“Young Master Hong, we meet again!”
The guide smiled and greeted Hong Taoping.
“Those warships ordered by your naval forces were delivered by our Hong family long ago. Why do you still come seeking me?”
Hong Taoping’s tone held some anger.
Pirates had nearly stripped the Hong family bare. To repay debts, Hong Taoping had sold the ancestral home and fields.
Now he could only lodge with a former family servant.
Even so, several debts remained unpaid.
If these people came to collect, Hong Taoping would accept it.
But the naval warships had been delivered long ago, paid by the prefect. Even if undelivered, it was not the navy’s place to demand.
“Young Master Hong, no misunderstanding. It is Mr Jin who wishes to invite you to build ships.” The guide quickly explained.
“Mr Jin?”
Hong Taoping instinctively looked at Jin Feng, guarded by the escorts, his face full of confusion.
The Hong family had once been a prominent local clan, familiar with neighbouring great families.
But Hong Taoping had never seen Jin Feng.
Seeing this, the guide hurriedly introduced, “Mr Jin comes from Xichuan. Young Master Hong, have you heard of the Battle of Qingshui Valley and the Battle of Xichuan City?”
This only puzzled Hong Taoping more.
Dakang’s communications were backward. As a shipbuilder, Hong Taoping truly had not heard of northwestern battles.
“Young Master Hong, you must have heard of Shui Yuzhu, right?” the guide asked again.
Hong Taoping finally nodded.
Dakang’s saltworks were mostly concentrated in the East Sea. Salt merchants coming to the East Sea had to pass through Jiangnan.
Hong Taoping had heard debt-collecting salt merchants mention Shui Yuzhu.
“Shui Yuzhu belongs to the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce, and the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce is Mr Jin’s.” the guide said.
“The Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce is yours?”
Hong Taoping looked at Jin Feng in shock.
Some time ago, the Ninth Princess had spread word to salt merchants that they could source from Xihe Bay saltworks, causing huge waves among them.
Xihe Bay saltworks became a hot topic among salt merchants.
Discussing Xihe Bay naturally involved the backing Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce.
But even if beaten to death, Hong Taoping would not have guessed that the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce, making salt merchants so wary, belonged to this young man before him.
Jin Feng was truly too young, appearing even younger than himself.
If not for the guide knowing him previously, Hong Taoping would have thought this a band of swindlers.
“Young Master Hong, why would I deceive you? The Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce truly is Mr Jin’s!”
The guide pointed at Tang Xiaobei. “This is Madam Xiaobei, the chief manager of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce.”
“Greetings, Young Master Hong!”
Tang Xiaobei gave a slight curtsey.
“Greetings, Madam. Greetings, Mr Jin!”
Hong Taoping, after all, had received great clan education. Suppressing his inner shock, he bowed in return to Tang Xiaobei.
He also bowed to Jin Feng.
By now, he believed the guide’s words.
For salt merchants had said the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce’s chief manager was a young, beautiful woman.
Tang Xiaobei fit perfectly.
Most importantly, the Hong family had now fallen, burdened with high debts, without even a foothold. Former friendly families avoided them. They had nothing left worth scheming to deceive.
“Mr, you truly come to ask me to build ships?” Hong Taoping looked at Jin Feng.
“Of course.” Jin Feng nodded. “Admiral Zheng of the naval forces said your shipbuilding skill rivals your father’s. Knowing I seek someone to build ships, he recommended you first.”
“Our family’s shipyard is already destroyed…” Hong Taoping said bitterly.
“If you agree to build ships for me, I can rebuild a shipyard.” Jin Feng said.
Dakang lacked lifting equipment. Shipyard building relied on workers carrying parts for assembly.
It required vast labour and was extremely slow.
Such shipyards truly did not appeal to Jin Feng.
If he wanted to build seagoing ships, he would definitely construct a new shipyard.
“Building a shipyard costs no small sum.” Hong Taoping reminded.
“You need not worry about money, Young Master,” Jin Feng said. “I only wish to ask if you are willing to build ships for me?”
“Honoured by your esteem, I am deeply grateful. However…”
Hong Taoping hesitated, then said, “To be frank, our Hong family once took deposits from many merchants, promising to build ships. But then pirates came. The shipyard was gone, the home plundered… I fear implicating you, sir.”
“How so? Once you build ships for me, would they dare come rob them?”
Jin Feng frowned and asked.
“This, hard to say.” Hong Taoping said. “Their backers are all very powerful…”
Hearing this, Jin Feng’s brows furrowed slightly.
Before coming, his greatest worries were whether Hong Taoping would agree and whether his shipbuilding skill matched Zheng Chiyuan’s praise.
Now it seemed the Hong family’s situation was far more complicated than imagined.
Hong Taoping’s concern was not unfounded.
Those wealthy merchants indeed had powerful backers.
As the saying goes, a strong dragon does not overwhelm local snakes. Jin Feng was not arrogant enough to think he could dominate Dakang.
He thrived in Chuanshu because it was the Qing family’s territory, and he was on good terms with them.
Here in the East Sea, he had no foundation. Others wishing to squeeze him had plenty of ways.
If Jin Feng stayed in the East Sea permanently, he would not fear.
But he could not guard here forever.
Whether to take on the Hong family’s mess was indeed a problem.
The old man had stood listening to the two speak. Now hearing Hong Taoping say this, he anxiously slapped his thigh.
He could see Jin Feng was no ordinary man. If Hong Taoping clung to this thigh, perhaps the Hong family could rise again.
Who knew Hong Taoping was so straightforward, saying everything outright.
Was this not pushing the man away?
Thinking this, the old man turned and ran back inside, fetching the ship model Hong Taoping had made.
“This sir, our young master truly excels at shipbuilding. Even when the master was alive, he admitted inferiority.”
The old man presented the model to Jin Feng. “Sir, look. This is what our young master made.”
Jin Feng glanced down at the model, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Hong Taoping’s model differed completely from current Dakang cargo ships, resembling rather a galleon in shape.
This sparked some interest in Jin Feng. He asked, “May I examine it?”
“Sir, make fun as you wish.” Hong Taoping nodded, his expression somewhat shy.
This made Jin Feng want to smile.
Straightforward, shy, poor at socialising… a typical technical type.
Jin Feng took the model and examined it carefully.
But by now it was very dark. He could barely see.
“It’s cold outside and dark. Everyone, come inside to look.”
The old man ran back, fetching lamp oil he usually spared, and lit the oil lamp.
“Da Liu, have Da Zhuang arrange the brothers to camp.”
Jin Feng instructed over his shoulder, then carried the model inside.
“Young Master Hong, this ship differs from those commonly seen. How did you think to make it this way?” Jin Feng asked.
“Two years ago at sea, I saw a group of golden-haired foreigners. Their ships were completely unlike ours in Dakang. They placed the towers inside the hull, making it more stable at sea. I thought this method good, so I imitated one.”
Hong Taoping said, “But I never boarded their ship, nor know the interior. This is my own guess. I do not know if it is correct?”
Earlier, upon seeing the model, Jin Feng had guessed Hong Taoping must have seen a galleon.
Now Hong Taoping’s answer confirmed his guess.
Discovering the model was assembled, he asked, “May I disassemble it to look inside?”
“I’ll do it.”
Hong Taoping feared Jin Feng might damage it and reached to take the model back.
“Ahem!”
Old Chen Wu worried Hong Taoping’s action might offend Jin Feng and coughed to remind him.
But Hong Taoping seemed not to hear, continuing to reach.
“Sir, do not take offence. This little ship took our young master over two months to complete…”
Old Chen Wu explained awkwardly for Hong Taoping.
“It’s fine. I truly do not know how to disassemble it.”
Jin Feng smiled and waved his hand.
As fellow technical types, he understood Hong Taoping’s concern.
In his previous life, one summer vacation, he took a part-time job making a villa model.
After labouring over half a month, nearly finished, his cousin’s brat visited and thought he was assembling a toy, insisting on joining.
Jin Feng naturally refused. Over this, he fell out badly with his uncle’s family. Even his parents thought he made a mountain of a molehill.
Jin Feng was deeply frustrated yet could not explain.
Hong Taoping carefully disassembled the model while explaining, “Here is the passenger cabin. This is the cargo hold. Here is…”
“Wait. If we add stairs here, would it not be far more convenient for moving up and down, and also provide stability?”
Jin Feng interrupted Hong Taoping’s explanation, pointing inside the model.
“Add stairs…”
Hong Taoping looked where Jin Feng pointed, pondering carefully.
Moments later, he nodded. “That makes sense… Sir, you understand shipbuilding too?”
“My family has been blacksmiths for generations. I know a little of crafting principles.” Jin Feng said with a smile.
“Sir is too modest,” the guide interjected with a laugh. “Young Master Hong, you do not know. Mr Jin is a master of mechanisms. The heavy crossbows and catapults he made routed the Dangxiang and Tubo cavalry in the northwest frontier and Xichuan City.
Without him, our Dakang would have no peace this year!”
“Oh?”
Hong Taoping looked at Jin Feng in surprise.
This was the second time he heard the guide mention war.
In his view, Jin Feng was refined and scholarly, completely like a literatus. He could not associate him with battlefields or mechanisms.
Jin Feng knew that with a technical type like Hong Taoping, the best way was to gain his recognition through knowledge.
Thinking this, he drew several sheets of paper from his sleeve and handed them to Hong Taoping. “These are drawings I made in idle time. Please advise, Young Master Hong.”
Though Zheng Chiyuan strongly recommended, Jin Feng could not trust blindly.
This was his prepared test for Hong Taoping.
Hong Taoping took the papers, initially dismissive, but gradually his expression grew serious.
Jin Feng’s drawings followed Dakang conventions as much as possible. Hong Taoping, following his father in shipbuilding from youth, easily understood.
The papers showed a ship, precisely a galleon cross-section.
Though only one sheet, Hong Taoping clearly saw Jin Feng’s layout was far more rational than his own.
“Sir, you know shipbuilding too?” Hong Taoping set down the papers, asking excitedly.
Jin Feng’s drawings gave him the feeling of meeting a kindred spirit.
“A little.” Jin Feng shook his head slightly.
“Sir is truly too modest. If this is just a little, then I know nothing.” Hong Taoping said.
“What does Young Master Hong think of this drawing?” Jin Feng asked.
“Overall, far better than mine. But here there might be an issue.”
Hong Taoping pointed at a beam on the drawing. “A single beam here is not sturdy enough and prone to deformation. Best to add a diagonal one. Then it would be perfect.”
“I am enlightened!” Jin Feng feigned sudden realisation.
In fact, this flaw was deliberate, subtle yet affecting the ship’s stability.
Hong Taoping spotted it at once, proving real skill.
“Sir can draw this. You surely understand shipbuilding. Why seek me?” Hong Taoping asked.
“I have many affairs and cannot stay at the shipyard constantly.”
Jin Feng said, “Moreover, I am only armchair theorising. Drawing from imagination is fine, but actually leading men to build ships, I truly feel like grasping a hedgehog bare-handed, no place to start. So I seek someone to manage the shipyard for me.”
This was not false modesty but specialisation. He truly did not know shipbuilding steps in detail.
With enough time, he could manage, but time was what he lacked most now.
Hong Taoping was clearly tempted, but thinking of his family’s mess, his eyes dimmed.
Preparing to refuse, he heard Jin Feng ask, “May I ask how much silver Young Master Hong still owes others?”
“Adding several houses, thirteen thousand taels…” Hong Taoping answered bitterly.
“If you repay this, those merchants would cease troubling you?” Jin Feng asked.
“Naturally.” At this, Hong Taoping reacted. “What does sir mean?”
“If I lend you money to settle debts, would you build ships for me?” Jin Feng asked.
Through the model and drawing, Hong Taoping had passed Jin Feng’s test.
His character suited Jin Feng perfectly.
Such talent, let alone thirteen thousand taels, even double, Jin Feng would pay.
“Naturally I would,” Hong Taoping, hearing Jin Feng willing to lend, flushed with excitement.
Feudal era people, though sometimes pedantic, valued reputation highly.
Even after pirate plunder, Hong Taoping never considered defaulting.
But with the shipyard burned, besides selling land and ancestral home, he had no repayment means.
Former close families now avoided him.
Let alone lending for repayment, they barred their doors.
Jin Feng was the first willing to lend.
And at once over ten thousand taels, clearing all debts.
How could Hong Taoping not be thrilled?
But suddenly recalling something, he lowered his head. “So much money… I fear it would take long to repay sir, perhaps a lifetime…”
Old Chen Wu, hearing this, wished to cover his mouth.
Finally meeting a fool willing to lend and clear Hong debts, why say this?
Who knew Jin Feng would smile.
“Young Master Hong is truly upright and righteous. For these words alone, this friend I claim!”
Jin Feng laughed. “I invite you to build ships, naturally paying wages. Thus, I offer two choices.
First, work for me five years. This debt is cancelled, as your wages.
Second, build ten qualified large ships per my drawings. The debt is cancelled.
What say you, Young Master?”
“Sir speaks truly?” Hong Taoping leaped up.
