husband and wife

Chapter 409

Today, many people surrounded the Qiongzhou yamen, and there was no way to get through. These are the poorest people, with ragged clothes, skinny bones, clean and white clothes, and meticulously tied hair. It can be seen that they are trying their best to make themselves look decent.

Not long after, the gate opened, dozens of arresters came out, and the people became excited.

"Captain Wang, you are here!"

"Wang Butou, what do you think of me!"

The policeman stood on the two-meter-high steps, looking down at the crowded crowd below the stage, and had a panoramic view of the crowded scene.

Catcher Wang raised his head and raised his hand, and the cop next to him sank into his dantian and shouted, "Everyone be quiet!"

The sound was so deterrent that the people immediately fell silent, and there was instant silence, staring at Wang Butou eagerly.

Wang Butou said in a deep voice: "I am ordered by my lord to select the men who will go to sea this time. A total of [-] people are needed. Anyone who is strong and familiar with water skills can sign up."

As soon as the words fell, the crowd in the audience began to make noise again.

"My lord, I'm signing up!"

"The young one can go into the sea to catch fish at the age of three, the official must choose the young one!"

Catcher Wang raised his hand, this time there is no need for the cop to shout loudly, the crowd already shut their mouths knowingly and just looked at them eagerly.

"I know you must have heard some rumors that the rewards for this trip are generous. That's right. The adults have agreed that each person will be paid [-] taels of silver for this trip. As long as you set off, the silver will be distributed to everyone. In the hands of your family. In addition, if you can return with a good harvest, there will be another reward of farmland or houses."

Speaking of this, the faces of everyone in the audience became excited, and whispering voices could be heard on the stage: "The reward is really generous, even in the city, eight taels of silver is enough to feed my family for two or three years."

But Wang Butou's expression became more and more serious: "But don't rush to be happy, there are rewards, I'm afraid you will die to enjoy them yourself, the journey is long, and anything can happen at sea, although Master Zhizhou specially wrote a book to go to Guangzhou to get up and go to sea experience Rich master, but you can't guarantee your safe return, so you should also be mentally prepared yourself, if you are not afraid of death, then come."

"If you can do things for adults, it doesn't matter if you die!"

"Yes, there are at least eight taels of silver. The wife and children at home will not starve to death. What am I afraid of!"

Everyone loudly expressed their determination.

Wang Butou nodded: "In this way, I am relieved. If you really can't come back, your family and children will be taken care of by the yamen in the future, and the adults also said that if the children are smart, they will ask the master to teach them how to read. Studying, after all, you are doing things for the yamen and the common people."

Half an hour later, Catcher Wang returned to the yamen with the roster, and saw Zhang Ran in the hall, so he hurriedly greeted him: "Master, are you free now?"

"My lord Wang will discuss important matters with you inside, and it will take another quarter of an hour." Zhang Ran glanced at his hand and asked, "Is this the list of people going to sea?"

"Exactly. Eighty people have been screened. Didn't your lord say that you want to meet them in person?"

Zhang Ran nodded and said with a smile: "There is probably no one in Qiongzhou City that you don't know the details of. The people you have selected, adults can rest assured and meet them in person. It's just to appease them. I don't want to rush them for a while. Just a moment later."

"It's their honor to be able to wait for your lord." Catcher Wang paused and said, "It's just that there are still many people out there who haven't been selected, and they are reluctant to leave."

"How many people are here today?"

"It's probably two or three hundred."

Zhang Ran stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Go tell them to leave with peace of mind, this time there is no chance, and there will be next time and next time, they will earn this money sooner or later."

Catcher Wang's eyes lit up, "What the master said is that today's selection is the most difficult group in the family, and the rest of the people are not so short of money for the time being."

"If this trip goes well, then two or three months at the latest, once this boat returns, they will be able to take the second trip. To be re-elected."

"Master is wise." Wang Butou cupped his hands and handed the list to Zhang Ran, "If your lord is free, please ask Master to submit it for me."

Zhang Ran took it with a smile: "Okay, you can go to work."

This time, no one dared to shirk Song Ziheng's words, and with one mind, the efficiency of the yamen was displayed, and the yamen acted swiftly and resolutely. In just ten days, everything was arranged properly and they were ready to go.

Su Wan also witnessed this grand scene, and she herself invested money in it, and let the steward of the merchant ship buy the goods.

The horse head was full of people, and there was no need for the poor posture of receiving the plaque from the saint last time. Almost half of Qiongzhou officials and wealthy businessmen participated in this ship, and it was related to their business, so naturally no one was left behind.

Everyone collected a lot of money. Half of the purchases were silk, satin, gold, silver and jewelry, and the other half were local specialties in Qiongzhou. After all, things are rare and expensive. These eating utensils are worthless in Qiongzhou, and they may be overseas. But it is highly sought after. Anyway, if you buy half a boat of special products, it is not worth three or five boxes of jewelry.

However, these special products are all bought in the hands of the common people, which is nothing to merchant ships. For each household, this harvest is more than their annual income.

Therefore, it is also a major event for the entire Qiongzhou that the merchant ship goes to sea. More than anyone else, they hope that the merchant ship can return smoothly. After all, in addition to their relatives on the merchant ship, it also carries their hope of making a fortune.

Some people came out spontaneously with firecrackers, and the theater troupe leader brought a group of people behind to beat gongs and drums to send off.

Song Liangchen, who was nestled in Song Ziheng's arms, excitedly shook his hands along with the gongs and drums, pointed at the gongs and drums and said excitedly: "Knock, knock!"

Su Wan flexed her index finger, tapped lightly on his little head, and said with a smile, "You have it yourself."

"Mother is good or bad." Song Liangchen held his head and flattened his mouth.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Song Ziheng rubbed him, and turned his smiling eyes to the boat again.

This ship is very big, similar to the boat that Su Wan took to go to Beijing. It is also a yacht level in modern times. There are 100 sailors, as well as captains, stewards and translators. There are exactly [-] people, all wearing uniform uniforms. , stood on the boat and bowed to the pier.

Song Ziheng had boosted morale before, but now he just smiled lightly and said: "The time is not gone, let's go, I will wait for your triumphant return."

(End of this chapter)