No matter how dull Hong Taoping was, he finally noticed something was wrong with the housekeeper.
"Second uncle, what did you say?" Hong Taoping asked in confusion: "Why did you kick him away and resist?"
"Master, why haven't you understood at this time?" The steward said, "The foot-binding grass is bound to the foot. The reason Jin Feng gave you the foot-binding grass is because you are holding us back! Let everyone see."
, which means that everyone is lagging behind!"
"What are you talking about?" Hong Taoping said dumbfounded: "Mr. Jin gave me foot-binding grass because it is delicious, and he asked me to bring it back for everyone to try!"
"Jin Feng actually made you eat foot-binding grass?!"
The housekeeper suddenly became angry: "A scholar cannot be killed but cannot be humiliated. How could he humiliate the young master like this?"
"Second uncle, where are you thinking? Mr. Jin is not humiliating me, he also ate it." Hong Taoping smiled and opened the lid of the vegetable basin: "Try it, it's delicious!"
The housekeeper glanced into the vegetable basin and asked doubtfully: "Is this a foot-binding plant?"
"Yes, it was just cut into thin strips by Mr. Hong Taoping." Hong Taoping passed the vegetable basin forward: "Second uncle, try it quickly!"
"Can it really be eaten?" The butler was still a little hesitant.
"Of course," Hong Taoping said, "Mr. Jin and General Zheng both ate it. If I hadn't been quick, I wouldn't have been able to grab half of the pot."
The housekeeper knew Hong Taoping too well and knew that he could not make fun of him, so he doubtfully broke off two branches from the nearby tree and picked up a piece of kelp.
After putting it in my mouth, the expected peculiar smell and difficulty in chewing did not appear, but it tasted delicious.
"Second uncle, how are you? I didn't lie to you, did I?" Hong Taoping asked proudly.
"Is this really a foot-binding plant?"
Even though he had eaten it in his mouth, the butler's expression was still unbelievable: "Can the foot-binding grass be eaten?"
"Second uncle, you want me to say it again a few times, it is really foot-binding grass." Hong Taoping said with a smile: "Foot-binding grass is not only edible, but there are many ways to eat it. Salad is just one of them, and it can also be stewed.
Eat and stir-fry, but unfortunately everything else has been eaten and the kitchen is not clean, so I can't bring it back for you to try.
But don’t worry, Second Uncle, Mr. Jin has already said that he will teach the cooks in the dock how to make it later. After they learn it, I will be the first to let them cook it for Second Uncle."
If it were normal times, the housekeeper would definitely be excited when he heard Hong Taoping say this, but now his mind is not here at all.
Most of Hong Taoping's thoughts were on building the ship, so at that time he just thought the kelp was delicious and didn't think much about it.
But the butler is different. He is much more thoughtful than Hong Taoping. After confirming that the kelp is really edible, he has more things on his mind than Hong Taoping.
"Master, this is a good opportunity!"
The housekeeper took Hong Taoping's hand and said: "The sea is full of foot-binding grass. If we salvage it and sell it to the Central Plains, we will make a fortune and the Hong family will be more glorious than before!"
"Sold to the Central Plains?" Hong Taoping frowned slightly after hearing this.
He really hasn't thought about this.
"Yes, young master, this is a great opportunity to revive the Hong family!"
The housekeeper was so excited that he did not see Hong Taoping's face and continued: "Now there is an extreme shortage of food in all parts of Dakang. Whoever has food in his hands is the boss. If you do this properly, you can definitely become the leader of the East China Sea and even the entire country."
The most powerful big shot in Dakang!"
"Second uncle, don't think about it, I'm afraid I won't die to become such a big shot!"
Hong Taoping said coldly: "To be honest, Mr. Jin has decided to set up a fishing team to fish for foot-binding grass!"
"What?" When the butler heard this, his eyes were full of disappointment, and then he sighed heavily: "That's right, once a person like Jin Feng found this good opportunity to make a fortune, how could he let it go... That's all, foot binding.
Jin Feng discovered that grass can be eaten, and we can't compete with him!"
"Second uncle, you are wrong again. Mr. Jin wants to pick foot-binding grass not to make a fortune, but to provide a way for fishermen and the people of Jiangnan and the Central Plains to survive!"
Hong Taoping held the vegetable basin and told the housekeeper what had just happened.
In fact, the housekeeper still felt that Jin Feng was a bit pretentious and had no shortage of money. He wanted to leave a good name in history, but he also knew that if he really said that, Hong Taoping could fall out with him.
So he accompanied Hong Taoping and praised him: "Mr. Jin is so righteous. Having a national teacher like him is really a blessing for the great prosperity and for the people!"
"Yes!" Hong Taoping nodded heavily.
Unlike the butler, he thinks so from the bottom of his heart.
"By the way, Second Uncle, you are more familiar with fishermen. I'll leave it to you to count the fishermen and fishing boats."
Hong Taoping said: "Please work hard and hurry up. Mr. Jin is still waiting for the results."
"Master, didn't you say you would no longer care about Jin Feng's affairs?"
The butler frowned and asked, "Have you forgotten what you said last time?"
The last time Jin Feng came to the East China Sea, he asked Hong Taoping to help find some people on board the ship to help. As a result, something happened to Jin Feng in the East China Sea. At that time, many bodyguards did not doubt their own people, but suspected those sent by Hong Taoping.
.
The bodyguards and workers from Jinchuan also began to deliberately keep a distance from the locals led by Hong Taoping.
The factions in the dock also took shape at that time.
Although it was finally proven that the traitor had nothing to do with Hong Taoping, this incident also left a deep shadow on Hong Taoping. He once told his housekeeper that he would only discuss business matters with Jin Feng in the future and would no longer care about personal matters.
As a result, not long after, another effort was made to help Jin Feng gather fishermen.
"Second uncle, this is not Jin Feng's private matter, this is our Yuxi Town's own matter!"
Hong Taoping said: "You should know better than me how many fishermen are hungry now. Jin Feng said that after the fishing team is established, it will be escorted by bodyguards and navy, and whether there is a harvest or not, he will guarantee the safety of the fishing team members."
Rations and a certain amount of guaranteed wages will be paid so that fishermen can support their families!"
Hearing what Hong Taoping said, the housekeeper fell silent.
He indeed knows the situation in the East China Sea better than Hong Taoping.
If you rely on mountains, you can eat mountains. If you rely on water, you can only eat water. If you rely on sea, you can only eat the sea.
Almost all the people on the East China Sea rely on fishing for a living, but because of rampant piracy, almost all fishermen dare not go to sea.
If you don’t go to sea, you have to rest on your laurels at home.
Before Dakang, taxes were so heavy that fishermen's lives were not easy. They emptied their wealth in a short period of time. Now they can only rely on the Ninth Princess to give them porridge for relief.
However, Sichuan and Sichuan have also been in a difficult situation recently. The porridge served in the porridge shed is getting thinner and thinner, making it impossible to eat enough, leaving the fishermen to hang on to their lives.
If Jin Feng can really set up a fishing team, it will also be a way for fishermen to survive.
The important thing is that if this matter is handled well, it will be of great benefit to the Hong family.
Thinking of this, the housekeeper nodded and agreed: "Don't worry, young master, I will go to the clan elders to discuss this matter later."