novelSusiti Chapter 154 People's hearts are hidden behind their bellies
Chapter 154 People's hearts are hidden behind their bellies
Chapter 154 People's hearts are hidden behind their bellies
Chapter 153 Yang Hongliang has insomnia.
This was his first time experiencing insomnia since arriving in Lushun. He remembered it very clearly. On his first day in Lushun, Chen Boying saw that he was still barefoot and ordered his personal guards to take off his boots and give them to him.
He knew very well that although Chen Boying was certainly putting on a show, even if it was a show, the officials he had encountered in the past would not have bothered to put on a show for a lowly craftsman like him. Shen Huai'an had done many wrong things, but his decision to join Chen Boying was the only right thing to do. Their Shachuan Gang, with more than 30,000 people, had restored the glory of their ancestral home. After more than a hundred years of wandering and living under the roof of others, they had finally returned to the court and become registered craftsmen. They could now earn a living with their skills and no longer have to put up with the ugly faces of those merchants.
Yang Hongliang wasn't stupid. He knew very well that Qian Qianyi had likely planted many spies within the Shachuan Gang. At the very least, his words could reach him undetected. He had considered reporting this to the soldiers of the Daning New Army, but the problem was, he genuinely didn't know who among his comrades was the mole. More importantly, he was afraid that before he could even get the message out, he would be killed by the mole. He wasn't afraid of death itself, but rather of dying meaninglessly.
Despite all precautions, the note still arrived. He didn't know who had entered his room and hidden the note under his pillow. It read: "Within three days, Chen Boying will inspect Shipyard No. 1. If he takes action there, your son will be admitted to the Imperial Academy and your daughter will be redeemed. If he fails, you know the consequences."
Although Yang Hongliang came from humble beginnings, it didn't mean he was stupid. At least from these few dozen words, he could tell that Qian Qianyi had placed many people in Lushun, and these people held very high positions. They were able to know Chen Boying's movements, which meant that Chen Boying still had his own people around him.
Yang Hongliang stuffed the awl back under his pillow, leaned against the wall, and stared blankly at the roof beam. His son, Yang Dapeng, continued snoring. The boy knew nothing but that he had eaten his fill today and would eat his fill tomorrow. He had waited for this day for several years, and finally, he no longer had to worry about his next meal, no longer had to be subservient to others, and no longer had to worry about being kicked out of the construction site. More importantly, there would be no more thugs setting traps for them.
But now————
He wanted to destroy the life he had worked so hard for, and ruin the livelihoods of more than 30,000 sandboat brothers. Looking at the whole Ming Dynasty, there might be someone willing to give the sandboat brothers a bowl of rice, but the problem was that there was absolutely no other Chen Boying who was willing to spend millions of taels of silver to build ships, to build a huge fleet like the one Zheng He sailed to the West, and to give the sandboat brothers a stage to display their skills.
Yang Dapeng was awakened by the urge to urinate. Staring blankly at himself, he asked softly, "Father?"
"Go to sleep, it's still early, we have work to do tomorrow!"
Yang Dapeng went to bed, pulled up the covers, and soon fell asleep again. He looked at the bedding on his body, at the new clothes beside his pillow, and at the iron plaque in the small box on the table. These were their work points, which could be accumulated, exchanged for silver, a new house, or even land. A house of one acre in size would only require him to work in Lushun for five years, sixty months; he and his son would only need to work for thirty months, two and a half years, to own a house of their own.
From then on, Yang Hongliang was considered a law-abiding citizen with a house. More importantly, Chen Boying also set up a school for the children of craftsmen. In the future, when his son Yang Dapeng got married and had a son, he could go to school for free. If his ancestral graves were lucky enough to produce a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), the Yang family would prosper.
Yang Hongliang closed his eyes, but another face appeared in his mind—his daughter's face. Xiuxiu was only seven years old when she was sold. She cried her heart out, clinging to his leg and refusing to leave. He pried her hands off, turned his head away, and dared not look. Three years had passed; she should have grown up a bit by now. He wondered if she still recognized her useless father. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling silently.
The following morning, at the Lushun Shipyard.
The construction site of Shenhao Shipyard was bustling with activity. The keel of the 4,400-ton behemoth had been laid for most of the time. The reason for such rapid progress was not because the brothers of the Sand Ship Gang were skilled and fast, but mainly because the Dalu Island Shipyard adopted a standardized operation method. Most of the parts of all the warships were interchangeable. In Chen Boying's words, this was called standardized modular operation.
He didn't understand what modular construction was, but he knew that this method could improve efficiency. After the initial processing of the keel timber, it could be quickly assembled. In addition to the keel, there were also various watertight compartments, masts, decks and other components, all of which were built in groups and then assembled together. In the huge dock, hundreds of craftsmen, along with thousands of apprentices, were laying ship planks and installing gun mounts. Yang Hongliang stood on the scaffolding, holding calipers and measuring the spacing of the ribs. His hands were steady and his eyes were focused. No one could tell that he had barely slept all night.
"Master Yang, Director Shen wants to see you!"
Yang Hongliang responded, put down the calipers, and climbed down the ladder. Shen Huai'an stood by the dock, with several other people beside him. They were all leaders and hall masters of the Sand Boat Gang, and they were all wearing green official robes. He was an unfamiliar official.
"Greetings, Leader!"
Realizing his mistake, Yang Hongliang quickly corrected himself, saying, "Greetings, Director!"
"No need for formalities!"
Shen Huai'an said calmly, "You are one of the most skilled craftsmen in the sand ship guild. After my recommendation and the approval of the commander-in-chief, you have been specially promoted to foreman of the first workshop of the Daning Lushun Shipbuilding Bureau, with the rank of seventh grade. Congratulations, Lord Yang!"
"What?"
Yang Hongliang stared at Shen Huai'an in disbelief. He knew very well that although he was a veteran of the Sand Boat Gang, he had offended Shen Huai'an many times because of his temper. Shen Huai'an's claim that he would recommend him was utter nonsense. There were more than 30,000 people in the Sand Boat Gang who were officials. Even if 29,000 were recommended, it wouldn't be his turn. He was promoted just over ten days ago when he took the technical promotion exam. Chen Boying's rule was fairness: as long as you had good skills, you could enjoy better treatment.
"The commander-in-chief also heard that you have a son who works as a material handler on a construction site?"
Yang Hongliang's heart skipped a beat again, and his voice tightened: "Yes. My son, Yang Dapeng, is useless; all he does is pull out all the stops."
"If you're willing to work hard, you'll get to eat. The commander has already given the order that starting next month, the food standard for all the craftsmen on the construction site will be raised by one level, with meat at every meal and plenty of rice. If you do a good job, you'll also get a bonus at the end of the year. Master Yang, the commander values you. Work hard, get a title in the future, and bring your daughter back."
Yang Hongliang forced a smile and watched Shen Huai'an leave. He stood there, his palms sweating profusely.
That night, Yang Hongliang received a note asking them to attend a meeting. He decided to get involved himself, even if he and his son died, Chen Boying could not die.
As agreed, he arrived at the designated location, a warehouse in the shipyard. There were more than a dozen people in the warehouse. The leader was wearing a black cloak, the hood covering most of his face, revealing only his chin. Yang Hongliang couldn't see his face clearly, but judging from his build, he was a middle-aged man in his forties.
He was fine until he spoke, but as soon as he did, he recognized the other person as Shen Chuanchuan, one of the eight hall masters of the Sand Ship Gang, who enjoyed the rank of deputy director of the sixth grade and the third-in-command of the Lushun Shipbuilding Bureau. He was also Shen Huai'an's uncle.
He was secretly astonished. He realized Qian Qianyi had planted his pawns so deeply. He remained calm and accepted Shen Chuanchuan's arrangement: he, with his exceptional skills, would act as the first wave of assassins. If the assassination failed, others would finish the job. The goal was to kill Chen Boying. He understood. No wonder they knew Chen Boying would be inspecting in three days; no wonder they were so confident. Even if Chen Boying was vigilant, he couldn't possibly be wary of the third-in-command of the Sand Boat Gang.
"Master Yang," the cloaked man's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, "have you thought about the question Lord Qian asked you?"
Yang Hongliang lowered his head and remained silent.
The cloaked man sneered, "What, you can't bear to part with him? Don't forget, isn't your son your lifeblood? His life is still in Lord Qian's hands."
Yang Hongliang raised his head, his eyes bloodshot: "I—I can't do it. Commander Chen is a good man; he gave the brothers of the Sand Boat Gang a way to survive. I can't—"
"A way out?" the cloaked figure interrupted him, his voice suddenly turning cold. "Isn't your daughter's way out, your son's way out, a way out?"
Yang Hongliang was startled.
The cloaked man took a letter from his sleeve and threw it on the ground: "Lord Qian said that as long as you accomplish this, your son will enter the Imperial Academy, and your daughter will be redeemed. Do you know the Imperial Academy? It's a place that scholars dream of. If your son goes in, he'll become an official. Your Yang family will be transformed. Think about it yourself, no matter how good Chen Boying is, he's still a man of the court."
What can you get for working for him? At most, a few taels of silver and a few acres of land. Yes, you're just a seventh-rank foreman now, but what Master Qian can give your son is a real official position, not just a craftsman's rank; it's a bright future. If your son becomes an official, your family's ancestral graves will be emitting auspicious smoke."
Why are you forcing me!
Yang Hongliang suddenly attacked, stabbing Shen Chuanwen with the awl in his hand.
Shen Chuanchuan stared in disbelief at the blood on his chest: "You're insane, you—"