NFBE Chapter 367 Buying a Boat
Chapter 367 Buying a Boat
The children sitting at the small table were all taken aback, and the guests at the adult table next to them also looked over curiously.
Gu Xiaoman forgot to drink her soup, staring blankly at Zhou Yi, "Xiao Bao, what did you say?"
With soup dripping from his lips and a serious expression, Zhou Yi said, "When I used to eat, my mother had to feed me. My father would say that if I didn't eat properly, I wouldn't even get to eat hot shit during a famine."
A burst of laughter suddenly erupted from the kitchen.
Headmaster Chen pointed at the dolls at the children's table and said with a smile, "Children say the darndest things, children say the darndest things, haha..."
Gu Xiaoman looked disgusted. "Ugh... Xiaobao, you can't talk about poop and pee while eating, you know?"
Zhou Yi nodded, seemingly oblivious to whether he had heard her, and gulped down the soup in his small bowl. "Brother, I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm not full yet!"
Holding a small bowl, she ran up to Aunt Gu, "Auntie, Xiao Bao wants more, more..."
She counted on her fingers, then held out her little hand, "I'll eat five!"
Aunt Gu smiled gently, "Alright, Grandma will pack five more for Xiaobao. Is five enough?"
Zhou Yi nodded affirmatively, and Aunt Gu served him five meatballs and added a little soup.
Zhou Yi stood on tiptoe and craned his neck, saying, "I want more soup, and I also want Auntie's seasoning sauce."
Aunt Gu always doted on the child, fulfilling all his requests. Afraid that the child might burn himself, she thoughtfully served him the food, saying, "Eat slowly, don't burn yourself, okay?"
Zhou Yi nodded and blew air into the bowl.
Lin Chang'er was also sitting at the children's table. Little Goldfish was tired today, so she took extra care of him. Seeing that he hadn't fully recovered and was a bit sickly, she unusually fed him.
The little goldfish was a bit shy at first, but Gu Xiaolu pouted and said, "Brother, don't take your blessings for granted. Mother has never fed me! She even steamed an egg for you."
Hearing her words, the little goldfish became even more embarrassed, its face turning red to the roots of its ears.
Seeing their expressions, Lin Chang'er quickly explained, "Brother is tired today and isn't feeling well, so Mother fed him. Our little deer is all grown up now, she can take care of herself, right?"
At first, the two children were quite attached to her, but later, as she focused on making money, they became very sensible and independent, and she hardly ever had to worry about them.
Lin Chang'er always felt that she had gained two children for free, so she tried her best to meet any reasonable requests they had.
Hearing her mother say this, Gu Xiaolu still pouted, her little mouth almost sticking out of her tongue, but she still stubbornly insisted, "That's right, I'm a big sister now. Brother worked hard fighting the pirates today, so it's only right that he eats an extra steamed egg."
Lin Chang'er smiled and said, "Brother didn't eat dinner! Mother promised to cook him a special meal, so he had an extra steamed egg. How about we steam one for Little Deer tomorrow too?"
Gu Xiaolu finally stopped talking. "Xiaolu wasn't jealous of her brother. He's our little hero."
She was just afraid that her mother would only see her brother and forget that she was her daughter.
Hearing her mother say this now, she knows that her mother still remembers her, and all her temper has vanished.
He thoughtfully scooped a spoonful of steamed egg custard and fed it to the little goldfish. "Ah... Brother, have some steamed egg custard."
The little goldfish blushed and said, "Thank you, little sister!"
He held her hand and fed her the steamed egg custard, saying, "Little sister, have a taste too."
Gu Xiaolu ate it in one bite, "Thank you, brother, it's so delicious!"
When Gu Xiaoman and Zhou Yi, those two lively kids, saw this, they also started clamoring, "Xiaoman wants to eat too!"
"Brother, Xiaobao wants to eat too!"
The little goldfish was never possessive of its food. Each person fed it a spoonful, and it even asked Lin Yanqing, Gu Silang, and Zhou Li for directions.
The three of them were all grown up, so they naturally shook their heads.
Finally, the little goldfish scooped another spoonful for Lin Chang'er, saying, "Mother, have a taste too."
Lin Chang'er shook her head, "Mother won't eat, but the goldfish will. After eating, it can have a good sleep and be a lively fish again tomorrow."
The little goldfish nodded and scooped up a big mouthful to eat.
After he finished eating, Lin Chang'er fed him meatballs.
After the little ones had eaten and drunk their fill, Lin Chang'er and Aunt Gu cleaned up the dishes together.
Aunt Gu quickly waved her hand, "Chang'er, you've had a long day, go and rest. Leave the dishes and chopsticks, I'll clean them up later."
"Aunt Gu, we'll help you!" Chen Zhao, Li Xun, and Gu Ziyan rolled up their sleeves to help. "Sister Chang'er, you should go and rest!"
The three of them stood in front of the stove, leaving no room for Lin Chang'er to stand.
Lin Chang'er took the opportunity to shirk her duties and arranged for the younger ones to wash up.
After she finished serving the children, she was about to rest when she looked up and saw Chen Shanzhang and his nephew, Chen Yuanwai, strolling in the courtyard to digest their food.
Thinking of something, Lin Chang'er also went to the courtyard.
"Chang'er hasn't rested yet either. The moonlight is lovely tonight, shall we take a walk together?" Master Chen was exceptionally warm to see her. After all, since Chen Zhao came to Linshui Village, she had become much more sensible, and while her knowledge hadn't taken a huge leap forward, it had certainly made some progress.
Every time she came home, she would talk to him more, and he was truly grateful to Lin Chang'er from the bottom of his heart.
Headmaster Chen nodded and smiled at her.
Lin Chang'er stepped forward and got straight to the point: "I originally intended to go to the west wing to ask you two some questions, but I didn't expect to see you two taking a walk in the courtyard, so I saved myself the trouble of making an extra trip."
"What a coincidence," Headmaster Chen laughed heartily. "Tell me what you need, and I will tell you everything I know without reservation."
Lin Chang'er pursed her lips and said, "Headmaster Chen is highly respected, and Master Chen has been doing business for many years and has a wide circle of friends. I would like to ask you two if you know any boatmen with excellent skills?"
It's not that she's unwilling to give newcomers a chance, but rather that the ship she wants to build is too difficult for this era.
There must be an expert in charge to guide the boatmen in figuring things out; otherwise, everyone will be a jack-of-all-trades, and she fears she will never achieve her goal in her lifetime.
Wu Qingfeng had mentioned a couple to her before, but something had happened to them. After retiring from the Maritime Trade Office, they hadn't returned home. She couldn't wait any longer.
The blueprints also need the help of people who are proficient in shipbuilding to improve them.
Headmaster Chen stroked his beard and asked in surprise, "Chang'er, you want to build a ship to go to sea? Is it for fishing?"
Master Chen chimed in, "Chang'er, if you're going to fish, why not just buy a fishing boat and hire someone to build it yourself? The cost is too high."
Headmaster Chen nodded. "I think so too. Chen Zhao's father knows some people in Yunting Port. If you want to buy a boat, you can ask him to accompany you to Yunting Port. It's easier to go by land and return by sea."
Lin Chang'er closed her eyelashes, thinking that buying fishing boats and converting them into warships was a good idea, but if she let Master Chen act as a go-between, he would also be implicated if something happened. So, should she tell them her actual plans?