Zheng Haizhu opened the hatch and stepped onto the deck.
Wu Bangde followed her to the stern of the ship: "The sailor said that this Aya was from Tieshan. He fled to southern Liaoning and was taken to Dengzhou by Liu Baihu's brother. Everyone in their village, men, women and children, knew that the Liu family's daughter-in-law could no longer After giving birth, this one will be brought back to carry on the family line."
"Pass that fart." Zheng Haizhu muttered softly.
She turned around and motioned for the sailor named Dazhu to come over.
"Brother Dazhu," Zheng Haizhu asked the other two sailors and the fireman, "are they all your relatives?"
"Well, girls, the two of them are my cousins. The spring plague disappeared that year, so I took them on the boat. The one who cooks for you is my uncle."
"Okay, Dazhu, you have a bodhisattva heart, treat your family well, and treat poor strangers well. Heavenly Concubine will bless you all a lifetime of success and safety on the water. I will take the poor Li Chao girl below, she is willing to follow me .”
Dazhu was still bending down to listen at first. When he heard the last sentence, he immediately raised his head and flattered Zheng Haizhu: "Hey, then, that's good. The Zheng family has the heart of a Bodhisattva. The owner will definitely make a fortune from doing business."
Dazhu's heart felt like a stone had fallen to the ground.
After all, Liu Baihu collected protection fees for Xunhai Road. This time he felt compassion and let the woman he used to give birth to his son run away. If the Zheng Dong family in front of him insists on sending him back, his Wang Dazhu family will , from now on, there is no hope of making a living in the private harbors around Denglai.
It's great now. I heard that this woman named Zheng had some background. She took the initiative to take people in, and she tied her like a grasshopper on a rope, and she was afraid of being wronged.
Zheng Haizhu pursed his lips and smiled, patted his shoulder, and revealed his thoughts: "Okay, we are both good people, and we will definitely live a long life. However, I don't care about the good news from you whether we will make a fortune or not. Just say it with your mouth. Just ask your family to keep their mouth shut later. If it gets out, Liu Baihu will be unable to do anything to me and will definitely take out his anger on you."
"That's necessary. Don't worry, Mr. Zheng. Don't worry."
"Well, do you still have a straw mat on the boat? Drag it to my cabin and let Aya sleep next to my couch."
"Yes, yes, I will do it right away."
…
At dusk, the boat sailed to a private harbor called Yuji Island.
Cargo ships that have bribed the Dengliao Coastal Defense Road will stay here overnight to take shelter from the wind and replenish some fresh water.
Zheng Haizhu took out the "officially licensed smuggling flag" worth one hundred taels of silver, handed it to Dazhu, and raised it up the flagpole.
Looking at the several large and small ships in the harbor, they all have their flags hanging out.
When the sun went down on the sea level, a Dengzhou Navy warship appeared in the waves, cruised around the harbor, selected a big fortune boat and several smaller bird boats, and interrogated them for a few words. Drive away slowly.
Apparently they were here to count the flags and make sure each ship had paid its toll.
Wu Bondang held on to the string of the boat and saw the deeds of the Dengzhou Navy in his eyes. He sneered and said, "It's true that military discipline is strict."
Zheng Haizhu gathered his mink fur and said calmly: "Your foster father cherishes his feathers. He would rather sell his house and land than blackmail businessmen and tarnish Qi Shaobao's reputation. I don't know how much I respect him. But you Don't look down on people like the Dengzhou Navy. The imperial court is in arrears of pay every year. The Japanese war is not as fierce as the border troubles and refugee rebellions in the north. These Japanese soldiers who were preparing for the Japanese army can't even get much money. Don't give us a lump sum to pay for travel expenses. , do they drink the northwest wind? They are also people with young families."
Wu Bond did not refute, only sighed softly.
Zheng Haizhu looked at his nose that was blown red by the sea breeze and said, "Wait for me here for a while and then returned to the warehouse."
After a while, she brought a jar of wine and two glasses. After filling them, she handed a glass to Wu Bondang: "Warm yourself, it's too cold on the deck, but it's not convenient to talk down below."
Wu Bondang took a sip and praised: "This wine is good."
Zheng Haizhu said: "Really? That's good. It's called Qiulubai. The store said it is one of the best wines in Shandong." I can't taste good or bad anyway, so I choose the expensive one. My people in Songjiang sold an antique and got a lot of money. Not only can they try to build artillery, but they can also hire instructors.
The salary is enough for one or two years. "
Wu Bondang nodded, took the wine glass and touched the one in the woman's hand: "You are really dedicated to making firearms."
Zheng Haizhu turned to look at the dim lights on the surrounding cargo ships: "I have more than one thing on my mind, selling goods, mining coal, currying favor with civil servants, dating military generals, educating children, and hoping that my fellow countrymen will run Taiwan well. Haha, I have many thoughts. But, in summary, there are only two things: making money and defending the country."
She took a small sip of "Qiu Lu Bai" and added: "When we talk about defending our country, we don't have much ambition. It's just a word that comes out of the mouth of a man whose chest is embroidered with animals. I just don't want to One day, I, as well as many scholars, farmers, industrialists and merchants like Ming Dynasty, will be like Aya and live worse than a pig or a dog."
Wu Bondang was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "You are actually not soft-hearted when you take in that Aya."
Zheng Haizhu said: "Change your words. In fact, it's not just because you are soft-hearted." "
Wu Bondang smiled and said: "No matter whether you are soft-hearted or hard-hearted, you are moved anyway. You are moved by her, Ye He Jurchen's background."
Zheng Haizhu retracted her neck into the mink collar and said slowly: "Yes, I do feel a little pity for her. But the bigger reason for keeping her is that she, a Jurchen, is a sea The Jurchens of Hebei in the West. Mao Wenlong told me that Nurhaci, the chief wolf of the Jianzhou Jurchens, bites the Jurchens of Haixi, and the force of his bite is no less severe than that of our Ming Dynasty. Today I heard Aya say We found some connections, and it is true. When we arrive in Liaodong, I want her to take us to explore Ye He's tribe."
Wu Bond thought about it and said, "Okay, at least she speaks the truth. You also said that her family has been horse dealers for generations and understands horses. We can pretend to be smart businessmen who go to buy horses with her."
Zheng Haizhu discussed with Wu Bondang together. After arriving in Liaodong and meeting Mao Wenlong, he wanted to use the excuse of selling goods, receiving goods, and recruiting people to travel around Liaodong, accumulate some maps of terrain and key points, and bring them back to Qi Jin and Qin Liangyu. Wu Bondang strongly agreed with the two guest armies that were most likely to be recruited by the imperial court to go to Liao.
Therefore, when the idea of spying comes up, Wu Bondang will actively participate in the planning.
Zheng Haizhu pondered for a moment and then said: "Bond, there is one more thing. That Fushun guard, Li Yongfang, you want to kill him this time, I agree with both hands and feet. But this man, before we send him to hell , you have to put it to good use."
Wu Bang Bang heard that Zheng Haizhu had changed his mind a little bit. He put down the wine glass and looked at her gently: "If you don't want to kill this person, I will keep it for the New Year. What do you want to do with it?"
