you have been preparing in private recently, Don't attract that thief's attention. Let's do the rest."