Here, Liu Deshan sold out all the crude sugar on the ship at a very satisfactory price - leaving only refined sugar. According to the market introduction of "Hong Kong Shiphead Paper": the price of crude sugar in Jiangnan is lower than that of Dajiang, but the price of refined sugar is The price of sugar products is higher in Jiangnan.
Now that they have arrived at Daguang, they naturally cannot leave empty-handed. An empty cabin is a waste of money. Their next stop is Shanghai, and the Jiangnan gentry still has considerable demand for overseas luxury goods. Liu Deshan bought American furs and European furs. High-quality woolen cloth, Indian printed cotton and spices from the East Indies, and some Western groceries that the gentry liked, and filled up the cabin. Liu Deshan originally wanted to buy some deer skins, but was told that deer skins and all deer products They were all sold to Australians, and the bosses had nothing left.
"Cousin, do you want to go to Kaohsiung again? Buy some Australian groceries. Australian groceries sell very well in Jiangnan..."
"Huamin, you don't know something about this. There are big stores in Shanghai that sell Australian groceries. They have sufficient stocks recently, so the market is not high. We can't make a few by shipping them. If there are many empty spaces, bring a large number with you. It's better than nothing." Liu Deshan said, "Besides, the Australian goods in Kaohsiung are mainly from foreign manufacturers. It won't be too late for us to go back from Shanghai and transport them back to Guangzhou and sell them to Mr. Qin."
I immediately decided not to go to Kaohsiung and sail directly to Shanghai. I loaded up water in Kaohsiung, paid all the expenses, and was about to set sail when suddenly Manager Liu came to report that someone wanted to take a boat to Lingao to work.
"Didn't you tell him that our next stop is going to Shanghai? Next we will go to Shandong, and finally we will go to Lingao."
"He said it doesn't matter: he has no money and is willing to work on the ship to earn the fare."
"Oh? How did he know that our ship was going to Lingao?" Chen Huamin was a little confused, because the end point of this voyage was indeed Lingao. He and Liu Deshan had already discussed it, and after returning to Guangzhou, they would go to Lingao to check out the "situation." , by the way, let’s take a look at what new products are worth buying.
"This is not a secret," Manager Liu said. "He himself said that the ship looked like an Australian ship at first glance. Since it is an Australian ship, it must have gone to Lingao."
"He is a sensible person," Chen Huamin said with a smile, "but we are not Australians, and this is not an Australian ship. Only the fact that we are going to Lingao made him misunderstood."
Liu Deshan asked: "What kind of person is he?"
"He is in his early thirties, and he behaves and talks like a scholar. I heard that his accent has a Cantonese accent. I spoke a few words with him in vernacular - he is a true Cantonese."
"Scholar, can you work?"
"Looks like he's quite strong, not a frail scholar." Manager Liu said, "I don't think he looks like a gangster, but like a kid from a wealthy family who goes out to wander around."
"Can such a person live?"
"He took a boat to work in Kaohsiung and then to Dagyuan. I also know the owner of the boat - he is an old acquaintance in Guangzhou. He said that he got the boat in Guangzhou and he is very honest and capable." Manager Liu He said, "We don't have enough manpower on the ship to begin with. There's nothing wrong with adding someone who can do math. It's free of charge."
"Sure, let's take him with us." Liu Deshan heard the most "no wages" and made the decision immediately.
"Thank you two gentlemen for your kindness!" Lin Ming kowtowed quickly. "Young one must work hard and repay your kindness!"
"There's no need to kowtow. I heard from Manager Liu that you are literate and can read well. You are also a polite person, so let's call you an equal."
"I don't dare to do this. The two masters are the proprietors. How can I dare to be more polite?"
"Okay, okay. The space on the ship is small, so we don't pay attention to such false etiquette. Since you can read and write, can you do an abacus?"
"Yes, yes."
"Then just work with Manager Liu." Chen Huamin looked at the other party's behavior and speech. At least he was a child of a Chinese family who had studied, but he was dressed in rags and had to be humble when working on the ship. He couldn't help but feel pity and care.
The man brought him a new short shirt and said, "It's inconvenient to wear a long shirt for work on the ship, so you can make do with it for now."
"Yes, thank you sir."
Lin Ming bowed and quickly followed Manager Liu back to the cabin. Manager Liu ordered someone to bring him a brand new set of blue cloth trousers and jacket, and said: "Young boy, you can rest in this cabin at night and talk to me, an old man.
Let’s talk and play a game of chess. Now, after you change your clothes, you can accompany me to the cargo hold to take inventory.”
Lin Ming smiled all over his face and said yes again and again. This time it was considered a desperate move for him. Since his sister-in-law disappeared in Macau three years ago, he spent a lot of effort and used almost all his contacts in Guangdong to try his best to find someone.
Li Yongxun came back after rescue.
But Lingao has become an iron barrel for thieves, and the Australian people's behavior is completely different from that of the Ming Dynasty. Almost all of Lin Ming's connections are of no use - it is simply impossible to pour water into it, and when most people hear about this
When the matter involves thieves, no matter how "skilled" they are, they all avoid it. Ever since the burning of Wuyangyi Station, the Australians' power around Guangzhou has grown day by day. No one is willing to fight for hundreds of Jin Yiwei.
The Australians were against him. He spent a lot of effort and collected a lot of information about the thief, but there was still no news about where his sister-in-law was.
In the past few years, he has been living a boring life: his wife has not been kind to him at all - it's no wonder, his wife's relatives have lost their child at his place, so they are very polite even if they don't knock on the door to make trouble.
Fortunately, Li Yongxun ran away from home and came to Guangdong, and the main responsibility did not lie with him. Otherwise, Lin Ming would really have wanted to commit suicide at sea.
Li Yongxun disappeared in his hands, and he still had to shoulder the responsibility. After several years of futile inquiries, Lin Ming finally made up his mind: if you don't enter the tiger's den, you won't get the tiger's cub. Since the base camp of the Kun thief is in Lingao, my sister-in-law Ten
The last one was in Lingao. Only by going to Lingao in person and mingling among the Australians could he find out the whereabouts of Li Yongxun. No matter whether he was alive or dead, he had to give an explanation to his wife.
Li Yongxun is just a child. It is unlikely that the thief will kill her. But if she falls into the hands of the thief, her fate is unknown. Whenever he thinks of this, Lin Ming always secretly exclaims that it is a pity that this beautiful flower is so cheap.
The thief - I knew I would have struck first. If she could really be rescued, even if the girl was not perfect, it would probably be impossible to find her husband's family. He might as well just keep her at home with his wife...
Naturally, Lin Ming couldn't tell his wife what he was thinking. However, his idea of going to Lingao to rescue Li Yongxun was very much in favor with Mrs. Lin. Because of this matter, she now dared not even go back to Nanjing to Guining. And every time her parents' family visited her, she couldn't tell her.
Every letter he sent asked about Qianqian's whereabouts, leaving her speechless.
"A long vine is worse than a short pain. Instead of wasting so much time and money, looking for people everywhere, it's better to go there in person!" Mrs. Lin also comes from a family of Jin Yiwei military attachés, which is the most refreshing. "Sure enough, we can find her.
We can always find a way to rescue her if we know her whereabouts. If she is really unlucky, she will finally have her whereabouts. At worst, we can fulfill our filial piety to the fifth aunt’s family on her behalf!”
"Madam is right -" Lin Ming nodded repeatedly.
"It's just that you have to be careful in what you do. I heard that the thieves also have factory guards..."
"The Great Song Dynasty was called the Imperial City Division..."
"No matter what they are called, I heard that Kun thieves are good at this. They have ears and eyes everywhere, and their every word and deed is being spied on. Husband, you should always be careful."
"I can save it. Madam, don't worry."
"How can I rest assured?" Tears rolled down Mrs. Lin's eyes, "You've already lost a sister, don't lose yourself! The whole family depends on you!"
"Don't worry, I know the severity."
His family's "five blessings bring longevity", although Mrs. Lin "understands the righteousness", the four concubines are not happy - after all, Li Yongxun's life and death has little to do with them. If her husband has to risk his life and death, they don't care.
No matter what, she didn't want to. There was a lot of crying and fussing. Fortunately, Mrs. Lin was very good at running the house at home. She even admonished and persuaded everyone, and she finally convinced everyone.
After settling everything at home, Lin Ming had to think about how to go to Lingao.
It is extremely easy to go from Foshan to Lingao. From Foshan to Guangzhou, go to the Dabo Shipping Agency at Tianzi Pier and buy a ticket. You can get on the boat to Lingao in two or three days at most. Those who are rich,
Naturally, there are neatly furnished cabins, and for those who don’t have the money, the steerage cabin of the cargo ship is relatively clean.
Lin Ming did not intend to go to Lingao like this. He had already inquired among people who had been to Lingao. Outsiders entering and exiting Lingao were subject to strict interrogation. He himself was the best at arresting people, not to mention he had too many acquaintances in Guangzhou.
, Guang’s unconventional demeanor would be targeted by the factory guards of the thieves as soon as he showed up at Bobu Pier.
If you want to be a spy, you must first hide your head and tail, and be as inconspicuous as ordinary people. But I have been a royal guard for more than 20 years, and my speech and behavior will be "official", and the secret will be revealed without saying a word. Think twice.
, Lin Ming decided to make a roundabout move. Specifically, he would not start from Guangzhou, but go somewhere else.
He decided to go to Kaohsiung first - Kaohsiung was a new overseas territory opened by the Kun thieves. He heard that it was a place with many foreign countries, and it was easy for him to hide his identity in the past. Then he took a boat from Kaohsiung to Lingao. This way he could not only hide his whereabouts, but also
I was able to inquire about the situation of the Kun Thieves in Kaohsiung. Ever since the Kun Thieves defeated Zheng Zhilong and swept across Zhangzhou Bay, the government and the public had paid more attention to this force. Lin Ming estimated that within three to five years, the imperial court would definitely fight against the Kun Thieves again.
After a big battle, the information about the thieves collected by oneself will be a good thing for promotion and wealth.
The plan was made, and Lin Ming really worked hard: he dressed up as a down-and-out scholar, and quietly arrived in Guangzhou with only a few coins, and boarded a merchant ship bound for Kaohsiung as a clerk, specializing in bookkeeping and paperwork. He worked very hard on the ship.
, even though he is seasick from time to time and is not a deck sailor, he does his best and is willing to help with any work. He is highly regarded by the leader. (To be continued)